Peter Vatistas

Well it is official, Microsoft has released the Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) either via the Windows Update or Microsoft’s Download Center (website).

I’ve compiled a few quality links about the Windows XP SP3 as well as download information below. As with all my posts please feel free to post your comments (good or bad), I’m interested to hear what your opinions on the new service pack!

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Resources

• Windows XP Service Pack 3: What is new and how to deploy
  This white paper summarizes what is new in Windows XP SP3, and how to deploy the service pack.
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Notes
• Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 Forum
• Windows XP Solution Center

Get Windows XP Service Pack 3

TechNet Subscribers:

• Windows XP Service Pack 3 stand-alone version
  Top Subscriber Downloads section
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 Integrated Builds now available
  Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong), Chinese Traditional (Taiwan), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English,Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

Non-TechNet Subscribers:

Windows XP SP3 is now available to non-subscribers:

• Windows Update
  We recommend customers use Windows Update to install the service pack, as it will provide the best experience.
• Microsoft Download Center
• SMS Template Files for Windows XP Service Pack 3 Deployment
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 stand-alone version
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 Checked Build Network Installation Package
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 MUI Pack Update
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 CD Image

Good luck and of course backup your important files before making any OS upgrade - I cannot tell you how easy it is to lose everything in a split second.

This is an awesome application that allows you to plug your Mac formatted and partitioned hard drive (internal & external) into your PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista. I had several external hard drives that I formatted and partitioned on OS X Leopard. I brought one of the drives home to grab some data off of it on my Vista box when I realized there is no way to view the data. After searching for a few hours I found MacDrive, the exact solution I needed for this situation. MacDrive came recommended by some very reputable members on the Microsoft IT Advisory Council (thanks guys!).

MacDrive gives you access to all your Mac-formatted disks from Windows and even the Mac partition. You can access files on the Mac disk just like you would with a Windows formatted disk. Open files from the disk or from within a program. Mac files automatically get the right icons and file name extensions under both Windows and Mac OS.

Click here to read more and download

It was a big day for Microsoft yesterday, heres just a few things they released to help shape the web:

• Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1: Microsoft unveiled for the first time Internet Explorer 8, showcasing Internet Explorer’s commitment to developers. Internet Explorer 8 offers an unprecedented level of interoperability and tools, enabling developers to be more productive while delivering innovative experiences for end users on the Web. Internet Explorer 8 beta 1 for developers, released today, provides the most extensive support for Internet standards of any Microsoft browser and reduces the amount of time required to bring new experiences online.
• Silverlight 2 Beta: Silverlight 2 supports managed code, includes the core of the Common Language Runtime and adds over two dozen user interface controls (such as Button, CheckBox, Date controls, GridView and Layout) that are designed to be used right out of the box, or to be tweaked with styles. If you need full control over the look and feel, the appearance of any control can be fully determined by templates and control behavior can be modified by hooking events, or ultimately by creating custom controls.
• Expression Studio 2 Beta: Expression Studio 2 works seamlessly with Visual Studio to enable better designer and developer collaboration. New features include PHP support in Expression Web, and support for Silverlight in Expression Web, Expression Blend, Expression Media Encoder and Expression Design.
• SQL Server Data Services: Microsoft announced a preview of SQL Server Data Services, a building block service designed for developers and businesses that need scalable, easily programmable and cost-effective data storage with robust database query capabilities. MIX08 attendees will be able to register for an invitation-only beta of Microsoft SQL Server Data Services.

Installing Apache + MySQL + PHP + Perl can be a pain in the ass on any system, until now. XAMPP is a free - fast & easy way to install Apache distro containing MySQL, PHP and Perl. Download, extract and run -that’s it!!

Currently there are 4 XAMPP distros:

* XAMPP for Linux
The distribution for Linux systems (tested for SuSE, RedHat, Mandrake and Debian) contains: Apache, MySQL, PHP & PEAR, Perl, ProFTPD, phpMyAdmin, OpenSSL, GD, Freetype2, libjpeg, libpng, gdbm, zlib, expat, Sablotron, libxml, Ming, Webalizer, pdf class, ncurses, mod_perl, FreeTDS, gettext, mcrypt, mhash, eAccelerator, SQLite and IMAP C-Client.

* XAMPP for Windows
The distribution for Windows 98, NT, 2000, 2003, XP and Vista. This version contains: Apache, MySQL, PHP + PEAR, Perl, mod_php, mod_perl, mod_ssl, OpenSSL, phpMyAdmin, Webalizer, Mercury Mail Transport System for Win32 and NetWare Systems v3.32, Ming, JpGraph, FileZilla FTP Server, mcrypt, eAccelerator, SQLite, and WEB-DAV + mod_auth_mysql.

* XAMPP for Mac OS X
The distribution for Mac OS X contains: Apache, MySQL, PHP & PEAR, SQLite, Perl, ProFTPD, phpMyAdmin, OpenSSL, GD, Freetype2, libjpeg, libpng, zlib, Ming, Webalizer, mod_perl, eAccelerator, phpSQLiteAdmin.

WARNING: This version of XAMPP is still in the first steps of development. Use at you own risk!

* XAMPP for Solaris
The distribution for Solaris (developed and tested with Solaris 8, tested with Solaris 9) contains: Apache, MySQL, PHP & PEAR, Perl, ProFTPD, phpMyAdmin, OpenSSL, Freetype2, libjpeg, libpng, zlib, expat, Ming, Webalizer, pdf class.

WARNING: This version of XAMPP is still in the first steps of development. Use at you own risk!

Click here to read more about XAMPP & download

I am very excited to see Apple has made their popular internet browser “Safari” available to us Windows users. I always have had to keep a little Mac around for testing purposes with Safari and with the release of Safari 3 beta for Windows I can finally kick this Mini Mac down to my son for his games and etc…

Click here to go to the Apple Safari 3 download page

Here is a great tool I use a lot to find passwords on my computer and passwords across the network on all computers. SpotAuditor can scan your network’s IP Range using any credentials you give it (Admin rights preferably) and it will spit out passwords typed in or stored from every computer it see’s. Spot Auditor can also reveal visited URL’s, installed programs, and passwords under asteriks (i.e. ******).

Download it for free with the link I provide below and see how helpful SpotAuditor really is! If you’re a network Administrator I would make sure these aren’t sitting on employee computers, big problem!

SpotAuditor Password Recovery Software - Compatible with Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista

90% of my day is spent remoting into my server farm to make changes, monitor, and etc… Normally when I need the task manager I do the normal Start>Run>taskmgr command to get me there but I never realized I could have a CTRL+ALT+DELETE like command. Normally when you remote desktop and hit ctrl+alt+delete it invokes YOUR computers options, not the computer you are remoting into. The solution for this (and I am sure I am years behind on this) is CTRL+ALT+END!

It is funny how knowledgable I think I am when it comes to Microsoft products but when I learn something like this I feel dumb! What cool tricks have you found out by accident or totally made you feel like a newb? I would love to hear them.

Here is a neat little hack to use Microsoft’s Windows Vista OS for 4 months without a key, activation, registration, nothing!

Install or upgrade Windows Vista, do not enter a product key and get 30 days free like everyone else. On the 29th day, click Start, Run, and type in: slmgr -rearm

This will give you another 30 days and repeat this step on the 59th day. From what I have been told this works for 4 months only and hopefully by then you’ve delivered enough newspapers to buy yourself a copy of Microsoft Windows Vista.