vista

XP still top OS, but Windows 7 hot on its trail

Windows XP is still the dominant OS worldwide after more than 10 years, but Windows 7 continues to narrow the gap.

XP ended last year with a 46 percent slice of the OS market, according to December data from NetApplications. Although impressive after a decade, that number proved a hefty drop in use for XP, which kicked off 2011 with a 55 percent share and has fallen each month since then.

On the upswing, Windows 7 rang out the year with almost 37 percent of the market, a solid gain from 22 percent last January and further proof of its … Read more

Windows XP usage dips but it's still top OS

Windows XP continues to shed market share but still won't give up its crown as the most used operating system.

Eyeing the OS market in October, Net Applications pegged the total share for XP at 48 percent, the first time the 10-year-old OS has dipped below 50 percent specifically among desktop platforms. That's down from 50.5 percent in September and 52.5 percent in August.

Since Windows 7 made its official debut more than two years ago, XP has gradually dropped in usage from 72 percent in August 2009 to its current share. On a natural upswing, … Read more

'Sandy Bridge' driver update boosts Windows game performance

Intel has released a graphics driver update for its Sandy Bridge processors that boosts performance up to 37 percent for games on Windows 7 and Vista.

"This major graphics driver update for 2nd generation Intel Core processors with Intel HD graphics improves game performance by up to 37% on ULV platforms," Intel said in a statement.

ULV--or Ultra Low Voltage--processors are Intel's most power efficient and are typically used in thin and/or compact laptops such as Hewlett-Packard's updated Pavilion dm1 and Samsung Series 9.

ULV-based systems will see the biggest performance improvement, Intel said. "It is where some of the biggest gains are seen on the driver," Intel spokesman Dave Salvator said. But the driver update applies to all systems with Sandy Bridge processors sporting HD graphics. … Read more

Security insider discusses Vista's level of security

LAS VEGAS--It's easy now to look back at Microsoft's Windows Vista and berate the company for the operating system's shortcomings, but the truth is far more complex, according to one security researcher. At the second day of the annual Black Hat conference here, Chris Paget, chief hacker at the security company Recursion Ventures, discussed her independent contracting work for Microsoft on Vista prior to its release for the first time. Before Recursion took on the contract, all members of the team that worked on Vista were made to sign non-disclosure agreements that took five years to expire. … Read more

Windows XP market share dips below 50 percent

After a healthy 10-year run, Windows XP may finally be losing its overwhelming grip on computer users.

Though it's still the most heavily used version of the Windows operating system, XP's market share among all operating systems finally dipped just below the 50 percent mark last month, according to stats out today from Net Applications.

The aging OS has gradually been shedding market share a bit each month over the past few years, touching 62 percent a year ago and 51 percent in June before its latest dip in July, according to Net Applications.

At the same time, … Read more

Boot Camp 4 requires Windows 7 or later

An interesting note for people using either Windows XP or Windows Vista with Boot Camp is that you will not be able to install the latest version of Boot Camp (version 4) on your system. In a recent knowledgebase article, Apple outlines the system requirements for Boot Camp 4, part of which is the requirement for "an authentic, single, full-installation, 32-bit or 64-bit Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate disc."

While Boot Camp 4.0 will run in either Snow Leopard or Lion, it is a requirement for setting up new Windows installations in Lion even … Read more

Microsoft finally shows some love to raw shooters

Updated at 5 p.m. ET with correction about how this feature works.

Microsoft finally shows some love to camera raw shooters, but it feels like more of a hug than a big, sloppy wet kiss. The company now offers a free download of Microsoft Camera Codec Pack for Windows 7 and Vista users that will render thumbnails and display previews of most popular raw camera formats. (A complete list is available at the download site.)

About mid-Vista vintage, Microsoft introduced its own "open" raw format that it hoped camera manufacturers would adopt for better integration with Windows, … Read more

What to do when a Windows PC won't start

A day like any other: you're ready to get your compute on, but when you press the power button on your machine, nothing happens. Maybe the screen stays blank, or maybe it shows a blinking cursor and nothing else. Nightmare scenarios race through your mind: big repair bill? Lost data? New PC? (Gasp!)

Don't panic. Put away the sledgehammer. All is probably not lost--at least not yet.

A reader contacted me the other day to ask how she could revive her PC, which she had configured to dual-boot Windows XP and Vista. It seems she ran a popular … Read more

Microsoft declares a victory against autorun malware

Microsoft appears to be winning a major battle against autorun malware.

A blog post this week by Microsoft's Malware Protection Center said the company discovered 1.3 million fewer infections on Windows Vista and XP caused by autorun malware from mid-February to mid-May, compared with the three months prior.

A persistent security threat for the past several years, autorun malware typically spreads through flash drives, memory cards, and other external devices courtesy of Microsoft's autorun feature, which automatically executes a command when the device is plugged in.

Autorun has been a trigger for some of the "top … Read more

New screenshots reveal more Windows 8 features

Windows 8 will include a PDF reader, greater customization of the Aero interface, and a new version of Internet Explorer 9 that works like its Windows Phone counterpart, according to new details posted online by Microsoft partners.

Offering new tidbits and screenshots from a Windows 8 pre-beta build, "Windows 8 Secrets" co-authors Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott revealed some notable new features this week via the Web site Within Windows.

Windows 8 will reportedly offer a new interface dubbed Immersive as an alternative to the traditional Aero user interface introduced in Vista, according to Windows 8 Center and … Read more