Microsoft to patch 9 security vulnerabilities on Tuesday

Microsoft has announced what vulnerabilities it plans to patch on Tuesday.

According to the company, its Tuesday update will include fixes for nine issues. Three of those issues are "critical" vulnerabilities, meaning that they can allow code execution without any user interaction. The remaining vulnerabilities are labeled as "important."

Although all three of of the Critical vulnerabilities center on Windows, one of them also includes Internet Explorer 9. Interestingly, the flaw does not extend to previous versions of the browser, so it appears it's something new. Beyond that, the nine patches address flaws in everything … Read more

How to print from a Metro app in Windows 8

Printing from a Windows 8 Metro app may throw you for a curve at first. But the process works fine once you get used to it.

For the Windows 8 Release Preview, Microsoft tweaked the way you print content, at least for Metro apps. Instead of choosing a print command from within the app itself, you print using the Charms bar. Selecting the Device charm provides access to your printer, among other devices. From there you can configure the various settings for your print job.

Here's how to print from a Metro app in Windows 8:

Power up your … Read more

Who is making ARM-based Windows tablets?

Perhaps it goes without saying, but we Microsoft watchers still know very little about the plans of Microsoft hardware partners around Windows 8.

Sure, for a couple of years there have been demos of early hardware (mostly x86-based) running Windows 8. At the recent Computex show, there were even a few details shared by Asus and Toshiba about Windows-on-ARM tablets they're planning, which will run Microsoft's Windows RT operating system.

(Windows RT, formerly known as Windows on ARM, or WOA, is a version of Windows optimized for ARM chips from Nvidia, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm that's largely similar, though not identical to, Windows 8.)… Read more

Microsoft details its Windows 8 upgrade plans

Microsoft has shared with select partners some specifics about what those upgrading to Windows 8 can expect when moving from Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

According to what my contacts have told me, here's the guidance released to them privately by Microsoft this month.

Users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 (the name of the entry-level consumer version of the operating system) from Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, and Windows 7 Home Premium while maintaining their existing Windows settings, personal files, and applications. Users will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro … Read more

MetroTwit app hits Windows 8 store

The Twitter client MetroTwit is now a full-fledged Metro app available free through Microsoft's Windows store.

MetroTwit users who install the app in the Windows 8 Release Preview will find it similar in many ways to its Windows desktop counterpart.

The app starts off by displaying a column for your traditional Twitter timeline. Clicking on a tweet opens an app bar at the bottom of the screen with a variety of options. You can view the tweet full-screen, reply to it, retweet it, and mark it as a favorite. More options let you open the tweet at Twitter's … Read more

Check your PC for Windows 8 readiness with upgrade assistant

Updated, October 25, 2012: Updated for the final version of Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant.

General availability of Windows 8 has finally arrived. If you're considering upgrading your current PC to Windows 8, you might want to check your PC for compatibility first. Here's how, using the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant:

To download the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, go to the Windows 8 upgrade site, then click on the blue Download Upgrade Assistant button. The file is only about 5MB, so it shouldn't take long for the download to complete.

To run the upgrade assistant, double-click on Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.… Read more

How to automatically back up your personal files in Windows 8

Windows 8 offers several features designed to secure your files, but one of the most useful ones is File History.

The new File History feature can back up all your documents, browser favorites, desktop icons, and other personal files. Once set, File History runs automatically at specific times, though you can always trigger it manually.

You can also set the backup destination to a USB or network drive so your files are recoverable even if your hard drive crashes or gets corrupted. If one of your personal files gets lost or damaged, you can simply restore its most recent copy … Read more

Microsoft: No plans for branded phone -- not yet, at least

Microsoft may be making a branded tablet, but that doesn't mean it plans to extend the same strategy to phones.

Information Week quoted Greg Sullivan, the senior marketing manager for Windows Phone, shooting down that rumor. Asked in an interview whether Microsoft planned to apply that strategy to the smartphone market, Sullivan said: "No. We do not."

The denial came after Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund last week floated the idea in a research note -- though he did not suggest Microsoft had firm plans to build its own phone. "It is unclear to us whether this … Read more

Windows 8: Is it done yet?

Believe or not, folks, Microsoft execs still have not said when Windows 8 will be "done."

"Done," in this case, can mean either released to manufacturing or made generally available -- your call. But in spite of any rumors you've read, pundits to whom you've cleaved, or partners who claim to be in the know, there's been no officially sanctioned word.

This isn't too surprising, given the increasingly secrecy-obsessed Windows regime. But given most of the sources and contacts with whom I converse believe Windows 8 to be very close to the … Read more