In a reversal, Microsoft said on Thursday that it will make changes to the way a controversial security feature works in Windows 7.
After getting lots of feedback that Windows Vista too often prompted users to approve changes, Microsoft had decided in Windows 7 to prompt users less frequently. However, in recent days, some enthusiasts and security experts warned that the specific changes Microsoft planned to make with Windows 7 could put users at risk.
Microsoft initially downplayed the risks and defended its choices around the User Account Control feature. On Thursday, though, the company's two top Windows engineers said the company will make some modifications in response to the outcry.
Microsoft won't change the default setting--which is to notify users only when a program is making changes to their system--it will add an exception when changes are being made to the UAC itself. Starting with the upcoming "release candidate" version of Windows 7, changes to the UAC settings will require user approval, senior vice presidents Jon DeVaan and Steven Sinofsky said in a blog posting.
"With this feedback and a lot more we are going to deliver two changes to the Release Candidate that we'll all see," the pair wrote. "First, the UAC control panel will run in a high integrity process, which requires elevation. That was already in the works before this discussion...Second, changing the level of the UAC will also prompt for confirmation."
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Microsoft's Jon DeVaan, talking Windows 7 at the WinHEC 2008 conference in Los Angeles.
(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET News)
Microsoft has talked about the ability of Windows 7 to run on a Netbook, adding today that it can fit on a solid-state drive as small as 16GB. But just how much space does that leave?
Devaan said Microsoft has done a lot of work to ensure that Windows 7 occupies a smaller amount of both memory and storage, allowing it to run comfortably on a 16GB drive.
So how much space is left on that drive?
It's over half by quite a bit.
Windows 7 is supporting multitouch. Is there a way that I can tell whether a touch screen Vista PC will support the touch features of Windows 7.
DeVaan said there will be a logo program by the time Windows 7 rolls around, but the company is still working on the facets of that, so there isn't a program today.
"I'm not sure we quite know," DeVaan said. That said, Microsoft has shown Windows 7 running on HP's TouchSmart PCs as well as on Dell Lattitude XT laptops, so those two lines are probably a safe bet.
Is there anything new on the professional audio side, as compared to Vista?
DeVaan said that Microsoft isn't making major changes to the audio system in Windows 7, though it is adding support for a bunch of new audio and video formats, such as DivX, H.264, and unprotected AAC files.
Anyway, I'm here until Friday, so if you have more Windows 7 questions, send them my way.
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