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Microsoft Taking Over Yahoo

I am very much looking forward to the possibility of Microsoft taking over Yahoo. Maybe it will bring some well needed competition to Google. Microsoft can replace the Yahoo Search with their own Live Search technology, which I have to say, is pretty darn good. It still has a while to go before it can find things like Google can.

Perhaps Microsoft will take away the ridiculous charges that are rampant with Yahoo such as the charges to upgrade email, or view certain articles. I love nothing more than seeing a link on my My Yahoo page with a little $ next to it indicating that I cannot view the entire article unless I wish to pay for it. This is just one of the many examples of Yahoo trying to charge for stuff consumers know they can get free. What I often end up doing is searching for the article on Google and reading it for free.

I never thought I would welcome Microsoft to a new arena, but Yahoo needs to be saved. The services they offer have so much potential, it’s just the people running the company are clueless.

Is Leopard a Problem for Microsoft?

So far I’ve gotta say I am very impressed with the new Mac OS, Leopard. The features in iChat are worth it alone. The many different ways you can collaborate and share files is just amazing. I know there are Windows alternatives, but Leopard just makes it so easy. The Time Machine and the easy ability to create desktop gadgets are also very impressive.

The only problem so far seems to be with the menu bar being hard to see. They have made the decision to go with a transparent effect that just doesn’t work for users running higher resolutions, or people with vision problems.

Chris Pirillo tested it out on his live webshow and stated that he will go 100% Mac after getting Leopard. I think many will follow, including myself. Yes! It’s that friggin’ impressive to me! Also check out this article: Leopard: Faster, Easier Than Vista

Microsoft, a leader in the IT industry, has developed a number of certification programs for professionals working in the business. The programs allow you to decide which certification is appropriate and best suited for your career. There are over 2 million IT professionals with Microsoft certification. You can join their ranks and greatly enhance your professional career with Microsoft Certification. It’s important to note that Microsoft has restructured their programs to be very targeted.

Microsoft provides plenty of support as you study for your various certifications. The training includes classroom training, self-study kits, computer-based training, online classes, and books, and certification guides. You can take advantage of the way that you learn best. Depending on the career path you have chosen, you will find a certification that matches your skill set. Microsoft plans to, over time, introduce exams that rely on simulations and performance items.

You start by taking the appropriate entry- level certification. Prepare yourself with the most suitable Microsoft Certification Guides. You need to choose the right guide. A list follows of the various Certification Guides you can choose from. Match you expertise with these guides.
Read more… »

Disable Zune Marketplace

Disable the Zune Marketplace and avoid waiting through the message:

Downloading catalog from Zune Marketplace

1. Double-click My Computer and browse to C:Program FilesZune (or find the location the Zune software is installed).

2. Right click zunemarketplace.dll and select Rename.

3. Now you can type a new name for this file. Rename it to zunemarketplace.old.

Now the next time you launch your Zune software, the Zune Marketplace will be disabled. To re-enable it, you can simply go back and rename the file back to zunemarketplace.dll.

Red Ring of Light: Xbox 360

Microsoft extends it’s Xbox 360 warranty after many users are reporting the Red Ring of Light appearing indicating a severe hardware failure in the unit.

Microsoft is now offering owners of the an “enhanced warranty” for those users experiencing the failure. The warranty is now 3 years for any customer that gets the Red Ring of Light failure for both new and used consoles. Joystiq.com reported that the problem has been experienced by about 33% of Xbox 360 users.

If you are experiencing this problem, you will need to get your Xbox 360 repaired by .

Ensure that there is no prompt to restart the computer when applying Microsoft Hotfix Updates.

Use the /norestart switch to prevent a message to restart the computer from appearing.

For example, I downloaded a hotfix from Microsoft with a filename of WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe and saved it to my Desktop. So I ran the command:

“C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\
WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe” /norestart

NOTE: This works if you have version 5.3.24.3 of update.exe or later. For earlier versions, you can use the /z switch instead.

Install Microsoft Updates without user interaction screens appearing by using a command line switch.

Use the /quiet switch to install Microsoft Hotfixes in “Quiet Mode”

For example, I downloaded a hotfix from Microsoft and saved it to my Desktop. So I ran the command:

“C:\Documents and Settings\username\
Desktop\WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe” /quiet

NOTE: This works if you have version 5.3.24.3 of update.exe and later. For earlier versions, you can use the /q switch instead.

Skip the part of Microsoft Hotfix installers that backup your files for uninstall with this switch.

Use the /nobackup switch to bypass this part.

For example, I downloaded a hotfix from Microsoft and saved it to my Desktop. So I ran the command:

“C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe” /nobackup

NOTE: This works if you have version 6.1.22.0 of update.exe or later. For earlier versions, you can use the /n switch instead.

You can use Virtual PC to run multiple operating systems.

Microsoft has made Virtual PC available for free download.

“Save time and money as Virtual PC allows you to maintain the compatibility of legacy and custom applications during migration to new operating systems and increases the efficiency of support, development, and training staffs.”

You can download it here.

Disable the Office 2007 message that warns you about hyperlinks.

Hyperlinks can be harmful to your computer and data.

1. Click on the start button and key in REGEDIT and press Enter.

2. Click the plus sign next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
then Software
then Policies
then Microsoft
then Office
then 12.0
then Common

3. Click once on the Common key, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click Key.

4. Type Security, and then press ENTER to name the key.
Read more… »

Chris Bryant covers the changes Microsoft has planned with its certification program.

Microsoft is in the middle of a major push to overhaul its certification program. Last year, they announced the new Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) certification, which is not a written exam but rather a practical exam that will be graded by a board of examiners. Just applying for the certification will require 10 years’ experience in IT as well as three years of practical experience as a network architect.

For those of us not quite ready for that, Microsoft has announced that it’s also going to revise other certifications. The MCSE that we’ve all come to know and love is going to be a thing of the past. In its place will be a series of specialization exams and IP Professional certification tracks. If you’re currently an MCSE or working it, don’t worry, you have plenty of time to adapt to the new tracks.

Microsoft’s official word is that the new certification structure will be implemented when the next Windows server/client version is released. For those holding MCDBAs, your current certification will remain valid and you’ll have a chance to upgrade to the new certification with SQL Server 2005.

Those of us who have been on the certification track for a while remember the outcry when Microsoft planned to phase out the much-maligned NT 4.0 certification in the move to Windows 2000. There was quite an outcry from many certified individuals who felt MS was being unreasonable in their timetable and planned lack of support for the 4.0 certification. Whether you agree with Microsoft’s planned changes, I urge you to visit Microsoft’s certification site regularly to keep up with these changes.

Whether you choose to pursue any of these new tracks is your decision, but you owe it to yourself and your career to know about the new tracks. Change is inevitable in IT and the IT certification world, and you must be aware of these changes!

How to Turn Off Zune Device

How to turn off your Zune device.

Hold down the Back button and Down button.

The device will then shut off.

When trying to use Dictation Mode in Microsoft Word on a tablet PC, it doesn’t work.

Go to your Control Panel and select Regional and Language Options, then select the
Languages tab, then Details.

Under Installed Services, verify that the following are installed:

(1) Tablet PC Correction.
(2) Tablet PC Correction for Windows Journal.
(3) Tablet PC Text Insertion.
(4) Ink Correction.

Beneath those entries, you should have Keyboard with the matching location (example: US) as you do under Default Input Language above the Installed Services pane. Beneath that, it should show Speech Recognition. If any of these entries do not exist, you will need to use the Add button to add them.

Also check the Advance tab and verify there is NO check mark in “Turn off advanced text services” and that there IS a check mark in “Extend support of advanced text services to all programs.” Once all these are verified, tap the OK button and restart your system.

This article applies to Office 2003 and Word 2002

Your computer may be sending out Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifications every time you restart your computer. There has been much in the news about Microsoft and WGA lately. You can read more about it here.

To uninstall Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifications from your computer, perform the following steps:

1. Check WGA Notifications version that exists on the computer. You can uninstall versions that range from 1.5.0527.0 to 1.5.0532.2. To find the WGA Notifications version, follow these steps:

a. Click Start–>Control Panel.
b. Double-click Add or Remove Programs, locate and then click Windows XP - Software, then click Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications, and then click Click here for support information.
c. In the Support Info dialog box, verify the version number, and then click Close.
Read more… »

If your mailbox is getting full you will be sent an email message to tell you that your mailbox is approaching the quota. If you do not reduce the size of your mailbox, you will be unable to send email, and you’ll receive an email headed “Your mailbox is over its size limit”.

To clean out your mailbox:

1. Check the following folders and delete everything that you don’t need to keep.

a. Inbox
b. Outbox
c. Sent Items

Sorting the items by Size may be helpful it ridding yourself of the files that take up the most space. Highlight the items to be deleted, then press Shift and Delete together to permanently delete the items.

2. Delete everything in your Deleted Items folder. To do this, go to the folder, select the Tools menu and click on Empty Deleted Items.

If you are using Outlook 2003, look in the Large Mail folder (located under Search Folders) for emails you can delete. This shows you all large files in any folder in your mailbox, including those with big attachments. If you need to keep attachments, save them elsewhere on your hard drive.