Today marks the end of Microsoft’s support for Windows XP SP2.  It’s a sad day, though we are reminded that support for Win XP SP3 does continue.

But for those of you who are still working on your migration to Microsoft’s latest darling, Windows 7, you just got a little more breathing room.

As was previously declared, your right to downgrade your shiny new Windows 7 box down to Windows XP Professional would end in 18 months from the Windows 7 launch, or until the release of the first service pack for Windows 7, whichever came sooner.  This put it at the date of October 22, 2010.  In other words, in a couple of months.  And right on track, the first beta of Windows 7 SP1 is heading out as we speak, regardless of how generally useless as it is to most people because it contains no new features, just the same security updates Windows 7 users already have.  But the death knell for Windows XP was ringing.

In typical Microsoft leniency towards Win XP however, they’ve decided to listen to customers, and delay that order.  OEMs were afraid that a date-based limit on when boxes could be shipped with downgrades to Windows XP Professional would be confusing to users, since so many people were still demanding them.  (For migration purposes, of course.)  And yet again, Microsoft listened, breathing yet more life in the the operating system that wouldn’t die.

Yes, that’s right.  In fact, according to the blog, there seems to be no new deadline for Windows XP.  Though we are reminded in a round-about way that again the official support for Win XP SP2 ends today on July 13th, 2010, and Win XP SP3 support ends in of April 2014.

Microsoft has announced its intent to end its support for those versions of Windows which users have not upgraded to their latest service packs.  Specifically, Windows Vista without any service packs will no longer have support after April 13th, 2010.  Windows XP with only Service Pack 2 (WinXP SP2) will likewise have its service terminated on the 13th of July, 2010.  As will any version of Windows 2000 (Win2K).  Also on the 13th of July, Microsoft is moving Windows Server 2003 from mainstream support to extended support, meaning that only the security updates will remain free and everything else will cost money to get help from Microsoft.

“Microsoft believes it is important that all customers take action prior to the end of support date, not only so that they know their options and can prepare, but also to ensure their environments are as secure as possible.”

Obviously, in most cases anyway, simply installing the latest service pack will allow you to continue to enjoy support from Microsoft.  It’s easy.  It’s free.  You really should do it.  For more information from Microsoft on how to upgrade to your latest service pack, look here.

Yes, that’s right.  Microsoft’s famous (infamous?) Windows Vista operating system has just officially gotten its second service pack.  Those of you who want to run Win Vista SP2 will, however, have to make a few amends first.

For starters, right now it’s only available for download as a standalone install for the upgrade.  (32-bit version of Vista SP2 and 64-bit version of Vista SP2)  That’s, actually, the easy part.  Next, before you can install the official service pack, you have to first uninstall that beta version of SP2 you’ve already installed.  (Doh!)  And finally, if your Windows is set to any language other than English, German, French, Spanish, or Japanese you’ll have to switch to one of those five languages because that’s all these releases of SP2 support.  (Double doh!)

Of course Microsoft will eventually release Vista SP2 to the more normal distribution method of a Windows Update at some unspecified time in June.  And Microsoft will eventually get around to supporting the other languages, again, if you can wait.  But regardless, you still have to uninstall that beta version of SP2 in order to get the real SP2 installed.

Business customers (or at least their IT department heads) who don’t want SP2 to start popping up on company PCs all willy-nilly can use the same blocker tool kit that you used to block SP1 until you’ve evaluated the SP2 upgrade and declared it safe for your business.

For those wondering just what, exactly, Windows Vista gains by installing SP2, well, not much, really.  You see most of SP2 is actually just all of those hotfixes applied through automatic updates already.  That is not, however, to say that there is nothing new this time around.  These are the new features:

• Support for Via’s 64-bit CPUs.  (As if people actually use them?)
• Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless.  (Adds Bluetooth v2.1 and Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration.)
• Better Wi-Fi performance after waking from sleep mode.
• RSS feeds sidebar performs better.
• You can now record to Blu-Ray discs.
• Windows Search 4.0 – blah blah blah.
• Windows Media Center (WMC) has “better” content protection for TV.  (Likely better for copyright holders, not better for users.)
• No more limit to the number of half-open outbound TCP connections.  (Which was a mere 10 before now.)

And that’s it folks.  There’s a bit more if you’re a Windows Server 2008 user.  But honestly, not much more.  And if you desperately need to know, chances are you can find that information just fine on your own.

So if you’ve been gnawing off your own foot in anticipation of Windows Vista SP2′s official release, get crackin’!

The weather outside is frightful.  And so is security on an old Microsoft PC.  I know, that’s old news really.  Unpatched Microsoft PCs are honeypots.  Still, if one message could be gotten across to computer owners, it’s to patch their PCs!

So let’s start with what should be fairly obvious news.  Microsoft isn’t patching Internet Explorer 6 anymore.  They want you to use IE7 instead.  They support IE7.  (Even if IE6 was so much better in so many ways.)  So if you’re for some odd reason still using IE6, then you’re really wearing a big target that says, “Hack me!” See, you really are…

Okay, so that was the obvious.

Now let’s look at, say, Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday.  Specifically, let’s look at what it didn’t contain: A patch to fix a zero day vulnerability in IE7.  And this vulnerability is in the latest Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3.  It’s a security hole just waiting to be exploited.  …If you use IE.  If you use, say, Firefox, or Opera, then you’re safe from it.  But that pretty much goes without saying anyway.

Here’s one you might not expect though, and, again, goes to show that keeping yourself updated means a lot.  WordPad is a security risk.  Yes, that’s right.  WordPad has an unpatched hole it’s Word 97 document text converter which can be used to hack you silly.  Okay, so it requires you opening up an infected Word 97 file.  In WordPad.  (Does anyone even still use WordPad when OpenOffice is free?)  The thing is, if you have Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows Vista (or Windows Server 2008) then you’re safe.  It’s only older service packs (or lack thereof) of Windows XP or Windows 2000 that are at risk.  Have an up-to-date PC and you’re safe.  But still … WordPad.  WordPad!  Why the heck doesn’t Microsoft fix that little gem?

So, you see, security doesn’t just happen.  To be secure you have to do your own part.  You have to make sure that you’re getting your updates.  And with Windows Update set to automatic, I don’t think it’s ever been easier.  Staying up to date saves you from a lot of malicious evil nasty do-badders out there.  But even then, it doesn’t protect you from everything, just most things.  Surf safe.  Surf smart.  And keep up to date.

And, though I hate to say it, keep as much away from Microsoft as you can manage.

Well we knew that they had to be working on it.  Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 had hardly made the operating system foolproof, so a second service pack had to be in the works.  And now Microsoft has confirmed it.  A private beta of Win Vista SP2 is getting ready for testing.

What exactly is fixed by it remains to be seen.  One can only hope that the (in)security barage of “Do you really really really want to allow this?” “Are you sure?” nuicanse questions (that could have been an actual security feature if Microsoft had only paid attention to long standing operating systems like Linux) that force you to turn the security feature off will be fixed.  For that matter, let’s hope that basics like simply deleting a file will be fixed once and for all.

You know, the little things.

Like basically the actual functionality of an operating system.

Instead of just its gee-wiz look and feel eye candy.

Let’s hope SP2 makes Windows Vista usable.

And if not, let’s hope that Windows 7 comes out quickly and is everything that Windows Vista should have been, thereby turning Windows Vista officially into Windows ME 2.

Or something like that.