Posts Tagged ‘Windows 7’
Windows 7 Complaints Rolling In
I am asked time and again by students and folks on twitter about what I think about Windows 7. I will restate my position one more time for you,
Windows 7 is nothing more than a regurgitate version of Vista. ~ Debbie Mahler
I have had other twitter followers agree with me, while a few others – very few I might add – have said that they like it.
The folks that apparently like it have a few things in common. They have high end, fast computers, or newer computers that had Windows 7 pre-installed. Many of them are also Microsoft groupies who believe everything that Microsoft makes is a gift from the tech gods, or who make the majority of the income from their work with Microsoft products.
While still others learned on Vista and liked Vista so they are elated with Windows 7.
CNN Money published a recent report (December 9, 2009) about how the complaints are starting to roll in with Windows 7. I’ve heard nearly all of these and to be quite fair to Microsoft – I can be fair and balanced too – the list with this roll out is NOT as bad as what it was with Vista.
But, if Windows 7 is nothing more than a regurgitated version of Vista, shouldn’t it roll out better? If not, Microsoft learned absolutely nothing!
Here’s what I find totally unacceptable according to the article (full article link below):
One common gripe, experienced by 9% of installers, is that the half-hour to an hour-long upgrade process gets to the “62% completed” point and then freezes. It’s a problem that Microsoft is aware of, and can be fixed by rebooting the computer, going into advanced settings, and typing in a code that instructs the computer to ignore plug-ins.
A half-hour to an hour to download the freaking thing? Are their servers using dial-up? But the freezing computer? Anyone who uses Microsoft products is used to that – no big deal.
Aside from that point, and the other reported Windows 7 reboot loop I talked about, there are a few other glitches in the upgrade that include odd things like:
….complaints was that basic “applet” programs, like Mail, Movie Maker and Photo Gallery, were missing. That’s because Windows 7 deletes those programs and makes users download them from the Windows Live Essential Web site. IYogi said 26% of their customers were confused about that extra step.
Others had problems getting their computers to work properly: Eight percent said their DVD drives couldn’t be found and 2% couldn’t sync their iPhones with Windows 7.
One in seven users also complained that the sleek new “Aero” theme doesn’t work. The Aero theme enables users to see through a window to view the desktop or other programs that are open behind it. According to iYogi, most of the 14% of users that have problems with Aero don’t have the graphics capabilities on their PCs to handle the program.
But here’s my biggest problem with Windows 7 aside from these installation issues and aside from the fact that it’s made by Microsoft,
According to Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group, one of the biggest annoyances with the new operating system is that the “ribbon menus” at the top of programs have been redesigned and must be relearned. In previous Windows versions, the menus remained very consistent (File, Edit, View, Insert, etc.), but in Windows 7, they can be wildly different from application to application.
Says one user quoted in the article,
“It took me a long while to figure out how to print,” said Kerravala. “Microsoft tried to improve the user interface, but there’s a learning curve because it’s inconsistent.”
Once again, Microsoft reinvents the wheel and we all have to learn how to drive again. They’ve done this consistently with newer versions of Microsoft Office and nearly every other program they manufacture.
So, why do you suppose that is? Why do they keep forcing us to relearn new software? Hmmmm, could it be the money? And this time it’s not Microsoft making the money.
Sure, they stand to benefit from the sales of Windows 7, but there’s more at stake here than meets the eye.
Perhaps you heard the story about how the radio patent was given away to manufacturers by the battery company that invented it so that it would have a product being produced that would require a constant supply of batteries? If not, read the story of Rayovac.
Well, look at what Microsoft offers the industry. They create a new operating system that requires you to upgrade your computer. Microsoft increases PC sales! Why wouldn’t PC manufacturers support it?
Apps, software, drivers, devices, and a whole slew of items have to be recreated or modified for the new operating system. Microsoft created a new revenue stream for software manufacturers, app developers, and hardware companies.
Partners and Value-added Resellers (VARs) gain from reselling the OS or subsequent upgraded software.
Places like colleges and universities, as well as companies that offer onsite or online training gain new courses teaching people how to use the new software. And I’m sure Video Professor is ready with his newest Windows 7 CD!
When you put the money in perspective, it’s easy to see why so many people and companies are pushing the new Windows 7. Microsoft is not the only company that will benefit from this new OS. Shareholders in publicly held companies are rubbing their greedy little hands together and visions of dividends are dancing in their heads.
Will MICE be offering courses in Windows 7? Yes, unfortunately. There are too many people who will be forced into it on new computers that will need to learn. But, we are also preparing to teach you about your options. Ubuntu. But that’s another story for another time.
Read More: Windows 7 complaints rolling in – Dec. 9, 2009.
Drive-by attacks against IE users will come soon, experts say
I know. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. My bad! Just finished trying to serve Jury Duty. (Don’t ask!) On with the story……
There’s been several conversations on this blog about Drive-by download malware. Has there not? (Or is it, have there not?)
Let me refresh your memory on just two of them: How To Stop The New Malware & Mal-ads Still Being Pushed Through Ad Servers.
And I first reported the discovery of this nasty bugger on my YouTube channel. Since such time, I’ve seen some wonderful and more professional videos on the subject as well as taken criticism from alleged hackers about my lame presentation. But hey, it comes with the territory, right?
But, as our students know, I’ve been “preachin and teachin” on the ills of using Internet Explorer, as well as the dangers of using Microsoft products for years! And if you’ve been a subscriber to our newsletters since 1996 (print first, then digital in 2000), you’ve heard about it too! I haven’t changed in all these years.
Well, a recent article in InfoWorld has once again, reiterated what I’ve been saying!
First, the article states:
The bug, which Microsoft patched as part of a record-tying security update for the month of November, is in the Windows kernel, the heart of the operating system. The kernel improperly parses EOT (Embedded OpenType) fonts, a compact form of fonts designed for use on Web pages that can also be used in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents.
Did you read that part about PowerPoint documents? HELLO? Have I not been telling you to STOP opening PPS and other PowerPoint attachments you get in an email from you email buddies and family members?
You know the ones I’m talking about. The pretty picture presentations that make you go, “oooh!” and “ahhh!” Yea, those! Or the religious ones with pictures of Jesus walking with you in the sand that even has music playing in the background. Yes, those too!
How do you know if these are infected? Yes, they may have come from a reliable source, but did they get it from a reliable source? Did their reliable source get it from a reliable source?
Half the time you can see the trail of forwards in these emails (email addresses included) and you have no idea who the heck those other people are! But you open them anyway!
Now, moving on past those goofy PowerPoint attachments, the article goes on to say:
The bug will be extremely attractive to hackers, Moore maintained, and not simply because it can be exploited in a classic “drive-by” attack that can silently hijack an unpatched Windows 2000 or Windows XP system when users visit a compromised or malicious Web site. On Vista, a successful exploit would give the attacker additional access to the machine, but could not be used to inject malware, Microsoft said.
Once again, the drive-by attack is mentioned. I’m not going to preach again. You’ve heard it from me before.
But let’s look at how this exploit (possible drive-by) could work (my own emphasis in red added):
“An EOT file can use both compression and encryption,” noted Moore, referring to the font format that hackers will use to exploit the bug. Because the file can be compressed and encoded, most antivirus software will have a difficult, if not impossible, time detecting whether a Web page’s fonts are being used to launch attacks. “They will blow past any line of user protection,” he said.
And since the EOT file is rendered at the kernel level, not by IE itself, browser-based defenses won’t help. “There’s no JavaScript required for an exploit,” Moore said, talking about the scripting language that’s a popular tool for hackers who target browsers. Those kinds of attacks can be deflected by restricting JavaScript, or disabling it entirely.
On Vista PCs, IE7’s and IE8’s “sandbox,” which is designed to prevent attack code from escaping the browser and worming its way into, say, the operating system, also will be useless, Moore said.
You don’t have to understand the entire amount of jargon to realize what’s being said. YOU ARE UNPROTECTED IF YOU ARE USING MICROSOFT BROWSERS!
Here’s something else that is said in the article that gets my blood boiling – again, emphasis added in red by me:
Top-notch hackers may also be able to leverage a treasure trove of bug fixes that Microsoft silently added to the MS09-065 update, Moore said. “There’s a massive number of function fixes in the update,” he said, adding that the practice isn’t unusual for Microsoft. Even though the company called out only three Windows kernel vulnerabilities in that bulletin, Moore said he had been able to find at least eight altogether.
How can anyone understand the updates without spending time researching their assets off if Microsoft doesn’t fully explain what the heck is going on?
Do they somehow think that by hiding the update information they are protecting consumers from amateur hackers that might figure out a flaw if they provided more information? I mean, what’s the rationale Microsoft?
This is yet another pathetic example of how well Microsoft knows security. And you expect me to trust them? You want me to jump on board the Windows 7 bandwagon because it’s such an outstanding (and allegedly secure) operating system? Give me a break and give me a Mac or Ubuntu!
As the saying goes, “Poke me with a fork, I’m done!”
Full Article: Hackers will exploit Windows kernel bug | Security Central – InfoWorld.
Beware of the Windows 7 Upgrade Reboot Loop!
Users on a Microsoft Forum are complaining! (So what else is new?)
No, it’s not the fact that the installation of Windows 7 reboots a lot like all of the past operating system installations. This one is a new, unique Windows 7 problem. The endless reboot loop! (Sounds like a breakfast cereal – Reboot Loops)
Although there have been many complaints about the Digital River downloads, many of the users on the forum are saying they are having the same problem with retail copies of the upgrade.
Nothing ever changes with Microsoft! Which is why I’ve provided my favorite new PC & Mac commercial at the end of this post!
Read for yourself and just look at how many posts there are on this page!
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