microsoft

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer era has officially come to an end. The company's former chief executive officer, who stepped aside last year , has now announced that he will be resigning his position on Microsoft's board. Ballmer joined Microsoft more ... than thirty years ago, rising from the company's first business manager (hired by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates) to its chief executive in just under two decades. Ballmer was at Microsoft's helm for a number of important projects, including launches for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, the Xbox video game console ... (view more)

It appears Microsoft's August Patch Tuesday, which began rolling out last week, didn't quite go according to plan. In fact, the firm was recently forced to pull several updates after reports indicated that some users were experiencing severe system ... errors. This month's Patch Tuesday security updates addressed a total of 37 vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Office. Within days, it became apparent there was a problem; users reported that after the updates were downloaded and installed, they received the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), which ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced plans to cut 18,000 jobs , or roughly 14 per cent of its total workforce, by June 2015. The bulk of the cuts will be in its phone unit Nokia, followed by firm's sales, marketing, and engineering divisions. The question is: ... will these job cuts help or hinder the company's growth? Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella says those affected by the cuts will be notified in the next six months. Microsoft is reportedly planning to offer affected employees generous severance and job transition packages worth an estimated $800 million. "The first step to ... (view more)

A new report suggests that when it comes to Windows 8, consumers continue to be very hesitant about upgrading to Microsoft's latest operating system - even two years after its release. That has led some experts to suggest that there's no hope left ... for Windows 8, leaving Windows 9 to carry the slack (reportedly due in the spring of 2015). Windows 8 was released amid some controversy in the summer and fall of 2012. Perhaps the most debatable part of the operating system was its tile-based Metro user interface (now called "Modern"), which embraces touchscreen technology. It was part of ... (view more)

Microsoft is planning to release a slew of security fixes for Internet Explorer (IE) -- suggesting the web browser continues to face a torrent of security threats . Nevertheless, a recent study shows that Internet Explorer maintains a vice-like grip ... on the web browser market. Yesterday, Microsoft released a Security Bulletin Advance Notification for July 2014 , with plans to ship a total of six security updates to customers next Tuesday (July 8, 2014). The updates will patch security vulnerabilities present in every version of Internet Explorer and all supported editions of the Windows ... (view more)

A special hack for the Window XP registry reportedly allows users of the aging operating system (OS) to access security updates -- even though Microsoft has officially stopped supporting the operating system as of April, 2014. The hack was first ... discovered last week. It 'tricks' Windows XP computers into believing they are running a special variant of the Windows XP operating system known as Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, which is often used for ATMs and cash registers. According to reports, Microsoft plans to support this unique off-shoot of Windows XP for another five years. Registry Hack ... (view more)

Earlier this week application analytics firm SoftWatch revealed a report which found that, at many businesses, workers rarely used the Microsoft Office software package . That prompted some experts to suggest companies move away from Office and ... instead use free business platforms, like Google Apps. Ditching Microsoft Too Costly, UK Official Says Now, the United Kingdom's Chief Information Officer (CIO) is defending the UK government's use of Microsoft products. In fact, Jos Creese says that the UK government has repeatedly explored the idea of abandoning Microsoft products, but always ... (view more)

Microsoft says the number of telephone scams involving fake Windows support technicians is on the rise. That means more criminals are executing schemes designed to dupe legitimate Windows users out of their hard-earned money. Most of the scams ... involve cold callers claiming to work for Microsoft. In this scenario, the victim is told that their computer is infected with some kind of damaging malware. Based on this author's experience, oftentimes the calls originate overseas - usually from India, with the caller having a thick accent. Scammers Sell One-time or Subscription-based "Solutions ... (view more)

Microsoft has issued a fix for an Internet Explorer security vulnerability so serious that it prompted the United States' Department of Homeland Security to warn Americans against using the popular web browser. Somewhat surprisingly, Microsoft has ... also provided a fix for Windows XP -- even after promising not to do so. The Internet Explorer (IE) flaw was discovered last weekend. If left unpatched, it could allow hackers unprecedented access to a remote PC. Security experts say that Internet Explorer users could become instantly infected simply by visiting a malicious website or clicking ... (view more)

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DOHS) has warned that users should switch away from Internet Explorer until a serious bug has been fixed. It's the first big security scare since Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP earlier this ... month. The bug doesn't have a glamorous nickname and is instead simply known as CVE-2014-1776. When triggered, the bug allows for remote code execution, which means a third party would have full control over a remote PC without the need for credentials or consent from the PC owner. By clicking on a malicious link or by visiting an infected ... (view more)