It seems that there is a hole in the Virtual DOS Machine that is used to run 16-bit applications in all version of Windows from 3.1 up to and including Windows 7 (SP1 too). The hole basically allows a user with restricted access to execute code at system privilege level. The fix is easy (if you don't run 16 bit apps), its simply a registry change. According to the article though Microsoft have known about the issue since mid 2009 which is kinda scary. You can read more at http://www.taranfx.com/windows-hacking. Why couldn't an exploit as serious as this be found for all IE6 versions!

Please update your bookmarks and feeds for my site.

I now have a Mango Blog at:

http://www.andyjarrett.com/blog

Feed URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/andyjarrett

You might of seen this already, but Mac World is reporting on a post from the official Parallels Blog about the EULA's for Vista Home Basic and Home Premium Editions not letting your run the software via virtualizations software.

For Vista Home Basic and Home Premium Editions: "USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system."

For Vista Enterprise and Ultimate Editions: "USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device. If you do so, you may not play or access content or use applications protected by any Microsoft digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other Microsoft rights management services or use BitLocker. We advise against playing or accessing content or using applications protected by other digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other rights management services or using full volume disk drive encryption."

To me this strikes me as an odd move. Basically to run Vista you will need to shell out over £239($299 in the US) for one of the other editions. I gotta agree with the Parallels post here, MS had a chance to do a good things but seemed to of gotten mis-guided along the way. To be honest it makes me happier to have gone down the Mac route with the single version and no one putting heavy restrictions on its use - and before the Linux crowd jumps up I know I could move again and have NO restrictions :o). But the Mac does give me no need to worry about "which edition" is best suited to my needs. On the good side the story did remind me of this recent cartoon

To anyone who hasn't actually looked into all the different editions just check out Amazon, the selection is truly amazing

It looks like any more patches for the old creeking Window OS's has now been dropped. Though being 8 years old they reckon about 2/3% of PC's behind a corporate firewall are still running one of the unsupported OS's for one reason or another. If you are one of these people then you are suggested to upgrade. Though it makes me think who is running it out there and is it really because you have a program which can't be replaced.

Via [Internet News]

Host files used in windows to describe many-to-one mapping of device names to IP addresses. Using this file is helpful when developing locally as it allows you to assign the URL of the site to a local IP.

First, find you host file:
Windows NT/2000/XP Pro c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Windows XP Home c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

The HOST file doesn't have an extention and can be opened with notepad.

You should see something like:

As with SQL '#' mean comments, so the only active line there is

What does that mean. Well everytime you access localhost (like in a browser, or PING'd from a command line) you are acutally accessing the IP address 127.0.0.1. So lets say i'm developing a new blog. In Apache (or any web server) i'd set up the IP address 127.0.0.2 to look at my document root. Then in the HOST file i'd have

Alternatively I could just point the host to 127.0.0.1 instead of setting up a new IP. What you cannot do is map to a IP and port i.e. 127.0.0.1:8080

By the way, if you're wondering why i've changed the URL to have www2 as the prefix? It's that the HOST file is used first when going to a domain. For example try out the following

then goto www.google.co.uk.

N.B. If you use a proxy then you will need to bypass the proxy server for local addresses

[More]

I have finally got my Xbox 360 after sticking my name on several list over the last couple of weeks. Getting the old games working wasnt as straight forward as i thought it was going to be. I checked out the Compatible list of xbox games but then found out you need to run an update first.

I've picked up American Wasteland but still looking for other games - what does everyone else recommend (or stay away from)??

Opps i mean MSN Sandbox

This is where Live.com started out. Though named Start, but what makes this more interesting is that it supports and works with Firefox???

Does no one think that is idiotic?

It looks like the Redmond camp have hit it on with some new ideas called Live.com. Including Live mail with 2gb storage and no need for page reloads to view your emails. Also Live.com is a customisable home page, "your page, the way you want it".

Sorry though, no FF support yet, but it is coming.

Also included is

• Windows Live Safety Center beta Learn more
• Windows Live Favorites beta Learn more

1. Windows Vista Starter Edition
2. Windows Vista Home Basic Edition
3. Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
4. Windows Vista Professional Edition
5. Windows Vista Small Business Edition
6. Windows Vista Enterprise Edition
7. Windows Vista Ultimate Edition

More info at Paul Thurrott's WinInfo site. This is one of the reason i would like Mac - no fussing around with different version of the same prodcut. Though the one button mouse is still a freaky idea to me :o) Via

News.com is reporting Longhorn to be renamed Windows Vista.

The new name was apparently released at the Microsoft Global Sales Briefing (MGB), though the only real proof lies in MS's registration of domain names, but there is suppose to be an announcement made today (Friday).

• windowsvista.co.uk
• windowsvista.us
• and a host of others, .org.uk, .com, .net

Google defines Vista as An enclosed view, usually long and narrow - not saying anything else on that one ;o)