Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 beta now available

Er, Release Preview (it’s a beta – just about ready for prime time).

This from EP (thanks, EP!):

Hey Woody.

A few days ago, Microsoft has finally released Internet Explorer 10 release preview for Windows 7 SP1 (yay  for Win7 users).  read here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2012/11/13/ie10-fast-fluid-perfect-for-touch-and-available-now-for-windows-7.aspx

Windows 7 users can download IE10 pre-release here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/ie-10-release-preview

or the following Microsoft download pages:

(IE10 pre-release 32bit):

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35712

(IE10 pre-release 64bit):

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35709

EP

MS-DEFCON 2: Get your hatches battened

Microsoft should be releasing its November Black Tuesday crop shortly. Microsoft has warned that there will be six security bulletins, with four critical patches.

Make sure Auto Updates are turned off, and let’s see what the tide brings in.

I’m moving us to MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.

Why did Sinofsky leave?

Nobody knows for sure, but I have a different slant on the possibilities.

InfoWorld Tech Watch.

MS-DEFCON 4: Get patched now

I’m late this month in giving an “OK” to the Windows patches.

The primary culprit? The Windows 8 patch. It’s all new – and I figured the chances of having a major calamity were very high.

Fortunately, it looks like there are more problems with bad keyboards on Surface RT machines that there are screwed up Win8 patches from October.

So, I’m recommending that you go ahead and install all of the offered patches. You know the routine: work with Windows Update (or Microsoft Update) and patch everything, then reboot and see if any more patches are on offer.

Let’s go down to MS-DEFCON 4: There are isolated problems with current patches, but they are well-known and documented here. Check this site to see if you’re affected and if things look OK, go ahead and patch.

It looks like Tuesday’s going to be an interesting day, so get patched up before the floodgates open again.

Windows RT is fat – so what?

People who buy a 64 GB Windows machine and expect it to hold 64 GB of data – photos, music, videos, whatever – aren’t very conversant with Windows.

InfoWorld Tech Watch.

The scramble to write Windows RT drivers

Don’t look now, but your fancy-shmancy printer may not work with Windows RT.

InfoWorld Tech Watch.

Antivirus and Windows 8

You probably guessed that I strongly recommend against installing  any third party antivirus software  in Windows 8. The built-in Win8 package works great,and it’ll never beg you for money.

That said, I just received a sobering  overview of  known AV problems from EP:

Now that Windows 8 is out to the masses, there are some antivirus – internet security suites that are not yet compatible with Windows 8.

The folks of Avira have acknowledged that their antivirus software is incompatible with Win8 and may cause blue screen crashes on Win8 if Avira is installed on there:

http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=149515

Even a recent version of Avast antivirus software can also cause BSODs on Win8 as noted in these Avast forum threads:

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=108731.0

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=107811.15

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=107886.0

[a recent patch for Avast has been released to resolve the blue screen crashes on Win8] But the next release of Avast sometime in early 2013 will be fully Win8 compatible.

and lastly the Lavasoft Ad-aware 10.x security software has some incompatibility issues on Windows 8 mentioned in this Lavasoft forum thread:

http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?/topic/32920-windows-8-issues-with-enable-shop-and-bank-safely-online/

I also read in the forum there that the upcoming Ad-aware version 10.4 will add full Windows 8 support, which will be due out in late November 2012.

In the meantime, Windows 8 users should avoid using Avast, Avira or Lavasoft and switch to other internet security programs that are currently compatible with Windows 8.

EP just sent me an update:

a follow up on Avast.  It was already compatible with Windows 8 since version 7.0.1473, as noted on the Softpedia page on Avast’s history / changelog:

http://www.softpedia.com/progChangelog/Avast-Home-Edition-Changelog-6474.html

I was not fully aware of this.

Build 1473 of Avast 7.0 was released October 24 and build 1474 was released Nov. 1 to fix certain crashes on Windows 8.  A patch for Avast 7.0.1474 is made available here:

http://public.avast.com/~rypacek/patches/

this one should resolve more blue screen crashes with Avast 7 but this patch specifically requires version 7.0.1474 and won’t install on build 1473 or less.

So Win8 users who have Avast 7.0 installed should upgrade to version 7.0.1474 and apply the aswnet.sys patch to fix most (if not all) of the serious crashes.

You’ve probably guessed that I no longer use Avast – I’m Microsoft Security Essentials all the way in Win7, and use nothing besides the default (“Windows Defender”) in Win8.

Surface RT may win by default

Other Windows RT manufacturers are dropping like flies.

InfoWorld Tech Watch.

“Windows 8 All-In-One For Dummies” addendum: Multiple monitors

Reader G Jones in Windsor, UK, posted a pointed inquiry on the Amazon UK order site:

I only received this book today and went straight to the index for references to Windows 8 support for multiple monitors (one of the key features of interest to me as I have a 3-monitor setup).

There were only two page references (bad start). I looked up one and could find no reference to multiple monitors at all. The other page talked briefly about Windows 8 improved support for multiple monitors but referred the reader to Section VI Chapter 2. I have skim read the entire chapter and again can’t see a single reference to multiple monitors? For example there is no mention of the “Span” option which allows a single image to span multiple monitors. It is completely omitted from the list of described options which makes me think the author has either forgotten the feature exists or his book is based on an earlier version of Windows 8 that didn’t have the feature???

I will examine the book more thoroughly over the next few days but for now I am extremely worried that Mr Leonhard has put a placeholder in there where he meant to cover multiple monitors but in the rush to get the book out has omitted the section? It makes me wonder if there are any other features missing?

If this purports to be a Windows 8 guide the least you would expect is that it covers all the features???

If anyone has got this book please can they point me to the relevant section?

Thanks.

Here’s the response I posted:

Microsoft changed details of its multiple monitor support so many times that I couldn’t nail it down before we had to ship the book.

The official report has descriptions of features that changed in the interim. As recently as today, Engadget posted a report on severe mouse problems while using multiple monitors, so the situation’s still evolving.

Arguably the best use for a dual monitor setup is to put the Metro interface on one, and the old-fashioned desktop on the other.

Basic setup for Windows 8 is the same as Windows 7. The primary difference is in the ability to personalize each screen separately, or spread wallpaper over both (or all) screens. You can change the background on one screen by right-clicking on it and choosing a new wallpaper. You can also have a background slideshow choose the “best” pics for each screen independently, taking into account resolution, aspect ratio, and orientation. All of those settings are in the right-click, Personalize, Desktop Background applet.

You can also choose to have the taskbar appear on either or both screens: right-click the taskbar and choose Properties.

And of course you can change the resolution for each monitor independently with a right-click Screen Resolution – same as in Windows 7.

NVidia doesn’t seem to play along with the “usual” Windows settings; at least the higher level NVidia graphics cards require you to use their proprietary Control Panel, which works differently. Check with the NVidia site for details .

I still haven’t played with what’s likely to be the best dual-monitor setup: Metro on a touch sensitive screen and the traditional desktop on a non-touch screen. I’ll put the combination together one of these days (if I can find a reasonably priced touch sensitive screen!), and talk about the results on www.AskWoody.com.

Any other questions, shoot me mail! Woody@AskWoody.com. Yes, that’s my real email address.

Welcome, new “Windows 8 All-In-One For Dummies” readers

I just wanted to say “thanks and welcome!” to those of you who are here because of my Windows 8 book.

I try to use this blog as an extension of my other writing, as a warning point for mischievous Microsoft patches, and as an ongoing list of errata and new information about topics covered in the book – which is to say, just about everything of interest to consumers about Windows 8.

Don’t be afraid to drop a line by commenting on this post, or by emailing me (my email address is in the book, in several places). If you have a Windows question, you can always shoot it at me, but you’ll probably get a faster response – and a more thorough one – by clicking on the link in the upper right corner of this page to Ask a Windows or Office question. That link takes you to the Lounge – a place where hundreds of volunteers answer questions every day. It’s a great place to kind of kick off your shoes, relax a bit, and work through whatever bedevils you – particularly if your tormentor is called Windows or Office.

Windows 8 boot guide:

Your first hour with the new OS.

Windows Secrets Newsletter.

Steve Ballmer: Four million upgrades sold for Win8

Some interesting math…

InfoWorld Tech Watch.