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A free utility uninstalls apps that Add or Remove Programs can't handle

On Tuesday I reported on Microsoft Outlook 2007's unexcused absence from my Vista PC. I thought the problem might due to Outlook 2003 being installed on the same machine. When I upgraded to Office 2007, the older versions of the apps remained on my system, even though I never used them. This didn't appear to be a problem until Outlook 2007 took a hike.

My second surprise was my inability to uninstall Office 2003. Vista's Programs and Features Control Panel applet (which XP calls Add or Remove Programs) would pop up this error message: "This patch … Read more

Gartner's predictions leave plenty for Microsoft to worry about

Let's start with a disclaimer. Five-year forecasts are nearly always wrong and I have no reason to think Gartner's will be any different. Things tend to happen much faster or much slower than people initially forecast.

That said, if Gartner is even close to on point, there are plenty of trends that could be worrisome for Microsoft. First and foremost is the research firm's prediction that Apple will double its U.S. and western Europe market share by 2011.

Also of concern to folks in Redmond should be some of Gartner's other predictions. One is that … Read more

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Paul Kocher, one of the architects of SSL, and president of Cryptography Research joined us to chat about the newest security threats.

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Others' views on Vista's first birthday

OK, I offered several of my own perspectives on Vista's one-year anniversary on Wednesday. Today, I want to share some other takes on the big milestone.

Todd Bishop at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer had one of the most thorough looks at the big milestone, offering an in-depth story that looks at Vista's ups and downs. There were also blogs that looked at one user's struggle with Vista, the operating system's performance, and a computer repair shop that advertises in its window: "We remove Vista."

Windows Vista magazine had a most traditional birthday celebration, devouring a … Read more

Office 2007 sales spur software market

Spurred by sales of Microsoft's Office 2007, the software market hit its highest level since 1999, according to a report released Wednesday by the NPD Group.

Overall, the U.S. non-game PC software market at retail stores totaled $3.3 billion in 2007, a 15 percent increase over the $2.9 billion generated in 2006. The rise is even more notable, as sales had been essentially flat from 2000 through 2006.

But, a whole lot of that is due to Microsoft, largely because of Office, but also because of Vista's debut. According to NPD's Chris Swenson, 80 … Read more

Microsoft doesn't recommend creating Vista 'Lite'

Frustrated with Vista's sluggishness, some people have been turning to a utility called vLite, which out components of the operating system deemed unessential.

Although the move does offer frustrated Vista users an option other than going back to XP or switching to a Mac, Microsoft said Wednesday that it doesn't endorse such changes to Vista's setup.

"Microsoft does not recommend using any tool to strip out applications from Windows Vista prior to installing it on your system, as it may affect your ability to download future Windows updates and service packs, and may cause your system … Read more

Making sense of Vista's first year

Note: This is one in a series of blogs looking at the one-year anniversary of Windows Vista's consumer launch.

While many of you enjoyed "the Mom test," clearly there are lots more ways to look at how Windows Vista is doing. Here are three measures I typically use when trying to assess the impact of Vista.

• The "downgrade" / Stick with XP movement

The downgrade movement is an indicator of how the most disgruntled users feel about Vista. Most people buying a new PC will accept Vista because that's what nearly all computers come … Read more

Exploit targets Microsoft's latest Windows patch

If you needed further proof that you should always patch Microsoft Windows when Microsoft tells you to do so, there's an exploit that will target Windows XP and Windows Vista systems lacking Microsoft's first patch of 2008.

Security firm Immunity has provided its customers a workable exploit of the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) vulnerability. This is standard practice for subscribers to see whether their system is vulnerable to an attack. However, the presence of an exploit (even one provided under contract) increases the likelihood that someone may offer it or something like it for free … Read more

EQO dials up cheap international mobile calls

If you've got family and friends sprinkled about the globe, you know that the richness of these contacts loses luster if you can't regularly keep in touch. Though there are excellent solutions out there--local-access calling cards, VoIP on the PC, VoIP phones from Vonage or Skype, and local-number services like Talkster (review)--they require your presence at home, new hardware, or wasting precious seconds with mile-long pin numbers or droning ads.

Challenging the herd is EQO (pronounced "echo"), a communication service that offers a simple, fast, and affordable solution for international outreach on your cell phone. Talk time and texting are free between EQO members, and calls are as cheap as 2 cents per minute for everyone else, about the same rate as VoIP-to-phone calling and competitive calling cards. EQO's international texting costs for 10- or 15 cents, depending on the countries of destination and departure.

User experience

The graphically-appealing application is divided into three sections, each delineated by a small icon along a top strip. Scrolling horizontally among them calls up the phone book, message inbox, or instant message interface. EQO imports phone contacts into the phone book, but be careful of your management--deleting an entry from EQO also deletes it from the phone's database.… Read more