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  • Microsoft's Office 2007 Word team are blogging

    http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_office_word/ ttfn David
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Fri, Sep 29 2006
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  • First public exposure of Office Live v1.5

    http://officelive.microsoft.com/Misc/Links.aspx?linkId=preview If you are interested in solutions for the smaller small business, look at this. ttfn David
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Wed, Oct 4 2006

  • Is Windows still relevant? - Perspectives - CNET News.com

    CNET News.com's Charles Cooper says recent upset over Vista should put a rest to that lingering question . By Charles Cooper In the increasingly Google-YouTube-Web 2.0 age we inhabit, it's become fashionable to dismiss Windows as a relic. I always love these sorts or articles - before I even opened it up I knew what the answer was "no way is Windows Vista irrelevant". It is obvious to me. Sooo many partners, customers, ISVs all have their businesses wrapped up in Windows, even those who are opposing some of the changes. If Windows were not here, how would all those tools vendors sell their products for clients, if the clients were just web terms. How would people work on the move when disconnected (or in the UK - on a train)? So, of course Vista is relevant - people may have views as to how it applies to them, but that is true of anything. What is true is that it offers a great set of features that enhances both business and personal users. Of course, if you have a view, feel free to comment on the blog. ttfn...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Fri, Oct 6 2006

  • IE is Coming This Month...Are you Ready?

    From the IE Blog is the following - we have all heard that IE7 is coming, but that day is almost upon us, so time to get ready. I finally installed IE7 for my wife yesterday - for the 1st time in a long time she actually said "Oh, that is useful" when talking about technology - a win for everyone! IE7 Is Coming This Month...Are you Ready? The final release of IE7 is fast approaching … and I mean really fast … and will be delivered to customers via Automatic Updates a few weeks after it’s available for download. We want to ensure that you are ready and the information below will help get you there. Compatibility with sites, extensions and applications has been a very high priority for us as we develop new features, enhance the existing features and move the platform forward to be more secure and standards compliant. We are continually listening to feedback from our customers, partners and leaders in the industry to resolve major compatibility issues to ensure our common customers have...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 9 2006

  • Vista and security - are Microsoft doing the right thing?

    This is something I have thought long and hard about and as such I have to caveat things by saying this is my opinion and that I am no more informed than any other member of the public or IT community. Having said that, I have done my time as a Windows Developer and even once worked on emulation systems such as Wine. These protections will be coming to all OSs - so Vista, Longhorn, SBS - all of them! I really think this is some of the worst mud slinging I have seen in a long time and much is wrong! So what have I seen in the Press. McAfee and Symantec have complained that they want the ability to ignore the APIs in Vista and bash at the Kernel directly for security services. However, Kernel code has to be signed for the integrity of the system. Microsoft will not stick to the rules above and will gain advantage by using unknown APIs That the security prompts and center can not be turned off That Microsoft is right to make these changes and want to increase the integrity of the system As someone who once worked...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 9 2006

  • The Chronicles of Scargill: Office BETA

    Pete Scargill is the IT chair of the Federation of Small Business , and someone who can be fun to read his blog and knock about with - which I need to arrange again anyway. It was nice to see his appreciation for Office is finally public :-) Office BETA Have you tried the Office 2007 beta yet? Well, they've just brought out a "technical refresh" - why these people can't use simple terms like "update" I'll never know, however, for those of you who like to experiment, I have to say before I downloaded Office 2007 I was the first to be critical. "They've changed the interface, that'll never sell2 - well, I got that wrong, it's MARVELOUS. Anyone who thinks that the likes of Open Office can even hold a candle to this need to download the beta and have a tinker with it. I said when Office 2003 came out that it seemed like Microsoft had finally gotten their act together and I still stand by that - but the new stuff is even better! Source: The Chronicles of Scargill: Office BETA
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 9 2006
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  • Windows Vista Software Compatibility List - not from Microsoft

    I saw a link to this on the Windows Vista Magazine site , so here is the link to a great list of what did and did not work with Vista RC1 - I am sure this will get updated for RC2 and RTM. Windows Vista Software Compatibility List From IeXwiki Windows Vista RC 1 Software Compatibility List
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 9 2006

  • Partner Perspectives - UK magazine for partners - and I'm in it :-)

    Tuesday, October 10, 2006 9:18 AM by UK Partner Online Landing this week The new partner magazine is out this week and it's fab. It's the second edition of the new look magazine that editor Nicola Meek is on point for delivering. It landed on my desk yesterday and I had a read last night over dinner. It really is an interesting read and I got through it in 20-30 mins. There's interesting insights into Microsoft as well as views from partners and industry trends. It blends sales. marketing and technical issues into a compelling read. This issue is all about technology change - very apt given the imminent launch of EVO (Exchange, Vista and Office). I love the front cover - not something you'd expect from an IT company! A problem we have with distribution of the magazine is getting it into your hands. Make sure you've profiled yourself at the Subscription Centre so that you receive it - tell your colleagues so they can get it to. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/partnering/subscription/ and profile yourself...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Tue, Oct 10 2006

  • E-Bitz - SBS MVP the Official Blog of the SBS "Diva" : Now remind me again why it's a bad thing to exclude other vendors from the Kernel?

    There was me ranting on security yesterday and then I spot this post by Susan that says it all Link to E-Bitz - SBS MVP the Official Blog of the SBS "Diva" : Now remind me again why it's a bad thing to exclude other vendors from the Kernel? enjoy David
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Tue, Oct 10 2006

  • Launch 2007 e-Learning Courses - free for a limited time

    I was browsing Robert McLaws blog entry on Launch 2007 e-Learning Courses and notices a HUGE stack of training courses - well worth checking out. The ones I think you might want to focus on are below - more on the blog. The WSS ones are key for anyone looking at Live people!! ttfn David New 2007 Microsoft Office System - Home & Office Users Free for 90 Days! Course 4622: What's New in Microsoft® Office Access 2007 Summary: This online course introduces the new features and functionality in the latest version of Microsoft Office Access. There have been substantial changes to the user interface in this database application, and this course can help you get up-to-speed quickly. Course 4623: What's New in Microsoft® Office Excel® 2007 Summary: This online course introduces the new features and functionality in the latest version of Microsoft Office Excel. There have been substantial changes to the user interface in this spreadsheet application, and this course can help you get up-to-speed quickly. Course 4624...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Fri, Oct 13 2006

  • iQubed on Vista vs Linux - and not from Microsoft, but a partner who has sold both Microsoft and Linux Solutions

    I like Vijay - he never lets me get away with cutting corners and has an honest perspective on many things. His personal review of what Exchange, Vista and Office will bring to the world is refreshing because he can say he has been there!! Vista vs Linux October 13, 2006 on 6:51 pm | In Linux , Vista | As Vista nears the business launch date of November 2006 the articles doing a comparison are appearing thick and fast. Firstly, let me say I’m an advocate of Open Source and what it has brought to the world. It’s given us some great solutions and powers the heart of the internet as we know it and companies like Google have built their business on it. That’s not a bad achievement! However, Microsoft has a formidable offering to both consumers and businesses alike. This offering is only getting stronger through EVO (Exchange Server 2007, Vista and Office 2007) and issues such as the WGA debacle and delays in Vista aren’t going to make the impact of these new technologies any less dramatic. Source: iQubed Blog » Vista...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 16 2006

  • IE7 Installation and Anti-Malware Applications - why you should turn them off for the install!!

    I saw this and because IE is coming soon, thought you might like to read this! IE7 Installation and Anti-Malware Applications A few people have asked why we recommend temporarily disabling anti-virus or anti-spyware applications (which I’ll refer to together as anti-malware) prior to installing IE7, so here’s a little insight to the situation. Along with copying IE7 files to your system, IE7’s setup writes a large number of registry keys. A common way anti-malware applications protect your computer is by preventing writes to certain registry keys used by IE. Any registry key write that fails during setup will cause setup to fail and rollback changes. We work around the problem in most instances by checking permissions at the beginning of setup, but many anti-malware programs monitor the key rather than change permissions. Therefore, setup thinks it has access when it starts, but then fails when it later attempts to write the key. The majority of users likely haven’t seen any such problems even with anti-malware...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 16 2006

  • Windows Vista demos

    I saw these on the Windows Help site and thought I would post them - these are all short videos to introduce items in Vista Getting started Demo: Desktop basics Demo: Learning to use the mouse Demo: Understanding the parts of your computer Programs, files, and folders Demo: Working with programs Demo: Working with files and folders Demo: Printing Internet and e-mail Demo: Using the web Demo: Using Windows Mail Security and maintenance Demo: Security basics Demo: Understanding user accounts Help and support Demo: Diagnosing problems and getting help Source: Windows Vista demos
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Tue, Oct 17 2006

  • IE7 shipped - I am sure you all know, but just in case

    The time has come, IE7 has shipped out the door, is available from http://www.microsoft.com/ie and will start coming down via Auto Updates on Windows PCs in a couple of weeks. ttfn David
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Oct 23 2006

  • What can Vista and Office do for Small Businesses

    This post is in reply to some recent questions raised by partners on Vista and Office. While the documents referenced here will be posted on the UK Vista and Office Microsite, I have hosted them quicker for your convenience. Files: Top 10 reasons why Vista and Office are right for small businesses Top 4 reasons why Vista and Office are right for small business Document explaining to partners why the top ten features are great for small businesses Why should your customer Vista and Office? Because they need it to solve many IT and business problems. Let's start with run rate. Not everyone has Windows XP, so many people are dealing with the computers they bought over the last 7 years. These people will need to buy new PCs, when they do, what will you tell them? The answer is a business PC that is designed for the 21st century. For those who have newer PCs and are not sure then the answer is that they might not want to upgrade just yet - this is not a "once only" offer - it will take years to move the whole world...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Nov 13 2006

  • BSOD screensaver - how to frighten people

    I saw this little ditty that is part of the SysInternals acquisition - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Miscellaneous/BlueScreen.mspx - it simulates a BSOD on your system as a screen saver and then even goes as far as to show the boot screen. Amazingly funny and I had to check that the machine was really ok by stopping the screen saver. Enjoy
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Thu, Nov 16 2006

  • Who is Captain Campaign and how to sell more?

    Time and again the number one question I get outside the technical arena is people want leads from Microsoft - "go and advertise for me and hand me the leads so I can do business with these customers." I know this sounds pointed, and it is meant to, I have had partners be even more direct with me as to what they think Microsoft should do for them to make them acquiring customers easier! Now we do do advertising, but we don't "hand" the leads to you. We take customers to the "find a partner tool" on bCentral and ask them to find a partner. If the find you, click on the link for you, but the web site does not entice them to call, there is nothing we can do about it as Microsoft - (have you asked some prospective customers to look at your website to see if it is a plus or a minus?). So what can we do to help, well, besides our campaigns, we can help you run mini-campaigns that align to what we do ourselves, but you get to customise it to your needs. To find out how this works, how to do it and who captain campaign...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Wed, Dec 6 2006

  • Great group leaders and Richard Evans, Tom Crosbie and Susanne Dansey moving on

    I love the small business community. Some days I hate it too. This year we have seen great strides forward, but the fear by me has always been how many people are driving it. Don't get me wrong - I think the community is amazing and more than capable at driving things forward for itself, but some pigs are more equal (driving) than others. This year there have been some stand-out heros, who have consistently provided feedback to Microsoft as to what more we should be doing to help. That is what I see easily. They also lead their groups, build the local community and put business opportunities in front of people around them. Three of those people have moved from group leaders to being back into community at large - and I am not sure that this has been recognised - both in terms of their efforts to the community and also the help they have given Microsoft. The three people are Tom, Richard and Susanne. They all did great things with their groups - taking them to new heights (other group leaders do this, but have...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Wed, Dec 13 2006
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  • Seasons Greetings (Happy Christmas in my house) and throw snowballs at the UK Partner team

    Updated with game URL This is a simple festive one. The UK Partner team have a simple set of questions, which if you get enough right answers (of course you will all get 5 out of 5) then you get to throw snowballs at them. Fancy playing the quiz and game yourself? While they are all heros for the work they have delivered this year, including content for the SBSC members, the person I would personally aim for is Karl (suited on the left). I've only had a chance to play once, and I scored 17. Let me know how you do in the comments!! Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year from everyone at Microsoft, and from me!! ttfn David
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Fri, Dec 15 2006
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  • Office Live beta in the UK and how it works & competes with SBS 2003

    I have been behind on my blogging (have you noticed)? I was at the Bristol SBS group Christmas dinner (did I say thanks yet to Richard and Mark?) and we got to discussing Office Live. So first off, as to what Live is, why not go and have a look at Eileen Browns blog on it and then lets get down to the discussion points. They were: Who really wants this type of solution? Does Live compete with SBS? Can I make money out of Live If someone has Live, can I sell them SBS too? If someone has Live, can I "upgrade" them from this to SBS? So lets answer these is order: Who really wants this type of solution? Well, there are loads of small businesses out there that want a web site, some more professional e-mail addresses than simply "[email protected]" (don't try mailing this address, if it exists, then they won't like it, but more likely it will not). Office Live will give them a website of http://www.somecompany.com e-mail addresses that at "@somecompany.com" and a simple way to build the site - for...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Tue, Dec 19 2006

  • Problems with Boyfriend 5.0, Husband 1.0 and Nagging 5.3 (Humour)

    This was sent to me by my wife as 1 of 2. The other one can be found at http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/archive/2007/01/17/problems-with-girlfriend-1-0-amp-1-2-fiancee-1-0-and-wife-1-0.aspx Dear Tech Support: Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in the overall performance, particularly in the Flower and jewellery applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 un-installed many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable programs such as: Football 5.0 , Rugby 4.3 and Cricket 3.0 . Conversation 8.0 no longer runs; it simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, to no avail. What can I do? Signed, Desperate ************************************************************* Dear Desperate: First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an Operating System. Try entering the command: C:/I-THOUGHT-YOU...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Tue, Jan 16 2007
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  • Problems with Girlfriend 1.0 (&1.2), Fiancee 1.0 and Wife 1.0

    Again, this was sent to me by my good lady. This was sent to me by my wife as 2 of 2. The other one can be found at http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/archive/2007/01/16/problems-with-boyfriend-5-0-husband-1-0-and-nagging-5-3-humour.aspx Dear Technical Support, 18 months ago, I upgraded to Girlfriend 1.0 from DrinkingMates 4.2 , which I had used for years without any trouble. However, there are apparently conflicts between these two products and the only solution was to try and run Girlfriend 1.0 with the sound turned off. To make matters worse, Girlfriend 1.0 is incompatible with several other applications, such as LadsNightOut 3.1 , Football 4.5 , and Playboy 6.9 .Successive versions of GirlFriend proved no better. I tried a shareware program, Slapper 2.1 , but it had many bugs and left a virus in my system, forcing me to shut down completely for several weeks. Eventually, I tried to run GirlFriend 1.2 and Girlfriend 1.0 at the same time, only to discover that when these two systems detected each other they...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Wed, Jan 17 2007
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  • Office Live is here for testing in the UK

    I am cheating as this artwork is all from the Office Live Website. You can go and claim your own domain and web site for free by going to http://office.microsoft.com/en-GB/officelive/default.aspx . This is an amazing solution for those customers who are too small for SBS or want as much as possible off premise, or want hosted solutions, but don't want full Exchange. Have a go!! ttfn David FREE Attract new customers Get started on the Web for FREE Create a professional Web site Learn more FREE Sign up now FREE .co.uk domain name for the first 10,000 UK customers Compare services Generate repeat business Create a professional Web site Organise your customer information online Share documents with online Workspaces Learn more Free during Beta Sign up now FREE .co.uk domain name for the first 10,000 UK customers Essentials = FREE during Beta, then £11.95 per month * * price excludes VAT Stay on top of your business Create a professional Web site Manage your projects and tasks Organise your customer information online...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Thu, Jan 18 2007
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  • One word for Vista

    This is a really simple exercise - If you have used Vista, please summarise it in one word. The word from me is "inspiring"
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Thu, Feb 1 2007

  • The Windows Vista and Office Consumer and Small Business Launch - 30th Jan, The British Library, London, UK.... and some demos you MUST run to understand what ISVs will do with Windows Vista.. and a couple of case studies

    Finally the day has come and the rest of us (well, you - but I felt that excited anyway) without a Volume License (or if you work at Microsoft) could get and use Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System (known as Office from here on in). The British Library was chosen as two Leonardo De Vinci codices were being brought together for the 1st time in over 500 years. One was owned by the British Library and the other by Bill Gates, who appeared in person to launch the event. These books, plus other treasures from the British Library can be accessed and downloaded from http://www.bl.uk - I've put some info on how to demo it at British Library Demo of Vista and the Windows Presentation Foundation and the Windows Vista Magazine have put their copy in the same format http://wpf.windowsvistamagazine.co.uk/ttpdownload/browserapp.xbap . As always I would like to thanks everyone involved - the partners and their customers who helped to shape and deliver Windows Vista and Office and the Windows and Office teams who put up...
    Posted to David Overton's Blog by David Overton on Mon, Feb 5 2007
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