WinInsider

The aggressive Nimda virus/worm has caused widespread site shutdowns and Internet service interruption, but according to security experts, the real cost of this hacker attack--which uses four different known vulnerabilities in Microsoft's IIS Web server--will come during the eradication phase. To aid in this effort, Winternals Software is offering a utility that will help eliminate the Nimda virus/worm on Windows 2000/NT systems without requiring the system to be wiped out first. The company's NTFSDOS Professional works with leading virus scanners to clean and repair systems attacked by Nimda.

Dell Computer and storage giant EMC are in talks for the computer maker to resell some of EMC's storage hardware and software. "While the specifics still need to be hammered out," said a source close to the talks, "there will be a strategic selling arrangement that would involve EMC's midrange Clariion storage systems." The deal follows the closure this past May of Dell's San Jose offices, which it acquired when it bought ConvergeNet, a storage specialist. ConvergeNet has been Dell's first, and only, acquisition to date.

DeltaThree Inc. said on Monday it is in the final stages of negotiating a deal for software leader Microsoft Corp. to deliver Internet telephone services to consumers via Microsoft Messenger.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, DeltaThree said it believes its services will be made available to the public through Microsoft's instant messaging service in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001, and the agreement should be finalized in the next several weeks.

Microsoft will bless leading third party skinning software WindowBlinds at a media event in Michigan on Monday. It's a diplomatic triumph for Stardock, which we've likened before to one of those strange organisms that thrives on the edge of underwater thermal vents, where survival is generally regarded as impossible. Life is perilous for Windows utility vendors, who face being acquired, co-opted or crushed by The Beast.

Can you get enough of Windows XP news? 

Let's face it, there's not a lot of drama around the introduction of a new Microsoft Windows operating system these days, even when the newest version, called XP, is clearly the best yet. The courts have officially ruled what you already knew, that Microsoft has a monopoly on PC operating systems. Unless you are the one in ten who defiantly chooses a Macintosh or a Linux machine, or unless you're a Luddite, you'll probably buy the new Windows XP eventually, perhaps the next time you buy a new PC. In terms of giddy anticipation, XP ranks up there with the arrival of new telephone books or the redesign of the $20 bill. And that's a shame, because Windows XP is surprisingly good news for consumers. It's significantly more reliable and easier to use than any of its predecessors, including Windows 98 and the disappointing Windows ME. It has all the best features of the solid Windows 2000 Professional, but without the complexity.

Malaysia--Bootleg copies of Windows XP are selling like hotcakes here in the Malaysian capital. And as if in tandem with the economic crisis, vendors have been dishing out huge discounts for these versions, some starting as low as $1.50. Pirated software and bootleg movies usually cost around $3. All this despite the Malaysian government's continuing clampdown on copyright infringement and Microsoft's controversial new product activation feature--a key part of the software giant's crackdown on piracy.

Industry analyst Roger Kay talks about the launch of Microsoft's Windows XP amid the challenging economic environment in the PC industry. C|Net Video

Compaq touts multimedia in new XP - C|Net Video

Alex Gruzen, vice president of Compaq's Portables Division, discusses how the company will take advantage of multimedia features of Windows XP in its new notebooks and PCs.

Sources close to Microsoft tell me that the company will unlock a wide range of product updates, new drivers, and other revisions Monday, on the day that the first PC makers will ship XP-based PCs to customers. And in related news, Microsoft provided download access XP Professional for its MSDN Professional and Universal customers this weekend, giving them a single PC product key that can used until the October MSDN CD shipments, which will include 10 PC product keys, arrive. Users interested in determining how compatible their systems are with XP can also download a free Update Advisor that will generate a report detailing any potential problems.

Yes, Windows XP RTM has finally arrived to MSDN Subscribers Downloads, so start your modems as it is 450MB, or wait for October Shipment.

With the launch of Windows XP just around the corner, Microsoft is trying to help consumers transition to the new operating system. On Friday, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said it is making tools for consumers available for download from its Windows XP Web site. The 35MB file allows people to check for compatibility with their current hardware and software. The official launch of the OS is set for Oct. 25, but PC makers will begin selling new systems with the OS on Monday. The company has been conducting tests itself and providing tools to developers to make sure applications can run on the upcoming OS. Microsoft said it has invested more than $150 million in its compatibility efforts and has more than 600 employees worldwide conducting compatibility tests.