Windows XP SP3 now available via Windows Update

Windows XP SP3 is finally here for those that use Windows Update, and here is a direct link to the stand-alone version of SP3 for x86 XP systems (32 bit). Thanks Bink!  “There won’t be a 64bit version until Windows Server 2003 hits SP3 since they share the same code base.”

Here is an interesting article regarding SP3 performance, ignoring the fact that Vista SP1 is still faster than XP SP2/SP3 users will enjoy a performance boost over SP2. When will people learn that Vista ain’t all bad!

Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for the operating system. This update also includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system. This white paper summarizes what is new in Windows XP SP3.

Download: Stand-alone installer for Windows XP SP3 English, 32 Bit (316 MB)
Link: Service Pack 3 for Windows XP via Windows Update (Size varies)

Revo Uninstaller 1.50

Revo Uninstaller helps you to uninstall and remove unwanted programs installed on your computer even if you have problems uninstalling and cannot uninstall them from “Windows Add or Remove Programs” control panel applet.

Revo Uninstaller is much faster and more powerful alternative to “Windows Add or Remove Programs” applet!

With its advanced and fast algorithm, Revo Uninstaller analyzes an application’s data before uninstall and scans after you uninstall an application. After the program’s regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. Even if you have a broken installation, Revo Uninstaller scans for an application’s data on your hard disk drives and in the Windows registry and shows all found files, folders and registry keys so you can delete them.

With its unique “Hunter mode“, Revo Uninstaller offers you some simple, easy to use, but effective and powerful approaches to manage (uninstall, stop, delete, disable from auto starting) and to get information about your installed and/or running programs.

Update from April 15 of AVG Anti-Virus reports Revo Uninstaller as
Downloader.Agent.AFIS Trojan horse!

It’s a FALSE positive alarm from AVG and will be fixed in the next update of the virus definitions of AVG!

Revo Uninstaller gives you another 8 handy and powerful tools to clean up your system.

Here are the list of all of the tools and utilities that are included:

Auto Start Manager – stop programs that start automatically when Windows starts; Speed up loading of Windows!

Windows Tools Manager – handy and useful tools bundled with every version of Windows; Easily find useful system tools and options!

Junk Files Cleaner – find and remove unnecessary files from your computer; Free up disk space and delete data you do not need!

Browsers History Cleaner – erase the web site history, visited pages history and temporary internet files of Firefox, Internet Explorer, Netscape and Opera web browsers; Free up a lot of disk space by deleting temporary internet files like temporary saved videos, flash files, pictures etc!

Office History Cleaner – remove the history of most recently used files in MS Office; Remove your tracks by deleting the list of last opened MS Office documents!

Windows History Cleaner – remove the history of recently opened files, delete temporary files, remove usage tracks and other history items that are saved by Windows; Remove your tracks saved by windows for a lot of operations!

Unrecoverable Delete Tool – erase files and folders forever; Be sure that nobody could recover your files and folders after deleting!

Evidence Remover – make sure already deleted files, folders and other data are unrecoverable;

What’s new in Revo Uninstaller version 1.50:

Added saving of sorting column and type (ascending, descending)
Improved listing of Windows Installer (MSI) applications
Uninstall Safe Mode safety improvements
Improved Uninstall Advanced Mode – deeper scanning
Improved AutoUpdate functionality
User interface improvements
Minor bug fixed in Portable version
Other minor bugs fixed
Added new languages – Arabic, Chuvash, Slovenian

Revo Uninstaller is compatible with the following operating systems:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista
64 bit operating systems are NOT supported!

Revo Uninstaller is completely free – no cost, no adware, no spyware;
Download Revo Uninstaller from CNET Download.com HERE
Total size: 1.49 MB
Current Version: 1.50

DOWNLOAD REVO UNINSTALLER

Portable version available in ZIP file:

DOWNLOAD REVO UNINSTALLER PORTABLE

Extract the ZIP file to a folder and run directly revouninstaller.exe from there! You can copy that folder to an USB Mass storage drive and use it without any installation required!

You can download self extracting executable of the portable version from HERE

Supported Languages:

You can download all language files separately from here

Language INI files NOT included in version 1.50:

Download Updated Portuguese Brazil INI (Português do Brasil)
Download Updated Polish INI (Polski)
Download Updated Chuvash INI (Чăваш)
Download NEW Hellenic INI (Greek)
Download NEW Belarusian INI (Беларуская)

Picture Resizer 3.0

A new version of the (probably) easiest-to-use photo resizer on the planet was released. Now with image carving support!

Despite the simplicity, this tiny (300kB) freeware tool can do a lot: resize by percentage, longest side, shortest side, width, height, fit in frame, or by specifying file size in kilobytes. Batch processing of files in all subfolders, generating custom reports (e.g. htlm fragments for galleries), sharpening and more. Usable as a droplet or from Explorer’s context menu.

New features:

• Multi-core CPU support for extremely fast batch resizing.
• Changing aspect ratio while preserving content using image seam carving. Learn more.

Link: Homepage with instructions
Download: Picture Resizer 3.0 (for NT, W2k, XP and Vista) | Freeware

Windows XP SP3 Release Dates

With Service Pack 3 for Windows XP just over the horizon, we’ve managed to get our hands on the internal schedule for the release of the highly anticipated update to the aging operating system. As you can see in the list below, most of the stages will occur before the end of the month, though forced automatic updates won’t land until June. This delay should give system administrators an ample amount of time to prepare for the upgrade or simply come up with an excuse for when things go awry.

• April 14, 2008: Support is available for the release version of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP
• April 21, 2008: Original Equipment Manufacturers, Volume License, Connect, and MSDN and TechNet subscribers
• April 29, 2008: Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Download Center
• June 10, 2008: Automatic Updates

View: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview

Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2)

Brief Description

The Microsoft® Windows® Installer is an application installation and configuration service. WindowsInstaller-KB893803-x86.exe is the redistributable package for installing or upgrading Windows Installer.

Quick Details

Version:	All
Knowledge Base (KB) Articles:	KB893803
Date Published:	9/2/2005
Language:	English
Download Size:	2 KB – 2.5 MB*
*Download size depends on selected download components.

Overview

The Microsoft® Windows® Installer is an application installation and configuration service. WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe is the redistributable package for installing or upgrading Windows Installer. This revised package replaces the previously released redistributable package named “WindowsInstaller-KB893803-x86.exe” and addresses the issue discussed in KB Article 898628: Windows Installer fails silently after you upgrade to Windows Installer 3.1.

For more information about the Windows Installer 3.1 redistributable, see KB Article 893803: Windows Installer 3.1 is now available.

Note for users of previous versions of the Windows Installer: The new Windows Installer redistributable follows a new naming convention that contains a knowledge base reference so it is easier to identify which version of the Windows Installer will be installed. The previous naming convention, INSTMSI.EXE, will no longer be used.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 3; Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003; Windows XP; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2

Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable supports Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 or later, Windows XP, Windows XP Service Pack 1, Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003. Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 contains Windows Installer 3.1 and therefore can’t be installed or upgraded by this redistributable.

Instructions

1. Click the file you want to download from the list below.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To start the installation immediately, click Run.
   • To save the download to your computer for installation at a later time, click Save.
   • To cancel the installation, click Cancel.

Files in This Download

The links in this section correspond to separate files available in this download. Download the files most appropriate for you.

File Name:	File Size
Redist.txt	2 KB	Download
windows installer 3.1 EULA.doc	58 KB	Download
WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe	2.5 MB	Download

Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack

Brief Description

Open, edit, and save documents, workbooks, and presentations in the file formats new to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007.

Quick Details

File Name:	FileFormatConverters.exe
Version:	3
Date Published:	11/19/2007
Language:	English
Download Size:	27.5 MB

:. Download

Overview

Users of the Microsoft Office XP and 2003 programs Word, Excel, or PowerPoint—please install all High-Priority updates from Microsoft Update before downloading the Compatibility Pack.

By installing the Compatibility Pack in addition to Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003, you will be able to open, edit, and save files using the file formats new to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007. The Compatibility Pack can also be used in conjunction with the Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003, Excel Viewer 2003, and PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view files saved in these new formats. For more information about the Compatibility Pack, see Knowledge Base article 924074.

Note: If you use Microsoft Word 2000 or Microsoft Word 2002 to read or write documents containing complex scripts, please see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925451 for information to enable Word 2007 documents to be displayed correctly in your version of Word.

Administrators: The administrative template for the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint converters contained within the Compatibility Pack is available for download.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003; Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2

• Recommended Microsoft Office programs:
  • Microsoft Word 2000 with Service Pack 3, Microsoft Excel 2000 with Service Pack 3, and Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 with Service Pack 3
  • Microsoft Word 2002 with Service Pack 3, Microsoft Excel 2002 with Service Pack 3, and Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 with Service Pack 3
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003 with at least Service Pack 1, Microsoft Office Excel 2003 with at least Service Pack 1, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 with at least Service Pack 1
  • Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003
  • Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint Viewer 2003

Instructions

To install this download:

1. Ensure your system is up to date by installing all High-Priority/Required updates on Microsoft Update (required for Microsoft Office XP and 2003 users).
2. After installing all High-Priority/Required updates with Microsoft Update, download the Compatibility Pack by clicking the Download button above and saving the file to your hard disk.
3. Double-click the FileFormatConverters.exe program file on your hard disk to start the setup program.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

To remove this download:

1. On the Windows Start menu, click Control Panel.
2. Select Add/Remove Programs.
3. In the list of currently installed programs, select Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system and then click Remove or Add/Remove. If a dialog box appears, follow the instructions to remove the program.
4. Click Yes or OK to confirm that you want to remove the program.

Process Idle Tasks

Running Process Idle Tasks helps the system to complete pending tasks.

Below is the code:

%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Copy the above code and paste it in Run command (Ctrl+R)

and press Enter

To perform idle tasks.

Alternatively you can create shortcut for this to perform easily. Follow the below steps to create shortcut on your Desktop.

1. Right-click on your desktop and Select New > Shortcut
2. In type the location of the item path: Enter below information
   %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
3. Click Next. In the next screen, Type a name for this shortcut: Ex: Clear Memory or Process Idle Tasks
   
4. Click on Finish

Your shortcut is now created and whenever you feel that your system is busy not responding to commands, just run this command and it should free up the system.

Crap Cleaner 2.06.567

CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) is a freeware system optimization tool. That removes unused and temporary files from your system – allowing Windows to run faster, more efficiently and giving you more hard disk space. The best part is that it’s fast! (normally taking less that a second to run) and Free.

Crap Cleaner v2.06 History
- Added Google Firefox Toolbar history cleaning.
- Winapp.ini is now embedded in the main EXE.
- Added ability to override default embedded INI files with:
winsys1.ini, winreg1.ini and winapp1.ini.
- Updated ability to append to default embedded INI files with:
winsys2.ini, winreg2.ini and winapp2.ini.
- Updated system info code to support Win2k8.
- Improved IE History cleaning with .DAT files.
- Improved accessibility features of treeview control.
- Removal of version history from About screen.
- Options section checkboxes resized to fit caption text.
- GUI tweaks including Piriform logo change.
- Minor performance improvements.

CCleaner v2.06.567 – Standard Build
2,687KB
Download now

CCleaner v2.06.567 – Portable
- No Installer
622KB
Download now

CCleaner v2.06.567 – Slim
- No Toolbar
675B
Download now

April 2008 Security Releases ISO Image

Brief Description

This DVD5 ISO image file contains the security updates for Windows released on Windows Update on April 8th, 2008.

Quick Details

File Name:	Windows-KB913086-200804.iso
Version:	913086
Security Bulletins:	MS08-020 MS08-021 MS08-022 MS08-023 MS08-024 MS08-025
Knowledge Base (KB) Articles:	KB941693 KB944338 KB945553 KB947864 KB948590 KB948881
Date Published:	4/9/2008
Language:	English
Download Size:	2343.3 MB

:. Download

Overview

This DVD5 ISO image file contains the security updates for Windows released on Windows Update on April 8th, 2008. The image does not contain security updates for other Microsoft products. This DVD5 ISO image is intended for administrators that need to download multiple individual language versions of each security update and that do not use an automated solution such as Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). You can use this ISO image to download multiple updates in all languages at the same time.

Important: Be sure to check the individual security bulletins at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security prior to deployment of these updates to ensure that the files have not been updated at a later date.

This DVD5 image contains the following updates:
KB941693 / (MS08-025)

• Windows 2000 – 24 languages
• Windows Server 2003 – 18 languages
• Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – 11 languages
• Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages
• Windows XP – 24 languages
• Windows XP x64 Edition – 2 languages
• Windows Vista – 36 languages
• Windows Vista for x64-based Systems – 36 languages
• Windows Server 2008 – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages

KB944338 / (MS08-022)

• Windows 2000 – 24 languages
• Windows Server 2003 – 18 languages
• Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – 11 languages
• Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages
• Windows XP – 24 languages
• Windows XP x64 Edition – 2 languages

KB945553 / (MS08-020)

• Windows 2000 – 24 languages
• Windows Server 2003 – 18 languages
• Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – 11 languages
• Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages
• Windows XP – 24 languages
• Windows XP x64 Edition – 2 languages
• Windows Vista – 36 languages
• Windows Vista for x64-based Systems – 36 languages

KB947864 / (MS08-024)

• Windows 2000 – 24 languages
• Windows Server 2003 – 18 languages
• Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – 11 languages
• Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages
• Windows XP – 24 languages
• Windows XP x64 Edition – 2 languages
• Windows Vista – 36 languages
• Windows Vista for x64-based Systems – 36 languages
• Windows Server 2008 – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages

KB948590 / (MS08-021)

• Windows 2000 – 24 languages
• Windows Server 2003 – 18 languages
• Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – 11 languages
• Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages
• Windows XP – 24 languages
• Windows XP x64 Edition – 2 languages
• Windows Vista – 36 languages
• Windows Vista for x64-based Systems – 36 languages
• Windows Server 2008 – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages

KB948881 / (MS08-023)

• Windows 2000 – 24 languages
• Windows Server 2003 – 18 languages
• Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition – 11 languages
• Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages
• Windows XP – 24 languages
• Windows XP x64 Edition – 2 languages
• Windows Vista – 36 languages
• Windows Vista for x64-based Systems – 36 languages
• Windows Server 2008 – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition – 19 languages
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems – 4 languages

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 for Itanium-based Systems; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 for Itanium-based Systems; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista; Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 2

Instructions

1. Select a file to download at the top of this page, or choose a different language from the drop-down list and then click Change.
2. To download the DVD5 ISO image to your computer and burn a DVD at a later time click Save or Save this program to disk.
3. Use the directions for your DVD burner to create a DVD from the image.

Building Strong and Supportive Relationships at Work

Finding Your Allies
Building Strong and Supportive Relationships at Work

	Building strong relationships at work.

“A problem shared is a problem halved”, as the old saying goes, and it’s true in business as well. When it comes to working your way through the challenges that you face every day, it’s a great help to be able to draw on a network of supportive individuals that you can work with to find a solution.

Allies are the people who give you backing, assistance, advice, information, protection, and even friendship. They are your support base. With strong, mutually beneficial relationships with your allies, you can survive and thrive in the corporate arena, and you can get things done quicker, and more smoothly.

Working together with allies simply helps you and them achieve more. (Here, we’re using the word “ally” in it’s positive sense – we’re not implying that you’re trying to circumvent proper channels, engage in politics or game-play, or create any kind of “us and them” culture. It is clearly wrong to behave in this way.)

Anyone and everyone who can help you achieve your objectives is a potential ally. Some are natural: These are people who share a common interest with you. The colleague who’s been around for years and can offer an invaluable voice of experience, the team member who is always happy to be a sounding board for your ideas, or the vendor who is ready to accept seemingly-impossible deadlines; these people are your natural allies.

But you can find allies in unexpected places too. Alex in finance, who pulls together an extra report on your projects finances; Claire, the secretary, who tells you when the boss is in a good mood; or Simon, your ex-department head who is always available for advice. They too are important allies.

Allies can help you directly and indirectly. For instance, if you’re running behind schedule on a project, your subordinate can help you directly by working longer hours, while your boss can help you indirectly by delegating another part of your workload to someone else.

Building Your Personal Support Base

This is one of the reasons that it’s important to be open and supportive to others in the workplace, and why it’s worth making at least some of your time available to help others out when they need help. After all, if you’re a positive and supportive person, many other people will be equally supportive towards you.

So who could your allies be? Just your team mates? Actually, your list of potential allies goes much further than this!

The table below provides an example list of allies, with the support you might be able to receive from them, and the returns you might be expected to provide to them.

Possible Allies – And What They May Want…

Potential Ally	What He/She Could Do for You	What He/She Might Be Expecting in Return
Team Members	Assist you with regular tasks Be loyal Be a sounding board	Assistance with regular tasks Loyalty Recognition Credit – given both publicly and privately
Boss	Protect you Champion you Help you in career advancement	Loyalty Support Assistance with his/her tasks Commitment Willingness to go the extra mile Image building
Senior Management Members	Protect you Champion you Help you in career advancement	Loyalty Support Commitment Willingness to go the extra mile Image building
Support Staff	Willing performance of day-to-day functions Cooperation	Appreciation Attention Recognition
Gateway People (Secretaries, Executive Assistants)	Provide you with access to crucial information and people	Appreciation Attention Recognition
Family	Provide moral support, appreciation, understanding	Moral support Appreciation Understanding
More Experienced Colleagues	Provide expertise, perspective, contacts, knowledge	Respect Recognition Attention
Networking Allies	Keep you abreast of the general buzz Provide you advance information and background knowledge Provide you contacts Alert you to emerging trends and patterns	Advance information Background knowledge Contacts Alerts about emerging trends and patterns
Interest Groups	Build influence Mobilize support Provide you with data	Assistance for their cause
Community Members	Build influence Mobilize support Provide you with data	Assistance for their cause
Press	Build influence Mobilize support	Information
Government	Build influence Mobilize support	Assistance for their cause
Clients	Provide inputs for new product development initiatives Provide referrals Provide preferential status	Preferential status Willingness to go extra mile Business leads Referrals
Vendors	Provide extra assistance Provide preferential status	Preferential status Business leads Referrals

Tip 1: Don’t be naïve in the way that you approach people – be aware of people’s interests and duties, and understand that these may conflict with yours. Also, recognize that they may not be able to help you, for a variety of possible reasons including a very heavy workload. And with all this talk of mutual help and information sharing, make absolutely sure that you keep confidential information confidential! Tip 2: Allies can’t help you if you’re not doing your job properly. Make sure you make time to look after your allies, but make sure too that you do your job to the best of your abilities.

Nurture your allies, and you’ll find that you can be so much more effective at getting things done. What’s more, things will get so much easier and more pleasant at work!

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