The final version of IE7 will probably be available this month. Microsoft plans to distribute IE7 as an automatic update in November or December. This cuts both ways. On the one hand, IE7 brings more security; on the other hand it could cause compatibility problems. Depending on the kind of users you have, it might be necessary to inform them first about the changes. If you need more time, you should consider disabling the automatic installation of IE7.

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Last week, I made a online backup of a virtual machine on Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 using the Advanced Open File Option of Symantec Backup Exec. Although, this is a questionable way to backup a virtual machine, I was curious if I could do the same with virtual machine under VMware Server.

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I just found this video on YouTube where “Steve Balmer” is praising Windows 1.0. I really had to laugh when I saw this. It is probably a fake, but the difference to the real Balmer is not so big. When I see one of his “shows”, I usually have to laugh, too. I am already looking forward to see his presentation of Windows 6.0.

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As a system administrator you probably know the term “DLL Hell“. Functions of a DLL (dynamic link library) can be invoked by different programs. If the setup of a new application exchanges the DLL with a newer version, other applications might fail. I didn’t experience many DLL related problems recently, but it is certainly good news for system administrators that with .NET and its Global Assembly Cache (GAC) the times in DLL hell are finally over. If you’re a heavy .Netal fan you might enjoy the DLL Hell song which is a song of praise for a new era to come.

Update: Review of Virtual PC 2007 RTM
You’ve probably heard already that the beta version of Virtual PC 2007 is available at Microsoft Connect. Today, I tested Microsoft’s latest virtualization tool. The good news: The test was quite fast. The bad news is… well, read my review…

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Some bloggers [1] [2] gave the impression that Internet Information Server overtook Apache. According to a press release of Port80, IIS 6.0 passed Apache for the first time. In my view, however, this data doesn’t say much about the market shares of Apache and IIS.

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When I read recently that Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 will support Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) I was quite excited. This means that you can backup a running virtual machine without shutdowns. Some weeks ago I decided against Virtual Server 2005 and for VMware Server. However, VSS support is a killer feature in my view. Today, I tried to backup a running virtual Windows Server Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 Beta2 using Symantec Backup Exec 10d.

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Today, I wanted to update Vista RC1 to RC2. When I booted up, Vista informed me that I have to activate it before I can logon. Unfortunately, I used a private IP. So Vista Activation wasn’t able to phone home. No problem you say? Just enter a public IP and go ahead. But how can you do that without logging on?

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It seems that this is going to become my hobby. Wouldn’t it be boring if it were possible to install Vista by just running the setup? On Saturday I complained that Vista RC2 can’t be installed on VMware Workstation because the Vista setup claimed that there is a CD/DVD driver missing. One of my readers mailed me the solution to this new problem. Thanks!

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It seems that Microsoft is serious to keep the release date. At least it sounds like this in Jim Alchim’s letter. The download was pretty fast. I guess because most American Windows fans are in their beds now dreaming of the next Vista release candidate. The first thing I tried was to install Vista RC2 on VMware Workstation.

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