Windows-Help.NET Newsletter

01. Microsoft Releases Office 2003 Service Pack 1

by Arie Slob

Hello Windows users,

At the end of July, Microsoft published Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Office 2003 via OfficeUpdate. According to Microsoft, the Service Pack contains important security enhancements, in addition to stability and performance improvements. Some (but not all) of the fixes included with SP1 have been previously released as separate updates. This service pack combines them into one update.

Included in this service pack are these previously released updates:

This update applies to the following programs:

Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
Microsoft Office Basic Edition 2003
Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003
Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003
Microsoft Office Access 2003
Microsoft Office Access 2003 Runtime
Microsoft Office Excel 2003
Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
Microsoft Office Word 2003
Microsoft Office 2003 Web Components
Microsoft Office XP Web Components

More information about this update can be found in Microsoft Knowledge Base article (842532): Description of Office 2003 Service Pack 1.

The download size for Service Pack 1 is 17.96 MB, and you can get it from Microsoft's OfficeUpdate Web site.

The file is also downloadable from Microsoft's Download Web site, where you can also download a full version (72.17 MB), intended for administrators, or if you do not have access to your original product CD-ROM.

02. Microsoft Releases DirectX 9.0c End-User Runtime

This week, Microsoft Released the DirectX 9.0c End-User Runtime. The DirectX 9.0c End-User Runtime will update your current version of DirectX the core Windows technology that drives high-speed multimedia and games on the PC.

Microsoft DirectX is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and rich audio. DirectX 9.0c includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX 9.0 APIs.

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP

Download

You can download the English Setup [308 KB] file, this will update your current DirectX to version 9.0c. Other languages are available at the Microsoft download Web site.

System Administrators can download the DirectX 9.0c redist [Eng - 33.5 MB] version, this is the full version which will install on all supported operating systems. Other language versions og the redist version are available on the Microsoft download Web site.

Note: The DirectX 9.0c runtime cannot be uninstalled. We recommend Windows Me and Windows XP users create a "System Restore" point before installing. For information on creating a restore point, please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Windows Me
Windows XP

03. Newsletter Summer Schedule

Many of you are having a summer break during July/August. I will reduce the newsletter publication frequency in these months. I will publish the next newsletter on August 28th. I will try to publish some information when Windows XP Service Pack 2 is released, but I'm on holiday myself from August 11th, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to accomplish. The issue of September 11th would mean the return to a weekly schedule. Have a good & safe summer!

04. Recent Support BBS Postings

System Tray Icons - Windows XP
Hotmail in Outlook Express stopped working - Outlook Express
Dump Data collection tool and instructions - General Discussions
Windows Software Update Services Question - Win 2000/2003
Internet Protocol v6 - General Discussions

05. Microsoft Updates Windows Security Bulletin for July, 2004

At the end of last month, Microsoft added a fix for a "Critical" security issue in Internet Explorer to the Security Bulletin for July 2004.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-025 - Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (867801)

06. Windows XP Service Pack 2: Comming Soon?

Microsoft is still struggling to get SP2 for Windows XP released. A planned Wednesday release date came & went, without the code showing up on MSDN and the Microsoft Download Web site, the first places the code would be released to. According to Microsoft, SP2 should be available via WindowsUpdate beginning August 25th, but with the latest delays, it's not sure that date will hold true either.

07. Windows XP Tip: Using the System File Checker Tool

The System File Checker (SFC) tool is a command-line tool that can be used to restore protected system files on your computer by using the backup versions that are stored in the Dllcache folder, or files copied from the Windows XP installation source.

Read Full Article

08. Microsoft Releases Outlook 2003 Junk E-mail Filter Update

Microsoft released an update to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 enhancing the junk e-mail filter to help provide a higher level of protection against junk e-mail.

Read Full Article