Windows-Help.NET Newsletter

01. Microsoft Launches Beta MSN Search

This week Microsoft launched a new betas version of its MSN Search, which Microsoft hopes will help capture some of Googles market share.

New and innovative features in MSN Search provide an enhanced search experience by providing relevant answers to direct questions, the Search Near Me feature which automatically provides information and resources that are geographically close. In addition, searching for news, images or music is fully integrated into the search experience.

"The release of our beta is a huge step toward delivering the information consumers are looking for online, faster than previous versions of MSN Search," said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president for the MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform division at Microsoft Corp. "With better results and more powerful search tools, MSN Search is creating a new, higher standard for online search -- one that helps consumers find the information they need, when they need it."

According to information released by Microsoft, the new MSN Search has been under development for the past 2 years, and should make a dramatic improvement over the old version. The new engine has indexed over 5 billion Web documents; making it one of the largest engines available to date (Google recently claimed nearly 8 billion pages).

The global beta version of MSN Search is available today for public use in the United States at http://beta.search.msn.com, and worldwide in 26 markets and 11 languages from local MSN Web sites.

The final version of MSN Search is scheduled for launch sometime next year.

02. Featured Software: Magic Notes

"I just LOVE Magic Notes. I can set quick reminders with the timer, schedule appts days weeks or months in advance, and shoot quick notes back and forth across the LAN and across the internet to my pals. I don't know what I ever did without it! It's.... MAGICAL!"
--James Hanson, USA

More Info - Trial Version [758 KB]

03. Recommended Book: Windows XP Registry Guide

List: ~~$39.99~~
Our Price: $27.99
You Save: $12.00 (30%)

Paperback, 512 pages
Publication date: Sep. 2002

Written for IT professionals and desktop power users, this guide reveals registry techniques, tricks, and tips for customizing and maintaining the Windows XP registry.

Modifying the Windows registry gives users maximum control over their PC. This guide is a complete reference to working with the Windows XP registry; including everything from registry hacks for power users to management and deployment guidance for IT professionals. The book includes troubleshooting hints, common workarounds, and a guide to how to use the new registry editor. Written by an author of six books on the Windows registry, this book is the authoritative resource for readers who want or need to work with the Windows registry.

To Order: USA | EU (�20.29)

04. Recommended Web sites

Each month we will feature a few Web sites here, ones which sent us the most visitors to our Web site in the previous month. We would encourage you to visit these popular Web sites yourself!

Here are some sites in the Top 15 for October 2004:

PROneTworks - PROneTworks online Tech Community.

Lavasoft - Lavasoft (Ad-Aware) Support Forums.

ADSLguide - The UK's largest independent ADSL review site.

VIA Arena - Official VIA forums.

The Top 15 sites are listed on our Web site.

05. Recent Support BBS Postings

How to remove and avoid all ADWARE/SPYWARE/SPAM - Security
Firefox 1.0 Released - Netscape and Mozilla
Master Browser Problem? - Windows 2000/2003
Do Your Back-ups - General Discussions
Too many files slowing down computer? - Windows XP

06. Troubleshooting Windows Firewall in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

The Windows Firewall feature of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), a replacement for the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) in previous versions of Windows XP, is a stateful host firewall that provides protection for computers against incoming traffic from the Internet or from neighboring network devices on a private network. This article describes how Windows Firewall works, the common problems with using Windows Firewall, and the set of tools used to troubleshoot Windows Firewall issues. This article is intended for network administrators and advanced users who are familiar with Windows XP and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

Download [297 KB - Word Document]

07. New Turkish Lira Currency Symbol Converter Tool

The Turkish Lira Currency Symbol Converter Tool is designed to update the current Turkish monetary symbol (TL) to the New Turkish Lira symbol (YTL).

Download [102 KB]

08. Update for Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter

This update provides the Junk E-mail Filter in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 with a more current definition of which e-mail messages should be considered junk e-mail. This update was released in November 2004.

For specific information about this update read Microsoft Knowledge Base article 873362

Download [3.29 MB - Eng]
Other Languages

09. 5 Tips for Tightening Your Wireless Network's Security

If you have a wireless network in your organization, you may be unknowingly exposing your business to unseen dangers. These five strategies for small businesses will help you enhance the security of your wireless network.

Read Full Article