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How to organize like Bill Gates, the HP-Microsoft deal, Helping in Haiti and more

Post author By M3 Sweatt
Post date 14/01/2010

Yes, I’ve been neglecting my blog. Although I have a couple of blog posts in the works (on setting up our Windows 7 home network connected to our Media Center), I have been just too busy with (gasp!) real work. So I obviously need to be better at my organization: helpful that I found this brief article on Bill Gates’ organizational effort with a few of his "top tactics" with a nod of what Bill calls the digital workstyle. Missing from the article: you need a great staff! For me, here’s a quick post that answers one of the popular questions I often get: "How I Work at Microsoft".

First off, I supported @Americares http://www.americares.org/ WRT Haiti earthquake victims as 99% of the goes to the relief effort. You can read more here about Microsoft’s help to relief organizations in Haiti and see a list of charities helping in the country here on MSN. (BTW, I’m an AT&T customer. With all of the press on teh incredible response via text message donations, there’s a bit of a brou-ha-ha WRT AT&T’s note that "Standard text messaging rates may apply" for said donations made on its network. I asked @ATTNews to waive fees like @Verizon & @TMobile for Haiti donations. And it seems that customer response and public pressure has caused AT&T to give in on that surcharge.)

Lots of news on the Microsoft & HP CEOs announcement yesterday on investment in IT infrastructure software, as initially noted here by CIO.com. You can read all about the HP – Microsoft three-year, $250 million deal to advance cloud computing for businesses on Microsoft Presspass and this post from Brad Anderson of the mgmt & services division.

Now, on to a couple of noteworthy bits from my posts on Twitter and on Twitter and from friendfeed:

As noted Microsoft is supporting relief efforts in Haiti + how you can help, MSFT makes initial $1.25 million commitment [Blog] http://bit.ly/8KRBTb

WSJTech reports that PC Shipments Surge in Holiday Quarter http://on.wsj.com/7RfTy3

Sad that Bill Veghte over in Windows Marketing is leaving the company after nearly two decades per @inafried http://news.cnet.com/8301-13…

Sad to read about Apple IMac quality issues (Yellow Discoloration, Fail to Boot) http://www.dailytech.com/An+Appl…

@maryjofoley reports that Visual Studio 2010 gets a new launch date: April 12, 2010: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microso…

@LanceUlanoff reports on Google in China: Pulling Out May Not Be a Good Idea http://www.pcmag.com/article… China’s wrong, but will Google’s exit help anyone? #google #china

@karaswisher: The One-Year Report Card of Yahoo’s Carol Bartz–Management: A- http://kara.allthingsd.com/2010011…

@meridith: The CIO Job Market in 2010: More Opportunities and More Competition http://www.cio.com/article… #CIO #jobs

Run into error code 0x80070005, Windows 7 "is not Genuine"? Disable policy settings or edit permissions: http://support.microsoft.com/kb2008385

A look inside BMW’s Windows 7 rollout to date: "Smooth Driving So Far" on CIO.com http://www.cio.com/article…

Nice too see Michigan and Microsoft teaming up to offer free technology training around the state http://www.bing.com/news… #fb

Microsoft reiterates console generation stance: "Xbox 360 is designed to last longer than normal" http://www.totalvideogames.com/Xbox-36…

Other vendors to follow Apple offering multi-touch tablet PCs in Q1 or Q2, say Taiwan touch panel makers http://www.digitimes.com/print…

From JohnPaczkowski: Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin: We’re Building a Nexus One for Enterprise http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/2010010…

From LanceUlanoff: Why Tablets Need Apple http://www.pcmag.com/article… Everybody’s making tablets, but nobody knows what they’re for. @SaschaSegan is right.

@toddbishop: Miguel de Icaza, Microsoft MVP? Yep, it’s true. http://www.techflash.com/seattle…

From Stephen Rose: RT @MaxTrinidad: RT @MSSpringboard: Four Free Tools that every Administrator should Know About http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us…

@MSFT_IT: The definitive explainer of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), by Microsoft IT Evangelist Yung Chou http://blogs.technet.com/windows…

@MSFT_IT: MSFT CIO Tony Scott talks about new directions for IT in 2010. Video and paper available at microsoft.com/everybodysbusiness

@Cisco_Mobile Gotcha – sometimes that download get’s missed. Thx for the info

Troubleshooting Windows 7 with Microsoft’s Built-In Tools: It all began w/ Firefox 3.5, via @tomshardware http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews…

Microsoft Security Advisory 979267: Adobe Flash Player 6 Vulnerability in Windows XP could allow remote code execution http://www.microsoft.com/technet…

Skip Microsoft’s Critical Patch, Focus on Adobe’s, Experts Urge reports @gkeizer via @PCWorld http://www.pcworld.com/article…

Microsoft will report earnings after the market close on Thurs, January 28. Investor Relations page: http://www.microsoft.com/msft…

@edbott: New at ZDNet: Move over, God mode! 94 more secret shortcuts for Windows 7: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott…

@msPartner: PartnerNews: What are Microsoft and HP announcing tomorrow? http://www.microsoftpartnernetwork.com/News… What will Ballmer and Hurd unveil? #MPN

@johnhcook: Comcast’s new Data Meter: Like a calorie counter for Internet usage http://www.techflash.com/seattle…

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How to make an impact at Thanksgiving, even if you’re not Bill Gates

Post author By M3 Sweatt
Post date 26/11/2009
1 Comment on How to make an impact at Thanksgiving, even if you’re not Bill Gates

It’s Thanksgiving, and again I am fortunate enough to spend my holiday with my friends and family. In a past post, I noted my posts on being thankful, in particular this one on being thankful, where I noted the Seattle P-I newspaper’s slide show on “Words of Thanks.”

“What are you most thankful for? P-I photographer Meryl Schenker profiles six local residents who have different reasons for giving thanks on this holiday.”

At home, we’re thankful for many things, primarily for good health, family, and our community. The philanthropist W. Clement Stone said that “If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.”

Today I received a mail with a link to an article from last year on Bill Gates and how Microsoft’s founder and his wife, Melinda, are aiming to change charity…

“For the past 10 years, the Gateses have opted for the latter: “How can we do the most good for the greatest number with the resources we have?” Bill asked a sea of Harvard University graduates at their commencement ceremony last year.

“The answer? If you’re Bill Gates — with $37.5 billion in your foundation’s coffers and as much as $100 billion to contribute over the course of your lifetime — you do it very, very carefully, say philanthropy leaders.”

OK, you don’t have Bill & Melinda Gates’ resources. What can you do?

Plenty. And you don’t need billions to make a difference.

In an article today from Patrick May of the San Jose Mercury News writes about the local impact of the recession at the holiday to some of those in Silicon Valley, and provides a list of places to give for the holidays in San Jose and surrounding areas.

In Amy Goodman’s article about thanksgiving, she notes “Billion for a Billion” campaign launched by the WFP, “urging the 1 billion people who use the Internet to help the billion who are hungry. But if you think that hunger is far from our shores, here is some food for thought … and action: The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report Monday stating that in 2008 one in six households in the U.S. was “food insecure,” the highest number since the figures were first gathered in 1995.

And Jerry Large writes today about good people giving back with thanks, about “someone who traveled to a foreign land and made a fresh start despite hardships and with the help of new friends.”

So I’ve included this link on how to help over the holidays from my previous hometown paper, and from our new home town, The Seattle Times Fund For The Needy.

This in closing from the article on Gates noted above…

“Gates — who dropped out of Harvard to create Microsoft — returned to the university last year to accept an honorary degree and to deliver the 2007 commencement speech to graduates. It was, Gates-watchers agreed, probably one of his finest speeches ever, an eloquent reminder that success doesn’t always mean following the rules. Among other things, Gates told Harvard students that technological achievement is critical in the years ahead, but that “humanity’s greatest advances are not in is discoveries but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity … reducing human inequity is the highest human achievement.”

How will you pay it forward?

Whatever you do, for those in the States and wherever you are, have a happy Thanksgiving.

Tags: shopping, Microsoft, articles, blogs, what I read, Thanksgiving.

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Your questions: “What do people read on your blog?” Stuff about Time, Bill Gates, Kids and shopping for a new PC. Here are some of the most popular posts.

Jenn asks today…

"What do people read the most on your blog? I found your article on how to choose a new computer and found lots more stuff."

Good question, Jenn. I didn’t really know until I looked today.

Here are the top recent posts from my blog in the last couple of weeks. Seems that the most popular are the historical pieces on daylight saving time, with one of the most popular in the last couple of months my post on "Microsoft Windows August 2009 Updates to Daylight Saving Time and Time Zones" with details on Microsoft KnowledgeBase Article 970653, "August 2009 cumulative time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems". (Note that details on the December 2009 cumulative time zone update will be posted next week.)

One of the most popular posts in the last quarter was "Be careful: Why getting Windows 7 "RTM" today can be like a box of chocolates" advising our customers to "be careful and don’t download something from a less than trusted source. As noted in my post here on the Windows 7 Release Candidate, please don’t use torrents or P2P to get Windows 7 bits, as has been noted in the in the news. (Also available via http://bit.ly/L9PaO.)So many people eager to get Windows 7 but may subject themselves to malware."

On the content side, the top post in the last year ((and still popular today) is the collection of articles titled "Halloween, Daylight Saving Time, Bill Gates’ new company and other mysterious things I’ve read this week" – "Here’s a blast from the past (December 2006): What do candy, Microsoft products and Congress have in common? You can read more about this in the latest news on the subject. If you thought tracking the machinations of various daylight saving time and time zone changes around the world was tough, Paul Tennant of the Eagle-Tribune reports that in Haverhill (MA), trick-or-treating is Saturday night this (and every) year rather than on Friday, October 31."

If the connection here is Bill Gates Halloween Masks, then you really want to read the article in Forbes (click the link on this link to the Halloween Masks article) from Matthew Herper back in 2003 (masks designed by Nina Gould)…

"He created a monster. In his younger days, Bill Gates was accused of being a monopolist. Microsoft is maturing, and now pays a dividend. The world’s richest man is trying to remake himself as a philanthropist who uses his vast fortune to fight the scourge of AIDS in Africa. Which is the real Gates? Ask FrankenBill." Click on image for mask.

One of the all time most popular posts is this one on Your questions: ‘If we installed the December 2007 Microsoft daylight saving time updates, are we covered for the changes this Fall?’

Recently, I received a question similar to one I answered last year on daylight saving time and time zone updates to Windows:

"We updated our systems earlier this year for daylight saving time [the rules for the US and Canada]. Is there anything we need to do? Should we also update our systems with the last DST update? [referring to the August 2008 cumulative update]

Generally, the answer is yes. As I noted earlier here, it depends.

Next, on the top list of posts is this how-to covering one of the most popular questions: "How do I make Internet Explorer my default web browser?"

As I work in the Windows division, a letter made its way to my office: a customer mail sent to one of our senior leaders that asked…

"How do I set up Internet Explorer to be my default web browser?"

Simple question you may say, but unfortunately in this case, the customer noted that they were unable to find the information on our web sites or using online help. So, after first apologizing for the difficulty the customer had in locating the information, I then provided the following steps on how to configure your PC to use Internet Explorer your default web browser.

But I digress…

Here are a few of the most popular posts from the blog in the last month or so. Seems that most of the info I share is via my feed on twitter, which I update a few times a day.

The link to the video on migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 using the User State Migration Tool is one of the top posts: "Of interest is the TechNet information on Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 using the User State Migration Tool (aka USMT). With it, you can migrate your files and settings from your Windows XP computer to a new Windows 7 installation."
Next is this post on "Being foolish about customer and partner satisfaction at Microsoft" – "I recalled tonight an old quote: Fortuna favet fatuis. If you know me, you’ll likely understand my personal, off-hours affinity for such a quote and my penchant for Monty Python humour. But in all seriousness, I’m reminded of a past post in which I noted that fools may find fault with ease. It takes the persistent to note that the customer experience isn’t a commodity, and to course correct when we find fault…"
"I’m a PC and Windows 7 was my idea." Perhaps, but the look-and-feel of Windows 7 was done in Redmond – "Brandon over in Windows (interesting to write it like that, having recently moved from building 26) posted here about how we really designed the look-and-feel of Windows 7, in contrast to a quote in a short interview from a Microsoft employee not involved in designing Windows 7."
From Windows 7 to working with product groups customer satisfaction – "With this move comes a move from my office in the Windows division and later this week across campus to my new home. Sad to leave Windows but excited to move to this new role on the heels of one of the most successful product launches the company has seen in some time."
Your questions: "How did you collect cool items for the Microsoft Giving Campaign Auction?" I just asked. – More than almost any item on the blog save my articles on daylight saving time and more recently the arrival of my Windows 7 Party Pack is the interest in the items I provided to benefit the Microsoft Giving Campaign this year. I received more email this week on these posts than any other post this month." Also see the related post "A couple of choice items benefitting the Microsoft Giving Campaign this year" and "Wonder what’s up at the Microsoft Giving Campaign? Here’s a look at few auction items generating interest". In all, these items added several thousand dollars to the total Giving Campaign auction.
My Windows 7 Party Pack Arrives – "The package may’ve been a little rough, but the contents are all intact, including the copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Signature Edition, various party favours and decorations and instructions on how to throw a successful house party. (We’re throwing ours to friends with kids to look at the family safety features and home applications, along with plenty of pop and pizza, ‘though I’d love to show some of the more advanced management features.)"
Free download: Microsoft Security Essentials suite available now – "Now available (US and Canada) is the new Microsoft Security Essentials suite, available for free, providing protection from viruses, spyware, and other malicious software for your PCs at home. Just installed the release version on my home PCs today. (Security Essentials will replace Windows Live OneCare, as I noted here this summer.)"
Reminder: Microsoft Windows 2009 Daylight Saving Time and Time Zones Hotfix available for Egypt, Western Australia – "In case you missed the announcement, there is a new Microsoft Windows 2009 Daylight Saving Time and Time Zones Hotfix available for Egypt and Western Australia. See my original post here."
More help and tips in finding that perfect laptop computer, this time from Rob Pegoraro of the Washington Post – "Over swim lessons today, I read Rob Pegoraro‘s article "Tips to boot up your laptop hunt" (which was picked up in today’s local paper) for users looking for new laptops (as I Tweeted today)…"
Also see the related post "It’s nearly back to school time: here’s info on buying a new PC" – "As I posted on Twitter today, Joel Santo Domingo over at PC Magazine has published a new article, How to Buy a Back-to-School PC. He covers what you should consider when shopping for a new PC for back to school or for you home." It’s helpful and timely information given the article I recently read from Jonathan Starkey on How to clamp down on spending for college, given how expensive tuition and housing are these days. Starkey said that "It all can add up quickly, but there are ways to stretch a family’s college budget."
This reminds me of my prior post, "What kind of a computer should I buy?" from late last year.
Windows 7 flying high in the skies above Redmond – "Last week a few of the folks got together and enjoyed a cool but fun afternoon on main campus. A fun time was had by all celebrating the RTM Engineering Milestone. And one of the signed Windows 7 flags was on display for all to see."
Ed Bott offers up his update to the Windows 7 upgrade chart in Walt Mossberg’s blog – "As I noted on Twitter, a quick nod of the head to Ed Bott for his post on the Windows 7 upgrade chart published in Walt Mossberg’s blog this week. Ed took a few moments and updated the Windows 7 Upgrade chart with a more simplified look and feel…"

Last but not least, I’m not sure why, but my humourous post "Apologies for my ode on the Day Before Christmas" (http://tinyurl.com/64uu5f) remains one of the top posts in the last year. My guess is that pictures of snow and kids always get folks online.

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Your questions: Common questions about upgrading to Windows 7

Post author By M3 Sweatt
Post date 13/11/2009

Here are answers to some common questions about upgrading to Windows 7 from our Windows 7 frequently asked questions page. (And if you need more information and guidance on installing and reinstalling Windows 7, check out this page on the Windows 7 site.)

What’s the difference between the upgrade and full versions of Windows 7?

When purchasing Windows 7, you can choose either an upgrade version or full version. Both upgrade and full versions include the same features. Upgrade versions require that Windows XP or Windows Vista are installed on your computer before installing Windows 7. Full versions don’t require a previous version of Windows to be installed on your computer.

What is an upgrade installation?

An upgrade installation replaces your current version of Windows with Windows 7 and your files, settings, and programs are kept in place on your PC. You can perform an upgrade installation using either the upgrade or full version of Windows 7.

What is a custom (clean) installation?

A custom installation replaces your current version of Windows with Windows 7 but doesn’t preserve your files, settings, and programs (it’s often referred to as a clean installation for this reason). For installation instructions, see Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation). You can perform a custom installation using either the upgrade or full version of Windows 7.

How do I get Windows 7?

You can purchase Windows 7 at retail locations or online. If you have a mini notebook or other PC that doesn’t have a DVD drive, you can purchase and download Windows 7 online at the Microsoft Store.

I’m running Windows XP on my PC. Can I upgrade to Windows 7?

You can buy the upgrade version of Windows 7, but you’ll need to perform a custom installation. This means that you should back up all of your files to an external location and gather the installation discs or setup files for programs that you want to use with Windows 7. For detailed instructions, see Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7.

I’m running Windows Vista on my PC. Can I upgrade to Windows 7?

You can buy the upgrade version of Windows 7. In some cases you can upgrade directly to Windows 7, but in other cases you’ll need to perform a custom installation. The following table shows which editions of Windows Vista can be directly upgraded to Windows 7:

If you’re running this edition of Windows Vista

You can upgrade to this edition of Windows 7

Windows Vista Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Home Premium

Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Business

Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Ultimate

Windows 7 Ultimate

If you’re running this edition of Windows Vista	You can upgrade to this edition of Windows 7
Windows Vista Home Basic	Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows Vista Home Premium	Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows Vista Business	Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows Vista Ultimate	Windows 7 Ultimate

If you’re currently running a 32-bit version of Windows Vista and want to install a 64-bit version of Windows 7, you’ll need to perform a custom installation. Also, if you’re currently running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista and want to install a 32-bit version of Windows 7 (less common), you’ll need to perform a custom installation. For detailed instructions on performing a custom installation, see Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation).

Can I use upgrade media to install Windows 7 on a computer that doesn’t currently have Windows installed on it?

Windows 7 upgrade media was designed to be used on a computer that has Windows XP or Windows Vista installed on it. You can use upgrade media to install Windows 7 on a computer that doesn’t have Windows XP, Windows Vista, or any version of Windows installed on it by starting (or booting) your computer from the Windows 7 DVD and performing a custom installation. However, you won’t be able to activate Windows 7, which validates that you have a genuine copy of Windows and allows you access to all the features. For more information about activation errors, see Windows 7 activation error: invalid product key and Windows 7 activation error: 0xC004F061.

We recommend that you install Windows XP or Windows Vista before installing Windows 7 using upgrade media. Before you attempt to install Windows 7 using upgrade media on a computer that doesn’t have Windows on it, see Installing and reinstalling Windows 7.

Can I format my hard drive, and then install Windows 7?

If you purchase the full version of Windows 7, you can format your hard drive, and then install Windows 7. If you purchase the upgrade version of Windows 7 and want to format your hard drive, you’ll need to start (or boot) your computer from the Windows 7 DVD, and then perform a custom installation. You can click Drive options (advanced), and then format your hard drive. Don’t use a program from another software manufacturer to format your hard drive before installing Windows 7. If you are using upgrade media and format the drive before starting the installation process, you won’t be able to use the upgrade product key to activate Windows 7. For more information, see Installing and reinstalling Windows 7.

What is the Windows 7 Family Pack?

The Windows 7 Family Pack is a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium that you can install on up to three PCs in your home. It includes both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 installation discs. The Family Pack contains the upgrade version of Windows 7, so all three computers must have Windows XP or Windows Vista installed on them before installing Windows 7. For more information, go to the Special offers webpage.

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“I’m a PC and Windows 7 was my idea.” Perhaps, but the look-and-feel of Windows 7 was done in Redmond

Post author By M3 Sweatt
Post date 12/11/2009

Brandon over in Windows (interesting to write it like that, having recently moved from building 26) posted here about how we really designed the look-and-feel of Windows 7, in contrast to a quote in a short interview from a Microsoft employee not involved in designing Windows 7.

"I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed. If you’re interested in learning more about the design of Windows 7, I suggest reading this AP story with Julie Larson-Green as well as these WSJ (membership required) and Fast Company articles. And here is one of many blog posts on the E7 blog discussing the design process of Windows 7."

All good points, particularly when you read the detailed posts on the E7 blog that cover the development of Windows 7.

Perhaps one can take the latest "I’m a PC and Windows 7 was my idea" commercials a little too seriously (such as this one, Kirsten’s Taskbar 😉