Takeaway: Does Outlook’s pokey performance have you gnashing your teeth with frustration? Try these simple fixes to give it a kick in the pants.

If you’ve used Microsoft Outlook for a while, you know that it can slow down… way down. In fact, when not looked after, Outlook can become nearly useless. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to make Outlook not only usable, but significantly improved. And none of these techniques requires a single configuration change to your Exchange server (IMAP or POP3).

Of course, some of these suggestions might seem to have a bit more “‘duh” factor than others. But you never know what level of skills you’re dealing with, so we’ll cover all the bases. In the end, you should have a much faster Outlook experience.

1: Update Windows

Many people don’t realize that with Windows updates, the updates for Microsoft Office are also “hidden.” But it’s not just the Office updates that can help speed up Outlook. Make sure you allow the updates to happen. Why? There are times when Microsoft might update Exchange. In some cases, those updates can either break or cause problems with the communication between Outlook and Exchange. Or Microsoft might issue a patch to the application to resolve a speed issue or security hole.

2: Download Complete Items

When you connect Microsoft Outlook with either IMAP or POP3, you should have Outlook set up to download the complete message (instead of just the header). If you do this, Outlook won’t have to sync with the server every time you click on a new item (as it will already be in the data file.) How you do this will depend upon which version of Outlook you’re using. But basically, you’re looking for the setting Download Complete Item Including Attachments.

3: Archive your Inbox

I can’t tell you how many times I see clients with thousands upon thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of emails in their Inbox. This can cause serious issues, especially when using PST files. Instead of just letting those Inbox folders grow to outrageous proportions, set up auto archiving so that your Inbox retains only a portion of those emails. I like to tell clients to keep the current and previous months’ email in the Inbox and archive everything else. When you archive, you effectively create a new data file, so Outlook doesn’t have to strain against the weight of an oversize PST or OST file

4: Use Cached Exchange Mode

If you use Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook, you effectively take the data file from the server (PST) and cache it on your local machine (OST). This can go a long way toward speeding up your Outlook experience because Outlook doesn’t have to read its data file across a network. Instead, all it has to do is read the locally stored data file. This option (obviously) is available only when connecting Outlook with an Exchange server.

5: Compact your PST File

When the Outlook PST file gets out of hand, a built-in tool can keep the size of that file under control. One of the issues is that even when you delete email from your Inbox, the size of the PST file may remain the same. If you’re using Outlook 2010, you can go to Account Settings | Data Files and select the data file to be compacted. Once you’ve selected the file click Settings | Advanced | Outlook Data File Settings and click Compact Now. Depending on the size of your data file, this process can take some time.

6: Repair your PST File

Scanpst is often my go-to tool when Outlook is acting off kilter. It will scan through your data file and look for data inconsistencies and errors. Here’s the thing about Scanpst — it’s not always the easiest tool to find. Do yourself a favor and search through your C drive to locate the Scanpst.exe file. Make note of its location (usually within the Office installation folder). But be forewarned: This tool can cause PST files to become unusable. Make sure you back up that data file before you start the repair tool. Fortunately, should Scanpst find errors, it will prompt you to make a backup before it attempts to fix the errors.

7: Cut down on the published and shared calendars

Yes, it’s easy to publish and share your calendars with others. The problem is, the more you do it, the more drag you’re putting on Outlook. The more data Outlook has to share and pull down from the Internet, the slower it will perform. Sure, it’s fine to have one or two shared calendars (and even more if you have a lightning-fast data pipe). Just know that the more data you have to push and pull, the slower your connection will be.

8: Disable RSS

By default, Microsoft Outlook will sync RSS feeds from Internet Explorer to the RSS reader in Outlook. If you have a lot of RSS feeds bookmarked in Internet Explorer, that syncing could easily bring Outlook to a crawl. Disable this feature (if you don’t use Outlook as an RSS reader) from within Outlook 2010 by going to Options | Advanced and then unchecking both options under RSS Feeds.

9: Disable add-ins

How many times have you installed some program only to find it installed something else behind your back? This can happen to Outlook as well as Internet Explorer. Sometimes those add-ins can cause major Outlook slowdowns. To find out what add-ins you have installed in Outlook 2010, go to Options | Add-ins. Select COM Add-ins from the drop-down and click the Go button. The resultant window will list all add-ins available to Outlook. Search through this list and uncheck any that might seem suspect.

10: Fix ShoreTel Windows 7 Integration

If you use the ShoreTel Communicator, you might notice some issues when trying to open and use Outlook. The problem lies in an incompatibility issue between ShoreTel and Windows 7. The fix is simple. Open up the Task Manager and look for a process called Agent.exe. Right-click that entry and click Properties |Compatibility. Choose the Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For option and then select Windows XP (Service Pack 3).

Other Tricks?

There’s no reason why anyone should have to struggle with a bogged down Outlook that will have you pulling your hair out strand by strand. These tips should help you enjoy a much speedier and reliable Outlook experience.

What other methods have you found for improving Outlook performance? Share your suggestions with fellow TechRepublic members.

10 Compelling Reasons to Upgrade to Windows Server 2012

Takeaway: Windows Server 2012 is generating a significant buzz among IT pros. Deb Shinder highlights several notable enhancements and new capabilities.

We’ve had a chance to play around a bit with the release preview of Windows Server 2012. Some have been put off by the interface-formerly-known-as-Metro, but with more emphasis on Server Core and the Minimal Server Interface, the UI is unlikely to be a “make it or break it” issue for most of those who are deciding whether to upgrade. More important are the big changes and new capabilities that make Server 2012 better able to handle your network’s workloads and needs. That’s what has many IT pros excited.

Here are 10 reasons to give serious consideration to upgrading to Windows Server 2012 sooner rather than later.

1: Freedom of interface choice

A Server Core installation provides security and performance advantages, but in the past, you had to make a commitment: If you installed Server Core, you were stuck in the “dark place” with only the command line as your interface. Windows Server 2012 changes all that. Now we have choices.

The truth that Microsoft realized is that the command line is great for some tasks and the graphical interface is preferable for others. Server 2012 makes the graphic user interface a “feature” — one that can be turned on and off at will. You do it through the Remove Roles Or Features option in Server Manager.

2: Server Manager

Speaking of Server Manager (Figure A), even many of those who dislike the new tile-based interface overall have admitted that the design’s implementation in the new Server Manager is excellent.

One of the nicest things about the new Server Manager is the multi-server capabilities, which makes it easy to deploy roles and features remotely to physical and virtual servers. It’s easy to create a server group — a collection of servers that can be managed together. The remote administration improvements let you provision servers without having to make an RDP connection.

3: SMB 3.0

The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol has been significantly improved in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. The new version of SMB supports new file server features, such as SMB transparent failover , SMB Scale Out, SMB Multichannel, SMB Direct, SMB encryption, VSS for SMB file sharing, SMB directory leasing, and SMB PowerShell. That’s a lot of bang for the buck. It works beautifully with Hyper-V, so that VHD files and virtual machine configuration files can be hosted on SMB 3.0 shares. A SQL system database can be stored on an SMB share, as well, with improvements to performance. For more details about what’s new in SMB 3.0, see this blog post.

4: Dynamic Access Control (DAC)

Even though some say Microsoft has shifted the focus away from security in recent years, it would be more accurate to say it has shifted the focus from separate security products to a more “baked in” approach of integrating security into every part of the operating system.

Dynamic Access Control is one such example, helping IT pros create more centralized security models for access to network resources by tagging sensitive data both manually and automatically, based on factors such as the file content or the creator. Then claims based access controls can be applied. Read more about DAC in my “First Look” article over on Windowsecurity.com.

5: Storage Spaces

Storage is a hot — and complex — topic in the IT world these days. Despite the idea that we’re all going to be storing everything in the public cloud one day, that day is a long way off (and for many organizations concerned about security and reliability, it may never happen). There are myriad solutions for storing data on your network in a way that provides better utilization of storage resources, centralized management, and better scalability, along with security and reliability. Storage area networks (SANs) and network attached storage (NAS) do that, but they can be expensive and difficult to set up.

Storage Spaces is a new feature in Server 2012 that lets you use inexpensive hard drives to create a storage pool, which can then be divided into spaces that are used like physical disks. They can include hot standby drives and use redundancy methods such as 2- or 3-way mirroring or parity. You can add new disks any time, and a space can be larger than the physical capacity of the pool. When you add new drives, the space automatically uses the extra capacity. Read more about Storage Spaces in this MSDN blog post.

6: Hyper-V Replica

Virtualization is the name of the game in the server world these days, and Hyper-V is Microsoft’s answer to VMware. Although the latter had a big head start, Microsoft’s virtualization platform has been working hard at catching up, and many IT pros now believe it has surpassed its rival in many key areas. With each iteration, the Windows hypervisor gets a little better, and Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 brings a number of new features to the table. One of the most interesting is Hyper-V Replica.

This is a replication mechanism that will be a disaster recovery godsend to SMBs that may not be able to deploy complex and costly replication solutions. It logs changes to the disks in a VM and uses compression to save on bandwidth, replicating from a primary server to a replica server. You can store multiple snapshots of a VM on the replica server and then select the one you want to use. It works with both standalone hosts and clusters in any combination (standalone to standalone, cluster to cluster, standalone to cluster or cluster to standalone). To find out more about Hyper-V replica, see this TechNet article.

7: Improvements to VDI

Windows Terminal Services has come a long way, baby, since I first met it in Windows NT TS Edition. Renamed Remote Desktop Services, it has expanded to encompass much more than the ability to RDP into the desktop of a remote machine. Microsoft offered a centralized Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in Windows Server 2008 R2, but it was still a little rough around the edges. Significant improvements have been made in Server 2012.

You no longer need a dedicated GPU graphics card in the server to use RemoteFX, which vastly improves the quality of graphics over RDP. Instead, you can use a virtualized GPU on standard server hardware. USB over RDP is much better, and the Fair Share feature can manage how CPU, memory, disk space, and bandwidth are allocated among users to thwart bandwidth hogs. Read more about Server 2012 VDI and RDP improvements here.

8: DirectAccess without the hassle factor

DirectAccess was designed to be Microsoft’s “VPN replacement,” a way to create a secure connection from client to corporate network without the performance drain and with a more transparent user experience than a traditional VPN. Not only do users not have to deal with making the VPN work, but administrators get more control over the machines, with the ability to manage them even before users log in. You apply group policy using the same tools you use to manage computers physically located on the corporate network.

So why hasn’t everyone been using DirectAccess with Server 2008 R2 instead of VPNs? One big obstacle was the dependency on IPv6. Plus, it couldn’t be virtualized. Those obstacles are gone now. In Windows Server 2012, DirectAccess works with IPv4 without having to fool with conversion technologies, and the server running DirectAccess at the network edge can now be a Hyper-V virtual machine. The Server 2012 version of DA is also easier to configure, thanks to the new wizard.

9: ReFS

Despite the many advantages NTFS offers over early FAT file systems, it’s been around since 1993, and Windows aficionados have been longing for a new file system for quite some time. Way back in 2004, we were eagerly looking forward to WinFS, but Vista disappointed us by not including it. Likewise, there was speculation early on that a new file system would be introduced with Windows 7, but it didn’t happen.

Windows Server 2012 brings us our long-awaited new file system, ReFS or the Resilient File System. It supports many of the same features as NTFS, although it leaves behind some others, perhaps most notably file compression, EFS, and disk quotas. In return, ReFS gives us data verification and auto correction, and it’s designed to work with Storage Spaces to create shrinkable/expandable logical storage pools. The new file system is all about maximum scalability, supporting up to 16 exabytes in practice. (This is the theoretical maximum in the NTFS specifications, but in the real world, it’s limited to 16 terabytes.) ReFS supports a theoretical limit of 256 zetabytes (more than 270 billion terabytes). That allows for a lot of scaling.

10: Simplified Licensing

Anyone who has worked with server licenses might say the very term “simplified licensing” is an oxymoron. But Microsoft really has listened to customers who are confused and frustrated by the complexity involved in finding the right edition and figuring out what it’s really going to cost. Windows Server 2012 is offered in only four editions: Datacenter, Standard, Essentials, and Foundation. The first two are licensed per-processor plus CAL, and the latter two (for small businesses) are licensed per-server with limits on the number of user accounts (15 for Foundation and 25 for Essentials).

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GoDaddy.com, the largest domain name registrar on the Web, has been taken offline, and a self-proclaimed member of the Anonymous hacktivism collective is taking responsibility.

The administrators of GoDaddy confirmed on Monday that they were suffering from technical issues, which the website TechCrunch reports to be impacting a multitude of websites and their affiliated email accounts that are hosted through the service. Although the company has not discussed the specifics yet, a self-described member of Anonymous says that he or she is responsible, a claim that has not been verified yet.

On Twitter, user @AnonymousOwn3r writes, “the attack is not coming from Anonymous coletive [sic] , the attack it’s coming only from me” and that the the action is being carried out “to test how the cyber security is safe and for more reasons that i can not talk now.”

GoDaddy has tweeted, “We’re aware of the trouble people are having with our site. We’re working on it.”

On Friday, it was reported that the White House is preparing to roll out an cyber security Executive Order that will serve as a surrogate until Congress can come to agreement on a bipartisan legislation to protect America’s computer infrastructure.

Earlier this year, GoDaddy announced that they would be supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, a controversial legislation that if approved would have greatly changed the US government’s ability to monitor the Internet. The company eventually reversed their stance, but not before a massive protest resulted in many of their clients switching to other domain registrars. The boycott reportedly ended with thousands of GoDaddy’s millions of customers, including Wikipedia, cancelling their accounts.

Founded in 1997, Arizona-based GoDaddy.com is used by millions of customers worldwide, including a large number of small businesses. At 4 p.m. EST, GoDaddy tweeted, “Update: Still working on it, but we’re making progress. Some service has already been restored. Stick with us.”

Other social media accounts affiliated with Anonymous have not confirmed the validity of the alleged culprit’s claim and have largely distanced themselves from the hack. GoDaddy’s 24-hour tech support telephone line has also been inaccessible during the duration of the outage.

FAA could reconsider electronic device policy for flights!

The Federal Aviation Administration is forming an industry group to study when smartphones and tables can be turned on during a flight.

Airline passengers may soon be able to use their smartphones and tablets during flights with fewer interruptions.

The Federal Aviation Administration has formed a committee to reconsider its policy on when electronic devices can be turned on during a flight.

“With so many different types of devices available, we recognize that this is an issue of consumer interest,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement released today. “Safety is our highest priority, and we must set appropriate standards as we help the industry consider when passengers can use the latest technologies safely during a flight.”

And, travelers who are worried that this may mean they’ll have to listen to the person sitting next to them chat on the phone incessantly don’t need to worry — this policy review will not include allowing calls from cell phones during flights.

Airlines currently prohibit passengers from using devices during takeoff and landing in fear that transmissions would interferer with the airplane’s equipment, but the FAA’s call for comments said consumers expect a much more fluid experience. The formation of an industry group to take on the consumer desire versus safety concern issue comes after the FAA said earlier this year that it was going to research the issue.

The group — which will includes members from the mobile industry, aviation manufacturing, as well as pilot and flight attendant groups, airlines, and passenger associations — will begin soliciting comments from the public tomorrow.

The committee is interested in hearing from aircraft operators, flight crews, security, smartphone and tablet device manufacturers, and passengers.

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Finding the Right Keywords in Search Engine Placement

Does the task of finding good keywords for your website seem daunting? Search Engine Placement provides a variety of keyword suggestions from all competition and search volume levels, which makes it easy to pick the best keywords for your site and your goals.

When you’re researching keywords, keep these things in mind:

Low search volume, low competition (known as long tail keywords)
Long tail keywords typically contain 3-5 words in a phrase, and they are the bread and butter of keywords. Generally speaking, it’s easier to rank with these keywords, and they convert clicks to customers at a higher rate because the searcher knows specifically what they are looking for. For example, someone who sells Acrylic Aquariums might use 50 gallon bull nose aquariums.

High volume, low competition (short tail keywords)
Short tail keywords are new keywords or phrases that recently started generating search traffic. You need to be quick to catch them, though. For example, a recent short tail keyword is Susan Boyle.

High volume, high competition (wish list keywords)
Wish list keywords are the words and phrases everyone wants to use, such as real estate, aquariums, or cell phones. While wish list keywords do generate a lot of traffic, the conversion levels are generally very low because the words and phrases are too generic.

Take the term aquariums, for example. People searching for that word might want to buy an aquarium, find a local aquarium, or see photos of aquariums around the world. If I sell aquariums, relying on this as my primary keyword would take a huge effort to rank and most of the traffic generated by this keyword would likely be irrelevant.

Our highly trained, courteous support staff is waiting to take your call. Whatever time it takes to assist you, that’s the time you’ll receive. We’ll resolve any issue to your complete satisfaction.

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10 Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts You Need to Remember! 

Takeaway: There are 100+ keyboard shortcuts available for Microsoft Windows 8, but there are several you’ll want to remember because you’ll use them often.

In April 2012, Greg Shultz created a free cheat sheet of 100 Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts. That download contained just about every keyboard shortcut you could imagine. Those shortcuts are still valid of course, but if you are like me you can only remember a few Windows 8 shortcuts at a time, so you want to remember the ones that will be most useful.

So, while I highly recommend that you take advantage of the free PDF download listing of 100 Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts, I also recommend that you commit the following 10 Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts to memory, because you are going to need to access these features often and, for efficiency’s sake, it’s best to have them at the ready.

Windows 8 Specific Keyboard Shortcuts

Keystroke	Function
	Switch between Metro Start screen and the last accessed application
+ C	Access the charms bar
+ Tab	Access the Metro Taskbar
+ I	Access the Settings charm
+ K	Access the Devices charm
+ Q	Access the Apps Search screen
+ F	Access the Files Search screen
+ W	Access the Settings Search screen
+ X	Access the Windows Tools Menu
+ E	Open Computer

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Google Fiber Offering Super Fast Internet for $70 Per Month

Google officially became a service provider with the launch of Google Fiber, which will provide 1 gigabit Internet access and TV service.

“Google Fiber is 100 times faster than today’s average broadband. No more buffering. No more loading. No more waiting. Gigabit speeds will get rid of these pesky, archaic problems and open up new opportunities for the Web,” Google said in a blog post.

Initially, Google Fiber will only be available in Kansas City – Kansas and Missouri – and will only roll out after enough people in a given neighborhood sign up for the service.

Google today encouraged residents in the region to pre-register and get their neighbors to sign on, too. Pre-registration is $10 and is open until Sept. 9, at which point Google will see how many people have signed up and decide where Google Fiber will roll out. Neighborhoods need between 5-25 percent of homes to sign up for internet access in order for it to be cost effective, Google said.

Google is offering three service packages.

The Web-only Gigabit Internet plan is $70 per month and includes a network box with advanced Wi-Fi and 1TB of cloud storage. The selection includes a one-year service agreement, though you can waive that by paying the $300 installation fee.

With Gigabit + Google Fiber TV, Google promised hundreds of channels and on-demand shows, as well as 2TB of DVR storage and eight tuners. Subscribers will get a new Nexus 7 tablet, which will serve as a remote control. The package will cost $120 per month and include a two-year contract unless you pay the $300 construction fee.

A list of available TV channels is on the Google Fiber website and they include Viacom channels like MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. Missing at this point are Disney-owned channels like ESPN, the Disney Channel, and ABC Family, so Google has likely not secured a deal with Disney just yet. Premium channels like Showtime and Starz are on the list, but HBO and Cinemax are not.

“This channel lineup is only a representative lineup and is subject to change,” Google said in the fine print.

Google is also offering free Internet access to those who pay the $300 construction fee. Subscribers will get 5 Mbps Internet access at no monthly cost, though they can spread the $300 fee out over 12 months. Google promised that the free Internet option will be available for at least seven years.

None of the plans include data caps, Google said.

What if you have a service issue? Google said its customer support line will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. CST on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The company also has a “Fiber Space” in Kansas City, MO. where customers can speak with a Google Fiber team member, but it’s unclear if Google Fiber technicians would be on call like other U.S. cable providers.

Google expects to have fiber connections built to the top 50 percent of “fiberhoods” by mid-2013. After Sept. 9, the company will publish a calendar with an estimated construction order.

Google first announced that it would develop ultra high-speed broadband networks back in Feb. 2010. At the time, it promised fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections that are “100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today.” By March 2011, Google selected Kansas City for its first network, and earlier this year there were rumors that the search giant would also be offering TV service.

In a statement, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski championed Google Fiber. “Abundance in broadband speeds and capacity – moving from megabits to gigabits – will unleash breakthrough innovations in healthcare, education, business services, and more,” he said. “Today’s announcement by Google, the Gig.U projects across the country, and similar continued advances by providers and municipalities are important and welcome developments that are pushing frontiers in speed and bandwidth, while also enhancing consumer choice.”

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The latter half of 2012 should see some exciting developments in tech including a new iPhone,Windows Phone 8 smartphones, Microsoft’s Windows 8-powered Surface, Android 4.1 devices, and tablets, lots and lots of tablets.

Apple is expected to introduce a smaller iPad before December, Amazon may roll out its follow-up to the original Kindle Fire, and Samsung may be one of the first companies to get on board with Windows RT.

Here’s a look at some of the hottest tablet speculation that we may see turn into actual products before the holidays.

iPad Mini

Apple may be getting ready to stop competitors from invading the iPad’s turf with a low-priced 7-inch iPad to take on Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple was prepping a 7-inch tablet that would launch in October for $200. On Sunday the The New York Times reported a similar story to the news wire, but added the new iPad Mini will have a 7.85-inch screen.

The Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7 are seeing some success against the iPad by not taking on the iPad. The two companies sell $200 tablets designed largely for content consumption instead of trying to offer an iPad-like device that can replace your laptop in a pinch.

The Fire and Nexus 7 each operate by providing deep hooks into each company’s content stores to make it easy for people to buy more movies, TV shows, apps, and games. The strategy of focusing on content consumption appeared to work for Amazon, and critics are already saying good things about Google’s Nexus 7.

Kindle Fire 2

Amazon announced the original Kindle Fire in September 2011 and, as we close in on the tablet’s one year anniversary, thoughts turn to what Amazon may have planned as a follow-up to this tablet.

A May Reuters report in May claimed the next Kindle Fire will offer an 8.9-inch display. Earlier in July, an analyst for NPD DisplaySearch told CNET that Amazon was prepping three versions of the Kindle Fire 2, including a 7-inch tablet with a screen with 1280-pixel-by-800-pixel resolution, a camera, and a 4G option.

The current Kindle Fire features a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024 pixels by 600 pixels.

Kindle FirePad

The Times’ Sunday report about the mini iPad also claimed that Amazon is prepping a bigger version of the Fire to take on Apple’s tablet. There are no details about screen size or functionality, so it’s not clear what the purported device would be like or if it would actually be designed to take on the iPad.

More likely–at least in my view–is that Amazon would prep a larger version of the Kindle Fire that is better adapted to consuming visual content such as movies and gaming. But to keep the price low, Amazon would offer fewer hardware features than Apple’s tablet such as GPS, Bluetooth, and front- and rear-facing cameras.

Rumblings about a bigger Kindle Fire have been circulating for some time. The latest report before the Times claim was from BGR in June saying the new Amazon device would have a 10-inch display and quad-core processor.

Samsung RT

Samsung will have one of the first tablets out of the gate loaded with Windows RT, the version of Microsoft Windows 8 designed for ARM processors, according to Bloomberg.

The device will purportedly feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, but no other device details are known. Samsung’s Windows RT tablet should debut in October when Windows 8 is set for a public launch.

Beyond the Rumors

We already know that Microsoft will roll out its Surface tablets later in 2012 and into 2013, and Acer in June said it plans to launch a Windows RT tablet in early 2013. As we get closer to the Windows 8 launch in October, more details should be announced about the upcoming crop of Windows 8-powered tablets.

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Windows 8 Release-Oct. 26!

We were told earlier this month that Microsoft had pinned down the launch of Microsoft Windows 8 to some time in late October. It was nice to finally get some confirmation about the release, but we still didn’t have an exact date – now we do.

Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows Division at Microsoft, just announced during the company’s annual sales meeting that Windows 8 would be shipping on October 26. On that date, you’ll be able to upgrade to it, buy a physical copy in store or buy a new PC with the operating system on it. Microsoft’s Windows RT Surface tablet is also expected to launch around that time with the Windows 8 Pro version coming sometime after.

As most Windows users who are upgrading probably already have Microsoft Windows 7, you will want to take advantage of Microsoft’s insane upgrade program. For only $40, users with Windows XP or later can upgrade to Windows 8 through digital download. Those who want a physical copy can pick one up for $70. The special pricing will be available through January 31, 2013.

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s chance to prove that they still got it. Many people believe that this is their last chance before Apple gobbles them up and spits them out with Mac OS X and iOS. Microsoft Windows 8 is definitely something unique only to Microsoft as it’s the first operating system to share the same core across all devices whereas Apple requires separate operating systems for mobile and desktop.

We’ll find out on October 26 if Microsoft’s bet on the future plays out. The Metro interface was designed for portable devices, which Apple already has a strong foothold in. The hype surrounding the recently announced Surface tablet could help catapult Windows 8 to the notoriety it needs to succeed.

Takeaway: Hackers have posted 450K Yahoo email addresses and passwords online, and hint Gmail, Hotmail, other services are next. How can you check if your users’ accounts are among them?

Hackers posted more than 400,000 Yahoo Voice and email names and passwords and the posting might not be over yet.

Yahoo reps say they are working on the compromised system–not great timing for a beleaguered company enduring what Yahoo chair Alfred Amoroso called a “tumultuous” time for the company. The firm apologized in an online statement and did not comment further at this writing.

Not a Yahoo user? IT pros and security experts worry this most recent hack on Yahoo – allegedly perpetrated by a group calling itself d3dd3 – is likely “way bigger than Yahoo,” said Marcus Carey, in a Reuters report. Hotmail, MSN, Live, Gmail and other personal services are at risk, too, he said.

NOTE: If you want to check your own or other users’ Yahoo emails to see if they are part of the current leak, there’s an easy way to check here at Sucuri Malware Labs. Just type in the email address and search.

Plan for next time

Change passwords. Consider training customers on utilities like Lastpass. IT pros we interviewed across the board said users in enterprises who use open cloud-based email services, or other non-enterprise communication methods like Skype or Google Groups, should, at the very least, be using such utilities, which provide more control and protection in case of events like this one.

With so much data potentially compromised via users relying on such BYOD services as these, “the process (to avoid future attacks) is much easier if (users) have Lastpass,” said John Livingston, a tech pro for the American Red Cross in Savannah, Georgia. “Time to change your Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, and AOL passwords. And with LastPass, each site and service has a unique password, which limits damage if the password does get out. Changing passwords then is quick and easy. Plus if you’re a manager you don’t have to worry about remembering a new password.”

“Once this clears, I will be changing the passwords for Gmail, even though there’s no confirmation on that (hack) yet,” said Brian Geniesse, who works the IT tech desk at his firm in Monominee, Michigan. “Also be careful. Password managers can be hacked just the same.”

Yahoo is to blame ultimately, most IT pros we interviewed told us.

“Shame on Yahoo for not running normal security audits on (its) networks – and services that would have detected the SQL injection vulnerability (reportedly) used in the attack,” adds Dan Phillips, an IT pro in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

Geniesse expanded on that with a message that will resound with most IT pros and CTOs. Most people use weak passwords–see below.

“You can preach the use of LastPass and the like until you are blue in the face but users will never change their habits unless you force them,” Geniesse said. And “Yahoo needs to force some kind of password complexity to help protect their users.”

So many folks are checking the hack post, the hackers allegedly responsible are having trouble maintaining traffic load. Due to high traffic on this group’s site, the page with the Yahoo hacked emails and passwords is going up and down. We caught part of it in a cut and paste.

When it was up earlier today, it read in part:

We hope that the parties responsible for managing the security of this subdomain will take this as a wake-up call … not as a threat …

There have been many security holes exploited in webservers belonging to Yahoo … ?that have caused far greater damage than our disclosure (today). Please do not take (the posting) lightly. The subdomain and vulnerable parameters have not been posted to avoid further damage …

The author quotes author Jean Vanier from his book, Becoming Human: “Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness,” Vanier wrote.

If you’re a Star Wars, Star Trek or comic book fan, just change your passwords right away, other observers add. And talk your users into it to. Check this out: CNET’s Declan McCullagh wrote a program to analyze the most frequently used passwords using data from the post of 450K email addresses and passwords. He listed:

• 2,295: The number of times a sequential list of numbers was used, with “123456? by far being the most popular password. There were several other instances where the numbers were reversed, or a few letters were added in a token effort to mix things up.
• 160: The number of times “111111? is used as a password, which is only marginally better than a sequential list of numbers. The similarly creative “000000? is used 71 times.
• 780: The number of times “password” was used as the password. Apparently, absolutely no thought went into security in these instances.
• 233: The number of times “password” was used in conjunction with a few numbers behind it. Apparently, the barest minimum of thoughts went into security here.
• 437: The number of times “welcome” is used. With a password like that, you’re just asking to be hacked.
• 333: The number of times “ninja” is used. Pirates, unfortunately, didn’t make the list.
  
• 137,559: The number of Yahoo credentials that were leaked.
• 106,873: The number of Gmail credentials that were leaked. Hotmail, which was the next most frequently cited e-mail service, had fewer than half the number of users hit.
• 161: The number of times “freedom” is used, suggesting a lot of patriotic users. “America” was used 68 times.
• 161: The number of times the f-word is used in some combination. There are a lot of angry people out there.
• 133: The number of times “baseball” appears as a password. It’s the most popular sport on the list, proving that it is indeed America’s national pastime. It just may not be the best password.
• 106: The number of times “superman” is used as a password. That’s nearly double the amount of times “batman” is used and triple the frequency of “spiderman.”
• 52: The number of times “starwars” is used. The force is not with this password.
• 56: The number of times “winner” is used.32: The number of times “lakers” appears. It tied with “maverick,” although fortunately “the_heat” or “celtics” weren’t on this list.
• 27: The number of times “ncc1701? is used as a password. For those of you who aren’t trekkies, that’s the designation code for the Starship Enterprise. “startrek” is used 17 times, while “ncc1701a,” the designation for the Enterprise used in later Star Trek movies, is used 15 times.