News

Windows Vista Beta Begins

Beta copies of Longhorn server go out to a separate group of testers.

As expected and right on schedule, Microsoft released the first beta test version of the newly-renamed Windows Vista on Wednesday. The company had promised it would ship by August 3.

According to the Redmond, Washington company, more than 10,000 beta testers will get their copies through the Windows Vista Technical Beta Program, and thousands more will receive them through the Microsoft Developer Network and Microsoft TechNet.

Previously codenamed “Longhorn,” Windows Vista is currently scheduled for release in time for Christmas 2006. Windows Vista will be the first major release of Microsoft’s premier desktop operating system since Windows XP shipped four years ago.

Simultaneously, Microsoft released beta 1 of the long-awaited IE7, which will add tabbed browsing, among other features.

Meanwhile, beta copies of the server edition of Longhorn began going out to a separate group of testers.

“The core foundation and APIs for ‘Longhorn’ Server components are now complete and ready for testing in a private beta program,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an e-mail to ENT. “The objective of the private beta program is to gather feedback from partners, including OEMs, hardware vendors, system builders, independent software vendors and developers.”

Given Microsoft’s checkered history on security, Windows Vista adds a laundry list of improvements over XP. These include user account protection features to enable applications to run with limited permissions, as well as the ability to monitor for abnormal activity such as malware attacks. Another feature to be added in Vista beta 2 will be a “protected mode” whereby a user can assign herself enough rights to perform most tasks but not enough to enable a virus to be able to elevate itself to the administrator’s role – largely by blocking the ability to edit the Windows Registry or change user profiles.

Windows Vista will also support full-volume encryption to help prevent disk access to files by other operating systems, and will add network access protection to help prevent questioned computers from connecting to a user’s internal network until security criteria are met.

The Windows Vista beta also includes Windows Presentation Foundation, formerly codenamed “Avalon,” and Windows Communication Foundation, which heretofore had been codenamed “Indigo.”

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.