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From the Editor
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News You Can Use from WHDC
I promised in the last newsletter that you would start seeing new driver development tools and kits supporting upcoming Windows releases. First out of the gate: the 32-bit and 64-bit Debugging Tools for Windows, version 6.4.7.2 are available now--the first full debugger release for the x64 architecture. With this release, the SymProxy tool allows you to create a single HTTP symbol server in your network to which all of your debuggers can point. When you check out the host of new features and benefits in this release, we think you'll want to adopt this release as soon as possible.
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Looking to the future-in this case, January 28-you can download Review Draft 0.5 of the Windows Logo Program System and Device Requirements 3.0. This draft previews the silicon-level hardware requirements for the PC platform and each device class for products that will run on Windows codenamed "Longhorn." This early draft is your opportunity to preview and then provide feedback to Microsoft about the proposed "Designed for Windows" logo requirements for compatible, high-quality products for Windows Longhorn. The download is available January 28 on the "Designed for Windows" logo website.
Tell the WHDC team what you think: Feedback on this newsletter? Comments on the WHDC website? Suggestions for WinHEC and Driver DevCon? Please write to whdcinfo@microsoft.com.
WHDC after-hours: Take a moment to loosen that vise-like grip you have on the bits and designs you are responsible for. Check out these lighter links. Please note that links to non-Microsoft web sites do not constitute an endorsement by Microsoft (either of the content or how you spend your time).
Kits, Tools, Services, and Programs
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The main highlights of this release include a new SymProxy tool, new WinDbg UI Themes, symbol server support for cascading downstream stores, and several new options, commands, and extensions. This is also the first full release for the x64 architecture, so dbghelp.dll and symsrv.dll are now redistributable on that platform. In addition, srcsrv.dll is now redistributable on all platforms.
These requirements have been updated to incorporate "Designed for Windows" logo program requirements for x64-based systems.
These tools are designed for IT administrators, for automating deployment, configuring the network, and so on. But if you poke through this list, you'll find several tools that are extremely valuable for developers and testers-Memory Monitor, Resource Leak Triage, and a dozen more.
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Driver Tips and News
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Every driver developer must track down bugs related to pool memory allocations. How do you know which allocation is at fault or whether the bug is in another driver? Pool tags can help. A pool tag is a four-character literal associated with a memory allocation. By monitoring allocations associated with particular tags, you can tell which components are allocating memory and, more importantly, which components are failing to free the memory they allocate, causing memory leaks. Read the new driver tip on WHDC.
On Windows Server (TM) 2003 SP1 and later versions of Windows, driver INF files must decorate entries in the [Manufacturer] section and [Models] section names to specify operating system versions on non-x86-based systems. Manufacturers should update nondecorated INF files for all 64-bit platforms as described in this paper.
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Tips and Directions for Platforms
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"We predicted at the beginning of the decade that this would be the decade that the digital approach would be taken for granted, whether it's photos, music, communicating. There was a lot of work to do, getting the software breakthroughs, the hardware breakthroughs, the ease of use, the security, all those tough problems.... This has been a great year moving towards the digital lifestyle."
If you build and sell new PCs or servers, you can now use both the Microsoft OEM System Builder website and the Microsoft Partners website through shared registration.
The community-based initiative provides insights and opinions of the next version of Windows. This is not a Microsoft site, but members of Microsoft teams publish blogs on this site.
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Security and Reliability
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This session focuses on defending against memory issues and arithmetic errors, including buffer overruns and heap overruns, and how to defend your code against them.
TechNet provides the Microsoft Security Virtual Labs, offering a safe test environment to learn, experiment, and practice implementing your security strategy.
Microsoft releases an updated version of this tool on the second Tuesday of each month. This tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000, and helps remove infections by specific, prevalent malicious software. (To run this tool, you must be logged on to the computer as an Administrator.)
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WinHEC and Driver DevCon News
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If you plan to attend both events, you are eligible for a $200 discount off your second conference registration. When you complete your first registration, contact the registration company to receive your discount code.
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 Edition for January 26, 2005 |
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Keeping on Top of Things?
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Events for Engineers and Developers
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