From Windows Vista Security

Hi, it’s Scott Field, Windows Security Architect, again. Microsoft recently became aware of a third party kernel mode driver named “Atsiv” which provides a deliberate means of loading code that conflicts with the Kernel Mode Code Signing (KMCS) policy included in Windows Vista x64 editions. In Windows Vista x64 editions, the default KMCS policy is to only allow code to load into the kernel if it has been digitally signed with a valid code signing certificate.

The Atsiv driver also provides a means to load unsigned kernel mode code in a manner that is not visible through operating system provided API interfaces (such as the EnumDeviceDrivers() API), and this may allow the code to hide from view of commonly deployed tools. Installing the Atsiv driver requires administrative privileges, so there is no security vulnerability related to the default case in Windows Vista where users run with limited permissions through the User Account Control feature.

Microsoft is committed to protecting its customers from potential as well as actual security threa[t]s; accordingly, we are responding to this issue as follows:

1. Windows Defender released a signature update on August 2, 2007 that allows detection, blocking, and removal of the current Atsiv driver. Classification of the Atsiv software was done in accordance with the objective criteria used by the Windows Defender team to assess the characteristics of potentially unwanted software.
2. Certificate revocation has occurred as of August 2, 2007. Microsoft has worked with partners in the code signing certification authority ecosystem to assess the Atsiv issue. VeriSign has revoked the code signing key used to sign the Atsiv kernel driver, which means the code signing key will no longer be considered valid.
3. The security team at Microsoft is investigating adding the revoked key to the kernel mode code signing revocation list, as an additional defense in depth measure. The kernel mode revocation mechanism requires a system reboot in order for the new revocation list to take effect, which is consistent with other Microsoft updates which require and subsequently trigger a reboot.

Read the rest here

64-Bit PCs: Drivers Wanted

"Now that they're 64 (bits, that is), personal computers are still searching for developers to need them and feed them.

In 2003, Advanced Micro Devices released 64-bit chips for PCs in the form of the Athlon 64, and Intel followed suit in 2005. But the software needed to take advantage of those chips is harder to find than a Beatles song on iTunes."

Read the rest here

My say: Its not so much as lack of drivers, but the lack in quality of the drivers for 64-bit Windows that developers are giving customers. I have been running 64-Bit Windows since 2005 and all my hardware has worked just fine with OS. Stability continues to be the main issue and I am not sure shy its still such a sticky issue. Some factors come to mind such as demand and or complexity to write device drivers for the platform.

ActiveWin.com: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Processor - Review

"Byron has just posted his review of AMD's Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Processor. Here is an excerpt:

AMD has been the king of 64-bit computing for some time now and no matter what Intel has attempted to throw in front of them, AMD have hurdled over it. With the release of the new AMD AM2 Motherboards and processors AMD are now not only pushing the envelope on the 64-bit and Dual Core front, they are reducing the amount of energy and power that the processors take up, thus producing quieter and cooler PC's. The big question is, has the wait for the new AM2 processors and motherboards been worth it? Do we see any benefit from using DDR2 memory compared to the old DDR2 on the previous Socket 939 processors, read on and we'll find out. This review will also concentrate on the future impact the processor will have when used with Windows Vista, we'll be putting it through its paces on both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the new operating system to see what bearing they have on this chip."

Click image to enlarge

I logged into Windows Vista Ultimate x64 and was surprised how long it took to reach and load the desktop. That was the least of the problems I experienced, after it finally loaded up, I was greeted by a bunch of errors and noticed that Windows AERO was turned off. I'm not complaining, but it seems Vista x64 is very buggy and just does not feel optimized for the 64 bit processors out there. It takes a longer time to boot up I've noticed and still suffers from the compatibility issues that plagued XP Pro x64. I hope Microsoft's Problems and Solutions applets is taking note of these problems and sending it back to Redmond to the right team. Hopefully SP1 will resolve most of the performance issues that remain so far in the RTM and glitches that are becoming more annoying.

From Softpedia

"Microsoft delivers Windows Vista in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. While a system configuration with a x64 processor certainly recommends one of the 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, these versions of the operating system do come with downsides that customers need to be aware of. Being essentially identical to 32-bit Windows Vista, the 64-bit editions will deliver support for 32-bit applications without any problems. This aspect is one of the pillars of the transition to 64-bit. Users are encouraged to adopt

the next wave in computing technology while still being able to enjoy the same programs they used to on their 32-bit system. However, 64-bit Vista does not offer support for 16-bit applications or components. Old solutions designed for platforms that preceded 32-bit will not function on x64 Vista."

Read the entire article here

Resources:

HOW-TO: Switch to Windows Vista 64-bit painlessly by Kris Kenney

From Windows Vista Team Blog

Quote:

"A few folks took Bill’s comments on Windows Server and applied them to Windows Client deriving that Windows Vista would be the last 32-bit operating system. That is an incorrect extension.  While Windows Vista includes both 32-bit and 64-bit and there is a growing community of drivers for 64-bit Windows Vista we have not decided when Windows Client will follow Windows Server and become 64-bit only.

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There you have it, straight from the horses mouth.

From Canucky.net

Quote:

"If you are using a 64-bit (x64) version of Windows Vista, then this is something you should know. By default, the shortcut in the Start menu points to the 32-bit (x86) executable for Disk Cleanup. While Disk Cleanup will work fine from this shortcut for most things, there is one function that does not work correctly – the cleaning of System Restore points and Shadow Copies / Previous Versions."

Read the entire tip here

Thanks Kris!

Thanks to Patrick in the Windows 64-bit General Newsgroups for this.

Many of the 64–bit machines being built and sold today come with Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) drives, which is a good thing – SATA is a better technology than standard IDE(Integrated Drive Electronics) or ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment). Some day maybe we’ll blog about why SATA is better — there are lots of advantages, but right now I want to talk about what SATA might mean to you if you’re trying to install Windows XP Professional x64 Edition on your computer.

Read the rest and learn more here

Hey everyone, great news, I was recently made a staff member of extended64.com. Its great to be a part of website and team of people that are fully charged about 64 bit computing and the Windows x64 platform. I also have a blog there you can check out to find out about whats going on in the world of 64 bit computing, both hardware and software.

I definitely will not be giving up my MSN Space, I would never trade it for a thing in the computing world, its very precious to me. But I consider being a part of great websites like Extended64 and ActiveWin an opportunity to be more in touch with what I love most, technology, especially Microsoft technology. So, this is just an evolution in my world of tech and I hope to take it much further as long as the potential is there.

Thanks,
Andre