Can Google and Linux Topple Microsoft?

The Federal Aviation Administration's CIO, David Bowen, is considering replacing Microsoft Windows and Office with Linux and Google Apps Premium for cost and compatibility reasons. Google Apps offers collaborative tools, but not all functionalities of Microsoft Office. Concerns exist over data security with third-party servers. Microsoft argues that costs are not solely dependent on software and addresses compatibility issues. The FAA has not made a final decision yet. Here is an article from Route-Fifty.

Can the Windows.old folder be deleted from Windows Vista?

I just did my update to Windows Vista RC2 build 5744 and because it was an update and not a clean install it created a "Windows.old" directory. Well, this folder is over 7 Gigs, and I can't really spare that much room for nothing. So, can I delete this folder and not cause any problems with my current Windows?

Solution: Yes, you can. If you want to remove that Windows.old folder from of your Windows Vista installation root drive, go to

Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup

In "Which files to clean up" dialog > Click on "Files from all users on this computer".

Select the Drive where your Windows.old resides.

In Disk Cleanup dialog, select Previous Windows installation(s) in the "Files to delete" list. Click on OK.

This should clean up the hard disk space occupied by the Windows.old folder.

I verified this on Windows Vista x64.

Refer this.

The Windows Security Nightmare

I just stumbled upon this article that closely resonates with my personal experiences with different versions of the Windows operating system throughout the years starting with Windows 95. It all starts with a fresh installation, but as I install and uninstall various programs, things gradually deteriorate. Eventually, the registry becomes cluttered with unnecessary files, forcing me to perform a clean install. However, this comes with a drawback – all the previously applied security updates are lost, leaving the system vulnerable to worms and malware. In this journey from one Windows version to another, this has been a common theme with them all: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows Me and presently Windows XP. Here is a Sydney Morning Herald article written by Usman Latif.