According to InfoWorld, on Thursday, Microsoft has released a new version of its Windows Vista beta code that improve networking and PC manageability in the next major release of the Windows operating system. It adds a new diagnostic software that (hopefully) will be able to resolve problems in the computer’s memory or on the hard drive. The new release also gives testers an early look at some important new features for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7.0 browser.

The first beta version of Windows Vista was released on July. It then followed up with a CTP update at its Professional Developers Conference last month. With this third release, Microsoft has focused on features that would matter most to technical users.

New diagnostic software will be able to detect and resolve problems in the computer’s memory or on the hard drive. For example, it will be able to warn users whenever the hard drive begins to show signs of failing. Mike Burk, product manager for the Windows client team at Microsoft, said. “The PC is able to diagnose problems before they become full-blown problems,” he said.

The latest beta code also includes a feature called Network Center, which allows users to store and manage their network settings in one centralized location. Network Center, which will be part of the Windows Control Panel, will consolidate a number of the Windows configuration and troubleshooting tools, Burk said.

The new Internet Explorer code will expose Vista testers to some new browser features, including Quick Tabs, which displays thumbnail versions of tabbed pages in a single window, and Tab Groups, a feature that allows users to save a set of tabbed pages into a single group within the browser’s “Favorites” list. Users could, for example, set Internet Explorer to open this group of tabbed pages every time the browser was launched. The IE 7 beta will also be able to zoom in and out of Web pages and feature a phishing filter as well as improved printing capabilities.

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