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Microsoft Agent: Difference between revisions
still had the hotfix from when i downloaded it in 2017, updated the latest version of MS agent
frontierpediav5>ElatedBathrooms No edit summary |
frontierpediav5>WikiSysop (still had the hotfix from when i downloaded it in 2017, updated the latest version of MS agent) |
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{{Featured article}}{{Infobox software|title=Microsoft Agent|software_name=Microsoft Agent|logo=AgentSvrIconEnlarged64px.png|developer=Microsoft|latest release date= | {{Featured article}}{{Infobox software|title=Microsoft Agent|software_name=Microsoft Agent|logo=AgentSvrIconEnlarged64px.png|developer=Microsoft|latest release date=September 21st, 2009 ({{time_ago|September 21st, 2009}})|latest version=6.1.7600.16426|released=September 8th, 1997 ({{time_ago|September 8th, 1997}})|programming language=C++|operating system=Microsoft Windows|discontinued=Yes|screenshot=Microsoft_Agent_mash_screenshot_gif.png|caption=Microsoft Agent software being used in the [[Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper]].}} | ||
Microsoft Agent was a technology developed by [[wikipedia:Microsoft|Microsoft]] that allows for users to interact with animated characters inside applications and web pages. It used text to speech engines to allow the animated characters to speak to the end user. These animated characters were called "Microsoft Agents". It came preinstalled with [[wikipedia:Microsoft_Windows|Windows]] beginning with [[wikipedia:Windows_98|Windows 98]]. Microsoft Agent continued to release alongside all Windows versions until [[wikipedia:Windows_7|Windows 7]] in 2009, following Microsoft's discontinuation of Microsoft Agent. The latest release of Microsoft Agent was version 2.0 on October 12th, 1998. | Microsoft Agent was a technology developed by [[wikipedia:Microsoft|Microsoft]] that allows for users to interact with animated characters inside applications and web pages. It used text to speech engines to allow the animated characters to speak to the end user. These animated characters were called "Microsoft Agents". It came preinstalled with [[wikipedia:Microsoft_Windows|Windows]] beginning with [[wikipedia:Windows_98|Windows 98]]. Microsoft Agent continued to release alongside all Windows versions until [[wikipedia:Windows_7|Windows 7]] in 2009, following Microsoft's discontinuation of Microsoft Agent. The latest release of Microsoft Agent was version 2.0 on October 12th, 1998. | ||
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== Post-Vista support == | == Post-Vista support == | ||
Although Microsoft Agent was discontinued following the release of Windows 7 in 2009, it was still able to be used via installing Microsoft Agent's components from the Microsoft Agent installer. This allowed for operating systems that came after [[wikipedia:Windows_Vista|Windows Vista]] to run the software. | Although Microsoft Agent was discontinued following the release of Windows 7 in 2009, it was still able to be used via installing Microsoft Agent's components from the Microsoft Agent installer. This allowed for operating systems that came after [[wikipedia:Windows_Vista|Windows Vista]] to run the software. Microsoft also made a hotfix for Windows 7 that allowed for Microsoft Agent to be installed. This version of Microsoft Agent is the same as version 2.0 but with support for Aero and SAPI 5 as the speech engine. The hotfix link was taken down following the end of support for Windows 7 in 2020. | ||
== Online resurgence == | == Online resurgence == | ||
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* Microsoft Agent first came bundled with Windows 98 and continued to be bundled with Windows until Windows 7. | * Microsoft Agent first came bundled with Windows 98 and continued to be bundled with Windows until Windows 7. | ||
* Microsoft released a hotfix for Microsoft Agent compatibility on Windows 7 following announcing the discontinuation of Microsoft Agent. | * Microsoft released a hotfix for Microsoft Agent compatibility on Windows 7 following announcing the discontinuation of Microsoft Agent. | ||
** The version in the hotfix is Microsoft Agent 6.1.7600.16426, but a bug causes it to appear as 6.01.7600.16426 in the Properties menu. | |||
** The hotfix link was taken down following the end of support for Windows 7. | |||
* Genie, Merlin, Peedy, and Robby were the original four assistants developed by Microsoft. | * Genie, Merlin, Peedy, and Robby were the original four assistants developed by Microsoft. | ||
* The release date of Microsoft Agent 2.0 is disputed. The 2nd Microsoft Agent Community had documented Microsoft Agent 2.0 releasing on October 12th, 1998, while the build date of "AgentSvr.exe" stating October 2nd, 1998. However, a Microsoft news article confirmed that the 2nd Microsoft Agent Community is right, and that there tends to be small gaps between build dates and release dates in Microsoft products. | * The release date of Microsoft Agent 2.0 is disputed. The 2nd Microsoft Agent Community had documented Microsoft Agent 2.0 releasing on October 12th, 1998, while the build date of "AgentSvr.exe" stating October 2nd, 1998. However, a Microsoft news article confirmed that the 2nd Microsoft Agent Community is right, and that there tends to be small gaps between build dates and release dates in Microsoft products. | ||
* The "AgentSvr.exe" program is strangely compiled in Visual C++ debug mode rather than in Visual C++ release mode. | * The "AgentSvr.exe" program is strangely compiled in Visual C++ debug mode rather than in Visual C++ release mode. | ||
* Despite Microsoft Agent 6.1's and Microsoft Agent 5.2's version numbers, they are still Microsoft Agent 2.0 but with bug fixes and SAPI 5.0 support. | |||
* Microsoft Agent was removed early on in Windows 7's development, as the earliest available build (Windows 7 build 6469) does not contain the files for Microsoft Agent. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||