Channel 9 - Entries tagged with Windows Vista Microsoft http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/Dev/App_Themes/C9/images/feedimage.png Channel 9 - Entries tagged with Windows Vista http://channel9.msdn.com/Tags/windows+vista Channel 9 keeps you up to date with the latest news and behind the scenes info from Microsoft that developers love to keep up with. From LINQ to SilverLight – Watch videos and hear about all the cool technologies coming and the people behind them. http://channel9.msdn.com/Tags/windows+vista en Tue, 21 May 2013 13:23:27 GMT Tue, 21 May 2013 13:23:27 GMT Rev9 391 16 25 Add AeroSnap to XP, Vista The How-to Geek just uncovered an app that brings Windows 7’s AeroSnap feature to older operating systems including Windows XP and Vista. This feature, a popular new option in the Windows 7 OS, automatically resizes your windows when you move them from one side of the screen to the other. For example, if you want to compare two Word documents side-by-side, you can use AeroSnap to do so without having to manually drag the corners of the windows around to resize the windows.

With the third-party application, AeroSnap for Windows Vista & XP, you can configure your windows to behave similarly to how they would by default if on Windows 7. You can also customize its interactions, including turning on or off “Snap Preview,” disabling the splash screen, removing the system tray icon, setting its auto-start option, or enabling hotkeys. If you want to get even more precise, you can turn on or off left, right and top snapping or set snapping to function by hotkey only.

It looks like this app has been around for some time – the last update was in summer 2008. But if you hadn’t come across yet and still have XP on your netbook, for example, it may be worth checking out. The app is available as a free download here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Add-AeroSnap-to-XP-Vista The How-to Geek just uncovered an app that brings Windows 7’s AeroSnap feature to older operating systems including Windows XP and Vista. This feature, a popular new option in the Windows 7 OS, automatically resizes your windows when you move them from one side of the screen to the other. For example, if you want to compare two Word documents side-by-side, you can use AeroSnap to do so without having to manually drag the corners of the windows around to resize the windows. With the third-party application, AeroSnap for Windows Vista & XP, you can configure your windows to behave similarly to how they would by default if on Windows 7. You can also customize its interactions, including turning on or off “Snap Preview,” disabling the splash screen, removing the system tray icon, setting its auto-start option, or enabling hotkeys. If you want to get even more precise, you can turn on or off left, right and top snapping or set snapping to function by hotkey only. It looks like this app has been around for some time – the last update was in summer 2008. But if you hadn’t come across yet and still have XP on your netbook, for example, it may be worth checking out. The app is available as a free download here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Add-AeroSnap-to-XP-Vista Wed, 07 Apr 2010 06:46:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Add-AeroSnap-to-XP-Vista Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Add-AeroSnap-to-XP-Vista/RSS Utilities utility utilties Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP Lieberman Software talks about being a Microsoft partner at PDC 2009 Lieberman Software talked with us at PDC 2009 about their business, being a Microsoft partner and also the benefits of getting your product certified. Be sure to watch to the end to hear the great comment Phil makes about Windows XP and Windows 7.

Enjoy the show!

John O'Donnell
Microsoft Dynamics ISV Architect Evangelist
Microsoft Corporation
http://blogs.msdn.com/jodonnell
http://blogs.msdn.com/usisvde
http://www.twitter.com/jodonnel ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/jodonnell/Lieberman-Software-talks-about-being-a-Microsoft-partner-at-PDC-2009 Phil Lieberman from Lieberman Software talked with us at PDC 2009 about their business, being a Microsoft partner and also the benefits of getting your product certified. Be sure to watch to the end to hear the great comment Phil makes about Windows XP and Windows 7.Enjoy the show!John O'DonnellMicrosoft Dynamics ISV Architect EvangelistMicrosoft Corporationhttp://blogs.msdn.com/jodonnellhttp://blogs.msdn.com/usisvdehttp://www.twitter.com/jodonnel 501 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/jodonnell/Lieberman-Software-talks-about-being-a-Microsoft-partner-at-PDC-2009 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:04:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/jodonnell/Lieberman-Software-talks-about-being-a-Microsoft-partner-at-PDC-2009 John O'Donnell John O'Donnell 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/jodonnell/Lieberman-Software-talks-about-being-a-Microsoft-partner-at-PDC-2009/RSS 2010 Certification Developer PDC 2009 Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 7 vs Windows Vista Boot Times Recently, CNET ran an article claiming that Windows 7 boot times are actually slower than the boot times for Windows Vista. Not surprisingly, this shocked a lot of people who thought the opposite was true. Before taking that news as face value, though, lets examine the data. First of all, the source for the news is a little suspect: the company, Iolo, who provided the info, is known for its “System Mechanic” software. According to their website, System Mechanic is designed to boost Windows speeds up to 800%. Specifically, the software has a myriad of optimization tools for achieving better boot times. Perhaps a little conflict of interest there?

While I’m sure System Mechanic is a fine product, it’s odd that the only news about slower boot times in 7 comes from a company selling software designed to speed them up.

Meanwhile, several bloggers wrote of their skepticism surrounding Iolo’s claims. One, Andrew Thomas of TG Daily, even went so far as to run a few tests of his own. His findings, although entirely unscientific, showed his Windows 7 PC went from cold start to desktop in 50 seconds - not the minute, 34 seconds that Iolo said it would take.

Another site, ChannelWeb, ran a few tests too. They found that Windows 7 booted in 53 seconds – that is, until they installed System Mechanic. It then took 2 seconds longer.

BetaNews, not to be left out, tested their Windows 7 and Vista PCs by timing how long it took to go from black screen to login prompt. On Windows 7, the average was 24.14 seconds and on Windows Vista (on the exact same disk, exact same machine), the time was 36.262.

While all tests are somewhat subjective, it should definitely have you questioning the claims Iolo is making. Feel free to run a few experiments of your own and see for yourself.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-7-vs-Windows-Vista-Boot-Times Recently, CNET ran an article claiming that Windows 7 boot times are actually slower than the boot times for Windows Vista. Not surprisingly, this shocked a lot of people who thought the opposite was true. Before taking that news as face value, though, lets examine the data. First of all, the source for the news is a little suspect: the company, Iolo, who provided the info, is known for its “System Mechanic” software. According to their website, System Mechanic is designed to boost Windows speeds up to 800%. Specifically, the software has a myriad of optimization tools for achieving better boot times. Perhaps a little conflict of interest there? While I’m sure System Mechanic is a fine product, it’s odd that the only news about slower boot times in 7 comes from a company selling software designed to speed them up. Meanwhile, several bloggers wrote of their skepticism surrounding Iolo’s claims. One, Andrew Thomas of TG Daily, even went so far as to run a few tests of his own. His findings, although entirely unscientific, showed his Windows 7 PC went from cold start to desktop in 50 seconds - not the minute, 34 seconds that Iolo said it would take. Another site, ChannelWeb, ran a few tests too. They found that Windows 7 booted in 53 seconds – that is, until they installed System Mechanic. It then took 2 seconds longer. BetaNews, not to be left out, tested their Windows 7 and Vista PCs by timing how long it took to go from black screen to login prompt. On Windows 7, the average was 24.14 seconds and on Windows Vista (on the exact same disk, exact same machine), the time was 36.262. While all tests are somewhat subjective, it should definitely have you questioning the claims Iolo is making. Feel free to run a few experiments of your own and see for yourself. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-7-vs-Windows-Vista-Boot-Times Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:39:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-7-vs-Windows-Vista-Boot-Times Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 4 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-7-vs-Windows-Vista-Boot-Times/RSS Windows 7 Windows Vista Boot The Complete Guide to Windows Easy Transfer Trying to remember all the little nooks and crannies on your seven hard drives and 19 partitions where you squirreled away data can take hours if not days, let alone making a list of all the software you have installed so that you have a reference point of what to install once your new OS is up and running.
Enter Windows Easy Transfer.
I managed to track down three of the gentlemen behind this amazing tool: Terry Dolan, Rahul Prasad and Dhaval Joshi.
In this video we cover virtually everything you would ever want to know about Windows Easy Transfer and demonstrate the application in action on a Windows XP machine (creating a *.MIG file and backing up to USB key) and transferring files and settings from Windows Vista to Windows 7 via an Easy Transfer cable.
If you have any questions or comments about Windows Easy Transfer please let us know in the comments section.
]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/NicFill/The-Complete-Guide-to-Windows-Easy-Transfer For the majority of geeks the most nerve racking part of installing a new OS is ensuring that you've successfully backed up all your files and settings before hand. Trying to remember all the little nooks and crannies on your seven hard drives and 19 partitions where you squirreled away data can take hours if not days, let alone making a list of all the software you have installed so that you have a reference point of what to install once your new OS is up and running. Enter Windows Easy Transfer. I managed to track down three of the gentlemen behind this amazing tool: Terry Dolan, Rahul Prasad and Dhaval Joshi. In this video we cover virtually everything you would ever want to know about Windows Easy Transfer and demonstrate the application in action on a Windows XP machine (creating a *.MIG file and backing up to USB key) and transferring files and settings from Windows Vista to Windows 7 via an Easy Transfer cable. If you have any questions or comments about Windows Easy Transfer please let us know in the comments section. 3015 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/NicFill/The-Complete-Guide-to-Windows-Easy-Transfer Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:38:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/NicFill/The-Complete-Guide-to-Windows-Easy-Transfer Nic Fillingham Nic Fillingham 14 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/NicFill/The-Complete-Guide-to-Windows-Easy-Transfer/RSS Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP Mark Russinovich and David Solomon: Windows Internals 5 Released Windows kernel expert and kernel "professor" David Solomon and Windows Kernel Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich have written another great book covering, in great detail, the internal composition of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. A third author,Alex Ionescu, joined the fray this time around. Together, they've just released Windows Internals Fifth Edition. My order has been submitted! If you want to really understand the mechanics of Windows' latest generation general purpose kernel, then go get this book.

David was in Redmond recently conducting deep training on the Windows 7 kernel, which contains 95% of the same ingredients as the Windows Vista kernel. So, of course we had to get the dynamic duo together to talk about their book, the Windows kernel, their history (they've been working together for a long time) and their future.

Enjoy! Happy reading.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Mark-Russinovich-and-David-Solomon-Windows-Internals-5-Released Windows kernel expert and kernel "professor" David Solomon and Windows Kernel Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich have written another great book covering, in great detail, the internal composition of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. A third author,Alex Ionescu, joined the fray this time around. Together, they've just released Windows Internals Fifth Edition. My order has been submitted! If you want to really understand the mechanics of Windows' latest generation general purpose kernel, then go get this book.David was in Redmond recently conducting deep training on the Windows 7 kernel, which contains 95% of the same ingredients as the Windows Vista kernel. So, of course we had to get the dynamic duo together to talk about their book, the Windows kernel, their history (they've been working together for a long time) and their future. Enjoy! Happy reading. 924 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Mark-Russinovich-and-David-Solomon-Windows-Internals-5-Released Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:01:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Mark-Russinovich-and-David-Solomon-Windows-Internals-5-Released Charles Charles 13 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Mark-Russinovich-and-David-Solomon-Windows-Internals-5-Released/RSS David Solomon Kernel Mark Russinovich Windows Windows Server 2008 Windows Vista New Remember the Milk Sidebar Gadget There’s a new sidebar gadget available for fans of the To Do list service “Remember the Milk.” It’s cleverly called the “I Forgot the Milk” gadget. Actually, the gadget itself isn’t brand-new – it’s been out since January – but this latest update is, and frankly, this time it’s a lot more usable.

Once installed, you can choose which lists you want it to display, stretch it out taller if need be, and click the small plus sign (+) to add items to your lists right from the gadget itself. But what’s new in this version is the ability to add/edit/delete notes for tasks. (How did you live without this before?) You can also move the “No due date” items to either the top or bottom of the list and tag items at Quick Add.

Even though the Remember the Milk blog says this gadget is for Windows Vista users only, it appears to work just fine on Windows 7, too, even though prior versions had issues with that. 

You can download the gadget from the Windows Live Gallery here. 

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Remember-the-Milk-Sidebar-Gadget There’s a new sidebar gadget available for fans of the To Do list service “Remember the Milk.” It’s cleverly called the “I Forgot the Milk” gadget. Actually, the gadget itself isn’t brand-new – it’s been out since January – but this latest update is, and frankly, this time it’s a lot more usable. Once installed, you can choose which lists you want it to display, stretch it out taller if need be, and click the small plus sign (+) to add items to your lists right from the gadget itself. But what’s new in this version is the ability to add/edit/delete notes for tasks. (How did you live without this before?) You can also move the “No due date” items to either the top or bottom of the list and tag items at Quick Add. Even though the Remember the Milk blog says this gadget is for Windows Vista users only, it appears to work just fine on Windows 7, too, even though prior versions had issues with that.  You can download the gadget from the Windows Live Gallery here.  http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Remember-the-Milk-Sidebar-Gadget Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:31:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Remember-the-Milk-Sidebar-Gadget Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Remember-the-Milk-Sidebar-Gadget/RSS gadget Gadgets Windows 7 Windows 7 Beta Windows Vista Sidebar Sidebar Gadget tasks Mimic Windows 7 Federated Search in Vista A member of the WinVistaClub.com forums recently posted a great tip for mimicking (sort of) the Federated Search Connector functionality found in Windows 7 on your Windows XP/Vista PC.

In case you don’t know, Federated Search is a new feature of Windows 7 that lets you search internet web sites from within an Explorer window. There are a lot of really cool Search Connectors which you can add to your computer like this Flickr connector or this Twitter one. You can make your own by following the instructions here.

Anyway, while you can’t really have true Federated Search outside of Windows 7, you can mimic the functionality by using the Search Provider feature in Internet Explorer. To do so, the forum post suggests the following steps:

1. Go to the site you want to create the Search Connector for. Example: deviantart.com
2. Now in DevArt, search for “TEST” (all caps)
3. Copy the URL to the clipboard & then head over here.
4. Paste the URL in ‘Step 3’
5. Type DevArt in ‘Step 4’
6. Install

You’ll then have a Search Connector just for that particular web site. You can do this for any site where you can do a search for the word “TEST” (without quotes) using their search box then pasting the URL in ‘Step 3.’ It’s not Federated Search, but it is a pretty good tip – and one IE users on Windows 7 can use too.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mimic-Windows-7-Federated-Search-in-Vista A member of the WinVistaClub.com forums recently posted a great tip for mimicking (sort of) the Federated Search Connector functionality found in Windows 7 on your Windows XP/Vista PC. In case you don’t know, Federated Search is a new feature of Windows 7 that lets you search internet web sites from within an Explorer window. There are a lot of really cool Search Connectors which you can add to your computer like this Flickr connector or this Twitter one. You can make your own by following the instructions here. Anyway, while you can’t really have true Federated Search outside of Windows 7, you can mimic the functionality by using the Search Provider feature in Internet Explorer. To do so, the forum post suggests the following steps: 1. Go to the site you want to create the Search Connector for. Example: deviantart.com 2. Now in DevArt, search for “TEST” (all caps) 3. Copy the URL to the clipboard & then head over here. 4. Paste the URL in ‘Step 3’ 5. Type DevArt in ‘Step 4’ 6. Install You’ll then have a Search Connector just for that particular web site. You can do this for any site where you can do a search for the word “TEST” (without quotes) using their search box then pasting the URL in ‘Step 3.’ It’s not Federated Search, but it is a pretty good tip – and one IE users on Windows 7 can use too. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mimic-Windows-7-Federated-Search-in-Vista Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:46:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mimic-Windows-7-Federated-Search-in-Vista Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 1 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mimic-Windows-7-Federated-Search-in-Vista/RSS federation Search Tips Tips tricks Windows 7 Windows Vista Chirp: A Twitter Client for Vista/7 Users Chirp is a beautiful Twitter application for those running Windows Vista (or, presumably Windows 7, too) which takes advantage of the OS’s built in graphical subsystem, WPF. With *chirp, you can see unlimited tweets – just keep scrolling down and older tweets will load and display automatically. That’s just one of the features that sets it apart from most other Twitter desktop clients out there.

conversation_chirp Another excellent feature is *chirp’s ability to see the full conversation. To do so, you just have to click on the arrow before the username and your tweet flips in place to reveal the first part of the conversation. Again, a unique feature.

Chirp also lets you follow your favorite Twitterers by adding them to a list of “favs.”

And of course, updating your own Twitter status is easy, too – just click the update icon from the bottom menu or click the reply icon to respond to another tweet.

Chirp is a free download available from http://www.thirteen23.com/experiences/desktop/chirp/. You can also follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/chirpapp.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Chirp-A-Twitter-Client-for-Vista7-Users Chirp is a beautiful Twitter application for those running Windows Vista (or, presumably Windows 7, too) which takes advantage of the OS’s built in graphical subsystem, WPF. With *chirp, you can see unlimited tweets – just keep scrolling down and older tweets will load and display automatically. That’s just one of the features that sets it apart from most other Twitter desktop clients out there. Another excellent feature is *chirp’s ability to see the full conversation. To do so, you just have to click on the arrow before the username and your tweet flips in place to reveal the first part of the conversation. Again, a unique feature. Chirp also lets you follow your favorite Twitterers by adding them to a list of “favs.” And of course, updating your own Twitter status is easy, too – just click the update icon from the bottom menu or click the reply icon to respond to another tweet. Chirp is a free download available from http://www.thirteen23.com/experiences/desktop/chirp/. You can also follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/chirpapp. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Chirp-A-Twitter-Client-for-Vista7-Users Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:42:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Chirp-A-Twitter-Client-for-Vista7-Users Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 2 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Chirp-A-Twitter-Client-for-Vista7-Users/RSS Twitter Vista Windows Vista WPF Windows Vista SP2 Arrives Windows Vista Service Pack 2 recently hit MSDN and TechNet and will become available for public download today, December 4th. Although some of the updates included in the bundle are hotfixes and other similar improvements, there are also a few new features being added too.

The Most Exciting Stuff

In the service pack, there are a handful of features that we’re really looking forward to. These include the following:

  • The Vista Feature Pack for Wireless: This update provides Vista with enhanced wireless capabilities. The pack adds and/or improves support for Bluetooth version 2.1, the Unified Pairing user interface, and Windows Connect Now updates. 
  • Built-in Blu-Ray writing: With SP2 installed, you can record data onto Blu-Ray media natively in Vista.
  • Reduced resources for sidebar gadgets: Want to run a bunch of gadgets but don’t want to drain your system? SP2 adds functionality which reduces the resources they require.

Everything Else

In addition to the above, SP2 will deliver improvements in the following areas:

Hardware

  • Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2
  • exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones.
  • Support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID.
  • Support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU

Security

  • Includes all previously released security updates, and builds on the proven security benefits of Windows Vista
  • Secure Development Lifecycle process updates, where root cause of each security bulletin is identified and internal tools are improved to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities

Reliability

  • Addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes caused by Microsoft code  discovered since the launch of SP1

Performance

  • Resume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer available after resume from sleep
  • Inclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance,  improved relevancy in search, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search
  • Improvements to the RSS feeds sidebar gadget to improve update performance and responsiveness,

Application Compatibility

  • Applications that run on the Windows Vista Operating System today written using public APIs will continue to work as designed on Windows Vista SP2.
  • Previously released Application Compatibility updates are included in Windows Vista SP2.
  • Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm now working with POP3 email accounts

Administration and Support Improvements

  • Those installing .NET framework 3.5 service pack 1 will notice shorter download and installation times.
  • Service Pack Clean up tool (Compcln.exe): This tool helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting the previous versions of the files (RTM & SP1) that are being serviced by Service Pack 2.
  • Single installer for both Vista & Server 2008
  • Ability to detect an incompatible driver and block service pack installation or warn users of any loss of functionality.
  • Better error handling and providing more descriptive error messages where possible
  • Better manageability through logging in system event log
  • Componentization for Serviceability of the installer

Some Specific Fixes/Additions

  • Event logging support in SPC
  • DNS Server now listens over ISATAP address
  • Fixes DRM issues from WMP upgrades
  • Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
  • Improved power settings for WS08
]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Vista-SP2-Arrives Windows Vista Service Pack 2 recently hit MSDN and TechNet and will become available for public download today, December 4th. Although some of the updates included in the bundle are hotfixes and other similar improvements, there are also a few new features being added too. The Most Exciting StuffIn the service pack, there are a handful of features that we’re really looking forward to. These include the following: The Vista Feature Pack for Wireless: This update provides Vista with enhanced wireless capabilities. The pack adds and/or improves support for Bluetooth version 2.1, the Unified Pairing user interface, and Windows Connect Now updates.  Built-in Blu-Ray writing: With SP2 installed, you can record data onto Blu-Ray media natively in Vista. Reduced resources for sidebar gadgets: Want to run a bunch of gadgets but don’t want to drain your system? SP2 adds functionality which reduces the resources they require. Everything ElseIn addition to the above, SP2 will deliver improvements in the following areas: Hardware Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2 exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones. Support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID. Support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU Security Includes all previously released security updates, and builds on the proven security benefits of Windows Vista Secure Development Lifecycle process updates, where root cause of each security bulletin is identified and internal tools are improved to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities Reliability Addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes caused by Microsoft code  discovered since the launch of SP1 Performance Resume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer available after resume from sleep Inclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance,  improved relevancy in search, broader http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Vista-SP2-Arrives Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:37:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Vista-SP2-Arrives Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 3 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Vista-SP2-Arrives/RSS Windows Vista Snooze UAC With A New App We’ve heard that Windows 7 will bring us a kinder, gentler version of Vista’s User Account Control (UAC), a security service which pops up windows asking for permission when you try run .exe files, make system changes, access restricted files, or perform other actions that could impact your computer’s safety and stability. However, until we have Windows 7, Vista users can take advantage of a new utility for temporarily disabling UAC – without a reboot!

The new app UAC Snooze lets you temporarily shut off UAC prompts by clicking on the icon it installs in your system tray. The app is available as a free trial for 30 days, then, to continue using it, a one-time fee of $5 is required.

UAC Snooze provides the following features:

  • Temporarily turn off UAC prompts by clicking on the UAC Snooze icon in the system tray
  • Can be configured to start automatically with Windows and not require a UAC prompt
  • Clicking on the icon can turn off UAC prompts or snooze for 1, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes (or user-defined time)
  • 10 user-defined snooze intervals can be defined
  • Right-click on icon to bring up menu to select action other than the default
  • When prompts are off, click on icon again to turn prompts back on
  • Options to modify prompt action when program opens and closes
  • Tooltip shows time remaining until prompts will be turned back on
  • Icon changes based on state (Prompts On: UAC Shield , Snooze: Shield with a Z , Off: Shield with an X)

UAC Snooze works on both 32 and 64 bit systems and can be downloaded from here.

(via AskVG)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Snooze-UAC-With-A-New-App We’ve heard that Windows 7 will bring us a kinder, gentler version of Vista’s User Account Control (UAC), a security service which pops up windows asking for permission when you try run .exe files, make system changes, access restricted files, or perform other actions that could impact your computer’s safety and stability. However, until we have Windows 7, Vista users can take advantage of a new utility for temporarily disabling UAC – without a reboot! The new app UAC Snooze lets you temporarily shut off UAC prompts by clicking on the icon it installs in your system tray. The app is available as a free trial for 30 days, then, to continue using it, a one-time fee of $5 is required. UAC Snooze provides the following features: Temporarily turn off UAC prompts by clicking on the UAC Snooze icon in the system tray Can be configured to start automatically with Windows and not require a UAC prompt Clicking on the icon can turn off UAC prompts or snooze for 1, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes (or user-defined time) 10 user-defined snooze intervals can be defined Right-click on icon to bring up menu to select action other than the default When prompts are off, click on icon again to turn prompts back on Options to modify prompt action when program opens and closes Tooltip shows time remaining until prompts will be turned back on Icon changes based on state (Prompts On: UAC Shield , Snooze: Shield with a Z , Off: Shield with an X) UAC Snooze works on both 32 and 64 bit systems and can be downloaded from here. (via AskVG) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Snooze-UAC-With-A-New-App Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:16:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Snooze-UAC-With-A-New-App Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 4 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Snooze-UAC-With-A-New-App/RSS Utilities utility Vista Windows Vista App Application More DreamScenes For Vista Users If you’re running Windows Vista Ultimate, then you know about Windows DreamScene, the feature in Vista which lets you set an animated background as your desktop wallpaper. I ran DreamScenes at first because they were something new to try, but after a while I returned to plain old wallpaper. The problem wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the DreamScenese themselves… it’s just that I get bored with my desktop and like to change the background frequently. After going through all the included Dreamscenes a few times, I switched back to wallpaper to keep it interesting. 

However, during a recent visit to the deviantART website it occurred to me to search for DreamScenes there. I don’t know why I didn’t think to do this before! As it turned out, there were several new DreamScenes available for me to try, including this nifty glowing white Windows logo on a black background, which I’m running right now:

Windows_Black_Dreamscene_by_Sp00nF0rK 

I also found a colorful variation on that theme here:

Windows_Caustic_Dreamscene_by_filipe_ps

Some glowing cosmic lights:

Cosmic_Lights_by_filipe_ps

A blue and yellow lit-up design:

Explorer_Lights_by_filipe_ps

And even a Leopard-esque light show:

Leopard_Aurora_by_filipe_ps

These should keep me busy for at least a few more months!

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/More-DreamScenes-For-Vista-Users If you’re running Windows Vista Ultimate, then you know about Windows DreamScene, the feature in Vista which lets you set an animated background as your desktop wallpaper. I ran DreamScenes at first because they were something new to try, but after a while I returned to plain old wallpaper. The problem wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the DreamScenese themselves… it’s just that I get bored with my desktop and like to change the background frequently. After going through all the included Dreamscenes a few times, I switched back to wallpaper to keep it interesting.  However, during a recent visit to the deviantART website it occurred to me to search for DreamScenes there. I don’t know why I didn’t think to do this before! As it turned out, there were several new DreamScenes available for me to try, including this nifty glowing white Windows logo on a black background, which I’m running right now:   I also found a colorful variation on that theme here: Some glowing cosmic lights: A blue and yellow lit-up design: And even a Leopard-esque light show: These should keep me busy for at least a few more months! http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/More-DreamScenes-For-Vista-Users Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:29:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/More-DreamScenes-For-Vista-Users Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 8 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/More-DreamScenes-For-Vista-Users/RSS Customization customizations Desktop Vista Windows Vista DreamScene Windows Vista Ultimate Vista Ultimate Filter Pack For Windows Search I had been using the latest and greatest search tool for my XP PC, Windows Search 4.0, but somehow I had missed this: the Filter Pack for searching in Office documents. With the the Microsoft Filter Pack installed, Windows Search 4.0 is able to search within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office 2007 documents based on the text they contain. It also works for Vista too, adding new search capabilities which can be accessed right from Vista’s search bar. Now when you do a search, the Windows indexing service doesn’t just search for file names but also knows what’s in the files themselves, and that makes finding the right file so much easier.

IT admins will want to read further instructions found on the download page about how the new Filter pack can be installed into Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, and other Server products. The Filter Pack also works on Windows Server 2003, Vista, and XP. You can download it from here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Filter-Pack-For-Windows-Search I had been using the latest and greatest search tool for my XP PC, Windows Search 4.0, but somehow I had missed this: the Filter Pack for searching in Office documents. With the the Microsoft Filter Pack installed, Windows Search 4.0 is able to search within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office 2007 documents based on the text they contain. It also works for Vista too, adding new search capabilities which can be accessed right from Vista’s search bar. Now when you do a search, the Windows indexing service doesn’t just search for file names but also knows what’s in the files themselves, and that makes finding the right file so much easier. IT admins will want to read further instructions found on the download page about how the new Filter pack can be installed into Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, and other Server products. The Filter Pack also works on Windows Server 2003, Vista, and XP. You can download it from here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Filter-Pack-For-Windows-Search Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:28:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Filter-Pack-For-Windows-Search Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Filter-Pack-For-Windows-Search/RSS Office Search Vista Windows Server Windows Vista office 2007 XP Windows Search windows search 4.0 Mark Russinovich Discusses Vista Peformance Springboard series of webcasts which discuss Vista in-depth. Typical Springboard topics include Vista adoption questions, resources, tools, and more. In this latest webcast, Mark and the others focus on Windows Vista performance. They detail how to assess, measure, improve and optimize performance. Mark shares some tools and tips and also dispels some of the myths about Windows systems. If you’ve ever wished you could just sit down with Mark Russinovich and have a chat, this is  pretty much the next best thing. You can check out the web cast here. ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mark-Russinovich-Discusses-Vista-Peformance Microsoft Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich is joined by ZDNet blogger Ed Bott and other industry experts in the latest edition of the popular Springboard series of webcasts which discuss Vista in-depth. Typical Springboard topics include Vista adoption questions, resources, tools, and more. In this latest webcast, Mark and the others focus on Windows Vista performance. They detail how to assess, measure, improve and optimize performance. Mark shares some tools and tips and also dispels some of the myths about Windows systems. If you’ve ever wished you could just sit down with Mark Russinovich and have a chat, this is  pretty much the next best thing. You can check out the web cast here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mark-Russinovich-Discusses-Vista-Peformance Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:06:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mark-Russinovich-Discusses-Vista-Peformance Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Mark-Russinovich-Discusses-Vista-Peformance/RSS Performance Windows Vista Webcasting webcasts New Vista Sidebar Gadgets Let Your Track The Elections Gallup Poll Vista gadget lets you obsessively watch the Gallup daily election polling numbers to see who's ahead on a day-to-day basis. And the new Election Countdown gadget will count down to the next important political event in the presidential election calendar, including all three Presidential debates, the Vice Presidential debate (which is tonight) as well as Elections day and Inauguration Day. The gadgets are non-partisan and include links to both Obama and McCain's web sites. The countdown gadget can be themed with either Obama or McCain skins, too. What great finds! ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Vista-Sidebar-Gadgets-Let-Your-Track-The-Elections Are you a political junkie? Here in the U.S. it's hard not to be when it's election season. With so much going on - rallies, debates, and economic crises - it seems that the poll numbers change every day. Now you don't have to wait on the news to give you the latest info from the presidential polls - you can just look at your desktop. The new Gallup Poll Vista gadget lets you obsessively watch the Gallup daily election polling numbers to see who's ahead on a day-to-day basis. And the new Election Countdown gadget will count down to the next important political event in the presidential election calendar, including all three Presidential debates, the Vice Presidential debate (which is tonight) as well as Elections day and Inauguration Day. The gadgets are non-partisan and include links to both Obama and McCain's web sites. The countdown gadget can be themed with either Obama or McCain skins, too. What great finds! http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Vista-Sidebar-Gadgets-Let-Your-Track-The-Elections Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:48:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Vista-Sidebar-Gadgets-Let-Your-Track-The-Elections Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-Vista-Sidebar-Gadgets-Let-Your-Track-The-Elections/RSS gadget Gadgets Vista Windows Vista Sidebar politics Sidebar Gadget Vista sidebar gadget A Simple Tool To Change Your Icons Although changing an icon is something that’s built into the Windows OS, avid desktop customizers are always on the lookout for better ways to make changes on the fly. A new tool that helps you quickly update your drive icons is Drive Icon Changer. All it does is update icons, nothing else, but sometimes a simple tool is just what you need.

To use the tool, you simply select the drive from the top drop-down box and then browse for the icon in the second box. Click “Save” and you’re done! This app was built by Taimur Asad in C# using Visual Studio 2008. He’s tested it on Vista only, but it may work on older versions of Windows, too. You can download the software for free from here (zip file).

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Simple-Tool-To-Change-Your-Icons Although changing an icon is something that’s built into the Windows OS, avid desktop customizers are always on the lookout for better ways to make changes on the fly. A new tool that helps you quickly update your drive icons is Drive Icon Changer. All it does is update icons, nothing else, but sometimes a simple tool is just what you need. To use the tool, you simply select the drive from the top drop-down box and then browse for the icon in the second box. Click “Save” and you’re done! This app was built by Taimur Asad in C# using Visual Studio 2008. He’s tested it on Vista only, but it may work on older versions of Windows, too. You can download the software for free from here (zip file). http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Simple-Tool-To-Change-Your-Icons Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:20:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Simple-Tool-To-Change-Your-Icons Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 2 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Simple-Tool-To-Change-Your-Icons/RSS Software Vista Windows Vista icons App Application geekSpeak recording - Virtualization for Developers with Step
Your hosts for this geekSpeak are Mithun Dhar and Danilo Diaz.

Original Broadcast Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008

To ask a question in advance of a live webcast, or for post-show resources, be sure to visit the geekSpeak blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/geekSpeak. ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/geekSpeak/geekSpeak-recording-Virtualization-for-Developers-with-Step In this geekSpeak, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Stephen Rose discusses why developers should look at using virtual environments for developing and the benefits of doing so. He addresses everything from the creation of a complete development environment's domain in a box to how to move these environments back and forth from virtual to physical and back again. Your hosts for this geekSpeak are Mithun Dhar and Danilo Diaz. Original Broadcast Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 To ask a question in advance of a live webcast, or for post-show resources, be sure to visit the geekSpeak blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/geekSpeak. 3225 http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/geekSpeak/geekSpeak-recording-Virtualization-for-Developers-with-Step Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/geekSpeak/geekSpeak-recording-Virtualization-for-Developers-with-Step Brian Johnson Brian Johnson 1 http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/geekSpeak/geekSpeak-recording-Virtualization-for-Developers-with-Step/RSS geekSpeak server Virtualization Vista Windows Vista Microsoft's Holiday Preview - Windows Vista Powered PC's and Accessories Microsoft Hardware, Vista powered machines and Games for Windows. Check out some of the sexy new Dell laptops,  BlueTrack mice and of course...some great games for Windows like Fallout 3 and Lego Batman.

Also-make sure to check out what you can expect from Windows Mobile and Xbox 360. ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/LauraFoy/Microsofts-Holiday-Preview-Windows-Vista-Powered-PCs-and-Accessories This Holiday season is certain to be merry considering all the great new products being offered to you from Microsoft Hardware, Vista powered machines and Games for Windows. Check out some of the sexy new Dell laptops,  BlueTrack mice and of course...some great games for Windows like Fallout 3 and Lego Batman.Also-make sure to check out what you can expect from Windows Mobile and Xbox 360. 236 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/LauraFoy/Microsofts-Holiday-Preview-Windows-Vista-Powered-PCs-and-Accessories Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:36:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/LauraFoy/Microsofts-Holiday-Preview-Windows-Vista-Powered-PCs-and-Accessories Laura Foy Laura Foy 2 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/LauraFoy/Microsofts-Holiday-Preview-Windows-Vista-Powered-PCs-and-Accessories/RSS Games Vista Windows Windows Vista Xbox 360 Games for Windows Holiday Gabriel Aul: N-State Chaos and Windows Performance as a platform: Windows supports thousands of devices and the thousands of drivers that make them useful to users (devices sometimes have more than one driver, so add that to the complexity quotient...). How can so many devices (drivers) work together successfully (meaning not hosing the system) with so many supported configurations and possibilities for drivers to bring Windows to a screeching halt (think about task scheduling, resource allocation, background processing, foreground processing user mode code execution, kernel mode code execution and the sheer amount of concurrent running code, all over the place, all contending for Windows' attention...).

The world of Windows as platform is incredibly complex (n-state chaotic). It's amazing, actually, that the chaos doesn't lead to more performance and reliability issues. The Windows performance team has some really powerful tools (and an effort called Velocity) that can help ISVs find highly complex performance issues. Gabriel touches on this in this conversation and we address the continued need for more guidance and samples for developers.

One thing is for sure: The developers who write applications and drivers for Windows are great developers. You are craftsman, artists. Windows is a great platform in many ways because of the people who innovate on top of it. You know who you are. Yeah, you. Thank you. ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Gabriel-Aul-On-Windows-Performance Gabriel Aul is a 16 year Microsoft veteran who has always had his hand in the chaotic world of system performance and reliability, from technical product support and testing to being a leader on the Windows performance team. In fact, he was part of the team that developed the original Watson failure reporting tool. He's a dev at heart (once a dev, always a dev) and understands the complexities of Windows as a platform: Windows supports thousands of devices and the thousands of drivers that make them useful to users (devices sometimes have more than one driver, so add that to the complexity quotient...). How can so many devices (drivers) work together successfully (meaning not hosing the system) with so many supported configurations and possibilities for drivers to bring Windows to a screeching halt (think about task scheduling, resource allocation, background processing, foreground processing user mode code execution, kernel mode code execution and the sheer amount of concurrent running code, all over the place, all contending for Windows' attention...). The world of Windows as platform is incredibly complex (n-state chaotic). It's amazing, actually, that the chaos doesn't lead to more performance and reliability issues. The Windows performance team has some really powerful tools (and an effort called Velocity) that can help ISVs find highly complex performance issues. Gabriel touches on this in this conversation and we address the continued need for more guidance and samples for developers.One thing is for sure: The developers who write applications and drivers for Windows are great developers. You are craftsman, artists. Windows is a great platform in many ways because of the people who innovate on top of it. You know who you are. Yeah, you. Thank you. 2698 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Gabriel-Aul-On-Windows-Performance Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:09:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Gabriel-Aul-On-Windows-Performance Charles Charles 2 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Gabriel-Aul-On-Windows-Performance/RSS Performance Reliability Windows Vista Windows Vista - 64 bit in the Mainstream ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Windows-Vista-64-bit-in-the-Mainstream Gary Schare and Bruce Burns sit down (well, sort of, Bruce stands, Gary leans) with us to talk about the sudden uptake of the latest Windows 64 bit client OS. It's very encouraging that Windows 64 is finding its way onto consumer client systems and into mainstream computing. This spike in uptake also poses some challenges for ISVs who are not 64 bit "ready". 32 bit Windows applications should just work on 64 bit Windows, right? Well, sort of. Tune in. 1051 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Windows-Vista-64-bit-in-the-Mainstream Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:46:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Windows-Vista-64-bit-in-the-Mainstream Charles Charles 27 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Windows-Vista-64-bit-in-the-Mainstream/RSS Windows Vista Vince Orgovan: Windows Vista Telemetry
Meet Vince Orgovan. Vince leads the Windows reliability and analysis team who are tasked with analyzing crash data and isolating problems that cause applications to fault on Windows. Vince is very passionate about quality and his team works tirelessly to isolate problems that lead to crashes. Here, we learn about what we've learned from all the telemetry data we've gathered from Vista and Vince provides insights into the state of health of Vista in the wild. This is a great conversation. Enjoy! ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Vince-Orgovan-Windows-Vista-Telemetry Windows Vista contains a much improved telemetry system that collects fault data and sends detailed reports to Microsoft that are used in fixing problems that cause apps to hang/crash (of course, this data only reaches us if you choose to send it...). What have we learned so far? What does Microsoft actually do with crash data? How do crash reports turn into bug fixes that make their way up to Windows Update or, more commonly, into third party application updates? Meet Vince Orgovan. Vince leads the Windows reliability and analysis team who are tasked with analyzing crash data and isolating problems that cause applications to fault on Windows. Vince is very passionate about quality and his team works tirelessly to isolate problems that lead to crashes. Here, we learn about what we've learned from all the telemetry data we've gathered from Vista and Vince provides insights into the state of health of Vista in the wild. This is a great conversation. Enjoy! 2212 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Vince-Orgovan-Windows-Vista-Telemetry Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:21:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Vince-Orgovan-Windows-Vista-Telemetry Charles Charles 16 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Charles/Vince-Orgovan-Windows-Vista-Telemetry/RSS Reliability Windows Vista Essential Downloads for Vista The MakeUseOf blog has recently put up a nice article listing the essential downloads for Windows Vista. These are the things which they think everyone should go and download after purchasing a new Vista computer or upgrading to Vista for the first time. It’s a great list and it includes many of the items we’ve mentioned here on Channel 10. I highly recommend checking out their article for more detailed explanations and more links to resources; but to sum up, they recommend the following:

  1. Windows Live – the Windows Live Suite upgrades Vista’s built-in programs like Photo Gallery and Mail to give you the newer versions – Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Mail. It also included Windows Live Writer, Live Messenger, and Family Safety. You can pick and choose which of these you want after downloading the installer.
  2. Vista Codec Pack – lets you play nearly any video or audio file you come across.
  3. Windows Search 4.0 – upgrades Vista’s built-in search with the latest version for faster and more accurate results.
  4. Windows Steady State – Lets you easily restore your computer back to its same condition before someone (like your kids) mucked around with it.
  5.  5 recommended add-ons for IE7 – this page has five of the best add-ons to enhance Internet Explorer.
  6. Windows Gallery – the Windows Gallery itself isn’t a download, but is where you can find tons of downloads for your desktop and sidebar.
]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Essential-Downloads-for-Vista The MakeUseOf blog has recently put up a nice article listing the essential downloads for Windows Vista. These are the things which they think everyone should go and download after purchasing a new Vista computer or upgrading to Vista for the first time. It’s a great list and it includes many of the items we’ve mentioned here on Channel 10. I highly recommend checking out their article for more detailed explanations and more links to resources; but to sum up, they recommend the following: Windows Live – the Windows Live Suite upgrades Vista’s built-in programs like Photo Gallery and Mail to give you the newer versions – Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Mail. It also included Windows Live Writer, Live Messenger, and Family Safety. You can pick and choose which of these you want after downloading the installer. Vista Codec Pack – lets you play nearly any video or audio file you come across. Windows Search 4.0 – upgrades Vista’s built-in search with the latest version for faster and more accurate results. Windows Steady State – Lets you easily restore your computer back to its same condition before someone (like your kids) mucked around with it.  5 recommended add-ons for IE7 – this page has five of the best add-ons to enhance Internet Explorer. Windows Gallery – the Windows Gallery itself isn’t a download, but is where you can find tons of downloads for your desktop and sidebar. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Essential-Downloads-for-Vista Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:41:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Essential-Downloads-for-Vista Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 2 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Essential-Downloads-for-Vista/RSS downloads Windows Vista downloadable content download How To Speed Up Vista Boot Time on Dual-Core PCs Peter Provost posted a handy tip on his blog the other day that will be useful for anyone with a Vista computer that has a dual-core CPU. In Windows Vista, there’s a setting that lets you configure your PC to use both cores upon booting up (by default, it only uses one). You can change this setting in the System Configuration menu to get your PC to boot faster. Here’s how:

  1. Go to Start, type msconfig and hit [Enter]
  2. In the System Configuration Window, select the Boot tab
  3. Click on Advanced Options
  4. In the BOOT Advanced Options dialog, check the "Number of processors" check box, and choose 2 (or 4 if you have quad core) for the number of processors.
  5. Click OK twice

That’s it! Now your Vista PC will boot up using both CPUs!

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/How-To-Speed-Up-Vista-Boot-Time-on-Dual-Core-PCs Peter Provost posted a handy tip on his blog the other day that will be useful for anyone with a Vista computer that has a dual-core CPU. In Windows Vista, there’s a setting that lets you configure your PC to use both cores upon booting up (by default, it only uses one). You can change this setting in the System Configuration menu to get your PC to boot faster. Here’s how: Go to Start, type msconfig and hit [Enter] In the System Configuration Window, select the Boot tab Click on Advanced Options In the BOOT Advanced Options dialog, check the "Number of processors" check box, and choose 2 (or 4 if you have quad core) for the number of processors. Click OK twice That’s it! Now your Vista PC will boot up using both CPUs! http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/How-To-Speed-Up-Vista-Boot-Time-on-Dual-Core-PCs Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:04:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/How-To-Speed-Up-Vista-Boot-Time-on-Dual-Core-PCs Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 10 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/How-To-Speed-Up-Vista-Boot-Time-on-Dual-Core-PCs/RSS Tips Vista Windows Vista CPU dual-core speed Boot Create Custom Themes With Vista Style Builder Vista Style Builder and the How-To-Geek has a great walkthrough to get you started with doing so. The Vista Style Builder application lets you modify the visual style of your Vista theme or even import styles from XP to be used on Vista. Also, if you’ve found a style you liked on the web, like on devianART, for example, you can also open that file up in the program and use it as a starting point. From there, you can completely customize every aspect of the UI and theme, using the software’s easy-to-use built-in tools. The program is not available just yet, so bookmark this download page and check back soon. The program will not be free and pricing info is not available yet, but the How-To-Geek promises it will be reasonable. ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Create-Custom-Themes-With-Vista-Style-Builder Have you always wanted to build your own theme for Vista? You can with a new application called Vista Style Builder and the How-To-Geek has a great walkthrough to get you started with doing so. The Vista Style Builder application lets you modify the visual style of your Vista theme or even import styles from XP to be used on Vista. Also, if you’ve found a style you liked on the web, like on devianART, for example, you can also open that file up in the program and use it as a starting point. From there, you can completely customize every aspect of the UI and theme, using the software’s easy-to-use built-in tools. The program is not available just yet, so bookmark this download page and check back soon. The program will not be free and pricing info is not available yet, but the How-To-Geek promises it will be reasonable. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Create-Custom-Themes-With-Vista-Style-Builder Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:32:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Create-Custom-Themes-With-Vista-Style-Builder Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 1 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Create-Custom-Themes-With-Vista-Style-Builder/RSS Software Themes Vista Windows Vista applications Application styles Make Your PC Wake From Sleep Automatically A lot of people these days are becoming more aware of the energy savings to be had by shutting down unused equipment when it’s not in use. And while it’s no problem to shut off the TV and the end of the evening a lot of people have trouble doing the same for the PC. This is mainly because it’s nice to have all your work on your computer right there where you left it when you return in the morning. Of course, this is what “sleep” mode is for – you can save energy without losing your place.

But wouldn’t it be nice if your computer knew when to wake up for you? Well, it can! Using the Task Scheduler (In Vista: Control Panel\System and Maintenance\Administrative Tools\Task Scheduler), you can make your PC wake up at the designated time you want just by having it run a simple task – like say, launching then closing the command prompt window.

For example:

Schedule a task that executes the command cmd.exe with command line arguments [/c “exit”] (without the []) and make sure to set the ‘Wake computer up to execute this task’ in the power options. Schedule the task for when you want your computer to wake up and you will never have to wait on it again.

(Thanks to Thomas Delrue for this tip!)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Make-Your-PC-Wake-From-Sleep-Automatically A lot of people these days are becoming more aware of the energy savings to be had by shutting down unused equipment when it’s not in use. And while it’s no problem to shut off the TV and the end of the evening a lot of people have trouble doing the same for the PC. This is mainly because it’s nice to have all your work on your computer right there where you left it when you return in the morning. Of course, this is what “sleep” mode is for – you can save energy without losing your place. But wouldn’t it be nice if your computer knew when to wake up for you? Well, it can! Using the Task Scheduler (In Vista: Control Panel\System and Maintenance\Administrative Tools\Task Scheduler), you can make your PC wake up at the designated time you want just by having it run a simple task – like say, launching then closing the command prompt window. For example: Schedule a task that executes the command cmd.exe with command line arguments [/c “exit”] (without the []) and make sure to set the ‘Wake computer up to execute this task’ in the power options. Schedule the task for when you want your computer to wake up and you will never have to wait on it again.(Thanks to Thomas Delrue for this tip!) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Make-Your-PC-Wake-From-Sleep-Automatically Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:46:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Make-Your-PC-Wake-From-Sleep-Automatically Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 5 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Make-Your-PC-Wake-From-Sleep-Automatically/RSS Energy Power Tips Vista Windows Vista Green tasks Coming Soon: Get Facebook on Media Center Thanks Ian!) is a way to get Facebook on Media Center. This is thanks to a soon-to-be-released application called Photato, which will be available in beta later this month. It looks like the Photato app will focus on bringing Facebook photos to your Vista Media Center – both those belonging to you as well as the photos that your friends are sharing. At the moment, the website for the application hasn’t launched yet, but for those interested in beta testing the application, you can email photato.beta@armchairware.com. (image thanks to Ian Dixon’s Blog) ]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Coming-Soon-Get-Facebook-on-Media-Center It seems that lately I’ve just been finding more and more Windows Media Center plugins. The latest one I stumbled across (Thanks Ian!) is a way to get Facebook on Media Center. This is thanks to a soon-to-be-released application called Photato, which will be available in beta later this month. It looks like the Photato app will focus on bringing Facebook photos to your Vista Media Center – both those belonging to you as well as the photos that your friends are sharing. At the moment, the website for the application hasn’t launched yet, but for those interested in beta testing the application, you can email photato.beta@armchairware.com. (image thanks to Ian Dixon’s Blog) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Coming-Soon-Get-Facebook-on-Media-Center Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:50:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Coming-Soon-Get-Facebook-on-Media-Center Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Coming-Soon-Get-Facebook-on-Media-Center/RSS Facebook Media Center Vista Windows Media Center Windows Vista Plugins Plug-in WMC