Some bloggers are Hyping Windows 7 operating System.

After looking around the blogosphere, I've come to the realization that people are starting to get hyped up over Windows 7.   In one blog post from it.toolbox.com:

[ad#ad2]Windows 7 is due to hit beta and release in 2009, and odds are likely that if the pundits, all of us on the blogosphere and other places like PC World, Cnet, and others all agree that this works the way a computer was supposed to work will help drive sales. What is also interesting is that Microsoft is really pushing to get this puppy out. Along with the bloat are gone the five years of development.

[Via It.Toolbox.com]

I totally agree with what he is saying on the possibility to have an operating system actually do what it is told. Some things people have been looking for in there Searches in regards to Windows Vista are:

• Vista Shutdown Problems


• User Account Control


• Vista SuperFetch


• Vista and Battery Life


• What Microsoft Doesn't want you to know!!

From what I can tell people are really having problems with Vista and Shutting down.  It always hangs for about 10 to 20 minutes.  I've come up with a few tricks to shutdown vista little more.    So let's get back to why people are so interested in Windows 7, that is easy they want to have a OS that will make them have a better experience with Vista.  I also think it was the Vista and Macintosh aids that also made people not like Vista.  Microsoft is just now starting to fight back but the Damage is done and people feel Vista is just not worth using or buying.   I tend to disagree, with the flaws of this Operating system, I've learn so much from diving in and getting my hands dirty so to speak.

[ad#ad2-1]Where is the future of Window Vista, I say the next Operating system will "Windows 7" but it will be  Vista Version 2.  It should be far better than Version 1, because of having all that time to fix the most common mistakes and programming errors.   It is likely going to create a smoother transition for people from XP to Vista V.2.   I am not going to call it Windows 7 because it is so similar to Vista and it just doesn't seem right.  What are you going to call it when it comes out?


I will leave the specualation for WIndows 7 for some others and how they will want to hype up this new operating system because people want something better than Vista.  I can not deny them, there will always be people to find flaws in any Operating System.  I do want want to be in the Windows 7 Beta just so I can test it out and keep people up to date on what might or might not be in the system when it comes out.   I think it has a lot of potential, don't you?

Shutting down Windows Vista Episode 1

Having seen this become obviously a big problem.  I have decided to do a podcast on this and talk about the solutions on it.
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Show Notes for Shutting Down Vista:

• shutdown /s /f /t 00


• VISTA ShutDown Problem


• Windows Key>Right X 3>Enter


• Changing Hibernation into Shutdown mode


• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control (right click on WaitToKillServiceTimeout and pick something like 1000 or lower in Milliseconds)


• Nvidia 100.65 Driver Problems

Vista and BSOD

I wanted to talk about Vista and the terrible BSOD scenarios that I have found around the network.  I also want to talk about them to a point.  So I went through and look and here is what I found:

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• NVidia Graphics Drivers -- That should be well fixed by now.  I  don't have an NVidia Computer with Vista on it and can't say one way or the other.  I do know that recently they added new graphics drivers for Vista and are out.   That alone should fix most of the problems.

• Vista's Blue Screen of Death -- This little website has some great information on the causes and fix for them.

• Installing two Anti-virus Softwares in Vista --  it is a Kernel and Memory Protection that causes that.  I also think they are right about it.  You can't have two programs try to use the kernel and the same memory spot. See Episode BOL Episode 793

Here are a few of them that I could find out lately.  Most of the Blue Screen of Deaths for VIsta should be over with.  Since the Release of Vista SP1, Microsoft has issued driver fixes and program compatibilities with that release.

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Running old programs on Vista (tips and tricks)

So We've talked about how to get Vista to shut down better.  So I thought we talk about getting Windows XP programs to run on Vista and be more stable.  You can do this with Windows XP, ME, 2000, NT,. and 95 programs.

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• Run the program in compatibility mode -- This is something Vista comes with now for running old programs in Vista. To do this you will have to do some minor things.  Go to where the program is and right click on the program.  Select properties>compatibility.  Select "Run this program in compatibility  mode for:" Select  windows Operating System that you think would work with the program.

• Run the program as Administrator --  This is a really good tip and trick to sometimes get programs to run with vista.  It goes hand in hand with the last one.  Right click on the program and select "Run as Administrator".  I find some old programs don't know about the kernel protection in Vista and you need to give them permission to use the kernel for the program to work.

• Give the program special access --  Yes this one takes a little skill but should fix some of the problems with vista and old programs.  Right click on program and select properties.  Select security, and then select the group you want to associate with it.  I always suggest putting it in the administrator group because of the problems with Vista and the kernel.

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These few tips and tricks will greatly increease the likely hood of a old program to run in Vista.  Now remember if you have a Vist x64 Version you might need to do the Run as Administrator more than not.  I am not sure why I just know it is sometimes required.  Let me know what other tips and tricks you use with Vista and I'll be sure to pass them along!!

Turn Aero OFF at will!!

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A site talk about this really cool Regedit. To Do this you will need to do some things.   Check out the full article at  PC Heaven for the Reg Hack.  I did the hack and it worked.  I know have a way to turn off and on Aero when I'm on the road.  I don't have to worry about battery life for my Vista laptop.  This should increase my battery life and extend my time on the system without slowing me down!!

Customize Vista Open/Save Shortcuts

Whenever you open or save a file in Windows Vista, you typically get the standard dialog box which has shortcut locations on the left side. You can easily customize these locations to add or remove locations to best suit your needs. Here is how:

1. Open a dialog box (either a Save As or Open dialog will work).


2. Right click on some white space in the locations on the left pane and select Open Favorite Links Folder. The folder: “C:\Users\Your Name\Links” should open.


3. Add or remove shortcuts as needed.


4. Your changes should take effect immediately.

Once you take a few minutes to configure your locations, this trick should save you quite a bit of time.

[Via PcMech]

Thought people would like this little tip that I found on PcMech and I wanted to let people know. What do you think?

Turn Vista into a Power Tool!!

I've been thinking of some other cool things you can do with Vista and here are some of them!!

Start++ Powertool

As you see, this little program can make command line shortcuts. All you have to do is go to the start menu search bar and type in a shortcut command and it will run a nice little script. It is a real nice shortcuts.

Snipping Tool

If you need something to capture a portion of a screen in vista. You have a nice little capturing program. It's call snipping tool, and it isn't readily available. You can get to it by hitting the start Menu and typing "Snip" in the vista Search bar. It is really nice not to have to download a program for making screen shots.

Super Root Administrator

Now if you're a Linux user your understand the value of this little secret. Vista has a Super Root Administrator available to use but deactivated and if you use this you must be understand this is for people who need to have an Admin Account that can do more than just an Administrator, so Here is how you do it. Type Cmd in the search bar, (star menu), and right click on cmd.exe and run as Admin, then you type this in prompt. "Net user administrator /active:yes" in the command prompt. Now after you activate, you will need to make it unprotected by selecting a password for this after wards. If you want to disable this account you do the same stuff first then this : "Net user administrator /active:no" on the Command line. That will turn it off. I hope this helps you out when you use Vista.

UAC Discussions and Tips

As many of you know, if you bought Windows Vista you've had this annoying little pop up for User Account Control. It darken}s the screen and only allows you to continue if you select OK or you can always Cancel. I find it waste CPU cycles, and Resources. I've been reading about a program called:

[TweakUAC] -- TweakUAC(TM) is a free software tool that you can use to quickly turn UAC (User Account Control of Windows Vista) on or off, or to make UAC operate in the quiet mode.

This little program lets you make it quite, I've found that quite mode doesn't do me any good because it makes you still have to click 'OK' on a lot of system level programs. Like Regedit.exe, and MsConfig.exe. This can get annoying if you are using you system for more than just day to day routines. I also find that if you use common sense you won't have to have UAC on at all. That's right I have turned my UAC off on windows and have no viruses or problems yet that have been associated with turning it off. I find most of the time people ignore the UAC and gets to used to it to prevent Viruses or Spyware. It's all about getting to used to the UAC and ignoring all the warnings.

If you're like me and want to disable UAC without downloading any programs check out my previous post on how to do it at:

Ways to improve Battery Life in Vista

People also say don't use an Administrator account, Well I've been using an Administrator account for the past year and half. I've had no problems doing it, it's all about how you use your account.

Now if you want to know about security and how to protect yourself you should read my other post:

Some Important programs to prevent yourself from having viruses and Malware!!

This little post talks about ways to prevent viruses and Malware a.k.a. Spyware. I have had great response on that little post. I will be later on this weekend posting ways to use Vista safely. If you have any ideas or want to help provide avenues of discussion please leave a comment.

Vista Tips and Secrets!!

I've learned a lot of little tips and tricks in Vista and I want to share you one or two!!

You can add the run command to your Start menu:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and choose Properties.
2. Select the Start Menu tab and click on the Customize button.
3. Check the "Run command" option.

Add Items to you quick launch bar such as browser, email ,other important programs and you can easily start them up with a keyboard command:

1. Windows Key + #

If you have Firefox first next to the start menu, you'd hit 1, and the next is 2, and so on.

I found these shortcut keys to be quite helpfull with Vista and it helps with speed. I also suggest getting a SD Card or Flash memory card, twice the size of your current memory if you've got a 1 gig, get a 2 gig flash and use that as a ReadyBoost
option. I will put more up later!! Keep watching!!

Customize Vista Open/Save Shortcuts

Whenever you open or save a file in Windows Vista, you typically get the standard dialog box which has shortcut locations on the left side. You can easily customize these locations to add or remove locations to best suit your needs. Here is how:

1. Open a dialog box (either a Save As or Open dialog will work).
2. Right click on some white space in the locations on the left pane and select Open Favorite Links Folder. The folder: “C:\Users\Your Name\Links” should open.
3. Add or remove shortcuts as needed.
4. Your changes should take effect immediately.

Once you take a few minutes to configure your locations, this trick should save you quite a bit of time.

[Via PcMech]

Thought people would like this little tip that I found on PcMech and I wanted to let people know. What do you think?

What Makes Vista Worth It?

The majority of you told us that you prefer XP to Vista and that it'd be best if Microsoft extended its cutoff date for XP, but we can't help but wonder if there's something about Vista that's worth your while. For those of you who have made the switch—or those who have been tempted—we're curious what Vista features actually make the upgrade worthwhile for you. So let's hear what you actually like about Windows Vista that you didn't get from XP in the comments.

[Via LifeHacker]

I am curious as to who thinks Vista has become more stable, I have think it has become more stable and secure. What do people think got right your oppinions there.

Ways to improve Battery Life in Vista

Turn off Sidebar:
Turning of the windows Sidebar helps with performance and reliability of Vista. Some people tell me it is nice to have that up. I say this, it's using system resources and isn't going to help you out when you're running on a battery. Here is how you do this:
Control Panel>Classic View>Windows Sidebar Properties

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Check your Power Plan when you are on battery:
Doing this will help you with your battery power. By making sure your got your CPU on power Saver when on battery power you will save battery life and will give you more time to use the laptop.

Control Panel>Classic View>Power Options


Change windows for Performance:

By changing Windows Aero to look like basic you can boost your battery life by not using any unneeded video acceleration. Doing this will save your battery and will give you 30 more minutes on your battery. It's 4% to 5% battery increase but all this will make your battery last longer.
Control Panel>Classic View>Performance Information and Tools>Adjust Visual Effects

As you can see, if you like some of the effects, you can customize it to your liking, but keep in mind the more you use the less your have on battery life. It also affects your system speed, so you may want the computer speed so keep the appearance to a minimum.

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Turn off UAC:

UAC has been nothing but trouble for me so I've just turned it off, I suspect it is also helping my battery but I am not going to hazard a guess on how much.
Start Menu>type>Msconfig on the Search bar. run the Msconfig and then you go to: Select Tools Tab, then find Disable UAC and double click it. Reboot and you no longer have UAC.

Download Battery Saver:

Downloading Battery Saver will let you pick when and how to deactivate some of these things when you unplug your power cable. This little Utility comes with a lot of possibilities. It allows you to decide when to deactivate Windows Aero and Sidebar which helps on battery life.

There are several other things to consider when you're trying to save battery power:

Turn off all unnecessary programs in the background.

Dim your LCD by hitting the Function Key + Left Arrow several times.

This also will improve battery life by not draining it. It will dim it to the lowest setting and will extend the battery.

These tips will improve your battery life in Vista but I do not know by how much time will be extended. I hope these tips will help you out when it comes to using your laptop out in the wild and not wanting to worry about time. Let me know what you think and I'd like to hear all the comments. Enjoy

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Organize Your Files in Explorer with Stacks

We've heard plenty about Stacks in the upcoming Mac OS X Leopard, but what you may not know is that Windows Vista users have their own Stacks worth checking out. Weblog CyberNet takes a look at the new groups and stacks features in Vista, highlighting how the new Explorer features can improve your file organization.

If I were to stack files by name, they would appear almost like they would with a group, except none of the file names are actually shown [see screenshot]. Instead you'd double click on the stack that you want and it will open up all of the corresponding files. The more files that correspond with a particular stack, the larger the "stack icon" will be.

Essentially, stacks offer a simple method for grouping similar filetypes so you can quickly narrow down the file you're looking for by weeding out all the rest. The post describes in more detail how Vista's new drop-down file organization options bring handy new levels of organization to your Explorer window. If you've got your own favorite Explorer view, let's hear about it in the comments.

Windows Explorer Groups and Stacks in Vista [CyberNet]

Nice tip for Windows Vista, I'll have to try this out!!