Vista
Free upgrades from Vista to Windows 7?
There has been a lot of talk that Microsoft would at some point offer buyers of new PCs with Vista the option of a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out. At least in Australia, it seems that there will be an upgrade offer starting with systems purchased on June 26. The Australian [...]
Windows Vista SP2 available
Service pack 2 for Vista has finally been made available to the general public. It’s been ready for weeks but Microsoft has been limiting it to MSDN subscribers. Download link for 32-bit version is here. If you have 64-bit Vista, the link is here. I don’t think there is any need to rush to get [...]
File extensions still hidden in Windows 7
Microsoft claims that it listens to what its customers say but there are some areas where Microsoft is deaf. Ever since Windows 95 (and maybe before, I’ve forgotten), the default setting has been to hide the extensions of files. Because file extensions are core to handling and managing files, this choice of default configuration often [...]
Vista SP2 incompatibilities
Service pack 2 for Vista is coming soon but, before you install it, check out the Microsoft list of software that may be broken or impaired by the update.
Firefox updated again
Mozilla has had to issue Firefox 3.0.10 just days after version 3.09 was released. It seems 3.09 had some stability problems for some users. I had it on both a Vista and an XP system and didn’t notice anything amiss but I have now gone to 3.0.10. As usual, click in the “Help” menu on [...]
Windows Vista SP2 is done
Microsoft has announced that service pack 2 for Vista has reached Release to Manufacturing:
Today we are announcing the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. SP2 represents the latest step in Microsoft’s commitment to continuous improvement. It includes all updates that have been delivered since SP1, [...]
Windows Vista SP2 coming soon?
The Windows Club says service pack 2 for Windows Vista should probably be out in early May.
Quick way to configure Windows user accounts
If you want to add/modify a user account or change a user password in Windows, you can go the long way through Control Panel or you can take a shortcut. In Windows XP, go to Start-Run and enter
control userpasswords2
In Windows Vista, enter the same command in Start Search.
Restore the Run line to the Vista start menu
The Start-Run line is very useful in Windows XP but Microsoft decided to more or less supersede it in Vista with the Start Search facility. The Run line is omitted from the Start menu in the default Vista configuration but it can be restored. There are still times when I want to use the Run [...]
Windows not so “Genuine Advantage”
I’ve been complaining for a long time about Microsoft’s anti-piracy measures that go under the oxymoronic name “Windows Genuine Advantage” (WGA). In addition to continually harassing legitimate purchasers of Windows software, WGA is considered by many to contribute to security problems on the Internet. At ZDNet, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has a post, It’s time for Microsoft [...]
Quick way to configure Vista folder options
Managing files and folders in Windows is done through Windows Explorer and there have always been a number of settings for configuring the ways that folders are presented and managed. Many of these settings can be found in the Folder Options dialog panel. There are a variety of possible ways to open Folder Options, depending [...]