The Road to Know Where: Windows Vista

Windows Vista: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions - Part II

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:38:56 GMT

When Windows Vista was released, I was always asked a common set of questions from end-users. So I compiled the "Tips, Answers & Solutions for First Time Users"

As a Microsoft MVP, I've spent the past year giving a new batch of tips – so it was time to create Part II of "Tips, Answers & Solutions"

ADD ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT TO LOGIN SCREEN - By default the Administrator Account is "hidden" - to enable the built-in Administrator account.

From the Start Menu, type "cmd" in the Search box
In the search results, <Right-Click> on the Command Prompt (CMD) program, selecting "Run as Administrator"
When prompted by User Account Control, click "Continue"
At the command prompt, type "net user administrator /active:yes" and press <ENTER>
Type "net user administrator Password" and press <ENTER>
Note: Set Password with administrator's account's password.
Type "exit", and press <ENTER>
Log off the current user account.

AUTOMATIC LOGON - Windows XP required Microsoft's TweakUI for automatic logon, but this feature is included with Windows Vista.

From the Start Menu, type "control userpasswords2" and press <Enter>
Remove the checkmark from "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer"
Click "OK" (you'll need to verify your password)
Click "OK" to exit

CREATE / CHANGE DISK PARTITIONS - Previously Windows XP required 3rd party programs to change disk partitions "on the fly" -- but Windows Vista has this feature built-in. It's a bit complicated, so I'll leave those instructions to Microsoft!

USE CHECK BOXES TO SELECT ITEMS - Besides holding the <Ctrl> + <Left-Click> key while selecting items, Windows Vista can also provide "check boxes" next to each item.

Open "Computer" (or specific folder)
From the "Organize" pull-down on the toolbar, select "Folder and Search Options"
From the "View" tab, select "Use check boxes to select items"
Click "Apply"
Optional: Click "Apply to Folders" to set option for entire drive
Click "OK" or "Cancel" to exit

COPY AS PATH - Creating a link to a file in Windows XP is a "multi-step process" (cut-n-paste the filename, then cut-n-paste the path, then concatenate them along with a "\" inserted between two quotes) Thankfully with Windows Vista it's trivial:

<Shift> + <Right-Click> and select "Copy as Path"

DISK CLEANUP - Windows Vista has a few more options than Windows XP worth learning, configuring and running.

Run "Disk Cleanup" by <Right-Clicking> on your Drive Choice and select "Properties" then click "Disk Cleanup" (Command: CLEANMGR)
Select “Files from all users on this computer” - wait (patiently) for disk scanning to complete
From the "Disk Cleanup" Tab, select which files to delete (I have them all selected)
From the "More Options" Tab, push the "Clean up..." button from "System Restore and Shadow Copies"
Select "Delete" to remove all but the most recent restore point
Push "OK" to complete "Disk Cleanup"
Push "Delete Files" to confirm

NETWORK ICON "TRAFFIC" BLINKING - The default setting for Windows XP's Networking Icon, displays "blinking" network traffic. By default, this animation is not displayed in Windows Vista.

<Right-Click> the Network Icon in the notification area (bottom right corner)
Select "Turn on activity animation"

OPTIMIZE USB HARD DRIVES - By default USB Devices are configured for "Optimize for quick removal" which is ideal for devices that are connected and removed often. However if you have USB Drive(s) that are always connected you can increase this device's performance by changing "Optimize for performance"

<Right-Click> on "Computer" selecting "Properties"
From the "Tasks" pane, select "Device Manager"
Locate and <Double-LeftClick> the USB Drive
From the "Policies" tab select "Optimize for performance"
Click "OK" to exit

NOTE: You'll now need to use "Safely Remove Hardware" when disconnecting "optimized" USB devices.

RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE MONITOR - Reliability Monitor provides you with a quick, visual view of the average stability of your system. In addition, it tracks events that will help you identify what causes reductions in reliability. By recording not only failures (including memory, hard disk, application, and operating system failures), but also key events regarding the configuration of your system (including the installation of new applications and operating system updates), you can see a timeline of changes in both the system and reliability, and can identify how to get your system back to optimal reliability when it does not behave as expected.

From the Start Menu, type "Monitor" and press <Enter>

SNIPPING TOOL - With previous versions of Windows, you could only capture an entire screen pressing <Shift> + <PrtSc>. With Windows Vista's Snipping Tool you can capture an entire screen, or any sized "snip"

From the Start Menu, type "snip" and press <Enter>

WINDOWS MOBILITY CENTER - available in Windows Vista premium editions, the Windows Mobility Center puts the most frequently used mobile PC settings in a single, easy-to-find location.

Press <WinKey> + X

So do you have a favorite Windows Vista Tip you would like to share? (^_^)

Microsoft Releases Final Version of Windows SteadyState 2.5

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:52:11 GMT

"Whether you manage computers in a school computer lab or an Internet café, a library, or even in your home, Windows SteadyState (formerly known as Shared Computer Toolkit) helps make it easy for you to keep your computers running the way you want them to, no matter who uses them. Windows SteadyState is easier to download, set up, use, and maintain than Shared Computer Toolkit." (Support: Technical FAQ)

--> Download Windows SteadyState 2.5

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Dan Cunningham Releases Final Workstation Migration Assistant

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:17:34 GMT

Dan Cunningham has posted his completed (is software ever really finished?) Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 program.

BLAKE: Workstation Migration Assistant is a visual wrapper for the User State Migration Tool, designed to simplify the capture / restore process for your end-users.

DAN: Well, after literally years of working on it, I’m finally finished the Workstation Migration Assistant! Thanks to

everyone who’s been testing the release candidates, suggesting features and helping catch bugs.

Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 Final (Build 60):

NEW -

Replaced “SettingsHealthCheckDisabled” with “SettingsHealthCheckDefaultEnabled”. Admins can specify whether it should be enabled or not by default, but can no longer be removed completely
/LAC is enabled by default on Restore
MigrationRestoreAccountsPassword setting to specify default password for use with /LAC
MigrationRestoreAccountsEnabled setting to enable /LAE

CHANGES -

Health Check is now skipped if not ticked - text has been updated to clarify this better.
Better exception handling around USMT download / install

FIXES -

Only domain accounts migrated with “Migration current user only” selected
If a script / app run via Pre/Post-Processing wasn’t VBS, VBE or EXE (case-sensitive), it would never run
Local exclusions in settings files were ignored and all local accounts ignored (if using Domain and Local option)
Double prompt on Advanced Settings > Other location
Double prompt on Advanced Settings > Custom Encryption

--> Download Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0

NOTE: Dan JUST updated this to version 1.01

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Dan Cunningham Updates Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 to RC3

Sat, 24 May 2008 15:17:12 GMT

Dan Cunningham has posted the third release canditate of his Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 program.

BLAKE: Workstation Migration Assistant is a visual wrapper for the User State Migration Tool, designed to simplify the capture / restore process for your end-users.

DAN: Hopefully the last bugfix release before I can bring out 1.0 Final.

Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 RC3 (Build 53):

Changes -

Debug log is now included as part of SMTP mails if it is found
Status label made bigger
Better Logging around Pre/Post Migration Scripts and other logging improvements

Fixes -

Alternate Migration Location specified via Advanced Settings or /MIGFOLDER switch were not being used on Restore
When a USB drive was chosen as the Datastore location, the C: drive was used instead
Clicking No on failed Health Check would not proceed with the Migration
MaxMigrationSize triggered error incorrectly reported as “Migration Cancelled”
SMTP Mailing now gracefully skips if no Network Connection found (ie, USB mode)
Health Check progress information was not being displayed on XP
ERROR / WARNING dialogs were sometimes not displayed as the Foreground window
SMTP Mailing exception handling improved
Cosmetic fixes to Health Check debug output

--> Download Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 RC2

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Removes: The Five Misunderstood Features in Windows Vista

Mon, 19 May 2008 19:21:59 GMT

It was less than a week ago that Microsoft released "The Five Misunderstood Features in Windows Vista" document -- but now it appears to have been removed from the Microsoft Download site. Huh - what's going on?

Adobe Releases Digital Negative (DNG) Codec for Windows Vista

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:05:24 GMT

Adobe's Digital Negative (DNG) Codec provides a method for Windows Vista users to view DNG raw files in the Windows Explorer and Photo Gallery. (Support: Adobe Labs)

--> Download Adobe DNG Codec

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

The Five Misunderstood Features in Windows Vista

Wed, 14 May 2008 03:42:46 GMT

I'm actually perplexed why Microsoft took so long to create a document like this!

"No one would expect a new OS adoption to be easy, and certainly adopting Windows Vista across a desktop infrastructure can come with a few challenges—but like many urban myths, perception can quickly depart from reality. In this article, we will look at five features of Windows Vista that are often misunderstood, provide their background and rationale, and present the straight scoop on how to deal with them."

Based on feedback from IT professionals, these features are:

User Account Control
Image Management
Display Driver Model
Windows Search
64 bit architecture

--> Download Five Misunderstood Features in Windows Vista

Microsoft Blogger Recommends "Cayra" Free Mind Mapping Software

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:07:21 GMT

Cayra is a free application that lets you represent tasks, ideas, concepts and other items in a graphic, well-structured way. Cayra is based on such visualization techniques, as Mind Mapping and Concept Mapping and allows you to conveniently work with big maps. (Thanks Joe)

Cayra Features:

Studies
Brainstorming
Project & People Management
Planning & Organizing
Creativity
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Time Management

--> Download Cayra Here

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Windows Live Messenger Application for Facebook

Tue, 06 May 2008 03:14:20 GMT

The Windows Live Messenger Team has released a Facebook application that allows contacting your Facebook friends using Windows Live Messenger.

Windows Live Messenger for Facebook Application Features:

Expose your Messenger status to your Facebook friends
Receive instant messages from friends that visit your Facebook profile page
View your friends’ Messenger status on Facebook
Send instant messages to your friends on Facebook that are using Messenger
Easily add your Facebook friends to your Messenger contacts

--> Click Here for Windows Live Messenger on Facebook

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases 30 "Superheroes" Messenger Emoticons

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:43:32 GMT

30 Brave Superheroes with more guts than Superman and Schwarzenegger combined. Download the emoticons right now, directly to Windows Live Messenger... If you’re brave enough!

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Three Bitlocker Tools for Windows Vista

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:23:29 GMT

BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool automates the following processes to configure the hard disk drive correctly:

It creates a second volume, if one is not already present.
It moves the boot files to the correct volume, and ensures that the operating system is correctly configured to find them at startup.
It configures the correct volume as the active partition on the drive for startup.

BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer for Active Directory Users and Computers tool helps to locate BitLocker Drive Encryption recovery passwords for Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008 - based computers in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).

BitLocker Repair Tool can assist administrators in recovering data from a corrupted or damaged disk volume that was encrypted with BitLocker.

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Speech Recognition Macros for Windows Vista

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:53:54 GMT

The Windows Speech Recognition Macros tool (Technical Preview) extends the usefulness of the speech recognition capabilities in Windows Vista. Users can create powerful macros that are triggered by spoken commands which can perform a series of tasks from as simple as inserting your mailing address to as complex as providing a completely different speech interaction with applications. (Thanks Rob)

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Updates FolderShare Client for Windows

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:22:56 GMT

FolderShare allows you to share files and access your computer(s) remotely. This updated Windows Version: 14.0.1331.0415 helps improve security and reliability. (Thanks FolderShare Team)

--> Download FolderShare for Windows

IMPORTANT NOTE: To bring as many people as possible up to date, we’ll start prompting users to upgrade this week. When the time comes, you won't be able to sign in until you update. We understand this process may cause some inconvenience, so we strongly encourage you to get a head start and install the new version today.

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Two Windows Ultimate Extras Available for Free Download

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:02:56 GMT

Microsoft has released two more free Windows Ultimate Extras on their Windows Update site.

Windows DreamScene Content Pack #3 (Dripping Spring Water, Dripping Ice Water, Tree Leaves Blowing in the Wind)
Windows Sound Schemes (Glass & Pearl)

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Windows Vista Ultimate Helpful Hints Guide

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:36:30 GMT

Windows Vista Ultimate Helpful Hints - Your guide to mastering the Windows Vista Ultimate operating system. (17 Page PDF - 8.98 MB)

Table of Contents:

Getting Started

Starting your computer
Using your keyboard and mouse
Launching programs
Opening, saving, and closing documents
Getting help

More Productive

Keeping on task
Finding what you need
Sending and receiving faxes
Connecting to your network
Optimizing your performance

More Protection

Protecting your computer
Online protection

More Connected

Communicating with e-mail
Organizing contacts
Accessing the Internet
Enhancing mobility

More Fun

Playing games
Enjoy your entertainment library
Managing pictures
Publish movies

--> Download Windows Vista Ultimate Helpful Hints

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:50:52 GMT

System Update Readiness Tool checks for inconsistencies in the Windows system resources which may prevent the successful installation of future updates, service packs, and software (i.e. file data, registry data, and in-memory data)

The System Update Readiness Tool verifies the integrity of the following resources:

Files that are located under the following directories:

%SYSTEMROOT%\Servicing\Packages

%SYSTEMROOT%\WinSxS\Manifests

Registry data that is located under the following registry subkeys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Components

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Schema

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing

--> Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista

--> Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista 64

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Updates Sysinternals Utilities for Windows 9x and NT4

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:58:13 GMT

Sysinternals Utilites are not updated automatically via Microsoft Update, so you'll need to manually upgrade your software. (Thanks Curtiz)

Handle v3.31: No functional change and hence no version number update, but has version field that enables it to work again on Windows 9x and NT 4.
Process Explorer v11.13: This includes bug fixes for viewing thread stacks of system threads and 64-bit thread stacks. It also fixes compatibility with Windows 9x and NT 4.
Process Monitor v1.31: This update fixes a bug that could result in a deadlock when exiting or disabling capture with thread profiling enabled.

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Updates IntelliPoint (Mouse) & IntelliType (Keyboard) Hardware Drivers to Version 6.2

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:48:34 GMT

Mouse & Trackball - IntelliPoint 6.2 for Windows Vista and Vista 64 (Support: How to . . . )

IntelliPoint 6.2 for Windows Vista
IntelliPoint 6.2 for Windows Vista 64

Keyboard - IntelliType 6.2 for Windows Vista and Vista 64

IntelliType Pro 6.2 for Windows Vista
IntelliType Pro 6.2 for Windows Vista 64

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Language Interface Pack (LIP) for English Versions of Windows Vista

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:20:54 GMT

Windows Vista Language Interface Pack provides a partially translated version of the most widely used areas of Windows. After installing the LIP, portions of the text in wizards, dialog boxes, menus, Help and Support topics, and other items in the user interface will be displayed in the LIP language. The text that is not translated will be in English. You can install more than one LIP, so each user of the computer can display the user interface in their desired language.

Supported Languages:

Albanian *
Bosnian - Cyrillic *
Bosnian - Latin *
Gujarati *
Hindi *
Indonesian *
Kazakh *
Macedonian *
Serbian - Cyrillic *
Tamil *
Uzbek - Latin *
Vietnamese *
Welsh

(*) are available for Windows Vista Starter versions used by first-time PC owners in developing technology markets optimized specifically for lower end hardware.

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Dan Cunningham Upgrades Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 RC2

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:50:33 GMT

Dan Cunningham has posted the second release canditate of his Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 program.

BLAKE: Workstation Migration Assistant is a visual wrapper for the User State Migration Tool, designed to simplify the capture / restore process for your end-users.

DAN: "After some very positive feedback regarding 1.0 RC1, I’ve been working hard on the next build. There’s been some massive internal changes around threading that should make the application much more responsive, and free up more CPU cycles for ScanState / LoadState itself so performance will hopefully be improved across the board."

Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 RC2 (Build 46):

CHANGES:

Massive updates and fixes around threading
Removed main loops and replaced with event-raising to improve UI performance
Replaced WMA icon with a royalty-free alternative
Updated ReadMe with .NET 2.0 pre-requisites and details on how to run WMA from Network share
Removed Vista API.dll - seems to have been causing unhandled exceptions for non-English systems
Much improved error checking and debugging output
Major code cleanup

FIXES:

Fatal Exception errors on non-English systems
If a migration was bigger than available space on network/USB location, WMA would exit without warning, and without terminating ScanState
Aborting Health Check or Migration no longer produced an InvalidOperationException
Restarting a Migration after an abort produced an error
If a migration was cancelled, a failure email was still sent
Unnecessary double-warning if USMT was not found

--> Download Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 RC2

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft (Finally) Releases Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:32:29 GMT

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a computer running Windows Vista with SP1. It includes support for remote management of computers running either a Server Core installation or the full installation option of Windows Server 2008. It provides similar functionality to Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack.

Role Administration Tools:

Active Directory Certificate Services Tools
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Tools
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools
DHCP Server Tools
DNS Server Tools
File Services Tools
Network Policy and Access Services Tools
Terminal Services Tools
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) Services Tools

Feature Administration Tools:

BitLocker Drive Encryption Tools
Failover Clustering Tools
Group Policy Management Tools
Network Load Balancing Tools
SMTP Server Tools
Storage Manager for SANs Tools
Windows System Resource Manager Tools

The following list of tools are also fully supported managing Windows Server 2003 servers:

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Tools
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools
Active Directory Certification Authority Tools
DHCP Server Tools
DNS Server Tools
Terminal Services Tools
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) Services Tools
Group Policy Management Tools
Network Load Balancing Tools

--> Download Remote Server Administration Tools 32-bit

--> Download Remote Server Administration Tools 64-bit

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Additional Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Resources

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:52:29 GMT

Windows Vista Product Guide Revision Document is made available for consumers who own a print copy of the Windows Vista Product Guide's first release. It outlines the improvements made to Windows Vista by Service Pack 1 as well as explaining minor content changes between the two product guide releases.

Windows Vista Product Guide - A comprehensive feature-by-feature guide to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. With contributions from people who actually worked on the product, this is the definitive resource to learn about Windows Vista.

Free & Paid Help and Support for Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Resources

Microsoft Releases Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:02:05 GMT

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues; supporting new types of hardware; and adding support for several emerging standards.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Five Language Standalone version can be installed on systems with any of the following language versions:

English (US)

French

German

Japanese

Spanish (Traditional)

DOWNLOAD --> Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Five Language Standalone

Windows Vista SP1 - x86 Version

Windows Vista SP1 - x64 Version

SUPPORT RESOURCES:

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (18 Page Document in .XPS and .PDF formats) - This white paper presents an overview of Windows Vista SP1 and the improvements it contains.

Notable Changes in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 - This document describes the notable changes made to Windows Vista in Service Pack 1, which were focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards.

Release Notes for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 - These release notes address late-breaking issues and information related to Windows Vista SP1.

Hotfixes and Security Updates included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 - This document contains a list of all the hotfixes and security updates included in Windows Vista SP1.

Windows Vista Product Guide Revision Document is made available for consumers who own a print copy of the Windows Vista Product Guide's first release. It outlines the improvements made to Windows Vista by Service Pack 1 as well as explaining minor content changes between the two product guide releases.

Windows Vista Product Guide A comprehensive feature-by-feature guide to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. With contributions from people who actually worked on the product, this is the definitive resource to learn about Windows Vista.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Deployment Guide

TechNet: Things to know before you download Windows Vista SP1

PROBLEMS? Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is not available for installation from Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates.

Free & Paid Help and Support for Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases ShellRunas Utility for Windows Vista

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:07:41 GMT

ShellRunas v1.0 is for heavy Explorer users who launch programs under different accounts (similar to the Runas tool).

--> Download ShellRunas v1.0

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Blogger Releases Updated Smiley Plug-in 2.0 for Windows Live Writer (WLW)

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:17:10 GMT

Microsoft Blogger, Rahul Soni, has updated his Smiley 1.0 Plug-in for Windows Live Writer (WLW) with Smiley Plug-in 2.0 which adds smileys from CyberGif, MSN, Yahoo, and Yahoo Hidden - as well as adding smileys or pictures directly from WLW.

Included Smiley Collections:

--> Download Smiley Plugin 2.0 for Windows Live Writer

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Updates Sysinternals: Autoruns v9.11, Sigcheck v1.51

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:36:10 GMT

Unlike other Microsoft programs; SysInternals' Tools need to be manually upgraded, and are not automatically updated. (Thanks Curtis)

Autoruns v9.11: This release corrects a bug where the XML output incorrectly tagged image path field and the CSV headers didn't include the launch string.

Sigcheck v1.51: A bug in the processing of the -n option that could cause Sigcheck to crash is fixed in this update.

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Chirpscreen: "Social Networking" Windows Screensaver

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:57:58 GMT

When two of my favorite Microsoft bloggers (Sarah in Tampa and Jason in UK) both recommend Chirpscreen, you know it worth a closer look!

Chirpscreen is an interactive screensaver that automatically updates with content from your friends' social networks (i.e. Facebook, Flickr) -- it floats the information across the screen, and allows you to click on the content taking you to the web page or social networking site.

--> Download Chirpscreen Here!

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft's Channel 10 Recommends Three Free Programs for Tweaking Windows Vista

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:41:23 GMT

Actually, Microsoft recommended 5 programs -- but only 3 were free (^_^)

Vispa allows you to easily tweak your Windows Vista for better privacy and security, even system performance. Do a few clicks rather than finding the write registry keys or program settings.

NOTE: Vispa is no tool for beginners, just a more convenient way of tweaking your operating system. Do not apply settings without vague knowledge of what you're doing. Not every setting is desired in every environment.

VistaTweaker is a complete tweaking utility designed for windows vista. Has software, performance, usability and other kinds of tweaks to improve the overall Vista experience. It’s easy to use and provides descriptions for every tweak and setting.

XdN Tweaker - Program Features:

Changes the number of Folder views Windows saves.
Resets the folder views Windows has saved.
Add/Remove classic Windows 2000 user control panel icon.
Disable/Enable ATI Catalyst Control Center right click on Desktop (only for use if you have an ATI video card and have the Catalyst Control Center installed).
Disable/Enable ‘SendTo’ right-click menu.
Allows you to adjust and tweak TCP/IP settings.
Disable/Enable ZipFolders.
Disable/Enable the Outlook Express/Windows Mail splash screen.
Put the File menu above the Back/Forward buttons in IE7.
Remove or Replace the Search box in IE7.
Disable/Enable User Account Control prompts under Vista.
Disable/Enable the “- Shortcut” text under Vista.
Attempt to force Vista to better save folder views.
Disable/Enable Windows Media Player Explorer context menus.
Add/Remove “Take Ownership” to right-click menus under Vista.
Disable/Enable the Documents item on the Classic Start Menu.
Changes “Delete” to “Search…” on Recycle Bin.
Turn off the annoying full screen “black” UAC prompt.
Add/Remove the Network Connections icon to Control Panel

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Palm Releases "Palm Desktop" for Windows Vista

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 01:08:30 GMT

Prevoiusly only available for beta testing -- Palm has released their Palm Desktop synchronization software for Windows Vista.

Palm Devices Supported:

Palm Centro
Treo 755p , 700p, 680, 650
Palm TX, Z22
Tungsten E2

What's New?

Integrated Desktop: Provides a single desktop and conduit compatibility across all Palm OS 3.5.x through 5.4.x devices.
Enterprise Friendly HotSync Enhancements: HotSync Manager 7.0 is a standalone application, and no longer requires Palm Desktop to be installed on the computer. All user management functionality has been moved into HotSync Manager 7.0 Migration Tools: the installer checks for the latest settings and reports any known incompatibilities with third-party software.
Multilingual Support: Localized in Brazilian Portuguese, English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
Install Tool: The Install Tool, which replaces the "Palm Quick Install" tool, allows you to sync .prc and .pdb files (Palm OS applications and databases) to your device.
Outlook 2007 synchronization: Allows you to use your USB sync cable to synchronize with Outlook 2007's Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes. This version includes all previously released patches such as the Outlook 2007 Update.

What's NOT in this Software?

Palm Quick Install Tool: The Palm Quick Install Tool has been replaced by the Install Tool, which lets you install applications onto your device through HotSync.
VersaMail HotSync Synchronization: You will not be able to synchronize email through the USB sync cable. Wireless email synchronization, including Exchange ActiveSync for Outlook accounts, is not affected by this limitation.
Birthdays and Anniversary reminders that appear in the Calendar on your Palm device will not appear in the Calendar in the Palm Desktop application. (This does not apply to manually created Calendar events; it only applies to reminders generated from the Contacts application fields for Birthday and Anniversary on your device. These reminders will not appear in Palm Desktop, but they will be backed up on your computer when you sync, and they will be restored to your Palm device if you erase your device and then perform a HotSync operation to retrieve data from a backup.
Color coding of events in the Calendar is no longer supported.
64-bit Editions of Windows Vista are not supported.

--> Download Palm Desktop for Vista

Wow, Microsoft Always DID Have a Free Icon Editor!

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:33:13 GMT

The Road to Know Where strives to find free Microsoft solutions -- so the lame solution of creating an icon by renaming an MSPaint .BMP file to .ICO was never recommended.

Nor was this convaluded solution of creating an icon using Visual Studio outlined in Knowledge Base article KB914349 ever recommended.

Well . . . Microsoft blogger, Carlos Aguilar, has dug-up this MSDN Article from September 1995 discussing Microsoft's Icon specification, as well as an IconEditor!

IconEditor - supports creating an icon, adding multiple formats to it such as 16x16 - 16 color, or 48x48-24bit color, up to 128x128-32bit color, along with marking the transparent colors (XOR Mask and AND Mask).

--> Download IconEditor Here

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases 30 Free "Fun Family" Windows Live Messenger Emoticons

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:03:09 GMT

Microsoft has released a free "Fun Family" collection of 30 emoticons for Windows Live Messenger. (+_+)

--> Download 30 Cool Windows Live Messenger Emoticons

Click here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases "2007 Office System IFilter Pack" for Windows Desktop Search

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:36:57 GMT

2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft IFilter Pack will install and register IFilters with the Windows Indexing Service. These IFilters are used by Windows Desktop Search to index the contents of specific document formats. (Thanks Deb!)

This Filter Pack includes IFilters for the following formats:

Metro (.docx, .docm, .pptx, .pptm, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlsb)
Zip (.zip)
OneNote (.one)
Visio (.vdx, .vsd, .vss, .vst, .vdx, .vsx, .vtx)

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software

Microsoft Releases Xbox 360 "Jump in" Holiday Windows Desktop Wallpapers

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:22:25 GMT

Microsoft has released an Xbox 360 "Jump in" Holiday Windows Desktop Wallpaper in two resolutions:

Xbox 360 "Jump in" Holiday Wallpaper

800 x 600
1024 x 768

Click Here for All Free Windows Vista Software