Microsoft Talk

In Windows Vista, system restore size has been set at 15% of the hard drives capacity. If you had a 100GB hard drive, that converts to 1500MB for System Restore. You don’t need that.

So use this tip to change system restore size in Windows Vista.

Open the command line and use the following command to change the size of System Restore in Windows Vista:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /on=c: /for=c: /maxsize=4GB0

This would change the allocated size of System Restore on drive C: for drive C: to 4 gigabytes. Please note that the on: parameter is the drive letter where the System Restore files are stored while the for: parameter defines the drive that the files should be backed up from. The maxsize parameter is pretty obvious. It can’t go below 300 Megabytes. If you remove the maxsize parameter the settings will be changed to the default ones again.

If you select a size that is lower than the current amount of space the oldest entries in System Restory will be deleted first.

Via gHack

Are you using multiple monitors on your Windows XP system? Then use this tip to configure separate wallpapers for each monitor!

1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties to bring up the Display Properties dialog box.
2. Select the Desktop tab and click the Customize Desktop button to bring up the Desktop Items dialog box.
3. Select the Web tab on the Desktop Items dialog box, then click the New button to bring up the New Desktop Item dialog box.
4. Click the Browse button to locate and select an image file that you want to use for wallpaper.
5. Once you locate an image file, click OK three times to close all the dialog boxes and place the image on the desktop.
6. Hover your mouse pointer over the picture. When the title bar appears, click and drag the picture over to the monitor on which you want to use this image as wallpaper.
7. Click the Maximize button.
8. Right-click the desktop, go to Arrange Icons By and select Lock Web Items On Desktop.

This is applicable to your Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional system.

In my earlier posts here and here, I have highlighted about Vista’s ReadyBoost.

To note is that earlier versions of USB memory drives are not supported. However, there is a reg hack to make Vista Readyboost work with these drives.

To do that do the following. Right-click the device that you want to use for Readyboost and select properties. Switch to the Readyboost tab and uncheck “Stop retesting this device when I plug it in”. The old test values are stored in the registry which means that we have to edit some settings there to make Vista believe that the USB device meets all of the requirements. Unplug the device from the computer before you proceed.

Go to the key HKLM (Local Machine) -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows NT -> CurrentVersion -> EMDgmt which displays a list of all known USB devices on your computer. Choose the one that you want to use for Readyboost and edit the following keys in the right pane:

• Device Status - Change that value to 2
• ReadSpeedKbs - Change the value to 1000
• WriteSpeedKbs - Change the value to 1000 as well

After that is done you can use the USB device for Readyboost.

Vista, ReadyBoost, VistaHack

Vista, ReadyBoost, VistaHack

If you have a dual-core processor and you discover that certain applications
max out your CPU then Window XP Professional’s Processor Affinity will do
the trick. This will ensure that applications use only one of the cores, in
the process, not freezing up your application.

1. Access Task Manager.
2. Choose the Processes tab.
3. Right-click the process associated with the problem application.
4. Select the Set Affinity command. (If you don’t have a dual-core
system, you won’t see the Set Affinity command.)
5. From the Processor Affinity dialog box, clear one of the CPU check
boxes.

If you don’t want to do this manually, check out Task Assignment Manager
(available for download< http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/05/28/getting_more_bang_out_of_your_dual_processing_buck/index.html>from
Tom’s Hardware).

In this gallery, you’ll be able to browse through all the splash screens from Windows 1.01 to Windows Vista.

What are Splash Screens?

The Windows splash screens provide us with some sort of feedback on the progress of the sometimes lengthy startup process.

Ever since the dawn of the Windows operating system, Microsoft has used Splash Screens as a means of distracting us while the operating system is loading.

Check them out here

Microsoft spent millions of dollars advertising its next generation OS ‘Windows Vista’ in China, in fact the IT juggernaut threw up the biggest Vista Ad on the 421 meter high Jin Mao tower in Shanghai China. However after 2 weeks (Jan 19 to Feb 2) from launch Microsoft managed to sell a mere 244 copies of Windows Vista. Software piracy is rampant in the middle kingdom and a pirated version of Vista sells for a mere $1 on the streets. If reports on the web are true, then I’d say this is a shocker!

What do you think?

Sourced

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Vista, Windows Vista, VistaIcons, Free Icons

Vista, Windows Vista, VistaIcons, Free Icons

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

Via Amit Agarwal

Amit of Digital Inspiration has run up these FAQs for Office 2007. Does this apply to you? Have you installed Office 2007?

Q [Philip Canty]. Can I run Microsoft Office 2007 and Office 2003 on the same computer ?
A. Yes, you may install a copy of Office 2007 on the same machine that has Office 2003. However, you will have to choose between Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003 - both versions of the mail software cannot run simultaneously on the same computer.
Q. Can I read the files created in Word 2007 on older versions of Microsoft Word (like Word XP or Word 2000)
A. Though Microsoft is yet to release a Word 2007 Viewer, you can read Word 2007 format documents in previous version of Microsoft Office using the free Compatibility Pack tool available at Microsoft Office website.
Q. [Sidra Sarwar] Is there a free add-on to open documents created using Office 2003 in Vista Office 2007 directly ?
A. You do not require any addon for this since Office 2007 can open any document created using a previous version of Office like XP, 2003 or Office 2000.
Q. I have installed a trial version of Office 2007 Professional. Can I convert it to a full retail version using a serial number or should I do a fresh install.
A. Provided that you are not running a beta or pre-release version of Office 2007 trial, type in your 25-character product key and activate the installed copy - you need not re-install Office 2007. [Activation not required if you have purchased a volume license key for Office 2007]
Q. Do I require Windows Vista to run Office 12 ?
A. You do not require Windows Vista to run Office 2007. It will work perfect with Windows XP SP2.
Q. Microsoft Office 2007 is not available in my native language. Can anything be done about it ?
A. You can get the Office Languages Pack that allows you to create and edit documents in 37 different languages. These localization packs will change the Office interface and menus in your native language plus they come with a speller, grammar checker and thesaurus (aka document proofing tools).
Q. The price of Office 2007 standard works out to more than Outlook 2007 and Office Home and Student version purchased separately.
A. You are not supposed to use the Home and Student 2007 Office on your business computer or for that matter, any commercial use. Also, Home and Student edition isn’t eligible for upgrades.
Q. Can I use Adobe Acrobat 8 to create PDF documents in Office 2007.
A. Not yet. Adobe Acrobat 8 PDF macros are not compatible with Office 2007 programs but you may grab the free “Save as PDF” addon from the Microsoft Office website - it can save all documents to PDF format except your Outlook 2007 mail items.
Q. Can I use Microsoft Office 2007 without activation ?
A. If you skip Office 2007 activation beyond a set limit, the software will run in reduced functionality mode - you cannot create or save documents though you can read them or even print them. It becomes more like a free viewer.

Office 2007, Office, MOSS, Adobe, Amit Agarwal

Office 2007, Office, MOSS, Adobe, Amit Agarwal

1. Ebay Sidebar Tool - May display information about current sales, the watchlist and items that you bid on. Includes a quick search as well. Works with all localized eBay websites.
2. App Launcher - Add icons to the app launcher box which can be used to start software that is installed on your computer. Similar to a quick launch function.
3. Battery Monitor - Vista is running on my Toshiba notebook and it is nice that I can use the Battery Monitor to keep an eye on the battery level of my notebook. Pretty useful.
4. Run - Launch applications,open folders or open urls by typing their names in the run box.
5. Binsearch Sidebar - Binsearch is a great site that spiders Usenet posts on their site and makes those posts searchable. Now you can search using the sidebar gadget instead of going to the site first.
6. Gmail Reader - notifies you when you have new mail in your inbox. Can also display a summary of the 20 latest messages.

Vista, Sidebar, Vista Gadgets

Vista, Sidebar, Vista Gadgets

This does not happen very often. But when it does, it canfreak you out 100%. Well, I am talking about duplicate emails in Microsoft Outlook.

This is a known problem, that Microsoft acknowledges here are some of the known fixes for them.

• You are prompted for your password, and you may receive duplicate e-mail messages if your profile has two POP3 accounts in Outlook (link)
• Duplicate e-mail messages are downloaded from a POP3 e-mail server account in Outlook 2003 (link)
• Duplicate junk e-mail messages appear in the Junk E-mail folder in Outlook 2003 (link)

Now to clear the duplicate emails you can use the free software Microsoft Outlook Duplicate Items Remover which scans a selected folder for duplicate emails and moves them to a separate folder where you can delete them easily.

The software does not only remove duplicate emails in Microsoft Outlook but also duplicate notes, contacts, calendar entries and tasks making it pretty universal.

Office 2003, Outlook 2003, Microsoft Office, email

Office 2003, Outlook 2003, Microsoft Office, email

Goldman Sachs analyst Sarah Friar in a research note released last week estimates on Microsoft’s revenue take per copy of Office 2007 and Windows Vista.

“About 40 percent of Office revenues are from fully packaged product and volume license agreements, 40 percent are from annuity contracts, and 20 percent are from OEM sales, compared with about 5 percent, 15 percent, and 80 percent for [Windows] client revenues, respectively,” Friar wrote

What does that translate into? Simply that, Office 2007 has sold more copies then Windows Vista.

Goldman Sachs estimates that, worldwide, consumers bought 1.9 million Vista upgrades in the second quarter and will buy 1.5 million upgrades in the third quarter. The expectation is based on the idea that upgrades will dramatically diminish after the first six months of widespread Vista availability.

While most people will buy Vista on new PCs, “adoption in the beginning will likely be slower than for Windows 95 or Windows XP,” Friar explained.

Goldman Sachs estimates that one in eight PCs ships with Office Standard.

Goldman Sachs sees new SKU Office Basic cannibalizing sales from Standard. However, the expectation is that higher Basic volumes—some replacing pirated older Office versions—will lead to a net revenue gain.

“We believe the introduction of the lower-priced Office Basic 2007 SKU can add about 1 percent to Information Worker (now part of MBD) revenue growth in FY2008,” Friar wrote.

  Vista, Office2007, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs

Vista, Office2007, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs

Unbelievable! FileNetworks reports that direct download links for the Upgrade version of Windows Vista Ultimate Edition have been leaked to the internet.

There are 3 files available for download:

boot.wim
install.wim
X13-49120.exe

Installation Notes:

1. Put the exe and the 2 wim files in the same folder.
2. Then click on the exe. It will copy the wims to the correct folder. An installer will come up. Close it.
3. The exe will create a folder named Vista. All the files (and the wims) are in there.

Note: This is only the Upgrade version of Winodows Vista Ultimate Edition. More details on FileNetworks.

As of now links work. Tried them and then cancelled. I am not interested in this. I have legal copies, but this is outrageous. I have twittered my contacts in Microsoft about this.

Windows Vista comes with a built-in disk cleanup tool that helps free up space on your hard-drive when things get crowded in your hard-drive. But what do you do if the regular Disk Cleanup doesn’t do any good? Well, you can always run an enhanced version of the Disk Cleanup tool.

All you have to do is open up the start pearl and type the following in the search bar:

cleanmgr /sageset:1

This toolkit is intended to help you secure the data on your organization’s mobile PCs–in a cost-effective way–using Encrypting File System (EFS) and Microsoft BitLocker Drive Encryption (BitLocker) technologies.

The Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs describes how to effectively use both EFS and BitLocker to help address your organization’s requirements to protect data on mobile PCs. The Toolkit also provides you with software tools and scripts to help you centrally configure, deploy, and manage encryption settings on all your mobile PCs.
The Toolkit consists of four components. The Executive Overview and Security Analysis documents are available now, and the remaining components will be released later this year.
The Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs includes the following components:

• Executive Overview. This document provides a broad survey from a business and regulatory perspective of how mobile data is at risk and how the Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs can help. It also provides information about how you can use the guidance and tools in this Solution Accelerator as well as tools you may already have licensed to mitigate these risks.

• Security Analysis. This guide provides an in-depth review of how EFS and BitLocker can help you address the unique risks associated with data on mobile PCs.

• Planning and Implementation Guide. This guide describes how to plan for, configure, deploy, and operate EFS and BitLocker in your organization. A Beta version of the Planning and Implementation Guide is currently available (see below).

• Microsoft Encrypting File System Assistant. The EFS Assistant is a software tool you can use to centrally control EFS settings on all your PCs (the EFS Assistant also works with desktop PCs). The EFS Assistant can help you encrypt the sensitive files on your users’ laptops, regardless of where those files are located. In addition, the EFS Assistant operates transparently to end users, eliminating training issues or other impacts. A Beta version of the EFS Assistant is currently available

To view this solution online at TechNet, click here.

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