Microsoft Talk

We all know Windows file copy operation is not something worth mentioning. How about having an app that sits on top of explorer and copies files faster and also if it’s free?

Teracopy is a light application that helps you manage your normal transfer, with few addon buttons like Start, Skip and most interesting of all ? the Resume/Pause button. Once installed, it will run when you perform any copy-paste on your windows. Teracopy is free but the pro version (with few advance functions) will cost you $14.95.

* Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives.
* Pause and resume file transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click.
* Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer.
* Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files.
* Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual.

Download now!

VIA LH

Are you a command prompt junkie? Well then you could do with this tip!

Did you know that you could cycle through a list of all the commands that you’ve typed in a particular session using the up and down arrows on your keyboard.

You can also change the size of this history list by clicking the command button in the upper left corner, selecting the Properties command and and then changing the buffer size number on the Options tab under Command History.

By default, the buffer size is set to 50, which means that the command history can potentially contain a lot of commands, making it difficult to cycle through all the commands that you’ve typed by using the up and down arrows on your keyboard. Fortunately, there’s an easier way.

At the command prompt, enter the following command:

DOSKEY /history

When you do so, you’ll see a full listing of all the commands that you’ve entered in a current session.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

VIA TechRepublic

If you have experienced file copying operation to be a pain in Windows Vista, then refer to this Microsoft KB.

Paul’s got a tip for you. Excerpt from his blog post:

I looked at the Folder Options under Control Panel and noticed the very first setting under the View tab: Always show Icons, never Thumbnails. It was not checked. I realized that Vista must read each file when opening the folder for a thumbnail and/or creates one. When I checked the Always show Icons, never Thumbnails, it reduced the time required to open each folder to 3 or 4 seconds.

That’s awesome. Thanks Paul. I am sure we all appreciate this workaround.

Vista, Vista Tip, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista, Vista Tip, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

The x64 edition of Vista requires signed drivers for hardware?which can be a real problem if you have an application that attempts to install a driver that isn’t signed. Because driver signing isn’t something many independent software publishers bother to do (some simply lack the resources to do it), that often leaves them out in the cold.

Fortunately, according to Chris Holmes, there’s a workaround: It’s possible to manually edit 64-bit Vista’s boot configuration to disable the check for signed drivers. If you do this, any driver, signed or unsigned, can be installed as long as you have admin privileges.

However, one thing to be mindful of is that if you do this, it’s a one-way street: You have to leave driver-signing off in order for an unsigned driver to work. In other words, you can’t disable driver signing, install the driver in question, then re-enable driver signing. The process is simple enough.

1. Open an elevated CMD prompt (hit Start, type CMD in the search box, and then press Ctrl-Shift-Enter to run CMD as an admin).
2. Type: bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
   (Note: That’s DDISABLE — with two Ds — for “Driver Disable.”)

Driver signing should be disabled after you reboot. Note: The way this command is phrased, it’ll only make the changes in question for the current boot configuration. (If you want to create a second boot configuration with driver signing turned back on, that may be useful.)

Via TechTarget

Vista, Vista x64 Drivers, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista, Vista x64 Drivers, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Until Microsoft release Windows XP SP3, you will have to manually update your Windows XP installation. And if you have done a fresh install, you are doomed

Now now.. don’t despair. There is a workaround.

RyanVM’s Post-SP2 Update Pack by Ryan VanderMeulen, which automates the procedure to a high degree

Unfortunately, Post-SP2 Update Pack is only designed to update a Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD image?it doesn’t update live systems. That said, if you’re starting to build desktops with Windows XP and want the most up-to-the-second disk image you can create, this utility is fairly effective. It also ensures that the installed packages are pre-validated through Microsoft’s own code-signing mechanisms.

Using RyanVM’s Post-SP2 Update Pack

To use RyanVM’s Post- SP2 Update Pack, you need the application and the update collection (this can be downloaded directly from Microsoft and collated by the application author). After copying the contents of the installation CD to a writeable folder, you simply point the SP2 Update Pack program at the writeable folder and at the update packs to apply. Once integration is finished, all that remains is to re-burn the results to a CD or use the patched files in a network-based installation.

Other than the usual collection of hotfixes and Windows updates, you can also download update packs to add Windows Media Player 10, Windows Genuine Advantage (the most recent edition), DirectX 9.0C and other additional/optional programs (such as SyncToy and TweakUI) that do not come with Windows by default.

As a safety measure, it’s recommended that you only do this by starting with the install files from a factory-created or MSDN-downloaded XP SP2 install CD. Don’t attempt this with an install disc that has already been manually updated. Also, if you download future update packs to use with this program, they should only be applied to a factory-fresh SP2 CD. Finally, RyanVM’s Post-SP2 Update Pack should be considered an unofficial solution to the post-SP2 update situation, so it’s best to test it out before using it in any kind of production environment.

XP, SP3, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

XP, SP3, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Does this happen with you? You try to put your Windows XP into hibernation and it won’t?

This happens to be a known issue!

Microsoft has documented this failure to hibernate as a known bug. It turns up under the following circumstances:

1. You’re running Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.
2. Your computer has more than 1GB of physical memory.
3. The system’s memory is currently fragmented?meaning that applications have staked out enough physical memory that a large enough contiguous block of free memory to start the hibernation process can’t be reserved. The more memory you have in the system to begin with, the bigger a block of free memory is needed.

Evidently the memory fragmentation issue is the key; many times, hibernation failed after I’d already run a number of other programs. Sometimes I was able to get hibernation to work again after logging off (i.e., after freeing up some of the memory in use), but that didn’t always work either.

Microsoft has a fix for this, ostensibly set to go into the next Service Pack for Windows XP, but if you want to address it now you can call Product Support Services and ask for a free hotfix as referenced in the above article (909095). There’s no charge for this call.

Note: Vista does not suffer from this issue.

XP, Hibernation, Bug, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

XP, Hibernation, Bug, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

If you regularly cleanup the temp files on your computer just like me, you are most likely to share the frustration with me. The Disk Cleanup utility will not remove all of the files! Disk Cleanup utility does not allow deletion of files accessed in the last seven days.

So? You need to modify your system registry to get around.

NOTE: Backup your system’s registry. I am not responsible if your system becomes inoperable after doing this reghack!

Here’s how:

1. Launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2. Go to

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
   Explorer\VolumeCaches\Temporary Files

   .

3. Locate and double-click the LastAccess value.
4. When you see the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, change the Value Data setting from 7 to 0 and click OK.
5. To complete the operation, close the Registry Editor and restart Windows XP.

Changing the value to 0 will force the Disk Cleanup utility to delete all the files in the Temp folder every time that you select the Temporary Files check box.

XP, Disk Cleanup, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

XP, Disk Cleanup, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Do you defrag your disks? It’s a good practice to defrag your disks regularly. Windows defrag tool is good but there are free alternatives to it.

One of them is JkDefrag.

JkDefrag 3.7 (named for its creator, J.C. Kessels of Holland) uses Windows’ own native MoveFile APIs (the same subroutines used by DEFRAG itself) to do its work, so using the program entails little risk of data corruption.

The application is standalone; it can be run in any directory and requires no installation, so it can even be run from a removable drive as part of a portable software toolkit. Any mountable read-write file system in Windows can be defragmented with it.

The program is both free and open-source; it’s been made available under the GNU General Public License in both 32- and 64-bit implementations. Along with the Visual C++ source code, the author has also provided a DLL library that allows the program to be implemented from other applications. Note: To make the program’s options a little easier to deal with, cohort Emiel Wieldraaijer has written a GUI command interface for JkDefrag called JkDefragGUI.

Windows Defrag, XP, Vista, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Windows Defrag, XP, Vista, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

So you need to perform an administrative task on a user’s Windows XP without having to logoff that user and log back in as yourself?

Well, you can use Run As command to do that.

However this does not work with Windows Explorer. This is because Explorer.exe is already running and only one instance of Explorer can run at a time.

Here is a workaround to that:

Here’s how you can work around it.

Internet Explorer 6

Internet Explorer 6 will work with Run As and will allow you to tap into Windows Explorer. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the Internet Explorer icon in the Quick Launch toolbar and choose Run As. (Keep in mind that you cannot access Run As from the Internet Explorer icon that appears on the desktop or on the Start menu.)
2. Fill in the appropriate administrative account credentials in the Run As dialog box.
3. When Internet Explorer launches, type C:\ in the Address bar.

After you follow these steps, Windows Explorer will appear in the same window, and it will be running with administrative privileges.

Internet Explorer 7

If you’re using Internet Explorer 7, the steps for Internet Explorer 6 won’t work because, as part of the new security features in version 7, Internet Explorer is no longer integrated with Windows Explorer. You must use the standard method for launching Windows Explorer with administrative privileges. Here’s how:

1. Log on to the computer with the Administrator account.
2. Access the Control Panel and launch Folder Options.
3. When you see the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab.
4. Scroll down the Advanced Settings list and select the Launch Folder Windows In A Separate Process check box, click OK, and then log off.

Windows Explorer, XP, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Windows Explorer, XP, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Have you used MSCONFIG in XP? And in VISTA? Well have you compared the two? There is a slight difference in the VISTA version of MSCONFIG.

The General tab

In XP, the General tab offers three radio-button choices: Normal Startup (the default), Diagnostic Startup and Selective Startup. However, the Selective Startup choice in Vista is missing several options.

• “Process SYSTEM.INI” and “Process WIN.INI” are no longer available, due to those system files being completely deprecated in Vista.
• “Use original / modified BOOT.INI” has also been removed, since Windows Vista no longer uses BOOT.INI to hold its startup parameters.
• The “Launch System Restore” and “Expand File” buttons are gone. The former can be launched from the Start menu (just type “Restore” in the Start Menu Search box to find it); the latter was used to expand files from within a .CAB file. Since .CAB files can now be browsed in Explorer as if they were merely subfolders, this function isn’t needed anymore.

The SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI and BOOT.INI tabs have been removed?again, because these system files are no longer required in Windows Vista. The first two were only required for 16-bit program compatibility and the last, as mentioned above, has been superseded by the hidden, binary files used by the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) block. Actually, the BOOT.INI tab is now just the Boot tab, and lets you add new boot entries and edit existing ones (something I’ll explore in detail in a future tip).

Services and Startup tabs

The Services and Startup tabs in Windows Vista’s MSCONFIG are almost exactly the same as in Windows XP. One new addition: Both tabs contain a “Date Disabled” column, which contains the last date the service or startup item in question was manually disabled. The “Hide all Microsoft services” checkbox (in Services) is still present and still works fine.

Tools tab

This tab is entirely new to MSCONFIG in Windows Vista and contains shortcuts to some commonly needed tools, each with a descriptive label: Intenet Options, Task Manager, Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, and so on.

Two other entries will specifically interest Windows Vista users: Enable UAC and Disable UAC. Both options modify the Registry so that UAC will be either enabled or disabled on the next boot. (If you’re worried about some other program trying to hijack MSCONFIG and disable UAC manually, bear in mind that MSCONFIG needs to have a UAC authorization to run in the first place, and any Registry changes cannot take place without a privilege elevation in the first place.)

VIA: TechTarget

Vista, XP, MSCONFIG, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista, XP, MSCONFIG, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Try Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder. It is light and best of all, its free. Upon installed it will look for all Microsoft related application?s product key, as showned in the image above.

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder also allows you to edit your CD Key, as well as saving them (or even print) for future references.

Download Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder v2.0 Beta

VIA i2d

So you haven’t had a heart to install Vista! Right! Well then get going. I mean why not test out Windows Vista without even buying/installing on any of your machine!

To test out Windows Vista, visit: http://www.windowsvistatestdrive.com/

You will be able to choose which edition of Windows Vista to test. 

The above website will be hosting the virtual machines of Windows Vista and will stream it to your javascript enabled browser running Internet Explorer.

Note: Currently only US and Canada visitors can run the virtual machines.

VIA MSBlog

These step-by-step guides help IT Professionals learn about and evaluate Windows Server 2008.
These documents are downloadable versions of guides found in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library.

“I’ll be changing my job next year, and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume,” said Gates in a reference to his plan to shift full time into philanthropy.

Gates, who dropped out of Harvard and co-founded Microsoft Corp. (Charts, Fortune 500) to become the world’s richest person, stopped off at his former stomping grounds to collect an honorary law degree.

“We recognize the most illustrious member of the Harvard College class of 1977 never to have graduated from Harvard,” said Harvard University Provost Steven Hyman. “It seems high time that his alma mater hand over the diploma.”

“I’ve been waiting for more than 30 years to say this: Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree,” Gates, 51, told the crowd, which included his father, also named Bill.

Read@Source