How do I make Windows 7 HomeGroup content accessible to Vista and XP?

As I explained in “How Do I Create and Configure a Network with Windows 7 HomeGroup?” the HomeGroup feature in Microsoft Windows 7 is an enhanced version of a peer-to-peer workgroup designed to make sharing files and folder easier on a home or small business network. I then showed you how to create and join a HomeGroup with Windows 7.

In “Extend Default Folder Sharing Capabilities in Windows 7 HomeGroup,” I explained how Libraries are used to share folders and files and also described other built-in features that you can use to extend folder sharing capabilities in a Windows 7 HomeGroup. Read more.

Simplify file management with the XCopy Tool

If you needed to copy hundreds of files from one local hard disk to another or from one system to another across a network, would you perform the operation from Windows Explorer? Possibly. However, if you wanted to do something fancy, such as copy only those files that have changed on or after a certain date or maybe copy only those files that have the archive bit set, performing the operation in Windows Explorer would be time consuming and difficult. So you’d probably shell out to a Command Prompt window and use the good old DOS-based XCopy command, along with its detailed set of switches.

Since XCopy is still a viable file management tool, I updated the XCopy Tool, an HTML application I created back in 2002. This updated version, which you can download for free, works in Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Read more.

The Flashlight - An IT Pro's Best Friend!

IT Professionals employ all sorts of specialized tools in their jobs. While most of these tools are software based or involve computerized hardware, many of them are pretty traditional tools like a pliers or a screwdriver. Among these types of traditional tools is the flashlight. When it comes to investigating dark corners in a server room, pulling cables through the ceiling, or just connecting cables to the back of a computer under a desk in a cubicle, flashlights are an IT professional’s best friend.

In this gallery, I’ll present a collection of very interesting flashlights and flashlight accessories that you might find useful in your day-to-day work as an IT professional. Check it out!

Extend default folder sharing capabilities in Windows 7 HomeGroup

In the last edition on the Windows Vista and Windows 7 report, How do I create and configure a network with Windows 7 HomeGroup?, I showed you how to create, configure, and take advantage of a HomeGroup. As I did so, I explained that after you have two or more Windows 7 systems joined to a HomeGroup, you can launch Computer, and expand the HomeGroup section in the Navigation pane in order to see other systems in the HomeGroup. When you do, you can access the shared libraries on any system in the HomeGroup. Read more.

10 books every IT pro should read

As an IT professional, chances are you read a lot. And, it’s a good bet that most of what you read consists of manuals and other technical books and articles directly related to your work. However, you really owe it to yourself read other types of IT-related books. For example, reading nonfiction IT-related books can help you gain different perspectives on the industry, while reading fictional books about IT will allow you to relax and enjoy the industry. So as we get ready to close the book (pun intended) on the first decade of the 2000s, I thought I would compile a list of 10 books I think every IT pro should read.

How do I create and configure a network with Windows 7 HomeGroup?

The HomeGroup feature in Windows 7 is essentially a peer-to-peer workgroup/network that has been redesigned to make it simpler for home users to set up a home network. While this is essentially true, there is more to a Windows 7’s HomeGroup feature than meets the eye.

Even though a HomeGroup works like a standard peer-to-peer workgroup, behind the scenes it does in fact share some of the networking functionality of a domain. For example, the computers in a HomeGroup have an inherent machine trust and there are consistent user identities throughout the network. As such, the Windows 7 HomeGroup feature is ideal for a small- to medium-sized business network — despite the name. Read more.

Product Spotlight: EASEUS Partition Master

If you need more partitioning power than the Windows operating system’s native Disk Management provides, you should take a closer look at EASEUS Partition Master 4.1.1. This utility offers all the standard and advanced features you’d want to have available in a disk partitioning tool, it supports Windows 7, and it comes in three versions to fit all levels and budgets. Read more.

Check out the Windows 7 Control Panel Walkthrough series

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Control Panel Walkthrough Photo Gallery series in which I show you every tool in each of the Control Panel categories. As I do, I provide you with a brief overview of what each tool does.

Each of the Windows 7 Control Panel Walkthroughs in this series exists as a TechRepublic Photo Gallery on the TechRepublic site. To make all of these Galleries easily accessible as a useful resource, I’ve created this blog entry to provide a brief summary of the Galleries and to provide a central location that links to each one. Check it out!.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Ease of Access Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the Ease of Access category.

Take full advantage of Jump Lists in Windows 7 with these tips

As you probably know by now, the new Jump Lists feature in Microsoft Windows 7 is designed to make it easier to find what you want and perform common tasks associated with an application. Jump Lists appear on the Start menu as well as on the Taskbar. Like anything new, Jump Lists may take a while to get used to using. However, if you jump right in (pun intended) and start using Jump Lists, you will surely begin to recognize the boost in efficiency that they can bring to your every day computing life. Read more.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Clock, Language, and Region Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the tools in the Clock, Language, and Region category.

Add the ARP Gadget to your troubleshooting toolbox

The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a key TCP/IP protocol that is used to determine the physical address of the network card that corresponds to an IP address. When you’re troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity problems on a Windows network, you may need to investigate or modify the ARP cache as you look for problems.

Windows comes with a command-line utility called ARP, which you can use to display or adjust the contents of the ARP cache of either a local or remote system. To make the tool easier to use, I created the ARP Gadget, which automates the ARP command.

Evaluate the efficiency of Windows 7 Power Plan settings

A colleague recently asked me if was really true that Windows 7 power management settings were more efficient and would allow longer battery life when running on a laptop. I told him that based on my experience with running Windows 7 on my laptop; it did indeed appear to be true that improvements in Windows 7 power-management technologies provided me with longer battery life.

Of course, in order to get as much battery power as possible out of a single charge, I must admit that I did spend some time tweaking my Power Plan settings in the Control Panel’s Power Options tool. I also uncovered a new feature in Windows 7’s PowerCfg command line tool that allowed me to evaluate the efficiency of my Power Plan settings.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll briefly examine Windows 7’s Power Plans. I’ll then show you how to use Windows 7’s PowerCfg command line tool to evaluate the efficiency of your Power Plan settings.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Appearance and Personalization Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the tools in the Appearance and Personalization category.

Explore the Windows 7 Application Compatibility List for IT Professionals

In the October 9th edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, The Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program ensures compatibility for Windows 7, I explained that in addition to improving performance of the new operating system, Microsoft put a great deal of effort into making sure that Windows 7 is extremely compatible with new and existing hardware and software.

To make these compatibility investigations more productive for IT professionals, this week Microsoft released the Windows 7 Application Compatibility List for IT Professionals, an Excel-based spreadsheet that provides one-stop access to a complete list of software applications (more than 5,500 applications) which have undergone the Windows 7 Logo Program testing program for compatibility with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll examine the Windows 7 Application Compatibility List for IT Professionals spreadsheet and provide you with an overview of what you can find in it.

Get quick access to troubleshooting info with the Netstat Gadget

The difficulty in troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity problems on a Windows network stems from the sheer number of connections and services on a particular system. Identifying the status of the connections and determining which services are running can help you narrow down the search, but doing so takes time. However, an underused Windows command-line utility, Netstat, can shorten the time it takes to hunt down rogue connections by quickly providing information about client services and TCP/IP communications.

Unfortunately, because Netstat is a command-line tool, admins often avoid it. So to make the Netstat tool a bit easier to use, I created the Netstat Gadget, which automates the Netstat command.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: User Accounts and Family Safety Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the User Accounts and Family Safety Control Panel category.

10 antivirus programs for Windows 7

Now that Windows 7 is out, chances are that evildoers the world over are busily scheming and dreaming up new and horrendous malware to target the new operating system in yet an another attempt to bring the computing world to its knees.

Of course, one could say that Windows 7 is probably one of the most secure operating systems ever to come out of Redmond; however, that doesn’t mean that Windows 7 doesn’t need the extra protection provided by an antivirus program. And due to the success of the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program, a lot of programs are vying for the opportunity to protect Windows 7. Here are 10 antivirus programs that have earned the Compatible with Windows 7 logo.

Take the productivity benefits of Snap, Shake, and Peek seriously

While many will simply brush off the new Aero UI features, Snap, Shake and Peek, as being nothing more than eye candy in Microsoft Windows 7, these three items have actually been designed to address the lack of any real improvement in a very common task that has been around since Windows came into being — managing multiple open windows.

If you’ve been working with the Windows operating system for a while, then you know that the problem of managing multiple open windows is an old one and that over the years, Microsoft really hasn’t devised anything new for you to more efficiently work with multiple open windows. Sure, there have been many advances in task management, but when it comes down to actual window management, there hasn’t been much innovation. That’s what makes Snap, Shake, and Peek so exciting.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll examine the management of multiple open windows in the Windows operating system over the years. I’ll then focus on the windows management solutions offered by the new Aero UI features: Snap, Shake, and Peek.

Even more classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten

The first and second installments of classic Microsoft commercials and videos Classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten and More classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten were so popular that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post the last batch of the collection. So without further ado, here are even more classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Programs Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the tools in the Programs Control Panel category.

Capture unallocated disk space from an XP to Windows 7 dual-boot migration

In the first article in this series, Create a Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system staged for an easy migration, I showed you how to resize your existing Windows XP partition and then install Windows 7 in a dual-boot configuration on the same hard disk. In the second article in this series, Migrate to Windows 7 from an XP dual-boot configuration, I showed you how to safely undo the Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system, remove Windows XP, and just boot Windows 7 as your primary OS.

As you’ll remember, after completing the steps in the second article, your system boots up in Windows 7, just as if it was the only partition on the hard disk; however, the partition that used to hold Windows XP is still at the beginning of the disk and marked as unallocated.

Fortunately, I tracked down Partition Wizard Home Edition, which in addition to supporting Windows 2000/XP/Vista, provides support for Windows 7 — both 32 bit and 64 bit. Partition Wizard Home Edition is a Free partition manager from MT Solution that is easy to use and will allow you to redistribute that unallocated space at the beginning of the hard disk back to drive C, thus making Windows 7 the first and only partition on the hard disk.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use Partition Wizard Home Edition to safely accomplish this operation.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Hardware and Sound Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the tools in the Hardware and Sound Control Panel category.

Migrate to Windows 7 from an XP dual-boot configuration

In last week’s edition of the Windows Vista & 7 Report, Create a Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system staged for an easy migration, I showed you how to resize your existing Windows XP partition and then install Windows 7 in a dual-boot configuration on the same hard disk. As you’ll remember, the goal was to make the task of migrating your settings, documents, and applications from XP to Win 7 a much more relaxed experience since you can boot into Windows XP to check out how something is set up and then boot into Windows 7 to re-create the same configuration.

Once you complete your migration and are comfortable working in Windows 7, you’ll want to remove the dual-boot configuration, remove Windows XP, and just boot Windows 7 as your primary OS. In this edition of the Windows Vista & Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to safely undo Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system so that you can complete your migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Put the Route command to work with the help of this Windows gadget

When you’re troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity problems on a Windows network, you may need to investigate the current IP routing table and add or delete specific IP routes. Windows comes with a command-line tool called Route that you can use to reveal and edit this type of information. Unfortunately, the Route tool is stuck in the DOS-based world of the command line, so it’s often avoided when it’s time to troubleshoot TCP/IP connectivity problems that may be rooted in the routing table.

To make the Route tool easier to use, I’ve moved it out of the command line and created the Route Gadget. Let’s take a closer look at this tool.

What Windows 7 means to security administrators

As you know, ever since Windows XP SP2, Microsoft has been very serious about operating security. And while Windows Vista may have been a flop in the performance and compatibility areas, it wasn’t ever criticized for its lack of security. In fact, one of Vista’s main detractions was its over emphasis on the security of locking down the system via the heavy hand of User Account Control (UAC).

Well, with Windows 7, Microsoft has toned down UAC a bit (while not letting up on security) and added a whole slew of security features that will benefit both the end user and the security administrator. Let’s take a closer look.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Network and Internet Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. The second one covers the tools in the Network and Internet Control Panel category.

Create a Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system staged for an easy migration

If you’re like of lot of Windows users out there, you skipped Vista and are still running XP on your computer. You’ve been waiting for October 22 and now that it’s here you’re ready to try Windows 7. You’re system is relatively new, about three- to four-years old, and you’ve run Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and your hardware is well on par with Windows 7’s requirements. However, you’re not quite ready to give up XP just yet.

Well in that case you can use Easeus Partition Master Home Edition to easily resize your existing Windows XP partition and then install Windows 7 in a dual-boot configuration on the same hard disk. Read more.

Windows 7 Walkthrough: System and Security Control Panel

Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.

To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. The first one covers the tools in the System and Security Control Panel category.

Expedite TCP/IP troubleshooting with our PathPing Gadget

When you’re troubleshooting TCP/IP problems on your network, chances are the first tool you head for is the Ping utility. By default, the Ping utility sends four ICMP (Internet control message protocol) echo packets to a remote computer and listens for the replies. You can then use the information generated by the utility to move on to the next troubleshooting step. In some cases, you may find that this second step involves using the Tracert utility, which traces a packet to a remote computer, showing how many hops the packet requires to reach the host and how long each hop takes. As it does so, it displays the FQDN (fully qualified domain name) and IP address of each gateway along the route to the remote computer.

While the results generated by these two utilities provide a good view of the problem, you can get all this information, and more, by using the PathPing command. As you can surmise from its name, PathPing is basically a hybrid of the Tracert and Ping utilities bundled into one utility. However, PathPing is a more powerful troubleshooting tool than either of its predecessors. It generates a detailed statistical report that can more precisely indicate the cause of the network problem.

As a follow-up to the popular IPConfig Gadget, I decided to create a gadget to automate the PathPing command. Let’s take a closer look at the PathPing Gadget.

10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone say, “For all the money I’ve spent on Microsoft products, they should be giving me free software by now,” I’d be rich! Well, unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. But Microsoft does have a lot of Windows software that is free for the taking. We’re all familiar with the free Windows Live offerings, but that’s not all there is. Microsoft has a lot of free software just waiting for you to find it. You just have to know where to look.

Here are 10 free programs to get you started.

Tap into the power of Libraries in Windows 7

As you know, Microsoft Windows 7 is just right around the corner. On October 22nd, you’ll be able to finally get a copy of the new operating system and install it for yourself. When you do, you’ll be able to experience firsthand all of the new and enhanced productivity features that you have been hearing so much about, such as the XP Mode, Jump Lists, Taskbar, Aero (Peek, Shake, and Snap), Search or Location-Aware Printing just to name a few.

But there is another dramatic new feature that really hasn’t received as much notice as some of the others but it will definitely change, for the better, the way that you think about, access, and organize the data files on your computer — this new feature are the Libraries. Read more.

Windows 7 Professional feature to feature comparison chart

Wondering how Windows 7 Professional stacks up to its predecssors, Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Business? If so, then you need to check out the Windows Professional Feature Comparison Chart.

100 keyboard shortcuts for moving faster in Windows 7

Along with Windows 7’s new features comes a set of new keyboard shortcuts.

You don't have to experiment to find out which traditional shortcuts still work in Windows 7 -- or search for ones that have been added to the new OS. Just refer to this quick reference to speed common Windows 7 tasks.

The Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program ensures compatibility for Windows 7

We all remember what a compatibility nightmare Microsoft Windows Vista was between the time that it launched in January 2007 and the release of SP1 in April 2008. Unfortunately, software and hardware manufacturers and Microsoft were not on the same page when Vista launched and it took them close to year to get to that point. As you can imagine, the folks at Microsoft are very determined not to repeat that bit of history with Windows 7.

In fact, in February of this year Microsoft announced the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program, which is designed to help Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), developers, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and Original Device Manufacturers (ODMs) work towards compatibility with Windows 7 by providing them with access to all kinds of resources. I discuss the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program in this edition of the Windows Vista & 7 Report.

Use System Restore to overcome a lost Administrator password

Even though I wear the tech guru pants in our household, my wife insists on maintaining her own Vista system — she’s my toughest customer. Fortunately, she does take my advice when she is unsure of the necessary steps and I was able to get her to use a Standard User account and then to provide the Administrator credentials at the UAC prompts, as a security precaution.

Because I’m always talking about security and passwords, she recently changed the Administrator password in order to keep her system safe. Unfortunately, a few weeks later when she needed to make a change to her system, she realized that she completely forgot the new password. Of course, this snafu was now my problem to fix.

Now, being a very customer oriented tech, I calmly assured her that everything was going to be just fine. While she does have a password reset disk for her user account, we never created one for the Administrator account.

Fortunately, I remembered seeing a Microsoft Help and Support article about being able to use System Restore to gain access to a system on which the Administrator account password was forgotten.

To my surprise, the procedure worked without a hitch and I won the best tech of the year award. Seriously now, since this is a great technique to have in your tech support toolbox and because it will work in both Windows Vista and Windows 7, I thought that I would share it with TechRepublic readers.

In this edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use System Restore and a Windows DVD to revive a lost Administrator password.

Google Easter Eggs, Pranks, & Oddities

Everyone who surfs the net knows that the folks at Google are truly innovative and are always coming up with new and exciting technological advances. However, sometimes all that creative energy turns to mischievous endeavors. Don't believe us? Well take a look at this gallery.

Expand the number of Windows 7 installs with bootable VHDs

When you begin experimenting with Microsoft Windows 7, chances are good that you’ll want to have several installations of the new operating system on which to test various configurations, settings, and applications. While you could install Windows 7 on several machines for your test environment, wouldn’t it be great if you could quickly and easily create several installations on the same system?

I recently learned that Microsoft has made available several techniques that you can use to create bootable Windows 7 virtual hard disks (VHDs) that run like a dual boot setup. For example, you can convert a Windows 7 Windows Image Format (WIM) file to a VHD, you can Sysprep an existing Windows 7 VHD, or you can create a VHD using the Windows 7 DVD and the DiskPart command.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to create a VHD using the Windows 7 DVD and the DiskPart command. (I’ll cover the other techniques in future editions.)

Product Spotlight: IBE Software's HelpNDoc documentation tool

If you are working on a documentation project that requires you to create both an online Help system and printed documentation from a single source, then you need to need to investigate IBE Software’s HelpNDoc Help Authoring environment. In addition to being very easy to use, it is inexpensive and will allow you to create professional looking documentation.

More classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten

The first installment of “Classic Microsoft Commercials and Videos You May Have Forgotten” was such a hit that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to revisit this topic. So without further ado, here are more classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten.

Taking a closer look at UAC prompts

As you know, Windows Vista has a built-in security feature called User Account Control (UAC for short) that is designed to reduce the potential for security breaches. UAC forces all users, even administrators, to request permission via the UAC prompt in order to perform tasks that require administrative privileges. Standard users must be able to provide an Administrator user name and password and Administrators must simply consent to the operation.

While this is all pretty familiar territory to Vista users, that fact that there are actually four types of UAC prompts each with a different color scheme isn't. Sure we've all encountered UAC prompts, but most of us think of them in generic terms. Seriously, who among us has actually taken the time to look at the color scheme of a UAC? We usually just click a button as fast as we can to move past the prompt. However, like the Homeland Security color levels, each of the successive UAC color coding schemes is designed to convey a greater sense of warning.

In this gallery, I'll take a closer look at each type of UAC prompt and point out the different color schemes.

Download the IPConfig Gadget to simplify troubleshooting in Vista

The IPConfig command can be invaluable when troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity problems. Unfortunately, this handy command is a command-line tool, which means that using it can be a painstaking operation that requires you to type the IPConfig command over and over again with a different switch for each operation.

To alleviate some of that tedious labor, I created the Windows XP IP Configuration Tool several years ago. Recently, I created the Windows Vista IP Configuration Tool for Vista, whose IPConfig command offers five more options than XP and requires working through a UAC prompt.

In the discussion thread for the Vista version, TechRepublic member jvdgijp suggested that I convert the tool, which is an HTML application, into a Vista gadget. Several other members echoed that request, so I got to work and created the IPConfig Gadget.

Temporarily disable User Account Control prompts in Vista

I’ve been receiving a lot of email lately from Microsoft Windows XP users who are buying discounted Windows Vista computers now in order to get the free Windows 7 upgrade. Most of the questions revolve around how best to deal with Windows Vista’s User Account Control (UAC). As you know, going from XP to Vista and encountering UAC prompts for the first time can be very frustrating — especially if you consider yourself an experienced computer user who isn’t likely to fall into the kind of traps that UAC is designed to protect computer users from. As such, many of these users have permanently disabled UAC in order to avoid what they perceive to be a regular onslaught of “Are you sure?” type of prompts.

However, I recently discovered a technique that will allow you to temporarily disable UAC during those times when you know that you will be performing operations that generate a lot of UAC prompts and then re-enable UAC when you are done. That way you will be able to avoid UAC prompts when they are most likely to occur, yet leave the UAC protection in place when it will most likely save you from disaster.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll explain this technique and show you how to use it to your advantage.

10 IE8 Accelerators worth checking out

In the article Go fast on the Web with IE8 Accelerators, I introduced Internet Explorer 8’s handy Accelerators feature and showed you how to get the most out of it. Now as a follow-up, I’m going to point you toward some of the best Accelerators for techies.

Here are 10 IE8 Accelerators you should definitely take a look at.

Go fast on the Web with IE8 Accelerators

I’ve been using Windows 7 Ultimate exclusively on my laptop for close to five months and now find it more and more difficult to go back to my Vista Ultimate desktop, where I do most of my work. My desktop is a very responsive system and I’ve not had many problems with Vista. A glitch here and there, but no show stoppers. However, after using Windows 7, Windows Vista leaves a bit to be desired.

One thing I have really grown to love in Windows 7 is Internet Explorer 8 and the Accelerators feature. While Internet Explorer 8 has been available for some time now, I have resisted putting it on my Vista system for purist motives. The other day, I caved and added Internet Explorer 8 to my main Vista system. Boy, am I ever glad that I did, because I never realized how handy the Accelerators feature was until I began using it more regularly.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll explore Internet Explorer 8’s Accelerators feature and show you how to get the most out of it.

10 things you should know about moving from Windows XP to Windows 7

If you skipped Windows Vista and stuck with Windows XP, chances are good that you are now seriously considering moving to Windows 7 after it’s released on October 22. If so, there is much for you to do. Not only should you begin planning for your operating system migration, but you should begin learning as much as you can about Windows 7.

Here are 10 things you can do to get ready for the switch.

Configure a USB flash drive for Windows 7 installation: Revisited

In my August 18th blog post, Configure a USB flash drive to be a Windows 7 installation platform, I showed you how to use the DiskPart utility to configure a bootable USB flash drive that you can then use to install the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

In the Discussion Thread stemming from that blog post, I was asked several questions that prompted me to revisit this technique.

The Evolution of Windows Icons

As the Windows operating system has evolved, so too have many of its icons. As Windows 7 comes on to the scene with new user interface features, I recently began looking back at the changes in the icons that we all click on every day. While I discovered that many icons have changed with each new version of Windows, I also discovered that many stayed the same over several different versions.

In this gallery, I’ll take a look at some of the Windows icons that have evolved over the years.

Dinosaur Sightings: Microsoft Arcade for Windows 3.1

In 1993, Microsoft released a game package called Microsoft Arcade that contained re-creations of 5 classic Atari arcade games from the 1980’s:

Asteroids
Battlezone
Centipede
Missile Command
Tempest

Take a trip back in time with this picture gallery of five classic arcade games.

Save time and keystrokes with the Windows Vista IP Configuration Tool

When you’re troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity problems, chances are good that you shell out to the command line and use the IPConfig command. While this is indeed a powerful tool, using it can be a painstaking operation that requires you to type the IPConfig command over and over again with a different switch for each operation.

To alleviate some of that tedious labor, I created the Windows Vista IP Configuration Tool, which presents each of the IPConfig command-line tool’s switches in one dialog box.

Microsoft adamant we use the Ribbon interface in Vista and beyond

Rumors are running rampant on the Web that Microsoft is planning to ribbonize Windows Vista’s built-in applications — WordPad and Paint. If you have been using Windows for a while, you surely recognize this as an extremely odd play for Microsoft. When have they ever taken a new technology designed for new applications and put it in older applications? Unless, it was supposed to have been there all along? If Ribbons had appeared in WordPad and Paint before Office 2007, would the UI transition have been as tough?

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll analyze the rumor that Microsoft is planning to add Ribbons to Windows Vista. As I do, I’ll explore the idea that it could be possible that Ribbons were supposed to have been a part of the Windows operating system’s built-in applications before they appeared in Office 2007.

Weird Error Messages

When something goes wrong in Windows, you would hope that the error message dialog box would contain some helpful information to assist you in finding the solution to the problem. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. In fact, sometimes the error messages are downright confusing or at the very least, simply weird. In this gallery, we’ll take a look at 24 confusing or weird error messages.

10 ways to get the most out of Bing

Using Google to search for everything is so ingrained into our computer-user personas, it’s hard to imagine using anything else. Even so, Bing does offer a lot of features that make it a worthy addition to your Internet browsing toolkit, once you learn more about what the site has to offer. Here are 10 things you should know about using Bing.

Configure a USB flash drive to be a Windows 7 installation platform

I recently discovered a technique on the Microsoft TechNet Magazine site that describes how you can use a USB flash drive to install Windows 7.

This technique is very cool for two reasons: First, a flash drive is much more responsive than an optical drive since it doesn’t rely on physically moving components, so the installation procedure will be faster. Second, it provides an easy way to install Microsoft Windows 7 on a system that doesn’t have a DVD drive, such as a netbook

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the DiskPart utility to configure a bootable USB flash drive that you can then use to install the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

Change the registration information in Windows Vista with this handy tool

When you install Windows Vista, a part of the installation procedure prompts you to enter your name and you company’s name. This information can then be displayed in the About dialog box, which you can access by pulling down the Help menu and selecting the About command in any native Vista application. You can also display the About Windows dialog box by typing Winver in the Start Search box or in the Run dialog box

This registration information is stored in the registry and can be changed by carefully editing the data with the Registry Editor. However, not everyone is comfortable with firing up the Registry Editor and delving into the registry.

That’s why I created the Vista Registration Changer utility, an HTML Application (HTA) that combines HTML, Windows Script Host, and VBScript to create nice little GUI application for easily changing the registration information. Read more.

Classic Microsoft commercials and videos you may have forgotten

Everybody is now familiar with the Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld Vista commercials as well as the I’m a PC commercials that Microsoft began using as retaliation to the Apple’s Hello, I’m a Mac series of commercials. However, Microsoft’s advertising campaigns have a long history.

In this blog post, I’ll take a look back at some of Microsoft’s classic Windows commercials. I’ll also toss in a host of other Microsoft related videos for your entertainment pleasure.

Enjoy

Elevate privileges automatically with Elevation PowerToys

I recently received an e-mail from a reader who asked me if there was a better way to elevate privileges when running scripts in Microsoft Windows Vista. He went on to explain that the only existing procedure for doing so was kludgy and removed the convenience factor inherent in using a script to automate a task.

That’s when I realized that I hadn’t written about the Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista, which were specifically designed to address this problem.

In this edition of the Windows 7 and Windows Vista Report, I’ll introduce you to the Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista and show you how to use them to more easily launch scripts that require elevated privileges

Input this: Wild and wacky keyboards

Who says that keyboards have to be boring?

In this gallery, I’ll present a collection of 19 very interesting keyboards and one accessory that you can use to spice up your plain old white keyboard.

10 cool things you can do with a USB flash drive

Transporting your data is probably the most common use for a USB flash drive. But there’s a world of other things you can do with these handy pocket-size drives. Here are 10 ways you can use that USB flash drive to do more than just move data.

Microsoft Windows 7 final pricing is revealed and analyzed

Well, the Windows 7 pricing saga has come to an end. On Friday July 31, Microsoft tied up the loose ends by revealing the prices for the rest of its Windows 7 products — Windows Anytime Upgrade and Family Pack Pricing — on the Windows 7 Blog. Let’s take a look at the details.

The RTM version of Windows 7 is ready, but are you ready for it?

Shortly after last week’s Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report blog was published, Microsoft did it — they announced the Release To Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7.

Wow, this is great news, and I would suggest that we all put aside our gripes about Microsoft for a moment and offer them our warm congratulations on reaching this milestone in a timely manner. After a moment or two, feel free to resume complaining.

Improve multiple-monitor support with DisplayFusion

One of the nice features in Microsoft Windows Vista is its built-in support for multiple monitors. I’ve been taking advantage of a multiple-monitor configuration ever since the feature first became available in Windows 98, and now I feel cramped if I have to work on a system with only one monitor.

Fortunately, DisplayFusion allows you to really take advantage of multiple monitors by providing you with a host of features that will help you get the most out of a multiple-monitor configuration

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to DisplayFusion and show you some of my favorite features.

A retrospective of Windows packaging: Paper or plastic

If you purchased Windows Vista, you know that the packaging represented a completely new design. The traditional cardboard box was gone and in its place was a small, hard, plastic container with sleek curves that gave a futuristic look. Unfortunately, the boxes were very difficult to open.

Recently, Microsoft revealed the packaging for Windows 7 and announced that the new design will look like the Vista packaging, but the new boxes will be much easier to open.

In this, picture gallery we’ll take a look at Windows packaging over the years.

10 cool ways to get more mileage out of Adobe Reader 8 and 9

PDF documents have become ubiquitous on the Web, and chances are good that you encounter them almost every day. When you do, you can either open a PDF from within your Web browser via the Adobe Reader plug-in or from within the stand-alone Adobe Reader program. Either way, once you open a PDF file, you probably jump right in and begin reading the content. While that is all well and good, many features are built into Adobe Reader that you can use to make the experience easier and more satisfying. Here are 10 things you might not know about viewing documents in Adobe Reader 8 and 9

Microsoft Windows 7 pricing deals spark interest and controversy

In a recent post on his ZDNet blog, Ed Bott reported that he had uncovered details confirming both the availability and the price of the Windows 7 Family Pack and three Anytime Upgrade products for Windows 7 in a couple of inadvertently posted Web pages. That blog sparked quite a bit of interest in the following days as the story spread across the Internet via quotes and links. It seems that a lot of people are interested in finding out whether Microsoft is going to continue offering pricing deals, like the special, time-limited offer, Windows 7 preorder campaign, in order to help users feel compensated for all the pain caused by Vista.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I'll take a look at the Windows pricing already revealed by Microsoft recently on The Windows Blog.

Legacy compatibility is a reality with Virtual Windows XP in Windows 7

In my recent blog, “Determine if Your Hardware Can Support Windows XP Mode in Windows 7,” I described the procedures that I went through to determine if the hardware on my Windows 7 test system would support Windows XP Mode. (While this new feature is being referred to as Windows XP Mode, the actual installation is called Virtual Windows XP.) Learn more.

Get a handful of useful Windows Vista configuration tips and tricks

As you probably know by now, Microsoft Windows 7 is just around the corner with its scheduled release date of October 22, 2009. However, not everyone is going to jump on the Windows 7 bandwagon when it first arrives, and many of you who made the move to Vista will stick with it for a while. Chances are good that you are still on the lookout for some handy tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the operating system.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll share a handful of useful Windows Vista configuration tips and tricks.

Determine if your hardware can support Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

One of the most innovative features in Windows 7, from an IT perspective that is, is the new Windows XP Mode. This feature makes it easy to install and run Windows XP applications right from within Windows 7 by way of hardware-based virtualization technology and the new Windows Virtual PC utility — the successor to Microsoft Virtual PC.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll help you cut through all the hype surrounding the hardware requirements for running Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 by describing the procedures that I went through to determine if my hardware would support Windows XP Mode. In future articles, I’ll explain the Windows XP Mode installation procedure and show you in more detail the benefits of running Windows XP Mode in Windows 7.

10 things you should know about Windows XP's System Restore tool

Windows XP’s System Restore lets you restore your computer to a previous time if a problem occurs. To accomplish this feat, System Restore continuously monitors your system looking for significant changes to the operating system, such as an application or driver installation procedure, automatically creating a restore point when it detects an impending change.

System Restore will also create restore points every 24 hours. Restore points are essentially snapshots of your system state, which comprises crucial system files, including certain parts of the registry. System Restore maintains multiple restore points, which gives you the choice of restoring your computer to any number of previously saved states.

Here are 10 things you should know about Windows XP's System Restore tool.

Uncover the performance benefits of the Favorite Links list in Vista

I got an e-mail from a friend the other day asking why Microsoft had done away with the Places Bar in the Save and Open dialog boxes in Windows Vista. I was a bit surprised at first, but I wrote back and explained to my friend that Microsoft had not really done away with the Places Bar in Vista but had replaced it with the Favorite Links list, which essentially has the same functionality as XP’s Places Bar and much more. For example, not only does the Favorite Links list appear in the Save and Open dialog boxes, it also appears in Windows Explorer. Plus, the Favorite Links list is easier to customize than the Places bar.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll delve into the Favorite Links list feature and show you how to take full advantage of it. As I do, I’ll show you how to customize the Favorite Links list.

The three-application limit is out, Windows 7 Starter on netbooks is back in

As you may recall, in a recent blog, Is Microsoft Shooting Its Other Foot with Windows 7 on Netbooks? I was reminiscing about my 1995 HP Jornada and looking forward to getting a netbook with Windows 7 on it. I haven’t been ready to jump to Linux yet, and the thought of buying a 2009 computer running a 2001 operating system just doesn’t seem right to me. However, when I discovered that Microsoft had designated Windows 7 Starter as the operating system for netbooks and that this version was limited to running three concurrent applications, I was bewildered, confused, and annoyed.

Well, in a recent edition of the Windows 7 Team Blog, Brandon LeBlanc announced that Microsoft is making Windows 7 Starter available worldwide on small notebook PCs.

When I read this, I was very happy to learn that Microsoft was indeed listening and willing to adapt their plans to the wishes of its customers who want to be able to use Windows 7 on a netbook.

Restore a lost feature and install XP's Backup Utility into Windows Vista

My recent blog post, Microsoft Bows to Feedback and Brings Back Real File Backup in Windows 7, raised quite a bit of conversation in the TechRepublic Community Forums about how much members liked XP’s Backup Utility, which, by the way, was licensed by Microsoft from Veritas Software. This company specialized in storage management software, including the very popular Backup Exec for SOHO and NetBackup for the enterprise. (Incidentally, Backup Exec originally came from the Seagate Software acquisition.) With a heritage like this it is no wonder that Windows XP’s Backup Utility was so effective and easy to use, not to mention so well liked by XP users.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to install Windows XP’s Backup Utility in Windows Vista.

Microsoft bows to feedback and brings back real file backup in Windows 7

If you use the Backup Files option in Microsoft Windows Vista’s Backup and Restore Center, then you know that unlike the Backup Utility in Windows XP and the backup tools in all previous versions of the operating system, the Backup Files option in Vista doesn’t allow you to specifically select the files and folders that you want to back up.

In Windows 7, Microsoft has retooled the backup utility and bought back the ability to choose exactly which files and folders you want to back up. In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use Windows 7’s Backup and Restore tool to back up the files and folders that you choose.

Customize the [Windows]+E key shortcut to open what you want

I’ve recently received several requests from TechRepublic members wanting to reprogram or customize the [Windows] key. More specifically, people have asked me if there was a way to reprogram the [Windows]+E key shortcut such that, instead of launching Windows Explorer targeted on the Computer folder, [Windows]+E could be used to launch Windows Explorer targeted on the folder of your choice. For example, you might want the [Windows]+E key shortcut to open Documents. Fortunately, I’ve discovered a way to accomplish this task by using a free utility called AutoHotkey.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use AutoHotkey in Vista to reroute the [Windows]+E so that Windows Explorer opens a folder of your choice. As I do, I’ll provide you with a list of all the standard [Windows] key shortcuts.

Secure your USB drives with BitLocker To Go for Windows 7

When Microsoft introduced Windows Vista, one of the big security features in that operating system was BitLocker, a hard drive encryption scheme designed to protect sensitive data from being accessed on lost or stolen computers — mainly laptops.
With the huge increase in the use of very small, large capacity, USB drives, the potential for sensitive data to be lost or stolen has really become more of a problem because it is much easier to lose or steal a device no bigger than a package of chewing gum. To protect sensitive data stored on USB drives, Microsoft Windows 7 features the encryptions scheme called BitLocker To Go.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to BitLocker To Go and show you how it works on a 1GB USB thumb drive.

Get ready for Windows 7 RC with this FAQ

While I have been working with Microsoft Windows 7 for quite some time now, I downloaded the Windows 7 Release Candidate on May 5, 2009, just to experience the procedure. While I was an early bird downloader (I actually began my download at 11:45 p.m. on May 4 and let the download progress as I slept), the download went off without a hitch, and from what I’ve heard so far, there hasn’t been a repeat of the crash that took down the Windows 7 Beta download servers in January. The installation also went very smoothly, and this RC version of the operating system is amazingly responsive and very stable.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll present you with a brief Windows 7 RC FAQ combined with some of my initial experiences. In the coming weeks, I’ll continue to focus on various aspects of the RC version of the operating system.

Save energy with a good power plan for a Vista notebook

In this edition of the Windows Vista & Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you the proprietary power plan settings on my ASUS laptop and explain how they work. While these power plan settings are designed for this ASUS laptop, they are representative of the types of power plans that other manufacturers create for their laptops.

Is Microsoft shooting its other foot with Windows 7 on netbooks?

In this week’s Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, let’s consider whether Microsoft’s OS plans for the next generation of netbooks makes any sense.

Rein in the unbound storage appetite of Vista System Restore

I recently noticed that the hard disk on one of the Microsoft Windows Vista test systems that I use quite regularly began to fill up. This seemed odd to me because while I have a lot of data on the disk, the majority of it just test data (i.e. data that I copy over from my real system just so I have something to work with). I don’t really generate much, if any, data on that system. As such, I was a bit confused as to where all the disk space was going.

After a bit more investigation, I discovered that the problem was being caused by a configuration problem with Vista’s System Restore feature.

In this edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista & Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you what I discovered and how you can fix it. As I do, I’ll also explain how to use the Volume Shadow Copy Service Administration command-line tool, VSSAdmin.

Take a closer look at Windows 7's Jump List feature

Jump Lists are a new feature in Microsoft Windows 7 that are designed to make it easier to find what you want and perform common operations associated with an application. Jump Lists appear on the Start menu as well as on the Taskbar when you right-click on an icon. As I’ve been working with Windows 7, I’ve learned to take advantage of Jump Lists and really love the boost in computing efficiency.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to Windows 7’s Jump List feature. As I do, I’ll show you the Jump Lists for several applications and describe the features in more detail.

Tweak Windows Vista's Logon screen to meet your needs

While testing some options that affect the start up and shut down speed on a Microsoft Windows Vista system recently, I spent a lot of time staring at the Logon screen. During that time, I began to wonder about the possibility of making some changes to that screen.

For example, I wondered if I could change the Logon screen wallpaper. I wondered about removing the shutdown button from the Logon screen. I also wondered if I could add a legal notice to Vista’s Logon screen. While pursuing these quests, I also discovered that I could display logon statistics on the Logon screen.

Most of these Logon screen configuration screen changes could easily be made with a few registry tweaks. Changing the Logon screen wallpaper, however, requires a separate but free program. In this edition of the Windows Vista & Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to tweak Vista’s Logon screen.

Some big changes are coming for Windows Explorer in Windows 7

As you may remember, when Microsoft redesigned the user interface in Windows Vista, there were many changes made to Windows Explorer. While most of these change were for the better, there was room for improvement, and the Windows 7 team has spent a great deal of time and effort on honing the user interface in Windows Explorer.

In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll take a look at some of the many changes you’ll find in Windows 7’s Windows Explorer.

Return Windows Search results within a date range with advanced feature

Have you ever needed to search for a particular file or a set of files that you know you created between a certain set of dates? If you are running Microsoft Windows XP, performing such a search from the Search Companion was as easy as expanding the When Was It Modified? Section, selecting the Specify Dates option button, and either typing the dates in the From and To boxes or selecting the dates from the drop-down calendars.

However, in Vista, the Search Folder’s Date searching options do not allow you to choose beginning and ending dates.

In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to Vista’s Advanced Query Syntax and show you how to use it in conjunction with Windows Search. As I do, I’ll show you how to search for a particular file or a set of files that you know were created between a certain set of dates.

Microsoft cries uncle when it comes to bundled Windows 7 features

In my recent TechRepublic Microsoft Windows blog, “Be Ready for New and Improved Applets in Windows 7,” I told you that three of the four standard Windows applets have been endowed with some new features and updated user-interface components. In the ensuing discussion, many of you grumbled about having to put up with Windows default applets.

Well, for those of you who grumbled and for those of you who over the years have opted not to use, but still had to contend with, the Windows operating system’s default applets and features, have I got news for you! With the recent Release Candidate for Windows 7, Microsoft has finally given us more control over what Windows features we can turn off. They have also completely removed some features from the operating system.

As such, I think it is safe to say that Microsoft has finally given in to the demands of those Windows users who really want to be able to choose which features they want to use. (Antitrust lawsuits may have been a factor too.)

In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll tell you what features are gone and show you what features you can now turn off.

Automate Vista's Clip command line utility

As you may know, Microsoft Windows Vista includes a nifty little command line utility called Clip.exe that that is designed to redirect or pipe the output generated by a command line utility to the Windows clipboard. This can come in handy in a lot of different situations as it allows you to quickly get information from the command line into a Windows application. Using the Clip command is as easy as adding the pipe or the redirection symbol along with the clip command on the command line.

In this edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the Creative Element Power Tools to add the Clip utility to the context menu in Vista.

Be ready for new and improved applets in Windows 7

Back in March 2006, while evaluating the Microsoft Windows Vista February CTP (Community Technology Preview), build 5380, I wrote an article titled “Vista’s Recycled Applets Should Have Been Polished,” in which I admonished Microsoft for not putting any effort into improving or adding new features to the standard Windows applets: Notepad, WordPad, Paint, and Calculator.
While those applets never changed between the Windows Vista CTP and the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) versions, I was really happy to find that in the Beta 2 version of Windows 7, three of the four standard Windows applets have indeed been endowed with some new features and updated user-interface components.

In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you what’s new in these applets.

Be ready for new and improved applets in Windows 7

Use Bootsect to extract Vista or Windows 7 from a dual-boot configuration

I recently dug out one of the spare hard drives that I use on my test system to see what was on it. I discovered that it contained a dual-boot configuration consisting of Microsoft Windows XP and a late beta version of Windows Vista. The original boot partition of the drive contained XP, and Vista was installed on a second partition. Of course, this meant that Vista had installed its Windows Boot Manager and its Boot Configuration Data system on the boot partition.

I wanted to get rid of the Vista partition as well as its Windows Boot Manager system so that I could use XP and have access to the full hard disk. My first thought was to simply reformat the hard disk and then reinstall XP; however, the more I thought about that plan of action, the more it sounded like too much work. I was about to remove that particular hard disk and try another from the box when I remembered something about the Bootsect command.

After doing a bit of investigation, I found what I was looking for — the instructions listing the complete command line for using the Bootsect command to remove the Windows Boot Manager and its Boot Configuration Data system from the boot partition and replace it with XP’s NTLDR boot management system. Taking the next step, I discovered that the same command line will also work to remove Windows 7 Beta from a dual-boot configuration with XP.

In this Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the Bootsect command to extract Windows Vista or Windows 7 Beta from a dual-boot configuration.

Take advantage of tools to monitor memory usage in Windows 7

Ever since I discovered how to use the Windows 9x’s Resource Meter to keep track of system resources and prevent system crashes caused by depleting system resources when running more than one application at a time, I’ve made good use of Windows monitoring tools.

Over the years Microsoft has vastly improved the primitive Resource Meter and increasingly made it easier to see what is going on with the operating system’s use of memory. With Windows 7, I’ve discovered some slight, but notable, changes in the way that memory usage is reported on the Performance tab of the Task Manager. I have also noticed a very nice chart in the new Resource Monitor that provides very detailed information on physical memory usage at a glance.

In this issue of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll take a closer look at the changes on Task Manager’s Performance tab and investigate the Physical Memory usage chart.

Get rid of old device drivers hidden in Vista

In a recent edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, “Troubleshoot Vista System Drivers More Efficiently with These Tools,” I told you that while many of the most common driver problems have been solved, you may still incur strange or erratic problems related to drivers in Vista. I then showed you a couple of tools (Driver Query and Driver View) that you can use to gather information on device drivers. However, I was reminded that Windows Vista retains old drivers even if you upgrade or change hardware.

For example, Vista knows that removable USB devices aren’t always connected, but it retains the drivers so that they will be ready the next time you connect the device. So what happens to that driver if you never connect that device to your computer again?

Over time these unused, but still installed, drivers can cause problems if they inadvertently become enabled. They can cause hardware conflicts or just cause the system to behave erratically. Fortunately, in addition to using the tools described in the previous article, when you’re troubleshooting a problem in Vista that you suspect is related to a driver, you can locate and remove any old and unused drivers by enabling a special feature in Device Manager that allows it to display non-present devices.

In this issue of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use this special feature in Device Manager.

Explore the Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7

If you’ve ever worked a help desk and become extremely frustrated while trying to coax an end user into accurately describing the problem that has been encountered, you are going to love a new tool in Microsoft Windows 7 called the Problem Steps Recorder. When started, this new tool will essentially record each and every step a user takes and document the entire operation in both screen captures and step-by-step details. When stopped, the Problem Steps Recorder will save the recorded information as a compiled HTML file and package it up in a ZIP file that the end user can then e-mail to the help desk.

In this issue of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to the Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7.

More user options with User Account Control in Windows 7 Beta

In Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced User Account Control (UAC), which is designed to mitigate the impact of malware by locking down the desktop (the Secure Desktop feature) and displaying a notification dialog box that warns you of a possible unauthorized operation and prompts you to confirm or deny the operation.

This system will prevent unauthorized applications from automatically installing as well as prevent users from inadvertently making detrimental changes to system settings.

In Vista, UAC is very strictly controlled — you either have it on and in full-force protection mode or you disable it completely and fend for yourself; there is no middle ground. This extreme level of security is often mentioned as a big source of users’ extreme dislike of Vista.

In order to improve UAC’s image while still providing this type of security, Microsoft has modified UAC in Windows 7 Beta to give more control to the user when deciding how UAC works. In this Windows Vista Report, I’ll take a closer look at the new UAC features shown in Windows 7 Beta.

More user options with User Account Control in Windows 7 Beta

Explore the new Taskbar features in Windows 7 beta

I downloaded the Windows 7 beta over the weekend and have spent the last couple of days putting it through the paces. And, even though it is only at the first Beta stage, I must say that I’m pretty impressed with what I have experienced so far. At this point, Windows 7 appears to be a solid and stable operating system with all the features that you would expect in a beta 2 or release candidate version.

There are a lot of things in the Windows 7 operating system that are pretty much the same as in Vista, but there are also a lot of new and exciting features and changes. Regardless of how stable this version seems, it is still a beta, so I won’t really tackle any performance issues — I’ll wait until we get closer to the real deal. In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I’ll take a look at one of the features in Windows 7 that really jumped out at me — the new Taskbar.

A Windows 95 Retrospective

As you may remember, when Microsoft released the Windows 95 operating system, it was quite a big deal in the computing industry. During those days I had the good fortune to be working at the Cobb Group and writing the Inside Microsoft Windows 95 journal. As such I was pretty close to the center of it all. One of the benefits of that job at that particular time was that I had the easy access to a lot of software, books, and other stuff related to the operating system. I recently came across a box containing all this Windows 95 stuff and thought that it would make a good gallery called A Windows 95 Retrospective

Troubleshoot driver problems in Vista with the Driver Verifier Manager

If you are encountering unpredictable errors, lockups, or BSODs in Windows Vista, chances are that your system is suffering from the effects of a faulty third-party driver. As you know, the device drivers that come with Microsoft Windows Vista have a digital signature that indicates that the driver has met a certain level of testing and that it has not been altered. You also know that any hardware that carries a Certified for Windows Vista logo will come with drivers that have a digital signature from Microsoft that indicates that the product was tested for compatibility with Windows Vista.

However, not all third-party hardware manufacturers are willing to take the time and effort to submit their products to Microsoft for certified testing and aren’t really interested in having a digital signature from Microsoft assigned to their drivers. And, unfortunately, uncertified drivers are a big source of problems in Vista.

Fortunately, Vista comes with a great utility called the Driver Verifier Manager. While not a new utility (it came with Windows 2000 and Windows XP), the version that comes with Vista has some new features that make it easier to use. In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I’ll show you how to use the Driver Verifier Manager to troubleshoot driver problems in Windows Vista.