This post shows you how to launch the System Restore program from the command line in Windows Vista, XP 

This article explains How to fix  the Task Manager disabled by Administrator error in Windows XP/Vista. The steps outlined below are easy to follow.

If you're not part of domain environment and one day find that you're unable to access the Windows Task manager due to the error message below, there's a good chance you've been infected with a virus.

You can fix this using the following method:
-Click Start >> Run

- Paste the following command into the Run dialog box:
REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

-Click OK (A restart may be required)

Fixing Task Manager disabled by Administrator error in Windows XP/Vista is really that simple.

Learn How to fix “Task Manger has been disabled by your administrator” in Windows 7/8

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While there are plenty of utilities available to extract the contents of an MSI file, you can easily do it straight from the command line without using third party software. The method below works for both Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

msiexec /a filepath to MSI file /qb TARGETDIR=target folder

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Shortcut keys are keystrokes that provide a quick way to perform an action. Using shortcut keys saves time and makes you more efficient! Windows Media Player too, has its own arsenal of shortcut keys. The thing is, they aren't well known. Until now that is.....



1. Video Playback

ALT+1 Adjust zoom to 50 percent
ALT+2 Adjust zoom to 100 percent
ALT+3 Adjust zoom to 200 percent
ALT+ENTER Display the video in full mode



2. Accessing the menus

ALT+F Go to media player File Menu
ALT+T Go to media player Tools Menu
ALT+V Go to media player View Menu
ALT+P Go to media player Play Menu
ALT+F4 Use to close media player

3. Switching between display mode

CTRL+1 Display media player in full mode
CTRL+2 Display media player in skin mode

4. Player controls

ENTER or SPACEBAR Use to play an item
CTRL+B Use to play the previous item in media player
CTRL+F Use to play the next item in media player
CTRL+E Use to Eject CD or DVD from CD or DVD drive
CTRL+P Use to Play or Pause the item in media player
CTRL+T Use to Repeat the items in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+B Use to Rewind a file in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+F Use to Fast Forward a file in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+S Use to play items slower than a normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+ G Use to play items faster than a normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+ N Use to play items at normal speed in media player
F8 Use to mute the volume in media player
F9 Use to decrease the volume in media player
F10 Use to increase the volume in media player

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As we head closer to the official launch of Windows 7, you might want to make sure your PC meets the minimum requirements, as recommended by Microsoft, before splashing out on a copy. Those minimum requirements are as follows:

• 1GHz processor (32 or 64-bit)
• 1GB of RAM (32-bit); 2GB of RAM (64-bit)
• 16GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20GB of available disk space (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

For reference, Windows Vista’s system requirements are:

• 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
• 512 MB of RAM (for Home Basic); 1 GB of RAM for all other versions
• 15 GB of available disk space
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory (for Home Basic); 128 MB of graphics memory plus WDDM support for all other versions
  

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Shortcut keys are keystrokes that provide a quick way to perform an action. Using shortcut keys saves time and makes you more efficient! Windows Media Player too, has its own arsenal of shortcut keys. The thing is, they aren't well known. Until now that is.....

1. Video Playback

2. Accessing the menus

ALT+F Go to media player File Menu
ALT+T Go to media player Tools Menu
ALT+V Go to media player View Menu
ALT+P Go to media player Play Menu
ALT+F4 Use to close media player

3. Switching between display mode

CTRL+1 Display media player in full mode
CTRL+2 Display media player in skin mode

4. Player controls

ENTER or SPACEBAR Use to play an item
CTRL+B Use to play the previous item in media player
CTRL+F Use to play the next item in media player
CTRL+E Use to Eject CD or DVD from CD or DVD drive
CTRL+P Use to Play or Pause the item in media player
CTRL+T Use to Repeat the items in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+B Use to Rewind a file in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+F Use to Fast Forward a file in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+S Use to play items slower than a normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+ G Use to play items faster than a normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+ N Use to play items at normal speed in media player
F8 Use to mute the volume in media player
F9 Use to decrease the volume in media player
F10 Use to increase the volume in media player

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When you install Google applications like Chrome or Desktop onto your computer an exe named GoogleUpdate.exe is also included in the package. This runs in the background and checks for updates for Google’s programs. This pesky little updater runs as a process in Windows XP and Vista and chews up valuable memory! Since everyone knows that having too many running processes can slow your computer down, it makes sense to disable Googleupdate completely. Here's how you do it:

- Go to your Control Panel -> Scheduled Tasks

- Select GoogleUpdateTaskUser

- Then right-click GoogleUpdateTaskUser and click Delete. This will prevent the task from relaunching itself.

- To remove the active process, right-click on the your taskbar and select Task Manager from the context menu.

- Within task manager, select GoogleUpdate.exe and click the End Process button. Confirm when the dialog box appears.

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1. Open Notepad.

2. Copy and paste the following into the new text document:

3. Save the document as WindowsMailRemoveSplash.reg.

4. Right-click on the file and click Open With, and finally clicking Registry Editor.

5. Continue through the UAC prompt and confirm that you wish to perform the action.

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Use this quick and very simple way to list all your shared drives and folders using the command line. This works on Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003, Server 2008 across all versions. Here's how you do it:

- Click Start -> Run

-Type cmd and press Enter (This launches the command prompt)

- Type the following code in the command prompt window:

wmic share get caption,name,path

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This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to the one in Windows 2000 i.e. press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice.

This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to the one in Windows 2000 i.e. press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice.

- Click Start -> Run
- Type regedit and press Enter
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList
- Create a new DWORD Value of "Type Name of Account to be Hidden without quotes"
- Set the Value Data to either 0 or 1 (0 = Account is Hidden / 1 = Enabled)
- Close regedit

While the account is hidden on the Welcome screen, that the account profile will be visible in C:\Documents and Settings or as well as in Local Users and Groups.

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Myth #1: You'll have to buy a new, high-end PC to run Vista

Many in the mainstream media are claiming that to run Vista, you'll almost certainly have to buy a new computer. This myth is undoubtedly being encouraged by hardware vendors, but it's not true. I was able to install Vista on my existing Dell Dimension mid-priced system with no problems, and the existing video card, an ATI x600, runs Aero Glass.

If your computer is older or a low-end machine, you can still probably install and use Vista but you may not get the Aero Glass interface. Although Glass adds a lot of "wow" factor, it's not something that's essential to getting work done. You'll still benefit from Vista's security enhancements, search functionality, and added features. If you do want the Glass look, you still may not need to buy a new system. Instead, you can add RAM to bring your system up to the 1 GB recommended for Glass and install a new video card that supports it.

Another myth I've heard is that only PCI Express (PCIe) video cards support Aero Glass, so if your computer doesn't have a PCIe slot, you're out of luck. That's not true either. Video card vendors have regular PCI cards that will run Glass. I'm running it on a system with a relatively inexpensive GeForce 5200 card with 256 MB of memory in a regular PCI slot.

If you do choose to buy a new PC, you don't need a high-end one that costs thousands of dollars to run Vista. Just a couple of days after the launch, retailers began offering machines preloaded with Vista Home Premium, complete with LCD monitors, for as low as $600.

Myth #2: Vista will solve all your security problems

Microsoft is touting Vista's improved security, but no operating system is perfectly secure (and no OS ever will be). Running Vista doesn't mean you don't still need perimeter firewalls, antivirus protection, and other third-party security mechanisms.

Because much of operating system, including its networking technologies, has been redesigned and new code written, Vista is likely to present some vulnerabilities that weren't in older versions of the OS even as it fixes many that were. This is true of any new software and Vista, despite its focus on security and Microsoft's best efforts, is no exception.

In fact, Microsoft shipped the first critical security update for Vista over a year ago, when it was still in the beta testing stage. It will be just as important with Vista as with any other operating system to ensure that updates are installed regularly. The danger is that novice users, hearing that Vista is more secure, may let their guard down and fail to take the protective measures necessary to prevent attacks, virus infestations, etc.

Myth #3: Vista is no more secure than XP SP2

On the other hand, some of Vista's detractors have been claiming that the new operating system offers no security advantage at all. I've heard computer "experts" on the radio say that Vista is no more secure than Windows XP with Service Pack 2, and an eWeek article last summer went so far as to report that Symantec security researchers were contending that Vista "could harbor a range of vulnerabilities that will make it less secure than previous iterations of Windows."

It's true that, properly updated, Windows XP is a pretty secure OS. But Vista includes a number of new security enhancements that XP doesn't have. For example, User Account Control (UAC) in Vista protects against attacks that rely on elevation of privileges. Internet Explorer 7, when running on Vista, leverages UAC to run in Protected Mode, which keeps Web applications from writing to system folders. IE7 doesn't run in Protected Mode on XP.

BitLocker drive encryption, available in Vista Enterprise and Ultimate versions, provides a way to keep unauthorized persons from accessing sensitive data on a stolen or lost laptop. The Windows Firewall in Vista allows you to block outgoing traffic as well as incoming. Windows service hardening reduces the potential for damage if one of Windows' services is compromised. Vista includes the Network Access Protection client, which allows administrators to restrict computers that are properly updated or don't have antivirus, anti-spyware, or firewalls from connecting to company networks.

Those are just a few of the new security improvements included in Vista.

Myth #4: The only thing new about Vista is the eye candy

Your first impression of an operating system, like your first impression when meeting another person, is often based on appearance. And Vista's appearance does make an impression. With Aero Glass turned on, the transparent window borders, 3 D animations, and other visual effects make it clear (no pun intended) that this is a whole new Windows.

However, the changes to Vista amount to more than just a pretty interface. In addition to the security improvements discussed above, many aspects of the operating system have been reworked to improve usability and provide new functionality. For example:

• The search capabilities have been greatly expanded, so that you can easily find documents, programs, and other objects, and even run applications, from a single box in the Start menu.
• New productivity applications are built into Vista, including a calendaring/task list program called Windows Calendar and a new, improved address book called Windows Contacts. Together with Windows Mail (the replacement for Outlook Express), these provide much of the same functionality as Outlook, without the need to purchase Office. There are other new built-in applications, too, such as the Snipping Tool that makes it easy to do a screen capture of any desired area without installing third-party software such as SnagIt.
• Changes to Windows Explorer make it easier to organize and view your files, with more options. For example, you can see thumbnails of all files (not just graphics) and view their contents in the preview pane without opening them, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

You can preview files in Windows Explorer without opening them.

Explorer also features automatic horizontal scrolling when needed, and you can select multiple files using check boxes instead of the old method of holding down the [Ctrl] key. Many little things make the user experience less frustrating; for example, when you select to rename a file in Explorer, only the filename is changed; by default the extension remains the same.

These are only a few of the new Vista features that can be enjoyed with or without the Aero Glass interface.

Myth #5: You can't dual boot Vista with another operating system

One of the strangest and most inaccurate statements I heard was that "With Vista, you can't run two operating systems on the same computer like you could in the past." That's news to me, as I'm currently running two computers that dual boot Vista and XP. As with previous versions, a boot menu is displayed when the computer starts, and you can choose either Vista or Previous version of Windows.

Now, it is true that for some reason, on the Boot tab of the System Configuration Utility in Vista, only the Vista operating system shows up even though I can boot into XP from the boot menu. As with XP, the System Configuration Utility is accessed by typing msconfigat the command line. Figure B shows the tool.

Figure B

You can dual boot Vista with another OS, but the other OS doesn't show up in the Boot tab of the System Configuration Utility.

You may also notice that the old boot.ini file, which was used to edit the boot configuration information in Windows NT, 2000, and XP, is missing. Now the boot options are stored in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store, and the system is started by the Windows Boot Manager. You use a tool called Bcdedit.exe to change the boot information.

Myth #6: Vista requires (or includes) Office 2007

I recently read an article in a well-respected national publication that, in listing a number of things the author didn't like about Vista, included the new "ribbon bar" in Word. Oops--that's not a Vista feature; it's a feature of Office 2007, which apparently was installed on the Vista machine he was testing.

I've also seen several references to the need to upgrade to Office 2007 when you install Vista. Well, of course you can, but it's by no means a requirement. Office 2003 runs fine on Vista. This bit of misinformation seems to be most often used in articles that inflate the projected cost to deploy Vista; you can make those numbers look higher if you add in the cost of upgrading Office, too.

Also, contrary to the rumor that Microsoft made Vista so open source competitors of its office products won't run on it, I had no problems at all installing and running Open Office, the open source alternative to Microsoft Office, shown in Figure C.

Figure C

You can install the free Open Office software on Vista if you don't want to buy Microsoft Office.

Myth #7: Most old applications and peripherals won't work with Vista

Circulating amongst the FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) being spread about Vista is the idea that upgrading will subject you to all kinds of application incompatibilities. Some programs made for XP, especially those that hook into the kernel, like antivirus programs and some system utilities, won't work with Vista. However, the majority of applications that run on XP will also run on Vista.

In some cases, you may need to install or run older programs in Compatibility mode (right-click the program file, select Properties, and click the Compatibility tab to select compatibility options) and/or run the program as an administrator for it to work properly.

You don't have to figure out most compatibility issues for yourself. Vista comes with the Program Compatibility Assistant, which can detect what changes need to be made to run a program and resolve conflicts with UAC that may be preventing a program from running correctly. It runs automatically when it detects an older program that has compatibility issues. You can also use the Program Compatibility Wizard, a tool that you run manually from the Control Panel | Programs and Features section (in native view).

There have also been many reports about hardware peripherals, especially printers and scanners, that don't work with Vista. It's true that some hardware vendors were slow to provide Vista drivers during the Vista beta testing period. By the time Vista launched to the consumer market, though, many hardware drivers were included on the installation DVD and many more will be made available in the next few months.

My older HP OfficeJet G55 had no problems working with Vista, and if you peruse the list of supported printers (Control Panel | Printers | Add A Printer Wizard), you'll see that Vista supports a large number of printers from HP, IBM, Brother, Canon, Citizen, Dell, Epson, Fujitsu, Konica, Kyocera Mita, Lexmark, Minolta, NEC, Oki, Panasonic, Ricoh, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Xerox, and other major printer vendors.

Myth #8: You have to buy a Premium version of Vista if you have a dual core machine

There was initially some confusion over the specification that Vista Home Editions support only a single processor. Some folks took this to mean that that version of Vista wouldn't run on dual core machines.

Dual core CPUs do contain two processors--but they're combined on one chip or die. This is called chip-level multiprocessing and it's different from having two separate physical processors installed on the same machine. Even though a dual core machine will show the activity of two processors in Windows performance monitoring tools (see the two separate graphs for processor activity in Figure D), Microsoft's definition of "processor" refers to the number of physical CPUs, not the number of cores. (This policy is laid out in "Multicore Processor Licensing.")

Figure D

Dual core machines show the activity of two processors in performance monitoring tools.

In fact, all versions of Vista will run on a machine with multiple processors installed--but Home Basic and Premium will recognize and use only one of the processors.

Myth #9: You won't be able to play ripped music in Vista

Have you heard about the horrors of Vista's DRM (Digital Rights Management)? Some people have implied that it will prevent you from playing any music or movie files unless you download and pay for them online. Others are speculating that even the media you do buy may be blocked.

Interestingly, the people who are spreading this one all seem to be folks who have never used Vista (and, according to many of them, never will). The real story: I have no problem playing music files that were ripped from CDs on Windows Media Player 10 or in Vista's Windows Media Center application. Yes, I legally own the CDs, but Vista has no way of knowing that. All of the media that imported from my XP Windows Media Center computer, including recorded TV programs, played without a problem.

For a more thorough discussion of content protection in Vista, see this article from CreateDigitalMusic.com.

Myth #10: Vista costs a lot more than XP

Ever since pricing for the various editions of Vista was announced, I've heard a lot of griping and grumbling about how much it costs. Windows XP came in only two versions that were available at retail: Home, which was priced at $199 for the full package and $99 for the upgrade, and Professional, which was priced at $299 for the full package and $199 for the upgrade.

Vista gives you many more options:

• Home Basic: $199 full, $99 upgrade
• Home Premium: $239 full, $159 upgrade
• Business: $299 full, $199 upgrade
• Ultimate: $399 full, $259 upgrade

Everyone seems to be focusing on the price for Ultimate, but if you look at the versions that are directly comparable to the two versions of XP (Home Basic and Business), you'll see that they cost exactly the same as their XP counterparts did five years ago.

Home Premium includes the Windows Media Center and Tablet PC functionality, along with Aero Glass and extra applications such as Windows Movie Maker, Windows Meeting Space, Mobility Center, and Scheduled Backup. Windows XP Media Center Edition and Tablet PC Edition weren't available at retail; you could only get them preinstalled by the OEM.

Ultimate Edition also includes Media Center and Tablet PC, along with business extras such as BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop, and Windows Complete Backup and Restore. In fact, Ultimate includes all the home entertainment features of Home Premium plus all the corporate goodies of Business and Enterprise editions, and the upgrade to Ultimate costs only $59 more than the XP Pro upgrade while offering a great deal more functionality.

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There's nothing more annoying then getting a copy of your favourite movie or video, trying to open it, and realising that you don't have the correct codecs to watch your video.

It can be quite a mission finding individual codecs and installing each one at a time. Luckily codec packs exist which contain hundreds of codecs bundled into one easy installation package.

Download: 32bit Vista Codec Package or 64 bit Vista Codec Package

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General shortcuts

• F1 - Display Help
• CTRL+C - Copy the selected item
• CTRL+X - Cut the selected item
• CTRL+V - Paste the selected item
• CTRL+Z - Undo an action
• CTRL+Y - Redo an action
• DELETE - Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
• SHIFT+DELETE - Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
• F2 - Rename the selected item
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
• CTRL+UP ARROW - Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
• CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow key - Select a block of text
• SHIFT with any arrow key - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
• CTRL with any arrow key + SPACEBAR - Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
• CTRL+A - Select all items in a document or window
• F3- Search for a file or folder
• ALT+ENTER - Display properties for the selected item
• ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or exit the active program
• ALT+SPACEBAR - Open the shortcut menu for the active window
• CTRL+F4 - Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
• ALT+TAB - Switch between open items
• CTRL+ALT+TAB - Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
• CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size of icons on the desktop
• Windows logo key + TAB - Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• CTRL + Windows logo key + TAB - Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• ALT+ESC - Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
• F6 - Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
• F4 - Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer
• SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
• CTRL+ESC - Open the Start menu
• F10 - Activate the menu bar in the active program
• RIGHT ARROW - Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
• LEFT ARROW - Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
• F5 - Refresh the active window
• ALT+UP ARROW - View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
• ESC - Cancel the current task
• CTRL+SHIFT+ESC - Open Task Manager
• SHIFT when you insert a CD - Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog box shortcuts

• CTRL+TAB - Move forward through tabs
• CTRL+SHIFT+TAB - Move back through tabs
• TAB - Move forward through options
• SHIFT+TAB - Move back through options
• ALT + underlined letter - Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
• ENTER - Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
• SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
• Arrow keys - Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
• F1 - Display Help
• F4 - Display the items in the active list
• BACKSPACE - Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box

• CTRL+N - Open a new window
• END - Display the bottom of the active window
• HOME - Display the top of the active window
• F11 - Maximize or minimize the active window
• LEFT ARROW - Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder
• ALT+LEFT ARROW - View the previous folder
• RIGHT ARROW - Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder
• ALT+RIGHT ARROW - View the next folder
• CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel - Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
• ALT+D - Select the Address bar

• ALT+C - Display the Table of Contents
• ALT+N - Display the Connection Settings menu
• F10 - Display the Options menu
• ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move back to the previously viewed topic
• ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to the next (previously viewed) topic
• ALT+A - Display the customer support page
• ALT+HOME - Display the Help and Support home page
• HOME - Move the to beginning of a topic
• END - Move to the end of a topic
• CTRL+F - Search the current topic
• CTRL+P - Print a topic
• F3- Move to the Search box

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There is a registry setting in Windows Vista that hides and shows all hidden and system files. You can access and modify this registry key with these steps:

1. Click the Start orb and type regedit.

2. Open the Registry Editor.

3. Click the plus sign next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for to enforce for all users)
then Software
then Microsoft
then Windows
then CurrentVersion
then Explorer
then click on Advanced

4. On the right side, double-click the SuperHidden key.

5. Set this key to a value of 0 if you want to enable hidden and system files to appear.
Set it to 1 to disable hidden and system files from being viewed.

Suggested Reading
- How to stop Windows from asking to your restart after an update
- How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista
- How to enable the hidden boot logo in Windows Vista
- How to make Windows Vista shut down services faster
- How to extend Windows Vista's 30 day activation period (legally)

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How to convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk in Windows Vista.

Dynamic disks allow for better administration. You can span a volume across multiple dynamic disks or stripe multiple dynamic disks. Dynamic disks also allow you to repair data without the need for restarting the computer.

Note:
* Only Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate editions support dynamic disks.
* Disks on laptop computers cannot be converted to dynamic.

You can enable dynamic disks on a drive by performing the following steps.

- Click Start button, right-click Computer, and click Manage.

- Expand the plus sign next to Storage under Computer Management.

- Click Disk Management.

- Right-click the disk you wish to convert, and the click Convert to Dynamic Disk... .


Suggested Reading
- Windows XP SP3 to include Vista features
- New hotfix for Windows Vista said to boost performance
- How to bypass the login page in Windows Vista
- How to resize icons in Windows Vista the easy way
- How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista
- How to enable the hidden boot logo in Windows Vista

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Neosmart Technologies has mentioned that Windows XP SP3 build 3205, will include features backported from Vista. SP3 was supposedly released to beta testers on Sunday.

Some of the new features include a kernel module with several encryption algorithms accessible by third party developers, a new activation module that doesn’t require a product key, and Network Access Protection (NAP), a feature included with Windows Vista, that inspects client computers before they access a corporate network.

After the announcement that Windows XP would get a 5 month reprieve, it seems that Microsoft is trying to prolong XP’s life as much as possible. Hardly surprising, considering the lukewarm reception Vista has received from both corporates and end users alike!


Suggested Reading
- How to make Windows Vista shut down faster
- How to disable user account control (UAC) in Windows Vista
- How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista
- How to search Rapidshare for any file

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Microsoft has released four updates for Windows Vista which should, according to Redmond, improve performance and reliability. Presently, these hotfixes are not available through Windows Update, and it is still not clear whether or not Microsoft plans to release them on October 9th’s Patch Tuesday or hold back until the release of SP1.

The first update (KB941649) is said to improve the battery life and stability of Windows Vista, while at the same time speeding up startup and recovery time after Vista is left inactive. A more detailed list of improvements in this hotfix:

• Extended battery life for mobile devices.
• Improved stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use a UPS.
• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.
• It improves the stability of Internet Explorer when you open a Web page.
• It improves the stability of wireless network services.
• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.
• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.
• It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.
• It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.
• A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.
• A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations

KB941649 is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.

Other hotfixes worth checking out include::

1. KB941229 – Addresses several issues in Vista Media Center
2. KB941600 – Resolves some reliability issues in the USB core components.
3. KB941651 – Homepage unavailable. Supposedly improves the reliability of Windows Media Player 11 inWindows Vista. You can download 32-bit or 64-bit version of this hotfix.

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