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Windows Vista: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides...
- 3/17/07 6:47 PM
READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 6:47 PM
Welcome current and potential Windows Vista users!
If you are new to this forum, grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, put your feet up, and take the time to read on. This thread was designed for you to make your life easier, and we aim to please. 
Step 1: Have a look-see at the tips and tricks posted below. You may just get lucky and find a ready-made answer to your question.
Step 2: Use CNET's Forum Search feature…your question may have already been asked, making for an easy answer.
Step 3: Don’t overlook the power of the Windows Vista product page. There you’ll find version comparisons, summaries of the new features, special downloads, and more.
Step 4: If you haven’t seen the answer you’re looking for, click here to post your question as a new thread. Be sure to include as much information as possible, including the version of Windows Vista. (Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, etc.)
Step 5: If you have a valuable tip you would like to have added to this thread or you spot a discrepancy, feel free to PM me or another moderator for this forum.
Well, that’s it! Get out there, play by the rules, and have fun! 
John
Installing Vista from the ISO...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 6:58 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
If you have downloaded the Windows Vista ISO but do not have a DVD burner or you are having problems with faulty burns/installations, you can use the following method to install Vista directly from the ISO, without having to burn a DVD.
1.) Click here to download Daemon Tools, a free virtual cd/dvd-rom emulator.
2.) During installation please uncheck ''DAEMON Tools Search Bar''...it is adware that is installed by default unless told otherwise. If you uncheck this option no adware will be installed.
3.) You should now see a red 'lightning bolt' icon in your system tray...right-click it and go Virtual CD/DVD-ROM->Device 0: [D:] No media->Mount image.
4.) In the file chooser browse and select the Vista ISO and click OK.
5.) Open up My Computer and you should see the new virtual drive present. Double-click that to launch the Vista installer.
6.) When the installer launches click ''Install now'' and follow the on-screen prompts to install Vista.
7.) After you are done installing Vista you should unmount the image the same way it was mounted.
NOTES:
1.) This is only applicable if you are upgrading from Windows XP or are installing Vista on a secondary partition.
2.) Yes, this will work for most software in ISO form, not just Windows Vista.
3.) Use of this software, due to its nature, may be illegal in certain countries. Please follow local law as applicable.
John
Creating a dual-boot setup...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/3/08 12:04 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
The tip which previously resided at this location, guiding readers through the process of installing Windows Vista into a dual-boot setup alongside an existing installation of Windows XP, has been transformed into a more comprehensive Cnet Tips & Tricks online course, which can be found by clicking here. During periods while the course is in session questions may be directed to the designated Class Leader on the Classroom Discussion board, but the forums remain available to address any questions you may have as well.
For those of you owning a computer with Windows Vista preinstalled and looking to dual-boot with Windows XP, the process is more or less the same but with three important notes:
1.) Many have found the need to enter their system BIOS and disable SATA/RAID support, if such an option exists, in order for the Windows XP installer to correctly recognize the hard drive and successfully install Windows XP. Motherboard drivers, available from the manufacturer, may also be needed during installation.
2.) Most manufacturers are not offering XP-compatible drivers for computers with Vista preinstalled, so you are on your own to track down drivers for older but similar models. You can also check the manufacturerʼs website for each individual component (graphics card, sound card, etc) using the information obtained by the free application Everest.
3.) Installing a previous version of Windows after Windows Vista will cause Vista to become temporarily unbootable, leaving you with access to Windows XP only. To resolve this problem you must follow the instructions found in Microsoft KB919529 or, alternatively, use VistaBootPRO to reinstall the Windows Boot Manager.
John
Removing Vista from a dual-boot setup...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 7:12 PM
In reply to: Creating a dual-boot setup... by John.Wilkinson
Windows Vista introduces the new Windows Boot Manager as opposed to the NT Loader of Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 and utilizes a BCD store instead of boot.ini. In this case what matters is that you need to remove the new WBM so that your computer stops looking for Vista after it has been removed from your dual-boot computer. To do this:
1.) Boot to either Windows Vista or the earlier version of Windows.
2a.) If in Windows XP or earlier: Go Start->Run, type in cmd, and press enter.
2b.) If in Windows Vista: Click Start, click Accessories, right-click the command-prompt shortcut, and then click Run as Administrator.
3.) In the command prompt type in: Drive:\Boot\Bootsect.exe –NT52 All (including the two spaces), where "Drive" is the drive letter where the Vista DVD is located or the Vista ISO has been mounted.
4.) Reboot your computer.
5.) Open My Computer, right-click the drive that contains Vista, and select Format.
6.) You can now use this partition for extra storage or use partitioning software (such as Partition Magic) to merge that partition with another one.
NOTES:
1.) This can ONLY be done if Vista is NOT the primary operating system (ie Vista is on the first partition, usually designated C:\). If Vista IS the primary operating system and you delete the Vista partition then you will also be deleting the boot files for the other installations of Windows, making your computer unbootable!
2.) If you have two installations of Vista, you do NOT want to remove Windows Boot Manager. Instead you want to modify the BCD store and skip ahead to step #5. However, Note #1 still applies...you cannot remove that installation of Vista if it is the primary OS.
John
Problems after installing/repairing a previous version...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 7:14 PM
In reply to: Creating a dual-boot setup... by John.Wilkinson
If you perform a repair installation on a previous version of Windows or you install a previous version of Windows on a computer that already has Windows Vista installed, Vista will no longer boot or you will receive a Disk Read Error. This is a known issue, which can be resolved by clicking here for instructions from the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
John
Boot Managers…
by John.Wilkinson - 5/20/07 3:30 PM
In reply to: Creating a dual-boot setup... by John.Wilkinson
Unlike Windows 2000/XP, Vista does not use the boot.ini file for determining boot order or enabling boot options. Instead, it uses a new Windows Boot Manager and the “BCD store.” Vista does not provide an easy way to manipulate this, but you can use the free third-party boot managers VistaBootPRO or EasyBCD. With those applications you can safely edit the boot process for any Vista installations, and also designate a ‘previous version of Windows’ to be the primary OS.
NOTE: In a dual-boot system, the BCD store is used for all Vista-based OSes while boot.ini is used for legacy versions. The new Windows Boot Manager will be run first, and then the old NT Loader will be launched if a previous version is to be booted.
John
Pricing and requirements...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 7:19 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
Requirements:
For basic operation you must have at least:
* An 800MHz processor.
* 512MB of RAM.
* A 20GB hard drive with 15GB free space.
* A graphics card that supports DirectX 9.
The recommended minimum specifications are:
* A 1GHz processor.
* 1GB of RAM.
* A 40GB hard drive with 15GB free space.
* A graphics card that supports DirectX 9 with a WDDM driver.
* 128MB dedicated memory for the graphics card.
Note that if your graphics card is not supported then you will not be able to run the new Aero interface (including some animations and the Glass look) and some included software, such as the DVD creator, will refuse to launch. If you are questioning whether or not your graphics card is supported check with the manufacturer's website...most have lists of supported cards.
To find out if you meet the requirements to use the various features and display the advanced graphics of Windows Vista, it is highly recommended that you click here to download and run the Vista Upgrade Advisor first. (Requires Windows XP.) You can also click here for a similar online test from ATI.
========================================================
Official Vista Pricing:
Full Retail:
* XP Home w/ SP2: $199
* Vista Home Basic: $199
* Vista Home Premium: $239
* Vista Business: $299
* XP Pro. w/ SP2: $299
* Vista Ultimate: $399
Upgrades:
* XP Home w/ SP2: $99
* Vista Home Basic: $99
* Vista Home Premium: $159
* XP Pro. w/ SP2: $199
* Vista Business: $199
* Vista Ultimate: $259
Those who already own a license to a copy of Vista can purchase additional licenses by purchasing the associated License Pack, which costs an average of $20 less than the above listings.
Also for comparison, equivalences are:
Windows Vista Home Basic = Windows XP Home
Windows Vista Home Premium = Windows XP Media Center Edition
Windows Vista Business = Windows XP Professional
Windows Vista Ultimate = No matching SKU
========================================================
Who is eligible for the upgrade?
* Only those running Windows 2000 or XP are eligible for upgrade editions of Windows Vista.
* Those running older versions of Windows must pay the full price for a retail or OEM copy and perform a clean installation.
In addition:
* Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional x64 edition users, while eligible for the upgrade, must perform a clean installation of Windows Vista when the time comes.
* Windows XP Professional, Media Center, and Tablet PC users are restricted as to which editions of Vista they can upgrade to without performing a clean installation.
For the full upgrade compatibility/eligibility chart from Microsoft, click here.
John
Software and Hardware Compatibility...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 7:24 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
One of the most prominent challenges for users will be finding/identifying compatible software. Most software that worked with Windows XP will also work with Vista, though there are exceptions, particularly when it comes to security software. No list can be comprehensive and the lack of an 'edit' option to keep potential charts updated here in the Cnet forums certainly does not help matters. With that in mind, I suggest clicking here to review a wiki that has been dedicated to the topic. It contains a vast list of software that has been tested (unofficially, by other users) on Vista and determined to be compatible, incompatible, or somewhere in between. A similar wiki exists for hardware that's been tested with Windows Vista...click here. If you have hardware or software that you have tested with Windows Vista and is not listed I encourage you to add it to the list so that others may benefit from that knowledge. You must register to update the list, but registration is free. In addition to those two wikis, Microsoft recently compiled their own list, which can be found by clicking here
Aside from that, keep in mind that some software that fails to install or run on Windows Vista can be dealt with in one of two ways:
1.) Use Compatibility Mode. Vista is designed to enter Compatibility Mode automatically for programs it detects are designed for a previous version of Windows, but, like in Windows XP, it can be enabled manually. To manually enable Compatibility Mode, right-click the program, select Properties, and select the Compatibility tab. You can then enable Compatibility Mode for that program and select a previous version of Windows from the drop-down menu, among other options.
2.) Make sure you check back to the author's website for updated versions, patches, and drivers that enable Windows Vista compatibility. Not all software will be made compatible, but in the months after Vista's release you should see a dramatic increase in support by third-party vendors.
If you have a specific question about hardware or software compatibility feel free to start a new thread, but please check the above lists first.
John
ReadyBoost...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 7:26 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
In Windows XP you have two sources of memory:
1.) Physical RAM: It's the sticks of memory you insert into your computer.
2.) Virtual Memory: Also known as a swap file or paging file, it's a file on your computer's hard drive that acts like RAM. It can pick up the slack when there is a lack of RAM, usually holding data that is accessed less often. The downside is that it's incredibly slow compared to RAM, resulting in a drop in performance the more it must be used. In addition, Windows and various software may refuse to install or run if you do not have enough physical RAM.
Now, with the new ReadyBoost technology in Windows Vista you have a third option...flash memory. (Including USB 2.0 flash drives and memory cards such as SD, CF, etc.) It's considered the middle of the road option because it is still slower than physical RAM but at the same time usually much faster than reading from and writing to the hard drive. It cannot be used as a complete substitute to physical RAM, but it can be used to give you a boost in speed over relying heavily on the paging file alone.
NOTES:
1.) Regardless of whether you use ReadyBoost or not, you still need at least 512MB RAM to run Windows Vista decently.
2.) ReadyBoost is an option on the AutoPlay menu whenever you insert a compatible device.
3.) If ReadyBoost returns an error message stating that you cannot use it on that drive it means that either the drive or your computer does not support the transfer rates required by ReadyBoost.
John
Problems with Roxio/Sonic DLA...
by John.Wilkinson - 3/17/07 7:43 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
The program DLA (Drive Letter Access), part of several Roxio CD/DVD burning products and preinstalled on most new computers under the original Sonic brand name, has known compatibility issues with Windows Vista. If you are receiving error messages in regards to Roxio/Sonic DLA, you can download a patch from Dell by clicking here or directly from Roxio by clicking here. If DLA was supplied by another manufacturer, be sure to check their website for updates.
John
Disabling Unnecessary Programs…
by John.Wilkinson - 4/20/07 5:35 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
As you may have noticed, Windows Vista requires more memory than its predecessors, resulting in a decrease in overall performance, particularly if you have less than 1GB of RAM. To alleviate some of the pressure, you can disable unnecessary programs and processes.
1.) Look in the Notification Area next to the system clock for icons of currently running programs. In most cases you can right-click each icon for information about the program, adjust its settings, and exit the application. Close any programs that you are not actively using.
2.) Press Windows + R, type in msconfig, and press Enter. Select the Startup tab, and then uncheck the box next to any application you do not need/want to run automatically when you start your computer. If you have a question about a particular listing, feel free to ask. When you’re done, click OK and reboot your computer. You will be notified you are running in “Selective Startup” mode. Tell it not to remind you again and click OK.
3.) Press Windows + R, type in services.msc, and press Enter. These services are used by various installed programs and Windows itself, but not all are necessary and disabling some can have significant benefits. Just right-click the service, select Properties, and select the setting that suits your needs best. To help discern which are safe to disable, click here. Please keep in mind, though, that while a service may be “safe” to disable you may have features enabled that rely on it to function. Thus, it is best to only disable a couple at a time, then reboot and wait to ensure no problems arise. And, as always, make notes as to what services you disabled, just in case.
4.) If at any time performance seems to suddenly drop, you can see what is happening by pressing ctrl + shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager, then selecting the Performance tab. You can also see how much RAM and CPU processing time each process is using by selecting the Processes tab, and even terminate the process if you need.
5.) If you are low on system RAM and looking to further increase system performance, you may want to consider using ReadyBoost. Just know that it is not a cure-all solution, as noted here.
John
Reverting to Windows XP…
by John.Wilkinson - 5/14/07 10:20 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
Given the number of people looking to remove Vista from their systems, I would like to offer a few notes:
1.) Microsoft does not support ‘downgrading’ Windows, so if you wish to revert to Windows XP you must format the drive, which means you will lose all personal files and settings. Please back everything up before reverting.
2.) Most manufacturers are no longer shipping recovery system CDs/DVDs with new computers, so if Vista was preinstalled I would strongly recommend burning the CDs/DVDs yourself from the hidden partition the manufacturer created on your hard drive. To do this you should find an option in the Start Menu along the lines of ‘burning system restore discs.’ Without these discs you will be unable to reinstall Vista at a later date, if you so choose.
3.) Many people have reported being unable to install XP on the same drive/partition as the current Vista installation. If you find yourself unable to reformat or delete the partition using the XP CD, you can use the free utility DBAN to wipe your hard drive and give you a clean start. If creating a bootable floppy or flash drive, please note that you need to run the executable you download in order to create the bootable disk…you cannot simply copy the .EXE onto the disk. On the other hand, if you are creating a bootable CD/DVD please note that you must burn the ISO as an image file, not just as a data file.
4.) If Vista was preinstalled understand that the computer manufacturer most likely will not support your installation of XP, meaning they will neither provide full technical support nor provide all of the required drivers. Make sure such drivers are available from the third-party manufacturers (ATI, Nvidia, Realtek, C-Media, Lucent, etc) before reverting to XP.
5.) Please note that if you have an OEM copy of Windows XP from another computer you can not install it on your new computer. OEM and otherwise preinstalled copies of Windows are tied to the specific computer and cannot be legally moved. You can only transfer the license to the new computer if it was a full retail copy.
6.) You may also consider dual-booting Vista with another operating system, such as Windows XP, letting you switch back and forth between the two at will. Have a look at the above tips to get started.
If you have any additional questions concerning reverting to a previous version of Windows feel free to ask.
John
OEM and Pre-Installed Copies…
by John.Wilkinson - 5/20/07 3:25 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
While the following is certainly not unique to Windows Vista, this should help shed some light on the topic for those unfamiliar.
OEM vs Retail:
1.) OEM licenses cannot be transferred. Once installed, you can never transfer the license to another computer or replace the motherboard.
2.) Retail copies give you two free support calls to Microsoft, whereas OEM copies come with no support from Microsoft, leaving you on your own.
3.) OEM copies generally let you perform a clean install only, meaning instead of upgrading your current Windows installation you must reformat the drive and start fresh.
You should consider the intended use, requirement of technical support, and intended length of ownership of the computer in the decision-making process. The lower cost of OEM copies may or may not be worth it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-installed copies:
1.) Copies pre-installed by the manufacturer are customized OEM versions of Windows. As such, the manufacturer, not Microsoft, is responsible for providing all technical support.
2.) You cannot install that copy of Windows on any other computer, even if the computer is no longer in use.
3.) It is strongly advised that you burn a set of ‘system recovery’ CDs/DVDs as soon as possible if the manufacturer did not ship a set with the computer. (Most have not for a few years now.) You should find the option to burn them in the Start Menu, usually under the Accessories or ‘manufacturer’s tools’ section.
4.) If you did not burn a set of recovery CDs/DVDs, you can order them from the manufacturer for a nominal fee. However, they are only kept in stock for the computer’s lifecycle, so none may be available more than a year after purchase.
5.) You cannot use a friend’s recovery CD/DVD to repair or reinstall Windows on your computer unless the discs are for the same make/model of computer.
John
Where has my disk space gone?
by John.Wilkinson - 8/11/08 9:19 AM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
Here are the top consumers of disk space and what you can do about it:
1.) After extraction, Vista itself can take over 5GB for a clean installation, and upwards of 10GB if it is a pre-installed copy from the manufacturer. This is normal.
2.) If you are upgrading from a previous version or installing another copy of Windows on the same partition, look for a WINDOWS.OLD folder in the local drive. (Usually C:\) That will contain previously-installed programs, documents, etc. that had to be moved for the installation. Copy out what you need/want and delete the rest.
3.) System Restore can reserve a considerable amount of space (up to 15% of the drive’s capacity) for saving restore points, particularly if your copy of Vista supports Shadow Copies. Unlike with XP, there is no easy slider option to adjust the maximum space used, but you can still do so using the command line. (Press Windows + R and type in cmd followed by pressing enter.) When the command prompt appears, type in the following, entering the correct drive letters and intended size: vssadmin resize shadowstorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=5GB (this is just an example).
4.) IBM and Lenovo include a feature called Rescue and Recovery, which automatically backs up key files similarly to System Restore. While this is designed to protect you from data loss it can take up considerable space on your hard drive, in excess of 50GB in some cases. If this proves to be problematic you can disable the feature by accessing the ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery utility and unchecking the "Schedule Your Backups" box under Set Schedule and Preferences. You can then recover the lost space by going into the Advanced preferences and using the "Delete Backups" option. A special thanks to rimb1172 for bringing this issue to our attention.
5.) The Recycle Bin can take up space as well, so right-click it, select Properties, and adjust the permitted capacity as needed.
6.) The system paging file (also known as Virtual Memory or the ‘swap’ file) also takes up space on the hard disk, though it is recommended that you let Windows continue to manage it as it sees fit. Restricting it can reduce system performance and cause ‘virtual memory’ error messages.
7.) A lesser-known fact is that there are two different definitions of the terms megabyte, gigabyte, etc. In short, hard drive manufacturers say 1GB is equal to 10^9 bytes, whereas Windows is based on the idea that 1GB equals 2^30 bytes (technically a gibibyte, not a gigabyte). Thus, a 100GB hard drive will be reported as being 93GB by Windows. You were not cheated, it’s simply a difference in definition.
8.) Last, but certainly not least, personal files, downloads, etc. can take up hundreds of GBs. To identify the areas in which most of the space is being used I suggest the free program TreeSize. With a few clicks you should be able to find the source, and delete it if you desire.
John
Outlook Express’ evolution…
by John.Wilkinson - 5/20/07 3:28 PM
In reply to: READ ME: Vista Tips and Guides... by John.Wilkinson
Since Windows 95, Outlook Express has been a staple in the world of e-mail clients. With Vista, however, Microsoft has signaled the end of the OE era, replacing it with Windows Mail. Lacking the flexibility and interoperability of Outlook Express, Windows Mail is actually intended to be just a placeholder until Windows Live Mail desktop (currently in beta) is released. WLM has been designed as the ultimate successor to Outlook Express for both Windows Vista and Windows XP users.
Key features of Windows Live Mail include:
* Redesigned interface characteristic of Vista and IE7.
* In-line spell checking without the need for Microsoft Office.
* Native support for POP3, IMAP, and HTTP accounts such as Hotmail.
* Built-in support for RSS feeds.
* Individual storage of messages and contacts instead of utilizing a unified database.
If you wish, you can download the beta now by clicking here, or hold off until it is officially released. Please note, though, that for the time being the e-mail client displays viewer-targeted advertisements along the right-hand column. That is expected to be omitted in the final release.
When installing you will be prompted to import mail and contacts from your current e-mail client. If you would like to do so at a later date, or you are attempting to transition from one computer to another, you can use the Import/Export options available through the File menu in Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Windows Live Mail desktop. (For the latter just press the alt key to display the menu bar.)
John
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