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Windows 7, Vista and XP - David Overton's Blog
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  • subject area shortcuts

    Hi, for those who are after a quick way to find my posts on a particular subject area, I have created 4 shortcuts - they are: http://uksbsguy.com/sbs http://uksbsguy.com/wss http://uksbsguy.com/vista http://uksbsguy.com/office Do I really need to explain what each sibject area is? These will auto expand to the appropriate doverton blog categories. ttfn David

  • Off topic - This is awesome - BBC plans for internet & Vista

    Hi guys, this is something that truely knocked me out - check out the next gen of BBC with Windows Vista - site found at http://blog.mix06.com/virtualmix/archive/2006/03/17/BBC_demo.aspx and the video is linked through the video files forum on the site http://uksbsguy.com/files/18/videos/default.aspx ttfn David

  • Use safety.live.com to give your customers PCs a quick health check - Anti-Virus, clean up & clutter removal and general tune up

    This is a great tool that you can easily get your customers to run themselves if things are looking a bit poor on their system. Simply go to http://safety.live.com and asn them to run a full scan, or a protection, clean-up or tune up scan. Note, it can take quite a time. ttfn David

  • Interesting discussion from one of the developers in the Windows team on "Why Vista Slipped"

    Blogging as a Microsoft Employee is always a tricky decision as what to tell or not tell. I personally feel that it is very important that the true is always told and that information if not confidential should be disclosed as desired. A recent post has caused lots of controversy as it discussed from one managers point of view the reason why Vista slipped in the 1 st place. Some may find the contents of the posting quite damning, yet the reality is that in a complex project, some things are not perfect, or even fixable. The things that Philip has highlighted are often based on human characteristics, such as trust, friendship and self protection. Great in some circumstance and bad in others. Vista is still a great product, and when it does ship will significantly move the bar for quality operating systems, but this is not to say that it won’t have had a hurdle or two to jump or lost a few pounds during this marathon race. For now, enjoy Philip’s blog and perhaps reflect what you might do to protect yourself when...

  • Running Vista RC1 on SBS 2003

    This is just a very quick note to say that good old Sean has published a nice document on how to get SBS 2003 and the tools working with Vista RC1. For more info: SeanDaniel.com on SBS 2003 & other Tech-stuff: Looking to run Vista RC1 on SBS 2003? ttfn David

  • Tools I could not be without for using and managing Windows XP, Vista and SBS

    Following on from my previous post on crash dumps and the Tech-Ed presentation I thought it was worth quickly pointing out the tools I use on a daily basis: Process Explorer Taskmanager on steriods - see what services and threads are running - look at the real list of processes that take up cpu time rather than how Windows Task Manager does the trick FileMon Ever wonder what folder that temp file was put in, or what file is being looked for when something fails - this is hwo to find it RegMon Like Filemon, but for the registry - find out what si being read, written too, searched for etc. PendMoves Can't install something because the system has a number of pending "moves" - files it will rename on reboot - find out what they are and then you can do something about it if you want DiskMon See what activity is happening on your disk ttfn David

  • Making vista more secure using PatchGuard and Address Space Location Randomisation

    For those really, really into making a system secure you will know that if a system is compromised, if done well, then the machine is owned by someone else. However, that does not mean that you can't make it hard for someone to "do it well". Today I was reading about PatchGuard that will make all this much easier. Amongst other things, it includes the ability to remove the ability to predict where a key piece of information will be in kernel memory. This is how things like Blaster worked - they could predict where key information was. This technology would skupper the route used by Blaster. ttfn David

  • Links to Vista resources and a "new and improved reliability features" webcast

    Saw on an internal mail thread that a great webcast on new and improved reliability features of Vista can be found on Kevin's blog - http://blogs.technet.com/kevinremde/archive/2006/06/19/434332.aspx and the webcast itself at http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032298849&Culture=en-US One of the nice thing on his page is a list of Vista Links on that link above. His vista specific content can be found by clicking on http://blogs.technet.com/kevinremde/archive/category/10069.aspx . In Kevin's own words " I had some technical problems mid-way through with a disconnected Virtual Server", but still very useful ttfn David

  • Need to install Windows Server 2003 admin tools on a Vista PC

    I knew this was not the easiest thing to do today, but good old Susan has blogged the links on what to do. Note, this should be followed carefully :-) ttfn David

  • Learn more about Office 2007 and Windows Vista at Microsoft UK's 1st community event for partners for these products

    As you might have gathered, I think Office and Vista are going to be very important for small business partners and customers. While I still have not had the chance to write everything up, I thought it important enough to tell everyone about this one day event to learn more. It is taking place at the Novatel in Hammership on the 20th June 2006 The agenda is as follows: 09.00 to 09:30 Registration 09:30 to 09:45 Welcome and introduction 09:45 to 10.45 2007 Microsoft Office system: talking with customers 10:45 to 11.00 Break 11.00 to 12.45 Windows Vista awareness and positioning overview 12.45 to 13.30 Lunch 13.30 to 15:30 Systems Integrator / Value-Added Reseller Track Aligning your organisation to the Microsoft Infrastructure Optimisation and (IW) Application Optimisation initiatives. Introduction to Information Worker Solution Services (IWSS) and Desktop Deployment Planning Services (DDPS). 15:30 to 17:00 Structured networking: your meetings 17.00 Finish From the mail, registration, summary of event etc: About...

  • Are you finding too many security prompts in Windows Vista - help us improve yours and others experience

    I love Windows Vista. One thing that opele complain about is the security prompts that come up when you run an administrative task. There are two things to say here. Firstly, this peaks while you are setting up the machine - adding applications and drivers etc, so give it a week before you pass judgement on it. Second, this is being improved. We have a great team who take all the feedback on this and they are looking how to simplify this for the RC1 and final product. If you want to find out more, pop along to http://blogs.msdn.com/uac/archive/2006/06/01/613098.aspx to see what the UAC (User Account Control) team have to say. ttfn David

  • Shortcut keys to opens programs on the Quick Launch Bar in Vista

    I was over the Windows Vista Magazine and saw this - great little bit of help!! New shortcut opens any program Here's a neat tip I learned while I was talking to Microsoft last week: keyboard shortcuts for the Quick Launch icons in Vista. You can open any icon in the Quick Launch bar (just to the right of the Start button) by holding down the Windows key and pressing what I'll call the "rank number" of the icon - the number that corresponds to its position in the list. So, in my desktop here, Windows + 1 opens Outlook, Windows + 2 opens Internet Explorer, Windows + 5 opens the Snipping Tool and so on. Source: Windows Vista™ Magazine ttfn David

  • Do you wish you could see what you were looking for in documents, mails etc - now you can as search and find are improved

    You may have noticed that enabling people to find the right piece of information has become a bit of a religious event within Microsoft. Search tools to date include LookOut Windows Desktop Search aka WDS MSN Search Live Search Vista However things have continued to improve with these engined and Office 2007. For example, you can be inside Outlook, type a word in the search bar and within a fraction of a second have returned to you all the mails, calendar items or contacts that have that word in. You can even type something like "from:David received:last week" and get the mails from me that I sent last week. One nice featrue is that a nice yellow highlighter pen will show you where in the mail etc the magical words are, so finding them becomes easier. Obviously the new search engine in Vista / WDS will find documents searching the content itself. I then saw this post, saying that the same process can be delivered from inside a document , so highlighting all the nice words you were looking for - makes...

  • Are you only interested in Vista or Office information - here is how to get it on this site

    For Vista, I have registered the following sites: http://ukvistaguy.com and http://ukvistsguy.co.uk - these auto-redirect if you have nothing else on the address bar to http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/archive/category/1003.aspx For Office, I have not registered any sites, but clicking the following link will take you to Office specific informaiton: http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/archive/category/1004.aspx If there are particular areas of Office 2007 or Vista you want to see more info on, just let me know. ttfn David

  • What will Vista look like if you don't have an ace graphics card (ala many machines bought over the last 3 years with less than 64MB graphics RAM)

    I saw this over at the Windows Vista blogs and realised that the original graphics for people withotu higher end graphics were really not up to scratch. Looking at the site, you can even see a nice example of "glass" and the new standard theme side by side. hurray! ttfn David

  • Microsoft sets Vista prices, expands testing | CNET News.com

    Just a quick one to say that MS has discussed Vista Pricing in the US at CNet . While I have no idea how this translates to the UK, this is how it came out. More information is formally announced on the Microsoft site : Full retail versions of Vista Upgrades from XP Windows Vista Ultimate, $399 Windows Vista Ultimate, $259 Windows Vista Business, $299 Windows Vista Business, $199 Windows Vista Home Premium, $239 Windows Vista Home Premium, $159 Windows Vista Home Basic, $199 Windows Vista Home Basic, $99 A quick search of a US site showed XP Home @ $199, upgrade @ $99, Pro @ $299, upgrade @ $199 ttfn David

  • Where to start with Vista as a Small Business Partner (or in fact a partner of any size)

    In my previous post I mentioned how you can see Vista in action on the web, but how else does a partner start to get skilled in Vista? There are numerious resources. See if Vista will run on your machine - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx Download or order the product and "play" with it - the best way to learn about the product is by using it yourself and then note things you do not like - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx Have a look at the product features page - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/features/default.mspx Do the basic Vists 101 course - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/partners/ Read the Vista for partner information - noting that there is a small business customer scenario - http://microsoft.mrmpslc.com/WindowsVistaPartner/secure/scenarios.aspx Download the long Product Guide for XPS or Word See what XPS (a sort of off-line XML web based document that has great printing capabilities) by looking at the product guide in XPS format - http...

  • So you like shortcuts - commands to quickly do things without resorting to the UI - have a look at how to do them here

    Ewan is a tall chap who used to work in the SE team (which was the team I joined in Microsoft) many years ago. He then went off and did some Exchange EMEA type roles and his skills were sorly missed. Well, he is back "in the UK" (he never left, but his heart was elsewhere). And this posting is beginning to cause a bit of a stir. http://blogs.technet.com/ewan/archive/2007/01/02/some-more-useful-windows-shortcuts.aspx My favourites are for quick keyboard things in Outlook: In Outlook, CTRL-2 switches to the Calendar, CTRL-3 to Contacts, and CTRL-1 back to Inbox. Handy if you're often flicking around to arrange a meeting with lots of people... Still in Outlook, when viewing the Calendar ALT-= switches to Month view, ALT- "-" (next to equals sign) switches to the week view, and ALT- number displays the number of days forward from the current date (eg ALT-9 will show 9 day view). Have a look to see what else he can teach you :-) ttfn David

  • Vista Beta 2 is now downloadable by everyone

    Just a quick note (due to the time), but if you want to order or download Vista, you can do so from here - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx . Previously this was limited to TechNet & MSDN subscribers. If you do want to download, please note the timings: Connection speed: Connection type: Approximate download time: 32-bit edition (3.5 GB) 3.0 mbps Fast Cable/DSL 4.5 hours 1.5 mbps T1 9 hours 768 kbps Cable/DSL 18 hours 256 kbps Cable/DSL 54 hours 56.6 kbps Dial-up 165 hours 64-bit edition (4.4 GB) 3.0 mbps Fast Cable/DSL 5.5 hours 1.5 mbps T1 10.5 hours 768 kbps Cable/DSL 21 hours 256 kbps Cable/DSL 64 hours ttfn David

  • Windows Vista Tips and Tricks

    The Tips and Tricks website is now up - includes demo scripts and will include webcasts etc. Today the content was: Check out these great downloadable guides that give you easy access to helpful tips & tricks for Windows Vista. Windows Vista Tip Sheet Windows Vista Top 10 Tips & Tricks Webcast schedule will be updated regularly. Microsoft Webcast: Be One of the First to See Tips & Tricks for Windows Vista This webcast will give you a first look at the great new features found in Windows Vista. A new user interface, great, new search and organize features, enhanced security, great tips on using Internet Explorer® 7, and easy, practical information and desktop tips that will make you more productive right away. Join us for this informative and fun webcast on the new Windows Vista operating system. Coming in October 2006—check back for registration. ttfn David

  • Watch and listen about Vista and Small Business

    The PTS-TV videos have been updated and this time it is two takes (I can never do things in one take) about Windows Vista and how it delivers simple value to small businesses. The videos of the team, including mine can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/blog/pts-tv/ and the rss feed so you can keep up to date is found at http://blogs.msdn.com/ptstv/rss.aspx . Should you be super keen and desire only to watch the video, they are streamed from the following URLs (downloadable versions are available from the site above) http://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/blog/pts-tv_daveoverton1.wvx http://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/blog/pts-tv_daveoverton2.wvx Vista is currently available for partners who have Technet or MSDN today and will be available for everyone as a community technology preview later this month. For more Vista information go to http://www.windowsvista.com ttfn David

  • 50% off Microsoft Office And Windows Professional upgrades

    I saw this and thought it was worth suggesting to any customer who is not up to date yet - get the latest MS software and pay for it each year on subscription rather than large lump payments, plus the 1st payment has a 50% reduction if you have Windows 2000 or above and Office 97 or above. Plus, your customers are entitled to Vista Business Edition, Office 2007 and all the extra benefits, such as training vouchers, home usage rights etc. The Offer If your business already runs a current or previous version of Microsoft Office Professional Edition or Windows, you can save 50% on your first year’s subscription when you upgrade to the latest edition before 31 December 2006. Source: 50% off Microsoft Office And Windows Professional upgrades ttfn David

  • Training tools for Windows Vista

    I have found the tips and tricks website and found these items that I think might be very useful - the learning whitepaper is a great example. If you are responsible for training employees in your company this is the place for you! Take a look at the tools below that can help you develop a customized tips & tricks presentation or plan for your company. Windows Vista Tips & Tricks Demo Script Windows Vista Tips & Tricks Intro Slide Deck New Learning Resources for Windows Vista White Paper: Learning Windows Vista in the Workplace Enterprise Learning Framework on TechNet Source: Windows Vista™ Tips & Tricks

  • So what is new and exciting (such as easier admin) in IIS7 (IIS in Vista and Longhorn), find out here

    The .NET Show: IIS 7.0 Scott Guthrie and Bill Staples provide some details on what IIS 7.0 is, describe new features, and demo how much easier IIS 7.0 is to use and administer. 100k - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2f497db8-06fb-4d30-a00b-abfed571fe9c&DisplayLang=en 300k - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=09f5aefa-b5d2-4568-8edd-50b39912f0da&DisplayLang=en Mobile - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1c6878d1-bebb-4e63-ad89-6768c9881fb8&DisplayLang=en ttfn David

  • June Technet Articles on Vista

    Ask the Experts: How Windows Vista Delivers IPv6 Prepare for the next generation in networking with this look at how Windows Vista will allow for more advanced applications and networks with Internet Protocol version 6. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/network/ipv6wv.mspx Enterprise Networking with Windows Vista This article provides a high-level overview of Windows Vista enterprise networking technologies. This article does not discuss consumer networking scenarios http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/network/entnet.mspx Joining a Windows Vista Wireless Client to a Domain http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/network/wifi/vista_bootstrap_wireless.mspx Active Directory Schema Extensions for Windows Vista Wireless and Wired Group Policy Enhancements http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/network/wifi/vista_ad_ext.mspx Windows Vista Step-by-Step Guides for IT Professionals http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=311f4be8-9983-4ab0-9685-f1bfec1e7d62&DisplayLang...
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(c)David Overton 2006-23