THE LONG-AWAITED VISTA NOW AVAILABLE

MICROSOFT gave its corporate customers the VIP treatment at the launch of Windows Vista late in 2006. It has been available to home users since January, 2007. Vista is the much-delayed follow-on to Windows XP, which was launched in 2001. The system comes in five different versions, ranging from Home Basic at $385 to Ultimate at $751. New features include better security, snazzy new graphics and more media capabilities. Vista also offers a raft of incremental improvements designed to make it easier to use, including better icons and desktop windows and a desktop sidebar to pull information directly from the internet. Finding and managing documents should also be easier thanks to simplified and improved search capabilities, faster program launches and much stronger security, including built-in basic anti-virus protection. The latest version of Office scraps the traditional menu bar in favour of a menu ‘ribbon’ designed to make functions easier to find. The software simplifies the sharing of documents, allowing them to be accessed securely by friends and co-workers. Microsoft is promising the new software will be easy to use, and not too much of a shock to people used to older versions of its operating system. "Although we have made some significant changes to the user interface there are some grounding points that are very familiar," said product manager Tony Wilkinson. "Less advanced users will be able to access capabilities that they weren't able to before."

SOME FEATURES of VISTA and the new OFFICE

[AP DIGITAL, November 2006] VISTA * Improved graphics. Desktop windows and icons are visually richer, an attempt by Microsoft to make computer use more intuitive and free-flowing. A desktop "sidebar" grabs data from the Internet to deliver customizable information at a glance. * Better search. Finding things on the PC has been a chore in Windows without an add-on program from the likes of Google. Vista makes search faster, more prominent and powerful, letting you hunt for desktop files and data in applications at once. * Stronger security. Windows traditionally lets programs running on the desktop access information stored all over the PC. Malicious hackers said "Thank you very much." Vista essentially seals off the core of the operating system, known as the kernel, theoretically reducing the damage a rogue program can cause. Vista includes some basic antivirus protections out of the box. It also lets corporate computer managers disable a PC's USB port, preventing workers from slipping data out on portable drives. * Smarter use of resources. Vista can take advantage of portable flash drives to put frequently used applications in a sort of holding pattern there, making it much quicker to launch those programs and putting less strain on the juice-sucking hard drive. OFFICE * A new user interface. Microsoft scrapped long-used menus in the Office programs, regrouping them in a "ribbon" atop the screen that is designed to make it easier to find all the software's capabilities. * Improved methods of collaboration. Word makes it smoother to circulate documents to colleagues for review. Excel enables spreadsheets to be shared in a format that is interactive like traditional Excel files but hides secret, often valuable formulas used to calculate data. Outlook has new ways for incorporating scheduling and to-do lists in e-mail. * More visual stimulation. Excel, for example, offers new ways of colour-coding data for at-a-glance presentations. E-mails and other items in Outlook can be tagged with an array of colours to better categorize and manage information. * A new file format. Office documents now will be saved in the XML format, which will make it easier to search their contents and transfer them to other applications.

ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS COMPLETELY

It's typically good practice to use the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel to remove software from Windows 98, unless the programs provide an Uninstall utility that's clearly marked in the Start menu. Sometimes, however, Windows 98 just doesn't seem to want to let go of third-party applications and finds some reason why it cannot uninstall them cleanly. Usually when this happens, the title remains on the Add/Remove Programs list, and reselecting the title for removal simply displays an error, leaving the title where it is. You can resolve this issue with a quick registry edit. Using the Registry Editor, you can remove these entries from the list manually. After opening the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe), navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software \Microsoft \Windows\CurrentVersion \Uninstall. Remove the key below this level that corresponds to the application you want to delete. For example, with the key above, you would remove the following: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software \Microsoft \Windows\CurrentVersion \Uninstall\iShare When you open the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel, the application should no longer be present. NOTE: Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes. [First published at TECH REPUBLIC]

REINSTALLING WINDOWS 95x and WINDOWS 98 [By Brien M Posey] When I last supported an organization with Windows 98 workstations, I was confronted with a host of recurring problems that required frequent operating system reinstalls. I often couldn't reinstall over the existing Windows installation because Setup would try to preserve the configuration files that were causing the problems. This meant I had to remove the existing Windows installation before installing a new copy. To further complicate the situation, the end users in this particular organization kept sensitive data on their workstations, making it impossible to simply reformat their hard drives. To solve this dilemma, I used a simple boot disk to remove all the Windows files. Once this was finished, I could manually remove the files associated with Windows (I would have automated this process, but there were too many variations among installed applications.) When the old copy had been removed, I would reinstall Windows onto the machine. However, the process wasn’t as simple as you might expect. One of the issues that I ran into is Windows' tendency to have a lot of hidden, read only, and system files. Until these files are removed, you can't delete the Windows directory. Also, there was a lot of wait time involved in manually removing Windows from a machine. I solved both of these problems by using a simple batch file to automate the removal process. The batch file was similar to the one shown below. Keep in mind, though, that you'll have to modify the batch file to reflect your actual drive letters and paths. C: CD\WINDOWS ATTRIB *.* -S -H -R /S CD\ DELTREE C:\WINDOWS CD TEMP ATTRIB *.* -S -H -R /S CD\ DELTREE C:\TEMP The first line switches to the C: drive. This line is necessary because if you run the batch file from your boot disk, the command prompt will be set to the A: drive rather than to C:. The next line switches to the Windows folder. After doing so, the ATTRIB *.* -S -H -R /S line removes the hidden, read only, and system attributes from the Windows directory. The /S switch tells the ATTRIB command that these attributes should also be removed from files in all subdirectories. The next line switches to the root directory, and the DELTREE C:\Windows command erases the Windows directory and everything in it. The next group of commands repeats the entire process with the TEMP folder. Depending on your Windows version and configuration, this folder could be named TMP instead of TEMP. Three considerations when creating your own batch file: Before you use the batch file, let me explain some things you should consider. First, you might have noticed that I left the root directory alone. Windows 9x and Windows Me don't place many files in the root directory. Typically, the only system files in the root directory would be IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM. In my experience, these files rarely become corrupted, and it's usually okay to leave them in place for your Windows reinstallation. The biggest exception would be a situation in which someone had altered the MSDOS.SYS file in an undesirable way. And, depending on your version of Windows, there may be a swap file (sometimes called a page file) in the root directory as well. Again, you don't have to remove this file. You must also be very careful with the drive paths and the commands you use within your batch file. For example, you might have noticed that I used the DELTREE C:\Windows command instead of switching to the Windows directory and using the ERASE *.* /S command. There are three main reasons for this: * The DELTREE command will remove the empty subfolders, but ERASE won’t. That isn't a real big deal if you're going to be reinstalling Windows, though. * The DELTREE command asks for confirmation before deleting anything. Of course, confirmation is a bad idea if you're planning on running the batch file and walking away. You can get around the need for confirmation by adding a /Y to the command. For example, you might use the command DELTREE /Y C:\Windows. * The ERASE command doesn't care about the path, but DELTREE does. Imagine that the line before the ERASE command was CD\WINDWS. (Notice that I intentionally misspelled Windows.) The CD command would realize that the WINDWS directory doesn't exist and would therefore remain in the current directory. ERASE would then remove everything from the current directory rather than from the intended directory, which should have been WINDOWS. The final thing to remember about this batch file is that any time you need the batch file to switch to the root directory, use the CD\ command instead of the CD.. command, because CD\ always goes to the root directory, while CD.. simply drops down a level. In this particular batch file, either command would have worked, but I like to be absolutely certain about my paths; especially when the batch file is designed to delete things. [First published at TECH REPUBLIC]

MS WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER

With the next generation of Media Centre PCs, you'll be able to have your TV and record it too. [Picture shows Remote Control and Portable Media Center]. For the first time, Microsoft's Windows XP Media Centre Edition is supporting multiple tuners, meaning that consumers will be able to watch one channel while recording another or record two stations at once, CNET News.com has learned. The feature is one of several improvements Microsoft has made with Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2005, an update that the company plans to announce next week. At the same time, Microsoft is also allowing computer makers to create Media Centre PCs that lack the TV recording feature altogether, a move that will allow computer makers to offer PCs with the operating system for less than $US 800. It's all part of an effort by Microsoft to position Media Centre as a more mainstream consumer OS. Without an all-new version of Windows until Longhorn in 2006, Microsoft is hoping that an improved Media Centre OS can help reignite interest in the 3-year-old Windows XP operating system. The launch of the updated Media Centre, along with several new companion products, will form a key part of Microsoft's fall marketing blitz designed to sell consumers on the benefits of XP. The entertainment-oriented Media Centre OS is similar to other flavours of Microsoft's flagship Windows XP, but adds a second interface that can play movies, music, digital pictures or television and be controlled via remote control. In its first two incarnations, Media Centre has attracted only a niche of the PC market, largely those interested in recording TV shows onto their hard drives. Microsoft has thus far been largely mum about the new version of Media Centre OS, though details have begun to trickle out. As previously reported, the new version has several new features designed to address current shortcomings, such as the ability to burn CDs and DVDs from within the remote-controlled interface. Sources tell CNET News.com that the product will also include the ability to exchange MSN-compatible instant messages while doing other things, such as watching television or viewing a photo slideshow. The instant messages appear as an overlay to the TV or other main image. Media Centre Edition 2005 will offer limited support for high-definition television, but only the type of high-definition signal received through an antenna--not high-definition satellite or cable. Microsoft declined to comment on the new version of Media Centre or its features. Much of the focus with the new version, which is code-named Symphony, has been on improving the audio and video quality, with the goal being to rival consumer electronics devices such as DVD players and digital video recorders that cost far less and have outshined the Media Centre in quality. With this version, sources say, they believe Microsoft has at least caught up to TiVo. The program guide has also been improved, including the ability to browse upcoming movies using "cover art" images. Microsoft has also announced plans for two products that will complement the new OS. One is a handheld device known as a Portable Media Center that will allow content from a Media Center PC to be taken on the go. The other is a type of set-top box known as a Media Center Extender, which allows consumers to view content in one room that is stored on a Media Center PC in another room. The company is expected to use next week's "Experience More" event in Los Angeles to tout other digital home efforts, including several moves designed to make it easier to move content around the home while still offering digital rights management. For example, Microsoft has been developing technology, code-named Janus, that paves the way for a new class of portable music devices capable of playing music that is rented on a subscription basis rather than purchased. And, in addition to Media Center extenders, which work only with Media Center PCs, Microsoft has a broader Windows Media Connect effort designed to let many different living-room products grab video, music and photos that are stored on a Windows XP computer. Some details have come from the companies making Media Center products. Two tuner manufacturers, Hauppauge and Vixs have announced dual-tuner products that are designed specifically to work with Media Center 2005. Computer makers are also starting to tip their hand. Sony, for example, posted several new models to its SonyStyle Web site. Best Buy has also started listing at least one of the new Sony models. The machines are part of Sony's existing "R" series of Vaio Desktops. In addition to sporting the new OS, the machines add faster processors and larger hard drives as well as the option to automatically create a backup of data using RAID. For now, Sony's machines stick to offering a single TV tuner. Hewlett-Packard has announced its Digital Entertainment Center, a Media Center device that is designed to look more like a consumer electronics device than a PC and is also expected to offer dual tuners, among other features. HP has yet to announce pricing or when the device will be available, though. The company is also expected to have more traditional Media Center PCs and is expected to offer an upgrade program for existing Media Center PCs, but details are not yet available. Dell, Gateway and Toshiba are among the other big-name computer makers expected to offer machines with the new operating system, sources said. As for the Media Center extenders, HP has announced plans to offer such a device and online retailer Buy.com has started taking orders for a similar product from Linksys. Creative and Samsung recently started selling the first Portable Media Centers. All of the Microsoft devices find themselves competing, at least to some degree, with non-Microsoft alternatives. In the portable category, RCA and Archos offer competing portable video players that do not interface directly with Media Center. There are also other companies that offer features similar to Media Center both for Linux and Windows-based machines. Intel showed off many such designs at its recent developer forum, though it is unclear how many big-name PC makers will choose to offer entertainment-oriented PCs that are not Microsoft-based. Instead, the challenge may come more from consumer electronics makers. Devices that could both burn DVDs and record TV shows were once rare but are increasingly more common. Cable and satellite operators are also starting to ship digital video recorders in larger numbers, again potentially challenging Microsoft's Media Center ambitions.

XP SP 2 WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH 10 PER CENT OF COMPUTERS

[TechWeb News] Upgrading to Service Pack 2 (SP2) will cause problems with about one out of every 10 PCs running Windows XP, according to research published by a Canadian asset-monitoring service provider. Ottawa-based AssetMetrix probed over 44,000 Windows XP systems housed in nearly 350 companies to come up with its numbers, matching what it found on the PCs against various lists that Microsoft has posted of programs that have, or may have, compatibility issues with the massive SP2 update. “On average, 10.3 percent of the Windows XP-based machines will have an issue of some degree with SP2,” said Steve O'Halloran, the managing director of AssetMetrix Research Labs. “Or better put, they have the 'opportunity' for an issue to arise.” AssetMetrix used Microsoft-made lists -- including one that identifies applications that have an issue with the now-on-by-default Windows Firewall, and another that names applications known to experience a 'loss of functionality' when SP2 is installed -- to come up with its figures. "The 10 percent rate didn't come as a shock," said O'Halloran, "but a new-found correlation between company size and XP usage did. “Actually, I was assuming [the percentage] would be higher, but I didn't expect to spot a statistical difference between large and small companies.”" Business with fewer than 100 XP machines, for instance, can anticipate problems with 11.9 percent of their systems, said O'Halloran, while those with more than 100 XP PCs can figure on issues with just 6.2 percent of their desktops. Smaller companies will have a tougher time with SP2 for a variety of reasons, including a higher concentration of Windows XP PCs. According to AssetMetrix's data, the smaller the company -- as measured by the number of PCs it operates -- the more likely it's a 100 percent XP shop. Other factors play to the increased chance that smaller businesses will be affected by SP2, said O'Halloran, including their use of older software -- which in some cases has issues with SP2 while newer versions do not -- and use of second- or third-tier programs, like Corel's WordPerfect, one of the titles on the 'loss of functionality' list. A lack of standardisation also plays to a bigger than average impact of SP2 on small business. Several FTP programs are on the Windows Firewall list, for example, and where an enterprise would likely force all users to deploy just one of those, small businesses are much looser, and tend to have different programs on different machines. “"It's like the lottery,"” said O'Halloran. "“The more programs you use the better chance you'll be a winner.”" While small companies will probably have it tougher than enterprises today, that will change as larger firms update systems to XP (and thus XP2) in anticipation of Vista and to refresh aging hardware. “Larger companies will have to resolve this immediately,” said O'Halloran, “because they'll find it's a continual process to ensure that this affected software is remedied [when XP SP2 is added to the mix].” By his estimate, compatibility issues with SP2 will last a year to a year and a half, based on previous Windows migrations. And in his mind, as well as many analysts, SP2 is as much a new OS as a major security update. “Users should understand software compatibility from that perspective, that [Sp2] is really a new operating system.” “"But don't let the one-in-ten PC with compatibility problems spook you,"” he said. “"Even though you're seeing this quantified, don't use that as an excuse to skirt the issue. Deploy SP2 now. It's for the greater good of the organisation, even if some systems and applications won't work without work."”

REVERSE HISTORY OF WINDOWS OSs

Windows XP (2001) A client version of Windows 2000 with a redesigned user interface and .NET capability. XP comes in a Home Edition and Professional version, the latter adding more security and administrative capabilities and the capability of being run remotely. XP has improved support for digital photography, gaming, instant messaging and wireless networks. A 64-bit version is also available for Intel's Itanium CPUs. Windows 2000 (2000) An updated version of Windows NT 4.0 (originally thought to be named NT 5.0). It added numerous enhancements including Plug and Play and Active Directory. Windows 2000 comes in one workstation version (Windows 2000 Professional) and three server versions, the latter supporting as much as 64GB of memory and as many as 32 CPUs in a single system. See Windows 2000. Windows NT (1993) Windows NT 3.5 was introduced two years before Windows 95. It was an entirely different and self-contained operating system and offered separate versions for client and server. Providing greater crash protection than Windows 3.1, its first user interface was the Windows 3.0 Program Manager. In 1996, Version 4.0 was introduced with the Windows 95 interface, but did not include Win 95's Plug and Play capability. Windows NT Server gained significant market share as a server operating system, although the workstation version did not compete very much with other Windows versions. Windows ME (2000) An upgrade to Windows 98. ME has a shorter boot time but no longer can be booted into DOS only (DOS sessions can still be run in a Windows window). 98 (1998) & Second Edition An upgrade to Windows 95 that tightly integrated the Internet Explorer Web browser with the OS. It added support for the Universal Serial Bus (USB) and dual monitors. In 1999, Windows 98 Second Edition fixed numerous bugs by incorporating Service Pack 1 with upgraded applications including Internet Explorer 5 and Outlook Express 5. Windows 95 (1995) and OSR2 Windows 95 introduced a new user interface that added more Macintosh features. It included preemptive multitasking, which allows programs to be timeshared together more effectively than in Windows 3.1, and Plug and Play, which makes adding new peripherals much easier than Windows 3.1. Unlike Windows 3.1, which was loaded after booting up with DOS, Windows 95 was a self-contained 32-bit operating system that boots with its own version of DOS. Windows 95 ran most Windows 3.x and DOS applications, and within a couple of years, support for earlier 16-bit Windows applications was dropped by most vendors. In 1996, an upgrade known as Win95B or OS Release 2 (OSR2) added support for FAT32 files and 32-bit CardBus PC cards. Windows 3.1 (1992) An upgrade to Windows 3.0 that provided a more stable and faster environment. It added multimedia support, TrueType fonts, drag & drop commands and OLE compound documents. Windows for Workgroups was later introduced with built-in networking, allowing PCs to share data and programs when fitted with network adapters. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was the last 3.x version. Windows 3.1 is rarely used anymore. Windows 3.0 (1990) "First Real Windows" Windows 3.0 put Windows on the map. Its ability to manage more than one megabyte of memory, which was a serious limitation in DOS. Its built-in DOS extender could manage 16MB of RAM, a huge amount for that time, and its Program Manager user interface was widely accepted. It still required DOS to be booted first, but Windows added multitasking, cut and paste capability between applications and centralized printer and font management, all of which were sorely lacking in DOS. Within a couple of years, Windows would become the major desktop operating system worldwide. Windows 1.0 (1985) Version 1.0 of Windows was introduced in 1985, but barely made a dent in the market. Subsequent versions (Windows 2.0, Windows/386) began to make some inroads, and a handful of companies adopted Windows as their operating environment. However, it wasn't until Version 3.0 that Windows had any impact. The PCs of the time were also terribly underpowered for a graphics-based interface.