Disable useless Vista Features 0 comments

Lose What You Don't Need
If you installed Vista yourself and have experience installing previous Windows OSes, you surely noticed that Vista hardly asks any questions about your computer—and what you plan to do with it—than did prior OSes. Windows Vista makes all kinds of assumptions about your computing habits and the features you may or may not need, and it inevitably installs some overhead that you simply don't need. You can get rid of it. Windows XP had the Add/Remove Windows Features button in the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs applet, and Vista has something like it.

1. Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a Program to launch Vista's Uninstall or Change a Program Window. In the Tasks pane on the left, click Turn Windows Features On or Off.
2. Check the list of features. Each feature is preceded by a check box which, if filled, indicates the feature is installed. If you hover the mouse over a feature, a help tool tip appears to tell you what it is.

2.
Do you really need Windows Meeting Space or Tablet PC components?
3. Uncheck any feature you don't need. Some of the features are headings with a sub-list below them; just click the little + sign to expand.


For my gaming system, I've purged everything except:

* Some of the games
* XPS Viewer (under .NET Framework 3.0)
* Remote Differential Compression (a network optimizer)
* Windows Ultimate Extras

Note that when you uncheck features, you're not removing these features from your system; you're simply turning them off so they don't sit in the background eating up resources. You can turn any of them back on by invoking this window and filling the check boxes.

Correct Disk Cleanup shortcut for Windows Vista 64-bit 0 comments

If you are using a 64-bit (x64) version of Windows Vista, then this is something you should know. By default, the shortcut in the Start menu points to the 32-bit (x86) executable for Disk Cleanup. While Disk Cleanup will work fine from this shortcut for most things, there is one function that does not work correctly – the cleaning of System Restore points and Shadow Copies / Previous Versions.
Note that if you launch Disk Cleanup from another location in Windows, for instance by clicking the “Disk Cleanup” button on a drives properties window, it will launch the correct executable for Disk Cleanup.
If you want to correct the Disk Cleanup shortcut in the Start menu, follow these steps:

1. Click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, and then click on System Tools.
2. Right click on “Disk Cleanup” and from the context menu that appears click on “Properties”.
3. Change the “Target” from “%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\cleanmgr.exe” to “%SystemRoot%\system32\cleanmgr.exe”.
4. Click on OK. If User Account Control prompts you for consent, click on Continue or provide the appropriate credentials.

Windows Vista Ultimate Edition 0 comments

Windows Vista Ultimate edition is the most complete edition of Windows Vista—with the power, security, and mobility features that you need for work, and all of the entertainment features that you want for fun

* Get it now at Windows Marketplace
* Upgrade your edition of Windows Vista to Ultimate
* Compare editions

When you want to have it all, including the ability to shift smoothly between the worlds of play and productivity, there's Windows Vista Ultimate. You'll never have to worry about having the most advanced capabilities—they're all here. This edition of Windows Vista offers an advanced, business-focused infrastructure, mobile productivity, and a premium home digital entertainment experience, all in a single offering.

Specifically, Windows Vista Ultimate offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, including Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support, and Windows DVD Maker. It also offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Business, including business networking, centralized management tools, and advanced system backup features. And Windows Vista Ultimate has all of the new security and data protection features that help take Windows Vista to a whole new level of dependability.

In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes support for all of the new mobility features in Windows Vista, including Windows Tablet and Touch Technology, Windows SideShow, Windows Mobility Center, and other new, advanced mobility features.

Exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate are Windows Ultimate Extras. Windows Ultimate Extras are add-ons that extend certain capabilities of your operating system or just make using your PC more fun. Windows Ultimate Extras currently available include:

* Windows DreamScene, an Extra that enables you to use looped, full-motion video as your desktop wallpaper instead of a static image
* Windows Hold’em, a poker game for players of all skill levels
* Language packs for Windows multi-language interface, where users can install and use multiple languages on a single PC. It’s great for multi-lingual households or if you are learning a new language.
* Secure Online Key Backup, where Ultimate users can store their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System certificate on Windows Marketplace’s Digital Locker website for access to the key anytime, anyplace, and from any computer that has an Internet connection
* BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool, an automated tool which removes the complexity of setting up your PC to use this exclusive data security feature.

Whenever a new Windows Ultimate Extra is ready for distribution by Microsoft, you will see the Ultimate Extra control panel inform you that there are new extras to download. Simply download and install the Extras and begin enjoying these exclusive software and services that give your Windows Vista experience an extra lift!

If you want a single PC that fulfills all of your work, travel, and entertainment needs, or if you simply want to be confident that you have the very best, Windows Vista Ultimate is the no-compromise edition for you.

Note: If your system features a 64-bit processor, you can take advantage of its advanced design in this edition of Windows Vista.

Suggested retail price for full package product is $399.00 USD. Suggested upgrade retail price, $259.00 USD.

See Home Basic / Home Premium / Business
Everything you need to work more easily and effectively

Main Features of Windows Vista Ultimate:
Windows Aero offers an elegant, more visually compelling desktop experience, giving you a greater ability to visualize and work with your information and a smoother, more stable desktop experience.

Instant Search helps you find whatever you need quickly and easily, whether it's on your PC, on your network, or on the Internet—or even within your e-mail.

With Complete PC Backup and Restore, you can not only back up your personal documents and files, you can also back up all of your operating system files and programs—everything on your hard disk drive. In the event of a catastrophic hardware failure, you can use Complete PC Backup and Restore to get your entire PC back to normal in one easy step.
Backup and Restore Center

You know you need backups. Now this essential maintenance step is much easier with the Backup and Restore Center.

Windows Vista Ultimate also enables you to easily recover previous versions of files and documents that have been accidentally changed. Shadow copy automatically archives previous versions of your files—should you accidentally save a change to a document, or should a document become corrupted, you can easily recover by restoring any previous version of that file.

With new self-healing technologies, Windows Vista Ultimate can automatically identify and fix problems as they occur—helping keep disruptions to a minimum.

Windows Vista Ultimate is available in 35 languages—simultaneously. If you have a multilingual household or are learning a new language, you can install as many languages as you want and even switch between them as easily as logging off and back on again. In addition, if your family shares a single PC, each family member can use his or her preferred language to interact with the PC.

Enhanced Windows Fax and Scan provides flexible, integrated faxing and scanning capabilities in one convenient location on your PC that make it easier to send and receive faxes, scan documents and images, and share those resources with other people. Windows Fax and Scan also helps you get more from your multifunction printing devices.
Windows Fax and Scan Create, send, and receive faxes, documents, and images from one spot.

Windows SuperFetch helps improve PC responsiveness and helps make system performance more consistent. Windows SuperFetch tracks which applications you use most often and when you use them—and then it preloads those applications into memory to ensure quick access.

For smaller home and business networks, use Network and Sharing Center to visually check the connection status of PCs and devices, and to troubleshoot connection problems from a single interface and without additional IT support.
Take advantage of all the safety features available in Windows Vista

Windows Defender helps automatically safeguard your PC against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. Windows Defender automatically avoids unwanted software.

With Parental Controls, you can manage the rules for your children's computer use. You can set time limits for use and also manage their access to the web and to PC games.

With dynamic security protection, Internet Explorer 7 helps you achieve a higher level of security protection than ever before when browsing the web. Internet Explorer 7 includes anti-phishing technology that helps to protect you from fraudulent websites that attempt to steal your personal information.
Internet Explorer Anti-phishing

Anti-phishing technology in Internet Explorer helps protect your personal information

Windows Vista Ultimate also enables you to easily recover previous versions of files and documents that have been accidentally changed. Shadow copy automatically archives previous versions of your files—should you accidentally save a change to a document, or should a document become corrupted, you can easily recover by restoring any previous version of that file.

If you have confidential and valuable information stored on your PC, Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption helps ensure the integrity of that information by encrypting your entire hard drive. Only you have access to that information—even if your PC is lost, stolen, or decommissioned.

Using User Account Control, you can confidently allow your children to use your PC, and lessen the risk that they will install malicious software or make harmful changes to the PC.

Provide the critical first line of defense. A smarter, more easily configured, and automatically running Windows Firewall helps protect you against many types of malicious software.

Encrypting File System helps protect sensitive information and data from being shared outside of your company by enabling you to password-protect shared documents.

Windows Vista Ultimate includes support for joining a network domain—a standard business networking feature that enables improved security and manageability for business PCs. Windows Vista Ultimate also includes support for Group Policy. This helps system administrators save time and reduce security risks by configuring wireless network settings, removable storage devices, printers, Internet Explorer, and even power-management settings centrally and automatically. In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes the essential IT infrastructure found in Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Enterprise so that your PCs and IT infrastructure can grow as your business grows and thrives.

Everything you need for a more entertaining experience:
Windows Vista Ultimate includes Windows Media Center so that you can enjoy your entire digital entertainment library on your PC or on your television. Use your Media Center remote control or your mouse to view your photos in a cinematic slide show, browse your music collection by cover art, easily play DVDs, or watch and record your favorite TV shows. Media Center even makes it easy to download movies and enjoy them whenever you want.

Windows Media Center:
Enjoy all your digital entertainment with the simplicity of Windows Media Center.

Burn your photo slide shows and home movies to a professional-looking video DVD with Windows DVD Maker, and watch them on a standard DVD player or on the PC of your choice.

Take Windows Media Center to the next level and enjoy all of your digital entertainment on TVs throughout your home (not just in the room where your PC resides) with support for Xbox 360 and other consumer electronics connected to your home network.

Windows Photo Gallery, included in Windows Vista Ultimate, offers a better and more flexible way of acquiring, organizing, fixing, sharing, and printing your digital photos and home videos. You can take advantage of keyword "tags," a star rating system, and built-in Instant Search to manage and organize your photos and find them again quickly and easily. Windows Photo Gallery includes the most important photo-editing features, making it quick and easy to crop, fix red eye, and even adjust the exposure and color of your digital photos. Windows Photo Gallery also enables you to play slide shows of your photos and videos together on your PC, choosing from several themes and templates, setting them to music, or even watching them on your TV.

With Windows Vista Ultimate, you can play the latest high-performance PC games with stunning 3-D visuals. From the simple to the spectacular, there are Games for Windows for every age and ability, either on your PC or online, & with DirectX 10 included, only Windows Vista will be able to run the latest, most graphically advanced games in the market.

Windows Vista Ultimate includes updates to your favorite built-in Windows games, such as Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, and FreeCell. Windows Vista Ultimate also includes three new premium games: Mahjong Titans, Chess Titans, and InkBall.

Chess Titans: Windows Vista Ultimate includes three premium games, including Chess Titans.

You can capture, edit, and publish your digital home movies in standard or high-definition format with the updated Windows Movie Maker.

Windows Media Player 11 includes new features that are designed to help you manage your library of digital music, photos, and videos that you have stored on your PC. And you can easily connect to a variety of portable players so that you can take your media collection with you wherever you go.
Take it all with you for the ideal mobile PC

Windows Mobility Center saves you time by enabling you to quickly access and set key mobile system settings from one easy-to-find location. For instance, you can quickly adjust your wireless networking, display, sound, Tablet PC, and presentation settings. You can even adjust power options to maximize your PC's battery life.
Windows Mobility Center

Find all your mobile system settings in one place: The Windows Mobility Center.

If you have confidential and valuable information stored on your mobile PC, Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption helps ensure the integrity of that information by encrypting your entire hard drive. Only you have access to that information—even if your mobile PC is lost or stolen.

Mobile users can connect to wireless networks in the workplace, at home, or in public hotspots—with more confidence, privacy, and ease—with improved wireless networking and support for the most up-to-date wireless security standards.

Windows Vista Ultimate makes using a PC with Windows Tablet and Touch Technology easier and more efficient than ever before with new and improved pen-and-ink functionality, improved navigation, and dramatically improved handwriting recognition. Windows Vista Ultimate even includes built-in support for touch screens.
Tablet PC handwriting.

Extensive technical improvements help you get more done, quickly, with a Tablet PC.

Using Remote Desktop Connection, you can access and control your PC remotely. This feature of Windows Vista Ultimate makes it easier to more securely access documents and programs on your computer remotely. You can gain remote access from across your home network, work network, or across the Internet from another computer, enabling you to get work done wherever you have a network connection.

With Sync Center, you can keep other PCs, server shares, shared documents, digital media devices, Smartphones, Pocket PCs, and other devices synchronized with your PC easily and in one convenient place.

If there is a problem with your network connectivity, new Network Diagnostics is designed to help you identify and solve the problem quickly and easily. Most common problems are automatically fixed for you.

Windows Vista Ultimate includes Windows Meeting Space, which helps make face-to-face meetings more productive. Windows Meeting Space enables collaboration and sharing of documents among small groups of Windows Vista users, even when there is no network available.

Windows SideShow is a feature of Windows Vista Ultimate that supports secondary displays for portable computers, making it easier for you to view important information stored on your laptop or to access key controls on other devices, even when your laptop screen is closed or when your PC is turned off.
Windows Vista Ultimate
Recommended system requirements

* 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
* 1 GB of system memory
* 40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
* Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
o WDDM Driver
o 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
o Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
o 32 bits per pixel
* DVD-ROM
* Audio Output
* Internet access (fees may apply)

Additional requirements to use certain features

* TV tuner card required for TV functionality (compatible remote control optional)
* Windows Tablet and Touch Technology requires a Tablet PC or a touch screen
* Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption requires a USB Flash Drive and a system with a TPM 1.2 chip

Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.

While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.
Windows Vista Ultimate
Minimum supported system requirements

Certain product features are not available with minimum supported requirements.

* 800 MHz processor and 512 MB of system memory
* 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
* Support for Super VGA graphics
* CD-ROM

Compare system requirements across the editions.

Find hardware that works with Windows Vista

Are you looking to add a new printer, monitor, digital camera, or other devices to your Windows Vista experience? Here's a quick and easy way to find what you're looking for.

Get Genuine Windows

The confidence, capabilities, and continuous improvements you expect and deserve from your PC are only available with a genuine copy of Windows Vista.

Windows Anytime Upgrade

When you’re ready for more, Windows Anytime Upgrade is a convenient and affordable way to enhance your Windows Vista experience.

Look for the logo

To help ensure that you have a great experience with Windows Vista, be sure to look for hardware and software featuring a Windows Vista logo.

Find a local PC builder

Buy a qualifying PC from a local PC builder and get a free bonus pack that includes a travel router, print server, photo printer, and more.

Try out cool applications

Want to see the envelope-pushing ways software companies are building products for Windows Vista? Drop into the Innovation Café to interact with examples of the kinds of software you'll be using in the years ahead.

Stay in touch with the world of Windows Vista Ultimate

Widen your exposure to what Windows Vista Ultimate has to offer. You will find key blogs from the developers of Windows Ultimate and the Ultimate Extras, and a wide collection of other content you can use with your Windows Ultimate Extras.

Windows Experience Index

The Windows Experience Index will help you understand how well Windows Vista will perform on your PC and help make the buying process of new PCs, hardware upgrades, and software easier.


For more information you may go to Microsoft website at: Windows Vista Ultimate

Windows Vista Command Line List and Reference: 0 comments

The list of commands available in the command line shell for Windows Vista is similar to that for Windows XP but with some additions. The commands and a brief explanation of their functions is given.

Several commands are now in the standard list that were formerly available only in Support Tools or the Server 2003 Tools. For example, Robocopy from Server 2003 is now included. There are also some new commands and they are indicated with an asterisk in the list below.

1. ASSOC Displays or modifies file extension associations.
2. ATTRIB Displays or changes file attributes.
3. BREAK Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
4. *BCDEDIT Sets properties in boot database to control boot loading.
5. CACLS Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.
6. CALL Calls one batch program from another.
7. CD Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
8. CHCP Displays or sets the active code page number.
9. CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
10. CHKDSK Checks a disk and displays a status report.
11. CHKNTFS Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.
12. CLS Clears the screen.
13. CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter.
14. COLOR Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
15. COMP Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
16. COMPACT Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions.
17. CONVERT Converts FAT volumes to NTFS. You cannot convert the current drive.
18. COPY Copies one or more files to another location.
19. DATE Displays or sets the date.
20. DEL Deletes one or more files.
21. DIR Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
22. DISKCOMP Compares the contents of two floppy disks.
23. DISKCOPY Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another.
24. DISKPART Displays or configures Disk Partition properties.
25. DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros.
26. DRIVERQUERY Displays current device driver status and properties.
27. ECHO Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
28. ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
29. ERASE Deletes one or more files.
30. EXIT Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter).
31. FC Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the differences between them.
32. FIND Searches for a text string in a file or files.
33. FINDSTR Searches for strings in files.
34. FOR Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
35. FORMAT Formats a disk for use with Windows.
36. FSUTIL Displays or configures the file system properties.
37. FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.
38. GOTO Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in a batch program.
39. GPRESULT Displays Group Policy information for machine or user.
40. GRAFTABL Enables Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode.
41. HELP Provides Help information for Windows commands.
42. *ICACLS Display, modify, backup, or restore ACLs for files and directories.
43. IF Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
44. LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
45. MD Creates a directory.
46. MKDIR Creates a directory.
47. *MKLINK Creates Symbolic Links and Hard Links
48. MODE Configures a system device.
49. MORE Displays output one screen at a time.
50. MOVE Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory.
51. OPENFILES Displays files opened by remote users for a file share.
52. PATH Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
53. PAUSE Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message.
54. POPD Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD.
55. PRINT Prints a text file.
56. PROMPT Changes the Windows command prompt.
57. PUSHD Saves the current directory then changes it.
58. RD Removes a directory.
59. RECOVER Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
60. REM Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS.
61. REN Renames a file or files.
62. RENAME Renames a file or files.
63. REPLACE Replaces files.
64. RMDIR Removes a directory.
65. ROBOCOPY Advanced utility to copy files and directory trees
66. SET Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables.
67. SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.
68. SC Displays or configures services (background processes).
69. SCHTASKS Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer.
70. SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files.
71. SHUTDOWN Allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine.
72. SORT Sorts input.
73. START Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
74. SUBST Associates a path with a drive letter.
75. SYSTEMINFO Displays machine specific properties and configuration.
76. TASKLIST Displays all currently running tasks including services.
77. TASKKILL Kill or stop a running process or application.
78. TIME Displays or sets the system time.
79. TITLE Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session.
80. TREE Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path.
81. TYPE Displays the contents of a text file.
82. VER Displays the Windows version.
83. VERIFY Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk.
84. VOL Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
85. XCOPY Copies files and directory trees.