• Windows Vista still requires reboots after Windows Updates
  Microsoft has been promising less reboots for 3 versions now, and as this short article suggests, nothing has changed.
• CompUSA TechPro TechPro-Live 30 Days Microsoft Windows Vista & Office 2007 Support
  $30 for 30 days of CompUSA phone/chat/remote desktop support for your Vista install.

• Optimizing the Windows Desktop
  Microsoft’s Desktop Optimization Pack is available for clients with Software Assurance. Includes a number of tools that IT pros would find useful in their day to day management of Windows computers.
• Microsoft CEO: Vista Forecasts Too Aggressive
  Hmm, a bit of backpedaling. Not selling as well as they initially hoped I would presume.
• Vista support FAQ for Adobe
  Adobe now has a Vista Compatibility document listing all of their products and their level of support in Vista.
• AutoCAD/AutoCAD LT and Microsoft Windows Vista Compatibility
  AutoCAD 2008 scheduled for release in March will be Vista compatible. Update for AutoCAD 2007 will be released in same time-frame to make it Vista compatible as well.
• Testing Vista’s Speech Recognition
  A long video of someone using Firefox, and then IE7 to go to a website using speech recognition. Firefox did a decent job, IE7 was horrible. It is comical to watch, especially when you need to spell something with the letter ‘N’!

The Windows Vista Team Blog recently mentioned three of the tools that Microsoft is hoping will make moving to Windows Vista easier. The easier it is to move to Vista, the more likely people are to do it. But is this a bait-and-switch, and is Microsoft ready for the repercussions? Keep reading →

The deadline to submit articles/posts for the third edition of Carnival of Vista is in one week (February 23rd). Get your material submitted and join the carnival! Keep reading →

• Philips kicks out four Vista certified monitors
  A Vista Certified Monitor? What special requirements must a monitor meet to become Vista certified? Mine aren’t certified, but I’ve had no problems so far. Perhaps Vista looks prettier with a certified monitor?
• Grisoft AVG receives first Virus Bulletin Vista certification
  Free is always good…
• BadVista shirt
  If you’re not a big fan of Vista (you probably wouldn’t be visiting ITsVISTA) here’s a shirt for ya.

• Microsoft Don’t Want the Press to Talk About the Next Version of Windows
  Vista is only two weeks old and everyone is talking about Vienna, the next version of Windows. You can bet Microsoft is sitting their people down and letting them know in no uncertain terms to ONLY TALK ABOUT VISTA!
• Windows DreamScene Ultimate Extra for Vista Released
  I downloaded it last night, but it required a reboot, so I haven’t tried playing with it yet.
• Stardock DeskScapes Extends the Vista DreamScene
  Make your DreamScene even more dynamic!
• Vista On Ice
  I suppose this is one way to spend $500 million dollars on advertising.

Disappointed in your Vista networking speed? Are some of your network programs not working properly? Is it getting worse by the day? Have other computers on your network slowed as well, even if they aren’t running Vista? The problem is most likely with your router, and the cause is most likely Vista. Keep reading →

• Vista Ultimate KEYs leaked
  Apparently people are posting pictures of their Vista materials in E-Bay ads, materials that show product keys which anyone could then use. I browsed a bit and saw a few, but they were to small for me to read the code.
• Aufero Brings BitTorrent To Vista Media Center
  Illegal downloads with your remote, schedule your favorite movies to steal from your couch!
• Dell’s “Express Upgrade” to Vista not so “express”
  I’m sure there’s more than a few people that now wish they would have waited to get their computer after Vista came out, instead of accepting that silly upgrade voucher.
• Microsoft’s Fathi OK with number of Vista bugs so far
  His realistic goal was to have half as many bugs as XP, and so far so good.
• Vista Smoker Pro - The Hot Peformance Booster for Windows Vistaâ„¢
  A GUI interface to the many Vista registry settings that are becoming available.
• February 2007 Bulletin Release
  Microsoft’s Security Response Center Blog listing of today’s updates.
• No ‘Second Life’ for Microsoft’s Vista
  Some users can’t login to Second Life from Vista.
• Hacker, Microsoft duke it out over Vista design flaw
  This ‘hacker’ raises good issues about how UAC handles setup programs, and how Microsoft responds to criticism.
• Windows Vista delivers home cinema audio goods
  Good news from Dolby for home theater pc users.
• Norton 2007 Vista Compatibility Updates
  Most of the Norton products are now ready for Vista.

The February security updates have been released. 12 in all (13 if you count the always updated Malicious Software Removal Tool), covering Windows, Office, IE and others. Surprisingly absent from the updates is Vista. Though software that runs on Vista, like Defender, may have updates, none of the ‘Windows’ vulnerabilities is with Vista itself. Is this a sign that Vista really was written better, and is more secure, or is Microsoft holding back updates for Vista as long as they can to avoid bad launch publicity? Only time will tell. Keep reading →

In my last tip, I showed you how to convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk, which might be necessary if you upgraded from Windows XP Pro to Windows Vista Home Premium (or Basic). The huge drawback to the method I described was that it erases all of the data on the disk. I also mentioned that there is a hack that might allow you to get around this nasty side effect. Keep reading →