You insert a DVD disk to watch a movie on a Windows Vista-based portable computer. You use Windows Media Player (Wmplayer.exe) or an application in Windows Media Center (Ehshell.exe) to watch the movie. However, the overall volume seems to be too low. For example, when you set maximum gain on all volume controls that are available in the audio mixer, system sounds and CD music playback are loud enough. However, DVD playback volume is still not loud enough.

• Security rules for Windows Firewall and for IPsec-based connections in Windows Vista and in Windows Server 2008
  Details on security rules for the built in firewall, IPsec, and how to establish an encrypted conection between various versions of Windows.
  (tags: Firewall IPsec )
• How the default response rule for IPsec policies functions in Windows Vista and in Windows Server 2008 Beta 3
  Learn about the default response rule for IPsec policies and how to create a replacement rule.
  (tags: IPsec )

Keep reading →

If you like getting into the nuts and bolts of Vista, here’s details related to changes made to the file system and storage stack to restrict direct access to the disk or volume to reduce corruption or instability. Keep reading →

Consider the following scenario:

• You are running a Windows Vista-based computer.
• A USB speaker is connected to the computer.
• You resume the computer from sleep or from hibernation.
• You use Windows Media Player to play music.

In this scenario, you cannot adjust the volume for the USB speaker. This is true even when you move the volume slider up or down or click the mute button in either of the following locations:

• In Windows Media Player
• In the Windows Vista sound control panel

• Windows Vista Team Blog : 10 Things - Volume Mixer
  Another of the ‘10 Things’ that the Windows Vista Team Blog is covering. This one is the Volume Mixer, which allows you to selectively change the volume on certain programs and features in Vista.
  (tags: Audio Volume )
• Understanding how multimedia playback moderates network transfer speeds
  More info on the problem with networking slowing down when playing audio in Vista. Sounds like it’s primarily an issue with Gigabit networks, which are increasingly more common.
  (tags: Network Audio )

Keep reading →

In Windows Vista Enterprise, you use the Distributed File System (DFS) together with the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). However, VSS does not show whether the DFS path is the same as the physical path. For example, assume that the DFS path is as follows:

\\myfiles\storage\[alias [file:///\\myfiles\storage\%3calias]]

Assume that the physical path is as follows:

\\severname\FSXX\[alias [file:///\\severname\FSXX\%3calias]]

In this example, VSS does not show whether the alias directory of the DFS path is the same as the alias directory of the physical path.

Another of the ‘10 Things’ that the Windows Vista Team Blog is covering. This one is the Volume Mixer, which allows you to selectively change the volume on certain programs and features in Vista. Keep reading →

On a Windows Vista-based computer, the Volume slider and the Balance sliders may unexpectedly display different numeric values. For example, the Balance sliders may all display a level of 23, even though the Volume slider displays a level of 24.

Note: You can find these sliders in the Sound item in Control Panel.

When you try to install Windows Vista, you may receive the following error message:

Windows is unable to find a system volume which meets its criteria for installation.

You experience this symptom if the following conditions are true:

• In the BIOS, a universal serial bus (USB) removable device is set as the start device, or the USB removable device is set to a higher priority than the first hard disk drive in the start order.
• You attach a non-bootable USB device to a USB port before you start the computer.
• You try to install Windows Vista from DVD installation media.

When you open Volume Mixer in Windows Vista, the volume slider may appear with a black background.