Hands On Vista

Vista Hands On #19: Get one-click access to Vista network propertiesPosted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on Nov 6, 2007 5:47 AM Subscribe Alerts16 comments: When people complain about the redesigned user interface in Windows Vista, the poster child for the “it’s too complicated” crowd is the Network and Sharing Center. The most common complaint?...[Read the rest]

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Vista Hands On #18: Log on automatically: A reader asks how to automatically log on to a default user account without having to click an icon on the Welcome screen. The procedure for setting up auto-logon is... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Jul 30, 2007 4:00 AM; 32 Comments
Vista Hands On #17: Solving a pesky resource problem: Are you experiencing odd "out of memory" errors or display problems with Windows Vista when you try to open a large number of programs or windows? Even if you have... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Jul 26, 2007 4:53 AM; 123 Comments
Microsoft's hidden diagnostic tool unlocks Vista startup secrets: Are you having performance problems with Windows Vista? You don't need a stopwatch to find the cause. Vista's onboard monitors are constantly recording information about performance and storing it in... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: May 4, 2007 8:51 AM; 131 Comments
Vista Hands On #16: A smarter way to manage System Restore space: When a Windows tip becomes popular, it spreads through the community like wildfire. Case in point: I've seen at least 10 sites this week echo a tip that shows how... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Apr 25, 2007 6:19 AM; 30 Comments
Vista Hands On #15: Access shared folders from a Linux machine, part 2: In the last installment of this series I showed how to quickly (and temporarily) mount a shared folder on a Windows Vista machine from a Linux PC in read-only mode.... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Apr 3, 2007 4:00 AM; 54 Comments
Vista Hands On #14: Access shared folders from a Linux machine, part 1: Last week, I explained how to create a connection on a computer running Windows Vista to access a shared folder (or directory) on a Linux machine. Today, I show how... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Apr 2, 2007 4:00 AM; 51 Comments
Vista Hands On #13: Connect to a shared folder on a Linux machine: Trying to get Vista and Linux to talk to each other? It isn't as easy as it should be. Today I explain what I had to do to make shared... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Mar 29, 2007 10:59 AM; 154 Comments
Vista Hands On #12: Manage partitions after setup: Earlier this week I explained how to create separate system and data volumes when setting up Windows Vista from scratch. Today, I'll explain how to accomplish the same goal on... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Mar 15, 2007 6:30 AM; 14 Comments
Vista Hands On #11: Manage partitions during setup: Earlier in this series, I recommended separating Windows system files and user data on separate drives for maximum security. But what if you have only a single drive? Then use... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Mar 13, 2007 8:33 AM; 46 Comments
Vista Hands On #10: Manage wireless networks: I’m traveling this week with a year-old Tablet PC running a fresh copy of Windows Vista Business, so it’s a good time to focus on some of Vista’s mobility features.... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Mar 7, 2007 8:00 AM; 1 Comment
Vista Hands On #9: Use Vista for four months, free: Looking for real Windows Vista secrets? Everyone knows you can install Windows Vista in evaluation mode for 30 days and reset the countdown timer three times, giving you a free... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Mar 1, 2007 9:09 AM; 48 Comments
Vista Hands On #8: Delay activation: Every copy of Windows Vista requires activation, and the default settings will do it automatically three days after you complete Setup. If you're not ready to make that commitment, here's... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 28, 2007 6:07 AM; 46 Comments
Vista Hands On #7: Move user data to another drive: One of the smartest things you can do with a new installation of Windows Vista is to relocate user data folders to a different drive than the one that contains... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 23, 2007 7:36 AM; 63 Comments
Vista Hands On #6: Remove private information from a file: Metadata within a file can tell a lot about you - maybe even more than you want the world to know. A new option in Windows Vista allows you to... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 21, 2007 1:22 PM; 10 Comments
Vista Hands On #5: Edit boot menus and more: In Windows Vista, Boot.ini is gone. So how do you control options for a multi-boot system? You can use Microsoft's command-line tool, Bcdedit.exe. But a free third-party tool, VistaBoot Pro,... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 20, 2007 5:00 AM; 26 Comments
Vista Hands On #4: Clean install with an upgrade key: You probably heard or read about the "Vista upgrade loophole." Most of the reports I've seen have the basic facts wrong. The Setup feature they're describing isn't a loophole at... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 15, 2007 1:12 PM; 93 Comments
Vista Hands On #3: Check your disk before upgrading: If you're getting ready to perform a Vista upgrade, be on the lookout for two gotchas, both of which are related to your system drive. You'll need sufficient disk space... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 14, 2007 9:43 AM; 58 Comments
Vista Hands On #2: A no-fuss, nondestructive clean install: Who says you need to format your hard disk to do a clean install of Windows Vista? In this edition of my 30 days of Vista Hands On, I explain... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 13, 2007 4:04 PM; 44 Comments
Vista Hands On #1: What you need to know about product keys: When you buy a copy of Windows Vista, the most important part of the purchase is the 25-character product key, which you use to activate your installation. In the first... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 12, 2007 7:34 AM; 84 Comments
Five Vista tips, revisited and expanded: Last year, I published two collections of tips for beta testers of Windows Vista. Now that Vista is officially released, I've gone back and selected the five best tips from... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Feb 8, 2007 5:43 PM; 60 Comments
Is your flash drive fast enough for Vista's ReadyBoost?: My colleague George Ou notes that many Windows Vista upgraders are in for a rude shock when they find that their flash RAM devices don't work well with the new... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Jan 18, 2007 2:53 PM; 132 Comments
10 tips and tweaks for Vista experts: Last month, I published 10 tweaks for Windows Vista RC1. It got a good response, but it also drew some complaints. "Too basic," said some critics. "And hey, those aren't... [Read the rest]; Posted by Ed Bott in Ed Bott's Microsoft Report on: Oct 30, 2006 1:32 AM; 28 Comments