VistaJuice

A new Windows Connected member, Mike Halsey, posted a link to the Vista Power Users Guide (PDF) that he wrote. In Mike's words:

"I've written this quite comprehensive Power Users guide to Windows Vista.  It's intended for casual PC users to help them get the best out of the OS.  It's a 56 page guide to almost every aspect of Vista for home users including a glossary and an appendix on how to get started with Office 2007."

I haven't had a chance to read through it all but as Corrine says: It is not only comprehensive, but professionally presented.

Good Job Mike!

Via: WindowsConnected

Andreas Verhoeven from AeroXperience (www.aeroxp.org) brings us a really sweet add-on for Vista. I know I am tired from the pretty but yet static user icon on the start menu - so with some clever programming he brings us back what Microsoft threw out in the first place.

I'll let the following video speak for itself (watch the User Icon at the top right side!). If you cannot see the start menu, please press play at the bottom! It's a short video:

All you have to do in order to get the same effect is run the little app. Do note that the application dynamically loads itself into explorer.exe (for which you might need elevated rights or be logged in as administrator). Because of this, the smallest mistake in this application will make explorer.exe go down. So, do I need to say: You use this application at your own risk!

If you want this running at all times - just add it to your Startup folder :)

Via: AeroXperience forums (www.aeroxp.com) (this thread)
Get the app here: Ave3dUserPic.zip

P.S> As soon as I get the permission from Andreas to redistribute the app, I'll update this post with a link to the app directly on VistaJuice.

If you are interested in using the added security which comes with Vista Ultimate, you probably thought about securing (encrypting) your drive with Bit Locker. Before diving into this territory, familiarize yourself with the whole process.

TechRepublic has a great Step-by-step article on how things should be done.

Overview: The new BitLocker data protection system in Windows Vista provides volume-level encryption you can use to secure PCs and notebooks. George Ou walks through the process of configuring BitLocker encryption to safeguard your data.
This download is also available as an article and a gallery.

Good job TR!

Via: TechRepublic

Thanks to commentor Justin, Brandon found a solution for another Macbook issue with Vista.

Turns out the problem is the Atheros wireless driver included in Apple’s Boot Camp release.  If you replace it with one that was released for the Thinkpad, it works flawlessly.

Download the wireless driver

Cool thing! I bet Vista loving Mac owners will be quite happy ;)

For those of you who are new to the site, if you wanna get your Mac to run Vista in the first place, check out this post: http://www.vistajuice.com/2007/02/wanna_get_your_macbook_to_run.php

Via: BrandonLive.com

Straight from WindowsConnected (verbatim):

Blogger Kurt Shintaku has created a HowTo guide to installing Windows Vista from a USB key. His post gives credit to our "How to create a bootable WinPE USB Key" as inspiration for writing it, so thanks Kurt for the link.  He says that this can get your install times into the sub ten minute range, WOW, this rivals what is capable from other methods like Windows Deployment Services.

If you spend a lot of time rebuilding machine like Kurt and I do this is a great way to save yourself all kinds of time. He has a recommendation on a really fast USB key too that isn't expensive so check out his post.

Great find! Now there is Finally use for my super fast Patriot Xtreme 4 gig memory stick I bought 4 months ago!!

Via: WindowsConnected.com by Josh

Yesterday I got a very nice email from Marco Slootmaekers, VistaJuice reader from Belgium and here is what he says:

Hi there.

You've got a fantastic website here, very informative, full of useful tips, reviews, and suggestions for Windows Vista users!

Keep up the great work! You are one of my favorite websites.

As a happy owner of a "reasonable" priced Xbox hd dvd-player (attached to my vista pc), I thought it would be an interesting idea to share some hardware tips/links I found on the internet, in order to playback all your favorite hd dvd movies......

First: Thanks for the nice comments about the web site, and for sharing the info with VistaJuice readers on how to do this.

Marco continues:

* Here some useful links for the use and configuration of the xbox hd dvd player on a pc:

http://www.t3.co.uk/news/247/daily_columns/how_to_xbox_hd-dvd_on_your_pc

http://www.whatpc.co.uk/personal-computer-world/features/2170703/xbox360-hd-dvd-pc

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=325&type=expert&pid=3

* The software needed to play hd dvd's on your pc:

http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/products/main_112_ENU.html

http://www.slysoft.com/nl/anydvdhd.html

Knowing that most HD-DVD and BluRay DVD players go for well over $500 bucks, it's really nice to know this info - especially when Microsoft's HD-DVD Player for X-Box is around $200!

If you have Vista, all drivers needed for the device to work are already there. It is Plug-and-Play. If you have XP - in the links above you'll find where to find the drivers you may need.

The only thing you may need will be a good graphics card (which if you have Vista you'll probably already have) and the software required for the playback.

So, there you go! Even more reasons to get Vista and the HD-DVD Player :)

I have a PS3, but having an HD-DVD player for $200 bucks which can work on all my Vista computers out of the box really makes me think about getting one soon! Heck, maybe even more :) That Xbox HD-DVD sure is sexy!

Check out Marco's photo gallery - his pc setup and hd dvd output :)

You may be interested into looking up these apps too now that HD-DVD became more "affordable":

- SlySoft's AnyDVD
- BackupHDDVD

Thanks Marco!

Last couple of days there's been a big fuss about a relatively easy way to crack Vista's activation. I waited a bit before posting about it here, but after reading Robert McLaw's article in which he really explains nicely what it's all about, I decided it's time to write about it.

For a full explanation on how this crack works, check out Adrian's explanation on ZDNet.

Here is what Robert had to say which explains why you shouldn't use this method to activate your illegal copy of Vista. I could not have said it better:

Here's the problem with this, folks. Previous Windows cracks have used leaked corporate activations keys to unlock Windows, which only really hurts Microsoft. This method actively steals a valid Product Key from Microsoft customers, because most keys can only be activated once. Think about that for a second. What if your mom just got home from laying down $150 for Windows Vista Home Premium, only to get it home and install it, and find out that their key has already been activated. Now, Microsoft doesn't get hurt, because the key has been paid for. But now your mom is branded a pirate, and has to go through a giant hassle to get a new legitimate key.

Please, don't be an a$$hole [and] use this method of activating Vista. It's one thing if your target is Microsoft, it's quite another if your target is an unsuspecting consumer who shelled out their hard-earned money to upgrade their home computing experience. And Microsoft, I hope you can shut this one down, for your customers' sakes.

So guys, you heard it - please do not be an a$$ :)

If you really just HAVE to have Vista running more than 30 days which comes as a trial without the activation, use the known method and LEGALLY extend this time limit to up to 120 DAYS! I mentioned it here so read on.

Nice message Robert! Thanks!

Via: Windows-Now.com

P.S> Some people say all this is a hoax; either way - if such thing does exist and if it works in a way explained - you should follow common sense and do what's right. If it doesn't - than it's been the greatest false alarm in the history ;) lol - but hey, news about Vista are slow lately so one has to have something to read about - right? :)

Beta driver that adds support for NVIDIA SLI™ support on GeForce 6 and 7 series GPUs - Note: These drivers are not WHQL.

Improved OpenGL performance
Improved NVIDIA SLI performance at high resolutions
General application compatibility fixes
This driver supports the following features:
Single GPU support
DirectX 9 support for GeForce 6/7/8 series GPUs
DirectX 10 support for GeForce 8800 GPUs
OpenGL support for GeForce 6/7/8 series GPUs
NVIDIA SLI support
DirectX 9 support for GeForce 6/7/8 series GPUs
OpenGL support for GeForce 6/7/8 series GPUs
NVIDIA PureVideo™ HD technology
DirectX 10 NVIDIA SLI support for GeForce 8800 GPUs will be available in a future driver

Please read the release notes for more information on product support, feature limitations, and known compatibility issues

Download 32bit: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_101.41.html
Direct DL: http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/101....bit_english.exe

Download 64bit: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x64_101.41.html
Direct DL: http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/101....bit_english.exe

Via: AeroXp.org

Even though Microsoft's Windows Vista has only been release for a short time, there are already some free additions from Microsoft.

Verbatim from Blake Handler's Blog (The Road to Know Where):

WINDOWS VISTA GOODIES

Experience Pack includes four programs that provide unique functionality and fun to enhance your experience using a Tablet PC.

• Equation Writer - Easily add mathematical expressions to your papers. Handwrite a math equation, and then convert it into a neatly typewritten image to paste into a report or a presentation.

• Media Transfer - Copy or stream media files from your home computer to your Tablet PC, so that you can enjoy your favorite music, videos, or pictures wherever you go.

• Ink Crossword - Solve crosswords on your Tablet PC using your tablet pen. Twelve puzzles come with Ink Crossword. You can also download a free daily puzzle and purchase more puzzle packs online.

• Ink Flash Cards - Create flash cards to help you learn facts or study for an exam. Handwrite a question on the front of a card and put an answer on the back. Draw, insert graphics, and add text, too.

Feeds Plus is an Internet Explorer 7 add-on that makes your feed reading experience easy and efficient.  You can read your feeds in a combined view (aggregate feeds) and get pop-up notifications when there are new items to read. (Written by Microsoft's RSS Team)

Ink Desktop - Take notes and refer back to them at anytime using Ink Desktop on a Tablet PC.  Ink Desktop is like having a portable dry-erase board on your screen all of the time. Whenever you want, you can jot down a phone number, directions, or top priorities for the day. And, for added fun and functionality, don’t forget to download Microsoft Experience Pack for Windows Vista, which contains four programs that provide unique functionality and fun to enhance your experience using a Tablet PC.

New Zealand Bliss Desktop Backgrounds & Wallpaper

Origami Experience Pack contains three programs for an Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC)

• Origami Experience - Access your music, videos, pictures, and favorite programs.

• Touch Settings - Easily view and interact with the touch screen on a UMPC.

• Sudoku - Play this popular game using a touch screen.

Sudoku Game

Virtual Earth 3D can search, browse, and organize local information viewed in three dimensions, just the way it exists in the real world.

Vista Wallpapers by Hamad Darwish

XML Notepad 2007 provides browsing and editing XML documents. (Support: Design Doc)

UTILITIES

Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) contains the necessary tools and documentation to evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying Microsoft Windows Vista, a Windows Update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer in your environment.

Baseline Security Analyzer includes a graphical and command line interface that can perform local or remote scans of Windows systems. MBSA will scan for common security misconfigurations in the following products: Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, IIS 5.0 & 6.0, SQL Server 7.0 & 2000, MSIE 5.01 and later, and Office 2000, 2002 & 2003. MBSA also scans for missing security updates, update rollups and service packs published to Microsoft Update. (Support: MBSA Homepage & Visio Connector Tool for MBSA)

Group Policy Log View is a utility you use to export Group Policy event data from the system and operational log into a text, HTML, or XML file.

Keyboard Layout Creator allows users to create or modify keyboard layouts.

Network Monitor is a protocol analysis tool (x86 & x64) allowing you to capture, view and analyze network traffic. (Support: NetMon Team Blog)

OpenType Font File Properties Extension adds several new property tabs to the fonts properties dialog box (i.e. font name, origination, copyright, and extended character set code pages).

Process Explorer shows you information in two sub-windows, about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded. The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'll see the handles that the process selected in the top window has opened; if Process Explorer is in DLL mode you'll see the DLLs and memory-mapped files that the process has loaded.

Release Notes provide important information on deploying and using the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, including known issues. Familiarize yourself with all of the known issues listed here prior to installing the software.

Snip IT can email selected text in Internet Explorer using your default (Google Gmail, Microsoft Hotmail & Outlook and Yahoo Mail) email client.

User State Migration Tool (USMT) migrates user files and settings during deployments of Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista. USMT captures files and settings from the source computer and then migrates them to a new Windows installation.

Virtual PC 2007 can create and run one or more virtual machines, each with its own operating system, on a single computer. This provides you with the flexibility to use different operating systems on one physical computer.

Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is designed to help corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Microsoft Windows Vista family of operation systems. By using Windows AIK, you can perform unattended Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, and create Windows PE images.

Windows Mobile Device Center enables data synchronization between Windows Mobile-powered devices and Windows Vista & Windows Vista 64.

Windows Vista Hardware Assessment is a tool that will find computers on a network and perform a detailed inventory of the computers using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). Through use of the detailed inventory data, the tool will assess and report whether the computers can run Windows Vista, where to find drivers for devices on the computers, and provide recommendations for hardware upgrades, where appropriate.

Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is designed to help Windows XP users identify whether their PCs are ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista, which edition of Windows Vista meets their needs, and which features of Windows Vista will be able to run on their PCs. 

ZoomIt is screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. 

SEARCH ADD-INS

Internet Explorer History Add-in indexes the history of the web pages you have browsed using Internet Explorer. (Support KB918998)

UNC/FAT Protocol Handler Add-in indexes your shared network directories and FAT drive(s) allowing you to easily find your specific content. (Support KB918996)

MULTIMEDIA

Paint.Net originated as a Computer Science senior design project at Washington State University, and is still developed by the two alumni Rick Brewster and Tom Jackson who now work for Microsoft. Don't forget the Free Paint.Net Plug-Ins!

Photo Info allows photographers to add, change and delete common "metadata" properties for digital photographs from inside Windows Explorer. (Support: FAQ)

RAW Codecs enables you to handle RAW image files with the same ease as JPEG or TIFF images. (3rd Party)

• Nikon (*.NEF: Nikon Electronic Format)
• Olympus (ORF files)
• Sony (SRF and SR2 files)

SECURITY & BACKUP

Easy Transfer enables you to automatically copy your files, photos, music, email, settings, and more to your new Windows Vista based PC. This makes it much easier to setup your new computer with all your personal data and settings." (Support: Companion Wizard)

SyncToy helps you copy, move, rename, and delete files between folders and computers quickly and easily.

Windows Live OneCare service has been upgraded to version 1.5 -- now supporting Windows Vista.

Windows NT Backup - Restore Utility for restoring backups made on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to computers running Windows Vista and Windows Server Codename "Longhorn"

HARDWARE

Fingerprint Reader - DigitalPersona Password Manager 2.0 (Support: How to . . .)
Keyboard - IntelliType 6.1 for Windows Vista and Windows Vista 64

Mouse & Trackball - IntelliPoint 6.1 for Windows Vista and Windows Vista 64  (Support: How to . . . )
Webcams - LifeCam for Windows Vista

XBox 360 Controller & Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows Vista & Windows Vista 64 (Support: Documentation) 

WINDOWS VISTA DEVELOPERS

DebugView lets you monitor debug output on your local system, or any computer on the network that you can reach via TCP/IP. It is capable of displaying both kernel-mode and Win32 debug output, so you don't need a debugger to catch the debug output your applications or device drivers generate, nor do you need to modify your applications or drivers to use non-standard debug output APIs.

Image Colorizer demonstrates how to write an application for colorizing digital photos using the inking support provided by Tablet PC APIs.

LUA Buglight is a tool to help both developers and IT Pros (sysadmins) identify the specific causes of admin-permissions issues (a.k.a. LUA bugs) in desktop applications. (Support: Aaron Maraosis' Blog)

PowerShell & PowerShell 64 is a new command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration and automation. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell allows IT professionals to manage computers via commands or scripts, improving productivity through system automation. (Support: Website)

Product Identification Tool creates a product signature for your installed application.

Robotics Studio is a Windows-based environment for academic, hobbyist and commercial developers to easily create robotics applications across a wide variety of hardware. This installation package installs the Microsoft Robotics Studio along with samples and tutorials. 

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is a free, easy-to-use, lightweight, and embeddable version of SQL Server 2005. Free to download, free to redistribute, free to embed, and easy for new developers to use immediately, SQL Server Express includes powerful features such as SQL Server Management Studio Express, for easily managing a database.

Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions. (Support: Visual Studio 2005 SDK)

Windows Media Center Software Development Kit (SDK) - Documentation, tools, and sample code for developing Windows Media Center applications and services.

• Media Center Markup Language Preview Tool Launcher power toy provides a graphical user interface to craft the command line parameters which can be used with the Media Center Markup Language Preview Tool available with the Windows Media Center SDK.

Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker Software Developers Kit (SDK) helps you create and add your own custom special effects and transitions to Windows Movie Maker, and your own custom transitions, buttons, and menu styles to Windows DVD Maker.

Windows Vista Software Developers Kit (SDK) includes documentation, samples, and tools designed to help you develop Windows applications and libraries using both Win32 and .NET Framework 3.0 technologies targeting Windows Vista. (Also available as an ISO Image)

Simply wow ;)

Via: The Road to Know Where and SecurityGarden

I just got a BlackBerry so I've been quite busy playing with it (a great device by the way) - and the news on Vista pretty much all evolve about the possible big hoax on cracking the activation.

True or not true, I did mention in the article that there is a way this is just a fake - but either way, there is a high possibility that such thing does or will exist and either way it will hurt end users.

The truth is that Microsoft WILL give you another key but the point is WHY let people go through this. No-one deserves to go and spend an hour on the phone with MS Tech support for something they legally bought.

Also, if this news is to believe as well, the "hacker" apologized to Microsoft for making this (be warned, spell check was not used in the apology):

...once the news got out, and Microsoft confirmed that it was investigating Vista KeyGen, the Computer User, the workaround's creator apologized to Microsoft. Computer User stated that he loved Windows Vista, and that he would disassociate himself from the crack-project in the future. Here is the apology (the syntax is that of the author):
“For all you guys working for microsoft! If you are reading this thread. I apologize for exposing the workaround in question. but we all know its highly unlikely to ever work.
I regret the fact that it has been leaked all over the net, which i guess was to be expected.
I simply love windows vista, and i happend to stumble upon this trick. I thought mysef alittle vbscript and that was it. I guess it just happened to work although truthfully i never though it would!...

Source: StolenStories.com

In my opinion, this guy should get some money for:

1. Putting Vista back in the news - at least everyone's talking about it again (free marketing!)
2. Getting my Apache Web server to flex it's muscle since the post about the crack was the most visited one since the start of VistaJuice.com (over 3000 unique hits at the article within an hour!)

He should also pray that the crack does not really work since if it does, I do not think Microsoft will simply accept the apology! :) Good luck mate!

Oh, and last - WindowsVistaMagazine.com reminds you to watch the Lunar eclipse tonight!

Eclipses are exciting times for space enthusiasts, and pretty cool for everyone else. On Saturday, 3 March those in Europe, Africa and Eastern North America will be best placed to see a full lunar eclipse at around 8pm GMT.

Via: StolenStories.com and WindowsVistaMagazine.com

You may have noticed that Restore Points on Vista take a lot more than the usual 50 or so megs as they did on XP. They can take up as much as 3GB at times.

If you ever wondered why, Eduardo (the Program Manager for System Restore at Microsoft) has a very nice explanation for this:

In Windows Vista, System Restore is now based on the VSS technology, which keeps track of block-level changes across your entire volume(s). In contrast, Windows XP System Restore would keep copies of changed system files by using a file system filter. The Windows XP method isn't performance efficient because it works above the file system level, impacting every system operation. It is also not consistent as it doesn't have needed information across the entire volume. It wouldn't restore, for instance, applications that place binaries (purposely or maliciously) in the user profile.

These new restore points, aka Shadow Copies, are taken daily across your volume, or at application/driver installation. The size of each shadow copy will vary on the amount of changed blocks are being recorded on your system. The more it churns, more data will be stored aside. Once they reach their cap, 15% of your volume, older shadow copies will be deleted to free up room for new ones. With these improvements in place, the Windows Vista solution allows for a more reliable (restore points are readily available), robust (supports a much broader set of repair scenarios) and efficient (seamless impact on performance) System Restore.

The tradeoff of taking additional space is compensated by allowing features like Shadow Copy to work as an automatic local backup. With that you can restore previous versions of accidentally edited/deleted files and folders across your entire disk.

In my opinion this was a good tradeoff in the age of super cheap, extra large hard drives, we live in today. This always reminds me when back in 97 I got a 4 gig hard drive and the guy selling it to me told me - you will never fill it up! LOL!

Via: TheFilingCabinet

Again, we're back on the similar news. Another Vista activation bypass surfaced, this time the utility is actually a "BIOS Emulation Toolkit" that skips the activation process entirely. This app though should work since it comes from infamous Paradox group.

Why is this such a big news? There is a hack, key generator, or a crack for every single application and every single operating system out there. This does not mean the system is any less secure, or that any of those applications sucks - it's all marketing if you ask me.

I bet the companies make their applications this way in order to get more sales. If everyone had to pay to legally use the software before deciding to buy - noone would even bother. But if you make it easy to crack - then people will download, they'll talk about it, and we shall all find out how a thing is cool or not.

Sure there are trials, but who likes those time restrictive trials. Even when you know you will use the application for 2 days only - you do not want to install a trial! A full version is just so much nicer :)

That's just my opinion.

Via: Engadget.com

Lately, DreamScenes were my choice for a desktop wallpaper but until someone makes a really nice and amazing one - I think I'll just stick to the nice little gadget I found on the net called: Desktop Wallpaper.

It acts as a slide show on the SideBar, but besides that, you can set it to automatically change your desktop wallpaper at pretty much any time interval you desire. It's a great thing if you are like me and simply like too many wallpapers, or are just bored of the same ol' same ol'. You can also set it to grab the pictures from any folder on your computer.

Here is a screenshot of how it looks, and to get it click here.

I have a very nice statistics program monitoring visits and trends on VistaJuice.com called Mint. I love a little add-on which shows me what keywords brought people to VistaJuice in the first place, so to make it easier to find things, here are the top searched keywords and where to find info on them right here on VistaJuice.

1. "KB929327" - or in plain English - Ultimate Update for Windows Vista - DreamScene Package
   ~ Click here to search for posts on dreamscene tag
   
2. "Windows DreamScene Preview" was a second set of keywords, and a preview can be seen here: DreamScene and DeskScapes in Action
   
3. "vista auto login" - is of course possible, and you can learn how to make it work here: Auto-login how-to for Windows Vista
   
4. Fourth keyword bringing people to this site was "VistaJuice", so I suppose no more info is needed on this since you're here already :)
   
5. "upgrading from XP to vista" was the fifth one, and more you can find in this post: Upgrading Windows XP to Vista - ScreenShots
   
6. "Nvidia 101.41" came from people looking for the latest Vista compatible Nvidia drivers. To get them go here: nVidia 101.41 - SLI 6/7 SERIES! (Beta)
   
7. "vongo vista" interestingly got a lot of attention. I guess people really do like Vongo and want to use it through Vista's media center. Learn more about it here: Vongo - Vista Edition is out
8. "vista aero tweak" - is of course possible: Tweak your Aero
   
   and last but not least
   
9. "windows vista defragmentation" caught a lot of attention when I reported on it in Windows Vista Defrag Tool is Cool! Here is why ...
   
10. "vista activation crack" is picking up lately, and for full coverage check out: Don't try to crack Vista's Activation - here is why... and Another Vista activation bypass: for real this time?

The other keywords were mostly a combination of the above 10 keywords which pretty much yield same results. I hope someone finds this useful ;) Think of it as a small and quite incomplete index of the most visited/searched-for posts on the site ;) There's a lot more cover in previous 90 posts.

The Filing Cabinet has a nice explanation on this. I'm glad they wrote it since I was really beginning to wonder - why! Incremental backups are suppose to save the amount of space over the full backup - which they do, but not in the ordinary fashion.

We’ve seen a number of customers ask why their incremental backups are almost as large as their full backup. This can be surprising on a lightly used system where you don’t change or add a lot of files between backups. Seeing files backed up that you know you didn’t change can be perplexing, but there is a good explanation: the files were indeed changed, either by a program or a perhaps inadvertently by a person. For example, any of the following actions can cause files to be changed and therefore backed up:

• Antivirus programs writing to alternate streams on the files or programs that update media file metadata (ID3 tags, for example). Even right-clicking a file and viewing its properties can add an alternate data stream to the file, thus changing it. 
• Changing permissions on the parent folder or setting compression.
• Moving the files to a different folder.

Backup in Vista does not make any decisions about which types of changes to back up versus those to ignore--any file that is changed will be backed up. To determine if a file has changed, Backup looks at creation date, modification date, and last written to date (visible only programmatically). Backup does not understand any file formats and does not look in any headers to decide when to back up a file, nor does Backup use the archive bit.

--Jill

I wish the backup program was more "smart", but I guess I'll live with it, until my external 500 Gig WD Drive runs out of space :)

Via: TheFilingCabinet

In the UK, Brits are angry that Windows Vista is far more expensive than in the U.S.. Windows Vista Home Premium, which carries an MSRP of $159 in the States, is £129.48 in the UK, coming out to $254.53. Microsoft offers no explanation for the huge gap, although most all products are more expensive in Britain than America, just not by so large a margin. For example, a $600 Mac Mini is $778.61 in England.

Talking about pricing, Robert McLaws has done a study of basically every single version ever of Windows, and determined that based on inflation, Windows has gone down in price for the most part for more than a decade. Useful info next time you get into an arguement.

Verbatim Via: InsideMicrosoft

Corrine has a nice find on her SecurityGarden site about Vista's UAC which can solve some of common questions and misconceptions about it:

Copy-Paste:

"UAC does not, nor is it intended to, stop malware."

What UAC does do is enable running a computer with Windows Vista installed as a standard user. The result of this is important. By following the recommendation to keep UAC running, the computer is significantly less vulnerable since currently most malware requires administrator privileges.
Does running as a standard user protect against the computer operator allowing installations? Absolutely not. However, it is certainly hoped that the average computer user will recognize the difference between an unexpected request for elevated privilege and a request when intentionally installing software.
For in depth look at User Account Control for Windows Vista, tune in to the Channel 9 interview of Jon Schwartz, UAC Architect, and Chris Corio, UAC Technical Program Manager, where they tackle UAC from various angles:

1) What problems does UAC attempt to solve?
2) How does UAC actually work?
3) Why did we implement UAC UI to be so aggressive, from a user experience point of view?
4) How will UAC evolve?

UAC - What. How. Why.

Thanks Corrine - hope you do not mind I ripped the whole post :) Hey, when it's useful, it's useful - why reinvent the wheel :)

Via: SecurityGarden