JB's Windows Vista FAQ, Tips, Tricks, and Downloads

Blog: Jimmah.com is back... and better than ever!

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hello,

Sorry about the downtime. I am still trying to restore some images, but other than that, everything should be working now.

If you find something that's still broken, please drop me a line.

I've upgraded the site with the top 2 requested features: a what's new section on the front page and an RSS feed. I have another cool feature in the works, too. Let me know how you like the new design and anything else you would like to see.

Thanks,

- JB

FAQ: How do I run an administrative program (that needs my permission to start) every time I log in and prevent the "Windows has blocked some startup programs" message?

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista prevents administrative programs that need your permission to start from running automatically when you log in if they are being started from the normal "run" registry keys or startup folders.

However, you can allow an administrative program to start when you log in by creating a scheduled task.

Startup Program Unblocker

I have created a program that automates this process for you. You can download it here:

Download Startup Program Unblocker (English and French)
Download Startup Program Unblocker (French only)

(Thanks to Microsoft MVP Laurent Gébeau of toutwindows.com for translating this program into French) How to do it manually

Note: This only works if you are an administrator. You cannot cause an administrative program to automatically start on a standard user's desktop.

Click start
Type: task scheduler
Press enter
Click create task in the right
Type a name for the task
Put a check next to the box that says 'run with highest privileges'
Click on the Trigers tab
Click New
Click on the dropdown next to "Begin the task", select At log on
Put a check next to 'specific user or group'
Click OK
Click the actions tab
Click New
Click browse
Find the program you want to run
Click Open
Click OK
Click OK

So... why exactly does Windows block administrative programs from running when I log on?

Most programs cause themselves to start every time you log in by placing an entry in your startup folder, your run registry key, or the system-wide startup folder or run key.

Because your startup folder and personal run registry key can be written to by non-administrative programs, Windows cannot allow administrative programs that are started from these locations to run without prompting you. This would allow untrusted non-administrative programs to place malware in these locations that would be started with admin privileges when you next logged on.

However, it is also unacceptable to allow administrative programs that are started from these locations to prompt for your consent every time you start up your computer. Besides being extremely annoying, a malicous program could potentially put hundreds of malicious administrative programs in these locations, creating an endless series of prompts for you to deal with, creating a denial-of-service scenario.

Since neither option is desirable, Microsoft decided to disallow administrative applications from starting automatically from these locations.

It would also be inappropriate to allow administrative programs to be launched from the machine-wide startup folder and run registry location, since administrative programs can only be started inside of administrative accounts, or from a standard user account with an administrator's credentials entered on-demand.

The reason the task scheduler solution is allowed to work is because non-administrative programs cannot create scheduled tasks, so there is no way for malware to abuse this service in the way that is possible with the other startup methods.

FAQ: How do I fix recurring error event id 5007 reported by WerSvc in the application event log?

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After installing the microsoft update KB 931174, you start receiving the following recurring error in the application event log:

WerSvc event id 5007 The target file for the Windows Feedback Platform (a DLL file containing the list of problems on thiscomputer that require additional data collection fordiagnosis) could not be parsed. The error code was 8014FFF9.

This error means that a file associated with the customer experience improvement program, wertargets.wtl, is expired.

The root cause of the error is that KB 931174 updates your computer with an unusable, already-expired wertargets.wtl file.

To stop this error, you should uninstall KB 931174.

Click start
Click Control Panel
Click Programs
Click Programs and Features
On the left, click View installed updates
Find KB 931174 and click on it
Click uninstall on the toolbar when it appears

If uninstalling the update does not stop the error, you can manually replace the file that is causing the problems:

Download and save wertargets.bin
rename the file to wertargets.wtl
Click start
Type: command prompt
Right-click command prompt and click Run As Administrator

Type the following commands, pressing enter after each line:

cd %systemroot%\system32 takeown /F wertargets.wtl /A icacls wertargets.wtl /grant Administrators:(M)

Move the downloaded wertargets.wtl file to your system32 folder

FAQ: How do I keep my password from expiring?

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Some users are reporting that Windows is telling them that their password is expired or is about to expire, even though that have not set any password expiration policies.

Following these steps should turn off this feature:

Click start
Type: command prompt
Right-click it when it appears in the list
click Run As Administrator
Type the following command and press enter:
```
net accounts /maxpwage:0
```

FAQ: I have unchecked the "Always Ask" checkbox for the "Open File - Security Warning" prompt, but it continues to prompt when I run a certain program. How do I stop it?

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This happens when you save a program that you have downloaded from the internet to a secure location on your computer, such as the program files folder.

To solve this problem:

Move the program that is prompting to your desktop
Launch the file from there, and uncheck the checkbox
Close the program, and move it back to its orginal location

You can also fix this problem without running the program by using the command prompt:

Click start
Type: command prompt
Right-click command prompt, and click run as administrator
Browse to the folder where the application .exe is stored

Issue the following commands, where filename is the file's name:

move filename.exe filename.bak
type filename.bak > filename.exe
del filename.bak

FAQ: How can I get the 'run as' menu option to work like it did in Windows XP

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The "Run as" menu option is no longer available in Windows Vista. It has been replaced by the "Run as administrator" component of UAC.

However, you can still use the runas command-line utility to access this functionality.

FAQ: Why can't I access the administrative shares or remote administrative functions from a remote computer?

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista prevents local administrators from using their administrator powers over the network. This results in the inability to remotely administer a computer using filesharing and tools that use similar technology (such as the computer manager MMC snap-in and the administrative shares, such as C$). However, this DOES NOT affect Remote Desktop in any way.

To allow administrators local to a computer to use their administrator powers when accessing the Vista computer remotely, please follow these steps:

CAUTION: Improperly modifying the registry can harm your system.

Click start
Type: regedit
Press enter
In the left, browse to the following folder: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system\
Right-click a blank area in the right pane
Click New
Click DWORD Value
Type: LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy
Double-click the item you just created
Type 1 into the box
Click OK
Restart your computer

FAQ: What do I do: I can no longer log in or elevate to an administrator account

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Under certain circumstances, you may find yourself without the ability to log in as an administrator. Some situations include:

You upgraded from Windows XP, and your administrator account is gone or disabled
You demoted all administrator accounts to standard users
Your administrator account was somehow disabled
Your administrator account was hidden from the welcome screen, and you are now unable to use it from inside of your standard user account(s)
When attempting to run an administrative utility, you are required to enter the password for a hidden account called "ASP.NET Machine Account"
You receive an error when trying to run an administrative program, preventing you from changing system settings and running many programs

In order to fix this problem, you will need to log in to the hidden "Administrator" account that is on your computer. This account will allow you to run administrative programs and change system settings so that you can fix your computer. This will require restarting your computer, so you may wish to print these instructions for your convienence.

Option 1: Try safe mode

Restart your computer
Press F8 before you see the Windows progress bar
When the boot menu appears, choose safe mode
If you are presented with the option to log in to the account named "Administrator", do so. Use this emergency Administrator account to fix your normal administrator account by using the user accounts control panel

If you are not given the option to log in to the hidden "Administrator" account, you will need to use Option 2.

Option 2: The hard way

If you can still log in to your computer as a standard user, you may follow these steps. If you cannot log in to any account on your computer, you will need to use Option 3.

Download the following file and save it to your desktop: enableadmin.exe.
Click on the start orb. Write down your username (the name listed right below your picture on the start menu).
Place your Windows Installation DVD into your DVD drive
Restart your computer
When prompted, press a key on your keyboard to boot from the DVD
Select your language options and click Next (See picture)
Select the option at the bottom to repair your computer (See picture)
Select your Windows installation from the list. Make sure you notate what drive letter it is installed on.
Select the last option from the list to open a Command Prompt (See picture)
Type the drive letter that you notated from step 8, type a colon (:), and then press enter. For example, if your Windows installation was on drive C, you would type
C:
Type the following command, and press enter:
cd users
Type cd, a space, your username that you wrote down in step 2, and then press enter. For example, if your username is jimmy, you would type
cd jimmy
Type the following command, and press enter:
cd desktop
Type the following command, and press enter:
enableadmin
You should receive a message telling you to restart your computer. Close the command prompt window and click on the 'Restart' button on the window that gives you the list of options.
When your computer restarts, log in with the account named 'Administrator'. Use this emergency Administrator account to fix your normal administrator account by using the user accounts control panel.

Option 3: The really hard way

CAUTION: Improperly modifying the registry can harm your system.

Click on the start orb. Write down your username (the name listed right below your picture on the start menu).
Place your Windows Installation DVD into your DVD drive
Restart your computer
When prompted, press a key on your keyboard to boot from the DVD
Select your language options and click Next (See picture)
Select the option at the bottom to repair your computer (See picture)
Select your Windows installation from the list. Make sure you notate what drive letter it is installed on.
Select the last option from the list to open a Command Prompt (See picture)
Type the following command, and press enter:
regedit
On the left, click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Click the File menu at the top, and then click Load Hive
Click the option on the left to go to "computer"
Double-click on the drive that Windows is installed on (you wrote this drive letter down in step 7)
Double-click on the folder called Windows
Double-click on the folder called System32
Double-click on the folder called Config
Click on the file called SAM and click Open
Type "Target SAM" into the box and click OK
Expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder by clicking on the triangle next to it
Expand the Target SAM folder by clicking on the triangle next to it
Expand the SAM folder by clicking on the triangle next to it
Expand the Domains folder by clicking on the triangle next to it
Expand the Accounts folder by clicking on the triangle next to it
Expand the Users folder by clicking on the triangle next to it
Click on the folder named 000001F4
Double-click the item in the right called "F"
You are now presented with an editor. You will see two columns: a list of letters and numbers grouped in pairs on the left, with a list of symbols on the right. We will only be using the list of letters and numbers on the left.
Find the spot in the left column that says "11".
Click to the immediate right of the 11, so that the flashing insertion line is to the immediate right of 11
Press backspace to make the 11 disappear

Using the keyboard, type the number 10

This should change the information in the left column from


02,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,80,8c,d7,b2,e9,97,c7,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,
00,1f,ea,fd,ad,e9,97,c7,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,de,ad,60,9b,e9,97,
c7,01,f4,01,00,00,01,02,00,00,11, ...



TO:



02,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,80,8c,d7,b2,e9,97,c7,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,
00,1f,ea,fd,ad,e9,97,c7,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,de,ad,60,9b,e9,97,
c7,01,f4,01,00,00,01,02,00,00,10, ...

Click OK
Close regedit
Close the command prompt window and click on the 'Restart' button on the window that gives you the list of options.
When your computer restarts, log in with the account named 'Administrator'. Use this emergency Administrator account to fix your normal administrator account by using the user accounts control panel.

Thanks to Ronnie Vernon, Microsoft MVP, for helping me with this issue.

FAQ: How do I edit the HOSTS file and other system/administrative files using NOTEPAD?

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

When using notepad to edit the HOSTS file or any other administrative or system file, you will get an access denied error when trying to save the modified file.

To successfully edit an administrative file, you must open notepad "as administrator."

Click start
Type: notepad
Right-click notepad
Click "Run As Administrator"

After you have opened an "administrator" notepad, you may open and edit administrative files.

FAQ: How do I turn on the new 3D effects (Aero Glass)

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This is what Windows Vista looks like when the new 3D effects (Aero Glass) are turned on:

Notice the transparent window border, drop shadow, and glowing buttons.

When you install Windows Vista it runs a test to see if your computer meets the minimum requirements to display Aero Glass. If your computer passes the test, Aero Glass is automatically turned on. If Windows Vista decides your system is not capable of Aero Glass, there is no way to force it on.

If your computer meets the minimum requirements but Aero Glass is still not displayed, the most likely problem is that you need a special WDDM video driver for your video card. A new driver may be available from your video card manufacturer's website or from Windows Update.

Minimum Requirements

In order to display Aero Glass, your computer must meet the following requirements:

DirectX 9 video card
Pixel shader 2.0 support
AGP 4x or better or PCI Express video cards are recommended, although some others may work
At least 64 MB of video memory, more may be needed for higher resolutions or multiple monitors
A special WDDM video driver

View a list of video cards that users have reported working with Windows Vista (external link)

There is no way to force Windows Vista to display Aero Glass if your system does not meet these requirements.

Troubleshooting

If your computer meets the minimum requirements and you believe Aero Glass should be turned on, please try the following:

Download the latest Windows Vista-compatible driver from your video card manufacturer's website
If you lost Aero Glass after installing a new video card driver, uninstall the update or roll back the driver
Follow these steps to force Windows Vista to re-check your system:

Click Start
Click Control panel
Click System and Maintenance
Click "Check your System Performance Rating" under System
Click " Refresh my rating now"

FAQ: How do I force users to type their username and password to log in and remove the welcome screen?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

You can remove the list of user accounts from the welcome screen and force the user to type in a user account and password to log in by changing the following setting:

Press start
Type: local security policy
Press enter
Expand local policies
Click Security Options
Double-click "Interactive Login: Do not display last user name"
Check Enabled
Click OK

Note that the "welcome screen" is still displayed, but its behavior with this setting enabled is similar to the functionality of the old-style login dialog box.

You cannot go back to the old-style login dialog box. The new welcome screen completely replaces this functionality.

FAQ: How do I automatically log in with a specified user account and remove the welcome screen?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Click Start
Type: control userpasswords2
Press enter
If asked for permission, click Continue
Uncheck the checkbox next to "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer"
Click Apply
Enter the user name and password you wish to automatically log on with
Click OK
Click OK

FAQ: How to I access folder options in Windows Explorer?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Click the Organize button on the toolbar
Click Folder and Search Options

FAQ: How do I add the "up one level" button to the Windows Explorer toolbar?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The functionality of the up one level button has been superceded by the new breadcrumb bar in Windows Explorer (shown below). You cannot add the up one level button to the toolbar.

You can click on any element in the breadcrumb bar to easily go up one, two, or more levels in a single click.

For example, if you are looking inside the Windows folder, you can click on "Local Disk (C:)" to go up one level, or you can click on "Computer" to go up two levels.

For even more versatility, you can click on the arrows between elements on the breadcrumb bar to quickly navigate to a subfolder of that element.

For example, clicking the arrow to the right of "Local Disk (C:)" will allow you to navigate to one of the folders contained in that drive, Program Files for instance.

You can still press the ALT key and the UP key at the same time to go up one level.

FAQ: When attempting to add a favorite in Internet Explorer you receive an "Unspecified Error"

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This issue seems to be most prevalent after transfering settings from another computer or after redirecting your favorites folder to another folder, especially if it is on a different drive or network share.

In Widows Vista, Internet Explorer runs in protected mode. This is a security feature that, among other things, only allows Internet Explorer to save or modify data in a few specially marked locations on your computer.

You receive this error when your favorites folder has somehow lost the special setting that allows Internet Explorer to write to it.

To fix it, follow these steps:

Click start
Find command prompt, right-click it, and click Run As Administrator
Browse to the folder that contains to your favorites folder (e.g.: cd %userprofile%)
Type the following command, where favorites is the name of your favorites folder, and press enter:
```
icacls favorites /setintegritylevel (OI)(CI)low
```

FAQ: What editions of Windows Vista support Remote Desktop?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

You can use any edition of Windows Vista to connect TO ANOTHER COMPUTER using Remote Desktop.

However, you must have Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, or Vista Ultimate in order to allow other computers to connect to YOUR COMPUTER using Remote Desktop.

For example, if you chose Vista Home Premium, you will be able to remote desktop to a computer at work from your home premium machine, but you WILL NOT be able to remote desktop to your home premium computer FROM WORK.

However, if you chose Vista Ultimate, you will be able to both remote dekstop to your work computer from home AND remote desktop to your home computer from work.

FAQ: How can I access the menu bar in Windows Explorer?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The most-used menu items have been added to the toolbar under the "Organize" button. Try clicking the organize button to see if the command you want is there.

The menu bar is still present in Windows Explorer, but it is hidden by default. To see the menu bar on an as-needed basic, press the ALT key on your keyboard. This will make the menu bar appear temporarily.

To permanently make the menu bar visible, follow these steps:

Click the organize button
Click folder and search options
Click View
Put a check in the checkbox next to "Always show menus"
Click OK

FAQ: Can I install Vista 32-bit edition on one computer, and Vista 64-bit edition on another?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista includes both a 32-bit installation DVD and a 64-bit installation DVD.

However, you may only install one or the other. Even though two DVD's are included, you may only have one copy of Windows Vista installed at a time.

If you upgrade your computer from a 32-bit computer to a 64-bit computer, then you may REPLACE your copy of Vista 32-bit with Vista 64-bit; however, you must never have more than one copy of Windows Vista installed at the same time, unless you purchase another copy of Windows Vista.

FAQ: Why do I get an activation error when trying to activate Windows Vista?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Please try the following:

Make sure the date and time are set correctly
Make sure you have access to the internet
Disconnect any USB drives and thumbsticks

FAQ: How do I upgrade to Windows Vista?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Upgrading to a 32-bit edition of Windows Vista

You MUST have an activated, genuine edition of Windows XP or Windows 2000 installed on your computer to use the upgrade disk.

You cannot start the upgrade process by booting the DVD.

Start your computer and boot into either Windows XP or Windows 2000. Open the installation DVD from My Computer if it does not start automatically, then follow the instructions on the screen.

You must perform an upgrade install - the custom (clean) install option is not available.

Upgrading to a 64-bit edition of Windows Vista

You must have an activated, genuine edition of Windows XP or Windows 2000 installed on your computer to use the upgrade disk.

Insert the installation DVD into your DVD drive and restart your computer. Press a key when prompted to begin the installation process, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

You will only be able to perform a clean install of a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, even if you have Windows XP x64 edition installed on your computer.

FAQ: Why does install fail with an error message or lock up my computer?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Many setup failures are caused by bad downloads or bad DVD-Rs. Many of these problems can be avoided by burning the DVD at the slowest speed possible.

Use a CRC utility and make sure the checksum for the file you downloaded is the same as the checksum listed on the download page
Make sure the checksum for the DVD-R you burnt is the same as the checksum listed on the download page
Burn the disk image to a higher quality DVD-R
Burn the disk image at the lowest available speed (1X or 2X recommended)

Microsoft is continuing to investigate this problem.

If your problem is not related to a bad DVD-R burn, also try the following:

Unplug any non-essential hardware from your computer, especially USB devices

FAQ: Why is my disk drive not listed as an option to install Windows Vista on?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

If your disk drive is not listed on the setup screen, this means Windows Vistasetup does not have the necessary driver to access it. This is commonly the casewith serial ATA (SATA) disk drives and RAID controllers.

You will need to transfer the drivers that you need to access your hard drive onto a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or USB thumb drive.Then, from the Windows Vista setup screen that asks which disk drive to install to,click the Load Drivers button.

FAQ: Can I delete the $INPLACE.~TR and $WINDOWS.~Q folders/directories?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

These are temporary folders that Windows Vista Setup creates during an upgrade. They may be safely deleted after Windows Vista has been successfully installed.

FAQ: Can I upgrade from Windows XP (any edition including x64) to a 64-bit version of Windows Vista?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

If you have any edition of Windows XP, including the x64 edition, then you are eligable to upgrade to an an equal or better edition of Windows Vista, including 64-bit.

However, if you are upgrading to a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, you must use the upgrade disk to perform a clean install of Windows, even if you own Windows XP x64 edition - you cannot actually perform an upgrade.

In other words, owning a copy of Windows XP allows you to buy a discounted upgrade version of a 64-bit edition of Windows Vista, but you cannot actually use the 64-bit upgrade disk to perform an upgrade - you must clean install.

More information: Microsoft Upgrade Information (external link)

FAQ: How can I access file shares on my Windows Vista computer without entering a password?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

First, please make sure that you have told Windows Vista that your network is a Private (Work or Home) network and have enabled sharing by following these instructions.

To allow access to shared folders on your Windows Vista machine from other computers without requiring a username and password, you will need to modify your network sharing settings. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Network and Internet
Click Network and Sharing Center
Look under the Network heading
Click the Customize link to the right of the network heading
If this is not set to Private, click Private, click Next, and then Close.
Look under the Sharing and Discovery heading
Make sure Network Sharing and File Sharing is turned on. If they aren't, click the down arrow next to them and click the option that turns them on.
Make sure Password protected sharing is turned off. If it isn't, click the down arrow next to them and click the option that turns it off.

Note, however, that allowing everyone access to your shared folders does not bypass system security; even though everyone will be able to see most of the files that you are sharing, the system will not permit modifications to those files unless they are located in a public place (such as the Public folder).

FAQ: Why can't I access my NAS (Network Attached Storage) share, Macintosh (MAC) share, linux share, or a share from an old version of Windows

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

When accessing a file share on a remote computer or device, Windows Vista will refuse to send your password using older encryption methods.

Unfortunately, many NAS devices as well as older versions of linux do not understand the newer encryption methods. This keeps you from being able to access these devices.

The solution is to force Windows Vista to use the older encryption methods. To do that, follow these steps:

Users of Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium

CAUTION: Improperly modifying the registry can harm your system.

Click start
Type: regedit
Press enter
In the left, expand these folders: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
In the left, click on the folder named: Lsa
In the right, double-click "LmCompatibilityLevel"
Type the number 1 and press enter
Restart your computer

Users of Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click System and Maintenance
Click Administrative Tools
Double-Click Local Security Policy
In the left pane, click the triangle next to Local Policy
In the left pane, click Security Options
In the right pane near the bottom, double-click "Network security: LAN manager authentication level"
Click the drop-down box, and click "Send LM & NTLM - use NTLMv2 session security if negotiated"
Click OK

FAQ: Why is Windows Vista unable to see other computers or other computers are unable to see Windows Vista?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

By default, any network you connect to your computer is considered a Public (insecure) network. This causes Windows Vista to use stricter settings which may prevent discovery and file sharing.

To allow your Windows Vista computer to access other computers on your network and vice versa, follow these steps:

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Network and Internet
Click Network and Sharing Center
Look under the Network heading
Click the Customize link to the right of the network heading
If this is not set to Private, click Private, click Next, and then Close.
Look under the Sharing and Discovery heading
Make sure Network Sharing and File Sharing is turned on. If they aren't, click the down arrow next to them and click the option that turns them on.

FAQ: Why can't I see all the files on my NAS (networked attached storage) share, linux share, or SAMBA share?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There is a bug in some NAS devices and linux computers that causes them not to work properly with Windows Vista.

This bug causes incomplete folder listings to be displayed in Windows Vista.

The problem is due to a bug in Samba, which is the software component that handles file sharing with Windows computers. The bug has already been fixed in Samba version 3.0.22 and above.

If you have a NAS device, you will need to download and install a firmware upgrade from your device manufacturer.

If you are connecting to a linux computer, you will need to upgrade that computer to the latest version of Samba.

FAQ: How do I disable the search indexer?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After you install Windows Vista it will begin looking through your hard disks and building an index of your files. This is done in the background at a very low priority so as not to disturb you too much, so this process can take a long time. Durring this time, you will notice your hard drive light is constantly flashing.

While this process is supposed to be unobtrusive, some people have reported that the indexer slows their computer down so much that it's practically unusable. In this case, it is necessary to disable the indexer by following these steps:

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click System and Maintenance
Click Administrative Tools
Double-click Services
If asked for permission, click Continue
Scroll through the list and find "Windows Search"
Right-click it, and click Properties
Click Stop
Click the dropdown box next to Startup Type
Click Disabled
Click OK

FAQ: What is my performance rating and how do I check it?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Your performance rating gives you a general idea of the capabilities of your computer. It measures your processor speed, memory, video card, and hard disk space, and assigns each of these items a rating. The bigger the number, the better the rating. The lowest scoring item on this test becomes your performance rating.

Here's how to check your performance rating:

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click System and Maintenance
Click "Check your System Performance Rating" under System

FAQ: What are the minimum and recommended requirements for Windows Vista?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Minimum Requirements

Any system meeting these requirements is considered Windows Vista Capable and will be able to run Windows Vista. However, you should not expect a machine that just barely meets these requirements to perform as well as Windows XP.

800 MHz or greater processor
512 MB RAM (memory)
20 GB or greater hard disk
At least 15 GB of hard disk space available
CD-ROM drive

Also, A DirectX 9 video card with at least 32 MB of video memory is highly recommended and will greatly enhance your experience with Windows Vista.

Recommended Requirements

Any system meeting these requirements is considered Windows Vista Premium Ready and will be able to take full advantage of the new Operating System, including the new Aero Glass interface.

1 GHz or greater processor
1 GB RAM (memory)
DirectX 9 video card that supports Pixel Shader v2.0 and comes with a special Windows Vista (WDDM) device driver
At least 128 MB of video memory, 256 MB recommended
40 GB or greater hard disk
At least 15 GB of hard disk space available
DVD-ROM drive

FAQ: Why is Windows Vista using so much memory?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista requires more memory than Windows XP in order to provide the advanced services and features that are now available, such as search and the new graphics capabilities.

Windows Vista tends to use as much memory as it can. However, as you open more and more programs, Windows Vista will scale back its memory usuage so that you can use more of it.

FAQ: Why do I get an Access Denied error when trying to save my files?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In Windows Vista, the programs that you use are always opened with "normal user" permissions, even if you are an administrator. This has some unfortunate side effects that you normally wouldn't encounter in Windows XP when logged in as an administrator.

(For more information on this behavior, please read an overview of UAC and What's changed in Vista)

One major side effect is that it is very difficult to modify files that you did not create from within Windows Vista.

Most files cannot be modified unless you created the file, or the program you are using to modify the file is running with "administrator" permissions. This can be a bit of a pain when upgrading from Windows XP or dual booting, as you will generally not have full access to files created from another operating system.

The solution to this problem is to give yourself full access to your files. This can be done very easily by following these steps:

Part 1: Open an Administrator Explorer window

Click Start
Type: explorer
Right-click Windows Explorer
Click Run As Administrator

This will open an "Administrator" explorer window. Every action that you take from this window will be executed with full Administrator permissions.

Part 2: Change security settings

Find the folder you need access to from the Administrator Explorer window
Right-click it
Click Properties
Click the Security Tab
Click Edit
Click Add
If you are the only one that needs modify access to this file, type your username and press enter. Otherwise, type "Users" and press enter.
Click the checkbox under Allow next to Full Control
Click OK
Click OK

You will need to repeat Part 2 for every folder that you need modify access to.

FAQ: How do I turn off UAC?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not disable User Account Control.

Before turning off UAC, please read the following articles to find out more about UAC and how you can continue to use your system with UAC enabled:

What's changed in Windows Vista
Overview of UAC
How to run programs that need administrator access
How to get write access to files

To turn UAC off:

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click User Accounts and Family Safety
Click User Accounts
Click Turn User Account Control On or Off
Uncheck the checkbox
Click OK

You will need to restart your computer for the change to take effect. This change affects all accounts on the computer, not just yours.

FAQ: An introduction to security and UAC (User Account Control) in Windows Vista

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The user account

In Windows Vista, you must log in with your user account before you can accessyour computer.

Windows Vista uses your user account to determine your personal settings, such as what background to display and where your e-mail is stored. But more importantly, your user account determines what access you have to the "securable objects" (stuff) on your computer.

You can think of it as the computer assigning you a special key that you will use to access everything on your computer.

While each person has their own individual key that uniquely identifies them, there are two basic kinds of keys: administrator keys and standard keys.

What are securable objects

Securable objects are another name for the "stuff" that is on your computer. This includes files, folders, and settings.

Every securable object contains a list of people who can access it and what those people are allowed to do to it.

You can think of a securable object as having a padlock that protects it. When you try to do something to a securable object (open, delete, etc.), you use your key to try and unlock it. If the key does not fit for the type of action you are attempting to perform, it won't unlock and you will not be allowed access.

What is an administrator

Administrators are the "masters" of the computer. They can use their key to gain full access to almost every securable object on the computer. They can also choose what kind of key other users have by using the control panel.

Users that are not administrators can only use their key to access their personal stuff or the public areas of the computer (such as the Public folder). They are not allowed to change other people's stuff, install programs for other people, change computer settings, or change other people's settings.

The problems with this kind of security

Before Windows Vista, every program that was running while you were logged on also used your key to access the computer.

This caused two major problems:

Programs that you did not actually start could use your key without you knowing about it
Programs always have access to everything that you do, even if they do not need such access

This created a very dangerous and insecure environment while you were logged in as an administrator.

In Windows Vista, this "key-based" security design is taken a step further by allowing you to control what type of key the programs that run on your computer can use.

FAQ: Why do I get an Access Denied error when trying to open a folder?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Many folders used by earlier versions of Windows have been moved to a new location or given a new name in Windows Vista. However, the old folders can still be seen if you have enabled Show Hidden Files, and they look like this:

Notice they are displayed with a transparent icon and a shortcut symbol.

Although these look like folders, they are actually what is known as a junction. Junctions behave like shortcuts, but look just like regular folders.

Their purpose is to silently redirect programs that access them to their Windows Vista equivalent.

Since junctions aren't really folders, it is not possible to access them, and any attempt to do so will give you an "Access Denied" error.

Here is a list of all of the folders that have been moved in Windows Vista, along with their new location:

Windows XP Location	Windows Vista Location
\Documents and Settings	\Users
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents	\Users\$USER$\Documents
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Music	\Users\$USER$\Music
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Pictures	\Users\$USER$\Pictures
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Videos	\Users\$USER$\Videos
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Application Data	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Cookies	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\NetHood	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\PrintHood	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Recent	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\SendTo	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Start Menu	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Templates	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Application Data	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\History	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files	\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
\Documents and Settings\All Users	\ProgramData
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data	\ProgramData
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop	\Users\Public\Desktop
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents	\Users\Public\Documents
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Favorites	\Users\Public\Favorites
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu	\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Templates	\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
\Documents and Settings\Default User	\Users\Default

For more information on junctions, please read What's changed in Windows Vista.

FAQ: Why is Windows Vista always asking for my permission: An explanation of UAC (User Account Control)

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

UAC (User Account Control) is the part of Windows Vista that asks you for permission.

In this post, I will go over what UAC does, how it works, the reasoning behind it, how to use your computer with UAC on, why you shouldn't turn UAC off, and answer some common questions and respond to common complaints about it.

What is UAC (User Account Control) and what does it do?

UAC mode (also known as Admin Approval Mode) is a mode of operation that (primarily) affects the way administrator accounts work.

When UAC is turned on (which it is by default), you must explicitly give permission to any program that wants to use "administrator" powers. Any program that tries to use admin powers without your permission will be denied access.

UAC is also required for other security features of Windows Vista, includingProtected Mode in Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer Protected Mode protectsyour computer from rogue web pages and other web-related vulnerabilities, includingunknown ones.

How does UAC work

When UAC mode is enabled, every program that you run will be given only "standard user" access to the system, even when you are logged in as an administrator. There are only 2 ways that a program can be "elevated" to get full admin access to the system:

If it automatically asks you for permission when it starts up, and you click Continue
If you start the program with permission by right-clicking it, then clicking Run As Administrator

A program either starts with STANDARD rights or, if you give permission, ADMINISTRATOR rights, and once the program is running it cannot change from one to the other.

If a program that you have already started with admin powers starts another program, that program will automatically be given admin powers without needing your permission. For example, if you start the command prompt as administrator, and then start notepad from that command prompt, notepad WILL ALSO automatically run WITH admin powers, and will not ask for permission.

What's the point of UAC?

UAC is designed to put control of your computer back into your hands, instead of at the mercy of the programs running on your computer.

When logged in as an administrator in Windows XP, any program that could somehow get itself started could take control of the entire computer without you even knowing about it.

With UAC turned on, you must know about and authorize a program in order for it to gain admin access to the system, REGARDLESS of how the program got there or how it is started.

This is important to all levels of users - from home users to enterprise administrators. Being alerted when any program tries to use admin powers and being able to unilaterally disallow a program from having such power is a VERY powerful ability. No longer is the security of the system tantamount to "crossing one's fingers and hoping for the best" - YOU now control your system.

How do I effectively use my computer with UAC turned on?

It's easy. Just keep in mind that programs don't have admin access to your computer unless you give them permission. Microsoft programs that come with Windows Vista that need admin access will always ask for admin permissions when you start them. However, most other programs will not.

You will need to run programs that need administrative powers that were not designed for Windows Vista "as administrator" by right-clicking the program and clicking Run As Administrator.

Command-line programs do not automatically ask for permission. Not even the built-in ones. You will need to run the command prompt "as administrator" in order to run administrative command-line utilities.

If you are going to be working with the control panel for a long time, running control.exe "as administrator" will make things less painful - you will only be asked for permission once, instead of every time you try to change a system-wide setting.

In short:

Run command prompt as admin when you need to run admin utilities
Run setup programs as admin
Run programs not designed for Vista as admin if (and only if) they need admin access
Run programs that need access to files that aren't yours or system files as admin
Run control.exe as admin when changing many settings in the control panel

UAC is annoying, I want to turn it off

Having to go through an extra step (clicking Continue) when opening administrative programs is annoying. And it is also very frustrating to run a program that needs admin power but doesn't automatically ask you for it (you have to right-click these programs and click Run As Administrator for them to run correctly).

But, keep in mind that these small inconveniences are insignificant when weighed against the benefit: NO PROGRAM can get full access to your system without you being informed. The first time the permission dialog pops up and it is from some program that you know nothing about or that you do not want to have access to your system, you will be very glad that the Cancel button was available to you.

Answers to common questions and responses to common criticism

Q: I have anti-virus, a firewall, a spyware-detector, or something similar. Why do I need UAC?

A: Detectors can only see known threats. And of all the known threats in existence, they only detect the most common of those threats. With UAC turned on, *you* control what programs have access to your computer - you can stop ALL threats. Detectors are nice, but they're not enough. How many people do you know that have detectors of all kinds and yet are still infested with programs that they don't want on their computer? Everyone that I have ever helped falls into this category.

Q: Does UAC replace anti-virus, a firewall, a spyware-detector, or similar programs?

A: No. Microsoft recommends that you use a virus scanner and/or other types of security software. These types of programs compliment UAC: They will get rid of known threats for you. UAC will allow you to stop unknown threats, as well as prevent any program that you do not trust from gaining access to your computer.

Q: I am a system administrator - I have no use for UAC.

A: Really? You don't NEED to know when a program on your computer runs with admin powers? You are a system administrator and you really could care less when a program runs that has full control of your system, and possibly your entire domain? You're joking, right?

Q: UAC keeps me from accessing files and folders

A: No, it doesn't - UAC protects you from programs that would try to delete or modify system files and folders without your knowledge. If you want a program to have full access to the files on your computer, you will need to run it as admin. Or as an alternative, if possible, put the files it needs access to in a place that all programs have access to - such as your documents folder, or any folder under your user folder.

Q: UAC stops programs from working correctly

A: If a program needs admin power and it doesn't ask you for permission when it starts, you have to give it admin powers by right-clicking it and clicking Run As Administrator. Programs should work like they did in XP when you use Run As Administrator. If they don't, then this is a bug.

Q: UAC keeps me from doing things that I could do in XP

A: This is not the case. Just remember that programs that do not ask for permission when they start do not get admin access to your computer. If you are using a tool that needs admin access, right-click it and click Run As Administrator. It should work exactly as it did in XP. If it does not, then this is a bug.

Q: UAC is Microsoft's way of controlling my computer and preventing me from using it!

A: This is 100% UNTRUE. UAC puts control of your computer IN YOUR HANDS by allowing you to prevent unwanted programs from accessing your computer. *Everything* that you can do with UAC turned off, you can do with it turned on. If this is not the case, then that is a bug.

Q: I don't need Windows to hold my freaking hand! I *know* what I've got on my computer, and I *know* when programs run! I am logged on as an ADMINISTRATOR for a dang reason!

A: I accept the way that you think, and can see the logic, but I don't agree with this idea. UAC is putting POWER in your hands by letting you CONTROL what runs on your system. But you want to give up this control and allow all programs to run willy-nilly. Look, if you want to do this go right ahead, you can turn UAC off and things will return to how they worked in XP. But, don't be surprised when either 1) You run something by mistake that messes up your computer and/or domain, or 2) A program somehow gets on your computer that you know nothing about that takes over your computer and/or domain, and UAC would have allowed you to have stopped it.

Note to Administrators

The behavior of the Run As Administrator command is different from the Run As... command in Windows XP.

This command does not run the program in the context of the built-in administrator, as you might have expected.

If the currently logged on user is a member of the Administrators group, the program is given administrator access to the system, but still runs in the context of the currently logged on user.

However, if the currently logged on user is not a member of the Administrators group, the program will run in the context of the administrator account that was used to authenticate with the UAC dialog.

FAQ: Why do I get 'elevation required' or 'access denied' errors when using the command prompt?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In Windows Vista, programs are only allowed limited access to the system, even if you are logged in as an administrator.

If you want a program to have administrator-level access to the system, you must explicitly give that program access. Some programs ask you for this permission when they start, others must be given this permission manually.

Unfortunately, attempting to run an administrative command-line program does not automatically prompt you for this permission, so the command fails instead.

The solution is to open an "elevated" command prompt, which means granting a specific command prompt administrator-level access to the system. This permission will also apply to any program you run from that command prompt.

To do this:

Click Start
Type: cmd
Right-click cmd when it appears underPrograms
Click Run As Administrator

For more information, please read an overview of UAC and What's changed in Windows Vista.

FAQ: Why do my programs not function correctly and/or complain that I am not an administrator, when in fact I am an administrator?

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In Windows Vista, programs are only allowed limited access to the system, even if you are logged in as an administrator.

Programs that need administrator-level access to the system must be explicitly allowed to do so. To do that, follow these steps:

Right-click the program or start menu item
Click Run As Administrator

For more information, please read an overview of UAC and What's changed in Windows Vista.

Note to Administrators: The behavior of the Run As Administrator command is different from the Run As... command in Windows XP.

This command does not run the program in the context of the built-in administrator, as you might have expected.

If the currently logged on user is a member of the Administrators group, the program is given administrator access to the system, but still runs in the context of the currently logged on user.

FAQ: Why can't I clear or set the Read Only attribute checkbox on a folder?

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Folders do not have a read only attribute. Only files have a read only attribute.

The read only checkbox is displayed in a folder's properties window to allow you to easily set the read only attribute of all the files inside of that folder.

Although the read only checkbox appears to be "checked", it is actually in what is called the indeterminate state, signified by it containing a square block instead of a checkmark.

If you are receiving 'access denied' errors when trying to save a file into a folder or modify an existing file inside of a folder, please click here.

FAQ: How do I disable hibernation and delete the hiberfil.sys file?

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Turning off hibernation using the disk cleanup wizard

Click start
Type: disk cleanup
Press enter
Select "Files from all users on this computer"
Follow the rest of the instructions listed on the wizard and select the option to turn off hibernation and delete the hibernation file

Turning off hibernation manually

Click start
Type: cmd
right-click it under programs
click Run As Administrator
Type: powercfg -h off
Press enter

FAQ: How do I force users to press CTRL + ALT + DELETE in order to log in?

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

You can force users to press the CTRL + ALT + DELETE key combination to log in by modifying group policy.

Press start
Type: local security policy
Press enter
Expand local policies
Click Security Options
Double-click "Interactive Login: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL"
Check Disabled
Click OK

This will require users to press CTRL + ALT + DELETE before being presented the welcome screen. The welcome screen will still be displayed and will allow the user to select their account from a list.

If you would like to remove the list of accounts and force the user to type his or her username and password, you will need to change another setting inside the local security policy window:

Double-click "Interactive Login: Do not display last user name"
Check Enabled
Click OK

With both of these settings in place, the same functionality of the old-style "Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to login" window is achieved.

FAQ: How do I delete the hidden windows.old folder?

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

When installing Windows Vista, Windows stores any existing installation of Windows on the install partition inside a hidden folder called windows.old. This folder could take up a large amount of disk space.

Note: Please check the contents of the windows.old folder before deleting it to make sure there are no files stored there that you may wish to keep.

Deleting the window.old folder using the disk cleanup wizard

Click start
Type: disk cleanup
Press enter
Select "Files from all users on this computer"
Follow the rest of the instructions listed on the wizard and select the option to delete the windows.old folder

Deleting the windows.old folder manually

1) Open an elevated command prompt

Click start
Type: cmd
right-click it under programs
click Run As Administrator

2) Take ownership

Change the directory to the windows.old folder (e.g. cd c:\windows.old)
Type: takeown /F . /A /R /D Y > NUL

3) grant yourself permission

Type: icacls . /grant:r Administrators:(F) /T /L /Q

4) Delete everything

Make sure you close any explorer or command windows that are looking at or inside the windows.old folder (except for the command window you are using). If you don't, you will receive an error while performing this step.

Type: cd ..
Type: rmdir /S /Q windows.old

FAQ: How do I edit the boot menu / boot.ini?

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista uses a brand new bootloader that no longer uses the boot.ini file for the boot menu. This change was made to support EFI.

Windows Vista includes a command-line tool called bcdedit to edit the boot menu. For more information on this tool, read the TechNet article (external link).

The easiest way to edit the boot menu is by using a third-party tool. I recommend Vista Boot Pro (external link), which allows editing the Vista boot menu from both Windows Vista and Windows XP.

If you choose to use the bcdedit command-line tool, you will need to run it from an elevated command prompt. To do this:

Click Start
Type: cmd
Right-click cmd when it shows up under Programs
Click Run As Administrator

Why is this necessary?

FAQ: How do I use Flip 3D?

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

If Windows Vista looks like the picture below, you can use the new Flip 3D feature.

(If this is not what your screen looks like, click here for more information)

There are 2 ways you can use flip 3D.

Method 1

Press and hold the WINDOWS key
While keeping the WINDOWS key pressed down, press and release the TAB key
Continue to press the TAB key while keeping the WINDOWS Key held down. This will cause the windows to flip.
When the window that you wish to select is in front, release the WINDOWS Key

Method 2

Press and hold the WINDOWS key, CTRL key, and TAB key all at the same time, and then release them
You can scroll through the windows using the UP and DOWN arrow keys, as well as the mouse scroll wheel
When the window that you wish to select is in front, press the ENTER key or click the mouse

FAQ: The transparency of my screen turned off; How do I turn it back on?

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista reverted to Aero Basic

If you've lost all of the 3D effects, and your screen now looks like this:

Please read the Troubleshooting section for turning on Aero Glass.

Windows Vista lost window transparency

I've noticed that with some graphics cards, if you run at a high resolution or are using multiple monitors, the transparency of the screen sometimes turns itself off, resulting in this:

I'm not sure what causes this. My best guess is a bug in the graphics driver. In any case, here are some things you can do to try and get transparency back:

Download and install the latest driver for your video card
Restart your computer
Reduce your screen resolution until transparency comes back, then turn your resolution back up
If using multiple monitors, disable your secondary monitor, and then re-enable it
Try adjusting the personalization option for transparency:

Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Appearance and Personalization
Click Personalization
Click Visual Appearance
Click the checkbox next to "Enable transparent glass" a few times, then make sure it is checked
Click OK