SuperWasp

Productivity tips, reviews, tools, software and gadgets.

Changing aspect ratio of Windows Vista Media Center

Here's a quick tip on changing the aspect ratio of Windows Media Center on Windows Vista:

Media Center in windowed mode takes the same aspect as your primary display, so if you have a widescreen lcd panel you'll get a wide media center window too.

To change the aspect from wide (16:9 or 16:10) to small (4:3), hold down the Ctrl (control) button while dragging the side edge of the media center window. You can do the same to change the aspect the other way around of course.

Enjoy!

Labels: Media Center, Vista, Windows

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, August 15, 2008 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Microsoft Bluetooth 2.1 drivers for Vista SP1

Microsoft silently released Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless, which enables Bluetooth 2.1 support, a user interface for Unified Pairing and Windows Connect Now updates. Note: You must have Vista Service Pack 1 installed.

Update: Apparently you must contact your hardware manufacturer to obtain this feature pack. When I called Dell Gold Technical Support today, they had not heard of this update yet, and after an hour I got an email where they state that it will take another 3 to 4 weeks before it will be available from them.

Labels: Bluetooth 2.1, Microsoft, SP1, Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | PermaLink | 0 comments

FIX: Remove and stop respawning of My Sharing Folders

In my previous post I quickly explained how to remove the "My Sharing Folders" shell extension via the command-line. All things work fine, until you restart your computer (or WLM) and notice that it has reinstalled itself.

In this post I will go a bit further, and explain how to stop automatic reinstallation of "My Sharing Folders", as apparently Microsoft has changed the latest Windows Live Messenger.

I assume you're familiar with Regedit and you have sufficient knowledge of Windows to play around with administrative rights. Obviously, I'm not responsible for any damage you might do to your machine - you're on your own there.

Let's get started:

1. Exit Windows Live Messenger (not just sign out)
2. In a command prompt, type: regsvr32 -u -s "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\fsshext.8.5.1302.1018.dll"
   
   Note: you might need to change the numbers in the filename to match your version.
3. With Explorer, go to "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\" and rename the fsshext.x.x.xxxx.xxxx.dll file to .old (replace X with the file version from your directory).
4. Next, open the registry editor (regedit), go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\(your userid)\Products\577EC8054AB4847428FDEF82ADF9300B\Features and rename the "MsgrFeat" string to "MsgrFeat-old". Don't change the contents of this string as you might need it someday to uninstall/change Windows Live Messenger.
   

Start WLM, all should be ok now. Let me know if it worked out ok for you... and Digg me!

Labels: fix, hack, Live, Messenger, Microsoft, registry, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista, WLM

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 | PermaLink | 3 comments

Removing "My Sharing Folders" from Windows Live Messenger

Here's a quick tip to remove the "My Sharing Folders" shell extension that Windows Live Messenger installs.

Open a command prompt (cmd.exe) with administrative rights. (In Vista you need to right-click and choose "Run as administrator", or type "cmd" in the start menu and press Control-Shift-Enter.)

Copy or type this command:

regsvr32 -u -s "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\fsshext.8.5.1302.1018.dll"

Note that you must check the correct filename first, as this changes with every version of Windows Live Messenger.

Update: I've posted a follow-up article to solve the reinstallation problem created by the latest Windows Live Messenger (WLM) versions.

Labels: Live, Messenger, Vista, Windows, WLM

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Fix: Localhost unavailable with ESET NOD32

Developers using Visual Studio will probably encounter this problem after installing ESET NOD32 antivirus or ESET Smart Security Antivirus+Firewall: browsing the web with Internet Explorer works fine except for websites you develop yourself (localhost).

Disabling the firewall or antivirus features doesn't solve this problem, however replacing localhost with 127.0.0.1 (or using FireFox) does solve it.

The real problem is easily fixed though.

Windows Vista:

In the start menu, type "notepad %system%\drivers\etc\hosts" and instead of pressing enter, right-click on the notepad icon in the top of the list (see screenshot). In the context menu you must click on "Run as administrator".

Windows XP and 2000:

Open a command prompt (cmd.exe) and type these commands:

cd %system%\drivers\etc

attrib -r -h -s hosts

notepad hosts

You will then see the following file in notepad:

The last line contains the problem. It reads:

::1             localhost

You can either remove this line and save the file, or comment it out with a pound/hash character #. Voila, fixed!

Labels: Administrator, fix, IE, IE6, IE7, Internet Explorer, Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft, problem, Vista, Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studion 2008, vs2005, vs2008, web develoment, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, March 21, 2008 | PermaLink | 2 comments

New Vista update improving compatibility, reliability, and stability

This update improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista. This update includes the following improvements:

• It extends the battery life for mobile devices.


• It improves the stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).


• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.


• It improves the stability of wireless network services.


• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.


• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.


• It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.


• It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.

This update also resolves the following issues in Windows Vista:

A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.

• A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.

Download the update for Windows Vista x86-based versions (KB941649) package now.
Download the update for Windows Vista x64-based versions (KB941649) package now.

Labels: patch, performance, reliability, update, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Windows Vista October Reliability and Performance Updates

Microsoft has released several updates to improve the reliabiliy and compatibility of Windows Vista in certain scenarios. The issues resolved by these updates are detailed in the following Knowledge Base articles:

1. October 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista (KB941229)
   Microsoft has released the October 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista. This update rollup is intended for computers that are running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate.
   
   
   Issues that are resolved by this update:
   In addition to the fixes that are contained in the updates that are listed in the "Hotfix replacement information" section, the October 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista resolves the following issues: • Several issues that are related to the Media Center Extensibility Platform
   
   
   
   • An issue that affects digital cable card components when you use Scientific Atlanta cable cards
   
   
   • Interaction issues that occur between Media Center PC and Microsoft Xbox 360 when Xbox 360 is used as a Media Center Extender.
   
   
   • Autolaunch issues that occur with video CD (VCD) media
   
   
   
   Hotfix replacement information
   This is a cumulative update. This update replaces the following updates:
   
   
   
   • KB 935652 June 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista
   
   
   • KB 932818 April 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista
   
   
   
   
   


2. Cumulative update rollup for USB core components in Windows Vista (KB941600)
   This update resolves some reliability issues in the USB core components on the Windows Vista operating system.
   
   
   Issues that are fixed in the update rollup
   
   
   
   • KB 925528 Stop errors occur on a Windows-based computer that has 2GB or more of RAM and is using an NVIDIA nForce USB controller
   
   
   • KB 929734 You may experience problems after you resume a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep or from hibernation
   
   
   • KB 930568 Error message when you try to put a Windows Vista-based computer to sleep or into hibernation: "STOP 0x000000FE BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER"
   
   
   • KB 929478 After you use the Safely Remove Hardware option to remove a built-in optical drive from a portable Windows Vista-based computer, you may be unable to reconnect the drive
   
   
   • KB 930570 Error message in the Usbhub.sys process when you wake a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep or from hibernation: "STOP 0x00000044"
   
   
   • KB 928631 A USB device may no longer work correctly after Windows Vista resumes from sleep or from hibernation
   
   
   • KB 933433 Recording quality is poor when you use a USB microphone on a Windows Vista-based computer that has 4 GB of RAM or more
   
   
   • KB 933442 A USB composite device does not work after you disable and then enable the device in Device Manager on a computer that is running Windows Vista
   
   
   • KB 934633 When you connect a USB multifunction printer device to a Windows Vista-based computer, a second instance of the printer object is created, and the first instance no longer works
   
   
   • KB 934796 Error message on a Windows Vista-based computer that is running a USB composite device: "STOP 0x000000FE"
   
   
   • KB 933824 The Safely Remove Hardware feature and the Windows Explorer "Eject" command do not work correctly with an Apple iPod that is connected to a Windows Vista-based computer
   
   
   • KB 935782 A USB device takes a long time to resume from "selective suspend" mode on a Windows Vista-based computer that uses UHCI USB controllers
   
   
   • KB 935783 When you resume a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep, you may experience unexpected behavior from a USB device
   
   
   
   
   The following issues were not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
   
   
   
   • When the computer resumes from a suspend state or from a hibernation state, the computer stops responding. Additionally, you receive a "0x9F" stop message on a blue screen.
   
   
   • The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state.
   
   
   • The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state when you use a VIA controller.
   
   
   • The computer stops responding when you use an AuthenTec USB fingerprint reader. Additionally, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen or a "0x9F" Stop error on a blue screen.
   
   
   • The computer stops responding when you use a USB Bluetooth audio device.
   
   
   • The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state when you use an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) controller.
   
   
   • The computer stops responding when you remove a USB device. Additionally, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen.
   
   
   • When a computer resumes from a suspend state or from a hibernation state multiple times, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen.
   
   
   
   
   


3. Update for Windows Vista (KB941649)
   This update improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista.
   
   
   This update improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista. This update includes the following improvements:
   
   
   
   • It extends the battery life for mobile devices.
   
   
   • It improves the stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
   
   
   • It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.
   
   
   • It improves the stability of Internet Explorer when you open a Web page.
   
   
   • It improves the stability of wireless network services.
   
   
   • It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.
   
   
   • It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.
   
   
   • It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.
   
   
   • It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.
   
   
   
   This update also resolves the following issues in Windows Vista:
   
   
   
   • A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.
   
   
   • A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.
   
   
   
   
   


4. Update for Windows Vista (KB941651) [KB article TBA -- Download below]
   This is a reliability update. Install this update to improve the reliability of Windows Media Player 11 for Windows Vista in certain scenarios.




• Update for Windows Vista (KB941651)
  
• Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB941651)

Via: Bink.nu

Labels: Microsoft, patch, reliability, update, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 | PermaLink | 1 comments

Vista Speech Recognition Tested

Microsoft Vista Speech Recognition Tested for Perl Scripting

This is a hilarious little movie on YouTube...enjoy!

Labels: Speech, Vista, YouTube

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Removing Apple Bonjour Service from Adobe CS3 & Vista

Here's my definite guide to removing the (annoying) Apple Bonjour service from your Windows Vista.

You'll find that it has been installed silently by a.o. Adobe CS3 installations (Photoshop CS3, Illustrator CS3, etc), because Adobe feels it is necessary for the Version Cue functionality (even for stand-alone functionality).

1. Identify if Bonjour is installed:
   
   
   
   From the Start menu, select Control Panel, and then type services. Click on the View local services link in the Administrative Tools group.
   
   
   If the first line in the list of services looks similar to ##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762##, you have Bonjour on your system. You may now close the Services window.
   


2. Open a command prompt with Administrative privileges:
   In the Start menu, type cmd and press Control-Shift-Enter!
   
   
   
   You'll have to confirm this operation:
   
   
   


3. Execute the following commands:
   
   
   
   
   
   • cd "\Program Files\Bonjour"
   
   
   • mDNSResponder.exe -remove
   
   
   • ren mdnsNSP.dll mdnsNSP.old
   
   
   
   


4. Finally...
   Close the command box and restart the computer, then delete the Bonjour folder from the \Program Files\ folder.
   Goodbye Bonjour!
   

Note from Adobe: Removing Bonjour prevents Version Cue clients (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Bridge) from automatically discovering Version Cue Servers and Version Cue projects in your local network. You will need to connect manually using Connect to Server and the URL or IP address of the machine running Version Cue Server instead.

Labels: Adobe, Apple, Bonjour, CS3, remove, Vista, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Thursday, September 06, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Finally New Visualizations for WMP!

Finally some new visualizations for Windows Media Player:



Thanks to two Microsoft employees who worked on it for a long time, you can now enjoy this beautiful screen animation when you're listening to your music.

As a requirement to run these visualizations, you will need a graphics card that supports at least shader model 2.0 (most DirectX 9 graphics cards will), which might seem like a high requirement for visualizers, but how else are you suppose to create visual magic right?

Included in the single package are 7 visualizations with over 40 variations in total, including

• Album Art 3D - 3D cubes with the album art of the song you’re currently playing


• Bubbles - inspired by the Bubbles Vista screensavers also featuring the album art


• Distortion - distorts the album art in a 3D waveform


• Hypnobloom - hypnotic checkered purple rings


• Ribbons - inspired by the Mystify and Ribbons Vista screensavers (as seen above)


• Gigertron 3D - 3D layered visualizer bars


• up cuber - a pigment arrangement of 3D hexagon cubes

Enjoy, it's a free download!

Labels: download, free, media player, Vista, visualization, Windows, WMP

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, August 31, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Additional Updates for Windows Vista

Here's a collection of recent updates for Microsoft Windows Vista that are not pushed through Windows Update or Microsoft Update.

• Download Update for Windows Vista KB936710 or x64 version
  

  Install this Microsoft update to help resolve a secondary graphic card operability issue when running DirectX 10 applications on multiple graphics cards.



• Download Update for Windows Vista KB941090 or the x64 version.
  

  Install this update to resolve an issue where messages become stuck in the Outbox and cannot be deleted when using Windows Mail. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.



• Download Update for Windows Vista KB940105 or the x64 version.
  

  Install this Microsoft update to resolve potential Graphics Virtual Address problems that may occur when running Windows Vista.



• Download Update for Windows Vista KB936004 or the x64 version.
  

  Install this update to resolve an issue where a USB telephony device (USB telephone, handset, headset and so on) is unexpectedly set as the default audio device on a computer running Windows Vista.

Source: Bink.nu

Labels: Microsoft, patch, update, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

ATI Releases Catalyst 7.8 with Free Half-Life 2 Games

After the rather buggy Catalyst 7.7 drivers, ATI has today released the highly anticipated Catalyst 7.8 driver set.

• Download Catalyst 7.8 (English, 72MB)


• Download Catalyst 7.8 (Multilanguage, 107MB)

Note that Catalyst 7.8 also installs the Steam Games client and you can get 2 free games from ATI here: Half-Life 2 DeathMatch and Half-Life 2 Lost Coast!

This is a quote from the ATI website:

Effective immediately, all owners of ATI Radeon graphics cards may receive a free copy of Half-Life 2: Lost Coast and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch via Steam. Steam will automatically confirm the presence of ATI Radeon hardware and then enable immediate access to full versions of the games free of charge.

Besides tons of bugfixes, there should be a noticeably performance improvement – especially for the Radeon HD 2600 and HD 2400 series.

Here's an extract of the Release Notes, some of the fixes for Vista and XP:

• Call of Duty->United Offensive: Having all of the in-game settings at their maximum levels along with the Catalyst™ Control Center->3D aspect set to Optimal Quality no longer results in the Windows Vista (64 bit) operating system failing to respond after a short period of game play. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28793
  
• The default audio device is no longer set to ATI HD Audio after installation of the display driver for the ATI Radeon™ HD2900, HD2600, and HD2400. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28483
  
• Hot-plugging a CRT to a system running Windows Vista and containing an ATI Radeon™ X1100/1150 series of product no longer results in extended desktop mode failing to be applied. Further details can be found in topic number 737-25801
  
• Enabling CrossFire™ followed by disconnecting and then reconnecting the CRT display device no longer results in duplicate video options being seen within the Catalyst™ Control Center. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27457
  
• Enabling CrossFire™ followed by setting AA to 14x and AF to 16x no longer results in the AA showing a setting of 0x level when disabling CrossFire™ and unchecking the AA option in the 3D aspect. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27458
  
• Making changes to the Color aspect found in the Catalyst™ Control Center without applying the changes no longer results in the Reactivate ATI color controls button remaining active after the Catalyst™ Control Center is closed and then re-launched. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27459
  
• Enabling CrossFire™ followed by setting the OverDrive™ clocks to their maximum settings no longer results in the Catalyst™ Control Center failing to accurately report the requested OverDrive™ values. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27621
  
• Performing an un-install of the display drivers on a CrossFire™ configured system no longer results in extended desktop mode becoming active resulting in all of the desktop icons failing to appear. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28478
  
• Catalyst™ Control Center->3D->Anti-Aliasing: Unchecking the option to Use Application Setting found in the 3D aspect page when CrossFire™ is enabled no longer results in the maximum AA setting being 6x. This issue may also be experienced under the Windows XP operating system. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28479
  
• Performing either a custom or express install of the display driver no longer results in the system possibly failing to respond and the installation of the driver failing. This issue was known to occur when using an ATI Radeon™ X1950 CrossFire™ Edition product installed on in a system containing an Intel975. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28481
  
• HDMI audio stutter is no longer heard when playing MPEG clip at certain resolutions on some HDMI device. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28484
  
• The Scaling options found in the Catalyst™ Control Center no longer disappears when relaunching the Catalyst™ Control Center after applying optimized and custom formats for Component Video. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28855
  
• Connecting a secondary display device (CRT) and enabling extended desktop mode no longer results in invalid refresh rates being available in the Display Manager. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28787
  
• Making adjustments to the Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast and not applying the changes no longer results in the desktop image failing to return to its default color values when performing a hot-reboot of the system. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28787
  
• All supported display resolutions are now available in the Display Manager when connecting a secondary display device and enabling extended desktop mode. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28789
  
• Performing an un-install of the display driver no longer results in the display entering an extended desktop mode and the desktop icons failing to be displayed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28478
  
• Setting the Avivo Video Brightness to less than 0 within the Catalyst™ Control Center no longer results in a white frame being created in the Windows Media Player when fullscreen mode is enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28790
  
• The Enable ATI Overdrive clocks for 3d applications is no longer available on non supported products such as the ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 series of product. Further information may be found in topic number 737-28477
  
• Setting the Avivo Video De-interlacing setting to auto, motion adaptive or vector adaptive no longer results in certain DVDs, menu videos and some special features failing to benefit from the options. Further information on this issue may be found in topic number 737-27196
  
• The color depth no longer changes to 8bpp when enabling or disabling CrossFire™ for the first time. Further information may be found in topic number 737-28485
  
• Connecting a TV followed by removing the display resolution of 640x480 from the mode table no longer results in the both the TV and LCD failing to display an image. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28490
  
• An unhandled exception no longer occurs when running an OGL application and resuming from S3 under Vista on various ATI Radeon™ Xpress 1200/1250/1300 series products. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27960
  
• Windows Media Player: Playing a DVD in full screen mode no longer results in vertical bar corruption being noticed during playback. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28497
  
• DVD display no longer blinks in red when Overdrive is enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28794
  

Some of the fixes for XP:

• Star Wars knights of the Old Republic 2: Corruption is no longer seen when running the game on some members of the ATI Radeon™ Xpress 1200/1250/1300 series of products. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27098
  
• CounterStrike Source, Day of Defeat Source, and Half-Life 2 Episode 1, Excessive fog is no longer noticed when playing these games. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28795
  
• The Overscan/Underscan slider bar is no longer enabled when setting display resolutions of 1280x1024 or higher on systems containing an ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 XT series of product. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28843
  
• Adobe After Effects 8: The application no longer fails to load on systems containing an ATI Radeon™ X700 series of product. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28796
  
• PowerDVD6: Momentary desktop corruption is no longer noticed when minimizing the DVD playback window after stretching the playback window approximately 80%. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28797
  
• The system no longer becomes unresponsive and no longer requires a reboot while randomly moving Video Player window from primary to extended desktop under certain hardware configurations where the second adapter is an ATI Radeon™ X1200/1250/1270 series of product. Further details can be found in topic number 737-27092
  
• A warning message indicating CrossFire™ cannot be enabled because some 3D applications are running or the interconnect cable is not connected, or the motherboard has no communication channels between PCI-Express slots is no longer displayed when using a motherboard with an Intel I965 chipset. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28798
  
• The CrossFire™ page is no longer greyed out and cannot be enabled when attempting to use a software CrossFire™ configuration on a system using a motherboard with an Intel I975 chipset. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28799
  
• The Avivo components are now listed in the ADD/Remove Programs after installation of the display driver. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28800
  
• Switching HD-DVD titles during playback with hardware acceleration enabled no longer results in the playback to be blocked. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28802
  
• WinDVD8: Playing a DVD and changing the video setting to Hardware Acceleration mode no longer results in corruption being noticed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28803
  

Labels: ATI, download, driver, drivers, free, games, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista, XP

» Full Article

  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

FIX: Solving ATI Black Screen Problems in Vista

I've mentioned in my previous post about remotely restarting Vista with RDP that my switch from the finally fully working but oh so slow nVidia Quadro FX 550 card to the very fast (Aero Graphics: 5.9, Gaming Graphics: 5.5) and affordable XpertVision ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT Super didn't work out because of the many sleep/hibernate problems in Vista.

To explain the situation a bit more, here's what my problems (and some early solutions) looked like.

• The system (sometimes) boots normally and the ATI card performs fast and stable.


• Putting Vista into Sleep mode or Hibernation mode always works.


• Shutting down Windows Vista also always works.


• Resuming from Sleep or Hibernation, or powering up sometimes works, but other times this can lead to this:
  
  
  
  1. Boot or resume works but with black screen syndrome: Windows is running but the ATI card appears not present and thus you get no picture whatsoever. You can however log in remotely using Remote Desktop Client.
  
  
  2. Boot or resume fails during the BIOS POST routine, and after some 30 seconds you get two beeps indicating your machine is tired of waiting on the video card to come alive.
  
  
  
  In the first case, it is enough to shutdown your pc remotely, and then retry the whole routine.
  In the second case, it only helped (in my case) to eithe remove and reinsert the ATI card, or to remove the power while your pc is hanging in the BIOS routine. Both solutions reset the video card and should get you going.
  


• Note that this happens with the ATI Catalyst 7.7 drivers, as well as with the beta version (RC3) of Catalyst 7.8.
  

However, while checking the very limited ATI/AMD support site, I decided to try some of the few solutions they had for similar but not identical problems.

To my big surprise, one of them actually worked... I've been able to put my workstation to Sleep, Shutdown, Restart for several times and not once did it fail.
Here's the solution:

1. Open the Start menu and type services.msc, then press Enter:
   
   
   


2. You'll now see the list of services. Select the ATI External Event Utility service, then press Enter:
   
   
   


3. This brings up the properties window. You'll notice that the service is started but that you can't stop it.
   
   
   


4. Change the Startup Type dropdown list from Automatic into Manual.
   
   
   


5. Close this window by pressing the OK button, then reboot your machine (with a proper restart via the Start menu).
   


6. Test the Sleep, Shutdown, Restart and Hibernate functions... it should work now.
   

I hope this really solves it, and that I don't need to revise this post or write a follow-up.

Labels: ATI, crash, driver, hibernate, Microsoft, problem, problems, sleep, Vista, Windows Vista

» Full Article

  Posted by oVan on Friday, August 10, 2007 | PermaLink | 5 comments

Leaked Vista Reliability and Performance Updates Officially Available

Some of you already installed the leaked versions, but here they are officially from Microsoft. Install both of the updates, they're highly recommended!

1. 
   
   An update is available that improves the performance and reliability of Windows Vista
   
   Download Update 938979 for Vista 32-bit
   Download Update 938979 for Vista 64-bit
   

   
   This update resolves issues that may affect some Windows Vista-based computers. These issues have been reported by customers who are using the Error Reporting service or Microsoft Customer Support Services.
   
   By applying this update, you can achieve better performance and responsiveness in various scenarios. This update also improves the reliability of Windows Vista.
   
   This update resolves the following issues on a Windows Vista-based computer:• You experience a long delay when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.
   • A memory leak occurs when you use the Windows Energy screen saver.
   • If User Account Control is disabled on the computer, you cannot install a network printer successfully. This problem occurs if the network printer is hosted by a Windows XP-based or a Windows Server 2003-based computer.
   • When you write data to an AVI file by using the AVIStreamWrite function, the file header of the AVI file is corrupted.
   • When you copy or move a large file, the "estimated time remaining" takes a long time to be calculated and displayed.
   • After you resume the computer from hibernation, it takes a long time to display the logon screen.
   • When you synchronize an offline file to a server, the offline file is corrupted.
   • If you edit an image file that uses the RAW image format, data loss occurs in the image file. This problem occurs if the RAW image is from any of the following digital SLR camera models:• Canon EOS 1D
   • Canon EOS 1DS
   For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   932988 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932988/) Files from a Canon EOD 1D or 1DS camera may be corrupted after you use Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Live Photo Gallery, or Windows Explorer to edit the file metadata in Windows Vista or in Windows XP Service Pack 2
   • After you resume the computer from hibernation, the computer loses its default gateway address.
   • Poor memory management performance occurs.
   

   
   


2. 
   
   An update is available that improves the compatibility and reliability of Windows Vista
   
   Download Update 938194 for Vista 32-bit
   Download Update 938194 for Vista 64-bit
   
   

   
   This update resolves some compatibility issues and reliability issues in Windows Vista. By applying this update, you can achieve better reliability and hardware compatibility in various scenarios.
   
   This update resolves the following issues:• The screen may go blank when you try to upgrade the video driver. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   932539 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932539/) The screen may go blank when you try to upgrade the video driver on a Windows Vista-based computer
   • The computer stops responding, and you receive a "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" error message. You can restart the computer only by pressing the computer's power button.
   • The computer stops responding or restarts unexpectedly when you play video games or perform desktop operations.
   • The Diagnostic Policy Service (DPS) stops responding when the computer is under heavy load or when very little memory is available. This problem prevents diagnostics from working.
   • The screen goes blank after an external display device that is connected to the computer is turned off. For example, this problem may occur when a projector is turned off during a presentation.
   • A computer that has NVIDIA G80 series graphic drivers installed stops responding.
   • Visual appearance issues occur when you play graphics-intensive games.
   • You experience poor playback quality when you play HD DVD disks or Blu-ray disks on a large monitor.
   • Applications that load the Netcfgx.dll component exit unexpectedly.
   • Windows Calendar exits unexpectedly after you create a new appointment, create a new task, and then restart the computer.
   • Internet Connection Sharing stops responding after you upgrade a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP to Windows Vista and then restart the computer.
   • The Printer Spooler service stops unexpectedly.
   • You receive a "Stop 0x0000009F" error when you put the computer to sleep while a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection is active. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   931671 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931671/) Error message when you put a Windows Vista-based computer to sleep while a PPP connection is active: "STOP 0x0000009F"
   

   
   

APPLIES TO
• Windows Vista Ultimate
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Windows Vista Home Basic
• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Windows Vista Business
• Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition
• Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition

Labels: Pack, patch, performance, reliability, update, Vista, Windows Vista

» Full Article

  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

How to shutdown or restart Vista via RDP?

I'm sure Murphy must be around the corner, because when I recently upgraded my video card from nVidia to a new ATI HD 2600 based card, I encountered a lot of problems that I did not expect.

As I've written before, the ATI video card and drivers in my notebook performed flawlessly from Vista Day 1. The nVidia drivers for the Quadro FX 550 on my workstation however had lots of problems, but in the end I've been able to solve it with more recent beta drivers and removing the SoundBlaster X-Fi card. Since that moment my workstation behaved perfectly also — no troubles with sleep, hibernation, shut down, restart whatsoever!

However, when I recently decided that the nVidia card was way too slow for this powerful machine, I've chosen an ATI-based card so that I would not encounter those problems again. But! Apparently the latest ATI Catalyst 7.7 and even Catalyst Beta 7.8 drivers still have problems with this brand new ATI HD 2600 XT Super, turning the whole sleep/shutdown/restart procedure back into a nightmare.

Sometimes the machine doesn't boot at all, just two beeps meaning it is tired of waiting for video initialization. At that point you can't even access the BIOS. The only way to revive is remove the power cord while it is turned on, or remove the card and reinsert it. Both solutions reset the video card from whatever buggy state it was left in.
Other times, it boots perfectly and restores the last session you were using, except you get NO picture... just a black screen! The only way to gracefully recover from this mess is to use Remote Desktop Connection from another machine. A glance at the event log reveals the following suspicious events:

The device 'ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT' (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9588&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_00\4&cff77c&0&0020) disappeared from the system without first being prepared for removal.

The device 'High Definition Audio Controller' (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_AA08&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_00\4&cff77c&0&0120) disappeared from the system without first being prepared for removal.

The device 'High Definition Audio Device' (HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_1002&DEV_AA01&SUBSYS_00AA0100&REV_1000\5&921ff23&0&0001) disappeared from the system without first being prepared for removal.

Note: The HD Audio device is a feature of the ATI Radeon HD 2600/2400 series, it is located on the video card and not on my motherboard.

Update: I've been able to fix these problems, see my recent posting about it.

Now using my workstation via RDP is fine and works really well, but it is no substitute for the real thing. It's as slow as the nVidia FX 550, so what did I change cards for then?

So the time has come to reboot the machine...but how to do that via Remote Desktop Connection? As you can see, you don't get the usual choices from the Start menu. The Power button has been changed into an X to disconnect the session:



The fly-out menu isn't any better, you just get Log Off and Lock:



If you look carefully, you'll notice a new button on the Start menu, it's called Windows Security. (This also happens on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Workstation/Server)



This brings you to the following screen (similar as pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete on your own Vista machine) where you'll notice the red power button in the bottom right corner. There you go: Restart, Sleep and Shut Down!

Labels: Microsoft, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 | PermaLink | 2 comments

No more silent AutoPlay bypassing in Vista

Yeah, you know the trick, it's saved us from a lot of trouble. Holding down that Shift-key when inserting a CD or DVD made sure that nothing was autoplayed...

Now what do my eyes read in the Help-section from Windows Vista:

Why can't I override AutoPlay by pressing the SHIFT key as I could in Windows XP?
AutoPlay has been redesigned. Now holding down the SHIFT key opens AutoPlay regardless of the default setting.

For a moment I thought Microsoft had given in to the pressure of their commercial partners, but luckily you'll get the list of AutoPlay choices and thus you can always choose "View files".

Labels: AutoPlay, Microsoft, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Thursday, August 02, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Fix: Vista sleep problems with High Definition Audio device

Similar to the sleep problems with Creative X-Fi and SoundBlaster audio cards, many Vista users have sleep/hibernation problems with the High Definiation Audio device from Intel.

Microsoft has released a new fix: as described in KB 937077: A high definition audio device may no longer work after you resume Windows Vista from hibernation or from sleep.

Download here: 32-bit or 64 bit

Labels: AC'97, AC97, audio, fix, HD, HD Audio, hibernate, hibernation, Intel, Microsoft, problem, problems, sleep, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Vista Released

Microsoft has finally released Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Windows Vista.



Here's a bit of info from their website:

The Windows Mobile Device Center enables you to set up new partnerships, synchronize content and manage music, pictures and video with Windows Mobile powered devices (Windows Mobile 2003 or later). The Windows Mobile Device Center combines an efficient business-data synchronization platform with a compelling user experience. The Windows Mobile Device Center helps you to quickly set up new partnerships, synchronize business-critical information such as e-mail, contacts and calendar appointments, easily manage your synchronization settings, and transfer business documents between your device and PC.

This new version of the Windows Mobile Device Center contains key improvements and new features to support Windows Mobile 6 devices. The Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 is only supported on Windows Vista.

Key updates in Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 include: Windows

• Mobile 6 feature support




• Information Rights Management activation - Automatically configure the Windows Mobile 6 device to open IRM-protected documents and files


• HTML mail – Set up your Windows Mobile 6 device to sync HTML-formatted mail


• Certificate Enrollment - Acquire certificates through the PC the Windows Mobile 6 device is currently connected to


• Allow data connections on the Windows Mobile 6 device when connected to the PC


• File synchronization for smartphones – Synchronize files with your Windows Mobile 6 devices, including both touch screen and non-touch screen devices




• Automatic device authentication - Connect the Windows Mobile device to the PC without the need to enter the device-lock PIN every time upon connect


• Product Registration - Register your Windows Mobile device and get connected to information and offers available for your device

Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 is fully compatible with Windows Mobile 2003 devices and later.

Labels: download, Microsoft, Smartphone, Vista, Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Thursday, June 07, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Vista Virtual Desktop Manager

As an independent web developer, I never have enough screen real estate. Even with Vista's Flip-3D task switcher, I'm lost in the multitude of open windows. It's not that I don't close my windows fast enough, in fact I use Ctrl-W, Ctrl-F4 and Alt-F4 all the time and have launch shortcuts for about every application, but at times you just have too many windows.

These are some apps that I use on a very regularly basis: Outlook, many windows of Internet Explorer (each with a bunch of open tabs), same story for Firefox, Paint Shop Pro, Lightroom, Topstyle, OneNote, Mobile Device Center, Visual Studio, Outlook Express, Skype, MSN Messenger, UltraEdit, CSE Html Validator. That sure gives an overwhelming Flip 3D view!

So what can you do about the desktop clutter? I'm going to install Vista Virtual Desktop Manager. This way I can group together apps based on the activity (a desktop for development, one for graphics, one for email and rss, ...)



Even though there are plenty of virtual desktop managers out there, and I've tested a lot of them in the past, this one has a compelling advantage: native support for Windows Vista. By making use of the DWM based Aero interface, it gives you full screen thumbnail based preview.

Here's a list of features taken from the website:

• Full screen desktop/window manager/preview with full drag and drop managing


• Desktop switch indicator


• An infinite number of desktops


• Watch the windows move in real time as you drag them around in the window manager


• Multiple monitor support


• Window menus


• Tray icons for each desktop


• Configurable colors, fade speeds, hotkeys, etc.


• And much more!

VVDM is currently a beta version 0.41, and can be freely downloaded:
http://www.codeplex.com/vdm

Did you play with it already? Let us know your experience!

Labels: desktop, flip 3D, manager, productivity, Virtual, Vista, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Vista Productivity Tip: Quick Access to Windows Mobility Center

Notebook users are often avid keyboard users, using a mouse is not always practical on the road or in the garden and you can do many tasks so much quicker with a few quickstrokes.

Windows Vista has a number of keyboard shortcuts that make life a little easier. One of them is Win+X: on notebooks, laptops and tablet pc's this launches the Windows Mobility Center. (Win+X is the Windows Logo Key together with the letter X)



The Windows Mobility Center gives you quick access to typical notebook-related activities. These are presented as small tiles: volume settings, battery status, wireless network, external display, sync settings and presentation settings.

Apparently it is also possible for third parties to create extra tiles, but so far I haven't seen them. One thing I'm missing here on my Dell Latitude D810 notebook is a tile for Bluetooth. Have you seen it, or do you know if it exists? What about other usefull tiles? Let us know, post a comment!

Labels: keyboard, Microsoft, mobility, productivity, tip, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Sunday, June 03, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Official nVidia Vista Drivers 158.18 WHQL

nVidia updated the download package of the nVidia Vista 158.18 driver –ForceWare158– because now they're official and also qualified by Microsoft (WHQL). This means that the driver has passed the tests at Microsoft Hardware Labs, but this also means nVidia considers this a stable release, even though it still contains a list of bugs.
As I still get frequent hangs on sleep, I'll have to investigate further. Next target on my radar is the Creative X-Fi.

Update: this driver adds support for my Quadro FX 550 (and a whole range of other Quadro cards) so you don't need a modified nv_disp.inf file anymore. It has also fixed the missing nVidia control panel on my system.

Update 2: A newer beta version has appeared – ForceWare Release 158
Version: 158.24 | Release Date: May 2, 2007 | Beta Driver – that promises to fix even more bugs and offer improved performance. Let us know if it solved your Vista sleep problems!

Labels: download, driver, ForceWare, Microsoft, nVidia, video, Vista, WHQL

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, May 01, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Update to blog restyling

Here's a small update to the post about blog restyling. I've changed the stylesheets and the .IR code to use the Corbel TrueType font, instead of the Segoe Media Center Light font that nobody knows :-)

So, if you see plain old Tahoma in the text of this post, you should download the Microsoft Vista & Office 2007 fonts.

Labels: Corbel, fonts, Office 2007, opentype, truetype, update, Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, April 27, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Turbocharge your installations with Inno Setup

Long time Pascal and Delphi friends surely remember Jordan Russell for the Toolbar97 and Toolbar2000 components. At that time he started a very promising application called "Inno Setup". It was an easy to configure installation program, ideally suited for the target audience (freeware and shareware authors). Years have gone by, and look who's still alive and kicking... Inno Setup.

The current implementation of Inno Setup is so powerful, it rivals many commercial installers. Here's the list of key features taken from the Inno Setup homepage:

• Support for all versions of Windows in use today: Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, Me, 98, 95, and NT 4.0. (No service packs are required.)


• Extensive support for installation of 64-bit applications on the 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. Both the x64 and Itanium architectures are supported. (On the Itanium architecture, Service Pack 1 is required to install in 64-bit mode.)


• Supports creation of a single EXE to install your program for easy online distribution. Disk spanning is also supported.


• Standard Windows 2000/XP-style wizard interface.


• Customizable setup types, e.g. Full, Minimal, Custom.


• Complete uninstall capabilities.


• Installation of files:
  
  Includes integrated support for "deflate", bzip2, and 7-Zip LZMA file compression. The installer has the ability to compare file version info, replace in-use files, use shared file counting, register DLL/OCX's and type libraries, and install fonts.


• Creation of shortcuts anywhere, including in the Start Menu and on the desktop.


• Creation of registry and .INI entries.


• Integrated Pascal scripting engine.


• Support for multilingual installs.


• Support for passworded and encrypted installs.


• Silent install and uninstall.


• Full source code is available (Borland Delphi 2.0-5.0).

Download: Inno Setup
It's a free download, and can be used free of charge even when deploying commercial applications. You are encouraged to donate to help support the development of course!

Labels: 2003, 64-bit, delphi, download, free, inno setup, installation, Itanium, pascal, Vista, Windows, x32, x64, XP

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, April 27, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Nvidia Hit With New Class Action Threat Over Windows Vista Glitches

Apparently I'm not the only one with nVidia problems on Vista:

From Bink.nu:

A New Yorker is seeking support for a class action suit against the video card manufacturer because he says drivers for the company's high-end 8800 card have caused him problems.

A new Web site seeking support for a class action suit against video card manufacturer Nvidia has appeared on the Internet.
A message on the site -- www.NvidiaClassAction.info -- asks consumers who purchased the high-end Nvidia 8800 card with the intention of installing it on Windows Vista-equipped PCs to join the proposed lawsuit.

"Nvidia said the 8800 was built for Windows Vista ... it is anything but," said Dan Goldman, the site's founder, in an interview Tuesday.

Goldman, a New York City-based investor and IT consultant, said he purchased a version of the $700 card sold by Asus International before Windows Vista was released for sale to the public at the end of January. After upgrading his computer to the new Microsoft operating system in February, and installing Nvidia drivers that were supposedly Vista compatible, "all hell broke loose," Goldman said.
Goldman's PC screen started to blank out intermittently and constantly flash an inscrutable error message that read: "Video driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has recovered."

Goldman claimed Nvidia's drivers for Windows Vista caused the problem and that the company ignored his requests for help. Now, he wants payback. "I'm entitled to damages I incurred as a result of Nvidia's misleading marketing campaign, and so are a lot of other people," he said.

Goldman, who said he spent about 100 hours unsuccessfully trying to fix the problem on this own, is in talks with three law firms in preparation for a class action suit.

Nvidia officials were not immediately available for comment.

Labels: class action, drivers, nVidia, problems, Vista, Windows

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Two Sidebar.exe processes running

Analysis of my log files reveal that quite a few people are looking for an answer to why there are 2 sidebar.exe processes running on Windows Vista.

The reason is simple: there's one process for the docked Sidebar at the edge of the screen, and there's another process to handle gadgets floating around on your desktop.

As to why there are two processes when you have no floating gadgets on your desktop, your guess is as good as mine. You can find this and other problems regarding the Vista sidebar in my previous post about it.

Labels: bug, problem, processes, Sidebar, sidebar.exe, Vista, Windows

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  Posted by oVan on Monday, April 23, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Windows Vista sleep problems, revisited

As much as I was happy with the major improvement in sleep problems with Vista, I have put my feet back on the ground. After a few good sleep/shutdown/hibernate routines, suddenly it was stuck again.

After further investigation, I suspect that the LSI controller is also responsible for some of these problems. Contrary to "simple" SATA and IDE/ATA controllers, the LSI SAS and LSI SCSI controllers need much more time to activate all drives.

When Vista goes to sleep, it signals all processes of the coming event, and gives them only 2 seconds to save whatever they want to save at that point. Furthermore, Vista keeps a second copy of the LSI SAS/SCSI driver in memory, and when the sleep event is announced, that second driver is enabled because it is needed in the startup process. Due to the nature of the SAS/SCSI driver, it has to spin up all drives again before it can put them to sleep.

So after my post about updating the nVidia drivers, I have now changed my power plan settings to not spin down the harddisks after 20 min. I will keep them running all the time, until Vista decides to put the whole computer to sleep.

A quick test revealed that the machine goes to sleep without problems using those beta nVidia drivers and all disks running. I'll report later on if the change to the power plan resulted in a (near) perfect solution.

Labels: beta, disk, driver, hibernate, LSI, LSI-Logic, nVidia, options, power, SAS, SATA, SCSI, sleep, update, Vista, Windows

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  Posted by oVan on Saturday, April 21, 2007 | PermaLink | 4 comments