It wasn’t too long ago we were discussing the release of Windows Vista service pack 1. Well it seems that Microsoft is now hard at work with Vista Service Pack 2.
There is not a great deal of information available about this yet, but rumours have it that a beta version has been floating around and provided to a few customers.
There is a bit of info about this at the Microsoft support site, but not much. Anyway, the link is below:
Today I’m going to talk about a cool feature on Vista that will allow you to run programs faster using nothing more than a data stick.
Computers run on RAM (Random access memory), it is a type of computer data storage that allows any stored data to be accessed in any order. In layman’s terms RAM can influence the speed of your computer, the more RAM you have the faster your computer will run.
Most PC’s or Laptops come standard with about 1 GB of Ram, and you can easily add more RAM (I currently have a laptop with 1GB standard of RAM which I boosted up with a extra 1GB RAM). But even after adding 2GB of RAM to any machine using Vista as the operating system you will still find that it can be slow.
What you need to use is the new function called Windows ReadyBoost. Windows ReadyBoost is a new concept in adding memory to a system, all you have to do is add a non-volatile flash memory, such as that on a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive and you can improve performance. The flash drive essentially becomes RAM, so on top of the RAM installed on your computer you can also have portable RAM.
Using Windows ReadyBoost is a simple process, simply follow these points;
Insert a flash drive
In the Removable Disk Properties pop up select ReadyBoost
Here you can select to use the device for system speed (note: You may receive a warning saying this device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system)
It will now recommend how much space you should reserve for optimal performance (my 512 MB data stick shows I should reserve 430MB)
Click apply
Click OK
You should now see an improvement in your computers speed thanks to the ReadyBoost. Here is a screen shot of the Removable Disk Properties;
If you have a copy of Windows Vista and you need to run it faster then perhaps you should disable the Vista Aero desktop feature (Note: if your computer does not have the appropriate graphics cards then you will not even be running Aero). To check if your computer is running Aero and disable it then just do the following, or watch the video (new feature to PC Error Free!);
Right click your desktop
Click personalize
Click windows color and appearance
If the appearance setting box shows up you are probably not running Aero (but you can check this from the list)
If you see the windows color and appearance box then click the open classic appearance link
In the color scheme drop down click windows vista basic
As most of you probably know by now, the Vista SP1 has been released. However, wanting to install this is a different issue completely. Most users we have spoken to were quite reluctant to install this without first knowing the side effects.
Well quite a few Vista users got a shock when SP1 was installed on their systems via the Windows Update service. This was apparently due to a mistake at Microsoft, with a staff member pressing the wrong button??
Anyway, if you got the Vista SP1 update by choice or accident, it is supposed to have improved security and a few other things. Unfortunately it is also known to break a bunch of programs. You can see the affected programs right here at the Microsoft support site.
You can also try the free scan to repair any other PC errors you might be experiencing due to the update.
Microsoft today announced that Service Pack 1 (SP1) of Windows Vista has been released to manufacturing. Eagerly anticipated by Vista aficionados around the world, SP1 will be initially available in five languages—English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese.
Users will be able to download SP1 beginning in mid-March, as Microsoft is timing its release to coincide with the retail availability of new systems pre-installed with SP1.
Many of the fixes for Vista have already been released as part of regular monthly updates in the year since the operating system went on sale to consumers.
Microsoft has also begun burning Vista SP1 DVDs for distribution to business customers who subscribe to the company’s volume licensing program. New personal computers with Vista SP1 will start showing up in stores “in the coming months,” said Microsoft Windows product manager Mike Nash, in a blog post Monday.
Microsoft will release SP1 to Windows Update and the Microsoft.com download center in mid-March, Nash said.
If “Windows Update determines that the system has one of the drivers we know to be problematic, then Windows Update will not offer SP1,” Nash wrote. “Since we know that some customers may want to update to SP1 anyhow, the download center will allow anyone who wants to install SP1 to do so.”
I, like millions of people around the world are running on Vista but miss the old days of XP. So a friend of mine showed me a little trick the other day that can make your version look more like XP than Vista (just looks, nothing else). Just follow these points and you will have your own version of XP-Vista.
Right click on the start button
Select Properties
In the Start Menu area click Classic Start Menu
Click Apply and OK
That has fixed up your start menu, now for your desktop;
Right click on your desktop
Click Personalize
Click on Themes
In the drop down in the themes area select Windows Classic
Click apply (this may take a few moments to do)
Click OK and your desktop will now have an old school feel to it
Now you can even change the look of your folders, just;
Go to start, then open the documents folder
Select organize
Click the Folder and Search button
In the Tasks area select Use Windows Classic Folders
Click Apply and you are done
You will now have a computer that looks a lot like XP but is running with all the Vista stuff. If you want to make your computer more XP, just re-install XP.
Here is a quick look at what your desktop will now look like;
October 16th, 2008 . by Markus - Add a Comment
Posted in Vista Errors, Windows Vista
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