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Many of computer users who are early adapters of Windows Vista likes to have both their previous version and newer version of OS under dual boot mode.

One common problem with newer hardware and older Microsoft OS such as Windows XP is the incompatibility of SATA controllers.

Most of the newer desktop and notebooks are now days coming with SATA HDD instead of older and slower PATA versions, however the major problem with Windows XP is one must install the SATA controller drivers while booting via their floppy drive but here catch is, how many of us now days have a floppy drive ?

To avoid this problem of no hard disk at the time of installation of Windows XP / 2000 / Server 2003 which needs floppy disk to load the SATA controller driver, all modern computer BIOS offers option to emulate the Hard disk operation mode.

All though this would solve the problem of legacy pre Windows Vista OS installation problem, however often windows vista crashes while running under a PC which has SATA HDD operation mode emulated to IDE.

Microsoft has a patch for all version of Windows Vista to solve this problem.

When a SATA hard disk on a Windows Vista-based computer is operating in Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) mode, the computer may crash.

Please note, if you have a single boot system running with SATA HDD, its always recommended not to emulate the SATA HDD operation mode to IDE. This is only for those who are willing to run under dual boot with pre Windows Vista OSes.

A report at PC-World suggests that Microsoft corporation is planing to spend USD 20 million on computer literacy programs in India.

Incidentally, company has already spend USD 20 million since 2003 under project Shiksha, providing basic computer knowledge and training to over 2,40,000 Indian government / NGO employees / teachers / educators.

Over next 3 to 5 years Microsoft plans to invest another USD 20 millions to continue the success of project Shiksha.

Although to many of us, its a welcome news where as open source supporters are criticizing the move. According to some this is an attempt to build an user group trained on Microsoft technology, thus effecting the decision of the involving organizations to procure a software with which their employees are familiar with.

Microsoft Windows XP finds a new life via these ultra portable 7″ / 8″ / 10″ NetBook devices.

Today at Computex currently running at Taiwan, Microsoft has issued a press bulletin stating that company is in work with 20 different OEM PC manufactures, including Dell / HP / ASUS / GigaByte / Lenovo / Acer to deliver the ultra portable products with Windows XP.

These Ultra portable notebooks commonly coming with 7″ / 8″ / 10″ displays are meant to target this new emerging market of developing countries, hence the configuration is not powerful enough to drive Windows Vista in it.

This can be seen as move to not allowing Open Source OSes (Linux) to capture this segment of market.

Incidentally, 1st generation of ultra portables, such as ASUS EEEPC or HCL Mileap included Linux as their primary Operating system.

As we all know Windows XP has completed its life cycle, and Microsoft has already released the last service pack (SP3) for Windows XP and ending Retail sell for Windows XP professional after June 2008.

Slowly Microsoft is on its way to end support for Windows XP, how ever millions of customers are just not ready to migrate to vista yet, mainly because the fact as Windows XP is doing the job for them and heavy system requirement for Windows Vista.

Just then, here comes the news from Neowin.net that Microsoft is accepting official petitions to keep Windows XP (support) alive. If this is true, then its a welcome news, as Windows 7 is expected to enter the market within next 3 years.

So if you own a copy of Windows XP, please give Microsoft a call to request them “officially” to keep Windows XP alive !!!

The bell how finally ranged, Windows 7 is now officially confirmed. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and out going Bill Gates finally broke the news at D6 conference.

Many of you already know the leaked details and roomers for Windows 7 is floating around the Internet as Microsoft continues its development, how ever for the 1st time, the company is making the news and few features official.

Doc / Surface / Multi-touch are some features primarily relying on touch screen displays are some disclosed feature what we may see with Windows 7.

Speaking in the event, Bill Gates pointed out that as a company which develops their product primarily on basis of user feedback and refining all goods of previous version, it is time to break the news to users and customers that what type of progress the company has made on the next version of windows operating system along with their process to build Windows Vista SP1 and Server 2008 products.

You may read the details about this press event here at Engadget and at All things Digital.

Once you have successfully slipstreamed a service pack under Windows XP installation source, the next question which comes to your mind is how do you burn / write those installation files under a boot-able CD ROM so that you may boot with it and install your copy of Windows XP. This bellow article would try to provide a step by step guide on How to burn / write a bootable Windows XP installation CD ROM.

Prerequisite

• A PC with CD-RW drive
• One 700 MB CD-R (blank) media
• Windows OS
• Nero burning ROM
• Complete Windows XP installation Files
• Windows XP Boot image

How do your create a boot-able CD Media ?

Please start the Nero burning rom application and select CD-ROM (Boot) as what you wish to burn and please provide the path of Windows XP Boot image (you may download it from here, or use Bart’s Boot Image Extractor)

In the advance option, please make sure you select Kind of Emulation as No Emulation, and Boot Message should be as Microsoft Corporation where as the value of Number of load sectors is suppose to be 4. Rest all should stay default.

As we all know Microsoft has released the final service pack of Windows XP x86 to the public. The Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is now available under Windows update.

One may obtain the service pack via Windows Update or by downloading the stand alone installation EXE via Microsoft web sites also. It is recommended that if you have a single or few PCs, then please use the Windows update as in that case for an up-to-date Windows XP SP2 system the download size would be around 70 MB.

Where as if you have many PCs under your network or administration, then please obtain the network installation or stand alone version to install off-line !!

Windows XP Service Pack 3

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package

When many users have bought Windows XP, they have found that Windows XP comes with SP2 pre-integrated under the installation media, so when you install Windows XP from such installation media, you find that you installation already have SP2 under it.

Many users are now searching for answer as how do you integrate the SP3 under this present installation media, here is a guide which may help you to integrate the SP3 under Windows XP installation media.

How do you slipstream / integrate Windows XP SP3 into you Windows installation media ?

Nokia software updater is a software with allows you to update your phone’s (compatible) firmware by downloading the latest from Nokia web service !!

Nokia software updater is a free software available to all supported Nokia phone owners via their web site.

What is the BUG ?

Nokia software update crashes every time when you want to start it under Windows Vista.

Process to replicate the action ?

• You must be using Windows Vista RTM (Home / Home premium / Business / Ultimate).
• Download and install Nokia software updater (NSU) from their web site (version 1.4.36 en).
• Start the Application

Expected result ?

The application would freeze (Hang / halts) at start up window, displaying,

Nokia Software Updater
v1.4.36en

Starting application…

After a minute or so, an error appears informing you,

Missing Software components

Critical software components are missing.
Please reinstall.

Nokia Official Word in it ?

Run the application under Windows XP compatibility mode without any visual theme or desktop composition and with administrator access. Stop any running firewall or Internet security / Anti Virus application.

How ever still the issue is not solved, the result is the same stop error. Further more as a customer you are suppose to contact nearest service center, and in India, service center has no idea about this application, they would only service the hardware (handset only).

Nokia has not accepted the bug. Therefore no official solution for this possible bug yet.

• Having a problem with newly installed Windows Vista Service Pack One ?
• Thinking to vista range of forums to obtain support or searching in Google ?

Microsoft has opened a free technical support center for issue related to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 users.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (All Languages)

Microsoft would offer free Chat, Email and Telephone support (only for MSDN / Technet / MSPP / Large Volume users) free of charge till March 18, 2009.

Thanks to WinVistaClub

Windows Vista SP1 (the x64 version) has made it to RTM in February, however the general users are in wait to find SP1 to come to Windows update. As reports published in Tech ARP (thanks to WinVistaClub) suggests that Windows Vista SP1 is all set to make its appearance in Windows update at mid April.

Users are need to install some prerequisite for Windows Vista SP1, KB937287, KB935509, and KB938371 addresses the issue, which are necessary to install before applying Windows Vista SP1.

Windows Service Pack Blocker

For many users in corporate sector some time Service pack may create problem with some custom made software and product incompatibility or some time downloading for a large volume of systems would create bandwidth issue just for such reason if any user doesn’t want Service Pack 1, for those Microsoft has release a Service pack blocker tool for Windows Vista SP1 to prevent Windows Vista service pack1 to get install via Windows update.

This tool is valid for 12 month after the release of Service pack one.

Prepare your self for Service Pack 1

Few prerequisites for Windows Vista SP1 from a end user point a view are,

1. You must un-install any Beta version of Service Pac, if you have them installed.
2. You may need to install as many as three prerequisite updates: KB937287, KB935509, and KB938371
3. Ensure that you are connected to the Internet and PC/Notebook is running AC Power source
4. Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Windows Update, and then click Check for Updates.
5. If you have not installed the updates in step one then you would be asked to install KB937287, KB935509, and KB938371 which will require you to reboot.
6. Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Windows Update, and then click Check for Updates.
7. Select the SP1 update (KB936330). If there are other updates displayed, make sure that SP1 is the only update selected, and then click Install.
8. After Setup downloads the update, accept the EULA and then click Install.
9. Setup will begin the installation. When prompted, click Restart now. During this second installation phase, Setup will prevent you from logging on while the service pack is being installed. The installer will automatically restart the computer several times during this process.

The download Size via Windows update

Windows Vista SP1 x86 >> 65 MB
Windows Vista SP1 x64 >> 125 MB

You need 1170 MB disk space for x86 where as 1505 MB for x64 edition.

Download the Vista SP1 Standalone installation files

The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 x86 (32 bit)

The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 x64 (64 bit)

How to know which version of vista you are running ?

Few Known application incompatibility

Please find the details about few known application incompatibility after you install Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

Help, I dont see Service Pack 1 in Autoupdate / Windows update

Please read the facts which may prevent your PC not to receive the SP1

When your Windows Vista asks for a UAC (User access control) permission, like the bellow image,

it darkens the screen to temporarily turn off the Windows Vista Aero interface… The UAC prompt is no longer under transparent Aero…

Where as it may look like this,

I have seen for many non tech PC users its a real headache as with ever growing PC / Windows vulnerability threats, How can one protect their windows ??

To many, it seems a really huge task with so many heavy computer terms, such as Malware / SpyWare / BOTs / Browser hijackers / Adware / Worms, Virus, and so on…

What really threatens your PC ??

To sum up the question the one word answer is Malwares and malicious softwares… Any software which is designed to harm your PC is called Malware… All this names, Virus, Worm, Spyware, Adware, BOTs, Spam, etc are all malwares…

Where as, when a software design to carry out certain tasks, which may harm your PC but is not deployed with that intention can be called a malicious software…

For example IP sniffers, or PORT scanners…

So what do these terms mean ??

Past few weeks I have encountered many Windows Vista user with complains about USB devices, mainly their storage giving driver issue !!!

Those who are facing USB problem with Windows Vista should pay attention to this bellow update issued by microsoft.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936003

This KB936003 addresses many USB problems under Windows Vista and contains update patches to solve those issues…

Alternatively one should also run Windows Update as if there is any update is needed for your hardware, auto update is the best and easiest way to apply it !!!

Those who are using Windows and with 2 HDD or even a single HDD with multi partition setup, for them, it is always advisable to move the Page File or the virtual memory file to another HDD or to another partition from the default location (which is the Windows installation partition)

What is a Page File ??

In simple words, when your system runs out of RAM by processing large amount of DATA, windows shifts some inactive and background process to a pre-allocated location of the hard drive by making it a part of system RAM (though because of slow read and write speed of the HDDs, a really slow RAM)

Read in details here -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_memory

Why do I need a Page File ??

If you don’t have a page file, your system may and will run of out RAM (no matter how much ram you add) and which will may the system unresponsive, thus, forcing you to restart…

How much Page file do I need ??

As per Microsoft the Page file ammount should be 1.5 times than your physical RAM. So which means if you have 512 MB of RAM then you should set the page file size to 1.5 GB…

One of the very common problem faced by many vista user is, missing hibernate option under Start Menu Shutdown dialog box…

What is Hibernation ??

As its sounds, its a feature which allows you to save the fully working desktop with all applications from your memory to your hard drive, and then power off the system, which you may power on at a later time to resume work from the point where you have left it…

Its a feature most of the Windows XP computer users enjoy which is also present in Windows Vista…

What to do if I see no Hibernation option at start menu shutdown dialog box ??