Talk:Vista Made Tolerable

Vista Tips

Changing the Desktop Icon Size

Updated 3/24/07

By default, the icons on the [# desktop] are quite large.
To change the size

1. Right click on the Desktop
2. Select View
3. Set it to Classic Icons

1. You can also hold down the Control key while the desktop is displayed
2. Use the wheel mouse to make the icons larger or smaller
3. This gives more control

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Flip3D Task Switching

Added 3/24/07

Added more information on how to use [app_info/vista_aero.htm#flip3d Flip3D Task Switching]

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Installing Vista With No Product Key

Added 3/10/07

You can install [# Vista] with no product key and have 30 days to evaluate it

1. Boot from the [# DVD] and start the installation
2. Select the Language, Time and Currency, and Keyboard
3. Click on Next
4. Click on Install Now
5. Don't enter a Product Key
6. Uncheck Automatically activate Windows when I'm online
7. Click on Next
8. Click on No to confirm you do not want to enter a product key
9. Highlight the version of Vista you want to install
10. Check that it is the same edition you have purchased (if you want to enter in a product key at a later time).
11. Click on Next
12. Check accept the license and terms
13. Click on Next
14. Install a clean copy and continue as with a regular install

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Changing the Windows Explorer Columns

Added 3/3/07

By default, the [# Windows Explorer] displays file's Name, Date Modified, Size and Type
If you want to Add or Change these,

1. Right click on any of the columns
2. Check or Uncheck any times you want
3. Click on More to display an extremely rich list of options to display

To Move columns

1. Left click and drag the column to the location you want

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Initial Configuration Changes

Added 3/1/07

Although some of these are covered in other sections of the tips area,
I compiled a page with the more common [install/vista_initial.htm Vista Initial Configuration Changes] I have been making on
all [# new computers] with Vista.

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Changing the Folders Vista Includes to Index and Search

Added 2/28/07

When you search for files, the default setting for Vista is to search only in the User's [# Documents folder]
To add to the locations that are included in Vista's Indexing

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Go to System and Maintenance
3. Go to Indexing Options
4. Click on the Modify button
5. Click on the Show all locations button
6. Check the Drives or Folders in Drives that you want to include
7. Click on the Close button

For more details with [# screenshots] see [app_info/vista_search.htm Vista Indexing and Search ]

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Turning Hibernate On or Off

Added 2/21/07

If you don't need your [# computer] to Hibernate or want to turn it back on again

1. Open the Start Menu
2. Right click Command Prompt
3. Select Run as administrator
4. To turn Hibernation off - powercfg -hibernate off
5. To turn Hibernation on - powercfg -hibernate on
6. If you turn it off, it won't even show on the Start Menu

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Changing the Action for the Start Menu Power Button

Added 2/21/07

At the bottom right of the Start Menu are three icons.
The left one (circle with a vertical line) is the Power Button
To change the action (Sleep, Hibernate or Power Off)

1. Go to the Control Panel
2. Select System Maintenance and then Power Options if it is the Default View or
3. Select Power Options if it is the Classic View
4. Under your current plan, click on Change plans settings
5. Click on Change advanced power settings
6. Click on the + by Power buttons and lid
7. Click on the + by Start menu power button
8. For the Setting, select Sleep, Hibernate or Shutdown
9. Click on Apply and OK
10. Now when you hover over icon, you can see the action it will take.

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Opening to a Command Prompt from the Explorer

2/17/07

If you are using the Windows Explorer, and want to open a folder to a command prompt:

1. With the folder in the right hand panel
2. Hold down the Shift key
3. Right Click
4. Select Open Command Window Here

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RoboCopy

Added 2/17/07

RoboCopy or Robust File Copy for Windows is an enhanced file copy that far surpasses what you can do from either the Explorer or XCOPY.
It is a very robust command line driven program with a huge amount of switches and options. In addition to standard switches like /S for subdirectories,
Just a short list is:

• /PURGE :: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source
• /MOV :: MOVe files (delete from source after copying)
• /MON:n :: MONitor source; run again when more than n changes seen.
• /MOT:m :: MOnitor source; run again in m minutes Time, if changed
• /MAX:n :: MAXimum file size - exclude files bigger than n bytes.
• /MAXAGE:n :: MAXimum file AGE - exclude files older than n days/date
• /R:n :: number of Retries on failed copies: default 1 million
• /TBD :: wait for sharenames To Be Defined (retry error 67)

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Showing the Explorer Menu

Added 217/07

By default, the Windows Explorer does not show the menu bar.

1. To temporarily display the menu, press the Alt button
2. To turn it on permanently, press the Alt button.
3. Tools / Folder options
4. Click on the View tab
5. Check Always show menus

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Viewing Hidden and System Files

Added 2/17/07

To configure the Explorer to view hidden and system files.

1. Click on the the Control Panel / Folders icon
2. Click on the View tab at the top
3. Check or uncheck the options you want
4. Common ones to change are:

• Check Show hidden files and folders
• Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
• Uncheck Hide protected [# operating system] files - You will get a warning when you do this last one.

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Turning on Single Click for Icons

Added 2/17/07

To make it so you can single click on your icons

1. Click on the the Control Panel / Folders icon
2. Check Single click to open an item

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Displaying the Volume Control on the System Tray

Added 2/1707

1. To show the volume control on the task tray:
2. Right click on the taskbar
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Notification Area tab
5. Check Volume

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Removing the Shortcut Arrows

Added 2/17/07

1. Open REGEDIT.EXE
2. Open the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
3. Open the Key LNKFILE
4. Rename the value IsShortcut
5. Log out and back in again.
6. To reset it, just rename the key back again, and log off and back on.

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Vista Opening Links to Another Web Browser Than IE

Added 2/12/07

By default, when you click on a link to a [# web page], Vista will automatically use the Internet Explorer.
If you want it to use some other program like [# Firefox]:

1. Go to the Control Panel \ Programs \ Default Programs
2. Click on Set your default programs
3. Select the Web Browser you want to use
4. Click on Choose defaults for this program
5. Under Protocols, check HTTP
6. Click on Save
7. You can also check .htm and .html as well

Now when you click on links in an e-mail for example, your other web browser will start.

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If your other browser does not show here, then you can make a change to the registry

Go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice

Change it from IE.HTTP to Firefox.Url (if you are using Firefox for example)

No reboot is necessary

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Allowing Network Access with Blank Passwords with Vista

Added 2/10/07

Although you can log in locally without a password, by default, Vista does not allow [# network] users to access the computer without a password.

To change this setting:

1. Run gpedit.msc
2. Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / [# Security] Options
3. Double click on Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only
4. Disable this option

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Adding the IE 7 Icon to the desktop

Added 2/8/07

By default, the icon for the Internet Explorer 7 does not show up on the Vista desktop

1. To add it back in again, a registry edit is needed.
2. [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
   "{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000
3. You can [reg/ie7_desktop.reg download the reg file] and then run it to do this automatically.
4. Then log off and back on again

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Resizing Partitions

Added 2/7/07

Vista now has the ability to resize partitions.

1. Right click on Computer
2. Select Manage
3. Click on Disk Management
4. Right click on a partition
5. Select Shrink or Extend depending on what you want to do

Note: As with all changes to partition sizes, have a good set of backups beforehand is a good idea

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Access Denied to Folders

Added 2/7/07

If you are getting Access Denied errors when trying to open folders like Documents and Settings, Application Data, Local settings:

1. Right click on the Folder
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Security tab
4. Click on the Advanced button
5. Click on the Owner tab
6. Click on the Edit button
7. In the Change owner to box, highlight your account
8. Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects
9. Click on Apply
10. Click on Yes to replace all permissions
11. Continue to click on OK until you

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Using the Snip Tool

Added 2/6/07

There is a program called Snip that will let you capture screenshots to put in documents or send as e-mail.
To access it, simply open the Startup Menu and type SNIP

Next to the New button, click on the down-arrow and select what type of capture you want to do, Free Form, Rectangular, Window or Full-Screen.

Once you capture the screen, you can save it as a HTML, PNG, GIF or JPG

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Sending a Picture as an E-Mail

Added 2/6/07

In previous versions of Windows, you could always right click on a graphic and have the option to send it to a mail recipient.
But you could only send an small or full size image.

With Vista you also have several size options to choose from, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 and Original Size

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Pinning Programs to the Start Menu

Added 2/6/07

You can add programs that appear on the top of the Start Menu.
These are always there and are above recently opened programs

1. Right click on the program
2. Select Pin to Start Menu

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GUI Performance

Added 2/6/7

You can turn off some of the eyecandy to help speed of graphics performance

1. Open the Start menu
2. Right click on My Computer
3. Select Properties
4. Click on Advanced System Settings
5. In the Performance section, click on the Settings button
6. Click on Custom
7. I usually only have:
   Show preview and filters in folder,
   Show shadows under mouse pointer,
   Show thumbnails instead of icons,
   Show window contents while dragging,
   Smooth edges of screen fonts,
   Use drop shadows for icon labels,
   Use visual styles on windows and buttons

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Displaying Run on the Desktop

Added 2/6/07

You can create a shortcut for the Run command on your desktop

1. From the Start Menu, go to All Programs / Accessories
2. Drag a shortcut for Run to the desktop

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Displaying Run on the Start Menu

Added 2/6/07

By default, Run is not shown when you open the Start Menu.
To enable this:

1. Right click on the taskbar
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Start Menu tab
4. Click on the Customize button
5. Scroll down and check Run (it's about 2/3's of the way towards the bottom

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Changing the Sidebar

Added 2/6/07

By default, the sidebar can take up a unwanted room on the desktop. You also can't put icons on the space it uses.
If you want to retain the ability to display the sidebar gadgets but also want full use of the desktop,
you can detach individual gadgets.

1. Right-click the gadget you want to detach
2. Click Detach from Sidebar
3. Move the gadget wherever you want on the desktop
4. Right click on the sidebar
5. Click on Close Sidebar
6. There will now be an icon in the system tray for the sidebar if you want to get it back

You can also get more gadgets on-line

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Services You Can Disable

Added 2/6/07

There are several services you can disable to help improve performance.

Desktop Window Manager Session Manager - Provides Desktop Window Manager startup and maintenance services.
If you don't plan on using Aero Glass, you can disable this service.

Diagnostic Policy Service - Enables problem detection, troubleshooting and resolution for Windows components
Set to Disabled

Diagnostic Service Host - Same as above

Diagnostic System Host - Same as above

Offline Files - The Offline Files service performs maintenance activities on the Offline Files cache, responds to user logon and logoff events, implements the internals of the public API, and dispatches interesting events to those interested in Offline Files activities and changes in cache state.

Terminal Services - Allows users to connect interactively to a remote computer. Remote Desktop and Terminal Server depend on this service. If you don't use either of these, then you can disable the service.

Windows Error Reporting Service - Allows errors to be reported when programs stop working or responding and allows existing solutions to be delivered.

Windows Search - Formerly this was the Indexing Service. Provides content indexing.

 

 

 

 

REF: http://www.onecomputerguy.com/vista_tips.htm