 | | | Vol. 2, # 3 - Jan 20, 2010 - Issue # 19 | |  | Windows 7: No Service Pack Needed? |
| - Editor's Corner
- Windows 7: No Service Pack Needed?
- Follow-up: the Star of the Show
- Quotes of the Week
- Cool Tools
- News, Hints, Tips and Tricks
- Solid color background causes logon delay
- Windows 7 "netbook edition" is a bootleg copy that may expire
- Windows 7 performance on multi-core processors
- New Opera "pre-Alpha" provides better Windows 7 integration
- How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features
- How to import files over the network in Live MovieMaker
- Windows 7 and Vista Security
- Windows 7 Security: XP Mode
- Question Corner
- Can I get Messenger out of the Taskbar?
- Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting
- File and registry virtualization issues in Vista and Windows 7
- FAQ: Connecting your Windows 7 computer to an HDTV
- Fav Links
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
- Product of the Week
- Driver Genius Professional 9.0: Are your Outdated Drivers Slowing Down your PC?
|
 | Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye
We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product.
Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-VIPRE
 | |
| Editor's Corner | |
Windows 7: No Service Pack Needed?
It has become a tradition in much of the Windows world: most companies and many individuals have developed an explicit or implicit policy not to deploy a new version of the operating system until after the first service pack is released. And once upon a time, it made good sense. The idea is to let others serve as the "guinea pigs" and experience the bugs and glitches that are inevitable in new code. Then, once all the major fixes are in, you can enjoy the benefits of the new OS without the headaches.
Certainly it proved to be a good strategy with Vista. Early adopters complained that the operating system was slow - slow to boot, slow running programs, slow transferring files - at least when running on low to medium powered systems. Vista Ultimate ran beautifully from the beginning on my top of the line (at the time) Dell XPS, but on my ultra-compact Sony laptop with a low end video adapter and "only" 2 GB of RAM, the performance was appalling. Even worse, the Sony wasn't an old computer that shouldn't have been expected to run Vista - it was a new model that came with Vista Business edition installed! I had written the laptop off as basically unusable and was considering installing XP on it - until service pack 1 came along.
The service pack didn't turn the little laptop into a speed demon, but it did make it perfectly acceptable for performing most tasks, as long as I didn't try to do too many of those tasks at the same time. Later, I started to notice that a large percentage of the people I talked to who despised Vista had been exposed to it in its early, pre-service pack incarnation, whereas more of those who loved it had first tried it later in its lifecycle, when it came with SP1 or SP2.
So I'm not surprised that, when I talk about Windows 7, many of my friends and family members tell me that they're waiting for SP1 before they'll buy a Win7 computer. This time, though, I really don't think it's necessary. In my experience and according to many others I know who have been working with Win7 since long before its official release, this operating system ran faster and more reliably in beta than Vista (or XP) did in final release form.
It appears many businesses are getting that message. A recent survey conducted by Kace Networks indicated that a significant percentage of large and small companies don't plan to wait for SP1 before upgrading their desktops to Windows 7. Some of this, as this article suggests, is likely simple eagerness to move up from XP, since many companies never upgraded to Vista.
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Windows7-SP
However, the willingness of IT professionals to deploy Windows 7 prior to the release of the first service pack also indicates a level of confidence in the OS that I've not seen with previous versions of Windows. Still, those who take a conservative approach to IT may still be more comfortable waiting. The good news is that they may not have too long to wait. Traditionally, a service pack was issued when the number of patches and fixes started to add up, to make it easier to install them in one package. Updates for Windows 7 have not, so far, been released at the same rate as for earlier operating systems, so that would seem like a sign that we'll have to wait longer than usual for the first service pack - but maybe not.
In the past, it's usually been a year or more from the commercial release to the first service pack (for example, Vista was released in January 2007 and SP1 came out in February 2008). The rumors going around the 'Net (and at this point, that's all they are) are predicting the first service pack for Windows 7 as early as this summer, although I'm guessing we're more likely to see the SP1 beta around that time, rather than the final version.
One web site even claims to have an early version of the service pack and has posted screen shots, but they're in Spanish and there is no guarantee that it's the real thing. You can find a link to that site in this article:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Windows7-SP1
What will be in SP1, anyway? Usually, as with Vista and XP, we get a lot of bug fixes. The Windows 7 service pack may be more sparse, since - at least so far - there seem to be fewer bugs that need fixing. Sometimes service packs also add new features. For example, Vista SP1 added support for SSTP (Secure Sockets Tunnel Protocol) for SSL VPN connections. XP SP1 added support for USB 2.0, and one of the most anticipated new features that we expect to see in Windows 7 SP1 is support for USB 3.0. That new standard will increase data transfer speeds from 480 Mbps to 4.8 Gbps with a practical speed of over 3 Gbps, which is comparable to current eSATA transfer rates.
Another enhancement that's been rumored to be in SP1 is improved Bluetooth support. I've heard a number of complaints from readers about using Bluetooth with Windows 7, so let's hope this one does pan out. And even though we don't yet know what's going to be in SP1, this week Softpedia reported that Windows 7 SP2 is already in the planning stages at Microsoft, with actual development to begin next fall:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Windows7-SP2
Tell us what you think. Are you eagerly awaiting SP1, or do you think it's really unnecessary, given the quality of the Windows 7 OS? Have you waited or do you know someone who's waiting for SP1 before upgrading some or all of their computers to Windows 7? If so, exactly what fixes or features are you/they waiting for? Do you think USB 3.0 will have a significant impact, or is USB 2.0 fast enough for your needs? What would you put on your wish list for SP1 if you could dictate exactly what to include in it? We invite you to discuss this topic in our forum at
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Forum-Discussion
Follow-up: the Star of the Show
In last week's editorial, I discussed CES 2010 and some of the devices that were shown there, and postulated that Windows 7 - which was running on so many devices both in Microsoft's booth and elsewhere - was the real star of the show.
One reader commented that Windows 7 is the only product Microsoft has to be a star, and specifically labeled Windows Server as suffering from "old age" and the Xbox as "not offering any innovation." I have to take issue with those statements. Windows Server 2008 and 2008R2 have brought many new and - to IT pros - exciting features to the table, including DirectAccess, Hyper-V, PowerShell 2.0, Server Core, and self-healing NTFS. And although it's not yet available, Project Natal promises to take the Xbox to new heights in the gaming space, with the introduction of a whole new way to engage with the game that goes beyond what Nintendo introduced with the Wii:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Project-Natal
One question that came up in the forum discussion had to do with DMR devices, digital media renderers that work with the "Play To" function in Windows 7. Although there were many, many digital media products on display, it was hard to tell which do and don't work with the Windows "Play To" feature. It seems that many companies are making their own digital media servers. However, here is a pretty good list of some DMR devices that have been tested and work with "Play To":
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Play-To
I look forward to seeing more of these devices hit the market in the future.
As always, a great big "thank you" to all of those who participated in the discussion.
'Til next week,
Deb Shinder, Editor
feedback@win7news.net
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Quotes of the Week
"It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are." - Clive James
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." - Thomas A. Edison
'Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all." - John F. Kennedy |
| | Kiss Your Antivirus Bloatware Goodbye
We asked users of antivirus products what they didn't like about their AV software. They told us they are resource hogs and slowed their computer down. They told us that scan times took way too long, and that the AV software nagged them. In short, old-style AV software takes too much Memory and CPU. Time to switch to VIPRE! It gives you malware protection that combines antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit and other technologies into a seamless, tightly-integrated product.
Even if you run "free" antivirus software, it hijacks 20% of your PC, so it's really not free at all! Get VIPRE now and see how fast your PC can really be:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-VIPRE
| |
| Cool Tools |
| News, Hints, Tips and Tricks | |
Solid color background causes logon delay
Many Windows users choose a plain, solid-colored background for their desktops instead of wallpaper - either because they just like that minimalist look or in an effort to reduce the use of system resources and speed up performance. Now it appears that a bug in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 actually slows bootup time when you set a solid color background, with a 30 second delay when you log on. This article tells you more and links to possible solutions:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Solid-Color-Backgrounds
Windows 7 "netbook edition" is a bootleg copy that may expire
There's a new edition of Windows 7 available on some Internet sites, but beware - it's not a legal copy and since it appears to be based on the Release Candidate, it may very well stop working next summer when the RC expiration date rolls around. Read more here:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Windows7-Netbook
There is a legit edition of Windows 7 made for netbooks, Starter Edition, but you can't buy the software - it's only available preinstalled on low powered portable PCs. To find out how Starter edition differs from other editions of Windows 7, see:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Windows7-Starter
Windows 7 performance on multi-core processors
Over at InfoWorld, Randall Kennedy puts Windows 7 through the ringer, testing it on multi-core Nehalem based processors and discovering that it exceeds his earlier predictions and blows XP out of the water. Does that really come as a surprise? Maybe to those who haven't been using Win7 on quad-core machines, it does. Read the full review here:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Win7-Multicore
New Opera "pre-Alpha" provides better Windows 7 integration
Many folks are uncomfortable running beta software, and if you're one of those, you probably won't want to get anywhere near this "pre-alpha" version of the Opera browser. But if you're a more adventurous soul, and if Opera is your favorite browser and Windows 7 is your OS of choice, you just might be interested in trying out Opera 10.50, which promises better integration between the two. As always, take precautions and back everything up before installing pre-release software. You can find a link to download it here:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Opera10
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| How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features | |
How to import files over the network in Live MovieMaker
Unlike Vista, Windows 7 doesn't come with software for editing video and making movies, but you can download Windows Live Movie Maker here:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Movie-Maker
You'll find, however, that Live Movie Maker doesn't allow you to import files over the network. That's annoying - but there's a registry edit that will fix it. Here's the trick: - Open your favorite registry editor.
- In the left pane, navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft|Windows Live\Movie Maker
- In the right pane, right click an empty space and select New
- Select DWORD (32 bit) value
- Name the new value AllowNetworkFiles
- Double click the new value and set the value data field to 1
- Close the registry editor
Note that this change will apply only to the logged on user. |
| Windows 7 and Vista Security | |
Windows 7 Security: XP Mode
In Part 2 of his Windows 7 Security: What You Need to Know series published by PCWorld, this week Roger Grimes discusses using XP Mode for application compatibility and some of the security implications (e.g., the necessity for patching both the host and virtual operating systems, running anti-malware software on both, etc.). Check it out here:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Win7-Security
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| Question Corner | |
Can I get Messenger out of the Taskbar?
QUESTION:
I downloaded Windows Live Messenger but I only use it occasionally. But it puts a great big icon on the taskbar that takes up a lot of room. Is there a way I can put it in the system tray like it used to be with Vista? Thanks! - Amy M.
ANSWER:
If you use Messenger a lot, it's handy having the icon on the taskbar where you can right click it and quickly and easily change your status or send a message. But if you seldom use it, you might not want it cluttering up your taskbar every day just because it runs by default when you start Windows. Here's how to change that:
First close the program by right clicking the icon and clicking Close Window. Now navigate to the program in the Start menu (All Programs | Windows Live), right click it and select Properties to edit the properties of the shortcut. Click the Compatibility tab and check the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for," then in the drop down box, select Windows Vista. Now it should run in the system tray as it did in previous versions of Windows. |
| Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting | |
File and registry virtualization issues in Vista and Windows 7
This applies to both Windows 7 and Vista: when you use the virtualization feature, you might encounter errors messages when you install, upgrade or use an application. These can take the form of "access denied" messages, "cannot create folder/file" messages, or "error writing to ..." messages. In other cases, you may be unable to find a file or folder that you just created when you're using an app for which virtualization is enabled. To find out how to address these problems, see KB article 927387 at
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-Registry-Issues
FAQ: Connecting your Windows 7 computer to an HDTV
You can use a high def television set as a monitor for your Windows 7 computer, but you might run across issues with audio and video. It gets even more complicated if you want to hook up a regular monitor and the HDTV to the computer at the same time. For example, certain windows may appear on the TV but not on the monitor. Read this FAQ to find out more about how to deal with these problems:
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-HDTV
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| Fav Links | |
This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
Disclaimer: VistaNews does not assume and cannot be responsible for any liability related to you clicking any of these linked Web sites. |
| Product of the Week | |
Driver Genius Professional 9.0: Are your Outdated Drivers Slowing Down your PC?
Keeping your Drivers up to date is an essential step to keep your PC running smoothly. When drivers are out of date, your PC can become unstable and you may experience frequent crashes, frozen applications and slow boot up times. Driver Genius Professional takes the hassle out of managing your drivers and will automatically backup, update and restore all your PC drivers. Over 80,000 devices supported. Start Your Free Driver Scan now and find out if you have outdated drivers that may be causing you problems with your computer! Win7news readers get an exclusive $5.00 off with an instant discount.
http://www.win7news.net/O52HI2/100121-DriverGenius
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