Recently in Vista Category

vsp1cln is a useful utility that removes files no longer needed after Vista sp1 has been installed and you are sure that you will not need to remove sp1.  A useful utility but I’m surprised it is needed – after all you just needed to delete the $ntuninstall*$ files in XP

One (new) client has unfortunately a Vista desktop purchased a couple of days before we took over IT and it needed joining to the domain. This has proved a difficult task to say the least. Our remote control software stops showing the users screen whenever the UAC prompt pops up (and freezes our screen until the local user clicks ok) which means the end user has to remain at their desk when we are doing any troubleshooting rather than letting them use another computer to do some work.
Anyway, the server/connectcomputer wizard was complaining that I needed admin rights (which I had already) and a patch is available, KB926505 but when I try to install that on the server I get the very wonderful error message "Failed to install" with no details as to why. Nothing in the eventlogs either. Add/Remove Programs now says the patch is installed and when you try to remove it, I get a message about all sorts of programs failing to work and the end of the world so I've left it in place until I get a chance to remove and reinstall the server whilst I am on site as opposed to RWW'ing into the server. In the meantime I joined the computer to the domain manually, and I've had to change the logon script so it doesn't UAC whenever the script does the sbs setup program. Apparently this is fixed with the patch, so the patch obviously doesn't work - watch this space.

Microsoft released the Windows Easy Transfer for Windows XP and Windows 2000 tool which is the new version of Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (FAST) that came with Windows XP to allow you to move your settings to a new computer. I also got an email from laplink who have released their PCMover software which claims to be unique in that it also moves the programs too. Note that I've not used either of these programs.

Jim Allchin blogs about changes to offline files in Vista and includes the great titbit of information that now, finally, the pc will only sync the files belonging to the user that is logging off so that the access denied message does not appear delaying the log off/shut down procedure.
Also, synchronisation is intelligent in that it will only sync changes to files as opposed to the whole file itself (if supported by the application) - this should help a couple of my clients who have issues with long synchronisation times on their pc.
It will be interesting to see if a new version of csccmd comes out with Vista, which includes all the extra switches that the xp version did not unless you requested the hotfix from Microsoft support.
See The Filing Cabinet for more information on these new features.

It was interesting to see that details about the packaging for Windows Vista was released today - JCXP links to MS Tech today which has a picture of the neat dvd box. Contrast this to the cd's that I received from Dell for the SBS 2003r2 server I opened. Not only was the media on CD (which means a painful 4 cd install after Dell's install creates a small 25gb boot partition) despite the server having a dvd drive, but the cd's were in the paper sleeve envelopes that you normally get with an OS installation from Dell. What was worse that disks 1 and 2 were in the same envelope with a piece of paper slid between them, the same for disk 3 and 4. This is really cheap, likely to lead to scratches and not a good first start impression of a brand new server!
(Note that I don't know if SBS was requested on cd instead of dvd or whether that is how it comes but even if it was ordered on cd, it could at least come in a reliable case.

I've been busy this morning. I re-ghosted my windows xp partition and then reloaded it back onto my secondary disk. The performance still stays about the same so I'll be wiping the secondary disk back to HP's recovery cd and reloading all of the applications again *shudder*. As this is a fairly long post there is more in the extended entry.

Urgh - the installation process has been horrible so far. Makes me want to put the new version of Ubuntu on instead! Incidentally, their timing was awful - everyone has blogged about the Vista upgrade and hardly anyone blogged about their upgrade. Maybe they should have waited a couple of days and then brought it out with the advertising of "Frustrated with waiting for Vista? Can't Install Vista? Try Ubuntu and you won't have to pay for an upgrade in a year!"

Anyway, back on track - I tried to boot from the dvd but the installation hangs after the first swoosh goes across the screen, after the files have been copied, the lights on the keyboard light up briefly and then the whole pc hangs - no more keyboard action and the whole pc needs to be switched off.

So back into Windows I boot and I have to delete a partition on the hard disk as my 10gb xp partition that I was originally going to install over the top of is not big enough. Setup starts and says it can't copy a setup file - I hit ok and it continues anyway. After entering my licence number and not updating the install from the internet I get the message "At least one device driver that might be required to start your system is not available. Devices with missing drivers: A347SCSI Controller and D34PRT SCSI Controller - Do you wish to ignore and continue?

I have no idea what those two devices are - (a quick google search tells me it is my daemon tools drivers - thanks to tech recipes) but the Vista Upgrader Advisor didn't have any problems with them and curiously enough - I've read that a good way to assist in installing Vista is to mount the vista ISO with Daemon tools and run setup.

UpdateWell the install from within XP didn't work either and actually wasted even more of my time - not including the time taken to juggle my partition sizes and create enough space for a clean install. The setup routine within windows asks for my product key, asks which partition I want to install to and starts to copy files to the hard disk. Eventually the pc reboots....and does exactly the same as the install process from dvd - the pc freezes at the swish thing down the bottom of the screen. I've tried to see if I can find any diagnostic logs or debugging process like the safe mode in XP but no joy so far. - Ubuntu is being downloaded right now.

After attending a Vista Management webcast yesterday I was all fired up to install Vista on one of my older pc's - unfortunately it was only open to msdn subscribers (which my company is) but I didn't have the information to download it. However, thanks to the JCXP I've got my own copy as it was released today. Currently downloading the ISO now. Not sure how long it will take and I hope that the huge thunderstorm we are having right now doesn't take the powerout at 99%

CA are doing a free trial of Vista Antivirus software. Thanks to Digitalfive which is a new blog I've added to my reading list even though i don't have Vista yet as I don't have a machine powerful enough to run it (apart from my home machine but that needs to be stable(ish)
I'm also sorely tempted to download the Office2007 beta now that the rush is over, but again I don't really have a machine to put it on - the main pc at home only has works - which is all I need on the machine, and the office pc is hands off. I also don't have access to an exchange server to put 2007 against, and you really need to make outlook your main mail client to get the best shot of testing it. I'm fairly happy with thunderbird, although I wish it wouldn't disable my extensions every time I upgrade to a newer version and I miss macro's.