If you have ever had difficulties in rolling out a new operating system then Vista will be no different.Your organization may opt to wait for roll out.

Windows Vista will be even more complicated to roll out. Of course any rollout will be easier by implementing group
policies for a more centralized control of how users interact with Windows Vista.

First you as an organization will need to decide which version is right for your infrastructure as some features are not available in some of the versions. Personally if you were to ask me I vote for Utlimate.

Most organizations I have spoke with seem to be set on waiting for rollout until service pack one is completed for Windows Vista. This will make it easier as I am sure they will add more features to the operating system.

One thing is a must as an organization….That is planning. When considering roll out for Windows vista this is one thing you cannot do enough of. There are many new security features embedded in Vista that will make this process more complicated than ever.

Be sure to stay on top of any new developments or changes to Vista by subscribing to RSS feeds for the Vista product. If you have a subscription to Microsoft technet you might find implementation and configuration easier.

Good luck and god bless with your implementation.

I have completed the new Microsoft Windows Vista course 5118A just this week. In review of my new training on Vista Microsoft has a new and very annoying utility internal to the operating system.

The new utilitiy is the UAC or user account control. If you have recently purchased Windows vista you know just how annoying it can be.

The utility was designed to prevent malicious software from invading your computer and to “protect users from themselves”.

Even logged in as an administrator this utility is still active and still annoying as it monitors even administrative account activity. You can turn this feature off in the accounts control panel, but of course Microsoft does not recommend it.

I know you will be just as frustrated with it as I have been, but it does add an extra security feature while monitoring installation and removal of software. As we know malicious programs can install in the background while browsing the Internet or opening email.

The UAC utility as well monitors the registry for changes and notifies if a program or user attempts to alter it and then prompts for permission.

When looking at it from a security point of view this utility can be a very useful one, but when looking at it from a productivity stand point you will have a different view of this utility.

The other day I was approached by a friend asking if I could upgrade some hardeware on one of his computers. Of course I told him it may be possible.

My friend stated he only needed it for internet and that it would not be running any applications other than Windows which was already installed and configured.

After accepting the hardware to go over there was something I had not seen in quite a while. It was a 75mhz Cyrix chip with 72 pin memory. Wow! I couldnt believe it. It’s like a paleontologist coming across a great find.

Well after the initial shock wore off I contacted my friend again and said I can do some upgrades but I will not make any guarantees as to how or even if it would do what they were wanting it to do and he agreed that was ok.

Well the upgrades worked for what they wanted it for. Just to realize…..what they spent on upgrades (in the range of $200) could have been put torwards a new computer with better functionality.

Get rid of that old hardware.

This week I purchased a new laptop from one of the major manufacturers. Since I was using previous components such as an air card to connect wirelessly to Internet from anywhere I assumed due to the configuration of my new laptop that I would have no difficulties in upgrading.

Once my new laptop was received I notice that the air card would not fit as the pcmicia slot was not a standard slot but rather a proprietary slot designed by the manufacturer.

I contacted the manufacturer and of course I was told I could buy a new air card to use with the laptop for $199.00. You can imagine my outrage. I stated that they should note on their purchase page that it was not a standard slot so future customers would not find themselves in this same situation.

Of course it is difficult to get anywhere with someone who does not speak english very well so I doubt they will make these changes.

I metioned to the support personel that there used to be a few companies who started to employ this tactic so customers had to buy their proprietary equipment. Those being Packard Bell, Acer and the original Hewlett Packard company. We all know what happened to their market share.

Bottom line when purchasing a new laptop computer you may want to chat or speak with their sales personnel before completing your sale.

The registry contains extended information, settings and various other values for the Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP Operating System. Within the registry you can control a majority of the operating system as well as fix issues with Windows. However we only recommend users extensively experienced with the Windows registry edit it manually.

Before going into the Registry and changing or deleting anything I always recommend that you backup the registry.
To back up the registry Go to Start/run and type in the command field “regedit” without the quotes. Once the interface is open select file and then export. You should select the save in location as the root of c:\. You will need to provide a name for the file. Once completed select save.

The computer registry consists of two files hidden in the Windows directory, system.dat and user.dat. User-specific system information is contained in the user.dat file and computer and hardware specific information in the system.dat file.

Microsoft Windows now includes a new feature known as system restore. This great new feature enables a user to backup and restore their important registry and system files from an earlier date. By default this feature automatically creates a backup of the system each day When working properly. If you wish to create a restore point using system restore follow the steps below.

Try downloading the bug doctor software to test your pc for problems.

Creating a restore point

1.Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore

2.Select the option to Create a restore point

3.Click next and follow the remainder steps.

Reversing to a previously created restore point

1.Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore

2.Select the Restore my computer to an earlier time option and click next

3.Select the day and the restore point you wish to restore and click next.

Using regedit to incorrectly change data can render you system non-functional and it can cease to boot up. Please do not attempt to manually edit registry information if you are not experienced in doing so.

Keep your pc running like new with the brand new version of PC Registry Cleaner Version 2.0

Recently I discovered an issue where I had duplicate files on my computer. These were mainly document files. Somewhere in the confusion I was updating the wrong documents. This caused me to lose some very important documentation.

I had noticed that there were three different locations I was storing backups of the original documents. At some point while editing these documents I had opened a secondary location. In my confusion I had updated a backup file which was later deleted as I thought it was an older back up file. This caused a huge problem.

I had to re-write several articles(mostly from memory) which was very time consuming. My energies would have been better focused somewhere else to say the least.

I was determined this would not happen again. I attempted to locate all the duplicate files myself at first. If you have ever attempted doing this then you understand how time consuming this operation can be.

This process entails searching for all .doc files. Once the files are located they have to be reviewed for which contains the most recent data. Once you know which article is the most recent you then have to delete the older file. Once you have a current copy of the file if it is not located in “my documents” or your specified folder it then has to be moved to this location.

When dealing with approximately one hundred documents you can imagine how much time was spent on this project. I was determined to find a better way of removing these duplicate files.

I resolved this issue mainly by changing the default save in location for documents in the word processing software I used. This helped in a big way.

The second option I implemented was to use a good backup software which can do incremental backups. This means it only backups files to your designated backup location that have changed since your last backup.

lets hope you never have to experience this, but if you do I hope my resolution might help. It would be better used as a preventative measure if implemented prior to this happening on your own system.

Be sure when using a back up that you save your data to a remote location such as a removable drive. Implementing this backup strategy is better in the sense if you have a computer failure you will still have access to your backup data.

Due to his recent comments about the Rutgers women basketball player Don Imus has now been dropped not only by NBC but by CBS as well.

This comes after a brief temporary suspension of the “Imus in the Morning” broadcast show. After his opinionated and unwarranted comments on his April 4th show most of the sponsors lodged complaints with CBS.

Imus did apologize and even appeared on Al Sharptons radio show hoping to quiet the public outcry. Although this did not alter the outcome of the CBS decision.

Will Imus go to satellite as well as another controversial radio personality Howard Stern? Who knows, but as of this moment all Imus shows have been cancelled.

Want to watch your DVD’s on your zune?

I got a zune for christmas this past year and have just now got around to messing with it. It’s a pretty cool little gadget. I got all my mp3s onto the zune rather easily but getting movies from my DVD’s was not easy at all.

I couldn’t figure out how to get my DVD movies on the zune at all. So I searched google thoroughly and downloaded several different pieces of software before finding one that made it easy.

DVD to zune by dvdXsoft won hands down. It was the only dvd to zune converter that was easy to use and worked without any problems. If you want to save your time instead of downloading several other titles that will probably disappoint you as they did me then simply take my advice and download the free trial version of DVD to zune now.

This program has the best image and sound quality when converting to watch on the zune and I have tried at least 7 different ones extensively. Save yourself some frustration and

Download a free trial version of DVD to zune

One day last week I was at the local chain computer store. I was purchasing some components for a computer. In this case I was purchasing some memory.

I finished my selection and proceeded to the checkout counter. At the counter the checkout lady politely asked if I would like to purchase a warranty for the memory. I asked why would I want to buy a warranty for the item when the memory manufacturer already has a lifetime warranty.

Needless to say she didn’t have an answer. I stated well I guess the only reason would be to put money in the companies bank account.

Remember anytime you purchase retail and even OEM products the manufacturer already has a warranty in place. Usually memory has a lifetime warranty. Hard drives and CPU’s typically are a three year warranty. Generally for all other components there is a one year manufacturers warranty in place.

Sure its nice to just re-visit the store you purchased your item at an get a quick replacement, but if you dont mind dealing with the manufacturer yourself you can quickly acquire a replacement unit and save yourself a few bucks.

One thing to remember if you are planning to deal directly with the manufacturer for warranty you must ship the item back in the original packaging. Generally the warranty process starts with you contacting their warranty department to receive an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization number. From there it is really easy to complete.

Manufacturers even offer fast ship options which does require giving your credit card information for a temporary charge that is posted until they receive the old unit back.

Just remember: These warranties offered by computer chain stores are not as beneficial as they may seem. As long as you don’t mind doing just a little leg work yourself.

Virus protection is a must in todays computing environment. Many people who own virus protection software make mistakes that can allow an infection. Here are a few things to remember when purchasing or configuring virus software.

1. Insure your virus software has complete functionality such as script blocking, Internet worm protection and is compatible with the instant messenger service you currently use.

2. Always insure that your virus protection is configured to receive automatic updates. These updates include virus signatures which allow the program to search for the latest viruses. With out these updates your virus software will not recognize new viruses.

3. A simple way to prevent viruses from obtaining access to your system is to update any Microsoft products that you have installed. Windows and office products are commonly used as ways of entry. Microsoft frequently publishes security updates to prevent these types of entry. These updates can be obtained by visiting www.microsoft.com and using either the Office or Windows update option.

4. Another entry point for viruses is sometimes through Spy ware or Ad ware software. Most virus scanners have implemented Spy ware scanning capabilities, but not all. Be sure your computer is protected against these types of entry.

Note: Some viruses can hide or be backed up to the Windows restore folder in which most virus software cannot scan. Due to the compression on this folder most virus software cannot scan this folder. In these cases please review the recommended actions provided by your virus software support personnel or documents.

It is best to remember even with the best virus software and all Microsoft updates applied it is still possible for you to infected by a virus. New viruses are written constantly, and the writers are always coming up with new ways of infiltration into your system.