After getting Windows 7 x64 installed, I was having a problem getting a few gadgets to work correctly (like the Pandora Gadget). It turns out this gadget uses Flash, which only comes in a 32 bit version. The Sidebar is x64, and can't access Flash. Since there is no x64 version of flash (come on Adobe -- its time to bite the bullet!!), I started digging around for a way to overcome this limitation -- as luck would have it, Microsoft ships the 32-bit version of the side bar in the x64 versions.  Now all I needed to do was get it to startup instead of the default x64 bit version.

Edit the following Registry Key:
\\HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\SideBar

Change the key to this: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe /autoRun

(The only addition is loading sidebar.exe from c:\program files (x86)\ instead of c:\program files\)

This should get you by until Adobe gets their act together!

Resizing a VHD drive is not particularly complicated, it just involves a number of steps.

To Shrink

1. Mount the VHD in Windows 7/2008 using Disk Management Tools (or DISKPART)
2. Defragment the drive, makeing sure the free space is also defragmented (UltraDefrg in Optimize mode is a good free tools for this)
3. Resize the main parition using Disk Management Tools (or DISKPART)
4. Unmount the VHD Drive
5. Resize the actual VHD file (VHDResizer is a great tool for this)
   1. http://sysadmingeek.com/articles/how-to-resize-a-microsoft-virtual-hard-drive-vhd-file/

To Expand

Resize the actual VHD file (VHDResizer is a great tool for this)

1. http://sysadmingeek.com/articles/how-to-resize-a-microsoft-virtual-hard-drive-vhd-file/
2. Mount the VHD in Windows 7/2008 using Disk Management Tools (or DISKPART)
3. Defragment the drive, makeing sure the free space is also defragmented (UltraDefrg in Optimize mode is a good free tools for this)
4. Resize the main parition using Disk Management Tools (or DISKPART)
5. Unmount the VHD Drive

[Note: This is a copy of this post]

This is a continuation of my previous post  Using Windows Server 2008 as a SUPER workstation OS

Here are a couple of things I missed in my previous post

11. Processor Scheduling

As pointed out in a comment on my previous post; On Windows Server 2008 background services are given preference over interactive programs. You can change this behavior by

Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System > Advanced System Settings > Advanced > Performance > Settings > Advanced > Processor Scheduling

Setting this to Programs will make foreground programs more responsive.

12. Visual Effects

One thing you will notice on Windows Server 2008 is that by default you will not see Preview Thumbnails in your Documents / Music / Video folders. This has to be enabled explicitly.

Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System > Advanced System Settings > Advanced > Performance > Settings > Visual Effects

Based on your preference you can tweak these settings.

13. Power Options

Do your bit for a Green World! The Balanced (default) power plan on Windows Server 2008  does not turn off hard disks by default. On Vista hard disks are turned off after 20 mins. You can change this by

Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Change plan settings

It does take a bit to kick start the hard disks when you resume work but that's a sacrifice worth making for a greener world :).

14. IE Enhanced Security 

IE Enhanced Security Configuration has been moved from Add Remove Windows Components (on Windows 2003) to the Server Manager on Windows Server 2008.

Server Manager > Security Information > Configure IE ESC

You now have a choice to disable it only for Administrators. 

And to end with a couple of clarifications

* Why am I recommending Windows Server 2008 over Windows Vista ?

I am not!

* How to get Sidebar / Media center on Windows Server 2008?

My honest opinion would be to look for alternatives.

* Will hardware problems go away moving to Windows Server 2008?

Not likely. One of the biggest complaints against Vista was hardware issues. Without proper  drivers from your hardware vendors your ride on Windows Server 2008 is again going to be bumpy. For me all Vista compatible drivers worked fine with Server 2008 and I believe they should work for you as well.

* Will all software work on Windows Server 2008?

Most will but some setups detect Windows Server 2008 as a server OS and may not install. The compatibility mode does not have a Vista option only XP / Windows 2003 and other legacy OS.

[Note: This is a copy of this post]

Windows Server 2008 is the best OS to be released till date from Microsoft's stable. And the moment I got hold of the RTM build I could not resist installing it on my workstation. Due to the nature of my work I always prefer running a Server OS on my main workstation... I have been running Windows 2003 disguised as XP (with all the themes and stuff) all these days.

So here is my tale of how I went about setting up Windows Server 2008 to look and fell like its desktop counterpart Windows Vista.

1. Enable Hardware Virtualization

My workstation is a x64 machine with hardware virtualization capabilities. This means I can run Hyper-V on my machine. Even if your machine's hardware supports virtualization it is most likely not going to be enabled by default. You have to enable it via your BIOS setup.

2. Install the latest Graphics and Audio drivers

Being a server OS Windows 2008 carries with it basic graphics and audio drivers. To utilize the full strength of your hardware ensure you install the latest drivers for both graphics and audio hardware. Only with the proper graphics drivers will you be able to enable the "Aero" experience on Windows 2008.

3. Desktop Experience Feature

The Desktop Experience Feature enables a bunch of stuff that is by default present on a desktop OS. Most importantly it includes Themes, Windows Media player and the Aero related features. You will have to enable it form the Server Manager. The "Turn Windows features on or off" / "Add remove windows components" has all been rolled into the Server Manager now.

Server Manager > Features > Desktop Experience

Installing the Desktop Experience feature does not enable them. You have to manually set them up.

4. Themes

To enable Themes you will basically have to enable the Themes Service. Again being a server OS it is not enabled by default.

Services.MSC > Themes

Set the start up type to Automatic

Enabling the Aero Theme.

For this go to Control Panel > Personalization >Theme and select Windows Aero

5. Search

Search is also disabled by default on Windows 2008. Searching is important for me as I use it a lot to find my emails. To enable search you will have to add the File Services Role via Server Manager.

Server Manager > Roles > File Services > Windows Search

Outlook relies on this search service.

6. Disable Shutdown Event Tracker

Since I am using it as a workstation I do not want to keep a track of all the Shutdowns. The Shutdown Event Tracker is the pop up that you get asking you for a shutdown reason. To disable it

Open mmc.msc

Add the Group Policy snap-in

Under Administrative Templates expand System

Set Display Shutdown Event Tracer to Disabled

7. Audio

For audio you need to enable the Windows Audio service. You do this by setting the startup type to Automatic.

Services.msc > Windows Audio

Ensure you have proper drivers for your audio hardware... for me the default driver was not enabling the headphones ... it started working fine after I got the proper driver.

8. SuperFetch

As a workstation, enabling SupertFetch will give you that additional bit of responsiveness. The SuperFetch services is disabled by default and when you try to enable it you will most likely get an error message "The operating system is not presently configured to run this application"

You will have to make two registry changes to enable this service. I basically copied them over from my Vista machine.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

EnablePrefetcher DWORD 3

EnableSuperfetch DWORD 3

9. Get a codec pack.

For media hungry buffs download a codec pack. This will ensure you can play all media files.

10. Enable Hyper-V

With Hyper-V you can run virtual machines on your workstation. This is useful if you want to run your tests on older OS versions. Enabling  Hyper-V is easy

Server Manager > Roles > Hyper-V

Remember you need a Hyper-V enabled Windows 2008 licence and also your hardware has to support virtualization.

Also If you are using an existing VHD it may ask you to re-Activate Windows as it detected hardware changes.

One good thing about Windows Server 2008 is that it no longer asks for the i386 folder like Windows 2003 while you enable features.

Remote Desktop Manager is a small application used to manage all your remote connections and virtual machines. Add, edit, delete, shared, organize and find your remote connection quickly. Compatible with Microsoft Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, VNC, LogMeIn, Team Viewer, Ftp, SSH, Telnet, Dameware, X Window, VMware, Virtual PC, PC Anywhere, Hyper-V, Citrix, Radmin, Microsoft Remote Assistance, Sun Virtual Box and more.

And best of all, there is a free version

URL: http://remotedesktopmanager.com/

Windows 7 Boot from VHD

One of the new features in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is the ability to boot from a VHD. This allows for the use of multiple operation systems on a single computer (like when using Virtualization) however it has much better performance as the OS boots natively.  The great part is that it is pretty simple to enable this feature and have it ready at your disposal!  Before you begin you should note the following…

·         You can only boot a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 VHD

·         You must configure the boot editor from a Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 install

·         You cannot use a Virtual PC VHD, I suggest a Hyper-V VHD

·         You need to start with a clean slate, don’t try and reuse an old VHD

Start by launching a Command Prompt and be sure to run as Administrator, once that is done run the following commands…

bcdedit /copy {current} /d “Boot From VHD (put any name here)”

Copy the CSLID that is displayed and then run…

bcdedit /set {CLSID} device vhd=[C:]\vhdname.vhd

bcdedit /set {CLSID} osdevice vhd=[C:]\vhdname.vhd

bcdedit /set {CLSID} detecthal on

You can replace [C:]\vhdname.vhd with the path and name of your VHD.

Once that is complete reboot and you will have the option to “Boot_From_VHD”!  You can verify the bootloader is configured correctly with the bcdedit command which will list all the boot options.  If you want to delete the entry make note of the GUID listed in bcdedit and use the following command…

bcdedit /delete {GUID} /cleanup

For more information be sure to check out the Windows 7 resource page on Technet.com

Some other useful links:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/knom/archive/2009/04/07/windows-7-vhd-boot-setup-guideline.aspx

 

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Outlook Upcoming Appointments (http://gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=ed840437-7d13-4755-8d0a-0ba2cbbf38e6&bt=1&pl=1)

Drive Meter (http://gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=19f3ac79-f0b5-479f-9885-3371a51fe247)
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This guide works 100% for Vista & Windows 7 unlike most of the guides out there. I have seen many sites/blogs that have “Install Vista from USB guide” but either with incomplete steps or not working guide. I have also seen some guides that don’t’ use proper commands in this guide. After spending many hours I have come up with this 100% working guide.

I just did this method on one of my friends machine and installed the new Windows 7 BETA. The main advantage is that by using USB drive you will be able to install Windows 7/Vista in just 15 minutes. You can also use this bootable USB drive on friend’s computer who doesn’t have a DVD optical drive.

The method is very simple and you can use without any hassles. Needless to say that your motherboard should support USB Boot feature to make use of the bootable USB drive.

Requirements:

*USB Flash Drive (Minimum 4GB)

*Windows 7 or Vista installation files.

Follow the below steps to create bootable Windows 7/Vista USB drive using which you can install Windows 7/Vista easily.

1. Plug-in your USB flash drive to USB port and move all the contents from USB drive to a safe location on your system.

2. Open Command Prompt with admin rights. Use any of the below methods to open Command Prompt with admin rights.

*Type cmd in Start menu search box and hit Ctrl+ Shift+ Enter.

Or

*Go to Start menu > All programs > Accessories, right click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

3. You need to know about the USB drive a little bit. Type in the following commands in the command prompt:

First type DISKPART and hit enter to see the below message.

Next type LIST DISK command and note down the Disk number (ex: Disk 1) of your USB flash drive. In the below screenshot my Flash Drive Disk no is Disk 1.

4. Next type all the below commands one by one. Here I assume that your disk drive no is “Disk 1”.If you have Disk 2 as your USB flash drive then use Disk 2.Refer the above step to confirm it.

So below are the commands you need to type and execute one by one:

SELECT DISK 1

CLEAN

CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

SELECT PARTITION 1

ACTIVE

FORMAT FS=NTFS

(Format process may take few seconds)

ASSIGN

EXIT

Don’t close the command prompt as we need to execute one more command at the next step. Just minimize it.

5. Next insert your Windows7/Vista DVD into the optical drive and check the drive letter of the DVD drive. In this guide I will assume that your DVD drive letter is “D” and USB drive letter is “H” (open my computer to know about it).

6. Maximize the minimized Command Prompt in the 4th step.Type  the following command now:

D: CD BOOT and hit enter.Where “D” is your DVD drive letter.

CD BOOT and hit enter to see the below message.

7. Type another command given below to update the USB drive with BOOTMGR compatible code.

BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H:

Where “H” is your USB drive letter. Once you enter the above command you will see the below message.

8. Copy your Windows 7/Vista DVD contents to the USB flash drive.

9. Your USB drive is ready to boot and install Windows 7/Vista. Only thing you need to change the boot priority at the BIOS to USB from the HDD or CD ROM drive. I won’t explain it as it’s just the matter the changing the boot priority or enabling the USB boot option in the BIOS.

Note: If you are not able to boot after following this guide means you haven’t set the BIOS priority to USB. If you got any problem in following this guide feel free to ask questions by leaving comment.

Update: If you are looking for something with a nice friendly GUI, use the easy-to-use guide to create a bootable USB to install Windows 7 using official tool.

As we reported earlier, Microsoft released a free tool called Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to help you install Windows 7 on all netbooks in simple steps.

Although you can refer the how to install Windows 7 from USB guide to do the same, this tool simplifies the job. Here are the five simple steps that you need to follow to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 7 from USB device:

Note: You need a USB flash drive with a minimum of 4 GB of free space. And also please backup your data from USB first.

1. Download Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool and install it.

2. Run the program, browse to your Windows 7 ISO image using the Browse button.

Note: In case you run into an ERROR in loading a specific ISO image, take a look at this post
http://www.withinwindows.com/2009/11/01/use-the-windows-7-usbdvd-download-tool-with-custom-isos/

3. In this step, you need to select your media type. As we are here to create a bootable USB, simply click on USB device button.

4. Select your USB flash drive from the drop down box and click on Begin copying button.

5. The Windows 7 USB/DVD tool will take a few minutes to complete the procedure.

6. You are done. You can now use this USB on any machine that can boot from USB to start installing Windows 7.

In Firefox

1. In the Address Bar, type: about:config and either press the ENTER key on the keyboard or click on the GO button
   
   
2. On some machines you may get the warning message shown below.  If you follow our steps, you will NOT void your warranty
   
   
3. When the new page appears with the configuration settings, In the Filter bar, search for NTLM and the result will show 3 entries. The one you need is NETWORK.AUTOMATIC-NTLM-AUTH.TRUSTED-URLS. Double-click the NETWORK.AUTOMATIC-NTLM-AUTH.TRUSTED-URLS entry to open the Enter string value window
   
   
4. When the Enter the string value window opens, type the portal URLs that you wish to access automatically, separated by a comma. Note:  If you want to set it up for the entire domain, just enter .yourdomain.com
   
   
5. When you are finished, click OK.
6. You should now be able to nagigate to an NTLM protected website and access it without being prompt for credentials (as long as you current have access to it)