tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2008://1 2007-10-04T23:02:47Z The Realtime Vista Community is an objective source for information related to the Microsoft Vista platform. The community provides a wide range of resources including blogs, articles, white papers, forums and podcast as well as links to external resources. Movable Type 3.31 tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.191 2007-10-04T22:59:21Z 2007-10-04T23:02:47Z

Blogging on Realtime Vista will be going on hiatus. We hope that the site has offered a great number of tips and solutions to help users get better acquainted with Microsoft's Windows Vista. Though comments and blogging will discontinue, we do hope that this site continues to be a source of instruction for all involved with using Vista. Please feel free to stop over at Realtime Nexus Digital Library where several eBooks covering Vista Migration, Windows Server, Windows security, and many other topics important to the IT community are available at no charge....

admin Blogging on Realtime Vista will be going on hiatus. We hope that the site has offered a great number of tips and solutions to help users get better acquainted with Microsoft's Windows Vista. Though comments and blogging will discontinue, we do hope that this site continues to be a source of instruction for all involved with using Vista. Please feel free to stop over at Realtime Nexus Digital Library where several eBooks covering Vista Migration, Windows Server, Windows security, and many other topics important to the IT community are available at no charge.... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.190 2007-09-29T20:23:13Z 2007-09-29T20:24:11Z

There are a number of patch management solutions out there that check in with Microsoft to determine any applicable updates that may be available. Microsoft’s own WSUS (Windows Software Update Services) provides this free, but the same information is leveraged by a host of other third-party solutions that can provide more robust features. This is because Microsoft shares this information in a format designed for implementation by such products. You can be notified of updates yourself via email by taking advantage of Microsoft’s security bulletin email notification service. You can register for this and other Microsoft newsletters at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/secnews/default.mspx. Microsoft...

Bob Kelly There are a number of patch management solutions out there that check in with Microsoft to determine any applicable updates that may be available. Microsoft’s own WSUS (Windows Software Update Services) provides this free, but the same information is leveraged by a host of other third-party solutions that can provide more robust features. This is because Microsoft shares this information in a format designed for implementation by such products. You can be notified of updates yourself via email by taking advantage of Microsoft’s security bulletin email notification service. You can register for this and other Microsoft newsletters at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/secnews/default.mspx. Microsoft... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.189 2007-09-28T20:16:53Z 2007-09-28T20:22:38Z

WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) offers a ton of data about a Windows computer. It is a open database of information that Microsoft and others populate with virtually all details regarding your system. While management software can (and often does) take advantage of this data collection, it is also very easy to get at this information from scripts. There are a number of WMI script generators out there including Microsoft’s Script-O-Matic and other copycat tools. One worth mentioning is provided as the “WMI Wizard” in the “Admin Script Editor” (www.adminscripteditor.com) tool. A couple of unique things it does includes generating script...

Bob Kelly WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) offers a ton of data about a Windows computer. It is a open database of information that Microsoft and others populate with virtually all details regarding your system. While management software can (and often does) take advantage of this data collection, it is also very easy to get at this information from scripts. There are a number of WMI script generators out there including Microsoft’s Script-O-Matic and other copycat tools. One worth mentioning is provided as the “WMI Wizard” in the “Admin Script Editor” (www.adminscripteditor.com) tool. A couple of unique things it does includes generating script... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.188 2007-09-26T23:27:29Z 2007-09-26T23:31:37Z

While there is no elevation command in Vista so that your tools will run with administrative privileges, there is the Elevate Command PowerToy which can get the job done. It was written by Michael Murgolo, a consultant with Microsoft Consulting Services The tool is discussed here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/06/UtilitySpotlight/default.aspx. And is available for download here: http://www.technetmagazine.com/code07.aspx Scroll down to : June 2007 and it is listed under “Utility Spotlight: Script Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista” (Utility2007_06.exe) Just give it a simple -? to view the syntax, but as you might expect it is simply: Elevate cmd.exe Any tool, or arguments for this...

Bob Kelly While there is no elevation command in Vista so that your tools will run with administrative privileges, there is the Elevate Command PowerToy which can get the job done. It was written by Michael Murgolo, a consultant with Microsoft Consulting Services The tool is discussed here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/06/UtilitySpotlight/default.aspx. And is available for download here: http://www.technetmagazine.com/code07.aspx Scroll down to : June 2007 and it is listed under “Utility Spotlight: Script Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista” (Utility2007_06.exe) Just give it a simple -? to view the syntax, but as you might expect it is simply: Elevate cmd.exe Any tool, or arguments for this... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.186 2007-09-24T23:48:29Z 2007-09-25T01:22:48Z

In this podcast, the new Office 2003 service pack 3 is discussed with focus on its fix for Vista Compatability issues with FrontPage 2003. The Vista Task scheduler and how it is used is also discussed closing with a tip on a File Explorer feature that lets you easilly access your favorite folders in browse dialogs (application open/save boxes). MP3: Bob Kelly - Office 2003 SP3 and Vista Task Scheduler Add this podcast to your iTunes...

Bob Kelly In this podcast, the new Office 2003 service pack 3 is discussed with focus on its fix for Vista Compatability issues with FrontPage 2003. The Vista Task scheduler and how it is used is also discussed closing with a tip on a File Explorer feature that lets you easilly access your favorite folders in browse dialogs (application open/save boxes). MP3: Bob Kelly - Office 2003 SP3 and Vista Task Scheduler Add this podcast to your iTunes... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.187 2007-09-24T17:25:54Z 2007-09-24T17:52:44Z

You probably know about the QuickLaunch toolbar for the taskbar (the bar that starts with the "start orb" and unsually ends with the time) at the bottom of your screen. There are other toolbars at your disposal as well. One I had not noticed before is the iTunes toolbar (of course you need iTunes installed to see this): You can select it to be shown, but the application does not display the iTunes toolbar unless you have iTunes running and minmized. When minimized, instead of seeing it as a normal minimized application, this toolbar is activated instead which lets you...

Bob Kelly You probably know about the QuickLaunch toolbar for the taskbar (the bar that starts with the "start orb" and unsually ends with the time) at the bottom of your screen. There are other toolbars at your disposal as well. One I had not noticed before is the iTunes toolbar (of course you need iTunes installed to see this): You can select it to be shown, but the application does not display the iTunes toolbar unless you have iTunes running and minmized. When minimized, instead of seeing it as a normal minimized application, this toolbar is activated instead which lets you... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.185 2007-09-19T16:40:01Z 2007-09-19T19:01:26Z

Okay, so while Office 2007 is awesome and I can still "save as" Office 2003 format for all those I communicate with that have not made the jump, I still have a few systems running Office 2003 and a Service Pack is most welcome. The link below will give you the rundown on what is in there, but if you are using Office 2003 (or any product with an available service pack) it is best to upgrade. While it does list FrontPage 2003 as a product this update applies to, none of the listed fixes mention FrontPage. So does it...

Bob Kelly Okay, so while Office 2007 is awesome and I can still "save as" Office 2003 format for all those I communicate with that have not made the jump, I still have a few systems running Office 2003 and a Service Pack is most welcome. The link below will give you the rundown on what is in there, but if you are using Office 2003 (or any product with an available service pack) it is best to upgrade. While it does list FrontPage 2003 as a product this update applies to, none of the listed fixes mention FrontPage. So does it... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.184 2007-09-18T08:26:37Z 2007-09-18T08:35:31Z

If you have an interactive user program that needs admin permissions to run, it will not do so on startup. Instead, an icon appears in the notification area (system tray) which lets you see (and optionally start) such programs manually where you can then acknowledge the UAC prompt required to kick it off. View image It is a bit of a pain, but the alternative would be to present you with a UAC prompt every time you logged into the computer, and that would be much more painful. Particularly as so many people seem to hate this feature already. It...

Bob Kelly If you have an interactive user program that needs admin permissions to run, it will not do so on startup. Instead, an icon appears in the notification area (system tray) which lets you see (and optionally start) such programs manually where you can then acknowledge the UAC prompt required to kick it off. View image It is a bit of a pain, but the alternative would be to present you with a UAC prompt every time you logged into the computer, and that would be much more painful. Particularly as so many people seem to hate this feature already. It... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.183 2007-09-18T01:23:12Z 2007-09-18T01:30:38Z

A few people have written trying to find their application event log. While it is a little buried beneath other more dynamic log viewing options, the old application, system and security logs you have grown familiar with over the years are indeed still there—they are just not displayed by default when you fire up the event viewer. Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer Where you used to be able to kick off the event viewer as a regular user (with the restriction of not being able to view the system log) you...

Bob Kelly A few people have written trying to find their application event log. While it is a little buried beneath other more dynamic log viewing options, the old application, system and security logs you have grown familiar with over the years are indeed still there—they are just not displayed by default when you fire up the event viewer. Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer Where you used to be able to kick off the event viewer as a regular user (with the restriction of not being able to view the system log) you... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.182 2007-09-14T16:20:36Z 2007-09-14T16:57:18Z

Perhaps you don’t consciously use Task Scheduler, but the applications you use just may. As you know, the Task Scheduler lets you specify a schedule for the automated execution of commands. Not just at specified times either, there are several “triggers” besides a specified date/time schedule that may be leveraged here. Based on your preferences, applications (and even the Vista itself) may well have generated scheduled events on your system. To have a look… Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler See current tasks by selecting a grouping in the tree view at...

Bob Kelly Perhaps you don’t consciously use Task Scheduler, but the applications you use just may. As you know, the Task Scheduler lets you specify a schedule for the automated execution of commands. Not just at specified times either, there are several “triggers” besides a specified date/time schedule that may be leveraged here. Based on your preferences, applications (and even the Vista itself) may well have generated scheduled events on your system. To have a look… Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler See current tasks by selecting a grouping in the tree view at... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.181 2007-09-13T18:16:36Z 2007-09-13T18:25:46Z

Start > Control Panel > System and Maintained > Administrative Tools > System Configuration This area lets you control Windows behavior on startup. The options presented are as follows: Normal Startup – Load all device drivers and services (normal behavior) Diagnostic startup – Load basic devices and services only Selective startup – Load any specified group of items: system services, startup items as well as an option to use original boot configuration The Normal Startup option exists for you to set things back to normal again after choosing either diagnostic or selective startup options. The diagnostic startup option starts only...

Bob Kelly Start > Control Panel > System and Maintained > Administrative Tools > System Configuration This area lets you control Windows behavior on startup. The options presented are as follows: Normal Startup – Load all device drivers and services (normal behavior) Diagnostic startup – Load basic devices and services only Selective startup – Load any specified group of items: system services, startup items as well as an option to use original boot configuration The Normal Startup option exists for you to set things back to normal again after choosing either diagnostic or selective startup options. The diagnostic startup option starts only... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.180 2007-09-12T18:13:41Z 2007-09-12T18:33:43Z

Yet another of the helpful improvements brought to us by Vista is a “Favorite Links” area in the File explorer (and most file browse dialogs). By default, you’ll see special folders like “Documents” and “Pictures” but you can drag any folder here to add a shortcut of your own. I use this feature regularly to access locations I would otherwise have to navigate too often. Among the default items listed here is also “Recently Changed” and “Searches” two very helpful items if you are not creating links of your own as I suggested. Recently changed is essentially a search for...

Bob Kelly Yet another of the helpful improvements brought to us by Vista is a “Favorite Links” area in the File explorer (and most file browse dialogs). By default, you’ll see special folders like “Documents” and “Pictures” but you can drag any folder here to add a shortcut of your own. I use this feature regularly to access locations I would otherwise have to navigate too often. Among the default items listed here is also “Recently Changed” and “Searches” two very helpful items if you are not creating links of your own as I suggested. Recently changed is essentially a search for... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.179 2007-09-12T04:08:52Z 2007-09-12T04:13:35Z

Similar to junctions, symbolic links take the feature a couple of steps further. While junctions are limited to the NTFS 5.0 system, symbolic links do not share this restriction. Even better, you can link to individual files as opposed to only folders as is the requirement of junctions. The feature is designed to aid in migration and application compatibility (particularly with UNIX operating systems). They are transparent to users and appear as normal files or directories. As such, you can fake programs and the operating system into using alternate names and references to files and folders with this feature. By...

Bob Kelly Similar to junctions, symbolic links take the feature a couple of steps further. While junctions are limited to the NTFS 5.0 system, symbolic links do not share this restriction. Even better, you can link to individual files as opposed to only folders as is the requirement of junctions. The feature is designed to aid in migration and application compatibility (particularly with UNIX operating systems). They are transparent to users and appear as normal files or directories. As such, you can fake programs and the operating system into using alternate names and references to files and folders with this feature. By... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.178 2007-09-10T16:48:58Z 2007-09-10T16:52:52Z

Windows Server 2008's Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) includes a corresponding command line, SCWCMD.EXE, which lets you automate the application of security policies generated through the wizard's graphical interface. SCW produces output in XML format which is incompatible by default with GPOs. The following command line may be used to convert SCW output into a readable format for inclusion in a GPO… scwcmd transform /p:MyPolicyFile.xml /g:MyGPOName This transforms the XML file into a new GPO and must naturally be run with domain administrator privileges. The resulting GPO (saved to saved under the %SYSTEMROOT%\SECURITY\MSSCW\POLICIES) will include the contents of the SCW XML...

Bob Kelly Windows Server 2008's Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) includes a corresponding command line, SCWCMD.EXE, which lets you automate the application of security policies generated through the wizard's graphical interface. SCW produces output in XML format which is incompatible by default with GPOs. The following command line may be used to convert SCW output into a readable format for inclusion in a GPO… scwcmd transform /p:MyPolicyFile.xml /g:MyGPOName This transforms the XML file into a new GPO and must naturally be run with domain administrator privileges. The resulting GPO (saved to saved under the %SYSTEMROOT%\SECURITY\MSSCW\POLICIES) will include the contents of the SCW XML... tag:www.realtime-vista.com,2007://1.177 2007-09-06T19:11:26Z 2007-09-06T19:16:16Z

If you should run an application that is incompatible with the Windows Aero color scheme, it may be automatically turned off during execution of the application. The visual elements disabled in Aero should be automatically enabled again when the program exits, but if it does not. Here is how you can manually choose Windows Aero as you scheme: Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Windows Color and Appearance (you may have to click "Open classic appearance properties" if the Appearance Settings dialog is not displayed). Select "Windows Aero" from the "Color scheme" list and then click the...

Bob Kelly If you should run an application that is incompatible with the Windows Aero color scheme, it may be automatically turned off during execution of the application. The visual elements disabled in Aero should be automatically enabled again when the program exits, but if it does not. Here is how you can manually choose Windows Aero as you scheme: Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Windows Color and Appearance (you may have to click "Open classic appearance properties" if the Appearance Settings dialog is not displayed). Select "Windows Aero" from the "Color scheme" list and then click the...