Ask Your Vista Questions Here.

i just found this article,
note: i do not believe in cracks. i pay for what i use...

It's official: Pirates crack Vista at last

* 4th March 2007
* James Bannan
* Vista

A genuine crack for Windows Vista has just been released by pirate group Pantheon, which allows a pirated, non-activated installation of Vista (Home Basic/Premium and Ultimate) to be properly activated and made fully-operational.

Unlike cracks which have been floating around since Vista RTM was released in late November, this crack doesn’t simply get around product activation with beta activation files or timestop cracks - it actually makes use of the activation process. It seems that Microsoft has allowed large OEMs like ASUS to ship their products with a pre-installed version of Vista that doesn’t require product activation – apparently because end users would find it too inconvenient.

OEM Emulation

This version of Vista uses System-Locked Pre-Installation 2.0 (SLP 2.0). It allows the “Royalty OEMs” to embed specific licensing information into the operating system which Vista can activate without having to go back to Microsoft for verification. The licensing components include the OEM’s hardware-embedded BIOS ACPI_SLIC (which has been signed by Microsoft), an XML certificate file which corresponds to this ACPI_SLIC and a specific OEM product key.

Pantheon released a bundle which includes the certificate files from ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo along with OEM product keys for Vista Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate, and an emulator which allows the BIOS ACPI_SLIC driver for any manufacturer to be installed without requiring the system to be physically running that hardware. For example, you can install the ASUS certificate information on any machine, not just an ASUS.

And yes, the crack most certainly works. You end up with an activated, legitimate copy of Vista which passes all the Windows Genuine Advantage checks.

The release of this crack does make a bit of a mockery of the whole volume activation process. I was beginning to think the new activation process introduced with Vista might spell the end of easy and large-scale Windows piracy, and if the only way to activate Vista was to have it communicate directly with Microsoft, then that just might have been a possibility. But allowing such a workaround to OEMs just because their users might not like it has introduced a weakness into the system. Pirate groups are well known for exploiting any weakness no matter how small (as evidenced by the cracking of KMS), so once this activation process became known it was only a matter of time.

As the crack is tied to specific product keys, it remains to be seen whether Microsoft will be able to do anything about shutting out machines activated using this method. But their work will be made much more difficult now that such machines have completely bypassed the online activation process, and are connecting as legitimate copies of Windows.
http://apcmag.com/5512/pirate_crack_vista_oem_activation

 

Vista Codec Package 4.3.1
Author: Shark007
Date: 2007-03-05
Size: 22.4 Mb
License: Freeware
Requires: NT/200x/XP/Vista

With Vista Codec Package installed, you won't need to install any other codec or filter. Many user suggested default settings are implemented. It does not contain a media player. It does not associates filetypes. With this package installed you will be able to use any media player (limited only by the players capabilities) to play DVD's, movies and video clips of any format. Streaming video (real and quicktime) is supported in web browsers. Visit the homepage to get a 64bitAddon which enables xvid, divx and DVD playback in Vista's MediaCenter.

Codecs have always been a pain in the butt. This package takes from the best, all the big name creators, several small guys too, and compiles all this into a single pack. All possible conflicts are already dealt with, many user suggested default settings are implemented.

This package does not contain a media player. This package does not associates filetypes. With this package installed, you will be able to use any media player to play DVD's, movies and video clips such as quicktime, realmedia, avi, mpeg, Flv, swf, wmv, etc. Streaming video can be played within web browsers. By default, you shouldn't need to make any adjustments to enjoy playback immediately.

Users now have the ability to choose what is installed using the public redistributable and after an unattended install, you can select to remove specific portions without removing the entire package. Future releases will recognize previous releases and perform upgrade installations.

Changelog:
- update QuickTime components to 7.1.5
- update FFDshow components to t996
YOU MUST UNINSTALL YOUR OLD VERSION FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS TO BE REALIZED

DOWNLOAD HERE
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5326.html

 

VistaCodecs x64Components 1.0.8
Author: Shark007
Date: 2007-03-05
Size: 5.52 Mb
License: Freeware
Requires: Winx64

Do you want to watch your favorite video in MediaCenter?
These components are tested on Vista Ultimate x64. This release is fully compatible with the 32bit codecs installed by the Vista Codec Package. It is fully uninstallable through the Windows interface.

This release will not install on a x86 systems.

New in this version:
- minor updates - no functionality changes
- update shortcut icons
UNINSTALL YOUR OLD VERSION

DOWNLOAD HERE
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5535.html

 

Microsoft responds to DOT ban on Vista, Office 2007
Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:11 am Categories: Vista, Windows client, Corporate strategy, Office 2007, Internet Explorer, App Compatibility



The Department of Transportation has put an indefinite ban on upgrades to Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 7 and Office 2007, as first reported by Information Week.

Here's the DOT memo outlining the Vista "moratorium," dated January 19.

"Based on our initial analysis (from internal recommendations and analysis by Gartner Group), there appears to be no compelling technical or business case for upgrading to these new Microsoft products," according to the memo from Daniel Mintz, DOT Chief Information Officer.

In fact, there are a number of reasons for not upgrading, Mintz said, including the hardware/software/services costs of upgrading; backward compatibility problems with Office 2007, specifically Word (I'm guessing he's referring to the new XML file formats here, but not sure); internal funding limitations; and a pending DOT headquarters move.

Anyone know of other companies and/or organizations calling for a similar blanket Vista/Office/IE 7 ban?

comments

The DOT are falling in line
... there is a long and growing list of end users who are finally waking up to just what constitutes a "forced upgrade". Forced upgrades are the province of monopolies. Forced upgrades have nothing to do with improving the quality of service to end users and everything to do with consolidating monopoly, locking users into proprietary tools and maximising the revenue extracted from each consumer. Vista is overblown cr*p. It's XP with me-too OS X graphics and mandatory, system-slowing DRM which has already been cracked in any case.

Whole governments are dropping Microsoft. The UK educational institution worked out last year that they couldn't afford to keep feeding the insatiable Microsoft monopoly with hard-earned budgets. Microsoft are yesteryears answer to the question "How can I dispose of the maximum amount of money for something which I will be forced to buy again in 12 months?".

Microsoftasaurus, the dinoasaur of the computer age



This really only makes sense. The average DOT user just needs SIMPLE word
processing and spreadsheets, email, web browser, etc. Their jobs do not revolve around computers. And, given the hundreds of millions that the DOT could save if they were to pay market prices for OS and office suite, they would do good to make sure that they move away from proprietary lock-in technologies, and insist on standards, such as ODF to start with. But, they need to make sure that they demand NATIVE support for ODF, NOT a translator that will cause problems and overhead.

Sure
But we are prohibiting Vista due to the draconian licensing. We strive to go beyond the call of duty when it comes to legal licensing. Still, MS wants to twist our arm and make being legal more cost/labor intensive and a bigger headache. We'll pass.

I also know that the incompatibilities of various web-based apps have forced some colleges to reccommend students/faculty/staff to not upgrade until further notice. The apps have to be rebuilt to be functional with IE7 etc....

Some for the list
Not really a ban, but similar.

Ipod users, heeding Apple's recommendation
BECTA (British Education...) strongly recommends no upgrade
FAA (sub-story to DOT ban)
Various Surveys indicating IT delays
MS's self imposed ban? $760 for Vista in Australia, double US price in Europe, etc.

I think that in general, not a lot of companies/organizations are making headlines with "We won't do Vista", they are simply quietly ignorning it and not currently planning for it.

I know Vista is a blib on the radar, evaluation likely to start a few months after SP1. Vista's WGA may be a dealbreaker though, however, if you have enough clout, you can get Vista with no WGA. Large IT groups just won't go through the hastle.

Can anyone imagine if Vista were not forced on home users, how terrible the sales would be? If you ask loud enough, you can get XP still with some machines. I visited the HP site and all corporate desktops have Vista/XP, but the basic home units ($600 or so), only Vista Home Basic.

I had heard that Dell Ireland backed down and will now offer XP instead of the Vista only option they tried to enforce after a large customer backlash.

I wish I knew what MS was thinking, there has to be a plan, but they seem determined to implode. Has WGA made them even 1/4 of what it has cost them?

TripleII


http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=301

 

I had written a thread about vista but this one has already been made so here are my thoughts on the new Operating System.

This is the link to the thread.

Just read the thread and i hope you find it benefiting for your research on the new Vista system.

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/478222#2895806

Thanxs.

 

Windows Vista's Hideous Wakeup Support
Published December 10th, 2006 in Software Center, Operating Systems, Windows and Reviews. Tags: ACPI, ATi, Bugs, Drivers, Hibernate, Microsoft, nVidia, Power, Sleep, Vista, Windows.

While Windows Vista has a whole host of new features to offer, it has one major problem that just won’t go away: it’s totally FUBAR’d after you resume from sleep or hibernate. Unfortunately, many of these issues weren’t present during the beta stage, and were somehow introduced in the RTM build of Windows Vista. This exclusive NeoSmart Technologies report desccribes some of the symptoms in detail, and we even provide links to possible fixes by Microsoft. All issues have been duly reported and confirmed by Microsoft, so this isn’t just some figment of our imagination. A number of these patches are scheduled to be included in Windows Vista SP1 (Codename Fiji).

Few computer “enthusiasts” turn off their PCs. Even with Bill Gate’s promised 6-second-boot (we’ve clocked an average of 12.6 seconds here on 8 different PCs), turning on a PC via a cold-boot requires waiting for all the various programs to load, the network to establish, the security policies to propogate; and you don’t get to brag about never turning off your PC - plus your uptime restarts. The alternatives were either hibernation (for laptop owners) or “Deep Sleep” for the rest.1

Throughout the beta, Deep Sleep in Windows Vista went great. It’s the default option (so long as it’s configured in the BIOS) when you click the shutdown button.2 It would put your computer in a low-power mode that recovered in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds, and didn’t crash! But in the final version of Windows Vista, something is very, very majorly wrong. On 6 of the 8 tested systems,3 recovering Windows Vista from a hibernate or Deep Sleep results in one of the following:

* When recovering from a hibernate: “Cannot find uxtheme.dll” appears whenever you attempt to run (almost) any program. No matter what you do, you can’t even run Task Manager. What’s worse, a restart doesn’t fix it, and because Windows Explorer also fails to launch with this error, you need to boot from the DVD and use System Restore - Safe Mode won’t work!4
* Failure to establish a network connection. Everything looks OK, but you can’t connect to the internet. Your LAN signal will be there, but the internet just doesn’t work. You must restart to fix it.
* Poor performance: though Task Manager will show normal CPU load, some of the drivers (they don’t appear in TaskMan) will attempt to use 100% of the CPU, resulting in a very laggy PC. You need to restart to fix it.
* No DWM. For no reason, DWM just won’t re-appear. This happens on ATi and nVidia, with or without the latest official drivers from the companies themselves. Manually running “dwm.exe” doesn’t work, you need to restart to fix it.
* BSOD on recovery. This is usually caused by the video drivers, and may or may not indicate something wrong with the kernel itself.
* No sound. Vista goes mute. Nothing you can do about it, no way to revive it, you just have to restart and let the re-done sound-stack load-up the way it should.

All of the above errors and more occur randomly and make using hibernation down-right impossible (unless you’re willing/eager to run System Recovery from the DVD!) and Deep Sleep a waste of time (seeing as you have to restart to “quick recover”). Most of the errors are indicative of a problem somewhere deep in the kernel, and it’s not going to be easy to fix it. Some people are blaming this on the PC/Hardware/BIOS itself, but it’s not the BIOS’ job to support the OS,5 and the only thing to blame here is a buggy ACPI model.

We’ve notified Microsoft of each of these errors, we’ve been told they’re real bugs and a fix is in the works for some issues, others are just as much of a mystery. Some of these can be solved when ATi and nVidia release their final (hopefully bug-free) drivers for Vista. Others may not be as willing to go away. Either way, an operating system that you have to shutdown in order to save on power isn’t exactly the biggest business model. The only good news is, this bug only recently made its way into Vista, so that may just mean it won’t be too hard to squash. For now, if you really need to keep your PC on all day and all night, check the list below for hotfixes that may work for you.


ACPI, ATi, Bugs, Drivers, Hibernate, Microsoft, nVidia, Power, Sleep, Vista, Windows

1. ”Deep Sleep” is configured in the BIOS, and refers to the use of S3 power-saving mode instead of the default S1 setting. In S3, you’re machine actually kills the power to everything but the memory, and uses up about as much power as a single, tiny light (like those powering up your Christmas lights). And you get to instantly turn your PC back on, with all your programs running and in a matter of seconds (for real!). At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. [back]
2. As opposed to using the shutdown menu, and selecting an option from there. [back]
3. All systems are modern, 100% x86 ACPI-compatible systems running Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, RTM. No systems are using non-signed Vista drivers, and no buggy software is installed. [back]
4. We obviously didn’t mess with uxtheme.dll, didn’t patch it, nor did we try to install any of XP’s theming software… [back]
5. Assuming, of course, that the BIOS conforms to the basic standards already defined and used by BIOS manufacturers everywhere [back]



Here’s a list of patches by Microsoft related to Vista and wake/resume problems. You may have to call MS directly for access to some of these patches. Stop errors are blue screens (BSODs).

* [KB-928135] - Windows Vista hangs on resume/wake
* [KB-929734] - Many problems on resume/wake
* [KB-927341] - “Manage Discs” WMP feature slow to respond after resume/wake
* [KB-929685] - No audio upon resume/wake
* [KB-929577] - No bluetooth on resume/wake
* [KB-929762] - Stop error 0×9F on machines with firewire (IEEE1394) upon resume/wake
* [KB-929909] - Intel 945GM Chipset PCs won’t wake/resume
* [KB-930311] - No network with stop error 0×0000007E after resume/wake
* [KB-930495] - No firewire (IEEE1394) after resume/wake
* [KB-930570] - usbhub.sys stop error 0×00000044 on resume/wake
http://neosmart.net/blog/2006/vistas-hideous-wakeup-support/

 

THIS IS A VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,LONG READ ON VISTA

Microsoft is only doing this because Hollywood/the music industry is forcing them to.


A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection

THIS IS A VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,VERY,LONG READ ON VISTA

GO HERE TO READ THE TOTAL ARTICLE..

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html#effect

 

I just downloaded this program that changes the XP graphics on your computer to the Vista ones. So, it gives you the cool look of Vista with all the advantages of XP. It works great.

(It's a free program so this isn't piracy)
Here it is if you want it:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/Vista-Transformation-Pack.shtml

 

my friend went back to xp. more and more people are switching back to xp. I also switched my microsoft office 2007 to 2003. I think windows xp and office 2003 is going to use for awhile.

 

jazo132, can you give us a screen shot of what it looks like , i am not sure i want to do it. and can you roll it back if you don't like it

 

Good morning all!!!

right682 what kind of problems were you having with office 2007???

just curious...

 

Vista Can Run Without Activation for a Year

Posted by CowboyNeal on Friday March 16, @07:22AM
from the procrastinists-in-luck dept.
Windows Microsoft
An anonymous reader gave us a heads up on this article for people who like putting things off. It begins: "Windows Vista can be run for at least a year without being activated, a serious end-run around one of Microsoft's key anti-piracy measures, Windows expert Brian Livingston said today. Livingston, who publishes the Windows Secrets newsletter, said that a single change to Vista's registry lets users put off the operating system's product activation requirement an additional eight times beyond the three disclosed last month. With more research, said Livingston, it may even be possible to find a way to postpone activation indefinitely."

How to run Vista legally without activation ... for at least a year
Microsoft calls it a 'hack,' researcher, a 'documented feature'

March 15, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Windows Vista can be run for at least a year without being activated, a serious end run around one of Microsoft Corp.'s key antipiracy measures, Windows expert Brian Livingston said today.

Livingston, who publishes the Windows Secrets newsletter, said that a single change to Vista's registry lets users put off the operating system's product activation requirement an additional eight times beyond the three disclosed last month. With more research, said Livingston, it may even be possible to find a way to postpone activation indefinitely.

"The [activation] demands that Vista puts on corporate buyers is much more than on XP," said Livingston. "Vista developers have [apparently] programmed in back doors to get around time restrictions for Vista activation."

Microsoft promptly labeled the registry change a "hack," a loaded word that is usually synonymous with "illegal."

"Recently it has been reported that an activation hack for Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system has been identified," said David Lazar, the director of the company's Genuine Windows program, in an e-mail. "Although these reports are purely speculative at the moment, we are actively monitoring attempts to steal Microsoft intellectual property."

"This is not a hack," Livingston shot back when Lazar's e-mail was read to him. "This is a documented feature of the operating system." To back up his view, Livingston pointed out links to online support documents where Microsoft spells out the pertinent registry key. Nor is it speculative; Livingston demonstrated the procedure live via a Web conference session today and claimed "we have run this dozens of times."

Livingston last month revealed that a one-line command lets users postpone Vista activation up to three times. Combined with Vista's initial 30-day grace period, that meant users could run Vista for as long as 120 days before they had to activate the OS. At the time, Microsoft seemed unconcerned with the disclosure and flatly stated that using it would not violate the Vista End User License Agreement (EULA).

"The feature that I'm revealing today shows that Microsoft has built into Vista a function that allows anyone to extend the operating system's activation deadline not just three times, but many times," Livingston said.

Microsoft documented the key on its support site in a description of what it calls "SkipRearm". In it, Microsoft explains that "rearming a computer restores the Windows system to the original licensing state. All licensing and registry data related to activation is either removed or reset. Any grace period timers are reset as well."

By changing the SkipRearm key's value from the default "0" to "1," said Livingston, the earlier-revealed "slmgr -rearm" command can be used over and over.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9013258

 

vista sucks, It just looks pretty. one of my problem that i'm having with 2007 is that after i change the settings it does not change. It's harder to use maby because i have to learn the new interface. But i do not see any improvements for VISTA and OFFICE 2007. Trust me stick with xp and 03

 

Yes you can change back to the XP style by simply changing your theme back to XP. It even changes the XP sounds to the Vista sounds. Sorry it took so long for those screenshots. Here they are:

 

Is the speed same? Does it effect the pc system?

 

No it runs great. Everything works the same. ;-)

 

So the speed is the same? Does it come with the sidebar you have?

 

Mine runs at the same speed. And, yeah it comes with the Vista Sidebar. There's more things you can add to the sidebar as well if you want, like the uptime of your computer, a recycle bin, news bar, etc.

 

Is it really worth it to install? It came free with my PC & it has shipped so I should get it during Easter. But should I install it? Is it better than XP?