PCTips Box

One of our readers Vimal reported us a problem saying: “windows not genuine , this comes when I start my Windows XP“.

This is one of the most common problem which is faced by lot of windows users these days as they don’t have the legit copy of windows XP.

This message as shown in the image above appears every time the user logged in windows, with a timer of some seconds before the Resolve Later button got enabled, all this delayed the entire windows logon process.

Let’s see how can we resolve this issue (more…)

The second Community Technology Preview of Windows PowerShell V2 is now available for download. Designed as the successor of Windows PowerShell 1.0, Windows PowerShell V2 CTP2 also marks a consistent evolution in comparison with the initial Community Technology Preview release. As such, it delivers new features, along with extended usability. In this manner, Microsoft offers a more mature command line shell and scripting language that enables an increased level of control over Windows environments, leading to a jump in productivity. The CTP will integrate seamlessly with Windows Server 2003 SP2; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista SP1; Windows XP SP2.

“This release adds a plethora of new features. PowerShell remoting now allows a one-to-one interactive experience. Thought about partitioning and organizing PowerShell scripts? Use modules to create self-contained and reusable units. (more…)

ShadowExplorer allows you to browse the shadow copies created by the Windows VistaTM Volume Shadow Copy Service. It’s especially thought for users of the home editions, who don’t have access to the shadow copies by default, but it’s also useful for users of the other editions.

Shadow Copy
From time to time, Windows Vista creates point-in-time copies of your files. This allows you to retrieve older versions from files you accidentally deleted or altered. This service is turned on by default on all versions of Windows Vista, but Microsoft grants access to these copies only in Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions. This is where ShadowExplorer comes into play. For more information on Shadow Copy, visit Microsofts website. (more…)

With the advent of Windows Vista at the end of 2006/the beginning of 2007, Microsoft has started pouring a consistent amount of efforts into enabling optimized desktops. Throughout 2007, and after the introduction of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the Redmond company continued to fine tune a set of offerings bundled together under the umbrella of Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance customers. The Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) in Las Vegas was the stage where the software giant stressed its constant commitment to both optimized Vista desktops and virtualization.

“The combination of MDOP and Windows Vista gives customers the tools they need to support more flexible work environments for their users, while making it easier and more efficient to manage and maintain their networks. This is the concept we refer to as the optimized desktop, and many of our customers have the tools to realize the benefits today. We’re responding to the enthusiasm our customers have shown for these products by continuing to improve upon them and roll out new updates in real time”, revealed Shanen Boettcher, General Manager of Windows Product Management for the enterprise. (more…)

Updates and service packs do not serve as exclusive methods of adding functionality to Microsoft’s operating system. In this regard, feature packs are designed to enhance a Windows platform with various components and features on top of the standard releases that are part of a product’s lifecycle. Case in point: Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless made available as of April 16. This is Microsoft’s way of delivering added functionality to Windows Vista on top of the recently released Service Pack 1.

“This software update includes the following components or features that improve wireless support in Windows Vista: Bluetooth version 2.1 support, Unified Pairing user interface, Windows Connect Now updates. Some of these features may work with existing hardware. However, you must have new hardware to take advantage of the new functionality,” Microsoft revealed. (more…)

Even though with the advent of Windows Vista the open source community saw the ripe moment for Linux to strengthen its grip over consumer PCs, the fact of the matter is that Windows still holds a firm grip over the vast majority of desktops worldwide. And there is no change visible on the horizon, especially as the two largest vendors of Linux operating systems have no plans to go against Microsoft. Neither Novell nor Red Hat feel that Linux has sufficient driving force behind it in order to go against Windows, which until Windows 7 will largely be represented by Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista SP1.

Novell President and CEO Ronald Hovsepian, revealed to InformationWorld that SUSE Linux will fail to become popular until Windows 7, and even beyond. The immediate reason for this is the slow pace at which the Linux consumer market is growing. “The market for the desktop for the next three to five years is mainly enterprise-related,” Hovsepian explained. As a direct consequence, Novell is focusing the bulk of its efforts on winning over corporate desktops and technology enthusiasts. (more…)

Microsoft is gearing up for the next stage in the delivery of its first service pack for Windows Vista. The Redmond company has confirmed officially that the automatic distribution of Vista SP1 is just around the corner. Still, at this point in time, the deadline for the debut of Vista SP1’s serving through Automatic Updates has not been made public. Microsoft has stated all along that it plans to start the distribution of Vista SP1 through AU by mid-April, but offered no additional information to pinpoint the release.

Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, concomitantly with the gold version of Windows Server 2008. Only on March 18 did Microsoft manage to make the service pack available to end users via Windows Update and the Download Center. At that time, the Redmond company only released the English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese language versions of Vista SP1. (more…)

Learn how to get the most out of Windows Vista Ultimate with this how-to booklet, available as a free PDF download.

Introduction:
When you want to have it all, including the ability to shift smoothly between play and productivity, there is the Windows Vista® Ultimate operating system. This edition of Windows Vista offers an advanced, business-focused infrastructure, mobile productivity, and a premium home digital entertainment experience, all in a single offering.

The following are some simple tips to help you get the most from your computer and Windows Vista Ultimate software. Some of these hints only apply to Windows Vista Ultimate and may not be available in other versions of Windows Vista. (more…)

Windows Vista RTM has had quite a rough ride throughout 2007, with Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Stave Ballmer acknowledging software and hardware incompatibility problems. And while Service Pack 1 is essentially designed to soften all the rough edges of the latest Windows client, Vista SP1 is not without problems of its own. In this regard, Microsoft informed of a glitch in the Configuration Data store on Vista SP1 and Vista RTM which when the user attempts to resume a copy of the operating system from hibernation is instead informed that the platform was shutdown.

“When you wake a computer that is running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) from hibernation, you may receive the following error message: ‘System was shutdown unexpectedly’,” Microsoft explained. “This issue occurs when the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store contains incorrect information for the Resume from Hibernate entry.” (more…)

Keeping a close eye on Microsoft is not exactly an easy task, moreover since the company has entered a new era of translucency over transparency. But at the same time there are a variety of sources orbiting Microsoft and providing enough crumbs from the Redmond feast. The problem in this context is the centralization of information. In this regard, the Microsoft EvNet Dev Team has made available a collection of no less than five gadgets designed to integrate seamlessly with the Windows Vista Sidebar and deliver content from the main videocontent websites focused on the Redmond company.

“Check out this set of Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets for keeping up to date with the latest content on Channel 8, Channel 9, Channel 10, TechNet Edge, and Mix Online. Features: automatic rotation of latest articles on the site allows you to quickly see what’s new and keep up to date without opening a browser, read articles and view videos right on your desktop or navigate directly to the post and the gadgets work with both Silverlight 1.0 as well as the SL 2 beta,” revealed Ronan Geraghty, a member of the Developer and Platform Group in Microsoft Ireland. (more…)