Section: Windows Vista

DirectX 11 Resources for Windows 7 and Vista

September 11, 2009 by Jason

Microsoft has made available for download updated DirectX 11 resources tailored to Windows 7 and Windows Vista, but also additional Windows client and server operating systems. According to the Redmond-based company, the refreshed DirectX 11 release brings to the table the RTM version of Direct3D. Essentially, what it is offering is an update for the DirectX software development kit. Developers are free to grab the SDK via the Microsoft Download Center since September 8, 2009.

“The August 2009 DirectX SDK contains the first official release of the DirectX developer resources for Direct3D 11, DXGI 1.1, Direct2D, and DirectWrite. Developers can now publish and distribute Direct3D 11 applications and games that leverage all of the software and hardware features of DirectX 11 in Windows 7 and Windows Vista,” Microsoft noted. “ll headers, import libraries, and symbol files (.pdb files) are no longer marked as beta with the ‘_beta’ suffix and now link to the RTM versions of the runtimes. In addition, the HLSL compiler features for Direct3D 11 are now of release quality. The beta DLLs are no longer available in the DirectX SDK.”

With the August 2009 DirectX Software Development Kit update, Microsoft is offering developers the new Effects runtime for Direct3D 11. Read More»

Vista SP2 Application Compatibility Update

August 27, 2009 by Jason

Microsoft is constantly tending to the evolution of its Windows client and server platforms, not only through major upgrades, such as service pack releases, but also through minor updates made available through the Windows Update infrastructure. It is the case of the latest application compatibility update for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. The refresh is currently served through WU, but as of August 25th, 2009 the bits can also be grabbed as standalone download via the Microsoft Download Center. If you don’t want to use WU to grab the August 2009 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Application Compatibility Update simply use the links at the bottom of this article.

“Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update is a software update that addresses common application compatibility issues in Windows Vista. Microsoft regularly releases application compatibility updates for Windows Vista and for Windows Server 2008,” Microsoft noted.

The Redmond company explained that Application compatibility updates were designed to introduce modifications in the way Vista and in Windows Server 2008 were dealing with various programs that posed incompatibility problems. Read More»

Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Get Windows 7’s AutoRun

August 26, 2009 by Jason

Even before the release of Windows 7 Release Candidate Build 7100 Microsoft announced that it would take extreme measures in order to increase end user protection and amputate the AutoPlay/AutoRun feature of the operating system. Over a months after Windows 7 has been released to manufacturing, Microsoft is applying the same security strategy to previous Windows releases. The Redmond company is making sure that the amputated AutoPlay/AutoRun in Windows 7 will make its way to Windows XP (including SP3), Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista (including SP2), and Windows Server 2008, for security reasons.

In this regard, Microsoft has already made available an update designed to limit the AutoPlay/AutoRun functionality in Windows 7’s precursors. Essentially, following the implementation of the refresh, the AutoPlay/AutoRun will no longer display the “Install or run program” option for USB drives.

“In Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003, AutoRun entries were populated for all devices that had mass storage and had a validly formatted AutoRun.inf file in the root directory. This included CDs, DVDs, USB thumb drives, external hard disks, and any volume that exposed itself as mass storage. This update disables AutoRun entries in AutoPlay, and displays only entries that are populated from CD and DVD drives. Read More»

Tweak and Speed Up Windows Vista

August 22, 2009 by Jason

Windows vista has lot more to offer when it comes to new features with enhanced user friendliness and other accessibility features being talked about in comparison with other previous versions of windows like windows 2000 and windows xp.Unlike previous Microsoft operating systems, Windows Vista is streamlined specifically according the needs of various types of users.

But when we talk about the resource consumption and their utilization it always need a lot of cpu and other memory to carry out even the simple operations like copying a file ,playing a video as compared to windows xp( Which according to me is the most stable and fast operating system by microsoft ever).

Today I going to share some crucial tips required to make windows vista as faster as windows Xp


Follow the steps below to make your windows vista faster


1. Disable the Aero Theme

Aero theme which is wonderful but a slow theme as the graphic effects consume a lot of memory which in turn makes other applications to run slower in vista.
Read More»

9 steps to get the maximum Windows Experience Index score

August 21, 2009 by Jason

1. ACCURATE SCORE

Make sure you have an accurate WEI score. Follow our advice to optimise your PC, then close down all open applications and run the test again.

2. PERFORMANCE TWEAKS

If your CPU score is over 5 then overclocking, while risky, might help you reach the maximum. Check your BIOS setup program and documentation for advice.

3. FIND A REPLACEMENT

Upgrading your CPU may deliver the best results. Check your motherboard manufacturer’s web site to see which CPUs it supports, then comparison-shop at uk.shopping.com.

4. CHECK SPEEDS

Can this processor really deliver a 5.9? Visit shareyourscore.com/ ComponentScores.aspx to see how it performs on other people’s systems.
Read More»

Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Critical Updates

August 13, 2009 by Jason

Microsoft released no less than eight security bulletins for the various supported releases of Windows client and server operating systems, including for the latest service packs of Windows Vista and Windows XP. Out of the total of patch packages impacting Windows, half feature a maximum severity rating of Critical, with the remaining four being rated as Important. The security updates are available through Windows Update since August 11, 2009, and customers are advised to deploy the patches as soon as possible in order to bulletproof their systems against attacks.

“Of note, Microsoft released MS09-043 to help protect customers from attacks on the Office Web Components vulnerability previously addressed by Security Advisory 973472. I also wanted to let you know that MS09-037 addresses five privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Active Template Library (ATL). Security Advisory 973882 has been updated with a reference to MS09-037. Additionally, Microsoft has released Security Advisory 973811 to include a non-security update that enables new protection technology on the Windows platform,” revealed Christopher Budd, security response communications lead for Microsoft. Read More»

Install Windows 7 Alongside Windows Vista for a Dual Boot System

August 06, 2009 by Jason

It’s always a bit tricky to beta test a new operating system. Most of us don’t have an abundance of extra hardware just sitting around, and it can be both time consuming and risky to rebuild your production machine with a pre-release version of the next OS.

But with Windows 7, it’s pretty easy to beta test on the machine you’ve already got. Hard drives have gotten much larger and much less expensive, and if you’re running Windows Vista, you already have built-in functionality to help you create a separate partition for testing.

To get started, open the Disk Management section of the Computer Management console on your Windows Vista machine. You can access this by clicking Start | Run and entering compmgmt.msc. Right-click your current system partition, likely labeled C:, and select Shrink Volume. Windows will query the disk for the amount of available space. You’ll probably want at least 20-30gigs of free space so you’ll have enough room for the Windows 7 beta installation, some data, and a few applications. Read More»

Supersize PC gaming with Windows Vista

July 29, 2009 by Jason

Microsoft’s latest operating system was built with the PC gamer in mind.

Every copy of Windows Vista includes DirectX 10, a set of software instructions that make photorealistic visuals run incredibly smoothly. And for the first time, PC gamers can engage in online matches against Xbox 360 players.

- Sign up for a Games for Windows Live Gold account and create a Live ID for playing online. (If you already have an Xbox Live Gold account and Gamertag, then skip this step. You can use the same account on your PC.)

- Start your Live-enabled game.

- Sign in using your Live ID when prompted.

- Access the game’s multiplayer mode to find a match to join or invite friends to play.

You can also find and launch your games more easily with the Games Explorer, which is accessible from the Start menu. Games Explorer lets you organize your collection, view box cover art and check your system’s technical specifications to ensure it can handle new games. Click Start > All Programs > Games > Games Explorer. Read More»

Remove All Preinstalled Games From Vista

July 26, 2009 by Jason

One of our reader is very mush annoyed by some of those preinstalled games which are there is Windows Vista as they use some space and are of no use to him. As these games are very simple and sometimes the trail version of big games with less features anyone can be annoying.

For some users it could be the other reason like they don’t want their kids to keep playing these games and waste their crucial time playing these preinstalled vista games.

Here is how you can remove the preinstalled games on your vista computer or laptop.

Fix:

This fix which we are going to tell you is quite easy and quick to follow, you just need to follow the procedure given to delete your vista games forever.

1. Open Start Menu >> Control Panel

2. Double click Programs and Features to open it. Read More»

Make Application Compatible with Vista and Windows 7

July 25, 2009 by Jason

VistaUACMaker is a free application which can help you make windows xp based applications and programs to run with proper compatibility in vista and windows 7. As vista has introduced a new feature called UAC ( User Account Control ) which controls the way and permissions on different users to execute applications on your computer.

In order to make any application as per vista and windows 7 complaint, the manifest file of the application should contain some information which provide the privileges required by the application and UI Interaction of application.

There are 3 types of privileges that can be mentioned in the manifest file.

  • requireAdministrator : Run as administrator
  • asInvoker : Run as same privilege as parent process
  • highestAvailable : Run with highest privilege available for user
  • Here is how you can use this utility to provide the necessary privileges to the program

    Just run the utility and browse the executable of the program of xp which you want to run in vista or windows 7.

    In just 3 steps, your application can be made to run on Vista or Windows 7

    1. Select the application using Select browse button.

    2. Set one of the privilege required for your application from selection box [ mainly Administrator [ requireAdministrator ]

    3. Check the “Yes” button if your application interacts with high privilege applications on UI level in vista.

    4. Click on “Make It” button, that’s it done. Now you can run this application in vista or windows 7

    Download VistaUACMaker