PCTips Box

Concomitantly with the release of the security bulletins as a part of its monthly patch cycle, Microsoft also made available an update affecting the core of 64-bit Vista. More specifically, the feature is designed to stop third party code from altering the operating system’s kernel integrity. “An update is available for Kernel Patch Protection included with x64-based Windows operating systems. Kernel Patch Protection protects code and critical structures in the Windows kernel from modification by unknown code or data. This update adds additional checks to this protection for increased reliability, performance, and resiliency of Windows,” Microsoft revealed.

The Kernel Patch Protection technology is nothing new to the 64-bit editions of Windows Vista. Microsoft’s latest operating system is just the latest in a series of Windows platforms to feature PatchGuard, (more…)

Microsoft has been supplying beta testers with two special patches for Windows Vista, patches that are designed to improve the performance and compatibility of the operating system. The two patches, distributed through Connect to a select group of beta testers, have leaked onto the internet, and you can download them here (or here for 64-bit systems).

What do the patches do? The Vista Performance and Reliability Pack improves some things that hurt the performance of systems running Vista, including file copying, corrupted AVI files, Canon RAW files, memory corruption, and more. The Vista Compatibility and Reliability Pack fixes some common compatibility issues (more…)

You must use a full retail or OEM version of XP (not the cd from your old computer) this makes life really easy and can usually be downloaded from the web.
You must also have a genuine XP key, which has not been used on another system (without genuine key you will not get updates and your system will be labeled as using pirated software by Microsoft.

Next you should know or find out the specifications of your system, to do this goto Manufactures website.

The most important step is to find out if your hardisk is using SATA interface (if so you will require the SATA XP drivers and a floppy disk, as this is the only way that XP can install these drivers.) (more…)

Not getting any sound? First be sure that your audio playback device is properly installed by right clicking on the volume icon (by default this is found at the bottom right by the time in the notification area). Select “Playback Devices” and you should see a list of valid output devices. You may have only one, but you should have at least one. You should see a little green circle with a checkmark and a status of “Working” following the description of the device.

If you do not see any devices, you’ll need to install one. This is normally a driver issue, so installing the proper driver should do the trick. You can also check out the “Device Manager” by pressing the “Start orb” and typing “Device Manager” in the search box, (more…)

According to Microsoft Areo represents, “new transparent and three-dimensional visualizations require[ing] a graphics card that supports a new graphic driver model called the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM). These effects are part of the Windows Vista Aero desktop experience and include glass effects, advanced window management features, and a more stable experience through desktop composition. This rich graphical functionality is built on the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) graphics subsystem, formerly called Avalon.”

The default Aero color scheme is clear glass. It is active by default if you have a supported video card. It allows you to see other items behind your window through a slightly blurred glass effect. You also have lots of options to tint the glass the way you like: (more…)

Dell Inc. has recently started gaining some popularity as a company very fond of the Linux operating systems. The story started with Dell’s nice initiative of answering the users who demanded some Linux-based products on IdeaStorm forum. At that time, Dell announced the four Ubuntu-based systems which addressed the open source fans.

Soon after that, Dell was to add two other systems to this catchy offer and then announced they’re trying to develop a strategy for distributing them outside the United Stated too. After such offer, (more…)

The boot.ini file is a hidden file that is used to identify in what folder on which partition and on which hard drive Windows XP is located. Boot.ini can become damaged, corrupted or deleted for a number of reasons and is usually brought to your attention by an error message.

Follow these easy steps to repair the damaged/corrupted boot.ini file or replace it if it has been deleted.

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Repairing or replacing the boot.ini file usually takes less than 10 minutes
Here’s How: (more…)

Ed Bott has recently put together a small, but growing list of links for some driver download pages for the Windows Vista Operating System. The list is far from complete, but it covers quite a few of the main ones.

Although Windows Update might solve most of your problems, by visiting the manufacturer’s website you can be assured that the version you’re getting is the most recent one. And with Windows Vista drivers, (more…)

This list is part of the ‘Devices Just Work’ effort at Microsoft to help ensure hardware compatibility with Windows Vista. Take the time to explore the updated HCL, its redesigned UI and improved search. Use it to confirm hardware compatibility with Windows Vista, Logo Status*, or even download a Logo Verification report. Use the new Windows XP tab to quickly discover products logo’d for Windows XP.

The Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List can be easily navigated via the hardware categories on the left-hand menu. Alternatively, you can execute a free-text search for a specific product name. Follow the steps below to get started: (more…)

When a users enters text in the search box on the start panel Windows automatically searches the file index as well. The file index includes all of the searchable files on your hard drive and can be quite large. One way to speed up searching through your start menu applications is to narrow the scope of the search so that it does not include hard drive files.

Prevent Start Menu Searches from searching the File index: (more…)