I have been using Windows Vista RC1 since the day it came out and I have some pretty strong opinions of it. I have a lot of likes, and even more dislikes. I installed Windows Vista Ultimate edition the day it was released online. I decided to try it out now because I figured that the major bugs were most likely fixed, and only had small bugs left to filter out. That was my first error in judgment. Since when has Microsoft filtered all the bugs out of any of its software? I change of heart came easily, because I have access to a MSDN account, and I figured “what the heck, it ain’t going to blow up my computer”. No, this post isn’t about how Vista blew up my computer, because luckily… it didn’t.

So first things first, the install. So the install was easy, nice, simple, cleaner then previous versions of Windows where the wizard would nag with all these questions while you were eating your sandwich in the other room, only to find a half an hour later that you install isn’t done because it’s asking you a question. All in all much better then what it has been, but I think they could still improve.

After about an hour long install later (keep in mind I was putting this on a minimum requirement system, to see how well it works) I was in the GUI and feeling refreshed with this new, for Microsoft, eye candy feel. What I mean by that is that I feel the number one change from XP to Vista is the GUI, but all it is coping old Mac style.

Once logged in I saw so new features.

One, the “gadgets” bar. A sidebar that is modeled from Mac’s widgets idea, the only difference is that it is not as good as widgets, and it’s on a sidebar.

Two, menu bar has changed slightly, adding some new features to easily access different functions. I don’t really care to much for this “improvement”. I feel they are just moving things around to make it seem different, when it really isn’t. The address bar on the other hand I really do feel is an improvement. The basically changed it from a simple address location, to a tree. You still can enter addresses in the old way.

Three, the start menu is slightly setup better. I feel that access programs is a lot better now, because instead of hovering over the programs menu and getting a pop out menu, it replaces quick link area with the programs. So, if you’re running XP right now, open up your start menu and you see (depending on how you setup your start menu) 5 quick links of the programs you most use. When you hover over programs in Vista, that list is replaced with the list of programs. A well need improvement. The last thing in the start menu is that they added the search right to the menu, and again they changed searching over to the indexed system (again, building on old Mac technologies).

If you are a parent with children, and want better parental controls, I have to say, Vista does a fantastic job at the parental controls. You can use when users are able to log on to the computer. Meaning, if you don’t want “Timmy” (your twelve year old son) playing video games, or searching the internet at 2:00AM while you’re in bed, just disallow “Timmy” login at 2:00AM, etc. You can also change ratings for games, and disallow games to be played that have no rating. You can make it so “Timmy” can play “T” rated games, and “Sarah” (six years old) “E” rated games.

Overall these are the main features in my opinion that stood out to me. There is so much more, but I really don’t feel like typing about all of it. So let me sum up my feel on Vista.

Overall Vista is better then XP, when it’s finally released. The beta is still screwed up and I would say not to bother with it yet. Vista in my opinion is still XP, just some “new” stuff added on. All Microsoft has done is implemented old Mac technologies. Apple is pushing out everything new and Microsoft copies to the best of its abilities. Mac OS X put out spotlight, the indexed search, Microsoft added indexed search. Mac gave us widgets, Microsoft makes “gadgets”. Mac gave us the eye candy we all know and love, Microsoft tries to give us eye candy. Mac gives us security, Vista doesn’t.

So is Vista a buy or upgrade when it is finally released? Well the thing is that the only “good” version of Vista is to go all the way and get Ultimate, all the other editions are crappy and lacking key features. The key to all of it is purchase price. I simply say that if you have access to a genuine serial number of Vista Ultimate, upgrade, if you don’t, do not waste your money, stay with XP until you upgrade your machine and then get Vista, or at lease until you finally figure out Mac OS X is better.

Back in October 12, 2005, I wrote a post on how to bypass Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Validation. I would just like to remind everyone that are is still ways of getting around this nuicence, and there will always will be. Let me remind some people or inform thoughs that already don’t know…

Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Validation is basically code that is slipped onto your PC when you update Windows. If you have automatic updates on, it was even more hidden because Microsoft won’t tell you what they are putting on your computer until it’s there. Anyways…what it does is checks your version of Windows XP for a Genuine CD key. So if you have a pirated version of Windows XP on your computer, it is going to tell that your version isn’t genuine. If it isn’t a genuine version of Windows XP, you will not be able to receive any of the updates (like anyone does update anyways).

For those who just can’t find life without Windows updates (Ya, there are times you need them.) here is the newest, and updated way around it. This will also include the new update of Microsofts’ of making annoying reminders that are copies are not “genuine”.

How To: Turn off the annoying WGA reminders-

This is so simple that It makes me wonder why Microsoft did it in the first place. When you load into a user, you will recieve a bubble on your taskbar, along with a icon. When right clicked, you get a “Change Notifications Settings” menu choice. Click on it. It will take you to the Microsoft site, and you will be given a check box to turn off the reminders that you aren’t running a genuine version of windows.

Like I said simple.

How To: Get Windows Updates With Non-Genuine Version of Windows-

Well, the way to get around WGA has changed since October of 2005, but if you have been checking out the original post I made, you would notice it still gets alot of activity.

The fix is the same as in the recent comments. It is a registery fix, and I’ll let you in on it.

Instructions-

1- Go to the Windows Updates page, and download all updates including windows genuine valdiation.

(You will know that you are ready to move on to step two when you go back to the Windows Updates page again, click “custom” or “express”, and you recieve a page that notifies you that your version of Windows is not Genuine. If this happens move on to step two.)

2- Go to start, run, and type in regedit

3- Locate yourself to HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ policies \ EXT \ CLSID

(HKLM= HKEY LOCAL MACHINE)

4. There will be two files, one has no value, and the other one should be set to 1.
Change the file value data that is “1″ to “0″.
5. Open windows update.

6. Select which way you want to go (either custom or express) it doesn’t matter at this point.

7. You will be asked to reinstall the Validation tool. It now thinks you don’t have Windows Genuine Validation installed, but you do. DON’T CLICK THE BUTTON! DON’T CLOSE THE PAGE! DON’T REFRESH THE PAGE! Instead…put the registry data variable string that you deleted back in with a value of “1″. Once you have the value set back to “1″ close regedit and return back to your open Windows Update window.
8. Click back and then click the update method of choice (Custom or Express) and voila! It works!

Deleteing it completely. (Advanced)-
End the process wgatray.exe in Windows TaskManager and restart Windows XP in safe mode. Now delete the following files:

Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\windowss\ystem32
Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\windows\system32\dllcache

Start Windows Registry editor and delete the folder “WGALOGON” located in the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinlogonNotify. Delete all references in your registry to WgaTray.exe

Another alternative suggest that three files are installed Windows XP System Folder:

\WINDOWS\system32\WgaLogon.dll
\WINDOWS\system32\WgaTray.exe
\WINDOWS\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll

The wgatray.exe process makes the check for genuine windows software. You can disable WGA by removing the execute bit on WgaLogon.dll. That way, winlogon can’t call it as a notification package at boot, and since WgaLogon is responsible for running and maintaining WgaTray.exe, no more tray popups either.

To change the execute bit of WgaLogon.dll, first turn off Simple File Sharing. Now right click the file in Windows Explorer and open the Security Tab. Hit the Advanced button, uncheck the Inherit box at the bottom, hit the Copy button, then hit OK. Go through each listed user/group and remove the “Read & Execute” permission for that file, leaving the “Read” permission as-is.

Hit OK to apply the permission changes and close the file properties dialog. Restart the machine. You can now turn “Use simple file sharing” back on, if you want.

A third alternative posted on the internet suggest that users clear the content of file data.dat located in the following directory:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Windows Genuine Advantage\data

Save the data.dat empty file and change the attributes to “Read Only” – Restart you computer. Or start your PC in Safe Mode and delete the following files from Windows system32 folder – wgalogon.dll spmgs.dll wgatray.exe The WGA setup file is in C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\ Download\6c4788c9549d437e76e1773a7639582a

If you don’t use “Fast User Switching”, you can disable the Windows XP Welcome Screen if you are logged in as an Administrator. This will remove the initial WGA Warning Screen:

1. Click on Start -> Control Panel ->User Accounts
2. Click on “Change the way users log on or off”
3. Uncheck “Use the Welcome Screen” – Choose Apply
4. Close the User Accounts window and the Control Panel
5. The next time you reboot your computer, the classic login prompt will be used

I just want to report that I don’t believe the javascript code line in the address bar method works anymore. Neither can you disable WGA in your browser. That is basically what you are doing in the registery. You are making it seem like you didn’t have WGA, hence “0″, downloaded it and passed as genuine, hence the change to “1″.

I’m sure Microsoft will come out with more updates to WGA, and we’ll find ways around it. So if you have problems, just come check out this post comments and I’m sure will have the fix.

Also, you can download the new pirated version of Windows XP Pro SP2 that is out on torrent. That has a fix on it so it looks genuine to Windows all the time. I suggest if you are going to reformat, you download that image and use it on the reinstall.

Good luck my fellow Windows piraters!

There comes a time… okay let me start that again. There are multiple times, almost every stinking hour, when on a windows machine when some program locks up and the task manager doesn’t seem to do what it is made to do… END TASKS.

Do not fret though my fellow windows zombies, there is a tool that windows has added that is very secret. I have no clue why it is secret, cuz everyone should know this. Maybe its not a secret, but more of just not talked about, but anyways its called “taskkiller”.

The consecpt is easy enough, good into taskmanager, find the name of the task that won’t quit, and write it down. Then open up Notepad and type something like this

@echo off
taskkill/im NAMEOFTASK.exe /f

and save as a .bat (Batch file)
In place of the NAMEOFTASK type in what you wrote down earlier, and run the batch file, and ta da! Instant end of the task.

Hopes this helps some of you techs out there that have been emailing me

P.S. Incase you are wondering a breakdown of the code to get the meaning, here it is.

taskkill= the .exe that runs to kill the task
/im= the image name of the task to be killed
/f= to force the kill