Mike's Window : general tip

New and potential Vista users please take note!!

Mike Hall — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:31:30 GMT

If you have bought a computer recently.. ..you will have had a first taste of Windows Vistas UAC (User Account Control). This is the box which pops up now and again to tell you 'NO'. As annoying as this feature can be, it is exists for your benefit...(read more)

Upgrading to Vista..

Mike Hall — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:47:42 GMT

Before you purchase anything.. Target Systems.. Vista needs more RAM and more space in which to operate than previous Windows editions. There is good reason for this, as Vista is way more capable of overcoming system errors, and has way more security...(read more)

Backing up without running out of space..

Mike Hall — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:54:36 GMT

Bearing in mind that a single DVD will not hold a backup image of your Vista installation, and that computer manufacturers do not include a second hard drive or external backup device specifically for the purpose, do NOT attempt a full system backup until...(read more)

Recovery Partitions - Why you should NOT delete them!

Mike Hall — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:20:46 GMT

You may think that an OEM is being 'cheap' by putting a recovery partition on a computer and NOT giving you original Microsoft CD/DVDs. They take up valuable hard drive real estate, but the content of a recovery partition is maybe more valuable...(read more)

Vista Capable?

Mike Hall — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:05:33 GMT

A judge has ok'ed the class action lawsuit against Microsoft regarding the 'marketing' stickers applied to the front of XP machines in the months leading up to the release of Vista. We hear that some 'big noises' within the Microsoft...(read more)

Life after Vista SP1..

Mike Hall — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:13:08 GMT

You know something has worked well when newsgroup 'nay sayers' fall silent or suddenly change sides. Windows XP had problems when first released. Make no mistake, it was a quantum leap forwards especially for Windows 9x/ME users, but it was dogged...(read more)

MSCONFIG is not an on/off switch..

Mike Hall — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:32:00 GMT

You don't believe me? So go take a look for yourself.. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560 It is a DIAGNOSTIC tool. It has never been officially designated an on/off switch, but it became common among Windows 9x users to use it as one. The problem...(read more)

'Why games don't play so well' Update..

Mike Hall — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:50:00 GMT

Since writing the first part, I have reloaded Halo for PC, Combat Flight Simulator 3 and Fable Lost Chapters. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the DirectX 9 'pack' has improved the way the games play now. I can set detail in each game...(read more)

Clean and learn..

Mike Hall — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:36:00 GMT

Remember 'First Aid', 'RegClean', or 'CleanSweep', 'Norton System Doctor', or 'Nuts n Bolts'? If you were a Windows 9x tinkerer, you might. The idea behind them was to aid the computer user in case of problems,...(read more)

Why some games may not play too well..

Mike Hall — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:05:00 GMT

When I first started to use Vista, I was surprised at what would run. Virtually everything I had was ok, games included. However, while games in general would run, some didn't run particularly well. The high end games like Fable, CFS3, Halo and Age...(read more)

Page File Placement..

Mike Hall — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:28:00 GMT

Page files do not exist purely to use up valuable hard drive real estate. Windows is not the only OS to use a page file. The page file is not part of some underhand Microsoft scheme to force you to go out and buy a larger hard drive. The page file exists...(read more)

EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY.. MACHINE DOWN!!!.. BREAK OUT THE BACKUPS..

Mike Hall — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:37:24 GMT

Prologue Wait up. I hear voices in the wind. ".... I didn't know how to work the program... nobody told me I had to do it... I didn't have any blank CD/DVDs... my friend who is a computer expert told me that it was unnecessary.. I never read...(read more)

Virus/Trojan or Hardware? A Few Tips...

Mike Hall — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:30:00 GMT

Your computer is acting up, and it's not always easy to tell. Some of the symptoms of a virus and/or Trojan are similar to what is seen as a hard drive sings its swan song. Question #1.. Was it always that way? Most computers when first supplied work...(read more)

Compatibility and Updates..

Mike Hall — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:54:00 GMT

Microsoft Office 2003 SP3 update has been released recently so, if you are running this version of Office, now is a good time to get it. The easiest way is to open Word 2003, click on HELP and then select 'Check for Updates'. Having arrived at...(read more)