Vista’s Flip-3D Effect on Windows XP- Get it

I won’t go against anyone if he has decided to stand firm with Windows XP. Nearly 2 months into Windows Vista and I don't have a good reason to convince someone to shift. Well, may be because Home Basic might not have much to offer.

Vista's Aero interface and the amazing Flip-3D effect. Windows XP’s look definitely looks lame compared to Aero. But who says that you have to shell out big bucks just to get that smooth
window effects that the Mac has been sporting a long time ago (for Vista its WinKey+Tab key).

Shock Aero, a Flip-3D effect simulator that you can use in Windows XP. Installing Shock Aero assigns the Alt+Tab command (plz check, this is unfortunately non-customizable), to initiate the Flip-3D effect mimicking the same effect that you have in Windows Vista. While doesn’t offer anything more than just that, a portable version makes it a worthwhile download.

Download Shock Aero here . for more on Microsft Vista flip features got to this link

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/flip3D.mspx

Microsoft Evolving: Windows Vista Service Pack 1

This has been discussed long on many websites, but still for those who missed it out, Microsoft has publised the much awaited Windows Vista Service pack 1.

First, a note on service packs. As you are aware, service packs are part of our traditional software lifecycle; they’re something we do for most major products as a commitment to continuous improvement. But, the servicing situation has changed with the advent of Windows Vista, as we no longer rely solely on service packs as the main vehicle used to deploy system fixes and improvements. The Windows Update online service is one new way to deliver many OS improvements.

The Noteable Changes as per Microsoft are Reliability Improvements, Performance and Power Consumption Improvements, Security Improvements, Support for New Technologies and Standards, Setup and Deployment Improvements. The detailed Article can be found here

I have already downloaded it, lets see how far the promises of Microsoft works.

Download MediaPortal (Windows)

Windows only: Turn your PC into a full-fledged media center with MediaPortal, an open-source alternative to Microsoft's own Media Center Edition OS.

MediaPortal can play, record and timeshift TV; play videos and DVDs; run photo slideshows; play your music library and FM radio; show local weather; and much more. In short, it offers everything a good media-center application should, all wrapped in a friendly, attractive interface. It even comes with open-source MPEG-2 decoders, a nice extra for systems that don't already have one.
>>Download here

Windows XP Tweaks

How to decrease scandisk delay time ?
Sick of waiting for disk check after a sudden shut down
of windows.
Change the scan-disk delay time-out by using this method :

Click start, type in "cmd" and click ok.
Type CHKNTFS/T:3
This will reduce the time-out to 3 seconds.
You can change the value as desired.

Windows XP Faster Start-up

Click Start.
Click Run.
Type "msconfig" and press enter key.
On the Startup tab click Disable All and on the Services tab check the Hide All Microsoft Service box and then click Disable All. Click Restart and Windows XP will restart with only the system services and applications running resulting in a vey fast startup.

How to change first desktop icon ?

Open your registry editor and create the key below.
Create a new DWORD value, called "SortOrderIndex" and set it according to the value data below.

System Key
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}]
Value Name
SortOrderIndex
Data Type
REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data
(0x48 = My Documents, 0x54 = My Computer)
Exit registry editor, restart Windows.

Change Start Menu Speed

Open registry Editor
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Contro Panel\desktop
Look for "MenuShowDelay".
Change the Delay value default 400 as you like.
The value is delay in milliseconds.
Lesser is the value faster is the start menu display.
Exit and restart windows.

Download of the Day: Pando 1.2 Beta

For Windows and Mac only: E-mail files as large as 1GB with Pando, a free P2P app that overcomes the 10MB file-size barrier inherent to most mail servers.

Unlike the previous version, Pando 1.2 doesn't require you to venture outside your usual e-mail program. AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail users can attach files normally; if Pando determines them to be too large, it'll jump in and offer to send them Pando-style. There's even a Skype plug-in for sending files to your contacts. Just one catch: whatever method you use to send, the recipient also needs to have Pando installed.

Even so, Pando's integration, automation and simplicity give it an edge over web-based services like Dropload and YouSendIt. Definitely worth downloading if you frequently need to send big files. Pando 1.2 Beta is free and requires Windows XP/2000 or Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
- Increase your email attachment limit to 1GB
- Download & share videos, folders of photos, big PPTs
- Send large files and folders over any IM client
>>Download Pando 1.2 Beta

Create a Secret User account in Windows XP

Dont wan't people to mess up with your user account, admin a/c. Here is a tweak, that might work for you.

The welcome screen displays all of the local users on the system, except the built-in administrator account that was created during setup.

Start> Run> Regedit:

(Warning: Editing registry is dangerous. If you don't know how to work in registy please donot mess around, as you system might become unstable and carsh)

For Others please back up your registry before editing:

Start >Run > Regedit>Ok> Registry>Export Registry file>type a name > save

If we want to hide a specific user from the list, we need to create a special value under this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

Under this key you simply create a new DWORD value - the name matches the users name exactly, and the value is one of the following (Decimal format)

0 - Hides the user just from the welcome screen

1 - The user is shown

Close the registry editor > Reboot.

If you want screenShots >>See Here.

A program is also available that will do this for you, eazzy!

Pirated Vista May be Useless

Pre-release ver. without proper activation and Apps will expire, says Microsoft..

Microsoft says supposedly pirated copies of its new Vista computer operating system "will be of limited value" to those who use them.
Microsoft responded to reports that some Web sites have been circulating pirated copies of Vista and the Microsoft Office 2007 applications suite.

The pirated Vista comes with a product key that users can enter to activate a version of the products on their computers without paying for them, according to a report on the Web site of The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald newspaper. A product key is a unique serial number tied to each package of a software product.

>>Read More

Hello ! My name is Vista

For you DCoTers who are still trying to get a handle on what exactly Vista is all about (count me in that group), Blogcritics has a good article called Vista - What You Need To Know.
With four versions (or five, depending on where you live… or six, depending on where you work), it can be pretty difficult to know exactly what to purchase and how to even go about making that decision. Ashleigh Charlesworth helps with a very high level overview of what Vista is and some of the different versions available.
Microsoft also has a basic comparison of the four main versions of Vista.
Here are some direct links to each of the versions on Microsoft’s website:
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Starter
Now, what about upgrading? It appears that depending on where you are coming from and what you are going to, you may need to reinstall completely but there are some options that do have an upgrade path (only about 1/3).
There is a lot of good information out there about Vista. Now is the time to start researching.
Source : Dialycuoftech