I installed windows vista and cant locate all my files I had before I installed……….programs, music, pictures etc…how can i retrieve them?

Answer:

Hi. Check this article out:

My Pictures, My Music, My Videos–Where did they go?

1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click System and Maintenance.
3. Click Windows Anytime Upgrade.

The Windows Anytime Upgrade window appears. You can view your current edition of Windows in the upper-right corner. Click the Upgrade link, click Begin upgrade process, and then follow the prompts that appear. If you have your Vista setup DVD, you can upgrade immediately (every Vista setup DVD contains every edition of Vista). Otherwise, you’ll need to order a DVD and wait for that to appear.

If you are running Home Premium or Ultimate and you still can’t play a DVD, you probably have some DVD playback software installed that’s not compatible with Windows Vista (like, say, an older version of PowerDVD, WinDVD, VLC Media Player, etc). Try upgrading whichever you’re using to a Vista-compatible version. As an alternative to upgrading to Vista, you could also install one of these tools to watch DVDs–just google the names.

I installed vista ,now I can’t get the DVDs to play. the auto play is on .cant add any of the printers I lost to this new bull shit vista why?

Answer:

I don’t have enough info to speak to your printers problem–feel free to tell me more about what specifically is going wrong.

Regarding the DVD, are you using Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Business, or Windows Vista Enterprise? If so, DVD playback isn’t included with the operating system. Only Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate include DVD playback.

If you’re using Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate, or Windows 7 versions of these applications, it’s possible your DVD driver is the problem. Try these steps to fix a broken CD or DVD.

If you’re not running Home Premium or Ultimate, you can follow these steps to upgrade:

1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click System and Maintenance.
3. Click Windows Anytime Upgrade.

The Windows Anytime Upgrade window appears. You can view your current edition of Windows in the upper-right corner. Click the Upgrade link, click Begin upgrade process, and then follow the prompts that appear. If you have your Vista setup DVD, you can upgrade immediately (every Vista setup DVD contains every edition of Vista). Otherwise, you’ll need to order a DVD and wait for that to appear.

If you are running Home Premium or Ultimate and you still can’t play a DVD, you probably have some DVD playback software installed that’s not compatible with Windows Vista (like, say, an older version of PowerDVD, WinDVD, VLC Media Player, etc). Try upgrading whichever you’re using to a Vista-compatible version. As an alternative to upgrading to Vista, you could also install one of these tools to watch DVDs–just google the names.

You’re officially an early adopter, though, and whether you’re buying a car in the first model year or installing a newly released operating system, problems are much more likely during the first year of production use. Here are some tips to make your first weeks with Vista as fun and productive as possible:

• Update your drivers. Sure, it’s a new computer, but MS has released updates since your computer was manufactured.
• First, click Start, type Update, and then click Windows Update. Then, click Check for updates and install anything it finds.
• Next, check your computer manufacturer for updates. If you bought a Dell, go to the Dell support website. If you bought an HP, check out the support section of their website. Install any updates they have available for Windows Vista.
• Often, hardware component manufacturers (such as Nvidia or ATI, which make video cards) release updates weeks or months before the computer manufacturer releases them to you. During the first few months of Vista’s consumer lifespan, we’re going to see lots of important updates, so it’s worthwhile to check component manufacturer websites for your video, audio, and network adapters. To figure out who manufactured each of your components, click Start, type devmgmt.msc, and then press Enter. You’ll be prompted for administrative credentials. Now, expand Display Adapters, and make note of your video card manufacturer. Go directly to the company’s website (try Googling the manufacturer name) and look for their support section for updated drivers. Repeat this for devices in Sound, video, and game controllers and Network adapters.

• Update your programs. Most software developers have been getting their programs ready for Windows Vista, so visit their websites and install the latest version. If you don’t see a Vista-compatible version, look for betas–it may still be a few weeks before some software developers release final versions of Windows Vista software.
• Setup automatic backups. Vista is mostly secure by default, but one thing that you MUST setup that can’t be enabled by default is automatic backups. So, buy yourself an external hard drive and schedule nightly backups. No matter how reliable Vista is, computers can die or be stolen, and you don’t want to lose your files and pictures. After you get all your programs installed, run a Complete PC backup, too.
• Read about Vista. Lots has changed, and much of it you won’t notice. This website is a great start–browse through my archives. In particular, check out my Productivity, Troubleshooting, and Security tips. Try stuff out–especially the Search features.
• Don’t start turning stuff off. Yes, UAC is annoying, and Aero can be irritating, but resist the urge to immediately disable them. Live with the default settings for a couple of weeks. They’re enabled by default for a good reason, and you’ll probably get used to them. If you still hate them after a couple of weeks, turn them off at that time.
• Enable compatibility mode for programs that don’t work. Then, visit the software developer’s website, and write them a note asking for an update that’s compatible with Vista. They might not realize that their users have Vista up and running.

You have other advice for new users? Add a comment.

If you skipped entering the product key when setting up Windows, or you chose not to immediately activate, Windows will eventually make you activate by showing the dialog above. Go ahead and click Activate Windows online now–even if there’s a problem, you’re not going to get into trouble.

If it doesn’t appear automatically, you can manually activate Windows by following these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. Click System and Maintenance.

3. Click System.

4. Under Windows Activation, click the link to enter your product key (it might take a few seconds to appear).

If you didn’t enter a Product Key during setup, the Windows Activation wizard will prompt you to enter one now. Now’s the time; if you don’t enter it, you won’t be able to do much with Windows. If you did enter a product key during setup and you’re still prompted to enter one, click the Show me the details for the error that requires this change link. It’ll explain that your key is invalid or has been activated on a different computer–you can only activate most product keys on one computer.
If you don’t have a product key, or if you entered a product key for a different edition of Windows Vista, click Buy a new product key online. Then, click the Windows link in the upper-left corner, and pick your edition of Windows. Of course, you don’t have to order Windows this way; you can go to a store, or order one through an online retailer. Just be sure to get the same edition of Windows that you picked during installation (ie., if you chose Ultimate, you need to buy Windows Vista Ultimate or be forced to re-install Windows)
If you already have a product key, type it, and click Next. You’ll see an error message if there was a problem with your product key. If activation goes well, you won’t see anything–you’ll just be taken back to your desktop. You can follow the steps I showed earlier and check under Windows Activation to verify that you activated successfully.

The original article (written in 2007) is included for your reference below. It discusses the problems with 64-bit versions of Windows, some of which still exist, but to a much lesser degree. I’m using 64-bit Windows 7 on just about all my computers now, and it’s working great. I have quite a variety of hardware, too, and haven’t run into any compatibility problems.

The original article:

32-bit.

Well, that was an easy choice. Most new processors will support either, and in fairness, there are a few good reasons to install the 64-bit version of Windows Vista. If ALL of the following describe you, you should install the 64-bit Windows Vista.

• I use a limited set of applications, and they are all available in 64-bit.
• The hardware I use is all recent, and I’ve verified that 64-bit drivers are available.
• I need more than 2GB of RAM (maybe for video editing or running multiple virtual machines).
• I’m a geeky blowhard who is willing to waste hours and hours of time to evangelize a wider bus.

Actually, if that last bullet describes you, ignore the previous bullets–you’ll love 64-bit.
In summary, Windows Vista 64-bit is MUCH better than Windows XP 64-bit, but most people will still be happier using the 32-bit version of Windows. Vendors finally seem to be catching up with the drivers, and more applications are available. You’ll still run into some of the following:

• Constant compatibility problems, including Web sites that won’t work properly (think SharePoint, or sites with some ActiveX controls)
• Programs that aren’t available natively in 64-bit
• Games that just won’t run
• Updated drivers (VERY important during the first few months of Vista’s life) will take longer to find because 64-bit Vista requires all drivers to be signed, and the signing process takes time. You can’t turn this off.
• Drivers for unusual hardware (like that webcam you bought three years ago) might not exist at all

Want a second opinion? Read Joe Hancuff’s experience with 64-bit Vista and Chris Lanier’s opinion on 64-bit Media Center.

Basically, have your Microsoft Volume Licensing administrator head over to your volume licensing site and order the Vista Ultimate media (you can’t download it).

Detailed instructions are available from Eric Ligman here and here. Eric also provides instructions for downloading Vista Enterprise (if you’re a Software Assurance customer)–the version of Vista that really is intended for business use.

To give business users a chance to check out Windows Vista without installing it, Microsoft is experimenting with the Windows Vista Business Test Drive. You get the chance to play with the Windows Vista user interface within your browser window. It’s not working in Firefox for me, so try it in Internet Explorer

Thanks to Roberdan!

Microsoft funded a study by Principled Technologies to compare the performance of the Windows XP user interface to the Windows Vista Aero interface. Here’s my summary:

• Comparisons were done with a variety of different computers, some more powerful than others. Naturally, the Aero tests required computers capable of running Aero. So, these results don’t necessarily apply to your old XP computer.
• With or without Aero, Vista performs about the same on business tasks (like opening Office documents). Some things are faster, some are slower, but it’s a wash overall.
• Vista with Aero performs about the same as Vista without Aero. So, don’t feel like you need to disable Aero for performance.
• Though all my computers are capable, I can’t run Aero because screenshots look awful. I’m fine with either interface. I’m just saying, even if Aero did cause a performance impact and you wanted to turn it off, the other Vista improvements more than make up for it.

Microsoft is working on a tool to simplify restoring files from backups you made with Windows XP, but it’s not ready yet. In the meantime, plan on scrapping your old backups–as soon as you get Vista running, do a Complete PC backup, and then schedule nightly backups.

If you really need to restore files from a .BKF file, this thread provides guidance. I’ll copy the steps here for reference:

1) create a folder somewhere, call it ntbackup just so you can keep track of
what you’ve done
2) from an existing XP installation, copy these 3 files into the new folder:
ntbackup.exe, vssapi.dll, ntmsapi.dll. Optionally, copy the files
ntbackup.chm and ntbackup.hlp. Do not overwrite any Vista files that have
the same names.
3) run ntbackup.exe. dismiss the error dialog concerning removable storage
if it appears.
4) catalog the backup file as you normally would (select the Restore tab,
then select Tools/Catalog) then select and restore your files. Remember to
restore them to an alternate location using the drop-down box in the
lower-left corner of ntbackup.

If you don’t have a running XP installation, then extract the listed files
from the XP installation CD. If you don’t know where these files are, you
can use search to find them; they will have the same filename except the last
character will be an underscore (e.g., ntbackup.exe will be ntbackup.ex_ on
the CD). i have not done an exhaustive search of every version of XP’s
installation CD to determine their locations.

Since you are (presumably) not running as an administrator under Vista as
you probably were under XP,
1) some extraneous errors may occur during the restore. check the results
of the restore to ensure that you got all the files you needed from the
backup, and apply the appropriate security settings to the restored files
manually if necessary
2) You might need to turn off the option to restore file security. (Hit the
“Advanced” button in the restore dialog).

ntbackup also appears to work for backing up files, but I wouldn’t trust it
to do so correctly without extensive testing.

Hint: you can’t just run the updates–you have to right-click them and then click Run As Administrator. If you install other Dell updates (such as Dell’s new audio update for Vista), you’ll need to extract it, then find the Setup file and run it as administrator. Dell’s releasing updates for Vista, so why can’t they make them run properly with UAC enabled?
If you have a different type of computer, check your manufacturer’s website for any updates for Vista. We’ll see pretty frequent driver and BIOS updates for the next six months or so.

Hi, Greg. Your documents should be in the Documents folder (it’s been renamed from “My Documents”). You can click Start, Documents to open it. As long as you did an upgrade and not a re-install, all your old documents are automatically copied to the new documents folder. If you did a custom install rather than an upgrade, the files will still be there, but they won’t be automatically migrated. Look in the following folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\username\username‘s Documents\

If you don’t see them there, click Start, and then click Search. Search for one of your documents–it should pop up, and you can find the location.

If you did a custom install and you formatted your hard disk (this would only have happened if you ignored several warnings), you’ll need to restore your files from backup.

Good luck.

(more after the jump)

Then, click No to confirm. Next, you’ll be prompted to pick your edition of Vista (which is normally automatically determined by your product key):

Be sure to pick the edition that corresponds to your product key. If you pick the wrong edition, you’ll either have to re-install Vista with the correct product key, or you’ll need to buy a product key for the edition you chose. You’ll have 14 days to type a product key after installing Vista.

Note: the editions that end with N (Windows Vista HOMEBASICN and Windows Vista BUSINESSN) don’t have  Windows Media Player to comply with European regulations. Those editions aren’t sold in the US.

They also moved the folders to a different place. Instead of being with My Documents (er, just Documents now), they’ve been promoted up one level, to the same level as Documents. Well, all you need to know is that they’re directly on your Start menu.  Just click Start, and then click the folder in the upper-right corner of your Start menu. Except for Videos. For Videos, you’ll need to click Start, click your username, and then double-click Videos in the Explorer window that opens.
If you want to know the physical folder locations, follow the jump…

With Vista, Microsoft did their best to shorten folder paths. Instead of storing user profile files under C:Documents and Settingsusername, they’re now in C:Usersusername. Your familiar folders are now stored at:

• My Documents = C:UsersusernameDocuments
• My Pictures = C:UsersusernamePictures
• My Music = C:UsersusernameMusic
• My Videos = C:UsersusernameVideos

First, don’t upgrade before March of 2007 unless you’re willing to waste some time fooling with bugs and faulty drivers. If you really hate unreliable computers, wait until June. At the current time, Windows Vista still has some significant bugs, and drivers have even more bugs. That doesn’t mean Windows Vista is unreliable–it’s just young. Over time, developers will catch these little problems and fix them. They couldn’t get to every bug during the beta period, so some aren’t fixed until after release. This is especially true for laptops, tablets, and Media Center computers. (advice and instructions after the jump)

If you’ve decided you’re ready to take the plunge, first review the Windows Vista system requirements:

• Processor: 800 MHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• System Memory: 512 MB
• Graphics: SVGA (800×600)
• Hard disk free space: 15 GB
• A DVD-ROM drive

Yes, Vista really will run with those specs, and it won’t be any slower than Windows XP is. You won’t get to see all the cool stuff, though, like the translucent Aero user interface. If you want Aero, you need a computer that meets the “Windows Vista Premium Experience” requirements:

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32-bits per pixel
• 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space
• DVD-ROM drive
• Audio output capability
• Internet access capability

If you bought a computer in 2006, you’re probably ready to run Aero.

Here’s the one requirement that always gets me: 15GB of free space. I could have terabytes of space and I’d still only have 2GB left, because I always fill up the space, and I only clean it up when I’m really running out. The best place to start is the Disk Cleanup Wizard. To run the Disk Cleanup Wizard, follow these steps:

1. Open My Computer, right-click your C: drive, and then click Properties.
2. On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. Disk Cleanup will spend a few minutes examining your disk.
3. The Disk Cleanup dialog box opens (below).
   
4. Select the desired check boxes in the Files to Delete list, and then click OK. Disk Cleanup will spend several minutes clearing space.

If you don’t have 15GB free yet, it’s ime to get rid of some of that clutter. Look for a C:\i386 folder, and delete it if you have it. It’s got Windows XP files stored in it, which you won’t need anymore. If you have an external hard disk, an iPod, or a flash drive, temporarily move some files to them to clear up some space. After you’re done with the upgrade to Windows Vista, re-run the Disk Cleanup wizard, and you’ll be able to remove the old Windows XP files. For me, that saved 35GB of space. I have no idea how i ended up with 20GB of extra free space after my upgrade to Vista, but that’s how it worked.

Now that you’ve got the free space, go ahead and insert the Vista DVD and start the upgrade (it’ll prompt you automatically). The upgrade process will tell you if you have any drivers or software that don’t work with Windows Vista. I had quite a few. Check on the Web for updates to those programs and drivers to allow them to work with Vista. If you can’t find an update and you’re not prepared to give up those programs and devices, don’t upgrade yet.
Good luck!