When I provided these manual instructions for restoring a BKF file, I promised that Microsoft would release a tool to simplify the process. Well, here it is.

Before you install it, you’ll need to turn on or install the Removable Storage Management by following these steps:

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Via Lifehacker, here’s a useful Web page providing an introduction to batch files. I’m posting it because I’m constantly amazed at how many very competent Windows users and even administrators don’t know how to use batch files–even though they’re one of the best ways to automate repetitive tasks. For example, I use batch files to update my iPod, process my Web server logs, perform specialized backups, and synchronize files between computers on my network.

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.

Question:

Hi Tony, merry Christmas!I read your article about dual monitors on Microsoft’s site, and was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I understand if you can’t reply, but I thought I’d give it a shot.

I recently set up dual monitors on my system, and have noticed that when I drag a window, or even move my mouse across from monitor one to monitor two, everything on monitor two is about two inches below monitor one.

To clarify, moving the mouse straight across from monitor 1 to monitor 2, the cursor drops about two inches. The desktop wallpapers appear properly though.

Any ideas how to correct this? I’ll be glad to give you any system info you require. Thanks!

Answer:

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Update: A real tool is available to do this, and it works in 64-bit Vista, so use that instead.

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: Read more »

Remote Desktop is a very cool tool that enables you to connect to your computer’s desktop from another computer across the network or even the Internet. The most common use for this is when people work from home and they want to run applications on their office computer–it’s typically much easier to use Remote Desktop to connect to your office computer than it is to try to connect to install every application, shared folder, and printer on your home computer. If you want to connect to a computer at your office, contact your IT department. IT will need to configure your computer and make changes to the firewall.

If you want to connect to another computer in your home across your network, follow these steps (you’ll need access to an administrator account):

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There are many different programs that can capture screenshot videos (known as “screen captures” or “screencaps”), and many different tools that can convert the movies to animated gifs that are easy to show on a website. Here are the two I use (they work with Vista and earlier versions of Windows):

• HyperCam2. Captures a portion of your screen to an AVI file. Can capture sound (or not). This has a free trial, but it’s $40 to buy, and I haven’t found a free tool that does the job.
• Microsoft GIF Animator. Converts an AVI file to a animated GIF. This is a free tool.

First, use HyperCam to capture the portion of the window you want to record. Then, open the saved AVI file in Microsoft GIF Animator. Configure it (such as causing it to repeat or removing excess frames), and save the GIF file. Then, put the GIF file on your website like any other file type. I made the animation below (which shows the non-Aero alt-Tab in Vista) using these tools.

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I’m addicted to the AutoCorrect feature in Word–I use it to both fix common misspellings and to shorten long phrases. For example, if hold they Shift key down too long and type “VIsta”, Word will automatically fix it for me by changing the second letter to lowercase: “Vista”. Similarly, I can add custom AutoCorrect entries to allow me to type long, common phrases with just a couple of letters. For example, I can type “WV” and Word will automatically replace it with “Windows Vista”. This is helpful if you’re a good typist, but if you’re a bad typist, this can be a godsend.
Here’s the problem: I don’t always write in Word. Right now, I’m typing in a browser window, which doesn’t have AutoCorrect. Here’s the answer: Type Access.

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When editing a document in Word or any other editor, I often need to scroll to a different place in the document to look at something I wrote earlier, or to copy and paste some text. To quickly return to the last place you typed, press Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y. That undos and then redos your last change. It doesn’t affect your clipboard though, so anything you copied while scrolled away is still intact.

Most flash games (casual games that open in your browser) assume you have a small monitor with a resolution of 800×600. If you have a higher resolution monitor, the game might be really small in the middle of your screen.

With Internet Explorer 7 (either in Windows Vista or Windows XP), you can zoom the game in to be almost full-screen (after the jump).

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I’m an obsessive photographer. Normally, I sell my pictures, but here are a couple free seasonal pictures you can use as your wallpaper. Just follow these steps:

1. Click the picture you want as your wallpaper so that the larger picture opens in your browser.

2. Right-click the picture, and then click Set as Background.

3. Click Yes when prompted.

I scaled these pictures way down to make them easier to download–my camera (a Canon 5D) takes huge pictures.

Some programs come in .ISO files, which you need to burn to a CD or DVD and then read. There are several tools out there that trick Windows into thinking that a .ISO file (or another disk image file type, like .BIN or .CCD) is a physical disk so you can skip the step of burning it. The only one I know of that works with Vista at this time is Virtual ConeDrive. It’s free, and it works perfectly. Thanks, SlySoft.

If you have a tool you like more, add a comment.

I’m a touch-typist and I find it much faster to use keyboard shortcuts whenever possible. Here are my favorite keyboard shortcuts–most of which work just as well in earlier versions of Windows. The “Windows” key is that funny key at the bottom-left of your keyboard, between the Ctrl and Alt keys.

• Windows-F. Open a search window to quickly search files, e-mail, pictures, and music on your computer. Probably my favorite Vista feature.
• Windows-E. Open an Explorer window showing your computer.

(more after the jump)

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Question:

“I was wondering if you could perhaps help me. I read your bio and was impressed with your skills and talent. I play DAoC and experience SERIOUS lag in the game. I have a AMD 4.2ghz Dual Core with 1gb ram … An NVidia GeForce 7600GS video card … It has 512gb ram. I am on a 3gb cable modem. When I am in the game for the most part it is playable … But when I go where there are other players the latency is so severe that either I can’t move for minutes at a time or I go link dead and have to quit out and restart the application … I am not an expert on PC’s but I know enough to kill all my background programs before playing … When the really bad lag occurs my HD is hitting solid … The light never goes out … I have a 140gb Western Digital HD and have formatted and re-installed WinXP Pro and ran all the updates and have the newest drivers for my video card. I don’t know if this is enough info for you to help but would sure appreciate any and all help you can give … I thoroughly enjoy playing the game and it is very disheartening to experience this absence of performance on a machine I have spent so much money on … I have other friends that play on lesser machines with not as much resources as I have and while they do experience moderate amounts of it they don’t even come close to my frequency of occurances … I have and run the latest spyware / virus software and don’t use any p2p (bearshare/limewire) software … I don’t know if you can help me but I could sure use any and all advice you can give. !!!“

My answer after the jump:

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