The people who are drafting the new user interface guidelines for Windows 7 plan to build the Ribbon, Jewel and “other new UI concepts” natively into the Windows platform.
Ultimately, they want software developers to avoid the prehistoric Win32 UI framework from no other than Windows 95. Instead, use this new lightweight and high performance markup-based UI framework to build “rich, graphics and animated user interfaces”. The Ribbon and Jewel (button in the top left corner) will be a part of this new framework. It sounds very much like WPF, except native.
The Microsoft job posting writes,
Come lead the effort to update the Windows 7 platform with the latest advancements in User Interface design. Bring the Ribbon, Jewel, and other new UI concepts to the Windows platform and work with internal partners and ISVs to update their applications to utilize these hot new UI technologies.
Our mission is to enable the next generation of user interface development on the Windows platform. We will be determining the new Windows user interface guidelines and building a platform that supports it. We’ll eliminate much of the drudgery of Win32 UI development and enable rich, graphical, animated user interface by using markup based UI and a small, high performance, native code runtime.
The UI Platform Team is looking for a senior technical leader to help drive the design and implementation of the new UI framework. Come join our startup team and help us grow it into a powerhouse focused on delivering solutions that developers will love. We offer an environment where you can channel your creativity towards software innovation, work with world-class software professionals and hone your professional skills to grow your career.
Integrating the Ribbon UI into your own applications today is already very possible. Thanks to a royalty-free license and widely available UI controls, the process is quite straightforward. The initial concern was that every developer under the sun would put in a Ribbon because they could, but for the moment it looks as if developers have held back the urge.
By integrating the Ribbon into the Windows platform might provide more consistency compared to the many subtlety-different third-party implementations of Ribbons, but besides that I can’t imagine any other benefits. However, I am intrigued by what they mean by “other new UI concepts”. Perhaps the touch features that will “blow you away”.
Written by Long Zheng on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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Securitypills.com Descriptions:
Download SpyHunter* Spyware Detection Utility.
Securitypills.com, or simply Securitypills, is a nasty Internet Hijacker that directly or indirectly promotes rogue antispyware products. Securitypills.com will cause your computer to perform sluggishly or even lead to a complete crash, which makes you believe that the computer is affected by spyware so you would purchase their products.
If your Internet homepage has been hijacked to “Securitypills.com”, it’s very likely your computer being infected with Zlob.Trojan. Securitypills.com website pops up a warning message stating that you have Virus or Trojan in your computer. If you click OK, it will redirect you to buy products such as Win Spykiller or Antispyware Sheild or Virus Heat.
(more…)
Written by Alex on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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I had a reader write me a few days ago:
...I'm in a school environment and a student has deleted some files and I would like to know how I can do this in Win2k server to catch this sucker. Please advice and more power to you.This can be accomplished through auditing. Lets start out by identifying what folder we want to watch - and be careful where you turn on auditing...turn it on too many folders with too many options and you can have huge performance issues.
We find the folder we want, and right click on it and go to properties
This will bring up the properties page for the folder. Move over to the security tab, and click on the advanced button:
The advanced page will appear. Click on the Auditing tab, and click the add button:
A user dialog will come up. I chose to put the "Everyone" group here. This allows me to audit for any possible user account that may be deleting files. If you think you know who it might be...you could put those users here instead. The smaller window of users being audited means better performance.
Once you click OK, a selection box will be displayed. Again - chose only the options you need. Each additional option will reduce performance. Here I just pick the options to audit deleting files and folders
Click OK through all of the windows you have open. If a user deletes a file or folder Windows will write an event to the security log.
Now. We have our auditing turned on, and you get to work one morning and find that files are missing. Simply open the event viewer and move over to the security log. Look for the event ID 560:
Double click on the event, and you will need to sit there and read it for a little bit to determine who did what. Here is an excerpt from mine (I copied the text from event viewer to notepad for easier reading)
We can see from this log entry that the user Administrator deleted the file setuperr.log
Now when someone deletes a file, you will have no problem determining who did it.
If you have a windows administration question, or an idea for a utility please send me an email at
support@intelliadmin.com. I can't promise that I will answer every email, but I try to read them all.
Written by Steve Wiseman on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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To install Virtual PC
- Insert the installation CD into the CD drive.
If the setup wizard does not start automatically, click Start, click Run, and then type D:\setup.exe, where D: is the letter of the CD drive.
- When the Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 InstallShield Wizard appears, click Next.
- In the License Agreement dialog box, read the agreement, click I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click Next.
- In the Customer Information dialog box, type a user name and organization, as appropriate; type the product key for Virtual PC; and then do one of the following:
- To install Virtual PC for all users of the computer, click Anyone who uses this computer, and then click Next.
- To install Virtual PC only for your use, click Only for me (username), and then click Next.
- In the Ready to Install the Program dialog box, do one of the following:
- To install Virtual PC to the default folder, C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual PC, click Install.
- To install Virtual PC to a different location, click Change. In the Change Current Destination dialog box, browse to the location in which you want to install Virtual PC, click OK, and then click Install.
- When the InstallShield Wizard Completed dialog box appears, click Finish.
Important
- If you install Virtual PC by using Remote Desktop, the installation process ends the remote session. This occurs when the network stack is rebuilt after installing the Virtual PC network drivers. When the session ends, wait a few seconds and then re-establish the remote connection.
Omar Abid Blog
Written by Omar Abid on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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Creating virtual machines is becoming now more popular, and people make more interest on it.
With a Virtual PC, you can create and run one or more virtual machines, each with its own operating system, on a single computer.
Have you dream to have 2 running computers at the same time with the same screen.
You want to do it? Just
download Virtual PC and read the next posts
Omar Abid Blog
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The minimum requirements that your system should meet so you can successfully deploy Virtual PC 2004 will vary depending on the number and type of guest operating systems and applications you plan to install on the virtual machines. For example, to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously, the physical computer must have at least enough memory to cover the requirements of the host operating system and each guest operating system that will run simultaneously. Refer to the system requirements in the following sections to ensure that your system resources will support your deployment.
Physical computer and host operating system requirements
Following are the minimum system requirements for the physical computer and the host operating system:
- An x86-based computer with a 400 MHz or faster (1 GHz recommended) processor with L2 cache. Virtual PC supports the use of AMD Athlon/Duron, Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium II, Intel Pentium III, and Intel Pentium 4 processors. Virtual PC also can use AMD Opteron processors, but only with 32-bit host operating systems. You can run Virtual PC on a multi-processor computer, but it utilizes one processor only.
- CD-ROM or DVD drive
- Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher resolution monitor recommended
- Keyboard and Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device
- Host operating system: Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- For host disk space and memory, refer to the following table to determine the minimum required by the host operating system. This disk space is only a starting point in determining how much disk space you will need. You also must calculate the additional space that will be required by adding the requirements of all guest operating systems you plan to deploy.
Note
- Virtual PC supports up to 3.6 GB of RAM per virtual machine, up to a total of 4 GB of RAM on the physical machine.
| Host operating system | RAM | Disk space |
| Windows XP Professional | 128 MB | 2 GB |
| Windows XP Tablet PC Edition | 128 MB | 2 GB |
| Windows 2000 Professional | 96 MB | 2 GB |
Guest operating system requirements
The following table lists the disk space and RAM required by each operating system that Virtual PC supports as a guest operating system. The minimum required disk space is the sum of the required disk space of each guest operating system and the host operating system, in addition to additional disk space for any applications to be installed on the operating systems. If you plan to run more than one guest operating system simultaneously, you will need to add the RAM requirements for all of those operating systems in addition to the RAM required by the host operating system. To enhance performance, consider increasing the amount of memory beyond the minimum requirement.
| Guest operating system | RAM | Disk space |
| Windows XP Professional | 128 MB | 2 GB |
| Windows XP Home Edition | 128 MB | 2 GB |
| Windows 2000 Professional | 96 MB | 2 GB |
| Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Service Pack 6 or higher | 64 MB | 1 GB |
| Windows Millennium Edition | 96 MB | 2 GB |
| Windows 98 | 64 MB | 500 MB |
| Windows 95 | 32 MB | 500 MB |
| MS-DOS 6.22 | 32 MB | 50 MB |
| OS/2 Warp 4 OS/2 Fixpack 15, OS/2 Warp Convenience Pack 1, and OS/2 Warp Convenience Pack 2 | 64 MB | 500 MB |
Omar Abid Blog
Written by Omar Abid on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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Once you
Install Vista Service Pack 1,the installer will not remove the older Vista files from the computer because it will be required for uninstalling Vista.
If you removing the older files you will not be able to
uninstall Vista SP1,so think about it before you go with removing the Junk files.
There is only a command you need type:
- Open the Command Prompt and type vsp1cln.exe (short for Vista SP1 Cleaner)
Just remember Vista SP1 will now become permanent.
Written by ShaDow on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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To use a startup CD or ISO file to install an operating system
- Open Virtual PC Console.
- In the list of virtual machines, click the virtual machine on which you want to install the operating system, and then click Start.
- Because there is no operating system installed on the virtual machine, a message is displayed to Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device. Ensure that the virtual machine window is the active window on your desktop, and then do one of the following:
- Insert the startup CD for the operating system into the CD drive, and then press ENTER.
- or -
- Drag an ISO file containing a startup CD image to the CD icon in the status bar of the virtual machine window, and then press ENTER.
- In the virtual machine window, follow the instructions provided for the operating system to complete the installation.
To use a system disk to install an operating system from a CD
- Open Virtual PC Console.
- In the list of virtual machines, click the virtual machine on which you want to install the operating system, and then click Start.
- Ensure that the virtual machine window is the active window on your desktop, insert the operating system disc into the CD drive, and then do one of the following:
- If you have a system floppy disk, insert it into the floppy disk drive.
- If you have a system floppy disk that is virtual, drag it onto the floppy disk icon on the status bar of the virtual machine.
- In the virtual machine window, follow the instructions provided for the operating system to complete the installation.
Omar Abid Blog
Written by Omar Abid on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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Virtual PC.exe is the Virtual PC command-line utility and can be used to perform a variety of Virtual PC and virtual machine tasks. By default, it is located in \Program Files\Microsoft Virtual PC.
Syntax
"Virtual PC.exe" [-singlepc] [-quiet] [-usehostdiskcache] [-pc virtual_machine_name [-disableclose] [-disableopt] [-s3bitclip] [-setbiosno bios_serial_number] [-setassettag asset_tag] [-launch] [-extnetworking] [{-fullscreen|-window}] [-geometry widthxheight{+|-}x offset{+|-}y offset] [{-minimize|-restore}] [{-pause|-resume}]] [-help] [-registervm filename.vmc] [-startvm filename.vmc]
Parameters
- -singlepc
- Starts the specified virtual machine without starting Virtual PC Console. This parameter can be useful for simplifying the Virtual PC interface in a corporate or lab environment, where users only want to access a virtual machine and do not need access to Virtual PC Console. This parameter can be used only when starting Virtual PC.
- -quiet
- Prevents the starting of any virtual machines that are configured to start automatically. This parameter can be used only when starting Virtual PC.
- -usehostdiskcache
- Turns on host-side disk caching, which can improve performance of virtual machines running operating systems other than Windows. This parameter can be useful for resolving poor performance problems with disk intensive tasks. This parameter can be used only when starting Virtual PC.
- -pc virtual_machine_name
- Specifies to perform operations on a specific virtual machine. The virtual_machine_name is the name that appears in Virtual PC Console and the virtual machine window for the virtual machine. The following table describes the options for this parameter.
| Value | Description |
| -disableclose | Disables the Close button on the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine. |
| -disableopt | Disables any direct mode execution within the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be useful for providing a temporary resolution for poor stability of applications on a guest operating system. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine. |
| -s3bitclip | Clips accelerated S3 bit coordinates to 12 bits on the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine. |
| -setbiosno bios_serial_number | Sets the BIOS serial number of the specified virtual machine to the value specified. This can be useful for tracking Virtual PCs when using hardware management software. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is not running. |
| -setassettag asset_tag | Sets the chassis asset tag of the specified virtual machine to the value specified. This can be useful for tracking Virtual PCs when using hardware management software or tracking other specific information. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is not running. |
| -launch | Starts the specified virtual machine. Specify this parameter after -pc and any other optional parameters shown before -launch in the syntax section. |
| -extnetworking | Specifies that all network connections on the specified virtual machine operate in external only mode. This limits the access of the virtual machine to only resources external to the physical computer. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine. |
| -fullscreen | Switches a running virtual machine to full-screen mode. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
| -window | Switches a virtual machine running in full-screen mode to window mode. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
| -geometry widthxheight{+|-}x offset{+|-}y offset | Specifies the location and window size of the specified virtual machine. The offsets are relative to the upper left corner of the screen. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
| -minimize | Minimizes the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
| -restore | Brings the specified virtual machine to the foreground of the screen. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
| -pause | Pauses the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
| -resume | Restores a paused virtual machine to an active state. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running. |
- -help
- Displays the online help topic, "Using the command line," when Virtual PC 2004 opens. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.
- -registervm filename.vmc
- Registers the specified .vmc file, which adds the corresponding virtual machine to the list of virtual machines. This parameter can be useful for using an automated deployment to register a .vmc without launching it. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is not running.
- -startvm filename.vmc
- Registers the specified .vmc file, which adds the corresponding virtual machine to the list of virtual machines, and starts the virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.
Examples
The following examples show two ways to use Virtual PC.exe to start a virtual machine. In the examples, Contoso is the name of the virtual machine. The quotation marks are mandatory elements of the code.
Omar Abid Blog
Written by Omar Abid on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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One of the various problems that I was facing before discovering this powerful application is DataSearch. Whenever I want to search a document I have to spend minutes waiting for the Windows search, but if I want to search in a document content Windows will never finish it's search and sometimes (always) don't search all the files!
Google desktop come with the solution. You can now search thousands of files, but not only files name but also content, in just seconds and less than 1 seconds, query takes 0.2 or 0.3 secondds only.
Plus Google desktop can search Zip, Pdf, Office, Video, images... and with plugin you can add more extension to it.
How Google do that?
Like it do it on the web, Google can search milliards of web pags in just one second!
The secret of this speed
The secret that there's no secret, Google just make a giant database where he puts all your files (text) on it. With a database, Google can make queries in less than 1 second.
Where to find this database?
After some days of installing Google Desktop, search on the top level of your hard drives for this folder "Google Desktop Data". You'll find that it's size is bigger than 350 mb, that's normal as Google compress your saved data. Open it and you'll find the databases (don't delete them!)
Omar Abid Blog
Written by Omar Abid on March 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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