Nick Dodson wrote:


This article is not supposed to be another bashing of the latest Microsoft OS product. I just want to mention a few specifics here to help out my friends in the animation world.

Like a number of folks I have been disappointed and, at times, even frustrated by Windows Vista. Compatibility issues, hardware and software anomalies and the never ending struggle between good and evil I have termed THE CODEC WARS have cost me hours of productivity that could have spent actually creating the things that fulfilled the purpose of my most recent technology purchase. That said, being a person who has worked with, trained others on and repaired/reclaimed technology for the past 13 years, I understand that the more and better the technology, the more and more complex the problems that come with it. So, whatever.

I use a program named CreaToon, version 3.0 , to create simple Flash type animations. It is a very compact and intuitive program. I am thinking of teaching my 4 year old to use it. It’s that simple. Bringing that program to Vista was problematic for one major reason that I recall-the preview window was always black. I am not sure if it was a Microsoft mismanagement of resources or an actual video problem, but after a series of codec updates that accomplished nothing but wasting bandwidth, I solved this problem through the video control panel itself.

I have an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE adapter on board an HP Pavilion Slimline, dual Athlon 64. When you right click on the desktop, you can select the NVIDIA Control Panel option. This brings up numerous options to control how video elements are represented, 3d and otherwise, on you compy. For CreaToons, I added a program profile and disabled hardware acceleration. This made a smile appear as my preview window showed the little man waving instead of a black void.

Another program that has been around a while is Stop Motion Animator. Obviously this program is used for capturing frames of stop motion animation. It’s superb for onion skinning the frames as you capture them from you camera. The problem here was again not being able to see the preview in SMA of what was appearing on the camera LCD. After a number of failed attempts, the solution, believe or not, actually came from a Windows, um, feature? In Vista you can right click on a program and select the "Properties" option. This gives you a tabbed dialogue. One of the tabs in Vista is "Compatibility". Checking the "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" box gives you access to a list of OS options you can select. I selected XP Service Pack 2 and, just for good measure, chose to run the program as adminstrator. And, voila!! It worked. No hunt for a mystery codec needed. Incidently, running programs as administrator has resolved a number of issues, with Motorola Phone Tools for example. May not be the best way, but it has worked for me.

So there is a sample of my personal, problem-solving experiences with Vista. There are others. Adobe Premiere and After Effects, for example. I do not guarantee that these suggestions will work for you on your particular computer, but who knows? Certainly not tech support. Give it a try. Don’t be afraid of Vista. It’s just and operating system, after all.

M. Aslam wrote:


Windows Ultimate is unique in that it not only features all the features of the other Windows editions, but also includes downloadable Windows Ultimate Extras. Available through Windows Update, they are slated to include some pretty incredible software. Microsoft bills them as cutting edge utilities and applications.

Flip 3D is a cool way to breeze through the open applications on the Windows desktop. Plain-old Flip is the new name for the Alt+Tab combination that shows your open applications and lets you choose from among them. Now, however, you can also use the Windows key with Tab to present a 3D view of your open applications. The applications also show what’s going on inside them. This Aero feature is both nifty and handy.

Windows Vista Ultimate is the first operating system to live up to its name. It truly is the ultimate in desktop operating systems. This book guides you through the new features with a strong focus on multimedia and gaming, as well as shows you how to install Windows Vista fresh or upgrade your legacy Windows installation; how to network multiple computers in a home environment;

how to get the most out of your movies, photographs and music; and how to leverage the new gaming features to your advantage; and that’s just the beginning.

Windows Vista Ultimate is designed for multimedia and gaming, and it boast a host of new features to make audio, video, and interactive experiences better than ever before. Besides the Games folder, mentioned earlier, it incorporates a bunch of other nifty upgrades.

Paul ryan wrote:


In this age when everything is hectic, conveniences matter a lot. And with the new feature from Microsoft Vista, having information at your fingertips has become even better. With the advent of the Windows SideShow, viewing and downloading information from one PC to another has never been easier.

The new Microsoft Vista Windows SideShow comes with a feature akin to a picture frame. This wireless-based Vista mechanism supports a secondary screen on your computer. The Windows SideShow from Microsoft Vista can be used to view information from your mobile or desktop computer to a wide variety of devices like on a keyboard’s display, a display embedded on a laptop lid, or one that’s built into your remote control. This Microsoft Vista technology allows users to download information from a computer to another device, keep it for display and have it on standby and ready to be referenced.

With the new Microsoft Vista Windows SideShow, you can check your calendar, scan top news stories or view your Windows Mail inbox without having to turn your computer on. The extra display also allows you to view essential information whether you laptop is on, off or in a sleep mode, saving you both time and battery life. You can also look up appointments and contacts on the secondary screen. Selection and navigation through the accessible functionality is also easy with the little buttons located next to the screen.

The information displayed on a stationary LCD screen is courtesy of an Auxiliary Display Controller (ADC). The LCD screen may be of any size a device designer needs. Screens may range from monochrome panel of a computer’s external surface, on a remote control or on a mobile phone. The Microsoft Vista’s SideShow uses Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in order to convert information to a type that allows efficient display on the small screens on mobile devices.

The Microsoft Vista tool also has the capacity to use gadgets and mini programs to pull out information from your PC to other devices. Turning gadgets for each of your devices can be turned on or off using a fundamental site in Control Panel called the Windows SideShow. Using the Microsoft Vista tool, you can use gadgets to run on a device that’s Windows Sideshow-compatible and update that device with information from your PC. This gadget then allows you to view information from your computer whether it’s on, off or in the sleep mode.

The Microsoft Vista’s SideShow currently supports a variety of devices that take advantage of the new technology in the display of quick and efficient information. Examples of such devices include: displays embedded in keyboards, displays attached to a laptop, cell phones, remote controls, digital picture frames, televisions, alarm clocks and other display panels. Basically, the devices function in two modes. The State S0 mode is when the computer runs in the normal condition while the display interacts and shows live data. The State S3 mode is the state when the computer is standing by, hibernating or in low power mode.

The SideShow feature provided by Microsoft Vista is available in the following editions: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

Written by Marko Hammond

Alan Johnson wrote:


Whether you’re a business or individual it’s more important than ever to be able to recover from it as quickly as possible and with minimum data loss.  Understanding this Microsoft Vista Ultimate and Business editions are now bundled with a good and easy to use Backup and Restore service.  However it’s surprising just how many people no so little about it and are not using it.  This article outlines this useful service and how to get the best out of it so you can feel secure in the knowledge recovering from a disaster is simplicity itself.

A pre-requisite to using this feature of Vista is buying the license for either Vista Business or Ultimate editions.  Unfortunately Microsoft have not made it available in other versions of Vista.   There are two types of backup you can use, and they affect how you restore the system:



Using the ‘Backup Computer’ it’s possible to write what’s called an image backup of your entire PC to a backup device usually a USB stick or external drive.  This snapshot of your entire system allows you to recover exactly to the same point in time.  However, because it is an ‘image’ of your system drive it requires the restoring PC to have a system drive of at least the same capacity.  Usually it would be the same PC so this is not a problem.  It is also the lengthier of the two backup options as it backs up the whole machine.

Using ‘Backup Files’ you can backup selected data files such as images, photos, music, documents, spreadsheets, emails and application data.  This type of backup is incremental i.e. it only backs up changed files and therefore is usually very fast taking only a few minutes.  However it will not enable you to restore a full system, only those backed up files.



Typically we advise you use both types of backup and blend them to cover all your data and system.  So for example you might take a complete backup weekly, but a file backup daily.  In the event of a disaster you would need to restore the system backup first, and then each daily backup (since its incremental) that contains changes that will not be on the full system backup.

The service has a scheduling function within it so that regular file or full image backups can be taken on a regular basis be that daily, weekly or monthly, whatever suits your needs.  With the speed of modern drives the backup of your entire PC can be done within an hour and in the event of a disaster be recovered in a similar amount of time.  

There are many options for backup devices but with the steadily decreasing cost of external hard drives and USB memory sticks these are looking like the consumer and very small business users backup device of choice.  You need a minimum of 80GB of space to backup up your entire system and that’s what I’d recommend you do. An external hard drive would normally be connected to your PC via a free USB2 socket, however in some instances you may also have eSATA, Ethernet or Firewire (IEEE1394) connections available as alternatives. The fastest connections to use for backup in reverse order are USB2, Firewire and eSATA.

Should your machine stop working for either software or hardware related reasons the Image backup allows you to return it to its last working state to and be confident that everything should work perfectly as it did previously. What this means is that should anything go wrong with your current installation like a faulty hard drive, corrupt windows file or Virus problems, all that is needed to be done is to enter the Windows Vista Ultimate or Business disc, plug in the backup device and start the PC. Once you have done so, follow the steps below to fully restore your PC to the exact state as it was at the last backup.

Keeping your back-up image up to date means you don’t have to worry about any problems caused by software errors, virus infections, hardware failures or corruption. Similarly, should your system hard disk fail entirely, all that would need to be done would be to get a replacement, install it and then follow the process of a system restore and you would have your operating system and software back as it was before.

Please note system restore points described in Windows are a different tool. They save operating system files as a snapshot at a given time in another directory (usually hidden) on your system disk so that without referring to a backup you can reverse a hot fix, service pack or driver update should it prove to cause instability or bugs.  This is obviously no use to you is the system disk fails or becomes corrupted.

Doesn’t RAID protect me from drive failures though?

Ideally if you have also selected our RAID1 or RAID5 disk storage configuration you can afford to lose one hard drive and simply ‘hot swap’ it out for a replacement without any interruption to the working system as it is able to rebuild the information that was on the missing drive on the fly, until you are able to replace the defective drive. Once the defective drive is replaced the RAID5 redundant volume set is rebuilt on the new drive and you have fault tolerance restored once again.

Remember your backup images don’t care whether it’s a RAID drive they are being backed up from or restored to so you can back up a RAID set and restore to non-RAID or vice versa.

How to restore Vista from a backup

Assuming you have your backups now to recover from your backup device (USB or External hard drive), and your machine is now back up and running (or you are using a similar replacement machine) and you have the same capacity hard drive space available it’s very simple.  Just go through the following steps:

1. Insert your Windows operating system DVD into the drive

2. Reboot your machine (or power on)

3. If you are asked whether to ‘Press A Key’ to boot from CD-ROM, then do so. The standard windows installation process will now begin with a progress bar along the bottom of your screen. Select your preferred language when prompted (i.e. ‘UK English’) and click ‘Next’.

4. Once the Windows setup DVD has started select the Repair option from the first screen. You will see the ‘Repair your computer’ option on the bottom left. Click on it and click ‘Select’.

On The following screen click ‘Next’ and you will get to a screen with an option o perform a ‘Complete PC restore’

5. Then select the option to ‘Windows Complete Restore’ to restore from your latest backup (ensure your backup device is already connected and switched on)

6. Windows will now look for backups on your device and allow you to restore your system from it, this will take a few minutes depending on how big your system disk was in terms of volume of data that has been backed up

7. Now remove the Windows setup DVD, and reboot your PC again

8. Your system will now be restored to the state of your last Full image backup

9. You can now go into Control Panel, System Maintenance, Backup and Restore, and select to restore any documents, images, music, email or data files that are backed up individually but were not in the last Full image backup

Please note running through this process WILL DESTROY any existing data on the disks as it completely overwrites it with your backup image including any new files that might be on the disk so you need to be sure you do want to restore from the backup.



Typically a full backup image will take up at least 10GB of space, and your restore will create a new volume of exactly the same size as your original volume so you must ensure that you are restoring to a volume at least as big as your backup volume was.

Backup and Disaster Recovery FAQ

What do I need to do to ensure backups are run?

Just make sure you machine is on at the time set for backups to run, the backup device is connected and switched on. We also recommend you make sure all applications are closed and its advisable to have nothing running while backups are being taken. We default the backup to be done every week, on Sunday, at 7pm.

Manually running backups

If you would like to run a one off backup because you are about to change your system configuration or add hardware or software and you want to be sure the system is safe this is a prudent practice and is easy to do. Go to the ‘Start’ bar (which has now been replaced with a Windows icon in the case of Vista) and Click on Control Panel, followed by System Maintenance and then Backup and Restore Centre. Select ‘Backup computer’ to make a full image backup of the entire machine and its configuration, or select ‘Backup files’ to make incremental backups of changed data files (the latter being much quicker and requiring far less backup space).

Bear in mind that you need to rename your backup image file names manually so you can identify which one is which when it comes to having to restore them, otherwise each successive backup will simply overwrite the last and you cant recover to a given point in time. To change their folder names simply use file explorer as you would on any other windows file system device.

All backups are stored in a folder on the backup device named ‘Windows image backup’. The default name for the folder will be the PC’s computer name. Here, simply right click the folder with the new backup you have made (the new one will be identifiable by the date) and select ‘rename’. If you then need to restore to any given point you will be given a choice of folder names identifying all your backups you can restore from.

Do I need to backup anything else?

I recommend you also periodically (say once a month or quarter) backup your full system with a complete image backup. This is the only way to ensure the whole system in its complete working state is backed up and can be restored to. If you don’t mind the wait for it to finish its better to run a Full backup as often as possible, but it can take some time (several hours).

Can I restore my system even if its still working?

Yes! If you want to revert to a previous working state of your system at the time of an earlier backup then even though your system is working you can go through the same procedure above to restore it to that earlier point. This is sometimes useful if a software or driver installation or a virus has infected your machine and you would like to safely revert to an earlier known working and secure state.

If the Windows DVD/CD wont boot on my machine what should I do?

Most likely your CD/DVD drive isn’t set as the first priority boot device so the PC is scanning the disks and trying to boot from them first and failing. You need to check your boot priority setup in the machines BIOS setup. You can usually enter the BIOS by pressing at start-up (PC start-up, not Windows start-up, if windows is starting up its too late), usually there is a screen to accompany this to tell you when to press or another prescribed key). Your BIOS will usually give you three or more options for priority order of boot devices for installing windows or recovering from a backup this needs to be set as [CD-ROM] or [USB] first, it doesn’t matter what follows it in second priority but ideally it should be your system disk to minimise boot-up time. This is exactly the same process as if you were about to fresh install Windows onto the machine

Protecting backup media

Don’t forget your backup is only as good as the medium it’s on.  In business its good practice to dummy run a restore of your system every now and again to make sure the process and the media are working properly.  If you have the time id recommend you do the same.  Its also advisable to protect the media especially if all your backups are on a single external drive or USB device.  Consider storing the device in a fire safe in between backups to ensure it doesn’t get destroyed in the event of a building fire, flood or collapse.  To be doubly sure buy two backup devices and rotate them on and off site (at a friends house or different business location) that way if an aeroplane hits your house (hopefully while you are out!) your friend still has one of your backups for you…

Logan Albright wrote:


Windows Vista was introduced a while ago as an upgrade to the Windows XP and 2000 users as something more tactile, easier to use - packed with security features that will ensure the safety of your work and your operating system experience. It was also more flashy, more user friendly and gained a lot of popularity because of its more palpable interface. Though it had some compatibility issues when it was first released, Windows Vista has really come ahead in the game and has become the solution for many computer users all over the world. But of course, Windows Vista is built on the same principles as the previous versions of the OS and because of that, it is inevitably an imperfect superstructure. A word of caution here - no OS is perfect because of the degradation effects of technology and the human element in the mix. There are actually quite a few common Windows Vista error messages and this article will discuss how to troubleshoot them if you ever encounter any of them.

The solution is no different from the solution that was available for previous editions of Microsoft’s incarnations. The common element here is the registry, and Windows Vista still operates with the registry as the integral matrix that it uses to ensure that all operations within its operating system environment run smoothly. With the registry, no matter how advanced the OS, common problems will always occur. When ever you introduce third party software and programs in Windows Vista, you will introduce the potential of new problems, especially in the registry. Bad registry keys left by rogue programs, invalid entries left by incomplete uninstalls and orphan keys are still features of an unhealthy Windows registry - be it XP or Vista. Surprised? Don’t be. Microsoft invented the registry for the simple fact that all executions in the computer need a reference point and all instructions for the different programs need somewhere to be stored. It hasn’t changed at all.

The same problems that made those runtime errors, mediahub errors and Active X errors still exist in Windows Vista, and would most likely still exist in future incarnations of Windows. The good thing about most of the registry cleaners is that they have adapted to the new operating system and is compatible with the new code and language that Vista is using. A quick look on the internet reveals many registry cleaners that have the ability to interface with Windows Vista and solve the problems that its registry might incur. Another good thing is that Vista has some bespoke problems that did not exist in XP, mainly because of the new security code and program structure that is being used by the operating system. Registry cleaners have adjusted to this and responded with more feature packed cleaners. Troubleshooting common Windows Vista error messages is now easy with the new stable of registry cleaners out there. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a new OS means a trouble free registry; you still need dedicated programs to deal with the problems associated with it.

John A. Stevens wrote:


I see this question posted a lot on forums. I have older hardware, were can I get vista drivers for my device. Before even plugging in the new device into Vista you should go and check out the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers.

The manufacturer of the product is always the best place to search for the latest drivers. There you will also find information on whether the device is capable of working on Windows Vista. Read any and all instructions first before trying to install the drivers. You may find that you need to do a firmware update first.

Some computer components need the software installed before you connect the device. Hp for example is famous for this. If you install the device first and then the software you may run into issues.

Sometimes the manufactures site is not easy to navigate. When this happens do a search for just the model number and the keyword “driver”. Do not click on the first link you see. Look for a link that has the manufactures website in it. Many sites say they have free drivers but you find out later the program you downloaded was just trial software or a virus. Always try the manufacture first and if you cannot find it there then go to one of the third party sites. Be sure you have virus and spyware protection before you download any program from a third party site.

Some older devices will not work with Vista. Even if the manufacturer states it does work with vista do a little more digging and see if have a 64 bit processor. Some programs work with Vista but not 64 bit processors. I have run into a few cameras that had a hard time handling the 64 bit architecture.

Roman Rudnik wrote:


w.foldermarker.com/everyday-vista-folder-icons.php

SAY YES TO CONVENIENCE, MAKE VISTA FOLDERS MORE INFORMATIVE!

Modern computers can store terabytes of information. The number of folders in which you keep all your files increases, and you inevitably find yourself exhausted from the necessary folder among tons of others. Even the neat design of Vista folder icons cannot help when there are too many Windows file folders. How do we keep navigation as smooth as possible? The answer is simple: follow the intuitive visual approach with Everyday Folder Icons (http://www.foldermarker.com/everyday-vista-folder-icons.php). It’s the biggest and most diverse Vista folder icon pack there has ever been with icons of impeccable quality. Now a well-planned hierarchy, along with fitting folder names isn’t the only way to provide better navigation – change folder icon of any Vista folder you often use for even more tangible results.

If you come to think of it, Windows Vista, providing as much freedom as it does, still lacks the essential assortment of directory icons. In the standard case, you have to look for the necessary icons all over the disc, while with Everyday Folder Icons you’ll find them all in one place for every possible occasion. It is fairly convenient.

Folder becomes unique after you change folder icon with Everyday Folder Icons, so that it makes extremely easy to find all your favorite folders thanks to their new eye-catching and stylish appearance.

GOOD THINGS DO COME IN BIG PACKAGES!

Everyday Folder Icons has the biggest choice of Vista folders you can find on the Web, and yet it continues to grow rapidly because you can never have too many of those lovely folders. With such a wide range of folder icons, you can find a matching icon for almost any type of folder.

Still, if your fantasy craves more, you don’t need to look for icons elsewhere as it’s very easy to order a personal and absolutely unique icon for only $9.95 and get it crafted by highly qualified professionals. Anytime you have a feeling to change a folder icon - just remember Everyday Folder Icons.

Each icon from Everyday Folder Icons is designed to look impeccable in all sizes, including 16×16, and fit the authentic folder style of the original Vista folders. Refined appearance and perfectly fitting style is what makes you feel the difference between icons available at no charge and a carefully crafted collection delivered by the experts. These icons are true masterpieces of desktop folder art and certainly deserve to become the new look of all your favorite folders. Label your folders with these classy icons to make your navigation more convenient and efficient.

TWO GREAT TOOLS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Everyday Folder Icons will be a fine purchase on its own. However, it will be especially convenient to use this icon pack along with Folder Marker (http://www.foldermarker.com). It’s the smart folder highlight recipe and the fastest way to personalize your desktop. The way your folders look can be changed in seconds. Use this tool to assign another icon to any given folder in just two clicks. Thus, Folder Marker users will get extra benefit from the rich icon pack, as they’ll be able to shift folder appearance in an instant and try out the variety of icons with no delay. At present, Folder Marker is the #1 icon changer on the Internet with a wide range of colored folders and colors. Replace the boredom of standard folder icons with colorful folders for better perception!

Download Everyday Folder Icons now to see how it may change your computational habits for better: http://www.foldermarker.com/EverydayFolderIcons_DEMO.exe

Jim Marshall wrote:


Looking to speed up Vista? Want to do it without upgrading or buying a new system? I always hear the same question – How can I make my computer faster? Well fortunately the solution is much easier than you may think. Using these 3 Vista internet speed tweaks, you can make your computer faster very quickly. There is also a program below which can perform these 3 steps and get your computer running faster than ever in just minutes.

Remove all temporary, unused, and redundant programs and files. Most people have gigabytes worth of information that is simply taking up space on their computers. An overloaded hard drive full of pointless data is one of the main causes of a slow computer. You can remove this information yourself or use a program to locate these files and programs for you.

Reduce the amount of programs that launch upon each startup. This is one of the great Vista tweaks that will not only speed up computer starting and power down times, it will also improve overall performance. You may be quite surprised by all the programs that run at startup and don’t even show up on the taskbar. Most of these are not needed. In order to disable these programs you need to alter the registry through MSConfig. If you are unfamiliar with MSConfig I recommend using a program to perform this Vista speed tweak.

Fix all errors and perform an overall registry clean up. As we download or install new programs our registries becomes congested with tons of useless and corrupting information. The registry is the engine that makes the computer go. When broken it requires a tune-up. The easiest way to do this is scan your computer with a Windows Vista registry cleaner.

If you are lazy like me and want to use a program that completely automates these Vista internet speed tweaks then you are in luck. I personally use registry cleaner software that can perform these 3 steps and a whole lot more. It will speed up your computer big time while reducing errors that lead to computer crashing and blue screens. Scan your computer for free below!

Kelly Liyakasa wrote:


Vista and Security Copyright (c) 2007 Kelly Liyakasa is a writer for 6StarReviews.com. Kelly Staller is site manager at 6StarReviews.com, a site dedicated to giving YOU, the consumer, the best product and service reviews around. If you like saving time and money by having someone else review leading sites and products, then Visit our site at 6StarReviews.com.

Any computer owner knows about the age-old debate over what causes a computer virus or recurring spyware attacks. Many attribute malicious spyware to the number of pop-up ads we receive when surfing the Net. Some think spyware is embedded in the software we purchase, thus making it nearly impossible to fully eliminate the problem.

Some people believe computer viruses can be spread through email only and forget that file sharing can have negative impacts on PC’s as well. The conglomeration of Internet-security vocab can be downright confusing! Luckily, there are many anti-virus, anti-spyware and even hardware options to choose from in reducing the probability you fall prey to the Internet’s darker side.

Everyone knows Windows Vista was just released and some computer owners are questioning its ability to protect against various computer viruses and spyware. Microsoft is trying to clear up some of the negative misinformation that has been spreading on computer and security forums throughout the Web.

Here’s some Vista security features Microsoft released:

• Microsoft says Windows Vista was designed to be their safest operating system yet.

• Windows Defender is Vista’s take on an anti-spyware tool.

• Vista offers an Internet Explorer 7 Protected Mode, designed to prompt users for permissions when visiting compromised Websites.

• Vista can run PC programs in Secure Mode.

• When any file download or applications begin, Vista can prompt the computer administrator for their password or permission.

• Vista offers Web Restrictions, such as blocking adult sites from children’s eyes.

• Gambling sites or gaming sites can be filtered through Vista.

While it’s admirable Microsoft has chosen to design an operating system that strives to better your security precautions, controversy has arisen with many of the best antivirus services.

Some services like McAfee and Symantec feel Microsoft is attempting to push out third-party anti-virus providers. They feel Vista’s security coding could be cracked and it’s necessary to continue protecting your PC with alternative software.

6StarReviews.com reports that Internet security suites like PCSecurityShield offer many aspects to safeguarding your computer. In any event your Vista OS doesn’t provide full coverage, a comprehensive anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-phishing security suite can come to the rescue.

Kok Choon Kow wrote:


I was frequently facing corrupted or “dirty” Windows problems every 1 or 2 months, and every re-installation takes me about 1 hour! Therefore, I decided to make a backup plan or something to speed up the process. Then I came across some hard disk imaging software, and indeed it helps a lot!

I plan my pre-installation and separate O.S. (Operating System) from my regular data, organize them into 2 logical drives, C: the O.S. Drive and D: the data drive. I use drive imaging software to backup my O.S. drive into d: the data drive, and I tried to backup entire O.S. drive every time I need to install some software or do a major tweak to my Windows.

If anything will go wrong, I just re-install my Windows in 10 minutes. There are 2 software around that meets this criterion very well:

1. Paragon Drive Backup (Inexpensive solution, I am using it!)

2. Acronis TrueImage (Although my favorite, but a bit pricey.)

I know since Windows XP, you can use restore point to do some backup and restore, but sorry to inform you that this is not guaranteed to recover your O.S. completely, it just saved your registry and some Windows settings, if you ever did caught into trouble, restore point will help you recover some settings but not totally. So restore point is useless to me and constantly taking my Windows valuable resources!

What Windows did is constantly monitoring for any settings changes, and save duplicates of files and data into the reserve area, this not just delay my Windows but also creates waste on my hard disk because ineffective to recover !

Disk imaging software is like taking a snapshot on the hard drive, every setting and programs are saved, you can be absolutely sure everything will be restored to the time you backup!

In Windows Vista, I would recommend you to move your documents to a totally separate drive, let’s say E: for example. You would store your normal email and other database data on D, so every time a restore needed, you won’t have to manually backup them and restore again. When you store your documents on E, keep restore point service on and allow Vista to create multiple versions of your documents (New features in Vista) every time you save the documents.

Configuration in this way will ensure your email and database access with no delay, but allow versioning on your precious documents, and at the same time speed up your C: drive O.S. You can restore your O.S. in 10 minutes without the needs to perform a manual backup on your documents, data and emails.

(C) Copyright 2008 Kok Choon - Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety as long as all links and author resources box in place.