Vista Recovery Disc Download

For those who don’t have a retail disc, you can download a free (and legal) recovery disc here. At least Microsoft’s done one thing right for once.

Add Programs to the “Open With…” List (Vista)

Can you believe I had to ask to figure this out??

So, you have a file that the Open With submenu has several programs. You want to add another.

What you do is click Choose Default Program. Browse for the program you want, and DE-SELECT “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file.” And it should appear.

Blue Screen of Death UAC

Doubt it’s real but still funny.

Vista Blue Screen of Death UAC Screen

Dead Shortcuts? Try ChkLnks.exe

There’s a small utility that comes with Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit called ChkLnks.exe. What it does is find dead shortcuts for you and lets you delete it.

Make sure to do a virus scan (I didn’t have any trouble with my copy but then again things may change)

ChkLnks.exe

A list of other tools from the Server 2003 Resource Kit that cvan be used on XP

Hover!

On the Windows 95 CD, there was a game called “Hover!”, which was intended to display the advanced multimedia capibilities of PCs. Well, you can download it — and for free!

Microsoft’s Public FTP Server

Another site

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

Can your conputer run Windows 7?

How to read a crash dump.

If you get a blue screen of death and have memory dumps enabled, it’ll leave behind a file that requires a debugger to read.

How to read the small memory dumps that Windows creates for debugging

Reinstalling Vista

Yesterday, I posted about finally getting Vista. I did have Home Basic, but no recovery CD or partition (there’s an empty recovery partition on my HDD, but that’s beyond the point.)

The new copy is Vista Home Premium; so I decided I might as well get it over with and reinstall while school’s out. Well, it took several threats on my part (kept a Linux DVD on the table to wave in front of the computer at opportune moments) but now I have all the basics installed and…

Oh dear. There’s got to be an easier way. I’m worried that the pile of CD and DVDs on my desk is going to topple onto my head any minute now.

Well, may not be on for a day or two, so don’t worry.

The Vista box requires a manual to open.

Just got a copy of Vista today, and struggled to open it for an hour until stubborn me caved and googled it.

How to open the Windows Vista box

20 Minutes to Live

Scary.

Infected in Twenty Minutes