How to create a custom Windows Vista Installation DVD

Using the free software vLite, you can create a completely custom, bootable Windows Vista install DVD. Remove the parts of Vista you don’t want/use, change some of the default settings, include Service Packs and Windows Updates, and more. Keep reading for complete step-by-step instructions on using vLite.

1. First up, download and install vLite. At the end of the installation you’ll be asked if you want to run it. Go for it, but expect an error.



2. Navigate to the vLite folder (C:\Program Files\vLite), right-click vLite.exe and select Run as administrator from the pop-up menu.


3. Accept the agreement by clicking I agree.


4. If prompted to install some Dependencies, click the Install button.


5. And now vLite will launch. A window will pop up asking where your Windows Vista install disc is located. Select the DVD drive that has your copy of Vista in it. Now click the Browse button.





6. Click OK on the Copy Files window, and then navigate to the folder you want to save your Windows Vista files in. It’s a good idea to create a new folder to save the files in - I opted for C:\Vista Backup\


7. Click OK when you’ve selected the folder.



8. Now vLite will copy your Vista disc to your hard drive. This can take some time (but probably not the 20 minutes displayed in the screenshot below).


9. Once vLite has copied all the files to your hard drive, it will analyze them to determine the copy of Vista that you’re running. The info will be displayed right below the Status section of vLite. When you’re ready, click Next.


10. Now you have to decide what exactly you want to change/add to Vista. You might as well select all of the possibilities - you don’t actually have to make changes in each section. You’ll probably want to leave Enable before apply unchecked.


11. In the first section, Integration, you can add hotfixes, drivers and language packs to your Vista install disc. This is also the place you can add SP1. If you want to include Hotfixes that you’ve downloaded from Windows Update, you can probably find them in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. Click Next when you’re ready to move on.


12. The Compatibility window will appear. Select each of the features you want to keep in your custom Vista install disc. If you hover your mouse over each select, you’ll see (at the bottom) what will be affected by not including a particular feature. Unless you really know what you’re doing, you’ll probably want to make sure everything is checked.


13. On the Applications tab you can select the applications you expect to use in Vista. I know for certain that I won’t be installing Halo 2, so I left that unchecked. When you’re done, click OK.


14. In the Components section you can place check marks in the boxes next to the components you do not want included on your Vista install disc. After you’ve reviewed all of the components - and there are a lot of them - click Next to continue.


15. In the Tweaks section you can enable, disable or leave as default some of the Vista settings. In the Security section of the Tweaks, you can disable AutoPlay (yay!) or change things like Hibernation, Power schemes etc.


16. Select System from the Tweaks section, and review the changes you can make. One that I appreciated was to set the Control Panel to Classic View by default.


17. If you’re absolutely sure you know what you’re doing, you can take a look at the Explorer section of the Tweaks, but I’d suggest leaving them alone. In the Internet Explorer section you can disable the IE Phishing Filter and/or the IE Phishing Verification Balloon Tips.


18. Once more, click Next. To enable Vista to install while being unattended, fill in all of the required fields. This allows for a fully automated installation - just put in the Vista installer DVD, click start, and you won’t need to interact with the installation at all.



19. Make sure to check the Regional tab if you’d like to specify a default Timezone, Keyboard layout, Time and currency format etc. Click Apply when you’re done.


20. Now you’ll be asked how you want to save the changes made to Vista. I’d suggest Rebuild one. Click OK.


21. And now watch as vLite rebuilds your version of Vista.


22. It isn’t particularly entertaining.


23. Once the process has completed, click Next.


24. From the Make bootable ISO for testing or burner screen, click Make ISO.


25. And select a location to save your new Vista ISO.


26. Watching the ISO being created isn’t much more interesting than watching the “new” version of Vista being built.


27. Once it’s done, click Exit.


28. Now burn your ISO to a DVD, and you’ll have your custom, bootable version of Vista ready to install on your PC, the next time the need arises.

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What's new in Microsoft Office 2010 ?

Microsoft Office 2010 (codename Office 14) is the next version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite for Microsoft Windows. It entered development during 2006 while Microsoft was finishing work on Microsoft Office 12, which was released as the 2007 Microsoft Office System.

It was previously thought that Office 2010 would ship in the first half of 2009, but Steve Ballmer has officially announced that Office 2010 will ship in 2010. The new version will implement the ISO compliant version of Office Open XML which was standardized as ISO 29500 in March 2008.

The software giant plans to offer a Web-based version of its Office productivity suite, known as Office Web that will debut with the release of Office 2010. Office Web will include online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. The next versions of Microsoft Office Visio, OneNote, Microsoft Office Project, and Publisher will feature the ribbon interface element used in other Office 2007 applications.

Builds
Earlier this year, on April 15, 2009, Microsoft confirmed that Office 2010 will be officially released in the first quarter of 2010. They also announced on May 12, 2009 at an event, that Office 2010 will begin technical testing during July. It will also be the first version of Office to ship in both 32-Bit and 64-bit versions.

New features
At present, the technical preview of Office 2010 would not be available as it will be starting from July onwards, but when Microsoft used it to show improved integration with Windows 7 at its event this week, various experts find out some of the new features of the new Office.

• The ribbon surface was introduced in Office 2007 and it is here to stay, but now the Office 2010 ribbon gets the flatter Windows 7 look. Ribbon is a form of toolbar, combined with a tab bar.

• In the new application, instead of the round Office icon, there is a button in each app that looks like the buttons for the different tabs on the ribbon, in the signature colour of that application (green for Excel, blue for Word, red for PowerPoint, yellow for Outlook and so on).

• The app windows, which were removed in Office 2007, get their window menus back. The app let you restore, move, size, minimise, maximise or close the window.

• Now with a right-click on the Outlook icon on the taskbar, user can create a new email message, appointment, contact or task, or open the inbox, calendar, contact or tasks window.

• In the new office, you can drag a file from the jump-list of any application onto the navigation pane in Outlook to create a new mail message with the file as an attachment. Outlook can automatically ignore all the replies of the messages you are not interested in.

• The company says user can create his own Quick Steps, making them sound like a combination of the Quick Access Toolbar and macros. For e.g., common tasks like filing a message, creating a meeting, marking a flagged message and deleting it at the same time. Also, user can create quick steps for things he do over and over again in Outlook.

• In new Office outlook, voice mail can be converted to the text and sent as an email. Also, it can sync text messages from a Windows Mobile 6.1 phone into user’s inbox and reply to them.

• When you reply all to messages you were BCC on, a warning is displayed on the desktop. Redmond based company claims that starting, searching and shutting down Outlook are all much faster and also promises that Outlook will run and search faster than the 2007 release.

• At present, there is no news on the next version of Office for the Mac, but the next version of Outlook Web Access will run on Safari and Firefox with all features, rather than in a Lite version.

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How To Choose a Laptop

Buying and using a laptop can be a liberating experience. You will have the ability to take your work wherever you go, take your computer to class, a coffee shop, on a trip - anywhere. You may end up spending a bit more for a laptop than you would for a desktop - after all, the individual components need to be smaller to fit in a laptop chassis - but the convenience is worth the extra cost.


1. Decide what screen size you need. If you are used to a larger-sized desktop monitor, you'll want to choose a laptop that has a larger screen. A 15" screen is usually standard, but there are 17" screens available, which may be worth the extra investment. Dell even offers 19" and 20" screens on certain models. If you need or want a large screen, you may want to consider this, especially if you are choosing a laptop as a desktop replacement. Also, consider if you want a wide screen monitor or a standard monitor. A wide screen monitor is good if you would like to watch movies on your laptop, or if you frequently need to have two applications open side by side.



2. Decide what kind of networking features you want. One of the most popular current features of laptops is wireless Internet access. With wireless access, you can get on the Internet wherever there is a "hotspot" - an area that the public is allowed to use an Internet signal, whether it's for a fee or free. You can also set up a home network and access the Internet anywhere in your house. Most laptops have slots for network cards, but if you want built-in network access, then make sure your laptop has a built-in network card. It's a nice feature if wireless Internet access appeals to you.


3. Determine your battery needs. You'll want to look for a laptop with a battery that lasts a long time if you will be taking your laptop on the road (or on the patio with no electrical outlet). Starting up your laptop is a big drain on a battery, and you may not get much time - perhaps only an hour or two - on a standard battery. So if you will be using your laptop away from a power source a lot, make sure that your laptop features a long battery life.


4. Look into the warranty and service plan. Computer companies and resellers have varying warranties and service plans for laptops. Some companies have you send your laptop back if anything goes wrong, some want you to take it to a service depot (which may be inconveniently located up to 50 miles away), and others will come to your home or business and repair it on the spot. Also, make sure that you can afford to wait the length of time promised for service; Dell has a great next business day plan, whereas some others take weeks to get issues resolved. If your business, school or other activities can't wait an indeterminate amount of time for resolution, make sure to get a next-day (or two day) service plan. Be sure to also check what both the warranty and the service plan cover; some cover very little, while others cover hardware and sometimes software as well. Certain warranties and service plans are voided if you spill on or drop your laptop (even accidentally), while others fully cover anything that could go wrong for any reason. Some companies offer secondary service plans if you have a drop or spill. Count on one of the two happening at some point, so consider this secondary policy if it is offered. Also check your homeowner's or renter's insurance; it may cover accidental spills and drops, so you may not need to purchase an extra service plan for that.

You may already have a favorite brand of desktop computer - it's likely that if you like a particular desktop, the same brand will produce a laptop you like. Just like a desktop, those little upgrades that seem expensive when you are buying a laptop are worth it. Whether you are looking for a laptop as your main computer or as a secondary computer for work or school, you'll love the ease and portability of a laptop. Have fun with your new computer! Oh, an check out Dell's latest Netbook, the Dell Adamo.


Quick Tips:

• Consider what you need in terms of screen size by analyzing how you will use your laptop.
• Decide if you want a wireless network card built in.
• Make sure your laptop has a long battery life if you will be using it away from a power source a lot.
• Read the warranty and service plans carefully.

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Windows 7 RTM Cracked With OEM License Key

Well, that didn't take long.

With every release of Windows is the inevitable race by the pirate community to crack it. Even with activation schemes, which make things considerably more challenging, hackers were able to find a way to activate Windows Vista with a special OEM key. This very same hack has now made its way to activate Windows 7 RTM.

Such a key allows OEMs to pre-activate machines – something definitely not meant for the consumer market. The OEM activation system relies on a special BIOS that identifies itself to Windows. A software hack is all that's required to fool Windows into thinking that any machine is an authorized one that can be activated using the OEM license key.

The OEM license key this time around was extracted from a Windows 7 Ultimate DVD image from Lenovo, which contained the data that hackers needed to make the activation tools.

This type of hack is particularly difficult for Microsoft to stop because it means that it would lock out and greatly inconvenience Windows 7 integration processes already underway at one of its OEM partners – in this case, Lenovo.

Microsoft wasn't able to block out the OEM BIOS hack for Windows Vista until it released Service Pack 1, leading us to suspect that the same could apply for Windows 7.

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Intel: First Time PC Buyers Don't Get Netbooks

Apparently, netbooks aren't the real deal.

Entry level computers for first-time computer buyers are usually inexpensive, no-frills, and usually just perform basic functions. The same descriptors could be applied to netbooks, Intel says that the little machines aren't appealing to those buying his or her first PC.

"I don't think first-time buyers are going to buy netbooks," Sean Maloney, Intel's general manager of sales and marketing, Intel Technology Summit on Wednesday in San Francisco, quoted by Reuters. "The first time you buy something you want the real deal. It's consistent not just in China, but all around the world."

"Netbooks are predominantly... a second or third purchase from someone who's already got a notebook," he said, according to Engadget. "The first time you buy something, you want the real deal. It's a human behavior thing... it's [the same] all around the world."

"If you're going to spend your hard-earned money for the first time, you're going to put a computer in your house," Maloney added.

This doesn't represent any change in stance at Intel, as it always maintained that netbooks were always a supplementary purchase for those who already owned a computer.

Netbooks are adequate machines for those only looking from a computer the ability to surf the internet and email – and this represents a large portion of internet users. Regardless of whether or not netbooks are attractive or viable first PC purchases, Intel's probably going to be pleased as long as it's one of its chips.

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