Replies

I have successfully used both a 32 bit CD and 64 bit CD to run WDO against 4 different installs, 2 of XP SP3, 1 of 32 bit Win7 and 1 of 64 bit Win7.

The only one that failed was on a system running XP SP3 but with only 384 meg of memory. Since WDO boots into Win7 and runs as a Win7 process, it apparently needs something on the order of Win7 memory in order to get the job done. However, it should NOT fail with a blank titled dialog with blank content in the dialog window and a button with a blank label. And, any failure should indicate the problem encountered (while that blank dialog may be attempting to do that, it turns into a double failure which is even worse).

I have used scanners from other vendors against the system that failed and those runs were successful, so WDO has some work to do to achieve that same level of success.

Everybody’s input is appreciated. Lets hope Microsoft thinks likewise.

In my earlier post, I was having problems getting my Win7 64 bit laptop to boot from the CD. That is now corrected, and it is scanning (at 2 hours 20 minutes and 946,000 files). The 64 bit version of the scan is running.

I have an old Micron Millennia upgraded with a Celeron 1.4 ghz CPU (384 meg memory). WDO will not run on this configuration. WDO on CD boots into Win7 and likely does not support this CPU configuration or some part of the motherboard or disk configuration.

The error dialog that comes up is BLANK (no title, no text, blank button name). Click on close (X) and another dialog flashes a message for perhaps 1/2 second and WDO quits. Click on the blank button and it quits immediately (both situations go back to re-boot).

The OS to be scanned is XP SP3 fully up to date.

I built the 32 bit version from a Win7 PC running 32 bit. That CD boots on a 10 year old Dell laptop with XP SP3. However, the default quick scan does not reference any disk drives, so I had to configure a scan to actually select my disk partitions (C & D) for the scan to work.

Can’t get 32 bit or 64 bit CDs to boot from a Win7 64 bit laptop (built a 64 bit CD from a 32 bit system, and again from a 64 bit system). The laptop won’t boot from CD at all, though it has done it in the past (Win7 install CD). For some reason, F10 (HP Pavilion) doesn’t bring up the boot options (BIOS) screen and it just locks up, with or without a CD in the drive.

Really? This process seems as busy and potentially error prone as a full re-install. Remove SP1? Run repair install? Re-run hours (if not days) of downloading the Tuesday patches, doing SP1 again, complete with re-boots, and attendant recovery from problems with those same patches? And the registry? That component will get double abuse throughout all of this. At least with a full re-install, you get to start with a clean registry.

As for the individual that said they have done this hundreds of times…really? You have a more basic problem to solve.

While I appreciate that Fred is pointing out this particular item, it seems to be old news, Microsoft doesn’t think much of it, and they probably don’t want anyone using it (clearly the case as they don’t “advertise” this as a general solution; why does Microsoft keep so much stuff hidden?) Once again, why are the writers of Windows Secrets becoming so pro-Microsoft lately? Joined the dark side, they have?

Why do other threads get 5 stars when this thread has more views and replies? Is the rating system broken?

Why did Windows Secrets become so pro-Microsoft lately (and anti-vendor against the other product makers)? Won’t this hurt the newsletter advertising?

More web feedback of interest…

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/29/microsoft_skype/

I found this posted on the web…

http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/microsoft-patent-may-ruin-skype-may-make-voip

At least some people are paying attention to this.

In The Missing Manual: Windows 7, this is called Shadow Copy. Shadow Copy has existed in previous versions.

In the options for a restore point, one can select all system settings and files, files only, or none. I cannot select system settings only. I think the feature of backing up some user files during setting a restore point, may be of questionable value, only taking up more disk space than what was understood to be happening. If one could selectively designate some subset of files and where to put them, there may be some merit but the essential all or none selection limits the usefulness of the “feature”.

Well, thanks to a good man for digging into more of Micosoft’s hidden “features”. I use quotes because often one man’s feature is another man’s bug. And, some of these bugs, ahem…”features”, often come with a new set of issues (perhaps that is why they are not documented very well by Microsoft).

In my case, I looked at the my documents folder and checked for recent versions. There were 6 recent versions, including today (16 JUN 2011), OF THE ENTIRE FOLDER – 795 files & folders, 511 megabytes in each copy! Each copy of the my documents folder contained copies of ALL files, changed AND not changed, of the earlier folder copies. So, I have my original folder plus 6 extra copies (an addition disk space “savings” of more than 3 gig; “savings” as in NOT).

If this is how the “feature” works, they can keep it. I will turn it off. This means I have folders all over the place that are being kept essentially the same way, which could mean that is where ALL my disk space is going.

And, where is all this data being kept? Again, probably HIDDEN from my view. Yup, it’s “magic”. The magic of Microsoft anyway. It is probably kept somewhere that the space shows up as 0 files and folders, 0 megabytes on disk. This means many of my files, that I put out are kept available somewhere that someone else can access but with the illusion (to me) that they are safe and secure. With friends like Microsoft using up my computer resources, who need enemies that do the same thing.

In the original article, Woody had this item:

“I’m happy to report that the changes in Win8 will force hardware manufacturers into the 21st century. Details are sketchy, but it appears that all new hardware with Win8 preinstalled will have to use Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI, MS info page), the firmware interface that will finally — finally! — let us get rid of BIOS. Systems using UEFI should boot much faster than BIOS systems.”

I believe hardware manufacturers have been up to date far longer than Microsoft. Perhaps not always all together, but just because Microsoft calls a shot, doesn’t mean it is right, good, feasible, or economically practical. Microsoft does not deserve the credit that you give them, other than constraining innovation (which is more likely the case). I believe that Phoenix had a BIOS many years ago that would control the computer completely, including internet access, prior to actually booting any operating system. Apparently, this new BIOS has been used in some part for a number of years for 64 bit systems but not 32 bit systems. The referenced document on the implementation is almost 2 years old, so it is unlikely to reflect what Win8 will require or provide. However, access to the internet is there, but to what degree will Win8 use that access (you will probably be unable to monitor that access from Win8, which might require router/firewall based code to know what it is being used for).

Win8 – nah, not in my lifetime. If I need a phone like interface, I can get a smartphone. I bet the price of Win8 will be greater than the cost of most smartphones. By the way, UEFI is just a bigger fancier more complicated form of BIOS (and probably not faster). Once it becomes a target for intrusion, the problem only gets worse.

There are many other browsers out there, in smartphones. Let’s see those statistics. In the overall arena, it might be the case that internet browsing from smartphones is a much bigger market, which would certainly cast a shadow over these published results. I suspect that IE (and Microsoft) has actually long ago lost the race in the web marketplace.

Why do you wish to secure your connection ? I’m always glad to find an open signal as I travel around s.europe to download my emails etc ! Plus there are several aircrack/sniffer programmes out there to get past WEP codes etc for the determined !
If your village is as small as the s.french one whose bar I’m connected in tonight I can’t exactly see hordes of tourists squatting outside your door with open laptops ! as long as there’s enough signal power left for your own use where’s the problem ?? …
Dave the Traveller

This attitude is just plain wrong. It is not YOUR wireless network, nor is it you paying for it. If some sets up an open hotspot and intends it to be that way, then okay. But for others to prey on wireless hotspots for their advantage and to the disadvantage of the owner (not paying is to the owner’s disadvantage), should not be done.

One item to consider is to set the router to NOT broadcast, therefore nobody will know it is there.

The moral of the story is that the DropBox folks lied to everybody, hoping to suck in a big user population (Facebook anybody?) Of course, DropBox (and its lookalike friends) will be the next target of the recording and movie industry associations, with almost absolute proof in hand that you are a violator (look, it’s YOUR userid and password and you performed these actions with our copyrighted files, now PAY UP and/or go to jail!) No need for lawsuits, just call homeland security (the association police) and they will take care of everything. And ebooks will be right there with audio and video files as well as electronic news and other content. And don’t even think about posting any web links (URLs) in the shared DropBox area as many web based entities now consider that to be a copyright violation and unlicensed/unauthorized usage. You thought these tools were for your ease of use and convenience?

By the way, it is clear that the shared storage area is on some server farm controlled by DropBox. How long before they invoke the “all your data are belong to us” rule…oh, wait, that is already the case since they are reading and changing your files, with nothing to stop them from using your files and content (their terms of service is to control you, not them; remember Google desktop). Further, it is not beyond the realm of imagination that they already do have access, or will make use of access, to your computer for purposes above and beyond just sharing the files you have “given” to them. Others have also attempted “all your computer are belong to us” as well. Is DropBox just a more socially acceptable form of spyware?

Win7 Backup just gets better and better. Why hide the backups from their owner? Its not like the bad guys can’t find them. This “feature” just puts more crap between the user and usability of the function. And, I get the impression that this is a good thing and we should just accept it. Phooey. That is why I use a different tool.

So, any idea what else Microsoft is hiding from us (or plannning to hide) while they consume our disk space and eat our CPU cycles?

The purported “free” Win7 Backup falls into the category of you get what you paid for.