Workaround for Windows horrible Search

I don’t know what need/problem Windows Search is supposed to be filling/solving. It never seems to be able to help me find a file when I’m not sure where it is. I believe this is caused by Windows trying to “save me from myself”. That is, they always assume I only want to listen to music, look at pictures, or watch a movie.

But I finally figured away around them today! To find a file, open a command prompt and use “dir”. Don’t know why it never occurred to me before lol.

For instance here is a search for pst files which for some reason Windows Search did not want to show me:

C:\>dir /S mail200*.pst

To open a command prompt just go to the search or run box and type “cmd” without the quotes.

This particular command with switches could be described as, “list all the pst files in any directory under the root that start with mail200”.

This was one my three major complaints about Windows Vista/7. I’m glad to have a workaround now. The other two are file/folder move/copy problems, and the horrible default folder column formats (where all of my files show how many stars they have rather than modified date/time, type and size).

Teracopy

So there are still a couple of things about Vista that drive me crazy. One I will note here, is that file operations still (post Sp1) SUCK! I can't copy large files fast. I can't copy a ton of small files fast. Operations involving copying a set of folders over another set of folders (typically I am getting rid of dupes by keeping the newest ones) just outright fail, over and over and over. Yuck!

Paul Thurrott has found something that might help us. Of course we hate to use an outside utility for something like this, but what choice do we have. Teracopy ( http://www.codesector.com/teracopy.php ) as mentioned on the latest Windows Weekly podcast ( http://twit.tv/ww72 , http://www.winsupersite.com/paul/podcast.asp ). I will be trying it out (oh yes) and you can too.

Olympics BSOD - Lenovo chairman quote Vista unstable

http://www.smh.com.au/news/off-the-field/ctrlaltdel-software-malfunction-at-the-opening-ceremony/2008/08/12/1218306871673.html

The issue of the Blue Screen of Death on the Bird's Nest screens at the Olympics ceremony is being commented on everywhere, but what I am amazed at is the quote from the Lenovo chairman about Vista, "...not stable, it could have some problems". Seems a little cavalier to speak that way about a partner's core business!

Vista 64 bit, Internet Explorer 64 bit, and Netflix Watch Now

It turns out that the Netflix "Watch Now" service doesn't work quite right on Vista 64 bit, if you try to use the 64 bit version of Internet Explorer that comes with Vista. You download the player and install it, and nothing further happens, no matter how many times you try (and no I'm not saying how many times I tried..). However just fire up the 32 bit version of Internet Explorer, and the service works fine.

Vista, multiple nics, which one is used when (preference)

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2722951&SiteID=1

(scroll down to:
22 Jan 2008, 9:08 PM UTC
Gabe Frost [MSFT] Moderator
Answer Re: QOS Policies in Vista not working. )

I added two nics to one of my Vista boxes, as I have two ISPs at the moment (DSL and Cable).There's a long and tortured reason why I need that particular box to use both networks that I won't go into. This particular post is the only info I have found so far on how Vista feels about two network cards, other than that I can go into advanced network properties and set a preferred order for the network cards, or otherwise change the routing priority in a couple of other places.
The bummer is this kinda confirms that I will have problems trying to get one program to use one ISP, and other programs to use the other...

Vista Service Pack 1 and Creative Audigy soundcard drivers

Yikes got ready to look for SP1 for my wife's PC and found she had one of the problem drivers! I have some choices, and it looks like there are no guarantees of success no matter what way I go. I will probably try throwing SP1 on and holding my breath first. If that fails then I will try the method of uninstalling the driver, loading SP1, and reinstalling the driver. If that fails then we get down and dirty..

The bottom line here is that Creative is clearly dropping the ball in the support area.

Technet overviews:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb968859.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb738089.aspx

Vista SP1 on MS downloads:
http://www.microsoft.com/beta/downloads/Search.aspx?SearchText=vista+sp1http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B0C7136D-5EBB-413B-89C9-CB3D06D12674&displaylang=en

Kb articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936330
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=948343

Free MS sp1 help site:
http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx?rdpath=1&gprid=11732

Paul Thurrott covers it:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_sp1_ga.asp

Ed Bott covers it:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=400

Neowin covers it:
http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/03/20/why-installing-vista-sp1-might-fail-via-windows-update

The nightmare unfolds at Creative:
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&view=by_date_ascending&message.id=29957#M29957
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&view=by_date_ascending&message.id=29151#M29151
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&thread.id=29151&view=by_date_ascending&page=1
http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/how-to-fully-uninstall-creative-vista-drivers-solve-install-problems/

Some other help on Creative drivers:
http://www.guru3d.com/newsitem.php?id=5936
http://www.youp-pax.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=13
http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/unofficial-audigy-series-software-cd-for-win2000-xp-server-2003-vista-3264-bit/
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&view=by_date_ascending&message.id=30054#M30054

Adobe Flash not supported on Vista 64 bit

I'm trying really hard to give Vista 64 bit a go on my new laptop. Just hit my first problem or shortcoming. Adobe Flash is not supported on Vista 64 bit. Como se dice ubiquitous?

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=6b3af6c9&sliceId=1

Hidden wasted space on Vista

Vista can take 15% of a drive by default for System Restore. The tools to customize that have been hidden in the command line in Vista.

http://lifehacker.com/software/windows-vista/vista-tip--reduce-system-restore-disk-usage-254365.php

Vista Folder Template Views

One of my main complaints with Vista (the other is search) is that if Vista suspects there is a picture or an audio file anywhere around it changes the folder view from the familiar columns (Name, Date Modified, Type, and Size) to some freakish star-based columns. I have been searching for almost a year for a foolproof way to fix this. After Googling this for the millionth time I happened on http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/720912.html . The advice is contradictory and confusing, but I was able to put together the following method for finally resolving my problem (hopefully). YMMV:

• Pick a folder under C:\, and left-click it in the left explorer pane to bring up a view of it on the right.
• Right-click and choose Customize - set to first view template, click ok.
• Set DETAILS view and NAME, DATE MODIFIED, TYPE, and SIZE headers, sort on TYPE.
• Choose Tools/Folder Options from the Explorer menu.
• From the view tab, choose "Apply to folders".
• Go back and do the same for all other view templates.