By Jin Nan Goto

I wasn’t planning on writing another post about the Engineering Windows 7 blog since I already mentioned it last week. But this latest post from the E7 blog is about User Account Control and I couldn’t resist.  Bottom line is UAC is coming to Windows 7.  This is probably disappointing news for many who considered UAC to be too obtrusive and obnoxious (although I don’t think anyone thought UAC wasn’t coming back).  Still, the Windows 7 people are working to improve it and lower its annoyingness.

Now that we have the data and feedback, we can look ahead at how UAC will evolve—we continue to feel the goal we have for UAC is a good one and so it is our job to find a solution that does not abandon this goal. UAC was created with the intention of putting you in control of your system, reducing cost of ownership over time, and improving the software ecosystem. What we’ve learned is that we only got part of the way there in Vista and some folks think we accomplished the opposite.

Based on what we’ve learned from our data and feedback we need to address several key issues in Windows 7:

• Reduce unnecessary or duplicated prompts in Windows and the ecosystem, such that critical prompts can be more easily identified.
• Enable our customers to be more confident that they are in control of their systems.
• Make prompts informative such that people can make more confident choices.
• Provide better and more obvious control over the mechanism.

Excerpt from Engineering Windows 7 Blog

Designed out of a desire to make Vista the “most secure version of Windows ever” UAC has done a lot to change a very destructive aspect of Windows, which is that everyone ran Windows as an Administrator.  UAC has not only helped by warning users when installing software(or malware), it has also helped developers create better software that was more conducive to allowing users to run as a limited user and improve security. Malware is generally not able to install itself without permission when running as a limited user.

The older versions of Windows (Win95, Win98, WinMe) were all single user operating systems. This is where the user had full control over modifying the system.  The newer versions of windows (Windows 2000 and later) were multiuser capable, This allowed the for limited user accounts as well as administrator accounts. The data from Microsoft’s Windows Feedback Program showed that around 75% of computers have only one user account Which defaults to the Administrator account.   In the past many software developers made assumptions that the computer would have full access to be able to modify the system.  The E7 blog admits that even some developers at Microsoft made those assumptions as well.  This really made running Windows XP as a limited user incredibly difficult.

With Vista and UAC, developers had to take a hard look at the programs that required Administrator rights and whether they could (or should) change them to not require elevation.  If they did require elevated privileges the secure desktop popped up and the user had to explicitly allow it.

We also found that there were many cases in previous versions of Windows where we had lumped things together when instead only part of the task really should have required the user to be an administrator.  For example, in Windows XP you had to be an administrator in order to change the time or the time zone of the system. The reason that time functions are usually restricted is that you can do some pretty sneaky things if you can change the system time — like trick system logs or backdate emails.  But as it turns out, changing the time zone of the machine so that a business traveler based on the West Coast goes to their meetings at the right time when they are visiting New York really doesn’t need to be protected — so in Windows Vista, we split that out and now allow a standard user to change the time zone.

Excerpt from Windows Vista Blog

Vista has been incredibly effective in reducing the number of programs that require full administrator privileges, and this is only improving as time passes.

However the implementation of UAC in Vista is far from perfect.  While you want to warn users against doing things that are dangerous (installing un-trusted software or messing with the registry/or device manager) the frequency of prompts runs the risk of the user ignoring them and always approving.  The darkened screen of the secure desktop is somewhat alarming and unfriendly to users.  Also, in Vista even an administrator is not “really” an administrator.  They run as a standard user unless they need to approve an action.  This upsets experienced users who know what they are doing and want full control over their computer.  Still an improved version of UAC is a really important addition to the future Windows 7.

External Links:

Engineering Windows 7 Blog
http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2008/10/08/user-account-control.aspx

Windows Vista Blog
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2007/01/23/security-features-vs-convenience.aspx

By Jin Nan Goto

On June 30, 2008 Microsoft ended retail sales of the venerable Windows XP.  There are still loopholes where  people are still able to get computers with XP.  Downgrades, for instance.  The question is, when you buy a new computer what Operating System should it run XP or Vista.  The truth is that they both can do many of the same things equally well and there is no pressing reason to upgrade existing machines.  Still When the time comes to buy a new computer, here are 3 reasons why Vista is a better buy.

Reason 1. Vista is more secure than XP

UAC (user account control) is a misunderstood aspect of Vista.  The user is generally the weakest link in a computers security.  UAC limits what the user can do to modify the system and will prompt them for a password if a change to the system needs to be made.  Microsoft’s competitors Apple OS X both have similar features.  Although An argument can be made that Vista’s implementation is too strict.  While The pop-ups of UAC are annoying, they protect the users from themselves and Vista is more secure because of it.

There are other smaller security features in Vista that are worth mentioning.  For users of Vista Business and Ultimate, there is bitlocker drive encryption to protect your data.  There is also better protection of memory such as ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) which randomizes the position of windows files to protect against buffer overflows.

Reason 2. Better Hardware Support

When Vista was released it was plagued by incompatibilities, both hardware and software.  For some of the incompatible software and hardware, their vendors have not yet (and likely never will) released fixes.  This is especially true for older hardware and software.  However many of the problems with incompatibility have been fixed and all recent hardware supports Vista.  Generally most hardware and software should work with Vista and will continue to support Vista in the future.  A year and a half after Vista’s release and compatibility is where it should be.  Here is a Microsoft website with compatibility information about Vista.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/

There is an exception, if you have mission critical device or software that you know is not compatible with Vista then of course XP is the way to go.  If the VPN client that you rely on to communicate with your office does not run on Vista then you need to stay with XP

Reason 3. Vista is more convenient

I have had Vista since it was released and I have never had to run the disk defragmenter.  Vista automatically schedules the defragmenter to run every week.  That is just plain convenient  because I won’t have to deal with a sluggish computer if I forget to defrag.

Networking in Vista is also significantly improved.  It is much easier and simpler to set up tasks like printer sharing in Vista than it was in XP.

Then there is Vista’s instant search box which is built into the start menu.  Just type the first few letters of the file or program and it finds it for you.  Every time I use a computer running XP I always miss the feature a lot.

A really great feature that is included with Windows is the ability to change the input language of the keyboard with the language bar.  You will be able to choose the input language in the little used language bar that is pinned to the taskbar.

Step 1. Access Regional and Language Options

Open up the control panel and Click on “Change keyboard or other input methods”.  Or you can type Regional and language Options in the Vista instant search bar.

Click on the “Change Keyboards…” button.

Step 2. Select and add new keyboard inputs

Click on the “Add” button and then select the language input that you would like to add.  I selected Japanese and Japanese Microsoft IME.

Microsoft released the results of their Mojave Experiment today.  Microsoft rounded up 120 non-users of Vista who had a negative view of Windows Vista.  They were given a 10 minuet demonstration of the newest Microsoft Operating System “Mojave”.  Mojave reception was very positive and after the demonstration many of the respondents were surprised that this new OS was actually Windows Vista.

This is a more aggressive break from Microsoft’s normal marketing practices (which generally include creating a new logo for the packaging).  An interesting aspect of the methodology is that each 10 minuet demo was tailored to the interests of the individual.  For example, if someone was concerned about security and Viruses the demo was geared more towards items such as IE 7 Phishing filter and bit-locker drive encryption rather than stuff like media center and desktop gadgets.  According to the Official Vista Blog this was not part of the Microsoft’s new $300 million advertising campaign for Vista.

Microsoft is getting some criticism from this experiment.  Blog Headlines Read “Microsoft tricks users into liking Vista”.  However that kind of analysis misses the point.  Mojave reveals a lot of the Groupthink surrounding Vista.  Millions of people have computers that run Vista and their experiences are generally positive.  I’ve been running Vista since the day it was released and I like it.  It’s not to say that there weren’t issues with its release.  I had software which didn’t work with Vista and was never made compatible with Vista (incredibly irritating considering the software was published by Microsoft).  People did have problems with Vista just as people had problems with XP when it came out and their pain shouldn’t be ignored.   I’m stuck with a bad Intel graphics driver for Vista that always crashes and gives me a back screen for a split second while it recovers.  It’s annoying but it’s not driving me to back to XP.  Vista has been out for over a year and a half and most of the issues at launch have been fixed (well not my issue but that’s not the point).  Mark Twain once famously said “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”  On the same note, the bad things said about Vista have also been exaggerated.

I came across this page on Microsoft’s site.  This is apparently an attempt by Microsoft to change the publics perception of Windows Vista by touting what Vista can do.  I’ll be fair and mention that they don’t claim that only Vista can accomplish these 10 things.  XP can too and here’s how.

1. Instant search

You don’t need to remember folder names to be organized anymore. Save time by instantly tracking down any document, photo, e-mail message, song, video, file, or program on your PC using Instant Search.
Just open the Start menu and begin typing in the Instant Search box—Windows Vista searches file names, application names, the full text of all files, and metadata, and then displays the results right away.

I love the Instant search in Vista.  It brings a massive boost in productivity.  You no longer need to run windows explorer to open up a file, push the windows key and type in the first few letters and its right there.  It will ever pull up and run applications.  XP user can get that search feature by downloading Google desktop.  Google Desktop will also include a web search page in the results (I mean they are Google aren’t they) but Google Desktop is not as good at running applications as Vista’s Instant Search.

2. Flip 3D

Have you lost track of what files and programs you’ve opened? Flip through all your open files and windows with a simple click of your mouse using Windows Flip 3D^A—you’re just one click away from everything you’re working on.

My opinion, Flip 3D is the most useless feature added to Vista.  Flip 3D was something that looks cool and it was probably created to impress journalist at trade shows.  But it is not something that most people use all the time.  ALT+TAB does essentially the same thing, its easier and quicker, and I still use it all the time.

3. Windows Photo Gallery

Is your collection of digital photos getting out of hand? You don’t have to search through folders to track down the ones you want. Now you can tag your photos with a date, keyword, rating, or any label you choose so you can find them quickly and easily in Windows Photo Gallery.

You can also use Photo Gallery to fix and edit photos, and then share them with family and friends through slideshows, e-mail, or prints—so everything you need for photos is in one place.

Windows Live Photo Gallery can brings all the functionality of Vista’s photo gallery to XP.  It’s arguably just as good if not better than the photo gallery that ships with Vista.  Allows you to do basic editing and even export photos to flickr.

4. Windows Movie Maker

Making a great home movie just got easier. Use Windows Movie Maker to blend videos and photos into a rich movie, complete with your own soundtrack, titles, and credits.

When your masterpiece is ready to share with family and friends, you can easily create a professional-looking DVD in Windows DVD Maker.^U

Windows Movie Maker comes bundled with Windows XP, and it is just a lousy on XP as it is on Vista.

5. Windows Media Player 11

The larger your collection of digital music grows, the harder it can be to organize and keep track of it. But now you can easily scroll, flip, browse through, and play your entire music library in Windows Media Player 11. You can even create new playlists of your favorite tracks with a single click.

You can keep your music moving with you by easily synchronizing your portable music device. Or you can share the contents of your entire library with other computers on your home network or with digital media devices such as Xbox 360.

Windows Media Player 11 is another program that ships with Vista that can also be downloaded for XP.  You can download it here.

6. Internet Explorer 7

Do you like to jump from website to website? Satisfy your appetite for multitasking without having to open several browser windows. You can open multiple webpages in one window and easily click between them with the tabbed browsing feature in Windows Internet Explorer 7—plus, you can see thumbnail images of all your open webpages at a glance with Quick Tabs.

Not only is IE 7 available for Windows XP, Microsoft practically shoves it down the users throats via Windows update.  But it is a significant security improvement over IE6.  If your running XP and don’t have IE 7 download it here.

7. Windows Media Center

Watch TV on your own schedule—not the TV networks’ schedule. If your PC has a TV tuner, you can record, watch, and pause live television on your desktop or mobile PC using Windows Media Center.^M

With multiple TV tuners, you can even record one channel while watching another. When and where you watch your shows is now up to you.

The first Media Center was bundled with Windows XP Media Center edition.  The Media Center for XP is essentially the same as the one for Vista.  Furthermore Media Center really requires extra hardware such as a TV tuner to be really useful.  That means it will never be used on a majority of Vista machines.

8. Media Center Extenders

Tired of huddling around the PC for entertainment? Connect your PC to one or more televisions in your home using a Windows Media Center^M Extender like Xbox 360, and enjoy all your digital entertainment on the big screen—from photo slideshows, home videos, and digital music to live and recorded TV shows and movies.

See #7 Above.

9. Sidebar and Widgets

No need to open a web browser to check traffic and weather, open a calculator to add up a few numbers and open an application to see your calendar. Now you can put mini-applications called gadgets right on your desktop, where you can see and use them whenever the mood strikes. Just use the Windows Sidebar pane to store and organize your favorite gadgets.

Microsoft doesn’t have a monopoly on Widgets(I mean gadgets).  Yahoo Widgets has a good variety of Widgets for Windows XP, and Google Desktop has a Vista like sidebar.

10. Parental Controls

Worried about your kids’ computer use or about what they may encounter online? Now you can give your kids a safer experience and set PC usage boundaries for them by using the centralized Parental Controls in Windows Vista. You can even restrict games and websites based on your family’s values.

Plus, you can better protect your PC and your personal information, as well as your family, with built-in security tools like Windows Defender and anti-spam and phishing filters.

Again another case where Vista ports its new features down to prior versions of Windows.  Windows Live Family Safety is a Windows Live program that brings Parental Controls to XP.  Windows defender is also available for XP

What they left out

I’m quite surprised that Microsoft showcased stuff like Movie Maker (which is a pretty crummy program, although free), but it leaves out one of the biggest improvements Vista has over XP, Improved Security.  As much as UAC (User Account Control) is reviled among Vista’s critics, UAC has made running Vista significantly safer.  Vista Business and Ultimate come with Bitlocker Drive encryption which will protect your data if your computer is lost or stolen.  Vista also allows the enabling of DEP (Data Execution Prevention) which protects against buffer overruns that could install malware on your computer (DEP is also available from XP SP2 and later).

I recently installed Adobe Photoshop Elements on to my computer to assist with things like graphics and screenshots for my site.  However along with Photoshop, Adobe also downloaded a little program called Adobe Photo Downloader.  Its a relatively harmless bit of software meant to assist  with downloading photos from a digital camera.  Still its something I don’t use and I don’t want programs I don’t use to be running in the background and taking up resources.

I’m going to show how to disable the startup programs using Windows Defender.  Previously with Windows XP you would do this by running a utility in windows called msconfig.exe (msconfig is still present in Vista and you can run it by typing “msconfig” in search bar built into your start menu)

Step 1. Open up Windows Defender

You can find Windows Defender by opening the control panel and clink on “Security”.  Windows Defender is one of the options in the next screen.  Or you could simply type in “Defender” or “Windows Defender” in Vista’s start menu search.

Step 2. Open up Software Explorer

Windows Defenders main purpose is an Antispyware program so this screen is mostly related to that.  Click on “tools”.

Select “Software Explorer”.  From here you will be able to manage the startup programs.

Step 3. Show for all users

If you are running as an limited user you will not be able to make any changes to the startup programs.  So in order to disable startup programs you will need to push the “Show for all users” button.  This will trigger a UAC prompt.  This will also apply the setting to all other accounts.  Often you will need to push the button as an administrator (because as we all know running as an admin on Vista is not really running as an admin).

Step 4. Disable Programs

Go down the list and disable all the programs you don’t want to run at startup.  Be sure that “Startup Programs” is the selected category.