Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I finally sat down and started working on a batch file to replace the hosts file on a Vista machine. It takes about five minutes every time I want to do it, so it's worthwhile to automate.
More Vista nonsense
- Thread starter Bozo
- Start date
ddrueding
Fixture
Nope. It annoys me as well, I just felt the thread was too one-sided. I felt a little balance was in order.
ddrueding
Fixture
Care to share?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
When I get done with it. The perfect version is just going to grab the file straight from MVPS.org.
ddrueding
Fixture
Sweet.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
The hard part is elevating the batch file that actually does the heavy lifting.
It should look something like
runas /noprofile /user:%username% "call \\servername\sharename\binapps.cmd"
With the contents of binapps.cmd...
md c:\program files\bin
cd c:\program files\bin
copy "\\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\hijackthis.exe" c:
copy \\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\spacemonger.exe c:
copy \\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\url2file.exe c:
cd "c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\programs\administrative tools"
copy "\\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\hijackthis.lnk" c:
copy \\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\spacemonger.lnk c:
move c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.old
"c:\program files\bin\url2file" http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
pause
What I'm doing is dropping Spacemonger and Hijack This onto the PC and putting shortcuts someplace I can find them (handy and simple) and then using a program called url2file to snag the MVPS hosts file to replace whatever is present on the system already. The batch file works fine in XP.
But the runas part tells me it can't find the .cmd file. Not sure why.
It should look something like
runas /noprofile /user:%username% "call \\servername\sharename\binapps.cmd"
With the contents of binapps.cmd...
md c:\program files\bin
cd c:\program files\bin
copy "\\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\hijackthis.exe" c:
copy \\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\spacemonger.exe c:
copy \\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\url2file.exe c:
cd "c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\programs\administrative tools"
copy "\\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\hijackthis.lnk" c:
copy \\servername\sharename\apps\binapps\spacemonger.lnk c:
move c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.old
"c:\program files\bin\url2file" http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
pause
What I'm doing is dropping Spacemonger and Hijack This onto the PC and putting shortcuts someplace I can find them (handy and simple) and then using a program called url2file to snag the MVPS hosts file to replace whatever is present on the system already. The batch file works fine in XP.
But the runas part tells me it can't find the .cmd file. Not sure why.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
OK. I found a program to elevate a Batch script.
Now I still have a problem with Vista not being able to find the explicit path c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.
... which XP and Server 2003 both do just fine.
Now I still have a problem with Vista not being able to find the explicit path c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.
... which XP and Server 2003 both do just fine.
ddrueding
Fixture
Vista seems to me to do a "better" job of hiding system files and folders. Does changing the folder options make any difference?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Well, apparently, Vista's cmd.exe needs quotes in places XP's doesn't...
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Another gripe with Vista.
Vista doesn't offer automatic power mode switching based whether you're running on mains or on battery automatically...
Vista doesn't offer automatic power mode switching based whether you're running on mains or on battery automatically...
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I did get my script working, finally. Now I need to polish it up and think of other things it can do.
It's a simple thing right now. It makes a folder and copies a bunch of small, no-install .exe files into that folder, puts some shortcuts to those programs in the start menu and then downloads the current hosts file.
It's a simple thing right now. It makes a folder and copies a bunch of small, no-install .exe files into that folder, puts some shortcuts to those programs in the start menu and then downloads the current hosts file.
ddrueding
Fixture
Um...I'm pretty sure it does. Or both the laptops I have include their own software for doing so.
Actually, I'm pretty sure one of them has Notebook Hardware Control installed, and the other I'm not so sure about.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Nope, you need 3rd party software as you've just linked to.
You can setup all the power modes you like, but you must manually switch between the modes for them to come into effect... (You can only set what the power/sleep and lid close do based on your power source).
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I have four notebooks here with Vista on them: a Lenovo T61, an HP dv9000, a Latitude D531 and an Inspiron 6000.
All of them seem to have issues with not waking up from hibernate. Most of them seem to wake up about half the time. I haven't seen the HP wake up properly at all.
Does anyone have access to a Vista notebook that handles hibernate properly, or is that just another characteristic of Vista?
All of them seem to have issues with not waking up from hibernate. Most of them seem to wake up about half the time. I haven't seen the HP wake up properly at all.
Does anyone have access to a Vista notebook that handles hibernate properly, or is that just another characteristic of Vista?
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
I read a news item yesterday that MS was putting out 3 fixes for Vista, one of which addressed laptop issues. Can't find the damn thing now.
ddrueding
Fixture
My Gateway is sitting right here and Hibernate works very well. The one trick is that you can't choose "Hibernate" and then close the lid immediately. But it wakes up fine 95% of the time (occasionally loses resolution settings).
Bozo
Storage? I am Storage!
This was complained about during the beta but never fixed. SP1 seems to handle it much better, even with two guest operating systems running in Virtual Box.
Bozo :joker:
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Oddly enough my now-dead Gateway didn't have problems with waking up from Hibernate either. It dead, however, have problems with draining the battery in under a day while "hibernating."
MS Mega-booster John Dvorak's latest column describes the current Vista product cycle as a "Death Watch."
MS Mega-booster John Dvorak's latest column describes the current Vista product cycle as a "Death Watch."
ddrueding
Fixture
Mine might have that problem, but it lives it's life plugged in. My ASUS UMPC might have that problem, as the last time I tried to turn it on, it was dead. But it had been sitting in my bag for over a week.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
True story:
A nice, matronly grandmotherly type lady brought me her notebook, an HP dv9000 that is about six months old and must've been the most expensive model in the Best Buy or whatever where she bought it. It has Vista Ultimate and Office 2007 Premium on it, and license stickers for both.
She gave me her laundry list of complaints and I could tell most of them were just normal Vista behaviors - she won't click on the UAC windows because someone told her never to click on an unexpected popup, for example, so she was shutting her notebook down rather than deal with that.
There's also the matter of the PC not waking up from Hibernate, but we talked about that yesterday.
Anyway, she hates Vista. She hates Office 2007. I spent about four hours looking for something actually wrong with it. Couldn't find anything, other than Vista and Office being what they are.
So I called her, a little bit ago and told her that there's nothing wrong with her computer; she should either get used to Vista or obtain whatever she's used to, and it'd probably be $600 or so to replace her software and a couple hours of tech time, and that she could probably get an older notebook with XP and Office for less than that would cost.
She told me , and I quote: "Just keep the damned thing. It's useless like that anyway."
I would like to posit that on the day when Microsoft drives little old ladies who grew up during the depression to effectively chuck $2000 laptops in the garbage, they perhaps have made a very large mistake in the development and marketing of their operating system.
A nice, matronly grandmotherly type lady brought me her notebook, an HP dv9000 that is about six months old and must've been the most expensive model in the Best Buy or whatever where she bought it. It has Vista Ultimate and Office 2007 Premium on it, and license stickers for both.
She gave me her laundry list of complaints and I could tell most of them were just normal Vista behaviors - she won't click on the UAC windows because someone told her never to click on an unexpected popup, for example, so she was shutting her notebook down rather than deal with that.
There's also the matter of the PC not waking up from Hibernate, but we talked about that yesterday.
Anyway, she hates Vista. She hates Office 2007. I spent about four hours looking for something actually wrong with it. Couldn't find anything, other than Vista and Office being what they are.
So I called her, a little bit ago and told her that there's nothing wrong with her computer; she should either get used to Vista or obtain whatever she's used to, and it'd probably be $600 or so to replace her software and a couple hours of tech time, and that she could probably get an older notebook with XP and Office for less than that would cost.
She told me , and I quote: "Just keep the damned thing. It's useless like that anyway."
I would like to posit that on the day when Microsoft drives little old ladies who grew up during the depression to effectively chuck $2000 laptops in the garbage, they perhaps have made a very large mistake in the development and marketing of their operating system.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
Spot on. I haven't had that particular experience, but the general tenor of it fits with what I see.
Now for my mind-boggling Vista experience of the week.
Lady brought her laptop in to have Vista removed and XP Pro installed. This is routine, we see a lot of it. Being smart, she had made sure she had Vista Business to allow her upgrade rights to XP. This is not routine - most people asking for a Vista-destroying format and XP install have been lumbered with Vista Home and have to shell out $150 for the XP as well as pay me for my time .
Anyway, Damien did the install, went through the usual nonsense with the dreadful ASUS website which never just gives you the right drivers, though you can usually get (for example) the sound working with about the fourth different download you try - all pretty much as expected. By then it was six o'clock so we went home.
In the morning, I activated it. Again, the usual routine to begin with, as per Microsoft's requirements. Ring up, key in the great long activation number (complete waste of time because that number pertains to a copy of XP belonging to a different machine and is effectively pirated until we retrospectively legitimise it by activating it with the Vista serial number on the notebook); press whatever buttons you think will probably lead to an actual human being on the phone who can give you an activation key that matches; explain that you are activating from Vista Business. All 100% routine so far.
Him: "Please tell me the first six digits of (whatever they call that great loing number)".
Me: "123456, but I should mention that this is a machine licenced for Vista Business, so that product key is not relevant".
Him: "Thank you for that information, sir. Your activation key is 123456 234567 345678 456789 567890 678901 (walks me through entering the number in the various little boxes and pressing next).
At this point I'm thinking that he hasn't listened when I said that this copy of XP isn't (yet) legitimate and actually belongs to another machine, so it can't be activated, which is why I'm ringing him up to give him the Vista serial number so that he can give me a legitimate activation key. I had better bring this to his attention, otherwise we will have to machines both trying to run the same copy of XP.
"Me: err ..... this is a machine licenced for Vista Business, so the product key I entered doesn't actually apply to it. Don't you want the Vista serial number?" (Well, that's what I said, what I meant was "Hey dummy! I want a legitimate activation on the Vista licence, didn't you listen before?" - but I can be just as smooth and pleasant on a telephone as a Microsoft call centre guy, and it never hurts to be nice.)
Him: "We do not currently require that information. Have a nice day, and thankyou for calling Microsoft."
"We do not currently require that information"
These call centre guys Microsoft hire are pros, right? They are never, ever impolite, they are always pleasant, they are professional, they never get flustered, and they never, ever, ever depart from the script. Their training and supervision is spot on. Every time. Say what you like about Microsoft, their call centres are the best in the business.
"We do not currently require that information." In other words, this is policy.
Somewhere in Microsoft, and it would have to be at a pretty senior level, a committee has decided that they will not even ask for Vista serial numbers to check if your XP install is properly licenced. You could activate one copy of XP on 1000 different, totally unlicenced machines just by mumbling "Vista Business" over the phone - they are not asking for a serial number!
Obviously, the flood of Vista -> XP activation calls has so swamped their call centres that they are simply handing out activation keys to anyone who asks for them, without any form of checking whatsoever.
I was stunned.
I still am.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
Another story. This week I got a customer who wanted Vista on a new machine. Yup: the very first one.
As it happened, this was a guy I'd done an especially low price for at around $100 over the cost of the parts, which is barely break-even (for reasons that are not relevant to go into here) and one that I regarded as a medium-high support risk user - i.e., moderately though not excessively more likely than most to require post-sale support from me. (In the back of my mind I always grade buyers like this - the ones I think are going to have a clue vs the ones I think are going to need a lot of hand-holding or fuss about every last little detail or tell me their life story every time they ring me up.)
Still, I was comfortable enough with the deal - until he came in to say they wanted the machine, but one other thing, his (adult) daughter wanted Vista instead of XP Home, because she likes the way it looks.
I thought about it for five or ten seconds, and decided that this pushed the deal over the edge - took it from the barely profitable but OK class into the "one day I will wish this deal never happened" class. With a slim margin, I only needed one Vista fuckup (such as their existing printer not working with it, to pick an example) to push this out of the money-making category and into the costs-money category.
So I said no.
As it happened, this was a guy I'd done an especially low price for at around $100 over the cost of the parts, which is barely break-even (for reasons that are not relevant to go into here) and one that I regarded as a medium-high support risk user - i.e., moderately though not excessively more likely than most to require post-sale support from me. (In the back of my mind I always grade buyers like this - the ones I think are going to have a clue vs the ones I think are going to need a lot of hand-holding or fuss about every last little detail or tell me their life story every time they ring me up.)
Still, I was comfortable enough with the deal - until he came in to say they wanted the machine, but one other thing, his (adult) daughter wanted Vista instead of XP Home, because she likes the way it looks.
I thought about it for five or ten seconds, and decided that this pushed the deal over the edge - took it from the barely profitable but OK class into the "one day I will wish this deal never happened" class. With a slim margin, I only needed one Vista fuckup (such as their existing printer not working with it, to pick an example) to push this out of the money-making category and into the costs-money category.
So I said no.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
In the US, there's a special number I have to call ahead of time to do a Vista Business to XP Pro license switch. I've never done it myself; usually I make a secretary do it, but now I'm curious to try that with a retail Vista business disc.
Hey, anyone want a 17", 5kg HP dv9000 with Vista on it? Apparently I have an extra...
Hey, anyone want a 17", 5kg HP dv9000 with Vista on it? Apparently I have an extra...
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
If you were that hard up for an HPPOS, why didn't you just say something?
Maybe we can make a trade. I'd like a nice geeky Aussie girl, and presumably there's a nice supply in Canberra...
Maybe we can make a trade. I'd like a nice geeky Aussie girl, and presumably there's a nice supply in Canberra...
Will Rickards
Storage Is My Life
You can't seriously keep it, right?
You have to put XP and open office on it and send it back to her, right?
You have to put XP and open office on it and send it back to her, right?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Honestly, I'll call her again to see how she feels on Monday. Maybe suggest there might be a grandchild or something who needs it? She was really frustrated and angry and I don't blame her.
Truthfully, it's not Vista (Ultimate can be legally downgraded) that's the huge problem in this, It's Office. Talking to her, she has 2003 Premium on an old desktop, and she paid $400 something for that. She said that she paid another $450 for Office Premium, but since both copies came on the PCs, I'm about 99% positive that they're OEM versions that can't be switched to another computer or legally downgraded. The even sadder thing is, looking at the documents she produced, it looks like she could be served just as well with OpenOffice or Google docs. She's an Outlook user (so no Office Home/Student), but the Excel and Word stuff is really just basic stuff. She bought into the lie that new Office = more productivity.
Anyway, I don't want that thing stinking up my office, though. I'd hate that someone might think I'd own an HP.
Truthfully, it's not Vista (Ultimate can be legally downgraded) that's the huge problem in this, It's Office. Talking to her, she has 2003 Premium on an old desktop, and she paid $400 something for that. She said that she paid another $450 for Office Premium, but since both copies came on the PCs, I'm about 99% positive that they're OEM versions that can't be switched to another computer or legally downgraded. The even sadder thing is, looking at the documents she produced, it looks like she could be served just as well with OpenOffice or Google docs. She's an Outlook user (so no Office Home/Student), but the Excel and Word stuff is really just basic stuff. She bought into the lie that new Office = more productivity.
Anyway, I don't want that thing stinking up my office, though. I'd hate that someone might think I'd own an HP.
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
I'm a little late, but I would personally drive over there and pick it up, that way you wouldn't even have to go to the post office.
I'd love to oblige, but if my wife thought I was looking at other women (for any reason), I'd be dog meat
Besides which, I'm 45, so any woman of an age to suit you would just think I was (being) creepy...Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
tim stole my idea. I'll be driving through the area next Wednesday evening on my way to the inlaws.
sechs
Storage? I am Storage!
I have a some-times customer who left a message saying that she wanted to have "a few things removed" from her new laptop. It has Vista of some flavor on it.
Although I'm sure that there's some general new computer junk to come off, I'm quite positive that she's going to want some integral part of Vista removed. After reading these stories, I'm not looking forward to this visit....
Although I'm sure that there's some general new computer junk to come off, I'm quite positive that she's going to want some integral part of Vista removed. After reading these stories, I'm not looking forward to this visit....
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
That's only useful if it can take all the suck out; by the time that's done you're back to XP.
sechs
Storage? I am Storage!
If there's going to be installation of an operating system, it won't be Vista.
Unfortunately, I'm sure that she went cheap and has Vista home....
Unfortunately, I'm sure that she went cheap and has Vista home....
ddrueding
Fixture
Just disabling UAC goes a long way to cleaning up the user experience. It doesn't break many things, either.
sechs
Storage? I am Storage!
I spoke to the customer yesterday and, after suggesting that she downgrade to XP, her response was, "Can I do that? Half of my applications don't work right on Vista, anyway." User has a Thinkpad with Vista Business (hallelujah!).
Although Lenovo will send an XP disk to her for a fee, I'm going to build one from my Thinkpad source.
Although Lenovo will send an XP disk to her for a fee, I'm going to build one from my Thinkpad source.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
She was dead set on not having that notebook any more but after I talked to her about donating it, she decided to inflict it on her church, and I get to order her something she'll actually like.
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
Did you offer to sell it on eBay for her and use the proceeds for a new model?
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
XP install on Thinkpads is fairly painless, just be sure to do stuff in the right order - in particular, install a recent .net as early as possible, otherwise the (generally pretty smart) auto-install device drivers stuff up something chronic. The first time I tried it I would up having to wipe the thing and start again - meaning two activation phone calls. Yuk!