Tag: Windows Vista

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Will my Windows XP applications run on Windows Vista?

It’s great when I receive a question that is also answered in the press on the same day.


I was asked via mail if “my favourite Windows XP applications will run on Windows Vista?” Patrick Marshall of The Seattle Times answers that questionin his Technology Q&A.



“Most programs written for Windows XP will work just fine with Windows Vista. But I have found a few exceptions. There is no complete and reliable listing of Vista-compatible software, but you may want to look at a couple of Web sites. The list is continually growing at ieXbeta’s wiki: www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List.


“Microsoft also maintains some information, though it is kind of buried. Start your search at: http://Technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905066.aspx.”


This links to the Application Compatibility page on the Windows Vista TechCenter website.


Also of interest: if you’re on Windows XP and you want a more Vista-like experience, check out Paul Thurrott’s Winsupersite article:



These* and other Vista-specific applications are really neat, but you can get identical or nearly identical applications on Windows XP too. (* – “Applications that are supposed to make people want Windows Vista. Things like the Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, Windows Photo Gallery, and Windows Media Player 11.”)And by doing so, you can eek some more time out of your XP investment, save up for a future Vista PC, or just avoid all the headaches that go along with upgrading to a new Windows version. Sure, you’ve waited 5 years for Windows Vista, but so what? Will another 6 months or a year be a problem? Really?


“If you’d like to stick with Windows XP for a while longer, here’s some good news. You don’t need Windows Vista. And as I’ll describe in the next section, there are plenty of excellent solutions out there that will make you forget all about Redmond’s next operating system. At least for a little while.”

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64-bit Vista in the Ultimate package: Q&A with Jim Allchin (Seattle Times)

The Seattle Times has this interview with our own Jim Allchin taking reader questions on Windows Vista. Of particular interest to me was one area dear to my heart, the support we have in Vista for 64-bit processors:



Q: I just bought a new notebook computer with a 64 bit processor.  I am eligible for the Express Upgrade to Vista.  I have heard that the full retail versions of Vista will contain both 64 and 32 bit versions in the same package.  Will this be the same for those of us who bought our computers before the full release?  If not, please explain why.  Thank you.
— Cheryl King, Edmonds


J.A.: If you bought a PC with a 32 bit OS installed (Windows XP home, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP media center edition) that is eligible for the Express Upgrade to Windows Vista, then your computer manufacturer should send the corresponding 32-bit version for Windows Vista.  If you bought a PC with a 64 bit OS installed (Windows XP professions 64 bit edition) than you qualify for an upgrade to 64-bit version of Windows Vista Business.  If you purchased a 32 bit OS on your new notebook and you would like to move to a 64 bit OS for Windows Vista please contact your computer manufacturer for fulfillment options.


If you buy the retail version of Windows Vista, then you are licensed to use either the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version. That said, we only include the 32-bit software in the package— unless you buy the Windows Vista Ultimate (which includes both versions). If you purchase the retail product and you want the 64-bit versions, then you can contact Microsoft and we will send you a disk.


Details on getting the 64-bit version for all packages under Ultimate should be included in the package.


Jim also referenced the new Windows Vista Family Discount offer, which makes it easier for households with multiple PCs to upgrade to Windows Vista. This limited-time offer is for customers who purchase retail copies of Windows Vista Ultimate between January 30 and June 30, 2007, where customers in the U.S. and Canada can obtain two additional copies of Windows Vista Home Premium in their home for US$49.99 each. See http://www.windowsvista.com/FamilyOffer for more details.

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Seattle Times on Windows Vista and the Mac: they both have their place in the home

Interesting article in the Seattle Times this weekend, “Windows vs. Mac: Of two minds about Vista.”



“…Vista is good news for everybody. If you sit users of one system in front of the screen of another, they will be able to find a Web site, create a document or edit a picture. This didn’t begin with Vista. Over the past decade PCs have become easier while users are getting smarter.”


The author and I share a similarity in that we use both operating systems. If you’ve read past posts, you know that we have both computers at home, ‘though my Macs haven’t been on in quite a while due to pressing work at the office. And we use both Vista (on more robust machines) as well as Windows XP (still) on some older PCs at home, ones that I just haven’t had the time or inclination to upgrade to meet the new Vista specs.


But for the PCs that run Windows Vista now, they’re my favourite.

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“For DST, do I just adjust my clock in the control panel?”

As I mentioned earlier — and just in time for the upcoming changes to daylight saving time that affects many products and services — we have a newly renovated DST 2007 website. (http://www.microsoft.com/dst2007 in case the hyperlink fails.) My posts sparked this question from a reader:



“When I travel, I just change the clock in the Control Panel. So shouldn’t I just change the clock when the new DST rules kick in?” 


No, no, no…


First off, for current Windows XP systems, an update is available for your computer for machines that subscribe to Automatic Update. So your PC will automatically compensate for the new DST changes. (The exception to the rule: older computers with Windows 95/98/ME, where you may choose to not use DST and manually set the clock on the new DST ‘spring forward’ and ‘fall back’ dates.) 


But when you travel, you should change the time zone to the city or area (or country) you’re visiting. If you just set your system clock to the local time, then your actual time will be off (not to mention the jet lag).


For example, let’s say I’m in Redmond, and I fly to New York. My PC is normally set to the Pacific Time Zone (which is GMT -8:00hrs). the Pacific Time Zone (which is GMT -8:00hrs). If I just set my clock to the local time in Manhattan (by right clicking on the clock display, or through the “Date and Time Properties” control panel), which is three hours later than Seattle (GMT -5:00hrs), my clock will appear correct but I’ll be three hours late for all my meetings because my time zone is still set to Pacific.


What’s worse, let’s say it’s 11:00pm Pacific when I make the change: if I move the clock ahead to 2:00am and don’t adjust the date, by clock will be a day behind as I’ve adjucted the clock before the date advances.


If I set just the time zone to Eastern, then all will be fine: my clock will be correct for NYC, and any meetings I have on my computer (or that I schedule in Outlook) will be correct. Here’s more help and tips on time zones, Daylight Saving Time, and e-mail in Windows XP. Now, that won’t fix being late for meetings due to other reasons…


The Office team has a good article describing how to use and set time zones here — you can not only adjust your master time zone when you travel, but you can add a second time zone to be displayed in the Outlook 2007 calendar (handy if you work regularly with a particular international city). From the article…



Dual time zone“You can add and display a second time zone in Outlook, which can be useful when you are scheduling meetings or conference calls with people who are working in other time zones. When you add a second time zone, the current time in the primary time zone is highlighted with a color gradient to make it easier to see.


“If two time zones are shown, the meeting organizer’s time zone is used as the reference point. If you organize a meeting and display free/busy time for invitees from other time zones, their busy times are adjusted so that they are displayed correctly in your time zone. The second time zone is visible only when you view the calendar in day or week view.”


 


The article also notes that start and end times for Outlook Calendar items are stored in the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) format… I’ve heard people refer to GMT, UT and UTC all as the same thing, but they’re not. Interestingly enough, it’s Universal Time (UT) which replaced GMT, not UTC. Somewhat depressing, as I enjoy listening to the broadcasters on BBC World News (on NPR, often on my drive home) talk about the current time in GMT: “UT” just doesn’t create the same feeling. 😉


This from the Wiki…



“(UT is) a timescale based on the rotation of the Earth. It is a modern continuation of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), i.e., the mean solar time on the meridian of Greenwich, England, which is the conventional 0-meridian for geographic longitude. GMT is sometimes used, incorrectly, as a synonym for UTC. The old GMT has been split, in effect into UTC and UT1.”


More information:



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New updated page for coming Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 changes

As I noted here and here previously, the kick off for daylight saving time (DST) is changing this spring (2007). The start and end dates for the United States will transition to comply with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (a US gov’t web site link). In short, DST dates in the United States will start three weeks earlier (2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday in March) and will end one week later (2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday in November).


In general, computer systems should be updated to reflect the new DST rules. For most customers, this means applying software patches to select Microsoft products, including various releases of the Microsoft Windows servers and operating systems, Microsoft Office and other applications. In a few important cases, customers must take more considered action, as outlined on our newly renovated DST 2007 website. (http://www.microsoft.com/dst2007) This public page on the Microsoft.com site will be revised regularly to include new product updates, compatibility information and links to Knowledge Base articles.


At the office and at home, my machines that subscribe to Automatic Update (which is all of our Window XP machines at home) received the Windows update, and my Windows Vista machines was just updated, too. 


Many Microsoft applications derive date and time information from the system clock, which “reads” the date and time information from the underlying operating system that it resides, so the changes need only be made to that underlying system. So you may not need to update many applications on your PC – check with your vendor to see if an update is required. For Microsoft products, many updates will be released through a combination of channels including Knowledge Base articles, Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and the Microsoft Download Center.


Want to find out the accurate time in the US? Go to http://www.time.gov/ and select your time zone.


Select a time zone



“This public service is cooperatively provided by the two time agencies of the United States: a Department of Commerce agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and its military counterpart, the U. S. Naval Observatory (USNO). Readings from the clocks of these agencies contribute to world time, called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The time maintained by both agencies should never differ by more than 0.000 0001 seconds from UTC (see recent comparisons).”


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