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Windows Secrets Newsletter • Issue 117 • 2007-07-26 • Circulation: over 270,000 |
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Contents TOP STORY: Vista "resume" bug plagues laptop users KNOWN ISSUES: More free ways to enhance Windows XP WACKY WEB WEEK: Fox News's image directory left wide open INSIDER TRICKS: Stop random reboots and fix 'em for good WOODY'S WINDOWS: "Important" patch 936357 is causing crashes PERIMETER SCAN: Test your PC for weak software versions YOUR SUBSCRIPTION: How to change your address or unsubscribe |
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For links to every topic in this issue, scroll down to the
Index |
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TOP STORY Vista 'resume' bug plagues laptop users
Microsoft engineer reports 'Vista suckage' In a July 7 post entitled "Vista ReadyBoost Suckage & Vista resume sluggishness," Microsoft security software engineer Robert Hensing identified an apparent bug in which Vista can take several minutes to resume after a portable computer is put into sleep or hibernation mode. "The disk just freaking thrashes and the HDD [hard disk drive] light stays on pretty much solid and the whole machine is pretty much unusable for about 5–8 minutes until the disk 'settles down,' " he wrote. Nearly identical symptoms had been reported previously in blogs such as jkOnTheRun and Kevtris. During the sluggish resume, Hensing noticed that Vista was writing several hundred megabyes per minute to the Flash drive he used for his ReadyBoost cache. ReadyBoost is a new Vista feature that uses a USB Flash drive as additional memory, as described by Microsoft. Hensing discovered that his notebook computer resumed Vista in just a few seconds if he removed the Flash drive during sleep mode. Hensing theorizes that ReadyBoost needed to regenerate the AES128 encryption key on the Flash drive at the same time that it was restoring data from the hard disk. He went on to state that the problem was expected to be fixed in SP1, Vista's much-anticipated first service pack. His post was quickly picked up by Long Zheng, another victim of the bug, who covered the emerging story on his IStartedSomething blog. Initial post disappears as confusion mounts Within a few days, however, the Hensing post disappeared from the Internet. Long Zheng and other bloggers took note, and a short time after that, the Hensing post reappeared — minus the original negative headline and with the original text formatted with strikeover lines. The new post reports that the problem seemed to disappear after letting Windows Update install some patches. Hensing recanted his original theory blaming ReadyBoost and promised an update when more information was available. Unfortunately for his readers, Hensing failed to identify a particular patch that solved the problem. There's no shortage of proposed solutions in the blogosphere, though. For example, James Kendrick reported in his blog that he was able to solve the problem by implementing some Registry tweaks designed to turn off Vista's SuperFetch feature and use of virtual memory. Such changes are counterintuitive at best, since these features are specifically designed to improve Windows' performance. Nevertheless, "My disk thrashing has practically stopped," he reports. "It now only takes five seconds to go into standby and about the same to resume. Overall I'm finding the disk activity to be similar to Windows XP and I am very happy with the outcome." Windows Secrets columnist Susan Bradley posted on her blog a collection of links to Microsoft hotfixes relating to Vista hibernation problems. These patches are expected to be rolled into Vista SP1, yet none of them precisely describes the symptoms reported here. To date, Microsoft has not offered a clear, consistent explanation of the problem(s) behind the troubling laptop behavior. When asked about the situation, Microsoft representatives told me that they had no information to share at this time. Until they do, users are left to experiment with one of the word-of-mouth solutions proposed in various blog postings. Problems such as this may explain why neither businesses nor consumers are in a hurry to upgrade to Vista, according to a report by Associated Press business writer Jessica Mintz. As she notes, "Gripes over what doesn't work with Vista continue, eclipsing positive buzz over the program's improved desktop search, graphics, and security." Readers, any details you can contribute would be welcome. We'll send a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of your choice to anyone whose comment we print. Send us your tips using the Windows Secrets contact page. Scott Dunn is associate editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He is also a contributing editor of PC World Magazine, where he has written a monthly column since 1992, and co-author of 101 Windows Tips & Tricks (Peachpit) with Jesse Berst and Charles Bermant. |
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KNOWN ISSUES More free ways to enhance Windows XP By Scott Dunn Last week, I listed several products for bringing XP up to par with Vista, both functionally and visually. Readers responded with their own favorite utilities and improvements to give XP more of Vista's sizzle. Give XP a more modern, Vista-like look In the July 19 issue, I explained how to use $20 "skinning" products to give XP a new look and feel. But Andrew Davies has a cheaper solution:
Also free is the Vista-like Desktop Sidebar from Google. K9 provides free parental-control alternative Regarding the parental controls described in the last issue, reader Russ Mellnick writes:
Home version of XP incompatible with Virtual PC The July 19 issue also describes a Virtual PC feature that users of XP can download from Microsoft. But reader Gerhard Oberschlick points out something I failed to mention:
Readers Davies, Mellnick, and Oberschlick will receive gift certificates for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for sending tips that we printed. Send us your tips using the Windows Secrets contact page. |
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EDITOR'S BOOKSHELF
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WACKY WEB WEEK Fox News's image directory left wide open
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YOUR SUBSCRIPTION The Windows Secrets Newsletter is published weekly on the 1st through 4th Thursdays of each month, plus occasional news updates. We skip an issue on the 5th Thursday of any month, plus the week of Thanksgiving and the last two weeks of August and December. Publisher: WindowsSecrets.com LLC, Attn: #120 Editor, 1700 7th Ave., Suite 116, Seattle, WA 98101-1323 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine). Editorial Director: Brian Livingston. Editor-at-Large: Fred Langa. Associate Editor: Scott Dunn. Contributing Editors: Susan Bradley, Mark Edwards, Woody Leonhard, Chris Mosby, Ryan Russell. Research Director: Vickie Stevens. Program Director: Brent Scheffler. Trademarks: Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The Windows Secrets series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. The Windows Secrets Newsletter, WindowsSecrets.com, LangaList, LangaList Plus, WinFind, Security Baseline, Patch Watch, Perimeter Scan, Wacky Web Week, the Logo Design (W, S or road, and Star), and the slogan Everything Microsoft Forgot to Mention all are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com LLC. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Anyone may subscribe to this newsletter by visiting our free signup page. WE GUARANTEE YOUR PRIVACY: 1. We will never sell, rent, or give away your address to any outside party, ever. 2. We will never send you any unrequested e-mail, besides newsletter updates. 3. All unsubscribe requests are honored immediately, period. Privacy policy HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: To unsubscribe from the Windows Secrets Newsletter,
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