Window Vista : Differences in Vista 64 and 32 bit

Which one should I buy? 32 or 64 bit Vista? Some differences in Vista 32 and 64 bit:

Very little hardware driver support for 64 bit, you will find many hardware will not work due to lack of drivers.
64 bit drivers needs to be signed by Microsoft. Microsoft needs to approve all drivers before they will work
as mentioned above drivers that do not have the approved digital signature from Microsoft will not run in Vista 64, this is also a good security feature.
64 bit software will run very good on a 64 bit operating system but currently there aren’t very many of them
64 bit needs more ram than the 32 bit, 32 bit runs OK with 1 GB, but you will need at least 2 GB for the 64 version
I personally would go for the 32 bit version of Windows Vista, I think the majority of Windows users will be better off with 32 bit Windows. There aren’t really any big advantages to using 64 bit Windows although we do have 64 bit processors available. 64 bit Windows operates on more chunks of data, and probably the most important thing is more access to ram. Vista 32 bit can only see 4 gigs (actually more like 3.25 GB) of ram the 64 bit version can see over 8 GB.

The main disadvantages of 64 bit operating system is the incompatibility with programs and hardware due to lack of drivers currently for 64 bit Vista.

Advantages are users who needs lots of ram can get it through the Windows Vista 64 bit version, programs written for Vista 64 will have increased performance, and 64 bit Vista is more secure than the 32 bit version.

Window Vista : How to add a program to quick launch in Vista

The Windows Vista quick launch can be a beautiful thing why not use it. Here’s how to quickly add your most used program to the quick launch for fast easy access.


To add a program into the quick launch right click on a program either on the desktop, the Start menu, or inside the program folder doesn’t really matter which one they all work the same. Now scroll down and click on “Add to Quick Launch”.


Now you will have the program in the quick launch bar at the bottom, in my case I have just added Firefox as you can see.


To use your quick launch programs you could either click on the little icon or use the keyboard shortcuts by pressing the Windows key and the numbers 0-9. The Windows button is the one with the little Windows logo on it between the CTRL key and the ALT key. The numbering of quick launch programs starts with 1 and ends with zero working it’s way from the left to right. So if I wanted to launch my newly created Firefox quick launch I would press the “Windows” key and the number “4″ key to open the program. Or to open IE I would press “Windows” and the number “3″. And to “Show desktop” press “Windows” and the number “1″.

Window Vista :

In Windows Vista, a list of your recently used items are listing at the right of the Start menu. Clearing recent items from the list will not remove the items from your hard drive it will only remove it from the “Recent Items”. If you do this for Windows XP go here Clear Recent Documents.

To clear Recent items

Click on the “Start” button
Point the mouse to “Recent Items” and right click on it
Select “Clear Recent Items List”

Window Vista : Should i upgrade to Vista

Should you upgrade to Windows Vista? If you are thinking about upgrading from XP to Vista my general answer would be no, mainly because I have heard some problems and issues from people who upgraded from XP to Vista. Although I would definitely recommend getting a new computer with Vista installed.

If you have an older computer running Windows XP I would stick with that instead of upgrading to Vista. If XP is running good on that machine why take the chance of installing Vista, many users have troubles with older hardware when they try to run Vista. I think the best thing to do is stick with XP until you get a new computer.

I have been running Vista since day one and I like it much better than XP I haven’t had any problems with hardware issues because I built my PC with all new parts. There were one or two programs that was not compatible with Vista but that is not the case anymore and with Service Pack 1 for Vista coming in a few months things are looking great on the Vista side.

WIndow Vista : Where is the Vista cookies folder

The cookies folder in Vista is very well hidden and will take a little bit of digging but here is how to find the folder in Vista where the cookies are stored:

Click on the “Start” button
At the top select your “User” name to get into the user group
Click the “Organize” button and select “Folder and search options” and click the “View” tab and choose “Show hidden files and folders” and also uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”, select “Yes” to confirm “OK” to exit
Now there will be more folders in your User window, find the one named “AppData” and click to open the folder
Inside the AppData folder select “Roaming -> Microsoft -> Windows” and your cookies folder should be right at the top, click on it
You can see all the cookies that different sites are putting on your computer and delete them if you wish. You may see a Low folder in there as well, this is where cookies are kept from websites you have some low user privileges.

Window Vista : How do I use my pictures as screensaver in Vista

You are able to use your own pictures as a screen saver in Vista and in XP. I will go through the steps for Vista specifically. The photo screen saver also has different slide show and transition options to play around with.

To go into the screensaver settings click on “Start” and then the “Control Panel”
Select “Appearance and Personalization”
Now click on “Personalization”
Click on “Change Screen Saver”
Click on the button to open the list of screensaver options and select “Photo”
Now click on the “Settings…” button to browse for your images
You can also pick a theme and adjust the slide show speed from this dialog box
When finished click “Save” and “OK”

Wireless : Boost Wifi signal strength

I have a wireless router downstairs in my basement. My Wifi works pretty good most of the time but when I start watching videos it gets a little choppy. How can boost my Wifi signal strength.

There are many different techniques people use to boost their wifi signal for increased range and better Wifi signal. Here are some common ways to extend and boost your signal.

Position of the router makes can make a huge difference in wifi strength. Try to limit or decrease the amount of obstacles for the wifi signal. The more walls the signal has to go through the weaker your signal will be.

Wifi repeaters or expanders are a nice way to extend your WLAN range. Companies like D-Link and Linksys make some really good ones. You put this device some where within range of the router and it expands the wifi signal. Here’s one from Linksys.

Get a antenna extender. There are extending antennas that you could add on to your existing router for better range.

You can also make your own antenna to help improve your signal. This is very cheap and uses a Pringles potato chip can. Here’s a tutorial on how to make your own.

Lock down your router. Password protect your wifi so neighbors can’t just hop onto your access point and use up your bandwidth.