If your reading this then chances are 100% your computer is hooked up to the Internet and more then likely has an IP address assigned to it. There are two ways that a TCP/IP address is assigned to a computer either Dynamically or manually with a Static method. These are outlined below:

Dynamic: This address is assigned automagically through the wonders of Windows DHCP. This is the default setting that Windows tries to configure and the best method of connecting to an already configured network. When you have selected to enable WIndows DHCP your computer contacts a DHCP server on the network and asks for an IP address. If your at home the DHCP server will either be from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or if you have your own router it more then likely have a built in DHCP server. This is the easiest configuration you can get as everything will be done behind the scenes without intervention.

Static: If you don't have a DHCP server running or for another reason want to give your PC a specific address you will have to configure Windows  IP manually. Though it sounds scary it is quite easy to do once you know where you are going. Here is a short walk through:

1. Go to the Start Orb and click Control Panel. In the control panel click Network and Internet:
   
2. Now click on Network and Sharing Center:
   
3. In the Network and Sharing Center look along the left pane and click Manage Network Connections:
   
4. This will bring up a window with your Network Connections this will vary by computer and what is installed. In our example picture I have two network adapters installed, wired and wireless, of which the wired is disables so it is not receiving a IP address. My wireless network is active though and needs an IP address to function. Note that this procedure would not vary no matter what adapted your choose. In this case you need to right click on the adapter you want to configure. Choose Properties:
   

   If you are not logged in as an administrator you will get a UAC prompt, click Continue

5. You now will see the Network Adapter properties window that will have all the protocols and services attached to that network adapter. 99% of you as I am writing this article are still on IPv4 networks, compared to IPv6. If no one has told you different select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) from the list of protocols and click Properties:
   
6. On the properties page you will set the button to Use the following IP address and then configure the following according to your network:
   • IP Address
   • Subnet Mask
   • Default Gateway
   • Preferred DNS
   • Alternate DNS

   
   

7. In almost all the cases all you have to do is hit Ok and you will be ready to go.

If you had clicked the Advanced buttons you would have options to setup multiple IP's, Gateways, DNS and WINS settings. These are advanced concepts that are beyond the scope of this article, and if those are required you are probably beyond the scope of this article also

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The original post is located at: Enable Windows DHCP & Configure Static TCP / IP

The network map is a very cool new feature in Windows that allows you to visually see on your network is connected together. It is part of the Networking & Sharing Center. Lets take a look at this cool new tool.

If you have been following along this week I am sure you are sick of seeing me show you how to get to the Network & Sharing Center console, but remember some people just get to this one article first

1. Click on your start menu and right click on Networking and choose Properties
   
2. Right above your graphical mini map you will see the words “View Full Map”, go ahead and click on that
   

   View Full Map

3. Once you click it another Window will pop up and you will see a message “Windows is creating a network map”
   

   Creating Network Map

4. Next you will see a topology layout of your network
   

   Network Topology

How the Network map works is by using Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) and for computers or devices to respond properly they need to have the LLTD responder loaded.

As you can see the Xbox 360 got a update that gave it LLTD functionality. Unfortunately Windows XP machines do not have the LLTD responder by default and that is why you see the two computers at the bottom. This was fixed in Microsoft KB 922120, you can download the responder from there and install it on your XP machines.

Now if you move your pointer over one of the devices on the map you will see its IP address and also its MAC address. Very helpful if you are troubleshooting or trying to isolate a machine quick and easy.

Isolate Machine On The Network

If you need greater information on the device you can right click on them in the network map and you will have several options including enabling or disabling and getting the properties

Device Context Menu

The properties can give you access to the devices manufacturer website and model numbers

Network Device Properties

You can also connect to the machines right from the Map by clicking on them, though if they require authentication you will still have to provide those credentials.

Also if you are connected to multiple networks through different NICs then you can use the dropdown menu to see your other network maps.

NIC Dropdown Menu

One limitation that must be noted is that the LLTD protocol is not routable so for this to work all the devices have to be on the same subnet.

Though the Network Map looks a little bit like fluff on the surface, as you closer at the functionality you can see that it adds real value when working on a home network for users that might not be as tech savvy as some.

Tags: Vista Network Map, Vista Networking

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The original post is located at: Vista Network Map

In my home we have around 5 computers and 3 computer users running at any one time. This sometimes makes for some confusing document management. On top of it these computers are all running various OS’es back to Windows 2000 because of hardware limitations and need. So when my wife wants to see a copy of a certain document or we want to have our music accessible to my daughter we have started to use the Public Folder and shared it from one of the Vista machines. While hardly a new concept in the computer world to anyone that has worked in a corporate office or admins one it does strike strictly home users as kind of cool.

Lets walk through the different features and options of the public folder.

The public folder is shared by everyone with a user account on the same PC by default. Also by default access to the Public folder from the network is turned off and needs to be enabled. Luckily it is a very easy process and it starts by going to the Network & Sharing Console. There are many ways to get to the console as you can read in that article I am just going to use one randomly so lets go.

1. Click on the Start Menu and right-click on Network and choose Properties
2. In the center pane of the console look for Public folder sharing, and click the arrow to the right to bring up the different options you have.
   
   
3. Choose the option you want the choices are:
   • Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open files
   • Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open, change, and create files
   • Turn off sharing (people logged on to this computer can still access this folder)

   Once you make your change click Apply
   

   Note: Depending on UAC and security settings you may be asked for Administrator credentials.

4. An additional level of control on this share is exercised by the setting “password protected sharing” just below the Public Folder Share setting in the Network & Sharing console. This setting only allows access to shares by using local account credentials. If you attempt to connect to any share remotely it will ask for a username/password from the computer the share resides on. This is an additional layer of security and it is really up to you if you need it or not. The only options are on or off. Choose which you want and click Apply
   

After that is done you should be good to go for setup. Now lets get into the different parts of the public folder. As always there are many ways to get to things in Vista I am going to pick one that I feel is easier.

1. Click on Start Menu and then click on Computer
2. You will see it in the upper left pane under Favorites, there is a Public Folder, go ahead and click it
   
   
3. Now in the right pane you will see all the various sub folders for the Public folder. This can help you keep things organized easier.
   

Most of these are self explanatory, but there are two I want to touch on specifically so you are clear on what they do.

• Favorites – If you place Internet Explorer shortcuts in this folder they will be accessible to everyone on the PC.
• Public Desktop – Placing a document or shortcut into this folder will make it appear on everyones desktop on that PC that logs in.

All in all a very useful tool for Vista and home network users. I would recommend that you only put documents and files into the Public File Share that you are comfortable with almost anyone having access to in case of a misconfiguration. If you have need to share something with someone in particular, it would be better to make a private share and place it there with security.

Tags: Vista Networking, Vista Folder Sharing

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The original post is located at: Public Folder Sharing

One of the new features that Vista had in the networking areas was the concept of different types of networks you connect to. The three types of network are as follows:

• Home
• Work
• Public Location

Not many people realize the ramifications of your choices when you make that first click. The biggest one being whether Network Discovery is turned on our not. Now the cry from the masses of “So?” is deafening

And really it isn’t a big deal unless you want to connect to someone else’s computer quick and easy or have them connect to you. The security behind this is simple, when you are at home for example you don’t mind the fact that your computer broadcasts its existence to the other devices on your network. Now on the other hand if you are at your local Starbucks enjoying your favorite caffeinated beverage while surfing your favorite sites you do not want your computer announcing your presence to everyone who is also on a computer there.

Now every setting has its default and here it is:

• Home – Network Discovery On
• Work – Network Discovery On
• Public Location – Network Discovery Off

I am connected to my home network so we can go in and see the discovery of all the devices on my network.

1. Go to the Start Menu and then go to Network
2. After clicking on Network you will see there is quite a bit of information available for most devices:
   

Now just because there are default behaviors it doesn’t mean that you can not override them when you want to. To override them for specific networks heres what you do:

1. Go to Network & Sharing Center in the control panel
   
   
2. Look in the Sharing and discovery section, click the arrow to expand the section Network Discovery
   
   
3. Choose the radio button you want the setting to be and then click Apply

Thats it you have now overridden the defaults. What’s that? You only want to change it for a specific network and not for your whole computer? Ok, we can do that too… sometimes you people are a little pushy

Ok so we are still in the Network and Sharing Center… if not just type it into your Start Menu search bar and it should jump up and bite you.

Now in the Network & Sharing center we are going to focus on the part at the top that shows you what network you are connected to.

1. Click on Customize and you will be able to change several things about this network
   
   
2. Go ahead and set your network type (remember Private means everything is open, and Public means everything is closed) and change the name or network icon and click Next. This will bring you to a summary of what you just changed.
   

Note: If your computer is a member of a domain you will not be able to change these network settings, the network administrator will set them up by default.

Well thats about it for Network Discovery, as always you can leave questions and comments below!

Tags: Vista Networking, vista network discovery

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The original post is located at: Managing Network Discovery

This week I am going to focus on articles that have to do with the Network & Sharing Center. This control panel console is used to help home users in sharing resources on their home network. Much more robust then its XP counterpart it has some nifty new features that are helpful. While the Network & Sharing console is included in every version of Vista, it will be more often used in the following editions:

• Home Basic
• Home Premium
• Ultimate

If you want to go in and take a look there are a few ways to get there.

• Double click the Network and Sharing Center icon in the Control Panel
• Right-click the Network item on the Start Menu and choose Properties
• Choose Network in the Start menu, and then click the Network and Sharing button from the context menu.

Ok so whats it actually look like? Here you go:

This console on the left has a list of tasks that can be done from here, and also in the center pane has a lot of information on the current networking settings.

From the left menu you can do the following:

• View Computers and Devices
• Connect to a network
• Manage wireless networks
• setup a connection or network
• Manage network connections
• Diagnose and repair

I will be going over most of these in upcoming articles.

In the center pane you will find the following information:

• Mini-map of your current network connection (with a option to see the full network map)
• Information on your current network (Access type and if wireless signal strength)
• Network Discovery On/Off
• File Sharing On/Off
• Public Folder Sharing On/Off
• Printer Sharing On/Off
• Password protected sharing On/Off
• Media Sharing On/Off

Again this is just an overview and future articles will go more in depth.

For now this has been a quick overview of what to expect and where to start when trying to share a file or share a printer in Vista or when diagnosing a Vista Networking Problem.

Tags: Vista Networking, Vista Network & Sharing Center

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The original post is located at: Vista Network & Sharing Center

Flip3D was one of those cool WOW things that Windows Vista marketing couldn’t show enough of. If you are using a low end machine and barely clearing the Aero performance bar you may want to limit the number of windows displayed to keep the performance hit to a minimum. If you haven’t seen it yet you can read my article about using Flip3D.

Ok lets get into making the changes already!

Note: This change requires making modifications to the registry. If you are wary of doing this then I suggest you hold off. I and this website will not be held accountable for any damage done while modifying your registry.

1. Go to the start menu and type regedit, and launch the Registry Editor, if you have UAC enabled click “Allow”
2. Navigate to the following Registry Key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) entry and name it Max3DWindows
   
   
4. Set the Dword value to the max number of windows you want open. For low end machines 3-5 windows should be good while higher end machines can have 10 without issues.
   
5. Click Ok and then exit the Registry Editor.

After rebooting you can test the change by having multiple windows open and using Windows key+TAB.

Tags: Vista Performance, Windows Vista Flip 3D

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Sometimes as a Network Administrator I get on a home users machine and have to pause for a few seconds to get to the Administrator programs that I use to sort out the day to day trouble regular users get themselves into to.

This article will put those administrative tools in Vista at your fingertips through the Start Menu.

1. Right-Click on the Start Button, choose Properties
   
2. From the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window click on the Smart Menu tab, then click on Customize.
   
   
3. Scroll down in the menu and you will see a entry for System administrative tools. Change the radio button to Display on the All Programs menu and the Start menu. Click Ok twice to complete the action.
   

Now all the administrative tools are at your fingertips with a few mouse clicks.

Tags: Vista Administrative Tools

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The original post is located at: Add Vista Administrative Tools to the Start Menu

I recently had a friend who was messing around with his desktop and accidentally deleted the Show Desktop icon from his quick launch toolbar. This useful little icon minimizes all open windows so you can get to your desktop quickly. It is not really a application but instead a script that causes all that minimizing goodness.

To restore the scirpt and icon do the following:

1. Open Wordpad and copy in the following text:[Shell]
   Command=2
   IconFile=explorer.exe,3
   [Taskbar]
   Command=ToggleDesktop
2. Now save the file in the following location:%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\InternetExplorer\Quick Launchand with the name Show Destop.scfNote: The %UserProfile% is a variable that designates where the users profile resides. For most this will be C:\Users\username but if you want to know for sure go to a command prompt and use the set userprofile command which will return the correct path.

Tags: Vista Show Desktop Icon

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If your like me after a few months of loading problems your system tray can get overloaded with icons. There are several ways to handle this but I am going to show you the tactical nuke option. This registry edit will permanently remove all the system tray icons.

NOTE : This post discusses changing your registry directly. This can cause your computer to become a very expensive paper weight if done incorrectly. Use the instructions cautiously as I take no responsibility for any inability someone might have to not follow simple instructions. You have been warned.

With our warning out of the way lets get started. As we can see I have a very crowded System Tray:

Ok here we go:

1. Open registry by typing regedit at the start menu:
   

   NOTE: You may have to verify through UAC if you have it enabled.

2. Navigate to the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
   
   
3. Add a new DWORD value called NoTrayItemsDisplay by right clicking on Explorer, selecting New, DWORD (32-bit) Value
   
   
4. Double click on the DWORD NoTrayItemsDisplay and set the value to 1.
   
   
5. Exit the Registry Editor and Reboot your computer.

There you have it after reboot you will have a much less cluttered system tray:

If there are programs that are ACTIVE in the system tray then this will not hide them. This will only set all items in the system tray to hide when inactive.

Tags: Hide System Tray Icons

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The original post is located at: Hide Vista System Tray Icons Permanently

If you want to have a more customized desktop you can change your startmenu picture to something different, either one of the
preinstalled ones or one of your own. This change also will be reflected on the welcome screen after bootup for the account picture.

Very simple to do this just follow along:

1. Go to Control Panel, then choose the User Account applet.
2. Click on Change your picture link
   
   
3. You will see the preinstalled pictures and the ability to browse for your own
   
4. Choose the picture you want, hit Ok a few times and your done!

Tags: Vista Start Menu

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The original post is located at: Change Vista Start Menu Account Picture

Microsoft issued a press release today that extended the warranty on the Xbox 360 console. Any Xbox 360 customer who experiences a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights will now be covered by a three year warranty from date of purchase. All other existing Xbox 360 warranty policies remain in place.

I think this is a great move by Microsoft as the three rings error has garnered quite a bit of negative press from bloggers and console owners. This new policy should help some of the fears. As a 360 owner myself, I always read the stories about powering up one day and getting the red light error with a tinge of loathing that one day I will face the same consequence and the rather hefty amount I invested in my gaming time will be a waste.

You can read the full press release

Comments from Peter Moore

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I was helping a friend of mine at the office with a new install of Vista and he wanted to remove the default RSS feeds from Microsoft that come with the sidebar Gadget. In Vista, Microsoft instituted a new RSS platform that allows a structured way for other programs to use the same feed instead of having to import and export via OPML. This is called the “Common Feed List“, and unfortunately I could not see an easy way to remove these default feeds from the gadget itself.

The quickest way is to do the following:

1. Start Internet Explorer
2. Open the Favorites Center (ALT+C)
3. Click on the feeds menu
4. Right click on the ones you want to remove and select “Delete“

That will easily remove the default feeds from the Common Feed List. You can also add feeds from IE to the list that the Feed gadget uses.

I think Microsoft should be commended for trying to make RSS feed management a little easier as for power users I know people that have over 100+ feeds easy that they skim through. Having a more clearcut explanation of what they were doing would have been nice.

Tags: Vista Common Feed List

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The original post is located at: Remove RSS Feeds from the Vista Common Feed List

Per one of my favorite authors Derek Torres at Unofficial Vista site you can get a 30-day evalualtion of Vista Enterprise via virtualization. Download Microsoft Windows Vista 30-Day Eval VHD

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The original post is located at: Virtual Vista Released

A default setting in the Windows Vista power setting will throttle your CPU to 50%. Change this setting to unleash your full power:

1. Open your power options menu by typing Power into your Start menu search:
   

2. Choose the High Performance radio button and close the window
   

There you go a quick and easy way to increase processor performance.

Tags: Increase CPU Performance

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The original post is located at: Increase CPU Processor Performance

If you have Vista users that need to access ISA Firewall or SBS Premium you can get an updated firewall client for Windows Vista.

Download – Firewall Client for ISA Server

Taken from the site here is what the client is for:
Firewall Client for ISA Server can be optionally installed on client computers protected by Microsoft ISA Server. Firewall Client for ISA Server provides enhanced security, application support, and access control for client computers. It provides authentication for Winsock applications that use TCP and UDP, supports complex secondary protocols, and supplies user and application information to the ISA Server logs.

When a client computer running Firewall Client for ISA Server makes a request, the destination is evaluated by the Firewall Client software, and external requests are directed to the ISA Server computer for handling. No specific routing infrastructure is required. Firewall Client sends user information transparently with each request, enabling you to create a firewall policy on the ISA Server computer with rules that use the authentication credentials presented by the client. ISA Server allows you to configure automatic discovery for Firewall client computers, using a WPAD entry in DNS or DHCP to obtain correct Web proxy settings for clients, depending on their location.

Thanks to a post by David Overton here is the command structure for the install:

\\Servername\shared folder\SETUP.EXE /Q /P "SERVER_NAME_OR_IP=Servername ENABLE_AUTO_DETECT=0 REFRESH_WEB_PROXY=1"

Tags: ISA Firewall

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The original post is located at: Vista Problems with ISA Firewall and SBS Premium

You will find one of the things that takes the most getting used to in Vista is the way the explorer window now looks and acts. Windows Explorer by default opens the the logged in users documents folder as you can see:

If you want to have more control and have it open in other locations you can modify the shortcut. Just right click on the Windows Explorer shortcut and replace it with the codes below. Here are some common locations you might want to change it to:

• “Computer” highlighted in left side with all drives visible but not expanded and C: highlighted in right side
  %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,/select,c:

• Desktop highlighted and nothing expanded
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,/n,/select,/root,c:

• All drives visible and the system drive expanded in small screen:
  %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,/select,%systemroot%

• Only Windows Directory visible highlighted and expanded:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,/root,%systemroot%

• All drives visible but only C: highlighted and expanded:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,c:


Credit for this goes to a post on microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management by Leo

Tags: Vista Windows Explorer

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The original post is located at: Modify Where Windows Explorer Opens By Default

Not exactly Vista related but there is a great promotion going on over at Train Signal. They are going to be giving away the following:

2 Routers
1 Switch
1 hour with a CCIE
Train Signal CCNA Training
Cost of Exam

All you have to do in return is blog about your training experience and test while you study.

Signup Here

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Thanks to a post by Stuart over at The Unofficial Blog of the Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista I saw that Microsoft released a tool that can show what types of technology your current home router using NAT may be able to support from the Windows Vista operating system. Lets run through and see what it does shall we?

First things first, in a very unfriendly manner Firefox does not work with the license page… checked or unchecked the Continue button remains greyed out

So pop over to IE7 and of course I can now proceed

On the next page it wants to install an ActiveX control so perhaps that is why Firefox wouldn’t let me proceed, though a warning message about it would have been nice. Go head and click the bar at top and then click Install ActiveX Control. After doing so a UAC prompt may show depending on your security settings

Next you should see the Internet Explorer Add-On Installer window. Go ahead and click Install, you know you want to!

Depending on your internet connection this might take a few seconds or a minute or two. The next screen shows we are ready to go so click Start You might get at UAC warning depending on your security settings, if you do click Ok to move on

The test now running you can watch as it tests the different features of your NAT router

After the test is done you will see a summary report of what you passed and failed. I am using a Linksys WRT54G v5 wireless router with the current firmware (1.02.0) for reference. Looks like I passed everything but UPnP support, but I also might have that disabled. At the bottom of the report you have the option of going to a more detailed report or seeing a list of routers that support the new Vista technologies. I am going to view the Detailed Report

The detailed report opens in a seperate window and gives a list of each step of the test so you can see exactly what was tested and in what order. After looking through that I am going to close that window

While the tests were pretty basic for the most part, if you are having problems getting certain features of Vista to run through your router it might be worth a test to help eliminate a source of the problem while troubleshooting.

You can run your own test using the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool

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For the 99% of you that have been using Windows OS systems most of your lives the standard login for several versions have been to use Control+ALT+DELETE key combination to login. This quick walk through will show you how to enable CTRL+ALT+DELETE for Windows Vista.

1. First go to the start menu and type in netplwiz
   
2. This will bring up the User Accounts window, click the Advanced tab and at the bottom place a check in the box Require Users to Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE and click OK
   
3. Now when you power up you will have a CTRL+ALT+DELETE prompt

After hitting CTRL+ALT+DELETE you will go to the normal screen that lists your user accounts. If you want to have the traditional logon box asking for userid/password you can run this from a elevated command prompt:

reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\ /v
LogonType /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Now you will have to hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE and then enter your username/password to logon to your Vista box from now on.

Tags: Ctrl+ALT+DEL

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The original post is located at: Enable CTRL+ALT+DELETE for Windows Vista Logon

As with all the major corporate releases of Microsoft Operating Systems, Vista has its own dedicated resource kit. These kits are invaluable to a corporate administrators that need to automate deployment and customize an OS for specific corporate users.

For the Vista Resource Kit, Microsoft leveraged their MVPs to help with expert insights from professionals in the trenches working with Vista. This resource has over 1500 pages covering the following:

Automating Deployment

Implementing Security

Administrating Group Policy

Troubleshooting Vista

Internet Explorer 7

Microsoft Windows Firewall

Windows Defender

Also included are 150 scripts that will help automate administrative tasks, job aids, and a eBook copy of the entire Resource Kit.

You can find the Resource Kit at Amazon for $37.79

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The original post is located at: Windows Vista Resource Kit Released