Turns out that despite the fact that at home I’ve got an x64 quad-core PC with 6GB of RAM I can’t install the Windows 7 beta via Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 because I’ve got Windows Vista Home Premium and Virtual PC won’t run on anything less than Vista Business. 
However, I do have Vista Business at the office and I was able to successfully get Windows 7 Beta running via this method.
As some of you may have read on FriendFeed and Twitter, after six years, I finally replaced my aging home desktop computer. The old one ran Windows XP at 2.0GHz with 1GB of RAM. The new computer (shown right) runs Windows Vista 64-bit with a 2.66GHz Quad-core processor and 6.144GB of RAM. I’ve nicknamed it "The Beast". (Full specs can be found on the Gateway site.)
First, some background.
Whenever someone asks me, "Should I get a new computer?" I ask them "Well, does your current computer do what you need it to do without an undue burden on you?" In other words, does it work without going too slow, or needing regular (daily) reboots? If the answer is yes, then it isn’t time for a new computer. If no, then it is.
Readers, it’s been that time for me for about a year now.
I knew that this computer was never going to be upgradable to Vista. I looked into doubling the RAM (which is generally a stop-gap measure at best) and found that the old Gateway used some sort of obscure RAM and that all my slots were full so upping it to 2GB was going to cost me something in the neighborhood of $300. That wasn’t going to fly.
So, I’ve been looking. I’ve been trolling the NewEgg and TigerDirect flyers and RSS feeds and figured that I’d be purchasing a bare-bones kit (case, power supply, CPU, RAM) then customizing it with a graphics card, hard drive, and OS. This was looking to cost me about $900 for something in the neighborhood of a dual-core 3GHZ with 3GB of RAM.
Then, this past Thursday, Gateway sent me an e-mail.
The e-mail listed a deal on a laptop and The Beast via Office Depot. I posted a message to FriendFeed and Twitter to get opinions and most were "go for it". The one from @stephenk was memorable: "Do you really need a Ferrari to go to the corner store for milk?"
The simple answer is of course no, but I’m glad I got the Ferrari. (I ended up driving 50 miles out to LaVista, NE to pick it up at the store so I’d have it to set up over the weekend.)
I’m not a serious gamer (as can be shown by the fact that The Beast doesn’t contain the greatest graphics card in the world,) but I have been known to encode DVD video. Did I "need" 6GB or RAM and a quad-core processor, probably not. But for this price, I’m glad I didn’t pass it up.
Here’s an example from the weekend:
At one point I had Firefox, Outlook open, BitTorrent downloading and seeding some video, a bunch of background software running in the system tray, I was burning a DVD-ROM, AND streaming a tv show up the the livingroom over the network. All at the same time, and yet was still using only about .45 of the CPUs and .40 of the available RAM.
That’s what I need my computer to be able to do and it did so with enough headroom to be able to handle anything else I could think of throwing at it. Oh, and did I mention that it boots in about 30 seconds?
As for the 64-bit version of Vista, I was hesitant but Paul Thurrott over on the Windows Weekly podcast says that it’s ready for prime-time and the 64-bit hardware drivers are no longer a problem. So, how’s that working for me? Just fine.
I did have to hunt through the Dell Web site for a 64-bit driver for my Dell 1100 laser printer but once I found that, it printer works as it should.
The only continuing problem is with my Ultra USB hard drive enclosure. Which, most unfortunately, contains my music. So far The Beast refuses to recognize this USB device even though it works fine on the old computer. I contacted Ultra and they insist that it should work just fine in Vista 64-bit, it’s a Windows problem, and I should contact Microsoft. I’m thinking I’ll just replace the enclosure with a different brand. Right now that decision is coming down to wether I’d rather spend time with Microsoft technical support or just shell out $30 for a replacement.
So, yes, I’m glad that I bought the Ferrari. Sometimes a little overkill is worth not having to walk to the store.
So I’ve previously cloned the thirteen Vista computers in out lab without any significant problems. Well, problems that I can point to the cloning process as the cause of the problem anyway. What have I been using to do the cloning? That would be the free linux-based Clonezilla. Just boot from the CD and follow the prompts. But, there’s been this issue nagging at the backs of the minds of our computer team that we’d been ignoring since they’re our computers in our control so until there was a problem, we could ignore it.
Then came ten new computers as part of a Gates grant that are going out to small rural libraries here in Nebraska. Hey, I’ll just set one up and clone the other nine. But, in this case, once we’ve set the machines up, they’ll be sent out across the state and out of our hands. Ah, that nagging problem starts shouting at us again. That problem is the issue of Security Identifiers (SIDs). What are those? Let’s ask Microsoft:
“Security identifiers (SIDs) are numeric values that identify a user or group. For each access control entry (ACE), there is a SID that identifies the user or group for whom access is allowed, denied, or audited.”
Yeah, that’s a lot of help…
The gist of this is that for certain security features of Windows Vista this unique SID is used. The SID is generated as part of the initial setup of Windows. i.e. When you first boot the computer after you take it out of the box. If you have more than one computer with the same SID, this could cause problems. The trouble is, cloning a hard drive also clones the SID. Bingo! I’ve now got ten computers all with the same SID. In fact, Microsoft has a Web page that specifically tells you not to do what I did. It’s title: Do not disk duplicate installed versions of Windows. Here’s what it says:
“Computers that are running the Windows operating system use a Security ID (SID) to uniquely identify themselves. When you use disk-duplicating software, it is important to take steps to ensure the uniqueness of these Security IDs.”
Yep, the computer team’s fears were based in fact. I even double-checked by downloading a small program named PSGetSid to verify the duplication of the SID in question.
“Have you performed a rollout, only to discover that your network might suffer from the SID duplication problem? In order to know which systems have to be assigned a new SID (using a SID updater like our own NewSID), you have to know what a computer’s machine SID is. Up until now, there’s been no way to tell the machine SID without knowing Regedit tricks and exactly where to look in the Registry. PsGetSid makes reading a computer’s SID easy, and works across the network so that you can query SIDs remotely. PsGetSid also lets you see the SIDs of user accounts and translate a SID into the name that represents it.”
So, now the ultimate question: How to clone a computer and yet still have unique SIDs on each of the clones. After way to much searching and reading I found a handy little program from Microsoft that supposedly solves this problem. That program is Sysprep.
“The System Preparation (Sysprep) tool prepares an installation of Windows for duplication, auditing, and customer delivery. Duplication, also called imaging, enables you to capture a customized Windows image that you can reuse throughout an organization.”
Turns out that Sysprep comes with Vista. You can find it at C:\Windows\system32\sysprep. (Don’t run this on your computer! ONLY run this on a master that you plan on cloning. If you run it on a computer you actually want to continue to use, you might just mess it up a smidge.)
So more reading and more reading and I finally found the following from Microsoft:
Creating a Build-to-Plan (BTP) Windows Image
In the build-to-plan (BTP) scenario, you create a single Windows reference image to install computers that use the same hardware configuration. You customize the single Windows reference installation by installing Windows and then adding additional drivers and applications. You then capture the Windows image and use it to install your computers. No additional modifications are made to this image.
This scenario comprises the following stages:
- You install Windows on a reference computer.
- After the installation is complete, you boot the computer and install any additional device drivers or applications.
- After you update the Windows installation, you run the sysprep /oobe /generalize command. The /generalize option instructs Sysprep to remove system-specific data from the Windows installation. System-specific information includes event logs, unique security IDs (SIDs), and other unique information. After the unique system information is removed, the computer shuts down. The /oobe option instructs the Windows installation to run Windows Welcome the next time the computer boots.
- After the computer shuts down, you can boot to Windows PE or another operating system on the computer.
- You then capture the Windows installation with ImageX, [I'm using Clonezilla instead, M] by creating a reference image with which to install computers with the same hardware configuration.
Well, that sounds like what I want to do so I gave it a shot. I set up one computer just how I wanted it (a full set up updates, installed Firefox, AV software, Steady State, and created the accounts I needed,) then ran Sysprep on that computer. Here’s what the program looked like:
What you see here are the setting that I used. I chose the OOBE option to get the cloned computers to act like it just came out of the box when first booted, and checked Generalize to reset certain settings, most importantly the SID which was central to why I was going through all of this.
I clicked OK and the computer did a few things and then shutdown. Next, I hooked up my drive to clone to and ran Clonezilla. When that was done I removed the cloned drive from the master computer, popped it back into it’s original case and booted up the cloned computer.
I was told the the computer was setting itself up and it rebooted itself once during this process. I was then Welcomed to Windows, asked to accept the licenses, set the time, and create a new account. The account creation bit worried me a bit since I’d already created the accounts I needed but I had to follow through. So, I created an account named “m” with a password of “m” just to make things simple.
Once setup completed I was presented with the Windows logon screen which contained the two previously created accounts and the new “m” account. I logged into the admin account and found that all of my updates, settings, and software were exactly as they should have been. I just deleted the “m” account and I was pretty much all set. There were just two other things:
First, I ran PsGetSid on the cloned computer to make sure this one had a different SID from the original. Yes, it did.
Second, I did have to delete and re-create the second account that was on the cloned computer that I’d originally created on the master. I’m not exactly sure why but I have two theories.
UPDATE 03 Nov 08: Turns out theory one seems to be the correct one. I’ve since cloned other computers where the public account wasn’t locked by SteadyState and the account came through the cloning process in tact.
Despite this final “problem” it was more just an annoyance. This whole process was still much shorter than if I’d had to boot all ten computers and install all the software and updates individually. Also, each time I did it, the process took a little less time as a result of the repetition of the process. I’ve got another 30-40 computers I’ll be doing this to in September and plan on following this process. If I find any additional details then, I’ll be sure to post them.
It’s been said that most people who think that Vista sucks haven’t actually used it.
If you’ve got a multi-core computer (2, 4, 8, whatever) and you’re running Vista, here’s a great way to decrease your boot time by instructing Vista to actually use more than one core during the boot process.
I saw about a 30% boot time reduction by changing from one to two cores for boot.
I use Twhirl as my Twitter client. I love it. The only problem I found was it’s insistence that links be opened in IE instead of my default Firefox browser. Well, turns out it’s not a Twhirl problem it’s an obscure Vista setting. (Non-Vista users have not had this problem.) So, if this is happening to you here’s the solution with screenshots. (Originally from twhirl’s blog.)
First close Twirl if its running and open up the control panel, switch to classic mode if you haven’t already and select "Default Programs".
Next, select "Set Program access and computer defaults". (You may need admin access for this.)
Lastly, expand the "Custom" group and under "Choose a default Web browser" select Mozilla Firefox.
Click OK and get yourself back to the desktop. When I started Twhirl my links now opened in Firefox.
One of the things I learned at IL2007 (I’ll get to that post eventually) was that "all OSes suck" and yesterday morning this was only reinforced. Here’s what I saw on my laptop’s screen when I woke up Sunday morning and went to watch the latest episode of Bionic Woman:
How’s that for a scary error message. Basically, something happened overnight that caused my Vista installation to believe it was no longer a valid installation. So, I went to learn more…
Microsoft’s first suggestion was to run the online Genuine something-or-other tool that validates your OS installation. Yep, it failed. I "officially" have an "invalid" (read "illegal") version of Vista on my laptop.
Then they presented me with a list of incompatible software that I should uninstall. I didn’t have any of those programs on my laptop so scratch that.
Next it suggested I run CHKDSK to see if there’s any problems with the hard drive. (The theory being that if the right OS files get corrupted Vista could invalidate.) Run CHKDSK, no errors. Next.
I found lots of others who have reported this problem but most of those were people who had been playing with beta versions last year. I did however find a link to a Microsoft page in which I could report my error and get a response within 24 hours. I filled out their form, downloaded the diagnostic tool, ran that to collect the relevant data, and sent my report off to Microsoft. (I’m still waiting BTW.)
Not willing to give up I kept searching and found another Microsoft page that suggested it might be my anti virus program and I should uninstall that. (I’ve been using Avast! on the laptop since I upgraded and I’ve not liked it, too slow, so that sounded like a good plan regardless.) The trouble was, when you’re running an "invalid" copy of Vista it locks you out of certain OS features, most importantly in this instance, the control panel. So, how to uninstall a program without the control panel. (No, there wasn’t a standalone uninstaller to be found.)
Ah ha! I remembered MSCONFIG. Launch that and instruct Avast! not to load at startup. Apply the changes, reboot, and my OS is valid again! I quickly uninstalled Avast! and downloaded/installed the latest (now Vista compatible) version of AVG. System running smoothly again.
Granted, it was Vista that was yelling at me and it’s Microsoft’s "fault" that their DRM is touchy but right now I’m placing the blame at the feet of the makers of Avast! I suspect that it updated itself overnight as it should but that something in the update was incompatible with Vista enough to cause it to invalidate. Well, I won’t be recommending that product in class any more.
I’m going to start posting semi-regularly about the sometime subtle yet wonderful changes from XP to Vista. To start here’s the screen you get when you attempt to move or copy a file into a directory in which a file with the same name already exists. Not only is this screen helpful but the new third choice to “Move/Copy, but keep both files” is a great “I’m not sure” option.
Last week I realized that there was a down side to how I’d hooked up my laptop to my HDTV. The laptop ended up connected to the TV and on top of my stereo cabinet, forcing me to stand at the computer to use it, or in my lap on my sofa, but not connected to the TV. So, I started poking around for wireless keyboards and mice. Thinking that a mouse wasn’t going to work all that well, and that would just be one more “remote” in my livingroom, I shopped for a wireless keyboard with a built in trackpad. What I found was the Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard.
At $149 this keyboard is a smidge on the pricey side but it’s worth every penny. It’s light, it’s thin, it doesn’t need AA or AAA batteries due to the built in Li-Ion batteries and charging station, and it’s on board “touch disc”. The batteries are quoted as being able to last a month or more on a single charge and based on other reviews I have no reason to doubt that. The “touch disc” is a round touchpad but with two special spots on the disc that allow for both vertical and horizontal scrolling once you get the hang of it.
Stylistically, this is a gorgeous piece of equipment. It’s sleek and black, and had many backlit icons for special functions. (For example, the ring around the touch disc lights up when your using it and slowly fades out when you stop.) And, as other reviewers have said, it even looks great when sitting in the charging station.
The wireless connection runs on Bluetooth and this is where I ran into some problems. My Vista Ultimate laptop has built in Bluetooth but I’d not used it in the past as this is my first Bluetooth device for a computer. So, I went into the Bluetooth configuration settings and instructed the computer to find the device. I’d pressed all the right buttons and read all the instructions a dozen times but computer continually failed to find the keyboard. So, as a test, I plugged in the USB dongle for computers that didn’t have Bluetooth and everything connected almost instantly. Therefore, the problem was with my computer, not the keyboard.
An hour later, having read many a support document, it seemed that Bluetooth was “running” (at least there was a Bluetooth icon in my system tray) but it was “turned off”. Using the function keys to turn it on didn’t work since, ultimately, the laptop was refusing to recognize the built in Bluetooth hardware. My guess is that something happened in the upgrade to Vista.
I found updated drivers from Gateway, downloaded them, and ran the install program. The install program informed me that I had to first uninstall the old version. Off to Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Bluetooth. Upon reboot, Vista found the hardware, reinstalled the (original) drivers, and before trying to install new drivers, I tried again. This time, the keyborad connected as it should.
(I don’t blame the keyboard or Logitech for this at all. I mention it since others might have a similar problem.)
I then installed the Logitech software which seems to give me some additional options and customizations but I’m in no hurry to investigate those since so far I’ve been able to do everything I’ve needed to do.
The only other odd thing I’ve noticed is the keyboard’s volume control. Using the keyboard to raise and lower the volume seems only to work within a small range, not silent-to-blearing like you’d expect. I’m sure this again has something to do with the OS’ volume settings and not a problem with the keyboard itself. This is also something I’m not all that worried about as I’ll probably use the TV remote’s volume control more than anything else.
For those interested, a slideshow of the unpacking, Bluetooth installation(sans screenshots of the hour of troubleshooting) and Logitech software installation, can be found in my Flickr account.
I’ve heard many complaints about running Vista’s Aero interface and the negative impact it has on laptop battery life. I’ve not noticed this in particular but I mostly run my laptop plugged in. Well, Clint decided to solve the problem and created the Vista Laptop Battery Saver V 1.0.0.1. Just unzip the program, dump a shortcut to it in your startup folder and it sits in your system tray. When you’re plugged in, Aero runs. When you unplug you’re automatically switched to the lower-power-consuming Vista basic theme. Plug back in, and Aero returns. I tested it last night and it worked as advertised.
