*VISTA BETA TESTERS FAQ*

[MICHAEL]

*Helpful info for post-install Vista beta users*

I nominate Colin and/or Mark V. to write this FAQ.
Links to important information on drivers and general
stuff about Vista. Addressing the most asked questions.

Such as:

Where's my key? Can I get another?
When does this version run out? Will I get another?
My install disk is corrupt.
Can I install to an external drive?
Sorry for all the multiple posts.
Why don't I have glass?
Links to some major manufacturers driver, especially-
video card drivers.
Links to boot editors for Vista.
When is the next version being released?
Can I rollback or uninstall Vista?
What's the deal with administrative permissions?
What's readyboost and do I make it work?
Why do I keep losing my System Restore points?

So on and so forth.

Post the FAQ once a day or to those who ask for
some general advice.

Get busy Mark and Colin.

Anyone will do, I'm just not very good at all
those details.

Thanks!



--
Michael
______
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools,
but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
- Mark Twain

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Actually, you should look at the download files at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...E8-9983-4AB0-9685-F1BFEC1E7D62&displaylang=en
Which are step-by-step guides for IT Pros on the nuts and bolts of deploying
Vista. Check out the topics. Good stuff.

 

[Chad Harris]

Michael--

MSFT has already written the answers to this in release notes, and on all of
their Vista sites including Technet, their Vista help site, and on their
Technet Vista team blog. Additionally several Vista sites have these
questions conveniently answered in forum subgroups.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

To this date, MSFT has posted nothing substantive on their sites on SR, SFC,
and Win RE--public release of Vista is 19 days old.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Correction: Vista Beta 2 has been public since May 22. That means it has
been public for nearly 7 weeks with no worthwhile documentation in these
areas.

CH

 

[Mark D. VandenBeg]

You forgot one: The proper useage and syntax of "lol" when asking the same
question repeatedly.

 

[Steven Wabik]

so why are the system restore points randmly disapearing from time to time?

 

[Mark D. VandenBerg]

It's been discussed, Steve.

Both XP and Vista use volsnap.sys when working with SR points. When you are
dual-booting and you fire up XP, XP says "Hey! I didn't make those!" and
deletes them

 

[Chad Harris]

Steven--

They aren't randomly disappearing from time to time. They aren't being made
at the default times Vista SR is supposed to make them. Further it was
very short sited of MSFT to create a situation where they would also be
wiped out on dual boots when you boot to XP. Multiboots aren't a cult phenom
built around the foreplay of a new OS, they're mainstream.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Also Steven, as to the problem with a dual boot and losing the VSS restore
points on Vista when you go to other boots, if you do a search for system
restore on this group, Colin, Mark and others have done a nice job of
explaining the mechanism of this.

CH

 

[MICHAEL]

Chad,

In my experience, my restore points have been created quite
regularly. I have "system checkpoint" restore points, I have
restore points made after Windows Updates, I have restore
points created after Windows Defender updates, I have restore
points created after most program installs. At times, it seems
a restore point is created just by farting. Some program installs
don't get a restore point, I'm not sure why. Maybe, those
installs aren't using MSI (?).

As long as I have BitLocker on, my restore points have not
been deleted.

-Michael