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Message: [QUOTE="HexterBinary, post: 13717535"] Hi, My father passed away recently and I received his laptop (with Vista Home Premium pre-installed) as a part of my inheritance. The problem is that the hardware is exclusionary. That is, the manufacturer made it so that all other operating systems are prohibited and I can't install any other operating system on it. As there is a sentimental value attached to the computer I prefer not to sell it, but so far the experience was frustrating and a reminder why I stopped using Windows in the first place. Below are some questions, solutions to which, would help make my experience with the Vista computer more enjoyable. Thank you in advance for your assistance. How do I... * configure Windows Update so I can view and select which updates to install? * configure the time it takes Windows before asking again for permission to do an administrative task? Right now it's set to 0 and I have to give permission every time. I want to set this to 10 minutes from the last time an administrative task was done. * make the power button shut down instead of hibernate? * shade windows? (hide a window and leave only the title bar visible.) * configure it so I can shade/unshade windows by double clicking on them? * display the current date along with the time on the panel? Right now it only shows the time and day of week. * change keyboard shortcuts? * change the position of the buttons in the window title bar? I need the 'Close' button on the left. * add more workspaces? * configure windows to scroll (using the scroll wheel) when the mouse is over them and not only when the control that needs to be scrolled has focus? * always open the default browser when one is required? Some applications open IE instead of the default browser. * make it so that *.theme files, logs and other user system files are placed in user's home directory (%userprofile%) by default? Right now they are in %userprofile%\Documents * rename the user name and corresponding home directory without having to create a new user account? * change the theme of window decorations? Where can I download more themes? * change the theme of the windows themselves? Where can I download more themes? [/QUOTE]

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