TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Windows

New Intel SSD Downloads

By

*IMPORTANT UPDATE
Intel has pulled the firmware update. It seems it is cause no shortage of problems for people (thankfully it didn’t bite me. yet…).
See this thread at the Intel forums.

Intel SATA SSD Firmware Update Tool v1.4
This firmware update tool provides the latest firmware for the following Intel SSDs in all capacities:
– Intel® X25-M/X18-M SATA SSD on 50nm (black case) – updates to FW version 8820
– Intel® X25-E SATA SSD on 50nm (black case) – updates to FW version 8850
– Intel® X25-M/X18-M SATA SSD on 34nm (silver case) – updates to FW version 02HA

Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox v1.1
The Intel® SSD Toolbox provides a set of applications to easily manage the health and optimize the performance of your Intel SSD. The Toolbox includes a powerful set of management, information, and diagnostic tools, and is designed to work best with 34nm Intel® High Performance SSDs.
The Intel SSD Optimizer utilizes the new ATA Data Set Management Command (Trim Attribute) to help maintain performance of the 34nm Intel® High Performance SSD at out-of-the-box levels and is specifically designed to run with Microsoft Windows 7*. Intel SSD Optimizer also works with Windows Vista* and XP* through the use of the Intel SSD Toolbox.

*edit – Anandtech has benchmarks and more info: The SSD Improv: Intel & Indilinx get TRIM, Kingston Brings Intel Down to $115

Installing Windows 7

By

I’ve completed my guide on Installing Windows 7 . I hope you find it useful.

I have also begun work on the Windows 7 page. I could really use some good links for this page if you have any.

Some you have asked if I’m working on a Windows 7 Tweak Guide. Of course I am. It will be a bit different than previous tweak guides.The first reason for that is that Windows 7 needs far less performance tuning than Vista and XP (but there are some tweaks here and there). The second reason is that there are a ton of new features in Windows 7. While I will show you how to turn some of these off, I hope to explain why these features may just help you get things done faster and to tweak the features to your needs. Writing, researching, testing, and double-checking all this does take a considerable amount of time though. I do not know if it will be ready by the launch date or not (Oct. 22nd) but I’m trying.

Mark Russinovich – Inside Windows 7 UAC

By

Mark Russinovich – Inside Windows 7 User Account Control

In this post, I’ll cover the motivations behind UAC’s technologies, revisit the relationship between UAC and security, describe the two new modes, and explain how exactly auto-elevation works. Note that the information in this post reflects the behavior of the Windows 7 release candidate, which is different in several ways from the beta.

Tweak Guides Updated

By

I’ve spent the last few weeks updating the following guides in preparation for Windows 7 guides. There has been a lot of cleanup, clarifications, and several additions. As the name intimates the XP guide will not be revised again. The Vista guide may follow the same fate. I’ve never been shy about the fact that I did not like Vista. Those who are using Windows 7 know that it will probably leave Vista as just a bad memory. Once 7 comes out I will not have any Vista computers left (only 1 left now). At any rate, I hope you enjoy these guides and that they may be of some help to you.

TweakHound’s Super XP Tweaking Guide – SP3 Final
–
The Right Way To Install Windows XP
–
Tweaking Windows Vista
–
Installing Windows Vista
–

Vista SP2 Cleanup

By

The service pack cleanup tool has been renamed for SP2. The command is now compcln.exe.
Run this command from the command line. After running this command you WILL NOT be able to uninstall SP2.

Vista SP2

By

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 has been released to the general public. These downloads contain both Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2.
These should appear via Windows Update today.
*edit 14:26 (EST) – It is on Windows Update now. I’m downloading it and installing on my last Vista machine (all others that had Vista are on Windows 7 now). My download (x64) is 567.3 MB.
“Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2.”

Downloads:
Windows Vista SP2 (x86)
Windows Vista SP2 (x64)
Windows Vista SP2 Five Language Standalone DVD ISO

Notable Changes in Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2

Paul Thurrott – Windows 7, October 15

By

Microsoft also says it will finalize Windows 7 in mid-August and deliver it to the public in time for the 2009 holiday season. I can tell you, however, that the general availability date is a lot more specific than that: You’ll be able to get the final version of Windows 7 publicly on October 15, 2009, according to the current schedule.

Paul’s Article
Source – Neowin