Traffic Circle 2.0

It’s finally here! (And coming soon here!)

What is it? My newest book, Maximum PC Guide to Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed.

Read it to discover:

- How to perform a clean install using a Vista upgrade DVD

- Why Windows Vista Ultimate protects your data better than other editions

- How to protect your children from unsuitable websites and media (and how not to)

- What you need to make Windows Vista and Windows XP share nicely on the same network

… and much, much more!

It’s based on the final release of Windows Vista and Windows Vista Ultimate Extras, so it’s an up-to-date reference to what’s new, what’s improved, what’s great, and what needs work in Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate editions. Enjoy!

Check out Chapter 8 on Windows Media Player 11 free.

In an era in which operating system updates are delivered ‘to your door’ by Windows Update and similar online services, it’s fair to say that modern operating systems are truly ‘works in progress.’ Windows Vista is no exception.

Several recent updates are worth checking out. The first two are especially useful if you play PC games. You might have already received these updates via Windows Update, but if not, you can follow the links to install them manually:

• If you’re using two graphics cards with NVIDIA’s SLI or ATI’s CrossFire dual GPU configuration, Windows Vista might not be using the second graphics card. Fix this problem and get the 3D performance you paid for with the update discussed in Knowledge Base article 936710. You can request this update and receive a link to it via email. To learn how, see my Maximum PC blog posting Hotfixes by Email – Just What the Windows Doctor Ordered.
• 3D games based on DirectX 9 and earlier DirectX versions use a lot more virtual memory address space under Windows Vista than under Windows XP. As a result, you may experience crashes while playing your favorite games. Microsoft has updated the virtual memory manager for Windows Vista to solve this problem. See Knowledge Base article 940105 for details. To request a link to this update, see Hotfixes by Email – Just What the Windows Doctor Ordered.

Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or not, you’ll want to get your hands on the next two updates:

• Fix various performance and reliability headaches with the update discussed in Knowledge Base article 938979. The update can be downloaded directly from the article.
• Fix various compatibility headaches with the update discussed in Knowledge Base article 938194. The update can be downloaded directly from the article.

To find out if you’ve already received these updates, open the Windows Update icon in Control Panel and review your system’s update history. If you still need some of these updates, fire up your browser and get downloading!

… I have digital imaging in Windows Vista covered.

• Learn how to use the Photo Gallery feature in Windows Vista to edit your photos without overwriting your originals.
• Tired of waiting, waiting, and waiting for the Importing Pictures and Videos wizard to load up the pix from your digital camera? Do a Donald Trump on it and replace it with faster and smarter transfer programs (some of which also work for free).

Keep an eye on the continuing Windows saga (Windows XP fans also get their fair shakes).

Posting here’s been pretty light of late, as I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my book Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed, but, I haven’t exactly been idle.

• I’m now the “Windows Guy” at Maximum PC‘s website, blogging on a variety of Windows topics.
• Several of my articles on Windows Vista are now features at Que Publishing’s Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 resource page:
  • Learn how to fix common problems with digital photos using Vista’s Windows Photo Gallery.
  • Fix a Windows Vista installation that won’t start with the Windows Vista Recovery Environment.

Enjoy!

The new MaximumPC magazine website (version 6.0) is now up and running, and it’s a winner. Some of its new features include:

• Article archives back to 2003
• News stories
• Editors’ blogs
• Podcasts

If you missed my Windows Vista Survival Guide article from the March issue, it’s now a featured article on the website.

MaximumPC is my favorite hard-core, take-no-prisoners, tell-it-like-it-is computer magazine. My article, Windows Vista Survival Guide, is the cover story of the March 2007 issue on newsstands now.

Grab a copy today!