Cyber Dimensions....

Although you must all be still enjoying the Latest built Windows 7 RC but those who are still using XP might find a error Windows Generic Host Process .This error breaks any Internet connection and you cant reconnnect disconnect or logoff.You can only get the Connection working again by restarting and reconnnecting.
I even searched for this problem and found a hotfix on Microsoft website.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894391
but it aint working for me and the pc i was troubleshooting that time.
So 2 avoid any chances of re-formatting the system i am adding few more tweaks that you can try and one of them would work for sure.

Solution# 1:'Run' and open 'Regedit' Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > Browser > Parameters Find the Key Name: IsDomainMaster and set Data: False Restart Your PC

Solution# 2: Go to 'Run' and open 'cmd' Type 'netsh' in command console then press enter Then type 'winsock' and press enter and then type reset Restart Your PC

Solution# 3: Get the LspFix and follow the steps as directed http://cexx.org/lspfix.htm

Solution# 4: Get the Microsoft Update Patches and apply it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894391 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958644

Solution# 5:Download Generic Host Removal Tool, double click on this file after download, this will change the required Registry Vales to fix Generic Host Error. Your Antivirus Program may detect this removal tool as a potential threat, Ignore the warning in such case. Read more: "[ Fixed ] - Generic Host Process For Win32 Services Encountered A Problem and needs to close – Svchost.exe Error" - http://www.troublefixers.com/fixed-generic-host-process-for-win32-services-encountered-a-problem-and-needs-to-close-svchostexe-error/#ixzz0FmV9UoQm&A

So you missed your activation CD Key for windows 7 and still clueless about that.
You can find it easily without registering for the Windows 7 DVD again and searching over the net.
Infact you can find the cd key of this version as well as few other versions of the Windows 7...
Here is how to get through it....
1.Extract the Windows 7 ISO.Its a tough one cause its a UDF Format and you would be requiring external software like CDExtractor or ISoBuster to do the workk.
2.In the DVD root folder there is a folder sources....open it....
3.Find a configuration file product.ini
4. open this file
5.Scroll till the end and you can find number of Various keys for versions like ultimate,professional,starter and many more....
Windows Vista RTM keys also do work with this as well as of Windows Server 2008 with the build 7100.

I always wanted to find the precise meaning of the acronyms Microsoft uses to refer to the stage of a product in the software release life cycle. I found the most comprehensive explanation on mvark 's blog and copied it verbatim here for future reference.

Community Technology Preview/CTP

CTP stands for Community Technology Preview. It's generally an incomplete preview of a new technology in progress. These usually come out before beta and are a way to gather feedback from the community during the development of a product. This is similar to an Alpha release per Jeff’s hierarchy, except that at Microsoft, we generally do put CTPs in a public location.

Release Candidate/RC

RC's are pretty much like less buggy BETA releases. These are candidates to become the actual release and there is a very small chance of adding new features between the RC and the RTM. Any changes from an RC to an RTM are usually just bug fixes.

Released to Manufacturing/RTM

RTM stands for "Released to Manufacturing" and is a throwback to the days when software was mostly released as CDs. When a project went "Gold", it was released to manufacturing who then burned a bunch of CDs and packaged them up to be put on store shelves. True, this still goes on today believe it or not, but this mode of delivery is on the decline for certain types of software.

Released to Web/RTW

RTW is a related term that stands for "Released to Web" which is more descriptive of how software is actually shipped these days. For example, while we like to use the term RTM internally out of habit, ASP.NET MVC will actually be RTW.

Fully Supported Out-of-Band release

A Fully Supported Out-of-Band release is a release that is not part of the Framework (i.e. it's not included in an installation of the .NET Framework), but is fully supported as if it were. For example, you can call up PSS (Microsoft's Tech Support) for support on a fully supported OOB release.

One example of this was “Atlas” which later became Microsoft Ajax and was rolled into ASP.NET 3.5. ASP.NET MVC 1.0 will be an example of an OOB release.

Service Pack/SP

A Service Pack (or SP) is simply an RTM (or RTW) release of fixes and/or improvements to some software.

A Graphical User Interface (GUI for short) allows users to interact with the computer hardware in a user friendly way.

Over the years a range of GUI’s have been developed for different operating systems such as OS/2, Macintosh, Windowsamiga, Linux, Symbian OS, and more.

We’ll be taking a look at the evolution of the interface designs of the major operating systems since the 80’s.

I should mention that this article showcases only the significant advances in GUI design (not operating system advances) and also not all of the graphical user interfaces and operating systems existing today.

The first GUI was developed by researchers at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the ’70s. This research opened a whole new era of computer graphic innovations.

The first personal computer which used a modern graphical user interface was the Xerox Alto, developed in 1973. This was not a commercial product and was intended mainly for research at universities.





In this year Microsoft finally caught up with the whole graphical user interface craze and released Windows 1.0, its first GUI based operating system (although no one would dare to refer to it as one). The system featured 32×32 pixel icons and color graphics. The most interesting feature (which later was omitted) was the icon of the animated analog clock.


In this version, the actual management of the windows had significantly improved. The windows could be overlapped, resized, maximized and minimized.




By this version, Microsoft had realized the real potential in GUI’s and started to significantly improve them.

The operating system itself supported standard and 386 enhanced modes, which made use of higher memory capacity than 640 KB and hard disk space, resulting in the ability to use higher screen resolutions and better graphics, such as Super VGA 800×600 and 1024×768.

Also, Microsoft hired Susan Kare to design the Windows 3.0 icons and to add a unified style to the GUI.




This version of Windows included TrueType fonts which were pre-installed. This effectively made Windows a functional desktop publishing platform for the first time.

Previously, it was only possible to achieve such functionality in Windows 3.0 using the Adobe Type Manager (ATM) font system from Adobe. This version also contained a color scheme named Hotdog Stand, which contained bright hues of red, yellow and black.

This color scheme was designed to help people with some degree of color blindness see text/graphics on the screen easier.



The user interface was completely re-designed since version 3.x. This was the first Windows version where a small close button was added to each window.

The design team gave states (enabled, disabled, selected, checked, etc.) to icons and other graphics. The famous Start button appeared for the first time.

This was a huge step forward for Microsoft regarding the operating system itself and the unified GUI.



The icon styles were almost the same as in Windows 95, but the whole GUI could use more than 256 colors for rendering. Windows Explorer changed almost completely and the “Active Desktop” appeared for the first time.



As Microsoft tends to change their GUI completely with every major operating system release, Windows XP was no exception. The GUI itself is skinnable, users could change the whole look and feel of the interface. The icons were 48 x 48 in size by default, rendered in millions of colors.




This was Microsoft’s response to their competition. They also included quite a lot of 3D and animation. Since Windows 98, Microsoft has always tried to improve the desktop. With Windows Vista they released widgets and a somewhat improved replacement of the Active Desktop.

Dear Microsoft,

Congratulations on recently releasing the Windows 7 release candidate. As I've mentioned before, it's shaping into an excellent product and I have given my reasons why I think people should upgrade.

But let's pause for a moment and look ahead to your supposed next version of Windows, Windows 8, since it's already in planning stages. Now that you've gotten a way to get some kind of backwards compatibility in your OS virtually, this presents an opportunity to rebuild Windows from the ground up and turn it into an excellent product. Here are some ideas I think should be implemented into the next version of Windows:

One version, one price
There's no need for so many different editions of Windows. It can get confusing to the end user. Just keep it to one edition and one price, say, $129 for example.

Get rid of the registry
The registry is an outdated Windows component that is very confusing to work with. Sure, it does have some advantages like for tweaks and things, but surely there must be a more efficient way to implement the heart of Windows.

Make a new web browser from the ground up
While I do think Internet Explorer has been moving in the right direction, the Trident engine is old and insecure. But I see you're working on a new web browser codenamed "Gazelle" that's supposed to be better than Internet Explorer. This gives you the opportunity to make a brand new web browser from the ground up and possibly give the competing browsers a run for their money. By the way, please make a better UI, I still think IE 8's is a bit messy.

Consider replacing Windows Media Player

with your Zune software
Don't get me wrong, I do like Windows Media Player

and have it as my default media player, but I've also used your Zune software, and think it's excellent. But don't take my word for it, Paul Thurrott thinks so as well. If Zune is one of your big products and it's going international, why not replace Windows Media Player with your Zune software?

Make applications

easy to install and un-install
Let's face it, sometimes applications can be a pain to install and un-install. DLL files, registry keys, all kinds of stuff scattered everything. I'm sorry but I have to pick out OS X as an example here. To install an application, the user simply downloads the .dmg file, drags it into the application folder, and they're done. To uninstall, they just drag that application from the applications folder into the trash bin. See how easy that is? No DLL files, registry keys to deal with.

With these ideas in mind, the next version of Windows could become an excellent product. Granted, Windows 7 isn't even out yet, and we have got a while to go before its successor is out, but in the computer world, there's never a perfect product, only there's always room for improvement in the future. I wish you all the best with your future products!

Sincerely,
Kevin, a long time Windows user

Well about this article its your say what all you agree with but personaly i believe that app install/uninstall is the most interesting thing.for other points v have had a discussion earlier on as well like 1Version1price,IE is gng good but a new Browser can b thought upon but registry removal doesnt sounds kool 2 me ATM.lets c what MS brings in the pack o Win 8.

Now that Internet Explorer 8 has reached RTM, it's time to move on to the research and planning phase of Internet Explorer 9. Was there something in IE8 that wasn't fixed or a new bug you've found? Well the IE8 team is seeking your feedback (If you had access to the Microsoft Connect website during the beta).

"Hi Everyone!
We have added a new feedback form on Connect designed specifically to handle improvements for the next version of Internet Explorer. This includes not just feature requests, but all types of feedback including issues that currently exist in IE. Please continue to rate the submissions since we will look at the top rated reports first.

Please be patient with the resolution of the reports you submit as we are in the research phase for the next version of IE. To shed some light on the status of your submissions, we'll use a new field, Review Status, which will indicate whether we have reviewed the issue or not.

Please see the Connect site for more information.

The IE Team."

So if you have a bug, suggestion, or a feature you'd like to see added to Internet Explorer 9, now is the time to let the folks up in Redmond know. If you don't have access to the Microsoft Connect IE8 program, we're sure someone here at Neowin would be kind enough to pass on any feedback to the IE team.
Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/05/06/microsoft-seeking-feedback-for-internet-explorer-9

There is a recent circular issued by Department of Telecommunications to all Internet service providers.According to this circular, Dot has instructed ISPs that every Individual/Company using Wireless Services have to Compulsorily register their Wi-Fi equipment with their Internet provider; failing their service would be disconnected.

The main points given in circular are:-

*
o Every internet user in country has to register his wireless equipment with his ISP. All ISPs make sure that this rules is duly followed.
o The Subscriber is fully responsible if any kind of illegal/anti social activities made through his Internet connection.
o For Existing Subscribers, ISP would inform them about this directive and give a notice for compliance. if a subscriber does not follow, his connection would be suspended until he registers.

The wait is over folks, Microsoft has published the download page for the Windows 7 RC. As we noted earlier, the download was scheduled to launch tomorrow and was to be available worldwide. Coming straight from the download page, here are Microsoft's notes for the release candidate:

• You don't need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we're not limiting the number of product keys, so you have plenty of time.
  
• Watch the calendar. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start. To avoid interruption, you'll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010. You'll also need to install the programs and data that you want to use. (Learn more about installing Windows.)
  
• Protect your PC and data. Be sure to back up your data and please don't test the RC on your primary home or business PC.
  
• Tech details/updates: Before installing the RC, please read the Release Notes and Things to Know for important information about the release.
  
• Keep up with the news. You can keep up with general technical information and news by following the team blog. And, you can get non-technical news, tips, and offers by subscribing to the monthly Exploring Windows newsletter.
  
• Keep your PC updated: Be sure to turn on automatic updates in Windows Update in case we publish updates for the RC.
  
• Installation: You can install the Windows 7 RC on a PC running Windows Vista without backing up the PC—but we encourage you to make a backup for safe keeping. If you're running Windows XP or the Windows 7 Beta, you'll need to backup your data, then do a clean installation of the RC, then reinstall your applications and restore your data. If you need to do a backup, please see How to back up your PC for more details and a suggestion for how to backup a PC running Windows 7 Beta or Windows Vista.
  

So without further a-do folks, click here to go to Microsoft's download center and download the Windows 7 RC. Microsoft has also launched the Technet download which you can find here. On a side note, it appears as if you will be issued a new product key for the RC. It is most likely going to give you the extended time for using the RC if you have downloaded from another source. Installation instructions can be found here.

If you're wondering what has changed from the beta release to the RC, click here to read our guide. Is your system up-to-par for Windows 7? Microsoft has confirmed new system requirements for Windows 7, click here for more information.

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/05/01/microsoft-getting-ready-for-windows-7-marketing

In Office 2007 Microsoft introduced a new file format called the Microsoft Open Office XML Format (.docx). This format is not compatible with older versions of Microsoft Word or with alternative operating systems like Linux or Mac OS X. Nor is it compatible with other word processing applications like OpenOffice, Lotus 123, or NeoOffice.

Docx-converter.com offers a portable solution for your compatability needs. It will convert a Microsoft Office .docx file into a simple html file. It strips out some of the formatting, but now supports bold, italic, and underlined text. Left, right, center, and justified alignment. Unicode characters. Tables. And more!

Do a quick online conversion of your file for free! It's fast, easy and quick!

1. Click the Browse Button Below
2. Select Your .docx File
3. Enter your email
4. Click "Convert It!"
5. Check your email

Docx Converter Can convert files in the following format

• Microsoft Word (*.doc)
• Microsoft Word 2007 (*.docx)
• Microsoft Excel 2007 (*.xlsx)
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 (*.pptx)
• Portable Document Format (*.pdf)
• Comma-Separated Values (*.csv)
• HTML1 (*.html)
• Macromedia Flash (*.swf)
• MediaWiki wikitext (*.wiki)
• Microsoft Excel (*.xls)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (*.ppt)
• OpenDocument Drawing (*.odg)
• OpenDocument Presentation (*.odp)
• OpenDocument Spreadsheet (*.ods)
• OpenDocument Text (*.odt)
• OpenOffice.org 1.0 Presentation (*.sxi)
• OpenOffice.org 1.0 Spreadsheet (*.sxc)
• OpenOffice.org 1.0 Text (*.sxw)
• Plain Text (*.txt)
• Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
• Scalable Vector Graphics (*.svg)
• Tab-Separated Values (*.tsv)
• WordPerfect (*.wpd)

Visit and convert : http://docx-converter.com/

Windows 7 Learning Portal - Be the Expert on Windows 7

As many of you know Windows 7 RC will be available to general public from tomorrow May 5th for download and all of you are very eager to get your hands on Windows 7 RC.

So why not get the Skills and Knowledge you need to be the Expert on Windows 7.

“Become the Windows 7 expert in your company. Discover the wide variety of Microsoft training, books, and certifications that are available to help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.”

Check the Windows 7 Learning Portal where you will find

• Books from Microsoft Press,
• Microsoft E-Learning
• short, easy-to-understand, Learning Snacks,
• Learning Plans,
• First-look courses and hands-on labs
• classroom training,
• free online clinics which will help you understand how to perform various tasks with Windows 7

and many more things related to Windows 7.

Also check out these Windows 7 resources put together by TechNet Edge :

- Win7 What’s New

- Win7 Feature Walkthrough

- Inside Win7

- Engineering Windows 7 Blog

- Win7 Networking Overview

- Win7 Networking Enhancements for Enterprises

- Branch Cache Demo Video

- Direct Access Demo Video

- Migrating from XP to Win7 with MS Deployment Toolkit 2010

- Be ready for Win7: Application Compatibility

- Win7 Manageability Overview

- Win7 Questions & Answers

- Win7 Beta Installation Instructions

- Installing the Win7 Beta with Virtual PC 2007 SP1

- Installing Win7 in a USB stick

- Boot from VHD in Win7

- BitLocker To Go

- AppLocker

- Resource Monitor (resmon)

You can also check What’s new in Windows 7 RC – video about which I had posted earlier.

Now get ready as from tomorrow Windows 7 RC will be made available for downloaded, Look for the Official Windows 7 Site for the Download Link and for getting the Product Key : http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/default.aspx

I have already installed Windows 7 RC as its made available to MSDN, TechNet Subscribers and on Microsoft Connect and I can just say Its fabulous. Works so smoothly. So you also can get your hands from tomorrow.

Source: Windows 7 Learning Portal - Be the Expert on Windows 7

Microsoft finally discussed "Windows XP Mode" in depth in a full QnA press release entitled "Helping Small Businesses With Windows 7 Professional and Windows XP Mode", featuring Scott Woodgate, director of Desktop Virtualization and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). Below is the entire QnA session which outlines the fundamentals of this new feature:

PressPass: What are you announcing today?

Woodgate: We are announcing the beta release of Windows XP Mode for Windows 7. Small businesses told us they wanted help upgrading to Windows 7. Windows XP Mode, an optional feature of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions, helps small businesses upgrade to Windows 7 by providing a virtual Windows XP environment capable of running many Windows XP-compatible business and productivity applications. Customers can run many older Windows XP business and productivity applications within Windows XP Mode and launch them from the Windows 7 desktop with just a single click. A beta of Windows XP Mode will be made available on April 30.

PressPass: How does Windows XP Mode work?

Woodgate: Windows XP Mode is the combination of two features. The first part is a pre-packaged virtual Windows XP environment. The second is Windows Virtual PC, which is used to run the virtual Windows XP environment. Customers can install their applications into Windows XP Mode using typical installation processes such as downloading from the Web or using the product CD. Once installed, the applications are automatically available on the Windows 7 Start Menu and can be launched just like any Windows 7 program. Optionally, these Windows XP applications can be pinned to the Windows 7 Task Bar and launched using just a single click from the Windows 7 desktop.
more @ http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/04/29/microsoft-discusses-windows-7s-xp-mode-in-depth

more @ http://www.merawindows.com/Forums/tabid/324/forumid/-1/threadid/42323/scope/posts/Default.aspx

Removing shortcut icon arrow is one of the easiest and most needed hack for a starter geek for Windows.

Removing it via registry is a simple trik..goto lnkfile-->del isshortcut key.

this thing was ok till Win Vista. but if you delete this key in Windows 7 .... there may be occasional error where user cannot drag and drop an application program to Windows Taskbar (Superbar) and Start Menu anymore, with the icon shows a red cross when user attempts to place it on Taskbar or Start Menu. When right click on a program icon or shortcut, the “Pin to Taskbar” and “Pin to Start Menu” context menu is missing and not showing too.

You may also find an error that no Jump List been popped up when right clicking on icons in Taskbar.

Infact you may also find an error http://www.merawindows.com/Forums/tabid/324/forumid/96/threadid/42169/scope/posts/Default.aspx

i tried to figure out a lot about the solution.infact i even reinstalled os..(tx 2 win7 it took hardly half hour 2 get evrthng back 2 normal)....and 2day i found that the same problem has rose again...

and then after some r n d i found the cause of the problem.

So following are the effects of deleting Regsitry key "isshortcut" in windows 7.

if u wana restore 2 all normal...simple add the isshortcut(new string) in the .lnk file...this will get back all things 2 work...

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]
@=”Shortcut”
“IsShortcut”=”"

or paste the abve code in bold in a text file and save it as .reg and then execute that.

n 4 tech guyz still u wana remove the thingy??

use the following code...

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons]
"29"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,\
25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,\
00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,35,00,30,00,\
00,00

this will fade the shortcut arrow and make it transparent.this way also works out.

Well ques can b....is it a bug or a feature in Windows 7...being it specific 2 only windows 7...???

With the Windows 7 Release Candidate already leaked to the public, and the the official bits coming May 5, there's been a lot of hype surrounding Windows 7, with generally positive reviews from the community. Windows 7 is everything Vista wasn't... and some of what it should of been.

If you're using XP or Vista, there's no excuse not to upgrade to Windows 7. In no particular order, here are my top 10 reasons why:

Virtual XP Mode:
Many users and businesses have been reluctant to upgrade past Windows XP, and who can blame them? Microsoft had to keep extending support for Windows XP for this reason.

Enter Virtual XP Mode, the problem solver for those who have been reluctant to upgrade past XP. Did certain programs work better in XP? No problem. Virtual XP mode should take care of that.

A fast install time, faster boot up, and snappier UI:
I've done a clean install of both the beta the RC of Windows 7. The install time? Roughly 15 minutes from beginning to end from experience. The boot time is faster than both XP and Vista, and the UI is snappier as well, even with all my programs and files in place.

more @ http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/04/28/my-top-10-reasons-why-you-should-upgrade-to-windows-7

General Electric says it has achieved a breakthrough in digital storage technology that will allow standard-size discs to hold the equivalent of 100 DVDs.

The storage advance, which G.E. is announcing on Monday, is just a laboratory success at this stage. The new technology must be made to work in products that can be mass-produced at affordable prices.

But optical storage experts and industry analysts who were told of the development said it held the promise of being a big step forward in digital storage with a wide range of potential uses in commercial, scientific and consumer markets.

“This could be the next generation of low-cost storage,” said Richard Doherty, an analyst at Envisioneering, a technology research firm.

The promising work by the G.E. researchers is in the field of holographic storage. Holography is an optical process that stores not only three-dimensional images like the ones placed on many credit cards for security purposes, but the 1’s and 0’s of digital data as well.

The data is encoded in light patterns that are stored in light-sensitive material. The holograms act like microscopic mirrors that refract light patterns when a laser shines on them, and so each hologram’s recorded data can then be retrieved and deciphered.

www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/technology/business-computing/27disk.html

A themepack for meraWindows users.

here is the link to dwnload it...Tx 2 Maurya (4 MW WP).

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?0cl2nmmmj5t