Vist questions...

[VJ]

Hello,

I just installed Vista, and have some questions...

1. How can one adjust volume settings for midi files and wave files individually?
2. How can I add a clock showing UTC in the gadgets?
3. How can I view the defragmentation process?

I'm sure others will follow, but these are the first ones I encountered...


Thanks!


Jörg

[VJ]

Two more...

1. I thought the alt+tab behaviour of Vista showed a thumbnail of the application, much like the alt-tab-powertoy or taskswitchxp does it.
2. It was rumored that when hovering over a taskbar item, a thumbnail of the application is shown (like VisualTasktips does it for xp).

I don't have this functionality in my Vista; could this be because I'm not running the Aero interface (Parhelia => not possible)? Or do I just need to find where to configure this?

Thanks!


Jörg

[VJ]

I found that the last two items are Aero-related...


Jörg

[DGhost]

#1...

Open the sound control panel, select the output device (Speakers or SPDIF), click on properties, select the level tab, and then go ahead and scroll down until you find the MIDI Synth level.

As far as #2 goes...

add a second clock, go into the options of it (right click on it and select options, or click on the wrench icon) and change the time zone to Greenwich Mean Time.

#3... I don't know of any way to.

[DGhost]

and yup, as you figured out the Parhelia will not run Aero.

[VJ]

The time zone is called GMT (London, ...), but it is not the correct UTC time. We are in summer 2 hours ahead of UTC, that time zone only differs one hour.

Will check the mixer, but it seems less convenient than in XP. The volume per application does seem interesting.

I knew Parhelia couldn't run Aero, but didn't know these features were part of Aero. The tools I posted can apparently run in Vista (but I should try it).

Jorg

[DGhost]

Mine had two GMT options. There might be a difference between localized versions, though.

[Technoid]

Aero is weird, on 32 bit vista I didnt get those functions on my radeon x850xt but on vista 64 bit they worked.....

[Paddy]

I hate the fact that every time i connect my laptop to the TV I need to change from the internal speaker to the S/PDIF and then hit 'test' and then restart any apps before it seems to work! Why can't it output to both devices!!!!! why???????

[Technoid]

I hate the fact that every time i connect my laptop to the TV I need to change from the internal speaker to the S/PDIF and then hit 'test' and then restart any apps before it seems to work! Why can't it output to both devices!!!!! why???????

Most probably the antipiracy "features" going knickers

[VJ]

Hehe... "going knickers"... Love those expressions.

Oh, one more question: is it possible to find downloads (e.g. directx10) for a system that is not connected to the internet? (I can't use the Windows Update system as a result of that)


Jörg

[Paddy]

@Technoid: Anyway to change this behaviour?

[DGhost]

@VJ - DirectX 10 is included in box. As far as other downloads, most of them can be found seperately on microsoft.com. not easy to do though and it's far easier to just use Windows Update.

@Paddy - no. It's not an antipiracy feature (although it ties into that). It deals with the way windows now handles audio devices and output. Instead of thinking of it in terms of the sound card and then the driver controls where the audio goes to, Windows looks at it in terms of where the audio is going to. That way it makes it more human friendly (ie, Speakers versus SPDIF for audio output).

It can actually output to both devices simultaniously, although it is pushed down to application level for it to specify which device it is going to use. In general it is a far better way to expose the sound drivers and does improve quite a bit upon the old windows sound stack. downside is that there is, right now, no easy way to provide output to both jacks simultaniously.

It does also have Antipiracy applications being that it actually exposes where the audio is going and what capabilities that output device supports.

[Fat Tone]

Oh, one more question: is it possible to find downloads (e.g. directx10) for a system that is not connected to the internet? (I can't use the Windows Update system as a result of that)


Jörg

Didn't Gurm post a couple of links to sites that list all the MS patches etc a couple of weeks ago? It was a thread about the delays when moving files in Vista.

[LvR]

Hehe... "going knickers"... Love those expressions.

Oh, one more question: is it possible to find downloads (e.g. directx10) for a system that is not connected to the internet? (I can't use the Windows Update system as a result of that)


Jörg

Try Autopatcher ..................... my experience with Autopatcher for XP has so far been very good.