1. 64-bit Support - Windows 7 us designed with 64-bit computing in mind. It’s now easier to port x86 applications into x64.
2. Support for 256 CPU Cores - Microsoft managed to remove the so-called dispatcher lock in Windows 7, allowing the kernel to scale up to 256 processors. The move further increases the importance of adopting parallel-programming techniques.
3. Sensors Platform - Windows 7 featyres native support for sensors, such as GPS-based location hardware. Developers can now use the Microsoft Sensors API to created applications that adapt to location and environment.
4. New Media Formats - The updated “Windows Media Foundation” enables Windows 7 to play back more popular media formats, including H.264 video, MP4 and 3GP. The Media APIs have been enhanced to allow for less power and resource consumption.
5. DirectX Extends to the Desktop - The latest iteration of DirectX allows Win32 developers to use the GPU to draw high-quality graphics and text in their Windows applications.

These are some of the main enhancements in the upcoming Windows 7 release which is tentative to be release in second half of 2009 or early 2010.

Windows 7 pre-beta version is much more stable and faster than Vista and in some cases even XP. Windows 7 boosts 20% performance increase and runs more smoothly and consumes less memory.

Windows 7 is a work in progress at this stage. There are more features and improvements which has not been revealed yet and may it will be held until the official release.

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Warning: Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by (output  started at c:\wwwroot\mysite\config.php:9) in c:\wwwroot\mysite\config.php on line 11

Solution: Although this is not a 100% solution but this worked for me. Open the file mentioned in the error message (config.php in my case) and go to the end of the php closing tag. If you notice extra lines after the closing tag delete it. Please traverse all the nested include files and fix these extra lines. You should be good to go.

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So, with all of this, why should you install any updates? Shouldn’t it work right out of the box?

These updates are needed for several reasons.

First, while Windows Vista delivered many improvements to it’s graphical user interface, networking, and program performance, it had some compatibility issues in it’s earliest releases. This is a new operating system that must work flawlessly with thousands of existing applications and hardware, manufactured by companies from around the world.
Your update will address many of the issues that have been identified since the product’s release.

Second reason is security. Vista is as good or better at secure operation than any of it’s predecessors. However, the security landscape is constantly changing. Hackers, spammers, and malware artists are constantly probing Vista and other operating systems for ways to take over. Your Vista update will address potential and confirmed threats to the security of your computer and your network.

So the answer to the question ‘Should I Use Windows Vista Update?’ is yes. Keeping your OS up to date, whether it’s Vista or any other, is crucial to operating in the on line environment of the twenty first century.

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Updates and patches are not unique to Windows or Vista. All modern operating systems must be updated regularly to keep them fully operational.
Updates and patches perform many functions. Some correct problems discovered in the operating system in real world usage. Others install or enhance features that were supposed to be part of the original release but were disabled, omitted, or installed in a limited implementation due to rollout pressures.

Problems with updates are not new either. Security updates to XP were well known for shutting down network and printer connections in multi user environments. Fortunately, these problems were fixed by a few adjustments to the firewall and network settings.

Other update issues are more serious. Often updates can come from different teams within the development and support group. While this method helps get updates out in a timely fashion, occasionally one teams update can undo one of the fixes of another.

When considering whether to perform a Vista update, you should read the message boards for possible conflicts with your application base. Some updates are required for your software to run properly, while others may shut down a working application completely.

Even though there is a risk, it is usually best to keep up with the Vista update schedule. Otherwise, you may find yourself so far behind the curve that you will need help to catch up.

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Microsoft has been issuing regular updates for it’s Windows products for years. Most users receive changes once or twice a week which are incorporated into their installation with little or no effort on their part. These updates and patches are designed to fix problems, enhance features, and improve performance and security.

A service pack, on the other hand, is a compilation of many updates. While not quite a new version of Windows, a service pack marks the point when the current Window’s version reaches a specific level of performance and reliability. Many issues are addressed and many features are added or enhanced by a service pack installation.

Microsoft has not officially declared that Vista Service Pack 1 is even in the works, but most analysts feel it just a matter of time before one comes available. The release of two Vista Updates so close together tells a lot. And since the next version of Windows is not scheduled for release until 2010, at least one service pack for Vista is just short of inevitable.

 You can find both the updates here:

– http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=938194 (Compatibility and Reliability patch)

– http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=938979 (Performance and Reliability patch)

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Why?
Well, part of the reason is compatibility. Vista is a new operating system, and while it was extensively tested prior to release, nothing compares to the test that millions of new users put an OS through in it’s first few weeks of operation. During that time, it was discovered that Vista had some compatibility issues with some of the thousands of software packages and hardware options in the PC world. These issues are addressed by creating and installing updates and patches to the Vista Operating System Code.

The second reason is security. Unlike the early days of the PC, Vista does not exist in a vacuum. If your PC is on line, it is subject to attacks by viruses, phishing sites, malware and other intruders bent on taking over your PC for their own purposes. The tactics change from day to day, and the weapons Vista employs to combat them must change as well. Keeping your copy of Vista patched and updated is important to the survival of your PC.

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Windows Vista, like all PC operating systems, requires periodic updates to function properly in the varied and changing computing environment. New software is introduced, new viruses are releases, and unforeseen issues can hamper and even threaten your computer systems. Regular updates keep your operating system on the cutting edge.

Most updates are relatively simple and are done automatically by Windows Vista during the regular, daily update checks. It is recommended that this feature is set at all times.

You can setup the automatic update feature by going to START – All Programs – Change Settings.

From this screen, you can select the kind of updates you want automatically done, and what time you want Vista to perform the updates.  This allows you to schedule the updates for a time when you are not using the PC.

If you have automatic updating off, or you have been off line for a while, you can get the latest updates by going to START – All Programs – Windows Update.

Click on ‘Check for Updates’. This will connect you to the Microsoft site and allow you do download and install all recent updates that are not in your copy of Vista.

This should be done weekly if you do not have Automatic Update set up. If you have not updated in a while, you may have to perform this operation more than once to get all of the updates installed.

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The four videos that are included in the Windows DreamScene Content Pack can be described as follows:

• A bee that is flying around a field of thistle
• A street lamp that is reflected in a puddle as soft rain falls into the puddle
• The movement of water in a forest stream
• A computer-generated scene that contains orange-colored wisps

You can use your regular vista update to get this as an extra feature. This has not been released officially for everyone so anyone who is aready to test it can download and use it at their risk.

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In my personal experience XP still holds an edge over Vista in terms of stability and compatibility. I have heard from people that they dont prefer Vista due to its huge memroy consumption specially with its indexing feature. Even on a machine with 2GB RAM it hogs up memory very fast. Iam desperately waiting for the release of SP1 and hope that these issues will be resolved.

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Installation Experience:

The Vista Upgrade Advisor did bring out issues with some of the softwares and device drivers on my laptop. After I backed up my data I went ahead with a clean install and the process went fine. The only issue I faced during the install process was setting up my webcam drivers. I had to dig into the WebCam manufacturers site for assistance. Finally I got it resolved with the help of Microsoft Vista Tech Support. Before that I was bounced by HP Tech Support because I had an unsupported OS on my machine.

 Vista User Experience:

I was amazed by the graphical enhancement they made in Vista. Even though I have worked on MacOS I did find microsoft’s improvement in the OS really interesting. Im not sure what’s in store for future from microsoft. I have been a microsoft fan since 1994. Lately I have been trying out some open source OS’s, which in my view have really come a long way. They offer almost all the features but the only thing which bring Microsoft’s OS is their support.

I would shed more light on my Vista experience in my coming blogs. Stay tuned……

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