Switching operating systems on Sony Vaio

I purchased a Sony Vaio around the holidays, and it runs the Vista operating system. I can't stand this OS; I have thousands of dollars' worth of software and utilities that are virtually useless on this system. My question: Is there any easy way to downgrade to Windows XP without messing up my entire computer?

Microsoft officially discontinued retail sales of XP on June 30. However, it is still widely available, including at Amazon, and judging from its Web site, odds are good that XP will work with your system. But there's a catch: In some cases, newer components aren't directly supported by XP. You may be able to download necessary drivers, but in rare cases you may not. Check the Sony Web site for your specific model.

Readers should note that Sony is recalling 440,000 Vaio laptops because of a wiring flaw that could cause overheating. For details, call 888-526-6219 or visit sony.com/support.

From : http://www.newsday.com/

Simple Ways to Speed up Windows XP pt.1

Please note I think its pathetic to even have to do this…..But its worth it.

First you are going to want to rid your hardrive of unwanted startup items.

so open up open up "C:\documents and setting\<username>\start menu\programs\startup\"
(replacing <username> with your computer username)

In the startup folder go ahead and delete everything you don't want/need.

Then open up "C:\WINDOWS\Tasks"
In this folder delete all unwanted/needed scheduled tasks.

Second, Windows can look pretty hot without slowing down your computer's performance.

• 
  
  Right click "My Computer" and select "Properties"
  
  


• 
  
  Select the "Advanced" Tab and click "Settings" in the "Performance" box
  
  


• 
  
  Out of the bubble boxes select "Custom" and only check the following values:
  
  
  
  
  1. 
     
     Show Shadows under Menu
     
     
  
  
  2. 
     
     Show Shadows under Mouse Pointer
     
     
  
  
  3. 
     
     Use drop shadows for icons labels on the Desktop
     
     
  
  
  4. 
     
     Use visual styles on Windows and Buttons
     
     
  
  
  
  

Third, Windows has many components that most people do not use, and
of course they slow down your computer so heres what you do:

Open Start Menu and click "Control Panel"
From there click "add/remove programs"
Then to left there are four buttons click the third one down which is Windows Components

A window labeled "Windows Component Wizard" should pop-up.
un-check "Indexing Services" then anything else you don't use.
I have everything unchecked except for "accessories and utilities"

Fourth, Windows has various services many in which you don't need and obviously slow you down.

So we need to get rid of them. Open up your Start Menu and click "Run".
Then type in "services.msc". A long list of services will pop-up, to disable them right click them and click
"properties" then change the drop down menu for "Start-up Type" to "Disable". The Following can be Disabled:

• Alerter


• Clipbook


• Computer Browser


• Distributed Link Tracking Client


• Fast User Switching


• Help and Support - (If you use Windows Help and Support leave this enabled)


• Human Interface Access Devices


• Indexing Service


• IPSEC Services


• Messenger


• Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)


• Portable Media Serial Number


• Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)


• Remote Procedure Call Locator


• Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)


• Remote Registry Service


• Secondary Logon


• Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)


• Server


• SSDP Discovery Service - (Unplug n' Pray will disablethis)


• Telnet


• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper


• Upload Manager


• Universal Plug and Play Device Host


• Windows Time


• Wireless Zero Configuration (Do not disable if you use a wireless network)


• Workstation

Hope it will help you!
It sure helped me! =)

http://yourtechtoday.com/

Technorati : Blog, Microsoft, Windows, Wndows XP

Eee PC to run Windows XP

So you like the idea of Asus' $499 Linux-powered mini-notebook but would rather work in the more familiar world of Windows? Later this month you'll be able to buy the Eee PC with Windows XP preinstalled.

While Asus has yet to set the price, you can expect it'll be a notch higher than the current $499, if for no other reason than Microsoft's OS licensing fees. That said, Microsoft has been making noises about reducing the licence fees from their standard stratospheric position, especially where low-cost devices like the Eee PC, Intel's ClassMate and MIT's ‘one laptop per child' XO are concerned.

The version of XP that Asus will be pre-loading will be stripped back, of course - it'd be hard enough to get Windows onto the Eee PC's 4GB flash drive and still leave room for the likes of Office, let along a user's own documents.

Asus may be able to benefit from work done for MIT's XO notebook, which has seen Microsoft working on a combo set of XP and Office that runs directly from a 2GB SD card.

James Utzschneider, who heads Marketing and Communications for Microsoft's ‘Unlimited Potential' program, described the process late last year in his blog.

Little Windows: The Eee PC could benefit from Microsoft's work on squeezing XP and Office into a 2GB footprint, so they can run from a solid state drive or an SD memory card

"We are hard at work on the project here, and we are using an approach that is a little unusual for Microsoft in that we are managing the entire process of adapting and testing an existing version of Windows for a new PC. Usually the hardware vendor does this. And the Windows port to the XO is by no means done. Between Microsoft employees and third party contractors that we have brought into the effort, we have over 40 engineers working full-time on the port. We started the project around the beginning of the year and think it will be mid-2008 at the earliest before we could have a production-quality release."

One of the issues is the limited storage capacity of mini-notes, which favour solid state rather than spinning mechanical disks. Utzschneider explains that the XO's 1GB of flash storage was the primary hurdle.

"The XO actually only comes with 1GB of flash, and we asked the OLPC to add a slot for an internal SD card that will provide the 2 GB of extra memory needed to run our software. (Now) we have to do design work to get Windows and Office to work reliably and with good performance using only 2 GB of storage. As part of this engineering effort, we have to design a new BIOS - the layer of software that runs between the hardware and an operating system - to have Windows boot and run off the SD card. For us this is new work and requires a design and processes for supporting the XO's custom SD interface and for the installation of Windows on the SD card, both at the Quanta factory that manufactures the XO hardware and also in the field."

Utzschneider noted that the more standardised design of the Eee PC made thing a bit easier for running the OS and application software from an SD card. "Surprisingly enough, getting Windows running on (the Eee PC) required a significantly shorter amount of time because ASUS used a more standardised approach to its hardware design compared to the XO. In technical terms, ASUS put the flash drive behind the IDE disk controller, making the flash storage "look like" a hard disk drive to Windows.

"Microsoft plans to publish some formal design guidelines (in early 2008) that will help Flash PC manufacturers benefit from our early work so they can design machines that enable a great Windows experience at as low a cost as possible, and with a minimum of custom design work necessary to get Windows to run on their machines".

From : Australian Personal Computer - Sydney,Australia

Eee PC to run Windows XP

So you like the idea of Asus' $499 Linux-powered mini-notebook but would rather work in the more familiar world of Windows? Later this month you'll be able to buy the Eee PC with Windows XP preinstalled.

While Asus has yet to set the price, you can expect it'll be a notch higher than the current $499, if for no other reason than Microsoft's OS licensing fees. That said, Microsoft has been making noises about reducing the licence fees from their standard stratospheric position, especially where low-cost devices like the Eee PC, Intel's ClassMate and MIT's ‘one laptop per child' XO are concerned.

The version of XP that Asus will be pre-loading will be stripped back, of course - it'd be hard enough to get Windows onto the Eee PC's 4GB flash drive and still leave room for the likes of Office, let along a user's own documents.

Asus may be able to benefit from work done for MIT's XO notebook, which has seen Microsoft working on a combo set of XP and Office that runs directly from a 2GB SD card.

James Utzschneider, who heads Marketing and Communications for Microsoft's ‘Unlimited Potential' program, described the process late last year in his blog.

Little Windows: The Eee PC could benefit from Microsoft's work on squeezing XP and Office into a 2GB footprint, so they can run from a solid state drive or an SD memory card

"We are hard at work on the project here, and we are using an approach that is a little unusual for Microsoft in that we are managing the entire process of adapting and testing an existing version of Windows for a new PC. Usually the hardware vendor does this. And the Windows port to the XO is by no means done. Between Microsoft employees and third party contractors that we have brought into the effort, we have over 40 engineers working full-time on the port. We started the project around the beginning of the year and think it will be mid-2008 at the earliest before we could have a production-quality release."

One of the issues is the limited storage capacity of mini-notes, which favour solid state rather than spinning mechanical disks. Utzschneider explains that the XO's 1GB of flash storage was the primary hurdle.

"The XO actually only comes with 1GB of flash, and we asked the OLPC to add a slot for an internal SD card that will provide the 2 GB of extra memory needed to run our software. (Now) we have to do design work to get Windows and Office to work reliably and with good performance using only 2 GB of storage. As part of this engineering effort, we have to design a new BIOS - the layer of software that runs between the hardware and an operating system - to have Windows boot and run off the SD card. For us this is new work and requires a design and processes for supporting the XO's custom SD interface and for the installation of Windows on the SD card, both at the Quanta factory that manufactures the XO hardware and also in the field."

Utzschneider noted that the more standardised design of the Eee PC made thing a bit easier for running the OS and application software from an SD card. "Surprisingly enough, getting Windows running on (the Eee PC) required a significantly shorter amount of time because ASUS used a more standardised approach to its hardware design compared to the XO. In technical terms, ASUS put the flash drive behind the IDE disk controller, making the flash storage "look like" a hard disk drive to Windows.

"Microsoft plans to publish some formal design guidelines (in early 2008) that will help Flash PC manufacturers benefit from our early work so they can design machines that enable a great Windows experience at as low a cost as possible, and with a minimum of custom design work necessary to get Windows to run on their machines".

From : Australian Personal Computer - Sydney,Australia