Manas T

For those using 64 bit version of Windows 7, Mozilla has some good news. Mozilla has started offering 64 bit builds of Firefox nightlies for Windows as well.

But since not all plugins like Java and Flash are available in 64 bit versions, you need to run 32 bit versions of the plugins. You can grab the 64 bit builds for the Firefox trunk here.

After installing the Firefox 64 bit build more than likely you will see a missing DLL (MSVCR100.dll) error while starting Firefox.

This can be fixed by installing the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package from Microsoft. Once that is done, just look at your about screen of Firefox Win 64 bit build.

Source – Mozilla Links

Finally Microsoft has put together its act and made Windows 7 Beta available for download (along with the product keys). No secret links are required, just visit the official Windows 7 site and get the product key and the ISO of Windows 7 Beta.

You will need a Passport ID to login. Also Firefox is not supported for the download. You will need IE 7 and above to download the ISO. Thats because MS uses an Active X Control as a download manager to resume downloads.

Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 support the Windows 7 Beta download experience. Please note that Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 users behind a proxy server should use the automatic configuration for their proxy server for the best download experience.

It is good that MS has extended the availability of Windows 7 Beta till 24th January. Hopefully the 3.15 GB x64 ISO will have finished downloading by then on my computer.

P.S. – I have a 160 kbps unlimited internet connection.

Now this is really a nice move from Microsoft.

Microsoft has announced that it will not be shipping Windows Mail, Photo Gallery & Movie Maker along with Windows 7. Instead users can download the Windows Live programs themselves as and when they need it.

In a follow-up interview on Monday, Windows Vista general manager Brian Hall said Microsoft made the decision to remove the tools from Windows for several reasons, including a desire to issue new operating system releases more quickly than it has in the past. The move also removes the confusion of offering and supporting two different programs that perform essentially similar functions.

“It makes it much cleaner,” Hall said.

A huge step to a cleaner Windows install.

But as to how Microsoft will advertise its Windows Live services inside Windows 7 OS remains to be seen. If users have to download a mail client they can download Thunderbird instead, why to go for Windows Mail. Or for Photo Gallery, Picasa can do the job. So if MS is removing Windows Mail, Photo Gallery it will have to aggressively pursue the users to download the Live programs.

Don’t like the glassy look of Windows Vista ? No problem. Like Windows XP, you can also use custom visual styles in Windows Vista. This is achieved by patching some system files which allows you to apply third party visual styles. You can patch your system files by replacing them with these files.

Here are 5 minimalistic visual styles for Windows Vista.

1. Download Transblack V2

A black VS for Vista can’t get better than this. An all black visual style for Windows Vista which does not compromise on usability yet delivers a great visual experience.

2. NV3-Suite Final

A complete suite to give your Windows Vista and your various apps an uniform look. Comes with a slim taskbar and skins for Miranda, CAD and more ….

3. Axis.VS

Available in black and white variants, this one makes your Vista look like a designer OS.

4. Nervosa VS

Yet another marvellous VS which lays stress on minimalism and usability.

5. The Emerald Forest

A black VS with Aero elements for a cool look.

P.S. – A small fact. Of the 5 visual styles featured here, 3 are from the same person, invaderjohn from DeviantArt. Do take a look at his other creations. He never ceases to suprise ….

That is it. Enjoy these cool visual styles.

Finally… After much testing and releasing new builds, Microsoft has finally made available Windows Vista SP1 final to customers starting today.

Just open Windows Update on your Vista PC and check for new updates. You will see Windows Vista SP1 available there. You can also download the standalone package of Windows Vista SP1 from Microsoft Download Center here.

Windows Vista SP1 Pre-install check-list

1. Uninstall any pre-release version of Windows Vista SP1 (the Beta or the RC) that you have installed.
2. Update all your system drivers. If you have an incompatible driver then Windows Vista will not show up on Windows Update. Microsoft has a list of known incompatible drivers here.
3. SP1 is available in these 5 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese. If you have any other language installed, SP1 will not be offered to you. (You might not even know if you have an additional language installed! Check the Language control panel to see what languages you have installed)

Go install Windows Vista SP1.

Windows Vista Team Blog : Windows Vista released to Windows Update

Download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for x86 systems

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for x64 systems