Find out if Vista is compatible with...something. Watch out for this week's Automatic Updates, and here comes XP SP3...really.


Vista Compatibility Center

Microsoft announced the availability of a new tool called the Vista Compatibility Center. Apparently it's supposed to let customers know if their hardware and/or software is compatible with Vista. The website is located here:

Vista Compatibility Center

As of Tuesday, July 8, the day it was announced, there is nothing on the list.

I can't wait for the Apple TV commercial on that.

XP SP3 to be released...finally. This time they really mean it.

Just a reminder from the folks at Microsoft. Service Pack 3 for Windows XP is set to be released to Automatic Updates "shortly." They further remind us that

Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for the operating system. This update also includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system.

Microsoft released it to Automatic Updates earlier this year...twice, and then pulled it back both times over compatibility issues, notably the "endless reboot" problem experienced by some PC's sold by HP and Dell. Microsoft will take another crack at it in the next few weeks. That's as much as they're saying.

There are several things you should do to ready your computer for SP3. Check the Microsoft article here:

Microsoft article

You should also absolutely disable any anti-virus/anti-spyware protection before installing SP3.

If you want to prevent SP3 from installing, there are several ways you can do that. You can download and install the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit from Microsoft, here:

Service Pack Blocker

Or, you can stop it by setting your Windows Update to download your updates but not install them. Here's how:

Click on Start Control Panel Security Center

Click on Automatic Updates (near the bottom of that window)

Select "Download updates for me but let me choose when to install them"

OK your way out

Now, your updates will download as always, and you will see a yellow shield icon in the Notification Area (by your clock, in the lower right-hand corner of your screen) when they are ready for you. Select "Custom Install" and refuse the SP3 update until you are ready for it. You can allow the other updates to install.

This week's Automatic Updates create problems with ZoneAlarm

As I write this column Tuesday evening (July 8) there are reports that one of the updates this week conflicts with the ZoneAlarm firewall. These reports are preliminary, so there is no solution as I write this, but there is a workaround.

The complaint is that after KB951748 installs on a PC running XP and ZoneAlarm, the PC can't connect to the internet. The workaround is to set the ZoneAlarm firewall to Medium security instead of High for the Internet Zone.

If you have ZoneAlarm installed on your computer, you might want to follow the steps in first section of today's column to keep KB951748 from downloading until ZoneAlarm has a chance to issue an update to their product. If you have already installed that update and are having a problem, use the regular Add/Remove Programs method to uninstall it and reboot the PC. This should allow you to connect to the internet again, but you will still have to follow the procedure outlined above to keep from getting the update again!

Bash The Computer

Who hasn't felt like doing this:

Bash the Computer

I know I have.

Thank you everyone who wrote with questions, comments, and suggestions. Send yours to cate@rlis.com. You can browse the column archives at any time by pointing your browser to:

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