Re: Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008: GUI Improvements Required

Oh, that is the most USELESS utility MS has ever invented - (called Default
Programs).

It does NOTHING to the registry at all. It doesn't even modify it at all.

I have Office 2003 and 2007 on the same computer. I teach a lot of courses
in Office 2003 so I have to write manuals for it so I need both.

I can set Office 2007 as the default for opening DOC files in the Default
Programs until I am blue in the face. Still doesn't change it from 2003. I
have a reg patch to do it now because EVERY time Windows Updates installs an
update for Office 2003, BANG it takes back all the default open extensions.

It is the same for .mp3 and .avi. I have Nero Showtime that stole the
registry settings for mp3 and avi even though I uninstalled it. I have set
Media Player as the Default in Default Programs- Set Default Programs +
Associate File Type + Change Autoplay Settings + Set program access and
computer defaults.

Showtime STILL was the default in the registry. Once I change the registry
it was fine.

Again it is pretty hokey. I thought Vista was suppose to improve XP.
However, different is not always better. In fact most of the time it is worse.

It makes me remember how Frustrated I was being a Mac Tech (for 20 years)
and how Apple made it almost impossible to change any file type association.

Microsoft did copy Mac with Vista. However, I actually don't see copying Mac
as a good thing.

Cheers,
Lara

"Axel Dahmen" wrote:

Great, thanks ^^

Regarding your trouble with file types... have you tried "Settings >
Control Panel > Standard Programs"? Although I couldn't find an option to
change file type icons, you could easily assign programs to file types
there. Is that perhaps what you're searching for?

Best wishes,
Axel


---------------
"lforbes" <lforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:CB7D8B08-7D3D-431F-9823-CC8C8906C39A@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I voted =). I usually do when I find a good post. Yes I could see with
programming needing the keyboard a lot. I don't do much programming
anymore
except scripting vbscript for AD.

Vista took quite a bit of functionality away that they had in XP. #1
being
for me the File types. Now I cannot change the icons of my programs when
they
get corrupted or stolen by another program. I am having to go directly
to
the registy which is a pain.

I don't use 2008 server, just Vista. It is the English version - Home
Premium as I don't use it at work (and won't because it is a bit of a
nightmare with no backwards compatability).

Cheers,
Lara

"Axel Dahmen" wrote:

Hi Lara,

thanks for your kind introduction *blush*...I found most of them in the
Windows documentation back when W95 started..

Being a software engineer I've got my hands on the keyboard most of the
time (just like now) so it has become quicker for me to use these
shortcuts than leaving keyboard, search for the mouse, search for the
mouse pointer, search for the place I want to click, and so on... I use
most of them without even thinking about them.

And you can give focus to the IE7 address bar by hitting <ALT>+<D>?
Strange.. though not impossible I guess. I'm using German versions of
OS
and software. With German IE6 it actually had been <ALT>+<S> to do this
job (same for Firefox). At my job we're using English IE6, so I know
the
English keyboard combination from there. I've tried all possible
keyboard
combinations on my home computer now, from <ALT>+<A> to <ALT>+<Z>. None
of
them did the trick.

Regarding the New Folder feature: Yes, it works in WE. Yet it doesn't
work
in Windows' so-called Common Dialogs. These Windows Common Dialogs are
used by programs to provide "Open...", "Save" and "Save as..."
features.
You can check this by simply opening Notepad and trying to open a file
from there (e.g. <CTRL>+<O>). What you see then is the Windows Common
Open
File Dialog. And there you can't create a new folder using the keyboard
in
Vista/Windows Server 2008.

Perhaps you might want to vote for my suggestion? The more votes it
gets
the more probably MS will read it and amend Vista/Windows Server 2008.

Regards,
www.axeldahmen.com
Axel Dahmen

-------------------
"lforbes" <lforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:A800C48E-7899-4D93-A739-DF1FCB8F58E2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wow, I have been a network tech for 20 years and never knew half of
those
keyboard shortcuts. Where did you learn them all? I guess if you
depend
on
them then it can be very annoying. I run Windows 2003/XP in my
network
at
work but Vista at home. I use the mouse 99% of the time. I only use
the
keyboard when the mouse isn't installed or dead.

I agree with a few but some shortcuts you listed work for me in
Vista.
The
create new folder and the Alt-D for IE 7 both work. Thanks for those
by
the
way. That is pretty cool. Even MS techs couldn't give me the shortcut
for new
folder. I BEGGED that they include an easy one for Vista but they
never
did.
One thing I miss from my Mac Days.

I actually FAR prefer the windows XP Windows Explorer too. I LOVED
the
folder button where I could just click on it to switch back and
forth.
With
Vista it is more convulted with having to change the "Organize -
Layout"
and
then it is changed for EVERY window and not just the one I am viewing
at
the
moment.

No I cannot say that I am impressed at all with Vista. I like a few
new
features but overall XP is far superiour. I have been using it for
over
a
year now and XP at work. Still prefer XP too.

Cheers,
Lara

"Axel Dahmen" wrote:

Hi,

Evaluating Vista/Server 2008 for migration from W2k, W2k3, XP I
noticed
a
couple of drawbacks when using those OSs.

I've compiled the problems and put them all into one issue here
instead
of
creating separate issues for all of them.


-- 1 -- : Keyboard handling: It's very straining to use Vista/Server
2008
by
keyboard. It should by far be better supported, like in the previous
Windows
versions. Current drawbacks are:

-- 1.1 -- : Common Dialog File Open/Save boxes are missing keyboard
shortcuts, e.g. for creating new folders (previously
<ALT>+<F>-<W>-<F>).

-- 1.2 -- : Using Windows Explorer with the keyboard becomes horror:

-- 1.2.1 -- : Opening Windows Explorer (=WE) with <FLAG>+<E> gives
focus
to
the ListView instead of the TreeView control. So a reverse Tab
<SHIFT>+<TAB>
is required to navigate the tree. (It's very uncommon that any
action
is
required at the "Computer" node, so TreeView navigation is usually
*always*
the first thing to be done in Windows Explorer.)

-- 1.2.2 -- : Navigating the WE TreeView doesn't update the
ListView.
It's
required to hit the [RETURN] key to get the ListView updated. This
makes
browsing quite awkward to do.

-- 1.2.3 -- : Tab sequence in WE is very strange! Usually, switching
focus
between TreeView and ListView is just a one-tab sequence (you just
have
to
press the <TAB> key once). But after hitting [RETURN] on the
TreeView,
the
ListView becomes 4 <TAB> hits away!

-- 1.3 -- : SQL Server 2005 Management Studio doesn't provide a
quick
"Open
Database Connection" shortcut (previously <CTRL> + <O>, now only
<F8>-<ALT>+<V> [on German version])

-- 1.4 -- : Internet Explorer 7 doesn't provide a shortcut for
setting
focus
to the address bar (formerly <ALT>+<D>). So it's very hard to
correct
typos
after hitting [RETURN]. (Awkward, but yet best workaround:
<CTRL>+<E> -
<SHIFT>+<TAB> - <SHIFT>+<TAB>)

-- 1.5 -- : The new Start menu is very unhandy.
Just mentioning it to keep the classic view available in future
Windows
versions: I've traditionally arranged my (classic) start menu tree
in a
way
to quickly reach any program by simply pressing the <FLAG> key plus
the
first
letter of a Start menu entry to finally reach a program entry (e.g.
<FLAG>-<P>-<O>-<W> which is "Programs - Office - Word 2003" ...or...
<FLAG>+<P>+<D>+<8>+<S> which is "Programs - Development Tools -
8_Visual
Studio 2005 - S_Visual Studio"). (This is more easy to do in German
than
in
English because of default entries starting with the same letter in
English
[e.g. "Accessories/Administrative Tools"]). So I'll stick to the
classic
Start menu version.


-- 2 -- : Copy File dialog doesn't provide useful information. Even
after
updating Vista to SP1, the Copy File dialog still doesn't display
which
file
currently is copied. So when copying large files the user can't tell
which
file is currently copied and, thus, isn't free for use.


-- 3 -- : Color Schema: Hover color is (almost) same as selection
color.
So
it's hard to tell if an entry has been selected or if the mouse
pointer
is
just hovering above a ListView entry in WE.


-- 4 -- : Back button in WE doesn't provide a history list. So it's
impossible to go back in history and skip a recently visited folder
that
might have become unavailable.


-- 5 -- : WE and Common Dialogs are missing "Navigate to parent
node"
functionality.


Thanks for taking the time and eventually forwarding my
concerns/suggestions
to the Vista/Server 2008 group.

Axel Dahmen
www.axeldahmen.com



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: VFP Updates?
    ... I never said Vista was hacker proof, just that it's gotten much better than XP when it comes to protection against malware. ... The registry was designed for many reasons. ... Even tho, Tony, you can run most VFP portable, the regestry is important to the clean opperation of Windows. ... This is what gives any OS, including MAC OS what is called. ...
    (microsoft.public.fox.programmer.exchange)
  • Re: digital rights management media player 11
    ... I am running Windows Vista Ultimate x64, and if I try to find a path for the ... DRM it is shown as "". ... I've switched to Vista. ... and it was wrong in the registry. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsmedia.player)
  • Re: VFP Updates?
    ... And by the way, for the MAC users.. ... I never said Vista was hacker proof, just that it's gotten much better ... The registry was designed for many reasons. ... the regestry is important to the clean opperation of Windows. ...
    (microsoft.public.fox.programmer.exchange)
  • Re: Hackern.ini file ?
    ... "Jon" wrote: ... Windows and / or there are running services ... As you probably know those machines with the Vista ... But in that registry key it does say ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Office 2003 SP3 update for Office 2007??
    ... Since I had WinXP Pro computers, I always use Registry Cleaner Expert to ... already support for Windows Vista. ...
    (microsoft.public.officeupdate)