Vista Review

Thank you Chris Pirillo for coming to the rescue again and showing us how to make Windows Vista automatically login (and not prompt you every damned time):

To open this in the UAC (or User Account Control) in Vista, go to the start/search area of Vista, and type in NETPLWIZ. Once you get there:

* UNcheck the box next to “Users should enter a username and password to use this computer”, and then press OK.
* Type the username and password for the user you want to automatically logon to Windows Vista when it boots up and press OK
* Reboot the computer

It’s that simple. Vista will remember the username and password, and you won’t have to log in every time you boot the computer.

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

Well, a few posts back I? talked about how I had to turn off all security just so I could connect to work using VPN adn IE7.? It’s bad enough that I had to turn off all the security in IE regarding ActiveX stuff…but now every single time open Internet Explorer 7 to do anything in Windows Vista security error messaging takes over and gives me this:

[photopress:vista_risk.jpg,thumb,pp_image]

(click image for full view)

I mean, now – every single time I open IE this “Security Settings at Risk” page are my default home page.? Ever time – and I don’t see any way to change it!? I can get to my default home page “if” I click the home button, but that’s the only way.? ? ? Also – Windows Vista (being big brother and all) now pastes this little info bar on the top 1/2″ of each and every web page that I surf saying “You current security settings put your computer at risk.? Click here to change your security settings.”

There is a little “x” at the right of the browser to close this little bar, but it’s only temporary.? If you type in or navigate to another page, or open a new tab or windows it comes right back.? This constant nagging basically is Windows Vista saying “we know you turned off the security, but that’s a very, very bad thing – and you probably don’t know any better (idiot).? So, we’re going to bug you, and bug you, and nag you until you turn the security back on again – and there’s no way to stop us from bugging you – FOREVER!”

Didn’t I pay for Windows Vista?? Shouldn’t “I” be in charge of what I turn on and off?

Windows Vista – you manage to SUCK (again).

In Windows Vista, the UAC is “User Access Control”. This is basically where you can have fine grained control (finally) over what users can do when they are logged into your PC. What you get to is based on your access priveleges, and part of UAC is the basis for those hilarious Mac vs. PC commercials where ‘Vista’ keeps asking PC “Allow or Deny” to every single thing he wants to do.

While UAC allows you to restrict other users, even though you (as the owner) are an ‘administrator’ – you are constantly plagued with the “allow or deny” prompts over and over again. If you read this ZDNet article it talks about people disabling the UAC because it’s so annoying. Basically – for many users Vista will be less secure than Windows XP was for them because they can’t stand the annoying UAC prompts. So a “security feature” is so non-user-friendly that it makes people take adverse action!!

I have to say though – I had to turn UAC off, and it had nothing to do with all the crazy prompts. I login to work through VPN, and the work using “remote desktop” the browser has to download a very small (signed) java file to securely connect. The browser WOULD NOT install and run the java applet unless I turned all security down to low and turned off UAC. In other words – I HAD TO BE MORE INSECURE just to CONNECT to WORK the same way I had in XP for years.

So I guess – Windows Vista is now less secure for me too!