setting up a new profile

To complete the shift to my new profile, I will have to do the following:
* change location of Documents, Pictures, Music, Video and Downloads folders to winDocs drive;
* display selected desktop widgets (clock, calendar, weather, RSS feed, CPU and memory monitors);
* import Chrome favourites file to IE;
* import Le Monde RSS feed to IE then set up RSS feed widget;
* install Google Chrome (has to be installed for each profile) and set as default browser;
* install mkv2vob (has to be installed for each profile);
* Control Panel > Appearance & Personalisation > Personalisation > Change screen saver > check "On resume, display logon screen";
* select the "bubbles" screen saver;
* check that closing lid 'does nothing' and that 'sleep' does not follow 20 mins of inactivity;
* import (previously saved) Chrome bookmarks to Chrome and Firefox;
* [install/add wireless printer and scanner;]
* pin Chrome, Gmail, uTorrent, Dreamweaver and Fireworks to taskbar
* move Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos and Downloads from old main profile to new profile folders (on WinDocs);
* import Dreamweaver site info (Documents/site_info/) - ah, englesaxe, tradstone;
* set up virtual machines (for each: create new > choose existing vmc);
* set up default folders for uTorrent and mvk2vob (see directories.txt in Docs);
* enter port forwarding info in uTorrent config;
* add 'englesaxe' and 'comics' to Favorites (by drag and drop), in Libraries;
* set up bluetooth connection to 2730;
* set up periodic backups to a new folder (win7_backup) on portable hard drive, excluding 'video';
* do initial backup; delete old backup;
* delete old main profile and rename new one (nickname capitalised);

dual boot with Ubuntu 10.04

The time has come to cast off Vista and replace it with Ubuntu.

This article has some valuable tips: How to dual boot Vista with Linux .

1 Firstly, boot into Ubuntu and go to Applications --> Accessories --> Terminal. Then, type in sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst;
2 save the list as a text file on winDocs (C drive);
3 boot into Windows 7 and open EasyBCD;
4 go to "Bootloader Setup" and select "Reinstall the Win7 Bootloader", then "Write MBR"; this puts the Win7 bootloader back into the MBR, but the machine will only boot into Vista;
5 go to "Add/Remove Entries", click the NeoGrub tab and select "Install NeoGrub"; this adds the "NeoGrub Bootloader" option to the Vista bootloader;
6 choose Configure - this launches the NeoGrub menu.lst file, location at C:\NST\menu.lst; use Notepad to open the file, and then paste in the boot entries from the text file saved above; save and exit, then reboot the machine.

The system will come up with two boot options. Select "NeoGrub Bootloader" and then the Linux boot options will load. Choose the relevant option and the system boot into Ubuntu.

Alternatively, I use Grub as the Bootloader until I decide to remove or replace Ubuntu, in which case, I then follow steps 1-4 above to reinstate the Windows 7 bootloader. This has the advantage of a single list for all choices, rather than two.

fixing a corrupt user profile

This morning I tried to save a text file created in Notepad and was presented with this error dialogue box: "There is no disk in the drive. Please insert a disk into drive \Device\Harddisk\DR1". I also noticed that the main (Start) menu was slightly awry - the profile picture sat behind the menu as did the shut down options.

Since then, the menu suddenly righted itself, and the persistent error dialogue disappeared. It returns however, whenever I attempt to save a document in Notepad.

After a little investigation, I found this page, from which I deduced that the cause was probably a corrupt user profile. The solution was provided at this page. I duly created a new profile and discovered that saving Notepad files was unhindered outside the corrupt profile.

When the menu suddenly righted itself, and the persistent error dialogue disappeared, I paused the migration. But I know it'll have to happen, sooner or later. In the meantime, I'm using Notepad++, but the jump list doesn't work as well with it as it did with plain old Notepad.

on resume, display logon screen

If you're unnerved by the fact that anyone could access your profile after you wander away from your PC or laptop for a few minutes, then do the following:
1. go to Control Panel > Appearance & Personalisation > Personalisation > Change screen saver;
2. check the box with label "On resume, display logon screen".

By the way, while you're in there, why not select the "bubbles" screen saver, rather than the default "none"? Do yourself a favour. :)

Bear in mind that giving a password during the installation phase of Windows 7 doesn't mean that by default you will be asked to enter that password when you start Windows or when you resume from standby or sleep. To force the appearance of a password entry field on the login screen, you have to request that via user accounts in the control panel.

tweaks and software installs on Inspiron 15

A free upgrade to Windows 7 came bundled with my new Inspiron 15 laptop. So I won't be replacing Windows 7 RC with Ubuntu, as was the plan with my previous laptop. I do have the option of replacing Vista with Ubuntu, after the retail version of Windows 7 is installed. At this stage however, I'd like to keep my previous configuration, which was as follows:
* on drive C - the Vista OS, most programs, my documents, my music, my pictures and my video; and
* on drive D - only the Windows 7 OS and a couple of programs.

I still had to be aware that some programs don't work optimally when shared from a single location in a dual-boot configuration.

Two initial steps were:
* create 25GB partition (see entry below) and install Windows 7 RC;
* restore backup to Vista partition.

Then came this list of installations (with destination folder) and tweaks, in two phases:

Windows 7 (Pre-release candidate):
* change number of seconds for display of OS options in MBR;
* add ado-win7 to home network;
* add Documents, Music, Video and Pictures folders on Vista partition to counterparts in Windows 7 library;
* create new 'Downloads' library (Libraries > New Library);
* add 'englesaxe_new' and 'comics' to Favorites (by drag and drop), in Libraries;
* install Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG anti-virus (to drive D);
* display selected desktop widgets (clock, calendar, weather, RSS feed, CPU and memory monitors);
* set up Le Monde RSS feed;
* install Google Chrome (to drive D) and set as default browser;
* import (previously saved) bookmarks;
* install Notepad++ (to drive C);
* install FileZilla (to drive C);
* install CDisplay (to drive C);
* install WinMerge (to drive C);
* install Adobe Reader (to drive C);

With that setup I'm able to work on the Engle Saxe site, read comics and surf my favourite sites.

Windows 7 (after release on Oct 22)

* all of the above plus:
* add wireless printer and check it works in win 7 with current driver;
* install utorrent (to drive C [or D?];
* forward port in Netgear router console for utorrent in Windows 7;
* install mkv2vob (to drive C);
* install Apache (to drive C) and set up web server;
* install virtual PC (to drive C) and set up virtual machines;
* install Firefox, Opera and Safari (to drive C);
* activate guest account;
* install Movie Maker (to drive D);
* set up periodic backups to a new folder (win7_backup) on portable hard drive; do initial backup; delete old backups;
* prevent 'sleep' on closing lid and after 20 mins of inactivity;
* install Dreamweaver and Fireworks (to drive C);

free upgrade to Windows 7

When laptop arrives, connect to Internet then go to https://win7.dell.com/.

Register for upgrade by providing service tag. Registration deadline is January 31, 2010.

Customers who register will receive an email notifying them when the upgrade is available. At that time, customers will be required to enter their credit card information to pay tax, shipping and handling charges. The upgrade kit will ship after payment is received (ship times will be quoted at the time of order). Note - the release date is October 22 2009.

Windows 7 will be delivered by DVD.

More information is provided on the Australian DELL site and on the US DELL site.

how to change the default operating system or display time

In the Windows 7 (or Vista) start menu, right click on My computer then select, in the following order - Properties > Advance system settings > Startup and Recovery Settings > System startup.

Use the first drop-down to change the default operating system.

Use the arrows in the line below to adjust the number of seconds during which the list of operating systems will be displayed.

Click OK, then reboot to test the changes.