Techies Realm has got a new home!

Hey fellas!
I've got a new home for Techies Realm (Formerly Narangz TechBlog)!
Yes! You can now find your very own kingdom now at:
http://techiesrealm.com

The new site has got articles from yours truly & a forum. The forum will be your very own discussion room. :) You'll find sections like computers, mobiles & many others. You can also suggest a section. The mobile section will feature tips, tricks & repair solutions from our in house mobile expert, my very dear friend, Gurpreet Singh.

This place will also be updated with latest articles but I hope you join me there for better experience & register at the forum.

I cordially invite you all to join me at http://techiesrealm.com & be a part of the growing kingdom i.e. Techies Realm. See you there!

Author- Rajbir Singh

Contact- http://techiesrealm.com/contact.php

Reclaim your precious disk space after installing Windows Vista SP1

After you've installed Windows Vista Service Pack 1 you might have noticed that the free space on the installation drive has reduced significantly. Where's the free space gone? Well the answer to this question is that the RTM files (your old system files) were backed up during installation of SP1 so that the system can be rolled back to prior state if the user decides to un-install the SP1.
If you have no plans to un-install the SP1 then you can reclaim the space by removing the backed up files. To get back your free space you need to run 'Vsp1cln.exe' (without quotes).

Here's how you can do that:

• Press [Windows Logo] key + R on your keyboard or click 'Run' on the Start menu.

• Now type Vsp1cln.exe in the run dialog box & click OK.


• Enter the Administrator credentials & click Continue on UAC prompt.


• In the Command Prompt window, press 'Y' on the keyboard and press Enter/Return key.

• Windows will now cleanup the disk.

Optional switches you may use with Vsp1cln.exe(Without Quotes):

• "/? or /h"- Displays this list of Vsp1cln.exe commands.


• "/o:[Offline_Windows_directory_path]"- Indicates that the archived RTM files that need to be removed are in an offline image.


• "/quiet"- Runs in quiet mode. No console output is provided. If this option is not used, you will be prompted with a confirmation message.


• "/verbose"- Provides additional diagnostics output.

I reclaimed approx. 1 G.B. of disk space after running the clean up tool.

WARNING- You cannot un-install/remove Windows Vista Service Pack 1 after running this tool.

Author- Rajbir Singh

Licensed Under- Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License

Some of the information in this post is obtained from Microsoft's Knowledge Base by the author.

AutoCAD 2009 Products Released!

Autodesk has released the new versions of its products on March 25th 2008. The new versions include all of the AutoCAD 2009 products.
The Autodesk website mentions 'NEW RELEASE' along with all the product lineup.










The new versions of the following products have been released:
AutoCAD
AutoCAD Architecture
AutoCAD Civil 3D
AutoCAD Electrical
AutoCAD Land Desktop
AutoCAD LT
AutoCAD Map 3D
AutoCAD Mechanical
AutoCAD MEP
AutoCAD OEM
AutoCAD P&ID
AutoCAD Raster Design
AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite
AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite
AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite
Autodesk 3ds Max
Autodesk 3ds Max Design
Autodesk AliasStudio
Autodesk Design Review
Autodesk Freewheel
Autodesk Impression
Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise
Autodesk MapGuide Studio
Autodesk Navisworks
Autodesk PortfolioWall
Autodesk Productstream
Autodesk Quantity Takeoff
Autodesk Showcase
Autodesk SketchBook Pro
Autodesk Subcontractor
DWG TrueView
Revit MEP
Revit Structure

Download trial of the products

News Item By- Rajbir Singh

A look at Safari 3.1 for Windows

Then came along Safari. In it's BETA versions of Windows, it was a little crashy and buggy so I never mentioned it. I did however use it all along. However, now, with the Safari 3.1 update, it's finally out of BETA.
If however you are a heavy extensions user (Power users they call themselves), and can't live without them, then Safari is not for you. If you prefer to customise your browser instead of surfing the web, then Safari is not for you.

Read more...

Author- Milind [via Goobimama’s Soggy Blog]

Windows XP SP3 coming this Tuesday?

After the long awaited release of Windows Vista's SP1, tech pundits have started betting on Windows XP's Service Pack 3 release.
According to CRN the SP3 is going to be released on March 24th i.e. the coming Monday. However my guess is March 25th i.e. Tuesday.
The SP3, unlike SP2, will not feature any new functionalities or anything from Windows Vista. So if you were hoping to see more functionalities in SP3 then be prepared to face the harsh reality.
The Service Pack 3 is already available on torrent networks but the authenticity of torrent versions is not known. Narangz TechBlog recommends the users to wait for the official SP3 download from Microsoft.com or Windows Update.

Author- Rajbir Singh
Licensed Under- Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License

Windows Vista SP1- Prerequisites, Enhancements & Improvements

The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was released on Tuesday, March 18 2008 as expected. Its now available as download from Microsoft. The SP1 was released amid high expectations. Here's what you need to know before downloading the SP1:

The SP1 download size:
The service pack download is available in two modes and size varies according to the mode:

1. Windows Update(Approx. 65 MB for 32 bit editions & 125 MB for 64 bit editions)- You can get it from Windows Update. Microsoft recommends this method for home & small business users. To get the update click the 'Start' button on the taskbar, then 'All Programs' & in the list click 'Windows Update'.
2. Standalone Installer(Approx. 435 MB for 32 bit editions & 730 MB for 64 bit editions)- You can download it as a standalone installer from Microsoft's website. Microsoft recommends this method for System Administrators & PCs without internet access.

New systems will be available with SP1 installed. Microsoft has also released New DVDs with SP1 integrated.

SP1 Prerequisites:

There are a number of prerequisites for installing the SP1:

1. Atleast 7 GB of free on the partition where Windows Vista is installed. This is usually C drive.
2. Beta versions of SP1 must be un-installed.
3. Notebooks & other battery powered computers must be connected to mains for installing the service pack.

Author- Rajbir Singh

Licensed Under- Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License

The information in this post is obtained from Microsoft's Knowledge Base by the author.

More Information:

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is not available for installation from Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates

Hotfixes and Security Updates included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Notable Changes in Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Deployment Guide

Information about programs that are known to experience a loss of functionality when they run on a Windows Vista Service Pack 1-based computer

Information on unauthorized service pack sources:

The Microsoft Download Center site is your only authorized web source for downloading a licensed copy of Windows Vista Service Pack 1. To report a website offering unlicensed copies of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for download, please send e-mail to: piracy@microsoft.com or visit http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/ReportingUs.mspx.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Released!

Microsoft, on Tuesday, finally released the long awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to its customers. The SP1 was already rolled out to RTMs in February 2008. The Service Pack is expected to resolve most of the issues with Windows Vista. It addresses reliability, compatibility & performance related issues & adds supports for new hardware as well as new standards. The Service Pack was long awaited by most of the Vista users & the technology gurus predict that it will help Microsoft to boost sales as Windows XP users are now expected to upgrade to Windows Vista.

The service pack is also expected to disable most of the software OEM simulation hacks. After installing SP1 if the copy is found as a non-genuine copy Windows will display a message instead of going into reduced functionality mode.

Download:
You can download the SP1 from Windows Update or you can download the standalone installer,which supports five languages(English (US), French, German, Japanese, or Spanish-Traditional), from Microsoft.com. The direct links for SP1 are:

Windows Vista Service Pack 1-KB936330 (x86/32-bit):

Windows6.0-KB936330-X86-wave0.exe 434.5 MB 3/18/2008

Windows Vista Service Pack 1-KB936330 (x64/64-bit):

Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe 726.5 MB 3/18/2008










Author- Rajbir Singh
Licensed Under- Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License

A Life Saver- Previous Versions in Windows Vista

Microsoft's Windows Vista has introduced many important features and 'Previous Versions' is one of them.

Some of you have might have heard about it, some might have no idea about it & many would have seen it but don't exactly know what does it mean. I am now going to introduce you to the Life Saver(or maybe a job saver!) feature of Windows Vista.
Introduction:
The 'Previous Versions' feature of Windows Vista works on the Shadow Copy or Volume Shadow Copy Service. It finds its roots back in Windows XP with Service Pack 1 & Windows Server 2003. Now you must be wondering what did this VSC(Volume Shadow Copy) service exactly did? Well the answer to this question is that VSC provided the backup infrastructure in Windows XP with Service Pack 1 & Windows Server 2003. Features like Backup, Volume Shadow copies for shared folders etc. were provided by VSC service. The Volume Shadow Copy service in Windows Vista is used by the Backup application, System Restore and the Previous Versions feature. However the 'Previous Versions' feature comes at a cost. Sadly it comes only in the Ultimate, Business & Enterprise editions. The Home versions do not feature 'Previous Versions'.


If you didn't get a thing of what was written in the Introduction section, Don't Worry! Now let's get started with how it may save your life.

How it can save our lives or jobs:
You must be wondering how it can save our lives or jobs. Let me explain that to you in a simple example:
Day 1-I worked on a a very important project in, let's say, Photoshop. I almost completed the project on the first day & thought I shall do the rest of the work tomorrow. I saved the file & logged on to the internet to get refreshed.
Day 2- The next day I opened the project file & did the rest of the work & accidentally I deleted a part of the image, saved it unknowingly & exited the image editor.
Before submitting the project to my boss I decide to have a last look at the project & was shocked to see that a part of the image is not there! Now I don't have the time for doing it all again. I get ready to face the consequences. The boss might fire me for not completeing the very important project in time. I am cursing myself for not creating a copy of the file. Ladies & Gentlemen, here comes Windows Vista's 'Previous Versions' to my rescue. I can restore the previous version of file created on Day 1! I've saved my job!

How it works:
The Previous Versions feature automatically saves the shadow copies(or simply copies) of your files in a restore point. The System Restore must be turned on(it is on by default) in the System Protection settings in order to use the Previous Versions feature.
A shadow copy of all the files, which were modified since the the last restore point, will be automatically created by Windows Vista. These restore points are typically created once a day. However there are some exceptions- You can manually force the creation of restore point from System Protection & a restore point is automatically created before installing application programs or system drivers.

To manually force a restore point creation, follow these steps:

• Go to Control Panel.
• Click System and Maintenance.
• Click System.
• Click System protection on the left. It needs Administrative privileges.
• Click the Create button on the bottom of the Window.
  

• Type in the description of the restore point.
• 
  

Windows will now create a restore point. A dialog box will be displayed after successful creation of the restore point.













How to restore:























To restore a file to its previous version you need to follow these steps:

• Right click the file which you want to restore to a previous version.
• Click 'Restore previous versions' option or you can also click 'Properties'. If you clicked 'Properties' then click on 'Previous Versions' tab.
• Select the file version you need by checking the modification date.
• Click 'Open' button to open the selected file version.
• Click 'Copy' button to copy the file version to desired location.
• To restore the file to a previous version click 'Restore' button. The file will be restored to the previous version you selected. Note that it'll replace the existing file contents with the previous version's contents.

To restore a deleted or renamed file:

You can restore the shadow copy of a file even if you have deleted or renamed a file. However a condition applies here. You need to know the location of the file. If you know the location please follow these steps:

• Open the folder where the file existed.
• Right click on some empty area in the folder.
• Click 'Restore previous versions' option or you can also click 'Properties'. If you clicked 'Properties' then click on 'Previous Versions' tab.
• Double click the folder, by checking the modification date, to open it.
• Now you can restore the file or the folder similarly as mentioned previously.

That's all you need to know before restoring a file to its previous versions. Don't forget to tell me how it saved your life in the Comments section!

Happy Computing!!!

Author- Rajbir Singh

Licensed Under- Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License