Over the last couple of days I have been seeing posts on different sites including Lifehacker and PC World about how Windows Vista SP2 has freed up large amounts of hard drive space after install. As is typical these posts are a result of people not doing their homework and just running with the most sensational thing they can find.

I decided to do only a very quick and basic investigation into these reports with my own Windows Vista install. The base size of a Windows Vista SP0 install is 8 GB. After Service Pack 1 is installed the size increases to 9.4 GB. Then after Windows Service Pack 2 is installed the size increases (yet again) to 10.2 GB.

So after seeing just the baseline numbers and realizing that it is not decreasing the used space by magic, what exactly is happening? Over the lifetime of an average Windows Vista install (or any other OS) there are updates that get downloaded and installed. Typically these installs are around a few megabytes but they make backup copies of themselves to the computer. These are typically in the form of Uninstall folders so that if there is a conflict or problem it can be removed to resolve the issue.

With Windows XP it was fairly common to find that an update caused such a severe failure it could even prevent a computer from booting into Normal Mode. By uninstalling the offending update it would resolve the issue. Sometimes it would be the cause of a failed install or even a driver conflict but the point is that these uninstall files could be a life saver.

Service Packs are compilations of individual updates to an operating system (SP2 includes 600 of them). Most of these individual updates eventually get superseded by other updates. This creates a lot of duplicates that are almost always unneeded. Simply deleting these duplicates can frequently free up massive amounts of space, but is not recommended.

Then comes the Windows Side-By-Side (winsxs) folder which is more than bloated. On my test Windows Vista, the post SP2 size of the winsxs is 6.68 GB. This might sound like a lot but in reality this is very small and will grow rapidly with heavy computer usage. Every time you install a program, driver, update, etc., files are added to the winsxs directory as a sort of backup.

An interesting test to perform (on a test machine of course) is to navigate to the Media Player folder in the Program Files directory. Delete a major file from this directory (might need to do this via a secondary OS), for example the actual wmplayer.exe. Then go to your Start Menu and attempt to launch Media Player. AutoMagically it will launch and operate normally! This is possible because the operating system realizes that it is missing and then defaults over to the executable in the winsxs. Duplicates can be a major blessing especially when there is a severe file corruption or other issue preventing normal operation.

Many sites believe that the recovered space is due to compcln.exe. Basically it is a tool that cleans up after itself and removes duplicates and unneeded files. The problem with this theory is that according to the Microsoft Technet website it is only for removing the aforementioned uninstall files for Windows Vista Service Pack 2. This is a utility designed for technicians to create deployable images to their users.

I admit that I do not know the exact reason that this is being claimed by many users. It could be something as simple as emptying temporary files or deleting restore points. Until Microsoft chimes in on this we will need to wait for someone with more time on their hands than I have to research the exact reasons that some users are experiencing the Free Space Phenomenon.

One of the worst “features” of Windows Vista was that in order to get language packs you needed to purchase the Ultimate version.  You could also take a trip to the country who’s language you need to install, purchase a copy and then violate multiple laws by bringing it back to the United States.  And this is where Vistalizator comes in and saves the day.

Vistalizator allows you to install the language of your choice to any version of Windows Vista.  This might not sound like a big deal to most people but for technicians that need to change the default language on a computer, it is a lifesaver.

• Change Vista display language in less than 5 minutes! (Express installation mode)
• Uses official Microsoft Vista language packs
• You can install all 36 MUI languages and switch between them easily
• You can install 41 LIP languages on top of specific MUI languages
• Works in 32-bit and 64-bit Vista
• Compatible with Vista Service Pack 1
• User Account Control (UAC) compliant – prompts for administrative privileges
• Vista Speech Recognition works with all supported languages: Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish
• Works with Home Premium, Home Basic, Starter Edition, and Business

As far as legality goes I am sure that Microsoft would not be 100% satisfied with this program but when it comes to functionality it does the job perfectly.  One thing is for sure, for a technician in a multi-cultural location this is a must have.

Check It Out> Vistalizator

windows_vista

This weeks rumors regarding Windows Vista SP2 being ready have now been proved correct.  Microsoft announced last night on The Windows Blog that they have finished Vista’s SP2 and that it will soon be available for download.  They have also removed the SP1 blocking tool from the download site and that those using the tool will have it’s settings overridden and be delivered SP1.

Shortly before the announcement, Service Pack 2 ended up on Torrent sites.  I am really starting to think that Microsoft keeps an employee on staff just to start the leaks and take a load off of their official download sites.

Check It Out> The Windows Blog

win7vhdonvista

Virtual Hard Disks are a very cool feature in Windows 7 except for one thing, it’s not exclusive to Windows 7. Windows Vista is utilized by many people not wanting to install the Windows 7 beta for fear of losing data etc.  One of the cool features of Windows 7 is that you can install to a VHD and not touch Windows Vista.  There is no need to have Windows 7 fully installed to a hard drive and then utilize the VHD feature.

As far as what the final versions of Windows 7 will contain I am not sure but one thing I know is that anyone that has a Windows 7 install disk can utilize the VHD features of Windows 7.  When you boot off of the Windows 7 install disk you are actually booting into a custom operating system called Windows PE or Pre-Installation Environment.  The version that comes with Windows 7 has many of the capabilities of Windows 7 and is in fact a miniature version of Windows 7.  It is possible to fully install this version to your computer and execute applications, use the Internet, repair your other operating systems etc.

If you are running Windows Vista you can install Windows 7 to a Virtual Hard Disk and use it without any mess or problems.  It will be just as fast as your Windows Vista (actually faster) and best of all when your done it is easy to clean up and remote it.

I have written several times about VHD’s in Windows 7 and I have continued to play with them and even look for additional ways to utilize them.  To install Windows 7 to a VHD is the same process as I have already outlined but on a Windows Vista only machine and everything done within Windows PE.

1. Boot off of the Windows 7 installation disk
2. After  the Windows 7 is fully booted in to it’s PE environment accept your  language settings and click OK
3. Now hold down the Shift key + F10 to open a command prompt
4. Type diskpart and then hit enter
5. Type in the following command create vdisk file=c:\VHDs\VHD1.vhd type=fixed maximum=16000 and then hit enter.  After waiting for a few minutes the following will be displayed “Diskpart Successful created the virtual file”
6. Type select vdisk  file=C:\VHDs\VHD1.vhd and then hit enter
7. Type attach vdisk and then hit enter
8. Close the command prompt window and then proceed normally with the Windows 7 installation
9. At the drive selection screen select the 16 GB drive that you just created
10. Ignore any warnings  and continue through the rest of the process

You can create a smaller or larger VHD but the minimum I recommend is 10 GB for a Windows 7 install.  Anything less than that and it is unlikely that it will install correctly if at all.  Typically larger is better but for general usage 16 GB is a good size.

The reason that this works is that Windows 7 and Windows Vista use the same bootloader.  It is theoretically possible to make other OSes boot and run from a VHD.  I have done it successfully with installing Windows PE 3.0 to a VHD but many of the core files that are required to boot from a VHD are only available with Windows 7.

windows_vista

Microsoft has delayed Windows Vista Service Pack 2 by about another month.  It looks right now like it will be released in March instead of February.  But the real question is “Will anyone notice or even care?”.

Microsoft is not making this a required install for OEM’s (HP, Dell etc.) which is a good indication that Windows 7 is even closer to being finalized and getting released to the OEM’s.  It is a very costly operation for the manufactures to test their machines with new Service Packs or new OS.  With Windows 7 on the way I am sure they are not eager to do that amount of testing twice in such a short time.

Check It Out> neowin