Tag Archives: vista

Take Ownership/Permissions

Posted by on February 14, 2009 No comments

In this article I’ll explain how to get permissions to modify/replace a protected system file. We will use authui.dll as an example. You can do this either via the GUI or via the Command Line. If you have problems with permissions, check the Troubleshooting section or ask your question at the forum. Remember: always make a backup before modifying/replacing system files!

GUI

The first 3 steps help you to get ownership over the file; the last 2 gives yourself permission to edit/replace the file.

Taking Ownership

1. Start Windows Explorer, go to the folder or file you want to get ownership for, right click the file and choose Properties. Now go to the Security tab.

2. In the Security tab click the Advanced button. In the window that opens now go to the Owner tab and click Edit.

3. From the list select the user or group you want to give ownership, click OK and click OK when a notification window appears. Now close all windows by clicking OK.

Setting Permissions

4. Reopen the properties of the file by right clicking the file and choosing Properties. Now go to the Permissions tab again.

5.Click the Edit button and choose in the Permissions window the user you want to edit the permissions from. Check the Full control checkbox if you want to give the selected user all permissions and click OK when you are done. Click Yes when a warning appears about setting the permissions of System folders.

6. Now you have permissions to replace/edit/delete the files or folder you just took ownership of.

Command Line

Start the Command Prompt by clicking Run in the Start menu, entering cmd.exe and clicking OK. Browse to the file or folder you want to set permissions from and use the following commands.

Give ownership of a file to current user

C:\Windows\System32>takeown /F authui.dll
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\authui.dll” now owned by user “WIN2008WS\Administrator”.

Give ownership of a file to Administrators group

C:\Windows\System32>takeown /A /F authui.dll
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\authui.dll” now owned by the administrators group.

Give ownership of a folder to current user

C:\Windows\System32>takeown /R /F Boot
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\Boot” now owned by user “WIN2008WS\Administrator”.
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\Boot\en-US” now owned by user “WIN2008WS\Administrator”.
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\Boot\winload.exe” now owned by user “WIN2008WS\Administrator”.
<cut for brevity>

Give ownership of a folder to Administrators group

C:\Windows\System32>takeown /R /A /F Boot
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\Boot” now owned by the administrators group.
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\Boot\en-US” now owned by the administrators group.
SUCCESS: The file (or folder): “C:\Windows\System32\Boot\winload.exe” now owned by the administrators group.
<cut for brevity>

Edit the permissions of the file authui.dll to give full permissions to the Administrator user. Administrator can be replaced by any user or group.

C:\Windows\System32>icacls authui.dll /grant Administrator:F
processed file: authui.dll
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

Edit the permissions of the Boot folder in C:\Windows\System32\ to give full permissions to the Administrator user. Administrator can be replaced by any user or group.

C:\Windows\System32>icacls Boot /T /grant Administrator:F
processed file: Boot
processed file: Boot\en-US
processed file: Boot\winload.exe
processed file: Boot\winresume.exe
processed file: Boot\en-US\winload.exe.mui
processed file: Boot\en-US\winresume.exe.mui
Successfully processed 6 files; Failed processing 0 files

References:
* Microsoft Technet: Icacls parameters
* Microsoft Technet: Takeown parameters

Troubleshooting

Q: After setting ownership and permissions I still get a You need permission to continue message when modifying files or folders.
A: Try disabling User Account Control (UAC): Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Turn User Account Control on or off -> uncheck -> OK -> Restart.

Q: How can I restore a file I backed up previously?
A: There are multiple possibilities to do this:

Possibility 1: Safe Mode
1. Go to the boot menu by repeatedly pressing F8 before Windows is loading and select Safe Mode.
2. Remove the edited file and replace it with your backupped file.

Possibility 2: Windows Boot DVD
If your pc couldn’t even boot in Safe Mode, you have to use an external medium to restore the backup file(s).
1. Insert the Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD (download iso) into the dvd drive and boot from it.
2. Click Next at the Language Settings screen.
3. In the next screen choose the Repair your computer link, select the Windows Server 2008 operating system you want to recover from the list and click Next again.
4. At the System Recovery Options screen choose the Commandline Prompt option.
5. Copy the backupped files back to their original location overwriting the edited ones. Reboot your computer when done!

 

Aero Cursors in Server 2008

Posted by on April 29, 2008 15 comments

By default Windows Server 2008 has the plain white mousepointer. In this tutorial we will install the aero mouse pointers of Windows Vista.

1. Download aero_cursors.zip from Win2008Workstation, Rapidshare or 4shared.

2. Open aero_cursors.zip and browse within the archive to the folder cursors. Within the cursors folder select all files by pressing ctrl+A, click with your right mouse button on the selection and select Copy.

3. Browse with Windows Explorer to C:\Windows\Cursors and click Paste in the Edit menu. All Aero cursors will now be unpacked to your system.

4. Go to the root of the aero_cursors.zip archive and double click at the aero_cursors(.reg) file. Click Yes when the Registry Import warning appears.

5. In the Start menu click Control Panel.

- If you use the Modern View, click Mouse in the Hardware and Sound section.

- If you use the Classic View, doubleclick the Mouse icon.

In the Mouse Properties window click tab Pointers, select Windows Aero from the Scheme dropdown list. Optionally you can also check the Enable pointer shadow.

6. Enjoy the smooth looking mouse pointers and cursor animations! ;-)

Installing New Languages

Posted by on April 9, 2008 28 comments

To get Windows Server 2008 in your own language you have the option to install Multilingual User Interface Language Packs. Currently the following languages are available for Windows Server 2008 (x86/x64): English, German, Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Italian, Russian, Portuguese (Portugal), Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Arabic, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hebrew, Greek, Thai, Ukrainian, Romanian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian Latin, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian.

1. First you have to download the language pack from here for Windows Server 2008 SP1 or from here for Windows Server 2008 SP2.

2. Mount the downloaded .img (cd image) with cd emulation software like Daemon Tools. (Rightclick the Daemon Tools icon in the Systray -> Virtual CD/DVD-ROM -> Device 0: [E:] Empty -> Click Mount Image. In the Files of type dropdown list select All Files (*.*), then select your languagepack.img file)

3. In the Start menu click Control Panel.

- If you use the Modern View click Change Display Language in the Clock, Language and Region section.

- If you use the Classic View, doubleclick Regional and Language Options and go to tab Keyboards and Languages.

Click the Install/uninstall languages button.

4. At the Install or Uninstall Display Languages page click Install Languages.

5. At the Select the languages to install page click Browse and browse in your Virtual CD/DVD-ROM device to the folder langpacks. Click the language you want to install and click Select Folder.

6. Verify the language you want to install and click Next.

7. Review the Microsoft Software License Terms. If you accept them select I accept the license terms and click Next.

8. Click the Install button!

9. Get a cup of coffee while installing, it will take a while.

10. After the installation has finished you can optionally directly change your own language to the one you installed and also apply it for all other accounts on this computer.

11. I love my native language! ;-)

Disable Data Execution Prevention

Posted by on March 29, 2008 26 comments

I have already seen several people complaining that their game / program crashes with Exception Code c0000005 when trying to start. The exception code c0000005 stands for an access violation in memory. When running Server 2008 you have a high probability that DEP has blocked an instruction, and that’s the reason your executable stops execution. By default DEP is in Windows Server 2008 enabled for all programs and services.

In this tutorial we will leave Data Execution Prevention only enabled for essential Windows programs and services. All programs and games you install won’t use DEP anymore. As an example I show you how I fixed Dungeon Siege II, but this works for applications and other games too!

Example of crashing game “Dungeon Siege II” before disabling DEP

1. Open the Start menu, right click at Computer and select Properties in the context menu.

2. On the left below Tasks click Advanced system settings. In the Performance section click Settings. After that the window Performance Options shows up, go to the tab Data Execution Prevention, select Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only and click OK.Click OK when you are notified that you need to restart your computer.

3. Restart your computer and probably you can now play your favourite game or run the program that didn’t work before!

Game is now working! As you see I only didn’t insert the game disk.

Why should I use a Server OS for my Workstation??

Posted by on March 16, 2008 76 comments

Probably you are thinking at the moment: “Why the heck should I use Windows Server 2008 as my Workstations Operating System?? Vista works fine for me…”.

The answer is clear: Windows Server 2008 has almost exactly the same features as Windows Vista (SP1), but is remarkably faster and more stable! People say: “It’s Windows Vista without the bloat“!

Here are six great benchmarks which compare Windows Vista [SP1] against Windows Server 2008:

Beside the speed, Windows Server 2008 also includes:

  • Microsoft Internet Information Services 7: Fully featured webserver;
  • Hyper-V: Virtualization integrated in the Operating System.
  • Terminal Services: Work with multiple users simultaneously on one fast PC.
  • Much more!

Download and install Windows Server 2008 Now!!

Wish List

Posted by on March 10, 2008 78 comments

On this page we create a list of our wishes for getting applications working in Windows Server 2008 or other preferences. If you want a feature that is not on this list, add a comment so I’ll add it.

WishSolutions/discussion TopicSatisfied
Windows Vista Games and Games ExplorerForum Thread: Windows Vista Games in Server 2008Games Explorer: see forum
Vista Media Center in Server 2008Forum Thread: Vista Media Center in Server 2008Not yet
Themes in Remote Desktop session with Server 2008Forum Thread: Themes in Remote DesktopPartially, see forum
Vista Migration Wizard (Easy Transfer)Forum Thread: Vista Migration Wizard (Easy Transfer)Not yet
Windows Vista Tablet PC InputForum Thread: Windows Vista Tablet PC InputNot yet
Using Offline FilesForum Thread: Offline Files in Server 2008Yes: Tutorial
ReadyBoost in Server 2008Forum Thread: ReadyBoost in Server 2008Partially, see forum
Speech RecognitionForum Thread: Speech RecognitionYes: Included in Converter Tool
System RestoreForum Thread: System RestoreWorkaround, see forum
Snipping ToolForum Thread: Snipping ToolYes: Vista's Snipping Tool or Alternative Solution (thanks to Mark4Dead)!
Windows Fax and ScanForum Thread: Windows Fax and ScanYes: Thanks to Mark4Dead's comment!
Custom Logonscreen BackgroundForum Thread: Custom Logonscreen BackgroundYes: Tutorial
Connect to a Network ProjectorForum Thread: Connect to a Network ProjectorNot Yet
Windows Media Sharing SupportForum Thread: Windows Media Sharing Support in Windows Server 2008Not Yet
Windows Experience IndexForum Thread: Windows Experience IndexOnly using commandline, see forum
Windows Mobility CenterForum Thread: Windows Mobility CenterNot Yet

Drivers in Windows Server 2008

Posted by on March 9, 2008 43 comments

I get many questions about how to get all hardware working in Windows Server 2008. Basically all Vista drivers should work. I will describe three methods how to get the drivers you need and how to install them. You can use these methods too for other Windows versions than Windows Server 2008.

Method 1: Windows Update

1. The easiest way to get drivers is to open up the “Windows Update” application in Windows Vista / Server 2008 by clicking Start -> Control Panel -> Windows Update. In the upper left of the Windows Update window click Check for updates, and wait until the search has finished.

2. Click the View available updates link to look if there are drivers for your devices.

3. If there are (newer versions of) drivers available they will be listed here. Check the boxes if they are not already checked and click Install at the bottom right to install the updates and device drivers if available. In my case no drivers are available.

Method 2: Manually download them

To visit the manufacturer for drivers you first have to know information about the hardware that isn’t installed yet. To view the drivers you still need open the Server Manager by right clicking on Computer, and clicking Manage. In the Server Manager expand Diagnostics and click Device Manager. The Windows Device Manager probably won’t tell much more about the unknown devices than Audio Device or even Unknown Device.

1. To find out what the real names of the devices are first go to download and install the tool Lavalys Everest Ultimate Edition from the Lavalys website or download.com.

2. After you installed Everest, start the program. Now you can look for two things: the exact type of your motherboard (2a), and the the devices that are not installed yet (2b). The best is to install the drivers for your motherboard first.

2a. Motherboard: To view the exact type of your motherboard, expand Motherboard and click Motherboard to view its name. For the motherboard there is often an url to go to the product page of the manufacturer. On this page search for links like downloads/drivers/support and download the Windows Vista drivers.

2b. Other devices: To view which devices you haven’t installed yet expand Devices and click Windows Devices for devices you attached to your motherboard. When you click an unknown device you will see the device name and manufacturer most times. Search with your favorite search engine for the manufacturer and/or device name and look for the Windows Vista drivers. In this screenshot I the SM Bus Controller driver isn’t installed.

3. After you downloaded the drivers you can install the drivers in two ways: Automatically (3a) or Manually (3b).

3a. Automatically: You can install the drivers automatically by just following the instructions and installation files in the driver package. There is not much more to say about.

3b. Manually:
1. Sometimes manually installing the drivers just don’t work because the installer is not packed in a compression that is readable by WinRAR (download from http://www.rarlabs.com/), but if it is possible extract the driver package with WinRAR by right clicking on the file you downloaded, then choosing extract to name subfolder.

2. Open the Device Manager in the Server Manager like described on the top of this page and double click the unknown device. Change your view to tab Driver, and click Update Driver. (Here I just selected the networking card that is already installed because I don’t have any not installed devices, but it’s almost the same procedure.)

3. Choose Browse my computer for driver software if you are asked how to search for driver software.

4. Click browse and select the driver folder in the folder you extracted in step 1.

5. Click Next so Windows will search the folder including subfolders for drivers.

6. If the right driver is found it will be installed immediately. After the installation has finished click the Close button. Now your driver is installed!

Method 3: Ma-Config.com

(thanks Valorisa)

The website in this method is partially french, but that won’t be a problem if you just click the right links/buttons! ;)

1. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to the url http://ma-config.com/accueil_en.html and click Start the Detection.

2. At the Detectér sa configuration page click Installation automatique (automatic installation). When asked to install the ActiveX control, accept the security warning by clicking Install.

3. In the MA-Config.com Setup window click Next. Select Standard as Installation Type and click Next. Choose the location to install and click Next again. Start the installation by clicking Install. After the setup has finished, click Finish. The driver detection will now start. - If the driver detection crashes, just use this url in stead of the url in step 1 to get it working. (at least, that worked for me!) -

3. After the detection has completed a list of devices will be shown. If drivers are available click in the right corner beside the magnifying glass at Télécharger mes drivers (Download my drivers). At this page you can download the drivers you want by clicking at Télécharger (Download) behind the green arrow.

4. In the window that opens next scroll down till you see the title Téléchargement. Click the picture of the hard disk and you got your driver! You can now install them either automatically or manually using the instructions in Method 2.

5. After you installed all drivers you can remove the ActiveX control by clicking Control Panel in the Start menu, opening Programs and Features, and double clicking Ma-Config.com.

Method 4: DriverAgent.com

If the three other methods didn’t work or if you just don’t want to try them, visit the website http://www.driveragent.com/, click the Scan Now button and install the plugin when asked. Your computer hardware will now be examined to check if there are drivers available for your specific operating system/architecture. The disadvantage is that, if there are drivers, you need to pay for an account in order to download the drivers. That’s why I added this as the last solution for driver problems.

Games and Entertainment

Posted by on March 8, 2008 352 comments

For our spare time we want to use Windows Server 2008 to play games and have fun! On this page games that work and don’t work are listed. If you have a game that is not listed on this page, please leave a comment so I can add it to the list of (non)working games. More games can be found at the forum.

If games won’t install because the installation says your Operating System is not supported, the article Installing Unreal Tournament 3 might help you. If you have problems with crashing games or applications take a look at the Disable Data Execution Prevention article. When you get the message gameux.dll is missing, read the tutorial Missing gameux.dll. When having errors about a missing xinput9_1_0.dll read the Missing xinput9_1_0.dll article. file If you are getting errors about a DirectX version that is needed to run the game, follow the dmusic.inf article. To get your Game Controller working read the Game Controllers tutorial! If you want the Vista Game Explorer back, use the Game Explorer for Win2k8 installer made by sYk0.

GameManufacturerWebsiteCompatibleIssuesFix
Unreal Tournament 2004Epic Gameshttp://www.unrealtournament2004.com/Yes--
Grand Theft Auto 2Rockstar Gameshttp://www.rockstargames.com/classics/YesError about incompatible DirectX version.Tutorial
The Elder Scrolls IV: OblivionBethesda Softworkshttp://www.elderscrolls.com/Yes--
Age of empires IIMicrosoft Gameshttp://www.microsoft.com/games/age2/Yes--
Battlefield 2142EA Gameshttp://www.battlefield.ea.com/battlefield/bf2142/Yes--
Call Of Duty 2 & 4Activisionhttp://www.callofduty.com/YesCOD4 v1.5 crashes with MultiPlayer in x64?Fix for sound
Crysis [:Warhead]EA Gameshttp://www.ea.com/crysis/Yes--
The Orange BoxValvehttp://orange.half-life2.com/Yes--
Battlefield 1942EA Gameshttp://www.ea.com/YesSee Comments.See Comment and Comment
World of WarcraftBlizzardhttp://www.worldofwarcraft.com/Yes--
Guild WarsArenaNethttp://www.guildwars.com/Yes--
Magic OnlineWizardshttp://www.wizards.com/magiconline/Yes--
Company of HeroesTHQhttp://www.companyofheroesgame.com/Yes--
Hour of VictoryMidwayhttp://www.hourofvictory.com/Yes--
Sudden Strike 3Fireglow Gameshttp://www.suddenstrike.com/Yes--
FIFA 08EA Gameshttp://www.fifa08.ea.com/YesError about incompatible DirectX version.GTA 2 tutorial
Dethkarz??Yes--
Battlefield VietnamEA Gameshttp://www.ea.com/Yes--
Battlefield 2EA Gameshttp://battlefield.ea.com/battlefield/bf2/Yes--
Half Life / Half Life 2 (all)VALVehttp://orange.half-life2.com/YesPossible issues with x64Disable DEP
Diablo I / Diablo IIBlizzardhttp://www.blizzard.com/diablo2/Yes?See comments
Unreal Tournament 3Epic Gameshttp://www.unrealtournament3.com/YesWon't install in Windows Server 2008.Tutorial
Warcraft III: Frozen ThroneBlizzardhttp://www.blizzard.com/war3x/Yes--
Madden NFL 08EA Gameshttp://www.easports.com/madden08/YesCrashes sometimesChange compatibility mode to Windows XP SP2
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of AngmarTurbinehttp://www.lotro.com/Yes?Install .NET Framework v1.1
Football Manager 2008Segahttp://fm08.footballmanager.net/Yes--
AudiosurfAudiosurfhttp://www.audio-surf.com/Yes--
Bioshock2K Gameshttp://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/Yes-Install gameux.dll
Counterstrike SourceVALVehttp://www.counter-strike.net/Yes-Disable DEP
Call of JuarezUbiSofthttp://www.callofjuarez.com/YesPossibly can't install because of script error 1628, but can work-
Dark Messiah of Might and MagicUbiSofthttp://www.darkmessiahgame.com/YesSometimes crashes like in Vista-
Fable: The Lost ChaptersMicrosoft Gameshttp://www.microsoft.com/games/fable/YesComplains about low graphic/system memory, but works fine!Close sidebar if the screen flickers
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of ChernobylTHQhttp://www.stalker-game.com/Yes-Update to newer version to get proper memory management (memory bugs are under vista with version 1.0, too)
SWAT 4: The Stetchkov SyndicateSierrahttp://www.swat4.com/Yes--
SuperPower 2DreamCatcher Interactivehttp://www.superpower2game.com/Yes--
The ShipMindscapehttp://www.theshiponline.com/Yes--
F.E.A.R.Vivendi Gameshttp://www.whatisfear.com/Yes--
Supreme Commander: Forged AllianceTHQhttp://www.supremecommander.com/Yes--
Quake III ArenaID Softwarehttp://www.idsoftware.com/Yes--
Hellgate: LondonElectronic Artshttp://www.hellgatelondon.com/Yes--
UFO: AfterlightCenegahttp://www.ufo-afterlight.com/Yes--
Conflict: Denied OpsEidoshttp://www.conflict.com/Yes--
Clive Barker's JerichoCodemastershttp://www.codemasters.com/Yes--
Warhammer 40000: Dawn of WarTHQhttp://www.dawnofwargame.com/Yes--
Enemy Territory: Quake WarsActivisionhttp://www.enemyterritory.com/Yes--
NeverWinter Nights 2: Mask of the BetrayerAtarihttp://www.atari.com/nwn2/Yes--
EVE OnlineCCPhttp://www.eve-online.com/Yes--
Rainbow Six Vegas 1 & 2UbiSofthttp://www.rainbowsixgame.com/Yes--
Trackmania Nations ForeverNadeohttp://www.trackmania.com/Yes--
Soldiers: Heroes of World War IICodemastershttp://www.codemasters.com/soldiers/Yes-Install Vista Patch
SoldatMichal Marcinkowskihttp://www.soldat.pl/Yes--
Assassins CreedUbiSofthttp://www.assassinscreed.com/Yes--
Command & Conquer 3 [: Kanes Wrath]EA Gameshttp://www.commandandconquer.com/Yes--
World in ConflictSierrahttp://www.worldinconflict.com/Yes--
UplinkIntroversion Softwarehttp://www.introversion.co.uk/uplink/Yes--
Warsow?http://www.warsow.net/Yes--
TurokPropaganda Gameshttp://www.propagandagames.go.com/Yes--
Savage 2: A Tortured SoulS2 Gameshttp://savage2.s2games.com/Yes--
The Witcher[:Enhanced Edition]Atarihttp://www.thewitcher.com/YesSee Comments. Patch 1.4 problems-
Starcraft: Brood WarBlizzardhttp://www.blizzard.com/broodwar/YesSee Comments.-
Sam & MaxTelltale Gameshttp://www.telltalegames.com/samandmax/Yes--
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy TerritoryActivisionhttp://www.activision.com/Yes--
Need for Speed Most WantedEA Gameshttp://www.nfsmostwanted.com/Yes--
Far CryUbiSofthttp://farcrygame.ubi.com/YesPatch 1.3 to 1.4 doesn't work. (see comment)Install Patch v1.32
Grand Theft Auto San AndreasRockstar Gameshttp://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas/Yes?See comments
Chessmaster Grandmaster EditionUbiSofthttp://chessmaster.us.ubi.com/xi/YesStart menu entries aren't created.Run setup in XP SP2 compatibility mode.
Team Fortress Classic / 2VALVehttp://www.steampowered.com/Yes--
Need For Speed CarbonEA Gameshttp://www.nfscarbon.com/Yes--
ContinuumBrilliant Digital Entertainmenthttp://www.getcontinuum.com/Yes--
Doom 3ID Softwarehttp://www.doom3.com/Yes--
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyTHQhttp://www.stalker-game.com/Yes--
Kane & Lynch: Dead MenEidoshttp://www.kaneandlynch.com/Yes--
Lost: Via DomusUbiSofthttp://lostgame.us.ubi.com/Yes--
Medal of Honor: AirborneEA Gameshttp://www.mohairborne.com/Yes--
X3 ReunionEGOSOFThttp://www.X3Reunion.com/Yes--
Unreal Tournament 3 DemoEpic Gameshttp://www.unrealtournament3.com/YesWon't install in Windows Server 2008.See Forum Topic
Requiem: BloodymareGravity Interactivehttp://www.playrequiem.com/Yes--
ROHAN OnlineYNK Interactivehttp://www.playrohan.com/Yes--
Dance Battle Audition OnlineMMOhttp://au.mmosite.com/Yes-Disable DEP and Configure IE
MapleStoryNEXONhttp://www.maplestory.com/YesNeeds workarounds.See this blog
Age of ConanFuncomhttp://www.ageofconan.com/Yes--
Mass EffectBioWarehttp://www.masseffect.com/Yes--
UEFA Euro 2008EA Gameshttp://www.electronicarts.co.uk/Yes-GTA 2 tutorial
Lost Planet Extreme Condition Colonies EditionCapcomhttp://www.lostplanet-thegame.com/Yes--
Lineage II: The Chaotic ThroneNCsofthttp://www.lineage2.com/Yes--
Star Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicBioWarehttp://www.bioware.com/Yes--
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic IIBioWarehttp://www.bioware.com/Yes-Install Vista fix
Halo 2Microsoft Gameshttp://www.microsoft.com/games/halo2/YesWon't start.See this comment how to get it working!
Perry RhodanBrainGamehttp://www.perry-rhodan-game.de/Yes--
Resident Evil 4Capcomhttp://www.residentevil.com/Yes--
EverQuest II: The Shadow OdysseySony Online Entertainmenthttp://www.everquest2.com/Yes--
Devil May Cry 4Capcomhttp://www.devilmaycry.com/Yes--
Alien vs Predator 220th Century Foxhttp://www.alienvspredator2.com/YesSome graphical errors after start of some levels.-
Postal 2Running With Scissorshttp://www.postal2.com/Yes--
Gears of WarMicrosoft Gameshttp://www.gearsofwar.com/Yes-See comment in DEP post
Worms World PartyTeam17http://wormsworldparty.team17.com/YesMinor issue-
The ThingBlack Label Games?Yes--
Guitar Hero IIIActivisionhttp://www.guitarhero.com/Yes-See comments
Painkiller OverdoseDreamCatcher Interactivehttp://www.projectoverdose.com/YesParental Control issuesSee comments how to patch it!
The Settlers VI: Raise of EmpireUBISofthttp://thesettlers.us.ubi.com/YesError Message: Starting this game is prohibited by parental controlRun in Windows XP SP2 Compatibility Mode.
Company of Heroes: Opposing FrontsTHQhttp://www.companyofheroesgame.com/YesError about IGameExplorerSee comments
Warhammer Online[: Age of Reckoning (Beta)]Mythic Entertainmenthttp://www.warhammeronline.com/YesConflicting experiences: comment 1, 2, 3-
Alone in the Dark 5Atarihttp://www.centraldark.com/Yes--
Anarchy OnlineFunComhttp://www.anarchy-online.com/Yes--
Ragnarok OnlineGravityhttp://www.ragnarokonline.com/YesMinor issue-
RF OnlineCodemastershttp://www.rf-onlinegame.com/Yes-Disable DEP
Bionic Commando RearmedCapComhttp://www.bioniccommando.com/Yes--
Race Driver: GRIDCodemastershttp://www.grid-game.com/Yessettings issue-
SporeEA Gameshttp://www.spore.com/Yespossible issue-
King's Bounty: The LegendAtarihttp://www.kings-bounty.com/Yes--
Space Rangers 2Cinemawarehttp://www.spacerangers2.com/Yes--
Divine DivinityLarian Studioshttp://www.larian.com/divinity/Yes--
Alpha PrimeBlack Element Softwarehttp://www.alpha-prime.com/Yes--
Far Cry 2UbiSofthttp://farcrygame.ubi.com/Yes--
Bully Scholarship EditionRockstar Gameshttp://www.rockstargames.com/bully/Yes/NoInstalls, plays on x86; can't play on x64-
Fallout 3Bethesdahttp://fallout.bethsoft.com/Yesissues with ASUS software-
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3EA Gameshttp://www.ea.com/redalert/Yes--
Call Of Duty 5: World at WarActivisionhttp://www.callofduty.com/Yes-If any problems, see this comment
James Bond 007: Quantum of SolaceActivisionhttp://www.007thevideogame.com/Yes--
Command & Conquer Generals [:Zero Hour]EA Gameshttp://www.commandandconquer.com/YesPossibly stuck at loadscreen.See comments
Left 4 DeadValvehttp://www.l4d.com/Yes--
LegendaryAtarihttp://www.legendarythegame.com/Yes--
Tomb Raider: Anniversary | Legend | UnderworldEidoshttp://www.tombraider.com/Yes--
Grand Theft Auto IVRockstar Gameshttp://www.rockstargames.com/Yes-See forum topic
Lego BatmanLegohttp://www.legobatmangame.com/Yesnote-
Dead SpaceEA Gameshttp://deadspace.ea.com/Yes--
The Sims 2EA Gameshttp://thesims2.ea.com/Yes--
Prince of Persia (2008)UbiSofthttp://www.princeofpersiagame.com/Yes--
Cryostasis: Sleep of ReasonAction Forms Ltd.http://cryostasis-game.com/Yes--
Fifa Manager '09EA Gameshttp://www.fifamanager09.com/Yes-DirectX Fix
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance??Nosee comment (explanation)-
Navy FieldSDEnterNEThttp://www.navyfield.com/Yes-See comments
F.E.A.R. 2 Project OriginVivendi Gameshttp://www.whatisfear.com/Yes--
Need for Speed Underground 2EA Gameshttp://nfsu2.ea.com/Yes--
Babylon 5: I've Found HerTime Warner Entertainmenthttp://ifh.babylonfive.ru/YesRuns choppy-
Mirror's EdgeEA Gameshttp://www.mirrorsedge.com/YesSee comments-
Mount & BladeParadox Interactivehttp://www.taleworlds.com/Yes--
Rise Of The ArgonautsCodemastershttp://www.codemasters.com/argonauts/Yes--
Saints Row 2THQhttp://www.saintsrow.com/Yes-Might need Compatibility Mode
Worms 4: MayhemTeam17http://www.wormsmayhem.com/Yes--
Medal of Honor: Pacific AssaultEA Gameshttp://mohpa.ea.com/Yes-Read Install Guide
Condemned: Criminal OriginsSegahttp://www.condemnedgame.com/Yes--
Burnout Paradise The Ultimate BoxCriterion Gameshttp://www.burnoutparadise.com/Yes--
ShellShock 2: Blood TrailsEidoshttp://www.eidos.com/YesSee commentsSee comments
Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason1C Companyhttp://www.cryostasis-game.com/Yes--
Blazing AngelsUbiSofthttp://blazing-angels.us.ubi.com/Yes/NoNo Vista CompatibilitySee comments
Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War IITHQhttp://www.dawnofwar2.com/Yes/NoSee comment and comment-
X3: Terran ConflictEGOSOFThttp://www.terranconflict.com/YesError: File not found. x3config.See comments
NecroVisionAspyrhttp://www.necrovision-game.com/Yes--
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original AdventuresLucasartshttp://indianajones.lego.com/Yes--
Empire Total WarSegahttp://www.totalwar.com/Yes-Note
Dark SectorDigital Extremeshttp://www.darksector.com/Yes--
Tom Clancy's HAWXUbiSofthttp://www.hawxgame.com/Yes--
Beyond Good and EvilUbiSofthttp://www.beyondgoodevil.com/Yes--
Wanted: Weapons of FateWarner Broshttp://www.warnerbros.com/Yes--
WheelmanUbiSofthttp://www.wheelmangame.com/Yes--
Unreal Tournament 99Epic Gameshttp://www.unrealtournament.com/Yes-Use zeckensack's Glide wrapper
Silent Hill HomecomingKonami Digital Entertainmenthttp://www.silenthillhomecoming.net/Yes--
Flight Simulator XMicrosoft Gameshttp://www.flightsimulatorX.com/YesIssue-
City of HeroesNCsofthttp://www.cityofheroes.com/Yes--
Sacred 2 - Fallen AngelAscaron Entertainmenthttp://www.sacred2.com/Yes-See comment
War RockK2 Networkhttp://www.warrock.net/Yes--
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher BayAtarihttp://www.riddickgame.com/Yes-See comment
Unreal 2: The AwakeningLegend Entertainmenthttp://www.unreal2.com/NoSee comment-
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark AthenaAtarihttp://www.riddickgame.com/Yes--
Velvet AssassinReplay Studioshttp://www.velvetassassin.com/Yes--
Zeno ClashACE Teamhttp://www.zenoclash.com/Yes--
Commandos 2: Men of CourageEidoshttp://www.eidos.com/Yes-Latest patch?
Dungeon Siege: Legends Of ArannaMicrosoft Gameshttp://www.microsoft.com/games/dungeonsiegeloa/NoSee comment
DamnationCodemastershttp://www.damnationthegame.com/Yes--
Terminator Salvation The GameWarner Broshttp://www.terminatorsalvationthegame.com/Yes--
Battlefield HeroesEA Gameshttp://www.battlefieldheroes.com/Yes--
PrototypeActivisionhttp://www.prototypegame.com/Yes--
Call of Juarez: Bound in BloodUbisofthttp://www.callofjuarez.com/Yes--
FuelCodemastershttp://www.fuel-game.com/Yes--
Street Fighter IVCAPCOMhttp://www.streetfighter.com/Yes-Might need XP Compatibility mode. (see comment)
The Sims 3EA Gameshttp://www.thesims3.com/Yes--

Enabling SuperFetch

Posted by on March 8, 2008 21 comments

When you are using Windows Server 2008 as a workstation SuperFetch will give your operating system a little bit more responsiveness. If you are using an SSD as operating system disk, you can skip this page.

Use Registry Tweak in stead of the first 4 steps

1. To enable the SuperFetch service you will first have to make a little change in the registry. Open the Registry Editor by clicking Run in the Start menu. Next type regedit and click OK. In the Registry Editor browse to the location HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters.

SuperFetch1.jpg

2. Right click in the right part of the window and choose DWORD (32bit) Value in the menu New. Type as Name: EnablePrefetcher

SuperFetch2.jpg

3. Edit the value of value EnablePrefetcher by doubleclicking on it. Change the Value data field into ‘3‘ (without quotes)

SuperFetch3.jpg

4. Next create a second DWORD (32bit) Value, name it EnableSuperfetch and also give it as Value data ‘3‘ (without quotes)

SuperFetch4.jpg

5. Close the Registry Editor, then click Run in the menu Start. Type services.msc and click OK. In the Services window, scroll down to the service with name SuperFetch.

SuperFetch5.jpg

6. Right click on the SuperFetch service and choose Properties in the context menu.

SuperFetch6.jpg

7. Next choose in the Startup type dropdown Automatic. Click Apply in the lower right of the Superfetch Properties window. The Start button will now be enabled. Press the Start button to enable SuperFetch for your current session.

SuperFetch7.jpg

8. Final screen. Because we have set the Startup type to Automatic, next time you start Windows Server 2008, the SuperFetch service will run to optimize your systems performance!

SuperFetch8.jpg

Installing Custom Gadgets

Posted by on March 8, 2008 16 comments

If you want to install custom gadgets you first have to associate the .gadget extension with the Windows SideBar. You can do that by downloading and importing gadget.reg (right click – Save As) into the Windows register. For just opening the .gadget file didn’t always work, so here is the custom way if gadgets won’t install automatically. Prerequisite is that you have installed WinRAR or any other ZIP unpacking program. You can download WinRAR from http://www.rarlabs.com/

1. Go to any Gadgets website and save the gadgets to some location at your harddisk.

Gadgets1.jpg

2. Right click the .gadget-file and choose Open With in the context menu.

Gadgets2.jpg

3. In the Open With window uncheck Always use the selected program to open this kind of file, and click Browse. Navigate to C:Program FilesWinRAR, select WinRAR.exe and click Open. In the Open With main window click OK to open the gadget file with WinRAR. Click Open if you get a Security Warning.

Gadgets3.jpg

4. In WinRAR click Extract To in the menubar. In the Extraction path and options window browse to C:Program FilesWindows SidebarGadgets, and type the name of your gadget including .Gadget (You can type it over from the titlebar of your WinRAR main window). In my case this name is MultiMeterDv1.25a.Gadget. Now click OK to extract the gadget to the Gadgets folder. After the extraction has completed you can close WinRAR.

Gadgets4.jpg

5. Now you can add the item to the Sidebar by right clicking on the Sidebar and clicking Add Gadgets!