cluberti

Open the dump file in windbg, then run ".symfix", then "!locks" and output here. I cannot get that dump file no matter what I try.

Use the Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK) to create the installer - the CMAK can be installed on a server 2003 machine. Once you make the .exe installer, you can roll that out any way you'd like.

If you can run procmon.exe from sysinternals (and you may not be able, but it's worth a try), you may be able to find out what is missing or perhaps if you're getting access denied's to a particular bit you need access to. I'd suggest running procmon while trying to install a windows update, say, to try and figure it out (if it will run on your box at this point, that is ).

Unfortunately, XP's prefetcher isn't incredibly agressive, and you're looking for something more like Superfetch. Systembooster looks like it might be something like that, but I can't say for sure. I'm not sure it's worth the $20 to find out, either .

Is that an MSDN disc?

Ummm... seriously?

It certainly sounds like the drivers aren't the same, as the network stack between the two is identical (although it's tweaked for performance differently on 2K3, it's still roughly the same codebase). In fact, wireless generally should work BETTER in XP than in 2K3, so I'd say that the driver quality is suspect, right now, given your problem statement.

Security is not something you buy, it's something you practice. Having software that you use properly is at least as important as how well the software functions. As to practice, a layered defense of firewalls, NAT, antivirus and antispyware, and good security practices (like not running Windows as an administrator, ever) are just as crucial as which software you buy/run.

Well, that depends. Windows 2000 did ship an ia64 datacenter version for Itanium (64bit).

If you're getting that warning, it means you have a SERVICE trying to interact with the desktop via a dialog box (worked in previous versions of Windows, but will not anymore with Vista/Server 2008. Check your services list (services.msc) to see if there's anything odd running there (and there should be).

That is correct - if you got a Dell with shared video RAM, it takes as much RAM from the system as you've configured it to in the BIOS. Always best to get a real card with it's own RAM.

Are you trying to create a connection to deploy so users can double-click and establish a VPN connection, or establish an actual VPN connection from your machine to another automatically?

You could check the "Keep Printed Documents" setting in the Advanced tab of the print queue's properties. That'll keep the list (and spooled print file) until the machine or the print spooler service is restarted. Don't know if that's everything you need, but it's the only option you have built-in to Windows.

HFSlip is good for this too.

Your rant only seems specific to Vista in that it's the last OS released to complain about, so moving this where it belongs.

No offense, but this sort of thing happens with HP products after every major Windows update. I can't tell you to buy from a vendor other than HP if you want decent driver support or updates that don't suck worse than the last version of driver or hardware, but I can strongly suggest it .

At this point in life, I never, NEVER do a job for family. Ever. Or close friends, for that matter. Business and friends/family do not mix, and they can call the Dell support reps in India and get the support they paid for when they bought that $399 gem . It sounds harsh, but you know what? They accept it and move on (especially after I throw down the "you wouldn't ask a pilot to fly you around on his day off - why is my free time different?" - that one REALLY worked well).

There is, but you need Vista for it - superfetch.

Have you reviewed this KB article? Seems to match your symptoms closely. I've also seen this happen where you have to increase the size of the ASPBufferingLimit as well if there are files being served or uploaded.

If this is not a domain, and the user mapping the drive does not have the EXACT same username and password on the server you're mapping the drive to, then this is going to happen, no way around it other than using a script which supplies the username/password in a net use command (which you've said you have done).

Is this a domain environment, or are these workgroup machines connecting to a workgroup server?

No, there's no way to store credentials to a drive after every reboot. However, I can't think of a reason you'd need to enter credentials unless you're mapping a drive with creds different than the logged on user - is that the case?

It takes it for a moment, but when the window minimizes it should go back to the active window before the command prompt is run. You'd have to try it, mind you, but it might work.

It is true though - Microsoft does dogfood all new products in beta, and switches production over as close to release as possible.

The only way I can think of would be to use something like cmdow.exe to hide (minimize) the command prompt immediately after it starts.