Last versions of software for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

[UCyborg]

On 4/3/2023 at 7:12 PM, VistaLover said:

and I was also reminded of XP's excellent file association editor, one thing I strongly lamented when I moved to Vista (on Vista+, it's quite a PITA to remove/delete already established file associations; I had to resort to a third party app  ...).

Agreed, and they took it further in Windows 10 where you can't associate one program with all types it opens, have to do it one-by-one. How crazy is that? What app do you use to edit those?

On 4/3/2023 at 10:42 PM, VistaLover said:

In any case, I lost interest in whatever additional Artem had to say in that post, once the dreaded "WinXP is dead" was brought up ; which might be a true thing according to Microsoft, but, at the same time, gives out a lot about the app author's intentions towards EoS'ed WinOSes ...

I think there'd have to be zero users for it to be truly dead. But its user base is a drop in the ocean compared to Windows 10 or, well, while mostly not a desktop OS, Android. And the policy "If Microsoft won't support it, we won't either." is VERY POPULAR among developers for some reason.

[VistaLover]

4 hours ago, UCyborg said:

On 4/3/2023 at 8:12 PM, VistaLover said:

... (on Vista+, it's quite a PITA to remove/delete already established file associations; I had to resort to a third party app  ...).

... What app do you use to edit those?

... On Vista+, you can inadvertently associate a file type/extension with a program, if you use Explorer's Context Menu

"Open With" => "Choose Default Program..."

route ... I often went that path when one of the already present entries (inside "Open With") didn't suit me, or I simply wanted to open that file (just once) in another of my currently installed programs; but once you click that last option, you are presented with below window:

Having used WinXP for some years prior, I'd simply move on to picking one of the apps inside "Recommended/Other Programs" area, completely failing to notice the already ticked () "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" option, in small fonts (it's NOT ticked by default under WinXP...).

Having fallen into that trap many a times, especially during my first "Vista" years , I wanted to "un-associate" mistakenly established file associations (to another program or, even, none) and, at the time, what my online search yielded was this little gem below: 

https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/unassociate-file-types-windows-7-vista/

FWIW, the URI back then was different:
http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/231/1/An-Utility-to-Unassociate-File-Types-in-Windows-7-and-Vista.html

but that old one now returns a 404, instead of redirecting to the new one ...

I haven't searched for a more powerful app, replicating most of the features the WinXP wizard used to offer (e.g. changing the "icon" of a file to one different from the one the program it's "assigned to" provides), but, at least, the "un-associating issue" was fixed for me that way ...

[TSNH]

14 hours ago, UCyborg said:

What app do you use to edit those?

Back when I was tinkering with a Windows 8.1 installation from which I removed just a bit too much of metro interface so that the choose default program dialog wasn't working I found this program:

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/file_types_manager.html

It allows to remove existing associations, icons for them and also change other actions like "edit" etc. not just open. I don't think you can set multiple extensions at once tho.

[UCyborg]

12 hours ago, TSNH said:

I don't think you can set multiple extensions at once tho.

Aye, seems that wasn't the scope of XP's File types GUI either, it's a separate thing that was added to default programs editing GUI, but then they made dumbed down version and put it in Settings app. They also make sure you go through that UI to set defaults as certain manual changes in user side (HKEY_CURRENT_USER) of the registry are invalidated as the entries specifying user defaults are protected by some hash value, which has to be correct for entry to be considered valid. At least I assume that's how it is when you have multiple programs for the same file type.

Admittedly, I never studied those registry entries deeply. There's also the concept of having registered applications (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications) and while not necessary to use to be able to open some file from Explorer, it makes those applications visible from default programs editing GUI. Perhaps this is relevant when it comes to new behaviors since Windows 8 when it comes to associating programs with file types. I remember there was something written by MS about random programs hijacking file associations and they wanted to make sure settings that user explicitly consciously selects apply. Though there are cases where the effect is the opposite.

[legacyfan]

from what ive tested pretty much any glarysoft and iobit software seem to work really well with vista and is even still listed as the newest they can be run on without issues (unless something changed over the past her years)

[mina7601]

On 3/13/2023 at 10:28 AM, FantasyAcquiesce said:

Has anyone tried this app on Windows Vista? Vista holds the needed framework:

https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/downloads/

Yes, but it doesn't work unfortunately.

On 3/13/2023 at 10:28 AM, FantasyAcquiesce said:

Does ClipStudio paint happen to work by chance?

It refuses to install even.

[shelby]

VirtualBox 6.1.44 runs in Vista

[ginger1234]

Hello I have question which Android emulator for Windows can I work with windows vista extended kernel?

[Vistapocalypse]

On 3/1/2016 at 7:31 PM, WinClient5270 said:

Note: this list is for vanilla, unmodified Windows Vista/Server 2008 installations without the Extended Kernel by Win32. For the extended kernel version of this thread, go here.

[shelby]

VirtualBox 6.1.46 runs in Vista

[g_m_1990_]

On 8/1/2023 at 11:50 PM, shelby said:

VirtualBox 6.1.46 runs in Vista

Not so lucky for me After running the installer I got this "stack-based buffer overrun" BSOD.

I guess something in the newer installer doesn't like my VMWare Workstation player (17.0.2) settings. Or maybe some other niche things (patching only patch-able Server 2008 "R1" patches to-date?) on my side which I'm not aware of.

Fun enough is that 6.1.44 installed well, but it has a faulty VirtualBox Guest Additions that breaks my minimal Windows XP guest (Yes, I was having fun with guest-on-a-guest).

This could be a bad sample if anyone else doesn't have this issue.

 

One more thing I've noticed is that the UI on my UAC settings on Control Panel is broken (always looks deselected), so definitely something is wrong with my Vista settings. Sigh. Luckily I can manually turn it on/off under msconfig.

Edited August 9 by g_m_1990_

[FantasyAcquiesce]

Apparently, Firefox (a build from 7 months ago, as seen in this video's post date) works on Windows Vista when spoofed as Windows 7:

Anyone got a clue which version this is and a program to ensure spoofing of Windows Vista's version? Vista version build 6002 was used.

Edited September 20 by FantasyAcquiesce

[BW134]

1 hour ago, FantasyAcquiesce said:

Apparently, Firefox (a build from 7 months ago, as seen in this video's post date) works on Windows Vista when spoofed as Windows 7:

Anyone got a clue which version this is and a program to ensure spoofing of Windows Vista's version? Vista version build 6002 was used.

He installed Windows Vista Extended Kernel. This is unrelated with vanilla Vista. 

[FantasyAcquiesce]

On 9/20/2023 at 3:56 AM, BW134 said:

He installed Windows Vista Extended Kernel. This is unrelated with vanilla Vista. 

Ah, thank you for the clarification- I must've missed it.

[mina7601]

4 hours ago, FantasyAcquiesce said:

Ah, thank you for the clarification- I must've missed it.

Well, if you go to 4:57 from the video you linked, you will see that he used osver.ini method to make new Firefox work.