March 2007 - Posts

• Why can't I delete a file in Windows?

  Ever had this happen to you?: I think this is the most annoying message that Windows has (OS X has one similar which is not very useful in letting you know what the problem is).  IMHO, I think that if the OS is informing you about an attempt to delete a file that has a handler open, it should be smart enough to tell you one thing: which is the application/process using it!!! Fear not, as there is a workaround for this.   Unlocker is a (free) utility that will give you this info.  Once installed, it is a contextual menu: Unlocker will then present you with a dialog that will let you deal with the situation: One less Windows nuisance to worry about.  Credit where credit is due: Stephen was the person who referenced me to this program. For all things related to software migration, be sure to visit Artinsoft's website.  For training in Visual Basic to C# migrations, Visual Basic to VB.Net,  Virtualization, and 64-bit training check our training web page. Posted Mar 19 2007, 05:09 PM by Csaborio with no comments Filed under: Random

• Multiple Remote Desktops (on Windows)

  I use CoRD for multiple desktops on OS X - it works like a charm.  But what about Windows users, what can they use?  After reading a bit on Dugie's Perspective, I read about MuRD (multiple remote desktops), which does exactly this trick.  Further reading on his blog points out to vXCopy, which is like xcopy on sterorids (which was like the copy command on steroids). I haven't tested any of the two, but I am sure the Virtualization crew at the upcoming Munich event will put vXCopy to the test when copying VMs through the network. Posted Mar 08 2007, 03:21 PM by Csaborio with no comments Filed under: Random

• Longhorn Hypervisor in Action (and an Intel intro to Virtualization)

  Longhorn Server will have a virtualization role that will basically replace the need to use Virtual Server when working with Longhorn.  If you want to play around with the new virtualization role as of now, it is not going to be possible because this feature not present in any public betas.  If you are curious about what this "role" is and a little more information on how this will impact that way we run virtual machines, take a look at the following demo done byJeff Woolsey: Video: Longhorn - Windows Server Virtualization Try this link instead for no-registration hassle If you are still a bit lost in terms of what virtualization is, check the Intel webcast below: Click To Play These videos introduce virtualization technology and point out the differences between sofware and hardware based virtualization. They explore existing and emerging usage models of Virtualization: Server consolidation, disaster recovery, development/testing, load balancing, fast provisioning, etc They introduce the next generation of Intel� Virtualization Technology (Intel� VT) and VT -d (Directed I/O) and suggest usage models for the future enterprise. Posted Mar 05 2007, 03:49 PM by Csaborio with no comments Filed under: Virtualization

• The Vista Story...

  Following on my previous post, I have finished installing Vista on Paralles.  There were various things I had to do to succesully finish the upgrade: Expand the size of my virtual disk to at least 15 GB.  The Vista installer will expand various files and needs this space Increase the memory size of the VM to 512 Upgrade to the latest version of Parallels and use the menu that allows Vista in believing that the machine is OK to install Vista: First off, all my applications worked after the upgrade, I was very impressed about this fact.  On the other hand (I don't know if this is a Vista or Parallels issue), things are kind of slow.  Windows XP running with 256 MB of RAM ran a lot faster than Vista with 512 MB of RAM.  It seems like my CPU usage is higher when using Vista under Parallels. These issues have me revert to Windows XP, which I will keep using until an upgrade for either Vista or Parallels that address this issue is released.  Posted Mar 05 2007, 03:07 PM by Csaborio with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Random

• VMWare Fusion with Graphic Card Support

  At this point, Parallels is one of the key players when it comes to virtualizing any x86 operating system on OS X.  I use it on daily basis and cannot live without it. VMWare has been working on its own version of the VMPlayer for OS X, called Fusion.  The Betas that I have worked with have been not that impressive in terms of performance.   VMWare claims that some of the sluggishness comes from debug code embedded into the application.  On the other hand, Fusion offers some innovative features: Support for 64-bit VMs Ability to assign a CPU/core to the host, and the other to the program Recently they have upgraded their beta to support 3-D acceleration directly from the graphics card.  This means that very soon, Mac users will be able to play 3-D games on Windows within OS X.  Considering that the list of Mac games is extremely short, this will really make things interesting for the Mac gaming market.  There is a video on YouTube that has a demo of the application running: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF_CoXsXtk4  Your move, Parallels ;) Posted Mar 05 2007, 02:55 PM by Csaborio with no comments Filed under: Virtualization

• A lightweight PDF Reader

  One of the things I really like about OS X is that it has a built-in PDF Viewer.  What's so special about this PDF viewer?  I think what I like the most is the fact that it is not bloated.  Adobe's Acrobat reader can take a while to launch, installing takes around 20 MB of downloads, and on older machines can really perform poorly. I stumbled upon Sumatra PDF over the weekend, and I think it is a great replacemente for Adobe's Reader in Windows.   I think you cannot beat Sumatra, especially when it comes to the price (free!) Do you know of any other PDF readers that are fast & lighteweight? Posted Mar 05 2007, 02:44 PM by Csaborio with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Random