After 5 days of writing 15 pages of code or something, I'm about to execute it for the first time. The whole lot is so complex that I'll be really surprised if it runs on the first try. Hell, I'll be surprised if it doesn't make the machine need a reboot. Worst case, I've written it wrong and need to start again.
Wish me luck...
Maz

*Code not allowed here, but you'd cringe if you saw it. On the upside it's well documented with enlightening comments, (not like Comments from a Madman)*

Windows Server 2003 service pack 2 doesn't appear to support wireless properly. Just use SP1 and it's fine.
That is all.

So I installed Vista on my laptop and had surprisingly few issues right out the box. Sony doesn't seem to want to give Australian customers the Vista drivers for their "Vista compatible" laptops so I ended up downloading them from the Sony support site in the UK. The only thing I haven't been able to find a driver for is the memory card reader, (even the fingerprint scanner and mobile wireless card from Telstra works!).

So next step is to activate windows before it all goes tits up... But apparently it doesn't pester the user to activate for the first 3 days. Nice! Wanting to do this anyway I poked around the unfamilliar system and still couldn't find the activate option and in the end I turned to Google.

The first dozen results were how to crack, break or disable the activation to run pirated windows. I'm not exactly shocked but it appears to be common knowledge on the internet among the types of people that would want to try this. There is a little program that runs as a service and simply disables the countdown for the 30-day activation period, which is also the no-nag period so for all intents and purposes works like a legit system that gets reinstalled every day. Apparently even Windows Update and WGA stuff works without entering a product key at install time. Personally I curious to see if it does indeed work so if anyone has seen it would. Give me an anonymous yell or something.
Maz

P.S. If you are also trying to activate windows and can't find the button either... Right-click "Computer" and go to properties, scroll to the bottom and there is the activation info.

I doubt this is just mine so I thought I'd piss and moan about this...


Now a million of those popped up when I plugged in my normal MP3 player. It also hid the video I was watching and stopped me pausing or stopping it. I could just hear all the bits I was missing. What the little window said was...

Handy thing that. Let this be a reminder, never try use your computer when you have media player open. It's like a plague or virus.