- Click on the Start Button and key in command prompt so that it shows up on your start menu search list. Right click on the Command Prompt shortcut and select Run As Administrator.
- At the administrator command prompt, type in "slmgr.vbs -ipk <insert your product key here>"
- To activate windows after changing the key, run "slmgr.vbs -ato"
Check Windows Vista Activation Status
Included in Windows Vista is very useful utility that will help you check the status of activation of your computer:
- Click on the Start Button and key in CMD and hit Enter to start up Command Prompt.
- At the prompt, type in "slmgr.vbs -dli"
- After a few seconds you will be presented with a pop-up message with your activation status.
Checkbox Select Alternative
Enabling the new feature is very easy, just about anyone could do it. To get started, follow the steps below:
- In order to begin, you will need to use the Tools menu. In Windows Vista the menu-bar is hidden by default in most windows. Just hit ALT on your keyboard to bring it back. Now that you can see it again, click on Tools and then select Folder Options.
- Once the Folder Options dialog is displayed, click on the View tab.
- Under Advanced Settings, scroll down to the bottom of the list and check Use check boxes to select items.
- Next, click OK and you are finished.
Create an administrator command prompt shortcut
However, there is an easy way to modify the shortcut so that you no longer have to right click on it and select Run As all the time.
- Right click on your command prompt shortcut and select Properties.
- On the shortcut tab hit Advanced.
- Check the Run As Administrator box and hit OK.
- Hit OK once more to close the properties window.
Create symbolic links & directory junctions (hard & soft file system links)
Windows Vista includes a great little utility that allows users to finally make soft and hard file system links in the file system. This can be very useful from a software compatibility standpoint as well as a great way to organize your computer. Unlike a shortcut, a link is at the file system level and can be used to create an alias for a file or folder that is in a different location. For example, you can create a hard link (Directory junction) called c:\win that points to c:\windows\system32. After the link is created, you can open up command prompt or explorer and browse to c:\win and you will see the contents of c:\windows\system32. This is not a new technology, it has actually been a core Linux and Unix feature for as far as I can remember but it isnice to finally have it in Windows Vista. Links can be created with the mklinkcommand lineutility. MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target /D Creates a directory symbolic link. Default is a file
symbolic link.
/H Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link.
/J Creates a Directory Junction.
Link specifies the new symbolic link name.
Target specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link
refers to. Let's say that you want to create a directory junction like I mentioned earlier called c:\win that points to c:\windows\system32:
- Open up an Administrative Level command prompt.
- Run: mklink /j c:\win c:\windows\system32
Disable Windows startup sound
There was a lot of controversy of the new Windows Start sound in Windows Vista. Originally, Microsoft was planning on making this a mandatory sound that users would not be able to disable. This sounds like a great idea from a Marketing perspective since all Windows users world-wide would hear the same notes when their computer starts up. However from a user perspective this could be a nightmare. Thankfully Microsoft responded to the vocal Microsoft community and gave users the option to disable this sound. Follow these steps to disable your Windows startup sound:
- Click on the Start Button and type in Sound. Select Sound from the list.
- Click on the Sounds tab.
- Remove the check from Play Windows Startup sound.
- Hit OK.
Enable On Screen Keyboard
Would you like to use your computer with just your mouse and now keyboard? You can with the on-screen keyboard.
- Click on the start button.
- Key in osk and hit Enter.
Extend Activation period to 180 days
Would you like to extend the activation period to the maximum 120 days instead of the 30 day period that is set by default? It is possible and legal to do this using the software licensing manager in Windows Vista. Simply run slmgr -rearm to get another 30 days at an administrative level command prompt. You can do this a maximum of three times before Microsoft blocks further extensions.
- Click on the Start Button and type in Command.
- The Command Prompt Prompt shortcut will now show up in your start panel search results. Right click on the shortcut and select Run as Administrator.
- After Command Prompt loads, type in slmgr.vbs -rearm and hit Enter.
- Reboot.
How to delete / replace a system file
In many of the tweaks on this site I have directed you to delete or replace a system file. In Windows Vista this is not always as easy as it sounds since the system files are protected better by the file system than in XP. There are two steps that you need to do in order to be able to replace or delete a system file:
- First you need to take ownership of the file. Run takeown /f "path and file name" to take ownership from a command prompt.
- Next, you need to give your account full control permissions on the file. Run cacls "path and file name" /G <your username>:F to get full control from a command prompt.
