Day: September 28, 2007

Ever have to do a repair install of WinXP? Often–in the past–if WinXP became unbootable, simply popping in a (genuine!) WinXP install CD and doing a repair install would solve the problem.

Not so, now. Microsoft, in its inscrutable campaign to become the most-hated software manufacturer on the planet, has made a repair install of XP much more difficult. Oh, the repair install will still work, but unless you have the lil tip below, you’ll be stuck with the “pristine” install of the OS exactly as it came on the install CD, with all the security holes and gaps still present, all the bugstomps and patches since the CD was pressed… unavailable.

Because Windows Update will fail, reporting only “a problem on your system”.

Nice going Me$$y$oft.

As it turns out, according to a report by Windows Secrets‘ Scott Dunn, attempting to update WinXP after a repair install will fail because some of the dlls in the most recent WU utility will not properly register on such an installation. The fix requires first installing the old WU installer (found here), using the command line and the /wuforce switch, and then attempting a Windows update. The new WU installer will then register its dlls properly and all will be as well with the WinXP install as can be with a WindowsXP install. (Meaning, so-so to headache after headache *heh*)

Until Me$$y$oift fixes its WU installer, better have the OLD WU installer in your back pocket just in case. ‘K?

(Yeh, yeh: you can manually register each of the WU installer dlls, instead–or write a batch file to do it–but unless you’re looking at a ton of repair installs, just having the old WU installer will work easily enough. Just (RIGHT-CLICK to) download wuinstaller_fix.txt and rename with a “bat” extension if you prefer a dll-registration approach.)

Two pieces of news this week bore seeds of encouragement that the arrogance of “leaders” (of two different kinds, approximately the same class of persons) may be ameliorated by pressure from the serfs.

The so-called “DREAM Act” which would offer green card status to illegals who entered the U.S. illegally before they turned 16 AND afford their relatives an easy way to bypass normal immigration procedures as well AND extend massive educational benefits not available to American citizens to those same illegal aliens… has been removed from attachment to the defense authorization bill by its sponsor, Dick “Turban” Durbin.

That’s one in the “win column” (for now–it’ll be back) for the little guys who brought massive “market forces” pressure to bear on politicians *spit* this week.

Another piece of news this week offers hope for the little guy. Businesses and individual users faced with the expense of hardware and software upgrades as we as with widespread software and hardware incompatibilities caused by upgrades to Windows Vista (or purchases of new computers with Vista preinstalled) can breathe a sigh of relief–for now.

Microsoft confirmed that changes were made over the summer to make it easier for customers to downgrade to XP. Microsoft changed its business practices so computer makers selling pre-activated Vista machines to order Windows XP discs that could be included with PCs or shipped to customers without requiring additional activation.

So far, major players in the “Get Out of Vista Free Card” offering include Lenovo, Fujitsu, Dell and HP, who will all at the very least include a “recivery” or install CD allowing installation of XP over an existing Vista install, at customer request.

Why would the 1,000-pound gorilla of software back off from killing XP in favor of Vista? Because people have been voting with their wallets to not support the OS the way Me$$y$oft expected.

Just as Dick “Turban” Durbin found too much opposition at grassroots level–enough opposition that even the arrogant elite politicians *spit* he listens to had to take notice–to keep his bill of treason afloat.

Sometimes, in spite of the fast sales pitches, smoke and mirrors, and outright lies, sometimes the sheeple rebel. Both Microsoft and the U.S. Senate have heard (and heeded–for now) the remote echoes of past peasant uprisings and even fainter echoes of the Revolutionary War that led to curtailment of past oppressors’ power.

Moderately encouraging news.

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