VISTA :) SP1 Prerequisites

I found an interesting article on the net:

Vista SP1 prerequisite updates send some PCs into endless reboot...

And I am happy to find that I have installed these updates without any problems ;)

VISTA networking sometimes blocks outbound traffic

Hello,
Strange things happen all the time ;) That's the funniest.

So, I have (hopefully to put that into the PAST) some strange problem under VISTA with my Marvell Yukon Ethernet NIC and my Linksys' WRT54GL.

From time to time it appears that I don't outbound traffic to ports like HTTP, FTP, POP, IMAP, etc. But I have outbound traffic via ICMP like PING, TRACE, ECHO. What is going on ?

I did a little research over the Internet and a number of posts came out. The most descriptive one I found is here.

It appears that VISTA is trying to impress us and play hard with the network adapters on some lower layers of the OSI model.

And so, I disable the "IPv4 Checksum offload", the "TCP Checksum Offload (IPv4)" and the "UDP Checksum Offload (IPv4)", restarted and looking forward to see the change. This you can do from:

• Control Panel -> Network Connections
• Right click on the desired network connection
• Select PROPERTIES (you will be prompted from the UAC that this requires administrative permission)
• Click on "CONFIGURE" button just bellow the name of the Network Adapter used for the connection
• Go to "Advanced" tab
• Find all the "[something] Offload (IPv4)" and select "DISABLED"

OK, I'm sure we are all impatient for the SERVICE PACK 1, which is expected to come with Windows Update in mid-March.

Calculating time to copy files, or how to speed up file copying under VISTA

Hi there,
I'm sure that most of you, guys who are using Windows VISTA already hate the "smart feature" that is "Calculating time remaining to copy files", which takes more time than the actual copy itself. Well, may be under some circumstances it may speed-up networked copy of files, but in the common scenario it just slows down the whole process.

Thanks to this post, I've found the way to remove the irritating feature and go normal again.

The culprit seems to be the "Remote Differential Compression" feature, which is introduced in VISTA for the first time. To turn it off go in Control Panel / Programs and features / Turn on or turn off Windows features and uncheck "Remote Differential Compression".

Another feature that might slow the network traffic is the TCP/IP "Receive Window Auto-Tuning", which can be turned off via elevated command prompt:

netsh interface tcp set global rss=disabled
netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

After these changes you might want to reboot the system and look for improvements.

Note: I also have read somewhere that Microsoft has promised to fix this issue with Service Pak 1 for VISTA. And the Service Pack 1 is already released to manufacturing, as of 04 February 2008.

Network printing with VISTA and XP / print spooler hangs

Hello,
Merry Christmas and Happy New 2008 !!

So, May be you have heard a lot of "Print Spooler hangs" using Windows Vista and sharing a printer. I had a terrible couple of days looking for solution of the problem. Including online chat with HP support and posting on Microsoft TechNet forums.

Problem anatomy:

1. Desktop station with Vista 64. HP LaserJet 1018 connected to it (have full support for VISTA 64 and print local jobs just fine, latest drivers installed from the HP site). Shared.
2. Laptop with XP SP2 x86.
3. Successfully browsed from the XP to the shared printer. Installed as a local printer on the Laptop using new local port (\\vista-pc\printerName).

Now, the only way I got this printer to print job from the XP is the following:

1. In VISTA: Turn the UAC OFF.
2. In XP: Authenticate to the VISTA with the username that is the OWNER of the printer.

Any other attempts to print (i.e. authenticate with different name, that has full access to the printer /SECURITY TAB/, or UAC ON) just sends the print job to the Queue and nothing happens until restart of print spooler service on the VISTA.

Here is the solution:
What do you need to make it work?

1. Lots of patience;
2. Correct drivers for correct OS (i.e. VISTA or XP) and platform (i.e. x86 or x64)
3. First install the printer locally and make sure everything's fine (note: there are still number of printers that currently do not have VISTA drivers)
4. Share the printer

The tricky part - change the following policies in the VISTA host:

1. Local Computer Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers:
   Allow print spooler to accept client connections > to enabled
2. User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Printers:
   Point and Print Restrictions > to disabled

Note: To change local policies you can click the "START" and then in the search box type in: gpedit.msc

The drivers part - install the additional drivers on the VISTA box:

1. On your VISTA box open printer and faxes
2. right click blank field
3. Run as administrator
4. Server Properties
5. Drivers Tab
6. Add the additional drivers (i.e. x86 drivers or x64 drivers)

The next trick (optional if the above scenario still does not solve the problem):

1. Again open printers and faxes on your VISTA
2. Locate the installed printer
3. Right click
4. Run as administrator
5. Properties
6. Ports tab
7. UNCHECK the "Bidirectional support" checkmark
8. Apply
9. OK

The funniest:

1. Go to the client (that will use the shared printer)
2. Open Printers and faxes
3. Right click on an empty space
4. Add printer
5. Choose add LOCAL PRINTER and UNCHECK the "Automatically detect plug & play printer connected ..."
6. Choose to Create a new port
7. Choose Local port
8. The port name - be very careful, the name should be as follows: \\VISTA-PC-NAME\Shared-printer-name
9. Next
10. Choose the type of the printer (at that point you must have the appropriate drivers for the that printer)
11. Finish the installation of the printer

Voila!
Hope this will work out for you.

The original forum posts are here:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2629862&SiteID=17