Walter Glenn

Previous versions of Windows let you set the volume levels only for inputs (such as microphones) and outputs (such as speakers and headphones). The new Volume Mixer in Windows Vista lets you set volume levels for each program. While some programs offer the ability to control the program’s volume inside the program’s interface, some don’t. The new Volume Mixer makes it easier to control volume for every program in a single place.

The Volume Mixer shows the currently-running programs that make sound (a program shows up on the mixer the first time the program makes a sound). Simply adjust the volume for each program how you want it. And once you set the volume for a program, Windows remembers the setting.

To get the Volume Mixer, just click the speaker icon in the Notification Area (where the clock is) and then click Mixer at the bottom of the volume slider. Or, just hit Start and type sndvol in the Search box.

Most programs recognize the new User Account Control (UAC) security model in Windows Vista. However, in order for this to work properly, the program must be marked by the developer (or identified by Windows Vista) as an program that requires administrative rights.

You are likely to run into some older programs that aren’t properly marked. So Vista provides a few ways to run a program as an administrator right off the bat.

Run a program as administrator from the Search box
As you probably know, you can use the new Search box in the Windows Vista Start Menu the same way you used the Run command in Windows XP (plus, it does a whole lot more). To run a program as an administrator from the Search box, type the command (such as CMD for the command prompt) and then press Ctrl-Shift-Enter.

Run a program as administrator from the graphical interface
You can also run a program as administrator right from a program icon. Instead of double-clicking the program icon to launch it, right-click the icon and choose Run as Administrator from the shortcut menu.

Set a program to always run as administrator
If you have a program that you run frequently, you can set the program to always run as administrator. To do this, use the following steps:

1. Right-click the program icon and click Properties.
2. On the Property sheet, click the Compatibility tab.
3. Under Privilege Level, select the Run this program as an administrator check box, and then click OK.

Bonus Tip: If you work in the command prompt a lot, right-click the Command Prompt shortcut on your Start menu and click Properties. On the property sheet, click Advanced. In the Advanced Properties dialog box that opens, click Run As Administrator. When you use the shortcut to open the command prompt, UAC will prompt you for administrative priveleges.

With the release of Office Small Business Accounting 2007 around the corner, Microsoft has gone ahead and made Office Accounting Express 2007 a free download - no strings attached. While not as feature-rich as the Professional version, the Express version is an ideal starter for small businesses looking to integrate basic accounting, invoicing, expense-tracking, and even payroll (through the ADP integrated payroll service). It’s also great for people just looking to make the move from the ubiquitous, but beginning-to-show-its-age, QuickBooks.

Four me, there are four big features that the Professional version will offer that the Express version does not:

• Quotes - So you can create a quote for a job and then later convert it to an actual invoice.
• Multiple price levels - So you can charge different customers different prices for the same job.
• Job Costing - So you can track the material and labor cost for each job and see the actual profit you make on every job.
• 1099 Reports - So I can pay my contractors more easily.

If you don’t need these features, then you have a free, powerful, easy-to-use accounting package to play with.

In the next few weeks, I’m planning to move my business accounting to Office Small Business Accounting Professional 2007, but I’ll give the Express version a whirl first and post a full review. In the meantime, the Express site has a Flash demo you can check out or you can just grab a copy for yourself.

For you creative gaming types with some C# skills, Microsoft has just released XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 and the XNA Framework. The development environment is geared toward letting students and hobbyists create games for Windows and the Xbox 360 (though if you want to run your games on the 360, you have to join the XNA Creators Club, which runs about $49 for four months or $99 per year and is available through the Xbox Live Marketplace).

XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 requires Windows XP (no official Vista support yet, though their FAQ says it will install on Vista).

Independent game developers rejoice!

Now somebody get to work and make me an Xbox Live version of Mail Order Monsters.

This is an article I wrote for the Windows XP Expert Zone in September, 2006, but I forgot to post about it when the article appeared. Windows Defender offers top-notch spyware protection for your Windows computer.

I recently wrote a new article on what the Windows Vista SideShow feature is all about. Check it out at the Windows Vista Community site. Hopefully, when the SideShow gadgets actually start appearing on shelves, I’ll be able to do a more in-depth review.

Windows Vista includes the new User Account Control (UAC) security component. Even if you’re not familiar with the name, you’ve seen it in action When Vista pops up a dialog asking you to press Continue when you install a program, change system settings, or whatever other nefarious deed you’re up to.

In previous versions of Windows, when you logged on with an administrator account, your user account was granted a single access token that allowed you extensive rights and privileges throughout the system. The problem with this? Windows XP and earlier didn’t include any kind of checks to make sure that you actually wanted to perform an action that the system was trying to perform. So, it was easier for malicious programs like viruses and spyware to get themselves installed without you knowing about it.

In Windows Vista, when you log on with an administrator account, your user account is assigned two access tokens - a full administrator access token and a standard user access token. The standard access token is used to start the Vista desktop. During normal activities (such as running a program, working with files and folders, or changing innocuous system settings like the desktop background), your user account uses the standard access token.

When you try to perform an administrative task (changing system settings, installing programs, and so on), Windows Vista prompts you to make sure that the action is one you intended to take. If you give it the go ahead, your user account is elevated to administrator access and the action proceeds. This prevents administrative tasks from happening without your knowledge. Throughout Windows Vista, you’ll now see an icon with the Windows Shield applied to commands and user interface elements that require administrative privileges.

As of mid-December 2006, Linksys still does not have a Windows Vista driver posted for the Wireless-G PCI Adapter (WMP54G). The driver also does not ship with the RTM bits for Windows Vista. However, Microsoft has released a driver for the device through their Windows Update service.

This does not make it easy to get connected if this is the only network adapter in your computer, but if you can plug in temporarily using another adapter, rest assured that you can actually download a driver for Linksys’ most popular desktop wireless card. Just go to the Windows Update site, let it scan your computer, and download away.

After much frustration, including trying to get drivers to install directly from the manufacturer of the chipset Linksys uses, the Microsoft drivers were nice to see pop up in the list.

Microsoft has released a free online magazine (in PDF format) named Safety and Security Online that’s all about protecting home computers and your family. It’s a pretty good read and has good step-by-step guidance for people who are not IT pros, but who want to improve security and family safety in their homes. You will need to validate your computer using Windows Genuine Advantage (in either IE or Firefox) in order to download, but it takes only a few seconds.

I’ve been on the lookout for a good FTP client for Windows for a long time. I favor a simple interface that lets me easily move files between my computer and FTP site. I used LeechFTP for some time, then moved to Smart FTP. I found both reliable, but a little hard to get around in. I’m now a delighted user of the FireFTP extension for Firefox (for versions 1.5 - 2.0). It opens as a tab within Firefox and sports a simple, intuitive interface for moving files around. It also has all the features I could want from an FTP client.