things which annoy you in Windows (98,XP, Vista...)

[flexy]

i start with:

*) Changing display resolution screws up desktop-icon position.


next 🙂

 

[VinDSL]

Um...

The search feature gets worse with every release.

Of course, Windows Search 4.0 will take care of that... not!

 

[QueBert]

I use Aston Shell so my icons stay put no matter what, I will never be able to use my machine with plain explorer for the shell ever again. You are right about that one flexy.

I never use the built in search feature it's a POS.

I know this is a small stupid gripe but I have how the startup screen is so low resolution/color. I know Vista is slightly better, but I like to replace my boot screen and you can't really use anything that looks good with how limiting MS is on the picture quality.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Um...

The search feature gets worse with every release.

Of course, Windows Search 4.0 will take care of that... not!

Vista x64 search works very well. Dunno bout you... I hated XP search, never used it. I use Vista search all the time and almost always find what I'm looking for.

 

[Brazen]

Defaulting to using an admin account and making it difficult to use limited user accounts... this was finally mostly fixed with UAC.
lack of a useful command line
lack of built-in ssh server for remote management (needs previous problem fixed first)
lack of easily accessible remote management tools, such as using a web interface rather than mmc (WSUS actually started off doing this right, using a web interface for remote management of the WSUS service, a glimmer of hope for MS, and then an "update" did away with it)

 

[Nothinman]

There's no "clean up Windows" function so if a window gets open off screen there's no simple way to bring it back into view.

There's no way to manually load/unload kernel drivers at runtime, some installers manage to do it but there's no supported facility for admins.

Printing is an absolute PITA but that's true for every OS.

Multiple desktops aren't supported out of the box and the 3rd party tools to enable them are pretty bad.

There's no package management at all, installation/removal of software is left up to each developer individually.

 

[stash]

lack of easily accessible remote management tools, such as using a web interface rather than mmc (WSUS actually started off doing this right, using a web interface for remote management of the WSUS service, a glimmer of hope for MS, and then an "update" did away with it)

Wow, I haven't heard too many people say they preferred the WSUS web interface 🙂 I do agree with you about the command line and SSH though, and I don't think PowerShell helps the command line situation that much.

Multiple desktops aren't supported out of the box and the 3rd party tools to enable them are pretty bad.

Amen.

I wish I could have sleep mode with Hyper-V installed.
There are still way too many focus issues with open Windows.
There needs to be a true security boundary between processes on the same desktop (lot of work to be done though).
They really need to fix the damn NT style font dialog. Even knowing that it is not as trivial as people assume, it still needs to be done.
Remote Desktop and Fast User Switching are slow as hell on Vista (slightly better with SP1), compared to XP.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

the only things that annoy me in vista is how explorer changes the views on you randomly. i wish there was a way to log off just using keystrokes.

 

[CrookBloke]

Yeah, I'm not sure I even like using a Web interface for the Internet, much less for anything else. I'm getting danged tired of everything trying to look like a blasted browser.

About the focus issues -- I think I'd call the way it's handled insanity, not just an issue.

If I'm typing in one app and some dimwit (or collection of dimwits) wrote another application (or another part of the application I'm using) so that it suddenly sticks a dialog in front of me just as I'm hitting the Enter key or pressing a mouse button...

You know, I can't even think of a punishment dire enough for these folks. And there are some wonderful software writers out there who seem to understand just about everything about software EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE THING!

Mr./Ms. Developer: If you want to NOTIFY me of something, then USE THE NOTIFICATION AREA! DAMMIT!

I know it's not polite to shout, but I would put my face right next to the ears of these misguided twinkies and scream this message at the top of my lungs, were I given the opportunity to do so.

 

[CrookBloke]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze
the only things that annoy me in vista is how explorer changes the views on you randomly. i wish there was a way to log off just using keystrokes.

I log off just with keystrokes. There are a couple of methods. If you set up your system to use the Ctrl-Alt-Del screen you can Ctrl-Alt-Del then use the down arrow (twice) and the Enter key to log off. Or you can just use the Windows key followed by three right arrows, two down arrows (or five up arrows, if that's more natural to you), and the Enter key.

Is it my imagination or did Explorer become a little less annoying with respect to configuration of its windows since SP1?

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Aflac
Vista x64 search works very well. Dunno bout you...

For sh!ts n' giggles, do a desktop search for HP and see what it finds.

Then, hit the <Enter> key...

Do you get the same results?

 

[Genx87]

I hate how the CD or DVD rom can lock up explorer while the disc spins up.

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: stash

lack of easily accessible remote management tools, such as using a web interface rather than mmc (WSUS actually started off doing this right, using a web interface for remote management of the WSUS service, a glimmer of hope for MS, and then an "update" did away with it)

Wow, I haven't heard too many people say they preferred the WSUS web interface 🙂

Well, I admin linux servers, managed switches, firewalls, and several server apps on Windows that use a web interface. I have a link to every web interface in a folder in my bookmarks. This makes it very easy to keep track of, plus it is just as easy to manage from my linux laptop without having to rdp or vnc into another computer.

Originally posted by: Nothinman
There's no "clean up Windows" function so if a window gets open off screen there's no simple way to bring it back into view.

Yes there is. Just right-click on the taskbar and choose Tile Windows Horizontally/Vertically.

Multiple desktops aren't supported out of the box and the 3rd party tools to enable them are pretty bad.

There's no package management at all, installation/removal of software is left up to each developer individually.

Oh yeah, I can't believe I missed these (I guess being a server admin, just server admin-related stuff comes to my mind). Multiple desktops have been around so long and are so useful, I don't see how MS has left them out so long (I thought I heard Vista was supposed to have them, but that feature must have been dropped).

And package management... I wish MS would at least do package management for there own products, just one click and install SQL Server 2005 Express and dependencies would be nice. They are already halfway there with Windows Updates and WSUS.

 

[VinDSL]

I ran into another annoyance with Vista recently - hope it doesn't go on the years... 😀

Whenever I perform a "Disk Cleanup" on my Vista lappy, it disables the "Hibernation" mode.

When this happens, the Hibernation option disappears from the Power Settings and Shutdown menu!

The only way to re-enable Hibernation is to run PowerShell as an admin, and invoke 'powercfg -h on' from CLI. :|

 

[Nothinman]

Well, I admin linux servers, managed switches, firewalls, and several server apps on Windows that use a web interface. I have a link to every web interface in a folder in my bookmarks. This makes it very easy to keep track of, plus it is just as easy to manage from my linux laptop without having to rdp or vnc into another computer.

I personally hate web interfaces, any device that has one automatically loses points in my eyes and if there's no alternate cli or even GUI tool then it gets some major demerits.

Yes there is. Just right-click on the taskbar and choose Tile Windows Horizontally/Vertically.

I guess that would work, but they also have the side-effect of resizing all of my windows which is just as much of a PITA to recover from.

 

[CrookBloke]

I ran into another annoyance with Vista recently - hope it doesn't go on the years...

Sounds like you're having it "clean up" the hibernation file. If so, uncheck the box for that feature of cleanup.

 

[Crusty]

The absolute one thing I hate about Windows is when you are copying a folder with a bunch of subfolder and/or files and ONE of them has an error the ENTIRE copy process is halted. Not only that, but it seems to pick and choose the order it copies files too so there's no sure way to continue the copying without hitting "Yes to all" when it asks if you want to overwrite the partially copied folders/files, which in effect starts the entire process over. You better hope you fixed the file that caused the problem, or you deselected it otherwise you are screwed again too.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: CrookBloke

I ran into another annoyance with Vista recently - hope it doesn't go on the years...

Sounds like you're having it "clean up" the hibernation file. If so, uncheck the box for that feature of cleanup.

w00t !!!

That's what I get for NOT reading the description (purdy pic)

Vista is doing just what it says it will do - disabling Hibernation...

The only bug-a-boo with Vista is that it's removing the Hibernation settings from the Power Options menu too, so...

You cannot re-enable "Hibernation" from the "Power Options" - you gotta use CLI.

Thanks for the tip! 😀

 

[theAnimal]

Originally posted by: Crusty
The absolute one thing I hate about Windows is when you are copying a folder with a bunch of subfolder and/or files and ONE of them has an error the ENTIRE copy process is halted. Not only that, but it seems to pick and choose the order it copies files too so there's no sure way to continue the copying without hitting "Yes to all" when it asks if you want to overwrite the partially copied folders/files, which in effect starts the entire process over. You better hope you fixed the file that caused the problem, or you deselected it otherwise you are screwed again too.

Try using SuperCopier.

 

[CrookBloke]

Originally posted by: Crusty
The absolute one thing I hate about Windows is when you are copying a folder with a bunch of subfolder and/or files and ONE of them has an error the ENTIRE copy process is halted. Not only that, but it seems to pick and choose the order it copies files too so there's no sure way to continue the copying without hitting "Yes to all" when it asks if you want to overwrite the partially copied folders/files, which in effect starts the entire process over. You better hope you fixed the file that caused the problem, or you deselected it otherwise you are screwed again too.

Robocopy is our friend.