How to Create Vista Recovery Discs

Creating a Windows Vista recovery disc will allow you to boot up your computer if you ever have trouble starting your Windows machine. Vista recovery discs can really come in handy if your computer should ever become infected with a virus, or suffer any number of other things that could possibly occur that will prevent you from loading up your Windows Vista operating system. This Vista recovery disc allows you to easily repair your computer without a lot of hassle.

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Find out which version of Windows Vista you are running. Right-click on "My Computer" from the "Start" menu and click "Properties." Your Windows Vista bit version is listed under "System Type."

2. Step 2

   Download the correct Recovery Disc zip file for your version of Windows Vista, either 32 bit Vista (x86) or 64 bit Vista (x64). See "Resources" for a direct link.

3. Step 3

   Open the zip file, click "Allow" at the UAC prompt and extract the recdisc.exe file to your desktop. Close and delete the zip file after extracting.

4. Step 4

   Open your main hard drive and open the Windows folder, then open the System32 folder. Right-click the recdisc.exe file on your desktop and click "Properties." Click the "Security" tab and then on "Advanced." Click on the "Owner" tab and then the "Edit" button. Click on your user account under "Change Owner To" and click "OK" through two or three dialogue boxes.

5. Step 5

   Navigate back to the "Properties" window for the recdisc.exe file and under the "Security" tab click on "Edit." Click "Continue" through the prompt and click on the "Add" button. Click "Advanced" and then "Find Now." Click on your user account and click "OK." This should bring you back to the "Permissions" window for the recdisc.exe file. Click on your user account name and under "Permissions for Moderator" check the "Full Control" box. Click "OK" and then "Yes" on the "Security" window. Click "OK" once more.

6. Step 6

   Right-click on the recdisc.exe file thats located on your desktop and click "Copy."

7. Step 7

   Paste the recdisc.exe file from your desktop into the C:WindowsSystem32 folder. Click "Copy and Replace" then "Continue."

8. Step 8

   Right-click on the recdisc.exe in your System32 folder and click "Send To" and then select "Desktop" to place a shortcut to recdisc.exe on your desktop for easy access.

9. Step 9

   Double-click on the recdisc.exe shortcut on your desktop top run the program. Choose your DVD drive from the list of available drives and click "Create Disc."

10. Step 10

    Insert the retail copy of your Windows Vista installation DVD into your DVD drive and click "Continue." Wait while the program prepares your files and when instructed, switch out the Windows Vista installation DVD with a blank CD or DVD.

11. Step 11

    Wait while the program burns your CD or DVD and then click "Close" when it is finished.

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Problems Connecting Vista With Mac OS X

Computers are designed to be interoperable, meaning you should be able to share your files and network between Macs and Windows PCs without much difficulty. However, problems can still arise from the network, networking method or issues with either operating system.

The Facts

1. Macintosh OS X can automatically recognize and read from networked hard drives shared by the Windows operating system. In some cases, you may not be able to write to those drives from a Macintosh (depending upon the formatting method used when the drive was initialized). Windows computers can read and write to shared Macintosh drives if they are shared using either SMB (server message block) or FTP (file transfer protocol); drives shared via AFP (AppleShare file protocol) are usually not available to Windows computers.

Bonjour Autoconfigure

2. Bonjour (previously called Rendezvous) is an automatic protocol that allows networked computers to advertise which services they make available to other computers. It is installed by default on Mac OS X, and an optional install on Windows. Two computers running Bonjour should automatically appear as available on each others network utilities, such as a network drive selection box.

Resolving Network Issues

3. If the computers are not automatically visible to each other, open the Internet preferences on each computer to determine its IP (Internet protocol) address. This is located in System Preferences > Network on Mac OS X, and Network > Properties on Vista. You may be able to connect the computers by telling one to open the IP address of the other; for example, connect to a Mac sharing a drive by FTP at 10.0.0.3 by entering "ftp://10.0.0.3" in a network or Web browser. If the two IP numbers are completely different (i.e., 10.0.0.3 and 192.168.0.2), they are running on different networks, so check your network connections and turn off any network interfaces you are not using.

Reverse Direction

4. An easy way to solve problems is to try doing the same thing in the reverse direction: if your Windows drive wont appear on your Mac, try sharing the Mac drive and opening it on Windows.

Try the Internet or "SneakerNet"

5. Finally, many local network problems can be solved by using the Internet to send files, or by physically transferring a USB drive from one computer to another. (This is nicknamed "SneakerNet" for the act of walking from one computer to another.) Network utilities such as DropBox provide an easy way for two computers to share files.

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