tips for mac users who have to use windows xp

I work in a PC-only office, with some dedicated Macheads who’ve been forced to transition to Windows XP. Not an unusual scenario, really.

Subsequently I’ve grown to appreciate the sadness and almost physical pain this can cause, particularly for people who’ve never used a Windows machine before. Just like the other way around is hell for Windows users ;)

So although this blog is usually about transitioning to mac, I thought it might be nice to share my common tips for people transitioning to Windows XP.

Now, I can’t make your windows machine deliver The Love Of Steve Jobs but co-workers have found these tips helped keep their sanity a bit.

So… in no particular order…

1) Microsoft Outlook’s search tool sucks, you should replace it.

If you are lumped with MS Outlook, you will no doubt have noticed the built-in search tool just doesn’t work. Thankfully there are two easy options here.

First, you can install Lookout: Install Lookout On Outlook 2007 – Lifehacker Australia.

Install it, then you’ll see the extra search tool in Outlook. Click Options next to the Lookout search box and make sure your archive folders are ticked. Allow time for it to index your email, then after that you have real, functional email search.

A second option is Xobni: Xobni – Search Your Outlook Email Inbox, which does a whole lot more than just search.

2) The default alt-tab isn’t especially pretty. You can replace that if it bothers you.

This is kind of bling, but kind of useful too. Grab the alt-tab replacement powertoy, which gives you a preview of the windows when you alt-tab.

3) When you stick in a CD or thumb drive, that autoplay thing is annoying. Yes, you can kill it.

1. Click Start → Run
2. Type: gpedit.msc [enter]
3. Go to: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System
4. Double-click the item "Turn off autoplay"
5. Select "Enable" (yeah the wording is arse-forwards)
6. Select which drives to disable autoplay from the dropdown, I went for "all drives".
7. Click OK

4) Get a leaner, meaner file system search.

The XP file system search sucks, what with the hyperactive dog animations and all the extra clicking. The one in Windows 2000 Pro looked utilitarian but it was much better. You can enable that in XP.

1. Install the Tweak UI powertoy
2. Run Tweak UI (you’ll find it under the start menu)
3. Go to: Tweak UI → Explorer → Use classic search in Explorer

While you’re there, check out the Group Policy editor as it gives you access to lots of settings.

5) Got two monitors? Get Multimon.

Multimon is a neat little UI extension that lets you easily move applications between your two monitors, and extends the Task Bar across both screens.

6) Want a really fast graphics viewer?

Get Irfanview (and install the "all plugins" extra). Let it take over all of your graphics formats in the file associations (you might prefer to disable PSD if you’re a designer, of course).

Irfanview loads really fast and has useful batch tools, lets you edit the IPTC metadata and so on. Basically I find it quicker and easier than using XP’s film strip or thumbnails or whatever.

7) "I can’t drag a file onto the Taskbar!"

While you can’t drag and drop a file onto an application on the Taskbar, you *can* drag the file down and hover over the application on the taskbar (don’t let go of the mouse button), then the application you want should open up, then you can drop it onto the application. Yeah it’d be nice to just drop it on the app, but XP doesn’t do that.

Note that this tip works for apps that are already open/running, it doesn’t apply to dropping a file onto a shortcut icon for an app that’s not currently running.

8) Yes, the keyboard shortcuts are different.

Some basic keyboard shortcuts that you should know:

• Use alt-tab to switch between applications. Use alt-shift-tab to switch in reverse order.
• In most apps (particularly browsers) ctrl-tab will switch between windows/tabs. ctrl-shift-tab will switch in reverse order.
• Use windows-m ("Minimise all") or windows-d ("Desktop") to minimise all the open apps and take you to the desktop (there’s a subtle difference in what they do, but unless you have multiple monitors you’ll probably never see it).
• Use windows-e to launch Windows Explorer.
• Use windows-f ("find") to launch the Windows Explorer search tool.

9) "I need to open a zip file…"

Zip files are supported natively. Just use your context menu – right click and hit "Extract all".

You can also compress things this way by right-clicking on a directory and hitting Send To → Compressed Folder.

Formats other than .zip do need a third party addon like 7-zip.

10) I miss (insert OSX feature here)

Honestly someone else probably does too and made an app to reproduce the effect. Without wanting to sound flippant, whatever it is you can probably just search for it on Google.

For example you can re-skin Windows XP to look like OSX and there are various Expose replacements:

• DExposE2 Like Mac Expose but Better – Lifehacker Australia
• Get the MS Mouse software and map something like your scroll wheel’s click to "Instant Viewer"
• Search for windows xp exposé and you’ll find heaps of results

Like it or not, the user base for Windows is truly massive; so no matter what’s going on you’ll probably find someone has already fixed/changed/hacked things the same way you want.

This goes for fixing problems too: search for error messages verbatim and you’ll probably find some guy on a forum who went through the same problem six months ago.

If you maintain the machine yourself…

If you’ve never maintained a PC before and you have to do it yourself, keep in mind that you are now in a whole different target group for malicious attacks. You might enjoy unprotected internet on your Mac, but if you do that with a PC you’ll regret it fast.

You need:

1. Firewall, like Zone Alarm (or you can use the default Windows firewall – but personally I like Zone Alarm)
2. Anti-virus, like Symantec Antivirus or a free option like AVG Free
3. Anti-spyware/anti-malware, like Ad-aware, Spybot or Malwarebytes Antimalware

Once you’ve got it, you need to actually update and run the antivirus and spyware software. A good routine is a full scan monthly and enable the memory-resident autoprotect options. If you buy the software you’ll find most programs have scheduling features – it’s really only the freebie versions that don’t.

Sure, this isn’t convenient but the sad fact is that it’s required. There are millions of Windows machines out there and endless thousands of people and scripts trying to break into them. You can feel smug and superior about Mac security all you like, but you should do it after you’ve protected your Windows machine ;)

Thankfully if you follow these tips you should be ok, assuming you don’t do anything daft like click on attachments from spammers.

Updates

Obviously you also need to keep Windows updated, just as you do with OSX. Run Windows Update and in the settings enable automatic downloads.

Note that if you are installing Windows from scratch, do it offline (unplug the network cable!). During installation the system is still unpatched and hence extremely vulnerable. Burn the service packs to a DVD ahead of time or at least install your firewall before you go online to install them.

Overall tips…

Just as macheads regularly criticise me for "wanting the mac to work like a PC", I have to remind you it works both ways. If you try to use a PC like a Mac, you’ll get frustrated. The two platforms are just different and each has its own random quirks and tricks. Don’t fight it, you won’t win ;)

I should also note that for a couple of the tips I’ve mentioned here, if you’re in a super-locked-down corporate environment you might need admin access or a friendly tech support guy (bought them a beer lately?). That’s not about Windows, that’s about your work environment, ok? :)

Anyway, these tips have helped people at work. I hope they’re helpful for you too.

do i brave the screaming hordes?

[This was written while all this was still just a document on my hard drive.]

I’m thinking that I should start posting these thoughts. But then I see the response that this guy got:
Ten Reasons Why I Hate My Macbook Pro.

Seriously, check out those comments. What a pack of arseholes… and this is the community I’m supposed to approach for help? Not likely.

The author notes in Ten Reasons Why I Love My Macbook Pro that he got Denial of Service attacks for daring to post his opinions.

I really hope that sort of person is a minority amongst mac users.

Here’s a thing. When someone says they dislike a feature of OSX, they are invariably howled down for “ignorance”. You know what? That’s not how it works! I want “maximise” to maximise the window. Don’t tell me about mac apps having palettes instead of sidebars, don’t tell me “you don’t need to maximise”, don’t tell me it’s a different paradigm and I have to shift to it.

I like to maximise. I like to click a button and have the window expand to fill the entire available space; and also block out everything else. This is how I work. You can work however the hell you want, but I like maximised windows. It’s a considered preference.

For balance, I will say something nice: I originally hated the thing where you have to quit the application, rather than having it close automatically with the last window. Over time, I’ve actually become used to that one. See? I am quite willing to adopt features that I actually like ;)

Macheads regularly tell me I’m wrong for wanting to maximise windows. Sorry, but if say “I don’t like this”, you don’t get to say “you’re wrong” – you can not tell me how I feel or what to like. That’s ludicrous.

I can accept “that’s just how OSX works”, so long as people can then accept that I don’t like it. I’m not saying OSX has to be modified to my whim, just that I’m allowed to think and want whatever the hell I like.

Next up, someone will jump in and tell me “oh it’s easy to maximise, you just have to learn some simple Applescript”. Excuse me? I have to learn Applescript? Turn that around for a second, imagine if you had to learn a script language to achieve simple interface functions in Windows. You’d be scathing, wouldn’t you? :)

So anyway, maybe I’ll post these thoughts. Maybe not. I’m not really sure. One the one hand it would probably be cathartic. Plus I was asked to do this.

On the other hand, life’s too short to suffer flames and DoS attacks at the hands of crazed macheads.

OK, this has to be said…

It’s a nice machine. It looks nice, the hardware is nice. The keyboard feels nice. The magnetised power plug is nice. The brightness controls are nice.

But it gets damn hot, and it makes an irritating squealing noise. I expected it to come with an integrated 56k modem (that’s still reasonable, especially in Australia).

The touch pad regularly stops responding. You have to twirl your finger around waiting for it to notice you again. Over the course of a day (say at a conference) you will eventually notice the extra friction. Seriously. It’s unpleasant.

In other words, the machine has problems. I’m willing to say so. By saying so I am not claiming that PCs don’t have problems. I’m not claiming PC superiority. But none of these points will crack through the shield of blind faith and rage that rabid macheads hide behind.

Not all macheads are crazy, I shouldn’t give that impression since it’s not fair. But there are a lot of crazed macheads. Screaming hordes of them. You can see for yourself by daring to express an opinion about macs which is not glowingly positive. You don’t even have to be negative, neutrality will get you yelled at.

The crazies aside, things which are still really common:

• Unshakeable belief that Macs literally never crash and anyone who claims they do is lying and a moron.
• Unshakeable belief that OSX is perfect and has no irritating aspects whatsoever.
• Unshakeable belief that no transitioning user could ever have legitimate problems – instead, all transitioning users are morons.

OSX is different from Windows, I get that. OSX has some features I like and some features I hate. But macheads just don’t seem to be able to cope with that. You have to love the mac, otherwise you’re an idiot who simply doesn’t understand the mac.

So anyway, I guess I’ll post these thoughts. I’ll batten down the hatches expecting hate mail. I may end up closing comments or deleting this blog. I guess we’ll just see.