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Rivera unlocks all hidden features in Windows 7 M3

Nov. 10, 2008 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

Rafael Rivera has spent a busy few weeks fulfilling the dreams of Windows users everywhere and his latest tool is a magnum opus of sorts: The Blue Badge tool, which unlocks all hidden features in Windows 7 M3:

Last week, I revealed a weird protection scheme around some unfinished features in Windows 7 (build 6801). I provided a buggy tool to enable the new Taskbar, then teased everyone with other features such as gestures, panning, and Desktop Slideshow. It wasn’t intentional, I just needed some time to rework the unlocking tool, which went faster thanks to some code snippets from my Vize friend surrounding the headaches of TrustedInstaller and PendingFileRenameOperations.

As the dialog indicates, patched files are not backed up. I suggest all users back up. [See post for details.]

Right now, an x86 download is available. Raf tells me he’ll get the x64 version done today. Good stuff, man.

Discuss this Article 101

Waethorn
on Nov 10, 2008
So since this is not produced by Microsoft, wouldn't this violate some kind of reverse-engineering, NDA, or beta-software agreement?
mikegalos@msn.com
on Nov 10, 2008
Of course, this also leaves you with a system that, at best, is running components that Microsoft didn't think were ready for even pre-beta use.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
Deep, Unbiased, Technical Comparison of Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7 http://tinyurl.com/6hakc2
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
Well, you don't even know if any of these secret features will make it into the final version.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Nov 10, 2008
Ocean It's nice to see you've finally found a less biased source than the ones you usually post here.
wdowell
on Nov 10, 2008
WARNING TO ALL: may be a total coincidence, but I installed this, restarted as recommended, and now have no sound... when trying to play files fail in WMP and itunes just doesn't play them. i did back up all the files, but i see no way to re-apply them, as it says "files in use" (obviously)...
Waethorn
on Nov 10, 2008
Justin Long's prized acting career at its pinnacle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Yiiphkrqw
deepfry
on Nov 10, 2008
Both those links were pretty hilarious, thanks guys! Oh and I agree with Mike G on this one - there is a reason they were hidden in the pre-beta...MS only wanted to have features that were complete in the pre-beta...it will be interesting to see if any of those are still locked for the public beta...
mikegalos@msn.com
on Nov 10, 2008
deepfry I think it'll be interesting to see how many people (including "industry analysts", "reviewers" and "tech pundits") will run this patch and then talk about how they thought Windows 7 wasn't stable.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
A negative Windows 7 review. Oh yes, if it can be given accolades despite it being a pre-beta, rocks can be tossed at despite the same. Keep in mind, this review is IT-shop based, not consumer based. I'm expecting a stream of techno-poo to come streaming from Mike Galos keyboard in 3-2-1... >>Bottom line: So far, Windows 7 looks and behaves almost exactly like Windows Vista. It performs almost exactly like Vista. And it breaks all sorts of things that used to work just fine under Vista. In other words, Microsoft's follow-up to its most unpopular OS release since Windows Me threatens to deliver zero measurable performance benefits while introducing new and potentially crippling compatibility issues. IT organizations rejected Windows Vista en masse, and Windows 7 is Microsoft's response. Simply put, it's not enough. Slapping an upgraded UI onto an already discredited OS platform fools nobody and serves only to further alienate the very enterprise customers whom Microsoft claims to be wooing. What the company needs to do is listen to its corporate customers and implement the features that IT shops have been requesting: lower resource requirements, better backward compatibility, and a clear migration strategy from Windows XP. The window for lowering resource requirements in Windows 7 has undoubtedly closed. But it's not too late to fix Vista's spotty support for legacy Windows applications. Application virtualization technology is an ideal way to isolate troublesome applications. If Microsoft were to include its App-V bits in Windows 7 -- as part of a legacy-compatibility subsystem that could take over when a problem application is detected -- I'd take its claims of targeting the enterprise more seriously. As it stands, there's little in Windows 7 that IT shops will find compelling. Most of the new features are targeted squarely at consumers, which is the same formula that got Microsoft into trouble with Vista. << http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/...
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
Another: >>Running away as fast as it can from Vista, Microsoft rolled out an alpha version of Windows 7 at its recent Professional Developers Conference. But is Windows 7 going to be 7Up, the Un-Vista, or is it going to be (gag) New Vista? Microsoft would like you to believe that Windows 7 is going to be the next great desktop operating system. It's not. The company would also like you to please forget that it said the same things about Vista. Remember how Windows 98 was followed by Windows 98 Second Edition? That's what we have here: Windows 7 is Vista SE. -- ...the fact is, like New Coke back in its day, my first taste of Vista SE is leaving a bad taste in my mouth.<< http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&...
mikegalos@msn.com
on Nov 10, 2008
Ocean As I said earlier (and you've demonstrated by quoting Randall Kennedy and Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols) you'd finally found a less biased source than the ones you usually post here when you cited The Onion.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
Theres no bias there, and even if it were Jon Gruber who wrote the review the important thing would be whether the *facts* stand. Not *who* wrote the article. Reproducible facts: >>All the test tools I used for this article are freely available from the exo.performance.network Web site. -- Using a combination of the Clarity Studio's ADO (ActiveX Data Objects), MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface), and WMP (Windows Media Player) Stress workload objects, I was able to simulate a complex, multiprocess workload under Windows 7 consisting of client/server database, workflow, and streaming media playback tasks. I used the DMS Clarity Tracker agent to record system and process metrics during the test scenarios. All tests were conducted against a 2GB Core 2 Duo (T7200) laptop PC (the Dell XPS M1710) configured to dual-boot between Windows 7 Ultimate M3 and Windows Vista Ultimate SP1. A nine-way test scenario, involving three concurrent instances of each workload object, turned in nearly identical average transaction times under Windows 7 M3 and Windows Vista. In fact, the scores were so close -- less than a 5 percent delta (in favor of Vista) on the database tasks, and a roughly 2 percent delta (in favor of Windows 7) on the workflow tasks -- that they fell within what I'd typically consider the margin of error for this sort of test. <<
DarkSages
on Nov 10, 2008
Ocean If I start a review website and review a movies before they are done would you be my number one fan.
tayme
on Nov 10, 2008
Back from vacation....did I miss anything? --tayme
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
>>Ocean If I start a review website and review a movies before they are done<< Two links: 1. It's done for movies...sometimes even before the shooting starts --> http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=13350 2. Paul does it --> >>The makers of Windows 7 have reevaluated virtually everything about Vista and made changes small and large across the board. The result is a better Windows, no matter how you slice it.<< http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/win7_preview.asp So yes, theres some value there.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
>>Back from vacation....did I miss anything?<< The release of Vista 1.6 And a pretty hot new videogame: http://technologizer.com/2008/11/10/best-game-about-a-president-elect-ever/
chuckb84
on Nov 10, 2008
"As I said earlier (and you've demonstrated by quoting Randall Kennedy and Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols) you'd finally found a less biased source than the ones you usually post here " Mike your disagreement != biased source. Or, like we used to say in the old days: Mike your disagreement .ne. biased source. (Wow, that's pretty awful, isn't it? Aside from Mike, I'm not sure anyone here is old enough to get it...)
DarkSages
on Nov 10, 2008
Ocean I said review not preview...
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
Mike, Ocean's trolling is all your fault this time . :-)
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
Semantics DarkSage. Both require a subjective judgment...and at least the Infoworld review includes reproducible statistics. Paul just says its Windows done right,
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
I'm on-topic. I'm talking windows 7. Though I think if it were a *positive* review, you might see things differently. So you call me a troll, and I'll call you a partisan windows fanboi. There...we're even. :)
Waethorn
on Nov 10, 2008
Infoworld is garbage. They only want to push their ad-ridden CRN magazines to anyone that publicly lists themselves as being in the computer business (without permission too - I call EVERY time they send another one that I don't want it and not to waste the extra printing effort). Their magazines go straight from the mailman's hand right into my shredder.
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
I'm assuming Randall Kennedy was the one guy that Paul and Ed Bott were talking about on the TWIT show. :-) For Nichols, he knows that the only way to ensure 7 fails is to start early. He is not the most objective of people.
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
"So you call me a troll, and I'll call you a partisan windows fanboi. There...we're even. :)" Doesn't change a thing. I might be a "partisan windows fanboi". At least I don't go to Linux or OS X blogs and troll there. :-) You're on topic simply because you changed the topic and everybody's talking about it.
aemarques
on Nov 10, 2008
Ocean, This (Win 7) is very, very early code. What this means? It means that every positive review is looking at what it has already done and tries to guess what could be the final thing (obviously, assuming that the final article will be better); however, every bad review is... just plain stupid, because, again, is based in incomplete code. Having said this, a comparison between two incomplete products is even more stupid...
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
Attack the argument, not the messenger.
DarkSages
on Nov 10, 2008
aemarques Thank you I was trying to hint it but Ocean would not get it.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
More facts. Posted two hours ago, it says no performance differences: >>If you’ve been following the PC Pro blogs, you’ll know that we recently received a preview build of Windows 7. Useful work has pretty much ground to a halt as we’ve all set about nuking our Vista installations and upgrading our work PCs to this unsupported pre-alpha OS. And the net effect? Surprisingly little. << Though they do note: >>Windows 7 does already offer one compelling advantage over Vista: it’s fast. Both our senior pontificators were struck by how nimble Windows 7 feels after you’re used to its predecessor. As Tim Danton writes, “Vista was never this nippy. You press on an icon and it leaps into action. . . . I can’t remember using any new OS that was this quick.” Now if that’s not cause for celebration, I don’t know what is. Vista has had us driving with the handbrake on for the past two years, but at long last Windows 7 is coming to set us free. Admittedly it’s not actually going to get here for another year, but at least salvation is in sight. But it’s a funny thing, you know. Because I’ve been running a few benchmarks, just to find out exactly what sort of speed boost we’re talking about. And I can exclusively reveal that the actual performance gap between Vista and Windows 7 is… nada. Absolutely nothing. Our Office benchmarks and video encoding tests complete in precisely the same time regardless of which OS in installed.<< http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2008/11/10/windows-7-faster-or-just-smarter/
Master3
on Nov 10, 2008
"Attack the argument, not the messenger." Dude, just shut up! You've derailed YET ANOTHER TOPIC with links that have NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT PAUL POSTED! Then after doing that, you spam even more off-topic stuff, and then cry foul that people actually accuse you of trolling! How F'ing arrogant can you get! You have to be that same "ocean" on Engadget whos comments are constantly "low ranked" because of how annoying you've become there. Jesus, Paul, cant you try to moderate this place a bit more?
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
I get it Aemarques argument: "If it's this good now, it'll be even better when we finish it" and "If it's a dog now, it doesn't matter because it will be better when we finish it." That it will improve is an assumption.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
I don't post on Engadget.
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
"That it will improve is an assumption. " That it won't is not? You're talking about pre-Beta software here, dude. Sinofsky even said this wasn't a benchmarking build. The only reason I can see for people doing all this benchmarking is that they want to start criticizing the product early, hoping to influence more people.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
>>That it won't is not?<< You're right. The point is, that its silly to say that it should be reviewed *only* under the premise that it will improve, when there are other outcomes that could take place. The performance in the end may be the same as it is now, or it may degrade a little bit. Overall, the point is this: Reviews of all stripes --> Positive, neutral, or negative should be considered equally...especially when they include reproducible experiments.
Master3
on Nov 10, 2008
Yeah sure you dont. Not only are you arrogant, you are a liar to boot! Heck, even your fellow Apple fanatics that post here find you to be obnoxious because you make them look even worse.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
>>The only reason I can see for people doing all this benchmarking is that they want to start criticizing the product early<< You really, *really* think that *every* person who runs benchmarking software on a new OS is anti-MS? Do you believe the Earth is flat, and that the Sun revolves around it too?
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
I don't post on Engadget. Sorry it doesn't fit your conspiracy theory, but no, its not me. I'm not an Apple fan either. Never owned an Apple computer.
Master3
on Nov 10, 2008
"I don't post on Engadget. Sorry it doesn't fit your conspiracy theory, but no, its not me. I'm not an Apple fan either. Never owned an Apple computer. " Yeah suuuuuuuure, Ocean. If you say so.
lotsamystuff
on Nov 10, 2008
"Justin Long's prized acting career at its pinnacle:" I love that movie. Reminds me of visiting Canada.
bettieblu
on Nov 10, 2008
Wow so much talk about a build that will be forgotten very soon. Reviewing and speculating on Windows 7 in pre-beta form is useless. There will probably be at least 5 more builds before it goes gold.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
True, Bettieblu. I hope there are no eruptions over benchmarkings, positive or negative, for those.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
One year give or take a few months till the final version: >>whisper dates for Windows 7 * Feature-complete, public Beta 1: The week before Christmas 2008 (Microsoft is saying Q1 2009) * No public Beta 2 (Microsoft isn’t saying whether there will be a Beta 2) * Release Candidate: Q1/Q2 2009 (Microsoft is saying there will be “a release candidate” but offering no due date) * RTM: Mid-2009 (Microsoft is saying “early 2010″) (There are a few wild cards to factor in here, like possible law suits, OEMs not being able to preload in time to make a certain launch goal, etc. But these are the dates I’ve been hearing through the grapevine for the month-plus.) When anyone asks me whether they should buy a new PC now or wait, I tell them I’m banking on getting a new Windows 7 PC next fall.<< http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1706 http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/brierdudley/2008/11/07/windows_7_f...
daveinla
on Nov 10, 2008
Great article article of PCPro mag. I especially like this paragraph: "Of course, it’s a disappointment to realise just how similar Microsoft’s new OS is, under the bonnet, to its current one – similar enough to explain why Windows 7 actually has an internal version number of 6.1. We all had high hopes of a lightweight “MinWin”, akin to what Apple is reportedly working on for OS X 10.6 (“Snow Leopard”). But while this faster front-end seems like a superficial change, it makes a world of difference. As I’ve said before, there are plenty of things in Vista to like, but I find it impossible to enjoy them while the whole experience is weighed down by a sluggish interface. No longer. I can only echo Tim Danton’s conclusion: “Windows 7 is exactly what Vista should have been.” Of course, it’s shameful that it’s taken so long to get here. It’s generally suspected that Vista was a rush release, but there’s no reason the improved window manager couldn’t have been dropped in via Windows Update once it was ready. Holding it back for Windows 7 is a real two fingers to users who paid for Vista, and I’m not sure it makes sense for Microsoft. The company surely realises what Vista is doing to its reputation, yet here it is giving Apple another year, on top of the two it’s already had, to thumb its nose and woo away potential customers."
Waethorn
on Nov 10, 2008
"If you’ve been following the PC Pro blogs, you’ll know that we recently received a preview build of Windows 7. Useful work has pretty much ground to a halt as we’ve all set about nuking our Vista installations and upgrading our work PCs to this unsupported pre-alpha OS." -2 points for installing it on production PC's. If this is the kind of credibility you're looking for, you just lost your argument. "I love that movie. Reminds me of visiting Canada." The Costco part reminds me of the US economy. Take a look at your banks vs. ours, losta. Ours are being demonstrated as the model for the world to use, contrary to yours, which caused the disaster in the first place.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
There is a Slashdot thread on this now: http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/11/10/1522246.shtml
WebGuy3000
on Nov 10, 2008
Yeah, the Slashdot crowd is always pretty unbiased when it comes to operating systems...
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
>>the Slashdot crowd is always pretty unbiased<< Whatever happened to judging an argument on its merit, on not on its author? Are you scared you'll read something you can't refute? >>If this is the kind of credibility you're looking for, you just lost your argument.<< How does that disprove the benchmarking statistics? If its the same exact hardware as Vista was tested on, it makes it even more compelling.
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
"You really, *really* think that *every* person who runs benchmarking software on a new OS is anti-MS? Do you believe the Earth is flat, and that the Sun revolves around it too?" Either that was an attempt at twisting my words or you didn't understand a word of what I was trying to say. OK. I don't know which one is more idiotic - comparing a pre-beta software to a released software or drawing conclusions from the results. BTW, I do believe the world is flat.
Ocean
on Nov 10, 2008
>>BTW, I do believe the world is flat.<< This too? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_geocentrism
shark47
on Nov 10, 2008
"This too? en.wikipedia.org/.../Modern_geocentrism" No. This This too? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Is_Flat

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