Want to make Vista shut down faster? - Read this !!!

When you use Windows Vista for the first few days you see that the shut down time is not really a problem. But as time passes by you will see that slowly and gradually the shut down time of Windows Vista increases considerably and takes a toll on your patience.

So, here is a Registry tweak that helps make your Vista experience a lot better.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor by going to the Start Menu, and typing regedit in the Search bar and then pressing Enter.


Step 2: Within the registry editor navigate to the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control"


Step 3: Now, Edit the "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="20000" by right clicking on the key and selecting Modify.


The Default setting is at 20000 milliseconds (20 seconds). Just remember that the default settings are the safest settings for your computer.


It is a bit risky to change this value as this is a system setting. But you can lower it in 4 seconds increments to see what is the best value that works for you.

Generally it is recommended not lower the value more than 3-5 seconds because if you do this you can cause your computer to shut down improperly or lose data while shutting down.

I hope this tweak was useful to you and please comment on what your observations were.

Lite-On and Philips introduce first External Blu-Ray disc Drive

With Blu-ray Disc now the clear victor in the high-definition format war, those cautious about buying hardware can spend with ease. Those with home theater PCs or laptops will be pleased to learn that Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS) will be soon releasing its first USB external BD-ROM drive in Q2 2008.

“Due to recent market developments we can expect an increasing volume of movies to be released in high definition on Blu-ray Discs,” said Jelmer Veldman, European Marketing Manager at PLDS. “The market adoption of Blu-ray as the optical disc standard for High Definition content results in a growing demand for Blu-ray playback solutions. The portable external Lite-On BD-ROM drive allows users to playback their Blu-ray discs on any PC via a USB 2.0 cable.”

The upcoming model, designated the Lite-On DX-4O1S can read Blu-ray Disc media at 4X, single-layer DVD at 12X, dual-layer DVD at 8X, and CD media at 32X maximum.

Those who prefer internal drives can find the Lite-On Blu-ray Disc drives for around $150.

Alternatively, HTPC addicts may consider the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, now on clearance for $50 . While HD DVD may have limited future potential, the Xbox 360 add-on, which works with natively with Windows Vista, is an affordable option to view today’s high-definition content.Source