Windows Vista - A Cautionary Tale

For all those who immediately went in and changed the folder options to show you all your file extensions even if Windows knows what it is and show you your hidden files and folders even if Windows doesn't want to show them to you, you will not be surprised by one of the new 'features' in Vista.

This article describes a new feature that protects you from editing things in program files since you shouldn't be doing that. Instead of throwing up an error telling you it's not a good idea it simply ignores the changes and pretends nothing happened. When MS applications access the file they don't see the changes. When anything else accesses the file it does see the changes. I guess I should clarify. Vista-aware applications will not see the changes while non-aware applications will. Clear enough? Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be a simple on/off switch to disable this like the items mentioned above. Apparently you can use a Vista feature called symlinks to create a link to a folder outside the program files and then it is normal again. I am not running vista myself, so I will take his word for it. Pretty weird stuff. I love the analogy he uses at the end of the article:

Well, maybe: but it felt a little like taking a walk in the woods behind your new high-tech house, stepping off the path to pick up a walking stick, and getting attacked by a mechanical bear. After you wrestle the bear to the ground, you find out this bear is designed to keep you and your sticks secure (after all, you could poke your eye out), so the bear was for your own good, and if you use the Stick Supply House instead of just picking up random sticks, everything will be okay. But i’ve gotten used to picking up sticks in the woods, and they’re my woods, after all.

Anyway, you’ve been warned: there are bears in the woods.

There are indeed. Take heed my friends.

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