blkhockeypro19 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I've used just about every version of Windows that has ever existed. I've seen new features added and new exploits found, and after so many years of seeing this, I've basically come to one conclusion: Application library and compatibility=great, security and performance={censored}. Now yes, I am pleased with features. I'd still like to see some things added like a better preview pane, built in spell check like OSX and maybe a tabbed explorer, but oh well, I'll survive... But like I mentioned, security and performance are what really bug the hell out of me. I use osx86 perfectly with vanilla kernel and EFI strings and all that jazz, and I love it. Ever since I started using it, I never feel the need to reboot unless I want to play some cod4 or condemned in vista or windows 7. I've started to realize WHY I love using mac, its because I have that feel of snappiness and that sense of security that I can go on any website, download anything, open anything, without having the fear that its a trojan pretending to be some harmless EXE file. So what would it take for Windows to win me back? Just a few simple things actually... The Registry: Seriously Microsoft, it causes nothing but trouble. Its cluttered after 3 days of using it and it just slows down everything. This needs to NOT be taken rid of, because application compatibility would be destroyed, but it DOES need to be tweaked. Application installs and privileges: UAC was a good idea, but it just doesn't work like Mac's keychain verification. So really, Microsoft isn't going to get it right. It should really be taken out all together, and replaced with a far better solution: App Cells. Well, thats what I feel like calling it, its really just a sandbox. But how would it work... So basically, I mentioned 2 things, the registry and application privileges/installs. Luckily, the App Cell technique would solve both of these problems. Heres how: You're installing a program, that program makes a folder in C:\Programs\install\. The EXE and some DLL's and configuration files are stored in that folder, but registry entries and those few stupid files it installs into your windows directory are scattered about. So how about containing it to that one folder, or, app cell. Inside the programs folder should be 2 new folders that would normally not be there. One folder is called Reg. the other folder is called Extra. Reg would contain entries that would normally be placed in the actually registry, but instead, it is stored as individual file inside the reg folder. This feature would require a redesign that would tell windows and the program being run how to implement these registry entries from the reg folder rather than directly from the registry. So the program would have read access to all of your registry entries, but windows would "fake" the program into thinking the contents of the reg folder was actually in the physical registry, not in some folder. So what about those little files it installed scattered on your hard drive? Any extra file that for whatever reason couldn't be run from the program main directory would now be stored in the extra folder. Once again, windows would know how to use these files and make the program think they are being run from the intended location. This would mean: Your registry wouldn't become clogged because no new entries are ever made. You could uninstall a program, all its extra files, and registry entries by simply dragging the program's folder to the trash. There is no need for an uninstaller to find files and registry entries scattered about anymore because everything is stored in one folder. I'm not an expert so I'm sure there are a lot of flaws with this idea. Remember, it's just like a general idea, flaws would need to be worked out. But, any criticism or thoughts are welcome! Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandro17 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 The Registry: Seriously Microsoft, it causes nothing but trouble. Its cluttered after 3 days of using it and it just slows down everything. This needs to NOT be taken rid of, because application compatibility would be destroyed, but it DOES need to be tweaked. My opinion: Microsoft can't keep worrying about application compatibility till the end of the world in the same way they have done till now. What they are doing with Windows 7, the "Windows XP Mode" looks like a step in the right direction. But they should go even further, "create" a completely new OS and add a compatibility layer, something like Wine. Only, they could do it a lot better, they own the code!!! In the meantime companies could start developing apps for the new OS. A few years later compatibility with old Windows applications shouldn't be an issue any longer. It is a bit like OS X and Rosetta. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1151965 Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkhockeypro19 Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 My opinion: Microsoft can't keep worrying about application compatibility till the end of the world in the same way they have done till now. What they are doing with Windows 7, the "Windows XP Mode" looks like a step in the right direction. But they should go even further, "create" a completely new OS and add a compatibility layer, something like Wine. Only, they could do it a lot better, they own the code!!!In the meantime companies could start developing apps for the new OS. A few years later compatibility with old Windows applications shouldn't be an issue any longer. It is a bit like OS X and Rosetta. yes i agree, i mean i coulda said that but it was more interesting to say all that stuff^^^ =). anyways, i think they need to base it off of unix. unix has great stuff under the hood, thats why osx is such a success. moving to unix and then yeah, something like wine would be perfect. and exactly, its their own code so they could perfect it. since they own the code to everything in windows, it would be soo easy for them to have a compatibility layer. that compatibility layer would have to be isolated though from the rest otherwise those same viruses are gonna come back =P Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1151968 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecker Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 My opinion: Microsoft can't keep worrying about application compatibility till the end of the world in the same way they have done till now. What they are doing with Windows 7, the "Windows XP Mode" looks like a step in the right direction. But they should go even further, "create" a completely new OS and add a compatibility layer, something like Wine. Only, they could do it a lot better, they own the code!!!In the meantime companies could start developing apps for the new OS. A few years later compatibility with old Windows applications shouldn't be an issue any longer. It is a bit like OS X and Rosetta. Right on. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1152147 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metrogirl Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Those are great ideas. For a long time I've been using a sandbox program to control what new installations throw onto the system. Everthing the installer writes to the drive gets stuffed in a logical directory structure within the sandbox and all registry changes/additions go into a logical registry structure too - not the live registry. Running the freshly-installed program from within the sandbox (you can set it so it always runs within the sandbox) makes sure it can see all its stuff, and if you don't like it you can delete the sandbox and it's gone, no mess, no left-overs and no hassle. OK, so MS could have offered this, but they didn't, and the sandbox program does it all. This solution is perfect for installing or running stuff you've downloaded from the internet and it will catch things you don't want on the system such as trojans which get added to some distributions. After installation you just scan the virtual registry and the virtual directories for things that shouldn't be there. I use 'Sandboxie' - Google for it - that's an endorsement, not a plug because there are several out there, but Sandboxie does everything I need in this respect. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1166723 Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishduck Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 HURR Windows is broken DERP OSX is da best. I don't even know where to begin. For one, Windows Vista/7 are more secure than OSX. Also the registry doesn't slow anything down, it's just a reference for the system and is tiny. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1166982 Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkhockeypro19 Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 HURR Windows is broken DERP OSX is da best. I don't even know where to begin. For one, Windows Vista/7 are more secure than OSX. Also the registry doesn't slow anything down, it's just a reference for the system and is tiny. Well I think we can all agree on one thing: SOMETHING causes windows to run like {censored} when you have too many programs installed... Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1183704 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poco Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Well I think we can all agree on one thing: SOMETHING causes windows to run like {censored} when you have too many programs installed... Haven't had a problem with this. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1184079 Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbetts Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Well I think we can all agree on one thing: SOMETHING causes windows to run like {censored} when you have too many programs installed... Um yeah, the registry is cluttered with everything behind changed over and over when you install a program. You know what you do? Defrag your hard drive. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1184382 Share on other sites More sharing options...
cain. Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Didn't really help in my experience, usually the problems were with some dlls and vxds and whatnot that some app had patched and another not, one needed this way, the other another, and over time led to... well, a mess. All that helps is usually using an intense cleaning tool, preferably fdisk. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1184484 Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkhockeypro19 Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 Um yeah, the registry is cluttered with everything behind changed over and over when you install a program. You know what you do? Defrag your hard drive. Or you use the things i mentioned in my original post and you wont have to worry about defragmenting anything... thats the thing, the solution to the problem is to fix it, not run another utility to fix something that should have been prevented in the first place. same goes for viruses, how bout the problem gets fixed without addition software like virus scanners.... Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1184512 Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbetts Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Or you use the things i mentioned in my original post and you wont have to worry about defragmenting anything... thats the thing, the solution to the problem is to fix it, not run another utility to fix something that should have been prevented in the first place. same goes for viruses, how bout the problem gets fixed without addition software like virus scanners.... Right, I'm just saying the reason why windows will eventually start to drag down a bit. I agree with what you're saying. As far as virus scanners, and other pc protection software goes, I have it but it's not on. It's there in case I feel something is infected, and if it is I turn on the scanner real quick to check it, and if it is I delete it. All that is is wasted resources. The best protection for a PC, is a smart user. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1184533 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nano2k Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 I enjoy having fun with OSX, getting things to work etc and using it a bit, but every time after having tested and fixed everything I go back to Windows. Personally I don't think that OSX is snappier than Windows, quite the contrary, maybe if you have a slower hardware or your Windows is messed up, yes, but if not, I don't think OSX is faster in reality. I bought a MSI Wind a couple weeks ago and spent 2 weeks messing around with OSX and now I dual boot and only use Windows 7 because it feels faster than OSX. I'm probably too used to Windows and I prefer Windows way of handling files and folder anyway. There are a few anti-virus that have barely noticeable performance impact on Windows and Norton Antivirus is not one of them... Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/165681-how-windows-can-be-fixed/#findComment-1185258 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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