Vista auto-login

This one is easy to find in a Google search but will put here cause I found it useful.

1.  Start > Run > 'netplwiz' (ie Advanced User Accounts Menu)

2.  Uncheck 'User must enter a username and password to use this computer'

3.  Click OK/Apply to complete.

Scanning: HP PSC1315 scan straight to file

I have two printers connected to the NAS/Media Center box now.  The Canon iP4500 is the primary printer.  The HP PSC1315 is an older all-in-one printer/scanner that I've still got lying around; the printer part is pretty much stuffed but I still want to be able to use the scanner.

The scanner is just in the right spot to walk up and scan anything.  For documenting and record keeping and scanning like product receipts or bills, I'd like to be able to walk up to the HP, press the scan button and know that anything scanned will be saved to a file.  As the NAS/Media Center box is connected to the TV, I don't want to have to change the AV/Input to PC and click 'OK' to confirm my scan.

I have now set this up.  It wasn't too hard but some tricks were:

1.  Download the latest Vista drivers for the HP PSC1315.

2.  Install the "Everything" option and follow the instruction as prompted by the installer.  (I had to completely uninstall the HP software and reinstall in order to be able to make this work.)

3.  After all the rebooting required for a full install, open HP Solution Center and goto

• Settings> Scan Settings> Button Settings> and then disable "Show Preview when scanning from the Scan button" and "Prompt for these settings at the time of the scan"
• Set the default image options under Button Settings including the "Save to file Save Options...": disable the "Prompt for these Save Options at time of scan"
• Settings> Scan Settings> Scan Preferences> and then disable "Prompt for additional scans from the glass/TMA"

4.  Now when you press the scan button on the printer, it will scan straight to a file without prompting.

Network printing: Mac OS 10.5 to Canon iP4500 on Vista SP1

Out of the box, Mac OS 10.5.4 could not print successfully to a Canon iP4500 shared out from a Windows Vista SP1 machine.

On the Macbook, when you goto add the printer and select a driver iP4500 was listed using the "Canon PIXMA iP4500 - CUPS + Gutenprint v5.1.3" driver.  All the setup of the printer goes fine until you print a page only to find it comes out blank!

This issue was described on forums such as http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6339055

This issue has been resolved in newer versions of the Gutenprint drivers: 5.2.0-beta3 fixed the issue for me.  To fix:

1.  Download latest .dmg file from gimp-print.sourceforge.net

2.  Install the drivers

3.  Install the printer and ensure that the latest Gutenprint driver is installed.