ABR is a tool that can backup and restore Windows Vista activation for systems that are pre-installed from the factory by an OEM, allowing you to reinstall the system without having to call Microsoft. It saves the activation to a file and allows you to restore it once you’ve done a clean install. ABR works with Vista SP1, and on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista.

To backup and restore your Vista OEM license using ABR:

1. Download and unzip
2. Run “activation_backup.exe”
3. Save the backup files somewhere safe
4. Reinstall Vista
5. Restore activation by running “activation_restore.exe”

ABR can only be used to install the same version of Vista you have the original OEM license for. For example, if your computer came pre-installed with Vista Home Premium, you can only reinstall with Home Premium. You can, however, switch between 32-bit and 64-bit. This tool only supports Vista and doesn’t work on XP or Windows 7.

[ Visit Vista Activation Backup and Restore ]

If you’re in no hurry to adopt Windows Vista but you’ve taken a shine to the Vista Sidebar, Joshoon over at Deviant Art has uploaded a port of the actual application to Windows XP. Using a combination of resources such as Alky for Applications, a Windows Vista to XP compatibility client, and the sidebar extracted from Vista the port allows XP users to run Vista Sidebar. Users can grab additional sidebar gadgets directly from Microsoft and experience the same functionality as they would with the sidebar on a Vista system. If you’re running Windows XP and looking for something to round out real estate on your widescreen monitor this might just be it.

Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a Tweak UI Utility for tweaking and optimizing Windows Vista, 32-bit & 64-bit. It can simply be downloaded and used as a portable application to customize your Windows Vista to meet your requirements. With judicious tweaking, It can make your system faster, more stable, and more secure with just a few mouse clicks. The tweaker detects whether you have IE 7 or IE 8 installed and accordingly offers you the relevant tweaks only.

The utility has a simple easy-to-use user interface, with the tweaks being classified in separate heads based of their functionality. Most tweaks are hidden inside Vista, and what this tweaker does is to try and put the useful one’s in one place. It has over 130 tweaks, but is yet, just a 370 KB .exe file, which does not require an install.

Download Ultimate Windows Tweaker >>>

Free, open-source application Vistumbler scans wireless networks within range of your Wi-Fi antenna, tracks signal strength over time, and handles pretty much everything else that other apps of this kind do.

What sets Vistumbler apart from the rest is its support for GPS and live Google Earth tracking, which plots hotspots on a map. The whole thing is really cool. Still, Vistumbler is an excellent tool even without without the GPS to Google Earth mapping.

Vistumbler is free download, Windows Vista only.

Download Vistumbler >>>