As DreamScene plays videos, the videos which have sound also play but sometimes people can’t hear it. If you know that your video definately has sound (such as a home movie), then follow these steps:

• Make sure your DreamScene video is running: right click an area of the desktop, select Play DreamScene.
• Make sure your speakers are on and turned up: this is essential for any sound to come out at all.
• Turn the system volume up: click the volume meter in the notification are and select Mixer. Ensure that all sliders (the important one is Windows Sounds) is turned up high, and that they are not muted.

If none of these work, ensure that your sound card is working properly and that your drivers are installed.

No is the simple answer. Windows Ultimate Extras are only available on the finished final version of Windows Vista Ultimate, build 6000. Any pre-release versions such as Beta 1, Beta 2, RC1 and RC2 will not allow Ultimate Extras including DreamScene to work.

Windows Ultimate Extras come through Windows Update, so you never need to worry about going to a website and downloading then installing a program. Windows will check for updates every once in a while when they’re released, then provided you accept them then they’ll install straight away.

1. Go to  Start, All Programs then Windows Update.
2. In the left hand tab, select Check for Updates.
3. Accept any license agreements that may appear during the install process.

Large networks are likely to have WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) on the server which enables administrators to essentially run Windows Update on every computer they have at the same time from one screen, and also block updates which they don’t want.

At the moment (so any time around March) WSUS doesn’t see Windows Ultimate Extras and won’t automatically download and install them. This means that if your Vista machine’s updates are managed by the administrator, you’ll have to fetch them so they can logon and install them manually. But this is set to change - in the near future (estimated around April/May time), WSUS will be able to roll out Ultimate Extras to every Windows Vista Ultimate machine they have, but also have the ability to block certain updates (like the games perhaps!).

All the Wave Zero (the first set of Ultimate Extras) will be up on WSUS later this year for download.

Windows DreamScene Preview is now available for download for Windows Vista Ultimate users. It’s a Beta 2 product which doesn’t run perfectly but shows what DreamScene is like and how good it is. Simply check for updates by going to  Start, Control Panel then Windows Update. It should be picked up with the rest of the updates.

 There is a demonstration relating to this article. Click here to view it.

The whole idea of DreamScene is that you can use any video you wish regardless of quality or size, as long as it is a .mpg, .mpeg or a .wmv file. However if you want to get high definition and beautiful “dreams” (they’re called “dreams” for the DreamScene program, similar to “gadgets” for the Sidebar program), then you can head over to WinCustomize.

WinCustomize has a whole array of different dreams of which are made by Stardock and also submitted by users, as hi-def videos which run seamlessly from start to finish to start again, giving the user a beautiful and brilliant quality desktop experience. The website will be up and running fully by the time that Windows DreamScene is let out of the bag and up for download at the end of January.

WaveZero firstly is not about any company or organisation, “WaveZero” means “the first wave of Windows Ultimate Extras”.

Every few months, Microsoft will release a wave of products for Windows Ultimate Extras instead of one now and then, here or there. Wave Zero signifies “updates before Windows Vista is released”, hense the “zero” part of it. The first wave will include Windows DreamScene then Windows BitLocker and EFS Enhancements, then Hold ‘Em Poker Game, all expected to be available once Windows Vista has been released on the 30th January 2007.

Windows Ultimate Extras will include extra games, visual enhancements, security enhancements, game additions, and other powertoy utilities which will only be available for download and will only be able to be installed on a Windows Vista Ultimate machine (with a genuine key of course )

The Hold ’Em game was announced at this year’s CES conference in Las Vegas. The Hold ’Em game will be the third Windows Ultimate Extra available to those running the Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista.

Hold ‘Em runs directly off the DirectX engine which offers beautiful graphics and effects within the game, and you can bet as much or as little as you want without losing a penny of your actual money. Customise the cards, change the layout of the gaming table, play against friends on your network or online or play against computer players. After this game is downloaded and installed, it’ll appear in the Games Explorer with the rest of the games you have.

(courtesy of the Windows Ultimate Blog)

The Windows BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool and the Secure Online Key Backup were announced at this year’s CES conference in Las Vegas. These two downloads will be the second set of Windows Ultimate Extras available to those running the Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista.

• Windows BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool - this tool allows you to configure your hard drive so that BitLocker (which is already installed within Vista) will work on your computer. BitLocker was originally designed for business users and enterprise users and can be difficult to set up for novice users - this utility will simplify the process and ensure home users can have the same security. This tool will help you prepare for BitLocker which encrypts absolutely everything on your hard drive so it is almost impossible to access without authorisation; if your computer gets stolen or lost, only you with your key can unlock it, protecting your computer from data theft.
• Secure Online Key Backup - this tool will backup your BitLocker key and your EFS recovery certificates (enables you to decrypt your encrypted files) to your Digital Locker which is a secure, online and safe Microsoft website of which only you have access to.

(courtesy of the Windows Ultimate Blog)

Previously known as “Motion Desktop”, Windows DreamScene was announced at this year’s CES conference in Las Vegas. DreamScene will be the first Windows Ultimate Extra available to those running the Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista.

It allows you to select any video in .mpeg, .mpg and .wmv format and select it as a background on your desktop just like any other wallpaper. You can have home movies, videos directly from Microsoft and others out there on the web, and they can all be set as your desktop background with moving images.

Windows DreamScene will automatically turn off if you are running on a laptop with only battery power, and DreamScene will only work on machines which Windows Aero is supported.

(courtesy of the Windows Ultimate Blog)

 There is a demonstration relating to this article. Click here to view it.

The “best” and most expensive version of Vista is Ultimate Editions, so Microsoft want to give you an incentive to buy it (and reward you for doing so), so every once in a while in the Windows Update window you’ll see an available Windows Ultimate Extra.

These are totally secret - they may be “there” in Vista, but nobody will know about them until they are released and they can only be used on genuine versions of Windows Vista Ultimate. However, Microsoft have already said that one of the Extras will be something called “Motion Desktop” (to try and get the ball rolling, and the consumers knowing what these Extras are). Motion Desktop will replace the current desktop wallpaper with a moving background - something like a waterfall, a sunset, a busy New York street or something like that.

Windows Ultimate Extras are not available yet - but the first few should be available by the times Vista is in the shops on the 30th January 2006.

 There is a demonstration relating to this article. Click here to view it.