Microsoft Windows Vista introduces a breakthrough user experience that is designed to help you intuitively view, find, and organize information on your computer. Windows Vista delivers better personal productivity and digital entertainment on your computer. Before you get started with Windows Vista, check out the new features, which includes the Windows Aero user experience, Instant Searches, Explorers, Sidebars and gadgets, improved Internet Explorer, Windows Media Center, and advanced security and protection. A complete description of each new feature appears in the New Features guide in the back of this book.
Microsoft Windows Vista is an operating system, a computer program that controls the basic operation of your computer and the programs you run. A program, also known as an application, is task-oriented software you use to accomplish a specific task, such as word processing, managing files on your computer, or performing calculations. Windows Vista displays programs in frames on your screen, called windows (thus the name of the operating system). A window can contain the contents of a file and the application in which it was created, icons (picture representations of a program or a file), or other usable data. A file is a collection of information (such as a letter or list of addresses) that has a unique name, distinguishing it from other files. This use of windows and icons is called a graphical user interface (GUI, pronounced “gooey”), meaning that you (“user”) interact (“interface”) with the computer through the use of graphics: icons and other meaningful words, symbols, and windows.
Windows Vista comes in four main editions: the Home Basic Edition for consumers; the Home Premium Edition for consumer power users; the Business Edition for business and power users; and the Ultimate Edition for the complete package. Two other editions are available for specific needs: the Starter Edition and Enterprise Edition. The Starter Edition is for the beginning PC user and provides the most basic entry to Windows Vista, which is targeted to emerging markets. The Enterprise Edition is for large corporations with advanced data protection, compatibility, and international support needs.
The Home Basic Edition provides a basic secure entry point for using Windows Vista. The Home Premium Edition adds to the basic experience by providing the Windows Aero experience, the Mobility Center and Tablet PC support for laptops, Windows Meeting Space for sharing documents, and Windows Media Center for media entertainment.
The Business Edition modifies the Home Premium Edition by adding advanced hardware protection, business networking and remote desktop access, and by removing the Windows Media Center. The Ultimate Edition combines every thing from all the editions into one complete package.
Windows Vista provides two distinct user interface experiences: a basic experience for entry-level systems, and a more visually dynamic experience called Windows Aero (New!). Both offer a new and intuitive navigation experience that help you more easily find and organize your applications and files, but Aero goes further by delivering a truly next-generation desktop experience.
The basic experience has been updated and streamlined so you can find and work with your programs and files more easily than in previous versions of Windows. Some of the important new features include Explorer windows, Live icons, Search Folders, and Instant Search.
Windows Vista uses Explorer windows (New!) to give you more information and control while simplifying how you work with your files. Each Explorer window includes a Command Bar, Live icons, column headers, and a Navigation pane. Command Bars display only the tasks that are most appropriate for the files being displayed. Live icons are scalable thumbnails that display the first page of documents, the actual image of a photo, or the album art for individual songs in your music collection, making it easier to find exactly what you are looking for. The Navigation pane contains Search Folders and traditional folders that you have created on your computer. A Search Folder (New!) is simply a search that you save. Opening a Search Folder instantly runs that saved search, displaying up-to-date results immediately.
With Windows Vista, you no longer have to remember where you store every file. Instead, to find a file, you need only to remember something about it. The updated Start menu integrates the Instant Search (New!) box to help you quickly find and start any program or file on your computer. After you add or edit file properties or data associated with a file, such as a keyword on a document, you can use the Instant Search box to quickly find a file by the file property.
Windows Vista automatically starts when you turn on your computer. When you first start Windows Vista, you see a Welcome screen that you use to log on to Windows. The Welcome screen displays all the user accounts on the computer. Unlike Windows XP, the Welcome screen can’t be turned off. After you click a user name, and enter a password, you see the Windows Vista desktop and the Welcome Center window (New!), which displays options to view basic computer details, transfer files and setting, add new users, connect to the Internet, install Windows Ultimate Extras, view new feature in Windows Vista, and view Microsoft offers available on the Web.
Turn on your computer, and wait while Windows Vista loads and displays the Welcome screen.
If prompted for added security, press and then release the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time.
Click your user name.
Type your password. Be sure to use the correct capitalization.
Click the arrow, or press Enter.
The Windows Vista desktop appears and the Welcome Center window opens.
Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Accessories.
Click Welcome Center.
The upper pane display basic information about your computer, including:
What version of Windows Vista you are running
Computer processor name and speed
Computer memory (RAM)
Computer name
To view more details about your computer, click Show more details.
When you’re done, click the Close button.
You can turn off the Welcome Center at startup. In the Welcome Center window, clear the Run at startup check box at the bottom, and then click the Close button.
You can activate Windows Vista or change the product key. Click the Start button, click Control Panel, double-click the System icon in Classic view. Click the activation link or Change product key.
Windows Vista provides two distinct user interface experiences: a “basic” experience for entry-level systems, and a more visually dynamic experience called Windows Aero (New!). The Windows Aero user experience allows you to view Windows Vista in a whole new way. Windows Vista Aero provides spectacular visual effects, such as glass-like interface elements that you can see through, subtle window animations, window colors, live thumbnails that you can display on the taskbar, and Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D that you can use to graphically open windows.
When you rest the mouse pointer over a taskbar item, Windows Aero displays a Live thumbnail of the window, showing the content of that window. The Live thumbnail (New!) is displayed whether the window is minimized or not, and whether the content of the window is a document, photo, or even a running video or process.
Windows Aero provides two ways to manage windows: Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D (New!). Flip allows you to flip through open windows, providing a Live thumbnail of each window, rather than just a generic icon and file name. By using the Alt+Tab keys or clicking the Switch Between Windows button on the Quick Launch toolbar, live thumbnails appear to make it easier to quickly identify the window you want, particularly when multiple windows of the same kind are open. Windows Flip 3D creates a view of your open windows in a three-dimensional stack on your desktop. By using the Windows logo+Tab keys, you can flip through the open windows to quickly locate and select the window you want. You can also use the scroll wheel on your mouse to flip through open windows in a stack and select the one you want.
Windows Vista can display different features based on the hardware capabilities of the computer it is running on. Computers running Windows Vista Home Basic or those without the hardware needed to run Windows Aero use the basic user interface. If your computer meets the minimal hardware requirements to be Windows Vista PC Capability Ready, you see the Windows Vista Basic user experience. If your computer meets the increased hardware requirements to be Windows Vista PC Premium Ready, you see the Windows Aero user experience. Windows Aero is an environment with an additional level of visual sophistication, providing a further level of clarity and confidence to Windows users. See “Preparing to Install Windows Vista” in Appendix A for the specific hardware requirements to run Windows Aero.
Before you can run Windows Aero, you need to make sure Windows Vista contains the proper settings. Make sure the color is set to 32 bit, the monitor refresh rate is higher than 10 hertz, the theme is set to Window Vista, the color scheme is set to Windows Aero, and the window frame transparency is turned on.
You can follow these instructions to make sure your computer is set to run Windows Aero:
Color. To set the color to 32 bit, open Personalization in the Control Panel, click Display Settings, select Highest (32 bit) under Colors, and then click OK.
Monitor. To set the monitor refresh rate, open Personalization in the Control Panel, click Display Settings, click Advanced Settings, click the Monitor tab, click a refresh rate that is higher than 10 hertz, and then click OK.
Theme. To change the desktop theme, open Personalization in the Control Panel, click Theme, select Windows Vista in the Themes list, and then click OK.
Color scheme. To change the color scheme, open Personalization in the Control Panel, click Window Color and Appearance, select Windows Aero in the Color Scheme list, and then click OK.
Transparency. To turn on window frame transparency, set the color scheme to Windows Aero, open Personalization in the Control Panel, click Window Color and Appearance, select the Enable Transparency check box, and then click OK.
When you first start Windows Vista (New!), you see the Windows desktop, or a Welcome screen (a way to identify yourself on the computer), depending on your installation. The desktop is an on-screen version of an actual desk, containing windows, icons, files, and programs. You can use the desktop to access, store, organize, modify, share, and explore information (such as a letter, the news, or a list of addresses), whether it resides on your computer, a network, or the Internet. The long vertical bar on the right-side of the desktop is called the Windows Sidebar (New!). It contains mini-programs called gadgets (New!), which provide easy access to frequently used tools and information at a glance. The bar at the bottom of your screen is called the taskbar; it allows you to start programs and switch among currently running programs. At the left end of the taskbar is the Start button, which you use to start programs, find and open files, access the Windows Help and Support Center, and much more. Next to the Start button is the Quick Launch toolbar, which contains buttons you use to quickly show the desktop, switch between windows and start your Internet browser. At the right end of the taskbar is the notification area, which displays the time, the date, and program related icons. If icons in the notification area are not used for a while, an arrow appears to hide the icons and reduce clutter. You can click the arrow to display and hide the icons. When you use a hidden icon, it reappears in the notification area. If you upgraded your computer to Windows Vista from a previous version of Windows, your desktop might contain additional desktop icons and toolbars.
A mouse is a handheld input device you roll across a flat surface (such as a desk or a mouse pad) to position the mouse pointer, the small symbol that indicates the pointer’s relative position on the desktop. When you move the mouse, the mouse pointer on the screen moves in the same direction.
The shape of the mouse pointer changes to indicate different activities. Once you move the mouse pointer to a desired position on the screen, you use the mouse buttons, right or left, to tell your computer what to do.
Table . Basic Mouse Techniques
Task | What to do |
---|---|
Pointing | Move the mouse to position it over an item on the desktop. |
Clicking | Press and release the left mouse button. |
Double-clicking | Press and release the left mouse button twice quickly. |
Dragging | Point to an item, press and hold the left mouse button, move the mouse to a new location, and then release the mouse button. |
Right-clicking | Point to an item, and then press and release the right mouse button. |
A typical mouse has two mouse buttons. You use the left one to click buttons, select text, and drag items around the screen. When you click an item with the right button, such as an icon, text, or graphic, a shortcut menu appears with a list of commands related to the selected item. For example, when you right-click a file icon, a shortcut menu appears with a list of file commands, such as Open, Explore, Search, Delete, and Rename. Instead of searching for commands on the main menus, you can save time and get quick results by using a shortcut menu.
You can swap the functions of the right and left mouse buttons. Click the Start button on the taskbar, click Control Panel, double-click the Mouse icon in Classic view, click the Buttons tab, select the Switch Primary And Secondary Buttons check box, and then click OK.
A mouse wheel can make scrolling fast and easy. If your mouse has a wheel between the two mouse buttons, you can roll it to quickly scroll a few lines or an entire screen at a time.
See “Changing Mouse Settings” on page 456 for information on changing the way the mouse works.
The key to getting started with the Windows desktop is learning how to use the Start button on the taskbar. Clicking the button on the taskbar displays the Start menu, a list of commands that allow you to start a program, open a document, change a Windows setting, find a file, or display support information. The top of the Start menu indicates who is currently using the computer. The left column of the Start menu is separated into two lists: pinned items above the separator line and most frequently used items below. The pinned items remain on the Start menu, like a push pin holds paper on a bulletin board. The most frequently used items change as you use programs: Windows keeps track of which programs you use and displays them on the Start menu for easy access.
The right column of the Start menu provides easy access to folders, Windows settings, help information, and search functionality. An arrow next to a menu item indicates a cascading menu, or submenu, which is a list of commands for that menu item. Pointing at the arrow displays a submenu from which you can choose additional commands. As you become more familiar with Windows, you might want to customize the Start menu to include additional items that you use most often.
As you continue to install programs on your computer, finding them on the Start menu can sometimes be difficult. Windows Vista makes it easy with the Instant Search box (New!), which allows you to search the Start menu to find programs and other Windows items, such as Internet favorites, history, files, contacts, e-mail messages, and appointments. To perform a search, click the Start menu, click in the Instant Search box and start typing the search text you want. As you type, the Start menu shows the possible results with priority given to the programs you use frequently. The search results continue to narrow as you continue to type. If you don’t find what you are looking for during a search, you can click Search Everywhere (NewSP1) or Search the Internet to use Windows search capabilities.
Table . Start Menu Commands
Description | |
---|---|
Internet | Starts your Internet browser; by default, Internet Explorer |
Starts your e-mail program; by default, Outlook Express | |
All Programs | Opens a list of all the programs included on the Start menu |
Instant Search (New!) | Locates programs, and other Windows items, such as Internet favorites, history, files, contacts, e-mail messages, and appointments |
Documents | Opens the Documents folder, where you store and manage files |
Pictures | Opens the Pictures folder, where you store and manage photos, images, and graphic files |
Music | Opens the Music folder, where you store and manage sound and audio files |
Games | Opens the Games folder, where you play Windows Vista games, such as Chess Titans, FreeCell, Hearts, InkBall, Mahjong Titans, Minesweeper, Purble Place, Solitaire, and Spider Solitaire |
Recent Items | Opens a list of the most recently opened and saved documents |
Computer | Opens the Computer window, where you access information about disk drives and other hardware devices |
Network | Opens the Network window, where you can connect to a network |
Connect To | Opens the Connect to a Network window, where you can connect to a remote network, including wireless, dial-up, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) |
Control Panel | Provides options to customize the appearance and functionality of the computer |
Default Programs | Displays the Default Programs window, where you can choose default programs for Web browsing, e-mail, playing music, and other activities |
Help and Support (New!) | Displays Windows Help topics, tutorials, troubleshooting, support options, and tools |
Power (New!) | Keeps your session in memory and puts the computer in low-power state so you can quickly resume working |
Lock (New!) | Locks the computer |
Arrow (New!) | Provides options to shut down the computer, restart the computer, set the computer to sleep or lock, log off the system, or switch to a different users |
Windows Sidebar (New!) is a pane on the side of the Windows Vista desktop that gives you quick access to gadgets such as news headlines and updates, slide shows, weather information, traffic maps, Internet radio streams, and slide shows of online photo albums. Gadgets are mini-applications that can connect to Web services, such as an RSS feed (which automatically delivers Web content to your desktop), or integrate with many of your applications, such as viewing your calendar. You can customize Windows Sidebar to suit the way you work—whether you want it always on top or resting below maximized windows. You can also move gadgets off the Windows Sidebar and place them anywhere on your desktop. Windows Vista comes with a set of gadgets to get you started. However, you can easily download more gadgets from an online gadget gallery.
Open the Sidebar. Right-click the Sidebar icon in the notification area, and then click Open.
Close the Sidebar. Right-click the Sidebar, and then click Close Sidebar.
Close a Gadget. Point to the gadget you want to close, click the Close button, and then click Close Gadget (if requested).
Change Gadget Options. Point to the gadget you want to change, click the Options button (wrench icon), select the options you want, and then click OK.
Move a Gadget. Point to the gadget, and then drag it to another location on the Sidebar or to the desktop.
One of the most powerful things about Windows is that you can open more than one window or program at once. This means, however, that the desktop can get cluttered with many open windows for the various programs. A button appears on the taskbar for each open window. If there isn’t enough room on the taskbar to display a button for each open window, Windows Vista groups similar types of windows under one button. You can identify a window by its name on the title bar at the top of the window. To organize your desktop, you must sometimes change the size of a window or move it to a different location. Each window is surrounded by a border that you can use to move or resize the window. Each window has resize buttons in the upper-right corner.
If the window is maximized, click the Restore Down button.
Move the mouse over one of the borders of the window until the mouse pointer changes into a two-headed arrow.
The directions of the arrow-heads show you the directions in which you can resize the window.
Drag the window border until the window is the size you want.
A menu is a list of commands that you use to accomplish certain tasks, such as when you use the Start menu to open the Control Panel. A command is a directive that provides access to a program’s features. Each Windows program has its own set of menus, which are on the menu bar along the top of the program window. The menu bar organizes commands into groups of related operations. Each group is listed under the name of the menu, such as File or Help. To access the commands in a menu, you click the name of the menu. If a command on a menu includes a keyboard reference, known as a keyboard shortcut, you can perform the action by pressing the first key, then pressing the second key to perform the command quickly. You can also carry out some of the most frequently used commands on a menu by clicking a button on a toolbar or command bar. A toolbar or command bar contains buttons that are convenient shortcuts for menu commands. A pane is a frame within a window where you can access commands and navigation controls. You can use menus, toolbar buttons, and commands in a pane to change how the Control Panel window’s contents appear. On a menu, a check mark or selected icons identifies a currently selected feature, meaning that the feature is enabled, or turned on. To disable, or turn off the feature, you click the command again to remove the check mark. A bullet mark also indicates that an option is enabled. To disable a command with a bullet mark next to it, however, you must select another command (within the menu section, separated by gray lines) in its place.
A dialog box is a window that opens when you choose a menu command followed by an ellipsis (. . .). The ellipsis indicates that you must supply more information before the program can carry out the command you selected. Dialog boxes open in other situations as well, such as when you open a program in the Control Panel. In a dialog box, you choose various options and provide information for completing the command.
All dialog boxes contain the same types of options, including the following:
Tabs. Click a tab to display its options. Each tab groups a related set of options.
Option buttons. Click an option button to select it. You can usually select only one.
Up and down arrows. Click the up or down arrow to increase or decrease the number, or type a number in the box.
Check box. Click the box to turn on or off the option. A checked box means the option is selected; a cleared box means it’s not.
List box. Click the list arrow to display a list of options, and then click the option you want.
Text box. Click in the box and type the requested information.
Command buttons. Click a button to perform a specific action or command. A button name followed by an ellipsis (...) opens another dialog box. OK executes the options and closes the dialog box. Cancel ignores the options and closes the dialog box. Apply executes the options and leaves the dialog box open.
Preview box. Many dialog boxes show an image that reflects the options you select.
WINV-7.8.4
When you have a question about how to do something in Windows Vista, you can usually find the answer with a few clicks of your mouse. Microsoft Help and Support (New!) is a resource of information, training, and support to help you learn and use Windows Vista. Help and Support is like a book stored on your computer with additional links to the Internet, complete with a search feature, and a table of contents to make finding information easier. If you have an Internet connection, you can get online help from a support professional at Microsoft or from other users in Windows communities (an electronic forum where people share information), or you can invite a friend to chat with you, view your screen, and work on your computer to provide remote support.
Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
Click an icon with the type of help you want to use:
Windows Basics.
Table of Contents.
Security and Maintenance.
Troubleshooting.
Windows Online Help.
What’s New.
Click the item of interest.
Read the information.
If you can’t find the information you need, click the Search Help box, type a word or phrase, and then press Enter.
If you need additional help, click a link under Ask someone or Information from Microsoft to access resources on the Internet.
Windows Remote Assistance. Click the link, and then follow the wizard instructions.
Click the Close button.
Click the program’s Help menu, and then click the Help command to open the Help program.
Click the main topic of interest. Click a subtopic, if necessary.
Read the Help information.
If you can’t find the information you need, click the Search box, and get Help information using keywords.
Click the Close button.
Many users are able to share the same computer. Their individual Windows identities allow them to keep their files completely private and to customize the operating system with their own preferences. Windows manages these separate identities, or accounts, by giving each user a unique user name and password. When a user selects an account and types a password (if necessary), Windows starts with that user’s configuration settings and network permissions. When you want to change users, you can log off, (which closes all running programs, saves your settings, and signs you off the computer) or switch users, which quickly switches between users without having to close programs and saves your current settings.
Click the Start button, and then point to the arrow next to the Lock button.
Click Switch User to change users without saving current settings.
A Welcome screen appears, displaying user accounts.
Click your name.
If a box for a password appears, type your password.
Click the Arrow button or press Enter to log on to Windows Vista.
You can change user account options in the Control Panel. Click the Start button, click Control Panel, double-click the User Accounts icon in Classic view, and then select the options you want.
See “Adding and Deleting User Accounts” on page 312 for information on switching users.
Click the Start button, and then point to the arrow next to the Lock button.
Click Log Off to close all your programs, save your settings, and sign off the computer.
A Welcome screen appears, displaying user accounts.
Click your name.
If a box for a password appears, type your password.
Click the Arrow button or press Enter to log on to Windows Vista.
Click the Start button, and then point to the arrow next to the Lock button.
Click Log Off to close all your programs, save your settings, and sign off the computer.
Press and then release the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time.
Click the Switch User button, and then click your name or Other User.
Type your user name. For example: domain nameuser name or computer nameuser name
Type your assigned password.
Click the Arrow button or press Enter to log on to Windows Vista.
WINV-2.1.3
When you finish working on your computer, you need to make sure to turn off, or shut down, your computer properly. This involves several steps: saving and closing all open files, exiting all running programs, shutting down Windows itself, and finally, turning off the computer. However, if you shut down your computer before or while installing Windows updates (download must be complete), Windows will automatically complete the install before shutting down, so you don’t have to wait around. Shutting down your computer makes sure Windows and all its related programs are properly closed and avoid potential problems in the future. If you turn off the computer by pushing the power switch while Windows or other programs are running, you could lose important data. In addition to the Shutdown option, you can put your computer in sleep or hibernate mode, or restart if problems occur.
Click the Start button, and then point to the arrow next to the Lock button.
Click the option you want:
Restart. Exits Windows Vista and restarts the computer.
Sleep. Saves your session to memory and switches to low-power mode; you can also click the Power button to sleep. Press the hardware power button to wake.
Hibernate. Saves your session to memory and hard disk, and then exits Windows. Press the hardware power button to restore your session.
Shut Down. Exits Windows Vista and prepares the computer to be turned off.
See “Updating Windows” on page 440 for information on automatically updating and shutting down Windows.
Table . Shut Down Options
Option | When to use it |
---|---|
Restart | When you want to restart the computer if problems occur and begin working with Windows again |
Sleep | When you want to stop working for a few moments and conserve power (ideal for mobile computers); available when a power scheme is selected in Power Options |
Hibernate | When you want to stop working for a while and safely save power; restores your session to work again later; available when a power scheme is selected in Power Options |
Shut Down | When you finish working with Windows and you want to shut off your computer |