Microsoft Windows Vista comes with new features that make your computer significantly easier and faster to use than earlier versions of Windows. Windows Vista makes it easier to use the Start menu, open files and programs, find information, and accomplish other common tasks, such as send and receive secure e-mail, browse the Internet securely, scan and view pictures, play music and videos, and change settings. Windows Vista delivers the Windows Aero user experience, Instant Searches, Explorers, Sidebars and Gadgets, improved Internet Explorer, Windows Media Center, and advanced security and protection.
If you’re already familiar with Microsoft Windows XP, you can access and download all the tasks in this book with Microsoft Windows Vista New Features to help make your transition to the new version simple and smooth. The Microsoft Windows Vista New Features, as well as other XP to Vista transition helpers, are available on the Web at www.perspection.com.
If you’re searching for what’s new in Windows Vista, just look for the icon: New! or NewSP1 for Service Pack 1. The new icon appears in the table of contents and throughout this book so you can quickly and easily identify a new or improved feature in Windows Vista. The following is a brief description of each new feature, and it’s location in this book.
Windows Aero (p. 2). A new dynamic user interface in Windows Vista.
Explorer windows (p. 2). Explorer windows give you more information and control while simplifying how you work with your files.
Search folders (p. 2). A Search Folder is simply a search that you save. Opening a Search Folder instantly runs that saved search, displaying up-to-date results immediately.
Welcome Center (p. 4). The Welcome Center displays options to view basic computer details, transfer files and settings, add new users, connect to the Internet, view new features, and view Microsoft offers on the Web.
Live taskbar thumbnails (p. 6, 55). Windows Aero displays a Live thumbnail of the window, showing the content of that window.
Windows flip and windows flip 3D (p. 6-7). Flip and Flip 3D allow you to flip through open windows (by using Alt+Tab or Windows logo+Tab with Aero).
Instant search (p. 10, 70). The Instant Search box helps you quickly find and start any program or file on your computer. After you add or edit file properties, you can use the Instant Search box to quickly find a file by the file property.
Gadgets (p. 12). Gadgets are mini-applications that can connect to Web services, such as an RSS feed.
Windows Sidebar (p. 12). Windows Sidebar is a pane on the side of the Windows Vista desktop that gives you quick access to gadgets, such as news headlines and updates.
Help and Support (p. 20-21). Microsoft Help and Support is a resource of information, training, and support to help you learn and use Windows Vista.
Contacts (p. 29). Stores names, addresses, and other contact information.
Windows Calendar (p. 29). Manages appointments and tasks using personal calendars.
Windows Defender (p. 29). Helps protect your computer from spyware and other harmful intruders.
Windows Live Messenger (p. 29, 208-232). Sends and receives instant messages to online contacts; you need to download the program.
Windows DVD Maker (p. 29, 306-308). Burns pictures and videos to DVDs.
Windows Mail (p. 29, 165-200). Sends and receives faxes or scanned pictures and documents.
Windows Fax and Scan (p. 29). Sends and receives faxes or scanned pictures and documents.
Windows Meeting Space (p. 29). Provides an online place to share files, programs, or your desktop.
Windows Media Center (p. 29). Provides entertainment options for digital and on-demand media.
Windows Photo Gallery (p. 29, 240-242, 254). Provides a program to view, manage, and edit pictures and photos.
Window Views PCs (p. 55). The available views include Extra Large, Large, Medium and Small Icons, List, Details, and Tiles.
Personal folder (p. 58). The personal folder only contains files and folders associated with a user account and are unique for each user on the computer.
Recently Changed folder (p. 60). The Recently Changed folder in the Navigation pane of an Explorer window makes it easy to locate recently changed documents.
Address bar (p. 62). The Address bar appears at the top of every Explorer window and displays the current location on your computer or network.
Explorer layout (p. 64). The layout for each Explorer window includes a Menu Bar, Details pane, Preview pane, and Navigation pane.
Navigation pane (p. 63). The Navigation pane provides links to commonly used folders and saved searches to reduce the number of clicks it takes to locate a file or folder.
Filtering (p. 64). Filtering displays only files with the properties you select by heading type.
Stacking (p. 64). Stacking displays all of the files in the view into piles by heading type.
Grouping (p. 64). Grouping displays a sequential list of all of the files by heading type.
Natural language search (p. 75). If using properties and boolean filters seems a little too much for you to handle, you can find files using natural language search.
Indexing (p. 76-77). Windows keeps track of files in indexed locations and stores information about them in the background using an index, like the one found in the back of this book, to make locating files faster and easier.
Live System format (p. 94). The Live File System format allows you to copy files to a disc at any time, like a USB drive, while the Mastered format needs to copy them all at once.
Public folder (p. 90). The Public folder contains subfolders to help you organize the files you are sharing, and include Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos.
Speech recognition (p. 130). Speech recognition is the ability to convert a spoken voice into electronic text.
Change Screen Text Size (p. 107). Windows Vista allows you to increase the Dots Per Inch (DPI) scale, which is the number of dots that a device can display or print per linear inch.
Ease of Access Center (p. 126-127). The Ease of Access Center allows you to check the status of and start or stop the Magnifier, Narrator, and On-Screen Keyboard accessibility programs.
Tabbed Browsing (p. 142). Internet Explorer creates separate tabs for each one, so you can view multiple Web sites in a single window.
Feed (p. 150). A feed delivers frequently updated Web content to your browser. A feed, also known as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, XML feed, or Web feed, is usually offered on a subscription basis and typically free.
Print Preview (p. 156-157). Print Preview shows you how a Web page will look on the printed page, and gives you more control over margins and scaling.
Junk mail filter (p. 186-187). Junk e-mail can seem like a never ending battle as it keeps piling up. Windows Mail provides the Junk E-mail Options dialog box to help you reduce the amount of junk e-mail you receive.
Shared calendars (p. 199-200). You can use Windows Mail to share and publish calendars over the Internet.
MTV URGE music service (p. 262). Windows Media Player provides special integration with URGE, an online music service provided by MTV networks.
Better protection from spyware (p. 324-325). Windows Defender helps you protect your computer from spyware and other potentially harmful software that attempts to install itself or run on your computer.
Phishing filter (p. 340). Phishing is a technique people use to trick computer users into revealing personal for financial information. Windows and Internet Explorer provide increase security to help protect you from phishing schemes.
Network and Sharing Center (p. 352-353). The Network and Sharing Center provides a central location where you can view and modify network and sharing options for the computer connected to a network.
Windows SideShow (p. 391). Windows SideShow allows hardware manufacturers to build peripheral devices—such as LCD displays, remote controls, Personal Digital Assistances (PDA), cell phones, or TVs—that can be used to view the information you need at a moments notice.
Network map (p. 352-353). Network and Sharing Center displays a network map of your networking configuration.
Create your own DVDs (p. 307-308). With Windows DVD Maker, you can insert video, pictures and audio, and combine it with titles and predefined menus to create a DVD video disc that you can play on a TV using a DVD player.
Encrypting file system (p. 328). If your computer uses NTFS, you can use the advanced Encrypting File System (EFS) to protect sensitive data files.
Windows BitLocker drive encryption (p. 329). If you have a two partition (also known as volumes) hard drive, you can use BitLocker to encrypt the entire system drive.
Windows Mobility Center (p. 382). With the Windows Mobility Center, you can change or access mobile PC related options all in one place.
Presentation settings (p. 383). As a presenter you can change all the settings you use regularly.
Power management (p. 384-385). You can change power options properties for a portable or laptop computer to reduce power consumption and maximize battery life.
Sync center (p. 386-387). With the Sync Center, you can keep files and other information up-to-date between your computer and mobile devices, network folders, and compatible programs.
Network projector (p. 390). A network projector is a video projector that is connected to a wireless or local area network.
Tablet PC (p. 392-395). If you have a Tablet PC or ink device, you can use the Pen and Input Devices utility in the Control Panel to set the options you want. Windows Vista comes with three Tablet PC tools: Windows Journal, Tablet PC Input Panel, and Sticky Notes.
Windows Update (p. 440-441). Windows Update allows you to keep your computer up-to-date with the latest system software and security updates over the Internet.
Windows ReadyBoost (p. 443). You can use Windows ReadyBoost to speed up your computer by using disk space on certain removable media devices, such as USB flash drives.
System Restore (p. 445). System Restore returns your computer system, but not your personal files, to an earlier time, before the changes were made to your computer, called a restore point.
Windows backup (p. 467-482). Using the Backup Wizard in the Backup and Restore Center, you can pick the day, time, and how often you want to back up your files, folders, and settings.
Previous versions (p. 446). Previous versions are shadow copies of files and folders that you back up using the Back Up Files Wizard or Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point.
Windows easy transfer (p. 508-509). Instead of trying to re-create Windows settings manually from an old computer on a new Windows Vista computer, you can use Windows Easy Transfer.
My Documents. The folder has a new name. It’s now called Documents.
Messenger in Windows Media Center. Messenger is not available in this version.
NetBEUI protocol. NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI) is a network protocol usually used in small LANs. NetBEUI is not supported by Windows Vista and has mostly been replaced by TCP/IP.
Task pane. The Task pane has been replaced by the new toolbar at the top of the folder. Many of the tasks that used to appear in the Task pane now appear on the toolbar.
Utility Manager. This option has been replaced by the Ease of Access Center.
Accessibility Wizard. The wizard has been replaced by an optional questionnaire in the Ease of Access Center.
Windows Address Book. The Address Book has been replaced by Windows Contacts.
Search Assistant. This feature has been replaced by the Instant Search box.
Windows Messenger. This program has been replaced by Windows Live Messenger.
Fax Console. This program has been replaced by Windows Fax and Scan.
Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. This has been replaced by Windows Fax and Scan.
Internet games. Internal games no longer come standard on Windows. However, you can access them at www.msn.microsoft.com.
HD-DVD and Blu-ray (p. 57). Adds new icons and labels to identify HD-DVD and Blu-ray drives as high density drives.
Search application (p. 68-69). The Search command has been removed from the Start menu so you can use Windows Search Explorer (by default) or a third-party search application, such as Google Desktop Search, to perform searches.
Search Everywhere (p. 72-73, 12). The See All Result option on the Start menu is changed to the Search Everywhere option, which uses the default search engine, either Windows Search Explorer or a third-party search application.
Indexing Options (p. 76-77). The Indexing Options dialog box includes a Pause button, which allows you to stop the Windows Search Indexer from indexing new content for 15 minutes.
Default Programs (p. 122-123). The Set Default Programs window allows you to select and use Windows Search Explorer or a third-party search application, such as Google Desktop Search, as the search engine within Windows Vista.
Set Associations (p. 122-123). The Set Associations window lists the Windows Search protocol under the Protocols list, which allows you to set associations with a specific program.
Scanning a photo (p. 248-249). After scanning a photo, an Explorer window opens instead of Windows Photo Gallery.
Windows Media Center (p. 278). Adds support for digital TVs, networked DVD players, and other device extenders.
Backup EFS files (p. 328, 470). The Backup Wizard backs up (Encrypting File System) EFS-encrypted files, which is a component of the NTFS file system.
BitLocker (p. 329). In addition to the operating system volume, BitLocker now supports the encryption of internal data volumes.
Network Diagnostics (p. 355). In addition to solving network connection problems, Network Diagnostics allows users and administrators to solve common file sharing problems.
Wireless network support for 802.11n (p. 365). Allows existing wireless management to plug in an 802.11n IEEE Draft 2.0 compatible wireless adapter and connect to an 802.11n Draft 2.0 compatible network.
Multihoming (p. 379). A computer or device with connectivity to one or more networks via two or more methods, either wired or wireless.
exFAT file system (p. 426-428). A file system that supports larger capacity and larger files, which is used in Flash memory storage and other devices.
Disk Defragmenter (p. 434). The Disk Disk Defragmenter dialog box includes an option to select the volumes for defragmentation.