Get documents about "Windows Vista
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Windows Vista
Windows Vista introduces a breakthrough user experience and is designed to help you feel confident in your
ability to view, find, and organize information and to control your computing experience.
The visual sophistication of Windows Vista helps streamline your computing experience by refining common
window elements so you can better focus on the content on the screen rather than on how to access it. The
desktop experience is more informative, intuitive, and helpful. And new tools bring better clarity to the
information on your computer, so you can see what your files contain without opening them, find applications
and files instantly, navigate efficiently among open windows, and use wizards and dialog boxes more
confidently.
Ease of use
When you start using Windows Vista, you will
recognize familiar elements such as the Start
menu, which is now faster, more streamlined,
and more helpful than in previous versions of
Windows. The Start menu features integrated
desktop search through a new feature called
Quick Search which can help you find and
launch almost anything on your PC. Just type
in a word, a name, or a phrase, and Quick
Search can find the right file for you. But more
than that, the new start menu makes it very
easy for you to navigate across all of the
installed applications on your PC. Eliminating
the slow performing, cascading "All
Programs" view, the new start menu can help
you get something started faster than ever.
Use Quick Search to find the information
you need fast.
Desktop Search
With Windows Vista, you no longer have to
remember where you store every file. Instead,
to find a file, you need to only remember
something about it, such as a word contained
within a document, the artist of a song, or the
date a picture was taken. Powerful, integrated
desktop search capabilities help you find just
about anything on your computer quickly,
without having to search for it by browsing
through folders. For example, in the new Start
Menu, it is as simple as typing a word, a
phrase, a property, or any part of a file name
into the embedded Quick Search box to
instantly find the file that you want.
A new yet familiar look to the Start menu in
Windows Vista.
To make searching even more efficient, Windows Vista enables you to add or edit file properties or data
associated with a file, like a keyword on a document, the artist of a song, or the event where a picture was
taken, to make it easier for you to find in the future. For example, you could add a "graduation" keyword to
photos taken at a graduation ceremony when you save them to your computer. Later, just search for
"graduation" in the Quick Search box in the start menu or the Windows Photo Gallery, and all the graduation-
related pictures will be displayed.
Search Folders
Windows Vista introduces Search Folders, a
powerful new tool that makes it easy to find
and organize your files—wherever they may
be on your PC. 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.
For example, you could design a search for
all documents that are authored by "John"
and that contain the word "project." This
search, titled "Author John/Keyword Project"
is saved as a Search Folder. When you open
this Search Folder, the search runs, and you
see the results immediately. As you add more
files to your computer that have the author
John and contain the word "project," those
files will also appear in the Search Folder
alongside the other matching files, regardless
of where they are physically saved on your
PC. It is simple and fast.
The new Document Explorer makes working with your Explorers
files a snap. Find your files faster and with the new Live The new Explorers are powerful yet easy-to-
Icon feature, and see what they contain without having use tools for working with files consistently
to open them. across Windows Vista. Explorers give you
more information and control while simplifying
how you work with your files. The experience
is easy and consistent, whether you're
browsing photos or documents or even using
the new Control Panel.
Key elements of the Explorers in Windows
Vista are designed to help you get to the
information you need, when you need it.
Quick Search is always available to help you
find files instantly. The navigation pane
contains the new Search Folders found in
Windows Vista, as well as traditional folders
that you have created on your computer.
Command Bars display only the tasks that
are most appropriate for the files being
displayed. With new Live Icons (scalable
thumbnails) used throughout Windows Vista,
you can see 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.
Type keywords into the Quick Search box in the new Windows Aero
Control Panel to quickly find the right system setting.
Windows Vista is the first Windows
operating system that has a user
experience that can gracefully scale to the
hardware capabilities of the computer it is
installed on. All computers that meet
minimal hardware requirements will see
the Windows Vista Basic user experience,
which provides the benefits of the refined
interface features already mentioned.
Windows Vista Aero provides spectacular visual effects Windows Aero is an environment with an
such as glass-like interface elements that you can see additional level of visual sophistication,
through. one that is even more responsive and
manageable, providing a further level of
clarity and confidence to Windows users.
Live taskbar thumbnails
Resting the mouse pointer over a taskbar
item displays a live thumbnail of the
window, showing the content of that
window..
The live thumbnail 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
See thumbnail views of the items in your taskbar by
resting your mouse pointer on them.
Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D
Windows Vista provides two entirely new
features to manage windows: Windows Flip
and Windows Flip 3D. Flip allows you to flip
through open windows (by using Alt+Tab),
providing a live thumbnail of each window,
rather than just a generic icon and file name.
Use Flip to view and navigate more easily open windows.
Live thumbnails make it easier to quickly
identify the window you want, particularly
when multiple windows of the same kind are
open.
With Flip 3D, you can use the scroll wheel on
your mouse to flip through open windows in a
stack, and quickly locate and select the one
you want to work with.
Use Flip 3D to navigate through open
windows using the scroll wheel on your
mouse
New Internet Explorer 7 features, like tabbed
browsing and live previews, make it easier for
you to get to the Web sites you want to visit.
Internet Explorer 7 also provides new tools to
give you direct access to information you
want, with built-in support for Web feeds
known as Really Simple Syndication (RSS).
RSS is a technology you can use to have
information sent to you, so you don't have to
look for it. Through RSS subscriptions, you
can automatically receive feeds (lists) of
headlines from Internet sites. Internet
Explorer discovers these feeds on sites and
allows you to preview and subscribe to them.
Once you subscribe, Internet Explorer 7
systematically consolidates headlines from
each feed into one list. This lets you quickly
browse new information from various sites
without having to visit each site separately.
Windows Vista also builds upon the User Account Protection initiative—by default, limiting Internet
Explorer 7 to just enough permissions to browse the Web, but not enough to modify your files or
settings—keeping your PC safer from Web-based attacks. This Windows Vista-only feature, known as
protected mode, means that even if a malicious site attacks a potential vulnerability in Internet Explorer
7, the site's code will not have enough privileges to install software, copy files to the Startup folder, or
hijack the settings for your browser's home page or search provider.
Gadgets
Gadgets are mini-applications with a wide variety of possible uses. Gadgets can connect to Web services to
deliver weather information, news updates, traffic maps, Internet radio streams, and slideshows of online photo
albums. Gadgets can also integrate with your applications to streamline your interaction with them. For example,
a gadget can give you an at-a-glance view of all your online instant messaging contacts, the day view from your
calendar, or an easy way to control your media player. Of course, gadgets can also have any number of
dedicated purposes. They can be calculators, games, sticky notes, and more.
Microsoft Windows Vista comes with an
essential set of gadgets to get you started.
You will be able to easily download more
gadgets from an online gadget gallery. This
gallery will host gadgets from a wide variety
of developers and offer an extensive selection
to meet your interests.
Windows Sidebar
Windows Sidebar is a pane on the side of the
Windows Vista desktop that organizes
gadgets and makes them easy to access.
Windows Sidebar is the perfect complement
to widescreen monitors and also works
seamlessly on standard displays. You can
easily customize Windows Sidebar to suit
how you want to interact with it—whether you
want it always on top or resting below
maximized windows. You can also move
gadgets off the Windows Sidebar and place
Windows Sidebar gives you quick access to gadgets like
them anywhere on your desktop.
picture slideshows, Windows Media Player controls, or news
headlines. You pick the gadgets you want to see in Windows
Sidebar.
Sleep
Windows Vista introduces a new power state called Sleep. In Windows XP, after you shut down your PC, it
takes a long time to turn it back on. The new Sleep state in Windows Vista combines the speed of Standby with
the data protection features and low power consumption of Hibernate. Resuming use when your PC is in the
Sleep state takes just 2-3 seconds. You can shut down and restart your computer less often by using the new
Sleep state, a simple one-click on and off experience which not only reduces power consumption, but also helps
protect your data.
Sleep on desktop PCs
Sleep works in a different way on Windows Vista-based desktops than it does on Windows Vista-based laptops.
When you turn off a Windows Vista-based desktop, all the documents, applications, and data that are currently
in use are saved in two places. First, they are saved to the memory, or RAM, where they are quickly accessible
(in Windows XP this was called Standby). Simultaneously, the information is saved to the computer's hard disk
(in Windows XP this was called Hibernate). In Sleep, Windows Vista simultaneously saves the current user
information to both memory and the hard disk.
In Sleep, Windows Vista uses the data saved to memory to help you restart faster after extended periods of
non-use. Simply move the mouse or press any key on the keyboard, and the computer starts up within seconds.
The Sleep state uses the data saved to your hard disk to protect it in case of power loss. When you resume the
use of your desktop after a power failure, Windows Vista will quickly restart from Sleep using the data saved to
disk, with all of your data and applications intact.
Sleep on laptop PCs
On laptop PCs, you can enter the Sleep state by pressing the Power button or closing the laptop lid. Your data
is saved to memory, letting you resume use faster. As battery power winds down, Windows Vista quickly
transitions the data to disk to help keep the data safe. Windows Vista lets you resume use of your computer
more quickly and reliably than previous versions of Windows.
SuperFetch
SuperFetch, a new feature in Windows Vista, allows applications and files to load much faster than on Windows
XP-based computers. In previous versions of Windows, system responsiveness could be uneven. You may
have experienced sluggish behavior after booting your machine, after performing a fast user switch, or even
after lunch. Although too many carbohydrates might slow you down after lunch, your computer slows down for
different reasons. When you're not actively using your computer, background tasks—including applications such
as automatic back-up and antivirus software—take this opportunity to run when they will least disturb you.
These background tasks can take space in system memory that your applications were using. After you start to
use your PC again, it can take some time to reload your data into memory, slowing down performance.
SuperFetch, a new technology in Windows Vista, understands which applications you use most, and preloads
these applications into memory, so your system is more responsive when you first boot or when you switch to a
different user profile. SuperFetch uses an intelligent prioritization scheme that understands which applications
you use most often, and can even differentiate which applications you are likely to use at different times (for
example, on the weekend versus during the week), so that your computer is ready to do what you want it to do.
SuperFetch can also prioritize your applications over background tasks, so that when you return to your
machine after leaving it idle, it's still responsive.
External memory devices
Adding system memory (RAM) is often the best way to improve your PC's performance. More memory means
more applications are ready to run without accessing the hard drive. However, upgrading memory is not always
easy. You must learn what type of memory you need, purchase the memory, and open your computer to install
the memory—which sometimes can invalidate your support agreement. Also, some machines have limited
memory expansion capabilities, preventing you from adding RAM even if you are willing to do so.
Windows Vista introduces a new concept in adding memory to a system. USB flash drives can be used as
External Memory Devices (EMDs) to extend system memory and improve performance without opening the box.
Your computer is able to access memory from an EMD device much more quickly than it can access data on the
hard drive, boosting system performance. When combined with SuperFetch technology, this can help drive
impressive improvement in system responsiveness.
EMD technology is both reliable and secure. You can remove an EMD at any time without any loss of data or
negative impact to the system; however, if you remove the EMD, your performance returns to the level you
experienced without the device. Wear on the USB drive is not an issue when using it as an EMD. A unique
algorithm optimizes wear patterns, so that a USB device can run as an EMD for many years, even when heavily
used. Finally, data on the EMD is encrypted to help prevent inappropriate access to data when the device is
removed.
Hybrid Hard Drive
A Hybrid Hard Drive is a new type of hard drive with an integrated non-volatile flash memory buffer. If your
machine is equipped with a Hybrid Hard Drive, Windows Vista takes advantage of this hardware to boot,
hibernate, and resume use more quickly. Hybrid Hard Drive technology can also improve system reliability and
battery life.
The hybrid drive is intended for mobile PCs running Windows Vista. Your data is written to the flash memory,
which saves work for the mechanical hard drive—saving you battery power. The hybrid drive helps Windows
Vista resume use faster from Sleep because data can be restored from flash memory faster than from the
mechanical hard drive. And since the mechanical hard drive is not working when you are in Sleep state with the
Hybrid Hard Drive, you have less risk of hardware problems with the hard drive when you're on the move.
Windows Vista takes advantage of Hybrid Hard Drives to save battery life, resume use faster from hibernation,
and improve reliability.
Network Center
Windows Vista puts you in control of your
network experience with the Network
Center—the central place for all your
networking needs. Network Center informs
you about the network your computer is
connected to and verifies whether it can
successfully reach the Internet. It even
presents this information in a summary in the
Network Map so you can immediately see
your connectivity to the network and Internet.
Check your connection status, see your network visually, or
troubleshoot a connection problem in the Network Center.
If a PC on the network loses Internet
connectivity, you can graphically see that the
link is down, and then use Network
Diagnostics to help determine the cause of
the problem and get a suggestion for a
solution.
Network Center also allows you to quickly
connect to other available networks, or create
entirely new connections. You can view and
configure your most important network
settings in one place. And for less frequently
accessed settings, Network Center provides
direct links so you can easily find what you're
looking for.
Network Center also makes it easy to connect
your workplace network from home.
Easily connect to your workplace from home using the Network
Center.
Network Setup
With Windows Vista, setting up a network between multiple PCs and devices (including printers, music players,
and game systems) is simple and intuitive. The Network Setup Wizard allows you to set up wired or wireless
networks by identifying unconfigured network devices and adding them to the network. The Network Setup
Wizard also automates the process of adding new devices to your network. It automatically generates secure
network settings to keep your network safe from intruders.
Network settings can also be saved to a portable USB flash drive to make adding PCs and devices to the
network a quick and easy process. Simply insert the USB flash drive into a PC or device and it will automatically
read the data and ready itself to join the network. File and printer sharing is also easily enabled on each PC on
the network from the Network Setup Wizard, so you can share documents, photos, music, and other files across
your network.
Network Explorer
Once a network is set up, you need to be able to easily browse content on networked PCs, devices, and
printers. The new Network Explorer in Windows Vista makes it easy to share files and take advantage of the
connectivity that a network provides. It presents a view of all PCs, devices, and printers on the network, and is
significantly faster and more reliable than My Network Places in Windows XP. The Network Explorer is even
able to use custom, representative icons for different devices (when enabled by manufacturers). You can also
directly interact with select devices—adjust settings or control music playback, for example.
Network Map
When people have multiple computers and
devices on a network, with a combination of
wireless and wired connections, it can be
difficult to understand how everything is
connected. Windows Vista provides a new
feature called Network Map which shows you
an easy-to-understand, graphical view of
everything on the network, and how
everything is connected. This helps you
optimize your network for the best
Create networks to share files, printers, and other devices. performance and easily locate any problems.
Wireless Networking
Windows Vista improves the wireless network experience in a number of ways. The new Network Awareness
feature in Windows Vista keeps your applications aware of and optimized for the network's changing
capabilities. Your data is also more secure with enhanced support for the latest wireless security protocols,
including WPA2. Windows Vista helps you avoid connecting to fraudulent wireless networks which seem like
legitimate hotspots but, in fact, are not. Windows Vista also provides an easy way to create ad-hoc wireless
networks to use peer-to-peer applications such as file sharing and application collaboration.
Network Awareness
Network Awareness provides the ability to
report changes in network connectivity to
applications in order to provide a more
seamless connected experience. As you
connect to different networks, the change is
communicated to Network Awareness-
supported applications, which can then take
appropriate actions for your connection to that
network. For example, when you switch from
your home office to your corporate network,
firewall settings can be configured to open the
ports needed to allow the use of IT
management tools. Group Policy will detect
the reconnection to the corporate network
and automatically begin processing policy
changes instead of waiting for the next
detection cycle.
Network Map in a home environment showing a broken
connection to a wireless router
Windows Vista SideShow technology
enables laptop manufacturers to include a
secondary or auxiliary display in future laptop
designs. This display can be used to easily
view the critical information you need,
whether the laptop is on, off, or in sleep
mode. The convenience provided by these
auxiliary displays will save time and battery
life by allowing you to quickly view meeting
schedules, phone numbers, addresses, and
recent e-mail messages without having to
start up your laptop.
Quickly access the key information you need
like appointments, key e-mails, or notes
without turning on your laptop using Windows
SideShow.
The Windows Vista SideShow platform will
also enable hardware manufacturers to build
auxiliary displays in a wide range of
peripheral devices such as keyboards, LCD
display casings, remote controls, and cell
phones. These devices can then display
information received from a Windows Vista-
based PC, providing even more convenience
to your everyday computing.
Easily manage the information you want to
appear on Windows SideShow enabled
devices.
Updated Remote Assistance makes it easier
to get the help you need when you need it.
Security
User Account Control (UAC), a new set of features in Windows Vista, helps strike a balance between the
flexibility and power of an administrator account and the security of a standard user account.
Activities such as surfing the Web, sending e-mail, and using productivity programs don't require special
administrative privileges. Windows Vista makes it easy to perform these activities and be productive using
standard user accounts.
When you want to perform an administrative task, like installing a new program, Windows Vista prompts you to
verify that you want to install the program before allowing that administrative task to run. This way, the use of
administrator privileges is minimized, making it more difficult for malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware, and
other potentially unwanted software, to have machine-wide impact on your PC.
UAC also helps protect family computers from malware. Often malware is hidden in programs that appeal to
children. To help protect your computer, you can create standard user accounts for your children. When your
child tries to install a piece of software, the system will ask for an administrator account's password. Your
children cannot install new programs by themselves.
Better protection from malware
Malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware,
and other potentially unwanted software, can
cause a wide range of problems, including
theft of personal information, slower PC
performance, and the appearance of
unwanted advertising (such as pop-up ads).
The effects of malware can range from mere
annoyances to significant problems that take
a considerable amount of time and money to
fix.
Security alerts enable you to quickly resolve potentially damaging issues that can harm your Windows Vista PC.
Windows Defender helps protect you against spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
And the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) periodically scans your PC looking for known
prevalent viruses. (The MSRT is not part of Windows Vista but may be downloaded from Microsoft at no
additional cost.)
In addition to using these built-in Windows Vista features, you should help keep your computer healthy by using
antivirus software such as Windows OneCare or an antivirus solution from one of Microsoft's partners.
Speech Recognition is fully integrated into
Windows Vista and is built on top of the latest
Microsoft speech technologies. It has unparalleled
voice recognition accuracy that improves with use
as it adapts to your speaking style and vocabulary.
Speech Recognition supports multiple languages
and includes a new human-sounding speech
synthesizer.
With Speech Recognition in Windows Vista you can control your computer by voice whether dictating an e-mail
or controlling applications. Microsoft-designed Speech Recognition is entirely focused on what you want. Right
from the start, you can work through guided setups and an interactive training application to get familiar with key
concepts and commands. The innovative natural user interface provides choices or additional questions to help
you along. Whether starting an application, selecting a word, or correcting a sentence, you are always in control
and are smoothly guided toward a list of smart choices.
Windows Updates: Easier
Customizing Windows Update settings and actions provides Automatic delivery of important and
you with seamless updating and flexibility when those updates recommended updates: In Windows
occur. Vista, Windows Update can
automatically download and install
both important and recommended
updates. In earlier versions, only
updates classified as “Important”
could be installed automatically, and
you had to manually select and
download other available updates.
Improved consistency: In Windows
Vista, you will see the same user
interface whether you are on your
home computer or your corporate
computer updated through a
Windows software management
solution.
Less disruptive
More seamless updating: When an
update applies to a file in use,
Windows Vista can save the
application's data, close the
application, update the file, and then
restart the application.
Greater flexibility: In Windows Vista,
updating occurs in the background or
may be scheduled for a time that's
convenient for you. If an update
requires a restart to complete
installation, you can schedule it for a
regular time. You can also postpone
a previously scheduled restart until
your current work is complete.
Until now, there has not been an easy way to manage all of these individual sync relationships — you often
have a fragmented experience that depends on the specific device or data sources. The new Sync Center helps
you to initiate a manual sync, stop an in-progress sync, see the status of current sync activities, and receive
notifications to resolve conflicts.
Use the new Sync Center to manage the synchronization of your data with other PCs or the devices you
connect to your PC. While Sync Center offers a unifying synchronization experience, it does not incorporate the
sync tools or functionality provided by third-party applications. Windows Vista itself detects, diagnoses, and
helps you respond to common problems. But when incidents that require support do occur, Windows Vista
provides centralized support tools and resources to quickly diagnose and resolve issues. In Windows Vista,
Remote Assistance is optimized for the enterprise, with faster performance, built-in diagnostic tools, and the
ability to assist users at home, on the road, or from a remote location.
