Microsoft WINDOWS VISTA INTRODUCING

Introducing Microsoft

Windows Vista

™

William R. Stanek

PUBLISHED BY Microsoft Press A Division of Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington 98052-6399

ISBN-13: 978-0-7356-2284-5 ISBN-10: 0-7356-2284-1 Library of Congress Control Number 2006924470

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 QWE 1 0 9 8 7 6

Distributed in Canada by H.B. Fenn and Company Ltd.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further information about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office or contact Microsoft Press International directly at fax (425) 936-7329. Visit our Web site at www.microsoft.com/mspress. Send comments to mspinput@microsoft.com.

Microsoft, Active Directory, ActiveX, Aero, BitLocker, DirectX, Encarta, Excel, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Press, MSDN, MS-DOS, MSN, Outlook, PowerPoint, SmartScreen, Windows, Windows Media, Windows Server, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.

This book expresses the author’s views and opinions. The information contained in this book is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties. Neither the authors, Microsoft Corporation, nor its resellers, or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused either directly or indirectly by this book.

Acquisitions Editor: Martin DelRe Project Editor: Karen Szall Technical Editor: L. J. Zacker Copy Editor: Jennifer Harris Indexer: Patricia Masserman

Body Part No. X12-41775

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Who Is This Book For?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

How Is This Book Organized? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

Conventions Used in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

Part I

Getting to Know Windows Vista

1 Introducing Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Introducing the Windows Vista Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Overview of the Windows Vista Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Upgrading the Windows Vista Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Getting Started with Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Working with the Welcome Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Getting Basic System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Activating Windows Vista and Changing Product Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Using Windows Vista in Workgroups and Domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Understanding Log On, User Switching, Locking, and Log Off

in Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Understanding Windows Vista User Accounts and Windows Security

Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Turning Off and Shutting Down Computers Running Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Turning Off Computers: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Using the Power Button: What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Shutting Down and Restarting Computers: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Part II

Essential Features in Windows Vista

2 Working with Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Getting Around in the Windows Vista Taskbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Working with the Quick Launch Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Using Taskbar Thumbnails, Windows Flip, and Windows Flip 3D. . . . . . . . . . . 18

Working with the Notification Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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vi Table of Contents

Navigating the Start Menu: What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Managing Programs List on the Start Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Right Pane on the Start Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Search Box on the Start Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using the All Programs Menu: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Navigating Control Panel: What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3 Managing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Getting Around the Windows Vista Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Working with the Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Working with Windows Sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Working with Windows Gadgets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Using Windows Explorer: What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Navigating the Windows Explorer Address Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Working with the Windows Explorer Quick Search Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Working with the Windows Explorer View Panes, Views, and

Organize Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Using Virtual Folders to Save Search Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Managing File Properties and Metadata for Indexing and Searching . . . . . . 43

4 Using Internet Explorer 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Introducing Internet Explorer 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Getting Around in the Internet Explorer 7 Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Working with the Internet Explorer Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Using the Internet Explorer Safety and Security Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Understanding Internet Explorer Protected Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Managing Cookies and Privacy Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Protecting Your Computer from Phishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

5 Collaborating, Connecting, and Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Messaging Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Getting Started with Windows Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Configuring Windows Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Accessing the Microsoft Help Newsgroups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Searching Your Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Working with Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Using Windows Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Getting Started with Windows Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Searching for Appointments and Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Table of Contents vii

Performing Key Calendar Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Creating and Using Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Creating and Using Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Creating and Using Multiple Calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Publishing and Subscribing to Calendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Using Windows Shared View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Getting Started with Windows Shared View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Starting a New Windows Shared View Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Running a Windows Shared View Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Joining a Windows Shared View Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Setting Your Participant Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Sending Notes to Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Leaving a Session and Sharing Stored Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

6 Managing Programs and Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Navigating Your Computer’s Startup, Running, and Network-Connected

Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Exploring Your Startup Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Determining Your Currently Running Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Examining Network-Connected Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Working with Your Computer’s Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Viewing, Adding, Removing, and Repairing Installed Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Viewing and Checking for Installed Updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Configuring Default Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Setting Advanced Options for Windows Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Getting into Your Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Getting Started with Windows Media Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Getting Started with Windows Movie Maker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Getting Started with Windows Photo Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

7 Working with Laptops and Tablet PCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Optimizing Performance and Saving Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Getting to Know the Windows Vista Power Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Selecting and Configuring a Power Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Understanding Your Computer’s Power Button and Password Protection

On Wakeup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Tapping and Flicking Your Tablet PC Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Tapping Your Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Flicking Your Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Using Windows Mobility Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

viii Table of Contents

Getting Started with Windows Mobility Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Configuring Your Mobile PC by Using Mobility Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Connecting to Networked Projectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Getting Acquainted with the Tablet PC Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Entering Text Using the Tablet PC Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Capturing Screen Snips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Creating Sticky Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Using Windows Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

8 Improving Accessibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Accessing the Ease of Access Features in Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Using Magnifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Using the On-Screen Keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Using Narrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Using Sticky Keys, Filter Keys, and High Contrast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Talking to Your Computer and Getting It to Listen by Using

Speech Recognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Getting Started with Speech Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Configuring Speech Recognition for First Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Using Speech Recognition for Dictation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Part III

Securing Windows Vista

9 Protecting User Accounts and Using Parental Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Introducing User Account Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Reducing the Need for Administrator Privileges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Defining the Standard User and Administrator User Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Navigating the User Account Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Understanding Standard User Privileges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Understanding File System and Registry Virtualization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Handling User Account Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Understanding and Setting Run Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Modifying User Account Control and Admin Approval Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Introducing Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Getting Started with Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Selecting a Games Rating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Configuring Notifications for Parental Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Configuring Parental Controls for User Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Viewing and Using Activity Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Table of Contents ix

10 Protecting Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Safeguarding and Enhancing Computer Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Getting Started with the Windows Vista Boot Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Modifying the Boot Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Safeguarding Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Getting to Know the Windows Vista Expanded Security Features . . . . . . . . . 153

Getting Started with Network Access Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Understanding Windows Service Hardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Improving Computer Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Navigating Audit Policy Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Navigating User Rights Assignment Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Navigating Security Options Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

11 Protecting Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Introducing Trusted Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Getting Started with TPM Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Managing the TPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Initializing a TPM for First Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Turning Off and Clearing the TPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Changing the TPM Owner Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Using BitLocker Drive Encryption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Introducing BitLocker Drive Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Preparing a Computer for BitLocker Drive Encryption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Configuring and Enabling BitLocker Drive Encryption for a TPM . . . . . . . . .181

Recovering Data Protected by BitLocker Drive Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

12 Networking Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Introducing TCP/IP Networking for Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Getting to Know the Next Generation TCP/IP Stack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Learning About the Dual Stack and the IP Management Enhancements. . . 189

Mapping Your Networking Capabilities and Infrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Using Network Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Using Network List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Using Network Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Viewing and Managing Network Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Introducing Wireless Networking for Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Exploring Wireless Networking Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Learning New Ways to Connect to Wireless Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Using Fast Roaming and Auto Configuration with Wireless Connections. . . 201

x Table of Contents

Mapping Your Wireless Networking Capabilities and Infrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Listing and Connecting to Available Wireless Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Connecting to Public Wireless Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Disconnecting a Wireless Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

13 Securing Your Network Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Introducing Windows Security Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Getting to Know Windows Firewall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Using Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Using Windows Firewall With Advanced Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Introducing Windows Defender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Getting to Know Windows Defender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Starting and Using Windows Defender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Configuring General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Scanning the Computer for Spyware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

Checking for Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Viewing or Restoring Quarantined Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Viewing or Changing Software Programs That You Allow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Turning Windows Defender Off or On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Part IV

Supporting and Deploying Windows Vista

14 Supporting Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Centrally Managing Computer Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Introducing the Group Policy Management Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Introducing Important Group Policy Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Diagnosing and Resolving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Introducing Built-In Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

Understanding Hardware, Performance, and Memory Diagnostics . . . . . . . 241

Understanding Network Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Introducing Problem Reporting and Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Updating Windows Vista Computers: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Introducing Windows Update Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Configuring Windows Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Checking for Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Viewing Update History and Installed Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Improving System Stability and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Preventing Common Causes of Hangs and Crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Recovering Automatically from Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Recovering Frozen Applications and Releasing Resources Automatically . . 252

Table of Contents xi

Introducing the New and Enhanced Windows Vista Management Tools . . . . . . . . .253

Introducing Event Viewer: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Introducing Task Scheduler: What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Introducing Performance Rating and Monitoring: What’s New and

What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Introducing the Previous Versions Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262

Backing Up and Recovering Windows Vista: What’s New and

What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

15 Deploying Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Introducing Deployment Enhancements for Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

Introducing Modularization and Hardware-Independent Disk Imaging. . . . 268

Introducing the Customizable and Extensible Preinstallation

Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

Introducing Standards-Based Single-Format Answer Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Upgrading Computers and Migrating to New Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Deciding Whether to Upgrade or to Migrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Introducing the User State Migration Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Introducing Windows Easy Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

Starting and Copying the Windows Easy Transfer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Selecting and Transferring Files and Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Finalizing the Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Appendix: Installing Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

What do you think of this book?

We want to hear from you!

Chapter 1

Introducing Windows Vista

In this chapter:

Introducing the Windows Vista Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Getting Started with Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Using Windows Vista in Workgroups and Domains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Turning Off and Shutting Down Computers Running Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . 12

Microsoft Windows Vista is the latest workstation version of the Windows operating system and is designed for both home and business users. MSN Encarta describes a vista as a scenic or panoramic view, and that’s exactly what Windows Vista provides. Not only does Windows Vista have an all-new look, complete with stylish graphical visualizations, easier-to-navigate menus, and enhanced personalization capabilities, but the operating system is also the first version of Windows in which the user experience scales to the hardware capabilities of the computer on which Windows Vista is installed. Although the graphical bells and whistles are excellent, many of the most powerful features in Windows Vista are those that you won’t see at first glance, including the many enhancements for reliability, security, usability, and mobility.

In this chapter, we’ll look at the issues and features you’ll need to know about to start using Windows Vista effectively. The chapter begins with a look at the versions of Windows Vista that are available and then continues with a discussion of getting started using Windows Vista. Next, the chapter discusses using Windows Vista in workgroup and domain configurations, focusing on the differences between these environments and how permissions for user accounts have changed between this and previous versions of Windows. Last, the chapter discusses the important procedure changes for turning off and shutting down computers running Windows Vista.

Note

to the operating system. More so than any other area of Windows Vista, the security features discussed in this book are subject to change. Some of the features might not be included in the final product, and some of the features might be changed substantially.

This book was written using the Windows Vista Beta to provide an early introduction

4 Part I: Getting to Know Windows Vista

Introducing the Windows Vista Versions

Microsoft provides multiple versions of Windows Vista. There are two versions for home users and two versions for business users as well as an all-encompassing version for users who want all available features. Unlike its predecessors, Windows Vista allows you to upgrade between versions.

Note

way you work with the operating system are the same. Because of this consistency, this book points out the differences between Windows Vista versions only where necessary.

Regardless of which Windows Vista version you are using, the core features and the

Overview of the Windows Vista Versions

The five versions of Microsoft Windows Vista are:

■ Windows Vista Home Basic

■ Windows Vista Home Premium

■ Windows Vista Business

■ Windows Vista Enterprise

■ Windows Vista Ultimate

The home versions of Windows Vista include entertainment features that aren’t found in the business versions. The business versions include management features that aren’t found in the home versions.

Windows Vista Ultimate combines the best of all the available features, giving you a complete package for home and business use. When you use Windows Vista Ultimate, you can get additional programs and services as well as tips and tricks documentation from the Windows Download Center by using the Windows Ultimate Extras utility in Control Panel.

Upgrading the Windows Vista Versions

Unlike its predecessors, you can easily upgrade Windows Vista versions by using the Windows Anytime Upgrade utility or a Windows Anytime Upgrade disc. You can:

■ Upgrade from Windows Vista Home Basic to Windows Vista Home Premium or Win-

dows Vista Ultimate.

■ Upgrade from Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows Vista Ultimate.

■ Upgrade from Windows Vista Business to Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista

Ultimate.

■ Upgrade from Windows Vista Enterprise to Windows Vista Ultimate.

Chapter 1: Introducing Windows Vista 5

Windows Anytime Upgrade (WindowsAnytimeUpgrade.exe) is stored in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder. You can start an upgrade by selecting Windows Anytime Upgrade on the Start menu and then following the prompts. When the upgrade is complete, you can search for “What’s New” in Windows Help And Support to learn about additional features and enhancements that have been installed. You can access Windows Help And Support by clicking Start and then clicking Help And Support.

Getting Started with Windows Vista

From the moment you start Windows Vista, you’ll know it’s a different kind of operating system from its predecessors. During the installation of Windows Vista (described in the appendix), Setup prompts you to create a local machine account. This account is created as a computer administrator account. When the operating system starts, you can log on using the account and password you specified during setup.

Working with the Welcome Center

By default, the operating system displays the Welcome Center at startup. You can access the Welcome Center console, shown in Figure 1-1, from Control Panel.

Figure 1-1 The Welcome Center

The Welcome Center provides an overview of the system and quick access to perform tasks that help you get started using Windows Vista. To display all the available options, click Show All 12 Items. The available options include the following tasks:

■ Add New Users Configure user accounts for each person who will log on locally to the

computer. You can manage account settings and parental controls for accounts, as discussed in Chapter 9, “Protecting User Accounts and Using Parental Controls.” This option isn’t available when you log on to a domain.

6 Part I: Getting to Know Windows Vista

■ Personalize Windows Control the appearance and sound effects used by Windows

Vista. You can manage settings for the display, visual appearance, desktop background, screen saver, sound effects, mouse pointers, and themes.

■ Set Up Devices Check for devices that Setup did not install as part of the upgrade or

installation. If you elect to set up devices and new hardware is found, you’ll be guided through the process of installing the device.

■ Windows Easy Transfer Run the Windows Easy Transfer Wizard, which can be used to

transfer user accounts, files and folders, program settings, Internet settings (including favorites), and e-mail settings (including contacts and messages) from your old computer. For the transfer, you can use CDs, DVDs, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, or exter nal hard drives, as well as network folders and a USB cable that connects to both computers. To transfer settings, the old computer must be running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista.

■ View Your Computer Details Display the default view for the Welcome Center, which

provides an overview of the system configuration. Use the More Details link to access the System console and view additional information about the computer.

By default, the Welcome Center displays each time you start the computer. If you don’t want the Welcome Center to be displayed the next time you start the computer, clear the Run At Startup check box.

Getting Basic System Information

In the Welcome Center, you can click More Details to access the System console and view additional information about the computer, as shown in Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2 The System console

Chapter 1: Introducing Windows Vista 7

The System console is divided into four basic areas that provide links for performing common tasks and a system overview:

■ Windows Edition Displays the operating system edition and version.

■ System Shows the processor, memory, and performance rating of the computer. If the

computer has not yet been rated for performance, you can click Performance under See Also to access the Performance Rating And Tools console. In this console, click Rate This Computer to start the performance rating process and then follow the prompts.

■ Computer Name, Domain, And Workgroup Settings Lists the computer name, descrip-

tion, domain, and workgroup details. If you want to change the computer’s name, domain, or workgroup, click Change Settings, and then make changes in the Computer Name Changes dialog box. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Network ID button, and then make the necessary changes.

■ Windows Activation Shows whether you have activated the operating system and the

product key. If Windows Vista isn’t activated yet, click the link provided to start the activation process and then follow the prompts.

When you’re working in the System console, links in the left pane provide quick access to key settings, including the following:

■ Device Manager

■ Remote Settings

■ System Protection

■ Advanced System Settings

If you prefer, you can view the classic-style System Properties dialog box at any time by clicking Change Settings under Computer Name, Domain, And Workgroup Settings.

Activating Windows Vista and Changing Product Keys

Volume-licensed versions of Windows Vista might not require activation or product keys. For retail versions of Windows Vista, however, Windows Activation and product keys are just as important as they are in Microsoft Windows XP. Retail versions of Windows Vista are validated by using Windows Activation and product keys. In the Welcome Center, the Activation Status entry specifies whether you have activated the operating system. If Windows Vista has not been activated, you can activate the operating system by clicking More Details to access the System console and then selecting Click Here To Activate Windows Now under Windows Activation.

Unlike in Windows XP, you can easily change the product key used by the operating system. In the System console, click Change Product Key under Windows Activation. In the Windows Activation window, shown in Figure 1-3, type the product key, and then click Next. As in Setup, you do not need to type the dashes in the product key.

8 Part I: Getting to Know Windows Vista

Figure 1-3 Changing the product key

Using Windows Vista in Workgroups and Domains

You can use Windows Vista in workgroup configurations and domain configurations. Workgroups are loose associations of computers in which each computer is managed separately. Domains are collections of computers that you can manage collectively by means of domain

controllers, which are servers running Windows that manage access to the network, to the directory database, and to shared resources. Typically, home users will use Windows Vista in workgroup configurations and businesses will use Windows Vista in domain configurations. Although all versions can be used in workgroup configurations, you cannot use the home versions in domain configurations.

Understanding Log On, User Switching, Locking, and Log Off in Windows Vista

In a workgroup configuration, Windows Vista displays the Log On screen at startup. All standard user and administrator accounts that you’ve created on the computer are listed on the Log On screen. To log on, you click the account name. If the account is password protected, you must click the account name, type the account password, and then click the arrow button.

In a domain configuration, Windows Vista displays a blank startup screen after initializing the operating system. You must press Ctrl+Alt+Del to display the Log On screen. By default, the last account to log on to the computer is listed in computer\username or domain\username format. To log on to this account, you type the account password and then click the arrow button. To log on to a different account, click the Switch User button, and then click Log On As

Chapter 1: Introducing Windows Vista 9

Another User. Type the user name and password, and then click the arrow button. Keep the following in mind:

■ If the account is in the default domain, you don’t have to specify the domain name.

■ If the account is in another domain, you can specify the domain and the account name

using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams.

■ If you want to log on to the local machine, type .\username where username is the name

of the local account, such as .\williams.

Both the workgroup and the domain configurations of Windows Vista allow fast user switching. You can easily change passwords, lock a computer, and log off as well.

Switching Users

You can switch users by following these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click the Switch User button.

❑ In a workgroup configuration, the Log On screen is displayed as at startup.

❑ In a domain configuration, a screen appears with the message “Press Ctrl+Alt+Del

To Log On”. To display the Log On screen, you must press Ctrl+Alt+Del again.

2. Once the Log On screen appears, you can log on to another account using a technique

similar to logging on at startup.

Note

button to the right of the Power and Lock buttons, and then clicking Switch User.

You can also initiate the switch-user process by clicking Start, clicking the Options

Changing Passwords

You can change passwords by following these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click the Change Password option.

The account name for the current user is listed on the change password screen. In a domain configuration, the user account name is listed in domain\username format. In a workgroup configuration, the local user account name is listed.

By clicking in the User Name text box, you can change the account name. Specify

Tip

the domain and the account name using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams. Type .\username where username is the name of the local account, such as .\williams.

10 Part I: Getting to Know Windows Vista

2. Type the current password for the account in the Old Password text box.

3. Type and confirm the new password for the account in the New Password and the Con-

firm Password text boxes.

4. Click the arrow button to confirm the change.

Locking and Unlocking a Computer

You can lock and unlock the computer by following these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click the Lock This Computer option.

2. In a workgroup configuration, a lock screen is displayed with the name of the user who

is logged on. Clicking the account name or picture allows you to log on again as that user. If a password is required for the account, you’ll need to enter the password before logging on.

3. In a domain configuration, a lock screen is displayed with the name of the user who is

logged on. If you want to log on again as the user, you must press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then type the user’s password.

4. You can click the Switch User button to log on as a different user.

Note

The Lock button is a blue button with a picture of a lock on it.

You can also lock the computer by clicking Start and then clicking the Lock button.

Logging Off a Computer

You can log off by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and then clicking the Log Off option. If there is a problem logging off, the Log Off dialog box appears. This dialog box shows the programs currently running on the computer.

If one of the currently running programs is causing a problem with logoff, an explanation of the problem is displayed below the program name. You can then cancel the logoff or continue:

■ If you cancel the logoff, you can resolve the issue with the problem program—for exam-

ple, by saving your work and exiting the program.

■ If you continue logging off by clicking Log Off Now, Windows Vista will force the pro-

gram causing problems to close, and you might lose work as a result.

Note

Power and Lock buttons, and then clicking Log Off.

You can also log off by clicking Start, clicking the Options button to the right of the

Chapter 1: Introducing Windows Vista 11

Understanding Windows Vista User Accounts and Windows Security Permissions

Windows Vista has two primary types of local user accounts:

■ Standard user Standard user accounts can use most software and can change system

settings that do not affect other users or the security of the computer.

■ Administrator Administrator accounts have complete access to the computer and can

make any desired changes.

In Windows Vista, all applications run using either standard user or administrator permissions. As discussed in Chapter 9 under “Introducing User Account Control,” this change has far-reaching effects on the operating system as well as how you work with user accounts and manage applications. Because of User Account Control, whether a user logs on as an administrator or a standard user, the user sees a User Account Control dialog box containing a warning prompt stating, “Windows needs your permission to continue.” This dialog box is shown in Figure 1-4.

Figure 1-4 The User Account Control dialog box

The way the prompt works depends on whether the user is logged on with an administrator account or a standard user account. Users with administrator permissions are asked for confirmation. The user can click Allow to allow the task to be performed or Cancel to stop the task from being performed. Clicking Details shows the full path to the program being executed.

Users with standard accounts are asked to provide a password for an administrator account. In a workgroup configuration, each local computer administrator account is listed by name. To allow the task to be performed, you must click an account, type the account’s password, and then click Submit.

In a domain configuration, administrator accounts for users who have logged on to the computer are listed. These accounts can be both domain administrator accounts and local computer administrator accounts. You also have the option of choosing a different account. To run the task using a different user’s permissions, click Use Another Account, type the user account, and then type the account’s password. If the account is in the default domain, you don’t have to specify the domain name. If the account is in another domain, you can specify the domain and the account name using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams.

12 Part I: Getting to Know Windows Vista

From the experts

Security must be easy to be effective

User Account Control is as much about usability as it is about security. Unlike earlier versions of Windows, any user account can be used to run administrator programs. You don’t need to know which programs require administrator permissions beforehand; you simply run the program and respond as appropriate if you are prompted. This makes it much easier to use a standard user account as your everyday user account—and it is why Microsoft recommends this as a best practice as well.

Tony Northrup

Author, MCSE, and MVP—For more information, see http://www.northrup.org.

Turning Off and Shutting Down Computers Running Windows Vista

When it comes to turning off and shutting down, Windows Vista isn’t like earlier versions of Windows. In Windows Vista, turning off a computer and shutting down a computer are completely different operations. Turning off a computer doesn’t power it down; only shutting down the computer powers it down completely.

Turning Off Computers: What’s Changed

By default, when you turn off a computer running Windows Vista, the computer enters the sleep state. When entering the sleep state, the operating system:

■ Automatically saves all work.

■ Turns off the display.

■ Puts the computer in sleep mode.

In sleep mode, the computer’s fan stops, the computer’s hard disks stop, and the computer enters a low-power consumption mode in which the state of the computer is maintained in the computer’s memory. The next time you turn on the computer, the computer’s state will be exactly as it was when you turned off the computer.

Note

and exit programs before turning off the computer. Because the computer is in a low-power consumption state, the computer uses very little energy. For mobile computers, the sleep state will use very little battery power. If, while in the sleep state, the mobile computer’s battery runs low on power, the state of the computer is saved to the hard disk and then the computer is shut down completely—this state is similar to the hibernate state used in Windows XP.

Because the operating system saves your work, you don’t need to save documents

Chapter 1: Introducing Windows Vista 13

You can turn off a computer and make it enter the sleep state by following these steps:

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Power button.

To wake the computer from the sleep state, you can do either of the following:

■ Press the power button on the computer’s case.

■ Press a key on the computer’s keyboard.

You can turn off and turn on mobile computers by closing or opening their lid. When you close the lid, the laptop enters the sleep state. When you open the lid, the laptop wakes up from the sleep state.

Using the Power Button: What’s Changed

Regardless of whether you are using a desktop computer or a mobile computer, the way the Power button works depends on the system hardware, the system state, and the system configuration:

■ If the computer hardware doesn’t support the sleep state, the computer can’t use the

sleep state, and turning off the computer powers it down completely.

■ If the computer has updates installed that require a restart or you’ve installed programs

that require a restart, the computer can’t use the sleep state, and turning off the computer powers it down completely.

■ If you or an administrator has reconfigured the power options on the computer and set

the Power button to the Shut Down action, the computer can’t use the sleep state, and turning off the computer powers it down completely. See Chapter 7, “Working with Laptops and Tablet PCs,” for more details on configuring power options.

To help differentiate between turning off and shutting down a computer, Windows Vista displays two different views for the Power button:

■ An amber Power button, depicting a shield with a line through the top of it, indicates

that the computer will turn off and enter the low-power sleep state.

■ A red Power button, depicting a shield with a line through the middle of it, indicates that

the computer will shut down and completely power off.

Because the computer is still drawing power in the sleep state, you should never install hardware inside the computer or connect devices to the computer when it is in the sleep state. The only exception is for external devices that use USB or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports. You can connect USB and FireWire devices without shutting down the computer.

14 Part I: Getting to Know Windows Vista

Shutting Down and Restarting Computers: What’s Changed

As mentioned earlier, turning off a computer running Windows Vista puts the computer in a low-power sleep state instead of completely powering down the computer. To completely power down the computer, you must shut it down. Shutting down the computer ensures that the power to the computer is turned off.

Because of possible confusion regarding the sleep state and the power-down state, be sure to unplug a computer running Windows Vista before installing or connecting devices. To shut down a computer running Windows Vista, use one of the following techniques:

■ Click Start, click the Options button to the right of the Power and Lock buttons, and

then click Shut Down.

■ Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The red (Shut Down) Power button should be displayed in the

lower-right corner of the window. Click the Power button.

Caution

USB/non-FireWire devices without first ensuring that the computer is completely powered down. If the computer’s Power button is red and shows a shield with a line through the middle of it, the Power button shuts the computer off and completely powers it down. If the computer’s Power button is amber and shows a shield with a line through the top of it, the Power button turns off the computer and puts it in the low-power sleep state.

Do not install hardware inside a computer running Windows Vista or connect non-

To shut down and then restart a computer running Windows Visa, you can use either of the following techniques:

■ Click Start, click the Options button to the right of the Power and Lock buttons, and

then click Restart.

■ Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Click the Options button to the right of the Power button, and then

click Restart.

A restart is sometimes required to complete the installation of programs and automatic updates. A restart might also be required to finalize a system configuration change.

Chapter 2

Working with Windows Vista

In this chapter:

Getting Around in the Windows Vista Taskbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Navigating the Start Menu: What’s Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Using the All Programs Menu: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Navigating Control Panel: What’s Changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

As you learned in Chapter 1, “Introducing Windows Vista,” Microsoft Windows Vista is different from earlier versions of Windows, especially when it comes to user accounts and shutdown procedures. Prior to performing tasks that require administrator privileges, users are prompted for a password if they are using a standard user account or confirmation if they are using a computer administrator account. When you turn off a computer running Windows Vista, the computer typically enters a sleep state instead of completely powering down. You must, in fact, shut down the computer to power down completely. Beyond these important differences, you’ll find many other interface differences between Windows Vista and earlier versions of Windows, and examining these differences so that you can effectively work with Windows Vista is the subject of this chapter.

The primary means of getting around in Windows Vista are the taskbar and the menu system. The entryway to the menu system is the Start button on the taskbar. You use the Start button to display the Start menu, which in turn allows you to run programs, open folders, get help, and find the items you want to work with. From the Start menu, you can access the All Programs menu, which provides access to all the programs and tools on the computer and to Control Panel, which provides access to utilities for working with system settings.

With all the new taskbar and menu features, you might want to finally stop using Classic View for Control Panel, Classic Start menu, and double-click to open an item. Why? The answer is twofold. First, it’s so much easier to get around in Windows Vista using the standard configuration, and going back to the classic configuration means losing some of the most powerful features in Windows Vista. Second, it’s so much more intuitive to use single-clicking to open items because Windows Vista makes extensive use of links in its consoles and dialog boxes, and these links open items with single clicks.

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