Windows Vista FAQ

After a long wait finally Windows Vista is released by Microsoft and it is having dynamic changes as compared to the older version of windows. Also as a latest OS, is having tuning drivers, updating software, and readying their first hardware and PCs to ship with Vista preinstalled. Here are some windows vista FAQ listed below will surely helpful to you.

• What is Windows Vista?The very next successor of Windows XP is the windows Vista.
  
  
  
• Why it is called Windows Vista?Microsoft keeps on changing the releasing software names without successive name like Windows 2000, Windows ME, windows XP, and so on. Now to have a catchy name for its product it named it as Windows Vista or else people may consider as a boring release.
  
  
  
• Office 2007 which is next version of Microsoft Office was finalized with Windows Vista, will it only run on Windows Vista?It is not the case; Office 2007 will run on Windows Vista as well as on various versions like Windows XP with SP2, Windows XP x64 Edition, and Windows Server 2003 with SP1.
  
  
  
• How is Windows Vista is connected, clear and confident?The Windows vista is having three main features as always needed by Microsoft and also summarizes the product.
  When one says Windows Vista is Connected, it means it helps you to connect with the people, information and new technical devices, in a short time and easily. When one can say Windows Vista is clear, it means user-friendly and so having very expressive user interface, as well as clearly access your own information as well as introduces clear ways to organize and use information to focus on exact results for you.
  When one talks about confidence, many people never trust computers because of spyware as well as electronic threats, instead Windows Vista gives confidence in PC and help you to get out of it. Microsoft says windows Vista is more secure and reliable for your PC.
  
  
• What do you mean by XPS?
• In 2005 Microsoft announced addition of new document format and printing architecture called XML Paper Specification, "XPS" in Windows Vista. XML based XPS is to Windows Vista as Adobe PDF is to Mac OS X: it is basically a device and application independent printing architecture which print documents as in their exact formatting in any application.
  An XML-based electronic paper format is included in XPS, a document viewer for viewing, managing, and printing XPS files, also with some new features like to digitally sign XPS documents, APIs which allow to integrate the applications and services with XPS, print pipeline, and new driver model for XPS-compatible printers.
• • Windows Vista was based on Windows Server 2003, and not on Windows XP, so dose Windows Vista is more stable/less consumer-friendly than Windows XP?
  • Latest Windows versions are always be based on the older and up-to-date Windows version up to that time, and when Microsoft reset Longhorn development and started working on that product, it is known as Windows Vista. When Windows Vista development in 2001 started and it was then based on Windows XP.
    In the middle of 2004 Microsoft restarted core development of Windows Vista, as its hard to go back and componentize the existing Windows Vista core code. While restarted Windows Vista development, Microsoft used the Windows Server 2003 with SP1 code base instead of using the code of Windows XP.
    still don't get confused by this as Vista also includes all of the features and compatibility from windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2). And also Microsoft writes in internal documentation, the company is taking only the best features of both the OS Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) as well as Windows Server 2003 with SP1 to create Windows Vista OS.
    
  • One should not buy a Windows XP-based PC, if wants to shift to Windows vista?If one thinking of migrating to Windows Vista in coming six months or may be less duration, should wait for Windows Vista. One can get better improvements in Windows Vista than will get after upgrading windows XP on the PC.
    
  • Windows Vista is a 32-bit or 64-bit OS?Virtually each Windows Vista product edition except Starter one, ships with both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) versions on the same DVD. Microsoft expects the computer buying public to switch to x64 during the Windows Vista life. Also there will not be a possibility of Itanium version of Windows Vista.

Windows Vista Features

Windows Vista Features are listed below some may be end user features and some may be related to the functionality improvements as well as the latest techniques added to windows Vista. One can just have the overview of the various features by reading out this page.

Windows SidebarTransparent panel appears on the side of the screen, which can be utilized for displaying the weather or sports scores. As Gadgets, it can also be placed on other parts of the desktop.

Windows ShellWindows Vista shell is different from Windows XP which has very different techniques used for organization, navigation, and searching as well. There are certain changes done in the Windows Explorer also like task panel removed and task options into the toolbar are inserted. There is a Breadcrumb navigation system so the address bar also replaced with it. There is also change in start menu, preview of thumbnails.

Windows Media Player 11Windows Media Player 11 gives user a full satisfaction of playing and organizing music and video on Windows. Word wheeling means search as you go on typing this is the new feature added in this version of media player, with new GUI for the media library, to display photos, to share music libraries in-between the vista networked machines.

Windows Internet Explorer 7Windows Vista IE7 has many exciting features like tabbed browsing, RSS, a search box. It also supports much more improved printing with Quick Tabs and new security protection features. Also have Internationalized Domain Name support (IDN) as well as improved web standards support.

Instant SearchWindows Vista has new searching technique, which is faster and in-depth that is based on the content than was in the previous window versions.

Windows MailWindows Mail is actually a replacement for Outlook Express that has many advanced features like new mail store that improves stability and features integrated Instant Search. Also like IE7, it has Phishing Filter and a Junk mail filtering which is enhanced through regular updates via Windows Update.

Backup and Restore CenterIt has the backup and restore application which will be more useful to schedule periodic backups of data of the user on the computer, and also recover from previous backups. It has a feature of creating complete PC Backup on new hardware or hard disk in case of any hardware failures.

Windows DVD MakerIt is actually a companion program to Windows Movie Maker, which has ability to create video DVDs as per the user's requirements. It has editable title, menu, video, soundtrack, pan and zoom motion effects on pictures or slides, in minutes in the DVD.

Windows Photo GalleryIt improved a lot while organizing the photo and movie, so included variety of changes in the photo and movie library management application. Windows Photo Gallery can import photos from the digital cameras, adjust colors and exposure, create and display slideshows and burn slideshows to DVD.

Windows CalendarWindows Vista supports a totally new calendar and task application.

Games and Games ExplorerIt has games in the vista version which reflect the Vista's graphics capabilities. Also some new nes are added like Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place. Games Explorer is very new feature which is a folder and it collects the shortcuts and information about the games on the computer.

Windows Media CenterWindows Media Center is the separate version of Windows XP, so mostly known as 'Windows XP Media Center Edition', now it comes with the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.

Windows Vista AeroThe totally new graphical user interface which is hardware based is Windows Aero. It is having very clear and clean look. It has got many new features which enhanced the user friendliness of the windows users for sure like transparencies, live thumbnails, live icons, windows flip and 3D window effects and many more.

Windows Vista Tricks

Windows Vista Tricks about Internet Explorer 7

• Print web content as a pictureAs the IE 7 provides shrink to fit printing feature, web sites will no longer get cut off while printing.
  
  
• Browse multiple Web sitesTabbed browsing in IE enables IE window to run with the convenience of multiple WebPages. One can open a new webpage by clicking the empty tab on the toolbar. One an also do this by right-clicking any hyperlink and then select new tab. One can refresh the Tabs, to alter their functionality by right clicking individual pages or refresh it for a page or a group.

Windows Vista Tricks about Search and Organize

• About Windows Vista start menuwhen you look for any of the particular applications, Web sites, and e-mails, its easier and quicker in streamlined Windows Vista start menu. For finding any of the particular application or file, click Windows key on the keyboard or click start and type name of the file in Instant Search field you want. It will list the files contain that word at any position in their names.
  
  
• Enhanced UI (User Interface)If PC supports the Windows Aero and you opened many files and see how easy it is to locate the needed file just by using the breakthrough Windows Flip by using ALT+TAB or Flip 3D using Windows key+TAB.
  
  
• New Search explorerOne can filter by type using the search pane and selecting Documents. One can choose to see your files in another way, via the new stack view. First you can explore each and every document by double clicking on its author name stack. Save this search s a new search older. For next search just select the Searches older link on the left side navigation pane, and double click on the search folder you need now.

Windows Vista Tricks about Collaboration

• co-worker Collaboration.When one want to do a file processing with other users as well, but don't want to be one of them, Windows Meeting Space, new feature in Vista enables to start an impromptu collaboration session with other Vista users. One has to open Windows Meeting Space and start a session; it will automatically detect other Windows Vista users that are on the same sub-net. Invite them and once they accept the invitation, you can share it by dragging a document to the Handouts area on the bottom right, replicates it across the other meeting participants PCs. One just has to drag the file in the presentation area on the left side and start your processing while others watch.
  If any other user want to edit, pass control of the application directly to that user to make that edit for yourself.
  
  
• XPS documentThis is an archiving format perfect for preserving content and for securely sharing information in any of the Vista application independently. To make any XPS document, open it in any application, and choose print option. Select Microsoft XPS Document writer in print option, and save the file. To open it double click on the saved file, it will open in the XPS Viewer, which is hosted by IE 7.
  
  
• Share file/folder directly from your PCIn Windows Vista one can share the file or folder on his PC with other individuals in the similar corporate network. In any explorer, choose file or folder to share and choose the option to Share. Enter the information of the one with whom you want to share that particular in the same network and give appropriate rights of access to them. Vista generates e-mail to the user who is using shared content automatically and auto-generated e-mail is having hyperlink to shared content, to make quick access.

Top 8 Vista Tips and Tricks

1. If you hate the look of Aero, click Start/Control Panel/Themes and you can choose a non-Aero theme, such as Windows Classic.

2. Windows Vista's installer can detect serial-ATA (SATA) drives without the need to provide a driver diskette. Don't bother creating a diskette for your SATA drives before you install Vista.

3. If, for some reason, the Vista installation gets interrupted due to an unintentional shutdown or reboot, start the computer without booting the Vista DVD. Windows Vista's installer should pick up where it left off. If it does-n't, then restart the installation over from scratch.

4. When you perform a search with Vista's new, instant search feature, you can save the search in a special folder. This powerful feature allows you to create a virtual folder which, by default, is saved in your \\Searches\ folder. Every time you open such a folder, the search results are updated.

5. In Windows Vista, you can add additional clocks to the system tray. Click the clock, and then click Date and Time Settings. Click the Additional Clocks tab. You can add one or two additional clocks to the tray and select their time zones.

6. You can save your progress in most of the games included with Windows Vista—even the carry-overs from earlier versions of Windows.

7. You can create XML documents, which are more secure than regular text files or even word processor docs. Just create a document in a word processor, print it via the options menu, and select the XPS printer.

8. If you upgrade your graphics card in preparation for Windows Vista, be sure to get a new card with as much local memory as possible. Since Windows Vista renders everything—even the desktop and windows them-selves—as 3D surfaces, local 3D memory greatly improves performance...sometimes even more than a more powerful GPU.