Ultimate 70-620 Vista Guide

ProProfs.
com Windows Vista Tutorial
Ultimate Vista:
Configuration
Guide
Preparation Guide for Exam 70-620
ProProfs.com Windows Vista Tutorial
Installing/Updating to Windows Vista
• Windows Vista Requirements: Microsoft Website

• Windows Vista Editions Overview: Overview
Vista Starter:
System Requirements:
• 800 Mhz processor

• 512 MB RAM
• 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
• Support for Super VGA graphics
• CD-ROM drive
Features:
• Available only as OEM version that is pre-installed

• Typically found in emerging countries (not in US, Japan, etc).
• Only three applications can run simultaneously
• Does not allow inbound network connections
Vista Home Basic:

System Requirements:
• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 512 MB RAM
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory
• DVD-ROM drive
Features:
• Ideal for people with very basic computing needs (word

processing, email, Internet).
• Does not support Windows Aero interface.
• Maximum 1 physical processor and 8 GB of RAM
Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and

Ultimate:
System Requirements
• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 1 GB RAM
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
o WDDM Driver
o 128 MB of graphics memory
o Pixel Shader 2.0
o 32 bits per pixel
• DVD-ROM drive
Home Premium Features:
• Windows Aero
• Maximum 1 physical processor and 16 GB of RAM
• Windows Media Center
• Scheduled/Network Backup
Vista Business Features:
• Windows Aero
• Does NOT include Media Center
• IIS
• Previous Versions support (shadow copy)
• Maximum 2 physical processors and 128 GB of RAM
• Complete PC Backup and Restore
• Corporate Roaming
Vista Enterprise Features:
• Available only through volume licensing

• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption
• Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications (SUA) provides the ability
to run UNIX applications on a Windows system.
Windows Vista Ultimate:
• This feature includes anything and everything Vista has to offer. If

you want full functionality, Ultimate is the way to go.
Upgrading to Vista from Previous Versions
• Windows Xp Home can upgrade to any Vista edition.

• Windows XP Pro can upgrade only to Business or Ultimate editions.
• Windows XP Tablet can upgrade only to Business of Ultimate

editions.
• Windows XP Media Center can upgrade to Home Premium or
Ultimate editions.
To ensure your hardware/software will be compatible in Windows Vista,

download and install the Upgrade Advisor: Upgrade Advisor.
Windows Easy Transfer
Windows Easy Transfer allows transfer files and settings from an older
computer to a Vista computer. In order to establish a connection, you
can:
• Use an Easy Transfer Cable

• Connect via a network
• Copy data on CDs/DVDs
• Copy data on removable USB drive
Select: All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Windows Easy

Transfer
*Note: To transfer programs, you must use Windows Easy Transfer

Companion.
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero
Graphics requirements for Windows Aero:

• Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WDDM) – Aero does not run on XP
drivers.
• DirectX 9-class graphics processing unit that supports Pixel Shader 2.0 in
hardware (32-bits per pixel)
• Graphics throughput of at least 1800 MB per second
• At least 1 GB of RAM
• The “complete” Aero experience requires Windows Vista Home premium,

Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise
Features of the Aero interface include:

• Live previews of the windows that you can switch (Alt + Tab)
• “Flip 3D”
– shows all
windows as a 3D stack (Windows logo key + Tab)
• Smoother window dragging, without “tearing” artifacts
• Interactive window controls (maximize, minimize, and close buttons glow

when hovered over)
• Animated window closing/opening
• Transparent window frames
• Live previews of icons on taskbar
Personalizing Aero
To view Aero properties, right-click the desktop and select Personalize | Windows
Color and Appearance
In this screen, you

can change the
default color of the
windows, and then
edit the preset
color scheme to
exactly the color
you desire. There
is also a check box
that allows you to
enable/disable
transparency (this
checkbox is not
available in
Windows Vista
Home Basic).
Turning Aero Off

To turn Aero off, from the Window Color and Appearance screen, click
Open Classic Appearance Properties For More Color Options , and choose any
option other than Windows Aero.
The main advantage of disabling Aero is to free up video memory.
Other Visual Features

Although not necessarily a feature of Aero, Vista does allow you to change the
default font size. While there are several ways to do this, the “best” way in Vista to
configure font size is via the DPI Scaling window.
To access: Right-click desktop | Personalize | Select “Adjust Font Size (DPI)”

You can also type dpiscaling in the search box.
You have the option of selecting between 2 preset sizes, or you can adjust to the
exact specifications you desire. Any changes made require a system restart.
Configure Networking with Network and Sharing Center

A new feature in Vista, “Network and Sharing Center”, can manage many of the
common tasks associated with configuring a network and network shares.
To access this feature:
• Type “network” in the search box.
• Start | Control Panel | Network and Internet | Network and Sharing Center
• In Explorer, Select the Network item in the left pane | Network and Sharing
Center
• In Notification Area, select Network Icon | Network and Sharing Center

Under the “Sharing and Discovery” Area, there are several components that you can
enable/disable:
1. Network Discovery: this affects whether other computers/devices on the
network are “visible” – specifies if other computers on the network can
detect your PC. Turn this feature on if you want to access shared devices and
files. Turn this feature off for maximum security.
2. File Sharing: With the setting

enabled, shared files and printers
from the local PC can be
accessed by others. Note that if
the local PC is in the “sleep”
state, these shares cannot be
accessed.
3. Public Folder Sharing: With

this setting enabled, others on
the network can access files that
reside in the Public Folder. The Public Folder is simply a folder that
automatically shares the contents with others on the network.
To access the Public Folder: Open Explorer and select the “Public” folder
in the left folders pane:
4. Printer Sharing: This self-explanatory setting allows others on the network

to access a shared printer that is attached to the local PC.
5. Password Protected Sharing: With this setting enabled, only those that
have a user account/password on the local PC may access shared
files/devices.
6. Media Sharing: With this option enabled, others may access shared music,
pictures, and videos on the local PC (and the local PC can find those files on
the network).
Configuring Wireless Networks

Generally, wireless networks only require that you specify a password in order to
establish a connection (not including wireless router setup). A dialog box will appear
in the notification area when a wireless network is detected, and configuration is
handled there. However, if the WAP is configured to not broadcast the SSID, you
will need to configure the network connection a little differently. First, from
Network and Sharing Center, select “Set up a connection of network”. From the
window that appears, choose “Manually connect to a wireless network”.
The following dialog box

appears:
There are a few fields you
must fill in correctly in order
to establish the network
connection. In the network
name field, enter the
appropriate SSID.
Choose the applicable Security type, and then enter the password (as configured on
the WAP).
There are two checkboxes that you will probably want to select; the first one allows
you to connect automatically to this network. This is a good choice if you don’t want
to manually connect to the network every time you boot your PC. The second option
tells your PC to connect to this network even if it is not broadcasted. Without this
option enabled, and assuming your WAP does not broadcast, you will not be able to
connect to the network. The combination of disabling SSID broadcasting, and
configuring your PC to connect to it automatically, creates a good combination of
security and usability.
Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

A nice feature in Vista is the new “Diagnose and Repair” feature, found on the main
Network and Sharing Center window. Once you select this option, a window will
popup and specify that it is working to identify a problem.
If a problem is detected, this feature will list possible causes and recommended
solutions. Many of these solutions can be performed automatically on your behalf,
not requiring any user intervention. Generally speaking, this is the first feature you
will want to use if you are experiencing network connectivity issues.
Configuring Windows Mail

Windows Mail is the replacement for Outlook Express, which was included with
previous versions of Windows. There are many similarities between the two, but
Windows Mail offers several new enhancements.
New Features Include:

• Storage of messages are individual files (.eml files), rather than binary .dbx
files. This makes stored messages less prone to corruption. Since these .eml
files are human-readable, it is now possible to view them outside of
Windows Mail (via notepad and other text editors).
• Includes a search box that is similar to the search in Windows Explorer.
• Store contact information in a contacts folder, rather than an address book.
• Does not support Hotmail accounts.
 To use Hotmail (renamed Windows Live Mail), download the Windows

Live Mail Desktop Client, which is a free download
• Identities feature has been dropped in Windows Mail.
Getting Started with Windows Mail

Setup is fairly straight-forward, and involves configuring accounts, visual
presentation, and other options.
The easiest way to access Windows Mail is to type “Mail” in the search box.
Setting up Accounts
To access: Select Tools | Accounts. There are 3 categories of accounts, which are
described below:
1. Email Account: Send and receive email messages. Specify POP/SMTP
servers.
2. Newsgroup Account: Send and receive newsgroup messages. Specify

NNTP server.
3. Directory Service Account: Provides access to Active Directory and other

LDAP services, which allows you to search for people or businesses on the
internet.
Customizing the Appearance

Select: View | Layout
The Preview Pane allows you to

view an email without actually
opening it. This is especially useful
if you tend to receive a large
amount of email, and you want to
browse through emails without
needing to open each individual
item.
Under the Basic settings, you can

control how much or how little you
want displayed within Windows
Mail. A few of these options include
Folder Bar, which is a horizontal
bar that describes the current folder
you are in, and Folder List, which is
a pane on the left that shows the
folder hierarchy within Windows
Mail (Inbox, Deleted, Sent, etc).
Setting Basic Options

To access, select: Tools | Options
There are too many

options to list here, but
some of the options that
you may want to change
include:
Check for new messages

every: Specifies how
often new mail is checked
(default is 30 minutes).
Signatures: Allows you

to specify a signature that
is automatically added to
every email you create.
Spelling: Enables/disables
spell check before sending
an email.
Download Images: From

the security tab, allows
you to prevent the
download of images and other external content in HTML email messages.
Configuring and Managing Contacts

Gone is the Address Book feature that you may be familiar with. In the address
book’s place is the contact folder, which is an ordinary windows explorer folder that
is stored in your user profile (by default).
To access the contacts folder:

1. While in Windows Mail, type Ctrl + Shift + C
2. Type “Contacts” in the Start Menu’s search box.
This is where you can create, modify, and delete contacts. The contact information
box contains several tabs (as shown below):
Other Features
To create a distribution list, click on New Contact Group from the contacts main
window. Then, name a contact group and add the desired contact to that group.
Contact groups simplify sending email by enabling you to specify one group that
sends to multiple contacts.
To create a vCard (electronic business card), create a contact entry for yourself.
Then, you can right-click the contact entry and select Send Contact (vCard).
Configuring Windows Fax and Scan
Windows Fax and Scan allows you to send and receive faxes without a fax machine.
Another feature of Fax and Scan is the ability to scan items that can then be faxed or
emailed.
To Access: Start | All Programs | Windows Fax and Scan
Before you are able to send and receive faxes, you must configure an account. To
create an account, select Tools | Fax Accounts. The following dialog box appears:
Click Add to create an

account. You will be
prompted to select a fax
modem installed locally or
available through the network.
Windows Firewall may
display a notice that incoming
connections will be blocked,
which requires you to allow
an exception for Windows
Fax and Scan.
Fax Options
To access fax options, select Tools | Fax Settings.
As you can see, there are 4 tabs:

General: Device
name, ability to
configure to
send/receive faxes.
Tracking: Choose
when and how to be
notified of status of a
fax.
Advanced: Options
such as where to store
faxes, whether or not
to include a banner on
faxes, etc.
Security: Configure
users and groups that
can send/receive faxes, and who can manage faxes.
Fax Service: In order to send and receive faxes, the fax service must be running. To
enable this service, perform the following:
1. Right-click My Computer | Manage
2. Select Service and Applications | Services
3. Double-click Fax Service and select the startup type to “Automatic”
When you have a scanner installed on your Vista machine, Windows Fax and Scan
can manage the scanner directly. To access the scanning features, simply select
“Scan” on the lower left area of the screen.
Configuring Windows Calendar
Windows Calendar is a new program in Vista that can be used to store scheduled
tasks and appointments. Windows Calendar can be accessed through Windows Mail
by selecting Tools | Windows Calendar. Alternatively, Windows Calendar can be
found by selecting Start | All Programs | Windows Calendar.
A few of the tasks that can be performed within Windows Calendar include:
• Create tasks
• Create multiple calendars
• Print/Publish Calendars in iCalendar format
• Email your calendar
• Create single and reoccurring appointments
To create a new appointment, select New Appointment (found on the upper left
corner of Windows Calendar). You can specify the location, whether or not it is all-
day, the start and end times, recurrence (if any), reminder, etc. Those familiar with
calendar features in Outlook will find this very similar.
To share a calendar, select Share | Publish. You are required to enter a calendar
name and a location to publish the calendar. You can publish the calendar to the
Internet, a shared folder, or a network location. The option to automatically publish
changes also exists, which will update the share every time it is modified. If this
option is not selected, you will be required to synchronize these updates by selecting
Share | Sync.
Once you are done sharing

the calendar, you can stop
sharing it by selecting
Share | Stop Publishing.
Another share feature
allows you to subscribe to a
shared calendar, which is
done by selecting Share |
Subscribe.
Configuring Power Options
Windows Vista includes several improvements and new features for Power
Management, including:
• Battery meter, which resides in the System tray and displays current battery
power
• Sleep power state, which provides fast resume times with the features of the
previous “hibernate” mode
• ReadyDrive, a feature that allows faster startup when used with

ReadyDrive-enabled hard drives
• Power Plans, that serve as “templates” of hardware/software settings aimed

at specific functions
Power Plans: There are four different power states, as described below:
1. Fully Active PC
2. Sleep: data is stored to hard disk, and the session is available within seconds
after the computer “wakes up”.
3. Hibernation: saves all open files and the state of the desktop, starts up faster
than if from an actual shutdown.
4. Complete Shutdown
To define what the power button does:

Start | Control Panel | Hardware and Sound | “Change what the power buttons do”
Configuring Power Plans

To configure Power Plans, select: Start | Control Panel | System and Maintenance |
Power Options
*Note: In place of Dell Recommended, you would typically see “Balanced”.*
Balanced Power Plan: Provides a balance between power savings and

performance. Configures wireless adapters for maximum performance.
Power Saver Power Plan: Optimized for power savingsl; display and hard drives
are turned off after 20 minutes of inactivity, computer put to sleep after 60 minutes.
High Performance Power Plan: Configured for maximum performance, computer
never enters sleep mode; display turned off after 20 minutes.
Note that these default power plans can be modified to suit your exact needs.
To edit the advanced settings to these power plans:

Select the power plan | Change plan settings | Change advanced power settings
Windows ReadyBoost
Windows ReadyBoost allows the use of nonvolatile flash memory (thumbdrive)
devices to be used to temporarily add to the available system memory. When a
ReadyBoost-compatible device is detected, a prompt is given asking if you want to
use ReadyBoost.
To be ReadyBoost-capable, devices must meet the following requirements:
• At least 256MB
• Supports USB 2.0
• Throughput of 2.5MB/sec for 4K random threads/1.75MB/sec for 512k

random writes
ReadyDrive
Utilizes new hybrid hard disks (which use flash memory as well as physical hard
disks) to speed up the boot process, resumes from the hibernate state faster, and
conserves battery power for mobile PCs.
Configure Windows Meeting Space
Windows Meeting Space is Vista’s new replacement for the prior NetMeeting
application. Windows Meeting Space allows sharing an application, sharing
documents and editing them with other users, showing your desktop environment,
creating notes for users, etc. Up to 10 users can use this feature simultaneously.
To start Meeting Space, select Start | All Programs | Windows Meeting Space. You
will be prompted to setup Windows Meeting Space if this is the first time opening it
(as shown below).
After clicking “Yes”, you are required to configure “People Near Me”.
Information that is required includes your

display name, whether or not you want to start
Meeting Space up on startup, who to allow
invitations from, and a privacy statement.
Once you “Set up People Near Me”, you are
taken to the main Windows Meeting Space
window. (Next Page).
To start a new meeting, select “Start a new meeting”. By default, the new meeting
name is your display name + a timestamp. You must also specify a password of at
least 8 characters in length. For additional settings, select the “options” link:
Options include Allowing/Disallowing

people near me to see the meeting. If the
option is set to not allow people to see the
meeting, they must enter the meeting name
manually.
The option to create a private ad hoc wireless
network also exists.
Once options are set, click the green arrow button to start the meeting. Once the
meeting is created, you can then invite people, add handouts, share your desktop,
and configure your user options.
Troubleshooting Windows Meeting Space

A few pointers if you are having difficulty entering or creating a meeting:
• You can only be in one meeting at a time, and only one instance of Windows
Meeting Space can be running on a computer. You must leave a current
meeting in order to join a new meeting.
• Check that IPv6 is enabled (Meeting Space requires it).
• Must not be logged in as a guest account
• Users must be on the same subnet to use People Near Me.
• Ensure a Windows Firewall exception has been created for Windows

Meeting Space.
Configure Windows Defender
Windows Defender protects your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and
security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. Using Real-Time
Protection, Defender provides a monitoring system that recommends actions against
spyware when it's detected.
To access Windows Defender:

Click Start | Control Panel | Security | Windows Defender
Most Spyware programs, once installed, are configured to run automatically every
time the computer starts up. Windows Defender includes a Software Explorer
component that lists information regarding every item in the startup program list,
and allows you to disable those you specify.
To access Software Explorer (from within Windows Defender):

Select Tools | Software Explorer
Within Software Explorer, you can choose between Startup Programs, Currently
running programs, Network Connected Programs, and WinSock Service Providers.
By selecting individual programs on the left pane, the right pane lists detailed
information you can use to decide whether or not you want to disable that program.
Scan for Spyware and other unwanted software

Windows Defender allows you the control of performing a Quick Scan, a Full Scan,
or a Custom Scan. A Quick Scan checks areas of the hard drive that are most likely
to be infected with Spyware, and uses less system resources. Microsoft recommends
you perform a QuickScan once every day, and then when Spyware is suspected,
perform a Full Scan. Full Scans check the contents of the entire hard drive(s), and
take significantly longer to perform. Custom Scans are useful if you want to narrow
the scan down to a specific location.
To scan for Spyware

Open Windows Defender, and then select Scan. From here, you can choose from
Quick, Full, or Custom Scans.
To Schedule Automatic Scans, Default actions, and Real-time protection

options:
From Windows Defender, select Tools | Options.
Within this dialog box, you can specify the type of scan that occurs, the time of day
it will run, whether or not Windows Defender checks for updates prior to the scan,
what action to take for High, Medium, and Low-level alerts, and a long list of real-
time protection options (shown below).
Another interesting feature of Windows Defender is Microsoft SpyNet. When a

piece of Spyware is detected on your PC, but is not yet classified for risks, you can
check SpyNet to see how other members of the community handled that piece of
Spyware.
Configure Windows Internet Explorer 7
Assuming most people reading this tutorial know how to use the basic functionality
of a web browser, this tutorial will focus on the new features introduced in IE 7.
For starters, there is a new “Zoom In/Zoom Out” feature, located on the lower right-
hand side of the browser window. Using this, you can quickly increase or decrease
the amount of space a webpage takes up:
This option is also available in Print Preview

Mode. By selecting the down arrow that is to
the immediate right of the Printer Icon, and
selecting “Print Preview”, you can adjust the %
of the screen that you want included in the
printed page. By default, the “shrink to fit”
option is selected.
Another obvious
feature of IE 7 is the
introduction of
tabbed browsing; this
allows multiple web
pages to be open at
the same time, with
only 1 open window.
Notice how there are
multiple tabs on the
top (ProProfs.com,
Google, and
Microsoft.com), yet
there is only a single
window for Internet
Explorer on the
taskbar. An
additional option for
tabbed browsing includes the ability to have multiple start pages that load up
whenever you start IE 7.
A few tabbed browsing tips:

• To open a blank browser tab, use: Ctrl + T
• To open a link without shifting focus of the current tab, click on the link with
the middle mouse button (the scroll button). You can also right-click and
select “Open in New Tab”.
• To navigate through current tabs, use: Ctrl + Tab
• To view a preview of all current tabs, use the Quick Tabs feature (icon to the
left of tab bar), or use: Ctrl + Q
To configure tabbed browser settings, select Tools | Internet Options | “Tabs:

Settings”
To completely disable tabbed

browsing, uncheck the first
checkbox. Most of the other options
are self-explanatory. The “Open only
the first home page…” allows you to
select multiple homepages, but only
the first on in the list will actually
load upon IE7 startup.
Instant Search Box

IE 7 offers a new search feature, located on the upper right corner of IE. This “fast
search” option allows you to enter a search term and retrieve results without actually
visiting the search site (for example, Google). To change the Instant Search settings,
select the down arrow and choose “Change Search Defaults”.
Blocking Pop-Up Windows

IE7 does a good job of blocking annoying pop-up messages, but sometimes, you
may want to allow, by default, pop-ups for a particular site. To completely enable all
pop-ups, uncheck the option “Turn on Pop-up Blocker”. For more granular settings,
select “settings”, and add any sites that you want to allow pop-ups for.
Tools | Internet Options | Privacy | Settings
RSS (Real Simple Syndication) Feeds

First off, a definition of an RSS feed is in order. From IE7’s help options, a feed is
defined as
“…, also known as RSS feeds, XML feeds, syndicated content, or web feeds,
contain frequently updated content published by a website. They are usually
used for news and blog websites, but are also used for distributing other
types of digital content, including pictures, audio or video. “
If you visit a site that offers RSS feeds, an orange box will appear with a drop-down
list, allowing you to add the site’s feed to your subscribed feeds:
Not RSS-enabled RSS Enabled
Once you select the orange icon (Feeds button), select the Subscribe to this Feed
button.
To view your currently subscribed RSS feeds, select the Favorites Center button
(star) on the upper left-hand side of the screen:
User Accounts and Family Safety: Parental Controls
Windows Vista offers a completely new way to configure user access, including
features such as when the user can log on, the type of games a user is allowed to
play based on ESRB ratings, program limitations, etc. As an administrator, you can
also easily view the activities of the user and generate reports on a weekly basis (or
a frequency that suits your needs best). Let’s take a look at these features:
1. To Access: Start | Control Panel | “Set up parental controls for any user”
2. At this point, you need to create a user account other than the admin, if one
doesn’t already exist. To do so, select “Create a new user account”.
3. Enter the account name, and specify whether or not the user must set their
password at the next logon. Click “Create Account”.
4. This brings up the User Controls screen, which is the window where all user
account restrictions can be configured. (Shown on next page)
5. By default, the Parental Controls are off, so select “On, enforce current
settings”.
6. Under Activity Reporting, you can choose whether or not you want to collect
activity information. There is a vast amount of information given in this
report, so rather than explain each detail, I’ll allow a snapshot to convey the
breadth of information covered. (Next Page)
7. Back at the User Controls screen, select “Windows Vista Web Filter”. This
areas allows configuration including: blocking web sites based on default
settings and specific content, blocking file downloads, and choosing a
custom access list of approved websites. Select the options you desire, and
click OK.
8. Select “Time Limits” in the User Control screen. This screen will allow you
to control when the user can use the computer. Choose the time restrictions,
and select OK.
A situation where you might use this is, for example, when you have a child
that tends to chat online at all hours of the night, or that wakes up early to
use the computer on the weekends. To limit their access time, you simply
click and drag over the time boxes that you want to prohibit access for:
9. Select “Games” from the User Controls screen. This allows you to prevent
games with inappropriate material from running on the user’s account. If
you select “Set game ratings”, you are given the choice to allow games based
on ESRB ratings:
10. Finally,
you
can
allow and block specific programs from running. Select “Allow and block
specific programs” from the User Control screen, and then specify that the
user “can only use the programs I allow.” This generates a list of all available
programs, and you can pick and choose which applications are allowed to
run.
If a specific application is not found in the list, you have the ability to add
the program by specifying the directory path.
That’s it for configuring User Accounts and Family Safety!

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ProProfs.

com Windows Vista Tutorial

Installing/Updating to Windows Vista

• Windows Vista Requirements: Microsoft Website

• 800 Mhz processor

• Available only as OEM version that is pre-installed

Vista Home Basic:

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• Ideal for people with very basic computing needs (word

Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

Home Premium Features:

Vista Business Features:

Vista Enterprise Features:

• Available only through volume licensing

Windows Vista Ultimate:

• This feature includes anything and everything Vista has to offer. If

Upgrading to Vista from Previous Versions

• Windows Xp Home can upgrade to any Vista edition.

• Windows XP Tablet can upgrade only to Business of Ultimate

To ensure your hardware/software will be compatible in Windows Vista,

Windows Easy Transfer

• Use an Easy Transfer Cable

Select: All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Windows Easy

*Note: To transfer programs, you must use Windows Easy Transfer

Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero

Graphics requirements for Windows Aero:

• Graphics throughput of at least 1800 MB per second

• The “complete” Aero experience requires Windows Vista Home premium,

Features of the Aero interface include:

• Smoother window dragging, without “tearing” artifacts

• Interactive window controls (maximize, minimize, and close buttons glow

• Animated window closing/opening

• Transparent window frames

• Live previews of icons on taskbar

In this screen, you

Turning Aero Off

Other Visual Features

To access: Right-click desktop | Personalize | Select “Adjust Font Size (DPI)”

Configure Networking with Network and Sharing Center

• In Notification Area, select Network Icon | Network and Sharing Center

2. File Sharing: With the setting

3. Public Folder Sharing: With

4. Printer Sharing: This self-explanatory setting allows others on the network

Configuring Wireless Networks

The following dialog box

Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

Configuring Windows Mail

New Features Include:

• Includes a search box that is similar to the search in Windows Explorer.

• Store contact information in a contacts folder, rather than an address book.

• Does not support Hotmail accounts.

 To use Hotmail (renamed Windows Live Mail), download the Windows

• Identities feature has been dropped in Windows Mail.

Getting Started with Windows Mail

2. Newsgroup Account: Send and receive newsgroup messages. Specify

3. Directory Service Account: Provides access to Active Directory and other

Customizing the Appearance

The Preview Pane allows you to

Under the Basic settings, you can

Setting Basic Options

There are too many

Check for new messages

Signatures: Allows you

Note: In place of Dell Recommended, you would typically see “Balanced”.