Vista Introduction

Windows Vista Introduction
Windows Vista
Introduction
Table of Contents
Desktop Search ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Searching for Applications, Files and Other Items .................................................................................. 5
Showing All Results................................................................................................................................. 6
Searching with Wildcards ........................................................................................................................ 6
Searching using Keywords ......................................................................................................................... 7
Using AND, OR and NOT ........................................................................................................................ 7
Additional Keywords ................................................................................................................................ 8
Advanced Search ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Adding Advanced Options to a Search ................................................................................................. 10
Searching a Particular Folder ................................................................................................................ 11
Using the Start Menu ................................................................................................................................. 12
Launching the Start Menu ..................................................................................................................... 12
Opening an Application using the Start Menu ....................................................................................... 13
The Programs Pane .............................................................................................................................. 13
The Links Pane ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Controlling Windows ................................................................................................................................. 15
Returning to the Desktop .......................................................................................................................... 16
Switching between Windows .................................................................................................................... 16
Stacking and Cascading Windows ........................................................................................................... 18
Copying and Linking between Applications ............................................................................................ 19
Copying between Applications .............................................................................................................. 19
Linking Applications............................................................................................................................... 19
Using the Task Manager ............................................................................................................................ 20
Using the Side Bar ..................................................................................................................................... 21
What is the Sidebar? ............................................................................................................................. 21
Closing & Re-opening the Sidebar ........................................................................................................ 21
Keeping the Sidebar in View ................................................................................................................. 21
Adding Gadgets to the Sidebar ............................................................................................................. 21
Shutting Down ............................................................................................................................................ 22
Sleep ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
Log Off................................................................................................................................................... 22
Restart ................................................................................................................................................... 22
Shut Down ............................................................................................................................................. 23
Setting Default Programs .......................................................................................................................... 23
Default Programs .................................................................................................................................. 24
Associating Programs ........................................................................................................................... 24
AutoPlay Settings .................................................................................................................................. 25
Program and Computer Settings ........................................................................................................... 25
Windows Calendar ..................................................................................................................................... 26
Launching the Calendar ........................................................................................................................ 26
Creating Appointments .......................................................................................................................... 27
Creating Tasks ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Windows Contacts ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Launching Contacts............................................................................................................................... 29
Adding Contacts .................................................................................................................................... 29
Emailing Contacts ................................................................................................................................. 30
© Hewlett-Packard 2007 Page 1 of 130

Windows Defender ..................................................................................................................................... 30

Starting Windows Defender ................................................................................................................... 30
Scanning your Computer ....................................................................................................................... 31
Scheduling Scans.................................................................................................................................. 31
Windows Media Player .............................................................................................................................. 32
Starting Windows Media Player ............................................................................................................ 32
Opening Media Files ............................................................................................................................. 32
Selecting Files ............................................................................................................................................ 34
Viewing Documents ................................................................................................................................... 34
Organising by Layout ................................................................................................................................ 37
Examples of different views: .................................................................................................................. 38
Navigating Folders ..................................................................................................................................... 40
Deleting Files and Folders ........................................................................................................................ 41
Renaming Files ........................................................................................................................................... 42
Renaming Files ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Naming Multiple Files ............................................................................................................................ 42
Naming Conventions ............................................................................................................................. 43
Long File Names ................................................................................................................................... 43
Creating Folders ......................................................................................................................................... 43
Moving and Copying Files ......................................................................................................................... 44
Something Else to Try ........................................................................................................................... 45
Sorting and Grouping Files ....................................................................................................................... 46
Sorting Files .......................................................................................................................................... 46
Grouping Files ....................................................................................................................................... 46
Filtering Files ......................................................................................................................................... 46
Showing the Menu Bar .............................................................................................................................. 47
Stacking Files ............................................................................................................................................. 48
Managing the Recycle Bin ......................................................................................................................... 49
To recycle files ...................................................................................................................................... 49
To delete files permanently ................................................................................................................... 49
To restore files....................................................................................................................................... 50
Backing up Data ......................................................................................................................................... 51
Restoring Data ............................................................................................................................................ 53
Working with Versions .............................................................................................................................. 55
Document Properties ................................................................................................................................. 56
The Details Pane ................................................................................................................................... 56
The Properties Dialog Box .................................................................................................................... 56
Viewing Images .......................................................................................................................................... 57
Printing Images .......................................................................................................................................... 60
Viewing a Slide Show ................................................................................................................................ 61
Starting the Photo Gallery ......................................................................................................................... 62
Grouping and Sorting Images ................................................................................................................... 63
Grouping Images ................................................................................................................................... 63
Sorting images ...................................................................................................................................... 64
Fixing Images ............................................................................................................................................. 64

Tagging and Rating Images ...................................................................................................................... 66

To rate an image: .................................................................................................................................. 66
To tag an image: ................................................................................................................................... 66
Making Movies ............................................................................................................................................ 66
Setting the Desktop Background ............................................................................................................. 67
Compressing Files ..................................................................................................................................... 68
Unzipping and Viewing Compressed Folders ....................................................................................... 68
Viewing Recent Items ................................................................................................................................ 68
Launching Internet Explorer ..................................................................................................................... 69
Starting Internet Explorer ...................................................................................................................... 69
Opening a Web Page ............................................................................................................................ 69
Adding and Viewing Favorites .................................................................................................................. 69
Adding Favorites ................................................................................................................................... 69
Viewing Favorites .................................................................................................................................. 70
Organising Favorites ............................................................................................................................. 70
Favorite Shortcuts ................................................................................................................................. 71
Viewing RSS Feeds .................................................................................................................................... 71
Viewing your History ................................................................................................................................. 72
Viewing History...................................................................................................................................... 72
Searching your Browser History ............................................................................................................ 73
Clearing your Browser History ............................................................................................................... 73
Opening in New Tabs and Windows ........................................................................................................ 74
Opening a New Tab .............................................................................................................................. 74
Opening a New Window ........................................................................................................................ 74
Closing Tabs ......................................................................................................................................... 74
Browsing Multiple Tabs ......................................................................................................................... 75
Printing Web Pages ................................................................................................................................... 75
Print Preview ......................................................................................................................................... 75
Print Web Pages ................................................................................................................................... 76
Setting Home Pages .................................................................................................................................. 77
Changing the Home Page ..................................................................................................................... 77
Setting Multiple Home Page Tabs ......................................................................................................... 77
Zooming in and out of the Page ............................................................................................................... 78
Shortcuts ............................................................................................................................................... 78
Setting Internet Explorer Options ............................................................................................................. 79
The Pop-up Blocker ................................................................................................................................... 79
Pop-up Blocker Settings ........................................................................................................................ 80
Security Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 81
Privacy Settings ......................................................................................................................................... 82
Phishing Filter ............................................................................................................................................ 83
Sending Links and Pages .......................................................................................................................... 84
Emailing Files ............................................................................................................................................. 85
Sharing Files and Folders ......................................................................................................................... 85
Sharing using Properties ....................................................................................................................... 85
Sharing using the Public Folder ............................................................................................................ 86
User Account and Password ................................................................................................................. 87

Revising File Share Permissions .............................................................................................................. 88

File Share Permissions ......................................................................................................................... 88
Folder Share Permissions ..................................................................................................................... 89
Burning Files to CD .................................................................................................................................... 90
Mapping Network Drives ........................................................................................................................... 92
Disconnecting Drives ................................................................................................................................ 92
Windows Meeting Space ........................................................................................................................... 93
Setting up Windows Meeting Space ...................................................................................................... 93
Starting a Meeting ................................................................................................................................. 93
Joining a Meeting .................................................................................................................................. 95
Meeting Tools ........................................................................................................................................ 96
Sharing Printers ......................................................................................................................................... 98
Locking your Computer ............................................................................................................................. 99
Switching Users ....................................................................................................................................... 100
Network and Sharing Center ................................................................................................................... 101
Adding a Wireless Device ....................................................................................................................... 103
The Sync Center ....................................................................................................................................... 104
Changing your Password ........................................................................................................................ 107
Setting Favorite Links .............................................................................................................................. 108
Creating Search Folders .......................................................................................................................... 109
The Control Panel .................................................................................................................................... 110
Personalising your Desktop .................................................................................................................... 111
Setting the Clock, Language and Region .............................................................................................. 112
Creating Shortcuts ................................................................................................................................... 113
Customising the Start Menu ................................................................................................................... 114
Customising the Vista Start Menu ....................................................................................................... 114
Customising the Quick Launch Bar ....................................................................................................... 115
Customising the Task Bar Tray .............................................................................................................. 116
Windows Colour and Appearance .......................................................................................................... 118
Changing the Desktop Background ....................................................................................................... 119
Setting the Screen Saver ......................................................................................................................... 120
Customising Sounds ............................................................................................................................... 121
Changing Mouse Pointers ....................................................................................................................... 122
Using Themes ........................................................................................................................................... 123
Start-up Programs .................................................................................................................................... 124
The Control Panel Classic View .............................................................................................................. 125
Power Options .......................................................................................................................................... 126
Folder Options .......................................................................................................................................... 127
Easy Transfer ........................................................................................................................................... 129

Desktop Search
Searching for Applications, Files and Other Items
The Search box at the bottom of the Start menu can be used to locate any item in Windows Vista, including
applications, documents, pictures, email messages and website links. This means that you can now locate
any file or email message simply by typing any part of the name or content into this box.
To start a search:
 Click on the Start button

 The Start box is activated automatically - type any part of the name of the application or file you are
trying to find
As you type, all matching programs, files and email messages will display in the Start menu, split into
sections for Programs, Files and email Communications.
The following shows an example of the text Remote typed in the Search box. All applications containing
"Remote" in their name have been found, as well as any files and emails that contain this word in their file
name or content.

Showing All Results
Click on the See All Results link to open a new window on screen with all results showing:
 Click on an item in the Show Only menu to show only that type of result e.g. only emails, documents
or pictures
 Right-click over a found file for options to work with the file e.g. to print, open, delete or create a
desktop shortcut to the file
Searching with Wildcards
Wildcards allow you search for applications, files or other items by entering only some of the characters
from the item name. The wildcards are used to indicate that other characters could be inserted at the
wildcard position.
The following wildcard characters can be used:
Wildcard Can Substitute Example

* Any characters D*.docx would locate all Word documents starting with the letter D
? Any single D??.docx would find all Word documents starting with the letter D that
character only have 3 characters in their filename

Searching using Keywords

If you often perform searches for applications, files or other items in Windows Vista, it will be worth learning
the new search keywords that you can use to narrow you search and find matching items quicker.
Using AND, OR and NOT
These keywords allow you to choose exactly what sort of match you want for your search text. If you
searched for the words Remote Working for example, all files or items that contain both words will be
found, although these words would not need to appear next to each other in the item.
You can change this using AND, OR and NOT:
NB: When using the above keywords, always type them in capital letters.
Keyword Example Result
OR Remote OR Working This would find items containing the word Remote, or the word
Working, or both
AND or + Remote AND Working This would find all items named or containing Remote and
Working, but not necessarily in that order. This is the same as
typing Remote Working into the Search box.
NOT or - Remote NOT Working This would find items containing the word Remote but not
containing Working. Any items containing both words would not be
returned in the results.
"" "Remote Working" This would only return files, messages, etc. that contain these two
words next to each other. Items only containing Remote, or only
containing Working, would not be returned. Items containing both
words but not appearing next to each other would also not be
returned
When searching for applications, only applications with names matching all search text will be found. Typing
Outlook 2007 will find only Outlook, and not Word, PowerPoint or Excel 2007.

Additional Keywords
You can use specific keywords if you are looking for specific information in your files e.g. all files created by
a specific person, or all email messages received on a certain date.
kind kind: everything This would return any type of item
kind: email This would return email messages only
kind: docs This would return all files that are word processing
documents
kind: spreadsheets This would return all files that are spreadsheets e.g. Excel,
Lotus
kind: favorites This would return all favourites
foldername foldername: budgets This would return all files in the budgets folder
size size: >10 MB This would return all items with a size over 10 MB
size: <200 KB This would return all items with a size under 200 KB
size: >500 KB <1 MB This would return all items between 500 KB and 1 MB in
size
filename filename: budget This would return all files with budget in their name
ext ext: jpg This would return all JPEG images
ext: xlsx This would return all Excel 2007 files
ext: url This would return all stored web page URLs
author author: John This would return all items created by a person named
John
author: "John Smith" This would return all items created by a person named
John Smith
before before: 01/12/2006 This would return all items modified before the end of 2006
after after: 01/01/2007 This would return all items modified after the start of 2007
title title: "HP Education" This would return all items with the title property set to HP
Education
date date: 31/12/2007 This would return files or items created on 31/12/2007
date: today This would return files or items created today
datemodified datemodified: yesterday This would return files or items modified yesterday

When searching for email messages, you can use the following keywords:
from: from: "john smith" This would return all messages sent from John Smith
from: This would return all messages sent from the given email
"john.smith@hp.com" address
subject: subject:budget This would return all messages that contain the word
budget in the subject line
about: about:budget This would return all messages that contain the word
budget in the subject line, body or attachment contents
hasattachment: hasattachment:yes This would return all messages that contain attachments
attachments: attachments:budget.xlsx This would return all messages that contain attachments
with the file name budget.xlsx
cc: cc:"john smith" This would return all messages with John Smith in the Cc
line
bcc: bcc:"john smith" This would return all messages with John Smith in the Bcc
line
messagesize: messagesize:>5 MB This would return all messages that are larger than 5MB in
size
messagesize: verylarge This would return all messages between 500 KB and 1MB
in size
messagesize:tiny This would return all messages less than 10 KB in size
received: received: 1/1/2007 This would return all messages received on 1/1/2007
received: yesterday This would return all messages received on the previous
day
received: last week This would return all messages received during the
previous week
followupflag: followupflag: follow up This would return all messages that are flagged for follow-
up
due: due: tomorrow This would return all messages that are flagged for follow-
up with a due date of the next day
sent: sent: yesterday This would return all messages that were sent on the
previous day
You can combine a number of keywords to find exactly what you are looking for. To find all Excel 2007 files
created by John Smith yesterday, you could search for ext: xlsx author: "John Smith" date: today

Advanced Search
You can view the Advanced Search options of Windows Vista to add further criteria to your search e.g. to
specify modification dates, sizes or other options to find. Advanced Search works in a separate window,
allowing you to view and sort file results when they are displayed.
Adding Advanced Options to a Search
When you use the Search box in the Start menu, all results will be displayed on the left of the menu, and
followed by two links to See all results or Search the Internet.
 To view your results in a new window, and allow advanced search criteria to be added, click on the
See all results link
 To show the advanced search options, click on the Advanced Search button in the Show Only line
The advanced options will display:
 To search by date, click on the Date button and choose to search by Date Created or Date Modified
 Click on the Any box next to this and choose how you want to search by date e.g. your file was
created/modified before a specific date, or after a specific date
 Click on the drop-down arrow of the date button and choose the date you are searching for
 To search by item size, click on the Any box next to Size and choose how you wish to search by size
e.g. is greater than a specific size. Click in the box next to this and type the size you are looking for
 Enter any text in the Name, Tags or Authors boxes to search by this text
 Click on Search when complete

All results will display in the search window. Remember that you are still searching for documents
containing the search text originally typed in the Search Box of the Start menu. This can be changed by
editing the text in the search box in the top-right of the window.
Searching a Particular Folder
If you quickly want to perform a basic or advanced search on a particular folder, you can do this in Explorer
or any window in Vista.
 Right-click over the folder you wish to search

 Choose the Search command in the shortcut menu displayed
 A new search window will open - type the text you are looking for in the search box which is activated
automatically. As you type, matching items will be displayed
 To specify further criteria, click on Advanced Search
 Add any extra criteria to the search, then click on Search to show the results

Using the Start Menu

Launching the Start Menu
This is the main point of access to your computer's programs, folders and settings. Click on the Start
Button at the left side of the task bar at the bottom of the Windows Vista desktop to open the Start Menu.
The Start menu will open.
You can also launch the Start Menu by pressing the Windows logo key on your keyboard

Opening an Application using the Start Menu
Most of the applications on your computer can be found in the Programs Pane on the left side of the Start
Menu. If the application isn't immediately visible, follow these steps (using Word as an example):
 Click on All Programs at the bottom of the Programs Pane.
 The list above the button will be replaced by one containing all the program files and folders on your
PC
 Click on the Microsoft Office folder
 The folder will open, showing all the applications within

Microsoft Office
 Click on Microsoft Office Word 2007 to launch the
application
The Programs Pane
On first use, the Programs Pane will show a list of Windows default applications, topped with links to launch
Outlook and Internet Explorer. Any applications that you launch will be added to the list until the empty
space is filled. Thereafter only the nine most recently-used applications will be displayed. Placing your
mouse over or clicking on the All Programs button will replace the list with another containing all the
applications installed on your computer, in alphabetic order.
Right-clicking on an item in the Programs Pane will give you the options to:
 Open the application

 Pin the link to the top section of the list, where Internet Explorer and Outlook appear by default
 Add the link to the Quick Launch bar at the bottom of your screen
 Restore the application to a previously-installed version, if there was one
 Send the item to an email address, disk or network drive, compressed folder, etc
 Copy the link
 Remove the link from the list
 Rename the link
 Change the properties of the link

The Links Pane
The right-hand section of the Start menu holds links to frequently-used parts of Windows Vista
Button Links To
The Personal Folder, which contains all the files (documents, music, etc) that
belong specifically to you. It will have the name of the person logged on to the
computer
The Documents Folder, a subfolder of the Personal Folder, containing

documents that belong specifically to you
The Pictures Folder, a subfolder of the Personal Folder, containing image files
that belong specifically to you
The Music Folder, a subfolder of the Personal Folder, containing music files
that belong specifically to you
The Games Folder. Games may be disabled on your computer
The Search Folder, giving more advanced options than the Search Box
A list of the most recent files used
The Computer Folder, listing all the drives connected to your PC
The Network Folder, listing all the computers on your network
A list of all the additional networks your computer could connect to
The Control Panel, where you can change your computer's settings. You may
need Administrative access to make any changes
The Default Programs Folder, in which you can decide which programs would
launch when you double-click on a file, internet address, etc
The Help and Support Folder, with further information on Windows Vista
The equivalent of the Standby setting in Windows XP, this button switches
your computer to a low-powered state so you can resume work quickly
The Lock Button is used for security when you will be away from your desk for
a short while; lock your computer rather than switching it off
Choose to switch off or restart your PC, or put it into "sleep" state

Controlling Windows
A bar is located along the top of each window, displaying the Minimise, Maximise, Restore Down and Close
Buttons.
 Click on Minimise to hide the window. Click on the relevant Task bar button to restore the window.
 Click on Maximise to enlarge the window so that it fills the entire screen. This button is only visible
when the window is not maximised
 Use the Restore Down button to return the window to its original size. This button is only visible when
the window is maximised
 Click on the Close button to close the window
Double-clicking on a blank area of the Top Bar when the window is not maximised will maximise it, and
vice versa.
Non-maximised windows can also be resized manually by positioning the mouse pointer at the edge of the
window and dragging as required.
 To change the height of the window, position your mouse over its top or bottom edge and drag it to the
required size
 To change the width of the window, position your mouse over its left or right edge and drag it to the
required size
 To change both the width and height of the window, position your mouse over the bottom right corner
and drag it to the required shape and size

Returning to the Desktop

Occasionally you may wish to minimise all your open windows to locate a file or folder on your desktop.
There are a number of ways to do this in one step:
 Click on the Show desktop button in the Quick Launch bar

 Right-click on any blank area of the toolbar along the bottom of the screen and choose Show desktop
 Hold down the key and press m
Switching between Windows

It is possible to run multiple applications at the same time in Windows Vista, and to cut or copy and paste
data between these applications. The application from which you are copying is the source while the
application to which you are copying is the target.
 To switch to another open application, click on the application's icon on the task bar along the bottom
of the screen.
 Alternatively hold down the [Alt] key and press the tab key repeatedly to cycle between all the open
applications and the desktop. Release the [Alt] key to open the highlighted choice
 You can also hold [Ctrl] and [Alt] and press the tab key to show the applications currently open. The
window will stay on screen, allowing you to press the arrow keys to choose the application you wish to
view. Press [Enter] to view the application
To cycle through windows in Flip 3D view:
 Press the Windows key and tab to show Flip 3D view

 Hold the Windows key and keep press tab to cycle between the open applications. Release the
windows key to switch to the window on top of the stack
 To cycle through windows more easily, press the Windows key and [Ctrl] together, then press tab.
You can now use the arrow keys to cycle through the windows in Flip 3D view. Press [Enter] to view
the selected window in full.


Stacking and Cascading Windows

If you wish to have more than one application in view at a time, you could either resize the windows
manually or use the following shortcuts:
 Right-click on the Task Bar and choose between Cascade Windows, Show Windows Stacked and
Show Windows Side by Side
Option Description
Cascade Shows all open applications' windows in an overlapping manner. Choose the desired
application by reading the title bars
Stacked Divides the screen horizontally between all the open applications
Side by Side Divides the screen vertically between all the open applications
 Click on the Flip 3D button to view all the open applications and the desktop in a 3D stack, which
allows you to preview them before deciding which one you wish to open
 Maximise a window to return it to the normal screen view

Copying and Linking between Applications

Copying between Applications
The Copy, Cut and Paste buttons in the Home ribbon can be used to copy data from one application to
another.
Button Description
The Copy button makes a copy of the highlighted source item for pasting into the target
application
The Cut button deletes the highlighted source item when pasting into the target
application
The Paste button inserts the cut or copied item into the target application
 In the source application, select the text or item you wish to move or copy.
 Click on the Copy button in the Home ribbon.
 Activate the target application and ensure the correct document position is selected.
 Click on the Paste button in the Home ribbon.
If the data does not paste in the correct format, click on the small arrow beneath the Paste button and choose
Paste Special for more options e.g. Unformatted text or Picture.
Linking Applications
It is possible to insert 'live' information from one Office application into another so that, when the source file
is amended, the target file automatically shows the updated information.
Linking keeps document sizes to a minimum as the original data is stored in the source file while only a
representation of it is contained in the target document
To link data between applications:
 In the source application, select the text or object you wish to copy.
 Click on the Copy button in the Home ribbon.
 Activate the target application and ensure the correct document position is selected.
 Click on the small arrow beneath the Paste button and choose Paste Special.
 Click on Paste Link. Ensure the correct paste format is selected and click on OK

Using the Task Manager

The task manager displays a list of all currently running applications:
 Right click in a blank area of the task bar and choose Task Manager.
 To activate an application, choose the application on the list and click on Switch To. The Task
Manager will minimise to the Task Bar Tray
 If an application is not running correctly, it can be terminated by choosing the application in the Task
Manager and clicking on End Task.
 Close the dialog box using the button in the top-right corner when complete.
You can also display the Task Manager by pressing [Ctrl Alt Delete] and clicking on the Task Manager
button. This is particularly useful if your computer has "hung" and your mouse is not working.

Using the Side Bar

What is the Sidebar?
The Sidebar is a feature new to Windows Vista. It groups a number of small applications (called gadgets)
into one area of your desktop where they are continuously running and easily accessed. The gadgets are
typically frequently-updated programs, such as news headlines and the weather.
Closing & Re-opening the Sidebar
The Sidebar is opened by default; however, it can be closed and reopened again:
 Right-click on the extreme top right corner of the Sidebar
 Click on Close Sidebar. The Sidebar will shut down

 To reopen, type Sidebar into the Search Box in the Start Menu
 Choose Windows Sidebar from the Programs Pane above the Search Box. The Sidebar will reopen.
Press the Windows Key and spacebar together to show the sidebar at any time.
Keeping the Sidebar in View
By default, the Sidebar will be concealed behind any window that is opened in front of it. It can, however,
be set to remain on top of all open windows:
 Right-click on the extreme top right corner of the Sidebar
 Click on Properties. The Sidebar Properties

dialog box will open
 Ensure that Sidebar is always on top of other
windows is ticked
 Click on OK. The sidebar will now reserve a
strip of the screen for its own use and resize
applications accordingly
Adding Gadgets to the Sidebar

 Click on the Gadgets button in the extreme top
left of the Sidebar
 The Gadget Gallery will open, showing a

selection of available gadgets

 Double-click on individual gadgets to add them to the Sidebar

 Drag the gadgets around the sidebar to reorder them
You can find more gadgets on the Vista website by clicking on Get more gadgets online
Shutting Down
Sleep
Sleep saves all your open documents and puts your PC into a low-power state, ready for quick waking.
 Click on the Shut Down button at the bottom right of the Start Menu
 Choose Sleep from the pop-up menu. Your computer will power down
 To wake from sleep, press your PC's power button once.
Log Off
Logging off closes all open applications and allows another user to log on. This is done without switching
the computer off
 Choose Log Off from the pop-up menu. Your computer will close all open applications and the desktop
and go to the log on screen
Restart
Occasionally you may need to restart (reboot) your computer to stop it responding incorrectly - for example,
your mouse may begin to react oddly. Restarting forces your computer to reload the operating system and
this will usually correct the fault.

 Choose Restart from the pop-up menu. Your computer will close all open applications and restart
 Log in to your computer again in the normal way
Shut Down
If you are leaving your desk for a considerable time - e.g., overnight - you should switch your computer off.
 Choose Shut Down from the pop-up menu. Your computer will close all open applications and switch
off
 Restart the computer by pressing the power button
 Log in to your computer again in the normal way
Setting Default Programs

The default programs window lets you set the programs that launch for each file type. It also allows you to
set the action that should take place when a new CD or DVD is inserted.
To launch the Default Programs application:
 Open the Start Menu and

click on the Default
Programs button
 The application will launch

into a new window
 Double-click on one of the
four sections within the
application to make your
required changes

Default Programs
A number of programs, such as web browsers and email clients, have default settings recorded on your
computer. These settings can be changed:
 Select the program you wish to amend
 Click on the Set this program as default to ensure that this application will be used whenever an
associated file is opened
 Click on Choose Defaults for this Program
 Choose each file type to open with this program
 Click on Save, then on OK
Associating Programs
This option lets you set which

programs should launch when a
certain file type is opened e.g. if you
launch a .mp3 music file, which
program should play the file?
 Click on Associate a file type or

protocol with a program
 Scroll down the list of tile types to
find the type you wish to change
 Click on the Change Program
button
 If the program you wish to use by
default is listed, click on this on
the list. If not, click on Browse to
locate the program on your
computer
 Click on OK

AutoPlay Settings
This option lets you choose the action that will

take place when you insert different types of
CD or DVDs into your drives. You may want
audio CDs to play using Windows Media
Player by default, while data CDs should open
in a Windows Explorer folder.
 Click on Change AutoPlay Settings

 For each CD or DVD type, click on the
Choose a Default box and choose the
action to take place
 Click on Save
Program and Computer Settings
This setting lets you choose the main Windows

default programs for web browsing, email,
media playing and other such tasks.
 Click on Set Program Access and Computer Defaults

 If prompted for permission, click on Continue
 Click on the down arrows next to Custom to expand this
 Choose the default program for each task
 Click on OK when complete

Windows Calendar
Windows Calendar lets you keep track of your appointments and tasks, allowing you to create, edit and
delete new items and print or publish them for easy viewing.
Launching the Calendar
To launch the calendar:
 Click on the Start Menu

 Choose All Programs
 Click on Windows Calendar
The calendar will launch and show the current day. You can switch between views using the View button in
the toolbar, or the following shortcut keys:
View Description Shortcut
Day Shows a single day, split into hours Ctrl Shift 1
Work Week Shows Monday to Friday as columns, split into hours Ctrl Shift 2
Week Shows Monday to Sunday as columns, split into hours Ctrl Shift 3
Month Shows the month as a grid of days Ctrl Shift 4
To view any date in the calendar, click on that date in the

navigation pane.
 Click on the left arrow to show the previous month

 Click on the right arrow to show the next month
 Click on the Month Name to show all months of the current
year - select the month you wish to view
When navigating the calendar, click on the Today button on the toolbar to return to the current date.

Creating Appointments
Before creating a new appointment, ensure the details pane is displayed by clicking on the View button and
choosing Details Pane.
 Click on the date you wish to create the appointment on, then click on the New Appointment button
on the toolbar
 Type a name for the appointment
 In the Details pane, complete all other information for the appointment, such as the location, start time
and end time
 If you want to receive a reminder before the appointment, click on the drop-down Reminder box and
choose how long before the appointment this should be received e.g. 1 hour
 Add any Notes about the appointment
 Click away from the appointment, on another date or time in the calendar, to set the appointment

At the specified time, the reminder will display a dialog box similar to that below:
 Click on Dismiss to cancel the reminder so that it's not shown again
 Click on Dismiss All to clear all reminders currently showing in the window
 Click on Snooze to repeat the reminder at intervals specified in the box to the left
Creating Tasks
Before creating a new task, ensure the details pane is

displayed by clicking on the View button and choosing
Details Pane.
 Click on the New Task button on the toolbar

 Type a name for the task
 In the Details pane, complete all other information for the
task, such as the priority, start and due date
 If you want to receive a reminder when the task is due,
click on the drop-down Reminder box and On Date.
Change the date you wish to receive the reminder on if
necessary
 Add any Notes about the task
 Click away from the task, on the calendar, to set the task
Edit a task or appointment by clicking on the item and changing the details as required. Remove a task or
appointment by right-clicking over the item and choosing Delete.

Windows Contacts
The Windows Contacts program can be used to store contact information such as names, email addresses,
postal addresses and notes.
Launching Contacts
To launch the calendar:
 Click on the Start Menu

 Click on Windows Contacts
You can view the contact list using the standard Windows Vista views e.g. Large icons or Details.
Adding Contacts
To create a new contact:
 Click on the New Contact button on the
toolbar
 Enter a First Name and Last Name for
the contact
 Enter a Personal Title and Nickname if
required
 Enter the E-mail address of the contact
with care as this will be used when
sending messages to the contact
 Click on the Home and Work tabs to
enter home and work address details for
the contact
 Click on the Notes tab to add additional
notes
 To add a photograph of the contact, click on the Name and E-mail tab and click on the drop-down
arrow of the image placeholder. Choose Change Picture then locate the image file to use. Click on
Set
 Click on OK when all details have been added

Emailing Contacts
When a contact is selected in the contact list, their details will show in the Details pane. Click on the email
address in this pane to create a new message to the contact.
If the details pane is not displayed, click on the Organise button and choose Layout. Click on Details Pane.
Windows Defender
Windows Defender protect your computer against pop-ups and security threats caused by spyware and
other unwanted software.
Starting Windows Defender
To start Windows Defender:
 Click on the Start menu

 Choose Windows Defender
Windows Defender is not an antivirus application. Always ensure you have third-party antivirus software
installed on your computer.

Scanning your Computer

To scan your drives for any unwanted files and software:
 Click on the drop-down arrow of the Scan button

 Choose Quick Scan to scan only the areas of your drives that spyware is most likely to infect
 Choose Full Scan to scan all files on your computer - this may cause your computer to run slowly until
the scan is complete
 Choose Custom Scan to scan specific areas of your computer e.g. a folder you suspect may be
infected. Click on the Select button to choose the drives and folders to scan, then click on OK. Click on
Scan Now to start the scan
Your files will be scanned, with progress showing on screen:
When the scan is complete, you will be told if any harmful software was detected.
Scheduling Scans
To set a schedule to scan your computer regularly:
 Click on the Tools button on the toolbar

 Click on Options
 Check the box to Automatically scan my computer
 Click on the Frequency box and choose how often you wish to scan your PC e.g. daily or on a
particular day each week
 Click on the Approximate Time box and choose a time to scan your computer. Your computer will
have to be switched on at this time
 Click on the Type box and choose to run a quick, full or custom scan
 Click on Save

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player will play various formats of audio and video files.
Starting Windows Media Player
To start Windows Media Player

 Choose Windows Media Player
The following play controls are available:
You can move the media player to the task bar, so that it appears as a small set of controls:
 Click on the minimise button in the title bar of the media player
 If asked if you want to add the player to your task bar, click on Yes
Opening Media Files
You can play a media file by dragging it from Windows Explorer to the Drag

You can also open files as follows:
 Press [Ctrl O]
 Locate and select the files you wish to play - select multiple files by clicking on the first and holding
[Ctrl] while clicking on each additional file
 Click on Open
When you play a file in Windows Media Player it will be added to the media library. To play the file again,
click on the Library button on the toolbar and locate the file by artist, album or recently added.

Selecting Files
Files can be selected in any Vista window or dialog box.
 To select a single file, click once on the file.

 To deselect any amount of files, click on a blank area of the window.
 To select multiple files in a continuous list, click once on the first file and hold [Shift] while clicking on
the last file in the list:
 To select multiple files that are not listed continuously, click once on the first file and hold [Ctrl] while
clicking on each remaining file
 To select all files in the current folder, choose Edit, Select All or press [Ctrl + A].
 To select all files in the current folder except those currently selected, turn on the Menu Bar by clicking
on Organize, Layout, Menu Bar then invert the selection by choosing Edit, Invert Selection
Viewing Documents
The visual style of a window can be changed to suit your personal preference or current task:
 Click on the Views button near the top left corner of the window to cycle through all the different view
choices
 To select a specific view, click on the small arrow to the right of the Views button. The More Options
menu will appear.

 Either click on a view or drag the slider to the required one .
The different view choices are as follows:
View Example

View Example

Organising by Layout
Windows can be organised to show or hide the Details, Preview and Navigation Panes:
 Click on the Organize button near the top left corner of the window
 Click on layout in the popup menu
 Choose any combination of views from the Layout popup menu

Examples of different views:
No options selected:
Navigation Pane selected:

Navigation and Details Panes selected:
Navigation, Details and Preview Panes selected:

Navigating Folders
By default, your files will commonly be saved into your Documents Folder. To browse the folder:
 Click on the Start Button to launch the Start Menu
 Click on the Documents button to launch the Documents Folder
 The Documents Folder will open. Double-click on any sub-folders to view their contents
 Return to the previous folder by clicking on the

Back to... button at the top left corner. You can
continue to step backwards until you reach the
original folder you opened.
 Use the Crumbtrail next to the Back Button to jump

directly to any parent folder by clicking on its name.
 Click on the small arrows in the Crumbtrail to jump

to any other folders on that level

Deleting Files and Folders

Files and folders can be deleted or recycled from any folder, such as your Personal Folder or the Computer
Folder. Bear in mind that if a folder is deleted, all the files contained in that folder will also be removed.
A single file or folder can be deleted or recycled by simply clicking on the file or folder and choosing one of
the following options. Multiple files must be selected before they can be deleted or recycled in a single step.
Files and folders can be recycled in one of the following ways:
 Choose File, Delete.

 Press the right mouse button and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
 Press [Delete].
A confirmation dialog box will be displayed. Click on Yes to delete the file(s) or No to leave the files as is.
If the following message box is displayed, the file will not be deleted immediately. Instead, it will be placed
in the Recycle Bin where it can be restored at a later stage if required.
The selected files can be deleted permanently without placing them in the Recycle Bin:
 Press [Shift Delete].

 Choose Yes from the confirmation dialog box.

Renaming Files
Renaming Files
Files and folders can be renamed as follows:
 Ensure that the Menu Bar is visible: click on Organize, Layout, Menu Bar if it isn't
 Click once on the file or folder you wish to rename.
 Choose File, Rename.
 Type a new name for the file and press [Return].
There are a number of shortcuts for renaming files:
 Click once on the file you wish to rename, wait a second and click on the file again. Alternatively, press
[F2].
 A box will appear around the file name.
 Type a new name and press [Return].
Naming Multiple Files
You can rename a number of files in a single step in Windows Vista. The files will be named in sequence
e.g. if you change the name of the first file to report.doc other files will be named report (1).doc, report
(2).doc, etc.
 Click on the first file you wish to rename, then hold [Shift] and click on the last file in the list. All files in
between will be selected
 Right-click over the first file and choose Rename from the shortcut menu displayed
 Type a name for the series of files - remember to end this with a full stop and the file extension
 Press [Return]

Note that file extensions (.doc, .ppt, etc) cannot be renamed in this way
Naming Conventions
Windows Vista can accept filenames up to 260 characters in length, although this must include the drive
letter and folder path. File names can include spaces, but cannot include the following characters:
\ / > < * ? " | : ;

Long File Names
Always take care when using long filenames if you use applications that were created for Windows 3.1 or
MS DOS. These programs will not accept long filenames and will rename the files. A file named Letter to
Smith.doc would be renamed LETTER~1.DOC A second document named Letter to Jones.doc would be
renamed LETTER~2.DOC There is no way to see which is which from the DOS file names.
If you wish to undo a name change, click on Edit, Undo Rename to repeatedly until you have returned to the
name that you require. This command will only work if you do not browse away from the current folder or close
the window.
Creating Folders
Instead of storing all files in one place, which would make it difficult for you and the computer to find them,
files are stored in folders on the various drives.
The following is a typical folder structure - the Desktop contains a folder named User which in turn contains
five sub-folders, including one named Documents which contains a further 3 folders.
Folders can be created in any Vista window, including the Personal Folder and Computer Folder:
 Select the drive and folder to contain the new folder.

 Choose File, New, Folder.
 Type a name for the new folder and press [Return].

Moving and Copying Files

Files can be moved or copied using the standard Cut, Copy and Paste commands which are available in
the Edit menu or by clicking on the Organize button .
 Select the files to be moved or copied

 Choose Edit/Organize, Copy to copy the file or Edit/Organize, Cut to move the file
 Double click on the folder to contain the moved or copied file
 Choose Edit/Organize, Paste to insert the file
You can also move files using the Move to Folder or Copy to Folder option:
 Select the files to be moved or copied

 Choose Edit, then Move to Folder or Copy to Folder
 Choose the destination folder for the selected files and click on Move or Copy.
The following shortcut keys can be used to move and copy files:

Keystroke Action
Ctrl C Copy
Ctrl X Cut
Ctrl V Paste
Something Else to Try
Files can also be moved or copied using drag and drop. This is especially useful with the Navigation Pane
visible, with all folders displayed:
 Ensure the target folder is currently visible on screen.

 Select the file you wish to move or copy.
 Drag the file to the target folder and release the mouse button.
To copy the file(s), hold [Ctrl] while dragging and release the mouse button before releasing the [ Ctrl] key.
It is also possible to drag files between folders using the right mouse button. When the mouse button is
released, you will be given the choice to move or copy the file.
 Choose Move Here to move the file from the original to the new location
 Choose Copy Here to leave the file in the original location while placing a copy in the new location. If
either copy is updated in any way, the other will not be affected.
 Choose Create Shortcuts Here to leave the file in the original location while creating a pointer to that
file in the new location. Regardless of which copy is accessed, all changes will be made to the original
file.

Sorting and Grouping Files

Sorting Files
The contents of a folder can be reordered and grouped to suit the way you work. Using the Details View
will give you more choices:
 Click on one of the headings above the list of files to immediately sort by name, date, size, etc
 Click on the same heading to invert the sort sequence
By default, alphabetic sequences (such as file names) are arranged in ascending order on the first click,
while numeric sequences (such as file size) are arranged in descending order.
Grouping Files
 Place your mouse over the heading by which you want your files grouped. A small arrow will appear.
 Click on the arrow to open the Sorting and Grouping Menu
 Click on Group to arrange the files into groups.
Clicking on a heading while grouping is enabled will group the folder's contents by that property
Filtering Files
You can filter a folder to only show those files that match your requirements:
 Place your mouse over the heading by which you want your files grouped. A small arrow will appear.
 Click on the arrow to open the Sorting and Grouping Menu

 Select the options to filter the files that are displayed. A tick will show next to the heading to indicate
that the files are being filtered by that property
 It is possible to filter the file list by more than one property at a time
Showing the Menu Bar

The menu bar does not display automatically in document windows.
If you wish to show the menu to access additional commands:
 Click on Organise
 Choose Layout
 Choose Menu Bar
The menu bar will be displayed above the toolbar:
You can also show the menu bar temporarily by pressing the [Alt] key in any document window.

Stacking Files
File stacking creates virtual groups of files, allowing you to easily view all files that meet a certain criteria. If
you stack files by author, for example, all files on your drive will be shown in stacks of author. You can click
on any stack to access all files by that author.
Ensure the menu is displayed before stacking files. If not already displayed, choose Organise, Layout, Menu
Bar.
To stack files:
 In any window e.g. My Computer or My Documents, choose View, Stack By and the way you wish to
stack files e.g. author or file type
 To view all files in a stack, double-click on the stack
 To return to view all stacks, click on the Back button at the top of the screen
To stack by a different field, click on the heading of the field you wish to stack by e.g. Folder or Name.

Managing the Recycle Bin

When you delete a file from your computer, it's temporarily stored in the Recycle Bin, giving you the
opportunity to recover accidentally deleted files and restore them to your computer. Note that only files
deleted from local drives, not servers or networks, will be sent to the Recycle Bin.
To recycle files
To send a file to the Recycle Bin, do one of the following:
 Select the file, drag it to the recycle bin icon and drop it on top
 Select the file and press the [Delete] key
 Select the file, right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu
You will be presented with the following dialog box:
Click on Yes to send the file to the Recycle Bin or No to cancel the operation.
To delete files permanently
To delete a file without moving it to the Recycle Bin, press [Shift + Delete]. Note that this will permanently
remove the file and you will require specialist assistance to recover it. You will be presented with the
following dialog box:
Click on Yes to permanently delete the file or No to cancel the operation.

To restore files
To restore files from the Recycle Bin, do the following:
 Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop. The Recycle Bin folder will open.
 Select the file you wish to restore

 Right-click it, and then choose Restore from the pop-up menu
 To restore all of the files in the Recycle Bin, click on Restore all items in the toolbar. The files will be
restored to their original location on your computer.

Backing up Data
Windows Vista has a built-in backup system that lets you run an automatic backup on your documents,
images, music, etc. at regular intervals.
Backup versions of your files take up a minimal amount of disk space. If only part of your document
changes, a single page of a longer document, for example, only the changed page will be saved during the
next backup.
To start the backup program and set backup options:

 Click on Control Panel
 If you are using the Home view of the Control Panel, click on the System and Maintenance option
 Double-click on the Backup and Restore Centre icon
The first time you open the Backup and Restore Centre, you will be asked to set your backup options.
The first part of the wizard asks where you wish to store your backup e.g. on a hard drive, CD-ROM or
network drive.
 Choose the backup location and click on Next
 Choose the drives you wish to backup by clicking on the check box in front of the drive to add or
remove it from the backup schedule

 Click on Next
 Choose the types of files you wish to backup by checking each type on the list
 Choose the schedule for your backups by changing the How Often, What Day and What Time boxes
 Click on Save Schedule to save the settings

You can now click on the Backup Files button to run the backup that you set up in the above steps, or the
Backup Computer button to backup your entire PC. Click on Change Settings to change your automatic
backup settings at any time.
The Backup Computer button will make a full backup of your entire Windows Vista installation. This can be
used to restore your computer in full e.g. after a hardware failure.
Restoring Data
Windows Vista has a built-in backup system that lets you run an automatic backup on your documents,
images, music, etc. at regular intervals. You can use this backup copy to restore files that have been
deleted, or to return to previous versions of files that have changed incorrectly.
To start the restore program:

 Click on Control Panel
 Double-click on the Backup and Restore Centre icon
The backup and restore centre will give details of the last backup that was made:
To restore files:

 Click on the Restore Files button

 Choose to restore files from the latest backup or an older backup
 To restore individual files, click on the Add Files button and choose the files you wish to restore. Click
on Add.
 To restore an entire folder, click on the Add Folder button and choose the folder to restore. Click on
Add.
 Click on Next when all files and folders have been added
 Choose to restore the files to their original location, or click on Browse to restore to another drive and
folder
 Click on Start Restore to restore the files
When you restore a file, you will be prompted to replace the original in the folder, or to stop the copy. Click
on Copy and Replace to restore the file.
You will be told when the restore has been successful - click on Finish.

Working with Versions

If you use Windows Vista to backup your data, you can return to a previous version of a file without the
need to restore files manually.
Windows Vista also makes shadow copies of the files you work on. These files use a small amount of disk
space and are created automatically while you work. Shadow copies enable you to return to previous
versions even if you haven't performed a backup of your data.
To check previous versions of a file:
 Right-click over the file in any document window

 Choose Properties from the shortcut menu displayed
 Click on the Previous Versions tab
All previous versions will be listed. Versions created as shadow copies can be opened directly from this
window, while versions from backups must be restored before they can be opened.
 To view a shadow copy of the file, click on the copy, then on the Open button
 To restore a backup copy of the file, click on the backup, then on the Restore button
When you restore a file, you will be prompted to replace the original in the folder, or to stop the copy. Click
on Copy and Replace to restore the file.

Document Properties
The Details Pane
The properties of a file can easily be seen with the Details Pane open. This pane runs along the bottom of
the window and lists the properties of the selected file, or common properties if more than one file is
selected.
To change the properties of a file:
 Click on the bold text next to the property name in the Details Pane
 A box will appear around the text
 Type in the new property data
Not all properties are able to be changed - for example, the size of a document is dependent on its content and
therefore cannot be altered without amending the contents.
The Properties Dialog Box
Further properties can be read or set in the Properties

Dialog Box:
 Right-click on a file or selection of files

 Choose Properties from the bottom of the pop-up
menu
 The Properties Dialog Box will open, giving more
advanced options than the Details Pane
The Read-only and Hidden properties are useful features. The former can prevent files from being accidentally
overwritten or deleted and the latter allows you to hide files from view without deleting them

Viewing Images
Images can be viewed in all the same styles as other files, although the Extra Large to Medium Icons styles
offer the easiest way to determine the content of the image:
 Click on the Views button near the top left corner of the window to cycle through all the different view
choices
 To select a specific view, click on the small arrow to the right of the Views button. The More Options
menu will appear.
 Either click on a view or drag the slider to the required one .
The different view choices are as follows:
View Example

View Example

View Example

Printing Images
Images can be printed in a number of ways, without first opening the program that created them. After
selecting the image(s) you wish to print:
 Right-click on the image and select Print from the popup menu
 Click on the Print button
 Choose File, Print in the menu
In each instance the Print command will open the Print Pictures window
 Click on the Printer button to select the destination printer

 Click on the Paper size button to change the output size of the print. The available sizes are set by the
selected printer
 The Quality button controls the resolution of the print. Generally speaking, higher resolutions give
better quality although resolutions higher than the original image's will make no difference. Available
resolutions are also set by the printer
 If you have chosen to print more than one image, you can browse through your selection by clicking on
the arrow buttons immediately below the main preview image
 The layout of the print can be changed by choosing one of the styles in the pane to the right of the
main preview image. The new style will immediately be shown in the main preview pane
 Multiple copies can be printed in one go by changing the number in the Copies of each picture: box
 Turning on the Fit picture to frame checkbox will resize and crop the image to fit the paper size;
turning it off will resize it to fit without cropping

 Click on the Print button to send the image to the selected printer
Viewing a Slide Show

You can show a selection of images as a slide show that fills your entire screen. To do this:
 Select the images or folder of images you wish to view

 Click on the Slide Show button. The slide show will begin
 Press [Esc] to close the slide show
The slide show can be controlled while it's running by right-clicking on an image. A popup menu will appear
with a list of options available to the slide show:
 The Shuffle option will show the images in random order

 The Loop option will repeat the slide show indefinitely

Starting the Photo Gallery

The Photo Gallery is a new Windows application which allows you to sort, tag and adjust the images on
your computer.
Images can be opened in the Photo Gallery in a number of ways:
 Double-click on the image

 Right-click on the image, choose Open with and then Windows Photo Gallery
 Click on the File menu, choose Open with and then Windows Photo Gallery
 Click on the Start button to launch the Start Menu. Click on All Programs and then on Windows
Photo Gallery
The Photo Gallery will open:
Across the top of the gallery is a toolbar with a number of options:
Button Function(s)
Takes you to the folder in which your image is kept. These

buttons will not appear simultaneously and only apply to
folders that are already added to the Photo Gallery
Only appears when you have opened an image from a

folder that has not been added to the gallery. Adding the
folder to the gallery gives you greater functionality
Options to Delete, Rename, Copy, change the image's

Properties and Exit from the Photo Gallery. You can also
Revert to original, which reloads the original image if you
have made changes to it but not yet saved those changes
Options to automatically or manually adjust the colours,

brightness and contrast of the image, as well as cropping
and fixing of "red eye"

Button Function(s)
Opens the Information Pane on the right of the image. The

Information Pane lists all the image's properties and allows
you to add tags or amend the existing tags
Either print the image on a printer connected to your

computer or order prints from selected online services
Resizes the image before attaching it to a blank email
Burns the selected image(s) to a CD or DVD if your

computer is equipped with the correct hardware
Launches the Windows Movie Maker application
Lists the applications on your computer which can be used

to further amend the image. Click on whichever application
you prefer to launch edit the image in it
Click on this button to zoom in and out of the picture, using

a slider to control the amount of zoom
Toggles between 100% zoom and fit-to-window zoom
Shows the previous image in the gallery
Launches the selected images or, if only one image has

been selected, the contents of the image's folder, into the
Slide Show application
Shows the next image in the gallery
Rotates the image 90° counter clockwise
Rotates the image 90° clockwise
Deletes the current image
Close the Photo Gallery by clicking on the X at the top right corner of the window
Grouping and Sorting Images

Grouping Images
A number of different options quick grouping are listed in the pane to the left of the image thumbnails. Click
on the different icons to sort by:
 All pictures and videos

 Recently imported files
 Tags
 Date taken
 Ratings

You can also browse to different folders by clicking on the Folders icon.
Groups can also be filtered by clicking on the icons beneath each of the parent icons. For example, you
could display only images created in 2006 by clicking on the 2006 icon beneath the Date Taken parent
icon.
Further options for grouping can be found by clicking on the button next to the Search Box, and
choosing Group by
Sorting images
To sort images, click on the button next to the Search Box, and choose Sort by. The options to
sort by include:
 Date taken
 Date modified
 File size
 Image size
 Rating
 Caption
 File name
You can also choose whether to sort in ascending or descending order.
If the images are grouped, sorting them will apply to each group separately
Fixing Images
The Photo Gallery has some basic image-adjusting tools
Tool Result
Changes the colour and brightness of the image based on the overall
image properties
Allows you to manually change the brightness and contrast of the

image by using sliders to control the amount
Adjust the colour temperature between cool blues and warm reds,
change the tinting of the image and adjust the saturation between
black-and-white and intensely coloured, using sliders
Cut the image to a smaller size by dragging the handles on the box
that appears on the image. You can also choose a default size by
clicking on the Proportion button, and rotate the cropping frame 90°
by clicking on the Rotate frame button
Removes the red eye effect sometimes caused by camera flashes
Press [Ctrl Z] to undo any changes you wish to discard

The photograph below was edited using only the tools in the Photo Gallery
Before:
After:

Tagging and Rating Images

Images can be tagged and rated to assist in finding, sorting and grouping them
To rate an image:
 Open the image in Photo Gallery or open the Details pane in the image folder
 Locate the rating stars
 For the lowest rating, click on the first star on the left. For the highest, click on the star on the extreme
right. The stars will highlight to show the image's rating
To tag an image:
Tags are a useful way to save extra information about an image. There are two ways to tag an image:
 Open the image in Photo Gallery and click on the Add Tags button
 Open the Details pane in the image folder and click on the highlighted text next to the Tags: heading
Type in whatever descriptive tag you wish and press [Enter] to save the tag.
Tags and ratings are good ways to sort and group images. Note that not all image file types can be tagged or
rated.
Making Movies
Windows Movie Maker can combine image, video and audio files into one long video with titles, effects and
transitions.
To open Windows Movie Maker, either select Windows Movie Maker under the All Programs menu in the
Start Menu, or click on the Make a Movie button in Windows Photo Gallery.
The following options are available:
Button Task
Browse for more content for your movie
Undo previous actions
Redo previously undone actions
Automatically constructs a movie in one of a number of default styles
Launches a wizard to help you through the process of outputting a video file

The contents of the Task Pane to the left of the preview window changes according to the task you are
performing. Tasks include:
 Importing content for the movie

 Applying visual effects to the selected content and transitions between them
 Creating titles and credits
 Publishing the movie to different media
To produce a new movie:
 Use the Import Media button to import all the content you require
 Drag the imported content to the Storyboard pane along the bottom of the window
 Drag the different frames in the Storyboard pane around until the content is in the order you prefer
 If required, click on Effects and choose one of the inbuilt styles. Drag it to the Storyboard pane and
drop it on top of the frame you want it to apply to
 Transitions can be applied in the same way, except that they are dropped between the content frames
 Audio files can only be added with the storyboard changed to Timeline view. Click on the small arrow
to the right of either Storyboard or Timeline to switch between the different views
 Choose between the inbuilt options for creating titles and credits
 Preview your movie by clicking on the round Play button beneath the large image
 Once you are satisfied with the setup of your movie, publish it using one of the options in the Tasks
pane or by clicking on the Publish Movie button
Setting the Desktop Background

The desktop background picture - also known as wallpaper - can be changed to a different image. To do
so, either:
 Right-click on a clear area of the desktop and choose Personalize from the popup menu. Choose
Desktop Background from the Personalization window that opens. Either choose one of the default
images on display or click on the Browse button to select another picture. Double-click on the desired
image to set it as your desktop picture
 Right-click on an image file and choose Set as Desktop Background
Using the first option above also gives you the opportunity to fit the image to your screen, tile it to fill the screen
or simply display it at its actual size

Compressing Files
Also known as "zipping", compressing files makes them much smaller and therefore easier to copy or send
via email. This is especially true of many image files. It is also a handy way to email or copy a batch of files
in one go, rather than singly, even if the overall size is the same.
 Select the files you wish to compress

 Right-click over the selected files and choose Send To, then Compressed (zipped) folder
 A zip folder will be created with the same name as the last selected file, but with the .zip extension
The three images above have been compressed into the Winter Leaves.zip folder.
Certain file types, such as .jpg and .gif image files, already have a large amount of compression built into them
and compressing them further will make little or no difference to their size.
Unzipping and Viewing Compressed Folders
The contents of a compressed folder can be viewed by double-clicking on the folder icon and browsing in
the normal manner. Files can also be opened, copied and pasted from within a compressed folder.
To unzip the compressed folder, right-click on it and choose Extract all from the popup menu. The Extract
Compressed (Zipped) Folders window will open, allowing you to browse to where you would like the
contents to be placed. Tick the Show extracted files when complete checkbox to open the destination
folder when the files have been unzipped.
Viewing Recent Items

Windows Vista keeps track of the last 15 files you
accessed - you can return to these quickly via the
Start menu.

 Click on the Recent Items option
 Choose the file you wish to open
The application associated with the file will launch

automatically and the file will be displayed.

Launching Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is a web browser that allows you to access information from the computers that make up
the World Wide Web - one of the many services offered on the Internet.
The internet is a collection of local, regional and national computer networks that are linked together to
exchange data and distribute processing tasks. The idea is similar to a Wide Area Network (WAN) although
each network is independently administered. The usage and physical size of the Internet grows every day.
Starting Internet Explorer
Click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop to launch the application. Alternatively, use the
links in the Quick Launch toolbar or the Start Menu
Internet Explorer always starts up by displaying your Home Page. This will be your company's intranet
home page by default but can be changed. Click here to find out more.
Opening a Web Page
To open a web page, click on the address bar along the top of the screen and type in the web address -
known as the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - of the page you wish to visit. An example of an URL is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/, which will take you to the BBC's home page.
If you don't know the address of the site you want to view or wish to browse several sites, type in a word or
phrase in the address bar and Internet Explorer will search the Internet for you. Be warned that you may
end up with millions of results if your search term is too loosely defined.
You can use other search engines to find information on the Web, such as Google
(http://www.google.co.uk/) or Ask (http://uk.ask.com). As different search engines use differing
methods of finding Web pages, you may find the information you are looking for more easily at one of these
sites.
Adding and Viewing Favorites

Favorites are used to bookmark web pages so that you can return to them without searching your history or
remembering their addresses or URLs. If you visit a site you know you'll need again, add it to your
Favorites list.
Adding Favorites
To add the web page currently showing to your

Favorites list:
 Click on the Add to Favorites button

 Choose Add to Favorites... or press [Ctrl + D]
 Either use the default name or enter your own
description
 Click on OK

Viewing Favorites
 Click on the Favorites Centre button
 Ensure that the Favorites button is pressed
 Browse amongst the shortcuts and folders to find
the Favorite you require
Organising Favorites
The Favorites list can often become long and difficult to

navigate. The list can be organised into categories so
that similar or relevant links are grouped together.
 Click on the Add to Favorites button
 Choose Organize Favorites...
 Use the buttons to make changes to the way your Favorites are displayed
Your Favorites can also be found in your Personal Folder. Click on the Favorites icon to browse through
the list.

Favorite Shortcuts
Action Shortcut
View Favorites Ctrl I
Add the current page to your Favorites Ctrl D
Organise Favorites Ctrl B
Viewing RSS Feeds

RSS feeds are a way of having constantly-updated information, such as news headlines or stock market
values, downloaded onto your computer.
To subscribe to a feed:
 Open an RSS feed page such as the BBC's News RSS Feed
 Click on the Subscribe to this feed button
 Make any changes you require in the Subscribe to this feed dialog box.
 Click on Subscribe. The feed will be added to the list of RSS feeds found under the Favorites Center
button
Your feeds can be viewed at any time by clicking on the Favorites Center button and selecting the required
feed.

Amend your feeds list by right-clicking on the list and using the tools in the pop-up menu.
Viewing your History

Viewing History
Internet Explorer keeps a record of recent web pages you have viewed. You can use this list to return
quickly to a page you have viewed before.
 Click on the Favorites Center button and then on

the History button
 Your browsing history will open with a list of
folders. Click on any of the folders to browse their
contents.
 Click on any of the links to open that page

Searching your Browser History
To find a web site you have previously visited:
 Click on the arrow to the right of the History button
 Choose Search History from the pop-up menu
 Type in your search word or phrase. You will be presented with a list of all the links in the history list
that match your query
 Click on any of the links to open that page
Clearing your Browser History
You may occasionally need to clear pages from your browser history. To do this:
 Click on the Favorites Center button, then on the History button

 Browse to the shortcut you wish to delete
 Right-click on the shortcut
 Choose Delete from the pop-up menu
 Click on Yes to confirm deletion of the history item
To clear your entire history, click on the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Ensure the General tab is
selected and click on the Delete button under Browsing History. Click on Delete History and click on Yes to
confirm. Click on OK to close the Internet Options.

Opening in New Tabs and Windows

If you wish to browse to a new web site without closing a current one down, you can do so by either
opening a new window or new tab. The differences between the two are:
 Opening a web site in a new window allows you to resize and move the new window without affecting
any other open web sites
 Opening a web site in a new tab keeps your desktop uncluttered and makes switching between open
web sites easier
Opening a New Tab

 Place your mouse over the small blank tab next to the 'live' tab above the current web site. The tab will
change to show the New Tab image. Click on the tab.
 Alternatively right-click on a link and choose Open in New Tab or hold down [Ctrl] and click on the link
 The default new tab page will open, with some instructions on how to use it
You can set multiple tabs to open when you open Internet Explorer. Click here for more information.
Opening a New Window
There are a number of ways to open a new window:
 Hold down [Shift] and click on a link

 Right-click on a link and choose Open in New Window
 Launch another Internet Explorer window by clicking on the icon on your desktop, Quick Launch bar or
in the Start Menu
A new instance of Internet Explorer will open for each of the above methods.
Closing Tabs
To close a single tab:
 Click on the tab of the web page you wish to close. A small X will appear at the right-hand side of the
tab.
 Click on the X to close the tab

To close multiple tabs:
 Right-click on the tab you wish to keep open

 Choose Close Other Tabs from the pop-up menu
Internet Explorer always requires at least one tab to be open. To close the final tab, close the application in the
normal way.
Browsing Multiple Tabs
If you have a number of tabs open, you can quickly select one by either:
 Clicking on the Quick Tabs button at the left side of the tabs to see a thumbnail view of all open tabs
 Clicking on the Tabs List button to select the page from a list
 Pressing [Ctrl Q]
To switch between tabs using the keyboard:
 Press [Ctrl] and tab to cycle through the tabs that are currently open
 To go to a specific tab, press [Ctrl] and the number of that tab from the left e.g. press [Ctrl 1] to show
the first open tab
Printing Web Pages

Print Preview
Print Preview is used to see what the web page will look like before printing it:
 Choose File, Print Preview or click on the arrow to the right of the Print button and select Print
Preview
The following tools are available in Print Preview
Icon Name Description
Print Document Prints the web page with the current settings
Portrait (selected) Prints the page with portrait orientation
Landscape Prints the page with landscape orientation
Change the paper size, header & footer, orientation and

Page Setup
margins

Header & Footer

Turns the header and footer on and off
Switch
Zooms in on the page until it fills the entire width of the

View Full Width
window
View Full Page Zooms out until the entire page is visible in the window
View Multiple Pages Display 1, 2, 3, 6 or 12 pages at once
Resizes the print output to a set percentage of the original

Change Print Size
or a custom size
First Page View the first page in a series
Previous Page View the previous page in a series
Next Page View the next page in a series
Last Page View the last page in a series
Print Web Pages
There are a number of ways to print a web page:
 Click on the Print button to send the page directly to the printer with the default settings
 Click on the Print button in the Print Preview window to print the document with the current settings
 Choose File, Print from the menu

Setting Home Pages

It is normal practice for your initial home page to be set by your company; however, the home page can be
changed and you can have multiple home page tabs open when you launch Internet Explorer
Changing the Home Page

 Browse to the page that you would like as your home page
 Click on the Tools menu or the Tools button and choose Internet Options
 Click on the General tab of the Internet Options dialog box
 Click on the Use Current button to change your existing home page to the one currently on view
 Click on Use Default to revert to Internet Explorer's default home page
 Click on Use Blank if you don't want a home page opening when you launch Internet Explorer
Setting Multiple Home Page Tabs
To open multiple home pages when you launch Internet Explorer:
 Browse to a page that you would like to open alongside your home page
 Click on the arrow next to the Home Page button
 Click on Add or Change Home Page

 Click on Add this webpage to your home
page tabs
 Click on Yes to confirm or No to cancel

Zooming in and out of the Page

You can zoom in and out of a web page:
 Click on the Change Zoom Level button near the bottom right corner, in the Status Bar
 Choose between a number of preset zoom levels or enter a custom amount
Shortcuts
You can quickly zoom in and out in steps:
 Press [Ctrl +] repeatedly to zoom in incrementally

 Press [Ctrl - ] repeatedly to zoom out incrementally

Setting Internet Explorer Options

More advanced options are available in the Internet Options dialog box:
 Click on the Tools menu or Tools button to launch the Internet Options dialog box
Available options include:
 Websites can be made more accessible for people with disabilities. Click on the Accessibility button
in the General tab to view the options
 The default web browser can be changed in the Programs tab to a preferred application, or back to
Internet Explorer if required
 The Advanced tab has an option to notify you when downloads are complete
 Pictures can be blocked in order to speed up download times by choosing the option in the Advanced
tab
 Webpage sounds can be turned on or off in the Advanced tab
 Background colours and images can be turned on or off for printing in the Advanced tab
If you find that Internet Explorer no longer functions correctly after making changes to the Internet Options
dialog box, click on the Reset... button in the Advanced tab. This will reset all the changes you have made and
revert back to the original settings. Use this button with care.
The Pop-up Blocker

You may sometimes find that web pages don't open when you click on a link. This is often caused by the
built-in Pop-up Blocker, which is intended to prevent unsolicited web pages, such as advertisements,
automatically opening when you visit a web site.

To open a web page that the Pop-up Blocker is blocking, press [Ctrl] and click on the link. The page will open in
a new window.
Pop-up Blocker Settings
The Pop-up Blocker can be turned on or off:
 Click on the Tools menu or Tools button

 Click on Pop-up Blocker
 If the blocker is on, you have the option to Turn Off Pop-up Blocker
 If the blocker is off, you have the option to Turn On Pop-up Blocker
The Pop-up Blocker settings can be changed:
 Click on the Tools menu or Tools button

 Click on Pop-up Blocker Settings
 Allow all pop-ups on specific sites by entering their URLs in the Address of website to allow: box and
clicking on Add. The sites will appear in the Allowed Sites list
 Remove one or all of the sites from the Allowed Sites list by clicking on either the Remove or
Remove all... button
 Visual and audible notifications of blocked pop-ups can be enabled or disabled by ticking or clearing
the appropriate checkboxes
 The level of blockage can be set between low (allows pop-ups from secure sites), medium (blocks
most automatic pop-ups) or high (blocks all pop-ups) by choosing one of the options under the Filter
Level button. The default level is medium

Security Settings
Security settings in Internet Explorer control how potentially unsafe content in websites is handled. You can
have different settings for external Internet sites and internal Intranet sites. You can also add sites that you
can always trust, so that all content is always allowed from that site. Similarly, you can block any sites from
which you never wish to download any active content.
To set your privacy settings:
 Click on the Tools menu of Internet Explorer and choose Internet Options
 Click on the Security tab
 Click on the Internet zone and choose the level you wish to set for this zone. Medium-high is the
default setting and will prompt before downloading potentially unsafe content, while still allowing you to
view most websites
 Click on the Local Intranet zone and choose the level you wish to set for internal websites. Medium-
low is the default setting and will run most internal sites without any prompts or error messages
 To set trusted sites, click on the Trusted Sites zone, then on the Sites button. Type the URL of the
site you trust and wish to view all active content from, then click on Add
 To set restricted sites, click on the Restricted Sites zone, then on the Sites button. Type the URL of
the potentially unsafe site, then click on Add
When adding trusted sites, only add those that start with https:// rather than http://. This means that any content
entered into the page is encrypted before it is sent to the server, making the website more secure.

Privacy Settings
You can set your Internet Explorer privacy settings to control whether cookies are allowed to be saved on
your computer.
Cookies are files that store information about your visits to a website. A cookie can store the date and time
you visited the site, and can also be used to store information such as your preferences on that site, or
choices you wish to display.
Cookies are not necessarily a bad thing. As long as they are used to store only basic information, they can be
allowed from sites you trust.
To set your privacy settings:
 Click on the Tools menu of Internet Explorer and choose Internet Options
 Click on the Privacy tab
 Choose the level of privacy you wish to work with, using the guidelines in the table below
 If there is a particular site you trust and wish to allow it to use cookies, click on the Sites button. Type
the URL of the site, then click on Allow. Click on OK
 Likewise, If there is a particular site you do not trust and never wish to allow it to use cookies, click on
the Sites button. Type the URL of the site, then click on Block. Click on OK
 Click on OK
Privacy Settings:
Setting Description
Accept all cookies All cookies will be saved, regardless of the website they originate from
Low Third party cookies without a privacy policy will not be allowed
Medium Third party cookies without a privacy policy will not be allowed, and first party
cookies that save data that can be used to contact you without consent are
restricted
Medium High Third party cookies without a privacy policy will not be allowed, and first party
cookies that save data that can be used to contact you without consent are
blocked

Setting Description
High All cookies without a privacy policy are blocked, and all cookies that save data
that can be used to contact you without consent are blocked
Block all cookies All cookies are blocked. Note that this setting could restrict the websites you could
visit and view correctly
Cookie terminology:
 A compact privacy policy is a set of code that the browser can read to ensure the cookies are from a
registered source
 First party cookies are written to your computer by the website you are currently visiting
 Third party cookies are written to your computer by a website or domain other than the site you are
visiting
Phishing Filter
Phishing uses email messages and web pages to look like they are legitimate, while deceiving users into
disclosing personal information, usually of a financial nature. A web page could be set up to look like a
bank's page, asking for account numbers and other information, while taking the information for criminal
purposes.
Internet Explorer contains a phishing filter that you can turn on to find phishing websites automatically.
 Click on the Tools menu

 Choose Phishing Filter
 Choose Turn on Automatic Checking
The phishing filter setup dialog box will display:
 Ensure Turn on automatic Phishing Filter is selected

 Click on OK
If you find a site that you suspect is phishing, you can submit the website to Microsoft for checking. Choose
Tools, Phishing Filter and Report this Website.

Sending Links and Pages

You can send links to a web page via email to a colleague directly from Internet Explorer.
There are two ways of sending a web page:
Option Description
Send Page by Email A new email message is created with a copy of the full web page in the body
of the message. The email subject will be the title of the web page.
Send Link by Email A new email message is created with only the URL of the web page in the
body of the message. The email subject will be the title of the web page.
To send a page:
 Click on the Page menu in Internet Explorer

 Choose to Send Page by Email or Send Link by Email
 Address the email message as normal
 Click on Send

Emailing Files
Files can easily be emailed to colleagues
and associates, without opening Outlook first:
 Right click on the file you wish to email

 Choose Send To in the pop-up menu
 Click on Mail Recipient in the next menu
 Outlook will open with a default sending
message, which can be overwritten, and
the document to be emailed already
attached to the message
 Enter the email address to which you wish
to send the document, and any CC or
BCC addresses
 Click on the Send button to forward the
document
 Outlook will send the message and close
down
Sharing Files and

Folders
Sharing is an effective way of allowing others access to files on your
computer. It prevents the duplication of files by copying or emailing, which
could result in multiple users each making changes to their own copy, with
none being correct. It also prevents a buildup of unnecessary documents
which take up valuable storage space.
Sharing a folder will transfer the share settings to all the files within it
There are two ways to share files

and folders in Windows Vista, either
by setting the file or folder's
properties or by moving it to the
Public Folder
Sharing using Properties

 Select the file or folder you
wish to share
 Choose File, Share... or right-
click on the item and choose
Share... from the pop-up menu
 The File Sharing dialog box will
open

 Click on the drop-down box next to the Add button and select the class of user to share with
 The new class will be added to the main window. Click on the Permission Level button next to it to
change the permissions to Reader or Co-Owner or to delete the share permission. Readers are
restricted to viewing the item without being able to make changes, while Co-Owners can edit it.
 Click on the Share button to complete the process
Sharing using the Public Folder
By default, sharing in the Public Folder is turned off. If you turn it on, all the files within the Public Folder will
be accessible to anyone who logs on to your computer or is on the same network.
To turn sharing on in the Public Folder:
 Select your Personal Folder in the Start Menu

 Click on the Public folder in the navigation pane
 Click on the Sharing Settings button in the toolbar
 The Network and Sharing Center will open

 Click on the button to the right of Public Folder Sharing.

 Choose a sharing option from the ones listed
 Click on Apply to save your changes

 Click on Continue in the confirmation dialog box that follows
To use the Public Folder:
 Cut, copy or drag any documents or folders you want to share into the Public Folder
 All the items in the Public Folder will be available to other users, with permissions according to those
you set earlier
User Account and Password
By default, users must have an account and password registered on your computer in order to access your
shared files. If this is not feasible:
 Click on Control Panel in the Start Menu

 Double-click on the Network and Sharing Center icon
 Click on the button next to Password Protected Sharing to view the available options
 Click on Turn off password protected sharing

 Click on Apply
 Click on Continue in the confirmation dialog box that follows
If you are unable to find a file or folder that you know to be shared, click on the Network button in the Start
menu. Browse the computer(s) or use the Search Box to find the item - only shared files and folders will be
displayed.
Revising File Share Permissions

More advanced sharing permissions can be set for each file or folder, and for each class of user. This
allows you individual control over who may access a file or folder, and the level of access they each have.
File Share Permissions

 Right-click on the file and choose Properties from the pop-up menu or select Properties in the File
menu

 Select the class of user from the Group or user names box
 Amend the selected class permissions in the Permissions for... box
 The following permissions are available to files:
Permission Level
Full Control Allows all editing operations
Modify Allows the file to be amended
Read & execute Files cannot be changed but program files can be launched
Read Files can only be viewed, no changes can be made
Write Changes to the file can be saved
Special permissions More advanced options are available by clicking on the Advanced button
Folder Share Permissions

 Right-click on the folder and choose Properties from the pop-up menu or select Properties in the File
menu

 Select the class of user from the Group or user names box
 Amend the selected class permissions in the Permissions for... box
The following permissions are available :
Permission Level
Full Control Allows all editing operations
Modify Allows the file to be amended
Read & execute Files cannot be changed but program files can be launched
List folder contents Allows the user to view the contents of the folder only
Read Files can only be viewed, no changes can be made
Write Changes to the file can be saved
Special permissions More advanced options are available by clicking on the Advanced button
Burning Files to CD
Windows Vista has the ability to burn CDs and DVDs without a third party application being installed:
 Insert a writeable disk into your disc burner

 The Autoplay dialog box will open, listing the options you have for using the disc
 Click on Burn files to disc. The Burn a Disc dialog box will open
 The Disc Title defaults to the current date. This can, however, be changed to anything you like, with a
maximum of 16 characters

 Click on the Show formatting options to choose between the Live File System, which allows later
amending of the disc but may prevent the disc from being useable on older computers, or Mastered,
which locks the disc, preventing further amendment but allowing a much wider range of computers to
access the data
 Click on Next
 The disc will next be formatted
 The Disc Drive window will open

 Select the files you want to add and drag them to the Disc Drive
 The items will be copied to the disc if you are burning an unlocked disc; temporary copies of the files
will be stored in the Disc Drive folder if not
 Click on File, Close Session if you are burning an amendable disc, or File, Burn to Disc if you are
locking the disc
Computers require the correct hardware to burn CDs or DVDs - not all disc readers can write to them.

Mapping Network Drives

You may have been given access to a different shared network area that does not connect automatically
when you log onto Windows. To connect to such a network drive, you will need to know the full path of that
drive, and your password for that drive if this is different to your standard Windows network password.
 Open the Start Menu and click on Computer

 Click on Map network drive on the toolbar
 The Map Network Drive dialog box will open
 Choose a drive letter for the connection by clicking on the Drive button
 Type the full path of the drive in the Folder box or use the Browse button to find it
 Ensure the Reconnect at logon checkbox is ticked to always maintain a connection to the drive
 Click on Finish. The newly-mapped drive will open in a new window
Disconnecting Drives
You may occasionally need to remove a mapped drive from
your computer:
 Select the drive to disconnect

 Click on File, Disconnect or right-click on the file and
choose Disconnect from the pop-up menu
 The drive will be disconnected

Windows Meeting Space

Windows Meeting Space (WMS) lets you share files and programs with other users at the same time, allowing
you to collaborate on projects remotely
Setting up Windows Meeting Space
You will need to set up WMS before you first use it. To do this:
 Click on Windows Meeting Space in the Start Menu

 The WMS Setup confirmation box will open
 Click on Yes to continue or No to cancel

 Click on Continue in the confirmation dialog box, if
it appears
 Change your Windows Meeting Space user name
as required, then click on OK
 Setup is now complete
Starting a Meeting
Once you have set up WMS:
 Click on Windows Meeting Space in the Start

menu
 Click on Start a new meeting

 Enter a name for the meeting and a password

 Click on the green arrow to the right of the password
You will now be taken into the meeting space
People near you will see the meeting in their own meeting space and will be able to join if they have the
meeting password. You can also invite specific people to the meeting as follows:
 Click on Invite People

 If the person you wish to invite is listed in People Near Me, click on the tick box next to their name and
click on Send Invitations
 If the person you wish to invite is not listed, click on the Invite Others button. You can invite others by
email, or can create a meeting file that can be sent to your participants via email or instant message.
This file will have the ,wcinv extension and can be double-clicked by anyone to start the Meeting Space and join
the meeting.

Joining a Meeting
If you are specifically invited to a meeting, you will receive a message asking if you wish to accept or
decline.
 Click on View to join the meeting - you will be asked to enter a password
 Click on Decline to decline the meeting and inform the organiser that you cannot attend. A cross will
appear next to your name in the meeting participant list
 Click on Dismiss to decline the meeting without notifying the organiser - you will show as "pending" in
the meeting participant list
You can also join meetings set up by people near you, by starting the Windows Meeting Space and clicking
on a meeting in the list.
 Click on the meeting you wish to attend

 Type the password for the meeting, then click on the green arrow to continue

You will now be placed in the meeting.
Meeting Tools
Once in the meeting, you can set your status to show whether you are available or away from your
computer.
 Click on the drop-down arrow next to your name in the participants list
 Choose your status from the choices displayed:
You can send a note to any meeting participant as follows:
 Right-click over the person you wish to send a personal message to

 Choose Send a note
 A new note window opens - type the text and click on Send
The person you have sent the note to will receive a new message window displaying the note text. They can
click on the Reply button to send a message back to you.
You can share your desktop with meeting participants to demonstrate an application or work on a file
together.
 Click on the Share a program or your desktop link in the middle of the meeting space page
 You will be asked to confirm whether you wish to share your desktop - click on OK
 Choose the program you wish to share. If you wish to share all open programs, choose Desktop
 Click on Share

All participants will now be able to see your screen, and your mouse moving around the screen.
To stop sharing, click on the Stop Sharing button.
You can also add handouts to the meeting. Handouts are documents that all participants can view in the
meeting, or can download and save to their own computers.
To add a handout to the meeting:
 Click on the Add a handout link to the right of the meeting window
 You will be asked to confirm whether you wish to add a handout - click on OK
 Locate the handout file and click on Open
The handout will appear in the handouts list.
To open the handout, double-click once on the file. You will be asked to confirm whether you wish to open
the handout - click on OK.

Sharing Printers
A printer that is directly connected to your computer can be shared to allow other users on your network to
use it. Printers that are shared have a small icon in the bottom left corner
To share a printer:
 Select the printer

 Click on File, Sharing or click on the Share button on the toolbar or right-click on the printer icon and
choose Sharing in the pop-up menu
 If the Change sharing options button in the Sharing tab of the printer's dialog box is visible, click on
it. Otherwise skip to the second bullet point following

 Confirm that you wish to continue if prompted

 Ensure the Share this printer checkbox is ticked. (Clear the checkbox to remove the sharing from a
printer)
 Click on OK
Locking your Computer

If you are leaving your desk for a short period, you can lock your computer without having to exit any
applications or close the documents you are currently working with. When the computer is locked, the
screen is blank except for a message giving the workstation's status. The correct password is needed to
return to the applications and documents previously open.
To lock your computer:
 Click on the Lock This Computer button in the Start Menu
 The screen will switch to the locked display, with no windows showing

To unlock your computer:
 Type your password into the password box

 Click on the arrow button next to the password box or press [Enter]
 The locked display will disappear, and your computer will return to the state it was in before you locked
it.
All the programs that you have open when you lock your computer will still be open when you unlock it.
Switching Users
If you share your computer with other users, you can switch between users to keep your own settings and
documents separate.
To switch users:
 Click on the arrow button at the bottom right corner of the Start Menu
 Click on Switch User in the pop-up menu
 The computer will switch to the Switch User display

 Choose your user account
 Enter your password and press [Enter]
The computer will open with all your settings and documents available.

You can only switch to user accounts that are registered on the computer.
Network and Sharing Center

The network and sharing centre lets you view and access all devices connected to your network. You can
use it to connect to other users on the network, or make new network connections e.g. to virtual private
networks.
To start the Network and Sharing Centre:
 Click on the Start menu and choose Control Panel

 If you are using the Home view of the Control Panel, click on the Network and Internet option
 Double-click on the Network and Sharing Centre icon
A basic map of your network will be shown on the home page of the Network and Sharing Centre. To view
a full map, click on the View full map link.

To make a new network connection:
 Click on Set up a connection or network

 Choose the type of network you wish to connect to e.g. Connect to a workplace to create a dial-up or
VPN connection
 Click on Next
 Choose to connect through the Internet, or to dial directly to the network
 If connecting through the Internet, type the Internet address and a name for the connection. If
connecting via dial up, enter the dial-up number and a name for the connection
 Click on OK
 Enter your user name, password and domain, then click on Create

The connection will be created. Click on Connect Now to make the connection, or Close to return to the
Network and Sharing Centre.
To connect in the future, click on Connect to a Network in the Task Pane of the Network and Sharing
Centre. Choose the network to connect to, then click on Connect.
Adding a Wireless Device

You can add many types of wireless devices to Windows Vista, including Bluetooth and USB devices.
To manually connect a wireless computer to a network:

 Choose Connect To
 Choose the wireless network from the list and click on Connect
You will be prompted to enter the network security key or passphrase - do this now and click on OK.

You can view all of the devices on your network via the Network and Sharing Centre:
 Click on the Start menu and choose Control Panel

 Double-click on the Network and Sharing Centre icon
 Click on the View Computers and Devices link on the left-hand menu
All devices currently connected will be listed. Click on Add a Wireless Device to add a new device from
this screen.
The Sync Center

The Sync Centre and Windows Mobile Centre are used to synchronise your PDA with Outlook 2007.
 With your device connected, double-click on the Sync Centre icon in the task bar tray
 Your device will be listed in the Sync Centre. Double-click on your device to open the Mobile Centre

 The Mobile Centre will open with options for your device showing:
 Click on Mobile Device Settings to view settings for synchronising with Outlook:

 Click on Change Content Sync Settings to choose the items you wish to synchronise on your device:
 Check each item you wish to synchronise, clicking on Sync Settings for more options for each. Click
on the Save button when complete
To synchronise your device, click on the Synchronise button in the lower left corner of the Mobile Centre
window.
The status of the synchronisation will be shown - click on the Stop button to cancel the synchronisation if
required.
You can also synchronise your device by right-clicking over the Sync Centre button on the task bar tray:

Changing your Password

A password is used to secure your computer and to ensure that no other user can access your files and
directories. To be effective, a password should include at least three of the four following:
 Upper case characters e.g. A B C

 Lower case characters e.g. a b c
 Numeric characters e.g. 1 2 3
 Special characters e.g. comma, period, /, [, -, =, +, !, #, $, etc.
In addition to this:
 The password should be at least 8 characters in length

 The password must be different from your last 6 passwords
 The password should not contain your full first name or last name
You are responsible for ensuring that no one else knows your network password. Do not write down or
store network passwords where others can find them.
To change your Windows Vista login password:
 Press [Ctrl Alt Delete] to show the Windows Security screen

 Click on Change a password
 Enter your existing password in the Old

password box
 Enter your new password in the New password
box
 Enter the same new password in the Confirm
password box
 Click on the arrow button to set your new
password

Setting Favorite Links

To easily access folders that you regularly use, add them to the Favorite Links pane.
 To add an item to the Favorite Links pane:

 In the Start Menu, click on your Personal Folder button, or any other button that displays files and
folders
 The Favorite Links pane is located at the top left corner of the screen. If you can't see it, click on the
organize button and choose Layout, Navigation pane to display it
 Drag and drop or copy and paste your frequently-used folders into the Favorite Links pane
The folders you add to the Favorite Links pane are not moved or copied there. Shortcuts are created when they
are added so that clicking on one will take you to the original folder
To remove a folder from the Favorite Links pane:
 Right-click on the folder you wish to remove

 Click on Remove Link
The Favorite Links pane can also be accessed in your Personal Folder main window, where it's known simply as
"Links"

Creating Search Folders

A search folder is a "virtual folder" that stores previous searches performed by your computer. The
searches lie dormant until used, when they use the original criteria to rapidly search again, and show the
most recently-used matching items. These items are not stored in the search folder - it simply provides a
pointer to items in other folders.
Creating a search folder:
 Click on the Search button in the Start Menu
 Type the search criteria in the Search box at the top right corner of the Search folder. The results of
your search will display in the pane below as you type
 To save the search, click on the Save Search button on the toolbar
 You will be given the options of changing the name of the search, the author and tags. Click on Save
when you are satisfied with your changes
Reusing a search folder to see all new matches
 Ensure that the navigation pane is in view

 Click on Searches

 Click on the saved search you wish to repeat
The Control Panel

Many of the applications that control your computer's settings can be found in the Control Panel.
To open the Control Panel:
 Open the Start Menu

 Click on the Control Panel button
The following are the controls that you are most likely to use:
Icon Description
Set the default action for different media inserted into your
PC
Control the ways in which your data can be saved to a

secure place, and restoring that data
Set the date and time on your computer
Change or restore the programs that are launched when

you open a file
Add or remove fonts
Change the speed and responsiveness of your mouse
Control the look and feel of your computer's screen
Browse, add to or delete the printers mapped to your

Icon Description
computer
Change items such as the default currency, keyboard

layout, etc
Set the hardware attached to your PC, and the sounds

made by differing actions
Options for the display and contents of the Taskbar and

Start Menu
There are many other applications in the Control Panel but be cautious when making any changes as you may
cause your computer to behave erratically or not at all.
Personalising your Desktop

There are a number of ways in which you can customise the look and feel of your computer:
 Right-click on the desktop

 Choose Personalize from the pop-up menu
You will be presented with the following options. There is more information on each of these further in this
document.
Windows Colour and Choose between inbuilt colours for window borders, the Start
Appearance Menu and the Taskbar, or mix your own
Desktop Background Change the background image and colour
Screen Saver Change the screensaver or change its settings
Sounds Change hardware settings and action sounds
Mouse Pointers Change the style of the mouse pointer
Save all your appearance settings as a theme or choose a default

Themes
one

Setting the Clock, Language and Region

You will usually only change these settings if they are wrong.
To change the clock:
 Click on the small clock displayed in the System Tray
 Click on Change date and time settings...

 Use the Date and Time dialog box to set date and time options, as well as additional clocks for other
time zones and synchronisation with online, hyper-accurate clocks
You can also change the time by right-clicking on the clock in the Sidebar, if it is open.
To change the language:
 Click on Control Panel in the Start menu

 Double-click on the Regional and Language Options icon
 Click on the Keyboards and Languages tab

 Click on the Change keyboards... button to change your keyboard layout, e.g. from American to British
styles
 Click on the Install/uninstall languages... to make a new language available to or remove one from your
computer
To change the region:
 Click on Control Panel in the Start menu

 Double-click on the Regional and Language Options icon
 Click on the Location tab

 Choose a new location

Creating Shortcuts
Shortcuts can be created for commonly used applications, files, folders and printers. They can be placed in
any folder but are most useful on the Desktop, where they are readily accessible, and are opened by
double-clicking the icon. If the shortcut is deleted, the original file will remain in its original location.
A shortcut can be identified by the curved arrow at the bottom-left corner of the icon.
To create a shortcut to an item and place it on the desktop:
 Select the file or folder you want to create the shortcut to

 Copy the file by pressing [Ctrl C] or choose Edit, Copy or right-click on the file and choose Copy from
the pop-up menu
 Minimise any open windows to expose the desktop
 Right-click on the desktop and choose Paste Shortcut to create the shortcut on the desktop
A keystroke can be assigned to a shortcut. When the key is pressed with [Ctrl] and [Alt] held down, the
shortcut will be launched.
 Right click over the shortcut.

 Choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
 Click in the Shortcut Key box and press the key you wish to assign to the shortcut - this can be a
letter, number or symbol such as + or =.
 Click on OK.
If you always want the shortcut to be launched as a minimised window, choose Minimized from the Run drop-
down list in the shortcut's Properties dialog box

Customising the Start Menu

You can customise the Start menu by adding or removing options.
 Right-click over the Start button and choose Properties

 Choose the style of Start menu you wish to show
 Click on the Customise button
Customising the Vista Start Menu
If you are using the default Vista style of Start Menu:
 The Display as a link option will open the item in a new window when it is selected in the Start Menu
 The Display as a menu option will open a sub-menu when it is selected in the Start Menu. Choose a
file or folder in the sub-menu to open that item
 The Don't display this item option will clear the item from the Start Menu
 Clear the Use large icons at the very bottom of the list to fit more options on the Start Menu
 By default, the Start menu will show the last 9 programs you have accessed. You can increase or
decrease this number if required
 Ensure the Internet and Email icons are checked to add these icons permanently to the top of the Start
menu

Customising the Quick Launch Bar

The Quick Launch Bar is located on the task bar along the bottom of the screen and is used to launch
applications and utilities that are used on a regular basis.
The Quick Launch Bar contains the following buttons by default:
From left to right, they are:
 Show desktop (minimise all windows)

 Switch between windows (3D view)
 Launch Internet Explorer
 Launch Windows Media Player
The Quick Launch Bar can be customised to contain shortcuts to commonly used applications and files.
As the task bar is always visible (although it can be set to hide itself until you place your mouse over the bottom
of the screen), these shortcuts will be available when any application is running.
To add a shortcut to the quick launch bar:
 Right-click on the a blank area of the bar and choose Lock the Taskbar in the pop-up menu if it is
ticked
 The Taskbar separator icon will be displayed. Drag it to the right to create space for the new
shortcut
 Right-click on the a blank area of the bar and choose Lock the Taskbar again if you wish it to be
locked
 Find the application, file, folder or printer you wish to create a shortcut to
 Click once on the object then, holding your mouse button down, drag it to the Quick Launch bar - a
vertical black line will indicate the position of the object on the bar. Release the mouse button to create
the shortcut
 Shortcuts, like those in the Start Menu, can be used instead of the original file or folder
When a shortcut is created in this way, the actual file stays in its original location while the shortcut acts as a
pointer to this file. When you click on the shortcut, the original file is opened.
Add any program from the Start menu to the quick launch bar by right-clicking over it and choosing Add to
Quick Launch.

Customising the Task Bar Tray

The items displayed in the Task Bar Tray (also known as the System Tray) can be customised:
 Right-click on a blank area of the Task Bar Tray and choose Properties from the pop-up menu
 Tick the Hide inactive icons to de-clutter your Task Bar Tray - this is on by default
 Choose whether to show the system clock, volume and network settings by ticking or clearing their
checkboxes
 Click on OK to save your settings
Click on the Customize... button to make individual changes to the items in your Task Bar Tray
 Hide when inactive will only show the item when it has been activated
 Hide will ensure that it is never on display
 Show will ensure that it is always on display

 Click on OK to save your settings, and again on the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box

Windows Colour and Appearance

To change the appearance of window borders, the Start Menu and the Taskbar:
 Choose one of the eight default styles

 Ensure the Enable transparency checkbox is
ticked if you want a 'semi-opaque' style
 Increase or decrease the intensity of the colour
by dragging the slider left and right. Any windows
open in the background will reflect the changes
as you make them
 Create your own colours by clicking on the Show
colour mixer button and dragging the resultant
sliders accordingly
 You can apply 'classic' styles from previous
versions of Windows by clicking on Open
classic appearance properties for more
colour options and choosing a style

Changing the Desktop Background

Change the background image to one of the default options, or use your own
 Click on one of the pictures in the main window to change the background to a different default image
 Click on the Picture Location button to find images in other default locations, such as the Pictures
folder
 Click on the Browse button to find images elsewhere
 Choose whether the image should be stretched or compressed to fill the screen, tiled to fill the screen
or displayed 'as is' by clicking on the appropriate button under How should the picture be
positioned?
 Click on Change background colour to change it from the default black to any other colour you prefer
 Click on OK when you've finished making changes

Setting the Screen Saver

The Screen Saver is an application that launches after your computer has been left on but unused for a
predetermined amount of time. It's original purpose was to prevent damage to monitors caused by 'screen
burn' or 'ghosting', a condition that caused the screen's inner coating to wear from images or text that was
constantly present. Although modern monitors no longer suffer from screen burn, the Screen Saver has
retained its popularity and it is part of the Windows Vista package.
To make changes to the Screen Saver:
 Click on the leftmost button under Screen Saver to choose between the nine default screen savers.
You will be able to preview the screen saver in the small screen above the button
 Click on the Settings... button to change the screen saver's options, if it has any. The options will vary
for each screen saver
 Click on the Preview button to launch the screen saver immediately
 Change the figure next to Wait to increase or decrease the amount of minutes your computer will wait
between receiving input and launching the screen saver
 Ensure the On resume, display logon screen checkbox is ticked if you sometimes forget to log out of
your computer when you leave your desk. This should not be relied on as your primary security option
 Click on Change power settings... to change the way your computer conserves energy when it is not
being used
Use the Photos screen saver to view your own digital photos and add your old paper photos by scanning them
in - much better than storing them away in an old shoe box!

Customising Sounds
This is where you control the audio peripherals attached to your computer and the sounds it makes when
certain actions are performed.
 Check the status of your sound output and set the default sound output device by clicking on the
Playback tab. Make further enhancements, such as individual volume and tone, by selecting a device
and clicking on the Properties button
 Use the Recording tab to set the properties of any recording devices, such as microphones, attached
to your computer
 Set the sounds your computer makes for different actions by choosing an option under the Sound
Scheme button or make your own scheme by selecting the different items in the Programs pane and
using the Browse... button to locate new sounds. Save your new scheme by clicking on the Save As...
button

Changing Mouse Pointers

You can change the way your mouse looks and behaves by setting its properties
 Use the options under the Buttons tab to swap your left and right mouse buttons
 Set the double-click speed by dragging the slider to the left (slower) or right (faster). Test that it's at a
comfortable speed by double-clicking on the folder icon next to the slider
 Enable the ClickLock if you wish to be able to drag files or highlight them without holding down your
mouse button. Clicking on the file once will 'grab' it and clicking again will release it
 Use the options under the Pointers tab to

change the look of the cursor. This is especially
useful for people with visual disabilities
 Choose one of the default settings under the
Scheme button
 Load a third-party pointer scheme by clicking
on the Browse... button to locate it
 Turn the shadow behind the pointer on or off by
ticking or clearing the Enable pointer shadow
checkbox on or off
 Save any changes by clicking on the Save
As... button

 The Pointer Options tab houses the controls

for the way in which the pointer responds
 Change the speed at which the pointer moves
across your screen by dragging the Motion
slider to the left or right
 The Snap To option automatically puts your
mouse over the highlighted button on any
dialog box when it opens, allowing you to
select that option instantly
 The options in the Visibility section are
useful for visually disabled people as they are
all designed to make the mouse more easily
seen or hidden when required
 If your mouse is equipped with a wheel, you
can change the way it responds by using the
options under the Wheel tab
 Speed up or slow down the scrolling of your
mouse by changing the figures in the
horizontal and vertical scrolling sections
 Vertical scrolling can also be set to an entire
screen every time the wheel is moved one
notch
Different mice have different features - you may be presented with more or less options than those listed here.
Using Themes
All the personalisations you have made can be
saved as a theme, allowing you to recall the
same settings if changes have been made. You
can have as many themes as you like.
 Choose between the default themes listed

under the Theme button
 Once you have made changes to a theme,
save it by clicking on the Save As... button
 Unwanted themes can be removed by
selecting it and clicking on the Delete
button

Start-up Programs
If you always need to use the same programs or files when you first switch on your PC, you can save time
by adding them to your startup folder so that they launch automatically when Windows Vista is launched.
To add a program or file to your startup folder:
 Click on the Start menu to locate the program you want to create a shortcut to. To add a shortcut to an
Office 2007 program, for example, choose All Programs then Microsoft Office
 Right-click over the program you want to create a shortcut to
 Choose Copy
 Click on Back to return to the top level of the All Programs menu
 Right-click on the Startup folder in the menu
 Choose Open
 Choose Edit, Paste Shortcut
You can also make an individual file, such as a word-processing document, open automatically by dragging a
shortcut of the file into the Startup folder.

The Control Panel Classic View

The control panel can be viewed in two different ways - using the home page, or using classic view.
When viewing the home page, the controls are grouped into user-friendly sections. To find power options,
for example:
 Click on the System Maintenance icon

 Click on Power Options
In classic view, each control panel option has its own icon. To find power options, simply double-click on
the Power Options icon.
To switch from the home view to classic view, click on the Classic View link in the task pane on the left-
hand side of the screen.

Power Options
Vista has the facility to switch off your monitor and/or hard disk if they have not been used for some time.
When using a laptop, you can use different settings when your power cable is connected to when you are
working off your battery. You can also disable power settings altogether if you do not want your monitor to
turn off after a set amount of time e.g. if you are running a slide show from the PC.
To set power options:
 Click on the Start button

 Choose Control Panel
 Double-click on the Power Options icon
You can choose one of the pre-set power plans to use on your computer:
Plan Description
Balanced Display and hard drive are turned off after 20 minutes of inactivity, and the computer
will set to sleep after an hour of inactivity.
Power Saver As above but power is saved by reducing system performance, allowing more use
from a laptop's battery.
High As with balanced, but with system performance and response maximised. This setting
Performance is not recommended for laptop users.
To create a new power plan:
 Click on Create a Power Plan in the task list on the left-hand side of the window
 Choose the existing plan to base your plan on, then enter a Plan Name
 Click on Next
 Choose when the turn off the display and put the computer to sleep, then click on Create

To set advanced options for your plan:
 Click on the Change Plan Settings link under your new plan's name
 Click on Change advanced power settings link
 Set all advanced options and click on OK
 Click on Save Changes
You can also set what should happen when the power button on the computer is pressed. Click on Choose
what the power button does then choose the required action from the drop-down list. Click on Save Changes.
Folder Options
Folder options let you control how each folder in Vista is displayed
e.g. whether each new folder you click on is opened in a new
window, or whether hidden and system files are displayed.
To set folder options:
 In any window, click on the Organize button

 Choose Folder and Search Options
 On the General tab, choose how each folder is opened when
browsed i.e. in the same window or a new window. Choose
whether a single or double-click is needed to open an item

 Click on the View tab

 Under Advanced Settings, choose how items should be displayed e.g. choose Show hidden files
and folders to display all files, and uncheck Hide extensions for known file types to show all file
extensions
 Click on OK when all options have been set
You can set the default view used on all folders by setting any folder to show how you want the default to look.
Choose Organize, Folder and Search Options, then click on the View tab. Click on the Apply to Folders
button and click on Yes to confirm the change.

Easy Transfer
You can use Easy Transfer to make a copy of your entire PC so that all files and settings can be
transferred to another computer.
The following items will be copied:
Option Description
Files and folders All data within the Documents, Pictures and Shared Documents folders will be
copied. You can also specify other folders to copy.
Email settings Account settings, messages in your mailbox, calendar entries, contacts and
tasks
Program settings Program configurations and preferences
User settings Colour schemes, desktop settings (e.g. background and screensaver), fonts,
Start menu settings, printers and network connections
Internet settings Your home page, Favorites and cookies
Media Music, images and videos
You can copy your computer using CDs, DVDs or a USB drive.
To set up easy transfer and make a copy of your PC:

 Choose All Programs, then Accessories
 Click on System Tools
 Click on Windows Easy Transfer
 If prompted, click on Continue to open the Easy Transfer window
The Easy Transfer wizard will show.
 Click on Next to continue

 Click on the option to Start a new Transfer
 Choose My Old Computer to make a copy of the files on the computer you are currently using
 Choose the media to use for the transfer e.g. CD or USB cable

 When prompted what you want to transfer to your new computer, click on Advanced Options
 Choose all files and folders to be transferred, then click on Next
Windows will estimate how much storage will be needed to make the transfer. The transfer will begin
automatically and you'll be prompted to enter new CDs and DVDs as required.

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Vista Introduction

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Windows Vista Introduction

© Hewlett-Packard 2007 Page 1 of 130

Windows Defender ..................................................................................................................................... 30

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Tagging and Rating Images ...................................................................................................................... 66

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Revising File Share Permissions .............................................................................................................. 88

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 Click on the Start button

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Showing All Results

Searching with Wildcards

The following wildcard characters can be used:

Wildcard Can Substitute Example

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Searching using Keywords

Using AND, OR and NOT

You can change this using AND, OR and NOT:

Keyword Example Result

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Keyword Example Result

kind kind: everything This would return any type of item

kind: email This would return email messages only

kind: favorites This would return all favourites

ext ext: jpg This would return all JPEG images

ext: xlsx This would return all Excel 2007 files

date: today This would return files or items created today

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Keyword Example Result

messagesize:tiny This would return all messages less than 10 KB in size

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Adding Advanced Options to a Search

The advanced options will display:

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Searching a Particular Folder

 Right-click over the folder you wish to search

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Using the Start Menu

The Start menu will open.

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Opening an Application using the Start Menu

 Click on All Programs at the bottom of the Programs Pane.

 The folder will open, showing all the applications within

The Programs Pane

 Open the application

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The Links Pane

The Documents Folder, a subfolder of the Personal Folder, containing

The Games Folder. Games may be disabled on your computer

A list of the most recent files used

The Computer Folder, listing all the drives connected to your PC

The Network Folder, listing all the computers on your network

A list of all the additional networks your computer could connect to

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Returning to the Desktop

 Click on the Show desktop button in the Quick Launch bar

Switching between Windows

To cycle through windows in Flip 3D view:

 Press the Windows key and tab to show Flip 3D view

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Stacking and Cascading Windows