OPERATIONS OF WINDOWS

VISTA

20/U/23151/PS – Keinembabazi Joy

19/U/8820/EVE – Kiggundu Jordan L
18/U/23405/EVE – Turyahebwa Alex
19/U/8598/EVE – Ssebwaana Ibrahim
18/U/23441/EVE – Tendo Caleb J
 What is Windows Vista?
• Windows Vista is Microsoft's OS version after Windows XP
• At its core, Windows Vista is an operating system with two primary
jobs, invisible to the user, but essential to the computer's operation.
These include:
• Managing hardware and software resources, including the processor,
memory, storage and additional devices
• Allowing programs to work with the computer's hardware
 Features of Windows Vista
• Creating a 3-D Desktop
• Windows Vista uses the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), a new
graphics driver model that runs primarily in user mode. It has little direct access
to the graphics hardware or to critical parts of the operating system. It interacts
with programs through an application programming interface (API ), like DirectX 9
or DirectX 10 APIs. This makes the OS more stable compared to the previous
Windows graphics drivers that ran in kernel mode and had direct access to the
graphics hardware. This meant that their performance could affect the operating
system and graphics errors could cause the entire system to stop responding.
•  APIs help hardware and software communicate more efficiently by providing
sets of instructions for complex tasks.
Windows Aero
• Windows Aero is a 3-D interface on
Windows Vista's Graphical User
Interface (GUI). Its windows are
three-dimensional objects that you
can move and adjust in any direction.
• Aero Glass makes the borders of each
window translucent so you can see
the desktop or other windows behind
it.
• Live Icons
• Live Icons in Vista are more elaborate than the
simple, static icons that represent many files in
older Windows GUIs. Live Icons give you up-to-date
thumbnail previews of each file. When you look at
a document's Live Icon, you see what the
document actually looks like rather than seeing an
icon for the program that created it. You can also
look at the contents of files before opening them
by using the Explorer preview pane.
• Flip 3D
• It lets you choose from three-dimensional, moving
thumbnails rather than 2-D images.
• Sidebar
• It allows you to access mini-applications called Gadgets, similar to Confabulator or
Macintosh OS X's Dashboard, used to access Widgets.
• Meeting Space
• It is a teleconferencing program for small groups of Vista users.
• Speech Recognition
• Vista has a speech-activated user interface and a general voice dictation application.
Users can control their computers and create documents using their voices.
• Windows Mail
• It replaces Outlook Express for home users and includes anti-phishing tools.
• Windows Calendar
• It is an interactive calendar application that allows users to keep track of appointments
and send e-mail invitations to events.
• SuperFetch
• It pre-loads frequently-used applications into the memory so they can start up faster.
• ReadyBoost
• It lets people add RAM to their system with a USB thumb drive.
• Sleep
• It lets you quickly resume working by storing files that are currently in use. On desktop
computers, these files are saved in the computer's RAM and on the hard drive. On laptop
computers, the files are saved to the hard drive only when the battery power wanes.
 Networking and Security
• Networking
• Windows Vista includes several network setup wizards, which guide users on how to create
networks and share devices. Applications that need to access the Internet can use APIs to
access Vista's troubleshooting capabilities.
• Through a Network Center, several built-in network tools are also accessible, including:
• Network Explorer
• It lets users find files on networked computers and move them from to place.  
• Network Map
• It creates a visual map of all the computers and devices on the network.
• Network Awareness feature
• It detects which network a person's computer is using and applies the appropriate settings for people who need
to use their computers in multiple locations.  
• Network Diagnostics feature
• It can detect and repair some network issues as well as guide users on the necessary steps to restore their
network connections
 Security
• Vista also includes applications and tools that people can use to make their systems
more secure. Vista can check for, download and install security updates automatically.
• Other security features include:
• Windows Firewall
• Windows Defender
• Malicious Software Removal Tool
• User Account Control (UAC)
• For each Windows Vista user for a particular computer, it lets one set up his own
account. With administrative privileges and an administrator's password, the user can
determine applications that different accounts can install and what changes they
make to the computer's setup.
• This helps parents set time limits for computer use, and also use parental controls to
manage games their children can play and what Web content they can view..
 Reference Material
• 1. Modern Operating Systems 4th Edition
• 2. Operating_System_Concepts_10th_Edition
• 3. William Stallings Operating Systems Internals and Design Principles
(7th Edition)