Windows Vista For Dummies

Andy Rathbone

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780471754213
• eBook ISBN: 9781118043899
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Operating Systems
• Index: Computer Science

Create music CDs and photo DVDs or even watch TV

Move your files to a new computer, or get your old PC ready for Vista

The thing that's made Windows For Dummies so successful is that it's packed with the basics you need to make Windows work. This book gets you through all the Windows Vista tasks and tripwires, including starting programs, finding files, navigating the new see-through interface, staying safe while you cruise the Internet, and much more.

Discover how to

• Find files when they're hiding
• Hook up with another computer
• Make Vista work like XP
• Block Internet bad guys
• Share a PC without sharing your files
• Fix problems yourself

Part I

Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know

In this part . . .

Most people are dragged into Windows Vista without a choice. Their new computers probably came with Windows Vista already installed. Or maybe the office switched to Windows Vista, where everyone has to learn it except for the boss, who doesn’t have a computer. Or maybe Microsoft’s marketing hype pushed you into it.

Whatever your situation, this part gives a refresher on Windows Vista basics and buzzwords like dragging and dropping, cutting and pasting, and tugging at vanishing toolbars.

It explains how Vista’s changed Windows for the better, and it warns you when Vista’s messed things up completely.

Chapter 1

What Is Windows Vista?

In This Chapter

Getting to know Windows Vista

Introducing the new features in Windows Vista

Understanding how Windows Vista affects your old programs

Figuring out whether your PC is powerful enough to run Windows Vista

Knowing which version of Windows Vista you need

Chances are, you’ve probably heard about Windows: the boxes and windows and mouse pointer that greet you whenever you turn on your computer. In fact, millions of people all over the world are puzzling over it as you read this book. Almost every new computer sold today comes with a copy of Windows preinstalled — cheerfully greeting you when first turned on.

This chapter helps you understand why Windows lives inside your computer and introduces Microsoft’s latest Windows version, called Windows Vista. It explains how Windows Vista differs from previous Windows versions, whether you should upgrade to Vista, and how well your faithful old PC will weather the upgrade.

What Is Windows Vista, and Why Are You Using It?

Created and sold by a company called Microsoft, Windows isn’t like your usual software that lets you write term papers or send angry e-mails to mail-order companies. No, Windows is an operating system, meaning it controls the way you work with your computer. It’s been around for more than 20 years, and the latest whiz-bang version is called Windows Vista.

Windows gets its name from all the cute little windows it places on your monitor. Each window shows information, such as a picture, a program that you’re running, or a baffling technical reprimand. You can put several windows on-screen at the same time and jump from window to window, visiting different programs. You can also enlarge a window to fill the entire screen.

Like the mother with the whistle in the lunch court, Windows controls every window and each part of your computer. When you turn on your computer, Windows jumps onto the screen and supervises any running programs. Throughout all this action, Windows keeps things running smoothly, even if the programs start throwing food at each other.

In addition to controlling your computer and bossing around your programs, Windows Vista comes with a bunch of free programs. Although your computer can run without these programs, they’re nice to have. These programs let you do different things, like write and print letters, browse the Internet, play music, and even whittle down your camcorder’s vacation footage into a three-minute short — automatically.

And why are you using Windows Vista? If you’re like most people, you didn’t have much choice. Nearly every computer sold since early 2007 comes with Windows Vista preinstalled. A few people escaped Windows by buying Apple computers (those nicer-looking computers that cost more). But chances are, you, your neighbors, your boss, your kids at school, and millions of other people around the world are using Windows.

Microsoft took pains (and several years of work) to make Windows Vista the most secure version of Windows yet. (Just ask people who upgraded from previous versions.)

Windows makes it easy for several people to share a single computer. Each person receives his or her own user account. When users click their name at the Windows opening screen, they see their own work — just the way they left it. V...

Table of contents

• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• Part I : Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know
• Part II : Working with Programs and Files
• Part III : Getting Things Done on the Internet
• Part IV : Customizing and Upgrading Windows Vista
• Part V : Music, Movies, Memories (and Photos, Too)
• Part VI : Help!
• Part VII : The Part of Tens
• : Further Reading