If you are thinking about upgrading to Windows Vista there is more to it than just buying the cd. First you have to consider which version you want buy. You will need to review the features available in each individual version in order to make an informed decision.

To review features available please click here Options available in Windows Vista versions.

Once you have decided which version is right for you the process has just started. You will still need to review the system requirements for your version and compare those against your current configuration.

An easy way to accomplish this is to use the Microsoft upgrade adviser. This utility will scan your PC for compatibility with Windows Vista versions. As well the utility will give a detailed report on your hardware compatibility as well as program compatibility.

The program compatibility test will detail the software on your computer that may not work with Windows vista and will prompt you to contact the manufacturer about upgrade offers.

To use the upgrade adviser click here.

Now that you have chosen a version and tested your PC and programs for compatibility issues your next step will be to purchase. Microsoft has provided two different options for upgrading. You can simply purchase in store and now you may even purchase and upgrade online.

If you are considering upgrading online you may use the following link to purchase directly from Microsoft. To upgrade online please click here.

Customize Windows Vista

One of the new additions to the new operating system is the inclusion of the word “Personalize” in the user interface. Inside the Personalize interface there are many features that will allow you to customize you computer so that it reflects your needs, style and taste. Some of these features encompass the ability to change the desktop background, the screen saver and Windows Vista color scheme.

Changing the Desktop Background

You can replace your current desktop background with any image that has one of the following formats: .bmp .gif .jpg .jpeg or .png. You can center the image, stretch it to fill or repeat is as many time as necessary to fill the space. You can also create your own background by using a graphic application like Photoshop.

Here’s how you select an image for your background:

Right click on your desktop, select Personalize, and choose Desktop Background

From the Picture Location select a category and click on the picture you want as the background.

If you want an image that is not in any of the categories in the Picture Location, click on the Browse button and select your desired picture.

Change the Screen Saver

Screen savers are moving pictures or patterns that are displayed on your screen whenever there is no computer activity. Screen savers have no real use, other than they are fun to watch.

To change your screen saver, right click on your desktop, choose Personalize and click on Screen Saver. Click on the drop down menu to select your desired screen saver. You can also click on the Settings… button which opens up a dialog box where you can modify with your screen saver settings.

You can also choose when the screen saver will be displayed on your screen by increasing/decreasing the minutes besides the Wait tab.

Change the Color Scheme

You can customize fonts, sizes and colors of certain interface elements by changing the color scheme. To change the color scheme, right click on your desktop, click on Windows Color and Appearance, and select Open classic appearance properties for more colors options. Choose your desired scheme and click on the Advanced… button. Here you can modify the colors and sizes of the scheme.

This guest article has been written by Nick Zara of Windvis.com - Windows Vista help, tutorial and tricks

Now that Vista has been released many people have implemented it’s use. Many users have found out that their PC does not run as crisp with this operating system. If you have implemented Vista on your PC with only the minimum system requirements you have seen how sluggish it can be. I thought I would put together a list of perfomance enhancing tweaks for users in this particular situation.
 

Disable User Access Control (UAC)

This feature protects your PC from malware infection by prompting you with a manual confirmation prompt anytime a program or even you attempt to alter or use features which can alter system critical information. This feature can be very annoying.

To disable User Access Control:

-Click Start then Control Panel
-Select User Accounts
-Select Turn User Account Control on or off
-Un-check User Account Control Box
-Restart as recommended

 Turn off Windows Search Indexing

Vista search indexing constantly reviews files on your PC to make their contents available for quick searching. This is a nice feature, but it can impact system performance.

To disable this constant indexing:

-Click Start then Computer
-Right Click the C: Drive
-On General Tab, Un-check Index this drive for faster searching
-On the subsequent dialog box, Select Include sub-folders and files

 Turn off ScheduledDisk Defragmentation

Vista and comes configured with hard drive defragmentation automatically scheduled. You must remember to run defrag manually.

To disable scheduled defragmentation:

-Click Start then all programs
-Select accessories and then system tools
-Select defragmentation
-Uncheck “Run on a schedule”

 Turn off Windows Hibernation

Windows hibernation background services use a large amount of system resources and hard drive space. This feature as well in previous versions has caused many blue screens and protection errors.

To disable Hibernation:

-Select the Control Panel then Power Options
-Click Change Plan Settings
-Click on Change Advanced Power Settings
-Expand the Sleep selection
-Expand the Hibernate After selection
-Move the selector down to zero
-Click Apply

 Turn off System Restore

Disabling this service will prevent the system restore option from working. In the event of a system crash You will be unable to use system restore.

Disabling System Restore: 

-Control Panel>System
-Click System Protection on the left panel
-Un-check the main system drive
-Agree to the confirmation

 Turn off Remote Differential Compression

Remote Differential Compression measures the changes in files over a network to transfer them with minimal bandwidth.

To disable these services:

-Open Control Panel
-Switch to Classic View
-Select Program Features
-Choose Turn Windows features on and off
-Scroll down and un-check Remote Differential Compression

 Disable Windows Services that Auto-Launch

Vista is configured with many services enabled that load at startup and may never be used.
(these can be re-started manually by reversing the process; please document any changes you make)

Disabling Services:

-Click Start then Control Panel
-Select Administrative Tools
-Choose System Configuration
-Click the Services Tab
-You can safely disable:
      Offline Files (unless you’re using Offline File Sync)
      Tablet PC Input Service (unless you have a tablet PC)
      Terminal Services
      Windows Search (If you have already disabled indexing)
      Fax (unless you’re using a fax modem)

 Disable Extra Windows Features

Vista ships with many other features that are listed separately from the startup services.
You can review and disable these features by following the instructions below:

-Clicking Start then Control Panel
-Select Program Features
-On the left panel, select Turn Windows Features on or off
-You can safely un-check the following:

Note: Please document any changes made in case you need to reverse the changes made.

      Indexing Service
      Remote Differential Compression
      Tablet PC Optional Components
      Windows DFS Replication Service
      Windows Fax & Scan (Do not disable if you use a modem for faxing)
      Windows Meeting Space (Do not disable if you use the Live Meeting Service)

Implementing Ready Boost

 Add a 2GB or higher USB Flash drive to implement Windows Ready Boost (Additional Memory Cache). There are many requirements for the devices which want to use this feature. Microsoft is working with manufacturers to label devices which are compatible with this feature. When purchasing such devices you will need to look for the Windows Ready Boost label.

To configure a USB device:

-Insert a USB Flash Drive (preferably 2GB or more)
-Click Start then Computer
-Right Click the USB Drive in My Computer
-Select the Ready Boost Tab
-Choose Use this device

We all know what a hassle it can be when your computer enters hibernation mode. Many times you can experience blue screens when you attempt to launch your PC from hibernation mode. This is really a pain if you had unsaved data.

 With the release of Vista they have removed the ability from the power options control panel to disable hibernation mode. No where in the control panel will you find an option to disable hibernation mode. It is so nice of Microsoft to remove the abilityto disable this feature considering all the past problems it has caused

Don’t worry though…..there is a simple way to turn off this feature.

Instructions for disabling Hibernation mode:

1. Press the WINDOWS key and type cmd into the Start Search box but DO NOT press ENTER

2. Right-click on cmd in the Programs list  when it appears and select Run As Administrator

3. Click Continue when the UAC prompt appears

4. Type powercfg -h off and press ENTER

You have now disabled Hibernation mode in Vista. You should not experience any of the annoying errors normally experienced from this mode activating. Happy computing!

A users favorite utility for removing spyware and adware; Lavasoft has updated it’s Ad-Aware program. Improvements  include better detection, a scanning engine that does not use so many system resources, and a new updated interface.

Scanning has definitely been improved. Scan times (At least in my case) dropped by approximately 45%. This new version is supposed to have a new ability to seek out and delete rootkits and other threats that have been previously difficult to remove.

A privacy tool has been added so you can remove all traces of your Internet browsing history from your system. This feature supports the Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera browsers.

You will also notice the program’s new interface which is available in all versions. It includes more than just cosmetic changes. You will find tools and tweaking are much easier. The new version of Ad-Aware also implements an improved handling of definition updates.

All this and it’s still free. Of course their are more options and protection available with the pay versions. Such options include:

Real-time protection

Ad-Watch RegShield- provides improved protection against attempted Registry changes

Hosts File Editor- which blocks advertisement sites, prevents browser hijack attempts, and offers limited parental controls.

The Scheduler- allows you to set automatic scans and updates.

The Pro version has even more protection; Such as tools to identify keyloggers and prevent identity theft, and as well a network option to scan multiple PC’s on a network.

Note: New versions of Ad-Aware 2007 do not currently support the Vista operating system. Vista-compatible versions are slated for release in August 2007.

Ad-aware 2007 has been much improved. Once the release of the Vista compatible version is made available I will test the version and blog my findings.

Vista provides a great entertainment experience. Finding and playing games is a lot easier with the new Windows Vista Games Explorer. The Games Explorer is the new interface for all gaming activities.

As a parent, Vista provides you with a new set of Parental Controls that allows you to manage your youths access to games. Built on groundbreaking graphics technology, Vista takes advantage of the latest gaming hardware for more realistic gaming.
 
With Vista, the new Games Explorer allows you to more easily find games installed on your Vista-based PC. Many new games have a “Games for Windows” branding which will install right in the Games Explorer.
 
With Parental Controls you can control which games your children have access to. If you feel certain games are inappropriate for you children you can block the use of these games according to rating, content, or even titles.
 
With Vista, you can get a more exciting visual experience than you have ever seen on a Windows-based PC.
 
 

Windows Vista Media Center is available in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions and has been upgraded significantly, including a overhaul of the user interface.

Manage or playback recorded TV, play DVD’s and now you can watch online entertainment or use your internal TV tuner card for content. Created to be an all in one interface for media content Media Center tracks your content including any music files for easy content search and playback.

Having used the Vista Media Center I like the layout and feel of the interface. Of course if using the online content it is likely it will be more easily viewable with a broadband connection. If this is a selling point feature of Vista for your particular needs you may want to contact your ISP to inquire about broadband connectivity.

Other features of Windows Media Center include:

Support for two dual-tuner cards

Native DVD/MPEG-2 support

Addition of Movies and DVD button which lists all the movies on the hard drive and DVD.

Tasks button that provides access to jobs such as setting up and configuring a media center extender device.

Any video playing is overlaid on the background of the user interface, if the UI is navigated while the video is

still playing.

Support for high-definition (HD) content, and Cable CARD support.

Windows Live One Care is a utility designed by Microsoft to scan your computer for several different issues. Live One care scans your computer for unnecessary temporary files, invalid registry entries, open ports, malware, and even checks your hard drive to see if defragmentation is necessary.

The service is free for ninety days after which time there is a required yearly fee of $49.95 to maintain a subscription. Microsoft has deployed this utility to help users maintain security and functionality of their computers.

If you decide to acquire use of this utility they do require you uninstall any third party virus or firewall applications. If you have already purchased one of these types of applications this can be problematic as you will lose the use of the paid subscription to the third party service.

Overall this utility seemed to work well. Unfortunately there does not seem to be any detailed information as to what the scan has found. When trying to review the registry entries that were flagged as errors I could not locate any detailed information on the entries and what they may relate to.

Microsoft seems to counter this by stating if you have any undesirable effects to use system restore which will reverse any registry changes. This seems to be counter productive.

Before deciding to use this service you may want to read the installation requirements document by clicking here.

Windows live One Care may be a useful utility if you do not own software that already performs these functionalities. To review more detailed information concerning this product you may visit the Windows live One Care web site by clicking here.

As we all know speech recognition is not new to the Windows OS. The main issues I have found with speech recognition is most of the time even after you have trained your computer through the step by step process it still doesn’t work that well.

I have spent hours trying to get this feature to work properly, and some times it does. Unfortunately most of the time it isn’t accurate or efficient enough to warrant it’s use. I’m sure many of you have used it as I have only to find out it’s faster just to type the information.

With the release of Vista the speech recognition software is at least supposed to be much more efficient and accurate….Like that hasn’t been said before….. right?

Well I have used this feature in Vista and I would say it works much better than previous versions. Of course it still translates inaccurate information from time to time. I actually used the software to compose this blog entry with pleasing results, as there weren’t too many edits that had to be made….Thank goodness for spell check.

For anyone who uses this feature; you will notice improvements, but there is still work to be done before we  have hands free computing.

If you have purchased your copy of Windows Vista you have experienced this unique Vista feature. The sidebar can be used to add different features that are easily viewable.

For me the CPU and network activity monitor are very handy. If you have not previously experienced this feature or would like to re-enable the item simply visit the control panel and select the”Windows Sidebar” icon to configure it for start up.

You can view everything from the time, network traffic, CPU usage and much more. Many software vendors are developing applications to work with the Windows sidebar. If the feature or utility you might be looking for isn’t currently available then you might give it just a little more time as I’m sure someone will develop it.

If you would like to review available “gadgets” for the windows sidebar you can simply click here.