In order to alleviate hardware issues in Windows Vista, Microsoft has added a few diagnostic utilities to aid in the detection and prevention of such failures.

To aid you in keeping your PC running smoothly without a lot of effort Vista contains several built-in diagnostics. These utilities help resolve external problems that affect the way Vista performs. These utilities provide diagnostic scenarios which include Network Diagnostics and troubleshooting—to help address the most common issues as well as other types of failure detection software.

Built-in diagnostic scenarios in Windows Vista include the following as described by Microsoft:

Disk Diagnostics. The built-in Disk Diagnostics in Windows Vista detects impending disk failures and guides you through data backup, disk replacement, and data restoration procedures. When Windows Vista detects a potential disk failure, it warns you of the problem and guides you through the backup and recovery process to minimize the likelihood of data loss.

Memory Diagnostics. Defective computer memory is difficult to diagnose. It can mimic software or operating system problems. Memory Diagnostics in Windows Vista works with Microsoft Online Crash Analysis to detect crashes that might be caused by failing memory. It provides guided support and prompts you to schedule a memory test the next time you restart the computer.

Network Diagnostics and troubleshooting. The Windows Network Diagnostics tool in Windows Vista helps you identify the top potential issues preventing network connectivity—and it automatically takes appropriate steps toward correcting them.

Resource Exhaustion Prevention. Occasionally when you are running a large number of applications, the computer will simply run out of system resources, leading to hangs, crashes, and data loss. Resource Exhaustion Prevention warns you when critical resources are low—before a hang or crash occurs. It also identifies which processes are consuming the largest amount of a given resource and helps you reclaim that resource, it logs events in the event log that include detailed data useful for subsequent analysis.

Microsoft seems to be understanding the needs of users. These utilities can aid users in resolving issues commonly faced by the end user.

Having problems with Windows Vista?

Windows Vista has a unique feature embedded in the operating system. This feature is the Reliability and Performance monitor. If for any reason you are experiencing difficulties with Vista or a third party program that is installed this utility can be used to help identify the source of the issue.

The Reliability and Performance Monitor is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in that includes tools for analyzing system performance. You can monitor hardware and application performance in real time. Also available is the ability to customize what data you want to collect. You can define custom triggers for alerts, automatic actions, generate reports, and view past performance data.

The Reliability and Performance Monitor combines many functions of previous stand-alone tools such as Performance Logs and Alerts, Server Performance Adviser, and System Monitor. It provides a graphical user interface for the customization of Data Collector Sets and Event Trace Sessions.

Reliability and Performance Monitor contains three monitoring tools to aid you in determining a root cause of performance issues such as Resource View, Performance Monitor, and Reliability Monitor. Data collection and logging is performed using Data Collector Sets which must be defined to capture any required information.

Reliability and Performance monitor will be a useful utility for identify issues that may slow performance or cause instability.

Having acquired years of experience with windows and how well it performs (or not) I can assure you it will be in my arsenal of diagnostic utilities for Vista.

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