Vista
Section!!!!
Goodbye XP Hello VISTA
Two
words: More Fun. Like a new car, Vista
practically begs you to play with all its shiny new gadgets, see how hard you
can drive it, enjoy the novelty of the experience.
(Microsoft had 2500 Certified VISTA Testers and 5 million Beta Testers working
months on this new operating system.) I love the new system, there will be a
slight learning curve. I bought Vista books and Vista CD tutorials to help me
along. Please don't miss this meeting it will be great fun and a learning
experience.
First off, please
buy either Professor teaches WINDOWS VISTA
$19.99 it is on sale at Amazon.com for only $10.99 or PC
TUTOR Learn Windows Vista and Office
2007 $29.99. If buying a new
Vista computer these programs will be heavily discounted or even free. I bought
mine at Office Depot. Both are very good tutorials. Let me stress that a video
tutorial is absolutely the best way to learn Vista.
The best book on
Vista was: Teach Yourself VISUALLY Windows Vista,
it has 307 pages of actually screen shots of Vista in color.
Your new Vista computer should have:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
Memory 1 GB,
better 2GB
120 to 250 GB Hard
Drive
19" LCD
Monitor
CD-RW Drive To
burn CD's
This is better. (DVD-
RW Drive To burn CD's and DVD's.)
128 MB graphics
card, 256 MB is better.
Digital Media
Reader for your Digital Camera memory card.
Windows Vista Premium (comes with a Firewall and
Windows Defender,
an AntiSpyware program.)
Speakers with a
sub-woofer
Good Surge
Protector
Optical Mouse
AntiVirus Program
If your computer
is 2 or 3 years old we do not recommend upgrading.
Windows Vista
Premium is faster, more colorful, more user friendly, and has a lot of new
programs built in that will save you time and aggravation.
Microsoft spent 6
years developing Vista and it is was time well spent.
Great web sites about Vista:
See Windows
Vista Home Premium:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/seeit/default.mspx
The Look
and Feel of Windows Vista
PC World
Video (there are 2 good videos here)
http://www.pcworld.com/video/id,412-page,1-bid,5/video.html
Microsoft’s Windows Vista Home Page
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx
Windows Vista: Help and How to…Personalize your computer:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/default.mspx
Before
you upgrade your XP computer:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx
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1. Welcome center.
This is a new and
important addition to Windows and will save a lot of time and frustration. In
the first section midways down on the left side, click on show all 14 items.
As you put your cursor on each item, an explanation will appear at the top of
the window. Suggest you click on Windows Vista Demos you can view videos on 11 topics,
these are great demos. You learn a lot more from a video than a book.
2. MENU:
Left side:
Top: Programs that you have pinned to the menu permanently
Bottom: When you use programs it puts them here for easy access.
Right side has 3 sections:
Top: Opens documents, pictures, music for that user.
Middle: Search, Recent Items, Computer Drives, Connect To…..
Bottom: A. Control Panel.
B. Default Programs, sets which programs opens what files.
C. Help and Support.
Bottom Left: click All Programs: a List of all programs and folders.
When you put your cursor on a program, it tells you what it does.
Click on the Start Button and at the very bottom right is Power, Lock, and Shut Down button.
When you click on the Power button (the button before the Lock button) it does the following:
1. Automatically saves all work.
2. Turns off the Monitor.
3. Puts computer in sleep mode. Fans stop, Hard Drive stops, you go into low power consumption.
4. When you move mouse it wakes up, any program or file you had open is still open, just like it was before.
When you put your cursor on the Power Button, it will turn amber if it supports the above. If it turn Red, it will shut down and completely power off.
When you click on the LOCK it does the same as above except you have to have the password to bring it back to life.
At the end of the day, click on the Start Button click on
Right Arrow, then click Shut Down. This shuts down everything and you must turn
on your computer then next day.
3. Sidebar: This is brand new, it is a vertical bar on the right side of your
computer, on my sidebar I have a Clock,(there are 8 different styles.),
Calendar, Weather, Slide Show, and Notes. If you click on the Calendar date, it
will bring up the entire calendar month, click on that specific date and it
will bring up just that date.
When you are in
the Calendar, you can go back or forward for years and years.
Right click
anywhere on the Sidebar, then click on Add Gadgets.
(you must not forget these Gadgets use system resources.)
4. Thumbnails: Brand New. When you put your cursor on a program or document in the Taskbar it will show you a thumbnail of item and the full name and extension of the item.
5. Windows Flip: Alt + Tab shows you all the programs you have open by thumbnails. Hold the Alt key down and hit the Tab Key each time, it will highlight each in turn.
6. Windows Flip 3D Flip: Windows Key + Tab
It's show time: shows you all the programs you have open big time, in the middle of your screen like a deck of cards.
Hold the Windows key down and hit the tab key to go thru them one at a time.
Items 5 and 6 are part of Windows Aero. It gives you a new look and new ways to preview and switch between programs and other windows.
You can tell at a glance that Windows has a new appearance
in Vista. Its "aero glass" window frames, translucent
icons, animation and other high-end graphics offer an
immediate change of scenery. The icons are also truly
representative images--a file folder of documents
resembles an actual folder, and document icons are images
of the actual docs.
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If you have a window open and
wish to get the classic menu, press the ALT key, to make the menu disappear,
press the ALT key again.
7. Search Boxes (one of the great features of Vista, it is faster than a speeding bullet.)are everywhere, each program, file, Start Menu, etc. They are fast and respond with each letter you type in.
The Search box on the Start menu will search your programs
and all of the folders in your personal folder (which
includes Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and other
common locations). It will also search your e mail
messages, saved instant messages, appointments, and
contacts.
It performs the same tasks as the Run command,
giving you a quick way to open programs, files, folders,
and-when you're connected to the Internet-websites.
Once you made a Search, you can save it, in case you need it
again.
Click on Save Search in the Tool Bar.
To find all your saved Searches, type in Search in the Start,
Search blank, then click on Searches.
8. Back up and Restore Folders and Files:
(another great feature.)
Start, All Programs, Accessories, Maintenance , Back up and Restore Center.
The difference between backing up
files by using
the Back Up Files wizard and doing
it yourself:
When you burn a copy of your files to a CD or DVD or save
a copy to an external hard disk, each time you want to do
a backup, you have to manually select each file and folder
that you want to back up. You also have to remember to
regularly back up new or modified files and folders. This
can be time-consuming and tedious. When you use the Back
Up Files wizard, Windows keeps track of which files and
folders are new or modified. Then, when you make a new
backup, you can back up all of the data on your computer
or just the files that have changed since the last time
you made a backup. If you set up automatic backups,
Windows regularly backs up your files and folders so that
you don't have to remember to do it.
I use the same DVD, it still had room on it.
Can I back up to a CD or DVD if I'm
not there to insert
the discs?
Not unless your backup fits on one disc and the disc is in
the computer when the backup starts. Otherwise, schedule
the backup for a time when you will be available to insert
the discs. Windows will notify you later that the backup
wasn't completed; you can then insert a disc to continue
the backup.
It will give you a list of files you may want to back up:
You get a Red X online but on the TIPS 2007 CD you get the photo.
9. Pin the tale on the Donkey. An easy way to put a program you use all the time in the Start Menu, Right Click on it and click on Pin to Start Menu.
If you wish to put a program in Quick Launch, Right Click on it and select Add to Quick Launch.
10. Safety and Security features, are included in All versions of Windows Vista. Go to Start, Control Panel, Security. Make sure Firewall, Updates, Window Defenders, etc is on.
A. Vista Basic needs only 512 MB memory also less hard drive space. It is a bare bones version.
B. Vista Premium needs at least 1 GB memory, offers more advanced features including high definition digital video, Windows media center, Windows Backup , and most of the fun things.
11. To personalize your Desktop, Right click the Desktop, and click on Personalize. You can adjust Color, Screen Saver, Sounds, Mouse Pointers, Themes, etc.
Please do not use a Screen Saver, it uses electricity and shortens the life of your monitor. Please use the Power Options.
Click on the Start Button, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, then click on Power Options, then click on Change plan settings, I have mine set for:
Turn off the display 10 minutes,
Put the computer to sleep 15 minutes.
Having said that, every time I leave my computer to get a cup of coffee or something, I go to Start, and on the bottom line to the right, I click on the Power button next to the lock. This puts the computer to sleep instantly. Saves monitor and hard drive wear and tear instantly.
12. Help and How-To web site:
Please visit this website to
learn more about
using Windows Vista. It contains
a wealth of information about:
Hardware and drivers, Programs,
Printing, Files and folders, Pictures, Security, Internet, Networking, Music…..
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/default.mspx
Windows Vista help, tutorials and tricks.
13. Windows Explorer:
To bring up Windows Explorer, go
to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Windows Explorer. or just click on Start;
type Windows Explorer in the Start Search Box next to the Start Button.
At
the top click on Organize, Layout, then select:
A.
Details Pane: Bottom of Window shows document info.
B.
Preview Pane: Right Side of Window, Shows part
of the actual document or picture.
C.
Navigation Pane. Left side of Window, at the top
left it shows Favorite Links. At the bottom left it show Folders, click on the
up arrow ^ and
it expands the folders.
The
above applies to picture files also.
As
you put your cursor of different folders or files it will give you the
additional information. You don't have to click on it files just move your
cursor over them.
Use
the Arrows in the upper left corner to navigate back and forth.
14. Windows Media Center:
With the proper peripherals, you can watch and record television, play music, view pictures, play games and etc. It gives you the tools to organize, view and share all the digital media on your computer. With a burner you can burn a CD and DVD and play it on you computer or Television.
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15. Windows Photo Gallery: (fantastic program)
Clicking on Pictures, then a folder, then the photo itself and you have all kinds of options.
Fix, Print, Email, Burn, make a movie, etc.
Click tab Fix, you may select, Adjust Color, Crop Picture, Fix Red Eye, etc. This is a great feature, you don’t have to open a photo program to make changes it is built right in to Vista.
Click on VIEWS and you will find a slider to enlarge your thumbnails or click on Extra Large Icons. It’s great. When you are fixing Red Eye it is better to increase the size of the photo, then do the Red Eye fix.
Here we are going to add Tags, this is a new option that lets you identify and organize photos. As I was looking at some old photos on my computer, I tagged 11 photos of Sue Ann, my wife’s niece.
At the top left, click on Go to Gallery and on the left side under tags it showed the folder named Sue Ann, I clicked on it and all 11 photos showed up, I highlighted all of them, clicked on email and sent them to her.
Email Photos:
In the Photo Gallery, you can pick out several photos to email by holding the Control Key down and left clicking on the photos you want to highlight. Now at the top, click on E-Mail, then Use the down arrow to select the size, like 600 x 800, 1024 x 768, etc, then click on Attach. (This is really great.)
The new Vista viewer opens a new copy of itself every time
you double-click a picture, so you can easily compare
photos side by side.
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From the Gallery you can open all the other folders you have of pictures and work on them.
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Today, digital photography is all grown up,
and Windows Vista--Microsoft's new operating system--has been designed accordingly.
Getting Photos into Your Computer:
Let's start at the beginning. Downloading photos from your digital camera will be a lot easier in Vista thanks to what amounts to a
two-click photo-import wizard. Here's how it works: Plug
your camera or memory card into your PC, and wait a moment
for AutoPlay to appear. Click Import Pictures using
Windows, and you'll see the Importing Pictures and Videos
dialog box.
Edit Your Photos
Yes, Vista includes an real photo editor.
It is part of the Photo Gallery. To get there, you'll select a picture and click the Fix button in the toolbar. In the Fix module, you'll see a pane with commands for color and exposure adjustment, cropping, and red-eye removal.
The Auto Adjust feature offers a convenient one-click way
to snap your photos into proper exposure and color.
There are also sliders.
Also a crop tool has presets like 16 by 9 and 8 by 10 and Custom.
When you go to the next photo, it automatically saves any changes you’ve make. There is no Save button.
The new Vista viewer opens a new copy of itself every time
you double-click a picture, so you can easily compare
photos side by side.
Vista also features a dramatically improved slide show.
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15A. Microsoft's free Windows Defender
(an anti spyware program.)
Software
Explorer helps you monitor the following items:
1.
Startup programs, which are programs that run
automatically
with or without your knowledge when you
start
Windows.
2. Currently running programs, which are
programs that are
currently
running on the screen or in the background.
To get
here click on Start, All Programs, Windows Defender,
Tools,
Software Explorer.
The best way to see what starts up
on your computer.
Go to the Start Button, type
msconfig
in the Start Search blank, then at
the top
click on msconfig.exe, then
Startup.
Uncheck programs you do not need
at startup.
When to Scan:
Start, All Programs, Windows
Defender, Tools, Options:
16. Changes in
Vista for the Run Option:
A. The RUN option:
You really don’t need it
anymore, whatever you typed in RUN you can type in Start Search.
If you must have it:
Right click the Taskbar, choose
Properties, Start Menu tab, click customize and check Run Command.
Or type Run in Start Search
blank. If you just want msconfig, just type in msconfig in the Search blank.
B. To Remove Programs.
XP: Start, Control Panel,
Add/Remove Programs:
Vista: Start, Control Panel, Programs, uninstall a
program.
By Default, Vista automatically
synchronizes the computer time with an Internet Time server once a week.
Click on the Start Button or hit
the Windows logo key, either way, you
get the Start Menu.
17. Windows Movie Maker:
Windows Photo Gallery: Sucks in all your photos on your computer. If you
move your cursor over the photo it will automatically enlarge the thumbnail and
tell you name of the file, when you put it in your computer, the rating, and
the size. You can also Fix, Print, Email, Burn, make a Movie.
18. Let’s go Snipping: (fantastic program)
Start, Programs, Accessories, Snipping Tool.
Or Type Snip in the Start Search.
You can capture anything on the screen with different options:
Click the down arrow on New, then click on:
Free Form Snip
Rectangular Snip (this is a good selection to start with)
Window Snip
Full Screen Snip
You will get an + left click on drag
it over the part you want. Click on the Floppy disk icon at the top to save.
(watch where it saves it, I changed mind to Desktop.)
(this is like print screen only much, much
better.)
19. Ease of Access:
Ease of Access Center:
Magnifier:
Narrator: Type Nar in the Start
Search and click on Narrator at the top of page.
On-Screen Keyboard: Type Key the Start Search, at the top click on
On-Screen Keyboard
Window Speech Recognition:
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20. Breadcrumbs: (this shows the path)
Put your cursor on the arrows in the address bar to navigate between files and folders faster and easier.
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21. VISTA
UTILITIES:
A. Reliability and Performance
Monitor:
The main function of the
Reliability Monitor is to
track down any malfunctions that
may be occurring
within your Vista computer system.
It pinpoints any
problems you may be having and it
also helps you to fix
them right away. Once you run the
Reliability Monitor, it
gives you a graph of all your
software installs,
uninstalls and any errors that
have been recorded within
those programs.
Click on the Start Button and type in perform and, at the top of the page click on Reliability and Performance Monitor you’ll see Resource Overview of CPU, Disk, Network, and Memory.
Next click on Performance Monitor, then check it out, then click on Reliability Monitor and check out Installs, Uninstalls, failures in Applications, Hardware, Windows and Miscellaneous failures.
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B. Generate a Diagnostic Report:
Click
on the Start Button and type in
perform and, at the
Top
of the page, click on Performance Information and Tools,
on the left under Tasks: Manage startup programs
Adjust
visual effects, indexing options, and power settings
Open
Disk cleanup, click on Advanced tools,
and
at the bottom click on, Generate a system health report.
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22.
This is the most aggravating thing about Vista.
(Vista asks your permission to do too
many things)
Warning: you are much safer leaving it on.
Go to Start, Control Panel, on the left side click on Classic View, User Accounts, Turn User Control Account on or off.
It makes you less
safe but I turned mine off, it was driving me nuts.
I'm not suggesting
you do it, I just did it. You are safer by leaving it on.
Vista doesn't like
this turned off and will give you a Red X
(Windows Security Alerts) in the Notification area
(right side of the Taskbar). A bubble warning you and when you click on the
bubble it takes you to where you can turn it back on.
If you don’t want
the Red X in the System Tray
Go to Start, Control Panel and move on to the Security Center, located on the left side. Find the link that says "Change the way
the Security Center alerts me" and choose "Don't notify me
and don't display the icon (not recommended)."
Please keep your Antivirus, AntiSpyware, and Windows updated.
23.
Windows Mail Spell Checker Problem:
(do this only if you are having a
problem)
Got
this message when I tried to use my spell checker
in Windows Mail. I have
Vista Premium on my Toshiba Laptop
This language is
no longer available for spell checking.
Please select
another in the Spelling Option Dialog.
Go to Windows Mail, Tools,
Options, Spelling.
At the bottom change the
language to German, type
a couple words, any
spelling, then use the spell checker
to correct.
Now go back a change the
language to English and it works.
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24.
Drivers for Vista: The Hunt for Drivers.
Windows Update is now a
fully integrated part of Windows,
and Microsoft has worked
with hardware manufacturers to
make sure plenty of new
drivers are available. More than
31,000 updated drivers were
ready when Windows Vista was
completed-far more than the
12,000 that were available at
the completion of Windows
XP-and more are becoming
available every day through
Windows Update.
In many cases, you don't
even need Windows Update to
install new devices. Often
when you plug in a new device
or install a new add-on
card in your computer, Windows
Vista will detect the
hardware and automatically install
the correct driver in less
than a minute. A notification
lets you know when
installation begins and when it's
complete. You don't have to
do anything.
Remember
it is better to use the drivers from the hardware
manufacturer.
Go to their web site and download drivers.
25.
Wide Screen distortion
I have a Toshiba
Laptop with Vista Premium.
If your display
ratio is 1280x800 and your photos are distorted,
things look wider or fatter than usual.
Right click on the
Desktop, left click on Graphics Options, Panel Fit, Maintain Aspect Ratio.
Other options Full Screen and Center Desktop. Toshiba & Compaq have this
option. Sony & HP do not.
To find your
display ratio: Right Click the Desktop, than click on Personalize, then Display
Settings.
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You get 90 days of support free of
charge on Vista.
The 90 days starts after your first call.
Microsoft says that the company will always help customers with virus or security issues free of charge.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx
===============================
Q. What will Vista Cost for the Home User:
A. Vista Home Basic, $199; Upgrade $99
Vista Home Premium, $239; Upgrade $159
Windows Vista Ultimate $399; Upgrade $259
I got Premium on my new computers.
Basic doesn't have the good stuff on it.
Compare Vista
Basic, Premium, Business, and Ultimate Editions:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx
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Control, Alt, Delete (the three finger salute)
Options:
1. Lock the Computer. Need password to unlock.
2. Switch Users.
3. Log Off.
4. Change a Password.
5. Start Task Manager.
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26. Superfetch: monitors your computing behavior and prioritizes your system resources.
Vista can automatically defrag your
hard drive
Go to Start, Accessories, System
Tools, Disk Defragmenter.
Or in Start Search, just type in
Disk Defragmenter.
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27. Vista’s Disk- Partitioning utility
Lets you create, delete, resize, and format partitions.
Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Storage, Disk Management.
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28. Use an older
program with VISTA.
Go to Start, Control Panel and click on Programs. Next, click on
"Use an older program with this version of Windows" and the wizard will open. (I had to use this with a 1999 Payroll Program.)
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29. Text Size In Vista
You can make the overall text size in Vista larger or
smaller by right-clicking an empty portion of the Desktop,
clicking Personalize, and clicking Adjust Font Size (DPI)
on the left column. Click the Larger Scale (120 DPI) radio
button to make text larger or click the Custom DPI button
and use the slider to fine-tune text. Click OK to accept
your changes.
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30. System Health Report:
This is really a System Diagnostic report: Basic System Checks,
Resource Overview, Software and Hardware Configuration, CPU, etc.
Go to Start, Control Panel, System & Maintenance,
Performance Information and Tools, Advanced Tools
Generate a system health report.
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31. To increase the size of your font in Vista.
Right click your desktop and choose Personalize.
Then in the left pane, click on the "Adjust font size (DPI)".
Next, click the option that says
"Larger scale (120 DPI) - make text more readable."
When you're all finished, click OK.
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32. Vista Hard Drive Space
To see how much space is left on a hard drive in Vista,
click the Windows button and select Computer.
It will show the free space and total capacity of the C drive.
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33.
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Techy Stuff:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66GHz 4MB.
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40GHz 4MB $311 - $440.
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz 2MB.
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz 2MB $180 - 277.
Laptops:
Intel Core 2 Duo in GHz:
T2060 1.60
T5200 1.60 GHz
T5500 1.66
T5600 1.83
T 7200 2.00
T 7400 2.l6
T 7600 2.33
Intel Core Duo consists of two cores on one die.
Since the Core 2 Duo contains two processors on one
chip, it can
dedicate one processor to one task, and the other to another, without slowing
down your system.
The Core 2 Duo is more powerful and energy-efficient than its predecessor, the Core Duo. In short, the new Core 2 Duo gives you great performance and longer battery life.
For a visual go to:
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2795
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2808
===============================
1st Question
on Vista:
Q?. I'm in 'geek' overload in learning the how to's on my new Vista.
Hoping you can answer a question for me: In setting up the sidebar, I want the whole month calendar; but, its only displaying the individual day. How do I get the whole month calendar and not just the individual day?
PS I understand you'll be going over the Vista on March 13th. My intentions are to be there and re-join.
A. Click on the Day and it will show the monthly calendar.
Click on that day
of the month and it will return to that day.
Jerry Heaton found this: You can go back months
and years, if you return to the big incorrect date there will be a red flag,
click on it to return to the correct date.
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Love It All
"Personally, I love Vista," writes Gerald
Branch of Dallas, Pennsylvania.
He loves the "ease of network connections, better
security, the interface, and the search ability is just
great (once the indexing is done)." From the moment you
first launch Vista, the OS indexes the contents of your
hard drive. Subsequently, Vista automatically indexes all
new files you create or download. The indexing enables
Vista to look inside files--including e-mail messages, PDF
documents, and so on--when you do a search.
"Would I go back to XP?" Gerald asks rhetorically. "No. We
use XP in the office on two of our desktops, and Vista is
head and shoulders better. We're upgrading in the very
near future to Vista on all three computers."
(Mostly) Easier Wireless Connections The wireless network
connection wizard is "much improved from Windows XP,"
writes Mike Kulik of Macomb, Michigan. "I found it much
easier to locate wireless networks around me."
Some readers believe that Vista's User Account Control
function--which gives the OS a higher level of security
than Windows XP--can make it a wee bit more difficult to
connect to new Wi-Fi and other networks. Once you tell
Vista the new network is okay, however, it remembers your
settings and won't bug you again later.
Slick 3D Interface Several readers expressed appreciation
for the Vista interface. "Aero [the 3D interface in some
Vista versions] works great," writes Bob Liptrot of
Clinton, Connecticut.
He particularly likes the thumbnails of open applications
on the taskbar, and I concur. As you roll the cursor along
the taskbar that runs horizontally across the bottom of
your screen, thumbnails pop up for each open application,
providing a preview of the applications' open files. For
instance, if you place the cursor over a Microsoft Word
icon on the taskbar, you'll see a thumbnail preview of the
open Word document. It's a nice touch, and it has saved me
a few seconds here and there. The taskbar thumbnails are
available in versions of Windows Vista with the Aero
interface.
The Sidebar is another Vista interface element earning
high fives. Dave Bittner of Denver appreciates having
gadgets--little Web-enabled applets that live in the Vista
Sidebar--available for easy reference on the desktop.
Among the gadgets Dave appreciates are the calendar,
calculator, and CPU Meter. I run multiple weather gadgets
in my Sidebar, each of which tells me current conditions
in a different city.
You can download and install additional gadgets at no
charge; here are some of particular interest to travelers
and laptop users:
Traffic by Live Search Maps displays current traffic
conditions for a given area Battery displays your notebook
battery's status WiFi HotSpot Locator 1.0 sniffs out
hotspots.
Power Management: Pretty Powerful Bob Liptrot's Dell
latitude notebook now goes to sleep in about 10 seconds
and awakens in about 3 to 5 seconds. When the notebook ran
Windows XP, going to sleep and waking up took noticeably
longer, he says: "This feature was worth the price of the
upgrade alone."
Speech Recognition Worth Talking About Vista includes a
Speech Recognition feature that lets you dictate text and
perform commands using a microphone. Howard Cohen of
Denver says he uses voice commands in Vista to browse the
Web, compose Word documents, and compose e-mail.
Vista's new Snipping Tool.
When you need to capture all or part of a computer screen,
try Vista's new Snipping Tool.
From Harold Washburn:
The difference between Vista Basic,
Premium, Business, Ultimate.
http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=2850
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2007 Office Tips
& Tricks.
Need a quick and easy way to find information about the 2007
Microsoft Office system? Visit the 2007 Microsoft Office
system Tips & Tricks Web site to learn how you can get the
most out of the upcoming Office release.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/greattips/2007_on-demandlist.mspx
* XML files are ZIP compressed to reduce document sizes
Q. What is Microsoft doing to help prepare customers and
partners for the file format change?
A. Microsoft is working hard to ensure the new file formats
are compatible with prior Microsoft Office releases and that
the current file formats are fully supported in the next
release of the Microsoft Office system of products. We are
creating deployment tools, resources, and assistance for our
customers and partners. To ensure a smooth transition, we
are publishing the file formats specifications prior to
product availability enabling customers, partners, and
developers to examine the formats before they begin
receiving or creating files.
Q. Can the default file formats be changed in the 2007
Microsoft Office release?
A. Yes. The default file formats can
be changed during the
installation of Microsoft Office by an individual user.
Q. Can a person choose his/her default file format?
A. Yes. After installation of the software, a user can elect
to change which file format is used as the default. Users
will also have the ability to choose which format is used
when any individual document is saved from within Microsoft
Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, or Microsoft Office
PowerPoint.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/itpro/filefaq.mspx#ER
-------------------------------------------------------------
First-week retail sales of Office 2007 more than doubled
the purchases of Office 2003 in the week after its launch.
Retailers said that sales greatly exceeded their projections.
If you buy Office Home & Student 2007, it is $149 and you
can put it on 3 computers.
($129 at Sam's)
It has Word, Excel, PowerPoint and One Note on it.
I put it on my Desktop and Laptop.
More than 85 percent of Office's retail sales last year
involved its discounted edition for students and teacher.
It is now called Office Home and Student 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sales of Vista has been:
Basic 22%
Premium 70%
Ultimate 2%
-------------------------------------------------------------
Q. I
purchased a new computer with Windows Vista. I cannot
open my e-mail attachments with
the new computer.
A. E-mail
programs generally do not open attachments.
You must have the program that is
associated with the attachment's file type. For example, .doc files are
typically opened by Microsoft Word.
(I have had no problem opening
attachments with Vista.)
To check file associations in
Vista, click Start, Control
Panel. Click Programs, then click
Default Programs. Select
"Associate a file type or
protocol with a program."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Office 2007 is big
time improvement:
The 2007 Office System is by no
means just another collection of incremental tweaks.: This is clearly the most
compelling Office upgrade in recent years. You can download the suite from a
special page of the Microsoft Office Online site and
check it out for yourself--free for 60 days.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Word 2007 now saves the file as a docx file.
(Your can also save it as a .doc
file and should until your friends and relatives
buy Word 2007 otherwise they have
to have a special program to open it.)
1. If you wish to see your text in
different color, size, font, etc. just highlight the text, and rest your mouse
pointer over the feature, color, size, font, etc and it will preview the
formatting change without actually changing it.
2. The Mini toolbar appears right
on top of the text you highlight with a lot of common options you use, font,
size, color, etc.
3. The Microsoft Office button at
the top left of the screen has many options, one shows the last 17 documents
you have opened.
4. You can add any commands to the
Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the screen by right clicking on button you
want and selecting Add to Quick
Access Toolbar.
5. When you click and hold on the
scroll bar, a text box will appear that tells you what page you're scrolling to
and the section title that begins the page.
6. Below the scroll bar, you'll
find a series of buttons.
The double up and down arrows are for
moving one object up or down.
The middle button (the dot) is
called the Select Browse
Object button. It allows you to
select what items or
objects the double up and down
arrows jump to. For
example, if you set the button to
Graphic, the up and down
arrows will jump from graphic to
graphic, regardless of
how many pages are between each
graphic.
To see your choices, click on the
Select Browse Object
button. You should see a small
palette of choices appear.
Q.
Where are the AutoCorrect Options?
A.
Click the Office Button, Word Options, Proofing.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How do I just click on a
Hyperlink?
A. Open Word 2007, click on the
Office Button, at the bottom
click
on Word Options, Advanced, and uncheck, Use
Ctrl + click
to
follow hyperlink.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Q. When I send documents out in Word 2007 nobody
can open them.
I understand this problem has been addressed directly to
Microsoft, and they have no answer.
A. Even though I use Word 2007, my default is Word 97-2003,
most people can open this.
Open Word 2007, on the top left, click on the round Office button,
at the bottom click
on Word Options, on the left click on Save,
in the top box, Save files in this format: use the down arrow and
select Word 97 - 2003 Document (*.doc) then click OK.
Response:
Works great. Wish I had known that earlier, would have
saved much frustration. Thank you Joe.
-------------------------------------------------------------
To set your Word Document defaults:
To set your Font:
Under the Home tab, click on the tiny arrow in front of the word
Font. Set your Font, like Arial, Font Style, Bold, Size, like 12,
at the bottom left click on Default.
This becomes your Normal Template and all documents you open will have this configuration.
To set your Page Setup:
Click on the Page Layout Tab, click on the tiny arrow in
front of the word Page Setup set the margins in top, bottom, left and right. At the bottom left click on Default.
This becomes your Normal Template and all documents you open will have this configuration.
To set your Default in Word97- 2003:
Even though I use Word 2007, my default is Word 97-2003,
most people can open this.
Open Word 2007, on the top left, click on the round Office button,
at the bottom click
on Word Options, on the left click on Save,
in the top box, Save files in this format: use the down arrow and
select Word 97 - 2003 Document (*.doc) then click OK.
===============================
From Jerry Heaton's Word SIG:
Wondering where your favorite Office 2003 commands are
located in the new Office 2007 interface? Or just want to
explore the rich, new design with a little guidance?
Go to the web sites below scroll down and click on:
Start the guide
Word 2003 to Word 2007 command reference guide:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100744321033.aspx
PowerPoint 2003 to PowerPoint 2007 command reference guide
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA101490761033.aspx
Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 command reference guide: