Microsoft Vista 2006

[b][font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista Product Overview for IT Professionals[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista advancements in security and reliability, along with its cost and operational efficiencies, give you and your users confidence in your company PCs. With Windows Vista, users have clear ways to organize and view their information, which enables them to focus on the most important aspect of their jobs. Windows Vista communication, mobility, and networking features keep users connected to people, information, and devices. Combined, these benefits bring clarity to your world and to the world of your end users.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]These capabilities make Windows Vista a great operating system solution for your company PCs. From the perspective of an IT professional, Windows Vista is easier to deploy, and less expensive to maintain, than any earlier version of Windows. From the perspective of end users, Windows Vista's improved performance and reliability add value by allowing people to be more effective while performing their jobs.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Security[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Microsoft has been able to increase the security of Windows XP significantly since its initial release by providing updates such as Service Pack 2, but major security improvements require significant architectural changes that can only be made by releasing a new operating system release. With Windows Vista, Microsoft is making fundamental investments in technology to help make customers more secure. Efforts include using a security development lifecycle to develop more secure software and providing technology innovation in the platform to provide layered defense, or defense-in-depth. Windows Vista includes many security features and improvements to protect client computers from the latest generation of threats, including worms, viruses, and malware.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]User Account Protection[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]With Windows XP and earlier operating systems, IT departments had to choose between the application compatibility and convenience of having users log on as an administrator, and the security and stability provided by having users log on as a standard user. User Account Protection in Windows Vista gives administrators the option of restricting permissions while still enabling most applications to run.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]To help provide this combination of security and compatibility, Windows Vista automatically virtualizes computer-wide registry settings and folders. Changes made to the virtualized registry settings and folders are visible to only that user account and the applications the user runs, so the integrity of the computer is protected. If an application does require administrator credentials, Windows Vista automatically prompts the user for the credentials before allowing the application to run.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Firewall and Windows Service Hardening[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]The personal firewall built into Windows Vista builds on the functionality that is included with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2. For example, Windows Vista's firewall blocks all inbound traffic until a computer has the latest security updates installed. The two-way firewall also includes outbound filtering that enables users to configure it to selectively block both outbound traffic and inbound traffic. Every aspect of Windows Vista's firewall can be configured using Group Policy settings, so client security settings remain constant. For the first time in a Windows operating system, Windows Vista firewall management is integrated with IPsec. The firewall works closely with Windows Service Hardening to restrict what services can do on the system, providing defense-in-depth and reducing opportunities for attackers to compromise vulnerable computers. Windows Service Hardening restricts critical Windows services from doing abnormal activities in the file system, registry, network, or any other resources that could be used to allow malware to install itself or attack other computers. For example, the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service can be restricted from replacing system files or modifying the registry.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Anti-Malware[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]User Account Protection, discussed earlier in this document, and security improvements to Internet Explorer (including the new Protected mode, which will be discussed later) can reduce the impact of malware infections in Windows Vista. In addition to these features, Windows Vista can detect and clean many malware applications, thereby protecting the integrity of the operating system and the privacy of users' data. It can also do real-time blocking of malware. Note that the built-in anti-malware detection, cleaning, and real-time blocking is primarily targeted at individual user. Current plans do not include enterprise management level support for anti-malware via group policy beyond enabling/disabling the protection.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Internet Explorer Enhancements[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista builds upon the User Account Protection initiative to limit Internet Explorer to just enough privileges to browse the Web, but not enough to modify user files or settings by default. This Windows Vista-only feature, known as Protected mode, will be in Beta 2. As a result, even if a malicious site attacks a potential vulnerability in Internet Explorer, the site's code won't have enough privileges to install software, copy files to the user's Startup folder, or hijack the settings for the browser's homepage or search provider.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]To help protect a user's personal information, Internet Explorer:[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Highlights the new security status bar when visiting a Secure Sockets Layer-protected site and lets the user easily check the validity of a site's security certificate.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Has a phishing filter, which helps users browse more safely by advising them when Web sites may be attempting to steal their confidential information. The filter works by analyzing Web site content, looking for known characteristics of phishing techniques and using a global network of data sources to decide if the Web site should be trusted. Filter data is updated several times an hour, which is important given the speed with which phishing sites can appear and potentially collect a user's data.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Clears all cached data with a single click.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Network Access Protection[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista includes an agent that can provide information about a client’s health state and configuration to network access servers or peers. Clients that lack current security updates, lack virus signatures, or otherwise fail to meet your computer health requirements cannot communicate on your private network. Network Access Protection can be used to protect your network from remote access clients as well as local area network (LAN) clients using wired or wireless connections. The agent reports Windows Vista client health status, such as having current updates and up-to-date virus signatures installed, to a server-based Network Access Protection enforcement service. A Network Access Protection infrastructure, included with Windows Server "Longhorn", determines whether to grant the client access to your private network or to a restricted network.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Platform Improvements[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista's authentication capabilities are more flexible, providing a variety of choices for customized authentication mechanisms such as fingerprint scanners and smart cards. Deployment and management tools, such as self-service personal identification number (PIN) reset tools, make smart cards easier to manage and deploy. Smart cards can now be used to log on to Windows Vista, too. Further, Windows Vista enables authentication using Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) or Web services.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Certificate enrollment is made easier because Windows Vista includes Credential Manager enhancements that enable backing up and restoring credentials stored on the local computer. The new Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS) provides certificate and credential roaming within an Active Directory forest and end-to-end certificate life cycle management scenarios.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista's auditing capabilities make it easier to track what users do. Auditing categories now include multiple subcategories, reducing the number of irrelevant events. Windows Vista integrated audit event forwarding collects and forwards critical audit data to a central location, enabling enterprises to better organize and analyze audit data.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Multi-Tiered Data Protection[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Theft or loss of corporate intellectual property is an increasing concern for organizations. Windows Vista has improved support for data protection at the document, file, directory, and machine levels. The integrated Rights Management client allows organizations to enforce policies around document usage. The Encrypting File System, which provides user-based file and directory encryption, has been enhanced to allow storage of encryption keys on smart cards, providing better protection of encryption keys. In addition, the new secure startup enterprise feature adds machine-level data protection. It provides full volume encryption of the system volume, including Windows system files and the hibernation file, which helps protect data from being compromised on a lost, stolen OR RECYCLED machine. In order to provide a solution that is easy to deploy and manage, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 chip is used to store the keys that encrypt and decrypt sectors on the Windows hard drive. It requires the TPM and an enterprise management infrastructure to ensure that the feature is easy to use for end users.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Reliability and Performance[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]While Windows Vista takes advantage of modern computing hardware, it also runs faster and more reliably on the same computers used to run Windows XP. The operating system is more dependable, and Restart Manager reduces the number of times users need to restart their computers. Applications that run on Windows Vista are more reliable too, because applications can recover from deadlocked situations and improved error reporting enables developers to fix common problems. Windows Vista can even help detect and recover failing hard disks and memory.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Fewer Restarts[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]With Windows Vista, users don't need to restart their computers for most updates and application installations. This capability is provided by a feature called Restart Manager.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Restart Manager works with Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Microsoft Windows Server Update System, Microsoft Software Installer (MSI), and Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) to detect processes that have files in use and to gracefully stop and restart services without the need to restart the entire machine. Applications that are written to take advantage of the new Restart Manager features can be restarted and restored to the same state and with the same data as before the restart.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Automatic Recovery[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]With Windows XP and earlier operating systems, recovering from a service failure typically required users to restart their computers. With Windows Vista, most service failures are not noticeable to users, because Windows Vista will automatically restart most services in the unlikely event that they fail. If necessary, Windows Vista can automatically address service dependencies and restart multiple services to maintain the reliability of the operating system. Because users often restarted their computer to resolve problems with failed services, automatic recovery also reduces the number of restarts.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Built-in Diagnostics[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista can self-diagnose and resolve a number of common problems. For example, Windows Disk Diagnostics proactively detects impending disk failures and can alert the support center to replace the failing hard disk before total failure occurs. For administrators, Windows Vista will guide them through the process of backing up their data so the hard disk can be replaced without data loss.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista also includes memory diagnostics to help administrators track down problems with unreliable memory. Previously, memory diagnostics were available only as a download and were difficult for many IT professionals to use. In Windows Vista, if Windows Error Reporting (WER) or Microsoft Online Crash Analysis (MOCA) determines that a failure may be caused by failing memory, Windows Vista prompts the user to perform memory diagnostics without requiring an additional download or separate boot disk. If memory diagnostics identifies a memory problem, Windows Vista can avoid using the affected portion of physical memory to enable the operating system to start successfully and to avoid application crashes. Upon startup, Windows Vista provides an easy-to-understand report detailing the problem.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Startup Repair Tool[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista includes the Startup Repair Tool (StR) to automatically fix many common problems and enable end users and IT professionals to quickly diagnose and repair more complex startup problems. When a startup failure is detected, the system fails over into StR. Once started, StR performs diagnostics to determine the cause of the startup failure. StR even analyzes startup log files so that you don't have to. Once StR determines the cause of the failure, it attempts to fix the problem automatically. The entire process requires little to no user input. Problems StR can automatically repair include:[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Incompatible drivers[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Missing or corrupted startup configuration settings[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Corrupted disk metadata[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]After the operating system has been repaired, Windows Vista notifies the user of the repairs and provides logging so that IT professionals can determine exactly which steps StR performed. StR also includes tools to assist IT professionals in manually troubleshooting startup problems. StR reduces support calls related to startup problems, and when users do need assistance, StR enables you to quickly solve the problem.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Application Reliability[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista is engineered to reduce the frequency and impact of user disruptions. It includes fixes for known crashes and hangs, and enhanced instrumentation that will provide greater insight into what causes unresponsive conditions.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista will offer improved application reliability from the first day that businesses deploy it, and the new error reporting capabilities will enable applications to continue to become more reliable over time. With earlier versions of Windows, application hangs were very hard for developers to troubleshoot because error reporting provided limited or no information about hangs. Windows Vista improves error reporting to give developers the information they need identify the root cause of problems. This enables continuous improvements in reliability. [/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Performance Improvements[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista offers improved performance and responsiveness compared with Windows XP. For example, Windows Vista can automatically detect problems related to long startup times or an unresponsive user interface, and add an event to the event log that describes the condition and that possibly provides information about the root cause of the performance problem. Administrators can use this information to troubleshoot problems on a case-by-case basis, or aggregate the event log data by using a tool such as Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) to analyze performance for the entire enterprise.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Deployment[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Deploying a new operating system to an enterprise is no small task, but Windows Vista image-based deployment makes the process as efficient as possible. Images are the fastest way to deploy an operating system, but they have not historically been part of the standard Windows operating system installation, requiring additional software and many hours of labor to maintain. To help reduce the complexity of the deployment process, Microsoft based the installation of Windows Vista on the file-based disk imaging format called Windows Imaging Format (WIM); modularized Windows Vista to make customization and deployment of the images easier; and made significant other deployment enhancements to the core operating system.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Modularization[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista is modularized, which makes it easier to customize. When preparing to distribute Windows Vista to an organization, IT professionals can pick and choose certain operating system components to distribute to a given set of computers. Languages, for example, are components, so the English language can be distributed to one set of computers, while French, German, and Spanish go to a different group. Drivers and updates are also components, making it easy to update images as hardware and software requirements change.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Windows Imaging Format[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]WIM is a file-based image format, which provides significant benefits as compared to the more common sector-based image formats. The WIM image format is hardware-agnostic, enabling you to maintain only a single image for multiple hardware configurations. WIM can also store multiple images within a single image file, making image management easier and saving disk space by storing only a single copy of each file. For example, you might store two images in a single WIM file — one image that contains only the Windows Vista operating system and a second image that also contains core applications. The WIM format reduces image file sizes significantly by using a compressed file format and single-instance storage techniques. (The image file contains one physical copy of a file for each instance of it in the image file, which significantly reduces the size of image files that contain multiple images.)[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Maintaining WIM images is easy, because drivers, updates, and some other Windows components can be added and removed offline without ever starting the operating system image. Windows Vista includes tools to directly edit images to change general and regional settings, apply operating system updates, add drivers, install updates, and add or remove applications. This feature saves hours of work maintaining setup images, because there is no need to start the image to make configuration changes.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Additionally, the WIM image format allows for non-destructive deployment. This means that you can leave data on the volume to which you apply the image because the application of the image does not erase the disk's existing contents.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Either modularization or WIM alone can dramatically simplify deployment; but together, they revolutionize the way client operating systems are installed. In other words, the combination of the two technologies provides a greater benefit than the two technologies would if offered separately. Most notably, the two technologies significantly reduce the number of operating system images that must be maintained. In other words, IT departments that previously maintained different images for each language and computer type can probably use just one or two Windows Vista images, thereby freeing the staff for other priorities.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Nondestructive Imaging[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]With previous versions of Windows, imaging could only be used for new Windows installations since deploying an image would overwrite the computer's hard disk. To upgrade a user's computer, IT professionals had to copy the user's files and settings to a different computer, and then restore the files and settings after deploying the image. Windows Vista includes nondestructive imaging using the WIM image format, which copies files and settings to a reserved portion of the computer's hard disk before deploying the Windows Vista image. After the Windows Vista image is deployed, Windows Vista migrates the files and settings and then restores the portion of the computer's hard disk that had been reserved. Overall, migrating to Windows Vista is much faster than migrating to Windows XP.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Unattended Installations[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Most Windows Vista administrative tools, including Setup Manager and the Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT), can be controlled from a command line or script. This functionality saves time when the user must repeatedly perform the same, or similar, tasks. IT departments that do not use scripting will still save time configuring unattended setup by editing a single file: Unattend.xml. Windows Vista includes graphical tools that make it simple to configure an unattended installation without manually editing the file. Because Extensible Markup Language (XML) files are text-based, they can be edited manually or programmatically using a script.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Manageability[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Monitoring, maintaining, and troubleshooting hundreds or thousands of computers can be both time-consuming and expensive. Windows Vista represents a significant step forward in Microsoft's commitment to reducing Windows computers' total cost of ownership (TCO). Windows Vista is designed to reduce the cost of desktop support, to simplify desktop configuration management, to enable better centralized management of the desktop and to decrease the cost of keeping systems updated. Expanded Group Policy settings make almost every aspect of Windows Vista centrally configurable, and powerful command-line and scripting tools enable IT professionals to automate monotonous tasks. Monitoring and reporting are designed to be centralized as well.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Configuration Management[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista technology ensures that changes to Windows files and settings happen in a predictable and reliable way. Windows Resource Protection (WRP) technology allows the system to protect itself from undesirable changes to system files, folders, or registry keys — changes that could render a computer or application inoperable. System settings in the registry are protected from inadvertent changes by users or unauthorized software; only the Windows trusted installer can make changes to protected system files and settings.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Group Policy[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Almost every new configuration setting in Windows Vista can be controlled using Group Policy. Additionally, Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is now included with Windows Vista. To make Windows Vista more flexible in environments in which multiple users use a single computer, such as schools and libraries, Windows Vista can have multiple Local Group Policy objects applied. This feature improves security and manageability in such shared-use environments as libraries and schools.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Eventing, Instrumentation, and Error Reporting[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista is easier to manage, saving IT professionals both time and effort. Event descriptions contain more data to help you identify the root cause of a problem and include event information in XML format, making it easy to expose events data to be leveraged by the management tools. For common problems, the process can be automated to launch tasks when a specific event appears. Windows Vista makes manually analyzing events easier, too, by enabling you to customize how the Event Viewer displays them. Additionally, Windows Vista can forward events to a central location to make identifying, tracking, and troubleshooting problems easier.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Automation [/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista automation capabilities let repetitive management tasks be performed without human intervention, reducing the likelihood of manual errors. Windows Vista adds several key automation capabilities:[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Web Services for Management (WS-Management), an industry-standard Web services protocol for protected remote management of hardware and software components, makes Windows Vista easier to manage across a network by allowing administrators to remotely run scripts and perform other management tasks.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]Key administrative tasks that can be performed from a user interface (UI) can also be completed from a command line, expanding the Windows XP command-line interface even further. This feature enables scripting and one-to-many administration. [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman]An improved Task Scheduler lets administrators launch a set of tasks in a specific sequence, ensuring they do not run simultaneously, and automatically launch tasks in response to events or when the computer is idle. The credentials used to launch the tasks can now be stored in Active Directory rather than on the local computer in order to improve the security of the passwords and simplify mandatory password changes.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Supportability[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista is designed to drive down user support costs in four key ways:[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman][b]Reduce the number of incidents.[/b] Windows Vista features such as Windows Resource Protection and User Account Protection help users be productive while preventing them from making system changes that would affect the system's performance. Additionally, Windows Vista's failure recovery automatically resolves many common problems.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman][b]Help users help themselves.[/b] Windows Vista is engineered to help users help themselves, greatly reducing the need for support from IT administrators or support center professionals. User Assistance — Windows Vista's version of help files — in Windows Vista provides better search capabilities, is easier for end users to understand, and can be customized by the IT department.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman][b]Reduce support time.[/b] When problems occur, Windows Vista provides IT and support center professionals with tools, detailed events, and performance counters to make it easier to determine what happened and how to fix it. The ability to detect failing disks and memory allows IT professionals to proactively replace hardware before a problem becomes catastrophic, enabling the problem to be resolved in a few minutes rather than several hours.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]•[/font][font=Times New Roman][b]Reduce the cost of supporting remote users.[/b] Windows Vista's improved Remote Assistance tool makes it easier and less costly to service computers in remote locations. To reduce bandwidth costs, the greatly improved Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) enables clients on a local area network (LAN) to share updates directly, instead of downloading the same files repeatedly across wide area networks (WANs).[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Productivity[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]User productivity is still one of the key considerations for IT departments evaluating a new operating system. Windows Vista seeks to add value to enterprises by substantially improving user productivity. Improvements to the user interface help both end users and skilled IT professionals become more productive. By allowing users to easily find what they need, Windows Vista helps users focus on what is most important for them to get job done.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Usability and End-User Productivity[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Microsoft has improved the usability of almost every aspect of Windows Vista, including the Start menu, Windows Explorer, and Control Panel. For example, the Control Panel now lists specific tasks that the user may want to perform, such as changing the screen's resolution. Users can even use the Quick Search text box to search for applications on the Start menu or for specific Control Panel tasks. These usability improvements mean users spend less time figuring out how to use the operating system and more time completing their work.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]AERO[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista's user interface, code-named "AERO" (Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open), is easier and more fun, even as it makes users more productive. Computers designed for Windows Vista create a professional and attractive environment based on a theme of translucent glass. Even applications created before Windows Vista become more attractive because Windows Vista has improved wizards and common dialog boxes that are shared by all applications.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Users with high-resolution monitors can finally take full advantage of their displays because Windows Vista smoothly scales icons and windows. As a result, users do not have to squint to read an e-mail message on their new 1600x1200 laptop display. Users who have previously used lower resolutions to make text more readable can increase the display resolution for added clarity and sharpness without decreasing readability.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Explorers[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows XP includes several specialized Explorers to enhance users' experience when interacting with specific types of content, such as Documents, Photos, and Music. Windows Vista builds on this concept by including layout, command, and organizational tools that are appropriate for the information the Explorer displays onscreen.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Information Visualization[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista has amazing information management capabilities that enable users to find documents, e-mail messages, and other information in seconds and then to work with that data in ways that are most intuitive to them. In fact, Windows Vista's new tools are so flexible and so easy to use that users will rarely need to search for information on their computers.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]First, the new Document Explorer, replacing the My Documents folder in Windows XP, is much more powerful. Instead of simply showing icons for documents, the Explorer shows high-resolution thumbnails that preview the document's content. Users can dynamically adjust the size of these thumbnails up to 256x256 pixels, which is large enough for users to know whether they've found the right document without opening it.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Virtual Folders[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista also introduces a new type of folder called a virtual folder. Virtual folders behave like regular folders; however, the contents of a virtual folder are defined dynamically. The contents of a virtual folder can be based on combinations of document authors, ratings, keywords (which users can define), and other criteria. For example, users could create a virtual folder that contained documents written by "John Smith," regardless of where the document is stored on their local computers. When they opened the virtual folder, the Windows Vista Document Explorer would automatically find every document on the local computer with written by John Smith and display those documents as the folder's contents. Like any other folder, users could re-organize and filter the virtual folder's contents to quickly find the document they are looking for.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Search[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Users can search documents, e-mail, contacts, and Web sites right from their desktop. Windows Vista searches are not limited to the local computer and can include shared folders, and other network resources. For all those times users think, "I know I've seen that somewhere, but where was it?" search capability makes it easy to find the content that user is looking for.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Start Menu[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]The Windows Vista Start menu makes it easier to open specific applications and browse all applications. Users can type part of the application's name in the Start menu's Quick Search box to launch the application. For example, to launch the Calculator tool, users press the Windows key, type [b]Calc[/b], and press Enter. Windows Vista makes it easier to browse the applications installed on the computer by replacing the Windows XP All Programs menu with a tree view, similar to Windows Explorer. This feature helps users find applications that are nested in folders several levels deep.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Sharing[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista makes it easy for users to share files, whether on a single computer or network. First, Windows Vista gives users the option to save their files into a personal or public profile, thereby differentiating whether the content will be available for personal or public use. Next, the new Sharing Wizard shows every person who has an account on that computer or in the Active Directory, enabling the user to choose which individual can access which files. Finally, Windows Vista enables users to more easily keep track of shared content by showing two Search Folders: one that displays all shared content and one that displays all content that has been taken offline.[/font]

[b][font=Times New Roman]Mobility Improvements[/font][/b]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista provides a single, easy interface for connecting to any type of network, including wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless wide area networks (WWANs), ad hoc wireless networks, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Once connected, the Windows Vista Network Explorer enables users to visually browse all network resources, including computers and devices, people on the network, and shared folders. The speed and reliability of discovering networked computers, servers, and devices is improved significantly over that provided by Windows XP.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista provides a single user interface for managing all types of data and device synchronization called SyncManager. SyncManager is capable of managing almost any type of device synchronization, including music files to a portable audio player, calendar information and e-mail messages to a PDA, contact information to a mobile phone, files between two networked computers and lies between a network computer and a file server.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Windows Vista's new default power-off state is Sleep mode. Sleep combines the resume speed of the Windows XP Standby mode with the data protection and low power-consumption characteristics of Hibernate. In the Sleep state, Windows Vista records the contents of memory to the hard disk, just as it would with Hibernate. However, it also maintains the memory for a short period of time, just as Windows XP maintains the memory in Standby mode.[/font]