Easily put your PC in the sleep power state.

New technology in Windows Vista makes your PC significantly more responsive while you are performing everyday tasks. Improved startup and sleep behavior helps both desktop and mobile PCs get up and running more quickly. Greater efficiency in managing both memory devices and input/output (I/O) devices helps your programs run more smoothly and consistently. And as your computer ages, a number of features in Windows Vista work together to help keep it as responsive as the day it arrived.

Windows Vista also takes a new approach to performance problems. The Performance Information and Tools Control Panel helps you understand your PC's performance characteristics so you can manage and troubleshoot performance-related problems.

Self-tuning and diagnostics

State-of-the-art self-tuning and diagnostics make it much easier for you to manage performance effectively. It provides instrumentation and services that support user-driven and tool-driven diagnoses of performance problems, such as media glitching, slow application startup, slow system startup, and network-related delays.

Startup, sleep, and shutdown performance

In Windows Vista you'll experience better handling of all your PC's transitions between On and Off states. You can quickly put your PC in Sleep mode using the power button on the Windows Start menu or, if configured, using the computer's external power button. Sleep is a new power state that combines the quick-resume benefits of Standby with the data protection benefits of Hibernation.

More responsive

Inconsistency in PC performance is one of the top issues for computer users. Consider this common problem: One morning, applications start quickly and everything seems to be working well. Then you go out for lunch, during which the computer's performance slows. Another day, applications seem to take longer to start in the morning.

You want to be able to count on consistent performance from your PC. Windows Vista includes innovative technologies to help ensure that you can launch programs quickly when you start up, and that these programs will continue to be responsive throughout your day.

Windows SuperFetch

A new memory management technology in Windows Vista, Windows SuperFetch, helps keep the computer consistently responsive to your programs by making better use of the computer's RAM. Windows SuperFetch prioritizes the programs you're currently using over background tasks and adapts to the way you work by tracking the programs you use most often and preloading these into memory. With SuperFetch, background tasks still run when the computer is idle. However, when the background task is finished, SuperFetch repopulates system memory with the data you were working with before the background task ran. Now, when you return to your desk, your programs will continue to run as efficiently as they did before you left.

Low-priority I/O

Memory is not the only resource needed to help ensure responsiveness. One of the benefits of Windows is that multiple programs can run simultaneously. However, if multiple applications are simultaneously trying to use the same system resource, such as the hard disk drive, performance can suffer.

Windows Vista introduces the concept of low-priority I/O, which enables background processes to run with lower-priority access to the hard disk drive than other programs. If an application is written to use low-priority I/O, it can run at the same time as one of your high-priority programs, such as Microsoft Office Outlook, without slowing down the high-priority program. In Windows Vista, a number of services use low-priority I/O, including search indexing, disk defragmentation on a schedule, and the daily system scan in Windows Defender.

Disk defragmentation on a schedule

Disk defragmentation on a schedule.

Infrequent disk defragmentation leads to an inefficient layout of files on the hard disk, which can slow PC performance. Windows Vista includes a new disk defragmenter that runs in the background and automatically defragments the hard disk as need arises. The new disk defragmenter no longer needs to complete its work in a single session, it can defragment incrementally, whenever the computer is idle.

Faster access to DVDs and music

Windows Vista includes a new feature called Windows HotStart, which is ideal for use with media and entertainment on mobile PCs. Mobile PC manufacturers can now include a separate button for media playback that starts up right to Windows Media Player 11 or Windows Media Center. So when you use your mobile PC on a long flight, HotStart zips you right to DVDs or music, saving both time and battery life.

Diagnosing performance issues

Built-in performance diagnostics can detect and self-correct many performance issues. Performance diagnostics provide instrumentation and services for both user-driven and tool-driven diagnoses of common problems, including glitchy media playback, slow system or program starts, and network-related delays. Built-in performance diagnostic tools track how long it takes to execute common activities, analyze performance declines, and display results in the Performance Center, where users can then take action to remedy the problem.

Performance gains from Windows Vista and new hardware

Today's PC marketplace has an extraordinarily wide range of PC hardware. To take advantage of the varied landscape, Windows Vista scales its features in a way that makes the best use of available hardware. For example, if a Windows Driver Display Model graphics card is present, Windows Vista shows the Windows Aero interface. If a compliant graphics card is not present, Windows Vista will run but will not show the Aero interface.

The same is true of other performance features in Windows Vista, too. Having the right hardware unlocks some of the most innovative performance features in Windows Vista: Windows ReadyBoost and Windows ReadyDrive.

Windows ReadyBoost

Impromptu memory expansion.

Windows ReadyBoost introduces a new concept in add-on system memory. You can use nonvolatile flash memory devices, such as universal serial bus (USB) flash drives, to improve performance without having to add memory "under the hood." The flash memory device serves as an additional memory cache, that is, memory that the computer can access much more quickly than it can access data on the hard disk drive.

Windows ReadyDrive

Windows ReadyDrive is a new feature in Windows Vista that enables PCs equipped with a hybrid hard disk, a new kind of hard disk that adds flash memory to a standard mobile PC hard disk drive to enjoy better performance, greater reliability, and longer battery life.

In Windows, the Explorer windows are the main tools for finding, viewing, and managing information and resources: documents, photos, programs, devices, and Internet content. The new Windows Vista Explorers empower you to manage your information with greater ease, speed, and flexibility. They also happen to look super cool.

In the new Explorers, the menus, toolbars, Navigation Pane, Task Pane, and Preview Pane have all merged into a single intuitive interface that's consistent across all of Windows Vista.

• Instant Search, which is always available and finds files rapidly.
• >Navigation Pane, which contains quick links to the places your documents, pictures, and Search Folders are stored.
• Command Bar, which displays tasks appropriate for the files being displayed.
• Live Icons, which display a thumbnail image of the actual contents of each file.
• Details Pane, which provides rich information (metadata) about files so you can easily add or edit their metadata.
• Preview Pane, which you can use to browse through a preview of a file's contents in programs that have this feature.
• Enhanced title bars, borders, and Address Bar.

In Windows XP, the Explorer menus, toolbars, Navigation Pane, and Task Pane are distinct. In Windows Vista Explorers, all are merged into a single, streamlined interface.

Explorers are powerful, intuitive, and flexible.

Instant Search

Every Explorer window in Windows Vista contains an integrated Instant Search field in which you can enter part of a word, a word, or a phrase - even a date. Instant Search rapidly searches file names, file properties (metadata), and text within each file and returns results in just moments. For example, as shown in the illustration, entering the name Claudia in the Instant Search field results in a list of files related to Claudia - files for which Claudia is the author and files in which Claudia is mentioned in either the contents or the file name.

Get instant results when you search.

Navigation Pane and Search Folders

The Navigation Pane in each Explorer has been redesigned to make it simpler to navigate across your PC and quickly find what you're looking for. The default view is a series of quick links to your documents, pictures, and music. Additionally, clicking a Searches link displays all of the Search Folders on your PC.

A traditional folder and its contents have specific addresses on the hard disk drive. In contrast, a Search Folder is really a saved search that executes the moment you click it. Search Folders can automatically organize your files logically, without moving the files themselves. This makes it easy for you to view your files in many different ways without having to worry about where your files are actually stored. If you prefer the traditional, folder-based or tree-based view in the Navigation Pane, just select the folder control at the bottom of the pane.

Command Bar

In each Explorer, the new Command Bar displays tasks that are appropriate to the files being shown. For example, the Documents Explorer contains Command Bar tasks that you might need for documents, while the Pictures Explorer contains tasks appropriate to digital images. Unlike the Explorers in Windows XP and earlier, the Command Bar and the Navigation Pane in Windows Vista are available simultaneously, so tasks on the Command Bar are always available - you don't need to toggle between the Navigation Pane and the Command Bar to take action on your files.

Relevant tasks are always available in command bars.

Live Icons

Scalable "live" icons in Windows Vista greatly improve upon the generic system icons in 0ther operating systems. For applications that have this feature, Live Icons provide thumbnail-sized previews of the actual content of a file, rather than merely a generic image representing the program associated with that file. You can see rich previews of your files - including the first pages of your documents, your digital photos, and even album art for your music - without actually opening the files. This helps you work more efficiently and more productively.

Scale icon sizes for each window.

Details Pane

With the Details Pane, you no longer have to right-click a file to open the Properties dialog box. Instead, a rich set of file properties (or metadata) is always visible in the Preview Pane. You can add and edit properties easily - for one file at a time or for many files simultaneously - right in the Details Pane.

Preview Pane

For an even richer way to preview the contents of documents and media without opening individual files, Explorers such as the Documents Explorer, Music Explorer, and Pictures Explorer provide an optional Preview Pane. In programs that have this feature you can browse readable views of various documents or, with media files, preview a few seconds of content. (This is similar to previewing messages in the Preview Pane of Microsoft Office Outlook.)

Preview files without having to open them.

Address Bar, title bars, and borders

The enhanced Address Bar features drop-down menus along the current navigation path, enabling you to easily backtrack or navigate forward anywhere along an address location. The enhanced Address Bar is particularly useful on Tablet PCs, which now offer precise navigation with just a few taps of the stylus. Window title bars and borders are wider in Windows Vista, making it easier to grab a border to resize or move a window.

Enhanced menus simplify navigation.

Putting your PC to sleep can save time and power, and protect your work.

In the past, if you turned your computer off to save power or extend your mobile PC's battery life, it took a long time for it to start back up when you wanted to use it again. With Windows Vista, you can easily and quickly use your PC whenever you want, while still preserving battery life. The default "off" state is now the new Sleep power state. Just press the power button on the Start menu or on your PC, and your PC will automatically save your current session to memory, and then quickly enter into a very low power state. It will also save your session to the hard drive, so you can access it even if the memory loses power. Then, when you want to resume your computer use, just press the power button on your PC. Your PC will turn on in seconds, and be just how you left it last time.

Unlike Windows XP, which offered the different Standby and Hibernate modes, Windows Vista combines the benefits of both modes into Sleep to simplify the entire process for users. For optimal speed and performance when putting the PC to sleep, and when resuming it, purchase a new PC with Windows Vista preinstalled, rather than upgrading an existing PC.

Instantly find what you need.

Windows Vista introduces Instant Search: enhanced desktop search and organization that helps you locate files and e-mail messages on your PC. If you remember anything about a file; the type of file, when it was created, or even what it contains; Windows Vista can quickly find it for you.

With Instant Search, you are never more than a few keystrokes away from whatever you're looking for. This feature, which is available almost anywhere you are in Windows Vista, enables you to search for a file name, a property, or even text contained within a file, and it returns pinpointed results. It's fast and easy. Instant Search is also contextual, optimizing its results based on your current activity; whether it's searching Control Panel applets, looking for music files in Windows Media Player, or looking over all your files and applications on the Start menu.

From the Start menu

From the more efficient and comprehensive Start menu in Windows Vista, you can find virtually anything on your PC with fast-as-you- can-type performance. To find a specific file, application, or Internet Favorite, you simply open the Start menu or press the Windows key on the keyboard and begin typing in the embedded Instant Search box. As you type, Windows Vista instantly searches file and application names, metadata, and the full text of all files, and it displays the search results organized by the type of asset Programs; Favorites/Internet History; Files, including documents and media; and Communications, including e-mail, events, tasks, and contacts.

Explorers, Control Panel, and experiences

Explorer in Windows Vista showcases Instant Search in the top right corner. It's always with you when you're using any explorer, including the Documents Explorer, Music Explorer, Pictures Explorer, and new Search Explorer. Just like using Instant Search from the Start menu, you only have to type a few letters to quickly display the most relevant results. If the results aren't what you're looking for, Instant Search provides easy access to tools that can help you design more specific searches or search across the Internet using your search engine of choice.

Instant Search also appears in the top right corner of the redesigned Control Panel. Here, you need only type in a word or a phrase associated with the task you want to accomplish, and Control Panel filters down to the most appropriate choice.

You can also find Instant Search in Windows programs such as Windows Internet Explorer 7, Windows Photo Gallery, and even Windows Media Player. Anywhere you see it, just start typing, and you'll soon find what you're looking for.

Windows ReadyBoost improves system memory and boosts performance.

Adding system memory (typically referred to as RAM) is often the best way to improve a PC's performance, since more memory means more applications are ready to run without accessing the hard drive. However, upgrading memory can be difficult and costly, and some machines have limited memory expansion capabilities, making it impossible to add RAM.

Windows Vista introduces Windows ReadyBoost, a new concept in adding memory to a system. You can use non-volatile flash memory, such as that on a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, to improve performance without having to add additional memory "under the hood."

The flash memory device serves as an additional memory cache—that is, memory that the computer can access much more quickly than it can access data on the hard drive. Windows ReadyBoost relies on the intelligent memory management of Windows SuperFetch and can significantly improve system responsiveness.

It's easy to use Windows ReadyBoost. When a removable memory device such as a USB flash drive or a secure digital (SD) memory card is first inserted into a port, Windows Vista checks to see if its performance is fast enough to work with Windows ReadyBoost. If so, you are asked if you want to use this device to speed up system performance. You can choose to allocate part of a USB drive's memory to speed up performance and use the remainder to store files.

Windows Vista introduces Search Folders, a powerful new tool that makes it easy to find and organize your files - wherever they may be on your PC. A Search Folder is simply a search that you save. Opening a Search Folder runs your saved search, displaying up-to- date results quickly.

For example, you could design a search for all documents that are authored by John and that contain the word "project." You'd save this search, titled "Author John/Keyword Project," as a Search Folder. When you open this Search Folder, the search runs and you see the results right away. As you add more files to your computer that are authored by John and contain the word "project," those files will appear in the Search Folder alongside other matching files, no matter where you physically saved them on your PC. It's simple and fast.

Being able to view content on your computer sorted into saved Search Folders adds a lot of flexibility to the ways you can work with your files.

In addition, Windows Vista still supports traditional, location-based folders. Folders are useful because they foster easy migration from one computer to another, and because your existing programs would break without them. In Windows Vista, you'll still save content in folders, but it's easier to use those folders because of tools such as Instant Search and enhanced column header controls.

Windows SuperFetch enables programs and files to load much faster than they would on Windows XP-based PCs.

When you're not actively using your computer, background tasks, including automatic backup programs and antivirus scans, run when they will least disturb you. These background tasks can take up system memory space that your programs had been using. On Windows XP-based PCs, this can slow progress to a crawl when you attempt to resume work.

SuperFetch monitors which applications you use the most and preloads these into your system memory so they'll be ready when you need them. Windows Vista also runs background programs, like disk defragmenting and Windows Defender, at low priority so that they can do their job but your work always comes first.

Convenient thumbnail images.

Internet Explorer 7 helps you manage multiple tabs with a trio of convenient features: Quick Tabs, tabbed browsing, and Tab Groups.

Quick Tabs

Quick Tabs enables you to view thumbnail images of all open tabs in one view. Tabbed browsing is the most requested browser navigation feature among customers who want to manage multiple websites within one browsing window.

By clicking the Quick Tab icon just to the right of the Favorites icon, you can view all open tabs. From the Quick Tabs View, you can open any tab by clicking anywhere on the tab image, and you can close any tab by clicking the X in the far right corner of the image. The Quick Tabs page scales to the number of tabs that you have open. If you have nine tabs open, for example, Quick Tabs shows thumbnail images of all nine tabs; if you have more than 20 tabs open, you see smaller thumbnail images of each tab, but you can still see all tabs in a single view.

Tabbed browsing

Tabbed browsing is the most requested browser navigation feature among customers who want to manage multiple websites within one browsing window.

Tabbed browsing in Internet Explorer 7.

To create or open tabs in Internet Explorer 7, you click the empty tab on the Toolbar or right-click any hyperlink in a webpage and choose New Tab. You can also right-click a tab to refresh each page as an individual tab, refresh all of them as a group, close individual tabs or the entire group, and reorder tabs on the tab bar by dragging.

Tab Groups

Internet Explorer simplifies the organization of multiple tabs with Tab Groups. You can organize multiple tabs as a single Tab Group, which you can then save as a Favorite.

Create Tab Groups for a variety of subjects.

You can create Tab Groups for a mix of subjects or categories, such as shopping, finance, or news. For example, you can save travel sites such as Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia as a travel Tab Group in Favorites. The Tab Group appears as a folder on the Favorites menu. You can click on the folder to expand the Tab Group to show the sites within that folder. You can open all the sites in a Tab Group with a single click on the arrow to the right of the folder. A Tab Group can contain an unlimited number of tabs or sites, and you can create an unlimited number of Tab Groups within Favorites.

Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista features a new and cleaner interface.

Windows Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, the new version of the popular web browser, represents a major step forward in making everyday web tasks easier.

Making everyday tasks easier

To help you perform tasks more productively and efficiently, Internet Explorer 7 has been redesigned with new and enhanced capabilities for searching and making use of myriad sources of information.

Everyday tasks are easier with improved navigation through tabbed browsing and web search right from the toolbar. Improved printing and the ability to easily discover, read, and subscribe to Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds enable you to access only the information you want, any time it's convenient.

Dynamic security protection

Through a robust new architecture, Internet Explorer 7 offers dynamic security protection to help defend against malicious software (also known as malware), as well as new ways to protect users from unintentionally providing personal data to fraudulent websites that use deceptive practices such as phishing. And, Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista provides Parental Controls and a Protected Mode setting to keep families safer online and to help protect your PC from web-based attacks.

Cleaner, sleeker user interface

Internet Explorer 7 offers a new look to minimize the number of toolbars you need while maximizing the amount of screen space devoted to the webpages you care about. Internet Explorer 7 is noticeably simpler, more streamlined, and less cluttered. It reduces the toolbar "creep" consecutive rows of buttons and tools that can sometimes take up as much as a third of the screen.

A simpler, more streamlined frame.

The Back and Forward buttons are now smaller and have been moved next to the Address Bar. The Windows flag icon in the upper right corner of Internet Explorer 6 has been replaced with the powerful Instant Search field.

Microsoft has invested heavily in the improvements in Internet Explorer 7; you'll experience the difference the moment you start the new browser.

Improved platform for web development and manageability

Internet Explorer 7 offers better support for cascading style sheets (CSS), a rich RSS feeds platform, and robust tools for deploying and managing Internet Explorer 7 in enterprise environments.

Through a robust new architecture, Internet Explorer 7 offers multiple, interrelated security features to help defend your PC against malware (malicious code or unwanted software, including worms, viruses, adware, and spyware). Among the browser's dynamic security protections are safeguards to help make sure your personal information doesn't fall into the hands of fraudulent or deceptive websites.

Web browsers perform many functions. They must be open and flexible enough to handle a mix of website activity while maintaining sufficiently high security to prevent unwanted data access or application behaviors. Managing this balance is a top priority for Microsoft.

Together with Windows Defender, the security built into Internet Explorer 7 provides more levels of defense than ever before.

Microsoft has two primary security objectives with Internet Explorer 7:

• Protection against malware
• Personal data safeguards

Protection against malware

Malware, short for malicious software, refers to software applications designed to damage or disrupt a user's system. The proliferation of malware and its impact on security were some of the key driving forces behind the design features of Internet Explorer 7. The new version has been improved to reduce the potential for hackers to harm a system by limiting the amount of damage that can be done if malware is able to find its way onto a user's system. In addition, Internet Explorer 7 includes several technical features designed to thwart hackers' efforts to trick you into entering personal data when you should not. Core parts of the browser's architecture have also been fortified to better defend against exploitation and improve the way the browser handles data.

Protected Mode

Available only to people running Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, Protected Mode provides new levels of security and data protection for Windows users. Designed to defend against "elevation of privilege" attacks, protected Mode provides the safety of a robust Internet browsing experience while helping prevent hackers from taking over the system and installing programs or deleting your information.

In Protected Mode, Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista cannot modify user or system files and settings without user consent. Protected Mode requires the user to confirm any activity that tries to put something on your machine or start another program. By ensuring the user consents to these kinds of actions, the likelihood of automated and/or unwanted software installation is reduced. This feature also makes you aware of what a website is trying to do, giving you a chance to stop it and take time to double check the trustworthiness of the website.

ActiveX Opt-In

Internet Explorer offers web developers the ActiveX platform as a mechanism to greatly extend browser capabilities and enhance online experiences. Some malicious developers have co-opted the platform to write harmful applications that steal information and damage computers. Internet Explorer 7 offers a powerful new security mechanism for the ActiveX platform.

ActiveX Opt-In automatically disables all but a small set of well known, pre-approved controls which helps to greatly reduce the potential for abuse or attack. Now, if a website tries to use an ActiveX control you haven't used before, Internet Explorer 7 will display an notice in the Information Bar. This notification mechanism enables you to permit or deny access when viewing unfamiliar websites. For websites that attempt automated attacks, ActiveX Opt-In protects you by preventing unwanted access and giving the user total control. If you want to enable an ActiveX control for loading, you just click the Information Bar.

Fix My Settings

Because most users install and use applications with their default settings, Internet Explorer 7 ships with security settings that provide the maximum level of usability while maintaining strict security control. There may be times where you need to adjust those default settings for a legitimate reason. In such cases, it's critical that you reverse those changes when you no longer need those custom settings.

Internet Explorer 7 introduces Fix My Settings, a feature to alert you when you might be browsing with unsafe settings. The new feature reminds you about the unsafe settings with a warning displayed in an the Information Bar as long as your settings remain unsafe. You can quickly reset the security settings to the Medium-High default level by clicking the Fix My Settings option in the Information Bar. If you close your browser and it reopens with unsafe settings, you will see a notification page reminding you to correct the setting before you can visit any websites.

Fix My Settings interface.

Advanced Protection against spyware with Windows Defender

Windows Defender enhances security and privacy protections when used with Internet Explorer 7. By extending protections against malware at the browser level, Windows Defender helps prevent malware from entering the computer via piggyback download, a common mechanism by which spyware is distributed and installed silently along with other applications. For more information, see Windows Defender.

Personal data safeguards

Most web surfers are unaware of how much personal, traceable data is transmitted with every click of the mouse while they browse the Web. The extent of this information continues to grow as browser developers and website operators develop their technologies to enable more powerful and convenient features. With only basic website development tools, malicious website operators can build near replicas of well-known and trusted websites. Most online users are likely to have trouble discerning a valid website from a bogus copy.

Internet Explorer 7 offers a range of enhancements and solutions to better protect you from malicious websites and confusing URLs. The new Security Status Bar, located next to the Address Bar, helps you quickly differentiate authentic websites from suspicious or malicious ones. One way it does this is by enhancing your access to digital certificate information that helps validate the trustworthiness of e-commerce websites. Internet Explorer 7 also provides a simple file cleanup utility that deletes the browsing history for better protection of privacy and passwords.

Phishing Filter

Phishing is the technique of convincing a user to send personal information to a bogus (or potentially malicious) website that is designed to appear legitimate Phishing attacks continue to be reported in record numbers, and identity theft is emerging as a major threat to personal financial security. Internet Explorer 7 includes the Phishing Filter to help users browse with confidence. The Phishing Filter combines a local (client side) system scanning for suspicious website characteristics with an online service. For more information see Microsoft Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer.

Delete Browsing History

Removing all personally identifiable and tracking information from the browser is crucial to maintaining online privacy, especially in shared computing environments.

Internet Explorer 7 provides a Delete Browsing History option for one-click cleanup so you can easily and quickly erase all personal information stored in the browser. Accessing online resources using a friend's computer seems harmless enough, but you must rely on the security of your friend's system to protect your data. Likewise, in public environments such as libraries, schools, and conference centers, computers might be used by hundreds of people and potentially expose personal data and history information to every one of those users. Delete Browsing History provides a simple mechanism to quickly erase information and eliminate any concern about data privacy on other systems.

Parental Controls

Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista works with the Parental Controls that enable parents to establish filter controls for a range of settings, including controls for objectionable content or for defining a specific set of acceptable websites to browse.

Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista works directly with the Parental Controls service to provide easy access to logging information and a single interface for managing settings. The Parental Controls service can also be set to block file downloads, offering another way to prevent malware from getting on a system. For more information see Parental Controls.

Security Status Bar

In recent years, encrypted communications and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technologies have been introduced to better protect user information. Still, many Internet users remain overly trusting when websites ask for their confidential information. With the explosion of home-based and small business websites selling goods online, you're even more likely to encounter unknown entities asking for your financial information. The combination of these factors creates a situation ripe for abuse. Internet Explorer 7 addresses this issue by giving you clear, prominent, color-coded visual cues indicating the safety and trustworthiness of a website.

Earlier versions of Internet Explorer placed a gold padlock icon in the lower right corner of the browser window to designate the trust and security level of the connected website. Given the importance and inherent trust value associated with the gold padlock, the Security Status Bar in Internet Explorer 7 displays the padlock icon more prominently.

You can also view a website's digital certificate information with a single click on the icon. Digital certificates, issued by recognized entities known as certification authorities, serve two functions: 1) they provide third-party validation of the authenticity or trustworthiness of a business or website, and 2) they provide cryptographic encryption of data communications to keep information safer and more secure as it is passed between the website and browser. To give you a visual cue to recognize questionable websites, the padlock icon appears on a red background if Internet Explorer 7 detects any irregularities in the site's certificate information.

The Security Status Bar also supports new Extended Validation (EV) certificates that offer stronger identification of secure sites such as banking sites. Sites using EV SSL certificates have undergone a comprehensive verification to ensure their identity is that of the real business entity. When viewing a site secured with an EV SSL, you will now be able to view that identity information and verify the information is what you expect to see. Internet Explorer 7 highlights these validated sites with a green-shaded address bar and prominently displays the associated business or entity name.

URL-display protections

Hackers commonly attempt to mislead users into thinking they are looking at information from a known and trusted source. The ability to hide true Address Bar information and domain names from users has long been a valuable hacking tool. Internet Explorer 7 contains two powerful visual tools to help keep you from being duped: an Address Bar in every window and Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) support.

• Address Bar in every window. With Internet Explorer 7, all browser windows require an Address Bar. Because hackers often use pop-up windows to display misleading graphics and data to convince users to download or install malware, the requirement of a read-only Address Bar in each window helps ensure that you'll be able to learn more about the true source of the information you're seeing.

Multiple-language display.

• IDN display protections. The Internet encompasses a global community, and browsers must be able to handle non-English characters and domain names. Another technique used by malicious websites has been to include international characters in the Address Bar for phishing attacks and as a way to hide the true website domain name. The problem is based in similarities among many international alphabets: characters in certain languages (for example, the letter a in English) can resemble entirely different characters in other languages (for example, the letter ä in Cyrillic). As a result, an individual with malicious intent might register a domain name similar to a legitimate one to fool users into submitting their content to a false site.

Internet browsers have become a common avenue for hackers to deliver malware or to try to damage other people's computers. Internet Explorer Protected Mode, available when running Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, provides new levels of security and data protection for Windows users.

Protected Mode provides the safety of a robust Internet browsing experience while helping to keep hackers from taking over your browser, damaging your system and installing software. Internet Explorer Protected Mode helps protect users and their systems from malicious downloads by restricting where files can be saved without the users consent.

In Protected Mode, Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista cannot modify user or system files and settings without user consent. Protected Mode requires the user to confirm any activity that tries to put something on your machine or start another program. By ensuring the user consents to these kinds of actions, the likelihood of automated and/or unwanted software installation is reduced. This feature also makes you aware of what a website is trying to do, giving you a chance to stop it and take time to double check the trustworthiness of the website.

Control your children's computer use from one screen.

The parental controls built into Windows Vista are designed to help parents manage what their children can do on the computer. These controls help parents determine which games their children can play, which programs they can use, and which websites they can visit and when. Parents can restrict computer use to specific times and trust that Windows Vista will enforce those restrictions, even when they're away from home.

The Parental Controls panel, part of the User Accounts and Family Safety Control Panel applet, centralizes all of the key settings of the Windows Vista Parental Controls.

From this one location, you can configure the parental controls for your computer and applications, setting appropriate limits on your children's game playing, web browsing, and overall computer use. The Parental Controls panel provides a centralized location where you can turn parental controls on and off; block or allow specific programs, games, and websites; and set controls for every aspect of your child's computer use. Third-party family safety software and services providers may also choose to have their products and services accessible from the Parental Controls panel in Windows Vista. Parental Controls does not work on domain-joined machines, such as in a business environment.

Activity reports

From the Parental Controls panel, you can review easy-to-read activity reports that show how your children have been using the computer. Monitoring your children's computer behavior not only makes it easy for you to keep track of what they are seeing, hearing, and doing, but it also enables you to refine and modify parental controls based on actual feedback. For your children, the Parental Controls icon in the system tray is always visible to let them know that the Parental Controls feature is on.

Time limits for computer use

With Windows Vista, you can decide when your children are allowed, or not allowed, to use the computer. You are presented with a grid showing the days of the week and the hours of the day.

Set time limits for computer use.

The default setting is to allow your children to use the computer during all hours of the day and night, seven days a week. To restrict their computer use, you simply click the specific times and days that you want to block. As a child nears the end of an approved time period, they receive a 15-minute and a 1-minute notification that their time is about to expire. If their time ends before they log off the computer, Windows Vista suspends their session and displays the logon screen so another user can use the computer. The child's session stays active in the background, however, so the next time they log on, they can pick up where they left off without losing any of their work.

Internet Explorer 7 Printing interface.

Internet Explorer 7 includes enhanced functionality that makes it easier to print a webpage. By default, Internet Explorer 7 shrinks a webpage's text just enough to ensure that the entire page prints properly - you no longer need to cut and paste the page into a text-editing program. You can also adjust webpage margins, change the page layout, remove headers and footers, and increase or decrease the print space.

Print Preview also enables you to print the whole webpage or just part of a page. If you want to print the webpage without graphics or ads, you can do that. Use the mouse to select the text and graphics you want to print, and then click Print Preview. Print Preview shows only the area you selected and prints it accordingly.

Security Center is the one place to go to check security settings.

Windows Defender works with Internet Explorer 7 to help you make conscious choices about software installed on your PC by providing always-on protection that monitors key system locations, watching for changes that signal the presence of spyware.

Superior scanning and removal technologies use up-to-date spyware definitions created by Microsoft, with help from Windows Defender users who submit reports of potential new spyware.

From installation to maintenance and updates, Windows Defender is simple to use and comes with preconfigured settings and guidance to help you get and stay secure. An improved user interface gives you more control over your software. Common tasks such as scanning, blocking, and removing unwanted software are easier than ever, and a Software Explorer helps you understand which software and services are running on your computer and stops or disables "rogue" software. Windows Defender automatically handles many common tasks and interrupts or alerts you only in the case of serious issues that require immediate action.

Windows Defender takes advantage of many of the platform enhancements in Windows Vista, including improved caching technology which allows scans to run faster and User Account Control, which enables the software to run without administrator privileges.

Integration with Windows Internet Explorer 7 allows downloaded files to be scanned before they are saved and executed, reducing the chance that spyware might be installed by accident. "Scan on execute" functionality provides an added layer of protection, and integration with Windows Security Center helps you keep track of spyware protection alongside other security and safety features.

Windows Defender is available for both Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista. Windows Defender and its associated definition updates are also available on an ongoing basis as free stand-alone downloads for customers using Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 who validate their software through the Windows Genuine Advantage program.

Spyware protection

To help protect your data and your computer, Windows Defender depends on three key technologies: scanning and removal of spyware, real-time protection, and ongoing updates.

Scanning for and removing spyware

By default, Windows Defender scans your computer for spyware every night at 2 A.M. unless you specify a different schedule. During the scan, Windows Defender automatically takes action on High, Medium, and Low Severity items, depending on your preferences.

Windows Defender automatically scans your computer for spyware daily.

You can also quickly scan the most common locations such as program files and Internet Explorer browser Help objects on your computer at any time by clicking the Scan button. Generally, a quick scan can detect the most common spyware on your computer. You can also elect to perform a full system scan, which takes longer but examines your entire computer for signs of spyware using a more comprehensive definition set. You can also use the menu to specify a custom scan of specific areas of your computer, such as removable storage.

Quickly scan common locations, such as program files or Internet Explorer.

When a scan is complete, Windows Defender notifies you of any spyware it discovers on your computer. It then prompts you with options for dealing with each threat and recommends appropriate action in most cases. Generally, there are four actions you can take if a threat is detected.

Windows Defender notifies you of any spyware it discovers.

Ignore: No action is taken, but the potential threat will continue to be detected in future scans.

Quarantine: Backs up the software in a safe location and then removes it. This prevents the software from running, but it can be restored if needed.

Remove: Deletes the software from the computer entirely.

Always Allow: Adds the software to the Allowed items list. It will not be detected in future scans.

Windows Defender can scan and remove software even if you are not running as an administrator by default, non-administrators can take action on detected items. They can choose to remove, quarantine, or ignore items.

Real-time protection

Scanning can remove existing spyware, but to help protect against new or unknown threats, Windows Defender includes monitoring agents for real-time protection. Several security agents monitor critical areas of the computer that spyware might attempt to modify: autostart, system configuration, Internet Explorer add-ons, Internet Explorer configuration, Internet Explorer downloads, services and drivers, application execution, application registration, and Windows add-ons. These critical areas of the computer represent the common entry points for spyware.

Typically, spyware must modify one of these areas to run automatically or spy on what you're doing without your consent. If any changes occur to these areas, Windows Defender notifies you so you can allow or block this activity. Some legitimate software might behave in suspicious-looking ways, so Windows Defender helps you make decisions about whether to allow it on your system by showing you the percentage of other Windows Defender users who have allowed it. Typically, legitimate software will have a very high "allow" rate.

Updated definitions

Because spyware is a constantly evolving threat, Windows Defender automatically makes sure it has the latest definitions before a scheduled scan, so you are better protected from new threats. Definition updates are created by Microsoft analysts with help from an active network of Windows Defender customers who submit spyware reports. These reports help keep Microsoft and you ahead of new and emerging threats posed by spyware.

Customers can opt in to these networks at two different levels. "Basic participants" can submit reports that do not include personally identifiable information - although this might result in incomplete spyware reports. "Advanced participants" can choose to send a full report that might include some personally identifiable information. They are also alerted about unknown software that exhibits behaviors similar to spyware.

Control over software on your computer

Windows Defender gives you a clearer view of and more control over the software on your computer. When it detects suspicious actions by unknown software, it alerts you to the potential threat. It also includes a number of tools and features that help you keep track of what software you have, understand threats and alerts, and keep track of scanning and protection activity.

Understanding alerts

Windows Defender alerts you when it detects suspicious behavior on your computer or discovers known spyware during a regularly scheduled scan. It adjusts these alerts based on the severity of the potential threat.

Windows Defender alerts you when it detects suspicious behavior.

When innocuous changes occur, a small notification appears in the system tray. For moderate to severe threats, a yellow or red alert window is displayed because these threats generally require immediate action. You can either take immediate action or click Review to get more information about the potential threat. When multiple potential threats are discovered, only one alert is shown, to minimize interruptions and allow you to take action quickly and get back to using your computer.

Software Explorer

To help you understand which software and services are running on your computer, automatically running on startup, or communicating over the Internet, Windows Defender includes a Software Explorer that lists these processes and helps you stop or disable "rogue" software.

Windows event log

You can also keep track of Windows Defender activity including alerts, detection and removal, and installation of new definitions using the Windows event log. You can review or audit previous actions you have taken by searching in Event Viewer for events created by Windows Defender.

Teamwork just got easier.

Windows Meeting Space enables face-to-face collaboration among small groups of Windows Vista users - virtually anytime, anywhere. Useful for both business and personal purposes, this tool enables you to share work on computer-based projects with other people more easily and comfortably.

If you have a business, collaboration is essential to your organization's productivity and success. But there are many obstacles to overcome. For instance, it's difficult to share files in caf's without a hotspot or in meeting rooms without network access. Most of the time, you're forced to use alternative methods such as swapping a USB drive.

Giving a presentation or showing your desktop to another person can also be difficult. You're often forced to turn your laptop screen around or to invite someone to look over your shoulder. Projectors can solve some of these challenges, but they aren't always available. Even if there is a projector, spreadsheets and other files with small fonts may be hard to read.

Windows Meeting Space, the new collaboration feature in Windows Vista, is a simple yet powerful tool that enables you to work face-to-face with small groups of Windows Vista users.

With Windows Meeting Space, you can collaborate with one person or as many as nine others over a wired network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), or an ad hoc (PC-to-PC) wireless network.

Setting up connections using enhanced security is quick and easy to do. One person initiates a session in Windows Meeting Space. This sets up the meeting session and enables the organizer to invite attendees and send them the password to use for the session. Others can join it, share files, or see the same view of a program or desktop and collaborate in real time.

Security-enhanced collaboration

Windows Meeting Space and the entire peer-to-peer developer platform in Windows Vista is designed with security in mind. Invitations and participant authentication are handled by using certificates derived through a common password exchange and verification between the session creator and the attendees.

Ad-hoc collaboration

Even if you don't have a network, Windows Meeting Space will create an ad hoc (PC-to-PC) network as long as you're using a laptop with a network card. You don't need special knowledge about creating or joining ad hoc wireless networks. The process is the same as if you were joining a meeting on an infrastructure network (a typical home or office network). This ad hoc feature is perfect for collaboration when participants do not have access to a network infrastructure for example, in a coffee shop without wireless access, or with customers who lack corporate network access. Windows Meeting Space and its inventive use of ad hoc wireless network integration opens up a range of new and more flexible collaboration possibilities.

Discovering sessions and people near you

Discover and join sessions using the Sessions Near Me feature. You can easily discover the sessions occurring nearby on a local network or on private ad hoc (PC-to-PC) wireless networks.

Find sessions easily.

Windows Meeting Space also offers a People Near Me feature, which shows you who's available on the network you're using so you can invite people to join your collaboration group or another People Near Me enabled program.

You can invite remote participants via e-mail or a file, if your network supports Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) global connectivity. When potential participants receive an e-mail invitation, they only have to click it and enter the password established by the session creator.

Making meetings more productive

Sharing and working on files with groups is easier using Windows Meeting Space than with traditional methods such as paper handouts, sending files through e-mail or instant messaging, uploading files to common network shares, or passing around a USB key. With Windows Meeting Space, you can quickly start a meeting that facilitates multi-party file sharing. When participants add a file to the handouts area, everyone gets a copy. If one group member makes a change to a file and saves it in the session, those changes are replicated immediately for all session members. When participants leave, they can save a "final" copy of the handout to their local hard drives. This alleviates the pain of managing multiple versions. Everyone can have an identical copy that reflects the results of your meeting.

Getting feedback from other participants is easy too. Unlike standard presentations, where changes can be made only from the presenter's PC, Windows Meeting Space enables you to delegate control to other users, who can then make revisions even while the original is being broadcast from your computer.

Windows Meeting Space or Live Meeting?

Both Windows Meeting Space and Microsoft Office Live Meeting help you communicate and collaborate in a rich way, and you can use them for different purposes. Live Meeting is designed to help you collaborate from different locations, across corporate boundaries, and on different networks over the Internet. Live Meeting operates on a server infrastructure and can support up to 2,500 concurrent users, enabling larger, more formal meetings that are often planned and scheduled in advance.

Live Meeting is browser-based and can be used with any Windows operating system that supports it. However, unlike Windows Meeting Space, Live Meeting isn't immediately available to anyone using Windows Vista, and it requires an Internet connection.

In contrast with Live Meeting, Windows Meeting Space is a peer-to-peer application that operates directly between personal computers. No server infrastructure is involved even when you use the application over a corporate LAN or WLAN. Also, Windows Meeting Space is designed to enhance and support spontaneous and informal small-group collaboration (up to 10 concurrent users).

The new Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer 7.

The new Microsoft Phishing Filter in Windows Internet Explorer 7 uses an online service that is updated several times an hour with the latest industry information about fraudulent websites. This service warns you about both known and suspected fraudulent sites.

The Phishing Filter combines a local (client side) system scanning for suspicious website characteristics with an online service. This opt-in feature uses two “checks” to help protect users from phishing scams:

• It analyzes websites users want to visit by checking those sites for characteristics common to phishing sites.
• It sends the website address to an online service run by Microsoft to be checked immediately against a frequently updated list of reported and known phishing sites.

If the website you are trying visit is a known phishing site, Internet Explorer 7 signifies a threat level (in red) and automatically navigates you to a neutral warning page. If a site has not been confirmed as a phishing site but is behaving like many phishing sites do, you'll be warned and shown a yellow flag in the Address Bar. You can report any phishing sites or false positives to the Phishing Filter right from your browser.

The Phishing Filter is not enabled by default you must actively enable the feature the first time you use the browser after installation. You can enable and disable the Phishing Filter with just a single click at any time using the browser menus.

Default power plans help you balance performance and battery life tradeoffs.

Windows Mobility Center, available in premium editions of Windows Vista, puts the most frequently used mobile PC settings in a single, easy-to-find location.

Mobile computing comes with its own set of challenges. Unlike a desktop computer which connects to a single network and a steady power supply a mobile PC forces you to manage transitions as you move from place to place. Sometimes you're plugged in, and sometimes you're using battery power. You might be connected to a corporate network in the morning, a wireless network in a client's conference room in the afternoon, and your home network in the evening.

Windows Vista addresses these unique needs by providing several new and enhanced features that make mobile computing easier. This section describes some of these key features and enhancements.

Power management

You now have more control than ever over how your mobile PC uses and manages power. Windows Vista offers simplified and more reliable power management compared to earlier versions of Windows.

Power plans

Power settings in Windows Vista are based on power plans. A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your computer balances the tradeoff between power conservation and system performance. Windows Vista includes three Windows default power plans:

Balanced. This plan balances energy consumption and system performance by adapting your mobile PC's processor speed to your activity. For example, the processor speeds up when you play a multimedia game and slows down when you read a document.

Power saver. This plan saves power on your mobile PC by reducing system performance. You use it primarily when you want to maximize battery life.

High performance. This plan maximizes system performance on your mobile PC. You sacrifice some battery life to improve overall performance.

The Balanced plan meets most people's needs. You can easily change one or more settings in a Windows default power plan, such as the amount of time that elapses before your mobile PC goes to sleep or goes into hibernation. And, new in Windows Vista, if you don't like the changes that you made to a plan, you can restore the plan's default settings.

You can also easily switch between power plans by using the improved battery meter on the task bar or on the battery tile in Windows Mobility Center. You can see all of the power plans on your mobile PC in Control Panel and change settings there as well. The plan settings adjust when you are running on battery power, so you don't need to switch plans just because you pulled the plug.

The sleep power state

In earlier versions of Windows, resuming from standby or hibernate was not always fast or reliable. Windows Vista promotes the use of the sleep state so you can use your computer whenever you want, without having to wait for the computer to start. To put your mobile PC to sleep, click the Power button on the Start menu. To wake your mobile PC, press the hardware power button.

Using sleep offers the following advantages:

• Windows Vista saves your work and the state of your programs to memory and then puts the computer to sleep. If your battery is running low, Windows Vista saves your work to your hard disk and then turns off your mobile PC.
• You don't have to wait for your mobile PC to shut down. It goes to sleep in only a few seconds.
• When your mobile PC wakes, Windows Vista restores your previous work session within seconds. You don't need to restart your mobile PC, log on, and then open the files that you were working on.

Sleep is typically the best power-saving state for your mobile PC when you're not using it. You should shut down your mobile PC or put it into hibernation only when necessary for example, when you don't plan to use it for several days.

Improved battery meter

Windows Vista makes it easy to determine how much battery life you have left and to manage the power consumption of your mobile PC. The battery icon in the notification area on the task bar provides information at a glance. It indicates when your battery is low, critical, or missing from your battery bay. If you hover your mouse over the battery meter, you can see the amount of time and percentage of battery power remaining, and also which power plan is active. If you click the battery meter, you see an expanded view, and you can immediately change the power plan. If you have more than one battery on your mobile PC, the expanded view provides details about each battery. Timely notifications tell you when your battery life reaches low and critical levels.

The improved battery meter gives a clear view of your power situation.

Presentation settings

Presentation settings are options on your mobile PC that you can apply when you're giving a presentation. If you've ever had your display turn black during a presentation, you will appreciate that your screen saver can automatically turn off every time you give a presentation.

When presentation settings are turned on, your mobile PC stays awake and system notifications are turned off so they don't interrupt your presentation. You can also choose to turn off the screen saver, adjust the speaker volume, and change your desktop background image to another image or, in the case of Windows Meeting Space presentations or presentations given over a network, to a solid color to improve performance. Your settings are automatically saved and applied every time you give a presentation, unless you manually turn them off.

Presentation settings automatically turn off when you disconnect your mobile PC from a network projector or additional monitor, and also when you shut down or log off from your mobile PC.

Multiple monitors

Anyone who has tried to connect a mobile PC to an external display knows how challenging it can be. Windows Vista simplifies the process by automatically detecting the external display and showing your mobile PC's desktop. You can then choose how you want your desktop to appear and customize the display settings, such as resolution and color depth. You can also specify that a particular display is used for a presentation, which turns on the correct presentation settings automatically.

When you connect your mobile PC to an external display, Windows Vista opens the New Display Detected dialog box, where you can select one of the following display options:

• Mirrored. Duplicates, or "mirrors," your desktop on each display. Mirrored is the default display option. It's useful when you plan to use your mobile PC to give a presentation on a projector or a fixed display in a conference room, such as a wall-mounted plasma display or a TV-type monitor.
• Extended. Extends your desktop across all of the displays that you connect to, so that you can move program windows back and forth between the displays. This option is useful if you want to increase your work space.
• External display only. Shows your desktop on all monitors that you connect to, but not on your mobile PC display. This display option is useful if you want to conserve battery power. You can also use this option when you play a DVD on a mobile PC that supports full-screen video playback on only one display.

Network projection

Windows Vista makes it easy to give a presentation from a mobile PC. By using the Connect to a Network Projector wizard, you can connect to any Windows-compatible network projector over a wireless or wired network. A network projector is a shared resource that you can access from your mobile PC much like a printer on a network.

The Connect to a Network Projector wizard offers two ways to connect to a projector:

• Choose a projector. When you search for a projector, a list of available projectors appears on your local network.
• Enter the network address of a specific projector. If you can't find the projector on your network or if you want to project to a remote projector, you can connect manually. Examples of a manual connection network address are http://server/projectors/projector_1 or \\server\projectors\projector_1.

When the wizard displays the available projectors, an icon appears next to each projector to indicate whether the projector is secured or unsecured.

Whether you choose a projector by selecting it from the list of available projectors or by entering its address, you must enter a password if the projector is secured.

When you use the wizard, your desktop will be mirrored; that is, the same image appears on your mobile PC display and on the projector. Presentation settings are automatically optimized for network performance.

Windows HotStart

Windows HotStart is a new feature in Windows Vista that enables you to click a button and immediately start a program regardless of whether your mobile PC is on, sleeping, in hibernation, or off. Within a few seconds of clicking a HotStart button, you can start a media program, such as Windows Media Player, to play a CD or watch a DVD that you've recorded, or browse and play audio and video files from your hard disk. At any point, you can exit or pause the media program to return to your desktop without having to restart your mobile PC.

Although HotStart is ideal for playing media that you've recorded or stored on your hard disk, you can also configure the button to start other programs, such as an e-mail program or web browser. HotStart also works on desktop computers.

Live Icons show actual file contents.

Key components of the new Windows Vista Explorers, Live Icons display a thumbnail image of the actual contents of every file, making it easier to select a given item.

Scalable "live" icons in premium versions of Windows Vista greatly improve on generic system icons. Programs that have this feature show thumbnail previews of the actual content of a file, rather than a simple, generic representation of the application associated with that file. You can see rich previews of your files - including the first pages of your documents, your photos, or even album art for your songs - without opening them. This helps you work more efficiently and productively.

Windows Vista includes new features that make networking easier, safer, and more reliable. Whether used at home or in a small business or large enterprise, Windows Vista simplifies connectivity so you can focus on what's most important. Connect wirelessly to your company's network, share printers and a high-speed Internet connection, copy files between PCs, and enjoy your favorite online entertainment at home.

Network and Sharing Center

The Network and Sharing Center puts you in control of your network. Use it to check your connection status, view a visual representation of your network, and troubleshoot connection problems. The Network and Sharing Center informs you about the network your computer is connected to and verifies whether it can successfully access the Internet. It even summarizes this information in a handy Network Map.

Connectivity

Windows Vista streamlines the process of connecting to networks and enables you to connect to any type of network, local wireless networks, corporate networks through a virtual private network (VPN), a remote access server (RAS), or a dial-up connection all in one easy-to-find place.^N This view of connectivity options is just one click away from the Start menu.

Wireless networking is also more secure, with enhanced support for the latest wireless security protocols, including Wi-Fi Protected Access 2, or WPA2. To improve the overall experience, rather than showing multiple pop-up notifications, Windows Vista shows a system tray on the lower right side of the screen with a single icon that indicates when a wireless network is available. Windows Vista also provides an easy way to create direct PC-to-PC wireless connections to enable sharing and peer-to-peer programs, even when you're not connected to the Internet.

Review all connectivity options.

Network Explorer

After a network exists, you can browse content on any connected computer and device, just as you'd browse folders on your PC. You can also print to any connected printer. The new Network Explorer in Windows Vista makes it easy to do all of this. It presents a view of all computers, devices, and printers on a network (including those not yet fully configured for the network) and it's significantly faster and more reliable than My Network Places in Windows XP.

The Network Explorer can even show custom, representative icons for different devices, as specified by a device manufacturer. You can directly interact with selected devices for example, to adjust settings or control music playback.

Explore a network with ease.

Network Map

When you've connected multiple wired and wireless computers and devices, it can be difficult to grasp exactly how they're connected. A new feature called the Network Map shows an easy-to-understand graphical view of everything on the network and how it is all connected. This helps you optimize your network for the best performance and easily locate any problems.

A visual representation of your connections.

Network Setup

With Windows Vista, setting up a network among multiple PCs and devices such as printers, music players, and game systems is simpler and more intuitive. The Network Setup Wizard easily and automatically identifies supported network devices, and the connections it forges are more secure.

With Windows Connect Now you can save network settings to a portable universal serial bus (USB) flash drive to speed and simplify the process of adding more supported PCs and devices to the network. Simply insert a USB flash drive into a PC or device, and it automatically reads the data and readies itself to join the network.

File and printer sharing is also easily enabled on every networked PC right from the Network Setup Wizard so you can share documents, pictures, music, and other files across your network.

Network Awareness

A feature called Network Awareness notifies supported applications of changes in a PC's network connectivity. As you switch between different networks, programs that support Network Awareness can modify your PC settings for each one. For example, when you switch from your home network to a wireless network at your neighborhood coffee shop, your firewall settings can change to prevent other patrons from seeing or accessing your computer and your shared files.

A visual representation of your network.

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.

If a computer on the network loses Internet connectivity, you can graphically see which connection is down and then use Network Diagnostics to help determine the cause of the problem and find possible solutions.

Windows Vista includes wireless diagnostics capabilities as part of the extensible Network Diagnostics Framework (NDF). The NDF provides you with advanced help in resolving network-related issues.

When you are unable to connect to a network resource, you are presented with clear repair options rather than error messages, which can be difficult to understand. If Windows Vista can repair the issue automatically, it will; if not, you are directed to perform simple steps to correct the problem without having to call for support.

A visual representation of your network.

The Network and Sharing Center puts you in control of your network connectivity. It's a place where you can check your connection status, view your network visually, and troubleshoot connection problems.^N

The Network and Sharing Center informs you about your network and verifies whether your PC can successfully access the Internet then summarizes this info in the form of a Network Map.

If any computer connected to your network loses Internet connectivity, the Network and Sharing Center provides a graphical representation of which connection is down. Then you can use Network Diagnostics and Troubleshooting to determine both the cause of the problem and possible ways to correct it.

Internet Explorer 7.htmNetworking and sharing details at a glance.

Windows Vista improves the wireless network experience for home, mobile, and business PCs in a number of ways. The new Network Awareness feature keeps your programs optimized for the network's changing capabilities. Your data is also more secure: Windows Vista offers enhanced support for the latest wireless security protocols, including WPA2. Windows Vista helps you avoid connecting to fraudulent wireless networks that seem like legitimate hotspots but, in fact, are not. Windows Vista also provides an easy way to create ad-hoc (PC-to-PC) wireless networks for use with peer-to-peer activities such as file sharing and collaborative programs such as Windows Meeting Space.

Wireless networking at home

You can create ad-hoc (PC-to-PC) wireless networks using a simple wizard. When the wizard presents a list of available networks, Windows Vista clearly marks any wireless networks that are not secure.

The Network and Sharing Center in Windows Vista puts you in control of your network. The Network and Sharing Center can check your connection status, show you a visual representation of your network, and troubleshoot any connection problems.

In addition, Windows Vista examines the capabilities of your computer's wireless interface card and chooses the highest security available for that card when connecting to a wireless network.

Windows Vista now actively probes for fewer networks than earlier versions of Windows and it probes only when you tell it to. In addition, your PC will automatically connect only to networks that you've explicitly requested or identified as preferred networks, and it warns you if you're about to connect to an unsecured network.

For more about home networking, see Networking.

Wireless networking on mobile PCs

Windows Mobility Center puts the most frequently used mobile PC settings, including those for wireless networking, in a single location: Windows Mobility Center. No more hunting through the Control Panel or icons in the notification area to find what you need. All of the important mobile settings are right in the Windows Mobility Center.

Internet Explorer 7.htmConnectivity and other mobile settings.

The Connect to a Network Projector Wizard helps you connect to any Windows-compatible network projector over a wireless or wired network. A network projector is a shared resource that you can access from your mobile PC much like a printer on a network. When the wizard displays available projectors, an icon appears next to each projector to indicate whether it's secure or unsecure. The wizard will automatically optimize your presentation settings for network performance.

You can also use this feature in Windows Meeting Space, which enables you to stream content to a projector and to a Windows Meeting Space session simultaneously.

Wireless networking for business and enterprise

Wireless networks are increasingly common in the network infrastructures of many companies and organizations. Beyond the office, roaming users frequently find themselves trying to connect to the Internet or to the corporate network via wireless networks at hotels, conference centers, and airports. It's imperative that IT staff or other decision-makers choose security tools that help protect data without imposing undue strain on users and administrators.

Windows Vista Ultimate includes a native wireless networking architecture called Native WiFi as part of its core networking stack. Among other things, the architecture fosters flexible PC deployment across many brands and models, consistent user experiences regardless of user hardware, and more reliable drivers for third-party wireless network interface cards (NICs). When you create a wireless network, Windows Vista defaults to the most secure options supported by an NIC.

An issue common to wireless networking is the difficulty of managing configuration options on multiple PCs. Organizations must maintain a consistent configuration across various desktop environments to help ensure greater supportability, lower administrative costs, and increased user productivity.

Wireless networking improvements in Windows Vista include:

• Better methods for discovering, creating, and connecting to wireless networks through the Network and Sharing Center.
• Wireless Single Sign-On to help ensure that a wireless network is available before the user authenticates to an Active Directory domain.
• Support for the latest security protocols from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards body, including Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2).
• Mitigation of common attacks on wireless networks.
• Heightened manageability through Group Policy objects (GPOs) for wireless networking and command lines for configuration and troubleshooting.
• New diagnostic tools to aid in troubleshooting and repair of wireless connectivity problems.

In Windows Vista, wireless networks are logically equivalent to their wired-network counterparts and can be managed in much the same way. New Group Policy settings enable administrators to configure policies for wireless PC behavior. In addition, the command-line interface in Windows Vista enables full management of wireless networks from a command prompt.

Using the Group Policy snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), administrators can define how wireless clients connect to and operate on wireless networks. For example, a company can define a policy that limits all wireless connections to a certain protocol, a certain wireless network, or only secured networks. Group Policy can prevent users from changing these settings.

Windows Vista includes an enhanced network command-line interface called Netsh that enables automation and scripting and helps troubleshoot wireless network connections. Using this command-line interface, administrators can verify, change, or remove a PC's wireless network configuration profiles. These profiles can be exported to or imported from other computers to expedite the provisioning of multiple computers.

Add a personal touch.

The Tablet PC ushered in a new era of mobile computing as a single, fully functioning PC that's practical and comfortable while you're on the go and that also works well when you're at your desk. With integrated pen support, touch-screen support, digital-ink input, handwriting recognition technologies, and innovative hardware, ultra-portable Tablet PCs are comfortable and productive virtually anywhere, anytime.

(To learn more about Tablet PCs and the mobile lifestyle, visit Microsofts mobile PC site.)

Pen improvements

Windows Vista includes significant pen improvements that, besides making a tablet pen easier to use, further enhance Tablet PC functionality beyond that of laptop computers.

Visual feedback

Windows Vista provides visual pen feedback for single-tap, double-tap, and right-clicking. This subtle feedback gives you greater confidence in the operation just completed. You can turn visual feedback on or off in Pen and Input Devices in Control Panel.

Explorer check boxes

In earlier versions of Windows, it was difficult to select multiple files when using either a slate Tablet PC or a convertible Tablet PC in slate mode. Explorer check boxes now make it easier to select multiple files. When you hover over any set of files with a tablet pen, a small check box appears. You can select one or more files and then move, copy, or delete them as a group.

Pen flicks

Windows Vista enhances pen functionality by adding pen flicks. These are gestures that you can make with a tablet pen to quickly navigate and perform shortcuts.

Navigational pen flicks include drag up, drag down, move back, and move forward. For example, instead of dragging the scroll bar down to read a webpage on your Tablet PC, you can flick the pen, and the window will scroll down. Editing pen flicks include copy, paste, delete, and undo. For example, you can paste an item into a document or delete text with just a flick of your pen.

You can customize pen flicks to perform other functions, which increases your efficiency while making pen use feel more natural. To make pen training easier, Windows Vista includes a tutorial that presents the essentials of using a tablet pen to perform these shortcuts.

Panning hand in Internet Explorer

Windows Vista improves document navigation in Internet Explorer with a new feature called the Panning hand. Instead of using the scroll bar to page through a document, you can grab the page with the pen and move it directly. By using a button with a hand icon on the Internet Explorer toolbar, you can toggle between panning and text selection modes.

New touch screen support

If touch input is available on your Tablet PC, you can use your finger to do many of the things that you do with a mouse or a tablet pen. For example, you can use your finger to browse the Web, control objects on the screen, and even write. You can also use touch flicks - gestures that you can make with a flick of your finger to quickly navigate and perform shortcuts.

To overcome the challenge of targeting small items or resizing windows with your finger, Windows Vista includes the touch pointer. This new feature consists of a left mouse button, a right mouse button, a drag area, and a pointer. While you're using touch, this mouselike assistant floats on the screen just below your finger.

Snipping Tool

You can capture a snip (or screen shot) of any object on your screen - whether it's part of a website, document, or program. Using your pen, draw a circle, a rectangle, or a free-form shape around the object. You can then add handwritten comments to the snip and save it or send it in an e-mail message.

If the image you captured is from a webpage, Snipping Tool attaches the URL automatically. Snipping Tool in Windows Vista prevents the capture of content that has been protected by digital rights management.

Snipping Tool in the Experience Pack for Tablet PC is one of the most popular programs among Tablet PC users. Because Snipping Tool is an accessory in Windows Vista, desktop computer and non-Tablet PC users can also take advantage of this feature. Just drag your mouse to select a rectangular area for capture.

Improvements to Tablet PC Input Panel

Windows Vista improves Tablet PC Input Panel, an accessory on Tablet PCs that enables you to use handwriting or an on-screen keyboard to enter text. You can use the writing pad or the character pad to convert your handwriting to text, or use the onscreen keyboard in the same way that you use a standard keyboard. By using Input Panel, you can enter text on your Tablet PC when typing on a standard keyboard would not be appropriate, such as in a meeting, class lecture, or interview.

AutoComplete

Entering URLs, e-mail addresses, and file names is faster and easier with AutoComplete, a new addition to Tablet PC Input Panel that works just like AutoComplete in programs such as Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office Outlook. As you write a letter or series of letters, AutoComplete lists possible matches in Input Panel based on text that you've entered before.

Enhanced ink erasing

Everyone needs to make corrections to what they write. In Windows Vista, it's easier to edit or replace ink in Input Panel. For example, in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, you must use the Z-shaped scratch-out gesture to erase words or characters. Windows Vista enables several new, more tolerant scratch-out gestures, including strikethrough, vertical scratch-out in the pattern of an M or W, circular scratch-out, and angled scratch-out. If your tablet pen has an eraser, you can also use the back-of-pen eraser to delete writing.

The Tablet PC Input Panel tab

The Tablet PC Input Panel tab provides a new way to open and position Input Panel on the screen. When Input Panel is closed, the tab appears on the left edge of your screen by default.

To open Input Panel, tap the Input Panel tab, and it slides out from the edge of your screen. When you close Input Panel, the tab slides back to the edge of the screen.

You can move the Input Panel tab by dragging it up or down along the edge of the screen. Then, when you tap it, Input Panel opens at the same horizontal location on the screen that the tab appears.

Handwriting recognition improvements

Noticeable improvements have been made to the handwriting recognition experience right out of the box. In addition, because personal writing styles vary considerably, and the vocabulary that individuals and organizations use constantly evolves, Windows Vista includes two new features that you can use to teach the handwriting recognizer about your writing style and vocabulary. These features can further improve handwriting recognition accuracy.

The handwriting recognition personalization tool

The way you form characters and words is part of your individual writing style.

In Windows Vista, instead of having to change your handwriting to get better handwriting recognition results, you can train the handwriting recognizer to recognize how you write characters and words.

You can provide handwriting samples to teach the handwriting recognizer about your writing style and specific recognition errors to target. Using the handwriting recognition personalization tool increases the likelihood that your handwriting will be recognized correctly by Input Panel and by programs for the Tablet PC that use handwriting recognition.

Automatic learning

If you turn on automatic learning in Windows Vista, it enables the handwriting recognizer to learn your handwriting style or vocabulary by collecting data about the words you use and how you write them. The personalization occurs behind the scenes, without user interaction. Automatic learning works with many e-mail programs, including Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003.

For English, automatic learning creates a unique dictionary from your sent e-mail messages. It adds new words and terms, such as acronyms, industry jargon, and e-mail addresses, to the dictionary. The recognizer prioritizes the words by their frequency to further improve handwriting recognition results.

For East Asian languages, Windows Vista offers special recognition help for converting handwriting in Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Korean into text by remembering the corrections that you make to characters. As you make corrections, Windows Vista learns to distinguish more precisely between different characters so that you see better results the more you use your Tablet PC.

Automatic learning creates a unique dictionary from your sent e-mail messages.

Handwriting recognition error reporting

Windows Vista provides a way for you to send information to Microsoft about corrections that you've made in Input Panel. By reporting errors, you can help Microsoft identify common handwriting recognition problems and improve the accuracy of handwriting recognition in future versions of Windows.

A. Windows Aero, Windows Flip 3D navigation, Scheduled and Network Backup, Windows Meeting Space, and Tablet Technology are available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

B. Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption and Complete PC Backup and Restore are available in Windows Vista Ultimate.

C. Not all Windows Vista features will be available for use on all Windows Vista Capable PCs. All Windows Vista Capable PCs upgraded to Windows Vista will be able to run the core experiences of Windows Vista, such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. Some features—such as the new Windows Aero user interface—available in certain editions of Windows Vista require advanced or additional hardware.

D. Domain Join, Group Policy support, Windows Fax and Scan, Encrypting File System (EFS), Shadow Copy, Corporate Roaming, Offline Files and Folders, and Remote Desktop are available in Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate.

E. Initiating e-mail from within Windows Photo Gallery will launch a photo e-mail if Windows Live Mail is your default mail application. If Windows Live Mail is not your default mail application, initiating e-mail from within Photo Gallery will enable the resizing and attachment of photos as e-mail attachments using your default mail client.

G. Premium Windows Vista games, such as Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans, Purble Place, and Inkball, are available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.

H. For a video conversation with Windows Live Messenger, you and your contact will need web cameras and speakers or a headset and broadband internet access.

I. Internet service provider subscription or other service fees may apply.

K. Editions of Windows Vista designated as 'N' or 'KN' versions includes the same functionality as the corresponding standard Windows Vista editions, except that they do not include Windows Media Player and related technologies such as Windows Movie Maker. You will need to separately install a media player in order to play or create audio CDs, media files, or personal videos; organize media library content; create playlists; transfer media to portable media players; share photos on a home network; or perform other media player-related tasks.

L. The ability to use the Multilingual User Interface feature to deploy a single worldwide image with all Windows user interface languages is available only in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions. See TechNet for details.

M. Windows Media Center is available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate. TV playback and recording features require an integrated or external USB TV tuner. Supports up to two TV tuners in all supported regions subject to Windows Vista compatibility with local TV standards; additional DTV/HDTV tuner support is available in the U.S. and South Korea with compatible hardware. To enjoy all the benefits of Windows Media Center, Internet access is recommended; for some features, such as the Microsoft Electronic Programming Guide, it is required. Internet service provider subscription or other service fees may apply. Microsoft Electronic Programming Guide is not available in all regions or countries. DVD burning, TV features, and remote control support may vary by manufacturer and/or require additional purchases. Support for the Media Center Extender or Xbox 360 will require a wired or wireless home network and additional compatible networking equipment.

N. Additional compatible networking equipment may be required to set up or access a wired or wireless home network.

O. Some Windows Live OneCare services are not available in all markets. See the Windows Live OneCare website for complete details and offer availability. Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Settings contacts list limits the child to communicate with approved contacts only when the child uses Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, and Windows Live Hotmail.

P. To place a PC-to-PC call, both users must have Messenger installed, a compatible microphone and speakers or a headset, and Internet access (webcam and broadband required for video). Computer-to-phone calling can be used for placing outgoing calls only. Recipients may be charged a fee by their mobile provider to receive calls. The ability to call phones is a pay service provided by a third party. If this is your first call from Windows Live Messenger, click the Learn More button first and complete the signup process.

S. Scheduled and Network Backup is available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

T. Windows SideShow is available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate.

U. Windows DVD Maker, HD support for Windows Movie Maker, Chess Titans, and Mahjong Titans are available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.

V. Requires a microphone and speakers or headset (webcam and broadband connection for video).