How To Windows Vista

 

Attach a TV

If you want to attach a TV to your computer and use this as second monitor, you simply attach the TV to your computer and power it on. Then you select, using the ‘Input Select’ button or the button ‘TV/Video’ on the TV or remote control, the external input. (This will often be displayed as ‘AV1′ or ‘Component’.

As soon as you attached a secondary monitor, this monitor will also be displayed in the ‘Display Settings’ window.

You can use your secondary monitor on two different ways:

* Mirrored: This way is a very good way for giving presentations for example, because the secondary display is an exact duplicate of the primary display.
* Extended: using this way you can extend your desktop. Now you can use the two monitors as though they are one and you can move your mouse across these two monitors. You can drag your opened window from one screen to the other. You can also configure if the secondary monitor is on the left or on the right of the primary monitor.

If you like the change the settings of the secondary monitor you click on the box with the number 2 in it in the ‘Display Settings’ window.

If you don’t know which monitor is number 1 and which one is number 2 you click on the ‘Identify monitor’ button. Now you see on each monitor the number they are corresponding to the settings in the ‘Display Settings’ window. You can drag the boxes with the numbers in it to the other side of the other box to place your monitor to the right or the left of the primary monitor.

Back up and restore the registry

Sometimes instructions require you to change values in your registry. If you make a mistake and don’t correct it, you may find your computer is not as functional as it was before. To protect yourself from any mistakes, you need to backup your registry. To back up and restore your registry, do the following:

Backup the Registry
1. Press Start > Run (Winkey+R) and type regedit
2. Left click Computer in the left pane
3. Go to File > Export
4. Save the file (for extra caution, save the file to a USB thumb drive)

Restore the Registry
1. Press Start > Run (Winkey+R) and type regedit
2. Left click Computer in the left pane
3. Go to File > Import
4. Choose the backup file you created

Backup Windows Vista

Backup Windows Vista

The Backup and Restore center – bundled with Windows Vista – is an excellent tool, which allows you to backup and restore your files or an image of your operating system.

Launching the Backup and Restore Center

To launch the Backup and Restore Center, do the following:
1. Press the Start button
2. Type Backup
3. Select Backup and Restore Center

Backing up Your Files

To backup your files, click Backup Files and follow the directions given to you. Select the directories and files you want to backup and find a suitable place to store these files. I recommend an external hard drive or a DVD.

Restoring Your Files

Launch the Backup and Restore center and click Restore Files. Locate the medium your files are stored on and follow the instructions to get your previously backed up files back.

Change desktop icon

In the left pane of the ‘Personalization’ window there is a link called ‘Change Desktop Icons’. Click on this link to configure your desktop icons.
To add an icon to your desktop you simply mark the checkbox of the icon. For example if your personal folder or the recycle bin has been removed you can restore them here, simply by marking the checkbox and clicking ‘Apply’.
You can also change the icon by clicking the ‘Change Icon’ button.

Change mouse settings

Would you like to change your mouse pointer or want a ‘quicker’ mouse?
1. Click on the ‘Mouse Pointers’ link in the ‘Personalization’ window.
2. To change a mouse pointer, you choose a scheme from the dropdown list. In the ‘Customize’ area you can change the mouse pointers. You can do this by clicking the ‘Browse’ button. Click ‘Save As’ to save it.

Change the desktop background

You can choose every picture or color as desktop background.
1. Click on the ‘Desktop Background’ link in the ‘Personalization’ window.
2. Click on the ‘Picture Location’ dropdown list for choosing a category. Choose for example ‘Windows Wallpapers’. To choose a picture from your own personal pictures folder you choose ‘Pictures’. (if this folder is empty then there is no picture being displayed here.

You can also browse for a picture using the ‘Browse’ button. You double click on the picture you like to set as desktop background. You can choose how the picture will be displayed by using the options below the image area.

Change the right column in Start menu

To change the right column of the Windows Vista Start menu you click on the ‘Customize’ button on the ‘Start Menu’ tab.
Here you can select the things which should be displayed in the right column and which should not be displayed.

Change the Start Menu

The Start menu of Windows Vista is divided in two columns. In the left column you see icons for programs, in the right column you see icons for folders and other parts.
The left column is divided in two groups. The parts above the divider line are stuck to the Start menu and will always be displayed. Below the divider line are the icons for programs which are used often. These icons will be added and removed automatically.

By right clicking in the Start menu you can get the properties of this menu. Here you can configure the Start menu and the taskbar.
Click on the ‘Start Menu’ tab to customize this menu.
If you want your recently opened programs being displayed in the Start menu you should enable ‘Store and display a list of recently opened programs’.
Here you can also choose for the classic Start menu like in previous Windows versions.

Change the Taskbar

To make changes to the taskbar you right click on an empty part of the taskbar and click ‘Properties’.

Here you can set the following changes:
* Lock the taskbar
* Auto-hide the taskbar
* Keep the taskbar on top of other windows
* Group similar taskbar buttons
* Show Quick Launch
* Show window previews (thumbnails)

Enlarge and Move the Taskbar
The taskbar doesn’t have to be displayed at the bottom of your screen if you don’t want that. You can also change the size of it very easy.

To move the taskbar to a different location you do the following:
1. Place your mouse pointer on an empty place on the taskbar.
2. Press the left mouse button and drag the taskbar to the top of the screen for example and release the mouse button.
To enlarge the taskbar do the following:
1. Place your mouse pointer on the upper edge of the taskbar. Now your mouse pointer gets a different pointer icon (taskbar should not be locked).
2. Press the mouse button and drag the taskbar to enlarge it.

Enlarge, make smaller, order, show or hide desktop icons

To change the settings for desktop icons you right click on your desktop and select ‘View’. This menu contains options for ordering the icons.

* Large icons: Enlarges the icons
* Medium icons: Displays icons normal size
* Classic icons: Displays icons smaller, just like previous Windows Versions.
* Auto arrange: The icons will be placed on the left of your desktop. If you disable this option, you can drag the icons where you like them to have.
* Align to grid: align the icons on base of an invisible raster to keep the distance between icons equal.
* Show Desktop icons: If you disable this option all the icons will be invisible, but they will not be removed. To get them back simply enable this option again.

How to disable unnecessary features

Windows Vista is automatically installed with many features, not always useful for the use of your computer. You can optimize your system and gain a few seconds by disabling the functionality you’re not using.
1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.
2. Click on the Programs icon.
3. Then click the Enable or disable Windows features of the Programs and Features heading.
4. Click the Continue button.
5. The list of features of the system is displayed. Uncheck the boxes of the features you want to disable. For example, you can uncheck the box in front of optional components for Tablet PC if you do not have a Tablet PC.
6. Finally, click on the OK button. At any time you can re-check features and return them in their previous state.

How to disable Windows Vista User Account Control

This new security tool called ‘Windows Vista User Account Control’ is meant to keep your computer safe and clean of viruses. But it can be annoying to keep getting warnings from Windows Vista each time you install a program or when you make a change in Vista’s settings.

Fortunately there is an easy way to disable the User Account Control.
1. Click start
2. Click settings
3. Open the control panel
4. Open the user accounts

On this screen you see the option ‘Turn User Account Control on or off’.
Here you simply remove the checkmark from the checkbox to disable the UAC tool. After clicking the ‘Ok’ button you will be asked to restart your computer to apply your changes. After your computer is restarted you won’t be bothered anymore by the UAC.

If you want to enable the User Account Control again, you simply repeat the above and you place back the checkmark in the checkbox and click ‘Ok’. After restarting your computer the UAC is activated again to help you protect your computer better.

How to hide a folder

1. Choose a folder
2. Right click it
3. Press properties
4. Click the hidden box
5. Click any file and press the alt button
6. Press tools
7. Select folder options
8. Check the “hide all hidden folders” button
9. Click apply then ok
10. To get it back press alt in the same file the hidden folder is in. Go back to instructions 6 to 8
11. Check the “show all the hidden folders” button
12. Click apply then ok

Making your personal screen saver

1. Choose ‘Photos’ from the dropdown list.
2. Click the ‘Settings’ button. Here you can browse for the folder which contains the pictures you like being displayed as screensaver. You can choose the ‘Slide Show Speed’.

If you have chosen your personal screensaver, you can choose after how many minutes the screensaver should start when there is no activity on the computer.

Mouse settings for left handed people

If you are left handed, you could switch the mouse buttons so you can use the primary mouse button with your left forefinger.
Click on the ‘Buttons’ tab and select ‘Left-handed’.
If you want to have a higher mouse speed you click on the ‘Pointer Options’ tab and you select the pointer speed you prefer.
Look around here in the ‘Mouse Pointer’ window to find out what else you can configure.

Personalizing Vista

Windows Vista can be personalized in a variety of ways. Below are some of the steps to do some of the basics.

To change the resolution in Windows Vista
1. Click ‘Display Settings’ in the ‘Personalization’ window.
2. Select the resolution that works best for you. The higher you set the resolution, the smaller everything will be displayed and the more you can view on your screen.
3. Click the ‘Apply’ button. Now the new resolution will be set. Then another small window appears and counts back from 15 seconds. During this time you can decide if you like this resolution or not. If yes, click ‘Yes’. Otherwise click ‘No’ and try another resolution.

To Change the Theme
A theme is a collection of visual settings.
1. Click on the ‘Theme’ link in the ‘Personalization’ window.
2. In the dropdown list you can select theme. Then in the sample area you can see how Vista will look like using that theme.
3. Click ‘Apply’ to choose this theme.

Note: If you would like to change the settings of a theme, you click on the ‘Save As’ button and you give you theme a name. By default your theme will be saved in the
‘Documents’ folder using the name ‘My Favorite Theme.theme’.

To Change the Color
Personalize Windows Vista by changing the colors and the Appearance.
1. Click on the ‘Windows Color and Appearance’ link in the ‘Personalization’ window to configure the color you like. This screen looks a bit different if you don’t use the Aero interface. Here you can choose the color you like for your windows.

Set your screensaver

A screensaver is an image or animation which fills your desktop when your computer is inactive for a while. A few years ago a screensaver was necessary because a screen without any color changes or movements could damage your screen. Fortunately now that problem is solved and the screensaver is just a nice thing. Most people configure the screensaver just for fun.

To set up a screensaver you click the ‘Screen saver’ link in the ‘Personalization’ window. You pick a nice screensaver from the dropdown list and click the ‘Preview’ button to show it full screen. Move your mouse to return to the screensaver window.

Sound settings

If you have worked for a while with Windows Vista you’ve probably heard several beeps and other sounds. You can also choose your own sounds.
To make changes you click the ‘Sounds’ link in the ‘Personalization’ window.
In this screen you can set a sound for every happening. Choose ‘None’ in the dropdown list if you don’t want any sound for that particular happening.

In the ‘Program’ area you see all the program happenings where you can set a sound for. If the speaker icon is visible, this means that there will be a sound for that happening.

If you want to hear the sound, click on a happening and click the ‘Test’ button.

To change a sound you select a sound from the ‘Sounds’ dropdown list or you browse for your own sound by clicking the ‘Browse’ button.
You can also visit sites on the internet to obtain other sounds.

Use multiple monitors

In Windows Vista you can use multiple monitors. To add a second monitor often you only need to attach the monitor to your second video card (or on a laptop to the VGA or DVI port) and to power it on. If the device supports EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) then it will automatically be detected and the best resolution will automatically be configured.

Windows Sidebar

Windows Sidebar is an optional desktop part where you can add some cool gadgets to. Default is the Windows Sidebar on the right. The parts of the Sidebar are called gadgets. Default there are some gadgets installed but you can add other gadgets as well. These can be downloaded from the internet.

You can show or hide the Windows Sidebar by clicking the Windows Sidebar icon in the system tray or by clicking Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Sidebar.
By clicking the right mouse button on this icon and then selection ‘Properties’ you can make some changes in its settings.

Add and Remove gadgets
To add more gadgets to the Windows Sidebar you do the following:
* Click on the ‘+’ icon in the sidebar, or right click in an empty part of it and choose ‘Add Gadgets…’

Now a window appears with several gadgets in it. These are gadgets you can add to the Windows Sidebar. To download more gadgets you click on the ‘Get more gadgets online’ link. Now a website will appear with all kinds of gadgets which are free to download. Follow the instructions on that website on how to download and install them.

After installation this gadgets will be displayed in the gadget window and can be added to the sidebar.

To remove a gadget from the Windows Sidebar you right click on the gadget and select ‘Detach from sidebar’.

The gadgets can also be placed on the desktop. This can be very useful because then there is a bit more information being displayed.
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