The long road to Windows Vista is nearing its end. Microsoft has finally released its latest OS to manufacturers, which are busily tuning drivers, updating software, and readying their first hardware and PCs to ship with Vista preinstalled.
Whether you plan to upgrade right away or prefer to hold off while the early adopters work out the kinks, our Windows Vista FAQ can help you finalize your Vista plans. We've collected answers to every important Vista question we could think of, and we'll continue to update this FAQ with more details as Vista rolls out. In the meantime, check in at the forum thread below with your own Vista questions, and we'll see if we can dig up the answers.
General
Q. When was Vista originally supposed to ship?
A. Initial scuttlebutt had it that Windows XP's successor would arrive in 2003, and would be a modest update to fill time between XP and "Blackcomb," which was supposed to be the big-deal XP replacement. Then Microsoft announced that the supposedly minor upgrade, code-named "Longhorn," would appear in late 2004. This was followed by slippage and more slippage, most famously in March 2006, when the company announced that Vista wouldn't appear in a consumer version--or preinstalled on new PCs--until early 2007.
Q. When is it finally coming out? I hear dates ranging from November 30 to January 30.
A. Unlike previous Windows launches, Vista's debut has been divided into two extravaganzas, presumably in part because the upgrade will miss the holiday 2006 season due to scheduling delays.
On November 30, Microsoft unveils the corporate version of the new OS (and Office 2007), and companies with volume license agreements will theoretically be able to get Vista right then and install it on PCs they already own.
But the bigger Vista rollout can't happen until Microsoft duplicates millions of DVDs, puts them in boxes, and ships them to retailers--and until PC companies design, manufacture, and ship systems with Vista preinstalled. So for home users, small businesses, and anyone who wants to buy a new Vista PC, the date that matters is January 30. That's when Vista will officially be launched as a consumer product.
Q. Why the name "Windows Vista"?
A. Back in July 2005, when the name was announced, Windows director of product development Brad Goldberg told News.com that the name was the result of eight months of research into words that convey a sense of clarity. It's supposed to refer to the upgrade's focus on information management, security, and easy connectivity. Plus, Moon Pie was already taken.
Q. On the continuum of Windows upgrade importance from Windows 95 (a giant leap forward) to Windows Me (a step backward), where does Vista belong?
Somewhere in the middle: Call it a medium-size stride in the right direction. In terms of new features, it offers lots of small yet worthwhile improvements--but no breakthroughs. On the other hand, if the upgrade's new emphasis on security makes it less susceptible to viruses, spyware, and hacker attacks, that would be a strong argument in its favor.
Windows Vista offers better support than XP for today's powerful hardware, such as 64-bit CPUs and cutting-edge graphics cards, providing the structural basis for potent applications that could never have been written for Windows XP. As those applications begin to appear, Vista should grow into a more compelling upgrade than it is on day one.
Q. How does Windows Vista stack up against the most recent Apple OS?
In our 2005 World Class Awards, we named Apple's OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") the third-best product of the year, while Windows XP wasn't mentioned at all. But Windows Vista at least narrows the gap between operating systems that hail from Redmond and Cupertino. In part this is because Vista adds so many features--from decent integrated search to Gadgets (aka Widgets) to fancy 3D effects--that Tiger already has.
With Leopard, the next generation of OS X, due out next spring, Mac owners will get some new features that may put Windows users farther back in their rear-view mirrors. For instance, judging from previews, Leopard's Time Machine continuous-backup utility may be superior to Vista's Backup, System Restore, and Previous Versions data-recovery features.
Q. What are Windows Vista's system requirements?
A. That depends. To run Windows Vista Home Basic, the minimums are an 800-MHz or faster processor, 512MB of memory, graphics hardware capable of SVGA (800 by 600) resolution, a 20GB hard disk with at least 15GB of free space, and a CD-ROM drive (though you'll have to request a set of installation CDs from Microsoft if your system lacks a DVD drive). If you want Vista's Aero interface (and you do), you'll need a graphics card that can handle DirectX 9 graphics APIs with Pixel Shader 2.0 3D texturing, has a Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver and at least 128MB of graphics memory, and supports 32 bits per pixel.
Q. Are there any tools to help me figure out whether my PC is up to the job?
A. Your first stop should be PC Pitstop's Vista Readiness test, which runs right in your browser (Internet Explorer required) and offers a brief comparison of your system's hardware to Vista's minimum and recommended system requirements. Microsoft's own Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor provides a more thorough assessment. After you download and install the program, it scans your system and prepares a report analyzing your system's basic hardware compatibility (CPU, memory, and disk space), and detailing whether your installed applications and drivers will work with Vista.
Q. Can I upgrade my existing Windows installation to Windows Vista, or do I have to back up my data and reinstall from scratch?
A. Whether or not you perform an in-place upgrade (where Vista replaces your existing operating system, but leaves your current files and installed programs in place), you should back up your data first. You can always perform a clean installation (where you begin by wiping the hard-disk partition and its contents clean). This is often the best choice--first because it may be faster than upgrading (even if you include restoring data files and reinstalling applications), and second because it minimizes problems and conflicts stemming from old applications and drivers. In-place upgrades may be more convenient, but you can't upgrade every existing Windows version in-place. Our feature article "Everything You Need to Know About Windows Vista" includes a chart that lists which versions can be upgraded in place.
Q. Can I back out of an installation?
A. If you upgrade over a previous version of Windows and the upgrade fails (as several of ours did), Windows Vista will restore your previous version of Windows automatically. Once Vista is installed, though, there is no easy way to return to your previous operating system.
Q. Can I install Windows Vista on a system that doesn't have a DVD drive?
A. Yes, but you'll have to request replacement installation CDs from Microsoft. As we went to press, the company hadn't yet determined their price or the method by which customers could request the CDs.
Q. What about product activation--any changes from the version that XP uses?
A. Microsoft's product activation--software that profiles your system's hardware and uploads a fingerprint-like profile to a database maintained by the company--is alive and well, and in Vista it isn't optional. Microsoft can change the stringency of its product activation system, but rest assured that the company will be checking to make sure that you don't install your copy of Windows Vista on more than one PC at a time.
Q. What's next after Vista?
We don't know many details. The next major version of Windows, once dubbed "Blackcomb," is now known as "Vienna"; it's part of a series of Microsoft code names that refer to great cities of the world. As Wikipedia reports, rumors about this OS date to before the release of Windows XP, and include the possibility that it will introduce a completely new user interface with intriguing-sounding elements known as the GroupBar and the LayoutBar, as well as sandboxing technology designed to prevent rogue applications from having any impact on other programs.
When it will appear is anyone's guess, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said that the more-than-five-year gap between Windows XP and Vista will never be repeated. If that's the rule, Vienna should arrive sometime before early 2012.
Q. Whatever happened to WinFS?
A. WinFS was supposed to replace Windows' underlying file system with a database designed to make searching and sorting data immeasurably easier. Microsoft had to abandon the project, though, because it was just too tough to implement. The company doesn't like talking about WinFS these days. In fact, it seems unlikely that Microsoft will try to put it into the next version of Windows.
Vista Versions
Q. What's with all these different versions of Vista?
A. Windows Vista's mitosis into five retail flavors is nothing new. Though Windows XP came in only two retail editions--Home and Professional--Microsoft also released two OEM versions: Media Center Edition and Tablet PC Edition. In effect, the features of XP's four editions are being recombined into four new retail Vista editions.
Picking the right one for you isn't as hard as it may seem. If your hardware barely meets the new OS's minimum requirements, you don't care about Vista's slick new Aero interface, you don't connect to a Windows Server domain, and you don't need Media Center or Tablet PC features, you can choose Home Basic--but under those circumstances you probably won't get much out of Vista, anyway. For another $60, Home Premium gives you Aero and Media Center.
If you connect to a Windows Server domain, you need the Business edition. If you want Media Center plus business features (who knows--maybe you have to record TV shows for your job, or work remotely from the living room), you'll have to spring for the Ultimate edition, which includes every Windows Vista feature there is.
Q. I have a tablet PC. Can I install Vista on it? Should I?
A. Yes you can, if you buy a Vista version that offers tablet functionality: Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate. But before you do, check your hardware configuration against Vista's requirements. Many tablet PCs are relatively underpowered and may not make very satisfactory Vista systems.
Vista editions that do support tablets introduce some new pen-oriented features. You gain more control over where the Tablet Input Panel (TIP) writing area appears, the cursor changes shape to make what you're doing clearer, and gestures called "Flicks" enable you to perform navigational tasks such as scrolling with a quick pen maneuver.
Q. Home Basic looks pretty affordable. Can I get by with that?
A. If your hardware is up to snuff, spending the extra $60 to bypass Basic and jump to Home Premium is pretty appealing. Premium gives you Aero (and the very cool Flip 3D when you tab through your running applications while holding down the Windows key) plus Media Center. If your graphics hardware is too ancient to support Vista's Aero interface, the rest of your system is probably going to bog down with Vista anyway. In that case, you might do well to stick with Windows XP SP2 or to install a memory-thrifty but secure Linux distribution such as Xubuntu. Or buy a new PC with Vista Home Premium preinstalled.
Q. What does the Business version get you?
A. Most significantly, it lets you log in to and access resources on a Windows Server domain (either in Windows Server 2003 or in the forthcoming Vista version of Windows Server), just as Windows XP Professional does. Like Windows XP Home Edition, the Home editions of Windows Vista lack support for domains. Again like XP Pro, Vista Business permits you to log in to and control your system remotely via the handy Remote Desktop tool: If you forget a file while you're on a trip to Chicago, for example, Remote Desktop lets you connect to your office PC and copy or e-mail the file to your laptop.
Q. What does the 64-bit version get you? Is there any reason not to run it on a capable PC?
A. Like the 64-bit version of Windows XP, the 64-bit version of Windows Vista looks almost identical to the 32-bit version but allows you to run both 32-bit and 64-bit applications, and to use more than 4GB of system memory. The 64-bit versions of data-intensive applications such as CAD, photo-, video-, and audio-editing tools may perform better than 32-bit versions on the same system. However, 64-bit Windows has some drawbacks, starting with the fact that it requires 64-bit drivers, which are sometimes hard to come by. In addition, the 64-bit version of a program typically requires more memory than the 32-bit version does. Eventually, we'll probably all be using 64-bit operating systems (and then 128-bit, etc.). But for now, unless you need to run a 64-bit application, stick with 32-bit Windows.
Q. Do I have to buy a different disc for the 64-bit version?
A. Each retail version of Windows Vista will contain 32- and 64-bit forms of the OS.
Q. Will cheapo OEM versions be available for people who build their own PCs?
A. Yes, though Microsoft had not disclosed pricing information as of this writing.
Q. If I get one version, can I upgrade to a different one later?
A. Yes. Microsoft plans to add a Control Panel applet that will let you upgrade to a more feature-rich edition of Windows Vista, presumably by using a credit card. Pricing and other details have not been determined (or revealed to the public) as yet.
Q. Can I run Windows Vista on a Mac?
Yep. The two major options for running Windows on a Macintosh system--Parallels and Apple's Boot Camp--both support it.
Q. I've heard all kinds of horror stories about how the Windows Vista license will force users to buy another copy of the OS if they upgrade their PC. Are they true?
A. No. Initially, Microsoft imposed some pretty severe restrictions on Windows Vista usage following computer upgrades. But the company backed off after an outcry. Windows Vista licensing is now identical to Windows XP licensing: You can transfer your license to a new or rebuilt PC as often as you like, as long as you uninstall it on your old machine first.
Windows Vista and Windows XP
Q. Can I make Vista look like an older version of Windows?
A. Yes indeed. Right-click the Start button, select Properties, and choose Classic Start Menu to get a Start menu that's composed primarily of cascading menus that lead to programs. Right-click the desktop, select Personalize, and double-click Theme to choose the Windows Classic theme, which does away with much of Vista's slickness (and gives you a Start button labeled "Start"). Take both of these steps, and Vista will have a decidedly old-school, Windows 2000-like flavor.
What Vista doesn't seem to have is a way to make its Start menu behavior and other aspects of the OS behave more the way they do in Windows XP.
Q. Does the release of Vista mean that Microsoft will cut off support for Windows XP, as it did for Windows 98 and other old OSs?
A. Not immediately, no. But it's a safe bet that, as Vista becomes the dominant flavor of Windows, Microsoft will eventually discontinue Windows XP support. In fact, the company stopped supporting Windows XP Service Pack 1, along with Windows 98 and Windows Me, in October 2006. If Microsoft were to end Windows XP SP2 support after the same number of years of support, SP2 users would be covered until sometime in 2010.
Q. Will Microsoft stop providing security patches and bug fixes for XP?
A. No, though the fact that it recently announced a delay until 2008 of the planned Windows XP Service Pack 3 suggests that improving XP is no longer the company's highest priority.
Q. Now that Vista is out, will new applications require it? If I stick with Windows XP, will I be unable to get any new software?
A. Past Windows transitions give us hope that most applications will be available in Windows XP-friendly editions for quite awhile--after all, millions and millions of people will continue to use XP for years to come--but a gradual transition to Vista will occur over the next few years. Cutting-edge games will make the earliest transition to the new OS, since DirectX 10 (the new version of Microsoft's APIs for game programmers) will be Vista-only.
User Interface
Q. Will Aero make me more productive, or is it just fluff?
A. Some aspects are just fluff; some will make you more productive. Translucent windows and nice animations, for example, may not directly increase your productivity; but they're easier on your eyes, so you might be able to spend more time at the keyboard without tiring. Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D, which let you preview thumbnails of your open windows, and live Taskbar thumbnails should make it easier to find the window you're looking for.
Q. How do I enable or disable Aero effects?
A. Right-click your desktop, and select Personalize, Window Color and Appearance, Open classic appearance properties for more color options. In the Color scheme list, select any non-Aero scheme, such as Windows Vista Basic or Windows Vista Standard, and then click OK.
Q. I heard that Windows Vista itself will sometimes decide to disable Aero. What's up with that?
A. In general, Vista will disable Aero if it determines that it needs to improve performance, recover from a technical issue, or (in the case of laptops in power-saving mode) reduce demands on your battery. According to Microsoft, Java apps are the most common trigger for disabling Aero. Remotely viewing or sharing another machine's desktop can cause Vista to disable Aero, too, and Vista disables Aero when presenting a User Account Control (UAC) elevation prompt.
Q. What did Microsoft do to the Start Menu this time?
A. Microsoft has redone the Start Menu yet again, but this time around you might like the change. Gone is the annoying flyaway menu for the All Programs selection. With Vista, when you click All Programs, applications and folders appear directly above it for easier access. There's also a useful search box for quick searches. The Run link is gone too, unfortunately, but you can make it reappear.
Q. How do I make Run appear, and how else can I customize the Start Menu?
A. Right-click the Taskbar, choose Properties, and click the Start Menu tab. Click the Customize button and you'll be able to add the Run link--and change the Start Menu in many other ways as well.
Q. Does the clock on the right side of the Taskbar have any new features?
A. It may look like the Windows XP clock, but it's much better. In fact, you can put multiple clocks there, showing times from around the world. Click the clock and a much larger clock (along with a calendar) appears. Click Change date and time settings, and customize to your heart's content.
Q. Is that thumbnail in the Taskbar actually playing video?
A. Yes! Hover your mouse over any window minimized to the Taskbar, and a "live" thumbnail will pop up showing the exact contents of that window, including any live video.
Q. What happened to Alt-Tab?
A. Microsoft made it useful. It's now called Windows Flip, and it shows you thumbnails of all your windows as you flip through them, so you can quickly choose the exact window you want to open.
Q. What's this 3D task-switching thing?
A. Now you're talking about some serious eye candy. Windows Flip 3D (Windows-Tab) is Windows Flip with a membership in the Flying Walendas. It stacks your windows in three dimensions, and lets you scroll through them with your mouse or click one to select it. It adds up to sort of a poor man's Expose (from Mac OS X Tiger).
Windows Explorer
Q. So it's all about search now?
A. Yes, and Microsoft isn't just paying lip service to the concept, either. Search has been built into practically every level of the operating system, including the Start Menu and Windows Explorer. Vista's Search is fast, and you can refine your inquiries through countless criteria, including date, file size, keywords, file type, and so on. You can add Boolean search terms, too, and you can even create virtual folders using saved searches--so (for example) you can keep a quick link to all the photos you've taken in the last month, right on your desktop.
Q. If Explorer's Search is so great, why couldn't it find the Word file I created yesterday afternoon?
A. You've discovered one of Search's dirty little secrets: By default, it restricts its searches to a limited set of folders on your hard disk. Search uses an index to speed up its searches; but Vista indexes only a few folders, such as your own personal user folder. If you create folders outside that area, the OS won't index them, and Search won't find them or their contents. There is a workaround: If you do an Advanced Search (select Start, Search, and click the Advanced Search down arrow), you can instruct the tool to look in nonindexed areas; just check the box next to Include non-indexed, hidden and system files (might be slow).
Q. How can I arrange for files to be included in the index?
A. Go to Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Indexing Options. From there, you can add any folders to the index.
Q. How are saved searches useful?
A. They eliminate your having to type the same search over and over. Saving a search essentially creates virtual folders with different views into all of your data. To save a search, click the Save Search icon on the toolbar.
Q. What makes navigation easier in Vista? What is a breadcrumb trail?
A. They may not have worked for Hansel and Gretel, but "breadcrumbs" are at the center of navigation in Windows Explorer--and they do the job quite well. The address bar in Windows Explorer shows a breadcrumb trail that lists every place you visited en route to your current location, such as Control Panel, Network and Internet, Sync Center, Sync Results. If you want to jump back to Control Panel, or to any other point along the trail, just click on it.
Security
Q. Can I finally rely on the Windows Firewall?
A. Vista's Windows Firewall is a full-blown security tool. The Windows XP version could block only unwanted inbound connections; but the Windows Vista version blocks unwanted outbound connections as well, so you may be able to dispense with your third-party firewall.
Q. How do I customize the Windows Firewall to allow certain apps to bypass it?
A. By default, the firewall is configured to block outbound as well as inbound connections. If you want to allow certain inbound applications through, select Control Panel, Allow a program through Windows Firewall (under Security), and use the Exceptions screen. To configure outbound connections and to customize the Windows Firewall in various ways, type wf.msc at a command prompt and press Enter. The resulting Windows Firewall with Advanced Security screen will give you control over many aspects of the firewall.
Q. What do the other Windows Security Center apps do?
A. Parental Controls is a nice tool for parents who wish to limit the way their children can use the Internet and the computer. BitLocker Drive Encryption works with hardware to encrypt the contents of an entire PC hard drive; if you lose your laptop, no one will be able to read its data.
Q. How easy is BitLocker Drive Encryption to use?
A. That depends on your hardware. If your PC contains Trusted Platform Module (TPM) technology version 1.2 or better, BitLocker isn't particularly difficult to use.
Q. What do I do if my PC doesn't have TPM?
A. Don't bother with BitLocker Drive Encryption. In theory, you should be able to use a USB flash drive to handle the encryption. In practice...well, just don't try it. It's been known to make grown men weep.
Q. Will I still need an antispyware app?
A. Windows Defender, a nice piece of antispyware, now comes as part of the operating system. But no single antispyware app can catch all spyware, so it's a good idea to install and run another program, such as AdAware or Webroot Spy Sweeper, as well.
Q. How is Vista set for antivirus software?
A. It doesn't have any.
Q. Will my existing antivirus software work on Windows Vista?
A. Probably not. Vista is different enough from previous versions of Windows that antivirus software written for older versions of the OS won't work on it. You'll need a version written or rewritten specifically for Vista. Symantec and other makers of major antivirus software have announced Vista versions of their programs.
Q. Why didn't Microsoft include an antivirus tool in Windows Vista?
A. The reason is open to debate. According to some people, Microsoft feared that including one would expose it to antitrust problems, particularly in Europe. Others say that it wasn't included because Microsoft wants to be able to sell you a copy of Windows Live OneCare, which has an antivirus program as its centerpiece.
Q. I don't like having to pay extra for an antivirus program for Vista. Are there any good free ones?
A. Yes, several are free for home, noncommercial use. One popular choice is Avast, which is "lightweight" and thus makes relatively low demands on system resources. Avast was among the few antivirus programs--free or otherwise--that worked with Windows Vista throughout its beta cycle.
Q. Will Windows Vista protect me against phishing?
A. Both the Windows XP and the Windows Vista versions of Internet Explorer 7 include an antiphishing filter. It works quite well. In fact, in my tests it outperformed the antiphishing filter built into Firefox.
Q. I hear that User Account Controls (UACs) are pretty annoying. Is that true?
A. Does the sun rise in the east and set in the west? By far, UACs are the most annoying thing about Windows Vista. When you need to change certain system settings, install software, or perform any of a number of other tasks, a prompt will appear, nagging you to click OK, or type in a password.
Q. Do they actually help with security?
A. Yes, there is method in the madness, and UAC prompts do help protect you. By forcing you to confirm that you wish to take various actions, UACs prevent spyware and other malware from making changes to your system without your knowledge.
Q. I trust my own security precautions, and I'd like to turn UAC off. How can I do it?
A. In Control Panel, select User Accounts and Family Safety, User Accounts, and then click Turn User Account Control on or off. This of course triggers a UAC prompt that you'll have to answer before you can proceed. But it's a small price to pay for your freedom.
Internet Explorer
Q. Is IE safe to use again?
A. Short answer: No. Version 7 is safer than 6 was, with many under-the-hood security fixes. But investigators have already discovered a number of security holes, and the browser still ties into Windows in such a way that it acts as a conduit to nasty flaws that continually pop up in the OS. By all means upgrade to version 7 for the improved safety, but don't let your guard down just yet.
Q. I like Firefox just fine. Is there any reason to switch back?
A. Nope. IE 7 is a major step up from its predecessor, but Firefox is safer, has more features, and is far more customizable with add-ons and themes. IE 7 remains a valuable option when you encounter one of those clueless, IE-only Web sites. (Note that IE Tab or IE View will still let you launch IE from within Firefox.)
Q. What does the RSS repository do to my feed reader?
A. Not much for now, as IE and your feed reader keep their data separate. Before long, feed readers will likely be able to read IE's repository directly, at which point you could subscribe to a feed in IE and read it in another program. Microsoft has said that it had this very scenario in mind when it kept IE 7's RSS display basic. A currently available NewsGator download is a step toward this goal of open information exchange: It synchronizes your repository with NewsGator so that you can read all of your IE-subscribed feeds on NewsGator's site.
Q. How will IE 7 in Vista differ from IE 7 in XP?
A. The big difference will be Protected Mode in Vista, a smart security move that will run IE 7 in the new OS with reduced user privileges. If (or more realistically, when) hackers break through IE, they'll have less power to alter your computer than they have in XP. It won't be as easy for them to drop a virus in Windows system folders, for instance. You can get much the same type of setup today for almost any program in XP via a little-known Microsoft download called DropMyRights.
Vista Hardware
Q. What is the Windows Experience Index?
A. This built-in performance analyzer is found in the Control Panel under Performance Information and Tools. Your Windows Experience Index is the lowest of five scores assigned to your system's CPU, memory, basic graphics capability, 3D graphics power, and hard disk speed. Microsoft hopes that the Windows Experience Index will replace the lengthier enumeration of system requirements found on software boxes. Instead of reading that a game requires at least 1GB of RAM, a Pixel Shader 2.0 graphics board, and a 2-GHz CPU, for example, you'd see that a game requires a WEI score of, say, 3.2 or better.
Q. What's this I hear about thumb drives speeding performance?
A. Instead of shelling out for extra RAM, you may be able to give your Vista machine a bit of a boost by using a USB thumb drive. A Windows feature called ReadyBoost lets your PC use free memory on a USB flash drive to augment RAM. You'll need, at a minimum, a drive that has 256MB of free space and can read data at 2.5 megabits per second and write data at 1.5 mbps; to qualify for a Windows Vista logo, the drive must have 500MB of space and read/write speeds of 5 mbps/3 mbps.
You'll soon start to see flash memory boosting speed in other ways, too, thanks to the ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive technologies built into Vista.
Q. What do ReadyBoost, ReadyDrive, and SuperFetch do?
A. SuperFetch, a new memory manager for Windows, uses available memory to proactively cache data that you're likely to need. Eventually, it learns which applications and data you (and any other users who log in to your machine) habitually use and when you use them, and it does so on a per-user basis.
ReadyBoost makes more memory available to SuperFetch by creating new memory pages on USB flash drives and using the flash memory in hybrid hard disks.
ReadyDrive uses the Non-Volatile RAM cache on a hybrid drive to store critical data during state transitions such as when booting your PC or resuming from standby. Before shutting down, Vista transfers the critical data your PC will use for booting or resuming into that NVRAM cache. As a result, the PC doesn't have to wait for a hard disk to spin up before it can start loading data.
Q. When will we begin to see hybrid hard drives?
A. Samsung and Seagate hope to have hybrid hard drives containing up to 256MB of built-in flash memory ready to ship in notebooks when Vista is released.
Q. What specs must a USB flash drive possess in order to work with ReadyBoost?
A. The drive must support USB 2.0 and must be able to access data at 3.5 megabits per second for 4-kilobit random reads uniformly across the entire device, and at 2.5 mbps for 512-kilobit random writes uniformly across the device. As a practical matter, it's tough to find these specs for a flash drive before you buy it, so make sure that your vendor is reasonable about returns. Microsoft has said that it plans to work with manufacturers to develop a ReadyBoost certification program so that consumers can determine, before buying a flash drive, whether they can use ReadyBoost with it.
Q. I bought a USB flash drive that (according to its packaging) can access data at 12 mbps. But Windows says the drive still isn't fast enough to work with ReadyBoost. What's going on?
A. There are several reasons why you may be running into the problem. The Vista specs are for random performance, whereas the specs you see listed may measure sequential performance. (Some devices do great on sequential reads, but struggle on random reads.) Another issue may be inconsistent performance across your drive. Some flash drives carry 128MB of extremely fast "lightning flash" on part of the drive, but slower memory on the rest of the drive.
Q. How big a flash drive should I buy to get the most out of ReadyBooost?
A. That depends on how much RAM you have on your system. The smallest cache that ReadyBoost can use is 256MB; the largest is 4GB. If your system has a modest amount of RAM--512MB, for example--Microsoft recommends establishing a 1:1 ratio of system RAM to flash memory. Thus, for a 512MB system, you'd want a 512MB flash drive. At the high end--systems with 2GB or more of RAM--Microsoft recommends operating with a 2.5:1 ratio of system RAM to flash memory. Adopting this proportion, a 2GB system will benefit from 800MB of flash memory, but any more flash memory won't provide a boost.
Q. Can I use more than one flash drive for ReadyBoost?
A. No. Microsoft has limited ReadyBoost to one device at a time.
Q. Are there any other interesting bits of Vista-friendly hardware?
A. You'll see notebooks with external displays that use Microsoft's Sideshow technology to run some of the same kinds of gadgets available in the Windows Sidebar, without requiring your PC to be on. Other manufacturers will eventually use Sideshow to power color-display-equipped remotes for Media Center systems.
Windows Rally should simplify setup, security, and management of networked devices. Rally technologies include Windows Connect Now for easy Wi-Fi setup; Plug and Play Extensions (PnP-x) for quick installation of network-connected devices; and the Link Layer Topology Discovery protocol for easy discovery of networked devices. Microsoft has demonstrated Rally-ready wireless cameras that nearby PCs automatically discovered and could download new images from in real time. This development suggests that a working wireless digital camera is not far from reality, though experts currently think that wireless USB is a better technology than Wi-Fi for short-range cable replacement.
Networking
Q. Has setting up a network gotten any easier?
A. Yes, much easier. A simple wizard walks you through the process--and it works. Troubleshooting is better, too. And the Network Center provides a quick overview of your network so you can see whether everything is working right.
Q. Is connecting to hotspots and wireless networks easier in Vista than in XP?
A. Yes, it's far superior to the XP method of connecting. You can see a lot of detail about a wireless network before you connect to it, and you can save network connections so that you automatically connect whenever you're within range.
Q. How good is wireless network security under Vista?
A. There's good news here as well. When you first connect to a wireless network, you tell Windows Vista whether it's a public or private one. (A public network, such as a hotspot, can be used by anyone, so it's inherently insecure. A private network, such as your home network or a corporate network, is more secure than a public one.) Based on your answer, Windows Vista applies a constellation of security settings to that network, and it reapplies those settings whenever you connect to it. Network discovery--which Vista uses to allow other devices to connect to your PC and to share its files and folders--is turned off in public networks (to increase your security) but turned on in private ones.
Q. Are there any problems with mixing PCs that run older versions of Windows with ones that run Vista?
A. Unfortunately, yes. Windows Vista uses a new protocol, Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD), for networking. LLTD speeds up the process of connecting to other devices, and it allows Vista to grab information about each device and display it in the Network Map. But earlier versions of Windows lack LLTD, so PCs running older versions of Windows may not show up on the Network Map at all, or they may appear sporadically, or they may show up only after a long delay. Microsoft says that it intends to release a patch for XP that should solve the problem; but as yet it has no similar plans for earlier versions of the OS.
Multimedia
Q. What's new in Windows Media Center?
A. It has the same basic features as before, but it sports a redesigned menu system, mainly so you can control it from an Xbox 360 over your home network.
Q. Has Windows Media Player changed?
A. A new interface gives you additional ways to organize and browse your media collection. For example, you can access your music by an album cover view. Vista's search feature is integrated into Windows Media Player, so you can find media more easily, too. And Windows Media Player includes tie-ins to URGE, a for-pay music service that Microsoft launched with MTV.
Q. Will Vista play HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs?
A. Not without third-party software. Though Vista ships with the infrastructure necessary to support HD-DVD--drivers, file system, codecs, and other components--you'll need additional dedicated software to play an HD-DVD video, and the OS has no native support for Blu-ray Disc.
Q. Because of Digital Rights Management for prerecorded high-definition media, will I need to buy a new monitor to play premium high-def content?
A. You might, regardless of whether you're running Vista or Windows XP. For a PC to send next-generation video content to a display, the display must support HDCP--and while most HDTVs do support this copy-protection technology, many older monitors that support high-def resolutions do not.
Apps and Utilities
Q. Are Vista's built-in apps any good?
A. Some of them definitely cross the threshold into any goodness, though Microsoft Paint remains as lame as ever, and the backup program may be the worst application ever packed into an operating system. Windows Calendar, on the other hand, is a winner; and Windows Mail (nee Outlook Express) has received a facelift that makes it far easier to use. The Windows Photo Gallery is a nice tool for people interested in organizing their photos conveniently and performing quick-and-dirty photo editing.
Q. What does the Sync Center do?
A. It's supposed to synchronize data on your PC with other devices and with data on other PCs. If you want to sync with a Windows Mobile device, you won't have to install ActiveSync desktop software.
Q. Has Windows come up with apps to match those in Apple's iLife suite?
A. Yes and no. The nifty duo of Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker greatly simplify the tasks of editing, assembling, and burning your own videos to DVD. And Windows Photo Gallery provides nice tools for organizing pictures and doing basic photo cleanup. But there is no Microsoft equivalent of GarageBand. iLife still has a leg up on Windows Vista.
Q. Will there be a Plus Pack for Vista, or Power Tools?
A. Microsoft hasn't announced any plans for a Vista Plus Pack, but the company hasn't ruled out the idea either. The Ultimate Edition of Vista provides access to Vista's Ultimate Extras, a set of downloadable features that may resemble what you'd find in Plus Pack. One of the few extras we know about is a feature called Motion Desktop that would let you use an animated screen saver as a desktop background.
Power Toys, a popular set of XP add-ons that included such gems as TweakUI and ClearType Tuner, should reaappear in a Vista edition, most likely around its January retail release date.
