Vista

There is a quick and easy way to find a list of installed drivers in Vista. Instead of trying to do an exhaustive search and inventory on your computer, you can simply run the ‘driverquery’ command from the command prompt. The output lets you see all the drivers that are currently installed on the computer. […]

Gnomie Jerry Smith writes:
I upgraded to Windows Vista about eight months ago and have been somewhat pleased. I found that the overall UI has been changed very much — specifically the start bar. It took me a while to get used to, but the transition ran somewhat smoothly. Around Thanksgiving I found that the computer […]

When you log off your computer, Windows will normally save all your settings. This includes your desktop configuration, icon placement, and so on. Most people find this useful so that they do not have to reconfigure the desktop each time they log on.
However, for security purposes, some users may not want settings to be saved […]

Gnomie Stefano writes:
Hi, Chris! I saw your video where you reacted to Preston Gralla’s blog post, Five reasons Vista beats OS X, and decided I would share with my somewhat unusual point of view.

Windows made the GUI happen: Because Windows was the first GUI OS that would run on the widely spread IBM PC (the […]

A great way to save time when searching for information in Windows Vista is to save some of your searches. For example, if you are frequently searching for the same information, you can save the search and Windows Vista will keep it up-to-date for you.
To save a search in Windows Vista, click the Save Search […]

One of the advantages of using the Public folder is that it can simplify file sharing on your network. It eliminates the need for you to have to share individual folders. For example, if you have a folder called MyFolder on your computer that you want to share with users, all you have to do […]

Vista SP1 is available (details in the document available at this link and Ed Bott did a great what-to-expect write-up and FAQ), so it’s time to head on over to Windows Update (it’s in your start menu) and grab it. Assuming it shows up in the available updates list, of course. Apparently there are certain […]

Gnomie Jebus (pronounced “hay”-”bus”) writes:
Mr. Pirillo,
I’m a long-time watcher, recent-chat-joiner and first-time writer. I’ve noticed that one topic that comes up regularly is Windows Vista, to which many chatters respond to “upgrade to XP.”
However, no matter how strong you think you’ve built your argument against the winds of change, your shelter of stubbornness is bound […]

Gnomie Elayne D. Cipolla writes:
Hello Chris, Just finished watching the video on Vista and MS’s “tell it to the hand” attitude toward its bread and butter… the consumer. Having just purchased a Toshiba Satellite laptop at the beginning of February and didn’t hear about the nightmare that is Vista until after I purchased this […]

As with most components in Vista, the Recycle Bin can be customized to suit your personal needs. For example, you can increase the size of the Recycle Bin if you frequently delete files and recover files.
Another way that you can customize the Recycle Bin is by turning off the confirmation dialog box. Each time […]

Most people who use Windows have likely experienced an unresponsive program. When a program becomes unresponsive, you can wait while Windows attempts to identify and correct the problem.
Alternatively, you can use Windows Task Manager to manually end the program. The downside of ending a program this way is that your unsaved changes will be […]

Windows Mail is the default e-mail program used by Vista and other programs. If you use a different e-mail client, such as Microsoft Outlook, you can configure a different e-mail program as the default.
To change the default e-mail program in Vista:

Click Start, Default Programs, and click Set program access and computer defaults.

Type in your […]

Gnomie Chuck writes:
Chris,
This may be better addressed in “Diana’s Tips” but I am sending you the request just in case. We currently have three users set up on my computer and because it is located in the central part of the house, all three of us use the computer on a very regular basis. Here […]

If you are familiar with Windows operating system, you will know that a clock resides within the System Tray. The time that the clock displays is determined by your time zone. Vista lets you add multiple clocks to the System Tray in case you need to know the time in more than one time zone. […]

When you dual boot multiple operating systems — such as Vista and Windows XP — you can easily configure the default boot operating system. In the case of Vista and Windows XP, you need to set the default boot operating system from within Vista.
To set the default boot operating system within Vista:

Right click the […]

Vista plays as sound as it starts up. You can easily disable the startup sound if you would prefer not to hear it as your system is starting up. To disable the Vista startup sound:

Click on the Start Button and type in Sound in the search field.

Select Sound from the list of results.

Click the Sounds […]

If you are using the Windows Firewall include with Windows Vista to protect your computer and network, you can enable security logging. The default location for the firewall log is the Windows directory. However, if you do not want to file stored in this location, you can easily change it using the steps listed below.

Click […]

In a previous tip, I outlined how to enable the Encrypting File System (EFS) for a folder in Vista. The local computer policy has additional settings used to further configuring EFS.
Within the local computer policy, navigate to the following container: Computer Configuration \ Windows Settings \ Security Settings \ Public Key Policies \ Encrypting File […]

New to Windows Vista are the Network Locations. Vista uses your network location to determine the security settings that should be applied to protect your computer. There are three different network locations: Home, Work and Public. A public network is considered an un-trusted network and therefore, the Public network location has more security settings applied. […]

Another way in which you can secure your computer is to configure an account lockout policy. This eliminates the ability for someone to sit down at your computer and continuously attempt to guess your user name and password.
An account lockout policy will do just that, lockout an account after a certain number of failed […]