Your Personal Computer: The Transition from Windows XP to Windows Vista

Windows Vista is very similar to Windows XP so the learning curve is rather small. In this article I will point out some of the changes that to help make your transition quick and easy.

The new Start button in Windows Vista is located in the bottom left corner of the screen but now is only an image which looks like this (Fig. 1). If you hover your cursor over this image the tooltip will indicate "Start".

Fig. 1 (look at attached images to see figures 1-4)

One of the most important administrative functions in Windows Vista is the Control Panel:

1) Click Start

2) Select Control Panel

I prefer the Classic View so that all the programs are visible.

The first thing I do when I want to personalize a computer with Windows Vista is to remove unwanted programs. New computers these days come with dozens of wasteful programs pre-installed. This makes the computer run slow and adds clutter which makes using the computer more difficult. I suggest removing programs that have no use. In Windows XP I used "Add or Remove Programs", but in Windows Vista it has been renamed to "Programs and Features" (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2 (look at attached images to see figures 1-4)

Please be very careful removing programs; some are required for operation of your computer. For example programs to use your video and sound are needed and should not be removed.

One fantastic improvement in Windows Vista is to show operating system updates in a separate area called Windows Update. With Windows XP, updates were mixed in with "Add or Remove Programs" which was confusing. The new Windows Update function is very advanced and configurable allowing updates to be managed in one location.

The Windows Vista desktop has a new feature called Windows Side Bar (Fig. 3) which is located in the top right corner of the display.

Fig. 3 (look at attached images to see figures 1-4)

By clicking the "+" sign on top of the Side Bar, you will bring up a window (Fig. 4) that allows you to add gadgets to your sidebar.

Fig. 4 (look at attached images to see figures 1-4)

If you wish to turn off Windows Sidebar follow these steps:

1) Click Start

2) Select Control Panel

3) Select Windows Sidebar Properties

4) De-select Start Sidebar when Windows Starts

Another thing I suggest to enhance your Windows Vista experience is to delete unused desktop icons. When you purchase a new computer the manufacturer loads many shortcuts for functions you will never use. It is safe to remove these shortcuts as they do not remove the programs only the shortcuts that link to them. One can always access these programs through Start and All Programs screen.

In closing I hope that some of these tips will make your Windows Vista experience more enjoyable.