Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK

USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

How to use multiple monitors in Windows Vista

Using multiple monitors in Windows XP is a plug-and play operation. You can install two or three video cards in the computer's PCI Express slots and then plug in three monitors, and XP recognises them almost every time. However, doing that in the Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate versions, which support the Aero Glass feature, is not so easy because the video cards must use the same WDDM driver. If the system is running two Aero-capable video cards that use different WDDM drivers (e.g., an ATI card and an nVidia card), Vista disables one of them.

However, it is possible run multiple monitors in Vista with Aero Glass, but the implementation is not as perfect as it is with Windows XP. The following two webpages deal with this topic in more detail:

#5: Why is it so much harder to use multiple monitors [with Windows Vista]? -

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877-6155343-2.html

MultiMonitor Support and Windows Vista -

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/display/multimonVista.mspx

PC games and DirectX sound support in Windows Vista

Question

I have read that unlike Windows XP, Windows Vista only supports basic sound via DirectX. If that is the case, I play PC games written for Windows XP, so should I avoid upgrading to Vista?

Answer

April 15, 2007. - In Windows Vista, hardware acceleration is no longer available for audio effects in DirectSound3D (DS3D), which is the sound component of DirectX, because Windows Vista has done away with the hardware audio abstraction layer that Windows XP uses. In short, Windows Vista can only provide basic sound for PC games that were written to use DS3D.

Windows Vista uses the new Universal Audio Architecture (UAA), which provides the developers of games greater flexibility and stability than the hardware audio abstraction layer.

If you play games written for Windows XP and you have a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card, you can download a utility for it called ALchemy that converts DS3D instructions to OpenAL, which works in Windows Vista. If you don't have that sound card, it is advisable to stick with Windows XP until this compatibility problem has been resolved. You should check the site of the manufacturer of your PC's sound card for updated device drivers or a workaround.

What has changed in Windows Vista and what has remained the same as in Windows XP

If you have a computer running Windows XP and are concerned that it won't work properly, you can install Windows Vista on it so that it runs from within Microsoft's Virtual PC, which is now free.

Virtual PC creates a virtual PC within Windows that you can install an another operating system on, including Linux. Installed that way, it won't be able to affect your existing installation of Windows.

Virtual PC Is Now Free - "Whether Microsoft virtualization technology is an important component of your existing infrastructure or you're just a Virtual PC enthusiast, you can now download Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1 (full-version software) absolutely free. Virtual PC 2007 will be available for free in 2007, with support for Microsoft Windows Vista." -

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

You can run the Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 Demo from that page. The demo "shows how Virtual PC is perfect for any scenario in which you need to support multiple operating systems, whether you use it for legacy application support, technical support, training, or application development."

What Works and What Doesn't in Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 - lists over 600 operating system versions and whether they are known to work on Virtual PC (VPC). - http://vpc.visualwin.com/

According to its own system requirements, to run VPC 2004, you need Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional, but when you first install Virtual PC 2004 on Windows XP Home, a warning message informs you that the Home Edition is not supported, but it allows you to go ahead with the installation, which works just fine.

WindowsSecurity.com provides a good tutorial on installing and using VPC - http://tinyurl.com/dxbyb.

You can also use the free VMware Virtual Server -

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

However, note that it doesn't support SATA drives at all.

Access to folders and files on FAT32 (Windows XP) and NTFS (Windows Vista partitions)

Note that using Windows Explorer or My Computer in Windows XP installed on a partition formatted to use the FAT32 file system, you can access the files and folders in an NTFS partition containing Windows Vista, and you can copy files (images and documents, etc.) from the FAT32 partition to the NTFS partition and read or open them in Windows Vista. You can also run Windows Vista on a NTFS partition and have the same access to files and folders stored by Windows XP on a FAT32 partition. It is just as if only one file system is in use both ways.

If Windows XP is already installed, Windows Vista installs a boot manager that runs at startup that allows you to choose to boot from Windows Vista or an Earlier version of Windows. If you don't make a choice, Windows Vista starts up by default after a set number of seconds, which is only 3 seconds.

If you want the Earlier version of Windows (e.g., Windows XP) to be the default option, you have to change the setting in Windows Vista for the Default operating system.

This is the path to follow: click Start => Control Panel [Select Classic View] => System => Advanced System Settings. Under Tasks in left-hand navigation bar click on Startup and Recovery, and then click on its Settings button. Open the drop-down menu for Default operating system, and select Earlier version of Windows. You should also increase the time set under Time to display list of operating systems, because the default setting is only 3 seconds, which is too quick. Click OK to change the settings. It is unlikely that this will change for the final version of Vista.

Note that when Vista is installed, the boot manager offers you another choice - to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic utility that checks the RAM memory. You select it by pressing the tab key.

"The Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the Random Access Memory (RAM) on your computer for errors. The diagnostic includes a comprehensive set of memory tests. If you are experiencing problems while running Windows, you can use the diagnostic to determine whether the problems are caused by failing hardware, such as RAM or the memory system of your motherboard. Windows Memory Diagnostic is designed to be easy and fast. On most configurations, you can download the diagnostic, read the documentation, run the test and complete the first test pass in less than 30 minutes." - Obtain the full instructions and download from this page. - http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Windows Vista requires Product Activation within 30 days. You can elect to activate it when you install it from Windows XP that is online during the installation. If you activate Vista after it has been installed, you will have to install the Vista software for your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the Visa drivers for your dial-up or broadband modem. If your ISP provides an ADSL modem then you will be able to get the Vista software as a single download that installs the ISP's software and the modem's drivers.

To activate Windows Vista while online, just enter activate in the Search box of Start => Help and Support. Doing that takes you to a link that you have to click in order to activate Vista while online. The process takes a few seconds with a broadband connection.

The missing Run... dialog box

The first thing I noticed was that My Computer in Windows XP has been reduced to Computer in Windows Vista. Then I noticed that there was no Run... option.

Read What's changed from Windows XP? for more information on using the new Start Search feature in Vista. It can now be used to run commands instead of the Run... box, that not longer appears in Vista.

This article shows how to use the Start Search feature instead of the Run... dialog box that Windows XP uses:

Where is the Vista Run Command? -

http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_run_command.htm

How to restore the missing Recycle Bin to the Windows Vista Desktop

Here are the instructions on how to restore the Recycle Bin to the Windows Vista Desktop:

1. - Right-click the mouse on an empty space on the Windows Vista Desktop

2. - Click on Personalize

3. - Select Change desktop icons

4. - At Desktop Icon Settings, place a check mark with the mouse in the checkbox next to Recycle Bin.

Help and Support

The name stays the same as in Windows XP, but the categorisation has changed. The categories are Windows Basics - Security and Maintenance - Windows Online Help - Table of Contents - Troubleshooting - What's New. You can enter any kind of search in the Search box. For example, if you want to find out how to activate Vista, enter activate Windows.

Windows Explorer

You access Windows Explorer in the usual ways by using Start => All Programs, or by right-clicking with the mouse on the Start button and then clicking on Explore.

The Control Panel in Vista

The Control Panel has been broken up into various categories, but you have the option to use the Classic View, which is the view used in Windows 98/Me/XP that provides all of the options in a single window, showing icons listing the details. If you want the list instead of the icons, right-click on an empty space in the windows and choose View => Details.

Otherwise the default categories are: System and Maintenance - User Accounts and Family Safety - Appearance and Personalization - Security - Appearance and Personalization - Network and Internet - Clock, Language and Region - Hardware and Sound - Ease of Access (Let Windows suggest settings / Optimize Visual Display) - Programs - Additional Options.

I found the categories easy to use. I just had to look through them and then choose the category that was most likely to contain what I was looking for. For example if you want to find the Windows Firewall or Windows Defender, look under Security. Some features, such as the Device Manager, appear under more than one category.

The Hardware and Sound category provides access to the following devices: under Printers add or remove printers and connect to other printers on a network, troubleshoot printers. From there you can install, remove and set the options for scanners and digital cameras, mice, game controllers, joysticks, keyboards and pen devices. The Power settings are also there.

This is a good illustrated article on Vista's Control Panel: Control Panel User Interface - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756904.aspx.

Add or Remove Programs

There is no option in the Control Panel called Add or Remove Programs that appears in all of the previous versions of Windows since Windows 95. That feature is now found under the Programs and Features category in the Control Panel.

Safe Mode

Nothing has changed. You still access Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key at startup repeatedly before Windows starts to load. If you have a dual-boot system that runs the boot manager, press the F8 key immediately after you have chosen which operating system to use.

The Device Manager

The Device Manager now appears in the Control Panel as an item in Vista. You can access it under System in the Control Panel in Windows XP. There are several other ways to access the Device Manager in Windows XP, the quickest of which is to enter devmgmt.msc in the Start => Run box. In Windows Vista, enter devmgmt.msc in the Start => Start Search box. There are also many other ways of accessing the Device Manager in Vista.

System Restore

There are several ways to access System Restore in Windows XP, such as Start => All Programs => Accessories => System Tools => System Restore. System Restore still exists in Windows Vista and you can follow the same access path as in Windows XP.

Disk Management

There are several ways of accessing Disk Management in Windows XP, the easiest of which is to enter diskmgmt.msc in the Start => Run box, which also works in Windows Vista if you use the Start => Start Search box.

The Windows Registry

In Windows XP, you enter regedit in the Start => Run box to open the Registry Editor. In Vista, enter the regedit command in the Start => Start Search box.

"Automatic Updates" becomes "Windows Update"

Automatic Updates in the Control Panel is where the way in which updates are received is set in Windows XP. The feature remains in Windows Vista. It is called Windows Update and it can be found under the Security and the System and Maintenance sections of the Control Panel.

Monitor(s) Display Settings

In Windows XP, the Display Properties settings are under Display in the Control Panel, or are accessed from the display icon in the Notification Area on the Desktop that usually has an icon supplied by the graphics device driver (e.g., created by a graphics-chip manufacturer such as ATI) if it is enabled under Display Properties, or are accessed by right- clicking an empty area of the Desktop and then clicking Properties in the menu that presents itself.

In Windows Vista, Display Settings is in the Control Panel under Hardware and Sound. You open it and then open Personalization => Display Settings. The window that presents itself allows access to the following settings: Display Settings, Visual Appearance, Desktop Background, Screen Saver, Sound Effects, Mouse Pointers, and Theme.

As in Windows XP, you can access Display Properties in Windows Vista by right-clicking with the mouse pointer on an empty space on the Windows Desktop and then selecting Properties in the menu that presents itself.

The usual display icon in the Notification Area can be enabled to appear under Display Settings, but when you right-click on an empty area of the Desktop, you have to click Personalize in the menu the presents itself in order to bring up the window that contains the above-listed types of settings.

****

Always remember that a search of Help and Support is the best way of finding out how to do what you want to do, or how to access features in Vista.

How to uninstall Windows Vista in a dual-boot system with Windows XP

When some users attempt to remove a Windows Vista beta (test version) from their dual-boot XP/Vista systems, they discover that their computers continue to attempt to boot to Vista after the Vista partition has been deleted and no version of Windows boots.

This occurs because Microsoft has changed the way in which the boot manager operates in Vista. Windows XP uses a text file called boot.ini, which is located in the root directory (usually C:\). However, Vista creates and uses a boot registry database, BCD (Boot Configuration Data).

You can also use the following method to remove Windows Vista (the official release) from a dual-boot system with Windows XP.

Unfortunately, the tool that Microsoft provides for editing the BCD, bcdedit.exe, is difficult to use. Vista installs it in the C:\Boot folder by default, which you can delete provided that you start by setting the Vista boot loader's BCD from its default setting of booting Vista to booting Windows XP first. Then you boot into Windows XP, format or remove the partition that Vista is installed in, and then reboot Windows XP. You can then delete the C:\Boot folder, which completes the uninstallation of Vista. Note well that you should only delete the C:\Boot folder after formatting or removing the Vista partition.

You can use a utility called VistaBootPro that simplifies editing the BCD. It can be used from Windows XP or Vista and allows you to disable and re-enable the BCD. It doesn't actually delete the C:\Boot folder, but it eliminates the problem described above. However, note well that you have to do disable the C:\Boot folder after you've formatted the Vista partition and before you restart your computer. If you change the order, not even VistaBootPro will be able to help you boot to Windows XP.

Note that the boot.ini file in Windows XP must remain in the root directory (C:\ by default) as long as XP remains on your system, because it is Windows XP's boot manger. BCD manages the way in which Vista boots. Editing the boot.ini file has no effect on Vista, but it affects the way in which Windows XP boots, even when Vista is installed.

Boot Configuration Data Editor Frequently Asked Questions -

"The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is started in Microsoft® Windows Vista™ and Microsoft® Windows Server® Code Name "Longhorn" operating systems. These parameters were previously in the Boot.ini file (in BIOS-based operating systems) or in the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) entries (in Extensible Firmware Interface–based operating systems). You can use the Bcdedit.exe command-line tool to affect the Windows® code which runs in the pre-operating system environment by adding, deleting, editing, and appending entries in the BCD store. Bcdedit.exe is located in the \Windows\System32 directory of the Windows Vista partition." -

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/...mspx?mfr=true

VistaBootPRO - "VistaBootPRO is used to make changes to the Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data (BCD) registry quickly and easily, doing the job in a fraction of the time it would take using the alternative. The only other way to edit the BCD is to use the command prompt application "bcdedit.exe," located in the Windows\system32 folder of Windows Vista, which requires users to become familiar with the ins and outs of the bcdedit.exe switches and options, leaving many frustrated users in its path." -

http://www.pro-networks.org/vistabootpro

Microsoft Public Newsgroups

You can gain full access - read and post to threads in all of the the many Microsoft Public Newsgroups via this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx

Several public newsgroups for Windows Vista are now available. Select your language, select Windows, followed by Windows Vista.

Anyone can read the posts, but since October 2004 it has been necessary to sign up for a .NET Passport in order to be able to create new posts and reply to the existing posts in these newsgroups. It's easy enough to do. Just supply all of the required information and fill in all of the fields under your Profile. To access the Microsoft Public Newsgroups that cover Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, MS Office, etc., just choose your language by clicking on it in the left-hand navigation bar. If you get an error-message window appearing saying that an error has occurred after posting to a newsgroup, check a little while later to see if your post has appeared. This has happened to me, but the posts always appear. For some reason, the posts take a while to appear, probably because they are being actively moderated.

It is also possible to access Microsoft's public newsgroups by using Google Groups. Registration is also required.

Microsoft Technical Communities

"Microsoft technical communities provide opportunities to interact with Microsoft employees, experts, and your peers in order to share knowledge and news about Microsoft products and related technologies." - http://www.microsoft.com/communities/default.mspx

Webpages that provide useful information on Windows Vista

Windows [Vista] Help and How-to - http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/

Windows Vista A to Z -

"Reviews, analyses, how-tos, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS."

http://www.computerworld.com/.../continuing_coverage.

The ultimate tweaker's guide to Windows [XP and Vista] -

"Our tips, tricks and hacks will let you customize XP and Vista in a multitude of ways." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Free utility condenses Windows Vista from 15GB to 1.4GB -

"Users can trim Vista to a tenth of its normal size by ditching unwanted parts."

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Software Tool Strips Windows Vista To Bare Bones -

"vLite allows users to preselect numerous Vista features for automatic removal prior to installing the OS on their personal computers. Among them: Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Viewer, MSN Installer, Wallpapers, SlideShow, Windows Mail and other utilities." -

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205920302

Must-have Windows utilities for 20 essential tasks -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...9025855&intsrc=hm_ts_head

Windows Vista information - http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/

Top 10 Vista Hacks: Itching to make Windows Vista behave the way you want it to, not the way Microsoft does? Take these fun and useful hacks for a whirl. -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...articleId=9015738&intsrc=hm_ts_head

Can Your PC Really Handle Vista? - Even Low-Budget PCs Can Run Windows Vista -

"We equipped our Celeron and Sempron test systems with a fast and affordable 160 GB hard drive and one gigabyte of RAM, and the systems did a great job in Windows XP. But how do they perform with Windows Vista? And do you really know how your PC would perform with Vista?" - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...review-2095.html

Your complete guide to Vista -

http://www.cnet.com/4520-13111_1-6687520-1.html?tag=nl.e497

Windows Vista Step-by-Step Guides for IT Professionals -

"These step-by-step guides provide instructions for deploying or migrating to Windows Vista, and various management tasks, including configuring security, monitoring performance, and managing printers." - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?...

Wait! Don't buy Windows Vista! Microsoft's new OS is the best Windows ever. But don't buy it! - http://www.computerworld.com/action/..._list

Get Ready [for Windows Vista] -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/expressupgrade.mspx

20 Questions About Windows Vista -

http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187202174

Visual Tour: 20 Reasons Why Windows Vista Will Be Your Next OS -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...

Visual Tour: 20 Things You Won't Like About Windows Vista -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...

Get Ready - Windows Vista Capable and Premium Ready PCs -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx

ATI claims World+Dog wants Vista Premium not Basic -

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/23/windows_vista_hardware_pt2/

The truth about Windows Vista hardware -

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/15/windows_vista_hardware/

Microsoft touts Vista security features - http://www.computerworld.com/action/...

Overview of security features in Microsoft Windows Vista (917793) - Provides an overview of new security features in Microsoft Windows Vista. Include Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, and BitLocker Drive Encryption. Also covers improvements in Internet Explorer 7. - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917793/en-us

Access and manage information more easily with the search and organization tools in Microsoft Windows Vista (919206) - Describes how to use search and organization tools in Windows Vista to manage content. Also discusses additional search and organization enhancements in using Windows Vista with Office 2007 programs. -

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919206/en-us

Go mobile with Windows Vista (920953) - Dicusses tools Windows Vista provides that help you manage information more easily. Discusses tools that help you synchronize data, and functionality that makes it easier to access wireless networks. -

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920953/en-us

Explore new home networking features in Windows Vista (920957) - Describes the new Network Center, Network Explorer, and Network Map and new wireless networking technologies in Windows Vista. Discusses how to configure a wireless device by using Windows Connect... - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920957/en-us

Network Diagnostics Framework in Windows Vista -

"The Network Diagnostics Framework in Microsoft Windows Vista is an infrastructure and a set of built-in and extensible components that attempt to automatically diagnose and correct network connectivity problems." -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/.../cableguy/cg0706.mspx

Google searches

You can find additional information on any of the programs, utilities or features mentioned above, or in the rest of this article, by making use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

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