Is your PC Vista Ready?

Microsoft's Recommendation for the Minimum Hardware specs to run Windows Vista.

CPU Pentium 3/4 or Athlon Equivalent or better।
CPU Speed 800 MHZ or better
System Ram 512MB or Higher
Video Card 100% DirectX 9 graphic card capable of SVGA 800x600
DirectX Version DirectX 9.0 or better
Free Disk Space 15GB or higher
Hard Disk Capacity 20GB or higher
CD and Sound Card yes

Expert's Recommendation for the Minimum Hardware specs to run Windows Vista.

CPU Pentium 4 or Athlon Equivalent or better।
CPU Speed 1.4GHz or better
System Ram 1GB or higher
Video Card 64MB 100% DirectX 9 graphic card with Pixel Shader 2.0 hardware support
DirectX Version DirectX 9.0 or better
Free Disk Space 15GB or higher
Hard Disk Capacity 20GB or higher
CD and Sound Card yes

The easiest way to to tell if you PC is up to the task of running vista is to run CNET Vista Upgrade Advisor

Search your PC with Vista Instant Search

The Instant Search box is downright ubiquitous in Vista, appearing not only in the Start menu, but also in Control Panel, Windows Media Player, Windows Explorer, and even certain Vista applications (most notably Contacts and Windows Mail).

There are two key things you’ll want to understand about Instant Search:

1. It’s context-sensitive, meaning it begins its search wherever it’s being run. When you search inside the Start menu, for instance, the tool looks for applications first–the items most closely associated with that instance of Instant Search. Search in Control Panel and you’ll see Control Panel results ahead of any others.
2. Instant Search is dynamic: It works as you type, narrowing the results a bit further with each letter (or number) you add to the search string. Type “mo,” for instance, and you’ll immediately see all documents, applications, and other items that contain those letters. Keep typing, however, until you get to “monthly,” and your search will narrow considerably.

To see Instant Search in action: Click Start and then click Search in the right-hand pane. This will open Vista’s basic Search window, which you can use to find, well, just about anything on your PC. Notice the “show only” buttons across the top; click one to quickly filter your search results.

Quick-launch a program with Vista

The first thing a Microsoft Vista user is likely to notice is the new Start menu. Gone is the word itself; in its place is a small circle containing the Windows logo. Click it and you’ll see the new Start menu, which differs from its predecessors.

Vista banishes the cascading application menus that used to fly up and out from All Programs. Now, when you click All Programs (or hold your mouse pointer over it for two seconds), your installed applications appear in a compact, scrollable list. This new method is actually a much faster way to find a program, as you just scroll until you find what you’re after.

Thus, you can launch programs without ever taking your hands off the keyboard. Just press the Windows button, type the first few letters of the desired application (such as “pic” for Picasa), then press Enter to launch it.

PC deep sleep with Vista

Vista may do a better job at conserving energy when you set your PC to hibernate.

In Windows XP, when you set your PC to hibernate, some applications and hardware devices could override the hibernation command and continue to run (e.g virus scan or DVD burners). However, in Windows Vista, your PC will no longer allow applications and hardware to override your hibernate and "stay up late." They will be warned when the computer is about to catch some zzzs, and will have a second to save their progress. So, when you tell a Vista PC to go to bed, it actually listens.

How to "clean install" an upgrade copy of Vista

Microsoft has made it difficult for users to “clean install” Windows Vista (that is, install the operating system on a computer that doesn’t have a previous copy of Windows) if you’ve bought an upgrade version of the operating system.

Doing this is difficult, but not impossible, although it is a major hassle. Here’s how:

1. Insert the Windows Vista upgrade DVD in the drive and boot up off it.
2. Click on “Install Now.” This will begin the installation process.
3. Now for the main trick: Don’t enter your Windows Vista product key.
4. When asked, select the version of Windows Vista you bought (don’t think you can trick the system--you can’t).
5. Continue with the installation normally.
6. When the installation has finished, access the DVD through Windows Explorer and re-run the setup process and carry out another installation.
7. When prompted, enter your product key.

Now continue with the installation. You now have a working installation of Windows Vista.

Running older software applications in Vista

One concern for Windows XP users is if their favorite software applications will run once they upgrade to Vista.

Luckily, Windows Vista uses a feature called Compatibility Mode which tells the software application that Vista is actually an older OS, specifically Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, or XP.

Here's how it works:

If your software application won't install, open or work properly, right click on the application's .exe file. Select Properties and then click the Compatibility tab. From there, pick the previous Windows operating system you were on (most likely Windows XP). If you're a system operator, you can set this up as an administrator to make it easier for your staff.