XP User's Guide To...: October 2006 Archives

Like many other key functions in Vista, the way users access networking and network resources has also been reworked.  The vast majority of networking functions are now consolidated in one place instead of being spread out over a number of different dialogs.  The new networking interface actually seems patterned after something we've seen in XP Service Packs 1 and 2: the Security Center.

However, I found a few gotchas that are worth noting -- mostly in the way Vista now handles certain kinds of file and folder sharing.  I'm hoping this is a RC1 issue and not something we see in the finished product.  But let's start with the good stuff, because the good stuff really is very good.

Among the many, many changes made to Windows Vista, the one that's drawn the most attention is User Account Control, or UAC for short.  In this article I'm going to talk about UAC as it'll affect someone who's come in from XP, and may be surprised to find that things they did before without consequence are now being interrupted.

If there's one thing I've consistently hated about Windows, it's the lack of a good backup and restore solution.  Sure, there's the NTBACKUP tool, but it doesn't let you create a full-system backup you can restore to "bare metal": you have to have a working Windows installation to use it, which kind of obviates the point if your system's toast.

Someone at Microsoft was thinking, though, and one of the Vista features that has gladdened my heart to see is the ability to not just back up files and folders, but to back up and restore a whole system from scratch.  XP users who have had to rely on copying files by hand, struggling with NTBACKUP, working with freeware that doesn't cover all the bases or shelling out cash for an actual third-party backup solution are going to love this.  I know I do.

Incidentally, our old friend System Restore is still here, and in much the same condition, but for the time being I'll talk in detail about the new backup/restore functions; a discussion of System Restore can wait for another article.

Or: The First Step Off The Deep End

Well, last night I went and did it.  I installed Windows Vista RC1, Build 5600, on my notebook computer -- after making a full partition image, just to be safe.  The whole install process -- which I did from a clean boot, no upgrade -- took about an hour, and when it was done I sat down and got my first close look at the way Vista works.  I know there have been some changes since RC1 was released (most notably to the annoying black of the Taskbar), but I figured enough has been nailed down that I can at least try to start using the OS provisionally.

What I'd like to do is publish a series of articles that talk about some of the new things in Vista, but from the point of view of an existing Windows user.  A lot of other people have talked about Aero Glass and the security features, but I'd like to tackle this from the perspective of someone who has been using XP for a long time and is now, suddenly, a Vista user.  What do they see, and what will they do?  I figured I'd be as good a guinea pig as most people.