Three Finger Salute

Just like Windows XP, and other versions of Windows before it, Windows Vista has what has been commonly called, the Three Finger Salute. In Vista access the 3 key combination is pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time.

Depending upon the way your computer is configured the traditional Three-Finger-Salute will give a menu with several options. These options are:

1. Lock the computer - This will keep that family member or coworker from using the computer while you are taking a bathroom break.
2. Switch Users - This option is available only if there are two or more user accounts on the computer. If there is more than one user account, it is handy to switch between users quick and easily.
   
3. Log off - Keeps the computer on but closes the current users login. Here we have another handy option for the computer who has more than one user accounts.
   
4. Change a password - This feature I see very few people use. If the current user needs to change their password. Here is a quick and easy place to do it.
5. Start Task Manager - The Task Manager is a great diagnostic tool. You can see the system performance, running processes, and other valuable information. We will cover it in tomorrow's post.

Sharing Files

The ability to share folders across a home or business network is a great tool. The folder may have an important documents that you wish to access from both your desktop and laptop. Instead of keeping the folder on two different computers, you have them on one computer. Then when it comes time to access the folder from the another computer, you can.

The files you share with someone on the network can be updated if you give that user permission to do so. However, you can limit the remote user’s access to read only. This is accomplished at the same time you set up the sharing permission.

• From the Start Orb then go My Computer

• Open the Windows Explorer

• Find the folder you wish to share using the folder tree on the left

• Left click the folder

• In the preview pane on the right, select the folder with a single left click

• Select Share from the toolbar on the top

• Choose the users who you wish to access this folder. Note: If the user you want to access the folder is on a different Network, then you must change the Network settings.

• Select the type of Permissions for the added user: Reader, Contributor, or Co-Owner.

• Click Share and wait for the sharing process to complete

• All the files are shared! Other local users or network users can now access these files.

NOTE: If you want remove the file sharing, reverse the process.

Photo Gallery - Tools

Microsoft put into Photo Gallery some basic tools that will help you make those pictures look better, before you send them on to your family or friends.



At the top of Photo Gallery's main window left click on Fix. This will open the photo you selected into a new window. On the right hand side is a menu with five options. These option are to help you do some basic clean up and adjustment of you photos.

1. Auto Adjust. This feature will examine the photo and automatically adjust its brightness, contrast, color, and tint with a click of the button.
2. Adjust Exposure. This option expands thus giving you two choices; brightness and contrast. Each can be manually edited by the use of its' own slide bar.
3. Adjust Color. Here this tool expands to three options, color, tint, and saturation. The color choice lets you change to cooler or warmer colors. The tint lets you put in more accurate color to the individual picture. Finally, saturation which determines if the images colors are virtually gone (grayscale) or a deeply rich color.
4. Crop Picture. In my opinion this is a must. I seem to always have a picture that needs to be trimmed and rotated. This is the tool that will do it.
5. Fix Red Eye. Red eye removal works quite well. Most digital camera, today, have this feature built into them. I would first have the camera set for red eye removal. Then use this feature it your subjects still have red eye.
   

Note: At the bottom of the menu on the right side is an undo edit button. This is just in case your edit did not look so good. You can start over from the beginning.

Backup and Restore

I always encourage computer users to backup their important files. In the few minutes it takes to back documents, pictures and music will save a lot of heartache when something goes wrong with your computer.

This is especially important before you do any major changes to your computer. I like to back up my files at least once a week. This way if some disaster happens I can recover most of my data.

In Windows Vista, as well as with Windows XP there is three levels of saving information.

1. System Restore will roll back setting to a previously good settings. This roll back of the operating system is used when an installation of a printer or some program goes wrong.
2. Full Backup is saving data, programs, and settings. Full backups are usually of the complete hard drive.
3. Data Backup is a portion of the hard drive. This type of backup is usually of pictures, music, and documents found in the My Documents folder.

Accessing the backup and Restore is done by;

• Start Orb
• Then Left click on Control Panel
• Go to System Maintenance and then Backup Restore Center
  
• It is from Backup Restore Center you can choose what type of backup or restore you want to do. It will walk you through the backup process.
  

Before you start backing up those all important files, choose a backup media source that is equal or greater than then files you are backing up. This can be anything from a flash drive, CD, DVD or external hard drive.

Sidebar - Properties

Along the right side the Desktop is several widgets. They are usually a clock, a calendar, and a small picture that changes periodically. This is know a the Vista Sidebar.

Each item inside the Sidebar is know as a widget. Widgets have been around for years. Microsoft decided to include them in Windows Vista as a useful little feature. However, there are some people consider them annoying and don't want them on their Desktop.

The easiest way to turn off the Sidebar and its' widgets if to put your cursor over the Sidebar and right click. Then move the cursor over proprieties and left click.

At the top of the Windows Sidebar Properties window is a check box that reads, Start Sidebar when Windows starts. Uncheck the box and click ok and the bottom of that window.

Now the Sidebar will not start when ever you start your computer.

Games

If you got Vista Home Basic you will get the standard stock games that cames in Windows XP. They are games like solitaire, Minesweeper, and etc. However, if you got Vista Home Premium, or Ultimate you get some neat 3D games. Vista Business does not come with any games by default, because you are not to play games while working.

From the Start Orb you go to Programs, then left click on Games. This will open up the Game Explorer. There you will see updated icons for games you normally see in Windows XP. In addition there are a few more games.

Chess is an addition. I like this one. It is 3D. Choose you level of play. Then you get to play against the computer. If you haven't played chess against a computer before it may take a game or two to get the hang of it. Overall it will keep you mind sharp, and it is fun.

Mahjong's the popular Chinese tile board game is another one of the games added to Vista Home Premium and above. I was hooked on this game when Vista first came out in beta testing. I must of have played this for hours. Great graphic, great fun, and just a great all around game for wasting time.

I must admit there are other games, but chess and Mahjong are only two games I play outside of Solitaire. Maybe some day I will expand my horizons and play some of the other games, but for now three games are enough for me.

You can read about the games in Vista on the Microsoft website. I recommend that you just open you Game Explorer and start playing.

Drivers Drive the Hardware

Drivers are a little piece of software that helps the operating system talk to the hardware of a computer. In the case of a printers and other external device, a driver is a computer program allows interaction with that hardware device.

The communication breakdown between Windows Vista and the computer hardware has been the main complaint about Vista. This is nothing new. Even today, people are having issues with Windows XP and certain hardware device drivers.

What makes Windows Vista so difficult for some people is how different Vista looks in comparison to Windows XP. Because the look is different there are a few people forget how to get to the device manager. So let us review how to get to the Device (Driver) Manager.

• Left click on Start Orb
• Go to the Control Panel
• Left click on System
• Then on Device Manager in the left margin
• Right-click the device you want and choose Properties
• On the next window you can have a look at the driver situation
• Then, click on Driver tab and update Driver

In the next window you can locate the driver on your computer manually or let the wizard look for it,also on the Internet if you are connected. In some case something goes wrong or the device has problems, click on Rollback and Windows brings you back to the previous driver.