Vista

Vista in 30 Minuets…
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For the Hebrew guide: here

Intro:

• Next Window: Windows Vienna.
• Microsoft Windows Server Code Name “Server 2008” (Longhorn)
• Vista is the client
• Server 2008 default is 64 bit, 32 bit will have an extension of 32 bit
• Get the first public beta (currently in beta 3), you can download an ISO and install it on your machine.

Consider before upgrade:

Test your pc hardware for: Hardware DEP, Hardware virtualization Maximum bit length.
Check for Hardware compatibility before paying for a new computer
Run Securable from GRC: http://www.grc.com/securable.htm

Applications you use regularly
VPN Client, most of them still not working

Hardware

• Laptop should have Core 2 Duo
• 2 GB RAM is plenty
• Display Card: (ATI or NVidia).

Spec:
DirectX 9 Capable Supports the Windows Driver Display Model (WDDM).
Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
32 its per pixel
256MB of RAM

 

Editions of Vista, Consideration before upgrade (Application
Compatibility Toolkit), Hardware requirements, Vista Recommendations

Editions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate.
Vista Future: Next release of Windows (code name Vienna).
A All new concept: old application couldn’t run natively, Virtualization, New Pie menu…
A lot of speech recognition support, sandbox mode to run none managed code without risking your security.

Key Benefits:
Fun to explore
One CD set for all languages

Features:

• Desktop Search
• Aero Glass
• Windows Vista: Advanced Disk Performance
  if your computer has a SATA (Serial-ATA) hard drive, then Windows Vistaincludes a feature that utilizes aggressive write caching.
  This is where data is written to a RAM cache first before it’s written to the hard drive.How to: From the Start menu, right-click on Computer, and select Manage
  Click on Device Manager, Expand the Disk Drives entry, Right-click on your SATA hard drive and select Properties, Click the Policies tab/ Check ‘Enable Advanced Performance.Can cause data lost!!!

 

Improved Security
Vista Service Pack 1 (code name Fiji).
Since Windows XP SP2 we turn the FW by default, Vista took it a few more levels up.

User Account Control:
Start /Control Panel/User Accounts and Family Safety/User Account/Turn user on or off.

Protected mode:
IE Protected mode (Only on Vista)
IE/Tools/Internet options/Security/Enable or disable Protected mode.

Anti-Malware: Note that Windows Defender is targeted at individual users and does not include enterprise management.

Parental controls feature (off by default)

• Not running as an administrator
• Can limit: Web site by restriction level
• Block File downloads
• Time limits, Games, Programs and view activity reports
• Start /Control Panel/User Accounts and Family Safety/Parental controls

BitLocker Drive Encryption

Must have at least 2x partitions
#Two NTFS drive partitions, one for the system volume and one for the operating system volume. The system volume partition must be at least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) and set as the active partition (Scenario 1).
Required TPN (Trusted Platform Module) chip installed
It is designed for systems that have a compatible TPM microchip and BIOS
if you don’t have one, BitLocker will install it on a flash drive (USB).
#for any test that includes the USB flash drive, your BIOS must support reading USB flash drives at startup.

Must logon as administrator
Start /Control Panel/Security/ BitLocker Drive Encryption
Now right click a file or a folder/properties/advanced/Encrypt content to secure data

64bit Vista

• A lot of drivers are not signed with 64-bit (not necessary Microsoft fault).
• 4 GB RAM is ok
• Vista Will Use as much Ram as you give it.
• The 64-bit Windows kernels actively, self guard against many root kit”s and other kernel attacks.

Vista Best feature
search for: “free Start Menu replacement” in Google.
Cool link, automatic start menu organizer in XP

Engage Start Menu organizer, Index Video
Guess what, I found have one for free: http://launchy.net/
It can browse your computer and Index like desktop search
Tip: Type in c:\ then tab, then a folder or file, hit tab, and continue

Vista Recommendations:

• Install when buying a new computer or if you run windows 2000
  best wait to Vista SP1
  Home Premium / Vista Business for Corp
• Run in a standard user mode (Without breaking applications)
• Start /Control Panel/User Accounts and Family Safety/User Account/Change your account type
• Enable Protected Mode (UAC)
• Delete browser history and cookies
  Start /Control Panel/Security/Internet Options/Delete browser history and cookies…
  Which is under: C:\Users\your user\AppData\Local\Windows\Temporarly Internet Files…