19 essential get-started tips for Windows Vista

From the moment you start using Windows Vista, you'll find a lot of new things to get used to: new programs, new layout, new ways of doing things. Some are great, some are confusing, some are just very well hidden. These are my picks for the 19 things you should try when you first start using Windows Vista - do you think differently?

1. Use Flip3D

Okay, so it's hardly essential, but it's still one of the first things you should try: it's just a neat way to show off that snazzy new interface. Hold down the Windows key and your keyboard and hit Tab to spool through them.

2. Fix a photo - and automatically back it up

One of the most useful new programs, Photo Gallery enables you to automatically import and organise your photos. Click Fix and you can crop out unsightly backgrounds, remove red-eye and adjust the lighting, too. But the most impressive feature is that it automatically backs up every photo: press CTRL and R and it'll restore it just as it was when you first imported it.

3. Launch any program instantly

Want to open something even faster? Hold down the Windows key and press a number from 1 to 9, and it'll open the corresponding entry in the Quick Start menu next to the Start button. Windows and 1 opens the shortcut next to the button (usually Show Desktop), Windows and 2 opens the second shortcut (usually Flip 3D) and so on. To add or rearrange shortcuts, just click and drag them.

4. Save time browsing your folder

Are you regularly digging through your hard drive to open the same folder? Click and drag it into the Favorite Links pane on the left of every Windows Explorer window to keep it just one click away.

5. Get more from your laptop

If you're running Windows Vista on a mobile PC, hold down the Windows key and press X to open up the new Mobility Center. It gives instant access to controls for the battery, wireless signal, external displays and more.

6. Add a gadget to your desktop

That new strip on the side of your desktop is more useful thank you might think: click the plus symbol at the top, then click Get more gadgets online to view the 370+ (and counting) free downloads that add instant new features to your desktop - everything from BBC radio to currency conversion. You can drag and drop them on to the desktop, too - the Weather gadget, for example, is actually more useful when used like this because it gives you a three-day forecast.

7. Make search even easier

8. Connect to other laptops

If you've got a wireless laptop, you can quickly create a network with others by opening up Meeting Space. Create a display name, click Start a new meeting, and see if says Using: Ad Hoc Wireless Network on the bottom right. If not, click Options and tick the appropriate box. Then all you've got to do is enter a password and click the green button to create it. Other laptops nearby can join by loading Meeting Space and clicking Join a meeting near me. Once in, click Add a handout to share a file or Share a program or desktop to - wait for it - share a program or your PC's desktop.

9. Protect your files

Backing up your files is given the importance it deserves in Windows Vista - particularly compared to the crude and mostly-hidden tool in Windows XP - and it's ever so easy to use. Open Backup and Restore Center from the Start menu, hit Back Up Files and choose if you want to back up photos, email, music and more: they'll be automatically saved to your choice of backup device. Got Windows XP backups you want to add to your Windows Vista PC? You can import them by using this tool.

10. Get the old power button back

One of the neater new features in Windows Vista is that the Power button on the Start menu doesn't turn your PC off - it puts it into a new low-power state, so it's all but deactivated but is much quicker to start up. If you don't want to use this - or you've got an older PC that doesn't support it properly - you can change it by digging deep in the configuration options. Search for "power" in the Start Menu and clicking Power Options. Click Change plan settings, then Change advanced power settings and expand the entry for Power buttons and lid. Expand Start menu and power button entry and click on Sleep to pick another option from the drop-down menu.

11. Zoom in on your desktop

Open any Windows Explorer window, select an icon, hold down CTRL and scroll your mouse wheel - and your icons will expand before your eyes. It makes them easier to view, and as nearly every icon is a snapshot of the file itself, you can see what's inside them as well.

12. Check your PC's health

Troubleshooting has got a whole lot easier with Windows Vista's reporting tools. Search for "perf" in the Control Panel, click Performance Information and Tools, and then select Advanced tools from the list on the left. Click the Generate a system health report option at the bottom of the list and it'll give you a list of any problems with your PC and what you can do to fix them.

13. View files without opening them

In Windows Explorer, click Organise > Layout and select Preview Pane. You'll get an extra panel on the right of every window that shows you the contents of every file: if it's a PowerPoint presentation, you can click through the slides too.

14. Try Media Center

If you've never used Media Center before, you're in for a treat. Formerly a separate version of Windows, it's now supplied as standard in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate, giving you a new way to enjoy your photos, music and TV. Hook it up to your telly - which you can do with ease by connecting an Xbox 360 to your home network - and you can easily set up recording of TV programmes and pause live TV.

15. Get your old programs working

Most programs work fine with Windows Vista, but older releases can have problems. If you can't get an older release working properly, search for "compat" in the Control Panel and click on Use an older program with this version of Windows. This will lead you through the required steps - if the program in question worked in Windows XP, check the options for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Run as administrator.

16. Create a search folder

If you're regularly looking for the same thing, save the search. Click the Save Search button in the Explorer window and it'll create a Search Folder of all the items that match that search. To make it even easier to find, select the Searches entry in the Favorite links sidebar on the left, and then drag your newly created folder into the Favorite Links list.

17. Get your old menus back

Are you missing File, Edit, View and the other old stagers from Windows Explorer in Windows XP? Just press Alt and they'll appear.

18. Try tablet input

Another former exclusive now supplied with Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate, tablet input is a new way to control your PC. Handiest for desktop users is the Snipping Tool; open it and you can drag the mouse to snap a screenshot. If you want to replace the keyboard, search for "tablet" in the Start menu and fire up the Tablet PC Input Panel - you'll need a stylus to make the most of it, though.

19. Adjust your security settings

As you'll have noticed when using the tips above, the new security features in Windows Vista are very keen, prompting you every time you access a system feature. It's a very effective way of keeping the bad guys out, and I really recommend leaving it in place - but if you fancy your chances at protecting yourself, you can turn it off by clicking your user icon at the top of the Start menu and choosing Turn User Account Control on or off.

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