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Starting an In-Place Upgrade When you perform an in-place upgrade to Windows Vista, the files, settings, and programs areretained from the currently installed version of Windows XP.. To

In general, multiboot configurations work by presenting the customer with a choice of ating systems to load when a user starts the computer The specific details depend on whichoperating systems are installed on the computer.

oper-MORE INFO Virtual machines versus multiboot

Although configuring a computer with multiple operating systems can be useful, one of the potential drawbacks is that customers need to reboot the computer to access each one Users who would like to run multiple operating systems concurrently can look into the use of virtual machines to enable more than one operating system to run concurrently on the computer As long as the computer’s hardware configuration meets the system requirements, this can be a much simpler configuration to set up Microsoft Virtual PC is a free product that enables the cre-ation of virtual machines within Windows Vista For more information, see the Virtual PC Web

site at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx

Repairing and Reinstalling Windows Vista

In some cases, users might need to reinstall Windows Vista due to a configuration issue or torecover from a hardware failure The Windows Vista setup process provides the ability either

to reinstall the operating system or to perform various repair functions You’ll learn moreabout reinstalling Windows Vista in Lesson 3, “Troubleshooting Installation Issues.” For moreinformation on troubleshooting and repairing Windows Vista, see Chapter 12, “Troubleshoot-ing Windows Vista,” and Chapter 13, “Protecting Data and Repairing Windows Vista.”

Partitioning the Hard Disk

For the majority of installations, using the default hard disk options presented by WindowsSetup is the best practice However, there might be cases in which it would be a good idea tovalidate where Windows is going to be installed This is especially true for computers with sev-eral partitions or several hard disks Users have the option of placing the operating system onany available partition that does not currently contain an operating system

Many computer manufacturers create a special reserved partition (sometimes called an inal equipment manufacturer [OEM] partition) that contains a local recovery solution This

orig-is typically used for dorig-isaster recovery if the system becomes unbootable When you installWindows Vista, it might be important to the customer to retain the OEM partition so that he

or she can restore the computer back to the factory load if required To determine whereWindows Vista will be installed on the hard disk, review the advanced disk options duringsetup Because deleting or modifying partitions is usually a process that you cannot easilyundo, make sure you fully understand the customer’s usability and technical requirementsbefore advising him or her to make modifications

Practice: Evaluating Upgrade Options

In this practice exercise, you apply the information that you have learned to develop mendations for upgrade options

recom-
Practice: Analyzing Computers’ Upgrade Options

Assume that you would like to upgrade one or more available computers to Windows Vista.Using any available computers, determine the options that you might have for performing anupgrade Questions to ask include the following:

1 What is the primary purpose of the computer?

2 Is an in-place upgrade supported from this operating system?

3 Does the computer meet the system requirements for running Windows Vista?

4 How can you back up system settings and data files before performing a new upgrade?

5 What are the partitioning options for the new operating system?

6 Can you set up a multiboot configuration on this computer?

Based on these details, develop a recommendation for migrating the computer to WindowsVista

Lesson Review

You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 1,

“Preparing a System for Installation.” The questions are also available on the companion CD

if you prefer to review them in electronic form

NOTE Answers

Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book

1 Which of the following editions of Windows Vista support an in-place upgrade from

Windows XP Professional? (Choose all that apply.)

A Windows Vista Home Basic

B Windows Vista Home Premium

C Windows Vista Business

D Windows Vista Ultimate

2 Which of the following types of installations will result in a loss of operating system

set-tings and installed applications that are present in the current version of Windows?

A Clean installation

B In-place upgrade

C Multiboot installation

Lesson 2: Installing Windows Vista

In this lesson, you learn how to perform a Windows Vista installation, using the differentmethods covered in the previous lesson The setup process itself has been significantly simpli-fied from that of previous versions of Windows Most end users should be able to walkthrough the basic installation steps without much assistance However, as a Consumer Sup-port Technician, you need to understand completely the details of what is occurring duringthe Windows Vista setup process Specifically, in this lesson, you learn how to perform both

a clean installation and an in-place upgrade

Installing the base operating system is generally only the first step in getting the computer upand running based on users’ requirements An important second step involves ensuring thatadditional hardware is configured to work properly Generally, that means installing addi-tional device drivers on the computer In this lesson, you’ll learn how to install device driversthat are required by the computer hardware but that are not included with the Windows Vistaoperating system

After this lesson, you will be able to:

n Install Windows Vista on a computer with no operating system

n Replace a previous version of Windows, using a clean installation

n Upgrade a previous version of Windows, using an in-place upgrade

n Install device drivers that are not included with Windows Vista

Estimated lesson time: 120 minutes

Starting a Clean Installation

As discussed earlier in the chapter, there are several reasons to perform a clean installation ofWindows Vista The primary benefit of performing a clean installation is that it brings no addi-tional difficulties along with it Because the installation begins with a new default configura-tion for operating system settings, this approach can provide the best foundation forWindows, programs, and device drivers If a previous version of Windows exists, it is replaced,and all programs, documents, and settings are lost

NOTE Verifying upgrade edition requirements

You cannot install an upgrade copy of Windows Vista on a partition unless a copy of Windows

2000 or Windows XP is already installed on that partition As a Consumer Support Technician, you should advise your customers to verify the details and requirements of an edition of Windows Vista before they purchase it

asks you to press any key to boot from the media, you need to consult the computer turer’s documentation Generally, you should look for information about accessing a specialcomputer boot menu or information about accessing the computer’s BIOS settings to makeboot order preference changes

manufac-NOTE Troubleshooting CD/DVD boot issues

If the Install Windows page does not appear and you’re not asked to press a key to start from DVD

or CD, you might need to specify that the computer should use its DVD or CD drive as the startup device This means that you need to set the DVD or CD drive to the first startup device in the BIOS (Some computers might use the term CMOS Setup instead.) After you have selected the DVD or

CD drive as the startup device, restart the computer, and then start Windows from the installation DVD or CD as previously described

After you press a key when prompted to boot using the Windows Vista installation media, thecomputer automatically loads the Windows Vista installation screen During the installation

of Windows Vista, you are prompted for common information such as regional and networksettings You will learn about the specific steps later in this lesson When performing a cleaninstallation, you can select an existing disk partition onto which you want to install WindowsVista The setup process also provides the ability to create, delete, and format partitions beforethe installation of Windows Vista begins

Starting an In-Place Upgrade

When you perform an in-place upgrade to Windows Vista, the files, settings, and programs areretained from the currently installed version of Windows XP As with previous versions ofWindows, check the compatibility of the hardware prior to performing the upgrade Microsofthas provided a new automated tool called the Windows Upgrade Advisor that evaluates a sys-tem’s ability to run Windows Vista You can launch the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor fromthe Microsoft Web site or simply run it during the upgrade by clicking Check CompatibilityOnline in the Install Windows window For more information on using the Windows VistaUpgrade Advisor, see Chapter 1

NOTE Starting the upgrade installation process

If you have an upgrade copy of the 32-bit version of Windows Vista, you must start the Windows Vista installation while running the existing version of Windows

To start the in-place upgrade process, insert the Windows Vista installation media into thecomputer while your original operating system is running For example, if you plan to perform

an in-place upgrade from Windows XP Professional to Windows Vista Ultimate, first boot thecomputer into Windows XP When you insert the Windows Vista upgrade media, the Auto-Play settings should automatically load a menu that gives you the option to start the installa-tion process If it does not appear, you can run the Setup.exe program manually from the root

of the media

Quick Check

1 What type of installation retains the existing data and settings?

2 What installation type provides the best foundation for Windows Vista?

Quick Check Answers

1 An in-place upgrade retains existing data and settings.

2 A clean installation results in a default collection of operating system settings and

other details when installing Windows Vista

Performing a Windows Vista Installation

So far, you have learned how to start the process of installing Windows Vista In this section,you learn about the various steps that you can perform during the installation The generalsteps in the process are identical regardless of whether you’re performing an in-place upgrade

or a clean installation The primary difference is that, when you are performing an upgradeinstallation, disk partitioning options are not available

Overall, the process begins with collecting various pieces of information that are required todetermine how and where the operating system should be installed For the purpose of thissection, you learn about walking through a new installation of Windows Vista

in previous versions of Windows Gone are the intimidating text-based screens that usehighly technical language They’re replaced with a graphical environment that looksmuch more like the familiar Windows user interface Customers can use the mouse tomake their selections, and plain-language help is usually available.

When assisting customers in installing operating systems, one reassuring thought seems

to help significantly: with few exceptions, it’s unlikely that a user will make a “wrong”decision You can modify just about every setting and option available during the setupprocess after the installation completes Often, when customers know that they can’tcompletely ruin their computers, they’re more willing to guess on various settings, andthey’re less likely to give up on the installation process

Another very valuable piece of advice is to familiarize users with the types of informationthey’ll need to provide during installation For example, if you’re working in a retail envi-ronment, you might help customers decide certain settings before they start the installa-tion process With respect to Windows Vista, considerations include the following:

n The edition of Windows Vista that is to be installed

n The name of the computer

n The name of the primary user of the computer

n Network security requirements

Overall, through the use of reassurance and planning, you can make a potentially scaryprocess much easier for the customers you support

Starting the Installation Process

When you begin a clean installation by booting the computer, using the Windows Vista lation media, the first page you see is shown in Figure 2-1

instal-Figure 2-1 The initial Windows Vista installation page

The most common option is to begin the setup process by clicking Install Now Other optionsinclude the ability to click What To Know Before Installing Windows This command launches

a Help and Support window that provides information about the entire upgrade process.Users who are new to the operating system installation process might want to read throughthe details Another option is Repair Your Computer The troubleshooting and repair process

is covered in more detail in Lesson 3 of this chapter and in Chapters 12 and 13

One important note related to the Windows Vista installation process is that it uses a limitedoperating environment Because a full operating system is not yet available on the computer,you are limited in the types of operations you can perform For example, there is no way to runother programs, copy or paste text, or perform operations such as printing the help file.Although this does place some limitations on functionality, it also simplifies the informationcollection process Customers should be reassured that they can modify many different sys-tem settings after they complete the operating system installation

Choosing Language and Preference Settings

Microsoft designed Windows Vista to run on a broad range of hardware that is availablethroughout the world Because users might want to perform the installation by using differentsettings that are unique to their environment, the setup process initially prompts for thesedetails Figure 2-2 shows the available options They include the following:

Figure 2-2 Choosing Windows Vista setup language and preference settings

n Language To Install Some versions of Windows Vista enable you to change the languagethat is used during the setup process and for the installed operating system This feature

is usually available in countries in which multiple languages are commonly spoken

n Time And Currency Format Different regions of the world use different conventions fordisplaying time and currency This drop-down list enables you to select the most appro-priate option

n Keyboard Or Input Method Hardware that is produced to support different languagesmight include a variety of different keyboards or other input devices The user canchoose the type of device and its layout from this drop-down menu

After you have selected the appropriate options, click Next

Providing the Product Key

To protect against software piracy and to ensure that users install a legitimate copy of theiroperating systems, Windows Vista requires an activation process There are two main steps tothe activation process itself The first involves providing a product key Figure 2-3 shows theinstallation process step that requests this information

Figure 2-3 Providing product key information

Most commonly, users can find their product key sticker located in one of several places:

n In the Windows Vista product packaging For customers who have purchased a retailcopy of Windows Vista, the product key should be located inside the Windows Vistapackaging The page shows an example of what the sticker should look like

n In additional computer documentation If a computer shipped with Windows Vista installed, the manufacturer might have included the product key information on a cer-tificate or other document that shipped with the computer

pre-n On a sticker attached to the computer New computers that shipped with the WindowsVista operating system might include a sticker that includes the product key You canoften find the sticker on the bottom of the computer (in the case of a notebook com-puter), or affixed to the back of the computer

n In an electronic format Customers can purchase Windows Vista online In these tions, they might have received the necessary product key information from a Web site

situa-or in an e-mail message

The product key information is automatically validated against a mathematical algorithm Thisvalidation helps reduce the likelihood of entering an invalid product key It is important tonote, however, that just because a product key is accepted does not mean that the operatingsystem will be successfully activated Activation is performed after the operating system instal-lation is complete Users have different options for performing activation The most com-monly used method is to activate Windows Vista automatically over the Internet You can usethe check box on this page to select that option

Figure 2-4 Choosing an installation type when the product key is not provided

The Windows Vista installation media includes the ability to install a variety of different tions of the operating system Typically, the product key is used to determine which edition toinstall Users must manually specify the edition that they have purchased when they do notprovide a product key The specific list of options might vary based on the type of installationmedia that is used This is a very important option because you cannot easily modify it afteryou make a selection The warning messages state that, if an incorrect edition is selected, usersmight need to reinstall their entire operating system

edi-Accepting the License Terms

The next step of the installation process involves reviewing the software license terms for theselected edition of Windows Vista (see Figure 2-5)

Customers must accept the terms of the license agreement to continue with the setup process

If a customer does not want to agree to the terms, he or she should contact the product vendorfor options related to returning the software

Figure 2-5 Reviewing the Windows Vista license terms

Choosing an Installation Type

When performing a new installation of Windows Vista, users might have the option ofupgrading an existing installation of Windows Vista or performing a custom installation.Figure 2-6 shows the available options

Figure 2-6 Choosing an installation type

If you launch the setup process by using Windows Vista installation media, the only availableoption is to perform a custom (advanced) installation This is the same as performing a cleaninstallation If users would prefer to perform an in-place upgrade, they must reboot the computer

Figure 2-7 Choosing disk partition options

In addition to selecting the appropriate partition, users can also perform other helpful tasks.For example, they can create new partitions on the available hard disks They can also deleteexisting partitions, extend partitions (if free space is available), and format partitions Typi-cally, it is not necessary to format a partition manually because the installation process doesthis automatically

Another option that might be required on some computers is the Load Driver command Bydefault, the Windows Vista installation process provides support for the most common types

of storage controllers and devices Some computers might require users to provide customdrivers to access other types of storage When you click Load Driver, you are prompted either

to browse for or scan media on the computer (see Figure 2-8) Most commonly, you need toinsert a floppy disk or CD/DVD-ROM media to provide the necessary drivers Alternatively,the drivers might already be stored on another local hard disk partition that is accessible bybrowsing the computer

Figure 2-8 Providing a custom storage driver during the installation process

Monitoring Installation Progress

After you have selected the appropriate installation location, the Windows Vista setup processhas all of the information it needs to continue The next steps involve an automatic processthat generally does not require any user intervention Figure 2-9 shows the progress screen

Figure 2-9 Viewing the progress of a Windows Vista installation

The steps in this installation process include the following:

1 Copying Windows files

2 Expanding files

3 Installing features

Performing Postinstallation Configuration

After the installation process is complete, users can perform various setup and configurationtasks At this point, the base operating system has been installed This includes the process ofenumerating attached hardware devices and installing the appropriate drivers (if available) Inthis section, you’ll learn about the various required choices

Providing User Name Information

The first setup prompt asks the user to provide the name of a user account to create on thecomputer Although it is not required, the user can also provide a password to use when log-ging on to the computer with this user account Additionally, you can select a picture to helpusers (especially children) easily identify accounts on the logon screen Figure 2-10 shows theavailable options

Figure 2-10 Providing user name information during the setup process

Users can also create additional accounts after this portion of the setup process is complete

Configuring the Computer Name and Desktop Background

This step (shown in Figure 2-11) enables customers to provide a name for the local computerand choose a default desktop background You primarily use the computer name when work-ing with multiple computers in a network environment It is recommended that you choose aname that is descriptive of the purpose and function of the machine For more information onconfiguring the network name, see Chapter 9, “Configuring Windows Vista Networking.”

Figure 2-11 Configuring the computer name and choosing a desktop background

As with most of the setup options, the desktop background is a convenience-related feature Asyou’ll learn in Chapter 3, “Configuring and Customizing the Windows Vista Desktop,” youcan easily change the setting at any time

Configuring Windows Update Settings

An important aspect of keeping Windows Vista secure is downloading and installing newupdates on the computer Because this is an important consideration that should be config-ured during the setup process, users can select the initial settings for Windows Update (seeFigure 2-12) For most users, Use Recommended Settings is the best option Assuming that anInternet connection is available, this instructs the operating system to download and installavailable updates on the computer automatically For more information about configuringWindows Update settings, see Chapter 7, “Using Windows Security Center.”

Figure 2-12 Configuring Windows Update settings during the setup process

Reviewing Time and Date Settings

Although most computers are already configured with the correct date and time, customerswho have purchased new computers might need to change their time zone settings Figure2-13 shows the available options for setting the current date and time and for selecting theappropriate time zone

Figure 2-13 Selecting date, time, and time zone settings during setup

For time zones that include automatic seasonal adjustments (such as Daylight Savings Time inthe United States), there is an option for the adjustments to be made automatically

Selecting the Computer’s Location

Security is an important part of installing and configuring Windows Vista From the momentyou install the operating system, numerous network-related configuration recommendationsare based on the current location of the computer Figure 2-14 shows the following availableoptions:

n Home This option is most relevant to computers that are running in a private location

It enables the computer to be discovered by other computers on the network andenables sharing-related features

n Work The effective settings here are similar to those defined for the Home setting It isassumed that work environments are relatively secure and that only authorized comput-ers are allowed on the network

n Public Location From a security standpoint, public locations such as restaurants,hotels, and airports enable a wide variety of computers to connect to an installation ofWindows Vista When the Public Location option is selected, the computer is config-ured so that it is not easily discoverable by other users on the network

Figure 2-14 Specifying computer location information

For more information about configuring network location details, see Chapter 9

Completing the Configuration Process

After users have finished the postinstallation configuration process, they’ll see a simple ThankYou screen, as shown in Figure 2-15 After clicking Start, users are able to begin working withWindows Vista

Figure 2-15 Completing the postinstallation configuration process

Figure 2-16 shows the default Windows Vista desktop for a clean installation of the product

At this point, customers typically click the Start menu to access configuration options andother settings on their computers

Figure 2-16 The initial Windows Vista desktop

Installing Device Drivers

The Windows Vista installation disc includes most of the device drivers required for the mosttypical hardware platforms Over time, however, there will be a need to add support for newercomputers and peripherals Fortunately, there’s Windows Update When you install WindowsVista and determine that an additional or updated driver is required to support the hardwarefully, it might be available through Windows Update When you check Windows Update, clickView Available Updates to determine whether a driver is available for the device For more

information, see Chapter 11, “Managing and Troubleshooting Devices.”

Practice: Installing Windows Vista

In these practice exercises, you walk through the process of installing Windows Vista Thesteps include performing an in-place upgrade and performing a clean installation

Practice 1: Performing an In-Place Upgrade

To complete the steps in this exercise, you need a Windows Vista–capable computer runningWindows XP and an edition of Windows Vista that supports an in-place upgrade from yourcurrent version of Windows XP

1 Insert the Windows installation disc into the computer’s CD/DVD drive

2 On the Install Windows page, click Install now.

3 On the Get Important Updates For Installation page, use the default selection and click

Next This option enables Windows Vista Setup to retrieve any critical updates duringinstallation rather than as a postinstallation task

4 On the Type Your Product Key For Activation page, type the 25-character product key.

Click Next

5 On the Please Read The License Terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I

Accept The License Terms

6 On the Installation Type page, click Upgrade to begin the upgrade You might see a

com-patibility report This report contains useful troubleshooting information in the eventyou run into issues during or after the setup of Windows Vista

1 Turn on the computer and insert the Windows Vista installation media If necessary,

choose the Boot The Computer From This Device And Media option

2 On the initial setup screen, click Install Now to begin the setup process.

3 Select the appropriate options for your language, time and currency format, and

key-board or input method For most installations, the default options should be correct

4 On the Product Key For Activation screen, enter the product key if you have one

avail-able If you do not plan to activate this copy of Windows Vista, you can click Next andthen select the edition you want to install If you are performing this installation for test-ing and practice purposes only, it is recommended that you not provide a product key.Note, however, that you need to provide activation information to continue to use theoperating system after 30 days

5 Choose to accept the license terms to continue the installation process.

6 Select the Custom (Advanced) installation option.

7 Select the partition to which you want to install Windows Vista If necessary, you can

choose to create, delete, or extend partitions Note that some of these operations couldresult in permanent data loss on the computer

8 Click Next to begin the installation process Note the steps that are being performed and

that the computer will likely be rebooted several times

9 When finished, complete the configuration process, as described in the text.

Lesson Summary

n You can perform a clean installation on a computer with no operating system installed

as well as on a computer with Windows XP

n To perform an in-place upgrade, you must start the Windows installation from withinthe existing version of Windows

n If you purchase an upgrade version of Windows Vista, you must start the installationfrom within the existing version of Windows

n To boot the computer to the Windows installation disc, you might need to configure thedevice boot order within the BIOS

Lesson Review

You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 2,

“Installing Windows Vista.” The questions are also available on the companion CD if you fer to review them in electronic form

pre-NOTE Answers

Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book

1 If a customer is unable to locate the installation source for some of his or her existing

software programs and he or she wants to install Windows Vista, what type of tion should you perform?

installa-A Clean installation

B In-place upgrade

C Multiboot installation

ating system compatibility.

As a Consumer Support Technician, you need to support users who experience issues afterinstalling Windows Vista In this lesson, you’ll learn about ways in which you can trouble-shoot potential problems

After this lesson, you will be able to:

n Troubleshoot hardware issues that might occur after installing Windows Vista

n Resolve program compatibility issues

n Configure device drivers

Estimated lesson time: 20 minutes

Troubleshooting Hardware Compatibility Issues

Diagnosing hardware compatibility issues related to installing Windows Vista can be done insteps A good first step is to verify whether a particular hardware device is supported You can

do this by using the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, as described in Chapter 1 This programcontains the information that was previously published as the Windows Hardware Compati-bility List (HCL) The information you find can generally tell you whether a particular device

is supported in Windows Vista In some cases, you will need to download and install updateddrivers manually after you install Windows Vista In this section, you’ll learn how to trouble-shoot hardware compatibility issues For more information about working with device drivers,see Chapter 11

Updating Device Drivers

One of the most common troubleshooting steps for Windows Vista installation issues isupdating or replacing drivers This is often necessary to address hardware that might havestopped working after the installation of the operating system For example, you might be sup-porting a customer who has a universal serial bus (USB) scanner that is no longer accessibleafter upgrading to Windows Vista

MORE INFO Practice tests

One of the benefits of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows Vista is that many existing device drivers can be used automatically Potential conflicts or issues are highlighted in the Win-dows Vista Upgrade Advisor, as described in Chapter 1 More information about performing an in-place upgrade is presented in Lesson 1, “Preparing a System for Installation,” and Lesson 2 of this chapter

In the past, finding the correct device drivers for a particular hardware component could be along and frustrating process Customers often needed to visit their computer manufacturer’sWeb site, the hardware vendor’s Web site, or the Microsoft Web site Windows Vista includesseveral features designed to simplify the process of locating, downloading, and installingdevice drivers

After installing Windows Vista, users should access the Windows Update feature Althoughmost users might think of Windows Update as a feature for downloading and installing secu-rity updates, it is also able to find relevant device drivers automatically that might have updates

by scanning the system for attached hardware devices (whether they are functioning properly

or not), and looking for newer versions of the required software and driver components.When hardware-related updates are found, they can either be downloaded directly (like othertypes of updates), or a link is provided to obtain more information

Obtaining Device Drivers

When you are supporting customers who are experiencing hardware-related issues, using theInternet is one of the most efficient methods of supplying device drivers What should you do,however, if the customer does not have Internet access (or if the problem is with a networkadapter or modem)? One option is to use any manufacturer-supplied installation media (such

as a CD-ROM that contains drivers) Computer manufacturers and third-party vendors ally include this media with new hardware It is important to note, however, that the driversfound on this media are often not the latest available versions Still, they might allow a device

gener-to work well enough gener-to allow for downloading updates

Another method of obtaining necessary drivers is using another computer that is able toaccess the Internet The general process is to download (but not install) device drivers frommanufacturers’ Web sites You can then place them on removable media such as a USB mem-ory device or a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM You can then copy the files to the computer that isexperiencing the problem

After you have obtained the necessary device drivers, you can install them by using DeviceManager To open Device Manager, click Start, choose Control Panel, click System And Main-tenance, and then select Device Manager Figure 2-17 shows the default view, which displays

a list of hardware devices organized by device type

Figure 2-17 Using the Windows Vista Device Manager

For more information about installing and managing drivers, see Chapter 11

Quick Check

1 How can you determine whether a particular hardware device is compatible with

Windows Vista?

2 What is a potential drawback of using device drivers that were included with a

hardware product versus downloading device driver files using the Internet?

Quick Check Answers

1 You can get up-to-date hardware compatibility information for Windows Vista by

running the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor application on a potential upgradecandidate computer For more information, see the Windows Vista Upgrade Advi-

sor Web site at

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyor-upgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx.

2 It is always best practice to check Windows Update first, then the manufacturer’s

Web site, and then, as a last resort, to locate the original installation media and seewhether the driver works

Troubleshooting Application Compatibility Issues

Perhaps the most common problem after upgrading to a new operating system is that a ously installed program no longer works, or it behaves differently To resolve this issue, a com-mon troubleshooting approach is to verify compatibility with Windows Vista by visiting the

previ-software manufacturer’s Web site In some cases, known workarounds might be listed, or ware-based updates might be required to run under the new operating system.

soft-Whenever possible, advise customers to select software that is designed to work with WindowsVista Most programs written for Windows XP also work in Windows Vista, but some olderprograms might run poorly or not at all Potential reasons for incompatibilities include theenhanced visual interface in Windows Vista

Using the Program Compatibility Wizard

The Program Compatibility Wizard enables you to run older programs in an environment thatsimulates earlier versions of Windows To start the Program Compatibility Wizard, in ControlPanel, click Programs Click Use An Older Program With This Version Of Windows to start thewizard Figure 2-18 shows the first step

Figure 2-18 Using the Windows Vista Program Compatibility Wizard

NOTE Troubleshooting driver issues

Hardware device drivers might cause some program compatibility problems If an older driver is causing problems, you’ll need to update it, using the steps outlined in the beginning of this lesson

The wizard walks you through several steps, including the following:

n Locating or selecting the program The program itself will most likely be located withinthe Program Files folder on the System drive In some cases, however, it might be located

on removable media (such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM) or on a USB memory device If

q Microsoft Windows 95

q Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5)

q Microsoft Windows 98/Windows Me

q Microsoft Windows 2000

q Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2)

n Selecting display settings This step enables you to disable or modify the standard top elements of Windows Vista For more information about the Windows Aero userinterface, see Chapter 3 The specific options include the following:

desk-q 256 Colors

q 640 x 480 Screen Resolution

q Disable Visual Themes

q Disable Desktop Composition

q Disable Display Scaling On High DPI Settings

n Security settings To provide increased security, Windows Vista includes numerous tures that are designed to make programs run with a limited set of permissions In somecases, these issues might prevent a program from running properly In this step, you canchoose to run a program always using Administrator credentials For more informationabout configuring security in Windows Vista, see Chapter 6, “Configuring WindowsVista Security.”

fea-After you have selected the relevant options, the Program Compatibility Wizard gives you theoption of testing the settings by running the program If the settings do not resolve the prob-lem, customers should contact their software vendors for more details

Using Software Compatibility Modes

The Program Compatibility Wizard provides users with a guided method of locating grams and providing appropriate compatibility settings This is a good method for userswho are new to Windows Vista, but it can take several minutes to walk through the steps.Fortunately, there’s a quicker alternative to accessing the same settings that are availablethrough the wizard

pro-You can view and modify compatibility settings for a program manually by accessing the patibility tab of a program’s Properties dialog box Figure 2-19 shows the options that are avail-able Table 2-2 provides additional details related to the settings and their purpose

Com-Figure 2-19 Viewing settings on an application’s Compatibility tab

Table 2-2 Description of the Compatibility Tab Settings

Setting Description

Compatibility Mode Runs the program using settings from a previous version of Windows

Try this setting if you know the program is designed for (or worked in) a specific previous version of Windows

Run In 256 colors Uses a limited set of colors in the program Some older programs are

designed to use fewer colors

Run In 640 × 480 Screen

Resolution

Runs the program in a smaller window Try this setting if the cal user interface appears jagged or is rendered improperly

graphi-Disable Visual Themes Disables themes on the program Try this setting if you notice

prob-lems with the menus or buttons on the title bar of the program.Disable Desktop Compo-

sition

Turns off transparency and other advanced display features Choose this setting if window movement appears erratic or you notice other display problems

Disable Display Scaling

On High DPI Settings

Turns off automatic resizing of programs if large-scale font size is in use Try this setting if large-scale fonts are interfering with the appear-ance of the program

Privilege Level Runs the program as Administrator Some programs require

Adminis-trator privileges to run properly If you are not currently logged on as

an Administrator, this option is not available

potential installation issues In some cases, however, customers might choose to reinstall theoperating system This should generally be considered a last resort because it can result in theloss of all operating systems and installed applications For more information about trouble-shooting Windows Vista (including boot-related problems), see Chapter 12.

Before starting the reinstallation process, it is very important to create a backup of importantdata files Tools such as the Backup and Restore Center (covered in Chapter 13) and WindowsEasy Transfer can help make the process easier To reinstall Windows Vista, start by bootingthe computer from the installation media Several different repair-related operations are alsoavailable for managing the most common issues

Getting Additional Troubleshooting Assistance

So far, you have learned about several different ways to obtain updated information abouthardware and software compatibility for a device or program Over time, and as new productsare created and updated, details related to compatibility issues might change Additionally, youmight encounter various error messages or other issues that can prevent the system fromworking optimally

Microsoft has provided a central starting point that can assist customers and Consumer port Technicians with resolving the most common types of issues they are likely to encounter

Sup-You can find the Windows Vista Solution Center at http://support.microsoft.com/windowsvista.

The site includes groups for various types of issues, such as these:

n Installing and upgrading

n Hardware

n Configuring and maintaining

n Networking

n Security and privacy

Each section includes steps that can help resolve the problem or that can provide more detailsabout the issue

Practice: Troubleshooting Installation Problems

In these practice exercises, you walk through some ways in which you can troubleshoot mon Windows Vista installation problems Although true troubleshooting requires an actualproblem, you can simulate several ways to resolve issues by using these steps

com-Practice 1: Configuring Application Compatibility Settings

In this practice exercise, you use the Program Compatibility Wizard to configure an tion to run with application compatibility settings Before you begin, choose a particular pro-gram that you want to test in this way The steps in this exercise assume that you are using aprogram that has already been installed on the computer If you prefer, you can use an execut-able file from another program instead

applica-1 To start the Program Compatibility Wizard, open Control Panel and click Programs In

the Programs And Features section, click Use An Older Program With This Version OfWindows

2 Click Next to start the process of configuring application compatibility.

3 From the list of options, select I Want To Choose From A List Of Programs, and then

click Next (If you’d prefer to use a specific executable file, you can choose I Want ToLocate The Program Manually and then skip to step 5 of this practice exercise.) If youcannot find an appropriate program in the list, you can browse to the WordPad applica-tion by using the \Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories path on the system volume

4 In the list of programs, select the one for which you want to assign compatibility settings.

Click Next to continue

5 In the compatibility mode step, choose to emulate Microsoft Windows XP (Service

Pack 2) Click Next

6 Under Select Display Settings For The Program, select the Disable Visual Themes and

Disable Desktop Composition check boxes Click Next to continue

7 Under Does The Program Require Administrative Privileges, select the Run This

Pro-gram As An Administrator check box Although this might not be required for the gram you selected, enable the option for the purposes of this practice exercise ClickNext to continue

pro-8 Verify the compatibility settings that you have chosen, and then click Next to continue.

9 The Program Compatibility Wizard automatically launches the program, using the

set-tings you have specified Assuming that the program runs correctly, close it to continue

10 To keep the original settings for the application, select the No, I Am Finished Trying

Compatibility Settings option If the compatibility settings did work properly (and wererequired), you would usually choose the Yes, Set This Program To Always Use TheseCompatibility Settings option Click Next

a particular device The steps use the display adapter driver as an example, but other types ofhardware can be substituted if necessary.

1 Open Device Manager by opening Control Panel and clicking Hardware And Sound In

the Device Manager section, click View Hardware And Devices Note that all of thehardware attached to the computer is displayed here A yellow exclamation mark indi-cates that the device is not functioning properly, and a red X indicates that the hard-ware is disabled

2 Expand the Display Adapters section Right-click the name of the display adapter and

select Update Driver Software (If you have multiple display adapters in the computer,select one of them for this exercise.)

3 On the How Do You Want To Search For Driver Software page, choose the Search

Auto-matically For Updated Driver Software option The program attempts to connect to theInternet and search local driver databases

4 Assuming that an appropriate display adapter driver is already installed, you are shown

a recommendation to keep the driver Click Close to keep the existing driver If anupdated driver is available, you are prompted to install it for the device

5 When finished, close Device Manager.

Lesson Summary

n A common approach can be used to troubleshoot hardware devices whether they’reinstalled before or after Windows Vista

n Windows Vista provides several ways to resolve program compatibility issues, including

a wizard and the ability to adjust compatibility settings manually

n You can reinstall Windows Vista, using the clean installation method

Lesson Review

You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 3.The questions are also available on the companion CD if you prefer to review them in elec-tronic form

NOTE Answers

Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book

1 Which compatibility option should you enable if the user interface of an individual

application is no longer rendered properly after installing Windows Vista?

A Disable Visual Themes

B Run Program In 640x480 Screen Resolution

C Disable Desktop Composition

D Privilege Level

n Complete the suggested practices.

n Take a practice test