Microsoft Vista® Tips & Tricks Onsite

Introduction to Microsoft Windows Vista
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Hello and thank you for joining me for this presentation of Tips and Tricks for Windows Vista. My name is <> and I will be your host for the next 60 minutes or so. Windows Vista is the latest Operating System for your client PC. In today’s session you will see how Windows Vista helps you be more effective in your work by allowing you to access your information easily, no matter where it is. Windows Vista accomplishes this through advanced integration across technologies, networks, and systems, as well as providing access to better organized information.
Ok, let’s take a look a Windows Vista and how to save time and accomplish important tasks more efficiently.
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The Windows Vista Start Button
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Microsoft Vista replaces the word Start on the button with the Windows logo, a simple change but common sense.
My Documents has also been replaced with the user’s name, making it less ambiguous, in addition associated user files are in sub-folders.
These windows, which we will refer to as explorers are consistent throughout the Windows Vista environment. You will see this as we continue the demonstration.
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Click Start button.
Notice the associated sub-folders for Documents, Pictures and Music
Click the Terry Adams.
Point to the Explorer elements, the 3-d look, and the displayed folders
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Personalizing Windows Vista
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Once you start using Windows Vista, you will recognize familiar elements such as the Start menu, which is now faster, more streamlined, and more helpful than in previous versions of Windows.
It is now easier to begin personalizing your PC to your own identity. Navigation is also more consistent, like back buttons.
Visually you will notice the desktop looks different with the addition of 3-D effects. The 3-D effects clearly represent the document, file or whatever you are examining. Plus, you will find a number of intuitive options to personalize your desktop and your Windows Vista environment.
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Right-click on the desktop > Personalize
Click Desktop Background
Click Back button
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3-D Look & Feel
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Notice the lighting effects on the window controls. Each button glows diffusely as I mouse over, so you can visually distinguish items. It’s a very natural-looking effect that extends past the borders of the buttons. Microsoft put a lot of effort into even minor details to make the users experience more clear and confident
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Mouse over the Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons of the open window Click X to close
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File Management
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Windows Vista also simplifies your life by helping you find and manage all the information that resides on your PC.
Your current Windows knowledge will directly transfer over to Windows Vista to ensure that you hit the ground running. For Example, we can easily open folders on the desktop.
In addition, we can modify our views, Windows Vista will provide a “reading view” for documents, giving you a quick glimpse of the document before you open it. This will increase your efficiency. No longer will you need to open the application to view the contents.
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Click Start button Terry Adams Folder
Maximize Terry Adams Folder
Double-click Documents Folder
Double-click First Look Folder
Click Organize > Layout > Preview Pane
Click “Market Analysis”
Point to preview and adjust width if necessary
Click Organize> Lyaout > Click Preview Pane (off)
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Navigation
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New desktop search and organization features allow you work with your files and email more efficiently.
Navigation of your folders and files is easy. Folders are easily opened; the folder, as you can see, includes files located on the PC that belong to . You may also notice the sub-folders designate content.
This line is the Address bar, a simple click allows us to navigate to the top level folders on this PC. When I click this arrow, all the sub-folders for , are displayed, notice how they have been streamlined.
For example you see “Music”, rather than “My Music”, “Pictures” rather than “My Pictures”, and “Documents” rather than “My Documents.” The locations of files are represented more easily in this hierarchical structure.
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Click Fly-away arrow on Address bar next to the right of the folder icon
Click Fly-away arrow on Address bar to the right of Terry Adams
Move mouse away Terry Adams folder dropdown
Press Alt key
Press Alt key again to hide Classic Menus
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Address Bar
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Windows Vista has the flexibility to navigate in whichever way you are most comfortable. We have the choice of navigating the traditional method, by Double-Clicking the folder in the folder view or using the Address bar. For example, to go to Documents, we click the arrow and choose Documents using the address bar arrows or “fly away’s”. Similarly using the address bar we can visit the Finance Folder.
The Address bar now displays our hierarchical location. Root or desktop folder, to folder, to the Documents folder to the Finance. < |
Click Back arrow
Click Fly-away arrow on Address bar to the right of top-level folder, Select Computer.
Click Back arrow
Click Views > Fly-away arrow
Move scroll bar up and down slowly to preview files (start and return to Details)
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Windows Vista provides more functionality in less space than Windows XP. Common tasks and folder navigation are now available in the same view. The Address bar and Search functions take less space, leaving more room for you to work with your files.
Notice, to again streamline your actions, the Menu Bar is context-sensitive, and provides tasks appropriate for the current selection. Different tasks appear for folders, documents, and media files.
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Indicate the location of the Address Bar, the Search box and Properties Pane
Click Address Bar drop down arrow
(show the DOS-like path is available Click X to Close Window
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Dynamic Menus
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Windows Vista makes it easy to find and launch an application using integrated search.
As I type an application’s name in the Search box, the Start Menu zeroes in on a match. The Start Menu will filter down until only “Calculator” is showing.
You might be concerned the RUN command has disappeared. However, the Search box is multifunctional. It will now act as the RUN command line as well.
The traditional use of “All Programs” to access applications installed on the PC is available as well. Notice that you can also toggle or switch back to the initial start application list, by clicking the Back arrow.
It is still just as easy to open Microsoft Excel from the menus, but instead of the flyaway menus which could get away from you, there is now an expanding list.
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Click Start Button > Type “calc“in the Start Search box.
Press ENTER to launch Calculator.
Click Start Button > Type “command” press Enter
Move Windows to expose
Click Start Button > Click All Programs
Click Back
Click All Programs
Click Microsoft Office > Click Microsoft Excel
Click Restore Down button
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File Search
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The Start Menu can now help you find more than just applications. You can now find documents, email, contacts, appointments and even Internet favorites. The Start Menu searches across your entire PC. It’s great for when you know exactly what you want, maybe just not where.
The Search folder replaces the Search wizard in Windows XP – you’ll never have to see that again!
The Document folder Search box filters the folders and documents currently in view. Navigating among the folders found there enables you to better target your search.
Notice a quick search of documents will yield the results for that folder and a quick search of Administrative Folder yield the contents for the search of files within that folder. But this search does drill down into sub-folders.
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Click Start Button > Slowly Type “Terry” in the Start Search box.
Use <BACKSPACE> to clear the Search box
Slowly Type “Excel” in the Search box
Click Start Button >
Slowly Type “Terry” in the Start Search box.
Use <BACKSPACE> to clear the Search box
Slowly Type “Excel” in the Search box
Click Start Button > Search
Type “Excel” in the Search box.
Double-click Documents Folder
Type “Terry” in the Search box.
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Advanced File Search
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Differing from the Start Menu’s Search, the Search folder enables you to fine tune searches. By using the Advanced Filter Pane and the “add a filter” control, you can design a search that meets specific needs.
We already searched for the keyword Jenn, now we are narrowing that search to only documents that also have the keyword marketing
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Navigate to through Documents folder Demo Files.
Select the fly-out arrow by the green “plus” sign and choose add filter.
Click the fly-out next to “Title” and select keywords
Type “marketing” where it says “add a keyword”.
Press to update the results
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Saving Searches
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Once you build a useful search, you can save it for later use as a saved search. A saved search is a new feature in Windows Vista that enables you to take any search that you’ve run and save it for later usage. This prevents you from having to design the same search over and over again.
Why would you save a search? There are many reasons, for example, you save your files chronologically in folders by month, and then you wish to find all files related to a particular subject, a saved search would make these files available, just like a folder, whenever you need them
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Press the ALT key to expose the traditional Explorer
Click File > Save Search
Type Marketing docs and Click Save
Close all windows
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One benefit of a saved search is that it doesn’t matter where files reside on your PC; the Search Folders feature finds your content for you. As more “Jenn / marketing” documents are saved to my PC, they automatically appear in my custom Search Folder.
Your Search Folders are easily accessed from the Document folder’s navigation pane, and are also located in a folder in your user’s profile.
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Click Start > Documents
Maximize Folder
Click Searches in the left pane
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Navigation
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The Navigation Pane provides easy links to your Documents, personal folders. In addition each special folder features content specific Search Folders. For example, the Document folder features “Last 30 Days Documents” and “Attachments”, while the Photos folder features Search Folders like “Last 30 Days Pictures and Videos”.
It is IMPORTANT to point out that at the bottom of the Navigation Pane is an expandable Folders control. This makes it easy to toggle between your current location and another folder location you might want to search. You will find this Folders option useful if you typically use the folder hierarchy tree in previous versions of windows
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Press the folders arrow, found in the lower-left corner of the Navigation Pane.
Switch to the Document folder by selecting it in the Navigation Pane.
Maximize the Explorer Windows
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Windows Vista goes beyond search, using metadata or “document properties” to help you see your files in flexible ways. Metadata-based views are especially helpful when viewing large amounts of data.
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Right-Click empty column area and select Authors
Click the Authors fly-out control > Check the box next to Terry.
Select the Group option.
Select the Sort option to return to previous view
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Layout and File Properties
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This system utilizes the file properties; you may hear this referred to as Metadata. Microsoft Office applications automatically write properties like author and date written.
Perhaps the most meaningful properties for your documents are custom properties you put on them using keywords. If I add the keyword “finance” to a document, it adds new meaning to the file and allows me to reference the file in new ways.
The same document will now show up under both the Administration and Finance Groups.
You can use keywords and properties in the Search box, too.
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Click the fly-out on the “tags” column header, and choose the “group” option. (You may need to scroll right)
Select the Business Plan – Draft slide deck.
Note the document’s properties in the preview pane. (Bottom of open Folder explorer)
Resize the Properties Pane
Select the Tag text box and type “For Review”
Click the fly-out on the Views button, and drag the slider to resize the icons
Leave the slider at Details
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Control Panel
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We have seen of the ways in which you can navigate and view files with Windows Vista. Let’s now examine the ways for managing the system itself.
The control panel is still where you modify and configure your applications and your computer. However, finding specific utilities within the control panel is easier since more items are logically grouped together.
As you can see, similarly grouped control panel functions are displayed on the first page. To ease the transition you can easily switch to the Classic View for control panel.
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Click Start and select Control Panel.
Type the term “power” in the Quick Search box, and Power Options should appear
Click Classic View on left navigation pane
Click Back arrow to return to Control panel view
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Sometimes you will want to see the basic systems information of your PC, which even includes a “Rating” for the system performance. Also, you may want more detailed information on the performance of the system, and that is just one click away.
Here we can see how Windows Vista views the relative performance of this particular PC, which might give us ideas on where to upgrade.
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Click System and Maintenance
Click View amount of RAM and processor speed (under System)
Click Performance on Left Navigation pane (lower left)
Click << next to Performance Rating and Tools and select Control Panel
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Networking
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Networking continues to be a priority for Windows Vista, as more and more information is shared and accessed via the Internet and through an organizations network. The control panel offers options for wireless networking configuration, a map of the network, configuration of the Internet Options, and a number of network related properties.
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Click Network and Internet
Show the Network Center map and that it is also available from an icon in the system tray
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Sync Center
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Offline files, is a straight forward means of configuring access to files that you might need to access when the PC is not connected to a network.
The new Windows Vista Sync Center gives you one place where you can manage data synchronization in several scenarios: between multiple PCs, between network servers and PCs, and with the devices you connect to your PC
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Click Offline Files
Click Open Sync Center
Right-click Offline Files Folder > Click Explore
Point to Sync toolbar at top
Close Sync Center Windows
Close Control Panel
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Windows Mobility
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Some control panel configurations are accessible on the system tray. For example, Mobility Center brings many settings and controls into one easy-to-access location. Now it’s easier than ever to control and configure your wireless network, screen brightness or external monitor; attributes typically associated with mobile computing.
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Right-click the Power Options icon in the system tray, and select Mobility Center
Describe the settings and controls available
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Proejction
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If you give presentations using a laptop or Tablet PC, you’ve probably had situations where you’ve received an email or messenger notification right in the middle of a meeting. Maybe you’ve wrapped up a presentation and closed PowerPoint only to realize you’ve left a personal photo as your desktop background. If you can relate, then you’ll appreciate Windows Vista’s new Presentation Settings control
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Click the Projector Icon in the middle of the Presentation Settings tile
Click Cancel
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Presentation Settings lets you define a number of settings that you’d like to use during a presentation. You can define a volume level, disable the screen saver, and even choose a business appropriate desktop such as a solid color or corporate logo.
Presentation Settings also disables hibernation and standby, and suppresses notifications from email programs, instant messengers and system alerts.
When you’re ready to present, click Turn On Settings and feel confident that your PC won’t disrupt your meeting. And when the meeting is over, Turn Off Settings will restore all your normal preferences.
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CAUTION: Do NOT configure or enable presentation settings – it does not work properly and may cause problems with your desktop or power settings
Close Mobility Center
Close Power Options
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Application Independent XPS
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You have witnessed a number of ways in which Microsoft Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 combine to offer a very complementary environment. Let us examine some ways we can benefit with in a collaborative environment.
One example is document sharing.
XPS Documents are a new archiving format perfect for preserving content and for securely sharing information in an application independent way.
To create an XPS Document, open any document in virtually any application, and select the print option. In the printer selection menu, choose “Microsoft XPS Document Writer”, and save the file.
Double click on the file, which should open it in the XPS Viewer, which is hosted by Internet Explorer 7. The XPS Document is a pixel perfect rendition of the original
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In PowerPoint, click the Office Button, Select Print and from the sub menu Print
Click the drop down next to name and select Microsoft XPS Document Writer.
Click OK
Type “BizPlan” in the name field, Click Save
Save and close PowerPoint.
Click Start >Documents.
Double-click the XPS document bizplan.
Scroll thru the document
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IE Appearance
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Windows Vista enhances the Internet Explorer experience. The upcoming release of Internet Explorer 7 not only adds important new security and privacy features, but makes everyday tasks easier through features such as tabbed browsing, inline search, and shrink-to-fit printing.
So, depending on the page you are viewing and the resolution of your monitor you can adjust the text to fit the situation. This can make some web pages easier to read.
Anytime you need them, you also have access to the familiar menus of previous versions of IE and this is just if you want the menus ON all the time. Most common functions are easily available from the menu bar buttons without the classic menus. Thus the menus may become obsolete for you as you familiarize yourself with the aspects of IE7.
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Ensure you’re logged in as Terry Adams and you have enabled the Internet (and it is available) Launch Internet Explorer
Click Page menu > Text Size > Select smallest
Click Page menu > Zoom > 400%
Click Page menu > Text Size > Largest
Scroll around to show text and images
Click Page menu > Zoom > 100%
Click Tools menu > Full Screen
Press F11 to return
Show ALT, then Click Tools > Toolbars > Classic menu
Click Page menu > Text Size > Select smaller
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Search
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Searching has become an integrated part of finding information on the web and now with the integrated Toolbar Search Box you can access a variety of popular search engines with the click of a button.
We have our IE search configured for MSN Search, however, you are able to easily add more search engines, such as AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, and Yahoo! Search engines.
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Click the fly-out on the Search bar to show available providers
Search on a topic of interest to you (example: “bigfoot”)
Press
Click Quick Search dropdown arrow> Get Search Providers…
Select Google
Click Back button
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Tabbed Browsing
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Sometimes when you are surfing the Internet doing research you will need to open a number of web pages looking for the best content.
IE7 features tabbed browsing. Opening new tabs is as easy as holding the control key and clicking links, or by clicking with the mouse wheel. This makes it easier to manage IE windows and a variety of web page information when working with groups of pages from different sites.
You can also use the “new tab” tab to open a new tabbed window, and then type the URL
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Control-click several links in the search results.
Click the new tab button and type a URL
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Quick Tabs
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IE7 includes some great features to help you get the most from tabbed browsing.
Quick Tabs displays snapshots of all of your open tabs. You can quickly visualize and select the tab you want, and also close or refresh tabs.
I am sure many of you can envision many uses in you routines for the tabs and associated groupings. The next step is to re-use or revisit these groups and pages when needed.
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Click the Quick Tabs button, just left of the left-most tab (four squares)
Right-click one of the tabs and describe the available options. Choose Refresh
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Favorites
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Using the Favorites Center, You can create Tab Groups by placing your favorites in subfolders. Clicking the arrow to the right of the folder opens each link in a new tab.
You can even set a Tab Group as your home page, so all your favorite pages open every time you start IE7.
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Click the Favorites Center, the star icon on the toolbar.
Click Add Tab Group to Favorites …
Type Demo Tab Group
Right-click a tab and select Close Other Tabs.
Click Home icon on top navigation
Click the Favorites Center, the star icon on the toolbar.
Click the blue arrow to the right of your link folder (it appears when you mouse over the folder)
Click Quick Tabs button
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NOTE: PRINT PREVIEW WILL NOT CHANGE FROM “FIT TO PAGE”
If you’ve ever had problems getting a web page to print, you’ll be glad to know that IE7 offers great results when printing web pages. IE shrinks web pages to fit on paper correctly, so you get the result you want with less waste.
You can save even more paper by turning off headers and footers.
Finally, if you just want to print a selection of a web page, simply highlight it before printing.
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Click on a tab you’d like to use to demo
Print Preview. Text-heavy pages work best.
Note: If the page preview does not render quickly, change the scale from “shrink to fit” to some other value.
Click the fly-out next to the Print Icon button, and choose Print Preview.
Change the print size from shrink to fit to 90% to show how web pages usually won’t fit on a page nicely
Click the turn off headers and footers button
Click Page View Fly-out and select 2 Page View
Close print preview
Highlight some text on the page, and Click print preview again
Close Print Preview
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Collaboration with Windows Vista
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Let us examine some ways we can benefit with in a collaborative environment.
One example is document sharing.
XPS Documents are a new archiving format perfect for preserving content and for securely sharing information in an application independent way.
To create an XPS Document, open any document in virtually any application, and select the print option. In the printer selection menu, choose “Microsoft XPS Document Writer”, and save the file.
Double click on the file, which should open it in the XPS Viewer, which is hosted by Internet Explorer 7. The XPS Document is a pixel perfect rendition of the original
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Open Microsoft Word
Office Button - > Open and select a Word Document
Click the drop down next to name and select Microsoft XPS Document Writer.
Click OK
Type BizPlan in the name field, Click Save
Double-click the XPS document bizplan.
Scroll thru the document
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Windows Meeting Space
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In Windows Vista, sharing information between users is finally made easier. Windows Vista helps you to more easily share files, folders, and computers on the same network the way that you want.
Windows Meeting Space is a new experience in Windows Vista that enables you to start an impromptu collaboration session with other Windows Vista users.
In this scenario Chris Hill has already established a Windows Meeting Space Session and we joined with the password Chris gave to us.
Chris can share his desktop or an application with us; in this case we see a handout for us.
We can even share an application with Chris, complex or simple like calculator
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Click Start -> Windows Meeting Space
Click the Meeting with Chris Hill and Type the password “12345678”
Double-click on the handout by Christ Hill, click OK
Close Notepad
Click Share a program or your desktop
Click Ok
Click Calculator
Click Share
Click Stop Sharing
Close Windows Meeting Space
Click No to save handout
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Window Aero
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OPTIONAL: (Host must be configured to run Windows Aero)
Windows Aero is the best-designed, highest-performing Microsoft user interface ever. Available to PCs using a compatible graphics adapter and running the Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise edition of Windows Vista, Windows Aero gives your PC a whole new look and feel. Windows Aero offers a premium user experience that makes it easier to visualize and work with your information, and it provides a smoother, more stable desktop experience.
Two exciting new Windows Aero features, Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D, enable you to confidently manage the windows on your desktop by arranging them in a visually striking yet convenient way. Beyond the new graphics and visual polish, the Windows Aero desktop performance is as smooth and professional as it looks, providing a simple and high-quality experience.
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Press Alt-Tab to Exit full screen VPC mode for Client1
Move mouse pointer to the Task bar at bottom and scroll over running applications (you may choose to run a couple of more: Calculator, IE, etc…)
Press Alt-Tab (careful not to do so in the Client Window)
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Optional Material
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So you have seen many new ways to do some old things. However, there are some other changes to the Windows environment with Windows Vista. For example, if you used Outlook Express and not the Outlook available from the Microsoft Office Suite, you will no longer see Outlook Express. This does not mean you will not have access to your email through Windows Vista; simply it has been redesigned and named Windows Mail.
Also, you may notice there is no Net Meeting. However, Windows collaboration gives you the ability to share documents, programs, or your desktop with other people.
There is the addition of Windows Defender (optional demo), which assists you in protecting your PC, network and organization from unwanted and problematic software, such as Spyware.
A Windows Fax and Scan tool is available to help managed digital documents throughout an organization.
You might find the addition of RSS support for IE a useful tool and you will continue to hear more about Windows Sidebar and Gadgets.
Windows Sidebar is a little like a desktop corral, where you keep small applications that are helpful to frequently used tasks, these include World Clocks, for example, if your work requires International communication.
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Click Start button > All Programs > Windows Mail
Click Start button > All Programs > Windows Collaboration
Click Start button > All Programs > Windows Defender
Click Start button > All Programs > Windows Fax and Scan
Click Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Windows Sidebar
Click Start button > All Programs > Games (right)
Click Windows Solitaire icon
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