It's not a revolution, but Windows Vista grows on you

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

More than five years ago, Microsoft embarked on an ambitious plan to overhaul Windows.

Fresh from the release of Windows XP, the company decided that the next version needed a rewrite.

But the company soon realized it had bitten off more than it could chew. In August 2004, it jettisoned many of its ambitions. That caused major delays and rumors that Vista had the makings of a debacle on the scale of Windows ME.

But starting today, consumers can buy the end result — Windows Vista. Given the negative buzz and the often-agonizing time most folks have with major Windows upgrades, we're not likely to see stampedes to buy it. Most users' first encounters with Windows Vista are likely to be on new PCs they buy.

I've been using Vista for months now. My feelings have evolved from "Oh, this is not good" to "Hey, this is not bad" to, finally, "I'd rather be using this than Windows XP."

If it sounds like I'm damning with faint praise, well, it's not quite that simple. This is an excellent release of Windows. Is it worth going through the pain normally associated with any major OS upgrade for most users? If you're quite content with Windows XP and don't feel constrained by it, I'd say no.

Would you be pleased with the results if you did go through the process? I think so. Vista grows on you.

It's not the major leap in computing that Windows 95 was over Windows 3.1, or even Windows XP was over Windows 98/ME. It contains evolutionary, but welcome, changes. The more you use it, the more you discover.

There are three Vista editions aimed at consumers: Home Basic, which is roughly equivalent to Windows XP Home Edition; Home Premium, which equates to Windows XP Media Center Edition; and Ultimate, which contains all the features found in both the consumer and business editions. Which edition you buy depends largely on your PC's hardware.

For example, Home Basic is designed for lower-end PCs that lack graphics cards capable of displaying Vista's new Aero Glass interface, which includes transparent window borders and other 3-D features.

There are two sets of system requirements — one for running Home Basic and the other for running the other two consumer editions.

I'd suggest ignoring the requirements for Home Basic. They call for an 800-megahertz processor and 512 megabytes of memory. Those don't even meet my minimum recommendations (www.chron.com/pcspecs) for Windows XP systems.

The requirements for Home Premium and Ultimate are more in line with modern PCs — a 1-GHz processor, a gigabyte of memory, a modern graphics adapter that has at least 128 megabytes of video memory and a 40-GB hard drive.

Here are the major new features in Vista, and an assessment of how much each feature compels upgrading:

• Aero Glass. Yes, Vista is pretty, and if you're serious about the aesthetics of your PC's desktop, it's a major attraction. But there's a practical aspect as well. Aero uses 3-D graphics tricks on the desktop that gamers have enjoyed for years. Technologies used to slay monsters and race cars through the fog now make your desktop more pleasant to use.

Aero also makes it easier to navigate.

If you have a lot of windows open at once, being able to see through window borders makes it easier to find a specific window.

Holding your cursor over an item in the taskbar brings up a thumbnail of what's in that window. And the Flip 3-D feature, in which windows seem to march across your desktop, is cool and useful.

• Improved security. This may be the biggest reason to upgrade to Vista. I detailed the security improvements in my Christmas Day column (www.chron.com/vistasecurity). Vista's layers of security do provide barriers against viruses and spyware, but they still require users to not click blindly past warnings and alerts. Those determined to put something stupid and/or dangerous on their PCs are going to be able to do it.

Microsoft says there are under-the-hood reworkings of Vista's components — ways in which programs are handled in memory, for example — that should also help.

This, along with excellent parental controls — which can limit everything from the kind of games kids can play to when they can actually use the computer — may be among the most practical reasons to upgrade to Vista.

• Faster, better search. Anyone who has used Windows XP's slow file search feature knows how irritating it can be. Search technology has improved dramatically since XP was introduced, and Vista reflects that. Search is a part of every folder and dialog box, and is even built into the Start menu. In fact, you'll quickly find that typing the name of a program into the Start menu search box will launch the program faster than hunting through the Program groups.

And you can save searches as folders, which means you no longer have to worry about where exactly you're storing something. You can create a search-based folder for all documents that contain, say, a specific name, and everything with that name — documents, pictures, audio, video — will show up there. You can also tag files with keywords, ensuring they show up in the proper folder.

• Networking. Vista has improved the security features for connecting to wireless networks. When you jack in to a new one, it asks you whether it's at home, work or in a public place, and changes the security settings accordingly.
• Better performance. One of my favorite features in Vista is ReadyBoost, which uses flash drives and the type of memory cards used in digital cameras to speed up the system.
Vista copies parts of its virtual memory system — RAM that's simulated on the hard drive — and moves it into a flash drive or memory card that meets certain specifications. This can noticeably speed up your system, and given how inexpensive this kind of memory is, it can be a low-cost way to get a significant performance boost. You can see more details at my blog at www.chron.com/readyboost.

There's a lot more, and I've been detailing various features in my blog at www.chron.com/techblogvista.

Yes, there are minor bugs and issues, as you'd expect with any new OS.

I found Vista's sleep and hibernation features don't work as well as they did in XP, for example, particularly on older machines. And many hardware makers have not yet updated drivers for Vista, while some older peripherals may never have drivers written for them.

This is one Windows release that, while impressive, isn't a must-have for most users.

Pave the way for your PC to handle Vista

Giving your system an upgrade is no small task

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Has it really been more than five years since the release of a major Microsoft operating system? It seems like only yesterday the software giant was touting Windows XP as the be-all and end-all for your PC.

Windows Vista, the next generation of the Windows platform, has been available to businesses since Nov. 30 and will finally be sold to consumers starting Tuesday. It is not expected to be a major event, similar to the releases of Windows 95 more than 11 years ago, or even that of Windows XP in 2001.

That's because Vista is an evolutionary upgrade to Windows, whereas 95 and XP were major leaps. Even Microsoft's hype machine is toned down a notch as a result.

Nevertheless, buying Vista and installing it on an existing PC will be a major leap for home users, because upgrading an operating system is never a trivial endeavor. The smartest move may be to wait and buy it on a new PC, but some folks must have the latest and greatest.

What to do now

In my column on Tuesday, I'll review Vista and help you decide whether to buy a copy for upgrading. But if you're considering it, there are steps you can and should take now to get your system ready.

Vista's installation routine is much improved over that of previous Windows versions, but you're still ripping out the software plumbing on your machine and replacing it with something completely different.

Pick between two ways

You should be prepared.

As with previous versions of Windows, Vista can be installed in one of two ways.

An "in-place upgrade" installs on top of an existing Windows XP or 2000 installation, leaving your files and programs intact (if all goes well).

A "clean install" essentially wipes the hard drive and lays down a pristine copy, after which you'll need to reinstall your applications and copy your data back to the drive.

In addition, each of the three editions aimed at consumers — Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate — comes in either upgrade or full versions. The upgrade costs less, but you're limited to launching the installer from within a working version of Windows XP or 2000. The full upgrade costs more, but lets you boot directly from the install disc and gives you more detailed options for installation.

Your preparation strategy will vary depending on which course you take.

Clear the decks

Whether you're planning an upgrade or a clean installation, you'll want to clear as much drive space as possible. Windows Vista comes on a DVD, not a CD, and that should tell you that it needs more room than an installation of Windows XP. Vista requires at least a 20-gigabyte hard drive, with at least 15 gigabytes free.

But if you choose a clean install using an upgrade version of the operating system, Vista will still leave your old XP or 2000 setup on the hard drive, squirreled away in a folder called WINDOWS.OLD.

This is convenient — it lets you get to any files you may have forgotten to back up, although you can't run any programs from there — but it also takes up disc space.

Begin by doing a survey of the programs on your hard drive.

Click on Start, Programs and look for software you don't use. If you find uninstallers in the folders there for those programs, run them. If not, go to the Add/Remove Programs module in the Windows Control Panel and remove them from there.

Clean your system

Make sure your PC is free of viruses, spyware and other malicious programs. Run a full scan of your computer with both antivirus and antispyware programs. See www.chron.com/spyware for tips, strategies and access to software.

You'll particularly want to do this if you are planning to upgrade an existing Windows XP installation, rather than doing a clean install. However, because spyware and viruses can hide in parts of your drive that may be unaffected by the upgrade, it's a good idea to run a full scan even if you're planning a clean install.

Do your due diligence

Microsoft has a free program called the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor that scans your computer's hardware and software and issues a detailed report about what it finds. It will tell you which editions of Vista are supported by your system, and flag you on programs that may cause problems and hardware for which Vista lacks built-in drivers.

You can get this program at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx, and I strongly urge anyone even thinking about upgrading to Vista to download and run it, and take its recommendations to heart. It can save you time and possibly much pain.

You can also get information about Vista compatibility issues, thanks to a group of volunteers who are maintaining a Wiki devoted to it. You'll get a list of all kinds of programs and their compatibility status at www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List

Back up what's important

There are several ways to install Windows Vista on a PC. But regardless of whether you install Vista on top of an existing Windows XP setup or choose an option that gives you a fresh installation, you'll want to save your important files — documents, music, video, photos, saved games and so on — off your computer.

There are different ways to do this.

• Keep it simple. The simplest method is to copy your important files onto a writeable CD or DVD. You could also copy them into a holding folder on the hard drive of another computer on a home network. DVDs have a higher capacity than CDs, so use those if your computer has a DVD burner.
You can also copy your files to USB flash drives or the kind of memory cards that are used in cameras and MP3 players. If you have a lot of files — particularly video and music — you may need several.

• Built-in backup. Windows XP Professional and Media Center editions come with a basic backup program, which can be found by clicking on Start, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools. (Home Edition users will have to install it from the VALUEADD folder on their Windows XP system CD.)
The program uses an Explorer view to let you pick and choose folders and files to backup. You can't burn the backup files directly to a CD or DVD, but you can save the backups on your hard drive, then copy them. If you have a lot of files, you may want to make several small backup files.

But be warned: The backup files XP's program creates aren't compatible with Windows Vista's own built-in backup. You won't be able to use it to restore them.

Fortunately, Microsoft has developed a utility for Vista that can restore backups made on XP. You can download it at www.chron.com/ntbackup.

• Buy a third-party backup program: Use that to create your backups. You might want to consider NTI Backup or NovaStor. The latest versions of both of those programs should work on Windows Vista when you're ready to restore your files.
• Poor-man's backup: WinZip, the classic Windows-based file-compression program, available at www.winzip.com.

Gather your drivers

Before you install Vista, visit the support areas for the Web sites of makers of your computer's key components — the video and sound cards, the mouse and keyboard, the printer and other peripherals. Look for Vista drivers and download them, burning them to a CD or DVD or saving to a flash drive.

Many hardware makers already have Vista drivers available, but Vista also comes with a remarkable number of drivers built-in.

The previously mentioned Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor will flag you on drivers you need to acquire.

You should also check the support areas for the developers of your favorite software programs as well. Some may have patches designed to make their titles more compatible with Vista.

Upgrade your hardware

If you plan to add memory or a beefier video card to better handle Vista, do that before you upgrade.

You don't need the headaches of adding new hardware at the same time you're learning the vagaries of a new operating system.

And even with new hardware, get the latest drivers. Don't presume that the latest ones are on the disc that comes with your new toy. They probably aren't.

Choose your installation

Once these steps are complete, you can begin installing Vista.

You'll need to decide whether to do a clean or upgrade installation.

If possible, the former is preferred. With an upgrade installation, you may end up importing problems from your old system into your new one. A clean install is like getting a second chance with your PC, although you will have to reinstall your applications.

Upgrade installations also take much longer in Vista. A clean Vista takes 20 to 30 minutes on average, but an upgrade can take several hours. Help Line columnist Jay Lee recently did an upgrade installation of Vista on a relatively new HP Pavilion system. Time to complete: two hours, 45 minutes.

To do an upgrade install, just pop your Vista DVD while Windows is running, and if you have autostart turned on, the Vista installation windows should appear. If not, go into My Computer, open your CD/DVD drive and click on Setup.exe.

The installer will walk you through the steps, and at one point you'll be asked whether you want to do a clean or upgrade install.

Make your decision, and your adventure begins!

Worried about Wi-Fi security?

Even for IT professional Matthew Ingrassia, keeping a home Wi-Fi network safe from outside threats is close to a full-time undertaking.

The technical coordinator for Washington, D.C.-based law firm Thompson Coburn harbors apprehensions that someone may be able to infiltrate the wireless network he set up in his Maryland home, despite all the training he brought to it. And he's pretty sure there are a lot of less-experienced people out there with no clue just how vulnerable their wireless systems may be.

"Running a home network with no security is akin to unlocking your door and hanging a sign on your house inviting thieves inside to steal," Ingrassia said. "It's easy to see how for someone with no real training, figuring out how to protect yourself might seem nearly impossible."

As Wi-Fi networks become popular in American homes, more people are exposed to dangers such as spyware, and the need to secure systems against those threats becomes more urgent. But for many ordinary owners, the complexity of dealing with a wireless network is leading them to put security on the back burner. If technology providers can't come up with products that will change that attitude, then the problem can only get worse.

People often struggle with installing their networks, causing them to think twice about putting in additional security measures or starting again from scratch to close potential vulnerabilities, experts said.

On top of this, the incompatibility between networking products from different sources, changing industry security standards and the growing number of devices people want to link to their wireless systems also daunt less-tech-savvy owners.

Networking industry executives say that as a result, getting consumers to use the security capabilities already built in to their wireless products is a struggle.

"Ease of use is a big problem. You can have the best encryption out there, but if someone can't set it up easily, it won't ever be used," said Mani Dhillon, the senior manager of product marketing at networking gear maker Linksys. "We've tried to make security an integral part of the (networking) setup process, but beyond that it's difficult to force people to use it. There's only so much that hardware manufacturers can do."

Plenty to lose
Studies suggest that an overwhelming majority of America's home wireless networks lack sufficient protection from outside intruders. According to figures from Gartner, some 80 percent of U.S. residential wireless local area networks, or WLANs, will classify as "unsecured" by 2007. The Stamford, Conn.-based research company contends that 70 percent of successful attacks on home wireless systems through 2006 will be the direct result of improperly configured WLAN access points and mismanaged client software.

And at a recent focus group session held in San Francisco, Tom Powledge, director of product management at security software maker Symantec, was amazed when four out of five people at the event admitted their wireless networks were not protected by any technology safeguard.

For some of those people, the idea of offering open Internet access via their home network was novel and nothing to worry about, Powledge said.

"Some people really don't care too much if people are logging on secretly, using their wireless connection. They feel they're providing free Internet to neighbors," Powledge said. "But what these people don't understand is that if someone else starts using your network to browse whatever they want on the Web, it's going to come back to your IP address."

That means people can surf unsavory content from your unique, traceable Internet location--and slow your Internet performance down at the same time.

Those whose wireless systems can be penetrated are exposed to other serious threats too, Powledge pointed out. For example, attackers could implant malicious programs, including spyware, adware and Trojan horse applications, directly onto a computer. That could open the door to more serious problems such as online fraud or even identity theft, he said.

In one instance, a Los Angeles man pleaded guilty in September to distributing pornography spam e-mails, sent out using other people's Wi-Fi connections, which he accessed from inside his car. And in 2003, a man in Toronto was arrested for downloading child pornography using other people's unsecured wireless networks.

The practice of cruising around town to look for unguarded wireless networks has become so popular that the phenomenon has even

acquired its own name, "wardriving." And some industry experts point out that the day of sitting outside someone's house to steal their bandwidth is being outdated by signal-boosting technology that lets individuals get onto a network that's miles away.

"A signal enhancer available at your local RadioShack can give someone access from as far as 50 miles away," said Drew Carter, product manager for strategic opportunities at security software maker McAfee. "It's not just your neighbors that you need to worry about anymore."

In fact, extending the range of wireless technologies is a popular pastime of hobbyists and researchers. The 300-foot range of most wireless networking technology for the home is set more by government and manufacturer decree than by limits to the technology. The University of California at San Diego's High-Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN) has extended Wi-Fi to 72 miles using power amplification and improved antennas. And hackers at the Defcon conference created a wireless sniper rifle that could target Bluetooth phones a half mile away, extending that technology's range almost 100-fold.

Help on the way
Because of the growing threat, everyone from third-party software vendors to networking-gear makers is developing technologies to try to help consumers cover their backs.

Security software maker McAfee is developing a free diagnostic tool that lets people survey their computer using a Web interface to determine the security of the network the machine is registered on. Dubbed McAfee Wi-Fi Scan, the application is already undergoing beta testing and is set for release in mid-February.

"Even if you can successfully deploy the security tools that come with wireless hardware, I think a lot of users get a false sense of protection from it," Carter said. "People think a simple firewall secures all their communications, while the reality is that though your connection in and out of that device is partially secured by the firewall, the actual connection between that device and your computer...may not be secured at all."

Hardware manufacturers are taking a different route. Earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Linksys, a division of networking giant Cisco Systems, said it was launching a joint effort with chipmaker Broadcom and IT behemoth Hewlett-Packard to create a push-button security system for home wireless products. The system, to be called SecureEasySetup, promises to provide coverage that meets the Wi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA, industry standard for security.

Jeff Abramowitz, senior director of wireless LAN marketing at Broadcom, said SecureEasySetup represents the kind of basic security system consumers can understand easily.

"The technology allows you to set up a very secure Wi-Fi network without having to know any of the technical ins and outs," Abramowitz said. "All you do is hit a button on your router or Wi-Fi access point and push a corresponding button on a PC or another device, and they find each other and establish a secure connection."

Linksys has agreed to start building SecureEasyStep into its networking products by the beginning of 2005. HP will add the tool to certain notebook and desktop PCs and to some of its networked printers. Abramowitz said a number of other well-known technology companies are also working with the application.

In one less-conventional approach, Force Field Wireless has begun marketing latex house paint it claims will block wireless radio waves from escaping through the walls of a home. Known as DefendAir, the paint is laced with bits of copper and aluminum that help form an electromagnetic shield around your house, Force Field said. The paint, which sells for $69 a gallon, is certified nontoxic and lead free, and comes only in one color--gray.

Those products promise a safer future. The problem right now is those people who remain oblivious to the existing vulnerabilities in their systems. Analysts point out that there are a number of ways to secure these, from making sure basic firewall technology in the wireless router is installed to buying as many components as possible from the same vendor. There are also more complicated measures home network owners can take, such as swapping out the default service set identifier, or SSID, number--a form of unique identification for each wireless local area network--for the devices and making sure security systems have been updated to meet all the latest wireless specifications.

Jonathan Penn, an analyst at Forrester Research, feels that in requiring so much attention to be made secure, wireless networks will remain something of a hassle for consumers until more effective, easy-to-use methods of self-defense are created. He argues that consumers should not have to face the challenge of dealing with technology defaults and keeping up with industry standards.

"If the gear manufacturers, Internet service providers and software makers seriously want people to come online, they can't make it so hard on their customers," Penn said. "People are being told that they need to worry about antivirus software, antispam tools, wireless security and all sorts of malicious threats online. At a certain point, unless things become easier to handle, some people might just say, 'Forget it.'"

Keep Your Secrets: A Safe, Easy Way to Encrypt Files

How do I encrypt files, and which ones should I encrypt?

Conrad Layne, Plain City, Ohio

Any system that encrypts your entire hard drive is overkill for most PC users. I prefer encrypted safes, which are files that contain encrypted folders and files. To the outside world, a safe looks like a big file filled with gobbledygook. Open a safe with its password, and you reveal a virtual drive holding your sensitive data. When you're done and you close the safe, the data reverts to gobbledygook.

Safes are easy to use, transportable from one PC to another, and a breeze to back up. I recommend the free open-source safe program TrueCrypt, which supports AES-256, Blowfish, Triple DES, and other heavy-duty encryption algorithms. TrueCrypt hides your safe well--if you're in the belt-and-suspenders crowd, it can even place your safe inside another safe.

Remember: No encryption is secure with an easy-to-guess password. Safest is a string of 20 or more apparently random letters and numbers. But how do you remember such a password?

Make up an easy-to-remember but impossible-to-figure-out formula of family names, birthdays, and memorable words. For instance, use your kids' names spelled backward, with every third letter capitalized, followed by your birthday squared--be sure, though, not to use a formula that has been printed in PC World. Click here for more tips on crafting secure passwords.

Write the password or the formula on a business card and carry it in your wallet. It's unlikely that someone will steal your wallet and your PC, and even less likely that they'll figure the card out.

What files should you put in the safe? Any that you don't want crooks, competitors, coworkers, or even your own children to see. One top priority is financial information, especially if it involves credit card, bank, or Social Security numbers. Passwords to retail Web sites should also be stored in the safe. You might put some sensitive work-related files there as well (although your IS department likely has an encryption policy). Your résumé , family photos, private e-mail, and other files that you want to keep secure and confidential are candidates for the safe, too.

Customize Office Dialog Boxes
Can I change the shortcuts on the Places Bar in Microsoft Office File Open and Save dialog boxes?

Karen Brown, Loudon, Tennessee

The office places bar lets you put shortcuts to your favorite folders in the Open and Save dialog boxes in Office apps like Word and Excel. You'll find the Places Bar on the left side of File, Open and File, Save, as well as other dialog boxes.

To add a shortcut to the Places Bar in Office 2002 and 2003, open any Office dialog box with a Places Bar, and navigate to and select (but don't open) the folder to which you want fast access. Now click Tools, Add to "My Places"; your folder will appear at the bottom of the Places Bar. If it's not visible, right-click the bar and select Small Icons, or resize the dialog box by dragging its bottom edge.

Right-click any Places icon for options to relocate or remove it. Unfortunately, Office won't allow you to replace any of the default icons, but you can move them below your own preferences.

In Office 2007 (running on XP, not Vista), navigate to the folder you want to add to the Places Bar, right-click the bar, select Add, and then enter the folder's name. (To customize the Places Bar for non-Office applications, including the Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers, click here.)

Print the Screen
What's the simplest way to print what's currently on the screen?

Bert Green, Lake Worth, Florida

Your keyboard's key copies the current image to the clipboard. Once there, you can paste it into Windows' own Paint utility or other image program. You can also paste it into Microsoft Word and other Office applications.

My favorite free screen-capture programs are Kubilus Consulting Service's MegaCap, and Gadwin's PrintScreen. MegaCap is so simple it hardly requires thought. PrintScreen is harder to use, but it has far more options. For instance, PrintScreen lets you capture the full screen or the current window, with or without the mouse cursor.

Check Out This Tool to Check Your Updates
Harold Pont of Clearfield, Utah, responded to my earlier tip on downloading and saving Windows updates by recommending another option: Microsoft's Baseline Security Analyzer. The free program scans your PC, says which security updates you lack, and then gives you the chance to download and save them--an easy way to see your update needs, fix them, and stow patches for later. One caveat: The app requires Microsoft's annoying and controversial Windows Genuine Advantage.