MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS WINDOWS VISTA HOME BASIC WINDOWS VISTA HOME PREMIUM WINDOWS VISTA ULTIMATE These license terms are an agreement between Microsoft Corporation (or based on where you live, one of its affiliates) and you. Please read them. They apply to the software named above, which includes the media on which you received it, if any. The terms also apply to any Microsoft updates, supplements, Internet-based services, and support services If so, those terms apply.
for this software, unless other terms accompany those items.
By using the software, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the software. Instead, return it to the retailer for a refund or credit. If you cannot obtain a refund there, contact Microsoft or the Microsoft affiliate serving your country for information about Microsofts refund policies. See www.microsoft.com/worldwide. In the United States and Canada, call (800) MICROSOFT or see www.microsoft.com/info/nareturns.htm. As described below, using the software also operates as your consent to the transmission of certain computer information during activation, validation and for Internet-based services. If you comply with these license terms, you have the rights below for each license you acquire. 1. OVERVIEW. a. Software. The software includes desktop operating system software. This software does not include Windows Live services. Windows Live is a service available from Microsoft under a separate agreement. b. License Model. c. The software is licensed on a per copy per device basis.
Edition Specific Rights. See the Additional License Terms sections at the end of this agreement for license terms that apply to specific editions of the software.
2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. Before you use the software under a license, you must assign that license to one device (physical hardware system). That device is the licensed device. A hardware partition or blade is considered to be a separate device. a. Licensed Device. You may install one copy of the software on the licensed device. You may use the software on up to two processors on that device at one time. Except as provided in the Storage and Network Use (Ultimate edition) sections below, you may not use the software on any other device.
b. Number of Users. Except as provided in the Device Connections (all editions), Remote Access Technologies (Home Basic and Home Premium editions) and Other Access Technologies (Ultimate edition) sections below, only one user may use the software at a time. c. Alternative Versions. The software may include more than one version, such as 32-bit and 64-bit. You may use only one version at one time.
3. ADDITIONAL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS AND/OR USE RIGHTS. a. Multiplexing. Hardware or software you use to
pool connections, or reduce the number of devices or users that directly access or use the software
(sometimes referred to as multiplexing or pooling), does not reduce the number of licenses you need. b. Font Components. While the software is running, you may use its fonts to display and print content. You may only c. embed fonts in content as permitted by the embedding restrictions in the fonts; and temporarily download them to a printer or other output device to print content.
Icons, images and sounds. While the software is running, you may use but not share its icons, images, sounds, and media.
4. MANDATORY ACTIVATION. Activation associates the use of the software with a specific device. During activation, the software will send information about the software and the device to Microsoft. This information includes the version, language and product key of the software, the Internet protocol address of the device, and information derived from the hardware configuration of the device. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=69497. By using the software, you consent to the transmission of this information. Before you activate, you have the right to use the version of the software installed during the installation process. Your right to use the software after the time specified in the installation process is limited unless it is activated. This is to prevent its unlicensed use. You will not be able to continue using the software after that time if you do not activate it. If the device is connected to the Internet, the software may automatically connect to Microsoft for activation. You can also activate the software manually by Internet or telephone. If you do so, Internet and telephone service charges may apply. Some changes to your computer components or the software may require you to reactivate the software. The software will remind you to activate it until you do. 5. VALIDATION. a. The software will from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the validation feature of the software. Validation verifies that the software has been activated and is properly licensed. Validation also permits you to use certain features of the software or to obtain additional benefits. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39157.

b. During a validation check, the software will send information about the software and the device to Microsoft. This information includes the version and product key of the software, and the Internet protocol address of the device. Microsoft does not use the information to identify or contact you. By using the software, you consent to the transmission of this information. For more information about validation and what is sent during a validation check, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=69500. c. If, after a validation check, the software is found not to be properly licensed, the functionality of the software may be affected. For example, you may need to reactivate the software, or receive reminders to obtain a properly licensed copy of the software,
or you may not be able to use or continue to use some of the features of the software, or obtain certain updates or upgrades from Microsoft.
d. You may only obtain updates or upgrades for the software from Microsoft or authorized sources. For more information on obtaining updates from authorized sources see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=69502. 6. POTENTIALLY UNWANTED SOFTWARE. If turned on, Windows Defender will search your computer for spyware, adware and other potentially unwanted software. If it finds potentially unwanted software, the software will ask you if you want to ignore, disable (quarantine) or remove it. Any potentially unwanted software rated high or severe, will automatically be removed after scanning unless you change the default setting. Removing or disabling potentially unwanted software may result in other software on your computer ceasing to work, or your breaching a license to use other software on your computer.
By using this software, it is possible that you will also remove or disable software that is not potentially unwanted software. 7. INTERNET-BASED SERVICES. Microsoft provides Internet-based services with the software. may change or cancel them at any time. It
a. Consent for Internet-Based Services. The software features described below and in the Windows Vista Privacy Statement connect to Microsoft or service provider computer systems over the Internet. In some cases, you will not receive a separate notice when they connect. You may switch off these features or not use them. For more information about these features, see the Windows Vista Privacy Statement at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=20615. By using these features, you consent to the transmission of this information. Microsoft does not use the information to identify or contact you. Computer Information. The following features use Internet protocols, which send to the appropriate systems computer information, such as your Internet protocol address, the type of operating system, browser and name and version of the software you are using, and the language code of the device where you installed the software. Microsoft uses this information to

make the Internet-based services available to you. Windows Update Feature. You may connect new hardware to your device. Your device may not have the drivers needed to communicate with that hardware. If so, the update feature of the software can obtain the correct driver from Microsoft and install it on your device. You can switch off this update feature. Web Content Features. Features in the software can retrieve related content from Microsoft and provide it to you. Examples of these features are clip art, templates, online training, online assistance and Appshelp. You may choose not to use these web content features. Digital Certificates. The software uses digital certificates. These digital certificates confirm the identity of Internet users sending X.509 standard encrypted information. They also can be used to digitally sign files and macros, to verify the integrity and origin of the file contents. The software retrieves certificates and updates certificate revocation lists over the Internet, when available. Auto Root Update. The Auto Root Update feature updates the list of trusted certificate authorities. You can switch off the Auto Root Update feature. Windows Media Digital Rights Management. Content owners use Windows Media digital rights management technology (WMDRM) to protect their intellectual property, including copyrights. This software and third party software use WMDRM to play and copy WMDRM-protected content. If the software fails to protect the content, content owners may ask Microsoft to revoke the softwares ability to use WMDRM to play or copy protected content. Revocation does not affect other content. When you download licenses for protected content, you agree that Microsoft may include a revocation list with the licenses. Content owners may require you to upgrade WMDRM to access their content. Microsoft software that includes WMDRM will ask for your consent prior to the upgrade. If you decline an upgrade, you will not be able to access content that requires the upgrade. You may switch off WMDRM features that access the Internet. When these features are off, you can still play content for which you have a valid license. Windows Media Player. When you use Windows Media Player, it checks with Microsoft for
compatible online music services in your region; new versions of the player; and codecs if your device does not have the correct ones for playing content.
You can switch off this last feature. For more information, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=44073. Malicious Software Removal/Clean On Upgrade. Before installation of the software, the software will check and remove certain malicious software listed at http://www.support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830 (Malware) from your device. When the software checks your device for Malware, a report will be sent to Microsoft about any Malware detected or errors that occurred while the software was checking for Malware. No information that can be used to identify you is included in the report. You may disable the softwares Malware reporting functionality by following the instructions found at http://www.support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830.

Network Connectivity Status Icon. This feature determines whether a system is connected to a network by either passive monitoring of network traffic or active DNS or HTTP queries. The query only transfers standard TCP/IP or DNS information for routing purposes. You can switch off the active query feature through a registry setting. Windows Time Service. This service synchronizes with time.windows.com once a week to provide your computer with the correct time. You can turn this feature off or choose your preferred time source within the Date and Time Control Panel applet. The connection uses standard NTP protocol. IPv6 Network Address Translation (NAT) Traversal service (Teredo). This feature helps existing home Internet gateway devices transition to IPv6. IPv6 is next generation Internet protocol. It helps enable end-to-end connectivity often needed by peer-to-peer applications. To do so, each time you start up the software the Teredo client service will attempt to locate a public Teredo Internet service. It does so by sending a query over the Internet. This query only transfers standard Domain Name Service information to determine if your computer is connected to the Internet and can locate a public Teredo service. If you use an application (e.g. Windows Meeting Space) that needs IPv6 connectivity or configure your firewall to always enable IPv6 connectivity
by default standard Internet Protocol information will be sent to the Teredo service at Microsoft at regular intervals. No other information is sent to Microsoft. You can change this default to use non-Microsoft servers. You can also switch off this feature using a command line utility named netsh. b. Use of Information. Microsoft may use the computer information, error reports, and Malware reports to improve our software and services. We may also share it with others, such as hardware and software vendors. They may use the information to improve how their products run with Microsoft software. c. Misuse of Internet-based Services. You may not use these services in any way that could harm them or impair anyone elses use of them. You may not use the services to try to gain unauthorized access to any service, data, account or network by any means.
8. SCOPE OF LICENSE. The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways. For more information, see http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/userights. You may not work around any technical limitations in the software; reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, except and only to the extent that applicable law expressly permits, despite this limitation; use components of the software to run applications not running on the software; make more copies of the software than specified in this agreement or allowed by applicable law, despite this limitation;

publish the software for others to copy; rent, lease or lend the software; or use the software for commercial software hosting services.
9. MICROSOFT.NET BENCHMARK TESTING. The software includes one or more components of the.NET Framework 3.0 (.NET Components). You may conduct internal benchmark testing of those components. You may disclose the results of any benchmark test of those components, provided that you comply with the conditions set forth at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=66406. Notwithstanding any other agreement you may have with Microsoft, if you disclose such benchmark test results, Microsoft shall have the right to disclose the results of benchmark tests it conducts of your products that compete with the applicable.NET Component, provided it complies with the same conditions set forth at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=66406. 10. BACKUP COPY. the software. You may make one backup copy of the media. You may use it only to reinstall
11. DOCUMENTATION. Any person that has valid access to your computer or internal network may copy and use the documentation for your internal, reference purposes. 12. NOT FOR RESALE SOFTWARE. You may not sell software marked as NFR or Not for Resale.
13. UPGRADES. To use upgrade software, you must first be licensed for the software that is eligible for the upgrade. Upon upgrade, this agreement takes the place of the agreement for the software you upgraded from. After you upgrade, you may no longer use the software you upgraded from. 14. PROOF OF LICENSE. a. Genuine Proof of License. If you acquired the software on a disc or other media, a genuine Microsoft proof of license label with a genuine copy of the software identifies licensed software. To be valid, this label must appear on Microsoft packaging. If you receive the label separately, it is invalid. You should keep the packaging that has the label on it to prove that you are licensed to use the software. b. Windows Anytime Upgrade License. If you upgrade the software using Windows Anytime Upgrade, your proof of license is identified by c. the genuine Microsoft proof of license label for the software you upgraded from, a digital license stored in the digital locker at Windows Marketplace, and proof of purchase from a Windows Anytime Upgrade merchant that identifies the software.

To identify genuine Microsoft software, see http://www.howtotell.com.
15. REASSIGN TO ANOTHER DEVICE. a. Software Other than Windows Anytime Upgrade. You may uninstall the software and install it on another device for your use. You may not do so to share this license between devices.
b. Windows Anytime Upgrade Software. The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time, but only if the license terms of the software you upgraded from allows reassignment. 16. TRANSFER TO A THIRD PARTY. a. Software Other Than Windows Anytime Upgrade. The first user of the software may make a one time transfer of the software, and this agreement, directly to a third party. The first user must uninstall the software before transferring it separately from the device. The first user may not retain any copies. b. Windows Anytime Upgrade Software. You may transfer the software directly to a third party only with the licensed device. You may not keep any copies of the software or any earlier version. c. Other Requirements. Before any permitted transfer, the other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use of the software. The transfer must include the proof of license.
17. NOTICE ABOUT THE MPEG-4 VISUAL STANDARD. This software includes MPEG-4 visual decoding technology. MPEG LA, L.L.C. requires this notice: USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN ANY MANNER THAT COMPLIES WITH THE MPEG-4 VISUAL STANDARD IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT FOR USE DIRECTLY RELATED TO (A) DATA OR INFORMATION (i) GENERATED BY AND OBTAINED WITHOUT CHARGE FROM A CONSUMER NOT THEREBY ENGAGED IN A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, AND (ii) FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY; AND (B) OTHER USES SPECIFICALLY AND SEPARATELY LICENSED BY MPEG LA, L.L.C. If you have questions about the MPEG-4 visual standard, please contact MPEG LA, L.L.C., 250 Steele Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80206; http://www.mpegla.com. 18. NOTICE ABOUT THE VC-1 VISUAL STANDARD. This software may include VC-1 visual decoding technology. MPEG LA, L.L.C. requires this notice: THIS PRODUCT IS LICENSED UNDER THE VC-1 PATENT PORTFOLIO LICENSES FOR THE PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE OF A CONSUMER TO (A) ENCODE VIDEO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE VC-1 STANDARD (VC-1 VIDEO) OR (B) DECODE VC-1 VIDEO THAT WAS ENCODED BY A CONSUMER ENGAGED IN A PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY AND/OR WAS OBTAINED FROM A VIDEO PROVIDER LICENSED TO PROVIDE VC-1 VIDEO. NO LICENSE IS GRANTED OR SHALL BE IMPLIED FOR ANY OTHER USE. If you have questions about the VC-1 visual standard, please contact MPEG LA, L.L.C., 250 Steele Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80206; http://www.mpegla.com. 19. THIRD PARTY PROGRAMS. The software contains third party programs. those programs apply to your use of them. The license terms with

20. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS. The software is subject to United States export laws and regulations. You must comply with all domestic and international export laws and regulations that apply to the software. These laws include restrictions on destinations, end users and end use. For additional information, see http://www.microsoft.com/exporting. 21. SUPPORT SERVICES. Microsoft provides support services for the software as described at
http://www.support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx. If you are using software that is not properly licensed, you will not be entitled to receive support services. 22. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This agreement (including the warranty below), additional terms and the terms for supplements, updates, Internet-based services and support services that you use, are the entire agreement for the software and support services. 23. APPLICABLE LAW. a. United States. If you acquired the software in the United States, Washington state law governs the interpretation of this agreement and applies to claims for breach of it, regardless of conflict of laws principles. The laws of the state where you live govern all other claims, including claims under state consumer protection laws, unfair competition laws, and in tort. b. Outside the United States. If you acquired the software in any other country, the laws of that country apply. 24. LEGAL EFFECT. This agreement describes certain legal rights. You may have other rights under the laws of your state or country. You may also have rights with respect to the party from whom you acquired the software. This agreement does not change your rights under the laws of your state or country if the laws of your state or country do not permit it to do so. 25. LIMITATION ON AND EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES. You can recover from Microsoft and its suppliers only direct damages up to the amount you paid for the software. You cannot recover any other damages, including consequential, lost profits, special, indirect or incidental damages. This limitation applies to anything related to the software, services, content (including code) on third party Internet sites, or third party programs; and claims for breach of contract, breach of warranty, guarantee or condition, strict liability, negligence, or other tort to the extent permitted by applicable law.
It also applies even if repair, replacement or a refund for the software does not fully compensate you for any losses; or Microsoft knew or should have known about the possibility of the damages.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. They also may not apply to you because your country may not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental, consequential or other damages.
******************************************************************************* LIMITED WARRANTY A. LIMITED WARRANTY. If you follow the instructions and the software is properly licensed, the software will perform substantially as described in the Microsoft materials that you receive in or with the software. B. TERM OF WARRANTY; WARRANTY RECIPIENT; LENGTH OF ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES. The limited warranty covers the software for one year after acquired by the first user. If you receive supplements, updates, or replacement software during that year, they will be covered for the remainder of the warranty or 30 days, whichever is longer. If the first user transfers the software, the remainder of the warranty will apply to the recipient. To the extent permitted by law, any implied warranties, guarantees or conditions last only during the term of the limited warranty. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so these limitations may not apply to you. They also might not apply to you because some countries may not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty, guarantee or condition lasts. C. EXCLUSIONS FROM WARRANTY. This warranty does not cover problems caused by your acts (or failures to act), the acts of others, or events beyond Microsofts reasonable control. D. REMEDY FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY. Microsoft will repair or replace the software at no charge. If Microsoft cannot repair or replace it, Microsoft will refund the amount shown on your receipt for the software. It will also repair or replace supplements, updates and replacement software at no charge. If Microsoft cannot repair or replace them, it will refund the amount you paid for them, if any. You must uninstall the software and return any media and other associated materials to Microsoft with proof of purchase to obtain a refund. These are your only remedies for breach of the limited warranty. E. CONSUMER RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED. You may have additional consumer rights under your local laws, which this agreement cannot change. F. WARRANTY PROCEDURES. You need proof of purchase for warranty service.

1. United States and Canada. For warranty service or information about how to obtain a refund for software acquired in the United States and Canada, contact Microsoft at (800) MICROSOFT; Microsoft Customer Service and Support, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399; or visit http://www.microsoft.com/info/nareturns.htm.
2. Europe, Middle East and Africa. If you acquired the software in Europe, the Middle East or Africa, Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited makes this limited warranty. To make a claim under this warranty, you should contact either Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, Customer Care Centre, Atrium Building Block B, Carmanhall Road, Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin 18, Ireland; or
the Microsoft affiliate serving your country (see http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide).
3. Outside United States, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Africa. If you acquired the software outside the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, contact the Microsoft affiliate serving your country (see http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide). G. NO OTHER WARRANTIES. The limited warranty is the only direct warranty from Microsoft. Microsoft gives no other express warranties, guarantees or conditions. Where allowed by your local laws, Microsoft excludes implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. If your local laws give you any implied warranties, guarantees or conditions, despite this exclusion, your remedies are described in the Remedy for Breach of Warranty clause above, to the extent permitted by your local laws. H. LIMITATION ON AND EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY. The Limitation on and Exclusion of Damages clause above applies to breaches of this limited warranty. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. You may also have other rights which vary from country to country.
MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA HOME BASIC ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS. Vista Home Basic. The following additional license terms apply to Microsoft Windows
1. DEVICE CONNECTIONS. You may allow up to 5 other devices to access the software installed on the licensed device to use File Services, Print Services, Internet Information Services and Internet Connection Sharing and Telephony Services. 2. REMOTE ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES. You may remotely access and use the software installed on the licensed device from another device to share a session using Remote Assistance or similar technologies. A session means the experience of interacting with the software, directly or indirectly, through any combination of input, output and display peripherals. 3. OTHER REMOTE USES. You may allow any number of devices to access the software installed on the licensed device for purposes other than those described in the Device Connections and Remote Access Technologies sections above, such as to synchronize data between devices. 4. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA HOME PREMIUM ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS. Vista Home Premium. The following additional license terms apply to Microsoft Windows
1. DEVICE CONNECTIONS. You may allow up to 10 other devices to access the software installed with the licensed device to use File Services, Print Services, Internet Information Services and Internet Connection Sharing and Telephony Services. 2. REMOTE ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES. You may remotely access and use the software installed on the licensed device from another device to share a session using Remote Assistance or similar technologies. A session means the experience of interacting with the software, directly or indirectly, through any combination of input, output and display peripherals. 3. OTHER REMOTE USES. You may allow any number of devices to access the software installed on the licensed device for purposes other than those described in the Device Connections and Remote Access Technologies sections above, such as to synchronize data between devices. 4. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system. 5. MEDIA CENTER EXTENDER. You may have 5 Media Center Extender Sessions (or other software or devices which provide similar functionality for a similar purpose) running at the same time to display the software user interface or content on other displays or devices. 6. ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING GUIDE. If the software includes access to an electronic programming guide service that displays customized television listings, a separate service agreement applies to the service. If you do not agree to the terms of the service agreement, you may continue to use the software, but you will not be able to use the electronic programming guide service. The service may contain advertising content and related data, which are received and stored by the
software. The service is not available in all areas. instructions on accessing the service agreement.
Please consult the software information for
7. RELATED MEDIA INFORMATION. If you request related media information as part of your playback experience, the data provided to you may not be in your local language. Some countries or regions have laws and regulations which may restrict or limit your ability to access certain types of content. 8. CONSENT TO UPDATE INFRARED EMITTER/RECEIVER. The software may contain technology to ensure the proper functioning of the infrared emitter/receiver device that ships with certain Media Center-based products. By accepting these license terms, you agree that the software may update the firmware of this device. 9. WORLDWIDE USE OF THE MEDIA CENTER. Media Center is not designed for use in every country. For example, although the Media Center information may refer to certain features such as an electronic programming guide or provide information on how to configure a TV tuner, these features may not work in your area. Please refer to the Media Center information for a list of features that may not work in your area. 10. NOTICE ABOUT THE MPEG-2 VISUAL STANDARD. This software includes MPEG-2 visual decoding technology. MPEG LA, L.L.C. requires this notice: USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN ANY MANNER THAT COMPLIES WITH THE MPEG 2 VISUAL STANDARD IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT FOR USE DIRECTLY RELATED TO (A) DATA OR INFORMATION (i) GENERATED BY AND OBTAINED WITHOUT CHARGE FROM A CONSUMER NOT THEREBY ENGAGED IN A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, AND (ii) FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY; AND (B) OTHER USES SPECIFICALLY AND SEPARATELY LICENSED BY MPEG LA, L.L.C. If you have questions about the MPEG-2 visual standard, please contact MPEG LA, L.L.C., 250 Steele Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80206; http://www.mpegla.com.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA ULTIMATE ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS. Vista Ultimate. The following additional license terms apply to Microsoft Windows
1. STORAGE. You may store one copy of the software on a storage device, such as a network server. You may use that copy to install the software on any other device to which a license has been assigned. 2. NETWORK USE. Instead of installing the software on the licensed device, you may install one copy on a storage device, such as a network server. You may use that copy only to run the software on your licensed device over an internal network. 3. DEVICE CONNECTIONS. You may allow up to 10 other devices to access the software installed on the licensed device to use File Services, Print Services, Internet Information Services and Internet Connection Sharing and Telephony Services. 4. REMOTE ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES. You may access and use the software installed on the licensed device remotely from another device using remote access technologies as follows.
Remote Desktop. The single primary user of the licensed device may access a session from any other device using Remote Desktop or similar technologies. A session means the experience of interacting with the software, directly or indirectly, through any combination of input, output and display peripherals. Other users may access a session from any device using these technologies, if the remote device is separately licensed to run the software. Other Access Technologies. active session. You may use Remote Assistance or similar technologies to share an
5. OTHER REMOTE USES. You may allow any number of devices to access the software installed on the licensed device for purposes other than those described in the Device Connections and Remote Access Technologies sections above, such as to synchronize data between devices. 6. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device. If you do so, you may not play or access content or use applications protected by any Microsoft digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other Microsoft rights management services or use BitLocker. We advise against playing or accessing content or using applications protected by other digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other rights management services or using full volume disk drive encryption. 7. MEDIA CENTER EXTENDER. You may have 5 Media Center Extender Sessions (or other software or devices which provide similar functionality for a similar purpose) running at the same time to display the software user interface or content on other displays or devices. 8. ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING GUIDE. If the software includes access to an electronic programming guide service that displays customized television listings, a separate service agreement applies to the service. If you do not agree to the terms of the service agreement, you may continue to use the software, but you will not be able to use the electronic programming guide service. The service may contain advertising content and related data, which are received and stored by the software. The service is not available in all areas. Please consult the software information for instructions on accessing the service agreement. 9. RELATED MEDIA INFORMATION. If you request related media information as part of your playback experience, the data provided to you may not be in your local language. Some countries or regions have laws and regulations which may restrict or limit your ability to access certain types of content. 10. CONSENT TO UPDATE INFRARED EMITTER/RECEIVER. The software may contain technology to ensure the proper functioning of the infrared emitter/receiver device that ships with certain Media Center-based products. By accepting these license terms, you agree that the software may update the firmware of this device. 11. WORLDWIDE USE OF THE MEDIA CENTER. Media Center is not designed for use in every country. For example, although the Media Center information may refer to certain features such as an electronic programming guide or provide information on how to configure a TV tuner, these features may not work in your area. Please refer to the Media Center information for a list of features that may not work in your area. 12. NOTICE ABOUT THE MPEG-2 VISUAL STANDARD. This software includes MPEG-2 visual decoding technology. MPEG LA, L.L.C. requires this notice: USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN ANY MANNER THAT COMPLIES WITH THE MPEG 2 VISUAL STANDARD IS

PROHIBITED, EXCEPT FOR USE DIRECTLY RELATED TO (A) DATA OR INFORMATION (i) GENERATED BY AND OBTAINED WITHOUT CHARGE FROM A CONSUMER NOT THEREBY ENGAGED IN A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, AND (ii) FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY; AND (B) OTHER USES SPECIFICALLY AND SEPARATELY LICENSED BY MPEG LA, L.L.C. If you have questions about the MPEG-2 visual standard, please contact MPEG LA, L.L.C., 250 Steele Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80206; http://www.mpegla.com.
EULAID:VISTA_RM.0_CONSUMER_RTL_en-US

Windows Anytime Upgrade (WindowsAnytimeUpgrade.exe) is stored in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder. You can start an upgrade by selecting Windows Anytime Upgrade on the Start menu and then following the prompts. When the upgrade is complete, you can search for Whats New in Windows Help And Support to learn about additional features and enhancements that have been installed. You can access Windows Help And Support by clicking Start and then clicking Help And Support.
Getting Started with Windows Vista
From the moment you start Windows Vista, youll know its a different kind of operating system from its predecessors. During the installation of Windows Vista (described in the appendix), Setup prompts you to create a local machine account. This account is created as a computer administrator account. When the operating system starts, you can log on using the account and password you specified during setup.
Working with the Welcome Center
By default, the operating system displays the Welcome Center at startup. You can access the Welcome Center console, shown in Figure 1-1, from Control Panel.

Figure 1-1

The Welcome Center
The Welcome Center provides an overview of the system and quick access to perform tasks that help you get started using Windows Vista. To display all the available options, click Show All 12 Items. The available options include the following tasks:
Configure user accounts for each person who will log on locally to the computer. You can manage account settings and parental controls for accounts, as discussed in Chapter 9, Protecting User Accounts and Using Parental Controls. This option isnt available when you log on to a domain.

Add New Users

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Personalize Windows Control the appearance and sound effects used by Windows Vista. You can manage settings for the display, visual appearance, desktop background, screen saver, sound effects, mouse pointers, and themes. Set Up Devices Check for devices that Setup did not install as part of the upgrade or installation. If you elect to set up devices and new hardware is found, youll be guided through the process of installing the device. Windows Easy Transfer Run the Windows Easy Transfer Wizard, which can be used to transfer user accounts, files and folders, program settings, Internet settings (including favorites), and e-mail settings (including contacts and messages) from your old computer. For the transfer, you can use CDs, DVDs, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, or external hard drives, as well as network folders and a USB cable that connects to both computers. To transfer settings, the old computer must be running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista. View Your Computer Details Display the default view for the Welcome Center, which provides an overview of the system configuration. Use the More Details link to access the System console and view additional information about the computer.

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Figure 1-3

Changing the product key
Using Windows Vista in Workgroups and Domains
You can use Windows Vista in workgroup configurations and domain configurations. Workgroups are loose associations of computers in which each computer is managed separately. Domains are collections of computers that you can manage collectively by means of domain controllers, which are servers running Windows that manage access to the network, to the directory database, and to shared resources. Typically, home users will use Windows Vista in workgroup configurations and businesses will use Windows Vista in domain configurations. Although all versions can be used in workgroup configurations, you cannot use the home versions in domain configurations.
Understanding Log On, User Switching, Locking, and Log Off in Windows Vista
In a workgroup configuration, Windows Vista displays the Log On screen at startup. All standard user and administrator accounts that youve created on the computer are listed on the Log On screen. To log on, you click the account name. If the account is password protected, you must click the account name, type the account password, and then click the arrow button. In a domain configuration, Windows Vista displays a blank startup screen after initializing the operating system. You must press Ctrl+Alt+Del to display the Log On screen. By default, the last account to log on to the computer is listed in computer\username or domain\username format. To log on to this account, you type the account password and then click the arrow button. To log on to a different account, click the Switch User button, and then click Log On As
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Another User. Type the user name and password, and then click the arrow button. Keep the following in mind:
If the account is in the default domain, you dont have to specify the domain name. If the account is in another domain, you can specify the domain and the account name using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams. If you want to log on to the local machine, type.\username where username is the name of the local account, such as.\williams.
Both the workgroup and the domain configurations of Windows Vista allow fast user switching. You can easily change passwords, lock a computer, and log off as well.

Switching Users

You can switch users by following these steps: 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click the Switch User button.
In a workgroup configuration, the Log On screen is displayed as at startup. In a domain configuration, a screen appears with the message Press Ctrl+Alt+Del To Log On. To display the Log On screen, you must press Ctrl+Alt+Del again.

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From the experts

Security must be easy to be effective
User Account Control is as much about usability as it is about security. Unlike earlier versions of Windows, any user account can be used to run administrator programs. You dont need to know which programs require administrator permissions beforehand; you simply run the program and respond as appropriate if you are prompted. This makes it much easier to use a standard user account as your everyday user accountand it is why Microsoft recommends this as a best practice as well. Tony Northrup Author, MCSE, and MVPFor more information, see http://www.northrup.org.
Turning Off and Shutting Down Computers Running Windows Vista
When it comes to turning off and shutting down, Windows Vista isnt like earlier versions of Windows. In Windows Vista, turning off a computer and shutting down a computer are completely different operations. Turning off a computer doesnt power it down; only shutting down the computer powers it down completely.
Turning Off Computers: Whats Changed
By default, when you turn off a computer running Windows Vista, the computer enters the sleep state. When entering the sleep state, the operating system:
Automatically saves all work. Turns off the display. Puts the computer in sleep mode.
In sleep mode, the computers fan stops, the computers hard disks stop, and the computer enters a low-power consumption mode in which the state of the computer is maintained in the computers memory. The next time you turn on the computer, the computers state will be exactly as it was when you turned off the computer. Note
Because the operating system saves your work, you dont need to save documents and exit programs before turning off the computer. Because the computer is in a low-power consumption state, the computer uses very little energy. For mobile computers, the sleep state will use very little battery power. If, while in the sleep state, the mobile computers battery runs low on power, the state of the computer is saved to the hard disk and then the computer is shut down completelythis state is similar to the hibernate state used in Windows XP.
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You can turn off a computer and make it enter the sleep state by following these steps: 1. Click the Start button. 2. Click the Power button. To wake the computer from the sleep state, you can do either of the following:
Press the power button on the computers case. Press a key on the computers keyboard.
You can turn off and turn on mobile computers by closing or opening their lid. When you close the lid, the laptop enters the sleep state. When you open the lid, the laptop wakes up from the sleep state.

Using the Power Button: Whats Changed
Regardless of whether you are using a desktop computer or a mobile computer, the way the Power button works depends on the system hardware, the system state, and the system configuration:
If the computer hardware doesnt support the sleep state, the computer cant use the sleep state, and turning off the computer powers it down completely. If the computer has updates installed that require a restart or youve installed programs that require a restart, the computer cant use the sleep state, and turning off the computer powers it down completely. If you or an administrator has reconfigured the power options on the computer and set the Power button to the Shut Down action, the computer cant use the sleep state, and turning off the computer powers it down completely. See Chapter 7, Working with Laptops and Tablet PCs, for more details on configuring power options.
To help differentiate between turning off and shutting down a computer, Windows Vista displays two different views for the Power button:
An amber Power button, depicting a shield with a line through the top of it, indicates that the computer will turn off and enter the low-power sleep state. A red Power button, depicting a shield with a line through the middle of it, indicates that the computer will shut down and completely power off.
Because the computer is still drawing power in the sleep state, you should never install hardware inside the computer or connect devices to the computer when it is in the sleep state. The only exception is for external devices that use USB or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports. You can connect USB and FireWire devices without shutting down the computer.
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Shutting Down and Restarting Computers: Whats Changed
As mentioned earlier, turning off a computer running Windows Vista puts the computer in a low-power sleep state instead of completely powering down the computer. To completely power down the computer, you must shut it down. Shutting down the computer ensures that the power to the computer is turned off. Because of possible confusion regarding the sleep state and the power-down state, be sure to unplug a computer running Windows Vista before installing or connecting devices. To shut down a computer running Windows Vista, use one of the following techniques:
Click Start, click the Options button to the right of the Power and Lock buttons, and then click Shut Down. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The red (Shut Down) Power button should be displayed in the lower-right corner of the window. Click the Power button.

Allows you to search your entire computer for files, folders, or programs. To use the Search box, open the Start menu, type your search text, and then press Enter. The Clear button appears when you type your search text. Click the Clear button to clear the search results and return to the normal view.
Right pane Provides access to commonly used folders and features. The right pane also provides the Power button (puts the computer in sleep mode or shuts it down, depending on the system configuration), the Lock button (locks the computer), and the Options button (displays the following options: Switch User, Log Off, Lock, Shut Down, and Restart).

Figure 2-5

The Start menu
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Managing Programs List on the Start Menu
The left pane on the Start menu displays recently used programs and programs that have been pinned to the Start menu. By default, Internet Explorer and Windows Mail (previously called Outlook Express) are pinned to the Start menu, and up to eight recent programs are displayed as well. When you are working with the standard Start menu, you can modify the programs list in several ways. To modify the default settings, right-click the Start button, and then select Properties. In the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box, the Start Menu tab is selected by default. Click Customize, and then set the Number Of Recent Programs To Display option as appropriate. By configuring the Show On Start Menu options, you can stop displaying links for the Web browser and mail program or configure a different browser and mail program to which you want to link. Tip
If you want to provide quick access to programs, you can pin those programs to the Start menu. To do this, click the Start button, navigate to the program you want to be able to quickly access, and then right-click the program name. Select Pin To Start Menu to add the program to the Start Menu.
Using the Right Pane on the Start Menu
The right pane on the Start menu provides access to commonly used folders and features. The right pane also provides the Power button (puts the computer in sleep mode or shuts it down, depending on the system configuration), the Lock button (locks the computer), and the Options button (displays the following options: Switch User, Log Off, Lock, Restart, Sleep, and Shut Down). Important but subtle interface changes are reflected in the right pane of the Start menu. By default, Windows XP and Windows Vista store user documents in different ways:

Current user The name of the currently logged on user. Clicking this option opens the users personal folder in Windows Explorer. Documents
Opens the %UserProfile%\Documents folder in Windows Explorer.
Pictures Opens the %UserProfile%\Pictures folder in Windows Explorer.
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Opens the %UserProfile%\Music folder in Windows Explorer.
Games Opens the %ProgramFiles\Microsoft Games folder in Windows Explorer. The Games item is not listed in the Start menu for business editions of Windows Vista.
Tip In Windows Vista Home Premium, games available include Chess Titans, Hearts,
Minesweeper, Solitaire, FreeCell, Mahjong Titans, Purble Place, and Spider Solitaire. Windows Vista Home Basic has all the games except Chess Titans and Mahjong Titans. Saved data for games is stored in the %UserProfile%\Saved Games folder. Click the Options menu to configure the Set Up Game Updates And Options dialog box options to keep games up to date automatically, clear history details on the most recently played games, and unhide games. Group Policy can be used to control the availability of the Games option.
Search Opens a local computer search in Windows Explorer. Use the Search In list to select or specify an alternative search location. Recent Items Computer
A menu view that lists recently opened files.
Opens a window where you can access hard disk drives and devices with removable storage. Tip
The Computer window is the fastest way to open Windows Explorer and access a computers disks. In the Computer window, double-click a disk to browse its contents. By default, the Search box in Windows Explorer performs localized searches of the currently open folder and its subfolders.
Opens a window where you can access the computers and devices on your network. Also provides quick access to Network Center and the Connect To A Network wizard.

Network Connect To

Displays the Connect To A Network dialog box for connecting to wireless

networks.

Control Panel Opens Control Panel, which provides access to system configuration and management tools. Default Programs Displays the Default Programs window, which lets you choose the programs that Windows Vista uses by default for documents, pictures, and more. You can also associate file types with programs and configure AutoPlay settings. Help And Support Displays the Windows Help And Support console, which you can use to browse or search help topics.

Windows Collaboration

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Windows Defender Allows you to protect the computer from malicious software (also known as malware) by automatically blocking and locating spyware and other types of malicious programs. Windows Fax and Scan Allows you to manage incoming faxes and to send faxes. Faxes can be received and sent over TCP/IP as well. Windows Mail Allows you to send and manage e-mail. Windows Mail is the replacement for Outlook Express. Windows Media Player Windows Movie Maker
Allows you to play and manage music. Allows you to create and manage movies using still images and

videos.

Windows Photo Gallery Allows you to view and manage pictures and videos. You can organize your media using folders, create slideshows, and add tags for quick searching. Windows Update
Allows you to manage the Windows Update feature.
The folders on the All Programs menu also have changed. The top-level folders are:
All Programs, Accessories Includes the most commonly used accessories, including Calculator, Command Prompt, Connect To A Network Projector, Run, Sync Center, Windows Explorer, and Windows Sidebar.
Includes the accessibility tools, such as Magnifier, Narrator, On-Screen Keyboard, and Speech Recognition.
All Programs, Accessories, Ease Of Access All Programs, Accessories, System Tools Includes commonly used system tools, such as Backup, Disk Cleanup, System Restore, and Windows Easy Transfer. Windows Easy Transfer replaces the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard in Windows XP. This folder also includes Internet Explorer (No Add-ons), which is a version of Internet Explorer without browser extensions or other add-ons. All Programs, Games
Includes games that might be available, depending on the system

configuration.

All Programs, Maintenance Includes maintenance tools, such as Backup And Restore Center, Problem Reports And Solutions, and Windows Remote Assistance. All Programs, Startup
Lists programs that are set to start up automatically.
It might take you a while to get used to the changes to the All Programs menu. But once you get used to the changes, navigating the menus will seem like second nature.
Navigating Control Panel: Whats Changed
Clicking the Start button on the taskbar and then clicking Control Panel displays Control Panel. You can also display Control Panel in any Windows Explorer view by clicking the leftmost option button in the Address bar and then selecting Control Panel. As with

Malicious software programs exploit the system-level privileges provided to the local administrator. Not only does this allow malicious software to install itself, it also allows malicious software to damage files, change the system configuration, and steal your confidential data. Some organizations try to combat malicious software by locking down computers and requiring users to operate in standard user mode. While this can solve some problems with malicious software, it can also seriously affect productivity, as many applications designed for Windows XP will not function properly without local administrative rights. Why? Typically, Windows XP applications use local administrative rights to write to system locations during normal operations.
Through User Account Control, Windows Vista provides the architecture for running user accounts with standard user privileges while eliminating the need for using administrator privileges to perform common tasks. This fundamental shift in computing serves to better protect computers against malicious software while ensuring that users can perform their day-to-day tasks. User Account Control is an architecture that includes a set of infrastructure technologies. These technologies require all users to run applications and tasks with a standard user account, limiting administrator-level access to authorized processes. Because of UAC, computers can be locked down to prevent unauthorized applications from installing and to stop standard users from making inadvertent changes to system settings.
Defining the Standard User and Administrator User Modes
In Windows Vista, there are two levels of users:
Administrator users Administrator users run applications with an administrator account and are members of the local Administrators group. When an administrator user starts an application, her access token and its associated administrator privileges are applied to the application at run time. This means that an application started by a member of the local Administrators group runs with all the rights and privileges of a local administrator.

Figure 9-4

Accessing parental controls
Parental controls are configured using general settings for the computer as a whole as well as specific settings for individual users. General computer settings:
Control whether activity reports are active for specific users and how often you are reminded to read activity reports. Determine whether an icon is displayed in the system tray when parental controls are running. Determine the games rating system to use on the computer.
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Individual user settings:
Control allowed Web sites and allowed types of content. Set time limits for when the computer can be used. Determine the types of games that can be played according to rating, content, or title. Block specific programs by name.
Selecting a Games Rating System
Games rating systems, such as those used by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), are meant to help protect children and young adults from specific types of mature content in computer games and on the Internet. You can learn more about the available rating systems and configure a default rating system to use by following these steps: 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. In Control Panel, click Set Up Parental Controls under the User Accounts And Family Safety category heading. 3. In the left panel of the main Parental Controls page, click Select A Games Rating System. 4. As Figure 9-5 shows, you can now review the games rating systems available. The default rating system used might depend on the country or region settings for the computer.

Figure 9-5

Viewing and setting the games rating system to use
When you click one of the links provided, the home page for the designated organization appears in Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you have questions about a rating system, the organizations Web site can answer them.
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5. If you want to change the default rating system, click the rating system you want to use, and then click OK. Otherwise, click the Back button to go back to the Parental Controls page in Control Panel.
Configuring Notifications for Parental Controls
By default, when you configure parental controls, you are reminded weekly to read activity reports, and users subject to parental controls see an icon in the system tray when parental controls are running. If you want to change the way notification is handled, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. In Control Panel, click Set Up Parental Controls under the User Accounts And Family Safety category heading. 3. In the left panel of the main Parental Controls page, click Notifications. 4. As Figure 9-6 shows, you can now specify how often you would like to be reminded to read activity reports. You can specify that you want to be notified weekly, every two weeks, monthly, or never.

A symmetric NAT maps the internal (private) address and port number to different external (public) addresses and ports, depending on the external destination address. This new behavior allows an IPv6 feature called Teredo to act as the go-between for a larger set of Internet-connected host computers.
Symmetric network address translators (NATs)
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IP Security in IPv6 Windows Vista supports IP Security for IPv6 traffic in the same way it supports IPv4 traffic. As a result, IPv6 can use Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and data encryption in the same way as IPv4. This ensures IPv6 traffic can be as secured as IPv4 traffic. When you configure an IP filter as part of an IP filter list in the IP Security Policies snap-in, you can now specify IPv6 addresses and address prefixes in IP Address or Subnet when specifying a specific source or destination IP address. IPv6 over Point-to-Point Protocol (PPPv6) PPPv6 allows native IPv6 traffic to be sent over PPP-based connections. This means that remote access clients can connect with an IPv6-based Internet service provider (ISP) through dial-up or PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)based connections. Multicast Listener Discovery version 2 (MLDv2) IPv6 routers use MLDv2 to identify the presence of multicast listeners and to provide support for source-specific multicast traffic. MLDv2 is equivalent to Internet Group Management Protocol version 3 (IGMPv3) for IPv4. (Multicast listeners are nodes that are configured to receive multicast packets.) Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution (LLMNR) LLMNR allows IPv6 hosts on a single subnet without a DNS server to resolve each others names. This feature is useful for single-subnet home networks and ad hoc wireless networks. Random Interface IDs Random Interface IDs prevent address scanning of IPv6 addresses based on the known company IDs of network adapter manufacturers. By default, Windows Vista generates Random Interface IDs for nontemporary autoconfigured IPv6 addresses, including public and local link addresses. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) Windows Vista includes a DHCPv6-capable DHCP client. This client can use stateful address autoconfiguration with a DHCPv6 server. Or, the client can use stateless address autoconfiguration when a DHCPv6 server is not present.
Configuring IPv4 and IPv6 settings
In Windows Vista, you can manually configure both IPv4 and IPv6 settings through a set of dialog boxes accessible from the Network Connections console. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. In Control Panel, under the Network And Internet heading, click View Network Status And Tasks. In the left pane in Network Center, click Manage Network Connections. Right-click a connection and then select Properties. In the connections Properties dialog box, double-click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) or Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) as appropriate. You configure IPv4 settings through the Properties dialog box of the Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) component and through commands in the Netsh Interface IPv4 context. You can disable IPv4 for connections by clearing the check box next to the Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) component from the properties of a connection.

Status Network Details Provides details about the network to which the computer is currently connected. These details include the connections being used and whether the network has Internet access. Using the links provided, you can manage the connections in use and the networks to which those connections are linked, as described in the Viewing and Managing Your Networks section later in this chapter. General Provides a summary of the computers firewall, detection, and sharing set-
tings. Depending on the configuration, several options are provided, including Block, Allow, and View Sharing Settings. Youll learn how to manage general settings in the next section, Managing General Networking Settings. The sections that follow discuss using Network Center to manage settings, diagnose and repair connectivity issues, and manage your network status.
Managing General Networking Settings
In Network Center, the settings in the General panel allow you to block or allow connections to your computer. If you click Block, the computers firewall blocks all access to the network. While access is blocked, you will be unable to access other computers on the network or on the Internet, and other computers will be unable to access your computer. To unblock the computer, you need to click Allow. Clicking Allow sets the computers firewall to its normal configuration. In this configuration, you can access other computers on the network or on the Internet, and other computers can access your computer, if allowed by the firewall configuration. Tip
To configure Windows Firewall from Network Center, click View Sharing Settings. This link opens the Windows Firewall dialog box, which you can use to manage the Windows Firewall configuration.
Diagnosing and Resolving Network Connectivity Issues
When you are disconnected from a network, Network Center displays a modified view, as shown in Figure 12-2. Based on this view of your network configuration, you know at a glance that you are not connected to a network or the Internet.
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Figure 12-2

Network Center shows that you are not connected to a network or the Internet.
To resolve this problem, you should check the network cable that connects to your computer as well as any wireless adapters. If your network cable or wireless adapters are properly connected, you can click Diagnose Internet Connection in the left pane to start the new Windows Networks Diagnostics Tool. This tool uses the Network Diagnostics Framework to help you recover from and troubleshoot problems with network connections. The Windows Networks Diagnostics Tool offers step-by-step advice on resolving your network connectivity problem. For example, in Figure 12-3, the tool advises that you should connect a network cable to the computers network adapter. When you plug in the cable and then click the diagnostics box, the tool will validate the repair. If a problem is detected, the tool continues troubleshooting the connection. Otherwise, youll see a prompt confirming that the problem has been repaired.

Disconnect Allows you to disconnect a wireless connection from a network. This button is available only when you are using a wireless connection. Properties Diagnose
Displays the connections Status dialog box, which you use to get details about the TCP/IP configuration and to manage the TCP/IP configuration. Starts the Windows Networks Diagnostics Tool for troubleshooting.
9. Click OK to close the Status dialog box.

Using Network List

Network List displays a list of all the networks youve accessed from the computer. Managed and unmanaged networks are listed separately, as shown in Figure 12-6. You can access Network List by following these steps: 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. In Control Panel, under the Network And Internet heading, click View Network Status And Tasks. 3. In Network Center, click Network List under See Also in the left pane.
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Figure 12-6

Network List has several different views. You can access these views by clicking the Views button and then selecting the desired view. The view youll use most often is the Details view. Using the Details view of the Network List, you can quickly determine the following information:

Name Status

The name of the profile associated with the network.
The status of your connection to the network as either connected (and active) or disconnected (and inactive).
Last Connected The data and time you last connected to the network. Type The type of network, such as managed or unmanaged.
The Network List toolbar allows you to work with networks in several different ways. The option buttons are used as follows:
Reorder Wireless Networks Click Reorder Wireless Networks to set the preference order for using wireless networks. To change the order, drag a network entry up or down the list. You can also add or remote network profiles. View Status And Properties Click View Status And Properties to display a Status dialog box for a selected network. As discussed in the Viewing and Managing Your Networks section of this chapter, you can then manage the networks profile name and connection configuration. Remove Network Click Remove Network to remove and delete the profile associated with the network. When prompted, confirm that you want to delete this information by clicking OK.
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You can return to Network Center by clicking the Network Center button on the toolbar. Right-clicking a network entry displays a shortcut menu with Properties, Delete, and Rename options.

Using Network Map

Network Map uses the neighbor detection functionality built into the Next Generation TCP/IP stack to display an expanded view of your network. As Figure 12-7 shows, the expanded Network Map view includes your computer, the computers near your computer, and the devices near your computer. You can access Network Map by following these steps: 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. In Control Panel, under the Network And Internet heading, click View Network Status And Tasks. 3. In Network Center, under Network Map, click View Full Map.

While they may require a password to establish a connection, they typically transmit all data without encryption or protection.
Hidden wireless networks do not advertise their network names and can be either secured or unsecured. You can connect to a hidden network only if you know its network name.

Hidden

Windows Vista works with hidden and unsecured networks in different ways than earlier versions of Windows. Because of the many changes, keep the following information in mind:
Wireless access points used by hidden wireless networks can be configured to use nonbroadcast Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs). In this configuration, the wireless access points either do not send Beacon frames, which announce their network names, or they send Beacon frames with an SSID set to NULL. Although earlier versions of Windows do not allow you to mark a preferred wireless network as hidden, Windows Vista allows you to indicate that a preferred wireless network is hidden by configuring it as a nonbroadcast network. Wireless access points used by unsecured networks are at high risk of being compromised. To help improve awareness about unsecured networks, Windows Vista displays a prompt when you connect to an unsecured wireless network and allows you to confirm or cancel the connection attempt.
When connecting to wireless networks, if preferred wireless networks are not found or if connections to detected preferred wireless networks are not successful, the wireless client in earlier versions of Windows prompts you to connect to any detected wireless network. Wireless clients running earlier versions of Windows cannot be configured to prompt you to connect only to specific wireless networks or to never prompt you to connect to specific wireless networks.
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Group Policy settings in Windows Vista allow administrators to configure lists of allowed and denied wireless network names. With an allow list, administrators can specify by name the set of wireless networks to which wireless clients are allowed to connect, thereby limiting wireless connections to a specific set of wireless networks. With a deny list, administrators can specify by name the set of wireless networks to which wireless clients are not allowed to connect and in this way prevent connections to known unsecured wireless networks as well as to any other wireless networks that might be available but should not be used.