Windows Vista

1
Windows Vista

• A Whistle-Stop Tour for ITSS
• Wednesday 8th November 2006
• Tony Brett
• Head of IT Support Staff Services
• Oxford University Computing Services

2
Disclaimer and Warning

• Opinions are my own and not necessarily those of
  OUCS or the University of Oxford
• I am in no way endorsing this or any other
  product in this presentation
• You must interpret my comments yourself
• DO NOT USE A RELEASE CANDIDATE IN A PRODUCTION
  ENVIRONMENT!

3
Agenda

• Product Lineup
• System requirements
• Installation
• Networking
• Wired, Wireless, File sharing, VPN
• Printing
• Software
• IE7
• Anti-virus
• HFS
• Major changes
• Activation and licensing (Bridget Lewis)

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Product Lineup - Versions

• Vista Business
• Vista Enterprise
• more security and hardware encryption
• UNIX subsystem for UNIX apps (SUA)
• Vista Home Basic
• Doesnt include Aero
• Less searching
• No DVD burning
• No Tablet Support
• Vista Home Premium
• Vista Ultimate
• Has everything in all the others
• Top of the range
• All available in 32- or 64-bit editions

http//www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/edi
tions/default.mspx
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System Requirements

• Basic
• Modern 800MHz processor
• 512MB RAM
• DirectX 9 Graphics
• Premium ready
• 1 GHz x86 or x64 processor
• 1GB RAM
• DirectX 9, WDDM, 128 MB graphics RAM, Pixel
  Shader 2.0, 32 bits per pixel
• DVD-ROM
• Audio
• Internet Access

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Installation

• http//www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/
• Using RC1
• Register to download and receive licence key
• Burn DVD from Microsoft ISO file
• Dell Laptop
• I used Celeron 2.2GHz, 768MB RAM
• Display driver installed without intervention
  once encouraged
• Also used new HP machine meeting Premium Ready
  spec.
• 3.2GHz Pentium Core Duo. 1GB RAM
• All installed automatically
• Install used about 7GB on machines I used
• Note Startup Repair Tool

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Windows Update

• Updates available for RC1!
• Now part of Control Panel

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User Account Control

• Provides some security when making system changes
• Eg installing/uninstalling software
• Asks non-admins for Administrator Password
• Beware Administrator Password not set on
  initial install

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Networking

• Network and Sharing Center (sic)

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Wired networking

• From network and sharing center
• Choose manage network connections
• Right-click items for properties

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Wireless Networking

• Also from network and sharing center

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Wireless Networking

• How to connect
• Vista has drivers for USB and PCMCIA Adapters
  from OUCS shop

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File Sharing

• Similar to XP Pro
• Changed Use simple file sharing

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VPN

• Latest version is 4.8.01.0300 for XP and below
  (not 98).
• But it does not work with Vista
• 4.8.01.0590-k9-BETA
• provided as-is and unsupported for testing on
  Vista RCs
• recommended that this client only be used for
  testing purposes in a lab environment
• Known Issues
• unable to enable logging subsystem when firewall
  is enabled
• VPN Client does not support Start Before Logon
• unable to install client under uac in vista 5384.
  (Workaround Run setup from vpnclient_setup.exe)
• UN-Install warns that VPN Service still running
• Logging windows does not display log until the
  log file is touched.

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Printing

• Via Connect to or Control Panel

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Printing

• But of course we treat TCP/IP printers using LPR
  as local printers, just like in XP
• Vista has lots of drivers built-in
• HP Universal Printing Driver appears not to work
  at the moment
• Crashes Explorer
• Standard HP drivers seem OK
• Not HP Printing System though

17
Software

• IE7 comes as standard
• Note no support from Oracle yet
• For OSS and Financials
• Firefox 2.0 appears to be OK
• No TSM backup client support yet
• There is a beta client scheduled for November
• OUCS will test it
• Client is scheduled GA for end of January 2007.
• Only some AV products currently available for
  Vista
• http//go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId69433
• Microsoft is offering Windows Live OneCare
• There are others including F-Secure and AVG

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Sophos

• Will provide support for Vista with Sophos
  Anti-Virus v 6.5.
• When released, Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows
  2000/XP/2003/Vista, version 6.5, will be updated
  automatically from the current version 6.0.x. No
  action needed.
• Plan is to release Sophos Anti-Virus, version 6.5
  within a couple of weeks of the official release
  of Vista, which Microsoft plan for November 2006.
  The Vista release date may change, subject to
  code changes and extensions made by Microsoft.
• Support for Vista planned in the next major
  versions of Enterprise Console, Sophos Control
  Center and Sophos Client Firewall.
• No support for Vista in the current versions of
  Enterprise Console, Sophos Control Center and
  Sophos Client Firewall on Vista.

http//www.sophos.com/support/knowledgebase/articl
e/6071.html
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Major Changes

• Taskbar /Start Menu
• No huge changes but look and feel a bit different
• Similar customisations
• Adds window previews
• Run has moved into accessories

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Parental Controls

• Control of
• Websites
• Use times
• Game ratings
• Specific Programs

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Computer Management

• Much richer tools
• Especially disk management and event viewer

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Windows Aero

• 3D effects
• Transparent Windows
• Easy Windows key Tab app switching
• Requires a reasonable spec machine
• Spec measured by Windows Experience Index
• Our PC Scores 3

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Programs and Features

• Replaces Add/Remove Programs
• Allows viewing of updates
• Access to digital locker and Marketplace
• Control Windows features

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Windows Mail

• Direct descendant of Outlook Express 6
• Reads NNTP news
• Good junk mail features
• Protects from Phishing
• Windows Calendar

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Default Programs

• Allows modifications to
• File associations, Autoplay, Default Programs

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Windows Sidebar

• This is similar to Mac OS X Dashboard
• Gadgets rather than Widgets
• Good for watching RSS feeds
• Many widgets available

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Windows Explorer

• Looks more like OS X
• File overwrite now offers to rename

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Snipping Tool

• Alt-PrintScreen on Acid!
• Allows Screen, Window, Rectangle or Freeform
  image-grabbing

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Sync Center

• No time to play with this yet anyone?

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Licensing and Activation

• Over to Bridget