What's new in Windows Vista Home Basic
In this articleExplore new features for searching, staying connected, networking, syncing devices, and managing files on your computer. Find things fast and focus on what matters to you.
Searching and organizing
In
every folder in Windows, the Search box appears in the upper right corner. When you type in the Search box, Windows filters the view based on what you’re typing. Windows looks for words in the file name, tags that you’ve applied to the file, or other file properties. To find a file in a folder, type any part of a file name in the Search box to find what you're looking for. You can also use Search folders when you don’t know where a file is located or when you want to do an advanced search using more than just a single file name or property.
Sync and sharing
Sync with other devices such as portable music players and Windows Mobile devices. With Sync Center, you can keep devices in sync, manage how your devices sync, start a manual sync, see the status of current sync activities, and check for conflicts.
You can also share files and folders with people on your network, even if they use a computer that's not running Windows. When you share files and folders, other people can open and view the files and folders just as if they were stored on their own computer. And they can make changes, if you allow that.
Security
Features such as Windows Firewall and Windows Defender can help keep your computer more secure. Windows Security Center has links for checking your computer's firewall, antivirus software, and update status. User Account Control (UAC) can help prevent unauthorized changes to your computer by requiring permission before performing actions that could potentially affect your computer's operation or that change settings that affect other users.
Internet Explorer
Web feeds, tabbed browsing, and always-available search are just a few of the new features available in Internet Explorer.
Web feeds provide frequently updated content published by a website that you can subscribe to for automatic delivery to your web browser. With a feed, you can get content such as breaking news or updates to a blog without having to go to the website.
Tabbed browsing allows you to open multiple websites in a single browser window. You can open webpages or links on new tabs, and then switch among them by clicking the tabs.
Pictures
The Pictures folder and Windows Photo Gallery make it easy to view, organize, edit, share, and print digital pictures.
When you plug your digital camera into your computer you can automatically transfer your photos to the Pictures folder. From there, you can use Windows Photo Gallery to crop photos, remove red eye, and make color and exposure corrections.
| • | Open Windows Photo Gallery by clicking the Start button  , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Photo Gallery. |
| • | Working with digital pictures |
Parental Controls
If your computer is connected to a domain, Parental Controls are not available.
Parental Controls makes it easy for parents to designate which games their children are allowed to play. Parents can allow or restrict specific game titles, limit their children's play to games that are rated at or below a certain age level, or block games with certain types of content that they don't want their children to see or hear.
Windows Easy Transfer
Windows Easy Transfer is the best way to transfer your files and settings from your old computer. You can do this using an Easy Transfer Cable, CDs or DVDs, a USB flash drive, a network folder, or an external hard disk. You can transfer: user accounts, files and folders, program settings, Internet settings and favorites, e-mail settings, contacts, and messages.
| • | Open Windows Easy Transfer by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Windows Easy Transfer. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. |
| • | Transferring files and settings: frequently asked questions |
Networking
Use the Network File and Sharing Center to get real-time network status and links to customized activities. Set up a more secure wireless network, connect more securely to public networks in hotspots, and help monitor your network security. Access files and shared network devices, such as printers, more easily and use interactive diagnostics to identify and fix network problems.
| • | Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Network and Internet, and then clicking Network and Sharing Center. |
Ease of Access Center
The new Ease of Access Center replaces Accessibility Options in earlier versions of Windows. The Ease of Access Center comes with several improvements and new features, including centralized access to accessibility settings and a new questionnaire that you can use to get suggestions for accessibility features that you might find useful.
Firewall
Software or hardware that can help protect a computer from hackers or malicious software. A firewall helps prevent malicious software (such as worms) from gaining access to a computer through a network or over the Internet, and helps prevent a computer from sending malicious software to other computers.
USB flash drive
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USB flash drive
A small device used to store information. USB flash drives plug into computer USB ports so you can copy information to or from them, making it easy to share and transport information.
Sync
The process of reconciling the differences between a file stored in one location and a copy of the same file stored in another location.
Hotspot
A public place (such as a coffee shop, airport, or hotel) with a wireless network that you can use to connect to the Internet.
Device
Any piece of equipment that can be attached to a network or computer, for example, printers, keyboards, external disk drives, or other peripheral equipment. These devices require special software (device drivers) to work with Windows.
Update
Additions to software that can prevent or fix problems, enhance the security of a computer, or improve a computer's performance.
Help and How-to
