Windows Vista Community: Columns

Columns

Get how-to advice about Windows Vista from Microsoft and community experts. Check back regularly for the latest content.

Featured columns

House hunting while 10,000 miles apart

Columnist Dan Blacharski gives you an inside look at how he and his wife successfully used Windows Live Messenger in a cross-continent house hunt.

Set up a dual-boot system

The authors of Windows Vista Inside Out explain how to install a clean copy of Windows Vista without disturbing an existing Windows installation.

Manage services in Windows Vista

The authors of Windows Vista Inside Out explain how to configure services to your advantage.

Metal, magic, and mayhem

What happens when you mix magic spells with high-tech weaponry? Columnist Mark H. Walker finds out in Shadowrun, a game that lets PC and Xbox 360 gamers play head to head.

Sell your stuff online

Have you thought about selling your stuff online, but aren't sure how or where to do so? Microsoft columnist Gloria Boyer describes what it takes to post an online ad.

Previous columns

General information

Discover your roots
Want to learn more about your family's history? Use the web to research your family tree.
Ace your intervew
Using online job-search resources to stand out from the crowd
Comparing Windows Vista editions
Which one's right for you?
Go back to Windows XP? No way!
Seven-and-a-half things I love about Windows Vista
Help that really helps
Find your answers in Windows Vista
Introducing Windows Home Server
How to back up, sync, share, play, and remotely access everything
The next best thing to being there
Setting up a home office
Windows on the go
Windows Vista improves productivity, power management for mobile PC users

Files and folders

Searching in Windows Vista, Part 1
No more random browsing—searching your folders just got a whole lot easier
Searching in Windows Vista, Part 2
Find stuff as fast as you can type
Set your mind at ease
Back up your files now

Games

How I saved the world
A Halo adventure starring me (aka Master Chief) and Windows Vista

Hardware and drivers

Finding drivers
What to do when your hardware won't work with Windows Vista
Flat panels galore
What kind of LCD monitor should I buy?
Room to grow
Get more space by using external hard drives
Quest for the perfect score
Reach for the top of the Windows Experience Index
The hunt for drivers
How to find Windows Vista drivers for all your hardware
This old PC
Windows Vista is here. Is it time to upgrade your hardware?
Windows Experience Index
Understand and improve your computer's performance in Windows Vista

Internet

Better browsing
Internet Explorer 7 offers improved security and productivity
Don't take the bait!
Internet Explorer 7 tools help you recognize phishing scams
Keeping tabs on my teens
Finding peace of mind with parental control software
Kids online
A parent's guide to monitoring computer use
Hey, where'd my Favorites button go?
Getting to know the new look of Internet Explorer 7
Supercharge your browser
5 great add-ons for Internet Explorer
Staying safer online
Using Windows Vista and Windows Live OneCare can help protect your family and your computer
Will the real website owner please stand up?
How EV certificates reveal who is really behind a website

Music and sounds

All-you-can-eat music
Download all the music you want for the price of a single CD
Create your own podcast
What you need to know to be a podcaster
DJ for a day
Mixing music using Windows Media Player
The digital record bin
Consolidate your music with Windows Media Player
Trapped on tape
Transferring audio from cassettes to your computer

Networking

Ad hoc networking
How the network with the funny name can make your life easier
Introducing Windows Home Server
How to back up, sync, share, play, and remotely access everything

Pictures and video

Convert your old photos to digital pictures
Using a scanner to archive your memories digitally
From PC to TV
Stream digital media to any room with Windows Media Center and an Xbox 360
From PC to TV, Part 2
Stream home movies to any room with Windows Media Player and an Xbox 360
Online fun in Windows Media Center—Movies
Watch blockbusters and classics on demand
Online fun in Windows Media Center—Sports
Get the latest scores, stories, and stats
Online fun in Windows Media Center—TV and news
See cool shows, concerts, news clips, and more
Seeing is believing
Use a webcam to bring your instant messaging to life
That's the ticket, Part 1
Build a home theater on the cheap with Windows Media Center
The digital fridge
New ways to show off your kid's schoolwork
Toss out those VHS tapes
Save your home videos to DVD
Your band on the web
How to make a music video and share it with the world

Programs

Better together
Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system

Find your match
Learn which programs are compatible with Windows Vista

Security

Don't take the bait!
Internet Explorer 7 tools help you recognize phishing scams
Keeping tabs on my teens
Finding peace of mind with parental control software
Kids online
A parent's guide to monitoring computer use
Staying safer online
Using Windows Vista and Windows Live OneCare can help protect your family and your computer
Your permission, please
Understanding User Account Control in Windows Vista
Will the real website owner please stand up?
How EV certificates reveal who is really behind a website

Setup and maintenance

Get maximum performance from Windows Vista
Monitor and improve your PC's performance
No need to translate
Changing the display language in Windows Vista
Set your mind at ease
Back up your files now
Turn back time on your PC
Undo system changes with System Restore
What's up with upgrading?
Discover Windows Anytime Upgrade—the new way to upgrade Windows Vista