Tips

Sometimes when you install third party software, it may overwrite important operating system files. This can cause instability - or worse. Windows XP includes a command line tool that you can use if you think this may have happened (for example, if you get a message box warning that there is a problem with a .dll or the system just seems unstable). Here's how to use it:

1. Click Start | Run.
2. In the Run box, type: sfc /scannow Windows will scan all protected Windows files to verify that they are intact and in their original versions. If they're not, corrupt, missing or incorrect files are replaced. You may be prompted to insert your Windows XP installation CD if your Dllcache folder (where Windows keeps a copy of essential system files) has become corrupt or has been deleted.
   
   

vista tips

Microsoft Windows Vista is a major upgrade to the Windows operating system and is both an evolutionary and revolutionary step forward in the progression of the Windows platform. Vista achieves greater levels of security, reliability, and performance than any previous Windows Operating system.

The most visible change in Vista is its new graphical user interface (GUI). Windows Vista's new GUI allows for seamless integration of 2D and 3D vector graphics, images, animations, and video while maintaining the snappy performance Windows users expect. On systems that have older or integrated graphics, Windows Vista will scale back to graphical levels comparable to that experienced on Windows XP or Windows 2000 while maintaining glitch-free performance.

Windows Vista offers many other enhancements and conveniences. New visualization, organization, and search technologies let users view documents without first opening an associated application, organize information in a way that makes the most sense to them, and quickly find the information they need. Spellchecking and enhanced speech recognition are integral parts of the user interface. Real-time communications services like conferencing, application sharing, peer-to-peer, and remote desktop have been enhanced to make it easier to connect to your computer or to friends' computers remotely and have a richer experience doing so.