Q: I've got an older Canon printer. The Canon folks say that they will not create a special Vista driver for this printer. So, what are my chances that this printer will work in Vista?

A: The best thing to do is run the Upgrade Advisor to be sure that it will run in Vista. Click the link below:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx 

For additional help finding and how to download drivers, check out this article "Finding Drivers For Windows Vista":

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Rumor has it (don't hold me to it) that it will be released at the end of the year after Windows Server 2008 is released.

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Q: I would like to know if it is possible to load Vista on to a removable drive and boot from there?

A: No. This is not a supported function. If you were able to do that, you might be able to boot to a different system. Microsoft only allows Vista to be installed on one machine per license.

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The Microsoft Update Catalog was developed for corporate networks where finding software updates, updated drivers and hotfixes can be found in one convenient location. For non-corporate scenarios it is recommended that users update their computers via Automatic Update or by using the Microsoft Update website.

The Update Catalog can be located here:

Microsoft Update Catalog beta

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Yes, Office 2003 will work fine with Vista. In fact, here is a list of Office products that are supported under Vista:

• Office 2000

• Office XP

• Office 2003

• Office 2007

Microsoft no longer offer fixes for Office 2000 and Office XP issues that occur under Windows Vista. Office 2007 is the most current Office product and was designed to run under the Vista platform.

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Q: I currently am running Vista Home Premium in the Spanish version. I would like to change the language to English. Can this be done?

A: No. Sorry. Care must be taken when purchasing Vista in any certain language when purchasing any Vista version other than Ultimate or Enterprise. In these two versions you are allowed to download the language packs for free. In your case, you will need to either live with the Spanish language version of Premium or you will be faced with purchasing the full version of Premium in the English language and then performing a Clean Installation.

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Here is a link just for this purpose:

Windows Vista Feedback

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Q: I just recently purchased a computer with Vista Ultimate installed on it. I use older programs on a Windows 2000 system that I cannot get to work on the Vista machine so I thought it would be best to see if I can share the monitor, keyboard and mouse between the Windows 2000 and Vista machines. Can you tell me how to go about doing this?

A: Sure, all you need is a KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switch. You can pick one up at your local Circuit City or Best Buy. Be sure that you get a switch with the proper inputs for your keyboard and mouse connection (USB or PS2). Also, make sure that you get a switch with enough bandwidth for your monitor. A cheap switch probably won't be able to handle the kind of data stream that a high resolution monitor would require.

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Q: I have Vista Ultimate installed on my tablet PC. I am used to my drop down menus opening on the right side and I think once I applied the last update to my PC they started opening to the left. This makes it more difficult to navigate as I have to move my cursor much farther. Is there a way that I can get my drop down menus to open normally on the right?

A: Yes, here's how:

1. Open your Control Panel

2. Select Tablet PC Settings

3. Under the "Handedness" category, select the appropriate entry by clicking inside the radio button.

4. Once you've made your selection, click OK.

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When in Sleep Mode, Vista only uses approximately one to two percent of the laptops battery power per hour. If the laptop sleeps for an extended period (which is determined by your sleep and hibernate settings), Vista saves any open documents to include any program information that was in use to your hard disk and will shut the system down.

By default, once the lid is closed on a laptop, the computer goes in to Sleep Mode. This setting can be changed from sleep mode to hibernate mode, completely shut down or do nothing at all.

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As an added security feature in Vista, trying to edit administrative and system files within Notepad with produce an access denied error message. In order to successfully edit these files, you will need to open Notepad administrator. Here's how:

1. Go to Start

2. In the Search box, type: Notepad

3. Right click Notepad

4. Select "Run As Administrator"

Once you have opened Notepad as Administrator, you can successfully edit system and administrative files.

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Q: I have been playing around with a few of my fonts in Windows Vista and have lost a few of them by accident. How can I restore the original fonts?

A: You will need to run the system file checker. It will scan all of your files and repair what has been displaced. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Programs>> Accessories>> Run.

2. With the run command window open, type in: sfc /scannow

3. Press Enter

4. The System File Checker will begin. Once completed, restart your computer. You should now have all of your fonts restored.

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Q: When I was performing a disk cleanup on my Vista Premium addition I accidentally deleted the hibernation files. Now, when I close the lid on my laptop, it seemingly goes in to hibernation mode, but when I open it back up, all I get is the dreaded blue screen of death! How can I restore these files so that my computer will hibernate correctly?

A: Follow these simple instructions:

1. Go to Start>> Programs>> Accessories.

2. Right click the Command Prompt.

3. Select Run as administrator from the resulting menu.

4. Type the following command in to the command prompt and then press Enter on your keyboard:
   
   powercfg -h on

This will restore your hibernation files and allow your computer to hibernate correctly again.

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Q: If I set a folder to remember a certain setting, after the next reboot it reverts back to its original setting. How can I get Vista to remember the setting that I choose?

A: Yes, this is a common bug in Vista. I'm hoping that there will be information providing a fix for this in the coming months. I feel your pain. Once there is a fix available for this, I will post it right here.

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Q: I have been trying to edit my HOSTS file to stop certain advertisements from showing, however, when I try to save it, I receive a message that states I do not have permission to edit this file. I am the administrator, so how can I successfully edit this file in Windows Vista?

A: You will have to run the text editor (NOTEPAD) as administrator. Simply right click the program and select "Run as administrator" from the resulting menu. Now you can edit the HOSTS file.

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Q: I was able to double click a file and use Vista's built in tool to work with these files. This feature is no longer functioning. Is there a way that I can fix this?

A: Yes, just follow the instructions outlined below to restore the Zip function.

1. Click the "Download Now" button to download the Zip Fix file.

2. Download the file to your desktop.

3. Right click the file and select Merge from the resulting menu.

Note: You may need Administrator privileges to execute this fix.

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I have successfully installed Windows Vista Ultimate to my system and would like to delete the Windows.old files so that I can regain that disk space. How is this done?

A: You can delete this folder by using the Disk Cleanup Tool, here's how:

1. Go to Start.

2. Type the following in the Search box, then press Enter: disk cleanup

3. Click to open the Disk Cleanup tool.

4. Click Continue when you receive a UAC (user account control) dialog box.

5. Place a checkmark in the checkbox titled: Previous Windows Installation(s).

6. Click OK.

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Q: Can you tell me where I can find the Boot.ini file in Vista?

A: Vista doesn't have a Boot.ini file as XP did. Vista uses a command-line tool called BCDEdit (Boot Configuration Data). The easiest way to edit the BCD is to use a third party tool. The most commonly used tool I've seen is Vista Boot Pro.

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Yes. Just like with Windows XP, all you have to do is highlight a group of files. Right click and select "Send To", then click "compressed (zipped) folder". Name the folder what ever you would like.

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Q: I am trying to search for files of a specific type such as; how can I find files with the extension .wav only? Or, if I wanted to see all of my music files 'except' files with the .wav extension?

A: You can use 'wildcard' searches to accomplish this. As an example:

Go to Start. In the Search field, type in:

*.wav

You will now see a listing of all file names ending with the .wav extension. If you would like to see all of your other music files except the .wav files, select the "Music" category and then type in the "Show Only" field:

NOT *.wav

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Q: I'm trying to compress files using the right click menu, but I do not find it listed in the menu. How can I add it there?

A: Try this:

1. Navigate to the following:
   
   C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
    

2. Then, copy the file "Compressed (zipped) Folder".

3. Paste the file into the "SendTo" folder located here:
   
   C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

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Encryption is defined as:

A method of enhancing the security of data contained in a message or file. This strong level of security is done by scrambling or coding the contents where it can only be read by someone who has the proper encryption key to unscramble the data.

In Windows Vista, EFS is a built-in feature that allows you to store the data on your hard drive in an encrypted format. Each Windows Vista installation carries its own encryption key unique to that installation.

The one drawback of this I have heard is that if you ever need to perform a repair installation of Windows, any encrypted data that was on your system before the repair installation is now going to be lost forever because you will now have a different encryption key unique to the new installation. So be sure to return all encrypted data back to its original state before you perform a repair installation of Windows.

The key features of EFS are:

• Easily encrypt data using the check boxes in the files or folders Properties.

• Once the file is closed it is automatically encrypted.

• Uncheck the boxes in the files or folders Properties to return your data to its original state.

• Control who you would like to be able to read the encrypted data.

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Q: When I place an item in to the recycle bin and delete it, the recycle bin still shows it has items in it. How can I get my recycle bin to show it is empty?

A: Others have experienced this same behavior in the recycle bin. Many have been able to clear this problem by simply creating a blank file using Notepad. Save it to your desktop and then delete it. Now, try deleting the file from the recycle bin. If this doesn't work, try using system restore to restore your computer to a point where you did not notice this issue.

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The Favorites folder is located by default in: C:\Users\UserName\Favorites

This assumes that C: is where your Vista operating system is located. Also, substitute "UserName" with your actual user name.

A second method of finding your Favorites folder is:

1. Go to Start

2. In the Search field, type in: shell:favorites

3. Press Enter on your keyboard

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Q: I am in charge of the IT operations for my company now using Vista Business. I have found out that Vista Business does not offer BitLocker. Is there a 3rd party software that I can use with Vista Business to encrypt the users data?

A: Correct. BitLocker is only offered to Vista Ultimate and Enterprise version having the volume license. A third party software that is widely used is TrueCrypt. I have provided the link to their web site below:

http://www.truecrypt.org/

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Q: All of the sudden I am seeing Icons titles "Desktop ini" on my desktop. I don't know where these came from. Is it safe to delete them?

A: These folders contain customization information. If you were to delete them, they would be recreated with the default information, so you would lose any special functions or customizations that you've applied. These are system files and not meant to be seen. You must have made a change to show all system files. To hide them again follow the instructions below:

1. Go to Start

2. Select Control Panel

3. Select Folder Options

4. Select View

5. Place a checkmark in the checkbox titled: Hide protected operating system files

6. Apply the change and click OK to exit the window

The Desktop.ini folder will now disappear from your desktop. You may have to refresh your desktop by single left clicking an empty area and then press F5 on your keyboard.

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Q: In Windows XP, I was able to configure it to show the total file/folder size at the bottom of a window. I can't seem to figure out how to configure Vista to display the same. Is there a way to do this?

A: Not to my knowledge. But, you can simply right click a file or folder and select Properties. This will show you the file size and more.

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Q: I'm trying to delete a file in my Program files but it says that I do not have permission. I am the only user on my system and am logged in to my Administrator account. How can I give myself permissions to delete certain files?

A: First of all, check to make sure that the file is currently not in use. If it is, you will need to exit the file before Windows will allow you to delete it. You can easily check this in the Task manager (CTRL + ALT + DELETE). If you find it is in use, click to highlight the file and then click End Task.

For instructions on how you can take ownership of files and folders in Vista so that they can be successfully deleted, please refer to our tip below:

Take Ownership of Vista System Files

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