Windows XP vs Windows Vista
(Differences and Similarities pertaining to what is handled in the tech center)

Differences:

· The "Add and Remove Programs" in XP is now called "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel of Vista.

· System Restore is now called Backup and Restore Center and is found in the start menu under 'All Programs'> 'Maintenance'

· The 'Windows Defender' Anti-spyware software is built into Vista. Every user should now have the capability to run a spyware scan.

· There are no longer any identities in the 'Windows Mail' program. This program is like a hybrid between Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. The wizard to set up an account is just like it is in OE, but it has a calendar feature and a few other tools that were previously available in Outlook.

· The mail program also now has a built-in junk email filter. This filter, if configured to do so, has the ability to either filter email into the "Junk E-mail' folder or to delete the messages and put them in the "Deleted Items" folder.

· The Wireless Zero Configuration is now called the WLAN Autoconfig. It is still located in the Services under Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.

· The network connections are probably the biggest difference between the two OSes. In Vista to access the connection list, you must go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Manage Network Connections (located to the left hand side). There are several other features located to the left, including many wireless utilities if applicable. These are:

o View computers and devices
o Connect to the network.
o Manage Wireless networks
o Set up a connection or network
o Manage network connections
o Diagnose and repair

· There is no 'Support' tab in Vista. Instead you must click on 'Details' and look for the IPv4 IP address. The display is split a bit, it has the Ipv4 address, Subnet and then it shows a Lease obtain and release time, followed by the Gateway address.

· Vista has two different IP protocols. Ipv4 and Ipv6. The one we need to use is Ipv4. If you need to specify the IP information, look for the Ipv4 TCP/IP properties, not the Ipv6.

· Netsh commands are different in Vista. Netsh winsock reset gives an error stating that elevation is required. What this means is the program is not running with administrative rights. Click on Start > All Programs and then Right click on 'Command Prompt' and select 'Run as Administrator' from the dropdown menu. This will allow you to be able to run all the netsh command available to you.

· The 'Run' command may not be present in the default Start menu. If it is not you will have to access it by going to All Programs > Accessories > Run.

· There is no "Repair" option in the network. There is now a 'Diagnose" option which will attempt to find the issue and repair it if possible. This includes a release/renew of the IP.
Windows XP vs Windows Vista
(Differences and Similarities pertaining to what is handled in the tech center)

Similarities:

· The Phone and Modem options in the Control Panel is the exact same as in XP.

· Msconfig is the same set up.

· The Control Panel has two views:

o Control Panel Home (Similar to the Category View)
o Classic View ( just like Classic in XP)

· The Email options and the Account properties in Windows Email is the same.

· The version of IE on Vista is just IE7

· The Device Manager is the same.

· The ipconfig command is the same through command prompt as it is in XP.

I am sure there are many more similarities and differences between the two operating systems, the intent of this is to just give everyone a general idea of the things that are different that they deal with on a daily basis in the tech center. Much of the interface between XP and Vista has changed, I have not included many of the aesthetic changes in this summation due to the fact that it doesn't really pertain to the networking aspects of the OS.

If you have any issues finding something, there is now a fully operational Vista machine up in the Supervisors area for use by anyone. Feel free to ask questions and experiment when you have time.