Windows Vista Maintenance!

Welcome to the Vista section

Here we will be looking into the following tasks :-

Removal/Installation of Programs

You can uninstall a program from your computer if you no longer use it or if you want to free up space on your hard disk. You can use Programs and Features to uninstall programs or to change the program's configuration by adding or removing certain options.

Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.

Select a program, and then click Uninstall. Some programs include the option to change or repair the program in addition to uninstalling it. but many simply offer the option to uninstall. To change a program, click Change or Repair. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Note:

If the program that you want to uninstall is not listed, it might not have been written for this version of Windows. To uninstall the program, check the information that came with the program.

You can do a lot with the programs and features that are included in Windows, but you'll probably want to install other programs.

How you add a program depends on where the installation files for the program are located. Typically, programs are installed from a CD or DVD, from the Internet, or from a network.

To install a program from a CD or DVD

Insert the disc into your computer and then follow the instructions on your screen. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Many programs installed from CDs or DVDs will attempt to launch an install wizard for the program automatically. In these cases, the AutoPlay dialog box will appear and you can choose to run the wizard.

If a program doesn't begin to install, check the information that came with the program. This information will likely provide instructions for installing the program manually. If you cannot access the program's information, you can also browse through the disc and open the program's setup file, usually called Setup.exe or Install.exe.

To install a program from the Internet

In your web browser, click the link to the program.

Do one of the following:

To install the program immediately, click Open or Run and follow the instructions on your screen. Administrator permission required, If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

To install the program later, click Save and download the installation file to your computer. When you are ready to install the program, double-click the file and follow the instructions on your screen. This is a safer option because you can scan the installation file for viruses before you proceed.

Note:

When downloading and installing programs from the Internet, be sure you trust the publisher of the program and the website that is offering the program.

To install a program from a network

If your computer is on a network (such as an internal corporate network) that offers programs that you can add, you can install programs from Control Panel.

Open Get Programs by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Get Programs.

Select a program from the list, and then click Install.

Follow the instructions on your screen. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Troubleshoot installing or uninstalling programs

Here are solutions to some common problems with installing or uninstalling programs. For general information about installing and uninstalling programs, see Install a program and Uninstall or change a program.

I can't install a program made for an earlier version of Windows.

Most programs written for Windows XP also work in this version of Windows, but some older programs might run poorly or not run at all. If an older program doesn't run correctly or doesn't install, start the Program Compatibility Wizard, which simulates an earlier version of Windows. You can run the wizard on the setup program itself if the program doesn't install, or you can run the wizard on the program if it installs but doesn't run correctly. For more information, see Make older programs run in this version of Windows‍.
The program I am trying to install or run says I must have administrator rights, but I am an administrator on the computer.

If you are trying to install, right-click the installation icon for the program, and then click Run as administrator. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

If the program installs but does not run, right-click the program icon, click Properties, click the Compatibility tab, select the Run this program as an administrator check box, and then try to run the program.

I can't install a program from the Internet.

Try downloading the program's installation file to your computer first, and then running it from your computer, rather than running it from the Internet.

How do I change the folder where a program installs?

You can usually choose the location of the folder during the setup process. You might decide to change the default location if you have created multiple partitions on your hard disk and want to store programs on a specific partition. We don't recommend moving program files after they have been installed; if you have moved program files, you might need to reinstall the program to make it work correctly.
Some programs that are included with Windows, such as games, don't show up under Programs and Feature

When trying to install a program from a CD, I insert the CD but nothing happens.

If the program does not begin installing, browse to the program's setup file (usually called Setup.exe or Install.exe) and double-click the icon to start the installation.
I installed a program but I don't see it listed under Programs and Features. How do I uninstall it?

Only programs that were written for Windows will appear in Programs and Features. If you don't see the program listed and you want to uninstall the program, check the information that came with your program, or go to the manufacturer's website. Most programs install themselves in the C:\Program Files folder. Check this folder because some programs also include an uninstall program that you can try.

What can I try if the program won't uninstall?

If the program doesn't uninstall completely the first time, sometimes running the uninstall program a second time will succeed.

If that doesn't work, try uninstalling the program while Windows is running in Safe mode.

If you installed the program recently, you can try using System Restore to return your computer's system files to an earlier date before you installed the program.

What does "change" a program mean?

Some programs that appear in Programs and Features can, in addition to being installed or uninstalled, be changed or repaired. By clicking Change, Repair, or Change/Repair (depending on the button displayed), you can install or uninstall optional features of the program. Not all programs use the Change buttons; many only offer Uninstall.

Can I uninstall Windows Vista?

No, but you can reinstall your previous operating system, which then replaces Windows Vista. To reinstall your old operating system, you must have the original installation disc. Back up your programs and files, insert the installation disc into your computer, and then reinstall the old operating system. To regain the hard disk space used by Windows Vista, reformat the disk during the reinstallation process. After reinstalling your previous operating system, reinstall your programs and files.

Disk CleanUp Tool

Start Disk Cleanup

To free up space on your hard disk, Disk Cleanup finds and then removes temporary files on your computer that you decide you no longer need.

If you have more than one drive or partition on your computer, you will be prompted to choose which drive you want Disk Cleanup to clean.

Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Cleanup.

Delete files using Disk Cleanup

If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster, use Disk Cleanup. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.

Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Cleanup.

In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, choose whether you want to clean up your own files only or all of the files on the computer. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

If the Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection dialog box appears, select the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

Click the Disk Cleanup tab, and then select the check boxes for the files you want to delete.

When you finish selecting the files you want to delete, click OK, and then click Delete files to confirm the operation. Disk Cleanup proceeds to remove all unnecessary files from your computer.

The More Options tab is available when you choose to clean files from all users on the computer. This tab includes two additional ways to free even more disk space:

Programs and Features. Opens Programs and Features in Control Panel, where you can uninstall programs that you no longer use. The Size column in Programs and Features shows how much disk space each program uses.

System Restore and Shadow Copies. Prompts you to delete all but the most recent restore point on the disk.

System Restore uses restore points to return your system files to an earlier point in time. If your computer is running normally, you can save disk space by deleting the earlier restore points.

In some editions of Windows Vista, restore points can include previous versions of files, known as shadow copies, and backup images created with Windows Complete PC Backup. This information will also be deleted.

Using Disk Defragmentation

Disk defragmentation describes the process of consolidating fragmented files on your computer's hard disk.

Fragmentation happens to a hard disk over time as you save, change, or delete files. The changes that you save to a file are often stored at a location on the hard disk that's different from the original file. Additional changes are saved to even more locations. Over time, both the file and the hard disk itself become fragmented, and your computer slows down as it has to look in many different places to open a file.

Disk Defragmenter is a tool that rearranges the data on your hard disk and reunites fragmented files so your computer can run more efficiently. In this version of Windows, Disk Defragmenter runs on a schedule so you don't have to remember to run it, although you can still run it manually or change the schedule it uses.

Fragmentation makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down your computer. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can work more efficiently. Disk Defragmenter runs on a schedule, but you can also defragment your hard disk manually.

Open Disk Defragmenter by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Defragmenter. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

    Click Analyze, and wait for the program to run its course. Once it has finished, it will let you know if your hard drive requires a defragmant. If no Defragment is required, close program.

    If Defragment is required, Click Defragment Now.

Disk Defragmenter might take from several minutes to a few hours to finish, depending on the size and degree of fragmentation of your hard disk. You can still use your computer during the defragmentation process.

Run Error Checking Utility

Check your hard disk for errors

You can help solve some computer problems and improve the performance of your computer by making sure that your hard disk has no errors.

Open Computer by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Computer.

Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.

Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check Now. Administrator permission required. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors. Otherwise, the disk check will simply report problems but not fix them.

To perform a thorough disk check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Click Start.

Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this may take several minutes. For best results, don't use your computer for any other tasks while it's checking for errors.

Note:

If you select Automatically fix file system errors for a disk that is in use (for example, the partition that contains Windows), you'll be prompted to reschedule the disk check for the next time you restart your computer.