Understanding Task Manager in Vista

Task Manager is built into Windows to view and manage running application programs and processes.  You can use Task Manager to end programs and monitor performance.

You can choose how to view Task Manager by selecting the Options menu in Task Manager.  There are three ways to view Task Manager:

Add New Hardware

Image via Wikipedia

1. Today a customer brings you his computer and external hard drive.  He claims the hard drive does not work. His computer runs Windows XP Professional. After examining the hard drive manual, you discover it is not Plug and Play. The customer has the disc containing the driver files. The computer is turned on but the external drive is not connected. What steps do you take to install the hard drive so the operating system can see it?

• Connect the external drive to the computer.
• Turn on the computer.
• Open Control Panel/Printers and Other Hardware
• Click Add Hardware link.
• Choose Add New Hardware device from the list.
• Choose Yes I have already connected the hardware option.
• Choose the option to select the hardware from a list.
• Choose the hard drive from the list of common hardware types.
• Specify the location on the disc that contains the driver files.

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How to get XP Printer Drivers to work in VISTA

Go to the Windows Compatibility Center and determine what will work with Windows Vista and if there is an upgrade.  The site is user friendly and assists you with any compatibility questions you have and guides you on the appropriate path for upgrading your software and/or hardware.

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Old AOL Versions

I recently set up a customer's new desktop computer.  The desktop came with Windows 7 and the new Internet Explorer 8 browser.  The customer was not interested in using Windows Mail because she preferred AOL.  It has been years since I have even looked at AOL.  After setting up the AOL email, the customer complained she did not like the newer version, and wanted to go back to the old version she was using on her old XP desktop.

I explained to the customer that for security reasons, it was not really a good policy to return to old software versions of any kind.  Software is not only upgraded for design purposes, but many times programming problems are corrected as well as improved security, especially in email related programs like AOL.

There was no convincing the customer.  She did not want to learn a new way of handling her email application. 

I proceeded to search the AOL site for instructions on how to return to the earlier version of AOL.  AOL confirmed my suspicions that the old versions are not supported.  I relayed this information, but my customer was unrelenting.  After searching Google for awhile, I was able to find a site containing old versions of AOL for those people unwilling to change.  If you know someone that fits in that category, check out this link for your version, because "newer is not always better".


OldVersion.com because newer is not always better

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