A keyboard shortcut to get to Windows Vista Task Manager
If you have Windows Vista and have tried pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys, to bring up the task manager, it will not work. You will be logged out first and then given a menu of choices. Of course you can choose to open the windows vista task manger from there, however why go to all that trouble.
In Windows XP it was easy to get to the task manger by just pressing Ctrl Alt and Delete keys on the keyboard. You would be taken straight to the task manager, and not logged out to get there. In Windows Vista you can now press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to get directly to task manager.
I would love to know why they have changed it?
Windows Vista Task Manager
Add or remove icons from your Windows Vista
notification area
The Windows notification area is the most frequently used part of the desktop taskbar. It keeps you up to date with whats going on on your computer by animated icons that occassionally poup with messages for you. A great example is when there are Windows updates ready for your computer or if your laptop battery is running low.
The notification area also holds the volume control icon, the time, and any other program icons that are enabled to show there. You can change the settings for a program icon to Hide when inactive, Always hide, or Always show. This allows you to remove annoying icons and just keep the important ones.
What are the most common icons that appear in the Windows Vista notification area?
- Time
- Volume
- Windows update icon
- Network connections icon
- Bluetooth icon
- Laptop Power icon
- Windows Live Messenger
How to add or remove icons in the notification area in Windows Vista
- Go to the start menu icon in the left corner
- Right click on it to bring a menu
- Choose properties from the menu
- Go to the Notification Area Tab
- Click on customize to change the settings for each icon that shows up in the notification area
Watch this video tutorial to see more details..
Change the Windows Vista start menu to a classic XP style
If you can’t handle the new Windows Vista start menu, and you cannot seem to find what you want, then don’t pannic. You have two choices for a start menu in Windows Vista. If you have Windows Vista you would have seen the default start menu. It seems a little confusing after dealing with Windows XP
Classic Windows Vista menu
Here’s how to change the Windows Vista start menu to a classic menu.
- Go to the Windows Icon in the left bottom corner and right click on it.
- A menu will appear. Choose properties from the menu.
- The taskbar and start menu properties will appear.
- Go to the start menu tab.
- Put a check next to Classic Start Menu.
- Then press apply for the menu to change.
Start menu properties
Put the run box link back in Your Windows Vista Start menu
Having used Windows Xp for what seems like forever, adapting to the changes in Windows Vista was a big task for me. Even though I am very familar with Windows XP and Vista seemed to be similar, it didn’t turn out to be afterall.
One of the features that was left out by default in Windows Vista was the good old run box link in the start menu. It was a complete delema for about 5 minutes in total. I supose its means nothing to the average computer user, however to the computer geek, freek, addicted person, it does.
Watch this video tutorial on how to put back the run box link in your Windows Vista Start menu.
Here is how to put a run command shortcut on your start menu in Windows Vista:
-
Right click on a blank space in your taskbar
-
Go to the start menu tab
-
Press on the customize button
-
Then scroll down near the bottom and tick the box next to run command
-
Press OK and then apply
Free Windows Vista Wallpapers to download that are vistalicious!
I found these fantastic wallpapers on the internet and it was love at first sight. There must be millions of free wallpapers out there to download, however it takes time to find a vistalicious one. You can’t just put any old wallpaper onto a flash computer running Windows Vista!
I have been searching for a few decent wallpapers for a change of scenery and surprisingly enough I have found about 20 that pass the test. I will be adding them to the site soon.
They are not exactly just for Windows Vista, they will also work for Windows XP, unfortunately. LOL.
Here’s how to grab these Windows wallpapers for yourself:
- Click on one of the wallpapers above
- When the bigger size wallpaper comes up, right click on it
- A menu will appear, choose save picture as
- Now browse your computer to find a spot to save the file
- That’s it
