Tried Vista

I have a friend who has never owned a computer and he just purchased a new one with Vista Home "basic". He asked me to set it up for him.
I went over and plugged everything in and booted up to my first experience with Vista. The first thing I tried to show him was a dismal demonstration of how not to do some thing. I clicked on the (start I think it;s still called that) and the programs came up above the start button and I right clicked on one of the programs to show him how to make a shortcut from there. There was no "create shortcut" in the context menue.
I next tried to do a "show all extensions" so I could see what some of the folders he had been given on a CD were. I couldn't do that. ( I am sure it can be done) I also did an explore on a Music CD and tried to copy and paste it to the desktop ( a simple thing in XP and 98 ) when I looked at the "properties" of the file on the desktop it showed something like 44 bytes ( a shortcut) The list goes on. This brings a question to mind " why didn't Microsoft leave all the things that were good on win 98 and win xp and simply add to them? I found vista very unuser friendly. I am sure once a person got used to it they would be fine.
It seems like Mricosoft tried to make an operating system that is a "strange"
and alien to us windows users as a Mac operating system.
Just out of curiosity can anybody tell me if a shortcut can be made from the progams that show above "start" windows.
What do others think about Vista. Am I just getting too old and set in my ways maybe.

 

i dont know if this is what you mean but, You can right click on the program and send a desktop shortcut

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/MATA7/1.png

 

I don't if this will work for Vista but I had the same problem on XP. Go to My Compater>local disk>Documments and Settings>"your name">Send to, right click and select new shortcut and you will have the option of browsing to where you want it. From then on, it will appear in your right click menu but, again, I.m not sure this works for Vista.

 

Thanks to both of you next time I am at my friend's place ( I am sure he'll be needing lot's of help, as will I ) I will check that out, it makes sense.
mata7 do you use Vista? If so,what do you think of it?
I am curious to hear other people's thoughts. I had win 98se until last month, finally installed XP in March this year. I was waiting for "longhorn/Vista" to come out and now I am afraid I am a bit hesitant about buying it. No doubt sometime in the future I will have to bite the bullet. my computer is "Vista ready", ( but I'm not ).

 

Hi dbknox,

If your friend plan's on keeping that new computer have them visit the OS producer's site. http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/default.mspx

Wikipedia's "external link's" are usually as good a place as any to start when probing for info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista#External_links

FYI - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607

Concerning V, my sight's are set - open source.


GF

 

ya I use vista from day one and I love it, is really easy OS after one week you won’t have more confusion, I love so much that I can’t use XP Any more , but that is just my opinion some people may hate it

 

If they left all the familiar things the way you know them, and didn't make it a new experience, they wouldn't sell as many "Windows Vista Secrets" books. How many computer magazines have you seen recently that said something like "Unlock Vista's secrets" or "Vista hidden shortcuts" etc. It's just like new cars. The game is to confuse you so you pay money for solutions.

 

twl845 I hear ya!
mata7 Okay so I guess I have to put the old brain into overload again and start learning thanks for your reply. I didn't care for XP either that was the reason for my long delay and I have had it for a month and actually learned to like it. I am sure I would probably learn to like Vista too. as you have.

GlobalForce I will check those links out thank-you kindly.

 

Two ways to do this, either right click on the program you want then go to 'Send To' and select desktop, or right click on the program and drag to where you want, let go and select 'Create shortcut here', same as always. New in Vista if you want to add a shortcut to the taskbar, right click on program and select 'Add to Quick Launch".
If your looking to put shortcuts into the send to menu you'll find that under,
C: > Users > the user you are > App Data [you'll need to turn on 'Show Hidden Folders to see this] > Roaming > Microsoft > Windows > Send To > then right click and select 'New Shortcut'.

Same as Xp [sort of], open an explorer window then go to 'Organize' > 'Folder and search options' > 'View', and take the tick out of 'Hide extensions of known file types'.

Can't remember in 98 but in XP if you try to copy & paste the contents of a Music CD from an explorer window you will only get a short cut like your getting in Vista, I think 98 is probably the same but I can't remember. You need 3rd party software to do it, unless Windows Media Player does it, wouldn't know as I wouldn't touch that with a burnt stick.

 

Thanks for that strangequark you fellows are awesome.
I may have to change my login name to "brainpicker".

 

Glad I could help, don't worry everyone is a "brainpicker" here that's the good thing, A knows a little bit about this, B knows a little about that, C knows a bit more etc. etc., put us all together and we make half a brain