INTERVIEW

QUESTIONS
FOR
IT HARDWARE
18 January 2010 Sandeep Kumar
Raju

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1.What is the difference between Windows XP Professional Edition and Windows XP Home
Edition? Although the XP Pro and Home Editions share the same common core code, they don't
have the same features. The right version for you depends on the functionality you need.

Backup—XP Pro has the standard Win2K backup program; XP Home has no backup program.
Dynamic Disks—XP Pro supports dynamic disks; XP Home doesn't.
IIS—XP Pro includes IIS; XP Home doesn't.
Encrypted File System (EFS)—EFS debuted in Win2K and lets you encrypt files on an NTFS partition, a
very useful feature for mobile machines. XP Pro includes EFS; XP Home doesn't.
Multiprocessor—XP Pro supports up to two processors; XP Home supports only one (as did Windows
Me/Win98).
Remote Assistance—Both editions support Remote Assistance, which lets someone from a Help desk
connect to the client desktop to troubleshoot problems.
Remote Desktop—XP Pro adds to Remote Assistance by letting any machine running a Terminal
Services client run one Terminal Services session against an XP Pro machine.
Domain Membership—XP Pro systems can be domain members; XP Home systems can't, but they can
access domain resources.
Group Policy—XP Pro supports group policies; XP Home doesn't.
IntelliMirror—XP Pro supports IntelliMirror, which includes Microsoft Remote Installation Services (RIS),
software deployment, and user setting management; XP Home doesn't support IntelliMirror.
Upgrade from Windows Me/Win98—Both XP Pro and XP Home support this upgrade.
Upgrade from Win2K/NT—Only XP Pro supports this upgrade.
64-bit Support—Only XP Pro will have a 64-bit version that supports the Itanium systems.
Network Support—XP Pro includes support for Network Monitor, SNMP, IP Security (IPSec), and the
Client Services for NetWare (CSNW); XP Home doesn't.

2. What is the difference between LCD and TFT ?

A liquid crystal display (commonly abbreviated LCD) is a thin, flat display device made up of any
number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector. It is prized by
engineers because it uses very small amounts of electric power, and is therefore suitable for use in
battery-powered electronic devices.

TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) is a variant of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
which uses Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) technology to improve image quality. TFT LCD is one type of
active matrix LCD, though it is usually synonymous with LCD. It is used in both flat panel displays and
projectors. In computing, TFT monitors are rapidly displacing competing CRT technology, and are
commonly available in sizes from 12 to 30 inches.
TFT means Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display.
What I think you mean is Active and Passive matrix LCD panels. This is where there is a difference in
price. A typical active TFT panel capable of resolutions of just 1024x768 is made up of nearly 2.5 million
transistors (commonly known as small 3 legged lumps of silicon found in TV's and most other electronics)
eccept in this case, the transistors are etched onto glass, to microscopic precision hence the name
"Thin Film Transistor". A normal LCD basicaly has two layers of glass, one with rows, one with
columns, this makes up a grid that can be referenced to control each pixel. The control is done with an IC
(integrated circuit or silicon chip) on the LCD's circuit board/s. TFT's tend to be quicker ( response time)
and nicer to look at in general.

3. How will you install Operating System in more than 50 PC at a time when the all Pcs having
same configuration? Create a image of Operating System and the software’s which you want to install
on all systems from Symantec ghost and paste or distribute the image on the network. If the pcs are on
network you can have RIS or WDS setup. Requirement for clients is they should have network bootable
NIC.

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4. What is IMAP? How does it work? IMAP is a standard protocol for accessing e-mail from a
local server. Using IMAP an email client program can not only retrieve email but can also manipulate
message stored on the server, without having to actually retrieve the messages. So messages can be
deleted, have their status changed, multiple mail boxes can be managed, etc. IMAP allows for clients /
users to read only the header information and then decide if they wish to download the whole msg, useful
for blackberry's etc where data costs money

5. Explain the Windows XP, 2000 and 2003 Boot Process?

following are the booting files for xp ; boot.ini, ntldt, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe,bootdd.sys,
bootsect.dos,hal.dll, system.

First there will be pre- boot sequence, it includes the following

1.POST(power on self test) first check for hardware
2.loads boot.ini, loads mbr.
3.mbr loads active partation
4ntldr loads o.s.

boot process: first loads boot.ini, ntldr will be in boot.ini it loads os. boot.ini shows available os for
selection, ntdetect.com check for hardware, ntoskrnl.exe loads drivers for devices.

Booting process are classified into 5 steps.

1.POST
2.The MBR reads the boot sector which is the first sector of the active partition.
3.Ntldr locket path of os from boot.ini
4.Ntldr to run ntdedetect.com to get information about installed hardware.
5.Ntldr reads the registry files then select a hardware profile, control set and loads device drivers.
6.After that Ntoskrnl.exe takes over and starts winlogon.exe which starts lsass.exe
this is the program that display the welcome screen.

6. What is an Open Source OS? List some . Open Source OS is any OS which has the source
code with its installation package. This source code is modifiable. If you want your OS to work for you as
you want it to, you put your creativity and start redesigning. Get it completed as a new OS and sell it if you
are business-minded. An operating system that supports a set of principles and practices on how
to write softwares whose source code is openly available.
Examples: Linux versions , UNIX source code is made free and is available for students

7. What is the difference between unix and windows operating systems?

These both os are multihtread os not multprocessing. Multiprocessing is not possible on single processor
system.It's only possible on multcore or multiprocessor system where more then two process can be
scheduled simulteniously .So system having one processor can not do multiprocessing it is only psedo-
multiporcessing. Winodow uses Priority based preemptive scheduling while Unix uses Round robin
preemtive scheduling. In windows process or thread which has higer priority will take over but this will
be the case in Unix.They all will be in Q regardless of their priority.

Window is component based syste.TCP/IP and File systems are the component of the system where Unix
is integrated system.

Unix is text based...Windows is GUI based. UNIX is not event driven....Windows is event driven And for
God sake both are multithreaded.

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8. Why we want Mac address as well as IP address ? Why one address is not enough in net work ?

Mac address is the physical address of a computer. Which is 48 bit.but ip adress is the logical adress
assinged to perticular computer .there is two version of ip adress ipv4(32 bit) and ipv6(64 bit).if u type
ipconfig/all from the command promt of a computer u can find that both adress.

9. What is ADS & ADSL? ADS stands for Active Directory Services. Generally anything to do with
authentication against an Active Directory to workstations or network shares as well as global and
security group membership is covered under ADS.

ADSL is short for Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is a very common broadband
Internet access method in use all over the place. Asynchronous means that the rate of download is
different from, and in my experience always greater than, the rate of upload. It is also possible to have
SDSL. That would be Synchronous where the rate of download and upload is the same.

10. Why do we use Subnet mask? What are its uses? Subnet mask is use to isolate the network ID
and Host ID. eg- if an IP is:192.168.0.1 then the default subnet is:255.255.255.0 because it is a C Class
Address C Class Add. have 3 network octate and 1 host octate i.e.

network ID :192.168.0.0 and host ID : 0.0.0.1

A subnet allows the flow of network traffic between hosts to be segregated based on a network
configuration. By organizing hosts into logical groups, subnetting can improve network security
and performance. the most recognizable aspect of subnetting is the subnet mask. Like IP
addresses, a subnet mask contains four bytes (32 bits) and is often written using the same "dotted-
decimal" notation. For example, a very common subnet mask in its binary representation

11111111 11111111 11111111 00000000

is typically shown in the equivalent, more readable form : 255.255.255.0

Subnet mask is 32 bit long TCP/IP address divided in four equal part.It is used for isolation of
network address and host address

11. What is the difference b/w subnet mask and default gateway? Subnet Mask:- the mask is used to
detrmine that which part of IP belonged to network or which part belong to host. E.g. if u have a IP
172.16.25.32 and its subnet mask is 255.255.0.0. then the 172.16 is network part , and 25.16 is host part.
If subneting is enable then we can use some bit of host part in network .Subnet mask mainly use in
subneting. for above example subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 the nwk address become 172.16.25. and the
host part is 32.

Default gateway:- For a simple LAN there is no use of default gateway, It is used when network
communicate with other network. it is just like a Main gate of home when a person wanna go to outside
from home or come inside he can only do the same by main gate. Same Concept used here. In network if
the packet have address of same address then switch direct forward the packet to its desired destination.
And if packet have another network address it should be come out from Default gate way. Basically it
reduces the collision. subnetmask is just used to identify the class of ip address and its is used for
subnetting of ip address for eg:-

ipaddress -192.168.1.2
subnetmask- 255.255.255.0

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we can find N/W part that is 192.168.1 and Host part that is 2
the class of ip is C

where as default gateway is a ip address given to a router or ASDL modem which is used to
communuicate with other N/Ws or internet

12. What is FTP & UDP?What is the different version of IP? FTP or File Transfer Protocol is used
to transfer data from one computer to another over the Internet, or through a network
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is one of the core protocols of the Internet protocol suite. Using UDP,
programs on networked computers can send short messages sometimes known as datagrams(using
Datagram Sockets) to one another.
ip versions IPv6,IPv4

Questions Regarding Operating Systems

1. What is the difference between x86 and i386 computer? x86 refers to a popular set of instructions
most commonly used in processors from Intel, AMD, VIA, and others. It usually implies a binary
compatibility with the 32-bit instruction set of the 80386 (a.k.a. i386).

i386 (as eluded to above) is the common name for the Intel386 (or 80386) based PCs. It is sometimes
emphasized as x86-32 (for 32-bit) and x86-64 (also called x64 - for 64-bit).

2) Which of the following system software resides in main memory always ? 1. Text editor 2.
Assembler 3. Linker 4. Loader? Assembler

3) What is the Difference between NTFS and FAT32?

a) FAT (FAT16 and FAT32) and NTFS are two methods for storing data on a hard drive. The hard drive
has to either be formatted using one or the other, or can be converted from one to the other (usually FAT
to NTFS) using a system tool

NTFS is a high-performance and self-healing file system proprietary to Windows XP 2000 NT, which
supports file-level security, compression and auditing. It also supports large volumes and powerful
storage solution such as RAID.
The most important new feature of NTFS is the ability to encrypt files and folders to protect your sensitive
data

b) NTFS 1)allows access local to w2k,w2k3,XP,win NT4 with SP4 & later may get access for somefile.

2)Maximum size of partition is 2 Terabytes & more.

3)Maximum File size is upto 16TB.

4)File & folder Encryption is possible only in NTFS.

FAT 32 1)Fat 32 Allows access to win 95,98,win millenium,win2k,xp on local partition.

2)Maximum size of partition is upto 2 TB.

3)Maximum File size is upto 4 GB.

4)File & folder Encryption is not possible.

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4) What is DHCP, How it Works? DHCP stands for dynamic host configuration protocol.
What it does is dynamically assign network settings from a server.hence a DHCP configured PC boots, it
requests its IP address from the DHCP server. It does this by sending a standardized DHCP broadcast
request packet to the DHCP server with a source IP address of 255.255.255.255.

If your DHCP server has more than one interface, you have to add a route for this 255.255.255.255
address so that it knows the interface on which to send the reply; if not, it sends it to the default gateway.
(In both of the next two examples, we assume that DHCP requests will be coming in on interface eth0).

5. Can you tell me what causes CMOS checksum errors? . A CMOS checksum is generated by
adding all of the bytes (or bits) in the CMOS one after the other. That is, byte one is added to byte 2, byte
3 is added is to the sum of bytes 1 and 2, etc. The carry bits are dropped. The result (checksum) is stored
in the CMOS. During the boot-up process or POST (Power-On Self Test) a checksum is generated by the
BIOS from the CMOS and compared to the one saved the last time the CMOS Setup was run or the BIOS
defaults were loaded. If the two numbers don't agree it is an indication that the data in the CMOS has
been corrupted (one or more bits in the CMOS changed when it/they weren't supposed to) and a
checksum error is issued by the BIOS ("CMOS checksum invalid, " "CMOS invalid," and relate error,
"CMOS battery low"). Causes include:

A bad battery. A battery that has become discharged (the computer has been off a very long time). A
disconnected battery.

Insertion of an expansion board in such a manner (cock-eyed) as to short-out the bus (even if the
computer is off, which it should be)
A power surge.
Lightning.
Static electricity.
Grounding the CMOS circuitry.
A bad motherboard.
A bad real-time clock.

6. Every time I boot up my PC the date is 1/1/1998, the time is 00:00. The CMOS battery is coin-
shaped... A. Coin-shaped batteries on most motherboareds should be a CR2032. Make sure it is
properly installed and + is up. If you have a multimeter or you have a friend who has a multimeter, remove
the battery and check the voltage. It should read 3.0 volts when fully charged. If it reads 1.8 volts or
higher it is probably OK. Be very careful installing and removing coin-shaped batteries. Most of the battery
holders I have seen for these batteries are quite fragile and easily broken. I ease these batteries into the
holder with the aid of a “tweaker” (small screw driver).

After doing some more research it appears that those blue batteries that were soldered on old
motherboards, or at least some of those blue batteries, were Nickel-Cadmium and they were rechargable.
The following reference is worth a bookmark if you are interested in the subject. Larry

What is the CMOS memory? A. CMOS is an abbreviation for Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor. CMOS uses a complimentary arrangement of both NMOS and PMOS, negative and
positive Metal Oxide transistor circuits. CMOS memory draws very little current (nano-Amps). Values
stored in it can be maintained for very a long period of time while the computer is off with a rechargeable
lithium battery. The CMOS memory is used to store system configuration information, such as disk drive
parameters, memory configuration, and the date-time, some of which you enter in the CMOS Setup
program, . It is used by the Basic Input Output System (BIOS), a program permanently stored in the flash
memory on recent motherboards and in read-only memory (ROM) on older motherboards, to configure
the computer. The CMOS Setup is part of the BIOS program. The CMOS memory is usually located with
the real-time clock in the motherboard chipset or in a separate real-time clock chip. It is located in the
chipset on most recent motherboards. For example, the CMOS memory is located in the VT82C596B

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Southbridge chip in the VIA MVP3C chipset on the Epox MVP3G2 Super7 Motherboard and in the AMD-
756 Southbridge in the AMD-750 chipset on the MSI MS-6167 Athlon motherboard.

Q. What causes a computer to reboot itself? A. It could be caused by a lot of things, but it is
usually a hardware problem, especially if it occurs randomly. A noisy power supply, loose screw under the
motherboard, bad CPU fan, and memory, expansion boards, socketed chips, and cables that are not fully
seated are among the common causes.

Q. During bootup my computer hangs at "Verifying DMI pool data." What is it and how do I fix it?

A. DMI or DesktopManagement Interface (pdf) is a layer of abstraction between system components and
the software that manages them. The System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) is an extension of the Basic
Input Output System (BIOS) that formulates and delivers this information to the operating system. The
pool data is the information. In short, when the BIOS is "Verifying DMI pool data" it is verifying the table of
data it sends to the operating system (Windows, etc.). If it isn't sucessful, it should return an error. Wait a
reasonable period of time for it to finish. It may make take some time or it may be stuck. Possible fixes:

1. If you changed the hardware just before this problem occurred (e.g., installed a new hard disk drive), unchange it.

2. If you installed a new hard disk drive, set the motherboard CMOS Setup to Auto for the drive type. You may have to disconnect
the drive first.

3. Enable "Reset Configuration Data" (may be "Force Update ESCD" in some CMOS Setuups) in the motherboard CMOS Setup
PNP/PCI configuration. (Rebooting will automatically disabled it after it has done its thing.)

4. The CMOS may be corrupted. Clear it.

5. Disconnect all drives not required to boot the computer. If this fixes it, reconnect one at time.

6. The floppy drive may be bad or not connected properly.

7. Reseat all expansion boards.

8. Pull all boards not required to boot the computer.

Q. How can I determine where and how the various front panel connectors (Power-on, hard disk
LED, speaker, etc.) connect to the header(s) on my motherboard without the motherboard
documentation or clear labeling?

A. You can plug LEDs in backwards and it won't hurt them or the motherboard. Switches do not have a
polarity and can be plugged-in either way. The speaker can be plugged-in either way. It has two wires that
usually connect to a four-wire plug. You can plug a switch, which is not closed (most aren’t except,
possibly, the key lock on older cases), into a LED connection on the motherboard and it won't hurt the
motherboard (or switch). Do not plug a LED into a switch header on a motherboard or a closed (short)
switch into a LED header on the motherboard. I generally start with the Power on switch (ATX
motherboard), and then the speaker, and follow with the Power on LED. The Power on LED usually plugs
into a five-pin header or a group of five pins on a header with the keylock. Keep plugging it in the four
possible positions, backward and forwards, until it lights. The key lock (if it isn’t on a five-pin plug with the
Power on) goes into the remaining two pins. You can do this with the computer on. Follow with the reset
switch and test. Next, hunt for the HD LED like the Power on, using the Reset switch to boot the computer
and light the LED… There are still Turbo LEDs and Switches in the world and some motherboards still
accommodate a Turbo LED. I handle them last because the wiring is not consistent from case to case
and motherboard to motherboard, and they have no meaningful function except eliminate the problem of
having to explain to a customer why the Turbo LED isn’t on and why the Turbo switch has no real
purpose. If I can’t get them to work after a few minutes or fidgeting, I leave them disconnected and bundle

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 them with the other wires with a zip (cable) tie. Sometimes, one must resort to tracing wires to the
appropriate LEDs and switches... The last case LED I burned-out in my shop was about five years ago
and that was caused by error, not procedure.

Q. What is a SIMM & DIMM? A. A Single In-line Memory Module or SIMM is a small printed circuit
board containing memory chips (DRAMs). Most SIMMs have 30 or 72 pins (which are actually printed
circuit contacts and not pins). 30-pin SIMMs come in 8-bit (non-parity) or 9-bit (parity). 72-pin SIMMs
are generally available in 32-bit (non-parity) or 36-bit (parity) configurations.

A Dual In-line Memory Module or DIMM combines two 72-pin SIMMS into a 168-pin module with 64-bit
(non-parity) or 72-bit (parity) data paths.

Q. Will PC133 or PC100 memory work on a motherboard that has a 66 Mhz Front Side Bus (FSB)?

A. Let me answer that with a qualified YES. In general, SDRAM is backward compatible and can run at
bus speeds slower than that for which it is rated. For example, the 128 Mbytes of PC133 memory I have
in my computer with an EpoX MVP3G2 Super 7 motherboard, which supports PC100 memory, works with
a 100 Mhz FSB.. There are a few older 66 Mhz motherboards that will not work PC100 or PC133
memory, but they are exceptions, not the rule.

Frequently Asked Questions about Vista

What is Windows Vista? This is the first question, perhaps, every one asks. Windows Vista, a
Microsoft product, is an operating system, which manages the computer's resources. This is a Graphical
User Interface (GUI) based operating system.
When is it gets released and which operating system it precedes? Microsoft has already released it
business edition to its business customers in its home state, the US, on 30th November 2006. The official
date for releasing other editions has been fixed to January 2007. The operating system will precede
Windows XP.
Ok, alright, what are the new features does the operating system carries?
Windows Vista carries a lot of new features. It starts with the desktop view itself. The desktop look has
been changed significantly. One can enjoy the 3-D window effects as well as translucent window effects.
The other features include more secured Internet Explorer 7.0, Windows Media Player 11, side bar etc.
3-D effect means? Is it the default feature, which is available in all editions of Windows Vista?
The 3D effect to all windows in Windows Vista is termed as Aero. This is not available in Home basic
edition of Windows Vista. In other editions, feature will not get installed to your system if the system does
not have the DirectX 9.0 supported graphics card with minimum of 128 MB of Graphics Memory.
What are the new features available in Internet Explorer 7.0?
The Internet Explorer 7.0 includes tabbed browsing. One can browse multiple pages in the same window
separated by tabs. The browser also got anti-phishing tools to combat phishing. Phishing is a serious crime
where by, the user information such as password etc. goes to the hacker's system.
How many editions are available for Windows Vista? What are they? Windows Vista comes in 5
editions. The editions are Starter, Home basic, Home Premium, business and ultimate. One can select the
edition depending on the type of use of computer for his activity.
What is the minimum system requirement to run Windows Vista?
Windows Vista requires a good, a reasonably well configured system to work. However, the requirement
will be high as Windows Vista runs a couple of new features. It is said that, the system requirement for
running Windows Vista is,

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 • Processor speed - 800 MHz and above.System Memory - 512 M.B.
• GPU - SVGA (800x600)
• Graphics Memory - 64 MB in case, if running aero.
• HDD - 20 GB. (40 GB for well working conditions)
• HDD Free Space - 15 GB.
• Optical Drive - CD-ROM/DVD ROM.
• Audio card - Any, whose drivers support Windows XP.
• Internet - Required for activation.
• File System - The installation hard drive partition must be NTFS New Technology File
System), and this is the crucial point in backing up files.
Clean Install involves removing the existing entire operating system and installing the new one. One need
to install every programs etc. again as various settings of the programs including shortcuts gets overwritten.
The clean install requires more time than other installation method.
Will the present PC can run Windows Vista? Yes, but, of course, it must meet the minimum system
requirements as given above.
Before installation process should I require to take all data backup?
This is a simple question that can be answered by you, yourself. If the data is important to you, then I will
advice backup of that data, before installing windows vista. Remember, during installation process any
thing may happen. The system may crash or even selecting a wrong partition can take the data beyond
recovery. Keep data backup in CD-ROM’s if you can afford to do so.
Should I require converting my existing FAT32 hard disk partition into NTFS while installing
Windows Vista? Yes. Microsoft has done an excellent job in protecting the system from Hackers. For
security reasons, Microsoft felt the need for conversion from FAT32 into NTFS. Windows Vista will not get
installed to a non NTFS partition.
After installation, I was prompted with a window to activate my product. What is it?
After many years of thinking and experimenting, even scratching their heads, Microsoft people found a way
to overcome software piracy. Activating the product through the internet, ensure that the product is
genuine. The process collects information such as ids of various hardware components installed in the
system and sends the information to the activation server. It is kept in the server. If there are more than one
installations using same product, then the server rejects the request to activate, and the product installed is
termed as non-genuine. If the product is not genuine, then one may not able to get the latest updates,
patches, latest major upgrades. If the product is not activated, within 30 days, the product will enter into
reduced functionality mode and continues to stay in that mode, till the product is activated.
What are the features available in the various editions of Windows Vista? The features vary
depending on the type of editions. The home basic provides only basic features for email and internet
access in a more secured environment. Home Basic provides tools such as Windows Defender and
Windows Firewall for security. It also includes Internet Explorer 7.0, which is meant for secured browsing.
The home Premium is meant for best computing and entertainment experiences. Home Premium includes
features from home basic plus Windows Aero, tools for collaborating and sharing documents. This edition is
best suited for laptops. It also provides Windows Media Center, a platform for entertainment. One can enjoy
television through Xbox 360.
The third edition is the business edition, which is meant for small and mid-sized organizations. It includes
all features of Home Premium, but, excludes media center and Xbox 360 from its list. Instead of these two
features, it comes with tools for protecting from hardware failures, provides connectivity to business and
remote desktops.

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The final and feature rich edition of Windows Vista is the Ultimate. It provides all features of business and
home premium and also, provides tool to protect data, in case of computer or hard drive thefts, through bit-
locker encryption.
Windows Vista starter edition is a special edition meant for beginners, learners. It includes additional help,
tutorials to teach the use of computers among learners. However, this edition will not be made available in
the US, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, European Union, or any other high income
markets defined by the World Bank.
What is bit locker encryption? Bit locker encryption is tool for encrypting data. Actual data is converted
to an unknown form in this technique. It has to be decrypted before use by the user. This keeps data in
secured form as actual data is not revealed to the user unless he reveals his correct identity in the form of
password or finger print to the system. It is a tool which is very useful for protecting data during the theft of
any storage media, such as hard disks.
What is Vista sidebar? What is its use? The side bar is a small window which contains shortcuts to the
frequently accessed programs. This window appears on the desktop, there by making it convenient for the
users to access programs quickly, without much difficulty.
For example, if one want to access calculator program. The user needs to traverse many paths for
accessing the program. For calculator, the user has to click start button, then navigate through Programs
menu, and then through Accessories, then finally reach the calculator program. Instead, if the calculator
shortcut is placed in the sidebar, one need a single click to access the calculator program! This saves the
time and energy in pressing and moving the mouse pointer from here to there.
Windows Vista side bar contains clock which shows time and also gadgets. Gadgets are mini-applications,
which offer easy access to information, and also provide easy access to the frequently used tools. For
example, a gadget can give one, a glance view of all online instant messaging contacts, the day view from
the calendar. It can also give an easy way to control the media player too. One can download more
gadgets from the gadget gallery which is available in the Microsoft web site.
What are the features in Windows Defender? Windows Defender is a program which helps the PC to
stay protected against spyware and other potentially dangerous, harmful programs. Spyware usually
collects the personal information such as password, phone number, credit card numbers etc and sends it to
the person, who wants it. Some spyware even can change the configuration settings of the system.
How much time needed to learn Windows Vista? It depends. But, surely it will take some time for an
experienced user to get adjusted to the Vista environment. The entire environment has changed, including
the desktop. Previously, it was said some users of Windows 3.1 took time to adjust to Windows 95, as the
environment, such as screens got changed. People, who saw the working of Windows XP, may feel slightly
different in working environment. For example, the start button is no longer labeled as "Start" in Windows
Vista.
Will all my softwares that ran comfortably in Windows XP, run in Windows Vista?
This question is slightly difficult to answer at this stage. Testers found comfortable in running these
applications without many problems. But, the applications such as Symantec Norton 2007, Winamp, Nero,
Disk keeper, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio, and a wide range of games,
may cause problems. These programs may not run at all also. Some programs may require you to tweak
their some settings to work properly. For such programs, you can go through their official websites for more
information on how to tweak settings.
Will the Release of Windows Vista signal the end of road for Windows XP?
No. One can expect Microsoft to give out upgrades, patches for Windows XP too. As of now, the new
features such as Internet Explorer 7.0, Windows Media Player 11 have been also extended to Windows XP
users. One can expect Microsoft to continue support for Windows XP for another 10 to 15 years. The major
upgrade of Windows XP, Service Pack 3 is expected to be released on 2008. It was earlier expected that
the Service Pack 3 will be released next year.

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