Looking Ahead to Windows Vista: Part 2 Improved Performance and Reliability Joseph Moran
Performance and Reliability
Startup Repair Tool
When a Windows system refuses to boot, it's often due to a corrupt setting or incompatible driver. In XP, you deal with this kind of problem by booting into Safe Mode and then trying to manually identify and remove (or repair) the offending file.
When a Vista system encounters a problem loading the operating system, it automatically launches its Startup Repair Tool. It scans the startup files to determine the cause of the problem and attempts to fix it, but if the problem can't be fixed, Vista will restore the last configuration that was known to work.
Memory and Disk Diagnostics
Another way Vista improves system reliability is through built-in diagnostics for components like the RAM and hard disk. Memory problems can often be the cause of a host of chronic and frustrating system problems, not the least of which is unexpected and frequent application crashes.
Vista's Start Menu remains the same size no matter how deep into the menus you go, and it lets you search for an application by typing its name.
When Vista's Microsoft Online Crash Analysis feature detects that a crash may be the result of faulty memory, it offers you the chance to perform a memory test the next time the system starts (since it can't be performed while the system is in use).
Not to be confused with the superficial BIOS-based memory check that's been around since the earliest days of the PC, Microsoft Memory Diagnostics conducts more extensive tests on system RAM, and if it detects a problem Vista configures itself to avoid using the affected area of memory. Similarly, Vista's disk diagnostics can warn of impending drive failures and, more importantly, immediately prompt you through the process of backing up your data.
Faster Boot Times
For those people who turn off their systems each evening, long Windows boot times can be — depending on your point of view — either a productivity black hole or extra time to savor that cup of coffee.
Microsoft says that since Vista can process many startup-related tasks in the background, it will be ready to use faster than the same system running XP. Vista also has a new Sleep mode that is the default "off" state for both notebooks and desktops. It's designed to provide the best features of XP's standby and hibernate modes, letting the system recover quickly from a low-power idle state while still saving the contents of RAM to the hard disk for safety in the event of a power interruption.
Conclusion
We've only touched on a handful of Vista's capabilities, but we think you'll agree that there are enough new features to make the forthcoming operating system worth considering. In our next installment, we'll discuss how to get ready for Vista, whether you plan to buy new systems or upgrade your existing ones.
Part 1 looked at what Vista, Microsoft's long-promised operating system, will offer small businesses when it finally arrives.
Part 3 covers the hardware a PC needs in order to run the various versions of Microsoft's Vista.
Joe Moran spent six years as an editor and analyst with Ziff-Davis Publishing and several more as a freelance product reviewer. He's also worked in technology public relations and as a corporate IT manager, and he's currently principal of Neighborhood Techs, a technology service firm in Naples, Fla. He holds several industry certifications, including Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
