Windows Vista Pocket Reference

Chapter 3. Windows Components, Features, and Settings

This chapter provides a listing of the most useful components, features, and settings that make up Windows Vista—an encyclopedia, if you will, of everything you can do with Windows out of the box. Some of the more prominent applications and utilities that come with Windows Vista are available through shortcuts on the Start menu, but many useful tools aren’t as conspicuous, available only to those users who know where to look.

In Windows, there is usually more than one way to accomplish any task. So, each entry in this chapter starts with the format name of the component as it appears on the screen and the executable filename, which can be typed into the address bar, the command prompt, or the Start Search box. Then, its location in the interface (if applicable) is shown with standard path notation, followed by a description, tips, command-line options, or other applicable helpful information.

The User Interface

Address Bar

The Address Bar is a special toolbar with an input field and (optionally) an arrow. It appears in Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, and, if you’ve right-clicked on the Taskbar and selected Address from the Toolbars menu, on the Taskbar. When you type an Internet address, the name of a program, or the path of a folder, and then press Enter, the Address Bar will respond in one of many ways, depending on its location and your system’s settings.

Bread Crumbs

Windows Explorer now includes bread crumb navigation along ...