New Tips Vista Tips Discuss New Tips in the Windows Vista forums; If you would rather receive notifications for system sounds visually rather than audibly, you can select Turn on visual notifications for sounds (Sound Sentry) and then choose the visual warning ...

[felix8406]

If you would rather receive notifications for system sounds visually rather than audibly, you can select Turn on visual notifications for sounds (Sound Sentry) and then choose the visual warning you want.

1. Go to Star, type Ease in the Search box and hit Enter to open the Ease of Acces Center
2. Select "Use text or visual alternatives for sounds".
3. Place a check mark on "Turn on visual notifications for sounds (Sound Sentry)".
4. Under Choose visual warning, select the option you would like to use.
5. Click Save

[felix8406]

If you can't or don't want to press combination keys at once, e.g. Ctrl+Alt+Delete, you can setup your keyboard so you can press the keys one at a time. Here's how:

1. Click Start, type Ease and hit Enter to open Ease of Access Center
2. Select "Make the keyboard easier to use"
3. Under Make it easier to type, place a check mark next to "Turn on Sticky Keys"
4. Press Save

[felix8406]

Speech Recognition allows you to control your computer by voice to start programs, open menus, click buttons and other objects on the screen, dictate text into documents, and write and send e-mails. You can do almost everything you do with your keyboard and mouse using your voice. Here's how to activate speech recognition:

1. Click Start, type Windows Speech the Search box and hit Enter to open Windows Speech Recognition
2. Select Start Speech Recognition
3. Follow the tutorial to setup your microphone and the Speech Tutorial.
4. Set Speech Recognition to start each time you log on to your computer (optional).

[felix8406]

Here’s how to control the mouse pointer with the keyboard.

1. Go Start type Ease and hit Enter to open the Ease of Access Center or press the Window Logo + U combination.
2. Select Make the mouse easier to use.
3. Place a check mark next to Turn on Mouse Keys
4. Press Save

[felix8406]

Changing the location for Vista's paging file can theoretically contribute to a more efficient use of the swap file, contributing to improved memory usage and performance boost.

Here's a procedure for those who want to configure their paging file:

1. Create a partition on your HD at least five times the amount of your RAM (See notes 1,2,3 and 4)
2. Right click "Computer", choose Properties and go to "Advanced system settings".
3. Go to "Advanced" tab and under "Performance" choose "Settings".
4. Go to "Advanced" tab and under "Virtual memory" chose "Change"
5. Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives".
6. Highlight the partition just created and choose "Custom size"
7. Enter an initial and maximum size to between one to three times the amount of your PC RAM (Enter the same amount for both, Initial size and Maximum size)
8. Click Set, OK and restart the PC.

Note1: If your PC has two hard drives, setup the page file on the drive that doesn't contain Vista.
Note2: If your PC has more than two hard drives, setup the paging file on all drives, except the one that doesn't contain Vista
Note3: If your PC has more than two hard drives with unequal performance, setup the paging file on the fastest hard drive.
Note4: If your PC has only one hard drive with many partitions, setup the paging file on one partition only.

[felix8406]

To minimize all open windows on your the desktop, press the Windows log + M keys or click the Show Desktop in the Quick Launch bar. To maximize the windows, press Shift+Windows+M or click the Show Desktop button.

[ProCookie]

Great Tips Felix, how do you find all theses?

[felix8406]

Thanks Anthony. I do a lot of online research, use Vista's Help and Support and through trial and error. The best tip the I can give anyone, and I believe that Davehc and others mentioned this, is to use Vista's Help and Support. Even in the days of DOS, the help section has so much to offer. From using Vista through solving problems, the Help and Support section is the first place one should go to. I an apple a day can keep the doctor away, the Help and Support section can help keep your PC running in top shape.

[felix8406]

You can change between applications by pressing Alt+Tab keys combination. If your PC meets the requirements to use the Aero interface, you can change between applications by using Flip 3D; just press the Windows Logo+Tab combination.

[felix8406]

Want to quickly close an application or window displaying on your desktop? Press the Alt+F4 key.