Windows Vista

Windows Vista

Windows Vista takes information management beyond simple desktop search. With advanced organizational features like Live Icons, Search Folders, document and photo tagging, and the new column header controls, Windows Vista puts you firmly in control of the information stored on a PC's hard drive. Windows Search 4.0, the latest version of search for Windows Vista SP1, adds new enhancements including indexing support for encrypted files and expanded PC-to-PC search capabilities. Get Windows Search 4.0 now!

For business users

Windows Vista is designed to empower your entire organization to work more efficiently with a simple-to-use interface, making it easier to find and organize the information you need quickly and easily—whether on your PC or on the Web. The built-in desktop search features in Windows Vista give you the power to quickly find documents, e-mail, contacts, and programs right from your desktop.

• Learn more about search and organization in Windows Vista

For IT professionals

Windows Vista introduces powerful new search and organization features that enable your users to find documents, programs, e-mail messages, or other files on their PCs as well as on shared network resources. The familiar Windows interface allows your users to begin using the search capabilities with minimal training, while security-conscious design keeps unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data.

• Learn more about Windows Vista as part of your enterprise search solution

For developers

Windows Vista weaves search and organization capabilities into a system-level platform that you can utilize—enabling you to enhance your custom file formats and applications. By relying on the system's search functionality, you can provide your customers with valuable features with little additional development cost.

• Learn more about enhancing your Windows Vista-compatible file format or application with Windows Search

Here are a few tips for using search and organization features in Windows Vista. For more suggestions on optimizing your search and file organization, explore Windows Vista tips and tricks or view the Windows Search videos.

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Search Explorer The Search Explorer in Windows Vista is the launching pad for searching the contents of your entire hard drive with both simple and complex query options. To open the Search Explorer, use the WinKey+F keyboard shortcut, or press the F3 key. When you type a search term into the search box located in the upper-right corner of the Search Explorer, Instant Search immediately starts displaying the most relevant results based on file contents or metadata. An extra toolbar appears at the top of the search results pane, allowing you to quickly filter the results. For example, you can click on Document to display only the search results that are documents, or click E-mail to hide files that are not e-mail messages. Enabling Quick Search in folders Searching through large folders can sometimes be overwhelming. Windows Vista lets you instantly focus the search box while in a folder just by typing. To enable this feature, click the Organize button in any folder, then click Folder and Search Options. On the View tab, scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings box and select "Automatically type into the Search Box" then click OK. Then just start to type and you can quickly find what you're looking for no matter where in the folder you are. Using Search Folders Search Folders let you group files virtually without dragging individual files into various folders or mentally tracking where each file resides. This eliminates the need to temporarily pull together files for a particular task, a highly manual undertaking that often yields multiple copies of the same files. To create a Search Folder, click Start, and then click Search to type in your search criteria. Click Save Search to save the query to your hard drive as a Search Folder. Each time you open the Search Folder, the saved search runs automatically, immediately displaying the newest results. For example, create a Search Folder for each project you work on and all relevant files are displayed when you open the folder.

A wide array of support options is available to help you with questions and issues involving search and organization in Windows Vista.

Windows Vista System Requirements

		Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise
	Minimum Processor Speed	1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
	Memory Required	1 GB of system memory
	Hard Disk Space	40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
	Display	Support for DirectX 9 graphics with: WDDM Driver 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware

Windows Vista is designed to dramatically improve your computing experience whether you use your PC for simple Web browsing or to organize and act on large volumes of data. There are three versions of Windows Vista for business users:

		Windows Vista Enterprise, available only to Volume License customers who have PCs covered by Microsoft Software Assurance, is the premium business edition of Windows Vista. It helps global organizations and businesses with complex IT infrastructures lower costs, reduce risk, and stay connected.
		Windows Vista Ultimate is the most complete edition of Windows Vista available to all business users-with the power, security, and mobility features that you need for work, and all of the entertainment features that you want for fun.
		Windows Vista Business is designed specifically to empower your entire business to work more efficiently with a stunning and improved, simple-to-use interface that makes it easier to search and find the information you need quickly and easily, both on your PCs and on the Web.

Compare the commercially available editions of Windows Vista to choose the edition designed for the way you work.

Download Windows Search 4.0, the latest update to Windows Search functionality in Windows Vista SP1.

Find add-ins to personalize your search experience in Windows Vista.