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Vista offers just about everything you can find in the Performance applet of older versions of Windows—although everything is monitored by default, so there’s no need to add anything. In addition, it includes the Reliability Monitor. The Reliability Monitor enables you to see at a glance what’s been done to the computer over a period of time, including software installations and uninstallations, failures of hardware or applications, and general uptime (Figure 4-93). It’s a nice starting tool for checking a Vista machine that’s new to you.

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NOTE You’ll learn more about the Reliability and Performance Monitor in Chapter 17.

Figure 4-93 The Reliability and Performance Monitor open to the Reliability Monitor screen

Services

Windows runs a large number of separate programs called services. The best way to visualize a service is to think of it as something that runs, yet is invisible. Windows comes with about 100 services by default, and they handle a huge number of tasks, from application support to network functions. You can use the Services applet to see the status of all services on the system, including services that are not running (Figure 4-94).

Figure 4-94 Services applet

Right-click a service and select Properties to modify its settings. Figure 4-95 shows the properties for the Bluetooth support service. See the Startup type pull-down menu? It shows three options: Automatic, Manual, and Disabled. Automatic means it starts when the system starts, Manual means you have to come to this tab to start it, and Disabled prevents anything from starting it. Make sure you know these three settings, and also make sure you understand how to start, stop, pause, and resume services (note the four buttons below Startup Type).

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EXAM TIP The CompTIA A+ certification exams are not interested in having you memorize all of these services—just make sure you can manipulate them.

Figure 4-95 Bluetooth support service properties

Beyond A+

Microsoft adds or tweaks utilities from one version of its flagship operating system to the next. Plus, tools often move from version to version. The Performance applet in Windows XP, for example, became the Reliability and Performance Monitor in Windows Vista. With Windows 7, Microsoft shifted things again, with Reliability going into a new Control Panel applet called Action Center. Go figure. Half the fun in migrating to a new OS is hunting down your favorite tools!

This Beyond A+ section addresses the several versions of Windows not on the CompTIA A+ exams: Windows 7, Windows Mobile, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, and Windows Embedded.

Windows 7

Windows 7 came out just a few months after CompTIA announced the 220-701 and 220-702 exams, so it’s not on those exams. However, the differences between Vista and 7 are so minor “under the hood” that it’s safe to say if you know Vista, you know Windows 7 (Figure 4-96).

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EXAM TIP Remember Windows 7 is not on the CompTIA 220-701 and 220-702 exams.

Figure 4-96 Windows 7

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile is a very small version of Windows designed for PDAs and phones. Windows Mobile is only available as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) product, which means you buy the device and it comes with Windows Mobile you can’t buy some PDA or phone and then buy Windows Mobile separately.

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

A tablet PC is a laptop with a built-in touch screen. The idea behind a tablet PC is to drastically reduce, if not totally eliminate, the use of a keyboard (Figure 4-97). In some situations, tablet PCs have started to become popular. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is Microsoft’s operating solution for tablet PCs. Tablet PC Edition is still Windows XP, but it adds special drivers and applications to support the tablet.

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NOTE You’ll see more of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition in Chapter 21, “Portable Computing.”

Windows Vista comes with the Tablet PC features built in, so there’s no need for a special tablet-version of Vista (or Windows 7, for that matter).

Figure