Windows Vista Secrets

I was introduced to this book while listening to the Windows Weekly (TWiT) podcast with hosts Leo LaPorte and Paul Thurrott. Both Paul and Leo talk reference this book on occasion in the podcast. So I decided to purchase it and give it a read. This book is fantastic. Even though it is a book on Windows, it is very good to read. This book isn't necessarily designed for the absolute beginner. It is for the user that wishes to get a little closer and under the hood of Windows Vista. I do recommend this book those of you who wish to understand Vista more. I have learned a lot about Vista I didn't already know. There is a wealth of knowledge in this book. In fact, it has inspired me to purchase an additional book and seek a Vista certification.

If the information you are looking for does not appear in this book it probably does not exist. A monumental work.

I don't know what is wrong with the people here who slam this book with their reviews. It is well written. It doesn't waste your time with needless, useless redundant information that is self evident in Vista from the get go. It has a paragraph on "shadow copy". (that reviewer before said the book doesn't cover it) Vista Secrets has all that a user need to know about a very simple file restore feature. Lviingston/Thurrott say up front that they don't cover things that are self evident already ie: "DVD copy" yada yada and that includes the minimum (and maximum) that a reader need know about "shadow copy" etc. If you skip the first 100 pages on a dual boot system, you have Vista mastered in about 400 pages, not a 1000 page book that drags on and on. The fact is, Vista is a major upgrade, but if you ever used XP, you know the basics of Vista and it is pointless to cover the basics of Windows again. You only need to know what is new, what of that is useful, what is new that you need not waste your time on. What is useful but not obvious. This book is very good at covering everything you need to know and not wasting valuable reading time doing it. I highly recommend it over the more detailed and exhausting volumes out there that just wear the reader out. Most of the other Vista books I have seen read like you have never seen a Windows Operating System before, and unless you are just off the boat from Russia, and don't know what electricity is yet, you don't need the coverage those other books give to a subject about the most popular and used operating system on the "planet". This book covers the whole subject but focuses most on the parts of Vista that will be most useful and most improved. I found nothing that it left out that I needed to know, short of subjects that would require full 1000 page books to cover those subject; ie: "Windows shell".

This is a nicely written book which covers Vista very well. It is the perfect book for the experienced user to find out what is new in Vista. It's not for the complete beginner, and not for those who want lots of registry tricks. I recommend this book highly.

I bought this book before I upgraded to Vista. I am glad I have it. The book covers everything from which version to buy to upgrading- including some insights about the gotchas found in every microsoft product. The book is well organized. There are plenty of screenshots which are useful because Microsoft has completed changed the look and feel of the Windows Operating system. Everything is different, and this book is useful for finding all the right buttons, and getting up to speed on the operating system without too much developer speak or needless rambling. I find myself turning to this book to figure out how to do a certain task- burn a DVD,CD, transfer files, make a movie, download music, etc.... I especially liked the tips throughout the book as it's often the subtle insights that lead to wasting less time wondering how to do something! If you are planning to upgrade or have acquired a machine with Windows Vista, this book is a must have.