44 Computer Service and Repair
Windows Vista and Windows 7 were close, the
two operating systems share the same or similar
features. There are some differences. These
differences will be pointed out as we cover the
major features of the Windows operating system.
Windows Directory Structure
The Microsoft approach to software is like
constantly trying to improve a mousetrap. They
keep reinventing existing features. Nowhere
is there a better example of this process than
comparing the directory structure of the various
Windows operating system versions. As new
approaches to old problems are solved and new
technologies are introduced, changes are reflected
in the directory structure.
A directory structure consists of files,
folders, documents, and items such as hard
drive partitions, CD/DVD drives, and network
locations. To make a quick comparison of the
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,
and Windows 8 directory structures, look at
Figure 2-10.
The Windows XP directory is simple in
comparison to Windows Vista, which introduced
the concept of a
Public
folder to make sharing
Windows Vista was released to the public in
January 2007. It was not well received by users,
mainly because of the added security features.
The previous edition, Windows XP, was criticized
for being too lax on security. Many people in
the technical areas felt that Windows XP was
too vulnerable to malicious software, such as
viruses and worms. Windows Vista, therefore,
was designed with enhanced security to make
it less vulnerable to such attacks. As a result, the
user was constantly prompted for approval at an
administrator level whenever critical changes were
about to be made to the system configuration.
The constant prompting for permission proved
to be annoying to the average user. There were
also issues with older software and drivers not
working properly with Windows Vista. Public
reception of this operating system was so bad,
many computer suppliers offered to replace
Windows Vista with Windows XP at no extra cost.
In October 2009, Microsoft released the
Windows 7 operating system. The public was
hesitant to accept Windows 7, but soon Windows 7
became a well-respected operating system.
Windows 7 did have some software and driver
issues, but that is typical with any new version of
an operating system. Because the release dates of
Figure 2-9.
Windows XP Registry
Editor.