Chapter 3. What Windows Vista Does

AN operating system is defined not just by how it looks, but by what it does. But just what does an operating system do?

Like all operating systems, Windows Vista operates all aspects of your computer system. Vista controls what you see onscreen and what happens behind the scenes. Everything your computer does, Vista has a hand in controlling.

When you see a program on your computer screen, Windows Vista puts it there. When you click a button in that program, Vista sends your instruction to your computer. When a program needs to open a file, print a document, or display a picture, Vista ...

Get How Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Works now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.