This blog post covers various problems and questions Microsoft Windows Vista users might experience and provides possibly solutions.
Problem: Dropbox won’t automatically upgrade.
Some users will see their dropbox package trying to automatically upgrade, but with no success. This is probably because you are logged into Vista via a user account. The first step is to try rebooting the computer to see if Dropbox manages to apply the update. If that fails next you should download dropbox, then without uninstalling the last version, install the new version, then reboot.
Problem: I can’t see the Dropbox folder.
Again this happens if you are a user and it is most likely due to using Dropbox’s default directory settings when installing. Instead reinstall Dropbox and specify a directory that the account user will be able to access.
Problem: I can’t find the profile manager for Thunderbird.
To access the profile manager of Thunderbird you need to specify a command line variable, which is Thunderbird -p or Thunderbird -profilemanager Using the command line, browse to the directory location of Thunderbird and then run the command. You can find the command line, by type cmd in the ‘search’ box from the start menu.
How do I migrate my Thunderbird email to Vista?
All you need to do is copy the specific Thunderbird mail directory to the new machine, then run the profile manager for Thunderbird, create a new profile and then change the directory for that profile to the mail directory.
What are free Anti-Virus applications for Vista?
There are many free antivirus packages, but always check the license details to whether you can run them for your type of use. i.e. commercial, personal or charity. You might want to consider Microsoft Security Essentials, Comodo AntiVirus of AVG’s Anti-Virus software, but always check the license before installing.
How do I open a Microsoft Word document without Microsoft Word?
Vista does come with WordPad, but if that doesn’t show specific MS Word features within a document, you might want to try LibreOffice Writer or AbiWord, which are both free.
How do I take a screenshot on Microsoft Vista?
The easy option is to press the ‘Print Screen / Prnt Scrn’ button on your keyboard, then paste the screenshot image into the ‘Paint’ application, which you can find in the ‘Accessories’ program group. Else you might want to use the Greenshot application, if you don’t have a print screen button, else need more features.
How can I view Adobe PDF documents, without Adobe Reader?
You might want to try the free Samatra PDF viewer software, which is a free small PDF reader package.
Can I install Micosoft Windows XP software in Vista?
In many cases there is no issue installing Windows XP software in Vista. Sometimes you need to install the application using compatibility mode. However there are a few situations where you can’t use XP software in Vista.