Technical features new to Windows Vista: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:08, 24 July 2022

Revision as of 20:11, 20 August 2022

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New digital signal processing functionalities such as ''Room Correction'', ''Bass Management'', ''Loudness Equalization'' and ''Speaker Fill'' have been introduced. These adapt and modify an audio signal to take best advantage of the speaker configuration a given system has. Windows Vista also includes the ability to calibrate speakers to a given room's acoustics automatically using a software wizard.<ref name="AudioImprovements">{{cite web |url=http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/12/06/audio-improvements-in-windows-vista.aspx |title=Audio Improvements in Windows Vista |last=Allchin |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Allchin |date=December 6, 2006 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Vista Team Blog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209135853/http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/12/06/audio-improvements-in-windows-vista.aspx |archive-date=December 9, 2006 |access-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>

Windows Vista also includes the ability for audio drivers to include custom DSP effects, which are presented to the user through user-mode System Effect Audio Processing Objects (sAPOs).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/sysfx.mspx |title=Custom Audio Effects in Windows Vista |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2007-09-06 |archive-date=2007-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809132956/http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/sysfx.mspx |url-status=live }}</ref> These sAPOs are also reusable by third-party software.

===Audio devices support===

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The print subsystem in Windows Vista implements the new XPS print path as well as the legacy GDI print path for legacy support. Windows Vista transparently makes use of the XPS print path for those printers that support it, otherwise using the GDI print path. On documents with intensive graphics, XPS printers are expected to produce much greater quality prints than GDI printers.

In a networked environment with a print server running Windows Vista, documents will be rendered on the client machine,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/drv-compat.mspx |title=Client Side Rendering |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2007-03-07 |archive-date=2007-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302140026/http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/drv-compat.mspx |url-status=live }}</ref> rather than on the server, using a feature known as ''Client Side Rendering''. The rendered intermediate form will just be transferred to the server to be printed without additional processing, making print servers more scalable by offloading rendering computation to clients.

===XPS print path===

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* Windows Vista includes support for [[condition variable]]s and [[reader-writer lock]]s.

* Process creation overhead is reduced by significant improvements to DLL address-resolving schemes.

* Windows Vista introduces a ''Protected Process'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/vista/process_Vista.mspx |title=Protected Processes in Windows Vista |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2007-05-26 |archive-date=2010-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007190503/http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/vista/process_vista.mspx |url-status=live }}</ref> which differs from usual processes in the sense that other processes cannot manipulate the state of such a process, nor can threads from other processes be introduced in it. A ''Protected Process'' has enhanced access to DRM-functions of Windows Vista. However, currently, only the applications using ''[[Protected Video Path]]'' can create Protected Processes.

* ''Thread Pools'' have been upgraded to support multiple pools per process, as well as to reduce performance overhead using thread recycling. It also includes ''Cleanup Groups'' that allow cleanup of pending thread-pool requests on process shutdown.

* ''Threaded DPC'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20090424065603/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms795178.aspx], conversely to an ordinary DPC (Deferred Procedure Call), decreases the system latency improving the performance of time-sensitive applications, such as audio or video playback.

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* Full support for the [[Advanced Configuration and Power Interface|ACPI]] 2.0 specification, and parts of ACPI 3.0.<ref name="kernelfeatures">[http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/c/5/9c5b2167-8017-4bae-9fde-d599bac8184a/kernel-en.doc Windows NT 6.x Kernel Changes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303223841/http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/c/5/9c5b2167-8017-4bae-9fde-d599bac8184a/kernel-en.doc |date=2007-03-03 }}. (Word document)</ref> Support for throttling power usage of individual devices has been improved.

* [[Windows Vista SP1]] supports [[Windows Hardware Error Architecture]] (WHEA).

* Kernel-mode [[Plug-And-Play]] enhancements include support for PCI multilevel rebalance, partial arbitration of resources to support PCI subtractive bridges, asynchronous device start and enumeration operations to speed system startup, support for setting and retrieving custom properties on a device, an enhanced ejection API to allow the caller to determine if and when a device has been successfully ejected, and diagnostic tracing to facilitate improved reliability.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pnppwr/pnp/default.mspx |title=Plug and Play: Architecture and Driver Support |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2007-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616023120/http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pnppwr/pnp/default.mspx |archive-date=2004-06-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* The [[Windows Vista Startup Process|startup process for Windows Vista]] has changed completely in comparison to earlier versions of Windows. The [[NTLDR]] boot loader has been replaced by a more flexible system, with NTLDR's functionality split between two new components: [[winload.exe]] and [[Windows Boot Manager]].<ref name="bcd-faq">See [http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/85cd5efe-c349-427c-b035-c2719d4af778.mspx Boot Configuration Data Editor Frequently Asked Questions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208002701/http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/85cd5efe-c349-427c-b035-c2719d4af778.mspx |date=2006-12-08 }} for details on BCD.</ref> A notable change is that the Windows Boot Manager is invoked by pressing the [[space bar]] instead of the F8 [[function key]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsvistanow/archive/2008/12/05/the-space-bar-is-the-new-f8-when-it-comes-to-vista-and-server-2008-boot-options.aspx |title=The space bar is the new F8 when it comes to Vista and Server 2008 boot options |access-date=2010-05-18 |archive-date=2009-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524094408/http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsvistanow/archive/2008/12/05/the-space-bar-is-the-new-f8-when-it-comes-to-vista-and-server-2008-boot-options.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> The F8 key still remains assigned for advanced boot options once the Windows Boot Manager menu appears.

* On [[Extensible Firmware Interface|UEFI]] systems, beginning with Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the x64 version of Windows Vista has the ability to boot from a disk with a [[GUID Partition Table]].

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* '''ReadyBoot''' uses an in-RAM cache to optimize the [[Windows Vista Startup Process|boot process]] if the system has 700MB or more memory. The size of the cache depends on the total RAM available, but is large enough to create a reasonable cache and yet allow the system the memory it needs to boot smoothly. ReadyBoot uses the same ReadyBoost service.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/03/VistaKernel/ |title=Inside the Windows Vista kernel |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2007-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070331073321/http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/03/VistaKernel/ |archive-date=2007-03-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* '''[[Windows Vista I/O technologies#ReadyDrive|ReadyDrive]]''' is the name Microsoft has given to its support for [[hybrid drive]]s, a new design of [[hard drive]] developed by [[Samsung]] and Microsoft. Hybrid drives incorporate [[non-volatile memory]] into the drive's design, resulting in lower power needs, as the drive's spindles do not need to be activated for every write operation. Windows Vista can also make use of the NVRAM to increase the speed of booting and returning from hibernation.<ref name="performance">{{cite web

| url=http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/features/foreveryone/performance.mspx

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* New support for [[infrared]] receivers and [[Bluetooth#Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR|Bluetooth 2.0]] wireless standards; devices supporting these can transfer files and sync data wirelessly to a Windows Vista computer with no additional software.

* A non-administrator user can share only the folders under his user profile. In addition, all users have a ''Public'' folder which is shared, though an administrator can override this.

* '''Network Projection'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winxp/VistaBeta1FS.mspx |title=Microsoft release regarding Network Projection |website=[[Microsoft]] |access-date=2007-03-07 |archive-date=2007-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070331082307/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winxp/VistaBeta1FS.mspx |url-status=live }}</ref> is used to detect and use network-connected projectors. It can be used to display a presentation, or share a presentation with the machine which hosts the projector. Users can do this over a network so multiple sources can be connected at different times without having to keep moving the sources or projectors around. The network projector can be connected to the network via wireless or cable (LAN) technology to make it even more flexible. Users can not only connect to the network projector remotely but can also remotely configure it. Network projectors are designed to transmit and display still images, such as photographs and slides —not high-bandwidth transmissions, such as video streams. The projector can transmit video, but the playback quality is often poor.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/network-projectors-faq#1TC=windows-7 |title=ArchivedNetwork projectors: Frequently asked questions - Windows copyHelp |access-date=2016-03-16 |archive-date=2016-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322234324/http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/network-projectors-faq#1TC=windows-7 |url-status=live }}</ref> Binary ''%windir%\system32\NetProj.exe'' implement Network Projection feature.

* New monitor configuration APIs make it possible to adjust the monitor's display area, save and restore display settings, calibrate color and use vendor-specific monitor features. Overall too, Windows Vista is designed to be more resolution-independent than its predecessors, with a particular focus on higher resolutions and high [[Dots per inch|DPI]] [[Computer display|displays]] [http://blogs.msdn.com/greg_schechter/archive/2006/09/14/753467.aspx]. [[Windows Presentation Foundation]] and WPF applications are fully [[resolution independence|resolution-independent]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/06/01/windowspresentationfoundation/default.aspx |title=Top Ten UI breakthroughs for WPF |access-date=2007-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517142803/http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/06/01/WindowsPresentationFoundation/default.aspx |archive-date=2007-05-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also, ''Transient Multimon Manager'', a new feature that uses the monitor's [[EDID]] enables automatic detection, setup and proper configuration of additional or multiple displays as they are attached and removed, on the fly. The settings are saved on a per-display basis when possible, so that users can move among multiple displays with no manual configuration.

* Windows Vista includes a [[Web Services for Devices|WSD]]-[[Windows Image Acquisition|WIA]] [[class driver]] that enables all devices compliant with Microsoft's Web Services for Scanner (WS-Scan) protocol to work with WIA without any additional driver or software.