Chapter 1

Installing Windows Vista Client

Exam 70-620, “Configuring Windows Vista Client,” is aimed at information technology (IT)

professionals who will be installing and supporting the Windows Vista client operating sys-

tem. The first thing you should recognize is that the installation process is a critical task in a

computer’s life cycle. How you configure a Windows Vista client computer has significant ram-

ifications for how it is used throughout its lifetime. Today, with more reliable hardware and

software, few people will need to have their operating system reinstalled from scratch. It is

likely that the configuration decisions you make during the installation of Windows Vista will

remain in effect until the computer on which you install it is retired from service.

As an IT pro, you are responsible for making configuration decisions for people who have

placed their trust in you. These people might be customers, work colleagues, family members,

or friends. These people have given you this responsibility because they lack your expertise

and training. They need you to decide whether their current hardware is capable of running

Windows Vista. Do you recommend that they upgrade components? Should they purchase a

new computer entirely? Will they be best served by dual booting, or should they upgrade from

Windows XP to Windows Vista? Which edition of Windows Vista will best suit their needs?

What sort of post-installation configuration of device drivers will be necessary? This chapter

will help you address all of these questions and will start you on your journey to better under-

standing the Windows Vista operating system.

Exam objectives in this chapter:

■

Identify hardware requirements.

■

Perform a clean installation.

■

Install and configure Windows Vista drivers.

Lessons in this chapter:

■

Lesson 1: Identifying Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

■

Lesson 2: Installing Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

■

Lesson 3: Installing, Updating, and Troubleshooting Windows

Vista Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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