1. The Big Picture

   1. Chapter 1 The Lay of the Land

      1. The Big Picture
      2. What's New in Windows Vista
      3. Windows Vista Editions
      4. Hardware Requirements
      5. Upgrading from Earlier Versions of Windows

   2. Chapter 2 Using Windows Vista

      1. The Desktop
      2. Point-and-Click Operations
      3. Starting Up Applications
      4. Windows and Menus
      5. Keyboard Accelerators
      6. Common Controls
      7. Files, Folders, and Disks
      8. The Command Line
      9. Online Help
      10. Shutting Down

2. Nutshell Reference

   1. Chapter 3 The User Interface

      1. Controlling the Interface

   2. Chapter 4 Working with the Filesystem, Drives, Data, and Search

   3. Chapter 5 Internet Explorer

      1. Security

   4. Chapter 6 Windows Mail

   5. Chapter 7 Networking, Wireless, and Mobility

      1. Networking 101
      2. Planning Your Network
      3. Setting Up a Network
      4. Wired and Wireless Connections, Management, and Configuration
      5. Sharing Resources and Files
      6. Network Applications
      7. Mobile Computing
      8. Networking and Internet Command-Line Tools

   6. Chapter 8 Security

      1. General Security
      2. Internet Security
      3. Encryption

   7. Chapter 9 Working with Hardware

   8. Chapter 10 Managing Programs, Users, and Your Computer

      1. User Accounts and Computer Management
      2. Applications and Utilities
      3. Games

   9. Chapter 11 Performance and Troubleshooting

      1. Performance, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting
      2. Startup

   10. Chapter 12 Graphics and Multimedia

   11. Chapter 13 The Registry

       1. What's in the Registry
       2. Adding and Deleting Registry Keys and Values
       3. Registry Protection in Windows Vista
       4. Organization of the Registry
       5. Hives
       6. Backing Up the Registry
       7. Exporting and Importing Registry Data with Patches
       8. Five Cool Things You Can Do in Your Registry

   12. Chapter 14 The Command Prompt

       1. Using the Command Line
       2. Command Prompt Choices
       3. Wildcards, Pipes, and Redirection
       4. Batch Files

3. Appendixes

   1. Appendix Installing Windows Vista

      1. Performing a Clean Install
      2. Upgrading from a Previous Version of Windows
      3. Windows Anytime Upgrade
      4. Potential Problems During Setup

   2. Appendix Keyboard Shortcuts

      1. Keyboard Accelerators Listed by Key
      2. Keyboard Accelerators Listed by Function

   3. Appendix Keyboard Equivalents for Symbols and International Characters

   4. Appendix Common Filename Extensions

   5. Appendix Services

1. Colophon

The animal on the cover of Windows Vista in a Nutshell is a European common frog (Rana temporaria), also known as the "brown frog" or "grass frog." This species inhabits Europe from the Pyrenees to the Urals and West Siberia. It can be found in just about any damp habitat within this range, including lowland and mountain forests, meadows, swamps, ponds, lakes, rivers, gardens, backyards, and parks.

The European common frog has a small, squat body and a wide, flat head. The frog is typically brown or grayish in color but can also have yellowish or red hues. The lower segments of its backbone are fused into a stiff rod called the urostyle, which, along with its strong pelvic bones, helps provide strength and firmness to the rear of the body. The frogs have powerful hind legs and webbed feet, which contribute to their excellent jumping and swimming abilities.

The males of the species tend to be slightly smaller than the females and are identifiable by whitish swellings on the inner digits of their front feet. During breeding season, these swellings support dark "nuptial pads" that enable the male to grasp the female more effectively. The male can be very vocal when trying to attract a mate, even croaking underwater. Once he has attracted a female, he climbs on her back and embraces her in a tight, sometimes suffocating grip called amplexus, which can last up to two days. He fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them. In recent years, scientists researching the species in the Pyrenees have discovered a behavior known as "clutch piracy," in which gangs of males search for newly laid eggs to fertilize them again. The researchers have found evidence of fertilization from as many as four males in a single clutch of eggs.

Although huge numbers of eggs are laid, few frogs survive to adulthood. Tadpoles are preyed upon by both terrestrial and aquatic animals, and adult frogs count grass snakes, kingfishers, and herons among their many predators. Additionally, many frogs are caught by humans for the purposes of education, medicine, and science. Overall, however, this particular species is neither declining nor threatened.

The cover image is from Wood's Reptiles, Fishes, Insects, &c. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed.