Hi Jane, you will find it very difficult to help your friend over the phone because of those name changes. My documents becomes Documents and My Pictures is simply Pictures. The Start button is the same as your round button on MS Office 2007 but located in the lower left corner. Clicking it brings up the programs but very different from XP

Friends of mine have Vista and I have been there fairly often trying to sort them out, they are 76 and 73 and never owned a confuser before.

You will find the pictures thingy very interesting if you can get to see a Vista machine. Took me a while as I never change things on others computers, especially if they are nervous as my friends were for a month or more. It brings the pictures up, much as I remember from my brief encounter with Picassa, something like that. They can be dragged about to other folders and all that stuff. I suspect once a person got used to it then it would be a good, useful program

We have some Vista users here, perhaps they'll jump in later with helpful comments.

Thanks, Owbist. I figured things were called something else as she couldn't even find the folders or the start button. How utterly ridiculous! My friend is 81 and I would love to help her but it would be long-distance. Her daughter does not live closeby either. She was using AOL as her browser and was concerned because she received a message from AOL that they were discontinuing their picture album and they signed a contract with American Greeting where she could sign up and move her pictures. If she didn't move her pictures, she would lose them. I don't use AOL so I'm assuming they had some sort of picture gallery.

I told her to look in My Pictures folder to see her pictures. She couldn't find that folder or My Documents either. Thus, my question.

Thanks, I'll see if I can find a picture of the Vista to figure out where things are located.

Jane

Here is a link to the Vista help and support that will give you some information to help your friend. Click on "Show All" at the link and you will see a picture of the Start Menu.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vista Help

Jane,

Check out the link below for more information concerning what AOL is up to regarding closing down the picture site. HTH.

Terry

Here is a link that might be useful: AOL Pictures

this website vista4beginners has some very good help and info, there are tutorials, tips and tricks, a forum, all kinds of stuff.

There are some simple ways to make vista look like xp, I posted many of those on a thread here on this forum not long ago.

you can also google "make vista look like xp" here are a few that might help.
Quick Tips: Make Windows Vista look like XP video - CNET TV
How to Make Windows Vista Look Like XP : eHow.com
Make Vista Look Like XP

Here is a link that might be useful: vista4beginners

Jane is it possible for you to actually go to her house to set it up? It's probably the easiest way.

You still have to right click the desktop to get to the properties unless it's set to load the welcome center, which will take you to everything. Instead of it saying properties on the right click it says personalize.

Customizing the desktop can be tricky. After right clicking, on the left it says change desktop icons, pretty sure that clicking this gives the option to add the "documents" and other folders normally found on the desktop.

The start button is still there as well, on the bottom left, it's a round shape with the vista flag. Right click, select properties, then the 2nd tab will say "start menu", which should be shown by default, then she will see a button saying customize. That's where she has the options to include or exclude things from the start menu.

Thank you all very much. Will fool with these links tomorrow. Wish I had remote desktop.

Thanks again,
Jane

TeamViewer is a great little tool for that Jane. Someone here (Owbist, Zep, Ravencajun?) suggested it and I use it a lot. You can email the link to your friend and walk her through the install, it's short and sweet. The recipient end will have to provide the Session ID and then the password which changes each time you connect.

Here is a link that might be useful: Free download of TeamViewer

Yes it is a good tool and free for individual use.
Occasionally you might get an AV or security program that pops up about it but no worries it is fine to use.

Wow, that is great. I'm going to call her to try it. Not sure what AV or Firewall she has (whatever came with the machine), but hopefully can work around it.

I assume there shouldn't be a conflict between XP and Vista.

Thanks so much,
Jane

I found after jumping from 98se to Vista that things looked more familiar to me when I changed the Start menu and Control Panel to classic view.

Bob

Don't give up on Vista.. I know it has a bad rap but once you get used to it there are things that are actually better. Like anything else it takes getting used to expecially for someone like me that doesn't like change. Be patient...go to the sites that offer help that the others have pointed you to. In no time your friend will be a pro

I agree with Kimbra8. It took me a little while to get use to Vista but, I took me a while to go from Windows 95 to XP. Looking over and into some of the sites will help a lot.