Summary
Windows Vista is the next-generation client operating system from Microsoft, with significant advances in usability, security, performance, and productivity. The visually enhanced user experience is different from previous versions of Windows from login to logout. The new operating system with its subsystem and driver model enhancements is a major improvement over its predecessor, Windows XP, in terms of Vista's stability and usability for future Windows versions. Revolutionary architecture improvements such as user account controls and privileges, preinstallation and preboot environments, and modularization and disk imaging change the way users work with and manage data on their computers. These modifications are meant to improve the user experience with regard to usability, such as finding documents, email messages, applications, or configuration settings. Security is also enhanced with improvements to the User Account Control to help prevent installation of rogue applications and provide system protection against malware with improved versions of Windows Defender and Windows Firewall.