First, congrats on upgrading to Windows Vista. You’ll have fun with it, and over the long term, the upgrade will make you more productive.

You’re officially an early adopter, though, and whether you’re buying a car in the first model year or installing a newly released operating system, problems are much more likely during the first year of production use. Here are some tips to make your first weeks with Vista as fun and productive as possible:

• Update your drivers. Sure, it’s a new computer, but MS has released updates since your computer was manufactured.
• First, click Start, type Update, and then click Windows Update. Then, click Check for updates and install anything it finds.
• Next, check your computer manufacturer for updates. If you bought a Dell, go to the Dell support website. If you bought an HP, check out the support section of their website. Install any updates they have available for Windows Vista.
• Often, hardware component manufacturers (such as Nvidia or ATI, which make video cards) release updates weeks or months before the computer manufacturer releases them to you. During the first few months of Vista’s consumer lifespan, we’re going to see lots of important updates, so it’s worthwhile to check component manufacturer websites for your video, audio, and network adapters. To figure out who manufactured each of your components, click Start, type devmgmt.msc, and then press Enter. You’ll be prompted for administrative credentials. Now, expand Display Adapters, and make note of your video card manufacturer. Go directly to the company’s website (try Googling the manufacturer name) and look for their support section for updated drivers. Repeat this for devices in Sound, video, and game controllers and Network adapters.

• Update your programs. Most software developers have been getting their programs ready for Windows Vista, so visit their websites and install the latest version. If you don’t see a Vista-compatible version, look for betas–it may still be a few weeks before some software developers release final versions of Windows Vista software.
• Setup automatic backups. Vista is mostly secure by default, but one thing that you MUST setup that can’t be enabled by default is automatic backups. So, buy yourself an external hard drive and schedule nightly backups. No matter how reliable Vista is, computers can die or be stolen, and you don’t want to lose your files and pictures. After you get all your programs installed, run a Complete PC backup, too.
• Read about Vista. Lots has changed, and much of it you won’t notice. This website is a great start–browse through my archives. In particular, check out my Productivity, Troubleshooting, and Security tips. Try stuff out–especially the Search features.
• Don’t start turning stuff off. Yes, UAC is annoying, and Aero can be irritating, but resist the urge to immediately disable them. Live with the default settings for a couple of weeks. They’re enabled by default for a good reason, and you’ll probably get used to them. If you still hate them after a couple of weeks, turn them off at that time.
• Enable compatibility mode for programs that don’t work. Then, visit the software developer’s website, and write them a note asking for an update that’s compatible with Vista. They might not realize that their users have Vista up and running.

You have other advice for new users? Add a comment.