Windows Vista Improves Desktop Management

To ensure that administrators can centrally manage Windows Vista-based computers, Microsoft will make substantial improvements to desktop management features such as Group Policy. Although these features have been a part of the OS since Windows 2000, Microsoft still has room for improvements that can reduce the total cost of ownership of Windows. But using them still requires careful planning, because setting a policy for one purpose might impact other functions. For instance, disabling USB flash drives to control unauthorized copying of data will also disable use of these drives for BitLocker Drive Encryption or Windows ReadyBoost.

Improved Management Tools

With Vista, Microsoft has made substantial improvements to Group Policy, which provides an infrastructure for the centralized configuration of Windows and applications by allowing administrators to override per-computer and per-user Registry settings; the Task Scheduler, which can be used to start and control scheduled administrative tasks; and the Event Viewer, which allows administrators to examine event logs to monitor the health of systems and troubleshoot problems.