On a Windows Vista-based computer, when you click Install a program from the network in Control Panel, you do not see the status column in the Get Programs dialog box that shows whether applications are installed.

In earlier Windows operating systems such as Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, when you click Add New Programs in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, you see the status column that shows whether applications are installed.

Consider the following scenario:

• You use a non-administrative user account on a Windows Vista-based computer.
• This user account belongs to a group other than the Users group. Additionally, this group has a linked token.
• You try to open a Systems Management Server (SMS)-based item in Control Panel.

  For example, you try to open the Run Advertised Programs item in Control Panel.

In this scenario, you are prompted to type your administrative credentials. Therefore, you cannot open the item in Control Panel.

On a Windows Vista-based computer, the Volume slider and the Balance sliders may unexpectedly display different numeric values. For example, the Balance sliders may all display a level of 23, even though the Volume slider displays a level of 24.

Note: You can find these sliders in the Sound item in Control Panel.

On a portable computer that is running Windows Vista, the Windows Mobility Center item does not appear in Control Panel as expected.

On a computer that is running Windows Vista, you experience one or more of the following problems:

• Icons are missing from Control Panel.
• You cannot start Control Panel. When you try to start Control Panel, the screen may flash briefly, but Control Panel does not start.
• You cannot start the Welcome Center. For example, when you type welcome center in the Start Search box, and then you click Welcome Center in the Programs list, nothing happens.
• You cannot start Windows Vista games such as Chess or Minesweeper. When you try to start the games, nothing happens.

These problems may occur intermittently.

In Windows Vista, the dedicated graphics memory that is reported by the “Performance Information and Tools” item in Control Panel may be less than the actual graphics memory that is available for the primary video card.

The dedicated graphics memory is reported under Graphics in the “View and print details” page of the “Performance Information and Tools” item in Control Panel.

When you configure power options for the active (current) power plan in Windows Vista, the changes are not reflected on the System Settings page in the Power Options item in Control Panel.

This behavior does not occur if you are currently using the default, or “preferred,” power plan. The preferred power plan is specified in the registry.

When you adjust the Volume slider or the Balance slider in the Sound item in Control Panel in Windows Vista, the level setting may change slightly after you click OK. The exact setting for the Volume slider or for the Balance slider is not retained.

For example, the level setting may change slightly in the following scenario:

• You open the Sound item in Control Panel, you select a device on the Playback tab, and then you click Properties.
• You click the Levels tab, and then you adjust the Volume slider level or the Balance slider level.
• You click OK, and then you reopen the dialog box.

Note: This issue may be easier to detect if you switch to decibel (dB) view. To do this, right-click the value box that shows the current level, and then click decibels.

In Windows Vista, the Sound item in Control Panel includes the option to set a device format. However, the list of supported formats in the Sound item may be incorrect. This problem may occur when you use a legacy audio device that has hardware controls that can change the format of the device.