What are the feature differences between the different versions of Windows Vista?
The following table outlines the features of the Windows Vista Operating System family per SKU:
| Feature |
Home Basic |
Home Premium |
Business |
Ultimate |
| User Account Control |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Security Center |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Defender™ |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Firewall |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Internet Explorer 7.0 Plus |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Internet Explorer Protected Mode |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Internet Explorer Fix My Settings |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Anti-Phishing in Internet Explorer 7.0 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Anti-Phishing in Windows Mail |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Update, Microsoft Update |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Parental Controls |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Service Hardening |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Performance Self-Tuning |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Diagnostics |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Next-generation TCP/IP stack with IPv4 and IPv6 support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows ReadyDrive™ |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Easy Transfer |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| 64-bit processor support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Maximum RAM supported with 32-bit processor-based system |
4 GB |
4 GB |
4 GB |
4 GB |
| Maximum RAM supported with 64-bit processor-based system |
8 GB |
16 GB |
128+ GB |
128+ GB |
| Two processors (two processor sockets) support |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ad hoc backup and recovery of user files and folders |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Scheduled backup of user files |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Backup user files to a network device |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows ShadowCopy |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| System image-based backup and recovery |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Encrypting File System |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Desktop deployment tools for managed networks |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Policy-based quality of service for networking |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) Client |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Administrator Control Over Installation of Device Drivers |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Network Access Protection Client Agent |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Pluggable logon authentication architecture |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Integrated Smart Card management |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows BitLocker™ Drive Encryption |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Support for simultaneous installation of multiple user interface languages |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| All worldwide user interface languages (35 languages total) available |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Anytime Upgrade |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Ultimate Extras |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Vista Basic user interface |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Aero™ user interface with Glass |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Instant Search integrated throughout the operating system |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Automatically organize content based on file properties/tags |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows ReadyBoost™ |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Low Priority I/O |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Automatic Hard Disk Defragmentation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Mail |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Calendar |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Sidebar |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Photo Gallery |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Themed Slide Shows |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Media Player 11 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Media Center, now with CableCard support |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Movie Maker |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Movie Maker HD |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Windows DVD Maker |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Games Explorer |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| New, premium games |
No |
Yes |
Yes* |
Yes |
| Universal game controller support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes* |
Yes |
| Speech Recognition |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Accessibility Settings and Ease of Access Center |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Welcome Center |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| XPS Document Support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Fax and Scan |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes* |
| Network Center |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Network Diagnostic and Troubleshooting |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Wireless network provisioning |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Simultaneous SMB peer network connections |
5 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
| Windows HotStart |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Mobility Center |
Partial |
Partial |
Yes |
Yes |
| Sync Center |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Tablet PC features |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows SideShow™ |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Collaboration |
View only |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Improved file and folder sharing |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Network Projection |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Presentation Settings |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Remote Desktop |
Client Only |
Client Only |
Host and Client |
Host and Client |
| Domain join for Windows Server™ |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Group Policy support |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Offline files and folder support |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Client-Side Caching |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Roaming User Profiles |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Folder Redirection |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Centralized power management through Group Policy |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Internet Information Server |
No |
No |
Yes* |
Yes* |
