How to Use the Windows Meeting Space Feature of Vista

You can use the "Windows Meeting Space" feature of Vista to pool resources with groups of up to 10 people at a time. Join or start a meeting in "Windows Meeting Space" to share files and programs, to group-edit documents or to hook up to a network projector for a presentation. Follow these steps to find out how.

Things You'll Need

• An email account (Microsoft Outlook is recommended)
• Contacts of people to invite to a meeting
• Anti-virus program

Instructions

1. Open "Window Meeting Space" from the "Start" menu. View the "Program Files" and click the "Windows Meeting Space" icon.

2. Sign into the "People Near Me" feature to enable others to send you invitations to "Windows Meeting Place" meetings. Open the "Control Panel" from the "Start" menu, click "Network and Internet" and then click "People Near Me." Click the "Sign In" button, click "Sign In to People Near Me" and then hit the "OK" button.

3. Join a "Windows Meeting Space" meeting. If you've been sent an invitation, click "Open an Invitation File." If there's a meeting already taking place, you can click "Join an Invitation Near Me," enter the meeting password and click the "Arrow" button.

4. Start a meeting of your own. Click "Start a New Meeting" and type in a password that's at least 8 characters long.

5. Select names of people to invite them to a meeting. Click "Invite People" and check the boxes next to the names of the people you signed into under the "People Near Me" feature. Click the "Send Invitations" button.

6. Invite people to your meeting with an e-mail. Click "Invite People" and then click the "Invite Others" button. Click "Send an Invitation E-mail."

7. Make an invitation file with the information needed for others to join your meeting. Click the "Invite People" button and then click on "Invite Others." From the "Invite Others" menu, click "Create an Invitation File." Save the file. Then, send it in an e-mail as an attachment.

8. Share programs and your desktop with meeting members. Click "Share a Program or Desktop," and select what program or item you want to share.

9. Share a document for others to view and edit. Click "Add a Handout." Choose what file you want to share.

10. Hook-up to a projector on your network in order to give a presentation. While in a meeting, click the "Options" button at the top right-hand side of your screen. Click on "Connect to a Projector" and complete the instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• You can share an invitation file you've created on the network the same way you share a handout file.

• Install an anti-virus program to keep your computer safe from malicious software.

• Run programs and share files with trusted contacts only.

• Only one other person at a time can edit a handout file. Any changes made to a handout file will affect all other copies of that handout file.

• Your computer can be exposed to viruses or other malicious software while running a program from a meeting.