Essential Basics of Windows Vista

For the kind attention of : Lurkswithin

Sir, could you please tell me the bare essentials of Windows Vista for a person that downloads, emails, posts entries in forums, and ... yes the list is too long to say it here.

Or, better, could you tell me the specific method of obtaining information like 'user manual' for Vista.

No one, that I know, has this elaborate Vista. And some weird things are happening...........I have an online chess playing program on which I play a game while waiting for my old Windows XP Tiny to load.
It takes almost 9 to 10 minutes open msn messenger and then load IE 7.
While using Vista there isn't time to play chess, as you know, it loads instantly.
Nevertheless, I decided to play a game ... in the middle game I tried to move a piece and it warned me it as an ILLEGAL move.

Ya, ya, Vista is NOT playing ... but it happened only while USING Vista.

I don't know how a computer works, but then I feel this vista is causing me trouble.

Could it be case of a 'suspicious' mind ! ?