Vista Notification Area

The notification area is on the far right on the taskbar. By default, the notification area is divided into two areas:

• An area for standard notification icons, such as those used by programs you’ve installed
• An area for system notification icons, such as those for the clock, volume, network, and power

Unlike earlier versions of Windows, notification area configuration in Windows Vista is controlled on a separate tab in the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box. To modify the default settings, right-click the Start button, and then select Properties. In the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box, click the Notification Area tab. You can then manage how notification icons are used.

You can display the date and time by clicking the clock in the notification area. The system clock is significantly different from earlier versions of Windows. You can use the date and time to view the current month’s calendar and browse a month-to-month calendar. Time can be shown with a traditional clock or a digital clock, and if you click the Date And Time Settings link, you can add up to two additional clocks for other time zones.


Vista System Clock

The Windows taskbar clock has been enhanced a bit. If you click once on it, you'll see the option to go to Change Date and Time Settings.Here you have 3 tabs.

1. In Date and Time you can check if your system is configured for the correct timezone.
2. Additional Clocks allows to add additional clocks for different timezones. This can be handy if you have contacts in different time zones. Check the screenshots below.
3. Internet Time allows to synchronize your clock with a time server online. By default this is time.windows.com.

By default, Windows Vista automatically synchronizes system time with an Internet time server once a week. The goal of synchronization is to ensure that system time is as accurate as possible. By default, the time server used for synchronization is time.windows.com. Although other time servers can be selected, businesses with networks might prefer to have computers synchronize with internal time servers.

To change the time, you must click the clock in the notification area on the taskbar and then click the Date And Time Settings link. In the Date And Time Properties dialog box, click the Change Date And Time button to change the date and time, or click Change Time Zone to change the time zone. After you change the date and time or the time zone and click OK twice, the time is updated to reflect your changes.

You can also add up to two additional clocks for other time zones. How to add additional clocks, you can read in Windows Vista How To: Add Additional Clocks