For simplified characters, set up the "Chinese (Simplified) Microsoft Pinyin IME", also known as "MSPY", as follows:

Start menu     Open the "Regional and Language Options" control panel:     In Control Panels, do one of the following:

1. Click here in Control Panels Home:

Vista Control Panels Home

2. Or double-click here in if you are in Control Panels "Classic View":

Control Panels Classic

    When the "Regional and Language Options" control panel appears:

Vista Regional & Language Options Control Panel

     When "Text Services and Input Languages" appears:

Text Services and Input Languages window: add button

     When "Add Input Language" appears:

You can click the Add button again to select more input methods, but most of the others are more appropriate for professional speed typists.

For now we'll leave the properties of your Simplified Chinese IME alone, but you may find it useful to remember the location of the following controls:

Test Services - Keyboard Properties
Simplified IME properties
These settings can also be accessed later via the Options menu in the Language Bar when this input method is selected. The Getting Started guide in the Help menu has more information on all of this.

You will now find the Language Bar at the lower-right of your screen, in the Taskbar:

Vista Language Bar - English and Chinese (PRC)

When "Chinese (PRC)" is selected, if you click the Options icon at the far right, you can click "Options..." in the menu to adjust this IME's settings:

Chinese (PRC) Options menu