Windows 7 Notes – page 1

NB. The following notes are the headlines for the presentation at the JCC. For more detail please use MS help or Google (or see me at the club!).

 

Windows 7 is…. What Vista should have been  !

 

Leaner, meaner Vista

Windows 7 installs much faster and has a smaller footprint. Geared to netbooks upwards.

Microsoft formally discontinued Windows XP on June 30, 2008, and it ended mainstream support on April 14, 2009.

 

Some Apps Removed!

Windows mail,

Windows Photo Gallery,

Windows Movie Maker,

Dreamscene.

Reduced power consumption.

Better battery optimization, and Bluetooth and DVD features that won’t be activated until necessary.

Simpler Power management

for e.g. laptops

Improved startup and shutdown

Services loaded on demand rather than at startup. e.g. Bluetooth viz msconfig

 

Some improvements to the User Interface

Catching up with current technology

Some enhanced applications

 

Clean Desktop UI

Gives user control to reduce desktop clutter

Desktop areas

simplified to

Idea is to keep desktop clean. No Gadgets pane

Start Menu

Right click taskbar or start menu  > properties>startmenu

Start button

now only Start Menu

Shut down button

can change default

Search box

to avoid hunting thro directories

All Programs

folders and content can be organised

Start. Right click programs>Open all users/Open (both)

Note because the location of the shortcut has been changed it may not get uninstalled.

Recently used.

Can be suppressed

User picture

can be easily changed

Data and program views.

Note change to Libraries.Libraries view. Libraries; fixed and attached HD, networked homegroup

 

Taskbar

Previously>  quick launch bar + running apps +  System Tray 

Now the taskbar can contain both running apps and links to apps. Rendered differently. BUT not OS X style object dock.

Pin an app

to taskbar

Slicker, quicker Taskbar Previews:

Now they show you all of an application's open windows, all at once.

Jump Lists:

right-click on a taskbar button in Windows 7, a menu slides out with recent documents and application tasks. lets you start accomplishing things in applications before you even open them.

Notification Area.

Was System tray

You can choose to Hide or show notifications for each icon.

Taskbar Properties> Notification area > customise

Action Center

Windows 7's version of Vista's Security Center. a one-stop shopping location where you can go to deal with security issues, troubleshooting, and recovery, instead of searching out separate applets for each. queues up system messages so that you can respond to them on your schedule--not when Windows feels like interrupting you

Additional clocks

Aeropeek

Show Desktop” button/pad

Shake-n-Vac

Lock window to edge, top. Win right arrow

Theme

Save desktop, mouse and sound settings per user

Right click desktop> personalize>theme

Sticky notes

Magnifying glass

 

Updated Apps

Paint,

Microsoft Office 2007's ribbon interface

WordPad

,  Microsoft Office 2007's ribbon interface. supports Office 2007/2008's XML-based Word docs

Calculator

(including calc no of days between two date)

Windows explorer

Default windows explorer view             

Open explorer, customize view.               Press Alt, View Folder Options>view>use checkboxes/apply to folders

Customise folder icon

Windows explorer shortcuts              Frequently used               Drag folder to menu

 

Technology catch up

Defrag multiple partitions

Homegroup networking

Windows Media Centre

including watch, pause rewind TV More details: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=769&tag=rbxccnbtr1

 

 

Cool Tools

But it has fixed some things and enhanced:

Problem step recorder

For Tech Support. type of screen capture software that records all actions — keystrokes, mouse clicks, etc. — and saves the sequence of events in an MHTML page              Programs or search

Resource Monitor

Including analyse process. network section. They list off services that are running, the firewall status, and even what ports are being listened to (or from!).

Backup

Now includes system image. Windows 7 gives you more granular control over what you want to back up. Backup: Win 7's Backup and Re­­store Center no longer requires you to de­­vote an external hard drive to a full

System restore

Tells you which programs and drivers will be restored. Choose only files.              protection

Bootable system repair disk

              Backup

Windows memory diagnostic

              Can diagnose and correct(?) corrupted memory (also Vista)              mem

Virtual Machines

Definition stored in VHD files              Discmgt.msc Run diskpart

Display projection

The first setting is the default and displays on the computer screen only. The second setting clones the display on the computer screen to the projector. The third setting extends the desktop across both the computer screen and the projector, and the fourth setting displays via the projector only and turns off the computer screen.              Windows logo key + P

Find and Fix problems

Fix common problems and clean up pc              Control panel

Federated search

Search external resources as well from windows explorer. Windows 7's Federated Search lets you add external sources like Flickr and YouTube to Windows Explorer searches. Based on OpenSearch and the RSS format. But the OS doesn't help you find those sources and doesn't mention Federated Search in its help system.

Burn ISO image                           

 

Configuration setting control

Run as Different user

Removed in Vista. Right click program             

Command line

More powerful commands e.g robocopy /mt multithreaded copyin             

Device stage

Advanced plug and play. Recognises device installs drivers and configures pc             

Calibrate screen

Display color calibration wiz             

Sharper text

Clear type tuner              Control panel

 

Ultimate version only

(Bitlocker) Bitlocker to go

Encrypt drive ultimate only else use truecrypt,              Exporer, right click drive.  Bitlocker

Windows XP mode

Network backup

Microsoft's decision to put only in Windows 7's priciest editions is just silly.             

 

What to do when you get your shiny new Win 7 PC

Remove unwanted Trial software

Create System recovery disk

Use partition management. Create folders on data partition and link to libraries

If you have a laptop ie battery backup and a SATA drive you can increase performance at the risk of losing data during power loss. Dard Drive Properties> Policies>Enable Advanced performance.

Do the same for external hard drives if you always disconnect them safely.

Set default folder view (enable checkboxes)

Choose an antivirus program. Schedule full scan

Run Windows Easy Transfer to transfer files and settings from your old PC

Schedule Defrag

Configure your preferred home page and Search engine in Internet Explorer 8

If you leave your PC on overnight downloading eg, Configure Automatic updates

Prevent the HD filling up with unused dump files. Control Panel>Advanced>View Advanced system settings>startup and Recovery> settings>write debugging information>none>OK

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Many articles from PC World

http://www.pcworld.com/article/173967/windows_7_guide.html?tk=rss_news

Tutorial Forum here

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/