The Windows 7 launch is just around the corner (we should know, we are attending the launch) but many tech-savvy computer users are already experiencing the joys of Microsoft’s newest release by way of their Windows 7 Release Candidate beta registrations.
Users of Windows XP who held back from upgrading their systems to Vista will have a little bit of a shock when they come to upgrade their systems to Windows 7, mostly because there isn’t a natural upgrade process between the two systems. Coupled with numerous cosmetic changes and a complete graphic overhaul, many people will be swimming in a Windows sea without any sight of land.
That’s where we come in! Today we will list 14 simple tips and tricks you can use on your Windows 7 installation, stopping you from sinking under the torrent of all the new features that comes with it.
Whether you are an experienced Windows user or new to Microsoft’s all-powerful operating system, the chances are you may have either have to protect yourself from the threats of computer viruses or had to deal with the fallout when your system is infected. Research a virus related problem on an internet forum, the most common reply would be to arm yourself with a decent antivirus, that or buy yourself a Mac or install Linux.
There are a number of free antivirus solutions for Windows, some of the most popular distributions including; AVG, Avast, ClamWin, Avira Antivir. One company you might have expected to write their own antivirus software for Windows would be the creators of the operating system the viruses were designed to exploit; Microsoft. Sadly that was not the case…until now!
Today I am pleased to introduce and review Microsoft Security Essentials, a free real-time protection software designed to keep your system free from Viruses, Trojans, Spyware and Malware. We will take a look and see just how well it fares against other, more well-known virus scanners.
To stop the repetitiveness of pointing and clicking, many Windows and computer users in general will have their favourite keyboard shortcuts to streamline their workload. With the release of Windows 7, Microsoft threw quite a new shortcuts and hotkeys that differ from the XP and Vista versions. I have found and compiled a list of these new shortcuts plus some you may already be familiar with:
Windows + ↑ (Up Arrow) – Maximize window
Windows + ← (Left Arrow) – Snap window to left side covering half of desktop space.
Windows + → (Right Arrow) – Snap window to right side covering half of desktop space.
Windows + ↓ (Down Arrow) – Minimize the window. Restore to normal size and position if the window is currently maximized.
Win+Shift+Left – Jump to left monitor.
Win+Shift+Right – Jump to right monitor.
Win+Home – Minimize / Restore all other windows.
Win+T – Focus the first taskbar entry. Pressing again will cycle through them, you can can arrow around.
Win+Shift+T – Cycles backwards.
Win+Space – Peek at the desktop.
Win+M :- Minimize all open windows
Win+Shift+M :- Undo all window minimization
Win+G – Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order.
Win+P – External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc).
Win+X – Mobility Center (same as Vista, but still handy!).
Win+# – (# = a number key) – Launches a new instance of the application in the Nth slot on the taskbar. Example: Win+1 launches first pinned app, Win+2 launches second, etc.
Win + + or Win +- Zoom in or out.
In the rush to get their hands on a Windows 7 download and a product key, some people may have forgotten to backup all of the files that they wanted to port across to their new Windows installation. Many users have run into issues with failing to backup their Firefox profile’s and related sensitive information.
If you upgraded from Windows XP or Vista, chances are that Windows 7 will have archived all your old Windows information from these systems in a folder named “Windows.old”, located normally in C:/Windows.old. This isn’t a secret, as the installation program tells you as you go through the installation process, but it sure can be handy.
Inside this folder, you will be able to navigate back through your old install, grabbing your Firefox profile or FTP saved passwords, copying and pasting them into your current installation.
I was lucky and backed up all my information, so I deleted the folder the next day. It’s handy to keep for the first few weeks but it can take up a lot of hard drive space (mine weighed in at 40GB I think).
Any other tips? Shout them in the comments.
Since 12:00PM yesterday, Microsoft opened it’s doors to the official Windows 7 Beta, allowing the many Windows 7 users who had pirated their copy to have a legitimate key to continue their testing.
Microsoft underestimated the demand for the operating system and the Windows 7 download site was subsequently subjected to crashes and invalid file requests.
If you visit the official Windows 7 download page now, you will get the following error:
Thanks for your interest in the Windows 7 Beta. The volume has been phenomenal—we’re in the process of adding more servers to handle the demand. We’re sorry for the delay and we’ll re-post the Beta as soon as we can ensure a quality download experience.
Never fear, there is a still a way to grab your download and your key.
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