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.
A week or so ago I received an email from a social media agency acting on behalf Microsoft, asking whether I would be interested in attending the Microsoft Technical Launch Event on the 6th October at Wembley Stadium. Intrigued, I read more of the email and noticed it was covering the launches of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Exchange 2010, I would be a fool not to attend.
Signing up, I received notification of my place and will be especially attending the Windows 7 product launch (our Windows 7 coverage may have helped somewhat in getting this invitation). We are especially lucky in the respect that these tickets were booked almost instantly when they were released, with WillINeedIt getting a personal invite sometime after that.
The event offers feedback sessions led by IT Pro Evangelist James OʼNeill and Windows 7 Product Manager, Laurence Painell. As you may have stumbled upon WillINeedIt after reading one of our Windows 7 articles, we wanted to open the floor to our readers and allow you to have the opportunity to ask the questions that really matter about Windows 7.
If we get the chance, we will ask the questions you provide. Drop us a line in the comments section and we will do our best to get them out there. Expect a full round up in the days following the launch!
If you are reading this blog, chances are you are running Windows 7 or at least have heard of it. Just recently, the highly anticipated Windows 7 has been released to manufacturing by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. This is a significant milestone followed by the Retail DVD considering the ultimate failure of the Windows Vista operating system.
If you decide to download Windows 7 RC, you will need to make sure you are downloading the correct file. This article lists the best way to verify you are getting the real deal and not a virus infested archive. Click To Continue
If you were one of the people who used the WillINeedIt article we posted a while back to grab a copy of the Windows 7 Beta a while back, you may have been wondering if there was an update or if you had the update, how you went about installing it.
Being quite the media-less tech guy, I needed a way to upgrade my Windows 7 Beta to the new Release Candidate without having to burn a DVD. After a bit of research, I came across the perfect way to do so.
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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