Step 1: The checks

First off, you would want to make sure your existing hardware can support Windows 7. Windows XP has been out for a long time and your hardware might not support the newer and comparatively more demanding versions of Windows like Windows 7. These are the official system requirements:

• 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of available disk space (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

You can use the Windows 7 Upgrade advisor to see if your computer will run Windows 7. Once you are sure that you are good to go, hop up to the next step.

Step 2: Backup and Migration

It is always a good idea to have backup of your important files and settings that you worked so hard to create. We have shown you various applications to backup your files and settings in the past. If you would rather not install any new software, a simple copy and paste would suffice for the time being. Just make sure to include everything you might need. While you might have set up your folders differently according to your taste, here are some key locations that you should check out and decide if you would like to back them up:

• My Documents
• My Music
• My Pictures
• (If you have more than one user account on your computer, make sure to back up their files as well)
• Your projects folders and files, if it is your work computer
• Browser bookmarks, saved passwords, etc.
• Other program data under %AppData% (This doesn’t always work. It is better if you use respective applications to export settings)

Another option you can use to quickly backup and transfer your settings is the Windows Easy Transfer tool that you can find on the Windows 7 DVD. Browse to the folder named support and then to migwiz on your Windows 7 DVD and launch migsetup.exe. This will launch the Windows Easy Transfer tool.

Choose how you would like to transfer the settings:

and then select what to transfer:

and Windows Easy Transfer will do the rest and give you a file you can store, on say a flash drive to transfer the settings to new installation later.

Step 3: Drivers

Next up are the drivers. It is always a good idea to search your computer manufacturer’s website to see if they have newer drivers for Windows 7. Older drivers may not always work, or may not work as intended. This is especially true for drivers made for Windows XP. I was able to use an XP display driver with Windows 7 beta but it didn’t work when Windows 7 RC came out. You might have more luck with Vista drivers on Windows 7, but nothing is guaranteed. So if you are trying to get older drivers to work, you better be prepared to play around after installation.

Step 4: Install

Finally, you are ready to install Windows 7. Pop in the DVD and restart your computer. Boot from the DVD and follow the prompts to install Windows 7.

Choose Custom (Advanced install) when given the choice:

Then choose the system drive (which was your C: on Windows XP) as the partition you would like to set up Windows 7.

Wait for the installation to complete, and boot into Windows 7 once you are done.

Installed, now what?

Already here? Way to go. Now that you have Windows installed there are few additional steps you should take before you are ready to go. First off, make sure you install an antivirus before you start browsing the web or transferring files using USB drives. MS Security Essentials, AVG, Avast and Antivir are good free choices. You might want to look into commercial ones if you want something better. ESET and Kaspersky are good choices over there (Oops! Did I start a flame war?).

Install your favorite applications now. This would be a good time to get the latest versions if you have been postponing pending software updates. Looking for some software recommendations? Check out the Mark pack.

Oh and don’t forget to restore the settings you backed up earlier. If you went the copy-paste route, its time to do some more copy-paste. If you used Windows Easy Transfer instead, click on Start button and type Windows Easy transfer, launch the application and let it know that this is your new computer, then browse to the location you stored those settings to and let it do the rest.

Hope this helps you plan your upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7. Once you are done, use the comments area and tell us know how it went and if Windows 7 is worth the price tag!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows XP Computer (Part 1) (21)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• How To Choose Between 32-bit & 64-bit Windows 7 Operating Systems (20)

You can’t upgrade from 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit without doing a fresh “clean” install, which requires you to reinstall all applications from scratch. Therefore, you need to decide on either 32-bit or 64-bit before you install Windows 7.

While I recommend you go with 64-bit, read through this article to make an informed decision.

Background: What is 32-bit and 64-bit?

32-bit and 64-bit are computer architectures that specify the length of data types and addresses that are supported. What this means for the average user is how much memory can be used effectively and how powerful the number-crunching capacity of the CPU is.

Since Windows XP was originally only released as a 32-bit operating system, and because older hardware have 32-bit device drivers, application development on the Windows platform has been slow in moving to 64-bit. However, after both Windows XP and Vista were released in 64-bit, Microsoft is now pushing 64-bit strongly, and you can expect application developers to take advantage of 64-bit computing soon.

Should You Buy 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7?

Fortunately, you do not need to worry about all this when purchasing a computer or Windows 7. If you are buying a new PC from a vendor, it will ship with 64-bit Windows pre-installed if the configuration supports 64-bit. If you buy retail boxed versions of Windows 7, they will include both 32-bit and 64-bit editions, except for the Home Basic edition.

Advantages of 64-bit

There are several benefits of going to Windows 7 64-bit:

• With 32-bit Windows, you can use a maximum of 4GB RAM. 64-bit Windows 7 runs very fast with 4GB and you can upgrade your RAM to 8 or 16 GB later, making your system future-proof.
• A 32-bit OS can theoretically use up to 4 GB of RAM, but 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 see a maximum of 3.12 GB. With 64-bit Windows 7, you can use the full 4GB RAM.
• You get better security with 64-bit Windows. All 64-bit device drivers are digitally signed, which means you will not have random crashes. You also get more advanced security features like Kernel Patch Protection with 64-bit Windows 7.
• Since 64-bit systems process more information and support greater RAM, Windows 7 is more responsive when you are running complex applications or many applications simultaneously. If you use graphics applications like Photoshop, video editing, games, CAD, etc., you should go 64-bit.
• Not all applications have 64-bit versions that take advantage of the 64-bit architecture, but you can expect more of them after Windows 7 goes mainstream. Meanwhile, most 32-bit applications work fine under 64-bit Windows. If any of them don’t for some reason, you can reasonably expect the application developers to fix any issues, because a lot of people will be running 64-bit Windows.

Check If Your PC Supports 64-Bit Windows 7

If you have bought or upgraded your computer in the past couple of years, with an Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent/higher processor, your PC is already equipped to run 64-bit Windows 7. If you want to make sure, you can do any of the following:

• If you are running 32-bit Windows Vista, go to Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Performance Information and Tools. Click View and print details. In the System section, you can see whether your PC is 64-bit capable.
• You can use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to find out if your system can run 64-bit Windows 7.
• Check the Windows 7 Compatibility Center to see if your devices have 64-bit drivers.

When You Should Use 32-bit

There are some situations in which you are better off using 32-bit Windows 7:

• If you use only 2GB of RAM, and do not plan to upgrade anytime soon. To really take advantage of 64-bit Windows 7, you need minimum 4GB RAM.
• You have legacy devices like scanners and printers that do not have 64-bit device drivers. 32-bit drivers are not supported under 64-bit Windows 7, so you should make sure all the devices you need to use are compatible with 64-bit.
• You run old 16-bit applications that were developed for Windows 3.1 or DOS. These won’t run under 64-bit Windows.

Did this post clear your doubts about 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions? Is your system ready for 64-bit Windows 7? Feel free to share and ask any questions in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Upgrade From XP To Windows 7 In 4 Easy Steps (12)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows XP Computer (Part 1) (21)
• Windows 7 Libraries Explained – And Why You Want Them (51)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)

Do you want to add a window switcher that will knock your socks off? Well despite it’s name, Vista Switcher makes your Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 machine switch screens, real slick-like.

The 270KB 32 bit download page is located here and wow, there is also a 64 bit download for you serious 64 bitters out there.

After downloading and running Vista Switcher, you will have a new icon in your system tray. It resembles an X in a box. The icon looks like the image to the left:

If you either hit that icon or you just push the control and tab keys together, it will launch its interface that allows you to not only select the screen you want to go to but it shows you an awesome preview of that screen.  There are hot keys that we will get to a little further in if you want to leave your default alt tab functionality.

Check out the program’s interface below:

You can still see your desktop through the transparent window and it does not go away if you release the keys. You can mouse over each item and it will show you a preview. Click on it to switch to that active window.

The application smoothly switches between screens and has a bunch of options which we explore below.

On the general tab you can first off switch your default program language. If your language is not available you can click the Find more translations to do just that. You have the check boxes for Auto starting Vista Switcher, to show or not to show the icon in the system tray, do you want to replace the alt tab action with Vista Switcher and (or) replace the right mouse button plus the wheel to Vista Switcher, and you can set hot keys if you do not want to use the combinations they provide.

This screen above is all about looks, you can change themes, fade out animations, task numbers, items allowed to be shown and preview style.

Next up we have the behavior window that allows you to modify the position of the window if you hate for it to be shown dead center. You can have Vista Switcher disable when you release the mouse and you can also have it show only tasks that are active or not with the last check box.

The exclusion list allows you to exclude specific windows from the switcher. You will see what is actually running on your machine from here.

I love this application and I have installed it on my Windows XP desktop as well as my Vista laptop. Are you using an alt tab replacement? If so we would love to hear about it in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• Great Alternatives to Quicktime and RealPlayer (17)
• Recover Your Lost XP, Vista & Office Serial Numbers (22)
• How To Upgrade From XP To Windows 7 In 4 Easy Steps (12)

If you are stuck with XP or Vista and would like to have a piece of Aero Peek and Aero Shake, no need to get disheartened. This is what I am talking about:

Users over at the WinMatrix forums (the source of many such innovations) has created an excellent software that brings such functionality to Windows XP and Vista. The application is called WinShake and is available for download here. Make sure you download the latest version (2.02 at the time of writing). Written using AutoHotKey, Winshake offers quite a functionality as you shall see:

An improved show desktop which can only hide minimizable windows, leaving the gadgets and sidebars intact, or hide everything to show the entire desktop. It also remembers the minimized programs and can restore them to their previous state even if you fire up more any more applications or windows.

A very good Aero Shak-ish feature: In Windows 7, holding a window’s title bar and shaking it a little, minimizes all other windows letting you concentrate fully on the window, that is under the mouse pointer. Winshake does something similar – hold the shift key and middle click on any window to shake it and minimize all other windows.

A Ctrl + Middle Click on the right end of the taskbar activates the peek functionality similar to Windows 7 peek functionality. While this one lacks the eye candy it certainly does let you peek at your desktop. Using Ctrl + Middle Click on the close button in the title bar of any window, makes it translucent and lets you peek through it at the window underneath.

There is a taskbar peek function as well that lets you peek at specific windows using the taskbar, but that is part of a nag and you can only use that for seven days after which you would need to buy a code to keep running this specific function. All other functions will however keep running even if you don’t shell out those bucks.

The application also offers shortcut keys for the above functions, which are easier to use as opposed to the mouse control, however you can easily disable them if you desire. Alt-Win-D shows the Desktop, Shift-Alt-Win-D restores the windows, Alt-Win-S activates Shake, Shift-Alt-Win-S restores the windows. Alt-Win-Space can be used to activate peek functionality.

If you don’t like the mouse activation commands, you can customize those too using the system tray icon. In addition to that the tray icon gives you access to other settings as well. You can customize animation speeds and transparency levels that will be used while performing various actions.

The application definitely lacks the eye candy you would get if you use similar functionality on Windows 7. That said, it does a pretty decent job of emulating the functionality and if a very good alternative if you are wanting such functionality on Windows XP or Vista.

Also check out Tina’s article on how to make Windows XP to look like Windows 7. She mentions AeroSnap among other things which brings the Windows Seven’s Aero Snap feature to Windows XP as well.

Give Winshake a spin and pour in your thoughts about it. Know some other applications that emulate Windows 7 features? We would love to hear about them as well.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)
• How To Speed Up The Shutdown Of Your Windows (14)
• How To Make XP Look Like Windows 7 (11)

Here is all you need to know about Windows 7 themes:

Activate hidden themes in Windows 7

Did you know that Windows 7 activates themes based on the region you select while installation? So there are a number of themes belonging to different regions that remain hidden. They are not available via the personalization window. However, you can still activate those hidden themes in windows 7 and use them. Here’s how to find them:

1. Press Win + R, then type %systemroot%/Globalization/MCT into the Run field
2. If you don’t see anything, click on Organize, then on Folder and Search options and then choose to view hidden files and uncheck Hide protected operating system files.
3. You will see some folders containing themes belonging to various regions. These folders contain the .theme files that you can use to apply the themes

Create Your Own Windows 7 Themes

Creating a theme is super easy. A theme is just a collection of various elements like desktop wallpapers, sounds, screen savers, color, mouse pointers, icons etc. Make your pick for each of them and you have made yourself a theme. There are a few changes from previous versions of Windows that you should be aware of and use to your advantage.

Desktop Background

Windows 7 allows you to specify multiple desktop backgrounds. It then switches the desktop background automatically, picking from the ones you specified. The best way to specify a group of wallpapers is to place all of them in a folder. You can then point Windows to this folder, check all the wallpapers you wish to use, specify the cycle time and Windows will take care of the rest.

Sounds

Clicking on Sounds lets you choose from amongst the built-in sound themes or you can create your own. To create a sound theme, just specify a sound file to use for different events that you see. Changing all of them and getting a perfect sound theme can get quite cumbersome, so you might want to stick with changing a sound or two and saving the modified theme. If you are looking for some sound files, you can check out FindSounds or Soungle.

Similarly, you can choose screen savers, colors, mouse pointer and icons – which are pretty straightforward. After all the choices are made, you have created yourself a theme.

Share your themes with friends and family

So you spent some time creating the perfect theme and the results seem good. Sometimes you might want to apply the same theme to all of your computers or share them with your friends and family. So do you perform everything all over again? Na, just make all the changes you want, add the custom desktop backgrounds, screen savers or sounds you want (in short, create a theme once) and then when you are done making the changes, right-click on the unsaved theme and choose Save for sharing.

You will get a .theme file that you can transfer to other computers or send across to somebody.

Download Windows 7 Theme Files Online

Windows 7 now presents an option to ‘Get more themes online’. Clicking that would take you to Microsoft’s Personalize My PC page. You can download windows 7 theme files, backgrounds and gadgets here. You can also find themes created by others. However, they generally leave a lot to be desired and I prefer to stay away from them unless I absolutely trust the source. If you know a good source let us know in the comments.

Do you create your own themes? Or are you content with the built-in ones? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• Three Quick Registry Tweaks to Customize Windows Like a Pro (13)
• How To Make XP Look Like Windows 7 (11)
• How To Customize Your Linux Desktop With GnomeART-NG (7)

Manually

Its is always nice to know how things work behind the scenes, what better way to do so then try them out yourself. To change the logon screen manually follow these steps:

1. Fire up registry editor (Win Key + R and then type regedit, hit enter)
2. Browse to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background , double click on key named OEMBackground and change its value to 1 (If you cannot find the path or the key go ahead and create it, remember OEMBackground is a Dword)



3. You just enabled the OEM Background functionality. Now browse to the folder %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds within Windows explorer. %windir% refers to your Windows install directory C:\Windows in most systems. Again the folder path may not exist already, so you can go ahead and create required folders (info and backgrounds are generally not present)



4. Now put in any JPG file with size less than 256 kb in this folder and rename it to backgroundDefault.jpg. This file will be stretched to fit the screen, so you would want it to match the resolution of your screen so that image doesn’t look bad. You can something like smush.it or Photoshop’s Save as/Save for Web feature to reduce image size.

Using Tools

Check out Logon Changer from Tweaks.com, that lets you choose a image file to use as your logon background. That all what you do, just choose an image and Logon Changer will take care of everything else including the file size limit. It also makes it super easy to revert back to the default Logon Screen.

Windows 7 Logon Screen Rotator – takes the logon screen customization one step further by allowing you to select a set of images. It will then randomly use one of these images as the logon screen.

There you have it. Using any of the above method you can easily change Windows 7 logon screen to any wallpaper of your choice or that witty one liner graphic you created yourself or perhaps even one of your photos as long as they meet the requirements. Let us know your experience of using these methods and we would love to see what you have as your logon screen. Mention them in comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Use Videos As A Screensaver Or Wallpaper [Windows] (13)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• The Best Resources to Pimp Your Wallpaper (75)
• How to Set A Bing Wallpaper Desktop Slideshow In Windows 7 (39)

One way to download Bing wallpaper images is by using Bing Downloader. You can also check out how to switch wallpapers automatically on all Windows platforms, or with our collection of wallpaper changer apps for Linux. But if you are using Windows 7, you don’t need a separate third-party application.

Long Zheng of I Started Something started the Bing Image Archive, where images shown by Bing to worldwide users are archived for your viewing (and downloading) pleasure. I asked him to get its RSS feed to work with Windows 7 desktop slideshows, and he was happy to oblige. So thanks to Long, we can now get a Bing powered desktop slideshow in Windows 7 in 4 easy steps.

Step 1: Create Theme File

Copy this text in Notepad or any text editor:

[[Theme]
DisplayName=Bing

[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
RssFeed=http://feeds.feedburner.com/bingimages

[Control Panel\Desktop]
TileWallpaper=0
WallpaperStyle=0
Pattern=

[Control Panel\Cursors]
AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_working.ani
Arrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_arrow.cur
Crosshair=
Hand=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_link.cur
Help=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_helpsel.cur
IBeam=
No=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_unavail.cur
NWPen=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_pen.cur
SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_move.cur
SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nesw.cur
SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ns.cur
SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nwse.cur
SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ew.cur
UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_up.cur
Wait=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_busy.ani
DefaultValue=Windows Aero
Link=

[VisualStyles]
Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0X6B74B8FC
Transparency=1

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT

Step 2: Save Theme File

Save the file as “Bing.theme” on your desktop. Make sure you do not name it Bing.theme.txt accidentally.

Step 3: Activate Bing Theme

Double-click the file to set it as your visual theme. In the Subscribe to RSS Feed? prompt, click Download Attachments.

That’s it! You should now see the Bing theme selected in the My Themes section.

Step 4: Customize Slideshow Settings

You can customize the slideshow settings in the Desktop Background link at the bottom.

You can choose these settings as you like. In resolutions higher than 800×600, the images look better if they are centered. Since the feed contains multiple images from around the world every day, set the slideshow to change pictures every few hours to see all the images.

Make Sure It Works

Depending upon the speed of your internet connection and other variables, it might take time for Windows to download the images. You might need to do these steps if you’ve not used Internet Explorer in Windows 7 too much. In any case, it is a good idea to double-check that the feed is set up correctly.

Start Internet Explorer, go to Tools->Explorer Bars->Feeds or press Ctrl-Shift-J. If you have activated the Bing theme, you should see the Feed URL already added. Click on the feed, so that Internet Explorer loads the feed page on the right.

If you see the following message:

Click Turn on automatic feed updates. Click Yes in the prompt dialog, so that you don’t need to run Internet Explorer to get your Bing wallpapers.

Now you should see images downloaded from the feed. If you wish, you can view the feed properties by clicking the link on the right.

Remember that the Automatically download attached files box should be checked. You can click View Files to see the downloaded images.

Finally, sometimes the theme does not change images even though they are downloaded. Simply right-click on the desktop, select Next desktop background. A logout/login also forces a refresh of the theme.

More Cool Wallpaper Feeds

For the RSS powered desktop slideshow to work in Windows 7, the RSS feed needs to have images in an enclosure item. Thus, for example, Deviant Art feeds did not work at the time of this writing. But you can enjoy Flickr feeds! Simply replace RSSFeed= with the URL of your choice and set DisplayName= with whatever you like in the theme file you created in Notepad. You can set your own favorite feed in Flickr, or here are a few you might want to check out:

• Flickr Wallpapers 1024×768: http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/groups_pool.gne?id=40961104@N00&lang=en-us&format=rss_200
• Flickr Wallpapers 1200×800: http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/groups_pool.gne?id=78305319@N00&lang=en-us&format=rss_200
• Flickr Wallpapers 1680×1050: http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/groups_pool.gne?id=594506@N20&lang=en-us&format=rss_200

Do you enjoy your new wallpapers? Let us know in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Wally- Awesome Wallpaper Rotator for Windows, Mac & Linux (15)
• Three Cool Desktops from MakeUseOf Readers (33)
• Set Up Active Desktop Wallpaper With WallPapa [Windows] (7)
• How To Make XP Look Like Windows 7 (11)
• How To Customize Your Linux Desktop With GnomeART-NG (7)

Some tweaks available on the web (like opening Explorer at My Computer or using PC Safeguard) are now obsolete because of the updates from Beta to RC. All the tips here work with Windows 7 RC (Build 7100), and most, if not all, will work with the final release.

1. Add Search Providers to Windows 7

Windows 7 allows you to search remote website databases from your desktop, using open standards like Open Search and RSS. Here are some of the popular and useful search providers you can add to Windows 7:

• Bing (via Chakkaradeep)
• Flickr (via Long Zheng)
• Twitter (via Chakkaradeep)
• YouTube
• eBay
• Google News
• Digg
• Deviant Art

You can install these and additional connectors from Windows 7 forums, or get a pack with multiple search providers here.

These search connectors work even within Windows Common Dialogs, such as the Insert Picture dialog from PowerPoint or any other application. You can even drag and drop Flickr images from Explorer search results to copy them to your desktop, without opening any web browser.

2. Single Click Screen Lock

You can lock your computer using the Win+L keyboard shortcut. Here’s another way to do it with a single mouse click. Right-click on your desktop, select New, Shortcut. In Type the location of the item, enter rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation. Click Next, name the shortcut ‘Quick Lock’, and Finish.

If you wish, you can make it look pretty by giving it a lock or keys icon: Right-click, select Properties, click Change Icon, enter shell32.dll, and select any icon you wish. Drag this shortcut and pin it to the taskbar, after which you can delete the desktop shortcut.

3. Customize Sticky Notes

You can format your Sticky Notes, by selecting text and using different keyboard shortcuts as shown in this screen capture:

4. Use New Accessories

Don’t forget to use the revamped accessories in Windows 7. With WordPad, you can open and save Office 2007 .docx and Open Document .odt documents.

The improved Calculator can convert units, and calculate dates, fuel economy, mortgage and lease payments.

Paint has new brush strokes, shapes, and grid support. Paint and WordPad have Print Preview and the Ribbon UI, which brings customizability and live formatting previews.

5. Use Check Boxes in Windows Explorer

You can select non-adjacent files in Explorer using Ctrl-click, but there is an easier way using check boxes. In Explorer, click Organize, then select Folder and search options.

On the View tab, under Advanced Settings, scroll down to select Use check boxes to select items. Now you can easily select multiple items using only the mouse.

6. Shortcut to Run Program as Administrator

You can Ctrl+Shift+Click on a taskbar icon to run the application as an Administrator with full rights (provided your account has permissions). Simply Shift+Right-Click on any program shortcut to run it as a different user, if for example you need higher privileges when logged in with your child’s account.

7. Boost performance with ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost improves your system performance by using faster USB Flash Drives instead of slower hard disks for system operations. It works best using flash drives with at least 1 GB of storage. Simply insert your flash drive, and if it meets certain performance benchmarks, Windows 7 will ask you if you want to use it for ReadyBoost and recommend the size to reserve.

8. Tweak Windows Search/Defender Services

By default, Windows indexes all files appearing under all your libraries, email, and offline files. You can reduce the time and resources spent in indexing by tweaking this to your actual needs.

Go to Control Panel, then Indexing Options. Windows 7 shows a list of locations currently being indexed. Click on Modify to choose only those locations where you perform frequent searches.

You can also disable Windows Search and Windows Defender services, which can take up system resources. If you do not search for files, images, documents, etc. using Windows Explorer, or use another search/indexing program, then you should disable Windows Search service. If, and only if, you use a third-party anti-virus program that is also anti-malware (the best ones are), you can also disable the Windows Defender service.

Go to Start, enter and run msconfig. From the Services tab, uncheck the box for the service you wish to disable, and reboot for the changes to take effect.

9. Secure USB Drives with BitLocker

Secure your USB flash drives using BitLocker encryption. Right-click on your USB drive in My Computer, select Turn on BitLocker and follow the instructions to protect sensitive data on your thumb drives.

The next time you use your USB drive on another computer, it will prompt you for the password before allowing you read-only access to your flash drive. You can even use the drive on older computers running Windows XP/Vista.

10. Create a System Recovery Disc

A system recovery disc helps you in situations where Windows cannot start successfully. Your Windows 7 installation disc also serves as a recovery disc. When Windows 7 comes pre-installed on computers, you will need to create a system recovery disc.

Click Start, enter and run recdisc.exe. Insert a blank CD/DVD in your burner, and click Create Disc.

**Caution**

Follow the next two tips only if you’re knowledgeable enough to edit the Windows registry. Before making any changes, make sure you back up your registry as described earlier on MakeUseOf.

11. Faster Thumbnail Previews

The taskbar shows thumbnail previews of opened windows when you hover the mouse over the program icon. By default, it takes a little time for the preview to appear. Make the previews appear faster with this registry tweak:

Go to Start, enter and run regedit. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse. On the right, open the MouseHoverTime key and reduce its value from the default 400 to around 150.

Be careful, as decreasing it further may cause problems.

12. Faster Shutdown

Start regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control. Find the WaitToKillServiceTimeout key on the right, double-click to edit and change it from the default 12000 (12 seconds) to 2000 (2 seconds) or above.

This setting tells Windows how long to wait before prompting you that a service is not responding to the shut down request. This may help speed up your shutdown if you have any such services running.

These are some of the best Windows 7 tips we found. Did we miss any of your favorites? Share with us in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• 15 Best Windows 7 Tips and Hacks (26)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Windows 7 Libraries Explained – And Why You Want Them (51)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)

But now you want more. You want the cool tips and tricks that make Windows 7 fun!

So here are the best ones to help you get the most out of your new OS. In this article, we will focus on the Windows 7 interface to get you started on the road to becoming a Windows 7 Power User. In Part 2, we will be looking at advanced tips for usability, performance, and security.

1. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Using the mouse, you can drag-‘n-dock windows to either side of the screen, or drag it to the top to maximize it. These keyboard shortcuts are even faster:

• Win+Left Arrow and Win+Right Arrow dock the window to the left and right side of the screen
• Win+Up Arrow and Win+Down Arrow maximize and restore/minimize
• Win+M minimizes everything
• Alt+Up, Alt+Left Arrow, Alt+Right Arrow navigate to parent folder, or browse Back and Forward through folders in Explorer
• Win+Home minimizes/restores all open windows except the active window
• Alt+Win+# accesses the Jump List of program number ‘#’ on the taskbar

2.Rearrange System Tray Icons

You can rearrange icons on the taskbar as you wish and start new (or switch to running) instances of the first ten taskbar programs using Win+1, Win+2, and so on. The cool thing is you can also rearrange system tray icons. Reorder them on the tray or move them outside or back in the tray. Take control of what you want to always keep an eye on, and from which apps you’ll require notifications.

3. Access Jump Lists with the Left Mouse Button

Jump Lists usually show up when you right-click on a taskbar icon. However, they can also be accessed by holding the left mouse button and dragging upwards. If you’re using a laptop touchpad or a touch screen, this is convenient because you do not have to click any button to access a context menu.

4. Add Any Folder to Favorites

You can add any library or folder to the Favorites section in Windows Explorer. To add a folder, navigate to it in Explorer, right-click Favorites in the left navigation pane, and select Add current location to Favorites. Now you get quick access to your favorite folders in all File->Save As dialogs!

5. Pin Frequently Used Folders to the Taskbar

Right-click, drag, and pin your favorite folders to Windows Explorer on the taskbar. They will now show up in the Jump List when you right click on Explorer giving you quick access to your favorite folders.

6. Pin Control Panel to the Taskbar

You cannot pin the Control Panel to the taskbar via the Start Menu or by drag and drop. Open the Control Panel and right-click its taskbar icon to pin it to the taskbar. An advantage of this is that Control Panel’s Jump List allows quick access to recently used functions.

7. Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Programs

You can create keyboard shortcuts for any program in Windows 7. Right-click the program icon and select Properties. Select the Shortcut tab, click in Shortcut key, to set the keyboard shortcut for that program.

8. Open Command Prompt in Any Folder

Like the command prompt? Miss the ‘Open Command Window Here’ Windows XP power toy? Press ‘Shift’ when right-clicking on a folder to get that option in the context menu. This also works on the desktop. No power toy required!

9. View Expanded ‘Send To’ Menu

Press Shift when right-clicking on a folder to get an expanded Send To menu.

10. Adjust Screen Text with Clear Type

Use Clear Type Tuner for the best look on your LCD monitor or laptop screen. Run ‘cttune.exe’ from the Start Menu search box, or go to the Control Panel Display applet, and select Adjust ClearType Text from the left.

11. Get Exact Colors On Your Screen

If you are an artist or you work with colors, use the Calibrate Color option in the Control Panel Display applet or run dccw.exe from the Start Menu search box. You can adjust gamma, brightness, contrast, and color balance, ensuring that colors are displayed correctly on your screen.

12. Customize the Power Button

If you restart your computer more often than you shut it down, change the default Shutdown power button to Restart. Right-click on Start, select Properties, and choose the Power button action that you use the most.

13. Customize Number of Items in Jump Lists & Start Menu

Right-click Start, select Properties, click Customize and choose the number of recent programs to be shown in the Start Menu and the number of items displayed in Jump Lists from the Start Menu Size section below.

14. Search Internet from the Start Menu

Enable Internet search from the Start Menu using your default browser. Run GPEDIT.MSC from the Start Menu search box to start the Group Policy Editor. In the left pane, go to User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Start Menu and Taskbar. In the right pane, right-click to Edit and Enable Add Search Internet link to Start Menu.

15. Add Videos to Start Menu

Windows 7 does not place a link to your videos on the Start Menu by default. To add a link to your videos on the Start Menu, right-click Start, select Properties, click on Customize. In the Videos section at the bottom, choose Display as a link.

Did you like these tips? Tell us or share your tricks with us in the comments! Don’t forget to watch out for Part 2!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• 12 More Windows 7 Tips & Hacks (14)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Windows 7 Libraries Explained – And Why You Want Them (51)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)

About a week ago, I installed Windows 7 on my primary computer – it’s now the operating system I use all day, every day. We’ve already talked about how to install Windows 7, as well as some of the great things about the operating system. No nagging menus, for a start. But in the week or so that I’ve been using it as my primary OS, one thing in particular about Windows 7 has stuck out to me: the taskbar.

Now, the taskbar is that crazy thing that lives on the top, bottom or side of your screen, and lets you launch and switch between applications. There’s also a system tray, with a bunch of applications you can access that way. But all that existed already. The Windows 7 taskbar added a bunch of useful features and tweaks to make it even more useful.

The first thing you’ll notice is my favorite feature – there’s an almost dock-like quality to the new taskbar. Indeed, by right-clicking any application icon and selecting “Pin to taskbar,” you can add an icon to your taskbar that’s ready to be launched with just one click.

When an application is running, you’ll see a square around the icon in the taskbar. If there’s more than one window, you’ll see the edge of two squares around the icon (like the Firefox icon in the screenshot above) – or, you can choose to have different icons for every open window. Click the icon, and you’re taken to the application’s window. Launching a new window is easy, too – just hold Shift as you’re clicking on the icon.

These two features give the taskbar a Mac OS X dock-like quality, and make launching and switching applications a lot easier. That means, you can clear your desktop a bit, get rid of some icons, and use the taskbar as you would any other application launcher. By right-clicking on the Taskbar, selecting “Properties,” and then clicking “use small icons,” you’ll be able to fit a ton of icons.

And that’s not all. If you hover over an icon on the dock, little thumbnails show up of every active window of that application. This feature is called “Aero Peek,” and is a perfect way to figure out which application you actually want to change to. The thumbnails are live, which means that if you’re watching a video, the thumbnail shows the video in real-time. Roll over a thumbnail, and you’ll see the window, full-size, with everything else transparent. It’s the best way to switch applications I’ve ever seen, and the fastest way to figure out what you’re looking for – the more applications you run at a time, the more you’ll appreciate the taskbar.

Right-clicking on an icon like Microsoft Word or Windows Explorer brings up a list of recent items, that you can easily open with a single click. Apps will flash when they want to get your attention, rather than the annoying blinking that used to happen in Vista.

I used Quick Launch on Windows for a long time to launch apps, and the taskbar to switch. It was clunky, slow, and difficult to maneuver if I had a lot of apps open. With the new taskbar, opening, closing, switching and managing windows and applications is a breeze. Forget all the other stuff – that’s worth the upgrade right there.

Want to install Windows 7? Check out Jim’s Ultimate Upgrade Guide.

What are your best Windows 7 features? What’s missing? Share them with us in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Your Computer, Your World – How to Keep Out the Mindless (51)
• Windows 7 Libraries Explained – And Why You Want Them (51)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)

Here’s my attempt to make up for it.

First off, this isn’t difficult or complicated, and it is very cool. Windows XP and Vista used something called Known Folders as a standard set of places for you to store your files. In XP, the primary folder was My Documents, and there were some additional known folders inside that for My Pictures and My Music.

In Vista, some other folders were added to the picture, but the structure was much the same. There was one major change though. Microsoft removed the ‘My’ part of the names, so we ended up with Documents and Pictures. Windows 7 takes that base and does something stunning with it. Let me explain, and then I’ll show you an example.

Windows 7 contains a set of libraries. Each one works that same way, and they all take the place of the standard folders in XP and Vista.

A Library can be treated like a folder with a group of subfolders inside it, and can also pull some nifty tricks all of its own. The important thing to remember is this: the subfolders are not actually stored in the library. They are just made to seem as though they are. Each library has some default contents, but you can change these, and also create new libraries if you wish.

If you’re feeling a little confused, this example should clear it right up. You won’t need to see your doctor. Relax.

I’m a photographer, so the most interesting library to me is Pictures, but all of this applies to any library you choose. They all sit inside the Libraries, which is available as soon as you start Windows Explorer, so let’s start there.

As you can see, the four default libraries are here. Double-click the Pictures library to have a look inside it.

Inside Pictures is a single folder, called Sample Pictures. Now, come for a ride. It’s 2007, and you’re seriously early to the Windows 7 world. You’ve taken a whole lot of photographs, and you want somewhere to put them. Easy. Create a folder in the library, just the way you do anywhere else. Right-click in the open space, choose new – folder, and give it a name. Like 2007 for instance.

Now double-click that folder to open it, and put all your images in it. Let’s hope you managed to save more images than this, though.

Okay, now so far this is all just the way a folder would work, right? You could also create more subfolders in here if you needed to. No problem. But in this case, you didn’t need to.

Now, a year or so goes by, and you’ve been busy using up disk space with whatever you usually use to fill it. None of my business. in any case, You bought yourself a new-fangled USB hard drive, and plugged it in. It popped up as your E: drive, and you stored some more images there.

All good so far, except that now you have two places to look for images, unless you can remember which year you took them. Library to the rescue.

If we go back to the Picture Library, you can see there’s a link under title. It currently says 2 Locations. Click the link.

By default, the library includes files from your own Pictures folder and also the Windows 7 Public Pictures folder. We want to add another location. The place we stored the 2008 images. Click the Add… button, and browse to the folder that contains the folder you put the images in. So, don’t choose E:\pictures\2008, just E:\pictures.

Click the Include folder button, and then OK.

It might take a while to save the changes…

… but then, you’ll see that a new location has been added, and the photos are now all available in the library, just as though they had been moved there.

So why is this so cool?

• The pictures have not been moved
• The link is live. That is, if you add more folders inside E:\Pictures, then they will also appear in the library
• You can, with the right network setup, add folders from other computers to the libraries
• You can create whole new libraries if you wish

Most importantly, you can view things in the library in ways that you just can’t do with a folder.

Let me just add another folder to keep it interesting. Now that you know how it works, I’ll show you a short-cut as well.

Browse to the location that you have your 2009 pictures stored in…

Now click the Include in library button.

Choose the Pictures library. You’ll get that same delay as the files are added…

Browse back to the library, and you’ll see you have yet another year’s images.

Now, for some “Library-only” tricks.

See the Arrange by option, which is currently set to Folder? Change it to Day.

Now the pictures are sorted by the date on which they were taken. All of this is completely independent of the folders in which the files are stored. Try Month.

I hope you’re impressed.

One more. Try Tag.

I’ve written about image meta-data before. I’ve used some other software to add tags to these images, and now Windows recognises them. So, if I wanted to find all the images taken at Waihi Beach, I just need to do this. Double-clicking on one of the tags opens a folder with all the matching images inside, in date order. Very nice.

Try this with your music files and you’ll have a whole different set of options.

And that’s it. Libraries are great, especially for anyone who has been creating files for some time. But I’d like to know what you think. Will you use them? What for? Let me know in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• [Google Picasa 101] – Saving, Exporting & Uploading To Picasa Web Albums (6)
• [Google Picasa 101] – Master The Special Effects In Picasa (16)
• [Google Picasa 101] – How To Edit Your Photos (14)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• What are you lookin’ at? Cool Sites To Feed Your Photo Fetish (8)

First off, hear this. Most things are the same. Whether you were using XP or Vista, you’ll generally find things in the same places, and find that they work in a similar way… Generally.

And while some things are thoroughly different under the hood, I’m concentrating on everyday functionality here. Sending emails, or writing blog posts.

What’s Changed?

The XP and Vista Task Bars were pretty similar to each other.

System tray on the right, active applications in the middle, and perhaps a toolbar or two on the left.

Windows 7 has a TaskBar too, but this one is a completely different beast.

The System Tray, on the right, works much the same as the old one, though it’s visually quite different…

…but there is no longer a simple distinction on the left between shortcut icons for applications you might want to run, and those for applications already running. The two sets are mixed together, but are differentiated visually.

Icons with borders around them (such as the Firefox one above) are running. The others are just shortcuts for now.

One thing that caught me out for a while was that you can’t run the same thing multiple times the same way as you did in earlier versions of Windows. It’s logical enough though. Hold the shift key down when you click on the icon, and it will start another copy of the program for you.

For instance, in this case there are multiple copies of Windows Explorer running, one each of Firefox and Outlook, and the others are not running at all. It’s different, but it’s good.

The menus have had a design makeover as well, but the functionality is largely the same.

Windows Explorer have additional functionality, but work much the way you might expect.

Windows 7 uses the concept of Libraries to group together multiple sets of folders in handy ways, but you don’t need to understand that to get going.

What did I install on top?

You know, there are some things I just can’t manage without, and even though some of them might not be necessary in Windows 7, I just couldn’t help myself. Among the freeware candidates:

I have it on good authority that IE8 is a wonderful product, and I’m sure I’ll be using it at work, but I have too much time and familiarity invested in the combination of Firefox and Greasemonkey to leave them behind just yet.

I used to be a big Trillian fan, but Digsby stole my heart. I’m keeping it.

I mentioned this in my previous post, but take care installing Digsby, or you’ll get more than you bargained for.

You need music for blog posts.

Trust me.

And iTunes works well for me.

I love this. Phrase Express saves me a LOT of time.

What’s no longer needed?

Taskbar Shuffle is great in XP and Vista, but Windows 7 simply doesn’t need it. You can drag icons around all by yourself. I’m undecided about whether I need IrfanView and Copernic Desktop Search. Ask me in a few more weeks.

What’s broken?

Well, basically… nothing.

I’m not kidding. My requirements aren’t extreme, and I don’t play games, but for my day, it all just works.

I did have an issue with the VMWare player in that it refused to resume an XP VM, but it turns out that I was stupid enough not to shut it down before I shifted to Windows 7. (It’s easily fixed. Delete the .lck files)

I’ve had a recurring issue with my NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT. Every few days, the driver crashes for a moment, and then recovers. That’s much better than the behaviour I have with my laptop running Vista, so I’m not complaining.

More to come?

Could be. I haven’t played with the Virtual XP functionality yet, haven’t hammered IE8, and haven’t done anything to really stress the graphics card other than photo processing. I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, Did you take the leap? If so, how did it go? If not, is there anything else you need to know? Fill me in via the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• The Ultimate ‘Upgrade To Windows 7′ Guide (24)
• How To Upgrade From XP To Windows 7 In 4 Easy Steps (12)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Windows 7 Libraries Explained – And Why You Want Them (51)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)

A word of warning: Windows 7 is not free. It’s not even close. But this is the Release Candidate we’re talking about. Windows 7 RC may be used for free until June 1, 2010. Just keep in mind that at some stage you’re likely to have to go through this again, either to install a final copy of Windows 7 (after you purchase it) or to downgrade back to Vista or XP.

Editor’s note: Windows 7 RC will operate normally until March 1, 2010 then it will shut down every 2 hours.

Once more, this is a Release Candidate. A piece of beta software. It’s good and seems stable. It’s not necessarily ready for your use. There may be things that don’t work for you. Don’t go doing this if you are unprepared to accept that fact.

Before we start

Varun has done the hard yards to determine if your machine can actually run Windows 7. Check that out first. This is not for you if your computer cannot support the latest and greatest from Microsoft.

Decide whether you plan to upgrade your existing system (if you are running Vista already) or will be starting from scratch. Microsoft’s recommendations used to be to always start again, but this time around they seem a little more mellow. Nonetheless, I chose to lose all my settings and installation, and start clean on an empty hard disk.

Backups, backups

Make sure that you have backups of all your important stuff. Okay, that’s hardly a new recommendation but definitely worth remembering. If you are blowing away an existing Windows installation, a number of things go with it. Most of your data is hopefully on another drive but I have a few hints for some apps you might be using. Think it through. Here are some examples.

• Firefox bookmarks need to be exported, and the resulting file put somewhere safe. Any add-ins will need to be reinstalled. Take a note of the ones you have. Here’s how to backup your Firefox preferences.
• Trillian. Copy Program filesTrillian and everything underneath it.
• iTunes. Careful here. Use the Apple instructions or many of the other how-tos on the web to ensure you have a valid copy of your music and the database files. Remember to deauthorise your machine if necessary for iTunes Store purchases. Jackson wrote a short manual on how to migrate iTunes from Windows to Mac, but that article can also be used in terms of backing up your iTunes library.
• Office configuration. This is easy for Office 2003 but the Office 2007 tool (Windows Easy Transfer) never seems to work for me. Take notes so you can reinstate files. Make sure any .pst files are somewhere safe.
• Digsby. This one is easy. Nothing to do. Reinstall and set up. Log in, and everything reappears. Careful with the install though. Digsby has a habit of installing things you don’t want if you don’t watch closely.
• Logins. It’s easy to forget your logins if you’ve set up applications or websites to remember them on your behalf. Make sure you have backed them up before you wave goodbye. We have had several great articles about password managers: KeePass, LockCrypt and MashedLife.

If you have multiple partitions or hard drives, make sure you take note of the drive mappings so that you can recreate them later. Some of those configs you saved will benefit. Don’t leave your notes on the computer, especially not in the C: drive. Yes, of course I’ve done that myself. But not lately. Write them down on good old paper.

Take note of your hardware specifics, especially if you are running a machine with parts from multiple suppliers. Video cards, CPUs, network cards, monitors, printers, wireless mice and keyboards. You can also backup each driver (restoration might not work in Windows 7).

Commitment

So you have backups, details, configs and exports. It’s time to cross the line and make something happen.

You can get hold of a copy of Windows 7 RC here. Remember to get a key for the product. You’re going to need that to activate it.

Download Windows, and burn the .iso to a DVD.

Time for some more decisions. If you intend on performing an upgrade from Vista, then insert the DVD while Windows Vista is running. The rest of these instructions assume a fresh install instead. Therefore, shut down Windows XP or Vista, checking once more that you have everything you need.

Boot from the DVD. Most machines will display a message during boot up indicating which keys to press to change the boot device. The PC will display a ‘Press any key to boot from DVD…’ message. Best to follow that advice. Welcome aboard.

Choose an appropriate language and location.

Accept the terms. Choose the Custom install.

Carefully, choose the partition you wish to install to. Normally that’s the one that just had Vista or XP on it, and is marked System. To keep this as clean as possible, choose Advanced and delete the existing partition. Needless to say, you are now committed to the cause.

Create a new partition in the empty space. Note that Windows 7 may create an additional system partition as well.

Let the installer do what it’s paid for. Files will be copied, expanded and installed. Restarts will happen. Just go along for the ride.

Choose a user name and password.

Remember that product key I reminded you to pick up? Now, is its moment of fame. Best to choose Automatically Activate.

Choose your poison with regard to updates. I just left it on Recommended.

Set your Timezone, and your Location. I sincerely hope most of you are doing this at home, rather than in the office. Let everything finish and reboot some more if necessary.

Well done! Welcome to the newest game in town!

Have a wander around, and play with things. I’ll be back soon with a follow-up post.

So tell me, how did it go? Where did you get to? What did you forget? Tell me in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• The Ultimate ‘Upgrade To Windows 7′ Guide – Part 2 (20)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• How To Upgrade From XP To Windows 7 In 4 Easy Steps (12)
• How To Roll Back Windows Hot Fixes & Patches (3)

The System Requirements for running Windows 7 as confirmed by Microsoft are:

• 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of available disk space (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

That is about the same you had for Windows Vista. So if you are running Windows Vista you will most likely be able to run Windows 7 without any problems. The requirements bump up if you think you will be using the XP mode (a feature that allows you to run Windows XP inside of Windows 7) available within Windows 7.

In any case you should check out the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. The upgrade advisor will examine various aspects of your computer and let you know if your system will support Windows 7 or not. Just install and run the application and it does the rest.

It would examine your computer’s processor, memory and storage, graphics, checks to see if there are any compatibility issues with installed software or devices.

Not only this, it will also give you suggestions to make your system suitable for Windows 7. Make sure you have all your devices connected that you intend to use with Windows 7. If your system meets the requirements you can go ahead and install, otherwise look into the suggestions to see if you can resolve the issues.

If you are still skeptical or don’t want to make a complete switch just yet, you can install Windows 7 as a virtual machine and run it along side your present OS.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Windows 7 Libraries Explained – And Why You Want Them (51)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)
• VGRequirements – Find System Requirements For Video Games (10)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)

Wait no more, my friend, wait no more.

Now we’ll install Win7RC on your virtual machine.

Step 1 – Download the Windows 7 Release Candidate ISO

Head on over to Microsoft and download the Win7RC ISO.  Once you initiate the download, Microsoft will issue you a product code. Either print that page or write the code down – you’ll need it later.

Remember where I said ‘wait no more’? Yeah, about that…the download is about 2.3 GB, so you’ll have to wait a bit more. I believe the download traffic is pretty heavy right now, since I had to restart the download several times. All told, it took me about a day to download it. Maybe you should give your mom a call while you wait. She misses you and wonders why you don’t call more often.

Step 2 – Mount the Windows 7 RC ISO

Open the Sun VirtualBox application and click on the Settings button, like in the picture.

When the settings windows appears, click on CD/DVD-ROM in the left side of the window. Then, check Mount CD/DVD Drive and check the ISO Image File button below it. Now click on the folder icon and navigate to where you downloaded the Win7RC ISO and select it. Click OK.

You’ll be returned to the main window of the VirtualBox application. Now just select your Win7RC virtual machine and click on Start. Once the new virtual machine session starts, Windows 7 RC will begin installing.

Step 3- Install Windows 7 RC

The first screen you will see will ask you for language and other preferences. I’ve often wondered why there is a US keyboard and not a Canadian keyboard. We could have an ‘A’ key and an ‘Eh’ key.

Then, just to make sure you really want to install Windows 7, they ask you.

Of course, there is the standard Microsoft Licensing Agreement. I scanned it for words like ’soul’, ‘damnation’, and ‘eternity’. Nothing came up, so it looks legit.

Here’s where you decide what type of installation you want. If this is your first time installing Win7RC, choose Custom (Advanced). Don’t fret, it’s not really advanced at all.

Now the installer asks you where you would like to install Win7RC. You should only be presented with one option, so that makes choosing pretty easy.<

Your computer will now continue to install Windows 7 RC. Time to install may vary, but it was only about 20 minutes or so on my laptop.

Step 4 – Complete the Windows 7 RC Install

Microsoft hasn’t really changed the set-up procedure any from XP or Vista. It’s really quite a simply process from here on in. First you’ll be asked to create a User Name and a Computer Name.

Then you’ll set a password for your account. I didn’t bother with setting a password since you need a password to get on my computer in the first place, before you can get to Windows 7.

The next step is where you enter your product key. Remember when you were given the product key when you downloaded the Win7RC? Now is the time for that. You can’t just copy and paste that from your host machine into the virtual machine though. You’ll need to go back and forth, or write it on a piece of paper and type in the code from that. That’s probably easiest.

Tip: Here’s a little tip I’ll give you. Look in the bottom-right hand corner of your VirtualBox screen. Do you see a small box with an arrow in it? Good. Right next to that is a phrase that probably says Right Control. What that means is that you need to hit the Control key that is on the right side of your keyboard in order for the VirtualBox to give up control of your cursor so you can use it on your host operating system. It’s called the Host Key.Think of it as being kind of like a keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch between two physical computers.

Your laptop may not have a Right Control key. I know mine doesn’t. Don’t panic. I did. You can set another key to work as the cursor release. Here’s how you do that. Go back to the VirtualBox window. Click on File, then click on Preferences.

Once the Settings window opens you can click on Input. Now you’ll see a grey box that says Right Control. Click in that box and then hit the key you would prefer to use. Click OK to make the setting stick.

Back to the install…..

Windows 7 RC will now ask you how you want to deal with updates. I chose Use Recommended Settings for no other reason than that was what was recommended.

And last but not least, set your regional time settings.

So now your install is done. You are not only rewarded with the honour of testing out the Windows 7 RC for free, but the visual pun of the Betta fish on the desktop. Get it? Betta? Beta? Yeah, programmers aren’t known for the best puns.

(Shout out to Rodolfo Arrigorriaga who emailed me directly. Yes, you can install VirtualBox on any physical partition and Win7RC will work on whatever virtual machine you then create.

Good question.)

Have you installed Windows 7RC? Used a different virtual machine application? Let us know what you think!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Test Windows 7 RC on a Virtual Machine [Part 1] (11)
• How To Install Windows 7 on a Virtual Machine with VirtualBox (79)
• Test Drive Linux Operating Systems with VirtualBox (7)
• Create A Virtual Machine Clone of Your Existing Hard Drive [Windows] (14)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)

In the past, beta’s and release candidates would normally be released to IT professionals who had an extra computer kicking around to test things like this on. Yet, what if you just have the one computer at home and really want to test Win7RC, what do you do?

Here’s the answer and it’s not as scary as you might think. Install a virtual machine (VM). What in blue blazes is a virtual machine you ask? Think of it as a computer within a computer. Then you can install whatever you want to test on it, without fear of losing your main operating system and the files on it.

I’m going to outline the installation of Sun’s VirtualBox. There are quite a few VM’s out there, I just chose Sun’s since it was recommended to me by a friend who is vastly more knowledgeable about computers than me. Yes, it’s true. Someone knows more than me. Okay, most people know more than me.

Step 1 – Download Sun VirtualBox

Head on over to Sun’s VirtualBox Download page where you can download the version that’s right for you. You can use VirtualBox on Windows x86, Mac OSX (Intel Based), Linux, and of course, Solaris.

I’m a PC, so I’ll go for the Windows version. It’s 63 MB, so if your connection is slow this is a good time to call your neighbour and say hi.

Step 2 – Start the Install

Find the VirtualBox install file on your desktop and double-click on it. The install will begin. During the install you’ll come across two or three Windows Logo Warnings. Go ahead and click continue if they make sense to you.

The next window you will see will as kyou what options you want. I’ve left it as it was and installed the options. I’d like my test of the Win7RC to be as full-functioning as possible.

At this point, you may receive a warning about VirtualBox disabling your network card for a bit. That’s okay. Just click Yes.

At the end of the install, you’ll be asked if you’d like to start the VirtualBox after the end of the install. Sure, why not?

Step 3 – Register

It seems there is no way around the registration. I don’t like to register software, just because I hate spam. They do give you the opt-out option, so go ahead and use that.

I found it peculiar that they felt the need to thank me for “finding the time to fill out the registration form”. I felt that the tone of that ‘thank you’ was a little snotty. Whatever. Maybe I’m just insecure. The software is good.

Step 4 – Start VirtualBox

Now VirtualBox is ready to get going! Once it’s fully installed you’ll be presented with the following window.

Just because VirtualBox is running, doesn’t mean you have a virtual machine just yet. To do that you need to create a new virtual machine. Which is a nice segue into Step 5.

Step 5 – Create a New Virtual Machine

Simply start by clicking on the blue sun-looking icon that reads New. This gets things started. From here on in you just have to follow the prompts. But I’ll give you a few pointers anyway.

This is what makes Sun VirtualBox perfect for testing out Windows 7. It already has provisions for that version. How cool is that? Okay, so it’s only moderately cool compared to monkey knife fights and ninjas.

So name your Virtual Machine and select the right Operating System and Version. Click Next.

The set-up suggests 512 MB yet Microsoft says Win7RC requires a minimum of 1 GB or 1024MB of RAM. So that’s what you should go for. If your computer has less than 2GB of RAM, you may want to reconsider installing Win7RC on a virtual machine. It just won’t work well enough to give it an honest evaluation.

The default configuration here is just fine. What you do on the next screen however, makes a big difference.

There are choices here and one may be better than the other. Microsoft suggests having a minimum of 20GB for an install of Win7RC. So you could select fixed-size storage and set it for 20GB. I’m playing it on the wild-side and using the Dynamically expanding storage option. This is likely to affect the performance of the virtual machine and Win7RC. I’m okay with that for my installation since I’ve only got about 20GB of free space on my computer and don’t want to use it all if possible.

On this screen you select the location for your Virtual Machine to run in on your computer. It’s best to name it something meaningful and relevant to your situation. Here, you also allocate how much disk space that the Guest OS will think it has for a hard drive. I chose 10 GB. You’re probably better to choose 20GB if you have the space.

There are just two screens that follow this one. Both of them tell you information about your new virtual disk. The information isn’t that important, but allows you to confirm if the set-up is the way that you want it. If the information makes sense, go ahead and click Next. If it doesn’t, click the Back button and change your choices where necessary.

Even if you finish the creation of the virtual machine, you can change the parameters later on. No worries! That’s part of what makes Sun’s VirtualBox such a good test bed for software and operating systems. It’s flexible. Semper Gumby for my Marine friends out there.

In Part Deux of this article, I’ll be covering the install of Windows 7 RC on my newly created Sun VirtualBox virtual machine. Stay tuned and don’t touch that remote. Now for intermission…Let’s all go to the lobby, let’s all go to the lobby, let’s all go to the lobbeeeeeeeeee, and get ourselves a treat!

Continue Reading: Test Windows 7 RC on a Virtual Machine [Part 2]

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Test Windows 7 RC on a Virtual Machine [Part 2] (18)
• How To Install Windows 7 on a Virtual Machine with VirtualBox (79)
• Test Drive Linux Operating Systems with VirtualBox (7)
• Create A Virtual Machine Clone of Your Existing Hard Drive [Windows] (14)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)

XdN Tweaker has been around for some time and we have used it to tweak Windows XP, Vista and now it supports Windows 7. XdN Tweaker provides you with a number of tweaks to get the system working the way you want it to. It provides options to tweak UAC, file and folders views and settings, some user interface tweaks and much more.

You just need to download and install XdN Tweaker or if you prefer you can download the portable version and run it as it is without having to install. This is what you would see when you fire it up:

One of the XdN features that I loved with Vista was the ability to modify UAC prompts, this of course is not a problem with Windows 7 as there is a UAC control is built into Windows 7, so you can simply launch it and adjust the settings according to you needs.

Then there are tweaks for the right click menu. We have shown you various tools in the past that you can use to customize your right click context menu. If you are looking for something quick and simple you will find some pretty handy tweaks XdN Tweaker has to offer. You can quickly disable the Send To menu, add copy to and move to to right click menu.

Another great feature that XdN provides is the ability to remove program associations for a particular file extension. Let’s say you installed iTunes and set it to handle mp3 files but don’t want to launch it everytime you play one, change the association here. Although Windows has provided ways to do this from quite some time now but none of them are as intuitive and straightforward as using XdN Tweaker to get the job done.

There are some Windows 7 specific tweaks like changing the delay for aero peek and to disable the windows arrangement features new and unique to Windows 7 (although I must admit I like them).

There are other nifty options like adding a “Take Ownership” entry to right click menu for files and folders to manipulate files you dont have permission to perform operations on, make folder views persist, tweak the IE interface, enable disable hibernation with a single click, change Windows performance settings, getting info and so on.

No doubt all this can be achieved via registry editing but XdN Tweaker makes the task easier. Do you know some other tools for similar purposes? Do you like to use programs like these or do you prefer getting down and dirty with the registry?

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• Vista Switcher – Replace Windows’ Alt-Tab With Something Cooler (9)
• How To Move My Documents Folder To A Different Drive (25)
• 5 Tools to Make Windows XP Look Like Vista (90)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)

VirtualBox is a free and open source virtualization program. Essentially, it is like having a complete and separate computer within your computer. You can install any operating system on it, including Windows 7. The latest version of VirtualBox (2.1.2) has support for Windows 7, which makes it very easy and convenient to install.

First, you’ll want to download VirtualBox and install it. VirtualBox is available for multiple platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, and Solaris. During the installation on a Windows system, you may receive a warning that untested software is being installed. Be sure to click continue when those boxes appear, as essential components for VirtualBox to function properly are being installed.

You’ll also need to download the Windows 7 beta. It is a large file, so it may take quite a while to download depending on your connection. The file you will download is a CD disk image. Fortunately, since you’re going to use it on a virtual machine, you won’t have to actually burn it to a CD to use it.

Once you have VirtualBox installed and you have the Windows 7 beta CD image, you’re ready to create your virtual machine amd install Windows 7 beta. Launch VirtualBox and create a new machine. Be sure to select Windows 7 as your operating system.

Click Next. On the following screen you will select how much memory you would like the virtual machine to have. I believe the minimum requirement for Windows 7 is 1GB of RAM, so be sure to set it to at least 1024MB.

Click Next. On the following screen you will create a new virtual drive for the system. I would recommend using the default option of a Dynamically expanding storage. This way you won’t use any more disk space (on your main system) than necessary. Since you’re using a dynamically expanding drive, the size of the disk is somewhat arbitrary. You just want to be sure not to make it too small, so set it to 100GB to be safe.

Once you’re done creating the virtual machine, you’ll need to configure it to use the Windows 7 disk image you downloaded. Select your virtual machine, click Settings, and navigate to the CD/DVD-ROM section. Check the Mount CD/DVD Drive checkbox and click the ISO Image File radio button. Then click the folder icon and then browse to where you saved your ISO image and select it.

If you have a multi-core processor, there’s an option you’ll want to enable to speed things up on the virtual machine.  Go to the General section and on the Advanced tab enable the Enable VT-x/AMD-V checkbox. This allows VirtualBox to take advantage of machine virtualization capabilities of your processor, and improves the performance of the virtual machine.

You may also want to add sound to the virtual machine as well. Go to the Audio tab, and click the Enable Audio checkbox and select Windows DirectSound for the Host Audio Driver. Once you have the machine configured, click the Start button to turn on the virtual machine.

You should see the Windows 7 installation begin. Just follow all the prompts and install Windows. If you need to get back to your main computer at any time, the hotkey to release control of the virtual machine is the Ctrl key on the right side of your keyboard.

Once you’ve installed Windows 7, you can install the guest additions. The guest additions will provide better video and audio support to the virtual machine. The guest additions also allow you to better integrate the virtual machine with your main system.

To install the guest additions, press the right Ctrl key on your keyboard, go to the Devices menu and select Install Guest Additions…

During the guest additions installation, when prompted if you would like to install drivers, click the Install button. Once you’ve installed the guest additions, reboot the virtual machine. Upon rebooting, all of the virtual devices should be working.

Now that you have the guest additions installed, you will be able to share the clipboard, access to files on the main system, and move the cursor seamlessly in and out of the virtual machine. You can press the Right Ctrl-F and see the virtual machine full screen. What a pretty fish!

Have you tried Windows 7 with other free virtualization programs? Did you try to install Windows 7 as a virtual machine with Virtualbox? If so, let us know which ones and what sort of hacks were required to get it to work.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Test Drive Linux Operating Systems with VirtualBox (7)
• Test Windows 7 RC on a Virtual Machine [Part 2] (18)
• Test Windows 7 RC on a Virtual Machine [Part 1] (11)
• Create A Virtual Machine Clone of Your Existing Hard Drive [Windows] (14)
• How To Upgrade From XP To Windows 7 In 4 Easy Steps (12)

In the meantime, here are a few possibilities how you can get the Windows 7 look and feel onto your desktop today. This is primarily targeted at those of you who are skipping Vista.

Wallpapers

This is the most simple way to get a refreshing look onto your desktop. Just get a wallpaper. The most beautiful ones can be found on deviantART, such as The Windows Se7en Pack 1 and Pack 2 .

Seven Calculator (XP, Vista)

This tool is not fully completed and it doesn’t have the same functionalities as the Windows 7 calculator. But it looks just like it and the standard mode (basic functions) works fine. It requires .Net framework and it’s open source, so if you know Visual Basic, you can go ahead and edit it.

Vista users are in luck, a much better calculator is available for them, look here.

AeroSnap (XP)

In Windows 7, windows are going to behave differently compared to what you are used to from XP. AeroSnap simulates this Windows 7 behavior. When you drag a window to the left or right border of your desktop, it will snap to that side and take over 50% of the screen width and 100% from bottom to top. When you drag the window to the top of the screen it will maximize. Dragging the window away from the respective edge will restore its previous size. Keep in mind that it only works when the mouse hits the screen border while dragging the window. Below is a video to better demonstrate how it looks like.

Vienna Transformation Pack (XP)

This is not as comfortable to install as some other transformation packs. Rather you install each module separately. The advantage is that you can select just the parts you like. Fortunately, the installation guide is very detailed, so even inexperienced users will not hit the wall.

The Vienna Transformation Pack comes with a selection of four bootskins, a logon screen, icons, a menu bar styler (seen in the top left), cursors, sounds, wallpapers, a visual style or theme, and either the Vienna navigator or the Vienna toolbar (pictured below), which essentially both have the same functions. With the navigator you can move around the items individually, while with the toolbar they are all locked down on their spot.

That concludes the selection. Let me mention that there are several more transformation packs and themes available that claim to look like Windows 7. In reality they all look terribly like Vista and the ones I tried seem a little buggy on top of that.

If you’re interested in the latest Windows 7 developments, check out the Windows 7 News blog.

What feature are you most looking forward to in Windows 7?

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Get Aero Shake, Aero Peek & Aero Snap Features In Vista & XP (12)
• Your Easy Guide to Windows 7 Themes (16)
• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• How to Set A Bing Wallpaper Desktop Slideshow In Windows 7 (39)
• How To Customize Your Linux Desktop With GnomeART-NG (7)

As you may be aware, Windows 7 build 6801 was handed out to 8000 PDC (Professional Developers Conference) attendees.  A few days later I got hold of a copy myself.

I’m going to assume that for you the main issues you have with Vista are the following:

• Performance (both perceived and real)
• User Account Control (UAC)
• Bloat and bundled software

Well I can say that all three have been the main focus for the Windows 7 development team and all have received substantial changes and improvements.

Performance

The big one. With updated drivers, Windows Vista performance is actually equal or better than Windows XP regardless of what you hear.  However Microsoft wanted to do a lot better than that with Windows 7.

I’m finding startup times (from turning the computer on until you get to the login screen) is improved but only by a few seconds over Vista.  From the login screen to a usable desktop however is hugely improved, down from around 30-40 seconds to closer to 10 seconds. Shutdown time is similarly reduced, two thirds faster by my estimates.

RAM usage is down slightly, but this doesn’t necessarily indicate any differences in performance. In general the desktops seems slightly more responsive than Vista, although that could also be from other factors such as Windows gadgets not loading up from the first login.

Battery performance is substantially improved as well, in fact my notebook has gone from squeezing one and half hours from Windows Vista on power saver to nearly 3 hours using Windows 7. That’s a huge improvement and Windows 7 running on power saver is also much faster and more responsive than Windows Vista.

User Account Control

UAC never particularly bothered me much, except for when I was trying to delete things and UAC denied access to me, even if I was the administrator.

In Windows 7 the major changes involve UAC prompts no longer graying out the desktop, no longer appearing for basic system tasks like changing the time and date and generally only popping up during software installations.

It’s a huge improvement and one everyone will be happy with. Also included as you can see in the following screenshot is a slider control for no UAC prompts, or even more for extra security.

Bloat and Bundled Software

You may have heard that Windows 7 is going some of the way towards removing the ‘bloat’ which is present in Windows Vista. Well, in many ways this isn’t true. Windows 7 comes with nearly as much as Windows Vista does, perhaps more considering the number of new features.

I personally don’t have a problem with Microsoft bundled software because I actually use just about all of it, however I can see why some people would have a problem.

What Windows 7 does do is remove some of the duplicate functionality which was present in Vista such as between Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Live Photo Gallery. Instead now we just have Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center and you can choose if you want to download Windows Live Photo Gallery or not.

What is interesting is that Windows Explorer is now almost as good an organizer of media as the dedicated programs themselves.  Perhaps this is the way Microsoft is headed? I know they have announced their intention of bringing the concept of an OS back to just the platform between the hardware and the software and this is a way in which Microsoft could achieve this while still retaining many of the same features and functions.

In particular the new displays of music within Windows Explorer is fantastic.  You’ll never have to worry about folder hierarchies again for your music collection.  Using the meta-data, Explorer can display the files as Artist > Album > Song which is great for instant organization.

Anyway I hope this was interesting as a preview of the upcoming release of Windows 7.  You should be able to download a public beta within a few months.   In the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

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