Get Great Windows 8 Features Without the Upgrade [Opinion]
Windows 8 was officially unleashed on the world on 26th October; I’m going to assume you either attended or held your own mini launch party, because that’s what everyone does every time a new version of Windows is released. However, we understand there are some of you who can’t afford the “upgrade”, so here are 5 tips to get the best features of Windows 8 on your shoddy old Windows 7 machine, right now.
Get More from Windows 7 ALT+TAB App Switching: Tricks You Didn't Know About
There’s more to Alt+Tab than just pressing Alt+Tab to switch between windows. There are a variety of hidden keyboard shortcuts that make the Alt+Tab switcher quicker and easier to use. There are also ways to customize the Alt+Tab switcher, reverting to the old-style, classic Alt+Tab switcher or disabling the window previews that appear while Alt+Tabbing. You can even go beyond the Alt+Tab switcher that comes with Windows.
How To Make Sure Windows 7 Will Boot After Changing The Motherboard
How many times have you installed copies of Windows on a computer following a major hardware change? A case in point is probably Windows XP – although flexible, popular and easy to use, the operating system wasn’t great at dealing with hardware changes, in particular new motherboards. This shouldn’t come as any surprise, really.
Using A Tiny SSD? Slim Down Windows 7 With Minimal Installs
How big is your hard disk drive? 80 GB? 300 GB? 5 TB? You might well have more than enough space, but if you own a device with a small SSD – perhaps a netbook, for instance – there is very little to worry about. There are several tools and tricks that you can use to make sure that the OS runs efficiently and without filling your SSD (or indeed any other small storage device).
What Is the Windows 7 Reliability Monitor And How to Get The Most Out Of It
Embedded into Windows 7 is a useful reliability monitor that lets you not only visualize the current reliability level of your computer, but you can also see a historic log of how reliable your computer has performed over time. It is a great tool to research current software errors you may be experiencing. This tool also serves as a historic log and research tool for your Windows 7 reliability level over time.
Why Won’t My Windows 7 Updates Install?
Windows Update is one of the key elements of Microsoft’s operating system for keeping your computer working and up to date. Without it, your computer would freely collect malware, unpatched security holes would be exploited and generally things would run pretty slowly. Fortunately, your computer does have Windows Update, capable of adding new functionality, fixes, service packs and device drivers to your Windows 7 PC or laptop. But what happens when Windows Update goes wrong?
What Is The Windows Experience Index, And How To Maximize It
The average user doesn't have a clue what type of hardware they really need. To them, hardware specifications are a jungle and figuring out what they should upgrade if they experience performance issues is a daunting adventure. To make all of this a little easier, Microsoft introduced the Windows Experience Index with Windows Vista. The index was designed as a benchmark tool that scores your estimated Windows experience based on your system hardware. But what exactly is the Windows Experience Index?
6 Microsoft Products That Have Finally Been "Perfected"
Microsoft occupies the majority of the personal computing market, and much of the business market as well. It’s seen its downfalls though, too. There have been many products that it has launched that have only left me disappointed and frustrated. However, in the recent years, it seems Microsoft has gotten their act together with many of their products. Improvements will always be needed and made; however compared to what these past products were, they’ve improved tremendously.
Manage And Tidy The Windows 7 System Tray
Every Windows user has seen the Windows system tray (also known as the notification area) become cluttered over time. We’ve covered disabling distracting desktop notifications in the past, but what if the icons themselves are the problem? With Windows 7, Microsoft has included a variety of tools that put you in control over which icons appear.
When Power Saving Fails: Fixing Windows 7 Hibernation Issues
When you use the hibernate shut-down option, Windows 7 saves the contents of your computer’s memory to disk and powers off the computer. If your computer can’t hibernate or isn’t resuming from hibernation properly, there are a variety of possible problems -- including a particularly obscure bug you'd never think to check.
How To Improve Windows Explorer By Adding New Columns
Windows Explorer is one of the most used Windows applications and at the same time probably also the least acknowledged productivity tool. You are using Windows Explorer every day to interact with your computer as you access your files and folders. An application you use this much should be customized to your needs. An optimized Windows Explorer will make working with your computer easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Which Windows Version Is The Best Of All Time? [MakeUseOf Poll]
Sorry Mac and Linux users, this week’s poll is all about Windows, but even if you don’t currently use the most popular OS in the world, you’re bound to have an opinion in the matter. This week we want to find out which is your favorite Windows version of all times.
How To Enable Windows 7 Aero Effects Inside VirtualBox
Up until recently, VirtualBox had a pretty major limitation: There was no way to use Windows Aero effects when running Windows Vista or Windows 7 inside VirtualBox. If you are testing software, this makes a big difference: You are not getting the Aero experience most Windows users would get, and your screenshots look wrong. Fortunately, with the advent of VirtualBox 4.1, this can be fixed.
The Microsoft Malware Removal Tool - How Well Does It Work?
If you keep an eye on the updates Windows installs, you may notice the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool appearing every month. It removes some malware programs, but only a few -- it doesn't replace the need for an antivirus.
Windows 7 Firewall: How It Compares Against Other Firewalls
Windows 7 contains an unobtrusive, easy-to-use firewall that protects your computer from inbound traffic. If you're looking for more advanced options, such as the ability to control outbound traffic or view the applications using your Internet connection, you'll want a third-party firewall instead.
Sick Of The Old Command Prompt in Windows 7? Upgrade To Console
Microsoft overhauled and updated much of Windows with Windows 7, but the Command Prompt hasn't been updated since the last century. It's not just ancient-looking; it lacks many of the features command-line users have come to expect on Macs, Linux and any operating system that isn't Windows. If you’re looking for an improved Command Prompt for Windows 7, look no further.
The Top 7 Best Free IRC Clients for Windows 7
For most of us, chatrooms might seem like a relic of the past, but they're still around. If you're interested in that sort of thing, you’ll want to look into the IRC protocol. For those of you who are already familiar with IRC, you can jump past the next section to the list of awesome IRC clients for Windows 7. For those of you who have never heard of IRC, here’s a quick crash course.
3 +1 Best Windows Explorer Add-ons For Windows 7
In two recent articles on Windows Explorer, I explained advanced settings and shared tips and tricks to improve your experience with the Windows file manager. To conclude this article trilogy, I will show you how you can add missing features using Windows Explorer add-ons, for example tabs, an enhanced copy process, and a tool to restore desktop icons.