Five Windows 7 Issues Every IT Pro Needs to Know

     Windows 7 proved to be a hit product for Microsoft, with sales of more than 90 million licenses since its October 2009 release. Generally seen as a vast improvement on Windows Vista, as well as a timely successor to the decade-old Windows XP, Windows 7 also met with largely positive reviews from many tech sites and media outlets. As with any huge software platform, however, Windows 7 also contained some kinks for a subset of IT administrators. 
     
     The following were some of the issues that IT pros pointed out to eWEEK during the operating system’s first weeks and months on the market. Some of these, such as driver incompatibility, have been largely resolved; others, including a lack of an upgrade path between Windows XP and Windows 7, continue to (in some cases, necessarily) persist.

Issue 1
Lack of upgrade path between Windows XP and Windows 7. Given the number of SMBs (small and midsize businesses) and enterprises running Windows XP, the lack of a direct upgrade path to Windows 7 continues to represent an issue to businesses considering the switch.

Issue 2
Legacy Applications/backwards compatibility. A number of companies have found that their proprietary applications, built for Windows XP, need Windows 7’s XP Mode (seen here) in order to run. However, that virtual environment operates very slowly for certain users, resulting in a frustrating process.

Issue 3
Libraries functionality. A subset of IT administrators seem to find Libraries, a Windows 7-specific system for ordering files of user content, to be confusing.

Issue 4
Occasional battery life issues for laptops running Windows 7. A number of IT administrators continue to report that installing Windows 7 onto a laptop very occasionally results in an inability for the laptop’s battery to carry a full charge. Microsoft has disputed these claims, saying their engineers have been unable to replicate the issue.

Issue 5
Early Driver Incompatibility. Following the release of the Windows 7 RC, some users noted missing drivers for certain printers and other auxiliary devices. However, it seems that many of those issues have been subsequently addressed.

OnLive Brings Windows 7 To Your iPad

     Tablets are becoming more and more popular all the time, and the vast majority of them are iPad’s. Of course everyone knows of the limitations that this brings but OnLive is looking to getting around these barriers. At CES this year they announced their new OnLive Desktop Service which allows you to use Windows 7 on your iPad over the internet.

     OnLive have been around for a while now and are known more for their OnLive Gaming service. OnLive Desktop is a free app that’s available on the iTunes app store (US only for the moment) that allows you to access a Windows 7 virtual machine from your iPad. OnLive starts up a virtual machine on one of its servers and streams the screen to your iPad. The user can then interact with the screen and the information will be relayed back to the virtual machine.

     Once you’ve loaded up the app and have connected to a desktop you will be presented with the standard Windows 7 interface. There’s also a number of Microsoft Office applications for you to use for free including Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Of course all the other standard Windows 7 programs will be available to you as well as a few touch based games.

     You interact with your Windows 7 desktop the same way you’d normally use your iPad, ie. pinch to zoom etc.. and you can even use an external bluetooth keyboard if you wish. At the moment this free service operates on an “as-available” basis, which means it just makes use of the left over capacity from OnLive’s gaming service and only offers 2GB storage.

     However this won’t do for most businesses so a subscription service called OnLive Desktop Pro will be available soon for $9.99 per month. This service will provide a larger selection of applications and features, 50GB of storage space, and also priority access to OnLives server resources. Another service “Onlive Enterprise” will also be available which will allow installation of custom programs and allow IT staff full access to the virtual machine.

      Of course the big limitation with this service is that you will need a pretty quick internet connection to use it which isn’t really much good for people who are travelling or who have below par internet connections.

Windows 7 Tutorial

Exploring The Start Menu

In Windows 7 tutorial, we explore the Windows 7 Start Menu. From the Start Menu, you can launch any programs installed on your PC and also search for pictures, videos and music. We'll also demonstrate how to "pin" your favorite programs to the Start Menu or Taskbar.Because the Start Menu is used for launching virtually all the programs and tasks you do on your computer, it's very important to learn how to use it effectively.

Windows In Windows 7

In Windows 7 tutorial, we take a look at working with windows. As you might imagine, this is a core skill to master if you want to become productive with your PC. While some of the material we show in this video will be familiar to those of you who have used previous versions of Windows, Windows 7 brings some handy new tricks of its own which will help you to be more productive when using your PC. Three of these new features are Aero Peek, Aero Snap and Aero Shake.

Navigating Your Personal Folder

In Windows 7 tutorial, we'll demonstrate how to work with files and folders, specifically the personal folders on your computer. Every user account on a Windows 7 machine has several personal folders designed for storing documents, music, pictures, videos and other data you work with. (We'll also be covering user accounts in a later tutorial). Being able to navigate around these folders is an important skill to master. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of folders and files on your PC.

Organizing Files And Folder Using The Context Menu

In Windows 7 tutorial, we'll be using the context menu to move and copy files and folders. The context menu appears when you right click and as its name suggests, it changes depending on what context or situation it appears under. When you have completed this tutorial, you should be confident with copying and moving files and folders around your PC and understand how to create your own folders and organize content on your machine.

Working With Multiple Files And Folders
In Windows 7 tutorial, we'll show you how you can work with multiple files and folders at once. As you become more proficient using your PC, you may start to create and download a large number of files. When dealing with large collections of files, being able to work efficiently with multiple files and folders can be a huge time saver.

Using Libraries

In Windows 7 tutorial, you'll learn about a powerful new feature of Windows 7, namely libraries. Libraries let you view files on your computer from a content centric rather than location centric perspective. When sifting through vast amounts of files, libraries can be very useful. You'll see what we mean when you watch the video.

Folder Properties

In Windows 7 tutorial, we continue to explore the many features of Windows Explorer by taking a look at folder properties. We'll mainly be concentrating on how to customize folder types to make exploring your computer even easier.

Folder Options

In Windows 7 tutorial, we'll show you how to customize Windows Explorer and your folders even more by using the folder options window. You'll discover how to customize folder views and peek into the hidden files and folders on your PC.

Using The Recycle Bin

In Windows 7 tutorial, we'll take a look at the Recycle Bin folder. The Recycle Bin is where files and folders are sent when you remove them. It acts like a safety net against deleting data by accident. In the video we'll show you how to recover files from the Recycle Bin, empty the bin and also change its size. You will also see a few exceptions where files are not sent to the Recycle Bin and are deleted immediately instead.

Advance Start Menu Options
In Windows 7 tutorial, you will see some advanced techniques for working with and customizing the Start Menu. You'll learn about the privacy options for the Start Menu and how to clear recently used programs as well as how to personalize the options available on the right of the menu.

Exploring Your Computer With "Computer"

In Windows 7 tutorial, We'll look at "Computer". This is the top level view of all the drives and storage devices attached to your PC. From Computer you can open and navigate to any file or folder on your PC or on network drives or removable drives.

Taskbar Jump List And Customization

In Windows 7 tutorial, it's time to explore the new Windows 7 Taskbar further. We'll look at jump lists on the Taskbar and take a look at some customization options. Want to go back to the old style Taskbar with labels as well as icons? Want to add toolbars to your Taskbar? We'll show you how to do all that and more in this video.

The Notification Area (System Tray)

In Windows 7 tutorial, we'll take a look at the much improved Notification Area (or System Tray as it is commonly referred to). The Notification Area has become increasingly cluttered on many systems as more and more programs place their notification icons at the bottom of the screen. Windows 7 streamlines the Notification Area and significantly reduces clutter, as you'll see in this video.

Search Is Everywhere In Windows 7 Too

In Windows 7 tutorial, it's time to search out the search options in Windows 7 and show you how you can quickly find files and folders on your computer. Adjusting to the new, more complex search options in Windows 7 can be a shock for Windows XP users, but with a little practise and our handy tutorial here, we're sure you'll be searching like a pro in no time.

The Low Down On User Account Controls In Windows 7

In Windows 7 tutorial, it's time to take a look at the often unfairly criticized User Account Control security mechanism. User Account Controls (UAC) were introduced in Windows Vista and were immediately unpopular with users migrating from Windows XP. However, they drastically improved security and when used in conjunction with limited user accounts, can actually save a great deal of time, as we'll demonstrate in the video.

Devices And Printer

In Windows 7 tutorial, we demonstrate the new Devices and Printers section of the control panel. This new feature of Windows 7 aims to make it easier to work with and troubleshoot peripheral devices, such as printers, monitors, external storage devices and game controllers. Instead of trying to find your device in a big long list, Devices and Printers tries to assign an icon to it which represents the actual device more clearly.

Windows 7 Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

1. Windows 7 is faster than its predecessors, both in terms of installation and boot up time.
2. Calculator has been enhanced with some new features like unit conversion, calculations like fuel economy  and auto lease payment.
3. WordPad in Windows 7 has improved much better and look similar to the Microsoft Office Word. It can be used to open, edit file names with docx extension which was earlier introduced with MS-Office 2007. Word prediction is the new feature in Word Pad. Realistic brush has been added in Paint.
4. Microsoft facilitates in windows 7, to download some eye-catching themes and background images from its own Microsoft website or from RSS feed. It allows the user to customize every part of the themes and save for our future use or send to the other windows 7 users.
5. It also supports advanced touch and handwriting recognition.
6. Windows 7 supports Virtual Hard Disks with the support of enhanced performances of multi core processors.
7. Windows Media Player 12 has got much enhanced features in the Windows 7 and drag and drop option has been added which were not there in the previous versions.
8. Windows 7 allows the user to make the best use of graphic cards from the different vendors.
9. Bitlocker is a feature which provides encryption for the internal drives in vista, but it is extended to the external drives in windows 7. This makes backup and restore much easier.
10. Default settings of User Account have been eliminated, to protect form the unauthorized software to be installed.
11. Windows 7 has included a new concept, jumplists which organize the recently used files as well as web pages.
12. More than that, it also allows the user to overcome the clutter in the desktop by introducing three new features Aero Peek, Aero shake and snap.
13. Home networking has been made much easier than its previous operating systems and is probably safe from hackers.

Disadvantages 

1. Some of the users are not satisfied with the new features, because, they need to buy out additional resources such as RAM, etc to make use of them.
2. It is expensive than the previous Microsoft operating systems.
3. Some of the users have problems such as; their system hangs after installing Windows 7.
4. If the user has got an HP multifunction printer, and its driver being upgraded to the Windows 7, then the printer doesn’t response to the print commands. So, the user needs to go to the new HP solution Center to resolve this problem.
5. Windows have specific themes for United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Japan, South Africa and Australia, if the user is not from the above country and he wish to have a specific theme of his country, he will not get that, hence the user will not satisfied with that feature.
6. Some of the features like Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras, InkBall, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar Windows Mail called Windows Live Essentials were included in Vista are removed in Windows 7.

Windows 7 Tips & Tricks

Check Windows Version

Windows Version tells the exact Build of OS and service Pack you are using.  You can simply check it by using Winver Command.  Open Run Dialog box by using Win+R and type "Winver" there without quotes.  This will bring a Windows which has OS details such as Windows details.

Alternatively you can also use the Command prompt to find the information.  Type "Winver" in command prompt.  It would display all details in command prompt.

Display Multiple Clocks in System Tray


Many users need to keep track of time in multiple time zones, there's a nice feature in Windows 7 to help users keep track of time in Multiple Time zones.  The feature is multiple clocks in your system tray.  This feature can display up to 3 clocks in your taskbar from 3 different Time Zones.

Dock Windows to Left Right Up down


Windows 7 comes with an interesting feature through which managing all the open Windows becomes easy.  Document and program management is simplifies by allowing "docking" a window or changing its size with a simple key combo or a mouse click.


To dock half size window on Left Side of Screen :
Mouse action : Drag the Window to left
Keyboard action : Press Win + Left Arrow

To dock half size window on Right Side Screen :
Mouse action : Drag the Window to Right
Keyboard action : Press Win + Right Arrow

To maximize window on screen :
Mouse action : Drag the Window to top
Keyboard action : Press Win + Up Arrow

To minimize window on Screen :
Mouse action : Click minimize at the program
Keyboard action : Press Win + Down Arrow

Find out How Healthy Your Battery is on Your Laptop


Windows 7 has a feature through which we can find out exactly how much battery you are actually getting from your laptop battery, i.e. its efficiency, maximum charge potential.
It's a well-known fact that as the age of lithium battery increases its charging capacity decreases and it won't charge to its full potential as when it's new.  We can find out exactly how much the battery of laptop is giving now.  We can use the power energy to find out how health your battery is.

• Open elevated command prompt by and start it with administrator privileges.
• Type "powercfg energy" into the command prompt & press Enter.
• The command enables tracing for 60 seconds & would collect all the data after observing the system behavior.
• After analysis it would generate a report.

The energy report is generated in HTML format in the directory shown in the command prompt.

Cmd Prompt Address\energy-report.html by default.

In the HTML file, scroll to the end till you get information like this :

This shows the battery ID, Manufacturer name, Chemistry, Design capacity and most importantly the last full charge.

Find your Computer Up time

A trick for all who would like to know how long since they haven't shut down your computer.

• Go to Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
• Go to performance tab
• In the system Information you can check out the uptime in the format Day : Hour : Minute : Second

You can track your computer uptime easily now.

On Screen Keyboard

You can simply take advantage of on screen keyboard utility provided by Microsoft to type without using keyboard.  It will bring a keyboard on your desktop and you can use your mouse pointer to click to type any key.

• Use Win + R key to get Run dialog box
• Write "OSK" and press enter
• Your on screen keyboard is at your service

Alternatively you can find the same in "StartMenu -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Ease of Access -> On screen Keyboard"

Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

FROM DESKTOP

• Windows Key + Tab = Aero [press Tab to cycle between Windows]
• Windows Key + E = Windows Explorer is launched
• Windows Key + R = Run Command is launched
• Windows Key + F = Search (which is there in previous Windows versions too)
• Windows Key + X = Mobility Center
• Windows Key + L = Lock Computer
• Windows Key + U = Ease of Access
• Windows Key + P = Projector
• Windows Key + T = Cycle Super Taskbar Items
• Windows Key + S = OneNote Screen Clipping Tool
• Windows Key + M = Minimize all Windows
• Windows Key + D = Show/Hide Desktop
• Windows Key + Up = Maximize Current Window
• Windows Key + Down = Restore Down / Minimize current Windows
• Windows Key + Left = Tile current Window to the left
• Windows Key + Right = Tile current Windows to the right
• Windows Key + # = Quicklaunch
• Windows Key + = =Magnifier

FROM WINDOWS EXPLORER

• Alt + Up = Go up one level
• Alt + Left/Right = Back/Foward

Windows 7 Continues To Dig Into XP’s Market Share

     Another year, another massive loss for Windows XP. It seems like consumers are finally starting to pay heed to Microsoft’s message to ditch the OS that is now well over a decade old. And while Windows XP is losing big time, Windows 7 is gaining all its market share and more.

     Going by the latest results from Net Applications, Windows XP lost 2.4 percent of the market in December leaving it with an average of just 46.5 percent of the market for the end of 2011, this fall matches the record drop the OS also suffered in October 2011. It’s still quite impressive that Windows XP has managed to hold onto such a large percentage of the market after so long, but it’s a big drop when you remember that XP started of 2011 with nearly 58 percent of the market.

     Windows 7 on the other hand has been rapidly growing as it has been since its release, not only is it robbing market share from XP, but it’s also eating into Windows Vista’s as well. It gained 2.4 percent last month to reach 37 percent of the market, and in the same four months at the end of the year that Windows XP lost 5.9 percent, Windows 7 gained 6.4 percent. Considering that Windows 7 only started off with 23 percent of the market in 2011, it’s a good jump.

     Windows Vista is very very slowly dropping in market share while OS X is holding pretty much steady. Of course we’ll probably see quite a big boost for Windows 7 again when the results come in for January as all those PC’s that were purchased over the holiday season come online and more and more Windows XP machines are made redundant.

     It’s still worth remember that internationally, Windows XP is still the most used OS. However in the US Windows 7 has already replaced it as the most used OS, so it’s really only a matter of time before XP is finally knocked off it’s throne.

Windows 7 System Requirements

If you want to run Windows & on your PC, here's what it takes:
1 gigahert (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

PCs with multi-core processor:
Windows 7 was designed to work with today's multi-core processor. All 32-bit versions of windows 7 can support up 32 processor cores, while 64-bits version can support up to processor cores.

PCs with multiple processor (CPUs):
Commercial servers, workstations, and other high-end PCs may have more than one physical processor. Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and ultimate allow for two physical processors, providing the best performance on these computer. Windows 7Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium will recognize only one physical processor.

Device runs on Windows 7

Windows 7 introduces a collection of new features to improve how users discover and use devices that are connected to their PC. These new user features are supported by system and platform features that define how device makers present their devices and related applications and services in Windows.

Devices and Printers
Devices and Printers make it easy for users to view and use the devices that are connected to their computer. Users can open Devices and Printers in two ways: through Control Panel or by clicking the Start button. Devices and Printers give users a device-centric experience in Windows 7. Through a new set of XML schemas that are supported in Windows 7, device makers can customize how the device is described and presented in Windows.

Device Stage
Device Stage provides a new way for users to interact with eligible devices in Windows 7. It includes a visual interface that makes it easy for customers to find and use applications and services for their devices. Device Stage also provides a multifunction version of AutoPlay for certain eligible devices. Device makers that develop device experiences for Device Stage use a new set of XML schemas to specify rich branding and customization of the interface, including defining custom tasks to install software and links to services. Device makers can update their custom Device Stage experiences by submitting updates to Microsoft for distribution across the Internet to PCs running Windows 7. The Microsoft Device Experience Development Kit provides information and material you need to know to develop Device Stage experiences for eligible devices. For portable devices, Device Stage supports the industry-standard Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) 1.0 with new device services that enable a new rich set of features in Windows 7.

Device Containers
Grouping one or more device functions into a single device container lets Windows 7 represent these functions as a single "piece of plastic." This closely aligns with the user's perception of the physical device. For example, a multifunction printer (MFP) with printer, scanner, fax, copier, and storage functions can appear in Devices and Printers as a single icon. Users can then interact with applications and services that are related to all the functions of this MFP through the Device Stage interface. In Windows 7, device containers are generated for existing hardware, whereas device makers can take advantage of the extended Plug and Play interface to create device containers that are explicitly for new devices.

Device Metadata System

In Windows 7, the Device Metadata System provides an end-to-end process for device makers to define and distribute device metadata packages. These packages contain device experience XML documents that represent the properties of the device and its functions, together with applications and services that support the device. Through these XML documents, Devices and Printers and Device Stage present users with an interface that is specific to the device. Windows Online Quality Services (Winqual) validates device experience XML documents and signs device metadata packages. Windows Metadata and Internet Services (WMIS) distributes new or revised device metadata packages that device makers submit through Winqual. Windows 7 uses WMIS to discover, index, and match device metadata packages to specific devices that are connected to user PCs. Device makers can also distribute device metadata packages directly to user PCs through their own Setup applications.

This example device can run on windows 7

How To Install Windows 7

Step 1 - Place Windows 7 DVD in your dvd-rom drive and start your PC. Windows 7 will start to boot up and you will get the following progress bar.

Step 2 - The next screen allows you to setup your language, time and currency format, keyboard or input method. Choose your required settings and click next to continue.

Step 3 - The next screen allows you to install or repair Windows 7. Since we are doing a clean install we will click on "install now". 

Step 4 - Read the license terms and tick I accept license terms. Then click next to continue.

Step 5 - You will now be presented with two options. Upgrade or Custom (Advanced). Since we are doing a clean install we will select Custom (Advanced).

Step 6 - Choose where you would like to install Windows 7. If you have one hard drive you will get a similar option to the image below. You can click next to continue. If you have more that one drive or partition then you need to select the appropriate drive and click next. If you need to format or partition a drive then click Drive options (advance) before clicking next.

Step 7 - Windows 7 starts the installation process and starts copying all the necessary files to your hard drive as shown on the image below.

Step 8 - It will go through various stages of the setup and will reboot your system few times.

Step 9 - When your PC reboots it attempts to boot from DVD as its the first boot device. Do not press any key during the boot prompt so Windows 7 will continue with the installation by booting from the hard drive.

Step 10 - After the reboot your computer will be prepared for first use. 

Step 11 - At this stage you need to choose a user name and computer name. Click next to continue. The user account you create here is the Administrator account which is the main account for your Windows 7 that has all the privileges.

Step 12 - Choose your password and password hint just incase you forget your password and need to jog your memory. 

Step 13 - You can now type the product key that came with Windows 7 and click next. If you do not enter the product key you can still proceed to the next stage. However Windows 7 will run in trial mode for 30 days. You must therefore activate Windows within 30 days otherwise you can not access your computer after 30 days.

Step 14 - Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically. Choose Use recommended settings.

Step 15 - Review your time and date settings. Select your time zone, correct the date and time and click next to continue.

Step 16 - Select your computer's current location. If you are a home user then choose Home network otherwise select the appropriate option.

Step 17 - Windows will now finalize the settings for your computer and restart.

Step 18 - After the final restart Windows 7 will start to boot up.

Step 19 - Finally you have the logon screen. Just type your password and press enter or click on the arrow to logon to Windows 7 for the first time.

Step 20 - After you have logged on to Windows 7 for the first time, you will see similar desktop to the image below. At this point you can start using your computer. However it may not be fully configured. You need to make sure that all the hardware is detected correctly and the necessary device drivers are installed. This can be done from the device manager.

Step 21 - To go to device manager click - Start Menu -> Control Panel -> System and Security -> System -> Device Manager. You will see all your hardware listed as shown on the image below. You need to check if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to the name of the devices, similar to "Multimedia Audio Controller" on the image below. This indicates that the driver has not been installed for this device.

At this stage you can install the driver for this device. To do so, Right Mouse click on Multimedia Audio Controller -> Update Driver Software.

Step 22 - You can choose to "Search automatically for updated driver software" or "Browse my computer for driver software". If you have the driver CD or if the driver is on a USB drive then choose "browse my computer for driver software". Window 7 will search and install the driver from the CD or you can locate the driver manually.

Once you have removed all the yellow exclamation marks from the device manager your Windows 7 configuration would be fully complete.

Step 23 - Finally check if you have successfully activated Windows 7. Click Start Menu -> Control Panel -> System and Security -> System. You will get a window similar to the image below. Towards the bottom you will see Windows is activated followed by your product ID. This shows that your copy of Windows 7 is fully activated.

Windows 7 Edition

     Windows 7 is available in six different editions, of which the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions are available for retail sale to consumers in most countries. The other editions are not available in retail. The Starter edition is only available preinstalled by OEMs on new PCs, the Enterprise edition only by volume licensing, and Home Basic only to certain developing countries' markets. 


     Each edition of Windows 7 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it. All editions support the IA-32 processor architecture and all editions except Starter support (x86-64) processor architecture. The installation media is the same for all the consumer editions of Windows 7 that have the same processor architecture, with the license determining the features that are activated, and license upgrades permitting the subsequent unlocking of features without re-installation of the operating system. 


     This is the first time Microsoft has distributed 2 DVDs (1 DVD for IA-32 processor architecture, the other DVD for x86-64 processor architecture) for each edition of Windows 7 (Except for Starter and Home Basic; some OEM copies have only DVD for IA-32 architecture; the installation DVD of Windows 7 Home Basic 64-bit edition is not included but can be obtained from Microsoft.). 


     Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions. Some copies of Windows 7 have restrictions, in which it must be distributed, sold, or bought and activated in the geographical region specified in its front cover box.
Windows 7 is also currently available as an embedded version to developers (previously Windows Embedded 2011).