Contents
Please Press 'Ctrl' + 'F' To Use The Search Feature And Find What You Want
Problems Steps Recorder
AppLocker
Power & Efficiency Report (Laptop & Tablet Only)
Screen/Monitor Calibration
GodMode
Customise The Log-On Screen
Recover Screen Space
'Retro' Taskbar
Restoring The Quick-Launch Toolbar
Custom Power Button
Disable Smart-Window Arrangement/Window Snapping Tool
Flash Memory Display
Hiding the Windows Live Messenger icon
Disabling and Customising UAC (User Account Control)
Windows Gadgets With UAC Disabled
BitLocker
Aero Shake
Customise System Restore
Run As...
Search Privacy
Tweak PC Volume
Rearrange The System Tray
Find Bottlenecks, Resource Manager & Hung Programs
Keyboard Shortcuts
Drag & Drop Command Line
Follow My File Path
Extended Context Menus
MSConfig (Startup, DualBoot & OS Timeout)
How To Pin The 'Games' Library To The Taskbar
Alternative Method To Launch Taskbar Items
Aero Peek
Starting Explorer in 'My Computer'
Enjoy Your Fish (RC Only)
Global Backgrounds
Bring Back 'My Videos' & 'Recorded TV' To The Start Menu
A Welcome Gesture
Problems Steps Recorder
As the local PC guru you're probably very used to friends and family asking for help with their computer problems, yet having no idea how to clearly describe what's going on. It's frustrating, and Windows 7 will include an excellent new solution in the Problem Steps Recorder.
When any program starts misbehaving, just tell your friends/family to:
Click Start
Type/Search for 'PSR'
Press Enter/Return or Select 'PSR' from the list
Start Record
If they then work through whatever they're doing, the Problems Steps Recorder will record every click and keypress, take screen-shots and package them all up in a single zipped MHTML file when they're finished ready to email to you.
AppLocker
Tired of the kids installing dubious software or running applications you'd rather they left alone? AppLocker is a new Windows 7 feature that ensures users can only run the programs you specify. Don't worry, that's easier to set up than it sounds: you can create a rule to allow everything signed by a particular publisher, so choose Microsoft, say, and that one rule will let you run all signed Microsoft applications. Launch GPEDIT.MSC (Not Available In Home Premium) by:
Click Start
Type/Search for 'GPEDIT.MSC' (Be sure to add the .MSC extension or windows will not find it)
Press Enter/Return or Select 'GPEDIT.MSC' from the list
Then go to:
Computer Configuration
Windows Settings
Security Settings
Application Control Policies
AppLocker
Full User Manual & Detailed Guide of Use (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd548340%28WS.10%29.aspx) - From Technet, By Microsoft
Power & Efficiency Report (Laptop & Tablet Only)
If you have a laptop or tablet PC, you can use the Efficiency Calculator to get Windows 7 to generate loads of useful information about its power consumption. Used in the right way, this can help you make huge gains in battery life and performance. To do this you must open up Command Prompt as an Administrator, to do this:
Click Start
Type/Search for 'cmd'
Right Click the 'cmd' icon
Choose 'Run As Administrator'
Then at the command line, just type in 'powercfg -energy' and hit Enter/Return. Windows will then scan your system looking for ways to improve power efficiency. It will then publish the results in a HTML file, usually in the System32 folder. Just follow the file path it gives you to find your report.
Screen/Monitor Calibration
The colours you see on your screen will vary depending on your monitor, graphics cards settings, lighting and more, yet most people use the same default Windows colour profile. And that means a digital photo you think looks perfect might appear very poor to everybody else. Fortunately Windows 7 now provides a Display Colour Calibration Wizard that helps you properly set up your brightness, contrast and colour settings, and a ClearType tuner to ensure text is crisp and sharp. Give it a whirl and see what you think...
Click Start
Type/Search for 'DCCW', Press Enter/Return
Follow the Wizard's instructions
GodMode
Windows 7 has changed Control Panel a little, but it's still too difficult to locate all the applets and options that you might need. God Mode, however, while not being particularly godlike, does offer an easier way to access everything you could want from a single folder.
To try this out, create a new folder and rename it to:
folder name.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
The first part, "folder name" will be the name of the folder, and can be whatever you want: "Super Control Panel", "Advanced", "God Mode" if you prefer.
The extension, ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C, must be entered exactly as it is here, though, including the curly brackets. When you press Enter this part of the name will disappear, and double-clicking the new folder will display shortcuts to functions in the Action Centre, the Network and Sharing Centre, Power options, troubleshooting tools, user accounts and others - more than 260 options in total.
Caution: Do NOT Use In Any Other OS Other Than Windows 7 - This Can Be Fatal To Windows Vista And XP Setups!
Customise The Log-On Screen
Changing the Windows log-on screen used to involve some complicated and potentially dangerous hacks, but not any more - Windows 7 makes it easy.
First, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background in REGEDIT, double-click the DWORD key called OEMBackground (not there? Create it) and set its value to 1.
Now find a background image you'd like to use. Make sure it's less than 256KB in size, and matches the aspect ratio of your screen as it'll be stretched to fit.
Next, copy that image into the %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds folder (create the info\backgrounds folders if they don't exist). Rename the image to backgroundDefault.jpg, reboot, and you should now have a custom log-on image.
Alternatively, use a free tweaking tool to handle everything for you. Logon Changer (http://tweaks.com/software/tweakslogon/) displays a preview so you can see how the log-on screen will look without rebooting, while the Logon Screen Rotator (http://lukepaynesoftware.com/lsrotator/) accepts multiple images and will display a different one every time you log on.
Recover Screen Space
The new Windows 7 taskbar acts as one big quick launch toolbar that can hold whatever program shortcuts you like (just right-click one and select Pin To Taskbar). And that's fine, except it does consume a little more screen real estate than we'd like. Shrink it to a more manageable size by:
Right-Clicking the Start Orb
Properties
Taskbar
Tick Use small icons
OK
'Retro' Taskbar
Windows 7 now combines taskbar buttons in a way that saves space, but also makes it more difficult to tell at a glance whether an icon represents a running application or a shortcut. If you prefer a more traditional approach, then right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and set Taskbar Buttons to "Combine when taskbar is full". You'll now get a clear and separate button for each running application, making them much easier to identify. Example:
http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/tims/WindowsLiveWriter/Windows7Secrets_AC88/image_thumb_7.png
Restoring The Quick-Launch Toolbar
If you're unhappy with the new taskbar, even after shrinking it, then it only takes a moment to restore the old Quick Launch Toolbar.
Right-Click the Taskbar
Toolbars
New Toolbar
Type "%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" (without quotes) into the Folder box and click Select Folder.
Now right-click the taskbar, clear 'Lock the taskbar', and you should see the Quick Launch toolbar, probably to the right. Right-click its divider, clear Show Text and Show Title to minimise the space it takes up. Complete the job by right-clicking the bar and selecting
View
Tick 'Use Small Icons'
Custom Power Button
By default, Windows 7 displays a plain text 'Shut down' button on the Start menu, but it only takes a moment to change this action to something else. If you reboot your PC a few times every day then that might make more sense as a default action:
Right-Click the Start Orb
Properties
Set the 'Power boot action' to 'Restart' to make it happen
Disable Smart-Window Arrangement/Window Snapping Tool
Windows 7 features interesting new ways to intelligently arrange your windows, so that (for example) if you drag a window to the top of the screen then it will maximise. We like the new system, but if you find it distracting then it's easily disabled.
Run REGEDIT
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Set WindowArrangementActive to 0
Reboot, and your windows will behave just as they always did
Flash Memory Display
Click Computer in Windows 7 and you might see a strange lack of drives, but don't panic, it's just Microsoft trying to be helpful. Drives like memory card readers are no longer displayed if they're empty. I think it's an improvement, but if you disagree then it's easy to get your empty drives back.
Launch Explorer
Click Tools
Folder Options
View
Un-Tick 'Hide empty drives in the computer folder'
Hiding the Windows Live Messenger icon
If you use Windows Live Messenger a lot, you'll have noticed that the icon now resides on the taskbar, where you can easily change status and quickly send an IM to someone. If you prefer to keep Windows Live Messenger in the system tray, where it's been for previous releases, just close Windows Live Messenger,
http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/tims/WindowsLiveWriter/Windows7Secrets_AC88/image_thumb_18.png
Right-Click shortcut
Select properties
Computability Tab
Set the application to run in 'Windows Vista' or 'Windows XP' compatibility mode.
Disabling and Customising UAC (User Account Control)
Windows Vista's User Account Control was a good idea in practice, but poor implementation put many people off - it raised far too many alerts. Fortunately Windows 7 displays less warnings by default, and lets you further fine-tune UAC to suit your preferred balance between security and a pop-up free life
Start
Control Panel
Change User Account Control Settings
Caution: Fully Disabling UAC May Cause Damage To Your Computer If You Do Not Have A Secure Firewall Running
Windows Gadgets With UAC Disabled
Windows 7 has tightened up its security by refusing to run gadgets if UAC has been turned off, so limiting the damage malicious unsigned gadgets can do to your system. If you've disabled UAC, miss your gadgets and are happy to accept the security risk, though, there's an easy Registry way to get everything back to normal.
Run REGEDIT
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Sidebar\Settings
Create a new DWORD value called AllowElevatedProcess and set it to 1.
Your gadgets should start working again right away
BitLocker
USB flash drives are convenient, portable, and very easy to lose. Which is a problem, especially if they're carrying sensitive data. Fortunately Windows 7 has the solution: encrypt your documents with an extension of Microsoft's BitLocker technology, and only someone with the password will be able to access it. In Computer:
Right-Click your USB flash drive
Select Turn on BitLocker and follow the Wizard's instructions to protect your private files.
Aero Shake
If you have multiple windows open on your desktop and things are getting too cluttered, it used to be a time-consuming process to close them all down. In Windows 7 you can use the Aero Shake feature to minimise everything in seconds, using a cool mouse gesture. Grab the title bar of the window you wish to keep open and give it a shake, and rejoice in a clear desktop area
<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TGth7i2lCXY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TGth7i2lCXY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
Customise System Restore
There was very little you could do to configure System Restore in Vista, but Windows 7 improves the situation with a couple of useful setup options.
Click Start
Right-click Computer
Select Properties
System Protection
Configure
Set the Max Usage value to a size that suits your needs (larger to hold more restore points, smaller to save disk space).
And if you don't need System Restore to save Windows settings then choose the "Only restore previous versions of files" option. Windows 7 won't back up your Registry, which means you'll squeeze more restore points and file backups into the available disk space. System Restore is much less likely to get an unbootable PC working again, though, so use this trick at your own risk
Run As...
Hold down Shift, right-click any program shortcut, and you'll see an option to run the program as a different user, handy if you're logged in to the kids' limited account and need to run something with higher privileges. This isn't really a new feature - Windows XP had a Run As option that did the same thing - but Microsoft stripped it out of Vista, so it's good to see it's had a change of heart
Search Privacy
By default Windows 7 will remember your PC search queries, and display the most recent examples when searching in Windows Explorer. If you're sharing a PC and don't want everyone to see your searches:
Launch GPEDIT.MSC (Not Available In Home Premium)
Go to User Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Components
Windows Explorer
Double-click "Turn off display of recent search entries..."
Click Enabled
OK
You can now do your thing, click-ety-click and you secrets safe :thumb: