Windows 7

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2011-01-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

Run Older Programs With Windows Program Compatibility Wizard

2010-02-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

This issue doesn’t seem to be as prominent among users with Windows 7 as it was when Windows Vista was first released. When Windows Vista was released, it was built using a different code structure to that which Windows XP was built. Windows XP had been around for 5 years before Windows Vista was released and it held a large majority of the market, even after Windows Vista was released. As a result, most software was made for Windows XP only and wouldn’t run on Windows Vista. Now this problem was even bigger with drivers, which were quite frankly a nightmare when it came to Windows Vista.

Now thankfully, more than 3 years on, software and hardware designers alike have been churning out drivers and software compatible with Windows Vista. What’s even better is, Windows 7, while it may not have the flaws that Windows Vista has, it still is based around the same code architecture so as a result pretty much all Windows Vista programs and drivers are compatible.

However it’s not all roses, you are always bound to come across some old program that you just have to use, but it’s not compatible with Windows 7. Well Microsoft did think about this, especially for it’s Business users and they built in a Windows XP mode into Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate. But what about us average users who only have Windows 7 Home Premium?

Well it’s not quite the same, and I doubt it’s as effective but there is a Program Compatibility Wizard which you can try if your really desperate to run that old program on your new Windows 7 machine.

1. Firstly, right click on the program or a shortcut to that program, this can either be in your start menu or on your desktop.

2. Then select Troubleshoot Compatibility and a wizard will pop up and begin to try and detect issues.

3. You can then choose to try Recommended Settings, but if this doesn’t work you can go to Troubleshoot Program and help Windows solve the issue manually.

4. Here you will be asked to choose from a list what exactly your problem is and you will then be given various multiple choice questions to answer which will help Windows to try and solve the problem for you and get the program up and running.

It will try and run the program based on settings from previous operating systems if required, it even goes right back to Windows 95!

So by then end of it you should be able to get your program up and running. But alas, it won’t always work, so you may have to resort to running the program in a virtual box and make sure you have the most up to date version of the software.However somethings will just never work, but there are very few programs about now that wont work.

How To Restore the Master Boot Record in Windows 7

2009-12-07T03:07:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has played with partitions and dual booting different operating system "knows that the Master Boot Record (MBR) is always overwritten and maintains the user to restart your original installation of Windows 7. Recently, I had the tedious task attempting to install the Mac OSX Leopard on PC hardware and I found many issues including a problem with restoring the MBR to the previous installation of Windows 7. Generally, running the repair option from the Windows installation disc 7 works is magic and reviews of home repair the item, but would not be the case this time. What I had to do is use the command prompt and use the command Bootsect.exe to fix the MBR. Why Repair Start did not work, I know ... it normally does, but it was successfully restored and Windows 7 is working very well now.

Just a warning: If you do not feel comfortable with the command prompt, double boots and partitions, you may not want to try this method. While it is safe, I would recommend having someone who is familiar with these procedures to perform this restoration.

Here's how to update the boot sector code:

Boot from the Windows 7 DVD or image and follow the prompts until you reach the option to repair the equipment.

You are prompted to the Windows installation you would like to retrieve. Select the option to use the repair tools that can help solve problems starting Windows. Select the appropriate installation and click Next.

The following screen will include the following repair options. Normally you can only select Startup Repair and Windows does the rest and take care of everything automatically. I always try this first option before delving into the command line. However, if the Startup Repair does not work in your installation, you can select the command prompt and continue.

We will need to access the CD Drive, so type the appropriate drive letter (e.g. E:) at the X:\Sources=> prompt, then hit Enter.

Now, with the E:\ prompt up, we need to switch to the boot prompt, so type CD Boot.

The Prompt should change to E:\boot>. Type bootsect /nt60 SYS (there should be a space between bootsect and the ‘/’) then hit Enter.

You should receive a message that the ‘Bootcode was successfully updated on all targeted volumes’.

Type exit to return to the recovery options window and Restart or Shutdown.

Access to all settings of Windows 7 in one place

2009-12-07T02:49:00.000-08:00

Make statements like "... the beginner look like a pro in seconds" is a very bold statement for any use, but Windows 7 on a box can really claim this. The application has many configurations of Windows 7 on a single site in an attempt to facilitate users to find the configuration of Windows 7

After a quick glance around Windows 7 In A Box, it does seem to have most Windows 7 Settings covered, but I’m not sure whether having so many long lists makes it easier for users to find the setting that they want. If you’re looking for specifically to tweak Windows 7 then maybe one of these Windows 7 tweakers may suit you better.

How to Get Blue Ray Support In Windows 7

2009-10-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

What is Blue Ray?

The DVD storage format has been around since the 90’s. Blue Ray, designed by Sony, is an optical disc storage medium which is designed to replace the DVD format. These have a higher density than DVD, and use a different wave length compared to a standard CD or DVD. A Standard DVD uses a 650 nanometer red laser, whereas Blu-ray uses a shorter 405 nm wavelength blue-violet laser. This permits almost six times more data storage than a DVD.

How is Blue Ray supported today?

Blue ray uses codec’s, which are program algorithms to compress data onto a disk. There are two main codecs:

H.264 otherwise known as MPEG-4 Part 10.

VC-1 a video codec that has was implemented by Microsoft in Windows Media Video 9 (WMV)

These codecs are largely available to other software, but are not part of the Windows 7 media player.

Windows 7 support codecs:

Nevertheless, there are other codecs that can be used that will allow media and audio to be played on the Windows media center. They allow movies, tv recordings, and audio to be played from a blue-ray disk. Here are three such options.

Windows Media Player Plugins. There are three that can be used.

Plugins which are utilities add or extend the built-in functionality of Windows Media Player.

Skins which are Small programs that change the appearance of Windows Media Player.

Visualizations allow you to view Windows Media Player in different way, but allowing you to listen to music and so on.

2. Corel WinDVD 9 Plus Blu-ray. This Codec will allow you to use Blu-ray, HD DVD and standard DVDs.

3. Cyberlink Powerdvd 9.

This codec will play a variety of HD video formats like AVCHD, AVCREC, MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), MPEG-2 HD and WMV-HD.

If you want to add the codecs, how can you tell what codecs are running on Windows 7 Media player? You can get this information from the sechnical support information window.

Start with the following: Open the Windows 7 Media Icon

Support:

Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/plugins.aspx

Skins: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/skins.aspx

Visualizations: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/visualizations.aspx

Plug-ins: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/plugins.aspx

Corel:

http://store.corel.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?partNumber=OL_WD09PLBD&srcid=&pculicenseid=&promocode=0&trkid=CJ&countryCode=US&storeId=10302&catalogId=10103&langId=-1

Cyberlink:

http://www.cyberlink.com/

How to Uninstalled Internet Explorer 8 in Windows 7

2009-10-20T02:16:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed the legal battle between Microsoft and the European Union about the integration of Internet Explorer in the Windows operating system.The European Union is pressuring Microsoft to provide alternatives or ship the next installment without Internet Explorer much like the Media Player-less installations that are available in the European Union as well.

The guys over at AeroXperience seem to have discovered that Microsoft is indeed offering an option to remove Internet Explorer 8 from the Windows 7 operating system. To be precise: The option to remove Internet Explorer 8 has been found in Windows 7 build 7048. It was not there in the beta release of Windows 7 which seems to suggest that Microsoft is working on a way to comply with the European Union in the matter.

It should also be noted that uninstalling Internet Explorer 8 from the Windows 7 installation will not remove all of its components from the computer system. Microsoft has integrated Internet Explorer into the Windows operating system that it would practically require a full rewrite to get rid of it completely.

Only the actual Internet Explorer executable will be removed from the Windows 7 build if the option to remove Internet Explorer 8 is selected. Here are the steps to undertake to remove Internet Explorer from Windows 7:

Enter the Control Panel and look at “All Control Panel Options”

Click “Programs and Features”

In the left sidebar, click “Turn Windows Features On or Off” (you will be thrown a UAC prompt if you elevated UAC)

Wait for the list to load.

Look for Internet Explorer 8 in the list and uncheck it.

Click OK. You will see a prompt notifying you of a reboot.

The machine will reboot once, configure things, and reboot again.

There is no word yet if the uninstallation of Internet Explorer in Windows 7 affects any other areas of the operating system. Several components but also third party tools use the rendering engine of Internet Explorer.

BumpTop 3D Desktop Gets Unique Multi-Touch Gestures

2009-10-02T02:57:00.000-07:00

For all its new multi-touch goodness, Windows 7 only has about 7 basic gestures. So if you're all about the touch (and say, have a tablet PC) BumpTop's stack of unique new gestures could be a very good thing.

As we've mentioned in the past, BumpTop isn't a new OS or shell replacement, it just adds a 3D workspace to your desktop. The $30 mulit-touch version of the software is available now, but you'll need to have Windows 7 (and a multi-touch tablet, laptop or all-in-one PC). The good news: we're going to see a bunch of those arrive alongside the new OS on October 22.

Ready Set Windows 7

2009-09-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

News has been released from the program Windows logo 7 in Windows 7 Team Blog. In the post who say they've made some changes to the criteria on this occasion, including ...

To be granted the logo, the products are tested to work with all versions of Windows 7, including 64-bit. This is an important change since the 64-bit systems are becoming more common

This is a very important change for us all, and seal the deal on 64-bit Windows is progressing successfully.

They also say they have made it easier and cheaper for a product to be certified. This will also help with the driver's signature, though obviously not yet say by how much an OEM device.

To see what companies are working with Microsoft on the logo testing program of the new website, ReadySet7 has all the details you need.

The Windows Logo testing is important both for the end user and to ensure the future of the operating system. Most blue screens traditionally have been caused by unstable drivers. Logo testing minimizes the risk of a driver of instability, creating a happier experience for the user and less negative publicity for Microsoft.

When it comes to identify and use the program logo Microsoft Hardware said ...

It is very easy to identify products that are for Windows 7. The logo will appear on packaging and retail websites

Products carrying the logo will work perfectly. For example, a digital camera to automatically transfer pictures or a wireless router easily be created in minutes and can add a wireless device in Windows 7, which has received the logo in seconds.

Software is installed without worry. Applications and drivers are signed so that you know that the file has not been tampered with and can trust that no malware or spyware.

One thing of note is that this time there is a single logo. With Windows Vista there are two, compatible with Windows Vista and Vista Capable. These two logos were misleading and caused great confusion. It's nice to see a clearer, simpler approach this time

Microsoft Security Essentials

2009-09-30T04:36:00.000-07:00

Released today, Microsoft Security Essentials is a product that is advertised as a free solution for "Virus, Spyware & Malware Protection" of our favorite corporate giant Microsoft. The product is the result of a recent effort by Microsoft to force computer manufacturers to offer free, not end programs to combat malicious software. Available for Windows XP (x86), Vista (x64 and x86) and 7 (x64 and x86), Microsoft seems to be actually trying to help consumers to overcome the threats of the Internet everyday, and not to force users upgrade to its new platform, Windows 7, and all for free (assuming you pass a Genuine Advantage). Now, as for the test:

I'll be direct. Although love and Windows technology, Microsoft usually am disappointed in the products they produce, although I have to work with them daily. Beyond Windows 7, XP, and the MSN protocol, which tend to avoid Microsoft products. However, Microsoft Security Fundamentals (MSE) is an excellent example of Microsoft's recent moves in the right direction (with Windows 7). MSE is a solid, powerful product that the needs of every user of Windows, and has helped restore my faith in the giant from Redmond, even took me to replace my security suite (ESET Smart Security) with SSM (I thought about going without a full set of I can handle any threats to myself, but decided to keep MSE for the reasons stated in this article).

Firstly, I'm not a big fan of bloat. I was pleasantly surprised to see that MSE weighs in at a mere 4,28 MB installer. After installation, the folder for MSE also was only 10.8 MB, a very slight considering that this is a fully featured control antivirus solution. Then after I found MSE, for the first time is immediately updated definitions (which was very fast) and began to scan (I was already smiling). The default scan was based verification of%% windir% WINDIR% \ System, and the My Documents folder, but that explored my entire disk, and also lasted for all of three minutes.

I quickly browsed through the settings and set the entire program to the way I want it in five minutes. If the download took a minute and the installation was a minute (in fact, much shorter), then a reasonable team, should average approximately ten minutes or less for an entire setup. Not bad, Microsoft.

Now, in the characteristics and not my personal experience:

Main Menu (10 of 10)
The main welcome page is very simple and basic (but not in a bad way). In fact, when I first saw the home page, I realized that this was a first for Microsoft. They contain features that the average user is not used, is clean, simple and easy to understand. "Microsoft Security Essentials is the supervision of your team and helping to protect" can be understood by anyone, even the most unknowledgeable users. There were only three things you can do: change my type of scan, change the next time of exploration, and pull to a different window. Nice. An anti-virus should not be flashy and over the top, however, that should do the work and be simple enough for anyone to understand, Microsoft finally made in this regard.

Update Menu (9 of 10)

The update page was hard to judge. He continued in the same line from the main menu, but even more extreme, perhaps a little too much this time. I took off a point because I thought that the MSE should provide an option to check for updates at certain times (like 03:00, my favorite time of inactivity). Beyond that, the same applies to the update page, except that it has a "Did You Know!" Feature. Interesting, especially considering that explains exactly what the definitions are (something an average user may not know).

History Menu (10 of 10)

Assuming that this menu lets you reverse the steps taken by the MSE, give her a 10. However, it was found malware on my machine, so I was not really a test subject, so I assumed that MSE will allow a file back to normal for this page. If not, then please consider the classification of a 7 (no program is perfect, all protection solutions should have this option).

Beyond that, only good things can be said. The three filters provided by Microsoft every one has an explanation, once again to test the program as a rookie as possible (always a good thing). Would have been nice if we find something, however, to see the options provided (would be a good thing, but a bad thing at once).

Settings Menu (12 Out of 10)

The settings section really blew me away and finished up this article. Not only was the entire frontend ridiculously easy to understand and manipulate, the settings contained a description of every option and didn’t attempt to hide anything from the user. Not much can be said, except for a pat on the back to Microsoft. I was completely blown away.

Finish

Not originally wanted to write an opinion on MSE as I was sure it would be quite sarcastic, but I was pleasantly surprised. Microsoft has shown that it remains a powerful competitor in a growing market that can still provide users with exactly what they need. The software giant is bending strength, and actually flew some of the competition, all we need now are some data comparing the anti-malware products and see how MSE batteries up some competition. We know that is gained in terms of usability, the only question remaining is whether the motor can also be more astute than others.

Meanwhile, let me again congratulate Microsoft for a job well done. This is one of very few proprietary products that I like and can recommend it to each reader to download it and give it a try.

How to Integrate Winamp With Windows 7 Taskbar

2009-09-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Since the first version of Winamp in 1997, today has become one of the most popular, if not the best MP3 player for Windows operating systems. Although a large amount of features and improvements have been included in each new version, but until the latest version of Winamp, still supports integration with the taskbar in Windows 7. To enable this feature, plus a plug-in is required which is called as Win7shell. Win7shell is a small plug-in for Winamp that makes it integrates with the new taskbar in Windows 7 to support lists of Salto.

Win7shell includes the following features:

Displays the playback status and progress in the bottom of the icon bar icon task.

Use icon on the taskbar to display a "VU meter".

Displays the playback status overlay using the icon in the icon on the taskbar.

Customize the image of aerodynamic peek - Logo Winamp, album art, personalized information on the current media set and custom image file.

Add control buttons on the thumbnail player aerodynamic look.

Add the media playing into the category of "recent" in the skip list.

Winamp is now easier to find in 3DFlip.

Allows you to enable, disable or customize the plug-in features

Win7shell is available for free download.

How to create a partition in Windows 7

2009-09-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

How to create a partition in Windows 7?

Similar to Windows Vista, Windows 7 has a built in utility to partition a hard disk. Many people like to partition their hard drive for several reasons. To boot from a different operating system (This is not necessary anymore if you have Windows 7 Ultimate, which supports booting from a VHD, see here) or to help you manage, where you store files and programs, etc. .... especially if you have a large hard disk.

Go to Start -> Right Click My Computer -> Manage
You will then be brought to the Computer Management Program
Click on the Storage bar and under it click on Disk Management
Then select the Drive you want to partition, In this example I will select the Drive D: “Vista”
Now right click on the drive and select Shrink Volume
Then be presented with a window that shows the size of the hard drive and the total amount available to decrease. Since my drive is pretty full I have a smaller amount available Shrink.Enter the amount you would like to reduce the size (This is the partition size again) Can not more than the amount available to you and remember that approximately 1000 MB = 1 GB.
After entering values, click the contract and let it do what it is. Depending on the size of the unit and to reduce the amount it could take some time. Be patient and once you have made will be unallocated space that is the only small volume. Select it and then right click and select New Simple Volume.
Follow the Wizard that appears and fill in the Size of the Partition, Generally the size you just shrunk the drive by.
Assign a drive letter, choose one of their choice does not make a difference.
Then on the Format page, Ensure NTFS is selected and then Enter a name for your Drive – ie. “Music” and click next followed by finish.

There you have it, a new partition on the hard drive to do whatever you want with it.

What's New in Windows 7

2009-09-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

What's New in Windows 7?

Here are some of Windows 7 Features:

Aero Peek shows you even more

Aero Peek, the well-received feature in Windows 7 beta that shows the desktop when you hover over the right edge of the toolbar, has been added to the program-switching hot key Alt+Tab.

More power to the taskbar

Right-click on programs pinned to the taskbar and you get a slick menu of options, including recently opened files associated with the program. New in the Windows 7 RC: hold down shift when you right-click and you'll get a standard Windows context menu--perfect for opening a file with a different app.

Hide your icons and widgets

Staying on the desktop for one more feature, users can now toggle viewing their desktop icons and their desktop widgets through a context menu. Right-click on the desktop and go to View, and the last two choices will let you hide either icons, widgets, or both.

Stream your media

Microsoft reinvigorates the Windows Media Player by allowing users to stream their media files to themselves. All it takes is two Windows 7 computers, an Internet connection, and a free Windows Live ID.

Media Player goes small with style

The new minimode for the Windows Media Player looks slick, with an emphasis on album art and big buttons. When the Media Player is running, the Taskbar preview pane displays basic controls, too.

Windows 7 Hardware Compatibility List

2009-09-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

The majority of hardware and devices are compatible with Windows 7. But what about that lovely old document scanner that you are using since you bought it ten years ago? What about other hardware and devices that you want to use under Windows 7? One solution to find out would be to install Windows 7 and see if it works. That’s not always practicable especially in company environments.

A better solution is the Windows 7 Hardware Compatibility List that is being offered by Microsoft. The list can only be viewed with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer but that’s the only restriction here.

Microsoft has re-purposed the website to “display a comprehensive list of hardware products logo’d for Windows”.

Welcome to the Windows Logo’d Products List updated for Windows 7. This site (formerly known as the ‘Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List’ or ‘HCL’) has been repurposed to display a comprehensive list of hardware products logo’d for Windows – from components to input devices, peripherals to mobile devices and everything in between.* Use the new Windows 7 tab to confirm Windows 7 Status, or even download a Logo Verification report. Use the Windows Vista and Windows XP tabs to quickly discover products logo’d for these respective logos.

A device or hardware with the Windows 7 logo has passed Microsoft’s 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility tests in Windows 7. What this means is that users will find many hardware devices and gadgets in the hardware compatibility list but not all of them as vendors need to submit their products to the Windows Quality Online Services team for review.

It is possible to browse various categories and subcategories like digital cameras & video, networking or printer & scanners. Categories are divided into a device section and systems section. The systems section contains lists of netbooks, notebooks, PCs and motherboards while every other hardware device is found in the devices section of the site.

A search is provided to quickly locate a device without having to browse the categories manually. Interested users who want to verify that their hardware is compatible with Windows 7 can point their Internet Explorer to the Windows Logo’d Product Lists website.

nVidia Graphics Driver Windows 7

2009-09-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Download Driver

This is a WHQL-certified driver for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, and 200-series desktop GPUs and ION GPUs. Release 190 adds support for OpenGL 3.1 and support for CUDA 2.3 for improved performance in GPU computing applications.

What's new in this version:

Release 190.62 is optimized for the latest PhysX gaming titles: Batman: Arkham Asylum and Darkest of Days. It also installs PhysX System Software version 9.09.0814. see all new features

From NVIDIA :

Windows 7 Beta Exams Registration

2009-09-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has announced two Windows 7 Beta exams that interested users can register for. Public registration started on September 14 and the beta exams period runs from September 21, 2009– October 16, 2009. Not every user registering for the exams will receive a seat and it is recommended to register as soon as possible as seats are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. The two available Windows 7 beta exams are:

Beta Exam 71-686: PRO: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator
Beta Exam 71-685: PRO: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician

Just click on the link above to be taken to the website containing information about the registration process. The exams can be taken at no charge and registered users have four hours to complete them.

Microsoft has also released exam preparation information which can be accessed for 71-685 and 71-686. These give information about the skills that will be measure in the exams and preparation tools and resources.

Using Speech Recognition with Windows 7

2009-09-18T20:33:00.001-07:00

Windows 7 has many features designed to allow users to interact with the desktop interface instead of keyboard and mouse. A feature is the touch, another is the voice recognition.

What is speech recognition?

Just as the keyboard lets you enter commands into the computer and mouse to change the location where you deliberately want to write or launch a file, the language is a new dimension of interface control that focus on the commands, not the location.

What if an application does not present "commands"? It can still be controlled by overlapping numbers above the interface, control of geography. To activate a function simply speak the number. A mousegrid can be used to move the mouse on the appropriate network location. The network has nine areas, and when you select an area creates the mouse is moved to the area, and a network of nine new areas. He spoke in the number of new and repeats the process until the mouse is placed in the right place.

Using voice recognition

Before you can use the speech, there are some things you should do. Unlike keyboards and mice, where the finger pressure becomes a constant pressure-mail, voice has variations. So the software must be trained.

First, there is a hardware problem. You need a good microphone. Avoid cheap microphones as they tend to collect a lot of background noise.

Secondly create a voice profile and join the team to identify the speaker's voice and pronunciation. There is a speech training tutorial.

-> Click the Start button

-> Click Control Panel

-> Click Accessibility

-> Click Speech Recognition

-> Click To Speech Tutorial

And finally, speak clearly and pronounce words carefully, not too fast or too slow.

Key features of speech recognition

Speech recognition is divided into the following categories:

Multiple languages: Windows Speech Recognition in Windows Vista is available in eight languages / dialects: English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

"How can I" help: If you say "How do I ..." do, or do, or find ... a task that is to be realized with the computer, the software will respond accordingly. For example, "How can I change my desktop theme?"

Correction: One is able to fix incorrectly recognized words by selecting the alternatives provided for the sentence given or word, or the spelling of the word.

Dictation: E-mails and documents from dictation, make corrections, and save your work.

Adaptation: change and adaptation to the speaking styles and accents. The program learns and improves human computer interaction

Command: This is the "Say what you see" property. It allows one to naturally control applications and complete tasks. Among these documents or launch applications, formats, save or delete documents.

Disambiguation: ambiguous words and phrases can be solved with a user interface for a clarification. If something can be misinterpreted, software can clear.

Here is an example of Windows Speech Recognition.

How to Use Windows 7 Touch

2009-09-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

As computers become more powerful, it would only be a matter of time before touch screens became more common and standard. While the mouse and the keyboard are not going away soon, other methods for manipulating information will be possible. Touch screens have been around, but the hardware technology had to be there to make is feasible. With the latest generation of hardware available, that touch technology now does exist, and Windows 7 has software technology to make that screen manipulation possible.

The Windows 7 Touch Interface

Here are touch screen features available with Windows 7.

Flicks: Their use is very common.Navigation and edit are two categories of flicks. An upward flick moves a page down, and a downward flick moves a page up. Use left or right flicks to navigate back and forward.

Tap and Double-tap: Touch and release to click. This is the most basic touch action. Can also double-tap to open files and folders. Tolerances are tuned to be larger than with a mouse. This works everywhere.

Pan: Touch and slide your finger on screen. This is similar to dragging with a mouse; icons around the desktop, it also moves windows, and selects text by dragging left or right, and so on.

Scroll: Drag up or down scrollable window content. This is the most used feature to use, as opposed to using the scrollbar.

Zoom: Touch two fingers together or apart to zoom in or out on a document. Use this when looking at photos or reading documents on a small laptop.

Two-Finger Tap: By tapping the screen with two fingers simultaneously it zooms in about the center of the tap or restores to the default zoom.

Rotate Touch: Two spots on a digital photo and twist to rotate it just like a real photo.

Press-and-hold: This is similar to the right click. Hold your finger on screen for a moment and release after the circle appears.

Press-and-tap: With a second finger just like you would click the right button on a mouse.

Paint: You can use Paint to draw with your fingers.

For a demonstration of Touch watch the video below:

All of this assumes that you have a touch screen monitor. Many are available. You can locate some at Nextag.

We’re not is Star-Trek territory yet, but the convergence of powerful hardware and powerful software makes this inevitable.

Many have wondered what was going to be the next big step in computing, since the last big one was the Internet. Going back to basics may be the next big thing but there has to be a reason to go back. If improving the user interface via touch does that, then this is a good first step

Zune HD works well with Windows 7

2009-09-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

Microsoft launched the Zune HD earlier this week, and one of their outlets since it was the associated software and the Zune have been optimized for Windows 7, which is available to the public on October 22.
The Zune software takes advantage of new Windows 7 jump lists and you can easily access albums you've nailed your skip list and access Smart DJ stations. An option is also available Quickplay where you simply navigate to the Zune software on your start menu and the list expands, offering options to play their lists Quickplay. The Google Mini is also a great feature and some of you may be familiar with it when using Windows Media Player, which allows you to sort, change and pause / play the songs in the preview area bar Aero tasks to look

Another nice feature is the Zune makes it easy to reverse sync your music library copy to a computer. Something Apple is very strict and cautious about ....

Obviously Microsoft is expected to ensure that all products are compatible with their operating systems and software, but it seems they are trying to sell Windows 7 here, while emphasizing the fact that the Zune HD is optimized for Windows 7 . I do not blame them either, it's just another good thing that Microsoft has on its side with Windows 7.

What is also interesting is that Apple have quietly admitted that not all Mac users and iPhone iPod itself and iTunes have 9 fully compatible with Windows 7 as well. Even Apple and Windows 7!

Sources: CNET

Acronis True Image 2010 is Compatible with Windows 7

2009-09-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

If you're worried about having problems upgrading to Windows 7, then maybe you should try Acronis True Image Home. The latest version 2010 is compatible with Windows 7, and allows you to restore a complete image of your hard drive at any time is, you can take an image from your hard drive before installing Windows 7, which could be restored if you have a problem .

The full version of Acronis True Image Home 2010 is $ 50, but no 30-day free trial so you can always sign up for trial on October 21 the day before the release of Windows 7 and uninstall it in November if no longer need ....

In addition to supporting the entire system, you can also choose to back up files or folders in particular. The software also lets you create bootable media for backup or recover the system using a CD or flash drive. If you only want to retrieve a few files from a backup, you can mount the backup file in a virtual drive and copy the same data using Windows Explorer.

The new software version adds some new features, including online backup which costs $ 4.95 per month for 25 GB or $ 8.90 per month for 50 GB, and no backup copies automatically scales up the changes every five minutes.

Source: CNET Crave

Microsoft Disables the AutoRun Feature

2009-09-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Microsoft pushed updates for Windows operating system that disables the autorun feature of non-optical devices. This update affects Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003, and 2008. Microsoft and disables the feature, which will be available soon, Windows 7 OS. The update was available voluntarily in August.

Autorun (autoplay and) was developed originally for the convenience of eliminating the need for users to navigate the media to the correct file to open. However, recently it has been exploited to automatically run malware and other software applications without the consent of annoying users.

Interestingly, the update did not cripple optical removable media (CDs and DVDs, that is) to implement automatic enforcement procedures. So companies such as U3, which manufacture their devices to represent themselves as CDs are not affected by the update.

Microsoft Asks Businesses to Scrap Windows XP

2009-09-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

In an enthusiastic effort again, Microsoft is making the "case" enterprise customers to please leave Windows XP. Microsoft has recently released a group of case studies of companies that have made the change and are better for it.

In the past, Microsoft may have spoiled customers who are prepared to adopt new products due to implementation costs or security problems. Not this time, however, are urging businesses can save money in the long term and use a much better product. Especially make this request to customers who contract their own volume license for XP, they are entitled to the software update. One general manager of Windows Gavriella Schuster, put it bluntly: "Hey, it belongs., Implement it, and losing XP. Go ahead."

Many believe the widespread adoption of Windows 7 in companies critical to the success of the operating system. Most consider the clear advantages over Windows XP 7 provides no evidence brainer to make the change.

Is iTunes fully compatible with Windows 7 ?

2009-09-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

Remember when Windows Vista came out and said no to Apple users to upgrade to Vista because it was not compatible with iTunes (instead of iTunes was not compatible with Vista!)? Many users, including myself, had nightmares with iTunes in the first months of Windows Vista.

This time it seems that Apple is recognizing that most of the world uses Windows and not your OS, and iTunes is fully compatible with Windows 7. Not only that, but the latest version of iTunes 9 also adds a Jumplist Windows 7:

The jumplist not offer much in terms of functionality than sending customers to the iTunes Store to spend money, but at least it's a start and Windows 7 users can be sure that Apple is supporting the new operating system.

How to change Windows 7 Logon Background ?

2009-09-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

Logon Windows 7 Background Changer is a program similar to logon to Windows 7 Changer which we reviewed earlier this week. The software is compatible with both candidates and the RTM release of Windows 7 can convert the images found on the local computer system in background wallpapers logon that can then be displayed during the logon process for Windows 7.

The program comes with an option to automatically resize images in a selected folder on the size of support so that funds can be used as logon of Windows 7. Processed images can be saved with a good balance between compression and image quality.

On 7 Windows user can select one of the funds available to the logon process for Windows 7. No system files are altered by the program and rights management are necessary only to create a folder and a password for initial registration.

Logon Background Changer Windows 7 is more comfortable than the previously reviewed logon changer Windows 7. The program is based on Windows Presentation Foundation which means it requires a decent video card to display the 3D animations smoothly. The software can be downloaded from the website of the developer.

How To Enable And Use Windows 7 Aero Features

2009-09-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about Windows 7 is the introduction of the new Aero features. It is easy to learn to use these as gestures are natural for them and quickly begin using without hesitation. Nevertheless best of them is that they are really useful and really help increase the productivity of the operating system.

The reason I titled this post "How to enable and use Windows 7 Aero features" because it is the first time you install Windows 7 may not have the Aero features enabled.

It turns out that by default, Windows 7 is set automatically to adjust Windows Aero effects based on their experience index rating systems. If you have Windows 7 will have to run this by going to Control Panel -> System and Security -> System and make sure you have the drivers installed for your graphics card

Sometimes you can have only partial effects Aero. This may be because Windows cannot think your machine is powerful enough to run these effects without compromising performance.

If this happens to you, and you do not mind about a possible slight slowdown in performance that can force that can --

1.Go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> System

2.Click on Advanced system settings of the performance settings and then left.

3.In the Visual Effects tab you should see the option "Let Windows choose what's best for my computer" is enabled by default.

4.Below you should see a list of visual effects, some of which is controlled if you are not experiencing the full range of features Aero.

Select the Custom option and then select any effects from the list below it. Click Applied and OK and you should have all the Aero effects enabled.

Now, what are these Aero effects?
Aero Peek:

What we are givens a preview of windows on a thumbnail without having to open them, simply hovering over the icon in the taskbar. Click one and you will be taken to the window, the also works with tabs in Internet Explorer which is very useful but unfortunately does not work in Firefox or Chrome yet

You can also move the cursor to the lower right corner of the screen to preview your desktop, click and you will be taken to your desktop
Aero Shake:

If you have many open windows on your desktop and you just want to see one, click and hold your window and Shake it! All other windows minimized, simply shake the window again and all the other windows restored.
Aero Snap:

One of the most useful features I use in Windows 7, if you click and drag a window to the top of the screen automatically maximize it. If you have two windows open, and want to see them side-by-side. Click and drag one to the right edge of the screen and the other left. They both automatically resized to fit the screen
Aero Flip:

This effect Windows Vista Aero, but not in XP. Start by pressing the Windows key and the tab at the same time. It will give a 3D effect that will allow you to "flip" between different windows

Here is a video I did on a walk through the features of Aero

How to Get Windows 7 onto a Netbook?

2009-09-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

While Windows 7, unlike Vista, it runs well on netbooks, there are two major problems to be overcome to make it easy to install Windows 7 on netbooks:

Most netbooks * the absence of CD or DVD
* Laptop computers run Windows XP or Linux, neither of which are compatible with upgrade installations of Windows 7

As regards the number one problem, there may be a solution: Ina Fried Cnet reports that Microsoft is mulling over the idea of offering Windows 7 on USB flash drives for netbooks easier updates without connecting an external CD drive or DVD. As we demonstrated earlier this year, you can install Windows 7 from a USB key with a little trickery. Creating a version of Windows 7, which is easy USB key would make the process much easier for clean installations.

But what about Windows XP users who want an update netbook easy? Fried reports that Best Buy Geek Squad is considering the development of Windows Update Services 7.

Windows 7 as Windows Easy Transfer to move user accounts, email and data file systems from Windows Vista or XP, but there is a better solution, which also works with the programs? What's Linux netbook users? Any application or script that can at least get the data to Windowsland safely? We are looking for better suggestions to make the switch from Windows XP or Linux on a PC or other netbook to Windows 7 as painless as possible for non-experts. Think simple, think reliable, and struck a comment to pass along.