Windows 7 Online

Hackers in keyless Windows 7 entry

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:25:00 +0000

Hackers have found a way to bypass product activation in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to get free and illegal copies of Microsoft's latest operating systems.

The hack, according to My Digial Life, means you can get Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 without the need for a product activation key.

The crack apparently mirrors a similar breach in Windows Vista that was foiled by a Microsoft software update.

A Microsoft spokesperson told The Reg: "We're aware of this workaround and are already working to address it."

The company advised customers to avoid using illegal copies of Windows and to check their software is genuine, warning rogue software often contained malware.

Earlier this year, an OEM Windows 7 Ultimate product key was posted to a Chinese forum. The key worked on machines from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and MSI. It would let you bypass Windows Genuine Advantage to potentially unlock multiple copies of Windows 7 Ultimate.

My Digital Life said the fresh hack nullifies the sppcompai.dll thereby passing product activation and licensing in the Windows Activation Technologies' (WAT) Software Protection Platform (SPP) and Software Licensing Client (SLC).

Hackers have also devised tools that turn off any pop-ups or reminders that say the system has not been registered or the trial period has expired.

The hack has been blamed on Microsoft creating a system designed to give users plenty of opportunities to enter their details in case they make mistakes. "The crack is possible probably due to leniency allowed on the part of Microsoft on [the] activation mechanism to avoid getting too many false-positive or complaint on activation error [sic]," My Digital Life wrote.

Source: The Register

Windows 7 ISO Edition Switcher

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:49:00 +0000

If you want to install a specific edition of Windows 7, say Windows 7 Professional, you need a Windows 7 Professional setup disk or iso image. If you only got another edition of Windows 7 you are out of luck. The Windows 7 ISO Edition Switcher provides users with a solution to patch a Windows 7 ISO so that it will install a different version of the operating system during setup. It is for instance possible to turn a Windows 7 Ultimate edition into Windows 7 Professional. The user installing the operating system still needs a valid product key for the Windows 7 edition that gets installed afterwards but the need to re-download or create an ISO image is no longer delaying the installation.

The portable software programs comes with patch files which need to be loaded after execution. Users simply need to pick the target version that they want to install and then the iso image on the computer’s hard drive. The program will then patch the ISO image so that the selected edition of Windows 7 can be installed.

The very same website contains another patch that will turn a Windows 7 iso into an universal disk which can be used to install all different editions of Windows 7. Visit Win7Utils for downloads and additional information. (via Download Squad)

Source: Windows 7 News

Windows 7 Product Guide

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:48:00 +0000

Microsoft has released several Windows 7 related guides in the past few days. One of the guides is the Windows 7 Product Guide which can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website free of charge. The guide, which is offered as an impressive 62 Megabyte pdf file or 30 Megabyte xps file, provides a “detailed look at the many new and improved features in Windows 7″.

The Windows 7 Product Guide provides a detailed look at the many new and improved features in Windows 7. The guide is designed as an accurate source of information that can help you to understand how Windows 7 Simplifies Everyday Tasks, Works the Way You Want, and Makes New Things Possible. The guide is also designed to provide IT Professionals with information about how to Make People Productive Anywhere, Manage Risk Through Enhanced Security and Control, and Reduce Costs by Streamlining PC Management. This is not a help and how to guide. Rather, it provides an overview of the many exciting features in Windows 7 and pointers to more information.

The Windows 7 Product Guide has three major sections on 139 pages. Part 1 is an introduction to Windows 7. It provides details about the different Windows 7 editions, upgrade options and features that have been introduced in the new operating system. The second chapter addresses Windows 7 end users by showcasing how Windows 7 simplifies their day-to-day work on the computer. The third part is for IT professionals detailing Windows 7 deployment options, hardware and software logo programs, optimizations, PC security and administration.
The appendix contains several interesting charts. Next to comparison of Windows 7 editions and Windows 7 to Windows XP and Windows Vista are charts that outline the new keyboard shortcuts in Windows 7 which can be very helpful for users who like to work with shortcuts.
The Windows 7 Product Guide is available for download at the Microsoft website.

Microsoft Offers Windows 7 on USB Drives for Netbooks

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Microsoft is allowing netbook users to download Windows 7, its new operating system, onto a bootable USB or burn it onto a DVD, in yet another move by Redmond to disseminate the operating system to as many users as possible. Although Microsoft reported yet another quarter of declining revenues, executives remain hopeful that Windows 7, rising PC sales and a sunnier economic outlook will translate into a more profitable 2010.

Microsoft has developed a solution for porting Windows 7 onto netbooks that lack a DVD drive: a USB memory stick. The feature was announced during the Windows 7 launch event in New York City on Oct. 22.

Specifically, netbook users can use Microsoft’s newly revamped online store to download Windows 7 for Netbooks onto a bootable USB, or burn it onto a DVD.

"For netbook users without DVD drives, the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool [WUDT] will take an ISO image and create a bootable USB device that can be used to install Windows 7," Microsoft spokesperson Brandon LeBlanc wrote in an Oct. 22 entry on The Windows Blog. "The WUDT can also create a Windows 7 installation DVD from the ISO file as well."

Source: eWeek

Install and Use XP Mode in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Sometimes all of the compatibility settings in Windows 7 are not enough to make legacy applications run. XP Mode is a free download component for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise customers that allows you to run legacy apps inside a Windows XP virtual machine running in the background. The end user does not have load and work inside the virtual machines as required in the past. With XP mode they start the application from a shortcut in the Start Menu. It appears like any other window on your desktop and taskbar. The only way you can tell it is running in the XP Virtual Machine in the background is by the XP visual style that surrounds the window.

The only hardware requirement for using XP mode is a computer with a processor that supports hardware-assisted virtualization such as AMD-V, Intel-VT or VIA VT. Microsoft has a helpful tool that will detect if your hardware is compatible called the HAV Detection Tool. On some computers the feature may be turned off in the BIOS, click here for instructions on how to turn it on.

Getting XP mode up and running requires four main steps:

Download and install the XP Mode Components.
Download and install Windows Virtual PC.
Setup the XP Virtual Machine.
Configure your apps in the XP Virtual Machine.

First, visit the XP Mode Web page, select the edition and language of Windows 7 you have and click the Windows XP Mode button to download that component. After the 470 MB XP Mode component is downloaded, install.

Then, return to the XP Mode Web page and click the Windows Virtual PC button and download & install that component. After installing the Virtual PC component you will need to reboot.

After the reboot, click on the Start Menu and navigate through All Programs, Windows Virtual PC and select Windows XP Mode to begin configuring XP Mode.

Click I accept the license terms and click Next.

Next, you will need to specify the password for the local account XPMuser that runs in the XP virtual machine. Type in a password in both boxes and click Next.

XP Mode runs a fully functional Windows XP virtual machine in the background so it must be patched every month as new security updates are released to keep applications running in the VM protected. The best way to accomplish this is by turning on Automatic Updates. Check Help protect my computer by turning on Automatic Updates now and click Next.

Click Start Setup on the following screen.

Setup will now run and configure the Windows XP virtual machine. This will take a few minutes.

When setup is completed the Windows XP virtual machine will be displayed.

At this point install any applications in the XP Virtual Machine like you normally install applications. For a test I installed Office 95.

After setup was completed you should see the programs icons in the Windows 7 Start Menu under All Programs, Windows Virtual PC and finally Windows XP Mode applications.

Just click on one of the shortcuts and the application will load in just like a locally installed app.

If you ever want to service or install more application in the XP Virtual Machine just click on the Start Menu and navigate through All Programs, Windows Virtual PC and select Windows XP Mode. That will start the XP virtual machine in desktop mode.

Source: Tweak Windows 7

Microsoft Releases New Windows 7 Themes

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Today is the big day and Microsoft is doing everything to promote their new operating system as much as possible. One of those promotional efforts is a truckload of new themes for the operating system. Remember the Windows 7 Ferrari theme that we reviewed a while ago? Seems that it was just one of many sponsored themes to come. If you visit the personalization website over at the Windows website you notice that Microsoft has added fourteen (for the US, less in other countries) additional sponsored themes from Gears of War to Porsche and Ducati, Coca Cola and Pepsi. Each theme comes in the new theme format that Microsoft introduced in Windows 7 which makes it possible to install the themes with a double-click once they have been downloaded to the computer system.

The 20 available international themes are available on the very same page. It does not look like if new ones have been added to the list yet. The themes that are offered on the website are easy to produce and not “full themes”. I prefer to call them light themes as they only change some elements of the computer desk opposed to third party themes in Windows XP or Windows Vista which could change additional elements (like buttons) in the operating system. You can check out our how to create custom themes in Windows 7 to find out how you can create your own light theme in Windows 7.

Source: Windows 7 News

Windows 7 Now In Stores

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Windows 7 arrives in stores with much better reviews than its predecessor, Vista. The new operating system is designed to boot up faster, look cleaner and streamline the way people work with fewer clicks and fewer annoying notifications.

Windows 7 is also said to work better with plug-in devices, like cameras. Setting up home networking to share photos and music is also supposed to be easier. Several versions of the software will be sold with prices starting around $120.

Google Tunes

Google will soon make it easier to discover, sample and buy new music. The company is said to be launching music search pages next week. The pages will feature images of artists, album artwork, links to news, lyrics, videos and song previews.

Fans will also be able to buy songs for download, although Google won't be selling the music itself. The site gives record labels an alternative to Apple's iTunes, which is the top online music store.

Facebook Music Shop

Facebook is also getting into the music business. The social networking site is revamping its online gift shop, allowing members to buy music for their friends.

For 10 cents, members can send a song to stream online and, for 90 cents, they can send a song to download. The new feature starts rolling out today with more than 8 million songs available.

Online Brain Power

Surfing the web may be better for you than you think. Researchers at UCLA found that older adults with little internet experience show positive changes in their brain activity after one week online. That means Internet training could potentially enhance brain function. The scientists say they'll have to conduct further studies to test the Web's impact on younger people.

Buy Windows 7 Online Now and Save 50%

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:06:00 +0000

If you live in the US, Canada or Japan you can now pre-order Windows 7 for a limited time, so hurry and place your order now to save up to $100! Click here to learn more about pre-ordering Windows 7.

Windows 7 Release Date has been set at 22nd October 2009. This will be the first day that customers will be able to Buy Windows 7. Below you will find information that will help you decide which version of Windows 7 is right for you as well as links to the best places to buy Windows 7.

There are several versions to choose from, but Windows 7 Home Premium will be the one chosen by most users. Microsoft has built the editions to include features that “smaller” editions do not contain. This is in contrast to Windows Vista where more expensive editions missed some of the features of less expensive ones.

Click Box Set to buy Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Home Premium is a complete edition of Windows 7 unlike Windows 7 Home Basic or Windows 7 Starter which have been limited by Microsoft. Here are the features that Windows 7 Home Premium will ship with that are not – or only partially available – in Windows 7 Home Basic and Starter.

Full Windows Aero support.
Home Group (Create & Join)
Multi-Touch
Premium Games
Windows Media Center

Click Box Set to buy Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Home Premium will not support the following features that are available in Windows 7 Professional:

Windows Server Domain support.
Remote Desktop Server support.
Location aware printing.
Encrypting the file system
Presentation mode

Click Box Set to buy Windows 7 Ultimate / Enterprise

Windows 7 Ultimate / Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Home Premium will also not support the following features that have been reserved for Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise.

AppLocker.
BitLocker Drive Encryption
BranchCache Distributed Cache
DirectAccess
Multilingual User Interface Pack
Virtual Hard Disk Booting

Our Windows 7 Features editorial displays and explains the differences of all Windows 7 editions. We suggest you take a look if you are unsure about the editions.

Troubleshooting in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Despite Microsoft’s claim that all existing hardware and software would run smoothly under Windows 7, I found that there were a few problems. For example, my old laser printer, an HP LaserJet 1200 wouldn’t work at first despite trying to reinstall its driver. It was ironic that its driver worked smoothly in Windows Vista.
So what did I do? In researching Windows 7, I came across a new feature, Troubleshooters. This provided me with an answer to a nagging problem.
Windows 7’s new troubleshooting feature is located in the Action Centre. To access this feature do the following:
You can open the Troubleshooter in a number of different ways. The most common methods are described below.

Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Action Centre > Troubleshoot common computer problems.
Start > Search > Type: troubleshooter > Click Find and diagnose problems

We’ll use a second option.

Click the Start button.
In the search box, type troubleshooter.
Search opens.
It offers several suggestions. The top suggestion “Find and diagnose problems” will open the Troubleshooter feature.
Note: Search’s other suggestions relate to more specific problems.
In the Troubleshooter window there are five specific areas, Programs, Hardware and Sound, Networking and Internet, Appearance and Personalisation and System and Security.
In the Troubleshooting window, try a blue writing suggestion as it may resolve your problem. Just click on the one you think fits.
In the lower section of this window is a small ticked box that enables Microsoft to update their troubleshooters via the Internet. It’s a good idea to accept this offer!

No Solutions so far!

If you cannot find a solution in the Troubleshooting window, described previously, here’s another way to find a solution.
This involves using Windows 7’s Help section.
To access Help do the following:

Click the Start button.
When the Start menu opens, select Help and Support.
When Help and Support opens, in the Search Help box, type troubleshooters.
Click the small magnifying glass at the right hand side of this box.
Help sets to work and finds specific problems requiring a Troubleshooter.
If you see a troubleshooters in Help’s list that fits your problem, click it and the specific Troubleshooter will open.

Trying a Troubleshooter

To give you an idea of how this feature works, let’s choose the Printer Troubleshooter in the list.

Click Open the Printer troubleshooter.
When the printer troubleshooter opens, read its suggestions carefully.
Click the lower suggestion, Click to open the Printer troubleshooter.
When the Printer troubleshooter opens, follow the instructions carefully. You may find this solves your worry.

By now you will have some inkling as to how to solve some of the common problems associated with hardware and applications.
Windows 7 offers its full support through its Troubleshooting Feature and through its Help and Support.
A final feature that may assist you is the Problem Steps Recorder. This feature allows you to document your problem and sends the information of to Microsoft for a solution. You can activate this tool quite easily. To find out more, open Help and Support, type Problem Steps Recorder and all will be explained to you.

AVG 9.0 Better For Windows 7 Than Microsoft Security Essentials

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:14:00 +0000

AVG Technologies has pulled out all the stops with Internet Security 9.0. The antimalware vendor has always seemed to sort of lag behind other software security vendors that have household name status, such as McAfee andSymantec (NSDQ: SYMC). AVG 9.0 is everything previous versions of AVG were not: It's robust, does a great job at finding malware and has a well-designed interface and feature set.

AVG 9.0 greatly raises the low security bar Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) Security Essentials set in preparation for Windows 7. AVG 9.0 along with the security features of Windows 7 can make great desktop security music together.

Available as a download for about $55 (for a one-year update subscription), the install process flows smoothly and finishes quickly, requiring a reboot. AVG will recommend removing any other antivirus program that may be running during its install.

There was some noticeable system slowdown upon restart. This is due to AVG optimizing its settings. Users can also opt to go through this optimization process after a scheduled scan. Once the optimization process was completed, system performance returned to normal.

AVG 9.0 comes with some interesting configuration objects. Users are asked if the system AVG is installed on is a desktop -- which is usually connected to one network-- or a laptop -- which usually connects to multiple networks via Wi-Fi. When the laptop option is selected, AVG will establish a profile for each network connection the laptop makes.

Source: Channel Web

Microsoft Windows 7 a cure for Vista

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:13:00 +0000

Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 7 computer operating system hopes to pull off a major trick with memory.

Not computer memory but ours.

It's supposed to make us forget Vista.

The Vista operating system, which Windows 7 officially will replace on Oct. 22, had a terrible reputation almost from the time it debuted in 2007.

Because of Vista's technical foibles, sluggish operation and inability to play nicely with some other programs, consumers and professionals shunned it in droves, refusing to update from Microsoft's reliable XP operating system.

Apple Inc. made fun of Vista in a set of TV commercials, and Microsoft struck back meekly with ads that proclaimed Vista wasn't as bad as you thought.

The Windows 7 upgrade, which will sell for $119 for the Home Premium consumer version, is a chance at redemption. But it's also a campaign to head off the first real competition Windows has had in the PC field.

Next year, Google Inc. will introduce its first operating system, Chrome OS. Because it will be a so-called cloud computing system — with many of its operations living on the Internet — it's hyped to be extremely fast, with the ability to evolve constantly.

Like Windows, Chrome OS will work on PCs. But unlike Windows, it will be free.

At first, Chrome OS will be just for the small laptops known as netbooks. But if it is successful and is expanded to full-size laptops and desktop computers, it could be a formidable challenger.

Transfers Your Wireless Settings Easily in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:52:00 +0000

After discovering how easily WEP can be cracked and creating a long, secure WPA2 key, you’ve probably noticed it’s a pain to get friends connected to your Wi-Fi network when they stop by. Windows 7 makes this process easy.

Over at the How-To Geek site (my home away from Lifehacker), guest blogger Ciprian writes up the quick and easy process of transferring your wireless network settings from your Windows 7 PC to any other machine running XP, Vista, or Windows 7. To transfer the settings for yourself, head into the Network and Sharing Center, click on Manage Wireless Networks, and then in the properties for your wireless network you’ll find the link to open the wizard that will copy all your settings onto a flash drive.

Once you’ve got the settings backed up, you can use the bundled setupSNK.exe file on the flash drive to restore the settings onto another computer. Sure, you can always save the key to a text file, but having this feature built into the OS is very useful, especially since you don’t have to mess around with wireless settings.

Source: How to Geek

Master Windows 7 Jump Lists to Boost Your Win7 Productivity

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:50:00 +0000

We’ve already mentioned the new Jump Lists feature in Windows 7 as one of our favorite features of the burgeoning operating system, and today we’re taking a closer look at how you can use them to save time.
For those of you that haven’t yet tried out Windows 7, when you right-click on a taskbar button in Windows 7, a menu slides out with recent documents and application tasks. You can even access it with the left mouse button if you choose. Here’s a rundown of our favorite Jump List boosters.

Display More Items on Jump Lists

Before we even dive into all the great things you can do with Jump Lists, you’ll probably want to increase the number of recent items that show up on the list. You can easily do so by heading into the Taskbar properties, choosing the Start Menu tab, and then clicking the Customize button. At the bottom of this window you should be able to choose the amount of items you want to show up in the Jump Lists—though you might want to play with the setting a bit to see what works best for you.

Quick Access to Media

Having quick access to your music is essential for a productive work environment, and the Jump Lists feature lets you access your frequently used media, hit the next button, or pause whatever is playing when the boss walks in—right from the taskbar button. Windows Media Player users have this functionality built in, as does anybody using iTunes 9, but foobar2000 or Winamp users aren’t left in the cold either, with the same functionality available through plugins.

Open Private Browsing or Bookmarks Easily

When you want to quickly open up a new Private Browsing window, you really don’t want to have to open up the browser, find the button for private browsing, and then switch the browser to private mode—you want an instant way to open it up, and Jump Lists give you exactly that. Internet Explorer has this feature baked in, Google Chrome added this functionality recently as well, and while Firefox users are currently left out, you can use an add-on application called Winfox to at least add Jump List support under Windows 7, though private browsing isn’t currently an option.

Pin Document Templates to the Taskbar

Reader Stephen showed us how to pin Outlook templates to the taskbar for quick access when emailing the same thing over and over, but the same technique works for just about any application—you can create a template document in your favorite application, and then simply drag it to the taskbar button to pin it to the Jump List. Then, the next time you need to use the template you can simply right-click on the taskbar button to open it up. It’s a huge time-saver, especially if your job involves a lot of repetitive tasks.

Pin Applications To the JumpList

You can’t, by default, pin applications to a Jump List—that’s what the start menu is designed for—but with an add-on application called JumpList Launcher, you can do just that. Simply pin the launcher to your taskbar, and then use the settings to add all of your favorite applications. You can create separate groups, and consolidate many of your taskbar launcher buttons to save space when you want quick access to an application, but don’t necessarily want it taking up space on your taskbar. If the JumpList Launcher doesn’t do it for you, you should take a look at how StandaloneStack can do application launching and file browsing right from your taskbar.

Pin Folders and Searches To the Taskbar

Perhaps the biggest time-saver for me is the ability to pin your most frequently used folders to the taskbar, but most people don’t realize you can actually pin a search as well. Simply open up the Windows 7 search, put in your search criteria, and then drag the icon from the location bar down to the Windows Explorer taskbar button to pin the search there. I’ve got a habit of losing that file I was just working on, so I’ve created a search that finds recently modified files and pinned it to the start menu—this way I never completely lose that document again.

Get your new Windows 7 PC a few days early

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:18:00 +0000

Dying for a new desktop or laptop with a fresh, factory-installed copy of Windows 7 on it? We all know the official start date for the Win 7 era is October 22, but some small custom PC makers are claiming they'll start shipping systems with the new OS as early as October 13.

Puget Systems, a custom PC maker in Seattle, says the following on its Web site:

Customers who place orders for a full personal computer system, and who select Microsoft Windows 7 as their OS of choice, will be immediately placed in queue for shipment which will begin in earnest on October 13, 2009.

According to tech news site Ars Technica, Puget was told by Microsoft that "the earlier date only applies to system builders that buy the operating system through distribution channels," meaning small PC makers, and not the big OEMs like Dell and HP.\

Source: CNet

How to Use Windows 7 Federated Search

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:39:00 +0000

What is The Problem With Search Engines?
The standard search engines setup crawlers that index websites and create a database of information that are then used to provide results for a search.
The problem is that the crawlers, originally called spiders (web) only index standard websites. But there is another level, called the deep web, that crawlers do not index. This is the deep web also called deepnet, the invisible web, or the hidden web.
Estimates are that the surface web are at the 167 terabyte level, the library of congress by comparison is 3000 terabytes in size (as of 1997). The deep web is 7,500 terabytes in size.

The Number of Web Sites

What is federated search?
Federated Search is the simultaneous search of multiple online databases or web resources and is an emerging feature of automated, web-based library and information retrieval systems. Microsoft Windows 7 adds Federated Search to its windows Search 4.0.

Windows Search Create osdx

With Federated Search one can search for items in remote locations. It is based on Open Search and RSS. You use connectors for the remote locations. For example you can use Twitter or Flickr within explorer.
How to use Federated Search
To work with federated search one can add a connection to explorer. There are several available:
•ISOHunt.com •Yahoo Image •Technet-Edge • MSDN Channel9 • Bing •eBay • SevenForum’s • Amazon Neowin •Neowin •Flickr Search •YouTube Search •Google News Search •Google Blogs Search •Twitter Search •MSN Search •TechRepublic •Wired
Add the Flickr connector to Windows 7 Explorer

Download the Flickr Connection

Save the File to Local Disk

Install the Connector to Windows 7 Explorer

Flickr Connector Installed

Use the Flickr search

Results of the Flickr Search

Federated search with Windows 7 is just getting started. As more sites add connectors, the ability to expand into the deep web will be enhanced. In 2009, this is just the beginning.
Sources:
http://www.therawfeed.com/2008/02/how-big-is-web-155583825-sites-report.html
http://www.infotoday.com/linkup/lud031506-goldsborough.shtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/technology/internet/23search.html
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=jep;view=text;rgn=main;idno=3336451.0007.104

How To Create A Partition In Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:37:00 +0000

Similarly to Windows Vista, Windows 7 has a built in utility to partition a hard drive. Many people like to partition their hard drive for multiple reasons. To boot from a different OS ( This isn’t necessary any more 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…. particularly if you have a large hard drive.

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
You will then be presented with a Window showing you the Size of the Hard drive and the total amount available to Shrink. Since my hard drive is quite full I have a smaller amount available to Shrink.Enter in the amount you would like to shrink ( This will be the size of the new partition ) It can’t be more than the amount available to you and remember that Approx 1000 Mb = 1 GB
After you have entered your values, click shrink and let it do it’s thing. Depending on the size of the drive and amount to shrink this could take a while. Just be patient and once it’s done you will see an unallocated space which is the size you just shrunk the volume by. Select it and right click and then 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, Pick one of your choice it doesn’t 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 your hard drive to do what you like with it.

Customizing Windows 7 Taskbar

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:37:00 +0000

You can make signifcant changes to Windows 7 Taskbar. In this post you will learn how to do this.

Change the Taskbar buttons

Using the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box you can the look of the buttons. The default option is “Always combine, hide labels”.

Let us look at the three Taskbar options.

Option 1 Always combine, hide labels

This is the default setting for the Taskbar. Windows 7 combines multiple files from the same application, for example Word, by hiding the labels, preserving valuable space on the Taskbar.

Option 2 Combine when taskbar is full

In the section labelled, “Taskbar buttons”, click the down arrow button.

This opens displaying a drop-down list of options.
Select the second option, “Combine when taskbar is full”.

Click the Apply button followed by the Ok button.
With multiple files active in several programs, Word, Paintbrush, Notepad, Paint and WordPad, the Taskbar would be too crowded. So, Windows 7 combines the files from the same application.

Note: Another aspect of the option, “Combine when taskbar is full”, is that the icons display their labels except when the Taskbar is too crowded. The example below shows the labels for each application.

Option 3 Never Combine

Re-open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
In the section labelled, “Taskbar buttons”, click the down arrow button.
Select the third option, “Never combine”.
The Taskbar displays several files from the same applications.

What happens if you have too many applications pinned to the Taskbar?

When you have more application windows open than fit comfortably on the Taskbar, Windows 7 activates the Toggle button.

Click the down arrow button on the Toggle button.
The additional icons appear on the Taskbar.

Faster Toolbar in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Taskbar thumbnail previews are one of the more cool features in Windows 7. To decrease the time taken to display thumbnails in Windows 7 make these tweaks.

* Click on Start and type in regedit and hit Enter
* Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
* Right-click on Advanced, select ‘New DWORD‘ and enter the following value: “ThumbnailLivePreviewHoverTime”
* Then right-click on ‘ThumbnailLivePreviewHoverTime’ and select ‘Modify’.
* Choose Decimal Base and enter in your new number in milliseconds. Use 200 for 0.2 seconds or a speed that suits you.
* Click Ok and restart PC

Remove unused fonts for better performance on Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:58:00 +0000

Fonts use quite a bit of system resources on Windows 7, for optimal performance you should remove any unused fonts that you do not use on a daily basis. This tip shows you how.

Open Control Panel
Open the Fonts folder
Make a backup of your fonts before removing any.
After backing up your fonts, remove any unused fonts from the folder to speed up the Windows 7 performance.

Disable Search indexing for better performance

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:56:00 +0000

If you know where your files are stored and never really use the search function, stop this service and you will gain a significant performance boost in Windows 7.

Click on the Start button and type in “services.msc”
Find and right click the “Windows Search” and click properties
In the startup type field choose “Disabled”
Reboot your computer and you are done.

How To Create a Windows 7 Homegroup

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:50:00 +0000

Windows 7 provides a new and exciting feature called Homegroup. This improvement allows users a unique way to network other computers running Windows 7 in a home or workplace situation.

Under Windows 7 you can forget about setting up a conventional network system as Windows 7 Homegroup is simpler and easier to set up. This new feature works with all computers running Windows 7.
What is Windows 7 Homegroup?

Homegroup allows you to connect wirelessly to other computers allowing you to share documents, photos, music and other files as well as your printer
. As the initiator of Homegroup you can ensure the security of your files by making them read-only. However, you also have the option of allowing other members of your Homegroup to modify your files.

Setting up a HomeGroup

To create a Windows 7 HomeGroup you need two or more computers running Windows 7. This exercise will involve setting up a HomeGroup for two computers, a Desktop computer and a Laptop computer.

The Desktop computer takes the first step in setting up a Homegroup. This involves deciding whether to share library files and printers and then generating a Homegroup password so other user(s) can join the Homegroup network.

The Desktop Computer

Click the Start button or press the Windows key.

When the Start Menu opens, select Control Panel.

When the Control Panel window opens, in the section labelled Network and Internet, Choose “Homegroup and Sharing Options.”

The Homegroup window opens, click the button labelled, Create a Homegroup.

The “Create a Homegroup” window opens, displaying the features you can share – Pictures, Documents, Music, Printers and Videos.

Check the boxes for those items you wish to share.

Click the Next button.
Next, Windows 7 generates a password to allow other computer user(s) to join the Homegroup.

Click Print password and instructions.
Give the Password information sheet to the other computer user(s).
Click the Finish button.

+Note: Your part is now over. The other computer user(s) now has to register their computer to join the Homegroup.

In Creating a Homegroup Part 2 you will learn about registering your Laptop.

Registering the Laptop Computer on the Homegroup

To successfully connect to a Homegroup, the other computer

(s) must be running Windows 7. You will need a copy of the Password information sheet containing the password.

Click the Start button.
When the Start Menu opens, Homegroup.

The Change Homegroup settings window opens indicating that another computer is on the Homegroup network. It also shows that there are shared Libraries and Printers.

Click the Join now button.

+Note: If you don’t see the Join now button, there might not be a Homegroup available. Make sure that someone has created a Homegroup first or you can choose to create a Homegroup yourself.

The Join a Homegroup window opens. You need the Homegroup Password to join.

Type in the Homegroup Password.
Click the Next button
Windows 7 informs you that you have joined the Homegroup.
Click the Finish button

You are now ready to utilize Homegroup across two computers, the Desktop computer and the Laptop computer.

Accessing your HomeGroup

With both computers switched on, you can now access each other’s HomeGroup libraries.

Click the Start menu.
Select Homegroup.

The Homegroup window opens.

Click Homegroup.

Homegroup expands telling you the laptop is registered.

To see what libraries within the Homegroup network, click on the arrow button on the left.
Homegroup displays the registered Libraries.

To see what’s in a Library, such as Documents, click Documents. Its contents appear in the right window.
On the other computer’s Homegroup you can now access the Libraries.
10. To view the contents, click on the arrow on the left of each Library folder to expand it and display the folders within it.
In the screen picture below the extent of the Document folder is revealed. This was achieved by clicking on its icon.

By now you should have a good idea of the potential of Windows 7 Homegroup and how useful it is in a networking situation providing of course the other computers in your home or workplace are running Windows 7.

Source: Windows 7 News

5 Reasons Windows 7 Is A Better Deal For Students Than Snow Leopard

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:43:00 +0000

Microsoft took on rival Apple head on this week in the education market with a special offer for students to purchase Windows 7 for $30, about the same price as Apple's competing Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Microsoft is promoting the offer, which runs through January 3, 2010, on a special Win741.com Web site, where students can buy the upcoming operating system as long as they provide a valid student e-mail address. The offer applies to Home Premium and Professional versions of Windows 7.

The Windows 7 special offer comes as Apple makes a push to grab share from Microsoft with Snow Leopard pricing aimed at undercutting Microsoft for the first time ever. Indeed, Apple, which released Snow Leopard on August 28, has gone to great lengths to price its products at a premium compared to Microsoft. Nevertheless, here are five reasons why Windows 7 is a better deal for students than Snow Leopard.

1. Windows-based Systems Provide A Better Value: Even if Apple gives Snow Leopard away for free, it can't even come close to the value of systems that will be outfitted with Windows 7. Do the head-to-head price comparison and you'll regularly find Apple systems priced at more than double a comparable Windows based system.

An Apple 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook with a 13.3 inch display running Snow Leopard is priced by discounters at about $1,179. A Toshiba Satellite Core 2 Duo system is priced at $549. Do you really think in the midst of the current economic squeeze most working Americans are experiencing that Apple is worth a 100 percent premium? Not in my check book.

2. Windows 7 Will Be Used By Businesses. Snow Leopard Is A Sideshow: Like it or not, Windows has a 90 percent share of the market. It is absolutely the operating system of choice for businesses. Windows 7 does business. Apple Snow Leopard does artists and kids. Apple is a blip on the screen in the global market. Schools that are embracing Apple are doing kids a disservice, as they are likely to be working on a Windows machine when they graduate to the real world.

3. Windows 7 Is Playing Nice With Open Source. Snow Leopard Is Not: Microsoft has changed its tune on open source, and that's an advantage for students compared with Apple's proprietary stand.

Australia, for example, is rolling out 70,000 Windows 7-enabled Lenovo IdeaPad S10e for high school students. And believe it or not Australia's Department of Education has confirmed that the devices will be pre-installed with a variety of open-source software including GeoGebra, Dia, Audacity, Freemind and MuseScore.

Microsoft has changed its stance on open-source software, and that's an advantage for students. Apple is all about a closed proprietary environment and will never open up Snow Leopard to support open source.

4. Windows 7 Has More And Better Application Support Than Snow Leopard: It's about the applications, stupid. There are tens of thousands of education solutions built on top of Windows compared with hundreds for Apple. And the fact is the applications of the future are going to be designed for Windows -- NOT Snow Leopard.

Developers build products first and foremost for the biggest markets. That's how they make their money. Microsoft has built a huge infrastructure up to nurture and support these education developers. Apple simply can't compete when it comes to providing developers the support they need to deliver the education solutions of the future.

A computer is a computer. Applications are what computing is all about. And Microsoft is an applications company. Apple, by the way, is an entertainment company. As a parent, which would you choose as the platform of choice for your child?

5. Windows 7 Has Stronger Education Solution Provider Support Than Snow Leopard: Apple blew its chance to take a bigger share of the education market 20 years ago with its shabby treatment of a once-loyal solution provider channel. Today, Microsoft has tens of thousands of solution providers delivering real-world solutions to the thousands of school districts in this country.

Remember, a computer is a computer. It's all about building solution and services that make those students smarter and more productive. That's what solution providers do. Do you really think the Apple Store cares whether your child gets a good education? And, yes, solution providers that have got to deliver educational value to stay in business do care.

Source: Channel Web

Unlock Hidden Windows 7 Themes

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:39:00 +0000

There are a number of regional themes with multiple unique background images hidden from Windows 7 users. On a Windows 7 install with United States regional settings only the United States theme is shown but there are actually four more themes hidden from view. Below are all the regional themes included in Windows 7:

Accessing all the themes is easy to do once you know where to find them. The trick is to navigate to the C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT directory. The MCT directory within the Globalization directory is super hidden so it will not display even if show hidden files and folders is enabled. Just click on the address bar of any folder and manually type in or copy and paste in C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT and hit Enter.

Once you have reached the MCT folder you will see five directories as listed below:

MCT-AU
MCT-CA
MCT-GB
MCT-US
MCT-ZA

To view and use the theme for each region just navigate into each MCT-Region directory, enter the Theme sub-directory and double click the theme file.

Backup And Restore Wireless Network Settings In Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:12:00 +0000

One of the new features to manage network and Internet connections in Windows 7 is the ability to backup and restore wireless network settings. This can be very useful for computer users who operate with multiple computer systems, families with several family laptops and businesses with employees who connect with laptops to the network. The process of backing up and restoring wireless network settings takes less than a minute to perform. Lets get started.

Start by opening the Network and Sharing Center. This can be done by clicking on the Windows start menu, then on Control Panel and in the Control Panel on Network and Internet.

Locate Manage Wireless Networks on the upper left side of the screen and click on it. This will open the following screen that will show all configured wireless network connections.

A double-click on any network connection will open the Wireless Network Properties.

The link to copy the network profile to a USB flash drive is provided at the bottom of the screen. A click on that link will open the copy network settings screen.

A USB drive needs to be connected to the computer system to proceed. A click on the next button will backup the network settings to a connected USB flash drive. The process itself takes only a few seconds to complete.

The process will save the file setupSNK.exe to the USB flash drive. This file can be used to restore the wireless network settings to another computer system. This will work not only for computer systems running Windows 7 but also those that run Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Source: Windows 7 News

Microsoft: UK students to get Windows 7 for £30

noreply@blogger.com (mr. simplicity) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Microsoft has taken the wraps off an amazing offer for UK students today.

From October 1, students in the UK with a valid email address (an email address given by the college or university, e.g. name@leeds.ac.uk) will be able to purchase Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional (upgrade versions) for £30. The offer will run until 3 January 2010 when the prices will revert to normal.

Microsoft confirmed the offer in an email to Neowin, "students will benefit from many of Windows 7's unique functions and applications which make PC's easier, simpler and more fun to use. For those students who have the latest laptops with touch screen technology, Windows 7 comes with enhanced capabilities for an enriched touch experience, allowing a more direct and natural way to work – it's also perfect for netbooks. Other features include remote media streaming, improved gaming experience, enhanced security and integration of Windows Media Centre for more central and convenient management of music, movies and photos."

To take part in this offer please see more information at the Windows Student Offer site.

Update: US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea and Mexico will also have similar offers but exact pricing varies by market.

Source: Neowin