For Dummies Windows 7
Contents
1. Windows 7 the newest version of Microsoft Windows comes pre installed on most new PCs today sell gt e iaire R Recyde Bin Book Aight quickig senna stores Sticky Nates if Calculator ag Snipping Toat a y Paint Documents E Access letters reports notes and other kinds of document Music Games Computer Magnifier Control Panel j Solitaire Devices and Printers FreeCell Default Programs gt All Programs Windows gets its name from all the cute little windows it places on your monitor Each window shows information such as a picture a program that you re running or a baffling technical reprimand You can put several win dows on screen at the same time and jump from window to window visiting different programs You can also enlarge a window to fill the entire screen Like the mother with the whistle in the lunch court Windows controls every window and each part of your computer When you turn on your computer Windows jumps onto the screen and supervises any running programs Throughout all this action Windows keeps things running smoothly even if the programs start throwing food at each other In addition to controlling your computer and bossing around your programs Windows 7 comes with a bunch of free programs Although your computer can run without these programs they re nice to have These programs let you do different things like write an2. 1 The Flavors of Windows 7 The Version of Windows 7 What It Does Windows 7 Starter This stripped down version of Windows 7 runs mostly on netbooks tiny PCs that lack the power for much more than Web browsing and simple word processing Windows 7 Home Basic Designed for developing countries this version contains everything from the Starter edition and tosses in better graphics Internet connection sharing and settings for more powerful laptops Windows 7 Home Premium Built to fill most consumers needs this version includes programs to let people watch and record TV on their PC as well as create DVDs from their camcorder footage Windows 7 Professional Aimed atthe business market this features everything from Home Premium as well as tools used by small businesses extra networking features for example and similar business tools Windows 7 Enterprise Microsoft sells this large business version in bulk to large businesses Windows 7 Ultimate This version aims at the wallets of information technology specialists who spend much of their lives in front of their keyboards If you re reading this book you don t need this version Although six versions may seem complicated choosing the one you need isn t that difficult And because Microsoft stuffed all the versions on your Windows 7 DVD you can upgrade at any time simply by whipping out the credit card and unlocking the features in a different version 7
3. PCS Figure 1 2 The new taskbar in Windows 7 offers pop up thumbnail previews of GMan e aeania M Windows MediaPlayer 3 WileysHome WindowsInt 9 Google Windows Intemet A eony neo vin won window on your desktop x Chapter 1 What Is Windows 7 15 Ey Figure 1 3 Right click an icon on Windows 7 s new taskbar to see more information including a list of recently viewed Web sites in Internet Explorer O Reade Bin Book fight quickly Frequent E pcpurtst the genuine eggrega y 000 ee 8413 intemmet Explorer Can My PC Still Run Windows 7 Vv yar If your PC already runs Windows Vista it will probably run Windows 7 In fact Windows 7 runs better on some PCs mostly laptops than Windows Vista does If your PC already runs Windows XP well it will probably run Windows 7 but perhaps not at its best Upgrading your PC with a few things will help Windows 7 run better a job I tackle in Upgrading and Fixing PCs For Dummies 8th Edition Here s the shopping list YY Video Windows 7 requires powerful graphics for its fanciest 3 D features Upgraded video cards cost around 50 and they re not available for lap tops But if your PC s video lacks the muscle and your wallet lacks the cash don t despair Windows 7 simply slips into more casual clothes letting your PC run without the 3 D views 16 Pa ar rt l Windows 7 Stuf
4. made backup copies of everything even if you wanted to back up only a few files or folders Windows 7 by contrast lets you back up everything but it also offers an option for selecting only a few things to back up Runs better on laptops Vista s sloth like performance upset many laptop owners Many new netbooks ultralight laptops built for on the road Internet access and word processing couldn t even run Vista forcing Microsoft to extend the Windows XP expiration deadline twice Why Windows XP owners should switch to Windows 7 Microsoft releases a new version of Windows every few years If you bought your PC between 2001 and 2006 you ve probably grown accustomed to the mechanics of Windows XP That leaves the nagging question why bother upgrading to Windows 7 when Windows XP works just fine Chapter 1 What Is Windows 7 3 So what doesn t Windows 7 have for Vista upgraders With all the nifty new items stuffed into on the taskbar beneath the Start menu Windows 7 what doesn t it include Plenty Instead Microsoft redesigned the taskbar Microsoft axed the following programs from to hold icons of favorite programs and cur Windows Vista when creating Windows 7 rently running programs cover the taskbar Free programs Windows Mail Windows in Chapter 2 Photo Gallery Windows Movie Maker InkBall Although axing this game isn t as and Windows Calendar no longer come inconvenient as ditching an e
5. ve stored your files To find a missing file just click the Start menu and type what that file contained a few words in a document the name of the band singing the song or even the year your favorite jazz albums were released Should 1 Bother Switching to Windows 7 Microsoft hopes everybody will immediately switch to Windows 7 Because people buying new PCs automatically already receive Windows 7 preinstalled on their PC Microsoft is targeting two other groups people using Windows XP and people using Windows Vista Separating the ads from the features Microsoft may tout Windows as your helpful computing companion always keeping your best interests in mind but that s not really true Windows always keeps Microsoft s interests in mind You ll find that out as soon as you call Microsoft for help with making Windows work right They charge more than 50 per call Microsoft also uses Windows to plug its own products and services For example Internet Explorer s Favorites area a place for you to add your favorite Web destinations comes stuffed with Microsoft s Web sites Simply put Windows not only controls your computer but also serves as a huge Microsoft advertising vehicle Treat the built in advertising flyers as a salesperson s knock on your door 11 72 Parti Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know The next two sections describe what Windows 7 offers to Windows Vista owners and to t
6. 8 Parti Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know ar Unlike with Vista each version contains all the features of the version below it Windows 7 Professional contains everything found in Windows 7 Home Premium Here are some guidelines for choosing the version you need 1 If you ll be using your PC at home pick up Windows 7 Home Premium If you need to connect to a domain through a work network and you ll know if you re doing it you want Windows 7 Professional 1 If you re a computer industry professional you should get your hands on Windows 7 Ultimate because it includes everything found in the other versions 1 If you re a computer tech who works for businesses go ahead and argue with your boss over whether you need Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Enterprise The boss will make the decision based on whether its a small company Windows Professional or a large company Windows Enterprise If you own a netbook a tiny laptop that runs Windows 7 you can upgrade to a more powerful version right from the Start menu That inexpensive Windows 7 Home Basic version isn t sold in the United States It s sold at reduced prices in developing nations like Malaysia It s not really a goodwill gesture as much as it s an attempt to reduce software piracy Windows 7 around the world Because of legal issues in Europe Microsoft considered releasing a special E version of Wi
7. Chapter 1 What Is Windows 7 In This Chapter Getting to know Windows 7 Discovering the new features in Windows 7 Understanding how Windows 7 affects your old programs Figuring out whether your PC is powerful enough to run Windows 7 Knowing which version of Windows 7 you need hances are good that you ve heard about Windows the boxes and win dows and mouse pointer that greet you whenever you turn on your computer In fact millions of people all over the world are puzzling over it as you read this book Almost every new computer sold today comes with a copy of Windows preinstalled cheerfully greeting you when first turned on This chapter helps you understand why Windows lives inside your com puter and introduces Microsoft s latest Windows version called Windows 7 I explain how Windows 7 differs from previous Windows versions whether you should upgrade to Windows 7 and how well your faithful old PC will weather the upgrade What Is Windows 7 and Why Are Vou Using It Created and sold by a company called Microsoft Windows isn t like your usual software that lets you write term papers or send angry e mails to mail order companies No Windows is an operating system meaning it controls the way you work with your computer It s been around for more than 20 years and the latest whiz bang version is called Windows 7 shown in Figure 1 1 10 Part I Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know PCS Figure 1 1
8. arching for a filename takes several minutes on a crowded hard drive and if you re searching your files for a particular word or phrase you re in for a long weekend Windows 7 by contrast spends its idle time fine tuning an index of every word on your hard drive Type a word from a file s name or contents into the Start menu s Search box and Windows 7 quickly finds the goods 14 Parti Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know 1 New Internet Explorer Windows 7 s new Internet Explorer 8 lets you surf the Web more easily and securely It has the old standbys tabbed browsing RSS feeds and a filter alerting you to potential fraudulent Web sites and other new features I cover in Chapter 8 YY Media Center This entertainment center not only plays DVDs and music but also lets you watch TV on your PC and even record shows onto your hard drive for later viewing Recording TV shows requires a PC with a TV Tuner in your PC an upgrade I cover in one of my other books Upgrading and Fixing PCs For Dummies published by Wiley Publishing Inc 1 Taskbar Microsoft spent some time building on Vista s three dimen sional look The new taskbar in Windows 7 adds pop up thumbnails shown in Figure 1 2 that help you find a lost window Or right click a taskbar icon to see more information about it your recent history of browsed Web sites for example is shown in Figure 1 3 Y 6 r Recycle Bin
9. d print letters browse the Internet play music and even create a slide show from your vacation photos and burn it to a DVD automatically And why are you using Windows 7 If you re like most people you didn t have much choice Nearly every computer sold since October 22 2009 comes with Windows 7 preinstalled A few people escaped Windows by buying Apple computers those nicer looking computers that cost a lot more But chances Chapter 1 What Is Windows 7 owns NEW are good that you your neighbors your boss your kids at school and millions of other people around the world are using Windows 1 Microsoft took pains and several years of work to make Windows 7 the most secure version of Windows yet Just ask people who upgraded from previous versions 1 Windows makes it easy for several people to share a single computer Each person receives his or her own user account When users click their name at the Windows opening screen they see their own work just the way they left it Windows 7 includes controls for parents to limit the time their kids spend on the PC as well as what programs they can open 1 Windows includes a new backup program that makes it easier to do what you should have been doing all along Make copies of your important files every night a task I describe in Chapter 12 1 The powerful new search program and library system in Windows 7 mean that you can forget about where you
10. f Everybody Thinks You Already Know Memory Windows 7 loves memory For best results your PC should have 1GB of memory or more Memory s easy to install and relatively cheap so don t skimp here 1 DVD drive Unlike Windows XP which comes on a CD Windows 7 like Windows Vista comes on a DVD That means your PC needs a working DVD drive to install it That probably won t rule out many PCs these days but it may rule out some older laptops and netbooks Windows 7 can run nearly any program that runs on Windows Vista and it can run a great number of Windows XP programs Some older programs how ever won t work including most security based programs such as antivirus firewall and security programs You ll need to contact the program s manu facturer to see whether it ll give you a free upgrade Shopping for a new PC to run Windows 7 To see how well a particular show room PC will handle Windows 7 click the PC s Start button choose Control Panel and open the System and Security category In the System area choose Check the Windows Experience Index Windows tests the PC and gives it a grade ranging from 1 terrible to 7 9 extraordinary Not sure what version of Windows your PC has Right click Computer from the Start menu and choose Properties The screen that appears states your Windows version Speeding up Windows 7 on a laptop or an old PC Both Windows Vista and Windows 7 love slick graphics but a
11. hose holdouts still running Windows XP Why Vista owners will like Windows 7 Vista owners will rejoice at Windows 7 with many folks calling the new oper ating system What Windows Vista should have been Windows 7 certainly isn t perfect but it s a welcome relief for Windows Vista owners Here s why v Easy upgrade path As a perk for suffering through Vista you can upgrade to Windows 7 simply by slipping in a Windows 7 Upgrade DVD Your programs printer and nearly everything else that worked with Vista work fine with Windows 7 Windows XP owners face a dirty chore They must erase their hard drives and install Windows 7 from scratch No more nag screens Easily the most loudly cursed feature of Windows Vista User Account Control UAC perpetually popped up messages asking if you re sure you want to do something Windows 7 comes with a toned down version that merely warns you if something drastic might happen You can even adjust UAC s warning level to match your comfort level from paranoid to relaxed Y Streamlined controls Vista demanded many keystrokes and clicks to accomplish what Windows 7 does in a few In Vista for example trying to turn off a PC brought up two shortcut icons and an arrow that fetches a seven option menu Windows 7 s single click Shut Down key does what most folks want Saves work closes programs and turns off the PC Y Better backup In an effort to simplify backing up your PC Vista
12. ll those smooth edges and fancy colors can bog down a laptop or an old PC Follow these steps to strip away the eye candy and make Windows 7 run as quickly as possible 1 Click the Start button right click the Computer icon and choose Properties The Computer icon lives on the Start menu s right side 2 Click Advanced System Settings found in the window s left pane You may need to type in a password from an Administrator account to enter this mysteri ous settings area 3 In the Performance area click the Settings button click the Adjust For Best Performance button and click OK These steps revert your system to the look of previous Windows versions that didn t rely on fancy graphics To return to Windows 7 s normal look repeat the steps but in Step 3 click the button called Let Windows Choose What s Best For My Computer Chapter 1 What Is Windows 7 7 The Flavors of Windows 7 ns NEW Windows XP came in two easy to understand versions one for home and one for business Windows Vista split into five different versions each with a differ ent price tag and a confusing array of features Windows 7 ups the confusion level with six versions but the versions are much easier to figure out The vast majority of consumers will choose Windows 7 Home Premium and most businesses will choose Windows 7 Professional Still to clear up the confusion I describe all six versions in Table 1 1 Table 1
13. mail program with Windows 7 That s right Windows many will miss this little drop the ball in the 7 doesn t come with an e mail program hole timewaster Instead Microsoft wants you to download replacement programs from the Web cover e mail replacements in Chapter 9 e mail and cover photos and moviemak ing replacements in Chapter 16 I m afraid don t have space to cover the calendar replacement Sidebar Windows Vista s Sidebar clung to the side of the desktop housing gadgets to track the stock market activities of friends and even the weather The Sidebar s gone but the gadgets remain now sprinkled freely upon your desktop Quick Launch toolbar This handy reposi tory for favorite programs no longer lives Actually if Windows XP is running just fine you may not need Windows 7 But because your PC could be almost six years old an antique in the tech world Microsoft hopes the following improvements in Windows 7 will push your hand toward your credit card 1 DVD burning More than five years after DVD burners hit the market Windows can finally take advantage of them without third party soft ware Windows 7 can copy files and movies to DVDs as well as to CDs Its DVD Maker program gathers your vacation photos and burns a slick slide show onto a DVD ready for passing out to every yoga retreat attendee 1 Easier file searches Windows XP really drags its feet when searching for files Se
14. ndows 7 in Europe that wouldn t include Internet Explorer The company changed its mind however and now Europeans will receive the same version of Windows 7 sold around the world When Europeans first install Windows 7 or turn on a new Windows 7 PC they ll see a ballot screen letting them choose their pre ferred browser be it Internet Explorer Firefox or another browser Choose the browser and Windows 7 automatically installs it if neces sary and begins using it
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