Posts Tagged ‘Windows 7’

Windows 7, Not Yet Convinced? Why You Should Upgrade!

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Hey everyone! Dustin here, welcome to our blog.

Many of us have already seen the Windows 7 advertisements but have continued to utilize previous operating systems. Are you still holding out on the windows 7 upgrade?

Here are 5 reasons why you should not wait any longer. Updating your operating system is crucial for both the security as well as usability features.

Occasionally an operating system may appear to take a few steps in the wrong direction but Winwindows 7 taskbardows 7 is certainly not one of them. As operating systems continue to advance the latest versions are able to add features, especially those learned from previous versions short comings. The following key features generate both increased security as well as usability for users. As operating systems go Windows 7 is Fantastic!

1) The Smart Design

The Windows 7 task bar immediately catches the user’s attention. The new task bar has a better looking design than previous versions and its functionality is also unmatched.

The Windows 7 Live Task Bar Preview allows users to catch a glance at their open applications without having the window selected. Hovering over an icon in the task bar creates a window that shows what is going on in each open application. Preview may be the wrong name since within these windows users can now play, pause, or close the applications. In previous OS versions the preview window was strictly a quick snapshot, but with Windows 7 those days are long gone.

Rearrange your taskbar, this time around the tabs located on the task bar can be organized and relocated in an order that is more desirable to the individual users. Rather than opening and closing applications in the order you want them to appear in the task bar they can now easily be rearranged by simply dragging the icons. The task bar now permits users to pin selected programs for more convenient use. Windows 7 remembers user activity and will now store most frequent programs. The logs of recent programs are referred to as jump list. Right-clicking on a program in the task bar opens a jump list where users can navigate recent and popular applications.

Establishing Jump List and Pinning programs to the task bar build upon the Windows 7 experience. All of these features and designs fully harness the ease and power of the Windows 7 Task Bar.

2) The Efficient Performance

Windows 7 is now even more efficient and responsive. On top of its improved task bar working with multiple windows is now even easier.

Snapping snaps the open windows into a position that is selected by the user. A user can drag the window to the preferred location and adjust the size accordingly. The snapping feature creates a desktop in which applications can be open simultaneously side by side. Along with the Snap element the Windows 7 OS now reacts even faster to user instructions. It starts up and reawakens from sleep mode efficiently, connects to wireless networks quicker, recognizes external devices and locates files faster than ever.

The Response Time is much better than previous versions and your computer will now be waiting for you as opposed to you having to wait for it.

Also helpful is the Search Entry Feature which is not completely new but has been expanded to search even more file types and locations. Pretty much if you’re having problems locating something on your computer its only a click away with the Windows 7 Search tool, Search everywhere and everything! This OS has been reconfigured to operate using less memory. While using less memory your PC’s speed and performance is greatly enhanced.

3) The Enhanced Security

It is always important to have an up to date operating systems. The older your OS is the more likely there are holes or faults that make you and your information vulnerable. Window 7 is new so any defects have yet to be discovered or exploited.

On the Ultimate and Enterprise editions BitLocker Drive Encryption is also available. BitLocker allows users to set up their hard drive to be completely encrypted leaving every document and file locked for security. Windows 7 has greatly improved the system backup/restore settings as well as their accessibility.

The Action Center found in the control panel is where settings about firewall, antivirus, and updates are found. The Action Center ensures that the most recent updates are installed and functioning properly. Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download available to Windows 7 users and actively protects against viruses, worms, spyware, Trojans, and malware. The Windows Defender Software also helps against slow performance, pop-up ads, and spyware among other threats.

The Windows 7 Parental Control Features have also been enhanced and are easier to use than those found in Vista. The multitude of security features that this OS offers makes users feel extremely secure and is a must for any PC.

4) The Astounding Entertainment

With Remote Media Streaming Windows 7 users are able to view their home PC’s media library while away. After a quick and simple set up your home media library will be available over the internet without copying the original files.

With the password protected Home Group feature, linking computers and devices is a quick set up away. By home grouping media it can be sent to other computers running Windows 7 using the Play To element. Users who also have an Xbox360 can send media to their televisions. Applications like the improved Windows Media Player, Roxio, Enhanced DVD Maker, and Internet TV only add to the Windows 7 enjoyment.

5) The Fun Personalization

Windows 7 comes with a host of new Wallpapers, Desktop Icon and Window Themes. Users can select the theme that works best with their style and customize their desktop to their comfort level. The return of Gadgets also increases the amount of personalization ability a user has. Gadgets are small applications that are often quick references, games, or pictures. With the release of Windows 7 now even more gadgets are available and have been improved for the OS.

Other mentionable features that are pretty cool include Shake and Peek. Clicking and dragging an application rapidly back and forth drops the other open windows making the one you shake easy to see. And Peek allows users to see past the open windows and select the one you want. Windows 7 customization ability now makes it an even more pleasure to operate.

In conclusion I would say that it is definitely apparent that a lot of thought and time went into creating Windows 7. Whether your reason to upgrade is to enhance security, enjoy the awesome usability, or to experience the cool design, The Windows 7 Operating System is worth the upgrade or full purchase price. Just in case you’re still not convinced here is more information on the Windows 7 OS (compare Windows 7 editions)!

Have a Great Day!

Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support To Businesses in Maryland

Windows 7 System Restore Point: Preparing for the Worst

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Restore PointsHey, everyone, Josh from Computer Fitness back with another award-winning article to help you with your computer conundrums.

Sometimes bad things happen to your PC. It happens to the best of us. Something goes wrong and before you know it, it’s time to break out the dusty restore discs. Well, there are ways around having to burn your system to the ground. One of these ways, built into the Windows operating system, is the Restore Point software.

Restore Point sets up places in your system where you can revert back to in case of errors. This feature is great for several reasons. First of all, you can choose when to set these.  By doing this, you can schedule them or just have them automatically occur when you’re installing new programs. This is good in case the program or update does damage to your machine’s stability. You simply roll back to the start date and you’re good to go.

Another beneficial aspect of Restore Points is that they are usually safe in the case of a Windows failure. This is not to say that if your HDD breaks down, you can just use a Restore Point. Rather, you can sometimes use them in conjunction with a system restore disc or copy of Windows to get back to where you were from an OS standpoint.

Now, the points are not to be confused with complete system backups. You’ll need either third-party software or Windows 7 Ultimate to do that. However, the Restore Points do allow for users to revert to previous versions of the Registry and various Windows aspects.

More Info

Microsoft Windows System Restore
What is Windows System Restore?
What are the system recovery options in Windows 7?

-Josh

ComputerFitness

Windows Action Center Keeps You Up To Date on Your PC

Friday, November 12th, 2010
Windows 7 Action Center

Screenshot of the Windows 7 Action Center

Hey, everyone, Josh from Computer Fitness back with another award-winning article to help you with your computer conundrums.

Ever wish you had something on your shoulder to remind you of important things? Sure you do. We could all use something to tell us what’s going on and how to handle it. Well, I can’t help you sort out your “To Do” list or get your dry cleaning picked up, but I can tell you about how to prepare for your PC needs.

If you’re using Windows, you have the Action Center to help you out. The Action Center might seem like a nagging pain sometimes, but what it is really a tool to keep users on top of their PC care. This feature helps to contain a lot of the miscellaneous error and warning messages that users of Windows XP and previous versions know all too well.

Some of the areas that Action Center covers are Security and Maintenance. Since these are the ones that are most often forgotten, be glad it’s there. When you open the Action Center, you can see the status of a number of items pertaining to your PC’s health. Things like UAC (User Account Control – aka that little box that dims your screen and pops up whenever you want to install something) and Virus protection are monitored here.

In short, Windows Action Center is great for those who aren’t as PC savvy as they’d like to be, but still want to take care of their systems. Don’t overlook it. Take some time and get an idea of how it works and how to take advantage of this free tool.

-Josh

ComputerFitness.com

CF Blog – Getting to Know Windows 7: Some Helpful Tips

Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Microsoft Windows 7

Retail box Microsoft Windows 7: Home, Professional, and Ultimate

Hello and welcome to Computer Fitness’ Blog! My name is Josh. You may know me from the Internet Beacon. We have a pretty cool blog over there. If you’re new to our sites, do check it out; there’s plenty more awesome over there. Computer Fitness is a tech support firm in Finksburg, MD. Our areas of expertise run the gamut from workstation repair to server maintenance.

Windows 7 is, in my opinion, the best Microsoft OS (operating system) yet. While it may look similar to Vista in some respects, the functionality and overall operability of Windows 7 is miles ahead of its forerunners. Given that all new machines are shipping with Windows 7, I though it appropriate to go over some neat tips and tricks for the OS. Some are cosmetic and some are functional.

Resizing Windows

I know the ability to change the size of a window to your liking is nothing new. In fact, it’s been around since, I believe, Windows 3.1. However, Microsoft introduced a rather cool new feature that automatically resizes them for you with either a mouse gesture or a keyboard shortcut. With this feature, you can either drag the window you want resized to a side of the screen or you can press the Windows key and the direction you want it go. By doing this, the window will take up whatever half of the screen it’s been sent to, allowing you to manage your desktop space even better than before!

Program Stacking in the Task Bar

It’s no secret that those of us who run a lot of programs on our PCs have our task bar filled up pretty quickly. Before you know it, it’s cluttered with a thousand and one Internet Explorer windows and you can never remember which one has what you really want on it. To remedy this, Microsoft changed the task bar. Now, instead of seeing a rectangle with the name of the program running, you see the icon with an illusion of stacking. That way, if you have multiple instances of the same program running, you can mouse over and see a preview of all the windows it uses. This makes it easier to get around your PC, and provides a cleaner look.

All in all, Windows 7 has added a lot of cool features, both behind the scenes and on the user interface. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to upgrade. NOTE: You cannot upgrade from XP to Win7. You will have to format your hard drive and then do a clean install. If you are unfamiliar with this, please consult an IT professional before beginning.

That’s all for this week! We’ll see you back next time for more Computer Fitness tips.

-Josh
Computer Fitness
Onsite and Remote Tech Support