Tips: adjust Windows 7 performance settings

September 10, 2010
Tips: adjust Windows 7 performance settings

Windows 7 comes with a host of performance settings that you can customise to suit your own particular hardware setup. Visit Control Panel/ System and Security/ System and click the Advanced system settings link. Select the Settings button under Performance and you can change everything from window animations to font smoothing. By default, Windows will [...]

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How to: take screen shots with the Snipping Tool

September 8, 2010
How to: take screen shots with the Snipping Tool

Windows 7 comes with its own built-in screen capture program, known as the Snipping Tool. You can find this on the Start menu under the Accessories menu (alternatively, find it using the search box). Despite its straightforward interface and simple feature-set, it offers most of the functionality that you’re likely to need from a screen [...]

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Tips: rearrange taskbar items in Windows 7

August 27, 2010
Tips: rearrange taskbar items in Windows 7

You can simply drag and drop icons or tabs on the taskbar to change their position, whether they represent programs pinned to the taskbar or active windows. As in previous versions of Windows, you can drag the taskbar to the left or right or top of the screen as well – if you want to [...]

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How to: migrate files and programs to Windows 7

August 19, 2010
How to: migrate files and programs to Windows 7

Whether you’re upgrading your existing PC to Windows 7, or moving data over from a different machine, there are tools and tricks available that enable you to bring your files and applications with you. If you’re installing Windows 7 on top of Vista, the setup program should leave your existing files and folders intact. However, [...]

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Tips: tweak folder views in Windows 7

August 12, 2010
Tips: tweak folder views in Windows 7

The way that Windows Explorer displays your files and folders can be tweaked in a variety of ways, from the sorting method to the thumbnails and icons used to represent different file types. Some of the on-screen windows (such as the details pane) can be toggled on and off via the Organise/ Layout menu, while [...]

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Tips: launch new windows in Windows 7

August 4, 2010
Tips: launch new windows in Windows 7

To quickly open up a new instance of a program (such as a new Word document or a new Internet Explorer window), simply click on the relevant taskbar entry using your mouse’s scroll wheel. If a program is pinned to the taskbar in the first place, you can launch it using the same method. (For [...]

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News: Microsoft releases first beta of Windows 7 Service Pack 1

July 29, 2010
News: Microsoft releases first beta of Windows 7 Service Pack 1

Microsoft has released the first public beta version of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, but warned end users to steer clear until the official release (scheduled for the start of 2011).  ”The SP1 Beta does not provide new end-user features, and installation is not supported by Microsoft,” the company said in a blog posting. Service [...]

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Tips: preview media files in Windows 7

July 19, 2010
Tips: preview media files in Windows 7

Windows 7 includes extensive preview capabilities built into Windows Explorer – open up the Preview pane if it isn’t already visible (via the icon on the right hand side of the toolbar), select a media file, and you’ll be able to listen to it or watch it without launching a third-party application. (For a full [...]

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Tips: drag out jump lists

July 12, 2010
Tips: drag out jump lists

The new jump lists feature in Windows 7 has received a lot of attention, and can be accessed by right-clicking on an entry in the taskbar. However, you can also open up a jump list by clicking on the program bar or icon and dragging upwards with the left mouse button – this is designed [...]

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How to: keep your Windows 7 PC safe and secure

July 8, 2010
How to: keep your Windows 7 PC safe and secure

The new Action Centre included as part of Windows 7 is the natural successor to the Security Centre you’ll be familiar with from XP and Vista. Its remit has been expanded to include maintenance tasks and general PC housekeeping as well as virus scanning and malware protection. The first time you notice the Action Centre [...]

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