How to Enable and Disable Windows 7 Aero?

Windows 7 Aero is a really popular default theme and a graphic user interface (GUI) as released by Microsoft along with the operating system. It is a powerful, efficient and esthetically pleasant theme.

Enabling Windows 7 Aero

While you install the operating system, Windows 7 Aero might not be automatically enabled. Based on your system’s experience index rating, the operating system automatically adjusts the effects related to Aero features. As per the compatibility of your machine, you might also have partial Aero effects working. This is because any more addition would hamper the performance of your computer. If this is the case and you feel that slight dip in performance would not hamper your work efficiency in any way, here is how you can enable Windows 7 Aero.
• Open Control Panel from the Start Menu.
• Go to the System tab in ‘System and Security’ menu.
• Click on ‘Advanced System Settings.’
• Click on ‘Performance Settings.’
• Look under the visual effect tab. Here the option – ‘Let windows choose what’s best for my computer’ would be checked by default.
• Look further below and you would see a list of Windows 7 Aero effects. Those which are enabled would be checked while others unchecked.
• Select the custom option before selecting all the effects as mentioned in the list below.
• Click on Apply and then OK once done.
• All the Windows 7 Aero effects would get enabled.
Some of the most popular Windows 7 Aero effects include Aero Peek, Aero Shake, Aero Snap and Aero Flip.

Disabling Windows 7 Aero

Excessively slow running computer is a major reason that may lead you to disabling the Windows 7 Aero effects. Here you have two options. First is to go back to the initial stage and let the computer decide which effects are compatible with your computer’s configuration and would not affect performance in any way. All you need to do is to repeat the process mentioned above and select the option - ‘Let windows choose what’s best for my computer’ instead of custom. Click on Apply and then OK for settings to take effect.
Secondly, you can also disable the effects completely by using an entirely different method as below.
• Right click on the desktop to open the menu.
• Click on Personalize.
• A list of themes would appear. Scroll down and look for windows 7 basic theme. Click to activate. The Aero effects would get disabled.

How to Dual Boot Windows 7 with other Operating Systems?

Dual Boot Windows 7 refers to the process which allows you to install the operating system in your computer while there is another version already installed there. This is really helpful when you are quite comfortable with your existing operating system say Windows XP or Vista and want to try out Windows 7. By using the Dual Boot Windows 7 method, you would be able to install Windows 7 operating system without removing the already installed version. Once you have tried the option, you can remove the one with which you are less comfortable and content with.

The Process

Before starting the process, ensure that you have a copy of the operating system with you in a DVD. Then, follow the below steps

Hard Drive Partition

In case you have only one partition in your hard drive then you would need to create more in order to install Windows 7. This is because one partition can hold only one operating system. Now the way to create a partition depends on the current operating system you have in your computer. In case you are using Vista, there is an inbuilt tool which you can use while if you have XP, you would need to use third party software.
Create a new partition which has at least 16 GB of space available.

Install Windows 7

Concerning Dual Boot Windows 7, once you have created the partition, install a fresh copy of the operating system in the newly created space. Insert the disc in DVD ROM and restart the computer. The computer would boot by using the DVD. If it does not, select the boot from CD option in the BIOS.

Follow the simple instructions as they appear to install a copy of Windows 7. Remember to choose the custom (advanced) option when prompted to select. Also choose the partition drive carefully. In case you select the one which already has a version installed, the older one would be replaced by windows 7.

Wait for the entire process to be completed. Depending on your computer’s configuration, it might take anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes.

Using the Operating System in Dual Boot Windows 7

Restart the computer once the installation is complete. You can select the operating system which you want to use to boot the system by using the arrow keys and pressing enter. You can also install more than two operating systems by using the same procedure as above.

There are certain things you need to know about safe mode Windows 7. Safe mode is a great troubleshooting option that helps in removal of any existing problem that may be hampering the speed and normal working of the computer. Only the most basic files and drives that are necessary to run the computer are used. The settings which are causing problems can be eliminated, and fresh ones implemented. In case you are not sure of the problem, the mode can also help you in finding it.
You might also come across a situation when your computer itself starts in Safe Mode. This means software or a program is preventing the computer to start in normal mode. If the problem is because of new software installed by you, the recovery option in the control panel can be used.

Starting Safe Mode Windows 7

Before starting safe mode Windows 7, you must remove all the floppy disks, CD’s or DVD’s that might be there in the computer. Once done, restart the computer. This can be done by clicking on start, shutdown and restart buttons in a sequence.
Press and hold the F8 key while your computer restarts. Ensure that the key is pressed before the appearance of the windows logo. In case the logo of windows appear before you were able to press the key, wait for computer to boot completely and repeat the entire process again. In case you have more than one operating system installed on the computer, you would need to select the windows 7 operating system by using the arrow key and pressing enter.

Now the advanced screen options would appear. Again use the arrow keys to select one of the safe mode windows 7 options and press enter. The computer would start in safe mode.

You can exit the safe mode by shutting down the computer and starting it again normally.

The Safe Mode Options

There are three different safe mode options present in the advanced screen settings for you to select from.
• Safe Mode
• Safe Mode with Networking
• Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Safe Mode

Concerning safe mode Windows 7, safe mode allows the computer to start with the minimum drivers and services required for operation.

Networking Safe Mode

Other than having the basic minimum services and drivers, safe mode with networking also use the network drivers and services. This means while using the computer in safe mode, you would have access to internet and other computers attached through the network.

Command Prompt Safe Mode

This mode is usually meant for the IT professionals or administrator who knows how to work in the command prompt. Instead of normal windows interface, an interpreter that works on the special commands is opened.

If you are looking into installing Windows 7, you need a computer with 1 GB (gigabyte) of RAM for the 32-bit edition and 2 GB (gigabytes) of RAM for the 64-bit edition.

If you are running Windows 7 and you have a missing search box, open the control panel and click Programs; after that click on Turn Windows features on or off under Programs and Features and make sure that Windows search is checked.

Windows Update keeps your system up to date and turning the Windows Updates off can leave your machine at risk. However, if you really want to do that simply type Windows Update in the search box and then click on the Windows Update link.

When the Windows Update Control Panel window opens, click Change Settings and after that under Important Updates click on the drop-down menu and choose Never check for updates.

As already mentioned this might leave your computer at risk, so turn off the Automatic Updates only if necessary.

If you have downloaded the font in a zip file, unzip it first, then double click on the .ttf file and click the Install button.

Alternately you can type “fonts” in the Search box and open the Fonts folder, then simply drag and drop the .ttf file from Windows Explorer to the Fonts folder.

By default the taskbar is placed at the bottom of your screen and if you want to move it to the top or any of the sides, the first thing you need to do is to unlock it: right click on an empty space of your taskbar and make sure that Lock the taskbar option is not selected.

Now you can click on the taskbar, hold down the mouse key and drag the taskbar to the position of your choice – top, left, right, or bottom.

Another way to achieve the same is to right click on an empty space on the taskbar and click Properties – when the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window comes up, click on the drop-down menu right next to Taskbar location on screen and select one of the four positions – Bottom, Right, Left, or Top.

If you get a security warning from AVG with the weird name runtime packed yoda, then you might be wondering if you should remove it or not. This warning simply means that AVG has found one (or more) files that have been packed with Yoda’s Protector, Windows packer and protector, and cannot read them in order to establish if they are a viable threat to your system or not.

Carefully examine the files that triggered the warning just to be double sure, but in most cases you have nothing to worry about!

If you want to take a screenshot of your computer desktop in Windows 7, you can use a little tool that Windows 7 comes with called Snipping Tool. Simply type snipping in your search box and the link to the tool will appear on your startup menu.

Launch the tool, click the drop-down menu and select the option that fits your needs and the screenshot will be taken immediately. After that you are presented with a few more option like saving the screenshot to a file, sending it via email, etc.

If you want a clean looking desktop you can easily hide the desktop icons in Windows 7. Simply right click on an empty space on your desktop, then click View and after that select or deselect Show desktop icons.

In order to change the background in Windows 7 right click on an empty space on your desktop and select Personalize. After that click Desktop Background, select the one that you like and click the Save Changes button.

If you hold down the control key you can select more than one background picture and choose how often your background picture changes from the drop-down menu and if you want the pictures shuffled.

If you are running a computer with Windows 7, installing the Windows XP Mode will allow you to run applications that were working fine on Windows XP, but are not compatible with Windows 7.

In order to install Windows XP Mode you need to be running Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate. The XP mode, in fact, requires two separate downloads and installation – you need to download and install Windows XP mode and Windows Virtual PC.

Once installed, you can launch the Windows XO mode from the Start menu on Windows 7 and then install or run an application just like you would on a normal, physical computer.

You can download Windows XP mode from Microsoft’s web site.

The easiest way to find the mac address in Windows 7 is by using the getmac command. Click on the start button, type cmd in the search box and press Enter.

In the command window type getmac and press Enter.

The first group of 12 digits, divided in six groups of two digits each is your mac address. You can also use the ipconfig/all command the same way in order to determine your mac address.

How do I delete history?

How do I delete history in Internet Explorer?
How do I delete history in Firefox?

These are two very commonly asked questions and I will show you how to delete history in the latest (at the time of this writing) versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox.

How do I delete history in Internet Explorer 8?

Launch Internet Explorer 8 and click on Safety from the drop-down menu and then click on Delete Browsing History. When the Delete Browsing History window opens, select the desired options and click the Delete Button.

How do I delete history in Firefox 3.6.2?

Launch Firefox 3.6.2 and click Tools then Options. Open the Privacy tab and click on the Clear you recent history link. Once the new window opens select the desired options and the timeframe from the drop-down menu and then click the Clear now button.

In order to view hidden files in Windows Explorer click on Organize and then on Folder and search options.

When the Folder Options window comes up, open the View tab and select Show hidden files, folders and drives, click the Apply to Folders button, click Yes and then OK.

When you navigate to your Documents and Settings folder in Windows 7 and try to inspect its contents, you are likely to encounter the following message:
C:\Documents and Settings is not accessible Access denied

Why is this happening? Well, just like with Vista, this folder is simply a “virtual link” (or a symlink) and not a real folder. In Windows 7, you are most likely to find what you are looking for under the “Users” folder.

One of the great Windows 7 features is called Homegroup; it allows you to easily share files with other computers running Windows 7. Homegroup makes sharing your music, pictures, documents, files and USB-connected printers a breeze. As soon as you network your computers, you will be prompted to set Network location, once you select Home Network, the Homegroup wizard will let you create your Homegroup in a matter of minutes.

The Homegroups are password protected for better security and you can select which ones of your libraries to share: Pictures, Music, Videos, or Documents; you can share USB printers as well. Simply make your selections, finish the Wizard and that’s that.

Joining already created Homegroup is also pretty straightforward – you just have to type in the Homegroup password and select the files that you wish to share.

After you have joined the Homegroup, you can add any file to the shared libraries and share them with other users; you can also make some or all of your files read-only, so other users can view them, but can’t make any changes. The Homegroup will also appear in your Windows Explorer left pane, so you can access all the shared items with a few mouse clicks.

However, the Homegroup feature works only if all the networked computers run Windows 7; if any of your machines is running Windows XP or Vista, you can still network them and share your files and documents, but the process isn’t as easy and requires more effort to set up.

Windows 7 is packing some new and exciting features, which will make your life easier and save you a lot of time and effort and below are listed the top five Windows 7 features that are available in all editions:

1. Windows 7 taskbar – the new Windows taskbar is all about convenience. Many of us are so used to working with multiple windows that right up to now we had to close a dozen of them in order to find the one that we want to use. Well, not any more. The new Windows 7 taskbar lets you navigate through all your open windows just by hovering your mouse over their taskbar icons; and that is not all: if you have multiple tabs open in a program such as Internet Explorer, you can get a quick preview of all the open tubs – hover your mouse over the IE icon and you will see thumbnails of each one of them.

Aero peek: hover over the thumbnail and the full-size window will come to the foreground, click on the thumbnail if you want to start working with that window.

Jump lists: right clicking on one of the active taskbar icons will present you with more options, specific to the particular application; right clicking on the Word icon will give you a quick access to your most recently edited documents, right clicking on the IE icon will give you quick access to your frequently visited sites, etc.

2. Windows 7 libraries – the libraries let you organize similar files and the new part is that you don’t have to move your files to the same folder, the files in a library can reside in different folders on your hard drive, but they are conveniently grouped in a library for an easy access. You can create new libraries or delete old ones, add and remove folders, and share your libraries with other users in your Windows 7 Home Group.

3. Start button search functionality – this feature has been designed to save you a lot of time, no matter what you search for, try typing it in the start button search and you are likely to find it. This is an excellent way to access some not-so-easy-to-find Control Panel features; type “set time” in the search button field and you will get quick access to all the tasks that you might want to perform.

4. Aero snap – another great feature that allows you to work with open windows easily. This is extremely useful when you want to compare or work with two documents side by side. Drag the one window to the left side of your screen, drag the second window to the right side of your screen and they will get automatically aligned next to each other, giving you perfect view of both windows.

5. Windows 7 homegroup – extremely useful feature, providing that you have computers that run Windows 7; then you can easily create or join a homegroup and instantly share your documents, pictures, files and printers. Homegroups are password protected for better security and just like with the previous operating systems from Microsoft, you can make some or all of your shared files read-only so they don’t get accidentally deleted or edited by other member of your homegroup.

It might come as a surprise to many, but there is no bundled email program in Windows 7, which leaves you quite a few options: you can use web-base email such as yahoo, g-mail, or hotmail, or you can download one of the many free email clients available. In fact, Microsoft provides an excellent e-mail client, Windows Live mail, which allows you to access all your different e-mails accounts from a single program.

Windows Live is available for download for free: simply click on the start button of your Windows desktop and type “essentials,” then click on the “Go online to get Windows Live essentials” link. Once the web page opens in your browser, click the Download button and save the setup file in a folder of your choice. Launch the installation file and choose which of the available free programs you wish to install on your computer; you can install Windows Live Mail, Messenger, Movie Maker, and a few other utilities and tools. The installation is pretty straightforward and once you have Windows Live Mail on your PC, you can import your Outlook Express account settings, and configure the program to access your Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo accounts as well.

Instead of using Windows Live Mail, you can download and install any of the full-featured and free email programs that work with Windows 7 such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Eudora, IncediMail, or Opera Mial. All these programs come with features and security settings that will help you stay in touch with your friends and colleagues, get less spam in your inbox, read, delete, archive, and sort your messages and perform any other operation that you can expect from similar e-mail programs.