Features of windows 7
Problem Step Recorder (PSR) :
As the local PC guru you're probably very
used to friends and family asking for help with their computer problems, yet
having no idea how to clearly describe what's going on. It's frustrating, but Microsoft
feels your pain, and Windows 7 will include an excellent new solution in the
Problem Steps Recorder.
When any app starts misbehaving under Windows
7 then all your friends need do is click Start, type PSR and press Enter, then
click Start Record. If they then work through whatever they're doing then the
Problem Steps Recorder will record every click and key press, take screen
grabs, and package everything up into a single zipped MHTML file when they're
finished, ready for emailing to you. It's quick, easy and effective, and will
save you hours of troubleshooting time.
Burn images
Windows 7 finally introduces a feature that
other operating systems have had for years - the ability to burn ISO images to
CDs or DVDs. And it couldn't be much easier to use. Just double-click the ISO
image, choose the drive with the blank disc, click Burn and watch as your disc
is created.
Calculate more
At first glance the Windows 7 calculator
looks just like Vista's version, but explore the Mode menu and you'll see
powerful new Statistics and Programmer views. And if you're clueless about
bitwise manipulation, then try the Options menu instead. This offers many
different unit conversions (length, weight, volume and more), date calculations
(how many days between two dates?), and spreadsheet-type templates to help you
calculate vehicle mileage, mortgage rates and more. Don't take any Windows 7
applet at face value, then - there are some very powerful new features hidden
in the background. Be sure to explore every option in all Windows applets to
ensure you don't miss anything important.
Explore God Mode
Windows 7 has changed Control Panel a little,
but it's still too difficult to locate all the applets and options that you
might need. God Mode, however, while not being particularly godlike, does offer
an easier way to access everything you could want from a single folder.
To try this out, create a new folder and
rename it to:
GodMode
.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
The first part, "GodMode" will be
the folder name. The extension, ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C, must be
entered exactly as it is here, though, including the curly brackets. When you
press [Enter] this part of the name will disappear, and double-clicking the new
folder will display shortcuts to functions in the Action Centre, the Network
and Sharing Centre, Power options, troubleshooting tools, user accounts and
others - more than 260 options in total.
Desktop slideshow
Windows 7 comes with some very attractive new
wallpaper, and it's not always easy to decide which one you like the best. So
why not let choose a few, and let Windows display them all in a desktop
slideshow? Right-click an empty part of the desktop, select Personalise >
Desktop Background, then hold down Ctrl as you click on the images you like.
Choose how often you'd like the images to be changed (anything from daily to
once every 10 seconds), select Shuffle if you'd like the backgrounds to appear
in a random order, and then click Save Changes and enjoy the show.
Minimize quickly with shake
If you have multiple windows open on your
desktop and things are getting too cluttered, it used to be a time-consuming
process to close them all down. In Windows 7 you can use the Aero Shake feature
to minimize everything in seconds, using a cool mouse gesture. Grab the title
bar of the window you wish to keep open and give it a shake, and rejoice in a
clear desktop area.
Protect your data
If you have confidential files in a
particular folder or two, and would like to keep them away from other network
users, then right-click the folder, select Share With > Nobody, and they'll
be made private, for your eyes only (or your user account, anyway).