How To Make Vista Run Like Windows 7

Chapter 1. Installing Windows 7

Windows 7 is Microsoft's latest version of its Windows operating organization. Unlike its predecessor, Vista, Windows 7 offers incremental upgrades and is aimed at ensuring maximum compatibility with applications and hardware already supported in Vista. As mentioned in the Preface, Microsoft's central calendar regarding Windows seven is to lure back many of the Windows XP users who skipped Vista.

Windows vii offers significant performance improvements over its predecessors—most notably Windows Vista and Windows XP. It is still based on the Vista kernel, just comes with substantial operation improvements and a redesigned Windows shell, a new taskbar, and a less-abrasive User Business relationship Control (UAC) organisation. There are also improvements in networking, in item the introduction of a dwelling network organisation known as HomeGroup .

This chapter kickoff walks you through the different versions of Windows 7 available, followed by an overview of the installation process. We will then take a look at some of the new features in Windows 7 before we become into them in detail in subsequent chapters.

Versions of Windows seven

With Windows Vista, Microsoft released multiple editions of its operating organisation with the intention of targeting different segments of its user base of operations with different features at unlike toll points. However, this approach wasn't well received, as it confused the market; many users urged Microsoft to come up upwards with 1 simple, all-encompassing version of the operating arrangement.

With Windows seven, Microsoft still has many editions. However, Microsoft is expected to focus its marketing effort on just two editions—Home Premium and Professional—only every bit it did with Windows XP. Here is a list of the available editions, in ascending order, from least to most avant-garde:

Starter Edition

A lightweight edition for netbook computers. Netbooks are depression-powered computers specifically designed for lightweight tasks such every bit web browsing and emailing. In this edition, Windows 7 will lack more than advanced features such as Media Center, Aero Drinking glass, fast user switching, multiple-monitor support, DVD playback, and multitouch support. This edition is geared toward replacing Windows XP on cheap computers such equally netbooks, a marketplace that is currently dominated by Windows XP. This edition will likely be bachelor only as a preinstallation past OEMs.

Home Basic

This edition is designated for emerging markets only; it is for customers who are looking for an cheap entry-level Windows experience (limited Aero support, no features such as Windows Media Center or multitouch support).

Habitation Premium

This edition is designed for habitation users and will include features like Media Center, multitouch support, the Aero Glass UI, and so on.

Professional

This edition is designed for abode workers and minor businesses, and volition include features similar avant-garde network backup and the Encrypting File System.

Enterprise

Includes everything that Professional includes and adds BitLocker protection. It will have the option to encrypt USB flash drives and external hard disks. It also includes DirectAccess, which allows remote workers to access a company network securely without using a VPN, and federated search.

Ultimate

Includes all the features available in Windows seven.

Note

Windows 7 Ultimate edition is actually the same as the Enterprise edition. The key deviation is that the Enterprise edition will be sold through volume licensing to companies, as well as through the Software Assurance program. The Ultimate edition, nevertheless, volition be available to retail customers.

One primal affair to annotation about the different editions of Windows seven is that each higher edition is a superset of its lower edition. That is, all the features available in Starter Edition will exist available on the Home Basic edition, and the Dwelling Premium edition will include all the features of Home Basic, and and then on. This is unlike from Vista, where Media Center was included in the Home Premium edition just non available in the Business organization edition.

Though there are six unlike editions of Windows 7, Microsoft will focus its marketing endeavor on just the Dwelling Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions. This is very like to Windows XP, in which you have just ii main editions—Home and Professional. As a quick rule of thumb, Windows 7 Abode Premium is targeted at consumers and Professional person is targeted at minor businesses.

System Requirements

If yous are currently running Windows Vista, the good news is that you lot are set up for Windows 7. Tests performed by diverse parties accept consistently confirmed that Windows 7 outperformed Windows Vista on a similar hardware configuration.

If you are coming from previous versions of Windows (pre-Vista), take note of the following suggested hardware requirements:

• ane GHz or faster 32-bit or 64-bit processor

• 1 GB RAM (for 32-bit) or ii GB RAM (for 64-fleck)

• 16 GB of bachelor deejay space (for 32-bit) or xx GB of available disk space (for 64-bit)

• DirectX 9 graphics device with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher (for Aero—the graphical user interface and default theme in most editions of Windows vii)

Note

Though it is suggested that you have at least i GB of RAM, Windows 7 runs perfectly on my old trusty Dell Inspiron 5150 notebook (a 3 GHz Pentium iv processor with 640 MB of RAM). The suggested requirements are necessary to experience all the features of Windows 7 (such every bit Aero Glass effects), only Windows 7 volition nevertheless role on bottom hardware.

Installing Windows vii

If y'all are currently running Windows Vista (with Service Pack 1), you lot tin can upgrade to Windows 7 direct from within Vista. Windows XP users will demand to install a fresh copy of Windows vii.

Effigy 1-1. Utilise Windows Easy Transfer to migrate your Windows XP settings to Windows vii

The following steps volition walk you through the process of installing Windows 7 on a fresh computer.

Installing Windows 7 is straightforward—if yous're doing a clean install, just boot up your calculator with the Windows vii installation DVD inside the DVD drive and instruct your computer to kicking from the DVD (you may need to printing a key, such as F11 or F12, while the computer is starting to enter the boot selection screen). If y'all're upgrading, simply kick into Windows Vista, insert the disc, and run the installer (if you are using Windows XP, encounter the previous sidebar ).

When the installer has booted upward, you lot will be greeted with the screen shown in Figure 1-2 (the upgrade screen is slightly different; you will have an option to check the compatibility of your organisation or start the installation). Yous will be asked to select the language to install, the time and currency format, and your keyboard type.

Effigy 1-ii. Installing Windows 7: the commencement step

With the selections made, you can now install Windows 7 by clicking the "Install now" button (see Effigy 1-three).

You will exist asked to accept the license agreement. (If you are upgrading, you'll first accept the selection to go online to go any updates to the installer beginning.) Cheque the licensing checkbox and continue.

Effigy 1-3. Click the "Install now" button to start the Windows vii installation process

On the next screen, you lot take a choice between upgrading your existing Windows or installing a fresh copy of Windows. If you are using Windows XP or before, the first selection volition non work for you—select the Custom (advanced) pick (see Figure one-4).

Figure one-four. Two ways to install Windows 7—upgrade or fresh installation

Note

You tin upgrade from Windows Vista only if yous run the installer from within Windows Vista. If you practice a fresh boot using the Windows 7 installation disc, you will non exist able to upgrade (you will be asked to rerun the installation from within Windows).

For a fresh installation, you lot will exist asked to select a disk for installing Windows seven. Select the appropriate disk and click Next (run into Effigy i-5). If you are upgrading, the Windows vii installer will generate a compatibility report and save information technology to your desktop.

Figure 1-5. Selecting the disk for installing Windows 7

Warning

If you lot are doing a clean install via the Custom (advanced) option, be certain to back up any important data yous have previously saved on your difficult bulldoze before starting the installation. Installing Windows seven will wipe out all previous information.

Windows volition now take some time to re-create all the files into the selected deejay and proceed with the installation (see Effigy 1-6). This will take nigh 20–30 minutes, depending on the speed of your reckoner.

Figure 1-half dozen. Windows 7 proceeding with the installation

When the installation is complete, Windows 7 will restart. After Windows 7 has been restarted, you should see the screen shown in Figure 1-seven. Provide a username; your computer name will exist created based on what you lot have entered (you can change information technology to another name if you want to after the installation). Click Side by side.

Figure one-7. Providing a username for your account

Y'all volition exist asked to enter a password to protect your user business relationship. Y'all are strongly advised to provide one. In the next screen, you will exist asked to enter a product key to activate Windows seven.

Y'all will also be asked to select a way to update Windows. I advise that you select the get-go option, "Employ recommended settings"; meet Figure 1-viii.

Figure 1-eight. Selecting a way to update Windows

Next, y'all will ready the current date and fourth dimension, and finally, if your computer has a network card, Windows vii will prompt you to select your current location (encounter Figure 1-9; wireless network users will be asked to select a wireless network to connect to). Choose a location that best describes the environment you are in.

That's it! Yous are at present ready to explore Windows 7 (encounter Figure i-ten).

What's New in Windows 7

The showtime time yous ability upwardly Windows 7, you lot may feel a sense of déjà vu—information technology looks very similar to Windows Vista. However, behind the familiar UI lies a more powerful and versatile operating organisation. Subsequent chapters volition embrace some of the new features in more particular, just here are some of the most prominent new features in Windows 7.

Figure 1-9. Select your computer'southward current location

Effigy 1-ten. You are now gear up to explore Windows seven

Touchscreen support

Windows 7 is designed with touchscreen back up, specially multitouch, in mind. At the time of this writing, companies like Dell and HP were shipping touchscreen computers that work with Windows 7'south multitouch. As touchscreen computers are still not common, this book will not hash out the touch capability of Windows 7.

But in case you're interested, to demonstrate the power of touch in Windows seven, Microsoft has created the Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7. The Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 is a collection of vi applications that are optimized for affect interactions. It consists of iii games and three Microsoft Surface applications that have been recreated for Windows 7. These applications are:

Microsoft Surface Globe

Displays a 3D earth with which you tin can interact using—what else?—your easily.

Microsoft Surface Collage

Manages your digital photos; you can resize and rearrange them.

Microsoft Surface Lagoon

A screensaver that you can interact with through multitouch.

Microsoft Blackboard

A game utilizing physics where you can utilize gestures to rotate gears, fans, seesaws, and other objects.

Microsoft Rebound

A ball game in which you tin play confronting another user or the computer.

Microsoft Garden Pond

Another interactive game where y'all use touch to place objects in a virtual pond.

Notation

The Microsoft Bear upon Pack for Windows 7will be made bachelor first to OEMs aircraft touch-enabled PCs, although Microsoft may make information technology bachelor to stop users.

New taskbar

Perhaps the most outstanding feature in Windows 7 is the new taskbar. The quick-launch expanse that almost Windows XP and Vista users are then used to is now gone. In identify of it is the power to pivot your applications icons in the taskbar for easy access, regardless of whether the application is itself running.

Note

Sadly, the classic First menu has too been disabled in Windows 7. Hopefully, Microsoft volition turn it dorsum on in a futurity service pack, or adamant hackers volition find a mode to supplant it.

Effigy 1-11 shows the new taskbar in Windows 7 with several application icons in it. On the left is the Start menu button, followed by Net Explorer 8 (IE8), Windows Explorer, and Windows Media Player.

Effigy 1-11. The new taskbar in Windows 7

By default, the taskbar in Windows 7 has iii applications pinned to it—IE8, Windows Explorer, and Windows Media Player. As these applications are used ofttimes, they are given permanent spots in the taskbar (for more information virtually pinning, see the department Pinning Applications to the Taskbar). As you can see in Figure i-eleven, the Media Histrion application does not have the rectangular border effectually it—this signifies that the application is non running currently. Adjacent to the Windows Media Role player icon are: Paint, Notepad (also not currently running), and Word.

New Show desktop shortcut

In the taskbar is another push button known equally the Testify desktop shortcut. The Show desktop shortcut is the button on the farthermost right of the taskbar (see Figure 1-12).

Effigy 1-12. The Testify desktop shortcut push button

Positioning the mouse over this push button volition make all the current windows transparent (this feature requires an Aero-capable video card and an edition of Windows vii that supports Aero), revealing the desktop (known as "peeking at the desktop"; see Figure one-13).

Note

You can disable the "peeking at the desktop" feature past correct-clicking the Show desktop shortcut button and unchecking the Peek at Desktop particular.

Clicking this push button minimizes all opened windows and shows the desktop.

Figure one-xiii. Peeking at the desktop in activity

Aero Peek, Aero Milkshake, and Aero Snap

Another cool new characteristic in Windows 7 is Aero Peek . Aero Peek displays live previews of active applications when you motion the mouse over the application icon in the taskbar. Figure one-14 shows Aero Peek in action when the mouse hovers over the IE icon in the taskbar.

Effigy 1-14. Aero Peek in activity

Note

Aero Peek requires an Aero-capable video card and a Windows seven edition that supports Aero. Aero Shake and Aero Snap will work on any Windows 7 system.

Windows displays the live previews of all running instances of IE. When the mouse hovers over one of the live previews, the selected window appears, and the rest of the windows turn transparent. To select the window, simply click the alive preview.

Note

When an application has too many open windows, the championship of each window will be displayed in a list instead of live preview thumbnails.

Aero Shake allows users to quickly minimize all nonactive windows by "shaking" the electric current active window. To run across Aero Shake in action, open up a few windows, click the title bar of one window, and utilize the mouse to "shake" the application. You will notice that all other windows will now exist minimized, leaving the current window. To get all the other windows dorsum to their respective states, perform the same shaking action again and they should at present all appear again.

Another very useful UI feature in Windows vii is Aero Snap . How many times have you tried to adjust multiple windows on your desktop and so that y'all come across the windows side-past-side? In Windows 7, when yous elevate a window to the left side of the screen, the window is automatically docked onto the left of the screen (encounter Figure 1-15), occupying half the screen. As well, when dragged to the right, the window will be docked to the right. When dragged to the top, the window will be maximized. Likewise dragging, Windows seven provides several shortcuts (see Table ane-1) for window management.

Figure i-fifteen. Aero Snap works by docking the window to the sides of the screen

Table i-1. Aero Snap keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts	Descriptions
Windows Key + ↓	Restores/minimizes window
Windows Fundamental + ←	Docks window to left of screen
Windows Fundamental + →	Docks window to right of screen
Windows Key + ↑	Maximizes window
Windows Key + Shift + ←	Moves to left monitor
Windows Key + Shift + →	Moves to correct monitor

Gadgets

Microsoft beginning introduced gadgets in Vista. Gadgets are modest utility applications that "bladder" on your screen, providing quick admission to them. In Windows seven, gadgets are not confined to the sidebar (which itself was docked to one side of your screen in Vista) simply are complimentary to roam about on your desktop (run across Figure 1-sixteen).

Figure 1-xvi. Gadgets can now roam the entire desktop without restrictions

Revised Paint and WordPad Applications

The venerable Paint and WordPad applications (see Effigy 1-17) finally got a revision in Windows 7. This time, both of them were updated to apply the new ribbon interface that was introduced in Office 2007.

Figure 1-17. The Paint and WordPad applications both sport a new ribbon UI

Calculator

Also the Paint and WordPad applications, another longtime built-in Windows awarding has also received some new improvements. The Calculator now has two boosted modes (in improver to the Standard and Scientific modes): Programmer and Statistics (see Effigy 1-18).

Figure ane-18. The Calculator in Developer and Statistics modes

Besides the 2 new modes, the estimator also allows you to perform conversion tasks such equally unit and appointment conversions. It also provides worksheets for you to calculate mortgages, vehicle leases, and fuel economy (meet Effigy one-19).

Figure 1-19. The new worksheets in the Windows 7 Reckoner

Summary

In this chapter, you have seen the various editions of Windows seven and the system requirements that y'all need to satisfy in society to run it. Over the years, Microsoft has streamlined the installation process—and Windows 7 is no exception. Windows vii performs exceedingly well, and stays out of your way cheers to a less naggy UAC. In the following chapters, yous will larn more near each of the new features of Windows 7 and how you can use each of them to your advantage.

Source: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/windows-7-up/9780596806422/ch01.html

Posted by: stottpubbee1972.blogspot.com

Share this post