Windows 7 For Dummies
Overview
The perfect plain-English guide to the much-anticipated release of Windows 7
Whether you're new to computers or just eager to start using the newest version of Windows, Windows For Dummies, Enhanced Edition answers all your questions about the changes and new tools in Windows 7, enhanced with detailed video tutorials. Windows expert Andy Rathbone walks you step by step through the most common Windows 7 tasks, including managing files, applications, media, and Internet access. You’ll learn how to navigate the interface, customize the desktop, and work with the file system. You’ll then go deeper into the system, discovering new features and improvements, and finding tips and techniques for getting the most out of Windows 7.
- Covers basic management of applications,
files, and data; creating and printing documents; setting up an Internet connection and e-mail account; and online security
Windows 7 For Dummies, Enhanced Edition will have you up and running on the newest version of Windows quickly and easily.
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About The Author
Andy Rathbone has written all previous editions of Windows For Dummies, the bestselling computer reference book of all time. Andy's helpful tips and easy-to-understand directions have helped millions of people run Windows on their home and business computers.
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windows 7 for dummies
CHEAT SHEET
Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest version of the Windows operating system, has all the familiar boxes, windows, and mouse pointers as its predecessors. But Windows 7 also has some new features to explore. This cheat sheet of timesaving tips and advice makes using this new version easy. Get to know required hardware, how to protect your work effectively, and some cool keyboard shortcuts to get that job done faster — and with fewer hassles.
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Windows 10
Closing the laptop’s lid means that you’re through working, but for how long? Are you done for the day, or are you coming back after lunch. Windows 7 lets you control exactly what happens when you close the lid of your laptop so that you don't have to be stuck with your laptop always going into Shut Down anymore.
Windows 10
When you know you need help, but you're not sure what the best kind of help is, try exploring Windows 7's Help and Support Center. For Windows 7, Microsoft has expanded the Help and Support Center coverage with more tables, charts, updated information from the Web, and step-by-step instructions for you to follow.
As with Windows Vista and Windows XP, the blue Start button in the bottom-left corner can lead you to just about anywhere on a PC. Although the Windows 7 Start Menu is similar to previous versions, there are some differences that you’ll want to get to know.
Click the Start button once, and a stack of menus pops out.
Many people are dragged into using Windows 7 without a choice because their new computers probably came with Windows 7 installed. Working in Windows 7 isn't so hard if you consider the helpful hints in this list. You'll save time and prevent a headache or two!
Don’t know what a certain button does in a program?
In Windows 7 you can use the Computer window to check the status of all the storage areas on your computer. You can also use the Computer window as a launching point to access your libraries, homegroups, networks, as well as key locations on your hard drive like your favorites list.
Windows can display its Computer window in many ways.
Windows 10
If any of the computers in your house or small office use Windows XP or Vista, you have to change some settings in order for these older PCs recognize your Windows 7 PCs on a network. In order to get all your PCs working together, you’ll need to create a traditional network and then change the way the PCs look for each other.
Just as you can install and uninstall programs, you can add or remove parts of Windows 7 to suit your needs. Thanks to a few lawsuits, Windows 7 gives your much more control over what Windows applications you can remove than previous versions. For example, if you only want to use iTunes for you media files, you can remove the Media Player.
Windows 10
You can automatically adjust photos using Windows Live Photo Gallery with Windows 7. Windows 7’s free Windows Live Photo Gallery feature allows you to fix such common mistakes as tilted horizons, red eyes from flash photos, washed out colors, or photos that need some cropping to bring out details. If you're not sure where to begin, you can sit back and let the Windows Live Photo Gallery Auto Adjust feature do the work for you.
Windows 10
Windows 10
To jazz up your desktop, Windows 7 covers it with pretty pictures known as a background. (Most people refer to the background as wallpaper.) You can easily change the desktop background in Windows 7 to let your own personality shine through.
Right-click a blank part of the desktop and choose Personalize.
The Control Panel’s Personalization pane appears.
Windows 10
Normally, a press of a PC’s power button turns off the computer, whether or not Windows 7 is ready. To avoid confusing Windows 7 with an unexpected shutdown, consider changing the way your power button behaves in so that it doesn’t turn off your PC at all. By changing the power button to either sleep or hibernate, you are power down the computer faster while still protecting your files.
In Windows-speak, a desktop theme is simply a collection of settings that control the way Windows looks and sounds. When you choose a desktop theme in Windows 7, you could be changing the desktop background, the look of icons, and the Windows color scheme all at once.
To try one of Windows 7’s built-in themes, right-click your desktop and choose Personalize.
Windows 10
Windows 7 can’t directly upgrade a PC running Windows XP, which complicates things for Windows XP owners. To upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, known as a “clean install,” follow these steps.
Run Windows Easy Transfer on your Windows XP PC.
The free Windows Easy Transfer lives in the SupportMigwiz on your Windows 7 DVD.
Windows 10
Wireless hotspots are places where one or more wireless networks are available for the general public to use, such as a library or coffee shop. It's easy to connect to a wireless hotspot with Windows 7 because the software constantly looks for a working Internet connection.
If Windows 7 finds a hotspot, it sends the information to Internet Explorer and you're good to go.
Windows 10
Windows 10
Not only is the Pictures Library in Windows 7 the best place to view your photos. it's also a great starting point for copying photos to a CD or DVD. CDs and DVDs are great ways to share your memories with friends and family, and in Windows 7, they're simple to create.
If you want to back up all your digital photos, you're better off using the Windows 7’s backup program.
Windows 10
Windows 7 dumped the handy movie-editing program that came with Windows XP and Windows Vista; however, you can still create digital movies using the Windows Live Essentials pack.
Although Windows Live Movie Maker can help you to create a complete, edited digital movie, it is not as capable as the Movie Maker program that came with previous versions of windows.
Windows 10
You can use Windows Live Photo Gallery to crop your photos. When you look through your photos you might find that there is something in the photo that distracts from the image or that the focal point simply gets lost in the image. Cropping can solve both of those problems, letting you remove a photo’s bad parts and enhance the good.
Windows 10
Windows 10
Windows 7 has seriously toned down the User Account Control (UAC) — the annoying security feature in Vista that perpetually popped up asking whether you're sure you want to do something. You can now customize the UAC's warning level to match your comfort level, from paranoid to relaxed.
Remember: By lowering the warning level of the UAC, you're leaving your PC more vulnerable to the dark forces of computing.
The Windows 7 search feature is a wonder compared to its predecessors. You can even customize Windows 7’s default search settings to fine-tune the results you get. These changes can speed up the process or make the search more thorough than before.
Most users want and need the default search settings. Although it’s easy to change the search settings, there are consequences to any changes you make.
Microsoft has made huge changes to the Windows 7 taskbar. It also has made it possible for you to customize many of the options and settings on the Windows 7 taskbar. You can move icons where you want, change the way the bar behaves, add toolbars, and pin any icon you want on it.
The taskbar comes preloaded with three icons next to the Start menu: Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, and Media Player.
Windows 10
Not only has Windows 7 changed its photo viewing and organizing features, it has also changed the way you import images from a camera. Now when you transfer images from your camera, Windows asks you to take the opportunity to go ahead and add the tagging information.
Most digital cameras come with software for transferring images to your PC.
Windows 10
Before you can begin creating your digital movie spectacular, you need to import the video files from your video camera. And if you want to use the video files with Windows Live Movie Maker, for some reason, Windows 7 requires you to first import them into Windows Live Photo Gallery.
Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Movie Maker don't come installed on Windows 7.
Windows 10
Windows 10
Your computer keyboard has plenty of keys, but eventually you’ll need a special character that isn't there. That's when you can turn to Windows’ built-in Character Map program. An old standby, Character Map has been included with every version of Windows for 20 years.
Perhaps you want to add the French word voilà to an e-mail.
Windows 7 is particularly adept at networking. Installing a wired network in Windows 7 is easier than ever before. In fact, Windows 7 was designed with the expectation that everyone would want to be on a network and so it does most of the work for you, as long as you’ve connected everything properly.
Before you start, you'll need a router, network adapters (if they aren't already built into the computers), and the necessary cables to connect each computer to the router.
Unlike most network connections, joining a Homegroup in Windows 7 is quick and painless. Windows 7 added the new Homegroup feature to streamline the networking process and provide a simple way to let every PC in the house share files, including music, photos, and movies, and even the household or office printer.
Windows 10
These days almost every home has a computer network. But if one of the PCs in your home uses Windows XP, you need to change the WORKGROUP name in order to let your Windows 7 PC recognize the Windows XP PCs on the home network.
In order for PCs to find each other, they all have to have to be in the same workgroup.
Windows 10
Many programmers design their software to run on a specific version of Windows. When a new Windows version appears a few years later, some older programs aren't compatible and refuse to work. If an older game or other program refuses to run under Windows 7, there’s still hope because of Windows 7’s secret compatibility mode.
Windows 10
Take control of your Windows Media Player 12 experience by managing its library. Media Player 12 automatically sorts through your libraries’ stash of digital music, pictures, videos, and recorded TV shows, automatically cataloging everything into Media Player’s own library.
Windows Media Player 12 was built for Windows 7 and isn't compatible with earlier versions of Windows.
Windows 10
If you installed an older Vista (or Windows XP) program and it told you that it was putting an icon on the Quick Launch toolbar, you can track down that program’s icon and move it to the new and improved Windows 7 Taskbar. Part of the Windows 7 redesign is to have the taskbar as your primary quick launch location for your programs.
Windows 10
If you have a lot of applications open on your Windows 7 desktop, it can sometimes be difficult to find and view the one you want. But once you get the hang of some of Windows 7's desktop navigation features, such as Flip 3D and side-by-side comparisons, you'll find yourself getting more done more quickly than before.
Windows 10
Part of the Windows 7 redesign is to have the taskbar as your primary quick launch location for your programs. But you don’t have to leave it that way. You can pin taskbar items back to the Start menu if you prefer to launch your programs, files, or folders from there.
Normally to pin an item on the taskbar, you just need to right-click the program’s icon and choose Pin to the Start Menu, but this option is missing when you right-click a taskbar icon.
All printer models and Windows 7 applications print documents in the same general way. Simply sending a document to the printer is quick and easy, but if you need to change a document's page setup - such as adding headers or footers, rotating the page orientation, or changing the paper size - it takes a few extra steps .
Sooner or later, you'll want to restore the default settings for a Windows 7 feature. If you want to return to the way things were before you started messing around with them, you'll need to know how to find the Restore Default buttons, which are strategically placed throughout Windows 7.
Customizing Windows 7 so that it works best with you and your lifestyle is what it’s all about.
Windows 10
It's a painful truth: Your Windows 7 computer's hard drive will eventually die. If you haven't backed up your files when it dies, everything will disappear for good. Fortunately, Windows 7 has a backup program that is simple, runs automatically, and copies your data for safekeeping. This video show you how to schedule regular backups to keep your information safe.
The easiest way to set up a network for sharing files and devices is to use the new Homegroup feature in Windows 7. Setting up a Homegroup in Windows 7 streamlines the network creation process and provides a simple way to let every PC in the house share files, including music, photos, and movies, and even the household or office printer.
Windows 10
Audio Transcript
If you want the freedom to work anywhere in your house, you need to go wireless. Here's how you set up your own wireless home network.
First, buy a router with built-in wireless, that's how most of today's routers are built, so that's not much of a problem. Then you need to set up the wireless router to start broadcasting and receiving information to and from your own PC.
Windows 10
Both Windows Vista and Windows 7 love slick graphics, but all those smooth edges, dimensional effects, and fancy colors can bog down a laptop or an older PC. Follow these steps to speed up Windows 7.
The process involves striping away the eye-candy, but the result will be a much faster and more efficient Windows experience.
Windows 10
One of the best new photo-editing features in the Windows Live Photo Gallery is the Straighten Photo tool. You can use the Straighten Photo tool in Windows 7's Windows Live Photo Gallery to compensate for those times when the horizon in a photo tilts to one side.
After all, when focusing on a squirrel scurrying up the pine tree, few people remember mundane tasks like keeping the horizon exactly straight in the viewfinder.
Windows 10
In Windows 7, Windows Media Player 12 automatically looks for movies, music, and images in particular places and compiles libraries of your media. If you don't keep your media in one of those places, you need to tell Windows Media Player where else it should look. This video shows you how.
Windows 10
Aero Peek is one of the new desktop enhancements in Windows 7; it's part of what makes Windows 7 look and feel different. But you do have the ability to turn off the Aero Peek feature in Windows 7 if you just can't get used to the change or if your computer seems to be having a hard time keeping up with its graphics requirements.
Windows 10
Unlike Media Player 11, Windows Media Player 12 no longer offers an advanced editor to allow you to update and correct song tags. Instead, the player edits them for you automatically from an online database. That’s all well and good when it gets it right, but there are many times when Windows Media Player 12 lists incorrect tags for your files or simply can’t find the right info.
Windows 10
New computers today come with Windows 7 preinstalled — it’s practically unavoidable. On the other hand, if you’re upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7, you’ve got it easy: upgrading to Windows 7 is a snap. Just insert the DVD, and Windows 7 replaces Windows Vista, leaving all your files and programs intact.
Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 can be a chore. Windows 7 will not automatically upgrade from XP, which means that you have to uninstall Windows XP before you can install Windows 7. And yes, that’s just about as scary as it sounds.
Moving to Windows 7 from Windows XP is a one-way street — you can’t return to your old version of Windows.
Windows 7 includes several "gesture" features that can save you a lot of time. One that’s gotten a lot of buzz is the Aero Shake. You can use the Aero Shake feature in Windows 7 to keep your desktop workspace clutter free.
Imagine this scenario; say you’re doing a research project. You’ve got a Word document that you’re creating and an Excel document open for data.
Windows 10
The biggest change in the way you use Windows has got to be the new Windows 7 taskbar. Windows 7 has made big changes to the taskbar that runs along the bottom of the screen. Microsoft completely redesigned it to streamline your work flow and make it easier than ever to access your favorite programs. You can now access more programs than ever with a single click.
Windows 10
Windows 10
Windows 7 offers a quick way for laptop owners to see the things that most affect their little PC’s on-the-go lifestyle. You can use the Mobility Center as a one-stop shop for tweaking your laptop’s main settings: adjusting brightness, changing the sound volume, saving battery power, connecting to wireless networks, and setting up external displays or projectors.
Windows 10
Windows 7 uses the new Pictures Library feature to store and organize the photos across your entire network. You can use the Pictures Library to play a slide show in Windows 7. You can choose to let the slideshow run through your entire library or limit the show to just a select set of images.
The Windows 7 Pictures Library offers a basic slideshow that is very easy to create.
Your first glimpse of Windows 7 is the Windows logon screen. From here, you can log on to Windows 7 as a Guest or Administrator, change accessibility settings if you or someone else has a physical impairment, or turn off or restart your computer. The Windows 7 logon screen can also be used as a security gateway if you're away from the computer for a while.
Windows 10
In Windows 7, Windows Media Player 12 can act just like a DVD player, letting you watch movies on disc, view videos that you've downloaded from the Internet, and enjoy videos that stream from the Internet directly to Windows Media Player. This video shows you a few Windows Media Player tricks to make it work the way you want it to.
While working in Windows 7, you may end up with a screen overflowing with open windows. Organize those open windows in Windows 7 by using the hints in this table:
To Do This . . .
Do This . . .
See a list of all open windows
Look at the names on the taskbar along the screen’s
bottom.
Move from one window to another window
Press Alt+Tab+Tab or click the window’s name on the
taskbar.
Windows 7 is powerful software and it requires equal power from the PC it runs on. If the PC doesn't meet requirements for Windows 7, it won't run the software very well. See how the hardware stacks up by visiting the Windows Welcome Center: Click Start, right-click Computer, and choose Properties. Look in the window’s System area to see its hardware stats.
Protect yourself in Windows 7 by practicing safe computing —after all, the best defense is often a good offense. Consider these safe-computing tips:
Windows comes with a built-in antispyware program, Windows Defender, but no antivirus program. You need to buy your own program and pay its subscription fees so that it will keep recognizing the latest viruses.
Windows 10
In Windows 7, one of the best tools for avoiding and removing spyware and viruses from your PC is Windows Defender. However, Microsoft made the Windows Defender program a bit harder to find in Windows 7.
If your computer gets infected with junk like spyware and viruses, you'll run into problems that range from glitches in your system and slow operating speeds to privacy invasion, altering your home page, and even accessing your computer to use it to attack another.
If you’re running Windows 7 for the first time, click the Start button and click Getting Started to visit the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center covers just about everything you need to get Windows 7 up and running the way you want it. You can work your way through the following buttons to customize your PC:
Go Online to Find Out What’s New in Windows 7: This button takes you online to a variety of tutorial videos that introduce you to the new features in Windows 7.
Windows XP had two versions: home and business. Windows Vista split into five different versions. Windows 7 boasts six different versions, but the versions are much easier to figure out.
Each version of Windows 7 is slightly different and offers different options. The vast majority of consumers will choose Windows 7 Home Premium, and most businesses will choose Windows 7 Professional.
Windows 10
Windows 10
Windows 7 contains several features that help people with different levels of physical impairment use Windows. For example, you can use the Ease of Access features to improve the display for the visually impaired, including everything from magnifying the text to using a Narrator to read the onscreen text aloud.
Windows 10
Your Pictures Library is easily the best place to store and view your digital images in Windows 7. When Windows 7 imports your digital camera’s photos, it automatically loads them into the Pictures Library to take advantage of that folder’s built-in viewing tools.
Located on the Start menu’s right side, the Pictures Library allows you to view and work with any of the pictures on your PC or network.
If you bought your PC between 2001 and 2006, you’ve probably grown accustomed to the mechanics of Windows XP. But Microsoft releases a new version of Windows every few years. That leaves the nagging question, why bother upgrading to Windows 7 when Windows XP works just fine?
Microsoft, of course, hopes that everybody will immediately switch to Windows 7.
Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest version of the Windows operating system, has all the familiar boxes, windows, and mouse pointers as its predecessors. But Windows 7 also has some new features to explore. This cheat sheet of timesaving tips and advice makes using this new version easy. Get to know required hardware, how to protect your work effectively, and some cool keyboard shortcuts to get that job done faster — and with fewer hassles.
Setting up the Parental Controls feature in Windows 7 is a bit different than it was in Windows Vista, in part because the new parental controls interface is nowhere near as comprehensive as it used to be. You can, however, still use this feature to control most of how and when people can access the computer, as well as the Internet.
Windows 10
Windows 10
To create, edit, and view digital movies in Windows 7, you must download Windows Live Movie Maker. Windows Live Movie Maker — a stripped-down version of the movie-editing program that came with XP and Vista — works best for creating short videos.
Download Movie Maker from Microsoft's Live Essentials Web page. You also need Windows Live Photo Gallery to import the movies from your camcorder.
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