For those acquainted with Microsoft's Windows Operating System, you're well aware of how vital is to keep your system updated with the latest patches released by Microsoft. As well as steeling you against any security issues, which arise on a regular basis, these updates have been proven to significantly improve the performance of the operating system.

Once a feature that many either casually overlooked or had difficulty managing, Windows Update has gone through a serious redesign since the transition to Windows Vista and the recently unveiled Windows Seven.

Unlike prior versions, this important feature is now accessible through the search bar located in the Start menu.

Once the command "windows update" has been entered in the search bar, the Windows Update window will appear, showing you how streamlined the process has been made. It is now easier to manage and download those updates where required. From the control panel, you can install available updates, manage those already installed, and check for any that were just released.

The new Windows Update manager also enables you to view all of the updates for MS products at once, saving you the time of checking for them individually.

You should usually have questions on what it is you are installing on your computer. If you are uncertain of just what a particular update will do, you can click a link for "more information," that will steer you to a more informative summary of that update's properties.

In the past, the installation of some updates has conflicted with the use of certain applications, which can regularly lead to the instability of your system. Should such a conflict occur, the non compatible update can be removed by simply choosing it from the uninstall window.

For what you need, plenty of the updates will be unnecessary, yet you may still find them included in the list of updates to install. For those updates you don't find mandatory, right-clicking on them will open a window from which you're given option to "Hide updates."

Keeping your Windows Updates current is only one of a number of ways for you to ensure that your system is working properly

Things to Watch For in Windows 7

If you follow computer operating system news, you might have noticed the conversations in some technical circles about Microsoft’s next operating system called Windows 7. This new Windows version is due out in the fourth quarter of 2009 and it includes some interesting and useful features.

It appears that Windows 7 is going to be a good one. At least that is the early consensus from those in the hallowed halls of IT. Windows 7 RC1 (Release Candidate 1) is being put to the test and here are seven (imagine that) things that are liked about this new operating system:

1) Windows 7 Action Center
No, this is not a news desk on your local TV station. This is a centralized location from which management of user security, troubleshooting, and recovery issues can be performed. All of these features were included in prior versions of Microsoft Windows, but you had to go to separate places to get to them. Now, this application brings them all together under one roof. Brought over and expanded from Windows
Vista, this is one improvement that is sure to please.

2) Windows 7 Problem Step Recorder
Have you ever had a problem with your computer that keeps on happening again and again? If you cannot connect remotely to a help desk or other source of support, you cannot accurately describe what is happening. Now, you can use the Problem Step Recorder (PSR) and record all of the screen pictures, keystrokes and mouse clicks and save them into an MHTML (web) document that allows you to send it as a zipped (compressed) file to those who can help you.

3) Windows 7 ISO burner
The term ISO is a name for an image (software capture) that is created for the purpose of distributing software to computers. Mainly used to create CDs, the ISO standard has been around for a while. But in the past, Windows versions did not have a utility that allowed you to burn this directly to a CD or DVD. Now you will find this useful applet included in the operating system right where it needed to be all along.

4) Windows 7 Credential Manager
Ever get tired of managing multiple user names and passwords? The new Credential Manager is better than Windows Vista’s User Accounts applet. It allows for secure storage of passwords and credentials in the Windows Vault that gives you access to other computers, websites, email accounts, etc.

5) Windows 7 Text Tuning and Color Calibration
In your use of Windows, getting things to look right on your monitors can sometimes be a chore. What resolution do you use? What if you want to use a resolution that does not look right on the screen? Now you can adjust that with this Control Panel application. This is particularly helpful if you have more than one monitor, because you can adjust each separately. It actually lets you compare text and colors on your monitor and pick what looks best to you.

6) Windows 7 System Repair Disk
Different Windows versions have included some repair features in the past, but nothing like this. This feature provides a very user friendly graphical interface that allows you to create a CD or DVD that is bootable and contains files that can help you fix problems with your Windows Installation. You can access system recovery options even if you don’t have or can’t find your original Windows installation disc.

7) Windows 7 Backup and Restore
In Windows XP System Restore was perfected. But backup remained limited in its features. In Windows 7, backup features have been greatly improved and combined with restore functions to allow for a better overall experience in these critical areas.

Windows 7 includes many other new and improved features over prior versions of this operating system, but these are 7 of the most commented on by early adopters

About the Author :

Erick Simpson is the Vice President of MSP University. Join MSP University FREE for all things Managed Services: http://www.mspu.us

Incompatible Partition Manager Issues with Windows 7

Windows 7 uses a relatively different disk partitioning mechanism and scheme. One of the typical examples is creation of hidden 200 MB partition to store Recovery Environment files. Hence it becomes crucial that you give specific considerations to compatibility for Windows 7 when using a partition utility. An incompatible partition manager can otherwise cause partition table corruption, rendering your partitions inaccessible. Such situations call for a complete backup or a Partition Recovery Software that can be used to extract the lost data.

The further scenario will help you comprehend such problems in more detail.

Consider you use a Windows 7 Home Edition based computer. Without realizing the potential compatibility issues, you use a third-party partition manager that is not updated enough to be used with Windows 7. After this, you observe few unexpected symptoms such as below:

The drive letter of primary hard disk partition changes
Windows 7 starts in recovery mode but is unable to recover automatically
When you use a Windows 7 boot DVD, you observe that one or more of hard disk partitions show lesser partition size value than actual
You reinstall Windows 7 and observe an undefined hard disk partition. When you activate it, all your hard disk partitions are lost

This is one of the distinctive examples of Windows 7 partition table corruption due to use of incompatible partition manager.

You are recommended to choose Custom installation instead of Clean Windows 7 re-installation. Also, you can use a Windows 7 boot DVD itself to access and then modify the hard disk partitions. The older partition managers might not recognize and properly deal with Windows 7 partition table and corrupt it ultimately. Thus, to prevent such issues, check for the support for Windows 7.

To restore the lost data, use your last backup. However, there can be situations when the backup may either be absent or seem invalid. In such cases, you need a Partition Recovery Software to scan and then recover the lost data. A Partition Recovery application can use a powerful, yet safe, set of scanning algorithms to analyze the lost or corrupted hard disk partitions and avail data recovery.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is an advanced utility that recovers lost, missing or corrupted disk partitions for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, and 2000. The professional Partition Recovery Software has an interactive display that makes the utility easy to recover partition. The tool supports FAT32, VFAT, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems

Windows 7 A Quick Feature Roundup of the New Microsoft Operating System

Eagerly awaited and anticipated by Windows fans around the world, Windows 7 is about to be launched and is full of new features. The Windows operating system is the most widely used computer software in the world, with almost every business, personal computer, laptop and even mobile phone incorporating it into its operations. Notorious for bugs, early systems often caused considerable consternation and much tearing of hair, so the top people at Windows have been working away to smooth out the wrinkles, include new and more user friendly features and generally bring Windows into the 21st Century.

Improved taskbar
The taskbar at the bottom of your screen is used to launch programs and move between them without having to continually open them during your operation. Before, icons were limited to your usual running programs such as Internet Explorer, email and other primary programs. With Windows 7, you will now be able to pin any program to the taskbar so that it is always just one click away, rather than having to search through your C drive to find it. You will also be able to rearrange the icons just by clicking and dragging. The icons themselves have been made larger, making them much easier to use. By moving your cursor over the icon you will be able to see a thumbnail of every file or window open in that particular program, including a full screen preview of that window.

Desktop enhancements
Windows 7 has been specifically designed to make it easier to do repetitive tasks and cut down on the amount of effort it takes. One of the most common problems is having two windows open at once and switching between them. Previously, when you wanted to compare two open windows you had to manually resize your open windows to show them side by side. Windows 7 has a new system called Snaps, which allows you to grab a window and pull it to one side of the screen. It will then automatically take up only half the screen, allowing you to see the other window and compare the two at a glance.

Windows 7 is much more interactive. Another thing you may want to do is quickly see your gadgets or grab a file from your desktop. To see your desktop just move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. That ll make all the open Windows transparent so your desktop is immediately visible. If you want to get all but one window out of your way, you simply grab the top of that window, shake it and all the other open windows will minimise to the taskbar. Shake the window again, and they ll all come back.

Windows Search

If you use the web a lot, you probably start by looking around for a search box. Now you can use the same system to find files on your computer. Originally introduced with Windows Vista, Windows Search helps you find virtually anything on your PC quickly and easily. Windows 7 also makes search results more relevant and easier to understand. If you're looking for a file, email or application, a simple click on the start button will reveal a search box at the bottom of the start menu. By entering a word or file name, you will then get an organised list of results.

Better device management

Windows 7 incorporates a new package called Device Stage, which takes device management a step further. Device Stage helps you interact with any compatible device connected to your computer. From Device Stage you can see device status and run common tasks from a single window. There are even pictures of the devices which makes it really easy to see what s there, so you can see exactly what photos are on your camera, what music you have on your MP3 player and if your printer is active.

HomeGroup
This package makes connecting more than one computer to your home network easy. HomeGroup is set up automatically when you add the first PC running Windows 7 to your home network. Adding more PCs running Windows 7 to the HomeGroup is then an easy process. You can specify exactly what you want to share from each PC with all the PCs in the HomeGroup. This makes sharing files across the various PCs in your home as easy as if all your data were on a single hard drive.

View Available Network (VAN)

Windows 7 makes viewing and connecting to all of your networks simple and consistent. You ll always have one click access to available networks, regardless of whether those networks are based on Wi Fi, mobile broadband, dial up, or your corporate VPN. It's particularly useful for those using laptops away from their usual network source.

So Windows 7 aims to make life much simpler and your programs easier to navigate. The advancements in technology have meant that the advent of a far more user friendly system is finally here bug free and very 21st Century

Source : http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com

Free Windows 7 Upgrade

Microsoft is offering Free windows 7 upgrade under the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program.Under this program, licensed end users of selected Microsoft Windows Vista operating system editions can obtain an Upgrade license (the Upgrade) to the appropriate Windows 7 edition at reduced or no additional cost if the end user meets program qualifications.

Who are eligible for Free upgrade?

All Users who buy PCs pre-installed with the following editions of windows Vista, between June 26, 2009 to January 31, 2010 are eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade:

• Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1 or SP2) – Eligible for upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium
• Windows Vista Business (SP1 or SP2) – Eligible for upgrade to Windows 7 Professional
• Windows Vista Ultimate (SP1 or SP2) – Eligible for upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate

PCs that are licensed for an eligible Windows Vista edition, which have been down-graded to Windows XP are also eligible for this Program. However, a clean installation of the upgrade media will be required unless you used recovery media to install the original Windows Vista edition pre-installed on the PC, in which case you can directly upgrade to Windows 7.

PC manufacturers may include a Microsoft free upgrade offer Form with computers distributed with qualifying Windows Vista editions, pre-installed on or after June 26, 2009. If your computer was pre-installed with Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Business, or Windows Vista Home Premium and it was distributed on or after June 26, 2009 but did not include the described Microsoft Offer Form, check with your computer manufacturer to see if your PC is part of the Upgrade Option Program. If so, you should follow the PC manufacturer’s directions for obtaining your Upgrade.

However, it is important to note that Not all PC manufacturers are participating in the Upgrade Option Program and a few participating PC manufacturers have constructed a unique method for receiving and fulfilling Windows 7 Upgrade requests.

It is also important to know the following conditions:

• The last date for qualifying end users to submit Upgrade media redemption orders (Offer forms) is February 28, 2010
• The Final Software Fulfillment Date / Program End Date is April 30, 2010.
• Microsoft will start shipping the upgrade media for qualifying end users’ on or after the Windows 7 General Availability Date – 22 October 2009.
• The upgrade is not available for Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Starter edition, and any Windows XP versions

Different upgrade media will be required by platform (32-bit or 64-bit) and territory-specific versions of Windows Vista. The Windows Vista product can only be upgraded to the associated Windows 7 edition mentioned above. For eg., Windows Vista Home Premium K edition can only be upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium K edition.

However, for each eligible upgrade path, all available upgrade versions for a qualifying product (e.g., language-specific versions, territory-specific versions, 32-bit or 64-bit platform) will be supported. Upgrade media will be product edition and version-specific and will correspond to the qualifying product edition and version. For eg., a language version of the qualifying Windows Vista product can only be upgraded to the same language version of the Windows 7 upgrade software.

Recommended system requirements for Windows 7 Upgrade:

The following are the recommended system requirements to install Windows 7:

• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• 16 GB of available disk space
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme)
• DVD-R/W Drive
• Internet access

Know more about this program and how to order the upgrade software here.

If you are eligible under this program, enjoy a free Windows 7 upgrade !!!

Free Upgrades from Vista to Windows 7

According to TechARP.com, Microsoft Corporation will offer a program for Windows Vista PC owners who bought their copy of Vista after July 1, 2009 to upgrade their PC’s to Windows 7. The program is similar to the Windows Vista Upgrade program that allowed HP, Dell, Compaq, and other PC-makers to offer a free express upgrade to Vista from Windows XP back in 2006.

There are, of course, some requirements for the upgrades. You must use an eligible upgrade path:

Vista Version	7 Version
Windows Vista Home Premium	Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows Vista Business	Windows 7 Professional
Windows Vista Ultimate	Windows 7 Ultimate

Other Upgrade Requirements:

• You may only upgrade to a version in the same language as your Windows Vista version.
• You may not upgrade from one corresponding Vista version to a non-corresponding Seven version.
• OEM’s must ship only the correct upgrade products, no other upgrade paths besides the eligible paths will be allowed.

how-to-start-or-disable-services-in-windows-7

Have you installed the Windows 7? Are the overhead services running in your background slowing down your system? The rudimentary ideas suggest disabling the unused services in the background to revamp the speed. Now how do you do that in Windows 7. Well I have the hack.And most importantly I am going to share with you just that.

Here's what you need to do in order to Start or Disable a service.

Step 1

Get into the Control Panel. Look for the Administrative Tools icon. Then click on Services.
Alternately, you can open the Start Menu and Type in services.msc in the search line. Then Press Enter.

Step 2

In case you get a prompted click on continue in the UAC prompt. Again, for administrators approval you might have to provide the password.

Step 3

Right click on the service you have to start or disable. Click on Properties.

Now you can either disable or start a service with the steps below.

Step 4

To Disable a service

i) In the properties window click on the stop button. Wait for a few sec till the service stop.
ii) Go to the Startup type and click on the drop down menu. Select Disable.
iii) click on Apply button
iv) Finally click Ok

Step 5

To start a service

i) Get to the Startup type. Click on the drop down menu. Select Automatic or Manual. Click on Apply.
ii) Click on Start button below.
iv) Finally click Ok

In case the Start option is inactive (greyed out), restart the Computer. But before that, change the Startup type to Automatic and click Ok.

You may have to restart the computer to bring the changes into effect.

That's not all, disabling the services implies lowering your system's performance. In case you have disabled a wrong service and lost access to computer. Boot into the safe mode from the Advanced Boot Option and reset the settings.

how-windows-7-outshines-windows-xp-and-vista

We have always been up-to-date with Windows 7. After the disgusting experience with Windows Vista, the whole world has high hopes with the next and what looks to be a very promising version of Windows Operating Systems.

So if these articles weren't enough for you to keep up with, Here is an article by Thom Holwerda of OSnews about the Windows 7 Beta and its detailed discussion.

You can read this too if you wanna know how Windows 7 promises to be better