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  • Windows 7 Tips

    Disable Wallpaper Change in Windows 7

    Desktop wallpaper can be restricted and can be set against any change for wallpaper. Often Administrators in an organization feels their need to put their Organization wallpaper on their computer which is fixed and cannot be changed by any other user on that computer. This can be done easily using a Group policy editor setting. Although the same can be done with Registry, Third party Software. This setting lets you specify the wallpaper on user’s desktops and prevents users from changing the image or its presentation.

    • Open Run Dialogue Box (Win + R) and type gpedit.msc
    • Navigate to Local Computer policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop in left hand side pane.
    • Select Desktop Wallpaper setting from right side pane.
    • Open it and enable it.
    • To use this setting, type the fully qualified path and name of the file that stores the wallpaper image. You can type a local path, such as C:\Windows\web\wallpaper\home.jpg. Also this setting specifies that the wallpaper image be centered, tiled, or stretched. 
    • Press OK

     
    Note: This setting does not apply to remote desktop server sessions. Also Log off or restart is required to make the changes affect.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Customize Windows 7 Power Button Action Button
    The “Shut Down” button in Windows 7 can be customized with another action, if you use shut down action very rarely, but you more often restart it or put it on hibernate.
     
    To change the action of shutdown button, Right click the Start Button, go to Properties and choose the “Power Boot Action” to do whatever you want, from the given options. It will give you a drop down list amongst following option to select from.
    • Switch user
    • Log off
    • Lock
    • Restart
    • Sleep
    • Hibernate
    • Shutdown

    Now the button at Start Menu would change and perform the action as selected.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Stop Synchronizing the Time

    SUMMARY: For privacy reasons, prevent Windows 7 from synchronizing the system time with an Internet time server.
    By default if you are not the member of a domain, Windows 7 periodically synchronizes your computer time with an Internet time server, time.windows.com. This way if your system clock loses a few seconds (or worse), Windows can periodically adjust it as necessary, helping prevent file synchronization problems with backups and other issues.
    While many people appreciate the automatic synchronizations, others may have privacy issues with their computer periodically communicating with a public time server. Thus this synchronization can be disabled. Note that if you do so, you may find it important to occasionally manually adjust the system time.
    1. Click on the taskbar clock and click “Change date and time settings” when the popup appears.
    2. The “Date and Time” multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the “Internet Time” tab.
    3. Click the “Change settings” button.
    4. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click “Yes“.
    5. The “Internet Time Settings” dialog box appears. Uncheck “Synchronize with an Internet time server“.



    6. Click “OK” on the dialog boxes to close them.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Enable the Onscreen Keyboard‘s Numeric Key Pad Display
    SUMMARY: To make numbers easier to enter with Windows 7‘s On-Screen Keyboard, display a virtual numeric keypad.
    By default, Windows 7‘s On-Screen Keyboard utility does not display a numeric keypad, using up fewer pixels on the screen. For those who need to enter numbers using this tool, however, it can be annoying to have to move so far to enter numbers such as “10”, “28”, and “30”, for example.


    The following quick tip enables a virtual numeric keypad which may make entering numbers easier for those who need to use this utility:
    1. On the “On-Screen Keyboard“, click the “Options” button on the right side (underneath the “PrtScn” button).
    2. The “Options” dialog box appears. Check “Turn on numeric key pad“.
    3. Click “OK” to close the dialog box.

    4. You may need to press the “NumLock” button to switch the virtual keypad from the cursor keys to numbers.

  • Windows 7 Tips

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    Toggle Showing Drive Letters in Explorer

    SUMMARY: Configure whether or not you want drive letters appearing in Explorer folders in Windows 7.

    By default, Windows 7 shows the letters representing drives in Explorer windows. Your main Windows 7 hard drive is C:, your DVD drive may be D:, and other drives / partitions as well as removable media have their own letters.



    Some users would rather hide these letters, relying on the drive’s volume name and/or media type. Others may not see these letters and wish to show them again.

    1. Click the “Start” button, type folder options and click the “Folder Options” link that appears.
    2. When the “Folder Options” multi-tabbed dialog box appears, click the “View” tab.
    3. Check or uncheck “Show drive letters” as desired.

    4. Click “OK” to close the dialog box.   

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Toggle Start Menu and Explorer Popups
    SUMMARY: Choose whether pop-up description text should appear when hovering over files, folders, Desktop icons, and Start Menu options.
    When you hover your mouse pointer over file icons in Windows 7, a popup appears with information about the file. This may include (depending on the file type) its size, date, image dimensions, sound length, or other information. When you hover your mouse pointer over a folder, pop-up information may contain the folder creation date, size, and files contained underneath. Information appears when you hover over Desktop icons. And when you hover over items in the Start Menu, description pop-up text also appears here.


    While many appreciate this descriptor text, some may find it annoying, especially the pop-ups that appear while navigating the Start Menu. If desired, you can disable all of the pop-ups.
    1. Click the Start button, type folder options and click the “Folder Options” link that appears.
    2. When the “Folder Options” multi-tabbed dialog box appears, click the “View” tab.
    3. Scroll down and check or uncheck “Show pop-up description for folders and desktop items” as desired.

    4. Click “OK” to close the dialog box.

      

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Enable / Disable Toggle Navigating Menus in Start Menu via Mouse Hover
    SUMMARY: Toggle whether or not just hovering the mouse pointer over a menu in Windows 7’s Start Menu opens its submenu.
    By default in Windows 7, when you hover your mouse pointer over the “All Programs” menu or other defined menus in the Start Menu, after a brief moment Windows automatically opens the sub menu. This assumes that whenever you hover your mouse pointer over a menu, you mean to expand it.


    If you do not like this behavior it can be disabled.
    1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose “Properties“.
    2. The “Taskbar and Start Menu Properties” multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the “Start Menu” tab.
    3. Click the “Customize” button.
    4. The “Customize Start Menu” dialog box appears. Scroll down and uncheck the “Open submenus when I pause on them with the mouse pointer” box.

    5. Click “OK” on the dialog boxes to close them

      

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Prevent the System from Automatically Restarting after a Failure
    SUMMARY: If Windows 7 fails with a Blue Screen, prevent the system from automatically restarting so you can view debug information.
    If Windows 7 fails and displays a Blue Screen (possibly due to a driver error), this includes some debug information. More detail in a kernel memory dump is written to the system hard drive, and then the machine reboots.


    While servers for the most part need to automatically reboot upon system failure so they can more quickly restart and handle requests, desktop computer users may not need this functionality. By reading the on-screen debug data and using search engines or posting it to forums, the cause of the critical restart may be found and in some cases fixed.
    1. Click the “Start” button, selecting “Control Panel“.
    2. If you are using an expanded Control Panel, select “System“.
    Otherwise click “System and Security“, then “System“.
    3. In the left pane, select “Advanced system settings“.
    4. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click “Yes“.
    5. The “System Properties” multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the “Advanced” tab.
    6. Underneath “Startup and Recovery“, click the “Settings” button.
    7. The “Startup and Recovery” dialog box appears. Underneath “System failure“, uncheck “Automatically restart“.

    8. Click “OK” on the dialog boxes to close them.

       

  • Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

    Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

    In Windows 7, we’ve uncovered several new sets of essential time-saving shortcuts that will make your mouse jealous with neglect.
    Alt + P

    In Windows Explorer, activate an additional file preview pane to the right side of the window with this new shortcut. This panel is great for previewing images in your photos directory.

    Windows + + (plus key)
    Windows + – (minus key)
    Pressing the Windows and plus or minus keys activates the Magnifier, which lets you zoom in on the entire desktop or open a rectangular magnifying lens to zoom in and out of parts of your screen. You can customize the Magnifier options to follow your mouse pointer or keyboard cursor. Keep in mind that so far, the Magnifier only works when Aero desktop is enabled.
    Windows + Up
    Windows + Down
     If a window is not maximized, pressing Windows + Up will fill it to your screen. Windows + Down will minimize that active window. Unfortunately, pressing Windows + up again while a window is minimized won’t return it to its former state.
    Windows + Shift + Up
    Similar to the shortcut above, hitting these three keys while a window is active will stretch it vertically to the maximum desktop height. The width of the window will however stay the same. Pressing Windows + Down will restore it to its previous size.
    Windows + Left
    Windows + Right
      One of the new features of Windows 7 is the ability to automatically make a window fill up half of your screen by dragging to the left or right. This pair of shortcuts performs the same function without your mouse. Once a window is fixed to one side of the screen, you can repeat the shortcut to flip it to the other side. This is useful if you’re extending a desktop across multiple monitors, which prevents you from executing this trick with a mouse.
    Windows + Home
    This shortcut performs a similar function to hovering over a window’s peek menu thumbnail in the Taskbar. The active window will stay on your desktop while every other open application is minimized. Pressing this shortcut again will restore all the other windows.
    Windows + E
     Automatically opens up a new Explorer window to show your Libraries folder.
    Windows + P
    Manage your multiple-monitor more efficiently with this handy shortcut. Windows + P opens up a small overlay that lets you configure a second display or projector. You can switch from a single monitor to dual-display in either mirror or extend desktop mode.
    Windows + Shift + Left
    Windows + Shift + Right
    If you are using two or more displays (and who isn’t, these days?), memorize this shortcut to easily move a window from one screen to the other. The window retains its size and relative position on the new screen, which his useful when working with multiple documents. Utilize that real estate!
    Windows + [Number]
    Programs (and new instances) pinned to your Taskbar can be launched by hitting Windows and the number corresponding to its placement on the Taskbar. Windows + 1, for example, launches the first application, while Windows + 4 will launch the fourth. We realize that this is actually one key-press more than just clicking the icon with your mouse, but it saves your hand the trouble of leaving the comfort of the keyboard.
    Windows + T
    Like Alt + Tab (still our all time favorite Windows specific shortcut), Windows + T cycles through your open programs via the Taskbar’s peek menu.
    Windows + Space

    This combo performs the same function as moving your mouse to the bottom right of the Taskbar. It makes every active window transparent so you can view your desktop. The windows only remain transparent as long as you’re holding down the Windows key.
    Ctrl + Shift + Click
    Hold down Ctrl and Shift while launching an application from the Taskbar or start menu to launch it with full administrative rights.
    Ctrl + Click
    Hold down Ctrl while repeatedly clicking a program icon in the Taskbar will toggle between the instances of that application, like multiple Firefox windows

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Toggle Translucent Selection Rectangle on the Desktop
    SUMMARY: When creating selection rectangles on the Windows 7 Desktop, configure whether to show a dotted or translucent selection rectangle.

    Depending on your configuration, when you select multiple icons on the Windows 7 Desktop by creating a selection rectangle, such as to copy or move multiple icons to a folder, the rectangle appears translucent. Some people may find this easier to see than the old style selection rectangle that just appears as a dotted outline.
    Depending on your graphics drivers, system configuration, or personal preference, you may wish to toggle between viewing the translucent rectangle or the dotted rectangle. You can make the change by doing the following:

    1. Click the “Start” button, selecting “Control Panel“.
    2. If you are using an expanded Control Panel, select “System“.
    Otherwise click “System and Security“, then “System“.
    3. In the left pane, select “Advanced system settings“.
    4. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click “Yes“.
    5. The “System Properties” multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the “Advanced” tab.
    6. Underneath “Performance“, click the “Settings” button.
    7. The “Performance Options” multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Make sure the “Visual Effects” tab is selected.
    8. Click the “Custom” radio button if it is not already selected, then check or uncheck “Show translucent selection rectangle” as desired.
    9. Click “OK” on the dialog boxes to close them.