Category: Sidebar

  • Renew IP Address_Win 7 tips

    The new Microsoft Operating System is set up differently than Windows XP and Windows Vista. If you purchase a new PC or Laptop, unless otherwise requested, you’ll have Windows 7 as your operating system.
    When you connect your new computer to your existing modem you will not have an Internet connection because the IP address will need to be renewed. In some instances the IP address will automatically renew if you unplug the modem and restart your computer. However, in most cases you will need to release and renew the IP address and this article will show you how to accomplish this using Windows 7.

    This article will help you to renew IP adderess in Windows.
    Instructions

    1. Connect your new computer to your modem. Do not unplug your modem yet. Start your new computer and get to the desktop.
    2. Open the Control Panel which will either be on the desktop or on the Start Menu. From the Control Panel, click on “Network and Internet” and then click on “Network and Sharing Center.”
    3. From the Network and Sharing Center, top-left click on “Change adapter settings.” You will see the Local Area Connection icon. Right-click on the LAN icon and select “disable.” This disables the Local Area Connection and also “releases the IP address.” Below the LAN icon you will now see the word, “disabled.” Leave this on your screen because you’ll come back to it in a minute or so.
    4. Unplug your modem. If you unplug the modem and you still see lights, then you will need to remove the battery from your modem. You want all the lights out on your modem because this completes the releasing of the IP address.
    5. After 10-20 seconds, plug your modem back in and give the modem at least a minute to fully reset. You’ll know it has reset when the lights on the modem are back to normal.
    6. Go back to your Local Area Connection icon, right-click, and select “enable.” This will complete the process of “renewing” your IP address and this will restore your Internet connection.

  • Reformat a Windows 7 Computer

    Have you ever tried to reformat a hard drive on a computer with windows 7? For some it might seem hard, but I will teach you how to do it easily with a few simple steps. Keep in mind that reformating your hard drive will reset it to the factory setting, so you want to make sure that you backup everything that you want to save before we begin the process.

    This article will help you to reformat a Windows 7 computer.
    Instructions

    1. ATTENTION!
      Reformatting a computer will reset it to the factor image, all data must be backed up or it WILL be lost. There are several reasons to reformat a hard drive. A few reasons include but are not limited to: driver issues, virus, cleaning up, getting rid of the computer, etc.
    2. RECOVERY DISKS!
      Every new windows 7 owner should know that the new computers are not supplied with recovery disks anymore. The manufacturer allows the user to create one set of disks upon the purchase of a new machine. It is important to create the disks early as driver issues and viruses may arise. In order to create recovery disks on windows 7 you want to click on the start menu. Next, type in recovery in the Start Search option area. Next, click on recovery disk creation and follow the process. It will require that you have about 3 dvds or about 7 cds to create the recovery disks.
    3. REFORMATING HARD DRIVE!
      Once the recovery disks have been made reformatting windows 7 is quite simple. Insert the recovery disks into the cd/dvd tray on the machine. You are now going to want to turn the computer off. When the computer has turned off, go ahead and turn it back on. A screen should pop up asking you whether you want to boot from Hard Drive or Disk. Choose the disk option. After you make it this far it is a downhill process. Next you follow the on-screen instruction make sure you reformat the machine, not recover it.

  • Check My PC for Windows 7 Compatibility

    Microsoft’s Windows 7 is focused on speed and stability, even on older hardware, and can run on systems with minimal specifications. Device support is improved compared with Windows Vista, and the driver library has been expanded so most hardware can be automatically installed without requiring a driver disk. Before purchasing Windows 7, use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to scan your PC and check that the hardware and software are Windows 7 compatible. If any problems are detected, the advisor will suggest ways to fix the compatibility issues.

    This article will help you to check your pc for windows 7 compatibility.
    Instructions

    1. Open a Web browser, and navigate to Microsoft’s website. Locate and download the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Plug in any USB peripherals or similar devices that are used regularly on your computer, such as scanners, printers or external hard disks, for example. The Upgrade Advisor can check these to make sure they are compatible with Windows 7.
    2. Double-click on the downloaded “Window7UpgradeAdvisorSetup.exe” file to install the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. When the setup wizard launches, read through the license terms and click “I Accept the License Terms” if you agree. Click the “Install” button to start the installation. When it completes, click the “Close” button to end the setup wizard
    3. Double-click on the “Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor” icon, which has been added to your Windows desktop. Click the “Start Check” button to run a scan of your PC so that its components can be checked for compatibility. The scan will take a few minutes to complete, depending on the number of installed devices and programs.
    4. Check through the results once the scan has completed to see if your PC is Windows 7 compatible. At the top of the results a summary is displayed, showing the number of issues that may need to be addressed for full compatibility with Windows 7. If any programs or devices fail the compatibility check, a solution will be given where possible, such as a driver update or more recent version of a program.
  • Disable system Restore_win 7 tips

    The System Restore feature in Windows 7 is essentially a backup created at specific points in time of all your computer’s settings. It is not–as some might think–a complete backup of all the data on your computer, but rather of important settings such as drivers and hardware configurations. Occasionally, you may find a need to disable System Restore–either for bug-fixing purposes or perhaps because the restore points are taking up too much space on your hard drive. Fortunately, Microsoft has made it relatively simple to accomplish this task.

    This article will help you to disable the Windows 7 system restore feature.
    Instructions

    1. Open the “Start” menu and select “Control Panel.”
    2. Click “System and Maintenance” followed by “System.” This brings up a new dialog box on your screen.
    3. Click the “System Protection” link in the left portion of the window. You may be prompted to enter your administrator password–if you have one on your computer–at this point. Do so, then press “Enter.”
    4. Click the “Turn off System Restore” checkbox next to your hard drive in the next window. This disables System Restore for that hard drive. If you have multiple drives, repeat this step for each drive.
  • Install a Wireless Printer_win 7

    As wireless connectivity technology has become more reliable and capable of carrying more traffic, printers have joined the list of wireless peripherals. This means that all of the computers on your network can share a single printer without a print server or USB cables. Windows 7 makes it simple to connect to a wireless printer by providing a wizard that guides you through the installation.

    This article will help you to connect a wireless printer on windows 7.
    Instructions

    1. Turn on the printer. Be sure that it is set up to connect wirelessly — check your printer manufacturer’s user guide and documentation for information about your specific printer model.

       

    2. Click on the “Windows” button to display the menu. Select “Devices and Printers” on the right-hand panel.

       

    3. Select the “Add a Printer” button from the menu bar of the Devices and Printers dialog window. The currently attached printers are displayed; review them to ensure that the new printer is not already attached through some other network connection.

       

    4. Click the “Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer” option. Windows searches for available printers; it may take a few minutes to discover the new printer.

       

    5. Choose the printer that you want to add from the list of network-visible printers. Click the “Next” button. Windows searches for the appropriate driver for the printer. If the operating system has a driver installed, you can choose this option, or follow the steps provided by the manufacturer to install proprietary software.

       

    6. Add a name for the printer or accept the name provided by Windows. Click “Next” to install the printer.

       

    7. Decide if you are going to share the printer through this machine. If the printer is available through the wireless network, it will be available to other users in the same fashion, precluding the need to share it.

       

    8. Click “Finish” to complete the installation of the printer.
  • Add New Hardware_Win 7 tips

    In the past, new hardware drivers could be installed by way of the Windows “Add Hardware Wizard” But user errors and miscues prompted Microsoft to delete this manual wizard for Windows 7. Instead, automatic Windows-operated downloads for device recognition and driver downloads are now the standard. Some hardware will still require user installation, but most other installs are handled by the Windows automated system of downloads and installations.

    This article will show you to add new hardware in Windows 7.
    Instructions

    1. Connect or confirm your connection to the Internet.
       
    2. Connect the hardware device to your computer.
       
    3. Wait for Windows 7 to automatically detect and identify the hardware and download the necessary driver.
       
    4. Insert the software disc that came with your hardware, if Windows 7 was unable to download the driver and prompts you to insert the disc.
       
    5. Follow the Windows prompts to complete the driver installation of the new hardware.
  • Remove old Windows Versions_win 7 tips

    Remove Previous Windows Versions

    If you upgrading to a new operating system or planning to perform a fresh installation of Windows on your PC, you should remove all previous versions of the Windows operating system. Deleting these previous versions of Windows will preserve as much space on your hard drive as possible.

    This article will help you to Remove Previous Windows Versions.
    Instructions.

    1. Insert a Windows installation CD into the disk drive of your PC, then restart your computer.
       
    2. Press any key on the keyboard when prompted to boot to the CD. Various installation files will be loaded from the CD.
       
    3. Press the “Enter” key to enter the Windows configuration. Press the “F8” key to accept the Windows license agreement.
       
    4. Use the up-and-down arrows to highlight the previous version of the Windows operating system you want to remove.
       
    5. Press the “D” key to delete the highlighted version of Windows.
       
    6. Press “Enter,” then hit the “L” key to confirm your decision to remove the selected version of Windows.
       
    7. Repeat the steps for all other versions of Windows you want to remove from your computer.
  • Create System Recovery Disc_win 7 tips

    Windows 7 comes with the built-in ability of being able to create a System Repair Disk that can be used to recover from major issues.

    The same recovery features can be found on the Windows 7 installation disc, but if you don’t have an installation disc, or your was lost or damaged, you’ll need this recovery disc to access the Windows 7 recovery features in case your system becomes seriously corrupt or unbootable.
    This article will help you to Create a Windows 7 System Recovery Disc.

    Instructions

    1. To begin the process of creating a System Repair Disc, Click Start > Control Panel > System and Security >Backup and Restore.

      Click “Create a System Repair Disc
       

    2. If you have multiple optical drives installed in your system, select your preferred CD or DVD burner from the drop down. Place a CD or DVD in the optical drive tray and click “Create disc.”

       

    3. A progress bar will be displayed on the screen. Creating the disc should only take a few minutes. When the process is done, click “OK.”

       

    4. You’ve just created a Windows 7 System Recovery Disc to use in case of a major computer emergency.
  • Win 7 Tips- Split Screen

    Split Screen– Windows 7

    Information

    This article will show you how to easily split your screen in Windows 7. This split screen feature is new with Windows 7 and lets you view 2 screens side by side. Both screens are active so you can just move your mouse from screen to screen to work. Being able to view two documents or web sites side by side is an excellent feature in Windows 7.

    This article will help you to Use Split Screen In Windows 7.
    Instructions
    1. Open the documents or web sites you want to view side by side. If you want to look at two web sites side by side you will need to open 2 separate browser sessions not just have 2 tabs open on the same browser. That means you need to click the browser icon to open another browser session.

       

    2. Go to the screen you want to view on the left. Hold the Windows icon key down. This is the key that has the windows 7 logo on it. It is usually in the bottom left of your keyboard. Hold the left arrow key at the same time you are holding down the windows icon key. This will move your first window to the left.

       

    3. Go to the screen or document you want to display on the right. Repeat the steps above. Hold the Windows icon key down and the right arrow key at the same time. This will move your second open window to the right.

       

    4. Hold the Windows icon key down and the up arrow key at the same time to maximize your window again. You will need to put your mouse on the screen or document you want to maximize and then press both keys down simultaneously.
  • Change File Associations_win 7 tips

    Have you ever tried to double-click on a file only to find it always opens in the wrong application? Sometimes when you install an application, it will covertly change the file association of one or more file types to use the new application. Or maybe you just prefer to use on program over another.

    Here’s how to change file associations in Windows 7 so that the program you want to use will open your files by default.
    Instructions

    1. Browse to the folder location of the file that you’d like to change.
    2. Right-click on the file, scroll down hover your cursor over “Open with.” On the fly-out window to the left, click “Choose default program“.
    3. In the “Open with” window, check Recommended Programs section for your desired program. If you don’t see the program you’re looking for, click on the downward caret symbol to the right to reveal “Other Programs.”
    4. If the desired program still does not appear, click the Browse button and browse for the desired program. It will likely be found in the Program files directory.
    5. Once you’ve selected the desired program, be sure to click the “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file” box, then click “Ok.”
      All files with the same file extension will open with your desired program now that you have changed the file association in Windows 7.