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Category: Windows 7 Tips

  • Save searches – Windows 7 Tips

    How to Save Searches in Windows 7

    If you regularly search for a certain group of files in Windows 7, saving searches is a great way to access them more quickly. Here we’ll take a look at how to share and organize searches in Windows 7.

    Saving Searches
    Anytime you are performing a search, you can click on the Save Search button in Explorer.
    Now when you are in Explorer you will see the save searches under Favorites.
    Another way to save a search is dragging the search icon in the address bar into your listed favorites list. Like in this example where I searched for “type:flac” and drag the icon to the list.
    You might also want to create shortcuts to the searches on your desktop for easy access.
    If you have a lot of files on your machine and need a way to access them quickly, saving searches is a great way to increase productivity.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    How to Schedule Disk Cleanup in Windows 7

    Schedule Disk Cleanup Basic
    Windows includes some handy tools to help keep your machine operating smoothly. One such tool is Disk Cleanup that can remove temp and old files to help you reclaim some hard drive space. You might want to set it up to run weekly or monthly depending on what works best for you. To schedule Disk Cleanup to run on a regular basis we need to schedule a task. For this example we’re using Windows 7, but the steps are essentially the same in Vista as well.

    Click on the Start Menu and enter task scheduler into the search box and hit Enter.
    The Task Scheduler opens and you’ll want to click on Action then select Create Basic Task.
    The Create Basic Task Wizard comes up and from here type in a name for the task and a description then click Next.
    Now select how often you want Disk Cleanup to run…Weekly, Daily, Monthly, One Time etc. There is not right or wrong answer to how often you run it. It’s completely up to you and you might want to try out some different schedules. In this example we’re going to select weekly.
    Since we set it up to run weekly we need to schedule it when to start, how often it reoccurs, and which day of the week to run it.
    Next under Action select Start a program
    In the Program/script field type in cleanmgr.exe
    Or you can hit browse and select Disk Cleanup which is in C:\Windows|system32\cleanmgr.exe
    Under Program/script you’ll see the path to Disk Cleanup as C:\Windows\system32\cleanmgr.exe
    Then you’re shown a summary of the scheduled task and if everything looks correct click on Finish.
    For this basic setting we scheduled it for a time when we know the computer will be in use. When it’s time for the Scheduled Task to occur it will pop up and you can run it by selecting the drive to clean up.
    Disk Cleanup starts its calculations
    Now the results and you can choose the files to delete.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Keep Your Windows Computer Secure on Public Wireless Hotspots

    If you have a Netbook or Laptop that you would like to use on a Public Wi-Fi hotspot, there are security precautions you need to take. Here we look at keeping your computer secure at public Wi-Fi hotspots.

    Public Wi-Fi hotspots seem to be available in more locations than ever before. If you move between them a lot or are just getting started, following these security precautions can help keep your machine safe and secure. For this article we look at security steps in Windows 7, but most of these tips and suggestions will work in XP, Vista, and even other operating systems as well.
    Enable Your Firewall
    Whether you use the Firewall built into Windows or a 3rd-party app like ZoneAlarm, make sure it’s enabled before signing on to a public hotspot. Click on Start then Control Panel, make sure View by large icons is selected then click Windows Firewall.
    Then select Turn Windows Firewall on or off
    Then make sure it’s turned on under Home or Work and Public network location settings.

  • Windows 7 Tips

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    List of Anti-Virus Software Compatible with Windows 7
    Our Recommendation
    If you want something that’s going to work really well, and is totally free, you should check out the free Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus solution, which isn’t going to slow down your PC.

    Windows AntiVirus Detection
    When you first install Windows 7, you’ll get a popup balloon message telling you that you need to find an antivirus program online… notice the wrench on the balloons that will let you turn them off easily.
    Once you’ve installed a compatible package, the message will go away and you’ll see a message in the Action Center telling you that “Virus protection” is On:
    The packages should also hook into the Windows 7 update mechanism and let you know when your virus definitions are out of date.
    AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
    AVG Free is the most popular anti-virus software out there, and not only does it work just perfectly under Windows 7, but it’s on the list of a small number of software packages that are officially compatible per Microsoft.
    You’ll notice that it also offers Anti-Spyware protection, and Windows recommends that you only run a single Anti-Spyware application:
    Avira AntiVirus Personal Edition
    Avira is a popular freeware antivirus solution that seems to be a hit on our forum, with a number of the regulars in favor of it. This software works without any issues.
    Norton AntiVirus
    Hardly needing an introduction, Norton AntiVirus works just fine. They are also on Microsoft’s list of compatible software for Windows 7.
    You’ll notice that this provides anti-spyware protection, so you’d likely want to disable Windows Defender for performance reasons.
    Kapersky Anti-Virus
    This antivirus software package is also on the Microsoft official list of Windows 7 compatible software.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Make Now Playing Mode in Windows Media Player Display on Top
    If you like to view album art and the visualizations in Windows Media Player in Now Playing mode, you might want to set it to always display on top of other windows. Here we take a look at how to set it up on WMP 12 in Windows 7.

    Open Windows Media Player to Library view and go to Organize \ Options.
    Now in the Options window click on the Player tab and under Player settings check the box next to Keep Now Playing on top of other windows then click OK.
    Now WMP will always stay on top of all the other application windows you have open.
    If you only want it always on top during some computing sessions, and easier method is to right-click in the Now Playing window, then check or uncheck Always show Now Playing on top from the context menu.
    Using the Right-click method is probably the easiest way to quickly enable or disable the setting. If you want to make sure WMP stays on top of other windows while your working, this will do the trick.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Make Sure Microsoft Security Essentials Has Updated Definition Files

    If you’re a new user of Microsoft Security Essentials, you might be unclear on how to update definition files manually or automatically. Here we’ll show you a few methods you can use to make sure MSE is always up to date.

    If MSE needs to be updated it will show in the Taskbar as an orange exclamation point icon letting you know it needs attention.
    Update MSE 1.0 and 2.0 Beta Definitions Manually
    There are a couple of ways you can update MSE 1.0 and the 2.0 beta manually. First you can open it up and go to the Update tab and click the Update button.

    Another method is to use Windows Updates. Open Windows Update from the Start Menu or from the Taskbar if you’ve pinned it there.
    If you manually check Windows Updates everyday, more than likely there will always be a new definitions update.
    You can also head over to The Microsoft Malware Protection Center and download the latest definition files and install manually.
    Then run mpam-fe.exe as administrator and you’ll be updated.
    Automatic Updates for MSE 1.0 and 2.0 Beta
    To make sure you get the latest malware definition file before a scan, go to the Settings tab, then Scheduled Scan. Make sure Check for the latest virus and spyware definitions before running a scheduled scan is selected.

    This will ensure MSE downloads the latest definitions before a scan.

    If you have Windows Update set to download and install updates automatically daily, make sure and check Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates. This way you’ll be sure to get the latest definition files everyday.

  • Windows 7 Tips

    Make the Windows 7 Taskbar Work More Like Windows XP or Vista

    Changing the Windows 7 Taskbar to XP/Vista Style
    To revert back to the older style, the first thing you’ll need to do is right-click on any open area of the taskbar and choose Properties from the menu.

    From the Taskbar buttons drop-down menu, you’ll want to choose “Never combine”, which will make every window show up as a separate button on the taskbar, or you could choose “Combine when taskbar is full”, which does just like it says.

    Now you should see the buttons show up with text labels like you are probably used to… but in the Windows 7 style.

    If you chose the “Use small icons” checkbox in the properties screen, the taskbar will actually shrink down to look very similar to Vista.

    The only problem is that the “pinned” icons are still sitting on the taskbar, which isn’t the same as Vista or XP, but you can easily remove all of them by right-clicking and choosing “Unpin this program from taskbar”.

    And now the taskbar looks and works very similarly to Windows Vista:

    If you wanted to be really silly, you can choose the “Windows Classic” theme under the Desktop \ Personalize section… but that would be taking it a little too far.

  • Windows 7 Tips

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    Make Windows 7 or Vista Log On Automatically
    If you are just running a home computer for gaming or something unimportant, you might not want to have to log in every single time you reboot your computer. There’s an easy tweak that will let you autologin.

    First, we’ll need to get to the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel to get to this setting. I think there’s a registry tweak as well, but that seems like too much work.
    Type in netplwiz into the start menu search box, hit enter, and you’ll see this screen:
    Note: If that doesn’t work, you can type in control userpasswords2 instead.
    Uncheck the box that says “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”, and then hit Apply. You’ll see a username and password box. Enter in the appropriate information here and hit OK:
    Note that these steps work perfectly on XP as well.