USING “WINDOWS 7
WHAT
HAPPENED TO "PRINTERS AND FAXES"?
In
"Windows 7", the items that used to reside in "Printers and
Faxes" are now part of "Devices and Printers":
Click on
the Windows "Start" button.
Then click
on "Devices and Printers" on the right-most column of the two-column
"Start Menu".
When you
right click on a printer icon, you now have two "Properties"
selections in the popup context menu:
The popup
context menu looks like this:
The
bottom-most "Properties" selection is now useless. If you click on
it, you will see this non-descript Window:
The
"Printer properties" is the one that has the useful printer settings
and utilities/applets in it. If you click on "Printer properties":
You will
get the printer settings and utilities that you used to get by clicking on
"Properties" in the versions of Windows prior to "Windows
7", including a "Print Test Page" button. The tabs that you see
will different between which printer model you have but you will always get
tabs for:
General
Sharing
and
Ports
THREE
DEFAULT PINNED ICONS ON THE "WINDOWS 7" TASKBAR
By default
"Windows 7" has no "Quick Launch" bar: It has been replaced
by "pinning" to the Taskbar.
"Pinning"
means that you can put a menu-ed button for any executable application program
onto either the "Taskbar" or the top-most section of the left side of
the "Start Menu".
By default,
three icons are "pinned" to the Windows 7 "Taskbar":
"Internet
Explorer", "Windows Explorer", and "Windows Media
Player".
If you want
to get rid one of them, right click on it and select "Unpin this program
from taskbar" from the pop-up utility menu.
WHAT
HAPPENED TO "NETWORK"
OR "MY NETWORK PLACES?
To get to
files, folders, and printers that are out on your local area network, you now
have to use "Windows Explorer".
This will
be a change for you if you are used to clicking on "Network" on the
Windows Vista "Start Menu" or if you are used to clicking on "My
Network Places" on the Windows XP "Start Menu".
Both of
these earlier versions of Windows allowed you to reach objects on the local
network area network from "Windows Explorer", but in "Windows
7" you have to use "Windows Explorer".
There are
three methods to start "Windows Explorer" in "Windows 7":
METHOD 1:
Click on
the "Windows Explorer" icon that is pinned by default to the
"Task bar":
*
*
METHOD 2:
Click on
the Windows "Start" button.
Then click
on "Computer".
METHOD 3:
Click on
the Windows "Start menu".
Type
"Windows Explorer" into the search box.
Press the
<Enter> key of your keyboard.
TASK
BUTTONS ON TASK BAR ARE STACKED
AS A
DEFAULT IN "WINDOWS 7"
By default,
the "Task buttons" on your "Task bar" are in "Always
combine, hide labels" mode.
To change
this:
Rright
click on the "Task bar".
Click on
"Properties" on the popup context menu.
Change the
"Taskbar buttons" dropdown list arrow to the desired selection:
*
Finally,
click on the "OK" button.
LOOK FOR
THE FRAME(S) TO DETERMINE IF A PINNED ICON REPRESENTS AN OPEN WINDOW
If you
leave "Task buttons" in the "Always combine, hide labels"
mode, then the only way you can tell if a "Pinned icon" on the
"Task bar" is by looking for a frame around it.
If you do
not see a frame around it, then it does not represent any open windows.
If you see
a single frame around it, then it represents a single open window.
If you see
2 frames around it, then it represents 2 open windows.
If you see
3 frames around it, then it represents 3 open windows
If you
hover your mouse cursor over a pinned icon, it will display the names of all open windows that it
represents.
OPENING ADDITIONAL WINDOWS:
Opening
additional windows is much easier than in earlier versions of Windows.
For most
"task buttons" that are on the "Task bar", you can open additional
windows by either:
Method 1:
Holding
down the shift key and using the LEFT mouse button to click on the "task
button"
OR
Method 2:
Using the
RIGHT mouse button to click on the "task button" and then clicking on
the name of the application on the popup context menu.
Some of
your more RAM-intensive software applications might not allow you to open
additional Windows in this manner:
For
example, Adobe "Dreamweaver" will not allow you to open any
additional Windows.
SNIPPING
TOOL
The new Windows 7 "Snipping
Tool" has many of the features of the "SnagIt" utility.
It lets you create a graphic
file out of anything that you see on your computer's monitor.
To get to it, click on
"Start" button, "All Programs", and then
"Accessories".
*
It's "Options"
menu is as follows:
*
*
"WINDOWS
DISC IMAGE BURNER"
The bundled "Windows
Disc Image Burner" in "Windows 7" does a great job of burning
DVDs and CDs from ISO 9660 files. ISO 9660 files are also known as "ISO
files".
The executable file for
"Windows Disk Image Burner" is isoburn.exe.
It is located in
C:\Windows\System32\
To use the "Windows
Disk Image Burner", follow the step-by-step instructions at
"Windows Disk Image
Burner" does not allow you to make or edit ISO files. It just lets you
make DVDs and CDs from existing ISO files.
"WINDOWS
FAX" IS BACK !
The fax services that were
not available in the "Home" versions of "Windows Vista" are
now back in all versions of "Windows 7". In "Windows 7", it is called
"Windows Fax and Scan". It installs automatically when you do any
type of installation of any version of "Windows 7".
To start up this
application, click on the "Start" button. Next, click on "All
Programs". Finally, click on "Windows Fax and Scan".
It looks like this:
Step-by-step instructions on
how to use it are located at
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/windows-fax-and-scan
Also, in "Windows 7",
the Fax printer automatically shows up in "Devices and Printers", you
do not have to manually "install" it like you had to in "Windows
Vista" and "Windows XP":
Liz and I have been
successfully using it to send and receive faxes. We love it !
"PROBLEM
STEPS RECORDER"
If you want
to create a documentation document that describes how to perform any series of
steps in Windows, you can use the new "Problem Steps Recorder":
Click on
the Windows "Start button".
Type in
psr
Hit the
<Enter> key of your keyboard.
The
"Problem Steps Recorder" toolbar will be displayed:
Click on
the triangular-shaped button at its lower right hand corner.
Click on
"Settngs" on the pulldown menu:
A
"Problem Steps Recorder Settings" box will be displayed.
*
*
Change the "Number of recent screen captures to
store:" to 99:
*
*
Click on
the "OK" button.
*
The
"Problem Steps Recorder Settings" dialog box will disappear.
*
*
To start a
recording, click on the "Start Record" button.
Then,
minimize the "Problem Steps Recorder" toolbar to get it out of the
way.
Then, start
doing whatever you want recorded.
Since the
"Problem Steps Recorder" makes screenshots of your entire screen, you
will get better screenshots if you maximize all Windows that you are using before
you start using them.
When you
are done with the steps that you wish to record, restore the "Problem
Steps Recorder" toolbar.
Then, click
on its "Stop Record" button.
A
"Save As" dialog box will be displayed:
*
Work your way to where you want to store your problem
steps file:
In my example, I chose the Windows "Desktop",
since it is a easy location of find things.
Then type in a "File name":
*
In this example, I typed in
Instruction for Using Windows Disc Image Burner applet.
Click on the "Save" button.
Click on the "X" button in the upper
right-hand corner of the "Problem Steps Recorder" toolbar to close it
out.
In this example, the file that is created is called
"Instruction for Using Windows Disc Image Burner
applet.zip"
If you then
double-click on this zip file, you will find inside it with a name similar to
"Problem_20100309_1344.mht"
Drag this
file to somewhere on a hard drive of your computer.
Rename this
file to whether you want to call it.
It this
example, I renamed it to
Instruction for Using Windows Disc Image Burner
applet.mht
To view
and/or edit this file, right click on it and click on "Open with"
from the context menu.
*
*
Click on the "+" icon on the right side of
the "Open with" dialog box.
*
*
Remove the checkmark from "Always use the selected
program to open this kind of file:
*
*
Double-click "Microsoft Word" in the
"Other Programs" section:
*
*
The mht
file will open up in "Microsoft Word":
*
*
Do a
"File" and a "Save As.." to convert this file to a *.doc
file:
*
Select the
desired "Save as type".
Click on
the "Save" button.
Click on
"Continue" if you get a "Microsoft Word Compatibility
Checker" windows.
You will
now be viewing and editing a *.doc file.
In my
example, my Word .doc file is called
Instruction for Using Windows Disc Image Burner applet
DRAGGING AND DROPPING FILES AND FOLDERS:
In a manner
similar to "Windows XP" and "Windows Vista", every Windows
Explorer button has a "Change your view" button". In
"Windows 7", it is near the upper right hand corner. Click the
downward pointing triangular button to the right of it to change your view. (If
you click the actual "Change you view" button, it steps you through
all of the different views that are available, which is similar to "Windows
Vista" and different from "Windows XP".)
When you
are in "Details" view, "Windows 7" does not give you enough
white space to drop a file or folder in between two existing folders (unlike
earlier versions of Windows).
To get
around this problem, here are some suggestions:
When
dragging and dropping files and folders from one location to another, use the
right mouse button if you want to be sure as to whether you moving or copying,
since using the right mouse button gives you a popup context menu to tell you
the default operation and to let you select between copying or moving:
When
dragging and dropping files and folders from one location to another, do not
inadvertently drop into an unintended folder:
If a folder
highlights during the drag and drop process, that is where your dragged object
will end up.
To make
sure that you do not drag and drop into an unintended folder in the "file
list" area, drag and drop into one of these other locations of a target
window:
White space
between or below folders in the "file list" area
or
The title
bar at the top of the window,
or
the address
bar
or
the
horizontal scroll bar, if there is one
or
the
right-most vertical scroll bar, if there is one
(not the
left-most vertical scroll bar)
or
the bottom
status bar, if there is one
or
the preview
area, if there is one.
LIBRARIES
Libraries
are described in
and in
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-7-libraries-%E2%80%93-and-why-you-want-them/
Libraries
are virtual folders where your actions result in real actions inside the actual
folders where files are located.
Libraries
have a "library header" with the word "Library" in them.
This
"library header" is located immediately above the right-most list of
files and folders.
To find out
what folders the library "represents" click on the word
"locations" in the library header. Once inside the
"locations" configuration box, you can add and remove actual hard
drive folders to a library. When performing "adds" and "removes"
in the "locations" configuration box, you are not actually creating
new folders or removing actual folders--you are just deciding which hard drive
folders to show inside the library. Once you leave the "locations"
configuration box, and start working within the actual library, any changes you
make to files and folders that are displayed inside the "library"
become real changes in the folder locations that are represented by the
library.
Libraries
are not real folders on the hard drive of your computer.
Libraries
are "defined" at
C:\Users\your
username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries
*
*
If you right click on the "Documents"
library, click on "Properties", and then click on the
"Details" tab, you will discover that it is "defined" by a
file called
"Documents.library-ms
This file
defines the library.
"START MENU" CHANGES IN "WINDOWS 7"
Unlike "Windows
XP" and "Windows Vista", "Windows 7" does not give you the
option of having a single-column "Classic Start Menu" so you are
stuck with the more modern dual-column menu (unless you run "csmenu",
a free software application that you can obtain from http://www.csmenu.com
But Liz and
I recommend that you use the newer two-column "Start Menu" which has
been optionally available since "Windows XP".)
The left
column of the Windows 7 "Start Menu" is similar to the left column of
the "Start Menu" in "Windows XP" and "Windows
Vista":
"ALL PROGRAMS" SECTION OF
"START MENU"
The bottom-most
section of the left column of the Start Menu is the "All Programs"
item.
Clicking on
"All Programs" provides you with a list of all application programs
that are "registered" with the "Registry" of "Windows
7".
"PINNED
LIST" SECTION OF "START MENU"
The topmost
section of the left column of the "Start Menu" is now called the
"pinned list" in Microsoft documentation.
The topmost
section of the left column of the "Start Menu" is for two types of
shortcuts:
"shortcuts"
to document files (that the user creates by dragging a document file to the
"Start" button)
"RECENTLY
OPENED PROGRAMS" SECTION
OF
"START MENU"
The middle
section of the left column of the "Start Menu" is for
"pinned" executable application programs (that have been
"pinned" there by you).
If you have
not created any "shortcuts" to document files or "pinned"
executable application programs, then this top section of the left side of the
"Start Menu" will not exist--this section cannot be blank.
The middle
section of the left column of the "Start Menu" is for "recently
opened programs". The shortcuts in this section change, depending on what
programs you have been running.
BROWNISH
ORANGE BARS
After you
install a new program into your computer, the entry for the program in both the
"recently used programs" and "All Programs" sections of the
"Start Menu" will have a brownish orange bar through it for a while:
*
After you
run any part of a newly-installed program, the "Recent" section of
the left side of your "Start Menu" will show some parts of the
newly-installed program with a brownish orange bar:
Don't get excited about
these brownish orange bars ! They will
go away eventually.
"AERO"
ENHANCEMENTS
The
"Aero" features of "Windows Vista" have been enhanced in
"Windows 7":
"Windows
7" has the following three "gee wiz" features:
Aero Snap,
Aero Shake,
and
Aero Peek
"AERO
SNAP"
"Aero
Snap" is sometimes just called "Snap" at the Microsoft Web site.
See
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/snap.aspx?tabid=2&catid=3
If you drag
the whole title bar of the active window to the top of the screen, the active
window will maximize.
If you then
drag the title bar of the active window downward and away from the top of the
screen, the active window will restore to its original size.
If you drag
the top-most edge of the title bar of the active window to the top of the
screen, the active window will maximize vertically but stay the same size
horizontally.
If you then
drag the top-most edge of the title bar of the active back down below the top
of the screen, vertical height of the active window will restore its original
size and position.
If you drag
the whole title bar of the active window to the right-most edge of the screen,
the right-most edge of the active Window will maximize vertically and align
itself with the entire right edge of the screen. The width of the active window
will be roughly half the total width of the screen.
If you then
drag the whole title bar of the active window to the left, away from the right
side of the screen, the original size and location of the active window will be
restored.
"AERO
SHAKE"
"Aero
Shake" is sometimes just called "Shake" at the Microsoft Web
site.
If you use
the mouse cursor to shake the title bar of the active window from side to side,
then all other windows that are currently open on the Desktop will minimize.
If you then
do the same thing again, all other Windows on the Desktop will reappear in the
normal positions and sizes.
See
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/aero-shake.aspx?tabid=1&catid=4
"AERO
PEEK"
"Aero
Peek" is also called "Peek" at the Microsoft Web site.
"Aero
Peek" consists of two features:
"Peek at the Desktop"
and
"Peek
at an open file on the Desktop".
See
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Whats-new-with-the-Windows-desktop
"PEEK
AT THE DESKTOP"
The
"Show Desktop" button is now at the far right end of the Windows
"Taskbar". It is to the right of the "Notification Area"
(which is also known as the "System Tray").
If you
click on this rectangular button, you will minimize all open windows.
If you then
click on this rectangular button, all open windows will return to their
original sizes and locations on the Windows "Desktop". In this way,
the newly-relocated "Show Desktop" button acts just like the
"show Desktop" button in "Windows XP" and "Windows
Vista".
However,
unlike "Windows XP" and "Windows Vista", when you hover the
mouse cursor over the newly-relocated "Show Desktop" button, all open
Windows on the Desktop will become temporarily transparent, revealing how the
desktop looks behind all of the open Windows. This new feature is called
"Peek
at the Desktop". It lets you see the Desktop without moving or re-sizing
open Windows that are currently on the Desktop.
"PEEK
AT AN OPEN FILE ON THE DESKTOP"
When you
hover your mouse cursor over any "Task button" on the
"Taskbar" that represents an open Window, a small image of the Window
will pop up to show you what is inside the actual Window. If a "Task
button" represents multiple Windows, then small images of all of the currently
open Windows will pop up side-by-side.
See
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Preview-an-open-window-on-the-desktop-using-Aero-Peek
for
details.
MAKING "WINDOWS 7" LOOK LIKE "XP" OR
"VISTA"
STEPS TO
PLACATE A SCREAMING COMPUTER "LUDDITE" WHO IS SCREAMING THAT HE OR SHE
CANNOT STAND "WINDOWS 7":
STEP 1:
To make
Windows 7 display a single column "Start Menu", download "csmenu",
a free software application that you can obtain from
STEP 2:
Follow the
steps at
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-7/make-the-windows-7-taskbar-work-more-like-windows-xp-or-vista/
STEP 3:
Perform a right mouse click on the Windows
"Desktop".
Click on "Personalize" on the popup context menu.
Pick the "Windows Classic" theme.
Steps 2 and
3 are also described in
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2303791/how_to_make_windows_7_look_more_like.html
"PINNING"
AND "JUMP LISTS"
By default "Windows 7" has no "Quick Launch"
bar: It has been replaced by "pinning" to the Taskbar.
"Pinning" means that you can put a menu-ed button
for any executable application program onto either the "Taskbar" or
the top-most section of the left side of the "Start Menu".
"Pinning" to the topmost section of the left side
of the "Start Menu" is available in "Windows XP" and
"Windows Vista" when the regular (not classic) Start Menu is selected
in "Windows XP" and "Windows Vista").
"Pinning" to the Taskbar is new to "Windows
7". You cannot pin executable application programs to the Taskbar in
"Windows XP" and "Windows Vista".
(If you absolutely have to have a "Quick Launch"
toolbar, you can get it back. See
However, give "Windows 7" a chance. Do not add the
"Quick Launch" bar back into the "taskbar" of "Windows
7". Try out "pinning" shortcut icons to the taskbar instead. You
will be glad that you tried it out !)
"JUMP
LISTS"
"Jump
lists" are a new feature in "Windows 7".
"Jump
lists" are not available in "Windows XP" or "Windows
Vista".
"Jump
lists" consist of menu-ed shortcuts to data files and task/actions that
are related to the executable applicable program that a pinned icon represents.
"Jump
lists" are associated with "pinned" icons for "pinned
icons" on the "Task Bar" and "pinned icons" on the
"Start Menu":
"Jump lists" of icons pinned to the "Task
Bar":
When you
right-click on a application program icon that is "pinned" to the
Taskbar,
"jump
lists" are the items that are located above the bottom-most grayish line
on the pop-up utility menu that is displayed
AND
"Jump
lists" of icons pinned to the "Start Menu":
When you do
a "Pin to Start Menu" on a program application (or a shortcut to a
program application), then the same jump list can be accessed by hovering the
mouse cursor over right-pointing triangle (guillemet) to the right of the
"pinned" icon that is located above "All Programs" in the
left column of the "Start Menu".
Different
jump lists have different sections, depending on what is appropriate:
See:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=1059
Many jump
lists have a "Pinned" section, a "Recent" section, and a
"Tasks" section.
The
"Pinned" section consist of shortcuts to pertinent data documents
that you have added to the "pinned" icon.
In the
following example, "Microsoft Word 2010 beta" is pinned to the task
bar:
*
When you hover your mouse cursor over it, you see
representations of all open windows, if any that the "pinned" icon
represents ("Peek at Open Window" of "Aero Peek")
When you click on it with the left mouse button,
"Microsoft Word.." starts up.
If only one open Window of "Microsoft Word"
exists and you use your left mouse button to click on the pinned icon, the
existing open Window of "Microsoft Word" will minimize. When you
click on the pinned icon again, the open Window of "Microsoft Word"
will restore.
If more than one open Window of "Microsoft
Word" exists and you use your left mouse button to click on the pinned
icon, nothing will happen.
If you use your right mouse button to click on the
pinned icon for "Microsoft Word", then the "jump list" for
"Microsoft Word" will be displayed:
Notice that it has a "Pinned" section and a
"Recent" section.
"PINNING" EXECUTABLE PROGRAMS:
You can
"pin" executable application programs (or shortcuts to executable
application programs) to either the "Taskbar" or the top-most section
of the left side of the "Start Menu".
When you
"pin" an executable application program to the "Task Bar",
a permanent shortcut icon appears in the "Task Bar" to the right of
the "Start Menu".
When you
"pin" an executable application program to the "Start
Menu", a permanent shortcut icon appears in the top-most section of the
left column of the "Start Menu" above "All Programs".
There are
two ways to pin an executable application program (or a shortcut to an
executable application) to the "Taskbar" and/or the "Start
Menu" in "Windows 7":
Method 1:
Drag the
executable application (or a shortcut to the executable program) to the
"Taskbar" or the "Start button".
Method 2:
Right click
on the executable application (or a shortcut to the executable program) and
select "Pin to Taskbar" or "Pin to Start Menu" from the
pop-up utility menu.
ADDING
(SHORTCUTS TO) DATA FILES TO "JUMP LISTS"
You can
create a shortcut for a data file on the left side of the Start Menu by
dragging the data file to the "Start Menu".
In
contrast, you cannot place a shortcut for a data file onto the Taskbar
directly.
When you
try to drag a data file (or a shortcut to a data file) to the
"taskbar", it gets added to the "Jump List" of the
executable program, if the executable problem is already "pinned" to
the Task Bar. For example, if you drag a
Microsoft Word .doc document file to the "Taskbar", the pop-up
"Tooltip" will say "Pin to Microsoft Office Word 2007" and
the .doc document will now show up in the "Pinned" section of the
jump list for the pinned "Microsoft
Office Word 2007" icon.
In other
words, "Pinned to Microsoft Office Word 2007" means "added to
the Pinned section of the jump list of Microsoft Office Word 2007".
If you drag
a data file (or a shortcut to a data file) to the "taskbar" and the
appropriate executable program is not already pinned to the
"taskbar", two things occur:
A shortcut
to the executable program is pinned to the the "taskbar"
and
a shortcut
to the the data file is added to the jump list of the executable program.
If the
related executable application program has already been "pinned" to
the "Start Menu", the data file gets added to the jump list of the
pinned application program icon on the "Start Menu" at the same time.
ADDING
FAVORITES AND "INTERNET SHORTCUTS" TO "JUMP LISTS"
You can
create an Internet Explorer "favorite" or an "Internet
shortcut" on the left side of the Start Menu by dragging the data file to
the "Start Menu".
In
contrast, you cannot place an Internet Explorer "favorite" or an
"Internet shortcut" onto the Taskbar
directly.
When you
try to drag an Internet Explorer "favorite" or an "Internet
shortcut" to the
"taskbar", it gets added to the "Jump List" of the
executable program, if the executable problem is already "pinned" to
the Task Bar. For example, if you drag
an "Internet shortcut" to the
"Taskbar", the pop-up "Tooltip" will say "Pin to
Internet Explorer" and the "Internet shortcut" will now show up
in the "Pinned" section of the jump list for the pinned "Internet Explorer"
icon.
In other
words, "Pinned to Internet Explorer" means "added to the Pinned
section of the jump list of "Internet Explorer".
If you drag
a data file (or a shortcut to a data file) to the "taskbar" and the
appropriate executable program is not already pinned to the
"taskbar", two things occur:
A shortcut
to the executable program is pinned to the the "taskbar"
and
a shortcut
to the the data file is added to the jump list of the executable program.
If the
related executable application program has already been "pinned" to
the "Start Menu", the data file gets added to the jump list of the
pinned application program icon on the "Start Menu" at the same time.
USING
"PINNED" APPLICATION PROGRAM ICONS
For any
"pinned" icon on the taskbar, it persists there even after you close
the application window that is associated with it.
For any
"pinned" icon on the taskbar, when you have an active window of it,
it is shown as being inside a white square.
For any
"pinned" icon on the taskbar, when you have a non-active or minimized
window of it, it is shown as being inside a gray square.
If there is
already one window opened by a "pinned" icon, to open an additional
Window, you can do one of two things:
Hold down
the shift key and click on the "pinned" icon.
Right click
on the "pinned" icon and click on the pop-up utility menu that is the
name of the program that the "pinned" icon represents.
MAKING
"WINDOWS 7" LOG IN AUTOMATICALLY
Most users of home computers do not want to have to log in
with their user names and passwords every time that they power up their Windows
7 computers.
Here is how you can make Windows 7 log you in automatically:
See
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/make-windows-vista-log-on-automatically/
HOMEGROUPS
"Homegroups"
are a new way of sharing files and folders.
The best
description of a "homegroup" is at
http://www.win7news.net/?id=12:
<Start
of quote>
During the
setup of Windows 7, you're asked to select your computer's location; that is,
are you on a home, work or public network? Your settings will be configured
differently, based on your choice. It's assumed that within a home, there is
more trust, so the default is to make it easier to share resources within the
local network. If you want to participate in a HomeGroup, you must select
"Home" as the location. When you make that selection, your computer
will automatically start looking for other Windows 7 computers on the network.
If you've already created a HomeGroup on your network, you'll have the option
to join it. If not, you can create one.
You can
also join or create a HomeGroup at a later time, through the Network and
Sharing Center. Just click "Choose homegroup and sharing options"
under the "Change your network settings" section. For security, the
HomeGroup is password protected. Windows generates a secure password consisting
of alpha and numeric characters, and that password has to be entered into each
computer that joins the HomeGroup. You can change the password through the
HomeGroup applet in Control Panel.
<End of
quote>
"Homegroups"
only work for Windows 7 computers.
"Windows
XP", "Windows Vista" and "Windows 2000" computers
cannot see "homegroups".
"IP
version 6" support service needed for "homegroups" sharing
between Windows 7 computers.
A
"Windows 7" computer can only belong to one homegroup:
See
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Why-can-t-I-join-a-homegroup
To create a new homegroup, if one does not already exists on
your home network
OR
to join an existing homegroup, that has been already been
created by another "Windows 7" computer on your home network:
Click on the Windows "Start" button.
Type in
homegroup
in the Search
box.
Press the <Enter> key of your computer's keyboard.
Check off which items, if any, you want to share on your
Windows 7 computer.
Click on the "Save Changes" button.
The items that you share AND the items that are shared by
the other homegroup participating computers on your home network will now show
up under the "Homegroup" section of "Windows Explorer".
TRADITIONAL SHARED FOLDERS
"TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper" service must be running
for Windows 7 client to "see" shares from earlier versions of
Windows.
"TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper" service does not need to
be running on the host Windows Vista or Windows XP computers for earlier
versions
of Windows on clients to see traditional "shares"
in "Windows 7".
To make a traditional shared folder that all other Windows 7
and earlier versions of Windows can "see", create or pick a regular
folder in
the Windows 7 computer. Then right click on the folder.
Click on "Share with" on the utility pop-up menu. Then select
"Specific
people..". Then select the Everyone group. Then click
on the Okay button.
"SYSTEM RESERVED" PARTITION
If you install Windows 7 into a blank, un-partitioned hard
drive, you will end up with two partitions:
a "System Reserved" partition and a regular NTFS
partition.
If you create an NTFS partition with "GParted"
from the "Parted Magic" LiveCD prior to installing Windows 7, then a
"System Reserved" partition will not be created by the installation
process of "Windows 7".
A "in-place upgrade" from "Windows
Vista" to "Windows 7" only creates one hard drive partition and
a "System Reserved" partition is not created.
Strategies for not letting "Windows 7" install a
"System Reserved" partition:
and
Strategies for deleting the "System Restore"
partition after "Windows 7" installs one:
and
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showthread.php?t=9661