Thursday, October 22, 2009

Less energy consumption with better power management in Windows 7

Strong power management features in Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7 or windows xp 7,promise to enhance the longevity of the battery of your laptop.

Windows 7 manages with less background activities and therefore doesn’t consume much energy and draw less power. This reduces the energy cost and enhances the battery life.

Windows 7 also provides diagnostic tools that help manufacturers to troubleshoot the power management issues. The tools are functional in reducing power consumption, enhancing
user experience and providing better way of managing power consumption.

This, in turn, significantly helps businesses minimize energy footprint and reduce carbon emissions. Microsoft is strongly focused on reducing the overall power consumption by managing the performance optimization and device power management.

The energy efficiency and longer battery life in Windows 7 are highly beneficial for portable computers. Moreover, better tools option is specially designed for the IT professionals as it will help them to resolve power management related issues.

Power management issues in Windows latest avatar are more accessible and prominent than its earlier versions, which also allow the user to customize the settings.

There is an automatic sleep mode option, by default, which automatically dim after certain time allowing the end users to adjust the power management settings without going into

the Control Panel.

Microsoft is also looking forward to resolve the driver conflict. 30 new features were included in Windows Vista which have been further elevated in Windows 7.

There are other innovations too that include less power consuming DVD playback, automatic screen dimming, powering off unused ports, and battery-life indicator. Although better

Power Management panel has been included in Windows 7, Microsoft has released a power management guide that describes Power Management enhancement in the operating system, and also includes instructions on reducing power consumption.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Windows 7 features – Device Management

One of the several salient features of Windows 7 is Device Management, which includes device stage and the devices and printer folder making it easier for a user to work with printers, cameras, phones, and music players.

The tool acts as a location for external devices that updates you with the device status information. Device Stage acts as a home page for your hardware in Windows 7. In earlier versions, you need to go to separate menus, but in Windows 7 this advanced feature will pop up all the functions of the device.

The user can also have a look at everything connected to the PC with Devices and Printers folder. Now you don’t have to worry about downloading the drivers as the drivers of the new devices will be downloaded automatically.

In Windows 7, default printing adjusts itself depending upon the connected network. If you are at home or work it gets aware of the location from where you are printing with Location aware printing feature. It also provides support for wireless alternatives to USB such as Ultra Wideband (UWB), Wireless USB (WUSB), Wireless Host Controller Interface (WHCI), Device Wire Adapter (DWA).

Moreover, it supports devices such as ambient light sensor, GPS, temperature gauge, etc. You can also enlarge the text display when using high resolutions . The tool provides improved support for external displays. You can easily toggle between the laptop screen and an external display by simply pressing +P key.

If you want to add a new device it can easily be done with Devices and printers as it also provide the place to add a new networked or wireless device and also to troubleshoot problems with it. It also provide Blue-ray Disc write support and standardizes the Display color as it helps in adjusting an LCD display to be as close as possible to the sRGB standard color space. The user can expect simpler device pairing, better security and better power savings.

ReadyBoost: A way to speed up Windows 7

Microsoft has included an enhanced version of ReadyBoost on Windows 7, a new feature that speeds up your computer even in a low memory situation by using flash memory, in its latest operating system Windows 7, scheduled to be launched on October 22.

ReadyBoost, which also comes with Vista, make use of a USB flash drive or card as memory and it works with most of the flash storage devices.

In Windows 7, it can handle more flash memory and even multiple devices up to eight, for a maximum 256GB of additional memory. When you plug a ReadyBoost-compatible storage device into your system, the AutoPlay dialog box offers you the option to speed up your computer using ReadyBoost. If you select this option, you can choose how much memory on the device to use for this purpose.

When you set up a device to work with ReadyBoost, Windows shows you the space recommended for an optimal performance. For ReadyBoost to effectively speed up your computer, the flash drive or memory card should have at least 1GB of available space. If enough space is not available for ReadyBoost, you’ll see a message asking you to free some space on the device if you want to use it to speed up your system. You can enable or disable ReadyBoost for a specific flash drive or other removable storage device.

Follow the given guidelines to enable this feature in Windows 7 .

STEP1: Connect a flash drive or flash memory card into your computer.

STEP2: Click Speed up my system, in the Autoplay dialog box, under General options.

STEP3: In the Properties dialog box, click the ReadyBoost tab, and then do one of the following:

To turn ReadyBoost off, click Do not use this device.

To use the maximum available space on the flash drive or memory card for ReadyBoost, click Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost. Windows will leave any files already stored on the device, but it will use the rest to boost your system speed.

To use less than the maximum available space on the device for ReadyBoost, click Use this device, and then move the slider to choose the amount of available space on the device you want to use.

STEP4: Click OK.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Microsoft Windows Version 7 Accessibility automation tools

Windows 7 gives better accessibility and enhanced performance with improved automation. The efficiency of IT professionals can be increased with this feature. Earlier, the tasks which were solved manually and take hour can be automatically resolved now. The tasks are entirely automated, the problem is being detected and is automatically resolved. And the additional advantage of this feature is that it diminishes the possibility for human error.


The Windows Automation API 3.0 gives you the benefit of existing accessibility implementation in Microsoft Active Accessibility and its elevated framework design allows you easier integration with industry standards. Windows 7 Automation provide better properties and control pattern and faster UI automation implementation.

Scripting is enhanced in Windows 7 that is the most powerful and usable automation tool for IT professionals which includes elevated version of the Windows scripting environment: Windows PowerShell 2.0. Now no more understanding of complex languages such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++ or C# with Windows PowerShell 2.0 as it does not require the understanding of complex language. It is especially designed for system administration.

Any management task can be performed by IT professionals which they want to automate as PowerShell uses Windows Management Interface. You can have full control over any aspect of the system that supports management by calling command-line tool from PowerShell.
You require to install it on the computer in order to run a PowerShell script in case you are using Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. But in Windows 7 PowerShell 2.0 is in-built into the operating system therefore IT professionals don't require to deploy any additional PC to create, distribute and run PowerShell scripts.
PowerShell is used by administrators for creating system restore before troubleshooting, to edit the registry using transactions which is to make sure that the changes which are made are implemented.


Windows Connect Now is one of the technology designed for simpler wireless device configuration. Now with Windows Connect it is easier to create a wireless network at home or office. When you connect to a compatible router, Windows will walk you through all the necessary setup steps including naming your network and turning on the router's security features. Now you don't need to remember network settings when you connect a new computer. All you have to do is press the Wi-FI Protected Setup button on your router and it will automatically send the network settings to your computer. With Windows connect Now, users running Windows 7 can create network configuration settings and transmit them to the access point. Windows Connect Now (WCN) allows mobile and embedded devices, 802.11 access points (APs), and computers to securely connect, and exchange settings with each other. It allows you to easily set up a secure wireless network by using a USB cable or USB flash drive. Windows Connect Now uses one of the methods for easier configuration.


WCN-NET is Microsoft's standard for easier Wi-Fi configuration. It provides for configuration of devices using Ethernet in Wireless networks. In Windows it can search an unconfigured router, access point, base station or a device such as a Media Center Extender by using Upnp, authenticate with the device by using a personal identification number, provide wireless settings that are based on user selection and configure a wireless network over a wired Ethernet connection.
WCN-UFD writes configuration files to a USB drive for more secure wireless networks. It uses an API and an XML format to write configuration files.
WCN-MTP includes a Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) extension that enables an MTP initiator to provide an MTP responder with configuration parameters for joining a wireless network and supports more secure configuration of MTP-capable devices on wireless networks.

Friday, October 16, 2009

In windows 7 how to change Account Picture

Microsoft’s Windows 7 release will be a boon for users as now they will be allowed to change the picture that appears on the Start Menu and Welcome screen in Windows 7.
While using Windows 7 you must have noticed a picture that appears when you click the Start menu or access the Welcome screen. A picture represents your account. You can replace this default picture with your favorite one.
You can follow these steps to perform this task. Click the Start button and then click on your account image to open the "User Accounts" Control Panel. When the "User Accounts" Control Panel opens, click "Change your picture" and then choose the one you like from the gallery and set as a default picture for your account.
After that you will have to click the "Change Picture" button, and then close the "User Accounts" Control Panel.
Taking up another issue, you can use setup to show the computer name on your Windows 7 taskbar.
You usually check computer name manually by right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Properties. But in Windows 7 release you can display it on Taskbar.
You just have to create a new folder in Document folder with the same name as your computer name. You can find your computer name by right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Properties. Right-click on an empty area in the taskbar and choose Toolbars, then click on New Toolbar. Now you want to browse to the location of the folder you just created. Choose that folder and click the Select Folder button.
Thats all. Now your computer name will appear on the Windows 7 taskbar.
Another Windows 7 update is that you can also get an effective package from Dr. Web CuireIt against all virus and spyware in Windows 7
When you update your system with Windows 7, then you need a comprehensive package because your existing antivirus will lose the compatibility.
Dr. Web comes with a most efficient Anti-Virus called Dr. Web CuireIt. Its extensive scanner and virus will scan the complete system even without installation. You can get it from the website link http://www.freedrweb.com, absolutely free. You can combine this package with Windows 7 install package. First, open the website with the above link. Press the button of "Download." Save the file on your desktop. Double click on the file and run the set up. Follow the prompt and at the end accept the Agreement form. Click on "Finish" after the process is complete.
You can run this program anytime, to scan your startup files and main memory. Depending upon the area you want to scan you can run this program under complete scan or custom scan. Press "Scanning" after selecting. After scanning the incurable files are moved to the quarantine directory.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

How to Browse Internet on Windows 7 E Version

Microsoft introduced Windows 7 Version in reaction to statements made by the European government with respect to Internet Explorer. The EU introduced antitrust case against Microsoft to the group of IE with Windows and therefore the exploitation of dominant market position. The government claimed that "the linking of Microsoft Internet Explorer for the Windows operating system harms competition among web browsers, undermines the product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice."

Windows 7 version E is a response to this that shows that Microsoft must comply with the law. The E version is without any type of browser and therefore welcomes the European markets with Windows without any type of Internet browser now so they can use any browser of your choice. However, the question remains: HOW? If no browser at all how is it possible to download any web browser?

Microsoft has provided detailed information about installing Windows 7 E on its website. However, the instruction also includes an extra step for customers in Europe with regard to keeping the browser of choice in some external hard drive. Therefore, European customers that Windows 7 will save the web browser on a CD, DVD or USB or other storage media and install the browser once the Windows 7 has been completely installed.

This is a genius step taken by Microsoft, as they show they are following the laws, and to be able to get more revenue by providing additional CD web browser with the operating system.

John James is a professional writer with extensive work experience in the development of web services industry. The author has written several useful and informative articles on various topics related to IT and computer tech support .