Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows 7

In an article published last week titled Upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate with Anytime Upgrade and in a previous article titled Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 using a VHD, I told you that the ability to boot from VHD, a feature called Native VHD Boot, was only available in Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise. I was mistaken and I apologize for any inconvenience caused by this error. It turns out that the ability to boot from a VHD is actually available in all versions of Windows 7 and that only Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise can boot off of a VHD. Read more

Upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate with Anytime Upgrade

In this article, I’ll walk you step by step thru the entire procedure of using Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade to upgrade a Windows 7 Home Premium system to Windows 7 Ultimate. Read more

Remove Windows 8 from a dual-boot configuration

In the last couple of blog posts, I’ve shown you how to set up Windows 7 and Windows 8 Release Preview in a dual-boot configuration. In Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8, I showed you how to set up a dual-boot configuration by repartitioning your hard disk. In Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 using a VHD, I showed you how to set up a dual-boot configuration by using a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk).

At some point in time before October 26, 2012, you’ll need to stop using the Windows 8 Release Preview as it will stop working. Not exactly sure what will happen, but if it is like most of Microsoft’s free evaluations, one or all of the following will occur: the desktop background will turn black and you will see a notification indicating that the system is not genuine, or the PC will automatically shut down every hour without allowing you to save any work in progress. As such, you’re going to want to remove Windows 8 Release Preview from your system. Read more

Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 using a VHD

In my last blog post, Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8, I showed you how to configure your Windows 7 system to dual-boot Windows 8 from a partition on your existing Windows 7 hard disk. You can use that technique in all versions of Windows 7. However, you can take advantage of the Boot from VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) and install Windows 8 on a VHD. Read more

Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8

Since the Windows 8 Developer Preview hit the streets back in September 2011, I’ve written a bunch of articles on the new operating system covering such topics as the improved Windows Explorer, Windows 8 shortcut keys, Storages Spaces, and File History, just to name a few. However, I was recently reminded that there is one topic that I haven’t covered for Windows 8 and that is how to set up a dual boot machine.

Up until recently, I had a machine dedicated to testing Windows 8 and just never got around to setting up a dual-boot configuration. I say recently, because just the other day that test PC died. I did some troubleshooting to try and figure out just what went wrong, but my findings were inconclusive - it could be the power supply, it could be the CPU, it could be the motherboard, or it could be the video card. Rather than stressing about it, I just decided to get another test system - I’ll figure it out later.

Fortunately, my local computer store was having a clearance sale and I picked up and HP P2-1124 with Windows 7 Home Premium for around $300. I normally build my own systems, but this time I bought one off the shelf. So now, I had the perfect opportunity to explore dual-booting Windows 7 and Windows 8 Release Preview. Read more

Troubleshoot instantly with the Windows 7 System Diagnostic Report

You can delve into the Microsoft Windows 7’s Event Viewer to track down issues you are having with hardware and software, but doing so requires effort as well as an understanding of what you are looking at. Fortunately, Windows 7 comes with a host of troubleshooting tools, such as Event Viewer, Resource Monitor, and Reliability Monitor, that you can use to help diagnose all sorts of problems.

One of the other tools that you can use is called the System Diagnostic Report, which is a part of Performance Monitor and can display the status of hardware resources, system response times, and processes on your computer along with system information and configuration data. The neat trick with the System Diagnostic Report is that you can use it to gather troubleshooting information on-the-fly while the problem is occurring. Read more.

Augment your data storage options with Windows 7 Live File System format

If you are looking to augment or expand your existing data storage options and you have a CD- or DVD-burner on your Microsoft Windows 7 System, then you need to investigate the Live File System format. This new system will allow you to essentially use a CD-RW or DVD-RW disk just like a USB flash drive. In other words, you’ll be able to incrementally add individual files or groups of files to the disc over time. Read more.

Explore the benefits of the Multiple Local Group Policy feature in Windows 7

If you have ever been responsible for managing stand-alone or workgroup Windows XP systems with multiple user accounts, chances are you wished you could have used Group Policy to set different policies for different users. Unfortunately, Windows XP’s Local Group Policy doesn’t work that way. Fortunately, Microsoft realized that something more was needed and developed the Multiple Local Group Policy system. This new system, available for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions, will allow you to configure different policies for different users. Read more.

Troubleshoot Windows 7 with the built-in Problem Steps Recorder

There is still a large number of Windows users who are still running Windows XP. That started me thinking about all the great new Windows 7 features that those folks still running Windows XP are missing out on. For instance, that means that more than half of all the Windows users in the world won’t be able to take advantage of the extremely handy Problem Steps Recorder for helping to solve technical support problems. When started, this new tool will essentially record each and every step a user takes and document the entire operation in both screen captures and step-by-step details. When stopped, the Problem Steps Recorder will save the recorded information as a compiled HTML file and package it up in a ZIP file that an end user can then e-mail to a technician. Read more.

Use a USB Flash Drive to create Windows Password Reset Disk in Windows 7

Do you have an old 128MB or 256MB USB Flash Drive in the back of your desk drawer gathering dust? If so, you can put that dusty old drive to use again as a Password Reset Disk for Microsoft Windows 7. Read more.

Decipher Svchost processes in Windows with Svchost Viewer

Back in November of last year in my blog post titled “Identify and Get Detailed Information about Processes in Windows 7,” I showed you how to use Windows Task Manager to track down detailed information about any process running in Windows 7. However, I recently came across a tool that specializes in just Svchost.exe processes, called Svchost Viewer. Read more.

Give every window in Windows 7 a tabbed user interface

I recently received an email from a reader who was looking for a way to add tabs to Windows 7’s Windows Explorer. However, I have discovered tool called WindowTabs that can add tabs to every running application’s Window and allows you to group these tabbed windows together as a single entity. As such, you can open multiple instances of Windows Explorer and group them together to create your own multi-tabbed version of Windows Explorer. Read more.

Fine tune the Windows 7 Search Index for better performance

I recently received email from readers wondering about how the Search Index in Windows 7 works and if it were possible to customize it. Some readers wanted to add different locations to the Search Index and some wanted to remove certain locations. Others wondered about adding or removing certain file types from the Search Index. I also heard from readers who were encountering problems with the Windows 7’s Search and wondered how to fix it. Read more.

Tag your files for easier searches in Windows 7

In a recent Windows Desktop Report, “Take Advantage of Search Filters in Windows Explorer,” I showed you how to use and take advantage of the Search filters built in to Windows Explorer’s Search box in Windows 7. As I told you in that blog post, as soon as you begin typing text in the Search box, Windows immediately begins sifting through the search index for that text in folder names, file names, the contents of the file, and file properties, such as Tags. Since that blog was posted, I have received several emails from readers asking how you go about tagging files so that you can search on Tags. Read more.

Weed through your files Part Two: Windows 7 Group By and Filter features

In last week’s blog, “Weed through Your Files with the Windows Explorer Arrange By Feature,” I showed you how to use the Arrange By feature in Windows 7’s Windows Explorer to gain a different perspective on the data files that you have stored on your hard disk. However, the Arrange By feature isn’t the only method that you can use to gain an interesting perspective on your data files. There are two other features that you can use to weed through your files: Group By and Filter. Read more.

Weed through your files with the Windows Explorer Arrange By feature

No matter how organized you are with your data files, chances are good that you don’t know where every document is located. Nor do you even remember every document that you have on your hard disk. While Microsoft Windows 7’s Search feature can help you out when you have an idea of what you are looking for, it really can’t help you when you are not sure what to look for. Fortunately, you can use Windows Explorer’s Arrange By feature to gain a different perspective on the data files that you have stored on your hard disk. Read more.

Take advantage of Search filters in Windows Explorer

I recently received an email from a reader who was frustrated with the Search feature in Windows Explorer. His complaint was that the Search feature is good in Microsoft Windows 7, but it always turns up too many results, so it is hard to find exactly what he wants. Of course, I agree that the Search feature built in to Windows 7 is great. However, it also has a terrific Search filtering system built right in to Windows Explorer’s Search box. Read more.

Add the Up button to the Explorer Command Bar in Windows 7

In last week’s blog post, “Why Breadcrumb Navigation Is Better than the Up Button,” I told you that if after reading that post you still were not convinced that the breadcrumb navigation system was better than the Up button, I would show you how to add the Up button to the Windows Explorer Command Bar in Windows 7. After spending some time researching the idea, I did indeed find a way to put the Up button on the Command Bar via a little-known keyboard shortcut, a short VBScript, and some registry edits. Read more.

Why breadcrumb navigation is better than the Up button

Almost as soon as last week’s blog, “Modify Windows Explorer Command Bar for All Folders,” hit the site, I was receiving emails from readers asking if the technique could be used to put the Up button on the Command Bar. After spending some time researching the idea, I did indeed find a way to put the Up button on Windows Explorer’s Command Bar in Microsoft Windows 7 via a little VBScript magic and some registry trickery. Read more.

Modify Windows Explorer Command Bar for all folders

In last week’s blog, “Use Special Codes to Add Commands to the Windows Explorer Command Bar,” I told you about special codes that exist in the registry that you can use to add commands to Microsoft Windows Explorer’s context-sensitive Command Bar. I also told you there is a key in the registry called Generic for all the other folders that do not appear in any of the Libraries. I then explained that to add commands to the Windows Explorer Command Bars for all the other folders that do not appear in any of the Libraries, you’ll have to do a bit more work. Read more.