As you may remember, when Microsoft redesigned the user interface in Windows Vista, there were many changes made to Windows Explorer. While most of these change were for the better, there was room for improvement, and the Windows 7 team has spent a great deal of time and effort on honing the user interface in Windows Explorer.
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll take a look at some of the many changes you’ll find in Windows 7’s Windows Explorer.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Return Windows Search results within a date range with advanced feature
Have you ever needed to search for a particular file or a set of files that you know you created between a certain set of dates? If you are running Microsoft Windows XP, performing such a search from the Search Companion was as easy as expanding the When Was It Modified? Section, selecting the Specify Dates option button, and either typing the dates in the From and To boxes or selecting the dates from the drop-down calendars.
However, in Vista, the Search Folder’s Date searching options do not allow you to choose beginning and ending dates.
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to Vista’s Advanced Query Syntax and show you how to use it in conjunction with Windows Search. As I do, I’ll show you how to search for a particular file or a set of files that you know were created between a certain set of dates.
However, in Vista, the Search Folder’s Date searching options do not allow you to choose beginning and ending dates.
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll introduce you to Vista’s Advanced Query Syntax and show you how to use it in conjunction with Windows Search. As I do, I’ll show you how to search for a particular file or a set of files that you know were created between a certain set of dates.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Microsoft cries uncle when it comes to bundled Windows 7 features
In my recent TechRepublic Microsoft Windows blog, “Be Ready for New and Improved Applets in Windows 7,” I told you that three of the four standard Windows applets have been endowed with some new features and updated user-interface components. In the ensuing discussion, many of you grumbled about having to put up with Windows default applets.
Well, for those of you who grumbled and for those of you who over the years have opted not to use, but still had to contend with, the Windows operating system’s default applets and features, have I got news for you! With the recent Release Candidate for Windows 7, Microsoft has finally given us more control over what Windows features we can turn off. They have also completely removed some features from the operating system.
As such, I think it is safe to say that Microsoft has finally given in to the demands of those Windows users who really want to be able to choose which features they want to use. (Antitrust lawsuits may have been a factor too.)
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll tell you what features are gone and show you what features you can now turn off.
Well, for those of you who grumbled and for those of you who over the years have opted not to use, but still had to contend with, the Windows operating system’s default applets and features, have I got news for you! With the recent Release Candidate for Windows 7, Microsoft has finally given us more control over what Windows features we can turn off. They have also completely removed some features from the operating system.
As such, I think it is safe to say that Microsoft has finally given in to the demands of those Windows users who really want to be able to choose which features they want to use. (Antitrust lawsuits may have been a factor too.)
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll tell you what features are gone and show you what features you can now turn off.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Automate Vista's Clip command line utility
As you may know, Microsoft Windows Vista includes a nifty little command line utility called Clip.exe that that is designed to redirect or pipe the output generated by a command line utility to the Windows clipboard. This can come in handy in a lot of different situations as it allows you to quickly get information from the command line into a Windows application. Using the Clip command is as easy as adding the pipe or the redirection symbol along with the clip command on the command line.
In this edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the Creative Element Power Tools to add the Clip utility to the context menu in Vista.
In this edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the Creative Element Power Tools to add the Clip utility to the context menu in Vista.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Be ready for new and improved applets in Windows 7
Back in March 2006, while evaluating the Microsoft Windows Vista February CTP (Community Technology Preview), build 5380, I wrote an article titled “Vista’s Recycled Applets Should Have Been Polished,” in which I admonished Microsoft for not putting any effort into improving or adding new features to the standard Windows applets: Notepad, WordPad, Paint, and Calculator.
While those applets never changed between the Windows Vista CTP and the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) versions, I was really happy to find that in the Beta 2 version of Windows 7, three of the four standard Windows applets have indeed been endowed with some new features and updated user-interface components.
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you what’s new in these applets.
Be ready for new and improved applets in Windows 7
While those applets never changed between the Windows Vista CTP and the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) versions, I was really happy to find that in the Beta 2 version of Windows 7, three of the four standard Windows applets have indeed been endowed with some new features and updated user-interface components.
In this issue of the Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you what’s new in these applets.
Be ready for new and improved applets in Windows 7
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Use Bootsect to extract Vista or Windows 7 from a dual-boot configuration
I recently dug out one of the spare hard drives that I use on my test system to see what was on it. I discovered that it contained a dual-boot configuration consisting of Microsoft Windows XP and a late beta version of Windows Vista. The original boot partition of the drive contained XP, and Vista was installed on a second partition. Of course, this meant that Vista had installed its Windows Boot Manager and its Boot Configuration Data system on the boot partition.
I wanted to get rid of the Vista partition as well as its Windows Boot Manager system so that I could use XP and have access to the full hard disk. My first thought was to simply reformat the hard disk and then reinstall XP; however, the more I thought about that plan of action, the more it sounded like too much work. I was about to remove that particular hard disk and try another from the box when I remembered something about the Bootsect command.
After doing a bit of investigation, I found what I was looking for — the instructions listing the complete command line for using the Bootsect command to remove the Windows Boot Manager and its Boot Configuration Data system from the boot partition and replace it with XP’s NTLDR boot management system. Taking the next step, I discovered that the same command line will also work to remove Windows 7 Beta from a dual-boot configuration with XP.
In this Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the Bootsect command to extract Windows Vista or Windows 7 Beta from a dual-boot configuration.
I wanted to get rid of the Vista partition as well as its Windows Boot Manager system so that I could use XP and have access to the full hard disk. My first thought was to simply reformat the hard disk and then reinstall XP; however, the more I thought about that plan of action, the more it sounded like too much work. I was about to remove that particular hard disk and try another from the box when I remembered something about the Bootsect command.
After doing a bit of investigation, I found what I was looking for — the instructions listing the complete command line for using the Bootsect command to remove the Windows Boot Manager and its Boot Configuration Data system from the boot partition and replace it with XP’s NTLDR boot management system. Taking the next step, I discovered that the same command line will also work to remove Windows 7 Beta from a dual-boot configuration with XP.
In this Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use the Bootsect command to extract Windows Vista or Windows 7 Beta from a dual-boot configuration.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Take advantage of tools to monitor memory usage in Windows 7
Ever since I discovered how to use the Windows 9x’s Resource Meter to keep track of system resources and prevent system crashes caused by depleting system resources when running more than one application at a time, I’ve made good use of Windows monitoring tools.
Over the years Microsoft has vastly improved the primitive Resource Meter and increasingly made it easier to see what is going on with the operating system’s use of memory. With Windows 7, I’ve discovered some slight, but notable, changes in the way that memory usage is reported on the Performance tab of the Task Manager. I have also noticed a very nice chart in the new Resource Monitor that provides very detailed information on physical memory usage at a glance.
In this issue of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll take a closer look at the changes on Task Manager’s Performance tab and investigate the Physical Memory usage chart.
Over the years Microsoft has vastly improved the primitive Resource Meter and increasingly made it easier to see what is going on with the operating system’s use of memory. With Windows 7, I’ve discovered some slight, but notable, changes in the way that memory usage is reported on the Performance tab of the Task Manager. I have also noticed a very nice chart in the new Resource Monitor that provides very detailed information on physical memory usage at a glance.
In this issue of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll take a closer look at the changes on Task Manager’s Performance tab and investigate the Physical Memory usage chart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)