Troubleshoot problem applications with Windows 7 Program Compatibility tools

As you know, Microsoft has put a great deal of effort into making sure that Windows 7 is extremely compatible with new and existing hardware and software. The most evident piece of this compatibility push was Microsoft’s establishment of the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program. Another big piece of Microsoft’s compatibility push was the inclusion of Windows XP Mode in Windows 7.

However, there is another big feature built in to Microsoft Windows 7 that is designed to enhance compatibility but doesn’t seem to get as much of the fanfare as the others — the Program Compatibility Assistant. This tool is designed to automatically run when it detects an older program that is encountering compatibility problems. Read more.

Take advantage of Windows 7's Disk Defragmenter to get detailed drive data

As you know by now, Microsoft Windows 7’s Disk Defragmenter is configured to run on a regular schedule right out of the box. And, when it runs, it is hidden in the background with no visible interface or icon. This means that Disk Defragmenter will always keep your hard disk in tip-top shape and you never even have to think about defragmenting your hard disk.

Even though the disk defragmenting operation is totally automated in Windows 7, such that you really never need manually run the utility, the user interface in Disk Defragmenter has been redesigned so that it can provide you with detailed defragmentation status information allowing you to monitor the progress of the operation if you wish to run it manually. Read more.

Install the Aero Snap feature in almost any version of Windows

As you probably know, Snap is a new windows management feature in Microsoft Windows 7 that allows you to arrange open windows, including maximizing and resizing, just by dragging and dropping a window to different edges of the screen. When a window is dragged to the correct position, a ripple effect will emanate from the cursor and you’ll see an animated outline of the window instantly appear in its new position. As soon as you release the mouse button, the window will snap to that position.

Well, fortunately for all of us (XP, Vista and 7 users) the folks at Nurgo Software have developed a very cool piece of software called AquaSnap that brings the new Aero Snap and Shake features from Windows 7 to Windows XP and Windows Vista for free. You can even use it in Windows 2000. Read more.

Move your entire Windows XP installation into Windows 7 with Paragon Go Virtual

Would you like to be using Microsoft Windows 7, but are sticking with Windows XP because you have been using it for close to 10 years and have a lot invested in it? Well, what if I told you that you could easily move your existing Windows XP system to a virtual machine that you could then run in Windows 7? Well you can, with Paragon Go Virtual - and the best part is that it won’t cost you a penny.

Paragon Go Virtual is a conversion tool that creates virtual machines which can be run by VMware Workstation/Player or VMware Fusion on a Mac, Microsoft Virtual PC, or Oracle VirtualBox. The software comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions and in addition to converting Windows XP into a virtual machine, it can also convert Windows 2000, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Read more.

Get better organized with the Maple flat-file database application

The other day one of my coworkers mentioned that he needed a flat-file database tool that was easy to use and ran in Microsoft Windows 7, and he asked me if I could make a recommendation. (I love being asked questions like this when I already have an answer.) I quickly responded Maple! To which he replied, what? Like the Tree? I said, yes, just like the tree. I then explained that was the name of the tool that combined the power of a word-processing application with the organization structure of Windows Explorer to make one of the best flat-file database tools that I have ever used. Read more.

Customize folder backgrounds in Windows Vista and Windows 7

If you used Microsoft Windows 98, chances are good that you remember that operating system’s Customize This Folder wizard, which allowed you to customize your folders by setting different backgrounds and choosing a text color. A friend of mine was reminiscing about that capability the other day and asked me why this feature wasn’t one of the many bells and whistles in Microsoft Windows 7.

He really liked to be able to customize certain folders back then, as it helped him to organize content. I told him about Windows 7’s Content view, which makes keeping track of multimedia files easier. He quickly replied that Content view wasn’t the same as the Windows 98 feature, and I knew he was right. Since I had no quick comeback, I sulked off.

Later, while doing a bit of researching on the Internet, I encountered a nice little program called the Windows 7 Folder Background Changer, which was developed for The Windows Club website by Krishna Bagaria. This neat little program runs as a standalone application and works in both Windows Vista and Windows 7. Read more.

Move your entire Windows XP installation into Windows 7 with Zinstall XP7

If you are still using Microsoft Windows XP but thinking of moving to Windows 7, you’re probably feeling a bit apprehensive about the project. What if I told you that you could convert your entire Windows XP installation (data files and applications) into a virtual machine that you could then run inside Windows 7? Well, you can do just exactly that by using a unique product called Zinstall XP7.

Zinstall XP7 is a product designed to make it possible for Windows XP users to migrate/upgrade their existing systems to Windows 7. With Zinstall XP7, you can move your Windows XP installation, intact, from an older computer to a newer computer already running Windows 7 as well as revive your Windows XP installation after performing a Windows XP to Windows 7 Custom installation procedure on your existing computer. Zinstall calls this latter method an in-place migration, and it employs a truly unique process, which I’ll describe in detail. Read more.