10 Useful Specifics of Windows 7

You may have applied many tweaks to customize your Windows 7, or resolve major issues in it. And by now, you may have been considering yourself an effectual player of this operating system. Here is a gen, which even you may not be aware of. Scroll down to gain some startling facts about Windows 7:

Problem Steps Recorder

Introduced for the first time in Windows 7, Problem Steps Recorder proved to be a very useful feature. It captures images of the steps performed by the user on his/her computer. These images are then saved with a caption describing the detail of what you have been doing in that specific step. As inferred from its name, it is useful in reporting a problem to anyone professional. To work with it,

• Press Window key on your keyboard, type ‘PSR’, and hit Enter key
• Click on the red button to start recording. You can pause and stop recording from same area
• Click Add Comment button to include text entered, as recording does not display the text you write

Applocker

Applocker is a security tool that limits the access of non-administrative users to open or install an application. Applocker is usually activated on systems, which are supposed not to open or incorporate applications other than predefined ones. See following steps to learn how it works.

• Press Windows key, type ‘gpedit.msc’, and hit Enter. Access following path through the left pane
• Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Application Control Policies/Applocker
• Access Executable rules of Applocker and right click to Create New Rule
• Complete the wizard to allow an application for an open or limited access

Switch to a Projector

In the previous versions of Windows operating system, earlier than Windows 7, it was not easy to connect and adjust a projector. The reason was differentiated display properties of each computer. But with Windows 7, you can perform this task within seconds. See below for the procedure

• Press Windows key on your keyboard, type ‘displayswitch’, and hit Enter
• Alternatively, Press Windows key and P at the same time.
• Among the four display options, choose the last one naming Projector only.

Network Support

Windows Live Movie Maker is a very proficient component of Windows. In Windows 7, it has reemerged with various improvements. However, it is still unable to import and play media from the network. As luck would have it, here is a solution to eliminate this problem.

• Go to Registry Editor, and in the left panel, access the following given path
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Make
• In this key, create new DWORD Value naming AllowNetworkFiles and set its Value data to 1

Fault Tolerant Heap

Fault Tolerant Heap, usually referred as FTH is a technology that detects instable processes (crashing applications) and fixes them spontaneously to avoid inconvenience in future. If your PC is not sheltered with FTH, activate it now through Windows Registry, as described below.

• Go to Registry Editor, and in the left panel, access the following given path
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\FTH
• In this key, locate the entry named Enabled and make sure its Value data is set to 1
• List of FTH protected processes can be viewed in the State key within the FTH key

Customize Login Screen

You may not have imagined your login screen with a different appearance. Well FYI, it is possible to tweak your login screen and customize it, as you may like it. This is a hidden and rousing feature of Windows 7. For this purpose, you would have to edit your Windows Registry, in the following way.

• Go to Registry Editor, and access through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to reach following key
• Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background
• Locate the value named OEMBackground, and set its Value data to 1.
• Find a desired image, and rename it as backgroundDefault.jpg
• Copy the image to %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds, and Restart the computer

Large Text

Modern machines have advanced display properties with capability to show higher resolution. Even though, it is recommended by modern operating systems to set your systems on high resolution, so that you could get undistorted view. However, in such a case, reading text might become difficult for certain users. To resolve this issue with a simple way out,

• Press Windows key on your keyboard, type ‘DPIScaling’, and hit Enter
• In the appearing window, select a size increase according to your longing, and click the Apply button
• Restart your computer to make the changes in effect

Expand Taskbar Preview

Windows 7 introduced an exciting feature of displaying the minimized programs in a miniature view, while scrolling cursor on them. You can tweak this facility for a higher value, and increase the size of its preview. This can be achieved through following simple steps.

• Go to Registry Editor, and in the left panel, access the following given path
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband
• Create a New DWORD Value, name it as MinThumbSizePx, and set its Value data to 350
• Reboot your system to view the changes

Play To

This feature is associated with Windows Media Player. By this term, it is denoted that you can now play a media on any other system in the network. It pushes the media file to the PCs on network, which allows such behavior. To make it in practice,

• Launch Windows Media Player, go to Stream, and click Turn on media streaming
• In the appearing dialog box, click again on Turn on media streaming button
• Go to stream, and click to check Allow remote control of my player, Allow remote control on this network, and Automatically allow devices to play my media
• Repeat the same steps on other computers on the network
• The right click the media file that you want to play on another system, access Play To menu and select the system from the list.

Run As

Usually, an administrator makes a number of user accounts with limited privileges, While, keeps the maximum authority with itself in administrators account. Suppose being an administrator, you need to operate a different user account, and want to carry out an activity not authorized in that account. Logging out and then back in or Switching user might be a lengthy deal. By the following means, you can do it easily.

• Right click the desired executable file by pressing the Shift key
• Choose the option Run as different user
• Input the admin username, password, and there you go