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Windows 7's Hidden Gems and Noteworthy Features By Jay Dougherty November 3, 2009 7:07AM Microsoft's free Security Essentials add-on is a must-have for Windows 7 users who are tired of handing over hard-earned cash for subscriptions to commercial antivirus and anti-spyware packages. Security Essentials appears to be every bit as unobtrusive and reliable as OneCare. Microsoft appears to be engaging in the competitive antivirus arena.   Related Topics Microsoft Windows 7 Windows Vista Operating Systems Enterprise Software Network Security Antivirus Latest News Shuttle Atlantis Leaves Space Station Scientist: Politics Behind Stolen E-Mail Osmosis Used To Produce Power New Dad-in-Space Focuses on Shuttle Hacked E-Mails Stoke Climate Debate Windows 7's headline features naturally get all the attention. If you've read anything about Microsoft 's latest operating system, you probably already know that Windows 7 is faster, more compatible, and less annoying than Windows Vista. But Microsoft has also sneaked quite a few less visible but still noteworthy features into Windows 7. Here are a few. Shake Let's say you have dozens of applications open on your Windows 7 desktop -- so many, in fact, that that you have a difficult time sorting through them all, or you have difficulty concentrating on the foreground application because of everything else that's open. Sound familiar? In previous versions of Windows, you'd typically have to close all of those applications in order to get some sanity back into your desktop. Not anymore -- thanks to the new feature dubbed "shake." True to its name, the feature is activated by grabbing the title bar of an open application with your mouse cursor and then "shaking" the program back and forth a few times. When you do, everything else that's open on your desktop is minimized automatically. Perform the shake operation again, and the clutter returns to your desktop, exactly as it was before. Problem Recorder How often have you had to try to describe a problem you're having with your Windows computer, and the person you're describing the problem to acts like you're talking in a foreign language? Or how often have you, as the local computer expert, had to rely on someone's fuzzy description of a problem? In Windows 7, there's help for both scenarios in the form of the new Problem Steps Recorder. In a nutshell, the Problem Steps Recorder, or PRS for short, will record exactly what you're doing on your PC that results in a problem. Optionally, you can use the tool's Add Comment feature to add a note about what issue you're experiencing. When you're finished, PRS packages up the recording in a compressed ZIP file. Open the ZIP file, and out pops an "mht" that can be viewed with Internet Explorer. To start PRS, just open the Windows 7 Start menu, and type "PRS." Click Start Record, and then walk through the steps that result in a problem. Click Stop Record, and you'll be asked to indicate a location on your hard drive where the zipped file will be created. ISO burning For quite a while now, the preferred way to copy and store installation CDs and DVDs has been to create "ISO" files of the entire disk. An ISO file is a single image of the contents of the entire disk. To create an ISO file, you must use a third-party ISO creation tool such as UltraISO or the free ImgBurn. (continued...) 1  |  2  |  3  |  Next Page >   © 2009 Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) under contract with MarketWatch. All rights reserved.   Advertisement  Operating Systems 1.   Google Offers Peek at Chrome OS 2.   Win 7 on Netbooks: Uncomplicated 3.   Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good 4.   Chrome OS Team Aims for Speed 5.   Chrome OS Will Focus on Security Just How Secure Is Windows 7? Sophos, Microsoft have different views. Average Rating: Vista More Secure Than Windows XP Windows 7 security could be expensive. Average Rating: Patch Tuesday Fixes Serious Threats Three of six patches rated critical. Average Rating:

Network Security Spotlight

Auto-Updating Chrome OS Will Focus on Security Google has sketched out more details about its Chrome operating system, due before the end of next year. The initial target is to get Chrome OS running on devices that need Internet connectivity.   House Lawmakers Push Ban on Peer-to-Peer Software Stung by an embarrassing electronic leak revealing ethics investigations into dozens of lawmakers, Congress moved to prohibit federal employees from using the file-sharing software blamed for the disclosure.   GAO: Los Alamos Computer Security Has Weaknesses Security weaknesses uncovered in Los Alamos National Laboratory's computer network increase the risk of a classified-information breach, says the Government Accountability Office.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

$197 HP Laptop Among Best Buy's Black Friday Deals After a dismal 2008 holiday shopping season, retailers are gearing up early with major Black Friday discount announcements. Best Buy is at the head of the pack with several steals.   Apple Moves To Shut Down Psystar's Mac Cloning Apple is getting more aggressive against a Mac clone company. The technology giant asked a federal judge to close Psystar's Mac clone operation and ante up $2.1 million in damages.   Buying a New Windows 7 Computer Lots of people have waited until the official release of Win 7 before buying a new computer. And now that the new version of Windows is out, the stampede is on. How can you customize the machine?

Mobile Enterprise Spotlight

Protecting Your Lost-Smartphone Data Your smartphone is an attractive target for thieves -- and it also contains a treasure trove of sensitive data and documents. Fortunately, you can track your phone and even erase your data remotely.   EU Drops Qualcomm Antitrust Probe European Union antitrust regulators have dropped a monopoly-abuse probe into wireless chipmaker Qualcomm after mobile phone companies withdrew their complaints about high royalty fees.   Android 1.6 Phones Get Google Maps Directions Google has expanded the availability of its free Google Maps Navigation service, which previously ran only on handsets equipped with the company's Android 2.0 operating system.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Tailoring Digital Armor Against Identity Thieves Current identity-protection measures are just not enough. A new breed of products has hit the market that tackles the tricky matter of preventing identity theft and fraud even before they happen.   Buying a New Windows 7 Computer Lots of people have waited until the official release of Win 7 before buying a new computer. And now that the new version of Windows is out, the stampede is on. How can you customize the machine?   Getting More Out of Your Smartphone Many people rely as much on their smartphones as they do their computers. So questions about how best to use them, how to make them last longer on a charge and how to protect them are common.

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