SAN FRANCISCO – You probably know if your PC is running Windows XP, Vista, or 7–but do you know which version of Windows it is? For example, is it XP Home? Windows 7 Ultimate? And is it the 32-bit or 64-bit variety?
Knowing the answer to the last question is increasingly important these days, as you can’t run 64-bit software on a 32-bit OS. Likewise, if you do have 64-bit Windows (often referred to as “x64″), you should always opt for 64-bit versions of your favorite applications (when available).
Windows doesn’t paste this information anywhere in plain sight, but it’s easy enough to find. In Vista and 7, right-click your Computer icon and choose Properties. Presto: all the information you need in one handy box.
You can also click the Start button, type version, and then click Show which operating system your computer is running.
SAN FRANCISCO – According to Net Applications, it’s been a good month for Microsoft. Internet Explorer 8 gained more market share to continue dominating the browser market, and Windows 7 surpassed its predecessor–Windows Vista–in market share for the first time. So, what exactly is driving the success of Windows 7?
1. Management. With integrated support for PowerShell 2.0, Windows 7 provides a superior infrastructure for IT admins to be able to automate common tasks and manage the desktops more efficiently.
IT admins can create powerful scripts with PowerShell 2.0. PowerShell uses the Windows Management Interface (WMI), and can call command-line tools–making it a very versatile tool for IT admins.
2. Troubleshooting. For some IT admins, helping users troubleshoot problems takes up a significant amount of time and gets in the way of other tasks that might improve the network for everyone. Troubleshooting problems remotely can be a uniquely difficult task challenging the patience of both the user and the IT technician.
Windows 7 provides Troubleshooting Packs that enable users to conduct their own troubleshooting for many common issues. IT admins can also create custom Troubleshooting Packs for recurring issues or internal applications.
For remote troubleshooting, Windows 7 has the Problem Steps Recorder feature. The Problem Steps Recorder lets users record the screenshots illustrating–click-by-click–the steps they are performing that seem to be causing the problem. The ability to replay the exact problem scenario greatly enhances the ability of remote IT technicians to identify and resolve the issue.
3. Security. Windows XP–which is still by far the most used operating system–is far behind Windows 7 when it comes to security controls. Windows 7 has security controls–like ASLR (address space layout randomization), DEP (data execution prevention), and UAC (user account control), and PMIE (Protected Mode IE)– that don’t exist in Windows XP.
Windows 7 also has AppLocker which lets IT admins set policies restricting which applications or scripts are allowed to run on the PC. Controlling which software can run on the desktop provides better security, as well as simpler system management.
BitLocker and BitLocker to Go enable IT admins to ensure that sensitive data is protected with encryption, and it can be easily managed via Group Policy.
4. It’s Not Vista. The reputation of Vista is more a Microsoft marketing failure than the result of any real issues with Vista. While Windows 7 is not “Windows Vista R2″ as some have suggested, but it is does have many of the same core elements that Vista has.
The launch of Windows Vista was marred by a lack of drivers and vendor-support–something Microsoft should have proactively addressed prior to launching a major new OS. Many of the other issues of Windows Vista, though, were actually misunderstood features that Microsoft allowed competitors like Apple to exploit in attacking Vista in marketing.
5. It’s Still Supported. Although Windows 7 has surpassed Windows Vista, Windows XP still has more than twice the market share of both Windows 7 and Windows Vista combined. Those that have applied Windows XP SP3 are still being supported by Microsoft, but Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP SP2, or earlier OS versions such as Windows 2000.
Windows XP was a phenomenal success. The familiarity and comfort level of Windows XP, combined with tighter budgets and the fumbled launch of Windows Vista have all contributed to the extended success of the legacy OS.
Now that Windows 7 is in town, though, most companies are looking at finally refreshing hardware and upgrading the operating system to catch up with this decade and take advantage of the benefits listed here, as well as the hardware and software technologies that have come along that the archaic Windows XP is simply not compatible with.
LONDON – QUESTION I’m about to replace my Vista Home Premium laptop with one running Windows 7. I’ll be passing on my old laptop to my son, but I’d like to install Windows 7 on his laptop too. Can I purchase an upgrade version, and will I lose any programs or other files in doing so? What’s my best (cheapest) option? Steve Wilson
HELPROOM ANSWER Upgrading the older laptop to Windows 7 is definitely the way to go, as it will improve performance and extend the machine’s useful life. First check whether the laptop can be upgraded using the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. For more on this read: How to get your PC ready for Windows 7.
If you perform a full upgrade using a Windows 7 upgrade install then your files and folders will be retained. However, you may find that some software will no longer work, and may not even be transferred to the new installation because of compatibility issues.
For peace of mind, you could instead purchase a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium and install it from scratch. This will ensure the correct drivers and components are installed first time round. Either way, we’d recommend backing up all your files and programs before you make the upgrade.
The Upgrade edition of Windows 7 Home Premium costs around £90, while the full version is around £140. Both are available from the PC Advisor Software Store.
SAN FRANCISCO – Windows 7 may be the best Windows yet, but it suffers from the same annoying problem that plagued Vista and even XP: Its clock doesn’t keep good time.
That’s because the default time server Windows uses to fetch the current time, well, bites. I don’t know if this is because of server overload or what (obviously there are a lot of Windows systems out there, all looking for a clock fix), but I’m tired of getting the same cryptic error when I try to sync manually.
Ah, but there’s a fix. If you’re trying to get your system to keep better time, try this:
1. Right-click the taskbar clock and choose Adjust date/time.
2. Click the Internet time tab, then the Change settings button. (This might be a little different in Windows XP.)
3. Erase what’s in the Server field and replace it with pool.ntp.org.
4. Click Update now. In a few seconds, Windows’ clock should get synchronized.
5. Click OK, then OK again, and you’re done.
Your mileage may vary, but this time server worked like a charm for me.
SAN FRANCISCO – I just installed Windows 7 on a Compaq laptop that was previously running Vista. It was a clean install, meaning I wiped the hard drive rather than simply upgrading the OS. (I had my reasons for doing so, but I won’t bore you with them here.)
The install went perfectly, with one exception: the display wasn’t running at its maximum, native resolution (which on this system is 1,200 by 800). Instead, it was stuck at a rather chunky 800 by 600, and when I went to increase it (by right-clicking the desktop and choosing Screen resolution), the only option was 1,024 by 768–still shy of optimal.
What happened? Simple: Windows 7 had failed to detect and download drivers for the laptop’s ATI Radeon video hardware. Thus, I had to grab them manually, which was surprisingly easy:
1. Click Start, type device manager, then press Enter.
2. Expand the tree for Display adapters. You should see an entry that says “Standard VGA” or something similar.
3. Right-click that entry, then click Update Driver Software.
4. Click Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows should be able to locate, download, and install the proper drivers for your video hardware, as it did on my Compaq.
When it’s all done, you’ll need to reboot. When Windows starts up again, your display should be running at its optimal resolution. If not, right-click somewhere on the desktop, choose Screen resolution, and choose your desired setting. Easy-peasy!
SAN FRANCISCO – Recently two of my relatives complained of the same maddening problem: They’d be typing along on their laptops when suddenly the cursor would jump, resulting in garbled text or even an unwanted mouse-click.
This is usually the result of your thumb or palm accidentally grazing the touchpad. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this problem, usually by tweaking Windows’ mouse/touchpad settings.
If those options aren’t available on your system or you’re still not getting the results you want, try TouchFreeze. This free utility serves one simple purpose: to disable your laptop’s touchpad while you type.
Actually, it disables touchpad tapping, which is what causes the aforementioned problems. (It doesn’t matter if your cursor moves while you’re typing, as long as that movement isn’t followed by a tap–the touchpad equivalent of clicking a mouse.)
I tested the utility on two laptops, one running Windows XP, the other, Vista. On both systems it worked as advertised: No amount of tapping while typing would actually register a tap.
If you’ve been tearing your hair out due to flaky laptop behavior, this handy freebie may just solve the problem.
SAN FRANCISCO – Judy Olson asked in what folder Windows Live Mail stores your inbox and other mail folders.
Windows Live Mail–part of Microsoft’s Windows Live series of free downloads–is the logical successor to Vista’s Windows Mail and XP’s Outlook Express (Windows 7 doesn’t come with a mail client). It works in XP and Vista as well as Windows 7.
If you’ve installed Windows Live Mail in Vista or Windows 7, chances are your email is stored in subfolders of C:\Users\yourlogon\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail, where yourlogon is, of course, the name you use to log onto Windows.
If you installed Windows Live Mail into XP, the path is probably C:\Documents and Settings\logon\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail.
You may run into trouble navigating Windows Explorer to either of those folders, however. That’s because several of the folders within those paths are hidden. But you can easily get inside the hidden folders via the command prompt. In Vista or Windows 7, click Start, type %homepath%\appdata\local, and press ENTER. In XP, click Start, then Run, type %homepath%\local settings\application data, and press ENTER. You’ll still have to drill down a few folders from there, but those folders will all be visible.
If the Windows Live Mail folder isn’t where I told you it would be, here’s how to find it: In Windows Live Mail, press ALT to bring up the old-fashioned menus and select Tools, then Options. Click the Advanced tab, then the Maintenance button. Click the Store Folder button. And there it is.
SAN FRANCISCO – BushPilot’s new wallpaper doesn’t cover his screen. He asked the Answer Line forum for advice.
Windows offers several ways to display your wallpaper (also known as your desktop background). You can tile the image, so that it fills the screen by repeating itself. You can center the image, leaving empty space around it if the image is too small or the wrong shape. Or you can have Windows blow up and stretch the image so that it fills the screen. (Windows 7 offers more options than these.)
If you only pick images that are the same shape as your screen and at least the same size, the options have no effect; all of these choices will result in a single image filling the screen. Only when you pick something smaller or of a different shape does it matter.
Here’s how to change this setting in XP, Vista, and Windows 7:
XP
Right-click the desktop and select Properties. Click the Desktop tab. If you want the image will fill the screen, select Stretch from the Position pull-down menu.
Vista
Right-click the desktop and select Personalize. Click Desktop Background. Select an option under How should the picture be positioned? The first one will fill the screen with the picture.
Windows 7
Right-click your desktop and select Personalize. Click Desktop Background near the bottom of the window, sort of to the left. In the lower-left corner, you’ll find a largish pull-down menu called Picture position. To fill the screen, pick either Fill or Stretch, depending on which result most pleases your eye.
Microsoft Windows 8 may be coming as early as 2012, based on a recent rash of comments and hints dropped by Microsoft personnel in official capacity and informal context.
Some are taking heart from a roadmap Microsoft was supposedly showing off during its recent Professional Developer’s Conference (PDC), according to electronista. The map (click to enlarge it for a closer look) refers specifically to Windows Server products, but suggests the plan would extend to Windows desktop systems as well.
Microsoft Speeds Up
According to the roadmap, Microsoft is trying to get into a regular pace of releasing major Windows upgrades every three or four years, with a significant update happening every two.
Windows 8 by 2012 is an admirable goal, but product delays seem inevitable when it comes to getting a new iteration of Windows out the door. Microsoft had a six-year gap between the major release of Windows XP in 2001 and then Windows Vista in 2007. Vista was originally scheduled for 2006, but Microsoft was forced to push Vista’s release to 2007. Then, after a poor reception for Vista, Windows 7 was rushed out to stores less than two years later. Microsoft may not want to have another six-year gap between OS releases, but it also needs to avoid another Vista-sized flop. Nevertheless, it’s a good bet that a Windows 8 release candidate will be available as early as 2011.
As a side note, the roadmap also confirms that Windows 7 was considered a release update to Vista, while Windows 8 would be a major release and therefore a significant upgrade from Windows 7.
Windows 8 Plans
Microsoft has been looking forward to the next iteration of its operating system, in at least a limited fashion, since early October, when job listings looking for Windows 8 program managers came to light.
There have also been a rumor that Windows 8 would boast 128-bit architecture. That rumor came to light after Microsoft employee Robert Morgan disclosed company information on his LinkedIn profile. Morgan said he was working on “research and development projects including 128-bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan.”
Windows 8 Predictions
With Windows 7 being a done deal since July, some pundits have been busy making up wish lists and predictions for Windows 8. InfoWorld’s Randall Kennedy predicts that Win 8 will be the end of the 32-bit operating system–all the more likely if a 128-bit version is in the works. Computerworld’s Preston Galla wants a more simplified version of Windows Media Center and easier ways to network Windows, Mac OS X and Linux machines. Kennedy is also big on Live Mesh integration for Windows 8. Live Mesh is a Microsoft cloud-based service that allows you to sync documents across multiple computers, as well as access your files through an online desktop.
Speaking of the cloud, it will be interesting to see how pervasive online computing is among home users by 2012. By that time, Google’s Chrome OS will have been available for a year or two, and it should be clearer how effective or ineffective it is to use a Web-only operating system. Will the success or failure of Chrome OS influence Windows 8? I’m looking forward to finding out.
SAN FRANCISCO – For the past month or so, I’ve been leisurely migrating to Windows 7–at my own pace. If you’ve been following along, thus far we’ve partitioned the hard drive and installed Windows 7 on a new partition, and then used a couple free programs to install favorite apps and copy over Firefox bookmarks. This week I’ll show you how to finish up the process by migrating your Apple iTunes library and copying over your data.
Move Your iTunes Library
Copying over your iTunes library is a drag-and-drop procedure, though it may take some time.
Start by making sure you’re running the latest version of iTunes in your original version of Windows (XP or Vista). Then boot to Windows 7 and install that same version of iTunes. Any mixing of old and new iTunes library files could lead to unpleasant results.
While still in Windows 7, exit iTunes, then click the Windows Explorer icon in your taskbar. (Wasn’t it nice of Microsoft to finally make Windows Explorer readily accessible?)
Browse into the Computer section; find your original Windows XP/Vista partition (on my system it was Drive D:, even though it appears as Drive C: when I boot to that partition); then navigate into the Users, Your Username, My Music, iTunes folder.
You should see various iTunes Library files and subfolders. Now, find the corresponding iTunes folder in your Windows 7 partition–but don’t open it. Instead, select all the files and folders from within the original partition’s iTunes folder, then drag them to the new partition’s iTunes folder.
Depending on how much music, video, apps, and the like you have, the copy process could take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more.
Along the way, Windows will likely notify you of a few duplicate files. Make sure to select the Copy and Replace option, as you want to overwrite the newer (and mostly empty) iTunes files with the ones from your original installation.
Once Windows has finished copying everything, start iTunes. Everything should be exactly as it was in your older OS. One cool exception: When you mouse over the iTunes icon in the Windows 7 taskbar, you’ll see Play/Pause and Skip controls you can use for music playback without needing to maximize the program.
Copy Important Data
It’s time to start wrapping up the process, installing any programs that didn’t get installed earlier, copying over data files, and setting up peripherals like printers. In other words, the time has come to start living under Windows 7′s roof, returning to XP or Vista only when necessary. Before you turn off the lights and lock the door, however, make a list of the programs you still need to install and the data you need to copy. Allow me to help with the latter.
Here’s a list of common data you’ll want to make sure you don’t leave behind:
Documents: Everything in your My Documents folder, and in any other folders you use to store Word files, spreadsheets, presentations, and the like.
Music: If you don’t use iTunes, or you keep your MP3s in a folder other than My Music, make sure to copy them over.
Photos: Most folks store them in the My Pictures folder, so all you have to do is copy the contents to the eponymous folder in Windows 7. Same goes for…
Videos: Most folks store them in the My Videos folder, so copy the contents to that same folder in Windows 7.
Financial records: If you use Intuit Quicken or Microsoft Money, your best bet is probably to use either program’s built-in backup option, saving the backup file(s) to an easy-to-find spot on your Windows 7 partition (the Documents folder, for example), then run the program in Windows 7 and restore the backup.
E-mail: If you use Gmail, Yahoo, or another Web-based e-mail service, you’re golden. Just sign into your accounts as usual using your browser. However, things are a lot trickier if you hang your e-mail hat in Mozilla Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Windows Live Mail. Because I can’t cover the migration steps for all those programs here, I advise you to do a little Google searching and find the instructions you need. They’re out there.
As I’ve noted before, the beauty of this slow migration is that if you forget something, no problem: You can copy it over as needed.
At some point, perhaps after a month or so, you can make this move more permanent by shrinking the partition for the old OS and enlarging the one with Windows 7. I’ll cover that at a later time.
