Best Windows 7 Tips and Hacks

So here are the best ones to help you get the most out of your new OS. In this article, we will focus on the Windows 7 interface to get you started on the road to becoming a Windows 7 Power User  we will be looking at advanced tips for usability, performance, and security.

1. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Using the mouse, you can drag-”˜n-dock windows to either side of the screen, or drag it to the top to maximize it. These keyboard shortcuts are even faster:

• Win+Left Arrow and Win+Right Arrow dock the window to the left and right side of the screen
• Win+Up Arrow and Win+Down Arrow maximize and restore/minimize
• Win+M minimizes everything
• Alt+Up, Alt+Left Arrow, Alt+Right Arrow navigate to parent folder, or browse Back and Forward through folders in Explorer
• Win+Home minimizes/restores all open windows except the active window
• Alt+Win+# accesses the Jump List of program number ‘#’ on the taskbar

2.Rearrange System Tray Icons

You can rearrange icons on the taskbar as you wish and start new (or switch to running) instances of the first ten taskbar programs using Win+1, Win+2, and so on. The cool thing is you can also rearrange system tray icons. Reorder them on the tray or move them outside or back in the tray. Take control of what you want to always keep an eye on, and from which apps you’ll require notifications.

3. Access Jump Lists with the Left Mouse Button

Jump Lists usually show up when you right-click on a taskbar icon. However, they can also be accessed by holding the left mouse button and dragging upwards. If you’re using a laptop touchpad or a touch screen, this is convenient because you do not have to click any button to access a context menu.

4. Add Any Folder to Favorites

You can add any library or folder to the Favorites section in Windows Explorer. To add a folder, navigate to it in Explorer, right-click Favorites in the left navigation pane, and select Add current location to Favorites. Now you get quick access to your favorite folders in all File->Save As dialogs!

5. Pin Frequently Used Folders to the Taskbar

Right-click, drag, and pin your favorite folders to Windows Explorer on the taskbar. They will now show up in the Jump List when you right click on Explorer giving you quick access to your favorite folders.

6. Pin Control Panel to the Taskbar

You cannot pin the Control Panel to the taskbar via the Start Menu or by drag and drop. Open the Control Panel and right-click its taskbar icon to pin it to the taskbar. An advantage of this is that Control Panel’s Jump List allows quick access to recently used functions.

7. Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Programs

You can create keyboard shortcuts for any program in Windows 7. Right-click the program icon and select Properties. Select the Shortcut tab, click in Shortcut key, to set the keyboard shortcut for that program.

8. Open Command Prompt in Any Folder

Like the command prompt? Miss the “˜Open Command Window Here’ Windows XP power toy? Press “˜Shift’ when right-clicking on a folder to get that option in the context menu. This also works on the desktop. No power toy required!

9. View Expanded ‘Send To’ Menu

Press Shift when right-clicking on a folder to get an expanded Send To menu.

10. Adjust Screen Text with Clear Type

Use Clear Type Tuner for the best look on your LCD monitor or laptop screen. Run “˜cttune.exe‘ from the Start Menu search box, or go to the Control Panel Display applet, and select Adjust ClearType Text from the left.

11. Get Exact Colors On Your Screen

If you are an artist or you work with colors, use the Calibrate Color option in the Control Panel Display applet or run dccw.exe from the Start Menu search box. You can adjust gamma, brightness, contrast, and color balance, ensuring that colors are displayed correctly on your screen.

12. Customize the Power Button

If you restart your computer more often than you shut it down, change the default Shutdown power button to Restart. Right-click on Start, select Properties, and choose the Power button action that you use the most.

13. Customize Number of Items in Jump Lists & Start Menu

Right-click Start, select Properties, click Customize and choose the number of recent programs to be shown in the Start Menu and the number of items displayed in Jump Lists from the Start Menu Size section below.

14. Search Internet from the Start Menu

Enable Internet search from the Start Menu using your default browser. Run GPEDIT.MSC from the Start Menu search box to start the Group Policy Editor. In the left pane, go to User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Start Menu and Taskbar. In the right pane, right-click to Edit and Enable Add Search Internet link to Start Menu.

15. Add Videos to Start Menu

Windows 7 does not place a link to your videos on the Start Menu by default. To add a link to your videos on the Start Menu, right-click Start, select Properties, click on Customize. In the Videos section at the bottom, choose Display as a link.

Delete Autorun.inf Virus Manually using just Winrar

Once it happened to a friend of mine, when his newly bought laptop was infected with this autorun.inf virus. This virus corrupted almost all the  drives on the Hard disk, and when ever he tried to double click on the drive or opening  any drive it opened in a new window. In some cases, when your drive is infected with this Autorun.inf virus, you won’t be able to access the drive completely. You have to browse the drive by Exploring it i.e; Ctrl+E keys from the keyboard.


Sometimes ever you will not be able to see hidden files even if you have Show hidden files Enabled under Folder Options. well, this are all the wonders of this Autorun.inf virus.
I am going to show you this rare method of removing Autorun.inf manually using just winrar application, not any antivirus or malware programs.
Solution to Remove Autorun.inf Virus
Step 1: First Disable CD/DVD or USB Autorun in windows
Step 2: Open Winrar.exe  (Start–>All Programs–>WinRar–>WinRar.exe)
Step 3: Now Browse to any drive that is infected with Autorun.inf virus using winrar explorer.
Step4: Here you will see all the hidden files under winrar for that particular drive.
Step 5: Look for the file Autorun.inf and open it using notepad.
Step 6: In that Autorun file, some .EXE file will be mentioned that will be executed along with the autorun file. This exe file is the main culprit.

Step 7: Note the exe file mentioned in the Autorun.inf file. Close this Autorun.inf file.
Step 8: Now look for that .Exe file in the drive (Ex: c:/), Delete that .exe file along with Autorun.inf
Step 9: Restart your Operating System. Now your system is free with Autorun.inf Virus.
Note: Repeat the same process if your Usb or Pendrives are infected with Autorun.inf virus.
If you know anyother method to remove autorun virus from windows operating system, them kindly let me know by posting your method using the Comments on this post.

Multiple login in yahoo Without Using any Software

You can login with multiple id's on the same yahoo messenger without any download or patch .
Follow these steps :
 
1.   Go to Start ----> Run . Type regedit, then enter .

2.  Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER --------> Software ---> yahoo  --->pager---->Test

3.  On the right page , right-click and choose new Dword value .

4.  Rename it as Plural.

5.  Double click and assign a decimal value of 1.

Its done!!
Now close registry and restart yahoo messenger and try Multiple Login

Multi Google Talk Login without any software

Just follow the simple steps Below:
1) Right click on the Google Talk shortcut.
2) click on Properties.
3) Go to Shortcut tab on Google Talk Properties window.
4) On the Target textbox, add in the /nomutex to the end of the line so that it looks like below (or you can simply copy and paste the below syntax and replace the original).
“c:\program files\google\google talk\googletalk.exe” /nomutex
5) Click on OK.
  I didn't have to do anything after this and clicking on the shortcut multiple times just gave me different Google talk window.

Alternative

To create a new shortcut for Google Talk:

1) Right-click on the desktop or anywhere you want to place the GTalk shortcut.
2) Select New on the right click context menu.
3) Then select Shortcut.
4) Copy and paste the following line to the text box when prompted to type the location of the item:
“c:\program files\google\google talk\googletalk.exe” /nomutex

5) Click on Next.
6) Give the shortcut a proper name such as Google Talk or Google
Talk Multiple or Google Talk Polygamy.
7) Click OK until you are done.

How to speed up windows 7 Without any software

This article is for all those people who want to increase the performance/speed of their windows 7 operating system. We are not providing here any softwares for this purpose we are just giving you tips to tweak your windows 7 according to your needs and you will certainly get your desired performance from your windows 7 operating system.Here is the step by step tutorial with screenshots on how to increase your windows 7 speed .

1.Disable Startup Services

Windows startup services can be found by clicking on start and the and typing “ msconfig ” and pressing enter.Now click on services tab.Now you can disable the unwanted services by checking them and clicking on disable.While this should be done according to your requirements.Services like “Offline Files,” “Tablet PC Input Services,” Terminal Services,” “Fax” and “Windows Search. “Offline Files,” “Tablet PC Input Services,” Terminal Services,” “Fax” and “Windows Search have a large impact on windows 7 speed/performance.

2.Utilize Readyboast

Microsoft introduced readyboast service with the launch of windows vista and continued the service in windows 7.In ready boast service whenever you plugin your pendrive into your computer you will get an option to use your pendrive to speed up your windows 7 or windows vista.It will increase your windows memory.By using ready boast you can also specify how much memory of the pendrive should be used to speed up your windows 7.

3.Disable Windows transparency

Disabling the windows 7 transparency option will certainty give a good speed to your windows 7 speed/performance.Disabling transparency is very easy in windows 7.Simply right-click on your desktop, select “Personalize,” choose the active theme and then navigate to “Windows Color.” Finally, uncheck the “Enable Transparency” option.

4.Remove Unwanted Programs from Startup

Disabling unwanted programs such as messengers or other programs from startup will not only increase speed of your windows 7 it will also decrease the startup time of windows 7.

5.Disable Unwanted Features Of Windows 7

To disable unwanted features from windows 7 click on “ Start “ then on control panel.Now click on “ Programs “ then on “Turn Windows features on or off”.Now disable the features you think you dont want.We recommend you to disable the “ Indexing Service “ it will have a noticeable effect on the speed.

6.Defragment Your Windows Regularly

Adding and deleting files from drives will make your drives fragmented and it will take longer to access files so defragmenting the drive will decrease file access time.To start defragmentation click on “ Start “ and type “ Disk Defragmenter “ And press enter.Now start the defragmentation.

Increase Virtual RAM - To Make Your System Faster

Follow the steps given below :-


1) Hold down the 'Windows' Key and Press the 'Pause/Break' button at the top right of your keyboard.
Another way is Right-Clicking 'My Computer' and then Select 'Properties'.

2) Click on the 'Advanced' tab.

3) Under 'Performance', click 'Settings'.

4) Then click the 'Advanced' tab on the button that pops up.

5) Under 'Virtual Memory' at the bottom, click 'Change'.

6) Click the 'Custom Size' button.

7) For the initial size (depending on your HD space), type in anywhere from 1000-1500 (although I use 4000), and for the Maximum size type in anywhere from 2000-2500 (although I use 6000).

8) Click 'Set', and then exit out of all of the windows.

9) Finally, Restart your computer.

10) You now have a faster computer and 1-2GB of Virtual RAM..!