[hokiealumnus]

Well, I decided to have a look into tweaks and tips today. I'm just getting started, and I'm sure lots of you have already come up with your own.

So, I'll start this thread off with some keyboard shortcuts I shamelessly ripped from a Maximum PC article. To make it easy for myself, I wanted to get a printable version to put next to the computer. I've given credit where it's due at the bottom of the page. Download the attached .doc and print it for yourself.

I'll also reserve the next two posts to organize any tips & tweaks submitted. If it's a great link or tip, I'll edit it into the next two posts.

First up for links is: TweakWin7.com. Note as a disclaimer that I have NOT downloaded anything as if today, so I cannot verify it is virus/malware free, but it looks like a legit site with good info.

Add your own tips, tweaks or links!

Attached File(s)

•  kb.doc (28K)
  Number of downloads: 8

[hokiealumnus]

Links

• TweakWin7.com - Tips & Tweaks
• Windows 7 Forums Tutorials - Tutorials and the like from the SevenForums.com.
• Windows 7 Center - All kinds of news, info, tips and such.
• Windows 7 Service Configurations - Exhaustive list and explanation of Windows 7 services, which ones are optional and how to disable them if you like. ...I've struck this one due to mentions by several people that these can cause more problems than they are worth if you do not know what you're doing. If you are in any way unsure of which of these you should or should not disable, leave well enough alone. Black Viper's recommendations may not necessarily be something to go by. Do so at your own risk.
• Windows Search Advanced Query Syntax - How to refine your searches to get the results you need.
• Windows 7 Tips and Tricks E-Book - Downloadable e-book with good info. More basic stuff on newer additions to the Windows feature set. Good for a new Win7 user.
• Tweaks.com Windows 7 Tweaks - Lots of tweaks from UI to performance and security.
• Windows 7: The Complete Guide - by Gizmodo
• Sysprep on a Windows 7 Machine, Start to Finish - Excellent guide (thanks for the link redduc900). Here's the original thread asking the question for reference. ***If you aren't 100% confident in taking the steps in this guide, beware. It works according to people posting at that blog and the guy that wrote it has no problems. But I'm not exactly a slouch when it comes to being tech savvy and it totally borked my install causing a reformat. So be darn sure you're doing it right!***
• Microsoft TechNet: 77 Windows 7 Tips - Straight from the pros at MS!
• OCZ Forums' Windows Tweaks & Utilities - Also includes some important tweaks for SSD users.

Applications

• Tweak 7 - Tweak UI for Windows 7 ...Note this program is shareware that requires purchase after 14 days (thanks johnz).
• 7 Free Windows 7 Tweaking Utilities - Download Squad roundup of free utilities.
• Tweaks Logon Changer for Win7 - Change the background of your logon screen.
• The Ultimate Windows Tweaker v.2 - This is the real deal, written by Ramesh Kumar, a Microsoft MVP. This one works for Vista as well.
• Restart Timer for Win 7 - Handy little script that will tell you how long it takes for your Win 7 install to boot up.
• Classic Start Menu for Windows 7 - For all of us dinosaurs, you can get your old start menu back.
• ReadyDriver Plus - Automatically disable enforced driver signing in Vista or Win7 x64 without having to do the F8 thing.
• Vista Boot Pro - For ordering all of your MS OS'es in a multi-boot scenario. See these important notes by Audioaficionado first!

[hokiealumnus]

User Submissions

From OCF:

• c627627's Win XP Search Queries - Common XP-style queries from the Windows Search Advanced Query Syntax linked to above.
• c627627 also tell us how to get rid of Open File - Security Warning
• Question & answer (courtesy of Johnz) on how to make the taskbar appear like XP & Vista (with words and the icon).
• S.M.A.R.T. monitoring not working? Read this little story. Then read the next post (thank you thideras) on how to make it work without disabling UAC.
• Trim your Win7 install to < 3.5GB for use in a netbook, courtesy of nd4spdbh2.

From TRP:

• How to turn off UAC in Win7, courtesy of gracy909.
• Multi-Monitor Keyboard Shortcut, courtesy Wizzard0003.

[wizzard0003]

Excellent, Hokie...!!!

I've already bookmarked that TweakWin7.com site and will be looking it over...

Great idea to consolidate all this stuff...

wizzard0003

\\//_

[Lvcoyote]

Lots of tutorials and tweaks here too.....
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/

[chuck4456]

Probably a good thing to get this going before October.

[hokiealumnus]

The links section has begun. What I'll do with the second reserved post is place links to individual posts within this thread if anyone posts their own tips and/or tweaks to contribute.

[Lvcoyote]

Here is another pretty good site.....
http://windows7center.com/

[hokiealumnus]

Added a bunch of stuff. This one is running @ OCF and Gilgamesh too, so I'm editing stuff in from all of them plus stuff I find.

[gracy909]

UAC is the most hated addition in Vista due to its constant annoying prompts or messages. In Windows 7 User Account Control is more vigilant than vista and you can still tweak it to suit your needs.
1.Click start->settings->Go to the Control Panel ->User Accounts and Family Settings
2.Click User Accounts and then Change User Account Control settings->OK
3.Reboot your PC

[hokiealumnus]

Excellent first post, and thank you. Welcome to TRP!

[wizzard0003]

Here's one from the OCZ forum... Not only good tips/tweaks for
W7 but especially invaluable for those now using or planning to
upgrade to an SSD...

Windows 7 Tweaks & Utilities
http://www.ocztechno...ead.php?t=63273

Very good guide...

wizzard0003

\\//_

[hokiealumnus]

Got it Wizz, thanks!!

[wizzard0003]

Got it Wizz, thanks!!

Good Deal...!

A suggestion though...

May be a good idea to indicate that the OCZ tweaks include some special
tweaks that are VERY important to SSD users...

wizzard0003

\\//_

[hokiealumnus]

Got it. Meant to do it when I added it but forgot. Thanks for the reminder!

[wizzard0003]

Here's a little tip I found today from Nordic Hardware...

Windows 7 Tip: Multi-Monitor Control

First up is a tip for the multi-monitor or HTPC users.

Keyboard shortcut for switching displays

Many users have additional displays connected to their computers. Not just monitors
but also TVs and projectors. Using different displays can be problematic and switching
between them can be a gruesome task. Microsoft has solved this in an exemplary manner
with Windows 7 though a simple keyboard shortcut: Windows key + P



This enables users to switch between different modes or displays. This is very efficient
for those who can't use the clone mode because of different resolutions, or switch primary
screen for e.g. Blu-ray playback(that doesn't work in clone mode no matter the resolution).

Full Article: http://www.nordichardware.com/news,10088.html

wizzard0003

\\//_

[hokiealumnus]

Already have that one Wizz...it's in the KB shortcuts doc in the first paragraph.

[jefn]

Boy-Howdy wizz...

I'm gonna remember that nifty trick. It was a gruesome three-day experience getting HD content to play in High Definition on my television through the HDMI port on my notebook.

Funny thing... after fumbling through it all, all I gotta do now is plug the HDMI cable into the notebook with the television on, and my video driver seems to be handling task with no display-switching from me.

What's interesting is I'm using the Vista driver, because the Windows 7 versions released by nVidia bust my hybrid graphics (which eats all my battery power when I'm unplugged using the discrete nVidia instead of the embedded Intel graphics). Now that Windows 7's gone Gold, I gotta go see if the OEM has released hybrid drivers.

EDIT: I went and looked. Yesterday the only OS supported was Vista Business and XP (both 32-bit only) ... today there's lots more choices on the drop-down menu. They haven't posted anything yet, but it looks like they'll be supporting the whole whiz-bag of recent MS OS's.

I'm thinking Windows + P will allow me to toggle between the LCD on the notebook and the television (it's a little hard to read the television with the computer sitting on top of the cabinet and me standing right in front of everything).

Fortunately, I'm able to play movies, etc., with the cordless mouse on the coffee table in front of me... provided I'm wearing my glasses... Now that I've got it set up, I never have to get up from the couch.

Jef

[wizzard0003]

Already have that one Wizz...it's in the KB shortcuts doc in the first paragraph.

But I bet many people miss it...

Many may not even consider that there IS a KB shortcut or even that this
feature exists (like me) so they wouldn't even look for one...

Just highlighting something that may be of special interest to some...

wizzard0003

\\//_

[hokiealumnus]

TSK TSK! EVERYONE should read my brilliant ruminations, bar none!!

Heh...ok, fine, you win.