How To: Bring Admin Tools to Your Fingertips

Applies to:
Microsoft Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit editions).
Microsoft Windows Vista (Recommended usage for 32-bit editions only).
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This is a little trick which is a really handy way to quickly access administrative tools. It is really simple to implement, however it is mentioned on the internet that this can crash 64-bit editions of Windows Vista. The example screenshots in this tutorial were taken in 64-bit Windows 7, which proves that it can be stable in 64-bit 7.

The process to create a link to this utility is really very simple. Firstly, create a new folder anywhere on your computer or on removable media. The trick to making this folder special is the name – name the folder anything you like (without using punctuation is the best way to ensure that this will work) and add the following to the end of the name:

.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Deselect the folder to change the name and the folder’s icon should change to the control panel icon (image: top right). The name you gave the folder should be the only visible part of the name.

Opening the folder will present a screen sorted into categories corresponding to different areas of Windows.

This trick may also work for users without administrative access, however these users may be prompted to enter administrator credentials when changing settings.

How To: Display the Old Right-Click Menu in the Windows 7 Taskbar

Microsoft made many changes to how users interact with programs in Windows 7, one of these changes involved the replacement of the menu that appears when you right-click on a program’s icon in the taskbar.

The new menu provides many enhanced and useful commands for programs designed to use it, including fast links to certain features in that program and recently opened documents. These features are all very useful, however the original functionality of this menu has been removed as a result.

That is not to say that the old menu is not gone forever, it does however require an additional command to make it appear. Holding down the ‘Shift’ key whilst right-clicking will bring back the old menu. With the shift key held down, right-clicking a closed program’s icon will bring forward the standard shortcut menu (with a very slightly different layout), and right-clicking an open program will, in most cases, open the old right-click menu from Windows 95 – Vista. It’s as simple as that! Some programs do show modernised menus for open programs, such as Microsoft’s Paint and Messenger.

Windows 7 is far more functional and much easier to use than any previous version of Windows. It is especially good for touch screen computers with the new interface designed with this application in mind. Although the new layout of the operating system, such as the taskbar right-click menu, may appear to be reduced in functionality, simple command adjustments within 7 make the new Windows far more productive and accessible than before.

On A Friday: HaPpY NeW YeAr!

Good morning and welcome to 2010!

Ten years ago a new millennium had just started, nine years ago it was the start of the 21st century, and one year ago was the start of 2009.

What got us where in the year just passed? Here is a light hearted review of 2009 which looks at a select number of events that were in some way significant (or not) to the year just passed.

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So how did you find the last decade? America’s Pew Research Center recently released the newest instalment of a decade-by-decade rating of the last 50 years. In this, Americans’ perception of the 2000s has shown to be the lowest of any decade yet. Exactly 50% of those surveyed said their impression of the decade was generally negative. This is a jump from the same statistic for the 1990s, in which only 19% ranked the decade poorly.

This high negative is best explained by another statistic released by the Pew Center, which shows the November 11th terrorist attacks to be most widely considered the “most important event of the decade”.

But has the decade really been as bad as this research has shown? It really depends on who you ask. The research mentioned above is only a study of a fraction of the American population (779 people) and doesn’t represent any other country around the world.

One good piece of information to take from this study is that many of the people surveyed think that next decade will be better than the 2000s. Given the rating of the 2000s that won’t be hard!

Windows 7 RC In Pictures

This is the first and last post on testing the Windows 7 Release Candidate. In  short, excellent. I have had some issues with programs locking up at the save dialogue but besides that this is the best OS I have ever used. It is faster than my Vista install and even my install of Ubuntu Studio 9.04!

So, to round up my time in this milestone of the OS, here is a small gallery of screenshots. It doesn’t cover everything by far, but it’s a little taste of the RC which is basically the same as the release version.
GO TO GALLERY

On A Friday: You would think that SOMEONE at Microsoft would have noticed

Over the last few years, Microsoft have been advertising Windows Vista on their website, trying to convince an unresponsive audience that it is worth it. If Microsoft UK are to be believed, it is still the Windows operating system  to have, despite the release of Windows 7!
On the morning of the release day of Windows 7 I was jumping around the different Windows homepages of countries around the world, checking who had 7, and inevitably, came across the United Kingdom home page.
Now, forgive me if I'm being pedantic, but I believe the screenshot below shows the UK website ON THE DAY OF THE UK RELEASE! It may have been the small hours of the morning there, but Microsoft are still introducing Windows Vista.
Even if I have got my time zones muddled, it's worth posing the question of why Microsoft would still be advertising an OS that is about to be superseded in such a way, especially so close to the release of its successor. Or maybe its a mistake, and the wrong image was set? Either way, I think Internet Explorer summed the situation up perfectly - "...errors on page"!

Windows 7: It’s good (I presume) once you’re in!

Windows 7: Slick, easy, reliable. Windows XP upgrade  to Windows 7: A little more traumatic. Or at least that was the impression I received from a sales clerk in a local Leading Edge Computers* franchise.

I entered the store and to my surprise found none of the paraphernalia that the place had been decked in with the release of Windows Vista and, after ensuring that I hadn’t got my Australian release date confused, the clerk explained the absence of the new operating system (OS) from the shelves.

The reason was that the store was unable to decide which form of the OS to stock – the upgrade or the full install, the issue behind this being the method of upgrade from Windows XP and the fact that many people have been “holding out” for 7 instead of buying Vista.

The clerk also suggested that I type “Windows 7 Upgrade Paths” into Google; the first result, a Microsoft TechNet page, made the confusion clear. In the list of “Unsupported Upgrade Scenarios” came a surprise. Apart from the usual list of Windows 95, 98, and ME, and the expected Windows 7 pre-releases, was Windows XP.

I knew this was not the case as I had visited a Harvey Norman* outlet after Leading Edge and looked at the upgrade box which stated that “any version of Windows XP and Windows Vista” can be upgraded to Windows 7. The discrepancy here is how the OS is upgraded.

To upgrade from Windows Vista, the Windows files are similar enough to those of Windows 7 to allow for Windows 7 to be installed in-place, however the OS has changed so much in the nine years since the release of Windows XP that a clean install is required. In other words, anyone wishing to upgrade directly from Windows XP to Windows 7 will have to wipe their Windows partition in the process of installation; a concept that may not appeal to the average user.

Also, according to the same TechNet page, an in-place cross-platform upgrade of Windows Vista to Windows 7 (as in upgrading to a 32-bit copy of Vista to a 64-bit copy of Windows 7) is not possible. A “cross-language in-place upgrade” is also not supported, despite Windows 7 advertising easy switching between many languages on the product box, and there are many other situations where an in-place upgrade is unavailable.

There are apparently ways around the XP – 7 in-place upgrade issue, however I won’t discuss these as I am unsure of the legality of these methods.

Whilst holding the product box, I noticed both the 32- and 64-bit versions of the OS are included in the package. This is important to note because I remember that the x64 version of Vista was more expensive than the x86 version.

I’d also like to raise the issue of operating system theft of real-world disks. Harvey Norman only had display copies of the three Windows 7 versions stocked, a store assistant explaining that this was to prevent theft.
An “MSDN Flash” e-Mail also listed today as the release date of Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2.


*For non-Australian readers: Leading Edge Computers are a computer repairs and sales shop in Australia. Harvey Norman is a larger chain retail outlet that stocks a wide variety of goods.

Windows 7: “1 Days Left”

Tomorrow (or at 11:00 tonight as my computer would have you believe) the Windows 7 Beta will expire. I am currently downloading the Release Candidate with high hopes that I’ll be seeing a few aspects of the OS changed.

Vista may have had its flaws, but Microsoft seem to be looking for little things to ruin in Windows 7 that were never a problem before. There aren’t many cases like this, but the first part of the OS that I’d like to change back (and that I’d warn potential users about) is the change to the Windows Media Player toolbar in the taskbar – it’s gone! Instead of all the play controls including the timeline being easily accessible at all times, only pause/play, previous and next buttons are available quickly, and if you want to use any of these you have to wait for the menu to fade it. The new style is probably aimed at saving space in the task bar, however the option to return to the old style would be very welcome.

Another small issue I have with the OS is the lack of included software such as Windows Mail, Calendar and Movie Maker. Microsoft expects users to download either a Windows Live program or a third party replacement. Although I welcome Microsoft’s choice to allow third party software providers to enter the market without annoying Windows customers, the install files for even an old version of Windows Live on the install DVD would save people without an internet connection or with a low capped connection a lot of hassle.

I’ll admit that both of these issues that I have with the OS are trivial and highly subjective, however they are steps backward. In the interests of political correctness I’ll add that the beta has been a major improvement on Vista, and dare I say XP in every aspect that an OS could: speed, accessibility (bar MP) and stability to name a few.

For people interested in purchasing the full OS, many countries around the world (unfortunately no word yet of whether the offer will ever open in Australia) have the chance to pre-order a heavily discounted copy of Windows 7 from Microsoft. If you are unsure whether 7 will run on your computer, Microsoft has released a Beta of the Windows 7 upgrade advisor that will scan all parts of your computer hardware (including peripherals) and determine which parts will work. The Upgrade Advisor Beta requires an internet connection to work and is available from the Microsoft website.

In conclusion, the Beta is an amazing OS and I look forward to the full version of Windows 7 hitting shelves in October this year.

Goodbye Windows 7 Beta 1

(P.S. A happy new financial year to everyone! I hope the Swan brought you some great presents on his birthday! It’s a bit like Christmas, isn’t it - a birthday and gifts.)

Windows 7 Beta 1: 7 Up

Yesterday I logged into Windows 7 to be met with a sad message: “This pre-release version of Windows 7 Ultimate will expire in 14 days. Back up your files, and then install any released edition of Windows.”

Alas, the Beta which has been faster and more stable than my Vista installation will expire soon. All is not lost however, I will be updating to Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 which will be valid until well into next year – after the scheduled release of the finished operating system to consumers. I will be reporting on my experiences with the Release Candidate in the coming months.

To bring followers of this blog up-to-date with my roaming in Beta 1, I have compiled a selection of screenshots that give a pretty good indication of what is to come in Windows 7, and some of the less glorious moments of the Beta. Enjoy.

Counting? There are 75 of them!