Bettering Windows 7…

 

Windows 7, good not great, by no means perfect but a hell of a lot better than Vista. And if like many your upgrading from Vista the change is appreciated but not too significant that your lost, but if your  coming from XP you can get a little lost in all of 7’s shiny new features. Here are a few ways to improve 7’s looks, features, and functions leading to a more convenient upgrade.

1. Ninite..

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, Ninite, use it, love it, appreciate the time you save. Moving on.

2. Gmail in Your Taskbar..

If Gmail is your priority mail, Gmail Notifier Plus not only subtly informs of you of new mail by changing its taskbar icon, but provides a subject line preview of new messages when you hover over its icon. Giving you shortcuts to writing new messages, opening your inbox, the perfect little tool to keep you on top of your incoming mail.

3. Bored of your Logon screen?

You can customize a lot of your system's look in Windows 7, but the login/password screen remains fairly opaque and unchangeable. Tweaks.com offers a Logon Changer for Windows 7. Simple effective and all without the hassle of going into your registry. One catch: images have to 256kb or less.

4. Creating a Recovery Disc..

If you'd like to ensure you can save your system from common boot-up and system errors in the future, NeoSmart offers its own Windows 7 System Recovery Discs that can repair damaged files, restore System Restore points, and even pull in full backups for restoration. If you upgraded to 7 from a student discount package that only delivered a single .exe file, Download Squad explains how to make a DVD upgrade disc from student discount files.

5. Stacking your Desktop..

The taskbar in 7 is fantastic, Microsoft out did themselves, but its missing on thing. “Stacks”. But fear not, one quick download later with either StandaloneStack or 7stacks and you can start getting right to the file after you’ve added a custom collection of shortcuts. Scouring for files is a thing of the past.

Bonus..

For those of you that don’t know, press Alt + Tab and you can switch between any open window on your desktop, not a tweak but in every way a helpful hint when using 7 especially if like me, you have a million and  one different programs running.

After Installing Windows 7…

You’ve got a new Windows set up on your computer, starting fresh, but where to begin? Well this is a quick guide on getting you started.

1. Change your theme..

Make your windows 7 your own, you can find many different themes already ready to be used after a quick Google search. But if you want to get really personal, make your own. or if you'd like to keep your wallpaper fresh, but don't want to hunt down the widescreen-friendly pics yourself, set up Bing's backgrounds as a auto-rotating wallpaper feed.

2. Set up XP Mode..

If you’ve got old, unfortunately out-dated apps that just aren’t compatible with the latest Windows system, you’ll want to set up XP mode for free and learn how to use it. If Microsoft's own XP Mode doesn’t impress you, check out VirtualBox. A tutorial on how use it can be found here.

3. Integrate Your Dropbox..

As I have previously stated, Dropbox is a must have app. But you can link it in with your windows system rather than leaving it stand alone. You can sync folders outside your main Drop box and later change the location, along with having many other uses. Dropbox is an integral part of any computer.

4. Learn the Shortcuts..

Shortcuts make everything faster, and with Windows 7 there is no shortage of them. Read them, test them out, and learn them, it will make everything a lot easier on yourself. Windows 7 Shortcuts

5. Get Everything with Ninite...

I’ve discussed this before. Ninite is possibly one of easiest, simplest things to use on your computer, making that long installation process with every new system take half as long. Pick your programs, download, and the customized installer does thee rest. What apps you get is up to you but I will have a recommended list up soon.

Bonus. Dual booting your System...

This is normally reserved for those who have messed around with Linux or other Dual boots before but I will throw up proper instructions on this in the next few days.

Ninite - For Starting Fresh...

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If you're looking for a way to install some of the best windows freeware applications in a matter of minutes, then Ninite is the way to go. It's a batch installer which allows the user to get the latest versions of the more popular browsers, media players, instant messengers, antivirus software and numerous other utilities.

Best of all, its Free. With no unnecessary steps like creating an account or registration, using Ninite is as simple as point, click, install.

Ninite is perfect for people who are updating to Windows 7 or just for those of you who want to restore your computer back to default factory settings for a fresh start. With well over 60 applications and over 10 categories, Ninite is well stocked.

Installation

Ninite is an online service and no installation is technically required. In order to start using Ninite, just go to the website, choose the applications that you wish to install and click the get installer button.

The best part about it all - you don't have to change anything! Ninite will choose the default setting for the applications and will all the adware and toolbars that might be bundled with some of them, leaving nothing on your computer except the programs you wanted, catch free.

Click this link now: Ninite and save yourself some hassle