Windows 7 DIY Booster Kit (part 2)

Hi there,

The code is now here and we are testing, testing, testing…1, 2…1, 2.

Currently running the open pilot with great enthusiasm!!!

Clinton here, with some more juicy, very juicy thoughts in and around Windows 7.

I had to see it for myself. The official release code downloaded and working inside an older machine. And it works just fine.

I’m so thrilled about this new era of desktop productivity, I could just….well, I suppose a healthy thing would be to bawl, but you never know who might be watching, so instead I’ll hug a tree…

So much enthusiasm for one operating system is quite radical. Some say even life-changing…
Just within the last few weeks before RTM and the final stages of RC, the buzz was in the air.
Optimism and Trust was being built for a better desktop environment.
The way we would work and play would change in a spectacular way.

To simply troubleshoot one’s own workstation issues AND to successfully find a solution is breathtaking!
How many countless man-hours have been saved to optimising the DPI (dots per inch) on the desktop?
Or, to successfully and modestly connect to Wireless or Ethernet based environments all under one center – fantastic!

Microsoft have begun to take the FEAR out of FUTERISTIC and have made the domestic housewife QUEEN of the MEDIA CENTER….yes chaps, now is the time for duck-and-cover manoeuvres.

Side tracking again….ok so I was thinking we should continue have a look at more ways to boost the performance and productivity out of Windows 7.
It is all about boosting and grinding out that lost speed and processing power hidden away from the general default system configurations.

So the set of extra boosters I found are as follows:

Hardware Boost Item 1 – Finding system holdups

Windows 7 performs 100 times better than Vista, however you may not be satisfied with its performance to a degree. So the next best thing to improve performance it to use your system “stethoscope” to uncover and see possible systems holdups.

1.       Click Start,

2.       Type RESMON and press Enter. This will launch the Resource Monitor.

3.       Click the Overview, CPU, Memory, Disk or Network tabs.
Windows 7 will instantly show the processes utilising most system resources.

If a program has locked up, for example, then right-click its name in the list and select Analyse Wait Chain. Windows will then try to tell you why it’s hanging – the program might be waiting for another process, this will give you information you need to fix the problem.

Hardware Boost Item 2 – Launch your programs faster
If you want to launch programs without heading to the Start Menu, and then do the following:

·         Hold down Shift > Click on the program’s icon on the taskbar

·         Use the middle mouse button and Windows 7 to start a new instance for you.

Hardware Boost Item 3 – Keyboard shortcuts

Windows 7 supports new keyboard shortcuts:

Alt+P
Display/ hide the Explorer preview pane

Windows Logo+G
Display gadgets in front of other windows

Windows Logo++ (plus key)
Zoom in, where appropriate

Windows Logo+- (minus key)
Zoom out, where appropriate

Windows Logo+Up
Maximise the current window

Windows Logo+Down
Minimise the current window

Windows Logo+Left
Snap to the left hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Right
Snap to the right hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Home
Minimise/ restore everything except the current window