Handy tips for Windows 7, XP and Vista users

[javajolt]

Want to speed up your mouse, adjust program volume, create DVD slideshows, Disable Caps Lock or free up disk space? Here are 20 'how to' tips to help you.

Looking for Internet Explorer 9? You'll find it in Windows Update

Speedier mouse

To speed up mouse-pointer movements in Windows 7, click Start followed by Control Panel then click the ‘Hardware and Sound’ link and finally Mouse. Select Pointer Options and use the Motion slider to alter the speed.

Removing Internet Explorer 9

To remove IE9 from Windows 7, open Control Panel, click Uninstall a program and then click on the ‘View installed updates’ link. Choose IE9, and click Uninstall. IE9 will still be listed as an important update in Windows Update, so deselect it. 

Make sure you have Downloaded an alternative browser before removing IE9!

Prevent display rotation

In Windows 7, right-click the Desktop and choose Graphics Options then Graphics Properties. Deselect the ‘Enable rotation’ option in the Rotate tab.

Adjust program volume

To adjust a particular application’s volume in Vista and 7, right-click the volume icon in the Notification Area then click Open Volume Mixer. Now use the sliders to control each application’s sound level.
 
Convert units

Windows 7’s Calculator application has a Unit Conversion option on the View menu. You will also find mortgage and leasing tools on the Worksheets submenu.



Restore previous file versions

To restore previous file versions in Windows 7, right-click a file and then choose Properties. Select the Previous Version tab, choose a version and then click Restore.
 
Monitor audio recording

In Windows 7, click Start, type sound and click the Sound icon. Click on the Recording tab, right-click the recording device and choose Properties. Click the Listen tab and tick ‘Listen to this device’.
 
Desktop slideshows

For Windows 7 slideshows, click Start, type desktop background and click ‘Change Desktop Background’. Click Browse, find an image folder and click OK. Tick the desired photos then click ‘Save changes’.
 
Create DVD slideshow

To burn slideshows to DVD in Vista and 7, click Start, type windows DVD maker and press Enter. Drag and drop photos and videos onto the window, click Next, choose a menu style and add a soundtrack if wanted. Insert a recordable DVD and click Burn.
 
Aero Snap shortcuts

In Windows 7, hold the Windows key and tap the right or left arrow keys to have the current window set to the right or left edge of the screen.
 
Organise backups

To keep backups in chronological order, use the date to name the file – starting with the year (so ‘2010-05-01-backup.zip’, for example).
 
Remove unwanted wireless networks

In XP, right-click the Notification Area’s wireless icon then choose View Available Wireless Networks. Click ‘Change advanced settings’ then Wireless Networks. Select the unwanted network and then click Remove.
 
Shake for clarity

In Windows 7, click and hold to ‘grab’ any open window’s title bar, then shake it around and all other open windows will minimise to the Taskbar.
 
Sort folders

Favourite files or folders can be kept at the top of the sort order in Windows Explorer by renaming them to start with either the ‘#’ or ‘~’ symbol – just tap F2 to rename.
 
Ultimate Control Panel

Expert Vista and 7 users can create a folder that contains all Control Panel tools. Click Start followed by your username. Click New Folder (or from the File menu) button and name it ‘GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}’. Double-click to see the Control Panel tools. Note this should not be used in 64-bit versions of Windows as it’s known to cause problems.
 
Add Desktops

Add additional named Desktops to Windows using the free Virtuawin program, which can be downloaded by clicking here.
 
Disable Caps Lock

In Vista or 7, click Start, type keyboard and then click Keyboard. Choose Key Settings, scroll to the CAPS LOCK entry, select it and then click Configure/Edit. Tick the ‘Disable the CAPS LOCK key’ box then click Finish, then OK.
 
Fix unrecognised USB memory keys

If a USB memory key isn’t recognised, click Start, right-click (My) Computer then choose Manage. Click Disk Management and look for an entry that lacks a drive letter: right-click it and choose ‘Change Drive Letter and Paths…’. Click Change and choose the drive letter from the dropdown menu.
 
Permanently delete files

To securely delete files, download the free Eraser program here. Once installed, press Control (Ctrl) and N to create a new task. Select ‘Run immediately’ and then click Add data. Select Unused disk space and click on OK.



Free up disk space

For a bit of extra disk space in any version of Windows, click Start, point to All Programs followed by Accessories then System Tools and click Disk Cleanup and follow the prompts to remove unwanted junk.