Hey Guys!  The release date for Windows 7 is close at hand (October 22nd 2009)! If you haven’t at least seen the operating system by now, you probably don’t work in IT.  If you don’t have an opinion of it yet, let me lend you mine…it just plain rocks.  I have been running the beta version since May.  I upgraded to the full release as soon as it was available on September 6th.  This post is going to be about some of the really cool new features of Windows 7 that you may not have known about.

Feature #1:  Snipping Tool

The new windows snipping tool allows you to take a screenshot of your desktop.  This will make it easier for technical support to have a user send a copy of the error message they are getting.  You just load the program, it will put a white layer over your entire screen and you highlight what you want to take a screenshot of.  It will pop up a new windows and allow you to review and save the newly acquired image!

 

Feature #2:  Desktop Gadget Gallery

This is not so much a new feature but a revamped one from Windows Vista.  In Vista, the gadget gallery was locked into a bar that you had to have docked on the side.  In 7, Microsoft has taken away the restraining bar for the gadgets.  You can put any of the very cool user-created gadgets anywhere on your desktop now!

I think this would be a good place to explain some of the cool gadgets I personally use.  I currently use Facebook Explorer, Chirpr, Network Meter, CPU Usage Meter, and Digital Clock.  All of these, except for Network Meter and CPU Usage Meter, can be download from Microsoft’s gadget site located here.  For Network Meter and CPU Usage Meter, you can download them from here.

 

Feature #3:  Aero

Ok so this isn’t a new feature either, but it is definitely worth mentioning if you have never seen it in action.  This feature improves the Windows experience 10 fold as it is easier to manage multiple windows, find the window you are looking for, and see previews for all open windows.

Just click on the icon and it displays all of the current open windows in a nice preview window.

There is now an evolved version of the alt+tab combination.  If you hold down the Windows Key + tab, it will give you a full 3D view of the windows you currently have open.

 

Feature #4:  Taskbar Overhaul

This is one of my favorite new features of Windows 7!  In Windows XP, the quick launch was next to where the windows opened up.  In Windows 7, Microsoft has combined the quick launch and window system so they stack.  You can now pin any program you use often to the start menu and all windows that are open under that program are stacked into that icon.  Combined with Aero’s window preview system, it makes for a great way to manage windows.

 

Feature #5:  Driver Database

You know all that digging around on the internet you had to go through just to find compatible drivers for some piece of hardware you had in your computer?  Well that will be almost completely gone thanks to the new driver database that Windows 7 is sporting.  As soon as you finish installing Windows, it will install almost every driver you need to run your computer.  I have already rolled Windows 7 out to our entire company and I only ran into 2 driver issues.  Although, they were quickly fixed with Windows compatibility mode (I’ll discuss this in a minute).

 

Feature #6:  Windows Compatibility Mode

One of the absolute most handy features of the Windows 7 is compatibility mode.  If you have a program that just will not install on Windows 7, you turn on compatibility mode, select the operating system that it was meant for and PRESTO, it will install with no issues.  You can access this by right clicking on the .exe you are trying to install and going to properties.  In this menu, all you have to do it select the OS for the install and it works!  I have used this 5 times for drivers that won’t install on 7 and it has worked like a champ every time.

 

These are just some of favorite new features of Windows 7.  There are many, many more that I didn’t discuss.   My advice is to install Windows 7 as soon as it is released to the general public, start using it, and discover some of your own favorite features available!

 

–Zac McKinney