Using new features in Windows 7 Introduction This simple guide provides an overview of some of the new features (with helpful screenshots) of Windows 7 and Office 2010. Windows 7 has introduced a range of enhancements which not only improve the look and feel of the system, but will help improve your performance and productivity. Taskbar Changes The Taskbar in Windows 7 has changed the way it looks and works compared to Windows XP: Windows XP Windows 7 Start button is a round button with the same function Quick launch bar in XP has been removed and icons are instead pinned to the taskbar in Windows 7 Running applications are now Icons in Windows 7 rather than small icon and text in XP Programs that have more than one window running have a stacked opaque box effect like the Internet explorer Icon in the above toolbar Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 1 of 9
In the top right hand corner of each thumbnail view there is a small red X icon. Clicking this will close that instance of the program without having to move your mouse up to normal close window icon on the main window. If you hover your mouse over a running icon, a popup box showing thumbnail views of each running program e.g. Internet Explorer. Moving your mouse over one of the thumbnails in the popup will bring that window to the foreground of your screen and make all the other windows transparent. If you right-click the icon on the Taskbar, you will get a menu popup with a range of options available to you including a list of the most recently opened items for that program. At the bottom of the menu is the Close window option and an option to open a new copy of the program (in this example Microsoft Word 2010). There is also an option to Pin this program to taskbar. If you click this, it will place the program icon permanently on the Taskbar so you can run it from there although this option is only available on staff PCs. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 2 of 9
Improved Open Windows Cycling (Alt-Tab) Windows XP Windows 7 Another improvement in Windows 7 is the Alt-Tab function to cycle through open windows. Instead of an icon to represent open windows, Windows 7 now uses a thumbnail view of the window, like that on the Taskbar, making it much easier to find the exact version of the program you want. When you cycle (Alt-Tab on the keyboard) through the open windows, the Window in the foreground is brought forward and all the other windows become transparent. Using the Windows key and Tab key creates a 3d stacked view of your open windows instead of small thumbnails. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 3 of 9
Peek, Shake and Snap Peek, Shake and Snap are new ways to interact with your open windows and the desktop. These three tools allow you to hide windows and maximise windows in different ways depending on how you use them. Peek Peek is the replacement for the Show Desktop Icon in the old Shortcut Taskbar on Windows XP. Windows XP Windows 7 Instead of an icon on the Taskbar, Peek is an opaque rectangle in the bottom right hand corner of the screen next to the date and time. Hovering your mouse over this rectangle will make all the open windows transparent, allowing you to see the Desktop below: Clicking the rectangle will make all open windows minimise to the Taskbar, clicking it again will restore the windows to the state before you minimised them. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 4 of 9
Shake The Shake feature allows you to grab the top of an open window with the mouse and shaking it from side to side a couple of times, minimising all the other open windows except the one you are shaking. Shaking the same window again will cause the minimised windows to restore to their original state. Snap Snap is a tool which lets you to snap a window to the edge of a screen. The snap to edge of screen, dragging a window to the edge will cause the window to snap to that half of the screen, giving us a half screen view. Using this for two windows on either side of the screen is very useful for transcribing from one document to another. Finally, you can un-snap a window by dragging it away from the edge. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 5 of 9
Improved Search Microsoft have dramatically improved the search feature in Windows 7, making it easier and faster to find your files and programs. The two main ways of using the search feature are either from the Start menu or from Windows Explorer. On the start menu the very bottom item is a search box. We can type any search phrase we want into this box and the results will be displayed on the menu. For example if we wanted to find the program Excel, we could navigate through the menus as normal for it, or we could just type excel into the search box on the start menu. The screen shot shows the results and you will notice that not only does the program Excel show, but also an Excel spread sheet. In the Windows Explorer window there is a similar Search located in the top right hand corner of the screen. If your search is not successful via this screen at the bottom of the list you will be presented with a range of options to expand your search including Computer, Custom and Internet. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 6 of 9
Snipping Tool In Windows XP if we wanted to capture a screen image we had to rely on either using the Alt-PrtScrn button combination or third party tools. In Windows 7 we have been given a new tool, the Snipping Tool. The Snipping Tool allows us to capture all or parts of an open window, including any menus (which we couldn t do with Alt-PrtScrn), and the either copy, save or email those captures. Furthermore before we use the snips, we can use some simple tools to annotate or highlight portions of the screen. The Snipping Tool is available from the Accessories folder on the Start Menu, and when run, makes the entire screen turn opaque. We simply highlight the area we want to capture using the mouse. Once we have captured the image, we can annotate on it using a variety of pens and highlighters. We can then save, copy or email the snip as required. There is also a new item on the Insert Menu in Office 2010, called Insert Screenshot which functions in a very similar fashion. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 7 of 9
Problem Step Recorder The final new feature we are going to look at is potentially very useful when reporting a problem with a computer. The Problem Step Recorder is a mechanism for recording all the steps, mouse clicks and other activities involved when you encounter a problem using your computer. This means that you will be able to submit a complete account of a problem including what you do to get it and the error messages, to the IT Helpline. To access the Problem Step Recorder, you can use the Record a Problem icon on the standard computer room desktop. Alterantively, you can search on the Start Menu for Problem Step Recorder or psr. When run, the Problem Step Recorder starts with a small window, with a single active Start Record button. Clicking this button will start the recorder, and you can proceed to run the series of tasks which has caused you the problem. At any stage during the record you can use the Add Comment button to add any narrative you feel will be helpful. Once you have finished you click the Stop Record button and when prompted give the system a name and location to save the file, which you can then send to the IT Helpline. The actual file itself is a compressed file which when opened, will launch Internet Explorer and display the contents of the recording. You will see a series of screenshots with the active areas (that you were clicking) highlighted by a green box. Each screenshot is also date and time stamped with a text description. This information will prove invaluable when working to resolve or duplicate a specific problem. Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 8 of 9
Use Keyboard Shortcuts Finally, Windows wouldn t be Windows without a range of useful keyboard shortcuts to access these and other features. Please note that = the Windows Key. From the Windows Desktop + Tab Cycle open Windows in 3d Aero mode. + E Windows Explorer is Launched + R Run Command is Launched + F Search + X Launch the Mobility Centre + L Lock the Computer + U Launch the Ease of Use Centre + P Projector + S OneNote Screen Clipping Tool + M Minimise All Windows + D Show/Hide Desktop + Maximise Current Window + Minimise Current Window + Tile Current Window to the Left (Snap) + Tile Current Window to the Right (Snap) + + Launch the Magnifier Using new features in Windows 7 2011/2012 9 of 9