Category: Windows 7

If you have many windows open at the same time and you want to switch between them, then you can press the popular Alt + Tab switcher shortcut key and choose a window to switch to. Very few people know that this Alt + Tab switcher window can be customized. You can customize this Alt+Tab switcher window using the Alt+Tab Tuner. You can modify thumbnails size, grid, spacing, fading effect and many more properties.

If you have used Windows versions before Windows 7 then you must have noticed that the Quick Launch toolbar is removed from Windows 7. But if you are used to using this Quick Launch, you can still add this toolbar in the taskbar of Windows 7.

In Windows 7, you can click on the Start Menu icon (blue orb on bottom-left) and start typing to search for a program. The search results are shown in the Start Menu bar itself. If you want to search the internet for the same terms, you can click on the Search Internet link. But you will have to add this link as it is disabled by default.

The notification area is the system tray area on the bottom-right of your screen. When many icons clog up this area and some of them are not so active but sit there doing nothing, then the notification area cleanup collapses and hides those icons and shows the notification chevron. You can disable this notification area cleanup if you want.

Windows Media Player version 12 which comes bundled with Windows 7, can play online content – either as stand alone player or when embedded inside a web page. Accessing online content using Windows Media Player can be risky – especially if the online content provider is unknown or not trustworthy, as this can lead to a malicious program infecting your computer. To save yourself from trouble, you can disable the scripting in Windows Media Player.

Windows Media Player version 12 comes included with Windows 7. You can play DVD of any kind in Windows Media Player. If you are concerned that your children might play some DVD of rating (PG, PG-13 etc.) inappropriate for their age, then you can restrict that rating (and all ratings above it) in Windows Media Player.

Windows 7 shows the Games category in the Start Menu. By default, you have to first open the Games folder and then choose a game to play. But you can turn the Games category into a menu to quickly run a game right from the Start Menu.

Windows Media Player included with Windows 7 has no menu bar visible by default. This makes it very hard to open an individual file to play like we used to using File → Open. If you are frustrated without the menu bar like me, then you can make the menubar visible in Windows Media Player 12.

If you have ever tried to help a mathematics student on the internet and tried to solve his/her mathematical problem, then you know how difficult it is to copy paste all those mathematical symbols. Math Input Panel which comes with Windows 7 makes your typing mathematical equations and expressions a breeze.