Tiny bytes of tech
Using Windows 7 yet? If so, you should enable the hidden GodMode feature! It’s actually pretty cool. It lets you access all of the control panels for the entire operating system in one folder. You have to do a bit of trickery, which is explained well at CNET. It’s pretty handy, especially for people who like to change a lot of settings.
Some users like to hide their taskbar in Windows so that their programs can use the full real estate of the screen. You can always use the auto-hide feature, but I’ve never really liked that too much because I end up moving my mouse to the bottom of the screen by accident a lot! Taskbar Hider is a nifty app for Windows 7 that lets you show/hide the taskbar with a keyboard hotkey. Much easier!
If you have purchased Windows 7 from the Microsoft store, you are able to download an ISO file, which you can then burn to DVD. Using the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, you can create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with Windows 7 on it. Neat! Using this tool, you can install Windows 7 from a USB flash drive easily!
Guess what!? WindowBlinds now supports Windows 7 skinning! Sweet! This program is pretty awesome and I’ve been using it for years on my XP box. It basically lets you completely change the look of Windows, including everything from the Start button to context menus and backgrounds. It’s not free, but if you like to customize the look of Windows 7, Vista, or XP, it might be worth the $20!
With the release of Windows 7, some may find it difficult to customize the Start Menu. Maybe you want to display your Control Panel items as a menu instead of a link. Or you want to add Internet search to your to the Start Menu.
Whatever the case, the HowToGeek blog goes through all of the customizations and settings that you can change for the new Windows 7 Start Menu.
Image Source: Lifehacker
There is a lot of new stuff being released these days! Windows 7 first and recently Firefox 3.6 beta, which has some cool integration options with Windows 7.
You can enable Aero Peek Tabs for Firefox and enhance the Ctrl + Tab feature also. If you love Firefox, you’ll want to download this beta!
Running out of disk space? It might be time to do some spring cleaning, especially if your C drive is getting full, which can cause your computer to run slow.
Addictive Tips writes up a great post on six ways you can free up disk space on Windows 7 or any other version of Windows too. Check it out!
With Windows 7 comes the new taskbar thumbnail previews when you hover your mouse over an open program. It’s pretty cool and I like it a lot, but for those you prefer not to see the previews of your programs, you can disable taskbar thumbnails via a registry hack.
With the release of Windows 7, connecting Bluetooth-enabled devices to your PC has become easier. However, it also has added a bit of complexity with the new Bluetooth personal area network (PAN) and other features.
Here are some troubleshooting guides for Blutooth problems in Windows 7:
Troubleshoot problems with Bluetooth enabled devices
With Windows 7 comes a new slew of keyboard shortcuts that, if you learn, will turn you into a keyboard ninja! I practically never even use the mouse anymore because keyboard shortcuts can do just about everything.
Lifehacker has written a great post on all of the new Windows 7 shortcuts that include stuff like docking a window to half of the screen and minimizing everything but the current window.