Windows 7 : Great News for Vista Users, Not So Great for XP Users

I’ve been running Microsoft’s release candidate of Windows 7, the next version after Vista and I thought I’d share a few thoughts about it.

If you’re a Vista user (or, rather, victim) you’re in luck because this latest incarnation of Uncle Bill’s ubiquitous operating system is much smoother, much more hassle-free than Vista.

Vista users will immediately recognize the interface, because basically it IS Vista, but without all the nagging, sluggish, painful experiences.  In fact, except for the loss of a couple of minor software programs that it won’t run, I am almost convinced it’s time to give up XP.

Almost convinced.

Frankly, although Windows 7 has benchmarked higher than XP and Vista, I personally don’t feel it’s “faster” than XP.  It’s just cooler.   There’s a couple of decent new features, like “Libraries” which sort of work like a shortcut to any drive or folder you want.  So you can set up a “Downloads” library, and add any “downloads” folder on your system.  Then, when you go to download something, the libraries show up immediately alongside your documents folder in the save dialog.  This eliminates painful and time-wasting navagation to folders you might have buried somewhere.

Vista users will appreciate that you can just put in the disc and upgrade.  No reinstalling programs or settings.

Not so for XP users.  Although XP users get upgrade pricing, there is no upgrade path to Windows 7 from XP.  This means that you have to back up all of your settings (there’s a program on the disc that lets you do that – backs up your email settings, program settings, etc.).  Then you have to do a clean install of Windows 7.  Then you have to restore all of your settings.  Then, you have to re-install ALL of your software.  For me, “upgrading” from XP to Windows 7 took about five hours.

This lack of upgrade path from XP to 7 makes me hesitant about recommending that anyone give up XP for the supposed “power” of Windows 7.  Of course, Windows will stop supporting XP soon after it releases 7, just to make sure you upgrade.

For Vista users, it’s my opinion that Microsoft should give a free copy of Windows 7 just to apologize for years of painful computing.    As well, Windows 7 is just the way Vista SHOULD have been from the start, and there are not that many changes to warrant releasing it as a “new version” of windows.  It’s basically Vista that’s not so broken, and Microsoft should have released it as a Vista service pack.  An apology from Microsoft or free copies to Vista victims is not likely to happen, though.

You can still download the free release candidate from the Microsoft web site.  Just google “Download microsoft 7 rc” to find the link.  It changes from time to time.  Interestingly enough, I was unable to use Internet Explorer to do the download.  It kept failing.  When I switched to Mozilla Firefox, I had no problems.  Go figure.

If you are in the Kelowna area and don’t want to deal with the download or if you don’t know how to burn iso files to disc, feel free to contact me if you’d like me to install it for you.  I’ll charge my call-out fee for the installation, but the software is free.  It will run on your computer until July of 2010, but in March 2010 it will begin rebooting your machine every two hours until you buy a full copy.

You can pre-order Windows 7 on the Microsoft site and receive a substantial discount.  Home version upgrades are only $49, and Professional version upgrades are only $99. 

All in all, I like Windows 7, but frankly, I’m not convinced it’s going to be better than XP.  I’m fully convinced it’s better than Vista.

WARNING! Windows Passwords EZ to delete

I just learned something new today.  A customer called to say that she forgot her Windows login password, and wanted to know if I could help her access her computer.   Oddly, I’ve never had this particular request before.

I did some research and found (fairly easily) a free Linux-based program that I could put on a CD.  The program boots the computer then runs through a routine by which you are able to access any Windows account on the computer, and blank out the password for that account.

I tried it on my own computer, and it worked quite well.  This was a good solution for my customer.

But it occurred to me that a tool like this can be used by the Dark Forces as well.  Anyone with a little computer knowledge can follow the instructions that come with the program I found (and there are surely others like it) and hack past a windows password like a breeze through a wind chime.

I don’t plan on posting the link to the software or the instructions for using it here, because I don’t want to provide anyone with the tools to steal data from others. 

But I thought that it was worth mentioning that this is possible, and for someone who knows enough about computers to burn a CD, it’s pretty easy.

So the moral of the story is, if you have sensitive data on your computer, don’t trust your Windows login password to keep it safe.  The best way to keep your data completely safe from prying eyes is to use encryption software to password protect a folder or files.

Just do a Google search on “freeware file encryption tools” and you’ll surely find plenty of security. 

Just don’t encrypt your files and then forget your password, because then you are really hosed!

File Extensions and Registered Programs

Everything that you do on a computer involves files of one type or another.  There are program files and library files that make your software run.  There are data files that your software creates.  Documents, spreadsheets, mp3s, videos, databases – all these are files.

On a Windows computer, each file name has what’s called an “extention” that identifies what kind of file you’ve got.   For example, .doc is the extension for windows documents, and the file names would be “something.doc”.  Excel spreadsheets have the extension .xls and the file name would be “something.xls”.  (Office 2007 has introduced some new files extensions, but I’m using the old ones so more people can follow.)  Mp3s have the file extension, well, .mp3, so you can have a filename “coolsong.mp3″.  Videos can have a number of extensions:  .wmv, .avi, .mpg, .divx, .mp4, .m4v and others.

Out of the box, windows doesn’t show the extensions to the file names.  In order to see them, do the following:

1. Open  My Computer, or any file window, like your C-drive, or My Documents.

2. Click the “tools” menu, then slide down and click “folder options”.

3. Click the “view” tab, and you’ll see the option for “Hide extensions for known file types”.  If that is checked, your system won’t show the extensions to the files on yoru computer.  Uncheck them, and you can determine the type of file from the extension.

Different extensions are set up to open in different programs in Windows, so you can just double-click the file to open it in the software that’s set to handle it.  So if you double-click a .wmv file, it usually opens in Windows Media Player.  “Wmv” stands for “Windows Media Video” by the way.  A .doc file, will open in Microsoft word when its double-clicked, or if you don’t have Word installed, will open in a small Windows program called Wordpad.

You can right-click a file, and force it to open in a program other than the default program for that extension.  So for example, if you want to open a .wmv file in, say, the DivX video player, you can right-click the file, and scroll down to where it says “Open With”.  At that point you will be presented with one or more options of programs that Windows knows will open the file.  If the program isn’t in that list, you can click “Choose default program” at the bottom of the menu.  You’ll see a “browse” button, and you can then go to the program you want to use to open it.  Most of your programs are in C:\Program Files, and then you can find the folder you want, and click the executable file (.exe) for that program.

If you leave the check mark next to “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file”, you change what program Windows will use to open that file by default.  This is referred to as the “registered program” for that file extension.

That’s a little bit about files.  There’s more to come in my next post about how to name files in an organized fashion.

Stay tuned!

Kelowna Computer Repair Blog

Welcome to the Kelowna Computer Repair Blog.

The purpose of this blog is to provide tips and advice about using your computer and other technology.  I plan on posting information on computer hardware and software, file management, viruses and worms, using peripherals like digital cameras, scanners and printers, and more!

Please feel free to visit the Kelowna Computer Repair Forum to post questions and receive answers and help for your technology issues.

I hope that this blog will benefit the residents of Kelowna and perhaps the rest of the world.  Come back soon!