Datasheet

bases before you commit to the new OS, you can either set up a dual-boot
system or install Windows 7 in a virtualized environment, both explained ear-
lier in this chapter.
What follows is a brief roadmap and some tips to help you get up to speed
with Windows 7 quickly.
Coming from Windows XP?
Disorientation is probably the prevailing sensation among those users coming
to Window 7 from XP or earlier versions of Windows. Here’s where you can
find some of the more elusive entities you may have grown accustomed to:
Add or Remove Programs
This is still in Control Panel, but now it’s called Programs and Features.
Aero Glass interface
Windows 7 features the same see-through Glass interface introduced in
Vista, although the Desktop Window Manager (DWM) has been im-
proved in this latest version to be more memory-efficient. See Chapter 5
if you’re having trouble getting Glass to work.
Address Bar
The path box in Windows Explorer doubles as an address bar, so if you
want to type a path or copy the current path to the clipboard, click just to
the right of the text, and Explorer will show you a familiar, backslash-
equipped folder path in an editable text field. See Chapter 2 for a complete
tour of the new Windows Explorer.
Display Properties
Right-click an empty area of the desktop and select Screen resolution.
Or, in Control Panel, open the Display page, and on the left side, click
Adjust resolution.
File Types window
Sorry, you don’t get one of these in Windows 7. The best Microsoft could
do is the nearly useless Default Programs page in Control Panel. If you
want to edit your context menus, you’ll need File Type Doctor, explained
in Chapter 3.
Menus in Windows and Internet Explorer
Microsoft took the menus out of both Windows Explorer and Internet
Explorer, and replaced them with tool ribbons and drop-down buttons
that do pretty much the same thing. But you can always press the Alt key
on the keyboard to temporarily show the old, familiar menu bars in either
application. See Chapter 2 if you want to make it permanent in Windows
Explorer.
Migration to Windows 7 | 39
Get Started with
Windows 7