links

One of the most frustrating features in Windows 7 is the over-integration of Libraries. Microsoft went overboard and decided that it was going to force people to use them no matter how much they disliked the feature.  Currently it is not possible to pin a specific directory to the taskbar but you can use another toolbar to accomplish this same task.

For those that want to be able to open locations via the taskbar you can use the Links toolbar.

1. Right click on the taskbar, Select Toolbars -> Links
2. Right click on the taskbar, Select Lock the taskbar
3. Drag the Links toolbar to be next to the Start Orb
4. Resize the Links toolbar by increasing the size of the primary taskbar and moving it closer to the links toolbar
5. You can then customize the Links toolbar by removing titles and names of items by right clicking on the Links toolbar and un-checking Show Text and Show Title.
6. To create a shortcut to a specific location right click on the desktop and select New -> Shortcut
7. After you create the shortcut to where you would like, drag it to the Links toolbar. Delete the desktop shortcut if you would like.

Pinning is a nice feature of Windows 7 which is essentially a modified version of Vista’s Quick Launch.  The toolbar acts a lot like OS X’s dock where a shortcut that is opened then becomes the open application icon as well.  The major problem with pinning and libraries is that when you pin any folder or directory it automatically pins the libraries instead of the directory you would like.  Hopefully Microsoft fixes this before they release it but somehow I doubt they will.

via on10.net

tweaker2

Ultimate Windows Tweaker has been updated and now includes Windows 7 support.  This is a decent application for those that are not familiar with tweaking Windows but many advanced users will find themselves wanting more.  The majority of the tweaks are standards things that there are GUI (graphical user interface) options for but may not be easily found.

This is still better than most standard registry file tweaks as it gives the user more control over what they are doing.  This is for sure not a replacement of Geek Squad style AgentTweaks that customize Windows at a much deeper level.  This application is still very good for the do-it-yourself computer user that wants to tweak without getting their hands dirty.

[PSGallery=3alxiw15le]

Check It Out> WinVista Club via Download Squad

win7vhdonvista

Virtual Hard Disks are a very cool feature in Windows 7 except for one thing, it’s not exclusive to Windows 7. Windows Vista is utilized by many people not wanting to install the Windows 7 beta for fear of losing data etc.  One of the cool features of Windows 7 is that you can install to a VHD and not touch Windows Vista.  There is no need to have Windows 7 fully installed to a hard drive and then utilize the VHD feature.

As far as what the final versions of Windows 7 will contain I am not sure but one thing I know is that anyone that has a Windows 7 install disk can utilize the VHD features of Windows 7.  When you boot off of the Windows 7 install disk you are actually booting into a custom operating system called Windows PE or Pre-Installation Environment.  The version that comes with Windows 7 has many of the capabilities of Windows 7 and is in fact a miniature version of Windows 7.  It is possible to fully install this version to your computer and execute applications, use the Internet, repair your other operating systems etc.

If you are running Windows Vista you can install Windows 7 to a Virtual Hard Disk and use it without any mess or problems.  It will be just as fast as your Windows Vista (actually faster) and best of all when your done it is easy to clean up and remote it.

I have written several times about VHD’s in Windows 7 and I have continued to play with them and even look for additional ways to utilize them.  To install Windows 7 to a VHD is the same process as I have already outlined but on a Windows Vista only machine and everything done within Windows PE.

1. Boot off of the Windows 7 installation disk
2. After  the Windows 7 is fully booted in to it’s PE environment accept your  language settings and click OK
3. Now hold down the Shift key + F10 to open a command prompt
4. Type diskpart and then hit enter
5. Type in the following command create vdisk file=c:\VHDs\VHD1.vhd type=fixed maximum=16000 and then hit enter.  After waiting for a few minutes the following will be displayed “Diskpart Successful created the virtual file”
6. Type select vdisk  file=C:\VHDs\VHD1.vhd and then hit enter
7. Type attach vdisk and then hit enter
8. Close the command prompt window and then proceed normally with the Windows 7 installation
9. At the drive selection screen select the 16 GB drive that you just created
10. Ignore any warnings  and continue through the rest of the process

You can create a smaller or larger VHD but the minimum I recommend is 10 GB for a Windows 7 install.  Anything less than that and it is unlikely that it will install correctly if at all.  Typically larger is better but for general usage 16 GB is a good size.

The reason that this works is that Windows 7 and Windows Vista use the same bootloader.  It is theoretically possible to make other OSes boot and run from a VHD.  I have done it successfully with installing Windows PE 3.0 to a VHD but many of the core files that are required to boot from a VHD are only available with Windows 7.

ultimatecontrolpanel

One of my favorite shortcut tricks from Windows Vista also works in Windows 7, the All Tasks Control Panel.  It is esentially a list of every task in the standard Control Panel but all in one place.  This makes it substantially easier to find a task when you are not sure of where to look.

1. Right Click on the desktop and select New->Shortcut
2. In the location type C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} then select Next
3. Change the name to whatever you like such as All Tasks and select Finish

To use the new option go back to your desktop and then simply double click the icon you created.  This is one of those items that you never know when your going to need it but when you do it saves a lot of time and makes your life much easier.

WARNING:: With Windows Vista x64 this shortcut was known to cause Explorer to crash. I have not tested it yet on Windows 7 x64 so try this at your own risk.

UPDATE:: After posting this I have had several people message me and tell me that it is also working on x64 Windows 7.

createshortcut

Shell commands can be extremely helpful to know when you want to create a shortcut to a specific folder in Windows.  Windows 7 still supports the majority of Windows Vista shell commands as well as some new ones.

shell:Libraries
shell:MusicLibrary
shell:VideosLibrary
shell:OtherUsersFolder
shell:Device Metadata Store
shell:PublicSuggestedLocations
shell:DocumentsLibrary
shell:User Pinned
shell:UsersLibrariesFolder
shell:PicturesLibrary
shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts
shell:Ringtones
shell:CommonRingtones

To quickly access one of these locations you can enter it into the Run dialog box (Windows Key+R) but one thing to remember is that if there is a space in the command you will need to include it in quotes.  An example of this is shell:Device Metadata Store that needs to be typed in like this “shell:Device Metadata Store”.

To create a shortcut to one of these locations you can do so by Right-Clicking on your desktop or folder location then select New->Shortcut and a dialog box will open.  Enter in either the shell command or browse to the location you would like to add.  For some you will need to browse to the full path as it may not accept the shell command as a valid destination.

This is only a very short list of shell commands for Windows 7 as there are a multitude left to be discovered.  Many of the most dificult to find are those that relate to specific locations within applications such as the Performance Monitor and other administration applications.