Windows 7 operating system. To change the Font size

Operating system of the Windows NT family, successor to Windows Vista. In the Windows NT line, the system has version number 6.1 (Windows 2000 - 5.0, Windows XP - 5.1, Windows Server 2003 - 5.2, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 - 6.0). The server version is Windows Server 2008 R2, the version for integrated systems is Windows Embedded Standard 2011 (Quebec), the mobile version is Windows Embedded Compact 2011 (Chelan, Windows CE 7.0)

The operating system went on sale on October 22, 2009, less than three years after the release of the previous operating system, Windows Vista. Partners and clients with a Volume Licensing license were granted access to RTM on July 24, 2009. The final (copy from disks that later went on sale) pirated version was available to everyone from the first days of August 2009.

Windows 7 included some developments excluded from Windows Vista, as well as innovations in the interface and built-in programs. The games Inkball and Ultimate Extras were excluded from Windows 7; applications that have analogues in Windows Live (Windows Mail, etc.), Microsoft Agent technology, Windows Meeting Space; The option to return to the classic menu and automatic docking of the browser and email client have disappeared from the Start menu. Windows Calendar has also disappeared from Windows.

Using the system

According to Internet statistics collection service NetMarketShare for December 2014, Windows 7 is installed on almost every second computer in the world, while the combined share of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 in the desktop operating system market is less than 13%. The asset of outdated Windows XP is 24.3 percent.

Innovations

The operating system supports multi-touch control. This capability was first demonstrated by Microsoft at the annual TechEd'08 conference in Orlando. During the demonstration, system build 6.1.6856 was used, as well as a prototype laptop model with a multi-touch screen.

Branch Cache network technology allows you to cache the content of Internet traffic. If a user on the local network needs a file that has already been downloaded by someone on his network, he can get it from the local cache storage, rather than using a channel with limited bandwidth. The network cache can operate in two modes - Hosted Cache and Distributed Cache. In the first case, the file is stored on a dedicated local server running Windows Server 2008 R2; in the second case, a server is not required, and the cache is distributed for storage on user computers. The technology is designed for large networks and is offered for implementation in enterprises as part of the Corporate and Maximum versions of the OS.

The OS also has about 120 built-in wallpapers, unique for each country and language version. Thus, the Russian version includes the “Russia” theme with six unique high-resolution wallpapers. All versions include 50 new fonts. Existing fonts have been modified to display all characters correctly. Windows 7 is the first version of Windows to include more fonts to display non-Latin characters than to display Latin ones. The font control panel has also been improved - by default, it will display only those fonts for which the layout is installed in the system. Unicode 5.1 support has been implemented. The Instant Search search bar now recognizes more languages. For example, Russian cases, declensions, gender, singular and plural are recognized.

An additional advantage of Windows 7 is closer integration with driver manufacturers. Most of them are detected automatically, while in 90% of cases they remain backward compatible with Windows Vista drivers.

Windows 7 supports folder aliases internally. For example, the Program Files folder in some localized versions of Windows was translated and displayed with the translated name, but remained in English at the file system level.

Multimedia

The new 11 version of DirectX, first released as part of this operating system, has the following improvements: added support for new computational shaders, the ability to multi-threaded rendering, improved tessellation, new texture compression algorithms, etc.

Windows in Windows 7

Windows Media Player 12 received a new interface and became truly “omnivorous”, unlike its predecessor, which required a large number of codecs for playback. However, it cannot play licensed Blu-Ray discs with video, but it has the ability to read and write data to them.

Mobility

Although Windows Mobility Center hasn't changed much since Windows Vista, Windows 7 runs longer on laptops and uses less power, especially when playing DVDs. On a system introduced at the end of August 2009 with two identical laptops with pre-installed Windows 7 and Windows Vista, the gain was up to 20%. A record system boot speed was also shown - 11 seconds. The system included an SSD drive and other high-performance components. A similar test inspired enthusiasts to test the browser's impact on battery life. The Internet Explorer 8 browser included with Windows 7 showed the best results on the Intel platform.

However, according to the results of independent tests, it was found that Windows 7 drains a laptop's battery noticeably faster than Windows XP. Since August, experts from Laptop magazine (laptopmag.com) have been testing the final version of Windows 7, including measuring the battery life of portable PCs running it. The overall result was disappointing: the average netbook running the “Seven” generally runs 47 minutes less on battery power compared to the XP. In the case of the ASUS 1008HA model, the “shortage” was 57 minutes or 16.7%. Other publications also conducted similar studies and also came to these conclusions. The loss ranges from 10 to 30 percent in operating time.

A possible reason is that Windows 7 is optimized for graphics accelerators, while many netbooks run on integrated Intel and VIA graphics cards, which sometimes do not support Aero functions. Also, many netbooks run Windows 7 Starter Edition, which does not fully support Aero. Another possible reason is the lack of OS support from netbook manufacturers. So, with new drivers and BIOS dated November 2009, the Asus Eee 1000HA runs under Windows 7 for as long as it does under Windows XP.

Remote Desktop

The Remote Desktop feature has also undergone changes. Support for the Aero Peek interface, Direct 2D and Direct3D 10.1 has been introduced, support for multiple monitors, multimedia extensions, DirectShow, as well as the ability to play audio with low latency.

Safety

Windows 7 implements a more flexible User Account Control (UAC) setting, which, unlike Windows Vista, has two more intermediate states between the “Always notify” and “Never notify” modes - “Notify only when programs try to make changes to the computer” (default position), “Notify only when programs attempt to make changes to the computer (do not dim the desktop).” It's worth noting that, unlike Vista, dimming only occurs if the program is active and in the foreground. If you clicked while UAC was opening and deactivated the program, the blackout may not occur.

Changes have been made to the BitLocker encryption technology, and the BitLocker to go removable media encryption function has been added, which allows you to encrypt removable media, even in the absence of a TPM module.

Improvements have also been made to the Windows Firewall - the function of notifying the user that a program that is trying to access the network has been blocked has returned.

Using Group Policy and AppLocker, you can prevent certain applications from running.

DirectAccess allows you to establish a secure connection to a server in the background, unlike VPN, which requires user interaction. DirectAccess can also apply group policies before the user logs on.

backward compatibility

In July 2010, it became known that an addition to the agreement on the disclosure of the source codes of the company’s software for the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific and Technical Center Atlas and the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia had been signed. Through it, Russian structures gained access to the codes of Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2. The agreement itself was signed back in 2002.

As stated by First Deputy General Director of Atlas Alexander Alferov, the FSB of Russia has already certified Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, SharePoint Server 2007 and SQL Server 2008 with integrated Russian information security tools. The validity period of the agreement is now unlimited; changes to the code of the products mentioned in it are constantly sent to Atlas for analysis for the absence of bookmarks and vulnerabilities. The signatory on the American side is the head office of Microsoft.

After signing the addendum, as before, only the FSB and Atlas get access to the source codes themselves. However, now the Russian parties to the agreement have the right to share the results of the analysis with “authorized government organizations.” As Microsoft explained to CNews, the choice of these structures does not depend in any way on the company; their list is entirely determined by the Russian side.

Microsoft clearly associates the expansion of the program with the desire to cooperate with the Russian public sector. “The signing of this agreement means for us entering a qualitatively new level of cooperation with government agencies of the Russian Federation,” said Nikolai Pryanishnikov, President of Microsoft in Russia.

The company has long openly declared its desire to participate in the construction of electronic government in Russia. An example is given that works in an interdepartmental segment, allowing different departments to exchange electronic documents. However, at the federal level Microsoft currently has no implementation in this area; the company cooperates only with certain regions. In Russia, there is now a second attempt to create an interdepartmental segment (first there was an OGIC in the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Research Institute Voskhod, now - the work of Rostelecom, which has become an operator of the e-government infrastructure), but in none of them is Microsoft software similar to the British experience used.

Sales results

As of March 2011, the total number of Windows 7 licenses shipped to the channel (corporate customers, OEM partners and retail chains), according to Microsoft

2010

In the first six months of sales, the vendor shipped 100 million licenses, 9 months - 175 million, the result of the first year of sales - more than 240 million licenses.

During the 2010 fiscal year, which lasted from July 1, 2009 to June 31, 2010, a total of 175 million copies of Windows 7 were sold worldwide.

“According to data for December 2010, when conducting a similar comparison, it turned out that the number of requests from PCs with XP installed became less than from versions of Vista and Windows 7 in total,” says Larin. “Now the seventh version has outgrown XP for the first time without the help of other OSes.”

At the stage of accessing Windows Update, the service does not check the licensing of the installed software, so this method compares the number of OS installations (including pirated ones), and not the sales of their licenses. Authentication may be required to install major updates such as a Service Pack, Larin adds.

The total number of Windows 7 licenses shipped to the channel (corporate customers, OEM partners and retail chains), according to Microsoft, has reached 300 million worldwide.

It is worth noting that third-party assessments have not yet confirmed the greater popularity of Windows 7 compared to XP. According to statistics from the Statcounter service, which are collected by project counters on various sites around the world, about 30% of the total number of calls come from computers on Windows 7, and about 48% on XP.

Data for Russia is collected by the Liveinternet service; according to its statistics, the difference is even more serious. Over the past 4 weeks, on average, 52.2% of visitors to sites with installed project counters used XP and only 27.5% used Windows 7.

Yuri Larin explains this discrepancy by the fact that network counters do not cover all PCs: “Windows Updates data is more accurate, because they take into account all computers using the update service, regardless of what sites their owner visits.”

End of support for Windows 7

2020

On January 27, 2020, it became known that the Free Software Foundation (FSF) called on Microsoft to open the source code of Windows 7. He posted a petition on his website, inviting everyone who would like to continue to receive updates to this system and not switch on Windows 10, sign it.

The publication of the petition, called Upcycle Windows 7, is directly related to the complete end of support for Windows 7 - from January 14, 2020, ordinary users can no longer get updates for it; they are available only to Microsoft corporate customers for a fee. In addition, installing the final update released by Microsoft on the day support ended, disabled the function of setting wallpaper on the desktop.

The authors of the petition formulated three main demands for Microsoft. The first and foremost is to release Windows 7 as free software. “Her life should not end. Give the (developer) community the opportunity to study, modify and distribute it.”

The FSF demanded that Microsoft respect users' freedom and privacy instead of forcing them to switch to other versions of Windows. In fact, Microsoft has repeatedly used various methods to force users to upgrade to Windows 10. As CNews reported, one of the users sued the company for losing all information as a result of an unauthorized upgrade of his Windows 7 to Windows 10.

The Foundation's third demand is: "We want further evidence that you actually respect both users and their freedom as users, and do not use these concepts for marketing when it suits you."

According to the terms of the petition, it must collect 7,777 signatures before the authors transfer it to Microsoft. The petition itself was posted on the FSF website on January 23, 2020.

In less than four days, the fund’s initiative was supported by over 5,150 people. The initiators of the movement have not established a time frame during which it is necessary to collect the required number of signatures.

At the time of publication, the software giant had not commented on the Software Fund initiative. The authors of the petition also do not guarantee that collecting the required number of signatures will have an effect, but, according to them, Microsoft has repeatedly disclosed the source code of its developments.

FSTEC recommended that government agencies transfer their systems from Windows 7 to newer versions

However, on January 14, 2020, Microsoft stopped supporting and releasing updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 due to the end of their life cycle.

The cessation of the release of updates to certified versions of the Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems, combined with the likely discovery of vulnerabilities in them, will lead to the possibility of threats to the security of confidential information processed in these information systems, says the FSTEC. - In addition, it is predicted that there will be an increase in interest in the Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems from certain categories of violators.

In this regard, FSTEC is terminating the validity of certificates of conformity for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. From January 20, 2020, certificates for systems equipped with the first service pack (SP1) will no longer be valid, and from June 1, 2020, information on certificates of conformity for versions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 with the second service will be excluded from the State Register of Certified Information Security Tools -pack (SP2).

Organizations and institutions that continue to use these operating systems are recommended to plan activities before June 1, 2020 to migrate to the latest versions of Windows certified by FSTEC.

Before this transition, it is recommended to install all current and mandatory certified updates for Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and to prohibit automatic updates of certified versions of the Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems. And also, if possible, exclude connections to the Internet and to departmental or corporate local networks of “computer equipment or segments of information systems running Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems.” If this is not possible, FSTEC strongly recommends the mandatory use of measures to segment information systems and protect the perimeter of the information system and dedicated segments, including through the use of certified firewalls, anti-virus protection tools, intrusion detection systems, and means of protection against unauthorized transfer of information ( DLP systems) and information flow management tools.

It is also proposed to periodically analyze the vulnerabilities of segments of information systems running Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 using certified information security control (analysis) tools, as well as monitor the integrity of installed operating systems. The FSTEC message also suggests monitoring publicly available sources that publish information about vulnerabilities for information about the latest vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and taking measures to eliminate these vulnerabilities.

In addition, it is proposed to develop and implement rules and procedures for the actions of officials in the event of identifying vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems or the occurrence of information security incidents related to their use.

Government information systems are usually very large and complex, and if they are based on software developed specifically for a particular version of Windows, and may not be compatible with later versions, migration can be a rather lengthy process. Microsoft, even after the official termination of technical support for Windows XP, continued to support this system for government departments of some countries that were unable to switch to later operating systems in time. Security considerations, however, in any case require the abandonment of outdated and not supported by the manufacturer operating systems and the transition to others. This situation also reminds us of the need to use and develop domestic system software. Repeated attempts to expand the presence of domestic software in the public sector look increasingly justified,

The Windows 7 operating system was released by Microsoft in the fall of 2009. In terms of length of support, this operating system is second only to Windows XP, released in 2001 and removed from support in 2014.

Over the past ten years, Microsoft has managed to release two more versions of its operating system - 8/8.1 and Windows 10. Windows 8 did not gain much popularity, but Windows 10 by January 2020 is the most popular operating system in the world - about 50% of traditional PCs run it.

Windows 7, however, is in second place - its share is still around 22%.

China is not ready to abandon Windows 7

Russian banks were not ready to abandon Windows 7

On January 15, 2020, it became known that Russian banks were not ready to completely abandon Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 - operating systems that Microsoft stopped supporting.

Using an unsupported operating system is prohibited due to information security rules - computers become vulnerable to attacks, and banks may receive an order from the Central Bank.

According to Cisco security business consultant Alexey Lukatsky, Windows 7 is installed on approximately every fifth computer in Russian banks. To update 20% of this fleet to Windows 10, at least 15 billion rubles will be required, taking into account the volume discount.

Several Russian banks have entered into an agreement with Microsoft on paid support for Windows 7 (EAS), but the architect of the Microsoft Technology Center in Russia, Ivan Budylin, clarified that this is only a temporary measure.

UK Government Communications Center warns against using Windows 7 for online banking

Because of the additional cyber risks associated with the growing financial services industry and the much deeper sources of data held by banks and other businesses, the National Cyber ​​Security Center's warnings should not be taken lightly.

2019

Free support for US and allied voting systems

Some companies will receive free updates for Windows 7

At the end of August 2019, it became known that some Microsoft customers will be able to receive free updates for Windows 7 even after support for this operating system ends. The service will not be available to everyone and not always.

According to information posted on the Microsoft website in the FAQ section regarding the end of support for Windows 7 and Office 2010, enterprise users who purchase active Windows 10 subscriptions before the end of 2019 will be able to receive a free year of support during the transition to Windows 10.

The innovation will be available to users who have entered into Enterprise and Enterprise Subscription agreements with active subscriptions to Windows E5, Microsoft 365 E5 and Microsoft 365 E5 Security as of December 31, 2019.

No actions on the part of users or system administrators are required, everything will happen automatically. Your subscription must remain active throughout the extended support period or you will no longer receive updates.

For other corporate users, paid support in the first year after support ends will cost $25 per device, in the second and third years - $50 and $100, respectively.

According to the NetMarketShare service (studies the activity of more than 160 million unique users viewing over 40 thousand sites around the world), in July 2019, Windows 10 was installed on 48.86% of personal computers in the world compared to 45.79% a month earlier. The share of Windows 7 dropped from 35.38% to 31.83% over the month.

To help companies quickly move from Windows 7 to Windows 10, Microsoft launched the FastTrack service in August 2019.

Using FastTrack, we will help you create a technical plan, understand how to connect and implement new services and/or onboard new users. We will work with you during the implementation process,” the service description says. R2 on computers with Symantec security solutions. The blocking is due to the fact that antivirus programs remove updates during their installation, which is why Windows stops starting. Over the past few months, Microsoft has been regularly updating its support bulletin to remind businesses and users to stop updating signed with SHA-1 and move to SHA-2. Starting August 13, PCs running Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will receive updates signed only with SHA-2 digital certificates. The transition to this algorithm was due to the insecurity of the previously used SHA-1. However, due to the move to SHA-2, Symantec security solutions (including Norton) began blocking or removing updates KB4512506 and KB4512486 during their installation process, and systems became unbootable. As a precaution, Microsoft has temporarily blocked updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 until Symantec resolves the issue. According to a notice from Symantec, the fix will be available with future product releases. End of official support In 2019, official support for the Windows 7 operating system ends. This means that Windows 7 will no longer receive security updates and becomes more vulnerable to attackers. Commercial licenses will also expire. 2018: Extension of OS support terms Microsoft claims that Windows 10 is currently more in demand than Windows 7. This was announced on the official Windows trends page in the Microsoft community back in August 2016. The company stated that the share of Windows 10 has reached 43% worldwide, in while Windows 7's share dropped to 42%. Separately, this ratio was 55% versus 35%, for - 58% versus 31%, in both cases in favor of Windows 10. However, analysts at research firm NetMarkShare say the opposite. According to them, in December 2016, only 24.36% of users in the world worked on Windows 10, while the share of Windows 7 users in the same month was 48.34%. Apparently, Windows 7 will remain the leading computer OS in the world for some time, despite the reduction in support. Those users who decide to remain faithful to it after January 14, 2020, can use third-party protection products that will be compatible with this OS for a long time. 2016 Stopping sales of OEM licenses Microsoft stopped distributing OEM licenses for Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate at the end of October 2014, and two years later the company removed the Windows 7 Professional version from sale. Starting November 1, 2016, the world's most popular operating system (according to NetMarketShare in October 2016, Windows 7 is used in 48% of PCs in the world) will not be installed on new computers. For some time - while retailers and distributors still have previously purchased equipment - consumers will be able to purchase devices with the "seven" at the core. In addition, on October 31, 2016, Microsoft stopped OEM deliveries of Windows 8.1, so vendors had no choice when installing the Windows software platform in their products - only Windows 10 is available to them. Sales of new computers running Windows 8 stopped on June 30, 2016, and retail sales of this OS and Windows 8.1 are October 31, 2014 and September 1, 2015, respectively. According to NetMarketShare calculations, in October 2016, Windows 8.1's share of the global computer operating system market reached 8.4% versus 22.6% for Windows 10. About 8.3% of desktop PCs run Windows XP, released back in 2001. and laptops. At the end of September 2016, Microsoft reported that Windows 10 was installed on 400 million active devices worldwide, and corporate customers were switching to this OS faster than any other version of Windows at one time. The rapid spread of "ten" was associated with the possibility of free installation of this platform for owners of computers based on Windows 7 and 8.1. The cessation of sales of OEM licenses for Windows 7 and Windows 8 does not affect existing users of these operating systems. Extended support for Windows 7 will end on January 14, 2020; for Windows 8, the end date is January 10, 2023. Mainstream support for Windows 8 is available until January 9, 2018. Windows 7 SP1 June 2016 Due to this, the company promises to simplify the process of supporting Windows 7 and 8.1 systems. The update addresses a number of recently discovered problems in Windows 7, including slow performance of the Update Center on some computers. There are six bulletins presented: KB3154228, KB3153727, KB3161647, KB3161897, KB3161639 and KB3163644. 2015 The end of mainstream support for all versions of Windows 7 (Enterprise, Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate and Starter) means that the functional part of the OS will not be improved, and Microsoft will provide support to customers only on a paid basis. This applies to both regular users and participants in volume licensing programs. Until January 14, 2020, Extended Support for Windows 7 will remain, within which the manufacturer will continue to release critical security updates. In addition to Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Storage Server 2008, and Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 lost mainstream support on January 13, 2015. Microsoft will completely abandon Windows 7 by 2020, but Gartner analysts recommend that companies begin planning the transition from this OS to newer ones as soon as possible. Otherwise, they risk not having time to completely update their systems, as a result of which the information security of enterprises may be at risk, experts believe.

We would like to give you a brief overview of the features of the Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft has added and improved several features such as new themes, graphic effects, and taskbar features.

In this tutorial we will look at Aero function, let's study and find out how to set up Desktop.

If you used earlier versions of Windows, then I hasten to please you - everything is the same in Windows 7. There are no major changes in this version, all the same familiar functions, desktop, etc. The design is certainly more attractive. But if you are new to Windows, then you need to know about some basics like Taskbar, Start Menu, etc.

1) Cart: When you delete a file, it is moved to the Recycle Bin. You can restore files from the Recycle Bin. And to delete a file completely, you need to delete it from the trash.

2) Folders on the desktop: You can store folders, files or shortcuts on your desktop.

3) Open folders: Double-clicking opens the folder in Explorer.

4) Background: Desktop background. You can use your photos as your desktop background, or you can choose one of the built-in images.

5) Start button: Click the Start button to open a menu that allows you to access applications, files, and settings. Also, the Start menu is used to turn on/off. computer.

6) Icons on the taskbar: Some programs will have icons on the taskbar for quick access.

7) Taskbar: The taskbar contains the Start menu, quick access, date and time. When you open a program or file, it will appear on the taskbar and you can easily switch between open programs.

8) Date and time: The right side of the taskbar shows the current date and time. There are also various settings such as audio volume, internet settings, etc.

Aero function

Windows 7 uses a group of features called Windows Aero. Aero is a visual desktop that combines translucent windows, attractive colors and graphic effects with user-friendly functionality. Aero includes Peek, Snake and Flip.

Snap

The Snap feature allows you to resize open windows. The images below show two windows, before and after using the Snap feature.

1. Drag the window to the left or right side of the screen until a transparent window appears, then lower the window.
2. Your windows should fall into place.

Peek

The Peek feature allows you to view open windows in the taskbar as thumbnails. Just hover your mouse over the icons of open programs on the taskbar and thumbnails of open windows will appear.

1. Hover your mouse over the open window icon in the taskbar and a thumbnail of the window will appear. Now hover over the thumbnail and the full window will appear.
2. Click on the thumbnail to open the window or click on the "X" button to close the window.

Snake

When your desktop is cluttered with open windows, you can use the Snake feature to keep one window open and minimize all the others.

1. Press the top of the window, hold the window, shake. All other windows will disappear except the one you were holding.
2. Shake the window again and all closed windows will reappear.

Flip

Flip and Flip 3d functions - 2 ways to view thumbnails of all open windows at once. When using Flip, thumbnails of all windows in a row will appear, and Flip 3d will display all windows in a stack.

1. Hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key.
2. While holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key to switch between windows.
3. Stop at the window you want to open and it will appear in full screen.

Flip 3d (3d version of the Flip function)

1. Press and hold the Windows (Start) button on your keyboard, and then press the Tab key.
2. Use the Tab key to scroll through all open windows.

Instead of holding down the Windows key, you can press Ctrl+Windows and press Tab to keep Flip 3D open.

Features of the Taskbar

Microsoft has improved the taskbar. It has become very convenient for viewing and accessing files and windows.

View tasks

When you open several windows of the same type, for example, the same browser is opened several times, the icons in the taskbar will look like the picture.

• Aero Peek will show you all windows when you hover over an icon on the taskbar.

• If you want, you can change the order of the icons by simply dragging and dropping.

Pin a program to the taskbar

You can pin programs to the taskbar. This is done in order to have quick access to them.

• To pin a program, drag it to the taskbar.

• And to remove a program from quick access, just right-click on the icon and select “Remove program from taskbar”

1) Hidden icons: Click to view additional settings and icons.

2) Action Center: View important notifications. A red cross will appear on the icon if there are notifications.

3) Internet access icon.

4) Adjust the sound volume.

5) "Collapse all windows" button

You can easily minimize all windows with one click.

Personalize your desktop background and theme

Windows 7 has attractive new themes and backgrounds to choose from. They include vibrant photographs, digital images and Aero themes, using colors and glass effects in an attractive way.

Themes and background

In the Start menu search bar, type “personalization.” Or right-click on your desktop and select .

1) You can change the appearance of your desktop icons.

2) You can change your account picture.

3) Desktop themes

4) You can set your image as the background, or select one from the Windows collection. You can also create a slideshow and your background will change automatically from time to time.

5) You can choose a color for your windows and taskbar.

6) If you want, you can change the sounds for Windows 7.

7) Windows 7 offers a variety of screen savers that you can select and customize.

Font and ClearType settings

You can adjust the font and ClearType settings on the desktop based on your preferences.

To change the Font:

1. In the search bar in the Start menu, type “Fonts.” Or Start -> Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Fonts
2. Select the Font you like.

To change the Font size:

1. On the left side of the Fonts panel, click on “Change Font Size”
2. Select the desired font size and click Apply.

Please note that larger font sizes may prevent some elements from appearing on screen.

You can also customize ClearType for your screen. ClearType helps improve the readability of text on LCD monitors and screens.

• To configure ClearType, select Setting ClearType Text from the menu on the left side of the font panel, and select the best example of text from those offered.

Gadgets

Gadgets are mini-programs that are installed on your desktop. Gadgets can show you information about the weather, date and time, news and much more.

To add gadgets to your desktop:

Setting up Gadgets

1) Click on this button to resize the gadget.

2) The options button for your gadget.

3) Use this button to drag and drop.

At the current time, Windows 7 OS is one of the most common systems and is installed, probably, on most computers in the world. XP today is hopelessly outdated, although this “Axis” is still used by millions of users, and most drivers and released applications “do not want” to work with Windows Vista, and it is also considered very vulnerable to virus attacks and spyware. The minimum system requirements for Win 7 are significantly higher than in previous Microsoft operating systems.

For example, to install the same Win XP you will need only 1.5 GB of hard disk space. The computer must have a processor of at least 333 mHz and have at least one stick of RAM with a ridiculous today 128 MB. Vista, despite the fact that games and multimedia applications on this OS have lower performance than on XP, requires 15 GB of free disk space, a processor of at least 1 GHz and 1 GB of RAM to install.

Varieties of Windows 7

1. “Initial” or “Starter” is the basic version of the operating system, usually this can be purchased along with a laptop, netbook or system unit. Less demanding on computer resources, but somewhat reduced in terms of functionality, in particular, playback of multimedia content in formats such as MPEG 2 and some others becomes impossible.
2. “Basic home” is also designed for weaker laptop models that do not have powerful hardware. Like the “Initial” version, it has a number of limitations, complicating full-fledged work on the Internet.
3. “Extended Home” or “Home Premium” - this version is often more than enough for a home PC. It is optimal and is able to fully work with most multimedia files and the Internet.
4. “Professional” - this version is intended for advanced users who use data encryption, run legacy applications in emulation mode of the previous OS and need advanced capabilities for working with domains and the Internet.
5. “Ultimate” is the maximum build, which includes support for more than thirty languages, algorithms and tools for creating increased security and full-fledged work with multimedia applications. There is also a “Corporate” version of Win 7, but in fact it differs from the others only in the presence of other licenses and advantages aimed at the work of large organizations.

All of the above versions, in turn, are divided into 32 and 64 bit (for 32 and 64 bit processors, respectively). It is important to remember that Windows 7 is installed only on a hard drive partition in the NTFS system. For owners of laptops and netbooks with a modest amount of internal memory up to 30 GB and the inability to expand it, even if the minimum system hardware requirements allow you to install "Seven", it would be best to install the previous version of Win XP on your device, which requires 1 .5 GB of free space.

Primary requirements

• In order to install Windows 7, you need an installation disk with the operating system or a flash drive.
• DVD drive or working USB connector if the system is installed from a flash drive.
• Sufficient free space on your computer's hard drive. Do not forget that the system requirements for the computer written on the box with the disk do not take into account the paging file, which additionally takes up from one to four gigabytes.

For owners of laptops and netbooks without an optical DVD drive, special USB “tokens” can be used to install the operating system. The problem is that purchasing them is much more problematic than buying a DVD. It is much easier to use one of the applications, for example, UltraISO, to create an image of “Seven” on a desktop computer for further installation on a portable device.

Minimum System Requirements

The minimum Windows system requirements, as mentioned above, depend on the bit depth. To install the “Initial” or “Starter” version with x86 bit capacity, the hardware parameters must be as follows:

• Processor 32-bit architecture with a frequency of at least 800 MHz.
• The amount of installed RAM should not be less than 512 MB.
• 16 gigabytes of free space directly on your computer’s hard drive.

To install a 64-bit version of the Windows 7 operating system, the requirements are slightly higher:

• 64-bit processor with a clock frequency of at least 1 GHz.
• RAM must be present “on board” in a volume of at least 1 gigabyte.
• For comfortable use without freezes and system slowdowns, you need at least 20 gigabytes of free space on your computer’s hard drive.
• The video card must have at least 128 megabytes of memory and support DirectX version 9 and higher.
• To use the encryption function for data located on removable media and devices, a special platform module is required.

If the requirements of Win 7 barely coincide with the minimum, then this cannot guarantee full-fledged work with multimedia and gaming applications. It is also likely that surfing the Internet will be far from comfortable, making, for example, viewing streaming online video or FLASH pages difficult or almost impossible.

In order for the Windows 7 operating system to fully function on your computer, its system requirements must satisfy approximately the following conditions:

• The processor must have 32 (x86) or 64 (x64) bit width and a clock frequency of at least 1 GHz.
• There is never too much RAM, as they say, but the optimal combination would be to have from two to four gigabytes of RAM, which will allow you to comfortably navigate the vastness of the World Wide Web and perform several tasks in parallel.
• Free hard disk space must be at least twenty gigabytes. The hard drive must be formatted in the NTFS file system if the drive was previously in the FAT system. The easiest way to do this is through the BIOS.
• A video card with graphics memory of 128 MB or higher with support for DirectX version 9 or higher. It is highly desirable that the video card be compatible with the tenth and eleventh DX, which guarantees no problems with launching games and most multimedia applications.

Additional requirements

• To update Windows 7, download missing drivers and the latest versions of computer hardware firmware, you need high-speed Internet access. For this, in turn, you need a network adapter (often built directly into the motherboard).
• To implement some functions of the built-in multimedia player in Win 7, a TV tuner is required.
• To listen to sounds and audio files, you need a sound card, which can be either built-in or purchased separately.
• Input devices: keyboard and mouse. There are touch input devices that work using the Windows Touch interface, but they are not particularly popular and are also purchased separately.
• If you install the Win 7 operating system from a disk, then you need an optical DVD drive. Or you need to create a special bootable flash drive if it is not available.
• Some monitors supported by Win 7 may require a video card with more than 128 megabytes of graphics memory.

Bottom line

The hard drive sizes of most laptops, netbooks and desktop computers produced today amount to hundreds or even thousands of gigabytes, and they do not experience a lack of free RAM. Therefore, if you are the owner of such a device, the requirements of which fully satisfy those of the Win 7 operating system, feel free to install the “Maximum” or “Extended Home” version in order to fully utilize the resources of the built-in hardware.

If your PC or laptop, alas, does not meet the requirements of Windows 7, then the best option would be to install the previous version of Win XP on it, which is less demanding in terms of hardware and takes up a modest 1.5 gigabytes of free space on the hard drive.

Windows 7, codenamed Blackcomb and Vienna, is an operating system in the Windows NT family, following Windows Vista. In the Windows NT line, the system has version number 6.1 (Windows 2000 - 5.0, Windows XP - 5.1, Windows Server 2003 - 5.2, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 - 6.0). The server version is Windows Server 2008 R2, the version for integrated systems is WindowsEmbedded Standard 2011 (Quebec), the mobile version is Windows Embedded Compact2011 (Chelan, Windows CE 7.0).

The operating system went on sale on October 25, 2009, less than three years after the release of the previous operating system, Windows Vista. Although initially the operating system was supposed to go on sale on August 31, 2009. Partners and clients with a Volume Licensing license were granted access to RTM on July 24, 2009. The final unlicensed version (a copy from the discs that later went on sale) was available to everyone from the first days of August 2009.

Windows 7 included some developments excluded from Windows Vista, as well as innovations in the interface and built-in programs. The games Inkball and Ultimate Extras were excluded from Windows 7; applications that have analogues in Windows Live (Windows Mail, Windows Calendar, etc.), Microsoft Agent technology, Windows Meeting Space; The option to return to the classic menu and Windows 7 version has disappeared from the Start menu. In America, Windows 7 is available in six different versions, in Russia - only in five (Enterprise is excluded). Also, the Family Pack (upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium for three computers) is not available in Russia.

Windows 7 versions

Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 Starter will allow you to work with any number of programs and applications. At the same time, it saves resources on your computer, be it a netbook or a desktop computer. Simplicity, convenience and cost-effectiveness are the main advantages of this particular version of Windows 7. Another version that cannot be bought in a box, but which is still available on the Russian market, is Windows 7 Starter. It is distributed only with computers and laptops (OEM).

This is the most stripped-down version of Windows 7. It does not have the Aero interface, nor the ability to work remotely, nor virtual desktops and XP Mode, nor Windows Media Center. And you don’t even have to remember about business functions! The most annoying thing is that even such a simple thing as changing the background image (Wallpaper) is blocked here!

Windows 7 Home Basic

Makes everyday tasks faster and easier Windows 7 Home Basic gives you faster and easier access to the programs and documents you use most often. Now the time you spent searching can be used to complete the necessary tasks. Improved navigation makes everyday tasks easier and faster with Windows 7 Home Basic.

What do you need to work with Windows 7? Windows 7 Home Basic is a little richer in functionality. And it can already be bought in Russian stores in a boxed version. Here, of course, there are no more problems such as the inability to change the “wallpaper”; however, Aero support is only partial (translucent windows). But most of the “adult” functions are missing in the basic version.

The basic version comes in two flavors: 32-bit and 64-bit. All older versions include both disks (with both 32-bit and 64-bit OS), but if you want to buy the 64-bit version of Home Basic, you will have to work hard to find it!

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share your favorite photos, music, and videos. You can also watch, pause, rewind and record TV shows. Install Windows 7 Home Premium edition to get the best entertainment experience on your PC.

Windows 7 Home Premium contains two disks:

the first one is with a 32-bit version, and the second one is with a 64-bit version (the activation key, of course, is only one, so it won’t be possible to install a 64-bit version on one computer and a 32-bit version on another).

In addition, Windows 7 Home Premium has two important differences from Home Basic: the presence of Windows Media Center and Multi-Touch technology. We will dwell on it in more detail. It's no secret that all kinds of touch screen devices are becoming more common today. Moreover, these are not only mobile phones with tiny screens, but also full-fledged monitors, as well as all-in-one computers (for example, HP TouchSmart). Seeing the trend, Microsoft decided to release an operating system optimized for working with finger technologies.

Moreover, what is important, Windows 7 understands multi-finger commands. This allows you to conveniently work with photographs, satellite maps, drawings and other graphic objects. What seemed fantastic a few years ago, and after the release of the sensational Microsoft Surface table - an experimental development far from ordinary users, then became available to almost everyone. And not least thanks to Windows 7.

Finally, one more small detail that distinguishes the Home Edition from the Home Basic: it supports 16 GB of RAM instead of 8 GB. Of course, this applies only to 64-bit versions (in 32-bit versions the maximum is 4 GB). Windows 7 Professional. All 192 GB are supported there.

Windows 7 Professional

With Windows 7 Professional, you can remove barriers to success. It allows many Windows XP programs to run in Windows XP mode and quickly recovers data using automatic backups on your home or corporate network. In addition, you can more easily and securely connect to corporate networks thanks to the domain join feature.

Windows 7 Ultimate

Finally, the highest version of Windows 7, which provides the user with maximum capabilities, is Windows 7 Ultimate. The maximum version includes a Multilingual User Interface Pack, which allows you to change the system interface language. Thus, you can buy the Russian version, and then change the entire system interface to English. In addition, Ultimate has virtual hard disk boot capability and several technologies that are aimed at enterprise users. First of all, these are Federated Search, BitLocker and BitLocker To Go. Federated Search in Windows 7 provides native support for searching corporate data stored outside of the user's PC. That is, you can search for data on your corporate network or SharePoint sites in the same way as you can on your local computer. BitLocker is encryption of drives on a computer, and BitLocker To Go is encryption of data on removable media (for example, flash drives).

In addition to the above, Windows 7 Ultimate can offer users and IT professionals some other features, but to use them you will need to deploy Windows Server 2008 R2. Others will be provided by Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Windows architecture

Program code execution modes.

Two modes: user and kernel, four levels of privileges (rings) to protect against less privileged code (Intel security model).

Privilege level 0, kernel mode, maximum.

Privilege level 3, user mode, minimum.

Windows OS uses only levels 0 and 3.

Kernel mode (ring 0) is the most privileged mode:

• ? has direct access to hardware;
• ? has access to all computer memory;
• ? cannot be paged out to a page file on the hard disk;
• ? runs with higher priority than user mode processes.

Kernel mode components are architecturally protected and the processor prevents other programs from modifying them.

The user mode process is characterized as follows:

• ? does not have direct access to the hardware, this protects the system from faulty applications or unauthorized access;
• ? limited by the address space allocated to it. This ensures the integrity of the OS;
• ? can be evicted from physical memory to virtual memory on the hard disk. Disk space is used as additional RAM;
• ? runs at lower priority than the kernel.

User mode processes have less access to the process than kernel mode processes. The OS does not wait for the application to complete execution. A faulty software component does not cause system destruction

Windows Registry

The registry is a unified database containing information about the hardware and software configuration of the local computer. Registry Editor REGEDIT.EXE allows you to view and edit the Windows 9x and Windows NT registry. When manually editing, you should be careful: the editor does not recognize syntactic and semantic errors and does not warn about the creation of an incorrect element. Most system parameters can be modified through the device manager and other control panels.

The registry is a tree-like hierarchical database, stored in two files:

USER.DAT - settings for the user and SYSTEM.DAT - settings for the computer. A node in a hierarchical tree is called a key. Any key can contain nested keys. The key stores an arbitrary number of values ​​of this type, each value is called a registry element. The key components are as follows:

• ? name (unique among keys of the same hierarchy level);
• ? class (object class name);
• ? security descriptor (for Windows NT and Windows 2000);
• ? last recording time;
• ? elements.

List of keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - information about embedding and linking objects and associating files with applications;

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - workstation specifications, drivers and other system settings;

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - information about the current computer configuration;

HKEY_USERS - information about all users of this workstation;

HKEY_CURRENT_USER - system and program settings related to the current user;

HKEY_DYN_FATA - dynamic information about the status of various devices.

Windows7 file system

The Windows file system is an order that defines the way data is organized, stored, and named on IT equipment storage media. This is a format for recording information on various media and, first of all, on the computer’s hard drive. Windows 7 uses the NTFS file system, which is one of the most common in the world today.

The basis of NTFS is MFT (Master File Table). It is a file of a special format, which is located in a special MFT zone of the section. This zone is accessible only to operating system service tools or special utilities that access the hard drive directly. MFT presents a table that lists all files with basic attributes and security settings. But not only. For each file, MFT stores the addresses of the sectors in which its contents are located. This is very important information, because without it, the system simply would not know where the requested object is located and where the reading head of the hard drive needs to be moved.

In Windows 7, as in all other operating systems, there are a number of folders that can be called service folders. By default, they are the same for all users of this OS. It is advisable not to touch some of them, as this can lead to malfunctions in Windows 7. The content of others can be changed without any fear.

Without a doubt, the most important folder located on the active partition of the hard drive. It stores all executable files of the operating system, drivers, modules, etc. Therefore, deleting anything from this folder is strictly not recommended. It is worth noting that in some cases it may have a different name.

Folder with the old operating system. Occurs on the hard drive if Windows 7 was installed without formatting it. For the vast majority of users, it is not needed, and therefore can be removed completely calmly.

Folder for storing user profiles. By default, it is located in the root of the disk with the operating system. Contains a number of standard folders, as well as one folder for each account. They contain “user” subfolders, including Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Favorites, etc. Their contents depend entirely on the person. Other subfolders are used to store service information of various applications, browsers, etc.: AppData, ApplicationData, Cookies, Local Settings, etc. They are hidden and it is not recommended to change their contents manually.

The folder that contains all operating system boot files. It is hidden and should not be changed.

Another very important hidden folder. It is where applications installed on the operating system store their data, installation files, etc. Naturally, there is no need to remove anything from it.

The folder in which the image required to enter the recovery environment is stored. Again, it is hidden and cannot be changed.

Essentially, this folder is the Windows Recycle Bin. This is where all deleted information is moved. The folder is hidden, however, you can delete both it and its contents. In essence, this will be tantamount to emptying the Trash or part of it. Please note that each hard drive partition has its own $Recycle.Bin folder, which stores files deleted from it.