How to enable parents control in Windows 7.
Parental Controls in Windows 7
Parental controls in Windows 7 has lot of improvements and gives parents a lot of power to monitor restrict what their children do.
- Settings which can be maintained includes
- > Time Limits for a User
- > Game Restriction according to Game rating, content and Title.
- > Allow or block specific Programs.
- > Web Filtering Windows 7 Parental Controls is a feature in Windows 7 that can specify which PC games a particular user can play and which programs they can use.
You can even specify the times when a particular user is allowed to use the PC.
Here you can Control when a computer can be used by that particular account.
Windows Live Family Safety is a free download that works with Windows 7 and gives you tools to manage and monitor what a particular user do on the Web.
For example, Web filtering and contact management help you manage whom a particular user can talk to on Windows Live Hotmail, Messenger and Spaces.
When you customize the settings for each of your children, youll even get an activity report that informs you how your children have been using the.
PC and what Web sites they have visited.
And with the ability to view reports or modify settings remotely, you can keep tabs on your kids no matter where you are.
Parental controls help you manage what your children can do on your PC.
- Games have ratings like
- > Early Childhood
- > Everyone
- > Everyone 10+
- > Teen
- > Mature
- > Adults only
These ratings are used to decide which games a particular user can play.
Also it can be decided which programs a User can use.
Although it won‟t make any much difference, for parents who have Geek Children. So as we say no doubt for you this time for few parents.
Prevent Windows 7 from Automatically
Rebooting after Installing Windows Updates
Windows updates force the OS to shut down after they install.
This can be troublesome many a times when you don‟t want to restart your PC because of some work which is ongoing.
So here is how to get rid of Reboot of Windows after Windows update Installation.
To prevent Rebooting a registry tweak must be done. Here are the steps: - Click Start Orb
- Go to Run and type regedit.
- In regedit, navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPolicesMicrosoftWindows
- In the left pane, right click on Windows, and click on New Key, then type WindowsUpdate.
- In the left pane, right click on WindowsUpdate, and click on New Key, then type AU
- In the right pane of AU, right click anywhere and select New DWORD 32-bit Value, then type in NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers.
- Right click NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers and click Modify, then type its value as 1 and press enter.
- Close regedit.
- Restart the computer. Now Windows won‟t restart once you install updates.
Problem Steps Recorder
One of the most troublesome issues of troubleshooting is to find out exactly how it happened and for what.
Obviously, some processes are non-recoverable.
For them you cannot repeat the process and risk hardware just because a troubleshooter wasn‟t able to understand where it had error. Here is a wonderful tool for Windows 7.
A feature new to Windows 7, called Problem Steps Recorder looks to be the missing tool for documenting where it all goes wrong.
The tool is just an advanced version of the screen capture software but with other in- depth functionalities.
It is kind of an automated Print Screen plus background documenting all the mouse clicks, key strokes and gathering some technical reading material, which are stored and saved as the results.
You get them stored in a zipped MHTML report page which can be sent off directly to the help desk.
- How to Use Problem Steps Recorder
- > Go to Start Menu
- -> Run.
- > Type and select psr.exe and ENTER.
MHT document would contain all the screenshots recorded at particular events.
Apart from Screenshots additional details which describe each and every event including the programs and UI are stored in the MHT file which can be later on used to troubleshoot the problem.
Remove Recycle Bin in Windows 7
Recycle bin from Windows 7 Desktop can easily be removed.
Methods to remove Recycle Bin from Windows 7 Desktop: - Remove from Control Panel Navigate to following address: Control Panel
- > All control Panel Items
- > Personalization On left side pane Click on Change Desktop Icons
- This would popup Desktop Icon Settings
- Uncheck Recycle Bin
- Press Ok to Remove Recycle Bin with immediate effect.
- Using GPEdit (Group Policy Editor) This setting removes the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop, from Windows Explorer, from programs that use the Windows Explorer windows, and from the standard Open dialog box.
- Open Run Dialogue Box (Win + R) and type gpedit.msc Navigate to Local Computer policy
- > User Configuration
- > Administrative Templates
- > Desktop in left hand side pane.
- Select Remove Recycle Bin policy icon from Desktop setting from right side pane.
- Open it and enable it to Remove Recycle Bin.
- Press OK.
- Note: To make changes to this setting effective, you must log off and then log back on.
- Remove from Control Panel Navigate to following address: Control Panel
- > All control Panel Items
- > Personalization On left side pane Click on Change Desktop Icons
- This would popup Desktop Icon Settings
- Uncheck Recycle Bin
- Press Ok to Remove Recycle Bin with immediate effect.
Remove/Show Notify Area Icons
You can always select which icons and Notifications you want to appear on the taskbar in Windows.
Navigate to control panel,
- All control Panel Items
- >Notification Area Icons.
- Here you can select for which application you want to remove / show notification or Icon.
Although it does not removes or loads and of the application in the memory.
If you wish to tweak so that, the application to appear/disappear at startup you may require it to tweak through MSCONFIG.
Rename Admin account in Windows 7
Sometimes in the Computer/Laptop, Windows is installed already with default Username already set.
For users who are not satisfied with this and need to change this can do this using Group Policy Editor. : - Open Run Dialog Box.
- Open the Local Security Policy editor using secpol.msc.
- Navigate to the tree Structure In the left pane, in Local Policies, expand it to Security Options.
- In the right pane, there is a Policy, Accounts: Rename administrator account, Double click over it.
- Change the name of Admin account to the one you wish to have now.
- Close the Local Security Policy window, Log off to save the changes.
Rename Multiple Files @ Same time
Have a good number of files in your drive to rename?
It gives plenty of time to rename all by one. Although you can save some time if you follow the steps to rename all files @ a go given below: - Open the folder where you have all the files you wish to rename (that sounds pretty obvious!)
- : Press F2 (Dell users press Fn + F2) or right click any one of the file in your selection and select rename option. Keep all the files are selected.
- You are done.
All files have been renamed with a counter value different in each one of them. This trick can be used to rename multiple Files like Images of a particular occasion, files of particular genre etc. Often Techies feel to have the Built number of OS they are using. Like I felt. Few OS versions have this info at the Desktop screen like Windows 7 Beta, RC had but few don‟t have .To find out these details and much more info like product edition, build number and revision number for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008,Windows 7 that is installed, follow these steps: - > Open Registry Editor by typing Regedit in Start Search, then hit Enter.
- > Go to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion
- > In the right side pane, you will see lots of registry subkeys and its value date.
These keys will give you the required information about syour OS….. - ProductName : of Windows
- EditionID: edition aka flavor of the OS.
- BuildLabEx: Contains build and revision number
- Current Build : contains build number
- Registered Owner
- Registered Organization
Retrieve Built Details other Information of Windows Installed
Often Techies feel to have the Built number of OS they are using. Like I felt. Few OS versions have this info at the Desktop screen like Windows 7 Beta, RC had but few don‟t have .To find out these details and much more info like product edition, build number and revision number for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008,Windows 7 that is installed, follow these steps: -
Open Registry Editor by typing Regedit in Start Search, then hit Enter.
-
Go to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
-
In the right side pane, you will see lots of registry subkeys and its value date. These keys will give you the required information about syour OS…..
- ProductName : of Windows
-
EditionID: edition aka flavor of the OS.
- BuildLabEx: Contains build and revision number
- Current Build : contains build number
- Registered Owner
-
Registered Organization
- ProductName : of Windows
- EditionID: edition aka flavor of the OS.
- BuildLabEx: Contains build and revision number
- Current Build : contains build number
- Registered Owner
- Registered Organization
Set Ctrl+Alt+Del Options in Windows 7
Ctrl+Alt+Del have been one of the rescue Key combos since the Windows Evaluation. And during succession of Windows it has changed the offers and functionality it provides to user.
- In Windows 7 Ctrl+Alt+Del combo gives the following option
- > Change Password
- > Lock Computer
- > Task Manager
- > Logoff
- > Start task Manager
However restrictions can be made on the above features using Group Policy Editor Setting.
This setting may
Ctrl+Alt+Del have been one of the rescue Key combos since the Windows Evaluation. And during succession of Windows it has changed the offers and functionality it provides to user. In Windows 7 Ctrl+Alt+Del combo gives the following option
- > Change Password
- > Lock Computer
- > Task Manager
- > Logoff
- > Start task Manager However restrictions can be made on the above features using Group Policy Editor Setting.
- This setting may
- > Prevent users from locking the system
- > Prevent users from changing their Windows password on the Windows Security dialog box (which appears when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del).
- > Prevent users from starting Task Manager
- > This setting disables or removes all menu items and buttons that log the user off the system.
Show Desktop Icon in Windows 7
Show desktop in Quick Launch till Windows Vista was a handy feature which was used to minimize all the open Windows. New users would find this feature not present at the same place in Windows 7 instead it has been provided at a different location.This feature has been named as Aero Peek. The new Show Desktop located on the bottom right of the task bar, it‟s not an icon, and instead it‟s a little bar now that is next to the Time/Date. There are 3 types of actions it can perform according to event performed. - Mouse Hover: Show desktop and would bring back all Windows back when mouse is taken away i.e. a preview of Desktop and see through all Running Appz on your Desktop. Use Win+Spacebar to peek to desktop.
- Mouse Click: Minimize all Windows and show Desktop
- Mouse Re-Click: Open all Windows again after they have been minimized by first Mouse Click.
- This function can be achieved by pressing Win+D or Win+M Key combos to bring you to the Desktop.
- Also Quick Launch can be enabled in Windows 7 as well.
Start Menu Customization
Start Menu in Windows 7 can be customized according to user‟s need. All the items in Start menu can either be set as display link or set as menu. Apart from it there are several more things to configure. Steps are here:
- Right click on Start Button or taskbar (Super bar) of Windows 7
- Click on properties. It will pop up Taskbar and start Menu properties.
- Select the tab „Start Menu‟. This will bring you Customize and Privacy options.
- Select Customize button there.
- You can select the behavior of items in Start Menu. If you want them to behave as link, Menu or Icon.
- Behavior of items like my computer, Downloads etc. can be set.
- Also you can choose default settings if you wish to undo all the changes you have done.
- Click OK to apply the changes.
Steps are here:
Sticky Notes Text Formatting
The Sticky Notes application is a very simple and useful application in Windows 7.
It can be used to keep notes of To-Do Lists etc.
Launch StikyNot.exe and you can type notes at the keyboard Customization can be done by right clicking a note to change its color, clicking the + sign on the note title bar to add another note and clicking a note and press Alt + 4 to close the note windows.
Notes are preserved even if you restart your Windows. Text in a sticky note can be formatted using the shortcut keys:
Super Taskbar
In Windows 7, the taskbar has become a super Taskbar.
All things are @ tips and fewer clicks are required for access to anything.
Features of Windows 7 Taskbar - You can pin frequently used programs to the taskbar
- You can even pin a specific document to a program using Jumplist feature. Any frequently used document can be pinned to an application. Right click application icon in taskbar to access it.
- You‟ll see live taskbar thumbnails of each open window so you can keep track of the files and programs you‟re using and select them more easily.
- Rest your cursor on the thumbnail, and Aero Peek brings the full size window into focus.
- You can also close a window directly from the thumbnail preview window.
Turn off Balloon Notifications
Balloon notifications can be annoying many a times. Good thing is they can be disabled easily in Windows 7. To disable balloon tips in the notification area, Follow these Methods:- Using GPEdit (Group Policy Editor) This setting turns off the Balloon notification in the notification area using Group Policy editor. Open Run Dialogue Box (Win + R) and type gpedit.msc Navigate to
- Local Computer policy
- > User Configuration
- > Administrative Templates
- > Start Menu and Taskbar in left hand side pane. Select Turn off all Balloon notifications setting from right side pane. Open it and enable it so that no notification balloons will be shown to the user. . Press OK
- Using RegEdit (Registry Editor) Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then press ENTER.
Navigate to the following subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced. - Right-click the right side pane, create a new DWORD value, and then name it EnableBalloonTips.
- Double-click EnableBalloonTips, and then give it a value of 0. Close Registry Editor. Note: To make changes to this setting effective, you must log off and then log back on.
- Local Computer policy
- > User Configuration
- > Administrative Templates
- > Start Menu and Taskbar in left hand side pane. Select Turn off all Balloon notifications setting from right side pane. Open it and enable it so that no notification balloons will be shown to the user. . Press OK
Navigate to the following subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced.
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