Before Installing Windows 7

To save time and help avoid problems during installation:

• Find your product key. You can find your product key on your computer or on the installation disc holder inside the Windows package—or in a confirmation e‑mail if you purchased and downloaded Windows 7 online. A product key sticker looks similar to this:

PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
Go to the Microsoft website to see examples of product key stickers.

• Write down your computer name. If your computer is currently connected to a network, you might need you computer name after Windows 7 installation is complete. For more information, see Find your computer name.
• Back up your files. You can back up files to an external hard disk, a DVD or CD, or a network folder. We recommend using Windows Easy Transfer to back up your files and settings. For more information, go to the Windows Easy Transfer webpage.
• Download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. It will help find any potential compatibility issues with your computer’s hardware, devices, or programs that might affect installing Windows 7. For more information, go to the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor webpage.
• Decide whether to install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 7. The Windows 7 installation disc package includes both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7. If you download Windows 7 from the Microsoft Store, you’ll need to choose either a 32-bit version or 64-bit version to download. For help deciding which version to install, see 32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions.
• Update your antivirus program, run it, and then turn it off. After you install Windows, remember to turn your antivirus program back on, or install new antivirus software that works with Windows 7.
• Connect to the Internet. Make sure your Internet connection is working so that you can get the latest installation updates, such as security updates and driver updates that can help with installation. If you don’t have an Internet connection, you can still install Windows 7.

*Source: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Installing-and-reinstalling-Windows-7

Windows 7 (Installation or Reinstallation)

Microsoft has already released a commercial version (retail and oem) of Windows 7, and the experience of using a pc today was made the coolest unlike vista…. Microsoft is right when they said:  Windows 7 – PC Simplified…

Now the problem of many has been how to install the windows 7 on to their existing PCs…. Well, you are given two options to choose during the installation and they are as follows:

• Upgrade. This option replaces your current version of Windows with Windows 7, and keeps your files, settings, and programs in place on your computer.
• Custom. This option replaces your current version of Windows with Windows 7, but doesn’t preserve your files, settings, and programs. It’s sometimes referred to as a clean installation for that reason.

In this article you’ll find detailed instructions for installing Windows 7 and reinstalling Windows 7.

*source: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Installing-and-reinstalling-Windows-7

Navigating Windows

Navigating windows is the most basic action you should know to locate files/folders, and organize them according to your desired order. This becomes your map to all data installed and saved on the computer. This post intends to let others know this basic principle…

There are two simple ways to do this:

• Using My Computer- The icon of My Computer is found in the Start Menu. You can click the icon found in the Start Menu to launch the My Computer Window. If present, you can also use the My Computer icon found in the Desktop.
• Using Windows Explorer- The window shows you the location of every file and folder in your computer like a map. It also helps you understand the relationship between files, folders, and drives. You can launch Windows Explorer by clicking Start -> Accesories->Windows Explorer. You can also view the windows explorer using My Computer window by clicking on view (on the menu bar) -> explorer bar-> folders.

Below is a video I recorded for this post…

Desktop Screen and Taskbar

Below is a Screen Shot of my Desktop screen.

The Initial Screen of your Computer.

When the computer completed the boot process; successfully loaded the operating system; and finally checked the system configuration and customization, you’ll be seeing the initial screen. This is commonly called the desktop page/screen. This page is mainly divided into two parts; the desktop and the task-bar.

In this post, I will discuss my simple knowledge about this topic.

What are the elements you can see on the screen?

1. Taskbar – A bar across the bottom of the Desktop which includes Start Menu and icons representing programs available on the computer
2. Start Menu - Is located on the left-most part of the taskbar which provides access to the programs, folders, and files on your computer.
3. Desktop Toolbar – It contains shortcuts to all icons on your Desktop, certain items in the Start Menu, and to the Internet Explorer.
4. Links Toolbar – It displays your  customized links from the Internet Explorer.
5. Notification Area – These are programs constantly running that provide information or alerts that are represented as icons on the far right  side of the taskbar adjacent to time.
6. Desktop Icons – These represents files, folders, or applications that can be found on the wallpaper. The Common icons you’ll find when you have a newly installed windows (Microsoft)  are: My Computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin, and Internet Explorer.
7. Quick Launch Toolbar – It contains shortcuts for Internet Explorer, the Desktop, and Windows Media Player. You can also customize this toolbar by adding new shortcuts for your favorite applications and programs. (you simply need to drag and drop application from a location to the toolbar)
8. Buttons for Currently Active Windows – These are buttons representing an opened or a minimized Window.
9. Date and Time – This is located on the farther right of the taskbar. This is used to determine the time when files have been created and changed. You can set time by double clicking on the icon.
10. Background/Wallpaper – This is the image you can see on the desktop screen. You can change it anytime you want. n
11. Widgets – These is a cool feature of windows vista and windows 7 where you can utilize various widgets like clock, image viewer, calendar, and notes anywhere you want on the desktop screen. It is very user friendly and customizable.
12. Dock – A rocket dock can be installed on any windows XP (vista and W7 are embedded with this feature) where you can drag and drop shortcuts from any location to become accessible when you start your computer. It also provides cool bubbly effects as you hover your mouse on the icons…

Freedom To Learn

“Learning is inevitable. It is constant. It is the experience of a lifetime.”

Did you know that learning starts inside the womb? Well, they say learning is the freedom we experience from womb to tomb… Meaning, our life is merely a journey within the spectrum of knowledge, application, and wisdom.

We learned to eat, talk, walk, sing, dance, and read. What ever we do now, they are the results of the learning we had way back since we were toddlers. It is a fact that no one can ever deny-Learning encompass through time.

The Human Brain is limitless…however, we often make things limited. We never give out 100% of our potentials, thus resulting to a “less effort-maximum results situation” (where it could have been maximum efforts=extravagant results).

Learning takes place in different environment. We learn from school and experience; nevertheless, which do you think results to a more productive outcome? Well, it depends!!! Some excel because of school while others excel because of experience outside school. Wherever you stand among the two, the choice to produce excellent results is more important and it is your decision to act in an instant! Learning is not merely learning; but, it is the expression of freedom and the manifestation that there are so much things to discover every day.

I say, it is our Freedom to Learn=From freedom, came Excellence. We learn simple, We Succeed Remarkably!!!

This wordpress blog is dedicated to reach out individuals who wish to experience the freedom in learning simple things about computers and the internet. I envision a community where knowledge is not bought, but shared freely for the common good of all. This is a network of opportunity to make use of the resources we have- so that we can avoid their stagnancy…