Windows XP to Windows 7

Since Microsoft announced support for windows XP files will  no longer be available (from April 8), many windows XP users has become windows 7 customers now.

The differences between the two operating systems can be found in their process. If we understands this difference, the transition does not give any problem.

Windows 7 is designed to have variations from other operating systems.In particular, we can find so many differences when compared to windows XP which was in market for the last 13 years. Windows 7 gives additional security, activity along with new technology, etc.

Let us see some features here...

1. Taskbar:

The task bar in windows 7 is totally different from windows XP.  We got 'Quick launch' area from windows XP onwards. We can open the programs by clicking on the icon that is placed on 'Quick launch' bar and the opened programs shown in taskbar.

But in windows 7, both features have been mixed. The icons in the taskbar is shortcuts to the programs and indicates the opened programs. The icons which has border, indicates opened programs. The icons which doesn't have border, indicates unopened programs. When you click on the icons, it will show opened applications if already opened by you earlier. Otherwise, it will open the program as new.  When you open a program, the corresponding icon will be shown in taskbar. When you close the program, the corresponding icon also will be hidden.

Unlike this, if you wanna place the icon always on the taskbar, choose 'Pin this program to taskbar' from the menu that you can get by right clicking on the icon when it is opened. If you do this, the icon will be shown on your taskbar always whether it is opened or not. We can arrange the icons in a order which we want.

Right clicking on an icon from the taskbar will pop up a menu is called 'Jump list'. Generally, Jump list will have details about associated program and some general settings for the program.

For example,
'MS Word' jump list will have recently opened word document list. We can limit the number of documents to be shown by adjust the settings from taskbar jump list properties.

2. Start Menu:

Windows 7 start menu differs from windows XP start menu. However it is not difficult to bring it. When you press 'Start button' or 'Windows Key', you can see a list of frequently used programs. This menu updates by itself and will give you the frequently used program shortcuts.

 To show our shortcuts also in the start menu, select 'Pin this program to Start menu' from a menu that will popup when you right click on program shortcut.

Clicking on 'All programs' will give you all the installed programs list. We can search particular programs or files by typing the name in the provided text box.




3. User Account Control (UAC):
The User Access Control introduced in windows Vista. It has been updated in windows 7.  Using this tool, can provide specific permission to the user of computer.

For example , when installing programs on your computer, UAC prompt asking permission from you to the user, after which it was provided, the program will be allowed to install. It provides additional protection to our computer.

4. Windows Explorer:
Windows 7 provides different appearance to windows explorer. However,the functionality is the same as the previous Windows operating systems. The toolbar 'File/Edit/View' is hidden. Though, we can see the hided menu by pressing 'Alt+R'.