Windows 7 Notes

minimum RAM/Virtual Memory(VM) settings

I always prefer to max out the machine's RAM (typically 24GB with today's motherboards, less on laptops) and get as much VM as I can if the RAM is 4GB or lower (VM=2..6×RAM approximately) in case anything goes wrong. Since I don't have a Windows 7 machine, these numbers are based on estimates from Windows XP.

I typically run about 20 windows at once (which is all I can fit into memory) on an average day plus a number of background processes like 3 databases, a web server for testing, an FTP server for file sharing.

managed VM tends to run the more disk I/O than it would for a fixed size: resizing itself and allocating and deallocating disk space using the filesystem takes up some amount of time, plus there's all the disk platter file scatter (fragmenting) for this method. you can save a lot of that time by using a fixed VM. However, if you are not comfortable working with VM, you can leave it as System Managed.

however, I have discovered that if windows doesn't have enough RAM, programs will crash or just quit all by themselves for no reason, dialogs won't display properly (buttons and other controls disappear). Some say you should have 4GB minimum RAM in Windows 7, since the miminum requirement is 2 for 64-bit.

If you can set VM to 24GB minimum, do that. With any VM it will run like a dog, but it shouldn't crash. since XP required pretty much 128MB and started working optimally with antivirus at 1GB (4x), optimum theoretically would be to buy at least 16GB RAM since 7's minimum is 2GB. generally the machine will run somewhat slower the more RAM you put in, but:

• you won't have memory hungry apps like Microsoft Outlook crashing
• you can run lots of applications at once without having to close them. The heydays of single-tasking OS's like DOS are long gone (with the exception of embedded systems).
• you can run games

this would be all new RAM, since it would probably be a different size than what you currently are using. I suspect that if your machine has a multiple of 3 in GB of RAM, your machine can take up to 24GB if it is a new motherboard.

may I suggest corsair memory? if memory ever comes up bad, they will RMA/replace no hassles. but you need to keep their sticker on it.

Editions:

Windows 7 comes in 3 editions, and under each of these, there is a 32-bit and 64-bit version. for each of those, there is a retail and an OEM (System Builders) version.

• Ultimate - run programs in XP mode
• Professional - run programs in XP mode
• Home Premium

I know that they all contain a backup program, but Pro and Ultimate can backup to a network. the venerabler ntbackup.exe I think has been updated to write to optical media.
My preference is Pro.

Don't let them sell you short.

32 or 64-bit?

• The 64-bit version of XP, Vista, or Windows 7 does not include the ability to run DOS programs. This means it has no command.com. There is still a cmd.exe, but it does not run DOS programs, only windows console-mode programs and POSIX programs.
• The 64-bit version of Windows 7 or XP or Vista with Windows Media player 11+ is required to play HD content when codecs come out. Windows 7 uses WMP12 minimum.
• 64-bit version has a locked-down kernel, called PatchGuard, which prevents both antivirus companies and spyware alike from embedding themselves into the kernel. 32-bit version does not have this.

Backup

If making network backups is important to you, you should consider Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate. it is possible, however, that Home Premium has it on the cd but won't install it. Microsoft did that with XP Home, but you had to dig for it and NETBEUI, and other extra items on 3rd party Restore cd's that are based on XP Home using windows explorer.

Aero

• enable on unsupported video cards

not a good OS for multimedia, dangerous for life-critical medical imaging

About Laptop hibernation

"By default,universal serial bus (USB) keyboard and a USB mouse use to wake a computer after the computer goes in hibernation. When a USB device is enabled to wake the computer, the default behavior permits the computer to enter the S1 system power state for standby.

Standby is not the S3 system power state.
The S1 system power state is a "lighter" system power state than S3.
But S1 response slower than S3.
We can change this settings in BIOS, going to power management and change Suspend mode settings from S1 to S3, restart the computer.

That should work. Hopefully =)"
quoted from here

Laptop "partial sleep"-never-wake-up solution

1. Click Start, type device in the Start Search box, and then click Device Manager in the Programs list. or, Start|Control Panel|System and Maintenance|Device Manager.
2. In the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
3. In Device Manager, expand Mice and other pointing devices.Start --> Control Panel --> System and Maintenance --> Device Manager.
4. Right-click the USB mouse, and then click Properties.
5. Click the Power Management tab.
6. Click to clear the Allow this device to wake the computer check box, and then click OK.

quoted from here

Extra hard drives Disappearing

article
If your extra drive letter disappeared from windows 7 but your C: drive is fine, your drive may be using microsoft drivers. use the drivers that came with your motherboard or controller card.

Software not supported

Adobe Acrobat 7 (use Foxit until then)
QuickBooks older than 2007.
Audacity

Windows Mail - send-receive button fails, but auto works

I hope I remember everything I did.
It was in my case because of the default connections.
Mine was set to a Bluetooth connection and I changed it to LAN for each Windows Mail user and also I set LAN as default in Internet Options.
Try it to setup your connections and let me know if it helped in your case as well.
Sorry that I don't know the exact details anymore because I switched to Outlook 2007 by now and don't remember the details but try it to setup your connections and you'll get there.
quoted from here

access to Administrator account

Since you created a user with administrator rights, the default administrator account will be hidden.
To login as administrator, log off and press Ctrl+Alt+Del in the welcome screen the You will get the classic logon window.
Type adminisitrator & password

migrate windows installation using Windows 7 DVD

This is actually a Windows Vista trick, but may apply to Windows 7. here

microsoft OS's limited to 32 processors

MSDOS on x64?

according to a post, MSDOS apps can be run under x64 if you run VMWARE. Otherwise, don't expect to.

Windows 7 TechCenter

see here.

Constant Hard disk chattering

see article
They are all required for decent service, but on laptops (to save power) you can do without a few of these. extraneous Services are:

• SuperFetch (displayed as svchost.exe(LocalSystemNetworkRestricted)) (you could try doing without this on a laptop, but I think you would be making a big mistake)
• System Protection (displayed as System) accessing C:\System Volume Information (If you can think you can do without the safety net of System Restore Points, go ahead and zap)
• Defrag (displayed as DfrgNtfs.exe) (laptops can do without this, but you will have to do your own defrag sometime!)
• Indexing [Desktop Search] (displayed as SearchIndexer.exe) (laptops can do without this)
• [laptop: services to do with Aero]

To disable these services, Stop the service, and then set the service startup type to Manual instead of Automatic.

Location of Application Data

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\
you can also get it from a CMD prompt by using %APPDATA%

Location of Desktop

C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\
In one case, a person ended up with 2 of these, one of which was blank but contained the actual desktop. the other contained all the shortcuts he made, which were now invalid.

End-Of-Life (EOL) Schedule

Up-to-date EOL Schedule

Service Pack Roadmap

Service Pack roadmap

Bitlocker disk encryption

"BitLocker supports options that will not allow a machine to boot or resume from hibernate until the user can:
Enter a PIN
Insert a USB stick that contains a secret Key
and as of Windows Windows Vista SP1 both enter a PIN and insert the USB stick!"
article source: msdn

Pros & cons of Windows 7

see here

turning on hibernation

powercfg /h on

UAC, Filesystem Virtualization, and why your apps may not be running under your user account

Non-certified Vista/7 apps like FileZilla (and other older apps) don't have a manifest. A manifest is in every Vista/7 app and states its permission needs.
Check out this article on why your app may not be running under the user account you logged in as. Apparently C:\Program Files is virtualized.

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player is built into Windows 7. However, there may be later upgrades to Windows Media Player (later versions, like there was for XP).

Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N and Windows 7 KN (KB968211)