Windows 7 Beta was made available for download a while ago and I’m sure a lot of you installed it. I guess a quantity of you started looking for ways to tweak and optimize it.

Windows Media Player 12 has a feature that auto fills-in missing metadata on your music files, sizable albums included. It’s all nice in theory, but the thing is that there is a disagreeable bug that can destroy your music – it can permanently cut off a few seconds at the beginning of the track. To fix it, read this Microsoft article and install the fix. But I would advise you to back up your music files in any case, to keep them away from harm.

Control UAC

UAC in Windows 7 isn’t as annoying as in Vista (don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice feature in theory – way annoying in every-day life!). So, if you’d like to modify something:

1. Type UAC in the start menu search field and hit Enter
2. Click the result and you will be taken to UAC settings
3. Now you can adjust the settings to your liking – I prefer having it above Never notify, since it’s a nice combination of not being constantly angered and security.

Feel Free to Right-click

Three of the things I like about Windows 7 is that you can do a lot by basically right-clicking everything. For example, if you need to modify your screen resolution, basically right-click an empty space on your desktop. You’ll find the relevant menu entry. So now there will be no need to spend time browsing through display settings.

And if you don’t like the idea of using Net Explorer, you don’t need the icon in the taskbar. Right-click it and click Unpin this program from the taskbar.

If you need to have faster access to common folders, like Documents or Pics, right-click the Explorer button in the taskbar.

Get Back Your Familiar Taskbar

The Windows 7 taskbar is fundamentally a huge quick-launch toolbar. It can hold whatever program shortcuts you like. But if you have plenty of shortcuts, it will consume your desktop space. And, besides, a lot of people would be more comfortable with the traditional taskbar. To modify it:

Burn CDs and DVDs

1. Click the Start button and go to Properties – Taskbar
2. Click Use tiny icons
3. Then set Taskbar buttons to Combine when taskbar is full

Keyboard Shortcuts

Another great Windows 7 feature is that now you don’t need third-party application to burn ISO images onto CDs and DVDs. click three time the ISO picture file you need to burn, and a tiny program will open. Then all you must do is select the disk burner drive and click Burn.

Alt+P
Display/ hide the Explorer preview pane

And here is a list of useful new keyboard shortcuts:



Windows key+G
Display gadgets in front of other windows

Windows key++ (and key)
Zoom in, where appropriate

Windows key+Up
Maximise the current window

Windows key+- (minus key)
Zoom out, where appropriate

Windows key+Left
Snap to the left hand side of the screen

Windows key+Down
Minimise the current window

Windows key+Home
Minimise/ restore everything except the current window

Windows key+Right
Snap to the right hand side of the screen