{"id":237,"date":"2020-03-05T19:47:04","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T06:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/?page_id=237"},"modified":"2021-10-04T12:49:34","modified_gmt":"2021-10-03T23:49:34","slug":"windows-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/windows-7\/","title":{"rendered":"WINDOWS 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"style1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">WINDOWS 7<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Seven is going to go down in history as the last decent Microsoft operating system. It&#8217;s as fast as 2000, so it seems quick compared with XP, and it has some improved graphics. The taskbar at the bottom of the screen is handy. Windows Explorer is much improved and is OK for moving large files around which was always a problem with earlier systems. It&#8217;s OK looking overall and can be personalised to look pretty good. 7 is great at recognising new hardware and getting it working without having to mess about with drivers, so that&#8217;s another big plus. Generally it works well, and it&#8217;s the only Windows operating system I would want to use everyday, so that says it all really.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Drawbacks &#8211; Was that all M$ could come up with in over 10 years? There were very few major improvements from 2000. The amount of changes required to the default settings when installing is annoying. All it&#8217;s defaults seem to be aimed to please administrators of cubicle farms. It has all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/windows-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">usual problems<\/a> which are present in every version of Windows, and although nowhere near as bad as 8 or 10, it&#8217;s full of M$ spyware.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"style1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/Windows.7.b.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"564\" height=\"317\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Setting up Windows 7<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>This is what I do myself &#8211; I recommend doing all of the following, but do the parts in <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">orange<\/span>\u00a0first before connecting to the internet or Microsoft will fuck your shit up.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/windows7.b.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"390\" height=\"390\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Install from disc<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Start computer up with &#8220;Windows 7&#8221; disc in DVD drive, and no internet connection.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If using an \u201cactivated disc\u201d choose either &#8220;Windows Professional&#8221; or &#8220;Windows Ultimate&#8221;- they are pretty much identical so choose the one you think sounds cooler. For old 32 bit computers use x86 (not the x64 option, which is for 64 bit computers) An activated disc contains all six versions of 7 in both 32 and 64 bit, including the hopeless \u201cstarter\u201d and \u201cbasic\u201d versions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Follow prompts \u2013 computer will restart several times as it installs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Turn off all M$ updates BEFORE using the computer connected to the internet &#8211; disable Automatic Updates from the Administrative Tools<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/windows.htm#disable\">(see below) <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Even if running a &#8220;legitimate&#8221; copy I still think there is nothing good about allowing M$ to install updates, so I turn them all off. Some people (including some who know far more about computers than I do) think this is fruitloops, but if my computer worked well on the initial install I don\u2019t want Microsoft to change anything.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>I put updates in the same category as vaccinations, low fat diets, fluoridated water and amalgam fillings \u2013 very undesirable things that majority of the public have been conned into believing are good for them. I am not as well researched on computers as I am on health scams, and I may well be missing something in updates, but this approach has worked well for me for the past 10 years, (and if it involves computers and it\u2019s dodgy, I probably do it regularly), so I\u2019m happy to continue to avoid all updates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Having all my data on separate drives to the operating system (and keeping back ups of those drives), and also having spare backup drives with copies of my fresh installs, means that security of the operating system is not of paramount importance to me anyway. Despite downloading 40 &#8211; 80 gb of assorted data each month, I generally enjoy trouble free computing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Remember &#8211; before connecting to the internet, disable Automatic Updates from the Administrative Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Turning off all updates right from the outset before connecting to the internet prevents Microsoft spyware and updates from being installed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If running a &#8220;legitimate&#8221; install, to check the activation status, go to control panel \/ system \u2013 the install will run for 30 days before it needs to be activated. This can be extended to 90 days \u2013 see <a href=\"http:\/\/windowssecrets.com\/top-story\/use-any-version-of-windows-7-free-for-120-days\/\">http:\/\/windowssecrets.com\/top-story\/use-any-version-of-windows-7-free-for-120-days\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The o\/s can be activated OK with all the updates etc. turned off, so it\u2019s OK to set everything up first before activating<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>(And if running an &#8220;illegitimate&#8221; install, just make sure it never gets a chance to update itself)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>For anyone who for some reason insists on using a M$ operating system without the updates turned off, I recommend using a\u00a0program\u00a0such as <a href=\"https:\/\/blockwindows.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blockwindows<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ghacks.net\/2016\/01\/26\/block-all-windows-10-components-on-windows-7-and-8\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aegis<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"purple16\" align=\"center\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/screen1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Disable Automatic Updates<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Disable Automatic Updates from the Administrative Tools<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Do this BEFORE connecting to the internet:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Firstly Disable Automatic Updates from Control Panel \/ Windows Updates<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>select the \u201cNever Check for Updates\u201d option<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Then disable the Automatic Updates from the Administrative Tools in Control Panel<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Control Panel \/ Administrative Tools \/ Services<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Select \u201cWindows Update&#8221;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>On the left sidebar panel, find \u201cStop the Service\u201d and choose this option<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Then go back to Windows Update, right click on it, and under the Startup Type from the Properties Window select the Disabled option from the drop down menu. OK.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.intechgrity.com\/how-to-properly-disable-windows\/#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.intechgrity.com\/how-to-properly-disable-windows\/#<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>While you are in here &#8211; Control Panel \/ Administrative Tools \/ Services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>There&#8217;s some other junk you may want to disable along with Windows Update, follow the same disable procedure for each of these.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Background Intelligent Transfer Service<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Cryptographic Services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Event Log<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Update<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>For example, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) transfers files in the background using idle network bandwidth. If the service is disabled, applications that depend on BITS, such as Windows Update or MSN Explorer, will be unable to automatically download programs and other information.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"> Preventing Microsoft Spying <\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>A Windows 7 update KB971033, installs an &#8220;anti-piracy&#8221; component that contacts Microsoft without your knowledge every 90 days to check whether you are running a version of Windows tagged as pirated. If it thinks you are, Microsoft messes up your computer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Although it&#8217;s anti-piracy, it actually seems to mess up more of the poor saps who were daft enough to pay for &#8220;legitimate&#8221; copies of 7! \u00a0It&#8217;s pretty funny reading all the comments online from righteous indignant Americans who paid for &#8220;legitimate&#8221; copies and then got tagged as pirated&#8230; LOL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you do decide to allow any updates (DON&#8217;T!) in Control Panel\/Windows Updates, make sure you block (untick) these ones &#8211; KB971033 and KB976902<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you are really insist on installing updates you may benefit from doing a search for Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Remover 2000, XP, Vista, 7 &#8211; remember, just like vaccinations, nothing good comes of updates, but bad things often do. And also remember, torrents are often our friend, but Bill Gates is not&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/a.bill_.gates_.666-350x236.jpg\" alt=\"a.bill.gates.666\" width=\"402\" height=\"271\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>One of the ways Microsoft can carry out activities in the background without your knowledge is by using <a href=\"http:\/\/web.cs.wpi.edu\/%7Ecs4514\/b98\/week8-rpc\/week8-rpc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Remote Procedure Call (RPC) <\/a>The main goal of RPC is to hide the existence of a connection to a network from the user, but I&#8217;m not bringing this up to say that it should be turned off &#8211; just to demonstrate that Microsoft do lurk about doing things without your knowledge.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>This is real geek stuff, way over my head &#8211; one <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blackviper.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">geek<\/a> says this: &#8220;RPC services are rather vital. Practically everything depends on this to be running. Leave this service on Automatic and absolutely do not disable it&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How to uninstall Windows 7 Activation Update KB971033<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you have already accidentally allowed this spyware to install, you can uninstall it this way.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>1. Go to Control Panel \/ Programs \/ View installed Updates<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>2. Look for \u201cUpdate for Windows 7 (KB971033)\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>3.Right click it and select Uninstall.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>4.This will uninstall this activation update and prevent these intrusions from Microsoft<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Black hole update KB976902<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>An even dodgier update is KB976902<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Unfortunately you cannot uninstall it once it has been installed. It is known as \u201cthe black hole update\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It&#8217;s spyware and Microsoft\u2019s cover story for this was that was required for installing a Service Pack 1 update.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>SP1 itself contained no useful improvements, just further additional spyware such as this update. Unlike XP and Vista, 7 had no need for a service pack update anyway, as the initial release was fine. If possible, avoid like the plague, but if it&#8217;s too late and you already have it (eg. on an activated copy of SP1), just avoid allowing any further updates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>See: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/windows.htm#disable\">Disable Automatic Updates from the Administrative Tools<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.techarp.com\/showarticle.aspx?artno=698\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.techarp.com\/showarticle.aspx?artno=698<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/windowssecrets.com\/newsletter\/what-you-need-to-know-about-windows-7-sp1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/windowssecrets.com\/newsletter\/what-you-need-to-know-about-windows-7-sp1\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Microsoft online services may also be spying \u2013 avoid using: Windows Live, Windows Live ID, Microsoft Office Live, Xbox Live, MSN, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail, and MSN Groups,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.readwriteweb.com\/archives\/an_in-depth_look_at_microsofts_spy_guide.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.readwriteweb.com\/archives\/an_in-depth_look_at_microsofts_spy_guide.php<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/190233\/microsofts_spy_guide_what_you_need_to_know.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/190233\/microsofts_spy_guide_what_you_need_to_know.html<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Also avoid using Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer, both of which can and do send info back to Microsoft. Don\u2019t update Internet Explorer 8 to 9, and initially install Opera or Firefox from a hard drive copy rather than using Internet Explorer to download them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Why anyone still uses the appalling Internet Explorer browser is a mystery to me. I think Opera is way ahead of all the other browsers &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.opera.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.opera.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"purple16\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/browser-wars.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"662\" height=\"420\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"> My Control Panel Settings<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Start \/ Control Panel \u2013 view by small icons<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/screen3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Action Centre:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Turn off everything &#8211; all security and maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Administrative Tools<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Disable the Automatic Updates:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Administrative Tools \/ Services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Find and select \u201cWindows Update&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>On the left sidebar panel, click on \u201cStop the Service\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Then right click on Windows Update \/ Properties<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Under the Startup Type from the Properties Window select the Disabled option from the drop down menu<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Then follow the same disable procedure for each of these &#8220;services&#8221;:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Background Intelligent Transfer Service<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Cryptographic Services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Event Log<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Update<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Services<\/span>\u00a0(double click to open it):<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Sort by alphabetical order, then untick these ones below (but leave most of the others alone or they may create problems), then reboot<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Application Experience<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Computer Browser (If your PC does not connect to a network)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Desktop Window Manager Session Manager (If you don\u2019t want the aero effects)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Diagnostic Policy Service<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Distributed Link Tracking Client<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> IP Helper<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Offline Files<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Portable Device Enumerator Service<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Print Spooler (If you do not use a printer)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Protected Storage<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Remote Registry<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Secondary Logon<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Security Center<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Server (If your computer does not connect with any network)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Tablet PC Input Service<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> TCP\/IP NetBIOS Helper<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Windows Error Reporting Service<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> Windows Media Center Service Launcher<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>(this list was copied from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.computingunleashed.com\/list-of-services-in-windows-7-that-can.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">System Configuration<\/span> (double click to open it):<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Start up<\/span> tab &#8211; untick any junk , and then reboot<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It&#8217;s tempting to also go into the <span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Services<\/span> tab as well and untick all that crap, but this can lead to problems, so take care and don&#8217;t untick any of the Microsoft ones unless you know what you are doing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Autoplay<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Untick use autoplay<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Desktop Gadgets:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Add a clock if you want a bigger clock than the one in the corner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The <a href=\"http:\/\/all-cpu-meter.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">All CPU meter <\/a>from this link can sometimes be handy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Device Manager:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Right click on drive \/ Properties of the disk \/ Policies button \/ Enable &#8220;write caching\u201d (faster performance)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Otherwise External Drives run slowly \u2013 but remember to click on \u201csafely remove hardware\u201d icon or the drive can be erased when unplugged &#8211; see Notification Area Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Display:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>For a 16 x 9 monitor I set resolution to 1920 x 1080<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Folder Options:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>In View Tab<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u00a0Tick show Hidden Files<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Tick display the full path in the title bar (classic theme only)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Untick hide extensions for known file types<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Untick hide empty drives in the computer folder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Untick hide protected operating\u00a0systems\u00a0<em>&#8211; otherwise you won&#8217;t even see the recycle bin in explorer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Remove the Recycle Bin shortcut from the desktop:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Click the Start button, type &#8220;desktop icons&#8221; into the search box, and then click show or hide common icons on the desktop.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box, untick<\/strong><strong>\u00a0the Recycle Bin tick box.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Click OK<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Personalization:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Theme \/ windows basic to save resources, or aero basic looks nicer, but uses more resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Desktop background \/ choose an OK one, and later download something better from somewhere like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wallpapersdb.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.wallpapersdb.org <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Or set up a whole folders of wallpapers to randomly change every 30 seconds.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Screensaver \/ bubbles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Colour &#8211; pick a colour and crank up intensity, hue, saturation, and brightness to max<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Mouse:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pointers &#8211; Windows Aero or Standard (extra large)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Notification Area Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Turn all the system icons to \u201cshow only notifications\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Except for Windows Explorer safely remove hardware and eject media (I want this one) &#8211; \u201cshow icon and notifications\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Power Settings:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Choose when to turn off the display \u2013 eg. turn off = 1 hour \/ sleep = 4 hours or never<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Programs and Features:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>This is the same as add or remove programs on XP \u2013 Uninstall\/change to remove any junk<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Then go into &#8220;Windows Features&#8221; and untick any other junk\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">System:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>An option is to disable any unwanted visual effects to increase speed, but only do this on slow computers, or things may not display as well &#8211; for example it will stop you customising the task bar colour<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Control Panel \/ System<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Advanced System Settings \/ Advanced tab \/ Performance \/ Settings \/ Custom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Options &#8211; first untick all the options by selecting &#8220;adjust for best performance&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>then retick these four:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>show thumbnails instead of icons<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>smooth edges of screen fonts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>smooth scroll list boxes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>use visual styles on windows and buttons<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Task bar and start menu:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Untick lock the task bar<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">User account:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Remove Password &#8211; (if it lets you, otherwise see below)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Go to &#8220;Change Your Picture&#8221; &#8211; choose a better one<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Go to &#8220;Change user accounts&#8221; and change the slider to &#8220;Never Notify&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>(otherwise these notifications are a pain in the arse, as are passwords)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Disable Startup Password<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Go to Control Panel\/User Accounts\/your profile &#8211; select \u201cRemove your password\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>This is the easiest way if it lets you, but if not, use this method:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Press WIN + R keys to get into the RUN menu<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>in the run menu paste or type: control userpasswords2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>in user accounts window look for the option saying \u201dUsers must enter a user name and password to use this computer\u201d and uncheck this option \/ \u201cOK\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Now a windows opens up asking you to enter the current password you use to log in to Windows 7. Enter the password and confirm<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Windows Defender:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>OK to leave On I guess, if not using any other security, but don&#8217;t allow it to update or autoscan, and don&#8217;t trust it (it&#8217;s Microsoft spyware and may cause problems with your &#8220;illegal&#8221; copy of windows) Leave &#8220;security&#8221; to people who like to vaccinate other people&#8217;s children<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Windows Firewall:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Leave On if not using any other firewall (it seems to work OK, but is probably dodgy)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Windows Updates:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Change Settings &#8211; tick \u201cNever check for updates&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>More info <a href=\"http:\/\/www.computingunleashed.com\/turn-off-windows-7-password-protection.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>For more info on this and many other good tips see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/howto\/windows-vista\/quick-tip-create-shutdown-restart-lock-icons-in-windows-vista\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How To Geek<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Change the boot order<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>While starting computer hit the F10 key to enter BIOs settings (for HP computer)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>F10 \/ Storage \/ Boot Order \/ F10 to save<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>(The default setting is USB first which means the computer won\u2019t start with ext. drives plugged in \u2013 change to Hard Drive first)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The command key varies by computer brands \u2013 F10 or DEL key is often used<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/pcsupport.about.com\/od\/fixtheproblem\/a\/biosaccess_pc.htm\"> http:\/\/pcsupport.about.com\/od\/fixtheproblem\/a\/biosaccess_pc.htm<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Fix Windows Explorer so it shows long file names without having to expand the columns<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Open Windows Explorer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>In the column &#8216;Name&#8217;, right click again and select \u201cmore\u201d \u2013 at the bottom, make the width of selected column in pixels a larger number eg. 550 or 600<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Select &#8216;Organize&#8217; + &#8216;Folder &amp; Search Options&#8217; + &#8216;View&#8217; + &#8216;Apply to all Folders&#8217; from the page you have just resized<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Then it will apply to all folders.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Disabling the Search Indexing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Click on the Start button<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Right click &#8220;Computer&#8221; and select \u201cManage\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Computer Management \/ Services and Applications \/ Services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Search \/ Right Click and choose Properties<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Windows Search Properties Window \/ Startup type click on the drop down menu and choose Disabled<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Click Apply then OK. The Windows 7 Search Indexing Feature is now disabled<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Add a God Mode Control Panel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>(an optional extra)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/godmode.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"221\" height=\"228\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u201cGod Mode\u201d folder for Windows 7 shows nearly everything you can do within the Windows Control Panel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>To access the God Mode folder, create a new folder anywhere in your Windows 7 computer and name it:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Once renamed, the icon will change to a control panel looking icon, and when opened you will be presented with different tweaking options<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>For more Win 7 performance tips see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.computingunleashed.com\/speed-up-windows-7-ultimate-guide-to.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Computing Unleashed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"purple16\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/sift\/images_windows\/screen2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"621\" height=\"350\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">www.frot.co.nz<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/frot.header.1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2854 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/frot.header.1-1000x150.jpg\" alt=\"frot.header.1\" width=\"1000\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/frot.header.1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/frot.header.1-200x30.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WINDOWS 7 Seven is going to go down in history as the last decent Microsoft operating system. It&#8217;s as fast as 2000, so it seems quick compared with XP, and it has some improved graphics. The taskbar at the bottom of the screen is handy. Windows Explorer is much improved and is OK for moving [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20119,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/win7-girl.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":180,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/windows-2000\/","url_meta":{"origin":237,"position":0},"title":"WINDOWS 2000","date":"March 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"WINDOWS 2000 2000 was well designed, stylish, and worked well with old computers. It wasn't as full of annoying security and pop ups as 7, and the default install was mostly OK so you didn't have to spend much time setting it up. Contrary to popular myth most recent programmes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;COMPUTING&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/2000_1b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3598,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":237,"position":1},"title":"WINDOWS","date":"March 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Why did I post a bunch of pages about windows? In 2010 I was asked to find and copy some files from an old computer that had just been replaced. It had an old operating system I hadn't used before, and the computer was a relic that barely ran. But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;COMPUTING&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Blimp.b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19859,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/windows-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":237,"position":2},"title":"WINDOWS 2","date":"June 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Why did I do a bunch of posts about windows? In 2010 I was asked to find and copy some files from an old computer that had just been replaced. It had an old operating system I hadn't used before, and the computer was a relic that barely ran. But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;COMPUTING&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Blimp.b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":230,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/windows-xp\/","url_meta":{"origin":237,"position":3},"title":"WINDOWS XP","date":"March 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"WINDOWS XP XP was a workhorse. Everything ran OK on it, and it did the job. Because I used it for a decade everything was where I expected it, which saved time. With a few changes it looked OK - all the default ugly green graphics could easily be eradicated.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;COMPUTING&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1828,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wapf\/milk-comments\/","url_meta":{"origin":237,"position":4},"title":"MILK COMMENTS","date":"April 10, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Comments and Quotes If the consumers do not speak up and tell MAF what they want, they will assume that consumers do not want to be able to buy raw milk and essentially it will be unavailable to most Ben Warren - health coach - www.bepure.co.nz It appears that MAF's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;MILK&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"real.milk.1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/real.milk_.1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22298,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/computing\/i-use-windows-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":237,"position":5},"title":"I USE WINDOWS 7","date":"December 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"My geek secret - I am dirty and bad. I still use Windows 7 Although I like to tell everyone I'M NOT A GEEK, I do have more than a dozen computers, laptops,\u00a0 & tablets. The reason I reassure myself that I'M NOT A GEEK is that I find it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;COMPUTING&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/124266.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}