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Customize Your Windows 7 Installation By Jay Dougherty October 20, 2009 7:10AM     The dreaded User Account Control prompts may have done more damage to Windows Vista's popularity than any other single feature. UAC prompts annoyed Vista users at almost every turn -- when installing an application, deleting certain files, changing system settings, and more. UAC is still around in Windows 7, but it's easy to disable.   Related Topics Microsoft Windows 7 Windows Vista Operating Systems Enterprise Software Latest News Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly Barnes & Noble Nook Is Delayed Flat PC Shipments Hurt Dell's Stock Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good New Pogoplug 'Cloud' Gets Social If you'll be among the millions to get Windows 7 when it's released later this month, you'll no doubt want to get started right away with making the new operating system feel like your own. That means learning how to customize how Windows 7 looks, feels, and operates. Luckily, Microsoft has made Windows 7 more customizable than any previous version of Windows. Here's how to get started. Adjust Everything Open the Windows 7 Start menu, and type the word "adjust." Up will pop pointers to several areas of the operating system in which you can adjust how Windows performs and appears. Start by clicking "Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows." Doing so opens the Performance Options dialog box, where you can make some almost magical adjustments that will make Windows 7 feel a lot faster. On the Visual Effects tab of the Performance Options dialog box, you have two options. You can select one of the performance presets by clicking the appropriate radio button -- either "Adjust for best appearance" or "Adjust for best performance." Or you can use the check boxes below these option buttons to make your own customizations, feature by feature. The latter option is the one that gives you the most control, so start there. Remove the check mark next to any entry that refers to "animation," "fading," or "sliding" of windows, tool tips, or menus. While these visual effects may initially seem cool, ultimately they're just time-wasters, and turning them off will make Windows 7 feel as zippy -- or zippier -- than Windows XP on identical hardware. You enable or disable other features in this dialog box to taste. If you're running a reasonably new machine, it probably doesn't hurt to leave Aero Peek or the "transparent glass" features enabled. They are, after all, what helps to gives Windows 7 its updated look, with semi-transparent borders that allow you to see some of what's behind application windows that are in the foreground. If you have any question about whether you need these features, it won't hurt to turn them off. You can always return here and turn them back on again. Want to make sure your Windows 7 display is as legible as possible? Return to the Start menu and type "adjust" again. This time, though, select the entry called "Adjust ClearType text." The resulting "ClearType Text Tuner" will walk you through a series of visual prompts that will allow you to fine-tune your monitor's display of textual elements to a finer degree than in any previous version of Windows. This adjustment feature will be a boon to those stuck with displays that are difficult to read for any reason. (continued...) 1  |  2  |  3  |  Next Page >   © 2009 Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) under contract with MarketWatch. All rights reserved.   Advertisement  Personal Tech 1.   Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly 2.   Call of Duty Is Setting Records 3.   Watchmakers Turn to the iPhone 4.   Google Will Caption YouTube Videos 5.   Call of Duty Shatters Game Records

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Network Security Spotlight

House Lawmakers Push Ban on Peer-to-Peer Software Stung by an embarrassing electronic leak revealing ethics investigations into dozens of lawmakers, Congress moved to prohibit federal employees from using the file-sharing software blamed for the disclosure.   GAO: Los Alamos Computer Security Has Weaknesses Security weaknesses uncovered in Los Alamos National Laboratory's computer network increase the risk of a classified-information breach, says the Government Accountability Office.   Computer Security Firm Fortinet Plans IPO This Week Fortinet plans to go public in an initial public offering, giving investors a chance to tap a network security provider with sales that are expected to grow. The IPO could be valued at $137.5 million or more.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   New Pogoplug 'Personal Cloud' Does Social Networking Cloud Engines has released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small "multimedia sharing device" that connects hard drives to the Internet and allows a user to access the files remotely.   Apple Tablet Rumored Delayed as Publisher Gears Up There have been so many rumors of an Apple tablet that it has taken on legendary status. But now the legend is being revised with reports of a delay and that a major publisher is getting ready.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   Smartphones: A Bigger Target for Security Threats Smartphones are increasingly prevalent and adept at handling more tasks, including trading stocks, paying bills, and buying stuff online. That makes them attractive to thieves and hackers.   FBI Says Hackers Targeting Law Firms, PR Companies Hackers are targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients.

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