1. Windows 7

2. Meet Windows 7 Quick Launch bar is gone; replaced with pinned icons to launch programs Running programs get box around them Aero Peek: Multiple instances show in previews; cursor over one to activate Installs DirectX 11 but you only need 9 for Aero Shake: minimizes all other windows; shake again to return windows Snap: Move window to right or left edge, fills half of screen. Themes: Start | Control Panel | Appearance and Personalization | Personalization

3. More Meet 7 Explorer: – “Bread crumb” address bar from Vista – Ribbon toolbar is context sensitive – Show hidden files under Organize | Folder and Search Options |View

5. Libraries Back up a bit: – People tend to use the same things over and over – All the stuff for a project is rarely stored in same place Shortcuts: – File with.LNK extension – Can point to any file/folder Favorites: – Stored in Registry – Can only point to folder

6. More Libraries Libraries aggregate folders from multiple locations and place them in a single, easy to find spot. Default libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos; include both the My whatever and Public whatever folders Can include other folders or make new library(s).

7. Sidebar Gone from 7. Replaced with Gadgets:

8. New File System FAT32 limited to 4 GB file size; 2 TB disk size exFAT, or FAT64, allows up to 512 TB drive Still no: – Permissions – Compression – Excryption Vista with SP1 or XP with KB 955704

9. Editions Starter Home Premium Professional Enterprise Ultimate

10. UEFI Unified Extensible Firmware Interface Acts as a super BIOS doing the same job in 64- bit land. Only support is in 64-bit editions Supports drives >2.2TB

11. GPT GUID Partition Table Goes along with UEFI MBR: Master Boot Record and Partition table – No more than 4 Primary Partititons – Runs in 16-bit mode – Single partition must be less than 2.2 TB Sets up a Protective MBR – really GPT code

12. GPT GPT loves logical block addressing GPT makes a backup of itself at end of drive No limit to number of partitions, Microsoft allows 128 Every partition has a globally unique identifier (GUID) – 128 bit identifier Supports drives with up to 2^64 sectors Intel-based MACs have UEFI and use GPT drives

13. Boot Sequence - old BIOS inspects the set boot order and goes to the first drive The MBR runs, inspecting the partition table for an active partition The system is directed to the boot sector of the active partition, reads the code in that sector, which directs it to the operating system boot file (NTLDR) NTLDR looks for BOOT.INI which tells NTLDR where to find a copy of Windows After BOOT.INI, NTLDR loads NTDETECT.COM to verify that the copy of Windows has the critical pieces to start NTLDR runs NTOSKRNL.EXE and HAL.DLL. Moves Windows from 16-bit mode into 32- or 64-bit mode. More files load and eventually you get to desktop

14. New Boot Sequence BIOS inspects the set boot order and goes to the first drive in the list The MBR runs, looking for active partition The system is directed to the boot sector of the active partition, reads the code which directs it to the operating system boot file (BOOTMGR) – on its own partition BOOTMGR loads WINLOAD.EXE which loads NTOSKRNL and HAL.DLL

15. System Reserved Partition All installations try to create roughly a 100 MB partition at the beginning of the boootable drive. Called System Reserved Partition by Disk Management Called EFI System Partition on UEFI systems Not assigned a drive letter; is always a Primary; always active

16. More SRP All editions will try to make this partition Should never be uninstalled Not just for UEFI/GPT Does not require a dynamic disk Supports any file system

17. Windows PE Windows Preinstallation Environment Can boot directly to CD or DVD (Live CD) – does not touch the hard disk drive Special tools – Windows Recovery Environment RE is repair tools that run within PE

18. Windows RE Three ways to get there: – Boot from DVD install media – Use Repair Your Computer from Advanced Boot Options menu (F8) – Create a system repair disk; Control Panel | Backup and Restore | Create System Restore Disk

19. Using RE Startup Repair System Restore System Image Recovery or Windows Complete PC Restore (rebuilding from a backup) Windows Memory Diagnostic Command Prompt

20. Startup Repair Repairs a corrupted registry by accessing the backup copy on your hard drive Restores critical system and driver files Runs FIXBOOT and FIXMBR Rolls back any nonworking drivers Uninstalls any incompatible service packs and patches Runs CHKDSK Runs a memory test

21. Backup Will backup to any media except tape Will not backup data stored on non-NTFS disks Will backup – Each user’s personal data – System image: Entire Windows operating system Every installed program All device drivers Registry Image files use the.WIM extension Restore wants to wipe out existing partitions and then do the restore

22. Command Prompt BOOTREC.EXE – Repairs the master boot record – Boot sector – BCD Store (boot configuration data) BOOTREC /scanos – looks for windows installations not currently in the bcd store BOOTREC /rebuildmbr – Looks for windows installations and gives you the choice to add them to the bcd store

23. Two More RSTRUI – System Restore tool MSTSC – Remote Desktop Connection – C:\windows\system32\mstsc Both can be run from command prompt (elevated)

24. User Account Control The bad boy of Vista The idea of using an Administrator account for daily use needed to go away Any level of account should be able to do anything as easily as possible If regular account wants to do something that requires Administrator privileges, the user will need to enter the Administrator password If user with Administrator privileges wants to run something that requires AP, user will not have to re-enter password but will get an “Are you sure?”

25. UAC in 7 Four levels now (Vista was on/off) – Always notify – Do Not notify me when I make changes – Notify me only when programs try to make changes – Turn off notification Default level is Do not notify me…

26. IPv6 Windows 7 is much stronger on v6 Eight hextets of four hex characters Can replace one, or more, sets of zeros with :: Uses 128 bits Loopback address - ::1

27. File Sharing We cheated just a bit in 2000 by creating a Student account for access to shared file(s) but left the default Everyone group with all permissions XP made things easier with Simple File Sharing but at the expense of NTFS permissions Enter Public folders C:\Users\Public

29. Windows Rally Universal Plug and Play – automates the installation and configuration of network devices Link Layer Topology Discovery – uses MAC addresses to find other devices on the network Quality Windows Audio/Visual Experience (qWave) – determines the Quality of Service for streaming media

30. Windows Firewall Vista had only one exceptions setting for an application/task 7 has lots of settings for in- and out-bound data and for different types of networks (Domain, Home, Work, Public)

33. HomeGroup Connects a group of computers with a single password Runs under IPv6 only All homegroup data is encrypted between systems Homegroups share libraries, not folders by default Printer sharing shows up here, too All user accounts become members of the homegroup Designed for smaller, nondomain home networks

34. Action Center One stop place to check lots of things about your system Direct links to: – UAC settings – Performance Information and Tools – Backup and Restore – Windows Update – Troubleshooting Wizard – System Restore Only reproduces information from other sources

35. BitLocker Drive Encryption Need Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and at least two partitions Can also use USB drive – but if you lose the drive, you will probably lose your data Only Ultimate and Enterprise include BitLocker Will not encrypt dynamic drives Only encrypts secondary drives if OS is already encrypted BitLocker encrypts entire volumes; Encrypting File System will encrypt a single file BitLocker to Go will encrypt removable drives and does not require TPM chip

36. Event Viewer System and Security | Administrative Tools | Event Viewer Four main bars: – Overview – Summary of Administrative Events – Recently Viewed Nodes – Log Summary Still includes classic logs: Application, Security and System