The Top 7 Tools in Windows 7

Windows 7 has got plenty of attention from the users, but much of the focus has been on interface changes, such as the new taskbar, and new file management features, such as libraries.Some enhancements are less obvious like the new or enhanced tools that are included with the Windows. Here we discuss 5 of these cool tools that make the computing experience easier.

1. Action Center: Windows 7 provides you a one stop shopping location where you can go to deal with security issues, troubleshooting, and recovery, instead of finding out separate appletsfor each. It’s all combined in an easy to use Control Panel applet, where you get maintenance and security messages and can view performance information, change UAC settings, and many more.

2: Problem Steps Recorder: One of the new utility in Windows 7 is the Problem Steps Recorder (PSR), made for those of us who offers tech support to Windows users. Doesn’t matter how hard they try, users often have problems accurately describing the problem they’re experiencing or the steps they took before or after experiencing it. Sure, Remote Assistance can
be a godsend in those situations. But you can’t always connect to the user’s computer in real time. That’s when the PSR comes in handy.

3. ISO burner: An ISO image is a kind of archive file that is frequently used to distribute software. In Windows 7, Microsoft addressed something that’s been on the wish list of many users for a long time: Now you don’t need to download and install a third-party program to burn an ISO file to disc.

4. Biometric device management: In previous editions of Windows, biometric authentication and management of biometric devices fingerprint sensors required third-party software that might or might not integrate well with the operating system. Now it’s default. Windows 7 offers the Windows Biometric Framework, which provides developers an API (Application Programming Interface) they can use to build biometrics into applications. Makers of fingerprint sensor hardware, such as UPEK and Authen Tec, worked with Microsoft on the development of the Framework. Biometric devices are managed through a Control Panel applet.

5. Credential Manager: The Credential Manager is another awesome feature in Windows 7. It looks similar in some ways to the password management feature in Vista’s User Accounts applet but is more complicated. You can control Windows credentials for various machines that you sign onto, certificate-based credentials, and other generic credentials for e-mail accounts, Web accounts, etc… These are all stored, by default, in the Windows Vault.

6. Windows Easy Transfer helps you to move system or application settings and data. The tool assists you in copying your files, photos, music, emails, settings, and more from a computer running Windows XP to a system running Windows 7.

7 Better backup utility: No doubt, previous versions of Windows had a backup utility, but this tool has been significantly improved in Windows 7. Vista’s backup program was user friendly but not very user friendly. Windows 7 provides you more control over what you want to back up.

You can access the Backup and Restore applet from Control Panel or by typing Backup in the Search box on the Start menu. You can back up your files to a local hard drive, a removable disk, a DVD, or another system on the network.