Changing Windows Settings

New to Windows 7? Even though there’s a lot in common with the version of Windows that you had
before, you might still need a hand getting up to speed. This guide is filled with useful info about
changing settings in Windows so it works the way you want it to, and info about tools you can use to
keep Windows running smoothly.

It covers the topics that Charlene Shepard showed you in her video, Changing Windows Settings:
http://windows.microsoft.com/get-started

Use this guide as a reference while exploring what you can do with Windows 7.

In this guide
Use Control Panel to change settings..........................................................................................................2
Search for Control Panel items from the Start menu..............................................................................2
Control Panel items that have been renamed.........................................................................................2
Install, view, and manage devices...............................................................................................................3
Master your devices with Device Stage...................................................................................................3
Use Action Center to keep your PC running smoothly.................................................................................4
Find and fix problems on your PC................................................................................................................5
Back up your PC...........................................................................................................................................5
 Personalizing Your PC

Use Control Panel to change settings

Control Panel is the main place to change
settings. You can use these settings to control
nearly everything about how Windows looks
and works, so that it's just right for you. Here’s
how:

1. Click the Start button, and then click

Control Panel.
There are two ways to find Control Panel
items:

 Use search. To find a setting you're

interested in or a task you want to
perform, type a word or phrase in the
search box. For example, type "sound"
to find specific settings for your sound
card, system sounds, and the volume
on your PC.
 Browse. You can explore Control Panel
by clicking different categories (for
example, System and Security, Programs, or Ease of Access), and viewing the tasks listed under
each category. Or, under View by, click either Large icons or Small icons to view a list of all
Control Panel items.

Search for Control Panel items from the Start menu

You can also search for Control Panel items in the Start menu. Here’s how:
 Click the Start button, and then type a search term in the search box. Click a result to go straight to
the setting you’re looking for.

Control Panel items that have been renamed

Some Control Panel items have been renamed, divided into separate items, or combined into one. To
find them, type the new name in the search box in the Start menu or in Control Panel. Here’s the list:

Old name (or names) New name (or names)

Add or Remove Programs Programs and Features
Appearance and Themes Appearance and Personalization
Display Personalize

Display
Sounds, Speech, and Audio Hardware and Sound

Printers and Other Hardware

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 Personalizing Your PC

System and Maintenance System and Security

Security Center Action Center
Accessibility Options Ease of Access

Install, view, and manage devices

To see all the devices connected to your
computer, use one of them, or troubleshoot
one that isn't working properly, open the
Devices and Printers folder. Here’s how:

 Click the Start button, and then click

Devices and Printers.

Master your devices with Device

Stage
A new feature in Windows 7 called Device
Stage takes device management a step
further. Device Stage is a simple way to view
the status of compatible mobile phones,
music players, and other devices. Here’s how
to use a device with Device Stage:

1. Turn on your device and connect it to

your computer using a using a USB
cable or a wireless connection.

2. Click the Start button, and then click

Devices and Printers.

3. In Devices and Printers, double-click

the device.
If Device Stage doesn't open, then
your device isn't compatible with
Device Stage. If your device is
compatible with Device Stage, you’ll
see a list of tasks that you can do.
For example, if you have a compatible smartphone, you can use Device Stage to transfer music,
videos, contacts, and appointments from your computer to your phone and keep them in sync.

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 Personalizing Your PC

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© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 Personalizing Your PC

Use Action Center to keep your PC running smoothly

Action Center is a central place to view alerts and take actions
that can help keep Windows running smoothly. Here’s how to
open Action Center:

 Click the flag icon, and then click Open Action Center.

Action Center displays messages about security and maintenance

settings that need your attention. Items with a red marker are
labeled Important, and indicate significant issues that should be addressed soon, such as an outdated
antivirus program that needs updating. Items with a yellow marker are issues that you should consider
addressing, like
recommended
maintenance tasks.

To view details about

issues in either the
Security or Maintenance
section, click the heading
or the chevron next to the
heading to expand the
section.

You can quickly see

whether there are any
new messages in Action
Center by pointing to the
flag icon.

If you’re having a problem

with your computer,
check Action Center to see
if the issue has been identified. If it hasn’t, you can also find links to troubleshooters and other tools that
can help
fix problems.

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 Personalizing Your PC

Find and fix problems on your PC

Troubleshooting in Control Panel contains several
programs that can automatically fix some
common problems, such as problems with
networking, hardware and devices, using the
web, and program compatibility. Although
troubleshooters aren't designed to fix every
problem, they’re a useful thing to try first, as they
can often save you time and effort. Here’s how to
use them:

1. Click the Start button, type “troubleshoot”

in the search box, and then click
Troubleshooting.

2. Click the troubleshooter that you want to run.

To see all troubleshooters, click View all.

Back up your PC
By turning on automatic backups, you don’t have to
worry about losing documents, pictures, music, videos,
and other files on your PC. Here’s how to get started:

1. Click the Start button, type “backup” in the

search box, and then click Backup and Restore.

2. Click Set up backup, and then follow the steps

in the wizard.

Your backup will automatically include files in

common locations such as the desktop and
libraries that contain your pictures, documents,
music, and videos. Or you can customize your
backup by selecting the individual drives and
folders that you want to back up.

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 Personalizing Your PC

You can also schedule an automatic system image backup—which is basically a snapshot of your
entire computer. If your hard drive or computer fails, you can restore your files, settings, and
programs on a new computer or hard drive.

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© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.