updates and installed

 When are updates installed?

It depends on the automatic updating option you choose. If you choose the recommended option, updates are installed at 3:00 A.M. or on a schedule that you choose. If you turn off your computer before the scheduled time, you can install updates before shutting down.

If your computer is in one of the power-saving states (Sleep or Hibernate) during a scheduled update, and if your computer is plugged in to a power source, Windows will wake your computer long enough to install new updates. If your computer is running on battery power, however, Windows will not install updates. Windows will try to install them instead at the next scheduled installation time. To schedule when Windows automatically installs updates:

1. In the left pane, click Change settings, and then make sure that the Install updates automatically (recommended) option is selected.
2. Choose the frequency and time of day when you want new updates to be installed, and then click OK.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

 Can I see which updates Windows has automatically installed?

Yes. View the history in Windows Update in Control Panel, or go to Installed Updates:s.

 Can I choose which updates Windows automatically installs?

Yes. You can choose to install important updates only, or important and recommended updates. Optional updates are not installed automatically. Instead, you can choose to install them by reviewing available updates when you check for updates using Windows Update in Control Panel. For more information, see Turn automatic updating on or off and Change how Windows installs or notifies you about updates.

 Will I be notified if there's a problem and important updates have not been installed?

Yes. Windows Update will notify you if security and other important updates cannot be installed. For more information, see Troubleshoot problems with installing updates.

Turn on Windows automatic updating

When you turn on automatic updating, Windows can automatically install important updates (including security updates) and recommended updates for your computer as Microsoft releases them. For more information, see Turn automatic updating on or off and How can I tell if my computer is up to date? For more information about updating computers on a network, see Keeping computers on a network up to date.

Stay informed about the latest security issues

To learn about new security updates, find how-to articles and security tips, and get answers to security-related questions, including a free monthly security newsletter for home users, go to the Microsoft Security at Home website.

To learn how Microsoft monitors and responds to security issues, go to the Microsoft Security Response Center website. It offers tools such as an alert service, monthly webcast, blog, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds to help you stay current on security-related updates and information for Windows.

Arranging windows automatically

Now that you know how to move and resize windows, you can arrange them however you like on your desktop. You can also have Windows automatically arrange them in one of three ways: cascading, vertically stacked, or side by side.

 

To choose one of these options, open some windows on your desktop, then right-click an empty area of the taskbar and click Cascade windows, Show windows stacked, or Show windows side by side.

Arranging windows using Snap

Snap will automatically resize your windows when you move, or snap, them to the edge of the screen. You can use Snap to arrange windows side by side, expand windows vertically, or maximize a window.

To arrange windows side by side

1. Drag the title bar of a window to the left or right side of the screen until an outline of the expanded window appears.
2. Release the mouse to expand the window.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with another window to arrange the windows side by side.
   
   
   

 

Find more things faster with improved search

Thanks to an improved search, you can find more things in more places—and do it faster—than in previous versions of Windows. Just type a few letters into the search box to see a list of relevant items, such as documents, pictures, music, and e‑mail. Search results are grouped by category and contain highlighted keywords to make them easy to scan.

Few people store all their files in one place anymore. Windows 7 is designed to search external hard drives, PCs on a network, and other locations. It also speeds up your search by displaying recommendations based on previous queries. Overwhelmed by the results? New dynamic filters can instantly narrow results by categories such as date or file type.

Share music and videos

After your pictures, videos, and music are all on your computer, it's natural to want to share them with other computers in your home. Windows 7 introduces new media sharing and streaming features that make your PC a great home entertainment hub. HomeGroup makes it easy to share music, pictures, and video with other computers running Windows 7.

With another new feature called "Play to," you can play your digital media on other devices in your home.

To expand a window vertically

1. Point to the top or bottom edge of an open window until the pointer changes into a double-headed arrow .
2. Drag the edge of the window to the top or bottom of the screen to expand the window to the entire height of the desktop. The width of the window doesn't change.
   
   

Hiding a window

Hiding a window is called minimizing it. If you want to get a window out of the way temporarily without closing it, minimize it.

To minimize a window, click its Minimize button . The window disappears from the desktop and is visible only as a button on the taskbar, the long horizontal bar at the bottom of your screen.

 To make a minimized window appear again on the desktop, click its taskbar button. The window appears exactly as it did before you minimized it. For more information about the taskbar, see The taskbar (overview).

Closing a window

Closing a window removes it from the desktop and taskbar. If you're done with a program or document and don't need to return to it right away, close it.

To close a window, click its Close button .

Note

• If you close a document without saving any changes you made, a message appears that gives you the option to save your changes.

Switching between windows

If you open more than one program or document, your desktop can quickly become cluttered with windows. Keeping track of which windows you have open isn't always easy, because some windows might partially or completely cover others.

Using the taskbar. The taskbar provides a way to organize all of your windows. Each window has a corresponding button on the taskbar. To switch to another window, just click its taskbar button. The window appears in front of all other windows, becoming the active window—the one you're currently working in. For more information about taskbar buttons, see The taskbar (overview).

To easily identify a window, point to its taskbar button. When you point to a taskbar button, you'll see a thumbnail-sized preview of the window, whether the content of the window is a document, a photo, or even a running video. This preview is especially useful if you can't identify a window by its title alone.

Note

• To see thumbnail previews, your computer must support Aero. For more information about Aero, see What is the Aero desktop experience?

Using Alt+Tab. You can switch to the previous window by pressing Alt+Tab, or cycle through all open windows and the desktop by holding down Alt and repeatedly pressing Tab. Release Alt to show the selected window.

Using Aero Flip 3D. Aero Flip 3D arranges your windows in a three-dimensional stack that you can quickly flip through. To use Flip 3D:

1. Hold down the Windows logo key and press Tab to open Flip 3D.
2. While holding down the Windows logo key, press Tab repeatedly or rotate the mouse wheel to cycle through open windows. You can also press Right Arrow or Down Arrow to cycle forward one window, or press Left Arrow or Up Arrow to cycle backward one window.
3. Release the Windows logo key to display the frontmost window in the stack. Or, click any part of any window in the stack to display that window.
   
   
   

 

Tip

• Flip 3D is part of the Aero desktop experience. If your computer doesn't support Aero, you can view the open programs and windows on your computer by pressing Alt+Tab. To cycle through the open windows, you can press the Tab key, press the arrow keys, or use your mouse. To learn more about Aero, see What is the Aero desktop experience?

The Pictures library and Windows Photo Viewer

 

The Pictures library is the main way to find and organize pictures on your computer. To open the Pictures library, click the Start button , and then click Pictures.

 

Windows Photo Viewer is a feature in Windows that you can use to view and print your digital pictures. Double-click a picture in the Pictures library to open it in Windows Photo Viewer.

Windows Photo Viewer and the Pictures library can do some of the same things. For example, you can view pictures, print pictures, and see a slide show of your pictures from either the Pictures library or Photo Viewer. So, which one should you use?

In general, the Pictures library is the place to find and organize your pictures. The Pictures library lets you see all of your pictures in one place and makes it easy to view them by date, tag, and other criteria. Using Windows Photo Viewer, you can rotate pictures, zoom in, view pictures at full size and view your pictures as a slide show.

Working with your pictures

After your pictures are in your computer, you will probably want to work with them. You can view several pictures on a single screen, view a single picture at full size, rotate your pictures, and see them in a slide show.

Using thumbnails

The Photos library lets you display your pictures as thumbnails—small versions of the full-sized pictures. To display as many thumbnails as possible, make the Pictures library window fill your screen by clicking its Maximize button .

To change the size of thumbnails, click the Views button , and then move the slider up or down. You can make thumbnails smaller to quickly browse a large picture collection. Or, make thumbnails larger to see more detail in each picture. Changing the thumbnail size does not affect the full-sized version of the picture.

To return to medium-sized thumbnails, click the Views button, and then click Medium Icons.

Rotate a picture

Vertical pictures might appear sideways in Windows Photo Viewer. You can rotate these pictures to the correct orientation by clicking the Rotate counterclockwise button or Rotate clockwise button .

View a picture at full size

To view a picture so that it fills most of the Photo Viewer window, double-click the picture in the Pictures library.

To see the largest possible view of the picture, maximize the Photo Viewer window.

To zoom in on part the picture, click the Zoom button and move the slider up. While you're zoomed in, you can drag any part of the picture with the hand pointer to move the picture around. To return to the regular view, click the Fit to window button .

See a slide show of your pictures

You can view your digital pictures as a full-screen slide show that runs automatically.

To start a slide show, double-click a picture to open it in Photo Viewer, and then click the Play slide show button at the bottom of Photo Viewer. The slide show will include all of the pictures in the current view.