Windows 7 tips for maintenance of Action Center


Maintenance

The maintenance part of the Action Center is new and should prove to be very useful for the educated user. Here alert settings can be configured and viewed for common maintenance issues such as Backup, Troubleshooting, Updates, and System Maintenance. All alerts are on by default and a yellow warning will appear if Backup has not yet been configured.

Audio and Video

Windows 7 has multiple enhancements to audio and video features. The initial observation should be the automatic enhanced support for audio and video devices. Automatic Stream Management has been introduced to route audio to the correct place depending on the device. For instance, Internet calls should be played through a headset instead of speakers while a CD should be played on the speakers instead of a headset. New video features include Display Color Calibration and detection of external video devices such as projectors and televisions.

Automatic enhanced audio and video support is on by default but may be adjusted through the Sound console in the Control Panel. To configure automatic adjustment of volume depending on the sound, go to the Communications tab of the Sound console. Video and display options may be accessed by right-clicking the desktop and selecting Screen Resolution or choosing the Display icon in the Control Panel. There are many options for video and display from resolution to themes to color calibration etc., among others.

Enhanced Driver and Device Support

One of the major issues users and administrators had with Windows Vista was the driver and device support for hardware. Microsoft has concentrated on this issue and believes to have resolved it with enhanced driver and device support. Generally, new releases of Windows have these compatibility issues, however, remember that Windows 7 was built on top of Vista technology.

Therefore, Microsoft declares that all hardware should be compatible with Windows 7 if it was compatible with Vista. Apart from using Vista technology, Microsoft seems to have gone out of its way for better driver support by developing the operating system to work better with third-party hardware.

The Device Manger may be accessed by clicking on System in the Control Panel and then Device Manager on the left-hand menu. Another way is right-clicking on Computer, clicking Properties, and then Device Manager on the menu on the left.

The Action Center's Maintenance section has a new troubleshooting feature. The troubleshooting options may be accessed from the Control Panel by clicking the Troubleshooting icon. By clicking Check for solutions, Windows 7 will scan the computer for issues and find solutions. This is a first great step to troubleshoot any issue, especially hardware support issues. Training end users to use these features could prove to be a huge time saver to troubleshoot issues before calling the help desk or opening a ticket.

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Note: This article was sent to us by: Brian D. Smith at 10022010

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