Windows System Restore Improvement

For those Good Booters who are smart enough to create a System Restore Point before making any significant changes to their operating system, know that Windows 7 has significantly improved this feature.

When a System Restore was executed in previous Windows versions, a user could not be sure what programs and drivers might be adversely affected.

In Windows 7 you have an option to have System Restore scan for programs and drivers that will be affected if you perform that particular System Restore.

Click Start, right- click Computer, left click on Properties, System Protection, System Restore and Next. Select a restore point. Now click the ‘Scan For Affected Programs’ button. When the scan is completed you'll know in advance which, if any, applications and drivers may be adversely effected.

‘Scan For Affected Programs' is a Windows 7 ‘always do'!

A little less important but helpful Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 feature is ‘please help me find my cursor'.

I'll wager most Good Booters have at one time or another had trouble locating their cursor when they returned to their computer to renew a particular computing adventure.

In the past to find your cursor you had to jiggle your mouse several times or increase the size or color of your cursor to make it more visible by right clicking on your Desktop and selecting Personalization, Change mouse pointers.

If however you want to keep your cursor small and unobtrusive but be able to find it quickly, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 keyboard CTRL key can be configured to locate your cursor for you.

To turn on this feature, go to the Control Panel in Windows XP (Classic View) and double -click the Mouse icon. In Vista and Windows , type Mouse in the Start menu Search field and press ‘Enter'.

When the Mouse Properties window appears, click the ‘Pointer Options' tab and under ‘Visibility' put a check mark next to ‘Show Location Of Pointer When I Press The CTRL Key' and click OK.

Now when you press CTRL, a circle will flash briefly to show you where the cursor is.

Another Windows 7 feature that may be of interest is ‘Speedy program launches'.

If you've opened one instance of a program and want to launch another, you can eliminate the need to click your way back though Start and All Programs. Instead, hold down your keyboard SHIFT key and click the program's icon in the Taskbar. Windows 7 will start a second presentation of most programs.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.