Windows 7: Home

Posted on 15 Jul 2009 at 15:01

Backwards compatible?

A fundamental feature that Microsoft has had to get right for Windows 7 is application backward compatibility. It's hit the ground running insofar as Windows 7 is heavily based on Vista, so API-level problems should be minimal for any application that explicitly supports the previous operating system. For older applications, however, there can be all sorts of problems. Thankfully, the Program Compatibility wizard is helpful indeed. If a program fails to install and run, a dialog box pops up automatically and offers to try to run it in a special compatibility mode.

The Program Compatibility wizard then starts up and attempts to identify problems automatically. Windows 7 will then try to launch the application in an environment resembling an old OS as closely as possible. If it doesn't work it offers to try again, giving you the chance to simulate a different operating system.

It isn't perfect, but with a bit of trial and error we've found most applications can be coaxed into life. The exception is apps that check the operating system version before installing and won't continue if they don't like what they see. But if your old application is being stubborn, you can resort to the new Windows XP Mode.

Disc burning

Windows Vista could write to CD and DVD, but there's an overdue enhancement in Windows 7: ISO disc burning. Packaging a large application (or, indeed, operating system) as a single ISO image - in other words, one that represents the exact cloned image of a CD or DVD in a single file - is increasingly popular. Until now you've needed one of the many commercial or open-source utilities to write an image file to a blank disc. In Windows 7, you just right-click on the file itself and choose "Burn disc image". It's a simple addition that worked perfectly in our testing.

Taking to the Device Stage

There are two significant new features when it comes to easy management of devices. The first is the new Devices and Printers view. This is in addition to the existing, horribly austere Device Manager that's been with us since Windows 95. Devices and Printers is far more user friendly, with a predominantly graphical interface. It shows only end-user peripherals that you might actually need to interact with: cameras, MP3 and video players, and smartphones, for instance.

Second on the agenda is what Microsoft has dubbed Device Stage. When you attach a new device, after the automated driver installation routine has done its stuff, you get a neat window showing the device, information about it and various associated tasks. It also adds an icon for the device to the quick-launch area of the taskbar.

For instance, attach a digital camera and after a few seconds you'll get a view showing the camera's battery level, plus total and free storage space. Below that, a task pane gives you quick access to links to manage media on the device, browse files on its memory, import pictures and videos, and change settings. We tried a few recent camera models and they all worked fine, although some lacked a battery-level indicator. The same is true of the MP3 players we tried.

But the potentially great thing about Device Stage is that it's customisable by manufacturers, allowing them to skin the view and add features. The hope is that in the near future we'll do away with the need to install horrible third-party pieces of software and that it will all be wrapped up in a nice, consistent Device Stage window. For better or worse, though, manufacturers tend to think their terrible software is brilliant and may want to cling to it, and that could ultimately be the undoing of Device Stage.

Device troubleshooting

The level of automatic resolution of device problems has taken a massive leap too. For instance, if you're not connected to the internet the first time you connect a device, the installation routine obviously won't be able to download drivers. That device will then appear in the Devices and Printers view with an exclamation mark. Click on it, and the status panel at the bottom will tell you it needs troubleshooting. Once you're back online, all you then have to do is right-click and select Troubleshoot, and the system will go off and find the drivers, install them and that's that. In our testing so far there's been no need to reboot, unplug and replug devices, or do any of that traditional messing about in Device Manager. It's a joy to use.

Calling for backup

The biggest disappointment in Windows 7 is backup. The Backup and Restore Center has been replaced by a more prosaic Backup and Restore screen, but the functions are near identical. It still won't back up files on FAT-formatted hard disks, system or program files. And as with Vista, the complete PC backup - which takes a cloned image of your system disk - is available only in the Business and Ultimate versions.

VERDICT: WHICH VERSION IS BEST FOR THE HOME?
Home Premium should be the baseline for your main PC. There's little reason to go any higher unless you have a crucial application that can't be brought to life: XP Mode is available only in the Professional edition and above. If you really want complete PC backup you'll need to go with Professional or Ultimate, but you're better off buying a third-party backup program.

Next: Mobile

Back to: Windows 7: The complete guide

Author: David Fearon

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