Windows 7 : Improvements in User Account Control (UAC)UAC Changes Sharing and HomeGroup

The complexity of asking users if they wanted to take a specific action has been reduced with Windows 7. The default user (the one that was setup during installation) gets warning messages only when changes to the computer are requested by the software you run on it. The default user won’t be notified when Windows settings are changed.

1. The new UAC uses a notification system that is defined by the Default Users. This option can be changed to suit the needs of the user.

2. By default UAC is set to Medium, which is one tick below the top of the bar.

3. This will notify them when a program tries to make a change to the computer.

4. Medium-Low will notify them only when a setting is changed on the computer, but will not “Dim the Desktop”.

5. Low option will “Never notify them if a change is made.

Note: If you change a customer’s pc to Never Notify please set it back to its original setting after you complete the troubleshooting.

Windows 7 Understanding and Using HomeGroupHomeGroup takes the headache out of sharing files and printers on a home network. Connect two or more PCs running Windows 7, and HomeGroup makes it easy to automatically start sharing your music, pictures, video, and document libraries with others in your home. The new “Share with” menu, meanwhile, provides a speedy way to share individual files.

To create my HomeGroup, I opened HomeGroup in Control Panel and then clicked Create a HomeGroup. Then I walked to each of the other computers on my network and joined the HomeGroup by opening HomeGroup in Control Panel and clicking Join now. (You can also get to these HomeGroup options by clicking Choose HomeGroup and sharing options in Network and Sharing Center.)

1. In Windows 7 there is a new way of joining networking groups. This is accomplished by using the HomeGroup.

2. Click on the Start Button and Click Control Panel.

3. Click on Change HomeGroup and sharing settings.

4. If the customers Control Panel is in this mode click on Homegroup

5. Select “Create a HomeGroup”

6. Note: If you receive a message saying the network location needs to be set to Home before you can create or join a HomeGroup, check out my Change Network Location below. Remember that the HomeGroup only work with other Windows 7 Computers

7. Select the types of files you wish to share and then click Next.

8. Write down the password in the Yellow Box. The password is case sensitive. Other computers will need this password to join the HomeGroup you just created.

Windows 7 How to Change the Network Location

1. Open Control panel from the Start menu. Click on Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel.

Note: If Network and Sharing is not available, change View to large icons at the top right of the Control Panel

2. Select the current network location in the active networks section (Work network is used in this example).

3. From the choices select the type of network.

Windows 7 Parental Controls Setting Up For The First Time1. Open the Control Panel from

the Start Menu. Click Parental Controls in the Control Panel.

2. Select the User Account you want to protect with Parental Controls.

3. Select On, enforce Current Settings and then click OK.

Sometimes a program will not run within Windows 7, some of the options in the Parental Control will cause a program not to function. These can be changed within the control panel.

Note: If Parental Controls is not available, change View by to Large icons at the top right of the Control Panel.

Windows 7 Enable the Administrator Account1. When Windows 7 is installed it

does not automatically make the Default Administrator Account. It creates a secondary account and give that account Admin Permissions.

2. Open the command prompt with elevated privileges by clicking the Start orb, All Programs, Accessories, right-click Command Prompt and then select Run as administrator.

3. Type net user administrator /active:yes and then press Enter

4. Restart or log off your computer and log in as Administrator.

Windows 7 Troubleshooting Internet Connection Automatically1. Open Control panel from the

Start menu. Click Troubleshooting in the Control Panel.

Note: If Troubleshooting is not available, change View by to Large icons at the top right of the Control Panel.menu.

2. Select Connect to the Internet under Network and Internet

3. Click Next in the Internet Connections troubleshooting wizard

4. Click Troubleshooting my connection to the Internet.

5. Click Help me connect to a specific web page if the customer is having issues with a specific site.

6. Enter the site if you selected Help me connect to a specific web page. Click Next.

7. A problem is discovered. (In this case the network card is disabled). Click Try these repairs as an administrator.

8. Troubleshooter was able to correct the issue it detected.

9. This is an example of the troubleshooter detecting an issue but not fixing it.

10. This is the screen you get if you click Explore Additional Options. Most of these options require internet connections.

Windows 7 Blocking Applications using Parental Controls1. Open the Control Panel from

the Start Menu. Click Parental Controls in the Control Panel.

2. Select the user account you want to limit with Parental Control Game Ratings. In this example we are using Little One

3. Select All and Block Specific Programs.

4. Select (Username) can only use the Programs I Allow.

5. Select the applications that the user is allowed to use by putting a check in the box to the left of the application.

This will set up a white list of applications that the user can use.

NOTE: if a program is not listed, click the Browse button next to Add a program to this list, browse to the program and select it and then check it off.

Occasionally a program not running in Windows 7 may be due to improperly set Parental Controls. These settings can be changed within the Parental Controls control panel applet.

Note: If Parental Controls is not available, change View by to Large icons at the top right of the Control Panel.

Windows 7 Limiting Computer Use To Specific Time Using Parental Control

1. Open the Control Panel from the Start Menu. Click Parental Controls in the Control Panel.

2. Select the user account you want to limit with Parental Control Time Limits.

3. Click on Time Limits.

4. Highlight the squares that represent the hours you want to deny access to the computer.

Note: This will cause the user that you selected not be able to use the computer during those times without your override.

5. Click ok when you are finished setting up Time Restrictions.

6. Occasionally a program not running in Windows 7 may be due to improperly set Parental Controls. These settings can be changed within the Parental Controls control panel applet.

Note: If Parental Controls is not available, change View by to Large icons at the top right of the Control Panel.