Blogger Scott Hanselman details his experience setting-up Connectify which turns your Windows 7 computer into a WiFi Hotspot. The Virtual WiFi driver feature in Windows 7 lets you set-up your Wifi access point, while staying attached to another Wifi network at the same time!

--> Beta Test Connectify for Windows 7

avast! Home Edition is a full-featured antivirus package designed exclusively for non-commercial & home use only.

 

• Anti-rootkit, anti-spyware built-in
• Outstanding performance
• Reasonable memory requirements
• ICSA certified

 

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0 - Basic antivirus and antispyware protection for Windows available to download for free. Limited features, no support, for private and non-commercial use only.

 

 

Avira AntiVir Personal - Protects your computer against dangerous viruses, worms, Trojans and costly dialers.

 

 

BitDefender Free Edition uses the same ICSA Labs certified scanning engines found in other BitDefender products, allowing you to enjoy basic virus protection for no cost at all.

 

• Virus scanning and removal - On demand scanning - Powerful scan engines ensure detection and removal of all viruses in the wild every time you need it.
• Scheduled scanning - The Scheduler lets you plan ahead, and schedule full system/drive scans in the off hours, when you won’t be using your computer.
• Immediate scanning - With just a right click you can check your files and folders.
• Quarantine - By isolating the infected files in quarantine, the risk of getting infected diminishes. You also have the possibility to send these files for further analysis to BitDefender Labs.
• Reports - When launching a scan you may choose to create a report file where you can see statistics about the scan process.

 

Comodo Internet Security combines the latest versions of their Firewall and AntiVirus software.

 

 

Panda Cloud Antivirus - Free Edition

 

• Antivirus     
• Anti-Spyware     
• Anti-Rootkit

Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus (part of the Google Pack)

 

• Protects your PC with advanced anti-virus detection and removal
• Detects and removes spyware, adware, trojans and keyloggers

 

UPDATE =======================================

While Avira's forums & press release states Avira AntiVir Personal "will" be Windows 7 compatible -- I didn't include Avira because their current documentation does not reflect they are indeed Windows 7 compatible.

However after a little prodding by Lebohang Bucibo & Kory Ingole, a few tests, and email exchanges . . . I'm adding Avira AntiVir Personal to the list of Free AntiVirus Anti-SpyWare software for Windows 7. 

UPDATE #2 *sigh* ===================================

Stop bugging me with the emails! ha ha I'm not sure how I forgot AVG, BitDefender & Comodo (all added above) - Are there more?

Select from four images that best represent who you are. As you make selections, other images will disappear from the screen.  Once you’ve selected your four images, a personalized Start Button will appear.

 

Save your Start Button to your PC; choosing from three different sizes. 

• Deployment Options for Microsoft Office 2010 - describes and illustrates the client deployment methods for Microsoft Office 2010. Deployment options include network share, Group Policy startup scripts, managed deployment, and virtualization.
  
  
• Deploy Multilanguage Packs for Microsoft Office 2010 - describes and illustrates how to deploy multilanguage packs for Microsoft Office 2010. Elements include evaluation criteria, planning considerations, and deployment tasks.
  
  
• Deploy Office Web Apps - Office Web Apps are online companions to Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft OneNote applications that allows users to access documents from anywhere. Users can view, share, and work on documents with others online across personal computers, mobile phones, and the Web. Office Web Apps are available to users through Windows Live and to business customers with Microsoft Office 2010 volume licensing and document management solutions based on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.
  
  
• 64-bit Client Installation of Microsoft Office 2010 - describes and illustrates the 64-bit client installation of Microsoft Office 2010. Elements include setup overview, processes, requirements, deployment considerations, and supported scenarios.
  
  
• Deploying Broadcast Slide Show - Broadcast Slide Show is a new capability in Microsoft Office 2010 that enables presenters to broadcast a slide show from PowerPoint 2010 to remote viewers who watch in a Web browser. Broadcast Slide Show provides companies with a low-infrastructure presentation broadcast capability that works through the Web. This paper provides a summary of this capability for SharePoint system administrators and IT managers and prepares them to effectively evaluate, plan for, and implement Broadcast Slide Show in their environments.

 

Custom Theme Creator for Windows Phones (aka Windows Mobile 6.5) - "Want to set your phone apart from the crowd? Make your Windows phone* an extension of your personal style by designing a custom look for it. Use your favorite photo or any other image, add colors and style, and then text the custom theme straight to your phone (or your friend's phone, for that matter)."

 

CoreInfo is a command-line utility that shows you the mapping between logical processors and the physical processor, Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) Architectures node, and socket on which they reside, as well as the cache’s assigned to each logical processor.  It uses the Windows’ GetLogicalProcessorInformation function to obtain this information and prints it to the screen, representing a mapping to a logical processor with an asterisk e.g. ‘*’. Coreinfo is useful for gaining insight into the processor and cache topology of your system.  (Thanks Phil)

--> Download CoreInfo v2.0

Toolkit Components:

 

• Security guide. Each toolkit includes an updated version of a previously released security guides for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Internet Explorer 8 or 2007 Microsoft Office. The guidance provides you with best practices and automated tools to help you plan and deploy your security baselines.
• Attack Surface Reference workbook. A resource that lists the changes introduced as server roles are installed on computers running Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008, for the toolkits specific to these operating systems.
• Security Baseline Settings workbook. A resource that lists all of the prescribed settings for each of the preconfigured security baselines that the security guides recommend.
• Security Baseline XML. XML files that allow your organization to consume the data defined in the security baseline settings workbooks.
• GPOAccelerator tool. A tool that you can use to create all the Group Policy objects (GPOs) you need to deploy your chosen security configuration. This release also supports Windows Server 2003, and creating security configurations on machines not joined to a domain.
• INF Files. INF files for Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008.
  Baseline Compliance Management Overview. The overview discusses best practices on how to monitor security baselines for Windows operating systems and Office applications.
• DCM Configuration Pack User Guide. A step-by-step prescriptive user guide about how to use the Configurations Packs with the DCM feature in Configuration Manager 2007 R2.
• DCM Configuration Packs. The toolkit series includes DCM configuration packs to use with the DCM feature in Configuration Manager 2007 R2.

 

--> Download Security Compliance Management Toolkit Series

 

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)  2.1.1 (for IT Professionals) is an easy-to-use tool that helps small and medium businesses determine their security state in accordance with Microsoft security recommendations and offers specific remediation guidance. Improve your security management process by using MBSA to detect common security misconfigurations and missing security updates on your computer systems. MBSA 2.1.1 is a minor upgrade to add support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

--> Download Microsoft Updates Baseline Security Analyzer

 

Microsoft Razer has (finally) released their "Reclusa Keyboard" & "Habu Mouse" gaming hardware drivers for Windows 7.

 

• "Reclusa" Gaming Keyboard Driver v1.03 for Windows 7
• "Habu" Laser Gaming Mouse Driver v2.20 for Windows 7

 

Microsoft has removed the beta status of their LifeCam (webcam) & LifeChat (headset) hardware drivers for Windows 7.

 

• LifeCam 3.0 32-bit and 64-bit for Windows 7 (Support: Readme File)
• LifeChat 1.4 (32-bit and 64-bit) for Windows 7 

 

GmailNotifier is a small CodePlex application, with full Windows 7 integration, that notifies you when receiving emails from your Google Gmail account.

--> Download GmailNotifier

Windows Access Panel minimizes the trouble in accessing the buried settings & "hidden" system utilities within Windows 7's Control Panel.

--> Download Windows Access Panel v 1.0

WINDOWS 7:

A FAT formatted removable media that is encrypted by BitLocker Drive Encryption on Windows 7 is identified as using the FAT32 file format on Windows Vista and on Windows XP

This behavior is by design - Either decrypt or reformat the removable media with the FAT file system

You cannot install the Microsoft Compressed (LZH) Folder add-in in Windows 7

This behavior is by design - The Compressed (LZH) Folder add-in can be installed only on certain earlier Japanese Windows operating systems. By default, Japanese versions of Windows 7 include the Compressed (LZH) Folder functionality. Therefore, the installation of this add-in is blocked in Windows 7.

Cannot persist "Projector only" mode after closing and opening laptop lid

This behavior is by design - When the lid is opened on a laptop, the Connecting and Configuring Displays (CCD) feature in Windows 7 chooses the last topology that had the lid active. After reopening the laptop, the user will have to use "Windows Key + P" to swtich to "Projector only" mode again.

You cannot view or change the Read-only or the System attributes of folders in Windows in Windows 7

This behavior is by design - This article contains step-by-step instructions on how to use the Attrib command to work around the inability to view or to remove the Read-only or the System attributes of folders in Windows 7. 

Event ID: 1530 may be logged in the Application log on a Windows 7 client computer

This behavior is by design - This occurs because Windows automatically closes any registry handle to a user profile that is left open by an application.

Hard disks do not turn off after your computer has been idle

This behavior is by design - When your Windows 7 computer has been idle for an amount of time that is sufficient to make your hard disk turn off, your hard disk may not turn off. This can be caused if any disk activity occurs, whether it is caused by user input or system tasks. Disk activity of any type resets the hard disk idle timer, and this can increase the amount of time it takes for your hard disk to turn off. You can use the Power Options tool in Control Panel to configure your computer to turn off hard disks after your computer has been idle for a specified amount of time.

The Routing and Remote Access service does not start in Windows 7 when there is no network connectivity

This behavior is by design - When RRAS starts, it tries to initialize certain functions in Internet Authentication Service (IAS) for authentication. The IAS initialization fails when there is no network connectivity. Therefore, RRAS does not start.

A Windows 7 Mobile PC does not wake from sleep for scheduled tasks

This behavior is by design - Enable Allow wake timers from the Control Panel's Power Option's Advanced Power Settings. 

 

INTERNET EXPLORER 8:

A new window opens when you try to view a 2007 Microsoft Office program document in Internet Explorer 8

This behavior is by design - The 2007 Microsoft Office system intentionally sets a BrowserFlags registry value for its file types to force the documents to open within the Office application window and not inside the Internet Explorer window. To change the registry automatically, click "Fix it for me"

Certain special characters are not allowed in the URL entered into the address bar of Internet Explorer 8

This behavior is by design - You can not use the characters : # ? / \ % you'll need to encode the special characters in the following way:

# --> %23

/ --> %2F

: --> %3A

? --> %3F

\ --> %5C

% --> %25

Internet Explorer 8 Uses Proxy Server for Local IP Address Even if the "Bypass Proxy Server for Local Addresses" Option Is Turned On

This behavior is by design - By default, only host names are checked when the Bypass proxy server for local addresses option is turned on. To bypass a range of IP addresses or a specific domain name, specify the addresses in the proxy exception list:.

Intranet site is identified as an Internet site when you use an FQDN or an IP address

This behavior is by design - This may occur if an FQDN or IP address contains periods. If an FQDN or IP address contains a period, Internet Explorer identifies the Web site or share as in the Internet zone. To work around this issue, add the appropriate IP address range or fully qualified domain names FQDNs) to your local intranet. Or change the security level of the Internet zone. On user authentication option, change from automatic logon only on Intranet zone to automatic logon with current user name and password.

Web sites on the user Compatibility View list are still displayed in Compatibility View in Internet Explorer 8 even when the "Turn off Compatibility View" Group Policy setting is enabled

This behavior is by design - After you enable the Turn off Compatibility View policy, you cannot manage the Compatibility View sites list. Compatibility View is still used when you visit a site that is already on your Compatibility View sites list. 

 

Microsoft has released their first Windows 7 Language Interface Pack (LIP) for Hindi. (Thanks Rob)

--> Download Hindi Windows 7 LIP

 

About Boot Camp and Windows 7 - "Apple will support Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) with Boot Camp in Mac OS X Snow Leopard before the end of the year. This support will require a software update to Boot Camp."

 

Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool allows you to create a copy of your Windows 7 ISO file to USB flash drive or DVD. To create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD, download the ISO file and then run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool. Once this is done, you can install Windows 7 directly from the USB flash drive or DVD.  (Thanks Shawn)

--> Download Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

 

For a limited time, Microsoft's Office Web Apps Team is opening up their Technical Preview and inviting more people to try-out the upcoming Office 2010 Web Apps. (Thanks Nick)

-->  Sign-up for a Office 2010 Technical Preview Account" Here 
 

NOTE: If you are already a part of the technical preview, this link will generate an error.

Windows Easy Transfer takes the hassle out of migrating important files, e-mail, pictures, and settings from your old PC to your new one.  (Support: Upgrading in 5 Easy Steps! & Microsoft's How To Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard By Using the Windows XP CD-ROM)

Download Windows Easy Transfer for -->

 

• Transferring from Windows XP (32 bit) to Windows 7
• Transferring from Windows XP (64 bit) to Windows 7
• Transferring from Windows Vista (32 bit) to Windows 7
• Transferring from Windows Vista (64 bit) to Windows 7
  

Deploying Windows 7 Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and TechNet Magazine - Free Microsoft Press eBook selected topics: Deployment Platform, Planning Deployment, Testing Application Compatability, and 8 Common Issues in Windows 7 Migrations.  

 

DEPLOYMENT FOR SMALL & MEDIUM BUSINESSES:

USMT - User State Migration Tool is recommended for an IT Pro to use for migrating other users. (Support: USMT User's Guide, USMT Walkthrough Screencast)

USMT DOWNLOADS:

 

• USMT is part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7 helps install, customize, and deploy Windows 7. (Support: ReadMe, Windows AIK Guide)
• GImageX 3rd-party graphical version of the ImageX command-line tool from the Windows Automated Installation Kit.  (From MSDN)
• USMT Progress Monitor - provides feedback during an OS delpoyment.
• Workstation Migration Assistant visual wrapper for the User State Migration Tool (included in the WAIK), designed to simplify the capture / restore process for your end-users. (Support: TechNet, Windows 7 USMT Tips) 

USMT WALKTHROUGHS: 

Migrating from Windows XP highlights how the User State Migration Tool (USMT), included in the Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7, can be used to migrate user files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 using a default installation. (See Also "Migrating from Windows XP - Screencast")

 

Windows XP to Windows 7 Hard-Link Migration of User Files and Settings

 

Using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool for Servicing Windows 7 Images - Learning Snack

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), a new command-line tool for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. DISM consolidates the core image management functions of multiple tools found in the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) and enables IT professionals to view components of an applied or mounted operating system image and add or remove packages, software updates, and drivers.

 

Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 - Learn how to use the User State Migration Tool (USMT) to migrate user files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 using a default installation.

 

User State Migration Tool (USMT) for Windows 7 is now part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) and provides fast and flexible options to migrate user profiles and data from one operating system to another. Explore how the new Hard-Link Migration feature highlighted in his demonstration can dramatically reduce migration time for in-place operating system migration or computer refresh scenarios. 

 

DEPLOYMENT FOR BIG BUSINESSES: 

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 - Deploy Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with the newly released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010. MDT is the recommended process and toolset for automating desktop and server deployment. MDT provides you with the following benefits:

 

• Unified tools and processes required for desktop and server deployment in a common deployment console and collection of guidance.
• Reduced deployment time and standardized desktop and server images, along with improved security and ongoing configuration management.
• Fully automated Zero Touch Installation deployments by leveraging System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 Release Candidate and Windows deployment tools. For those without a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure, MDT leverages Windows deployment tools for Lite Touch Installation deployments.  

MDT WALKTRHOUGHS:

PART 1: Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Using MDT 2010 - "Building the Deployment Environment" - Learn how to build media that will automatically migrate computers from Windows XP to Windows 7 with user data, custom applications and drivers. This demonstration will walk you through the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Deployment Workbench and how it works.

PART 2: Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Using MDT 2010 - "Initiating the Install and Migrating the PC" - Explore the user experience for migrating the Windows XP computer to Windows 7 and how brief – or “lite touch” – interaction is required up front to automate the entire process of data migration, OS installation, driver and application customization, and domain join.

PART 3: Windows 7 Deployment Tools - "Deployment Workbench in Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010" - This demonstration shows how the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is used to create deployment media to install Windows 7. The process includes migration of user files and settings, automated installation of the Windows 7 operating system, automated installation custom applications and performing additional configurations needed when migrating from Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 7.

PART 4: Windows 7 Deployment Tools - "Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration" - This demonstration shows the migration experience from Windows XP to Windows 7 using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit. We will show how user files and settings are migrated quickly using hard-links, applications can be installed and customized according to user roles, and Windows 7 is installed and configured with minimal up-front initiation from the IT administrator. 

• Upgrading to Windows 7 for Small and Midsize Businesses - Choose the best method for deploying Windows 7 in your environment.
• Building a Standard Image of Windows 7 Step-by-Step Guide  - Explains how to install a custom image by using an operating system image that includes your customizations and applications.
• Upgrading to Windows 7 with a Standard Image Overview - Use this method to upgrade to Windows 7 if your business has 100–200 client computers with a small network, possibly in multiple locations.
• Manual Installation of Windows 7 Overview - Learn how to use the Manual Installation method to install Windows 7.
• Automated Installation of Windows 7 Overview - Use this method to install Windows 7 if your business has 200–500 client computers, at least one location with more than 25 users, and managed networks based on Windows Server, possibly in multiple locations.
• Automated Installation To Upgrade Windows 7 Step-by-Step Guide - Learn how to use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 to automate Windows 7 installation. 

• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT 5.5) - evaluate and mitigate application compatibility issues before deploying Windows Vista, Windows 7, a Windows Update, or a new version of Internet Explorer. (Support:  ACT 5 Step by Step Guides)
• Desktop Deployment Planning Services is a Software Assurance Packaged Services Benefit that offers pre-deployment planning designed to help guide customers through deployment and business value planning stages of Desktop implementation.
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit an agentless toolkit that finds computers on a network, performing a detailed inventory of the computers using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), the Remote Registry Service, or the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

IBM Hardware Pack, helps to assess your current IT infrastructure and determine the right resources for your IT needs. The tool provides guidance on consolidating workloads with Microsoft virtualization technologies on IBM System x and BladeCenter servers.

• Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer provides a streamlined method to identify missing security updates and common security misconfigurations.
• Security Baselines Beta for Windows 7 & Internet Explorer 8 provides recommendations to help you plan, deploy, and monitor the security of Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8.
• Security Compliance Management Toolkit Series provides IT professionals with an end-to-end solution to help them plan, deploy, and monitor security baselines of Windows operating systems and 2007 Microsoft Office applications.
• Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool allows you to create a copy of your Windows 7 ISO file to USB flash drive or DVD. To create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD, download the ISO file and then run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool. Once this is done, you can install Windows 7 directly from the USB flash drive or DVD.  (Alt Solution)

--> Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor v2.0

 

NOTE:  Before you begin, be sure to plug in and turn on any USB devices or other devices, such as printers, external hard disks, and scanners, that you regularly use with the PC you're checking.

BitLocker protection on removable drives is known as BitLocker To Go. When a BitLocker-protected removable drive is unlocked on a computer running Windows 7, the drive is automatically recognized and the user is either prompted for credentials to unlock the drive or the drive is unlocked automatically if configured to do so. Computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista do not automatically recognize that the removable drive is BitLocker-protected. With the BitLocker To Go Reader users can unlock the BitLocker-protected drives by using a password or a recovery password (also known as a recovery key) and gain read-only access to their data.

--> Download BitLocker To Go Reader