Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
Windows 7 may be faster and more stable than Vista, but it’s a far cry from problem-free. David A. Karp comes to the rescue with the latest in his popular Windows Annoyances series. This thorough guide gives you the tools you need to fix the troublesome parts of this operating system, plus the solutions, hacks, and timesaving tips to make the most of your PC. Streamline Windows Explorer, improve the Search tool, eliminate the Green Ribbon of Death, and tame User Account Control prompts Explore p
Rating: 
(out of 7 reviews)
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Review by 35-year Technology Consumer for Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
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…or maybe after a generation of Windows operating systems, we’re simply immune to assaults by Windows products on the sensibilities of computer users (especially users more interested in doing things with their data files than tweaking their operating systems).
In either case, “Windows 7 Annoyances” is less a catalog of serious Windows 7 annoyances, and more a compendium of advanced Windows 7 features, trips and tricks.
The features and solutions it offers are thorough, and described in superb technical detail. The target audience for this book is clearly power users confident in the deep (and sometimes scary) areas of Windows 7. Proof of this is found in Chapter 3, 72 pages devoted exclusively to the Windows registry. David Karp offers exhaustive descriptions and prescriptions of the Windows 7 registry. He does this very well, but in giving registry tweaks this much emphasis he is speaking to advanced power users of computers. Most Windows users are probably better served by avoiding working in the registry except for last-ditch efforts to correct their worst problems. Registry modifications bring with them the true potential to inflict serious unintended consequences to your computer, and I suggest that the book’s biggest shortcoming is in not giving this potential risk enough emphasis.
Similarly, Chapter 9 is focused entirely on use of text-based command prompts. These are arguably tools of the power user looking to work faster (or deeper) than a GUI permits.
Otherwise, the book is a delightful guide to things about Windows 7 that Microsoft forgot to tell us. It describes the different versions of Windows 7, gives sound advice on making files and folders behave consistently, provides a tutorials on media files, offers troubleshooting and diagnostic tools, and walks you patiently through networking/Internet concepts and security issues.
Two appendices provide overviews of the BIOS (the basic input output system, which allows a personal computer to boot into ANY operating system), and TCP/IP, the standards that allow data to flow over the Internet regardless of the hardware and software packages that are sending and receiving them.
If you’re not *seriously* annoyed by Windows 7, then this book may be more than you need, and you might want to consider Windows 7: The Missing Manual instead.
But if you’re a power user and want to increase your control over Windows 7 (or if you are the go-to person for fixing the computer problems of family and friends), then this book will be a good addition to your troubleshooting toolkit.
Review by Brett Merkey for Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
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Anyone who has been burned by Microsoft Windows’ ability to “help” you at just the wrong time in just the wrong way, will have developed a cautious attitude to any new Microsoft offering. This finely organized and clearly written book will help you stay in control.
You might even save some money as well as time. Right up front in the early pages, the author shows you the scoop on the “Ultimate” version features and how to get them for free.
After the requisite “getting started,” the book has the following sections:
- Shell tweaks
- Registry secrets and hacks
- Controlling video, audio and other media
- Performance tuning
- Troubleshooting
- Networking and internet
- Managing users and security
- Command prompt and automation (including PowerShell)
I liked Karp’s clear use of language. He will not subject you to the puns, gags and cloying humor inflicted by so many books on computer tech. The illustrations in this 700 page book are simple, perhaps a bit small, but they quite adequately communicate the point being discussed. You will have to do without color. Those famous Windows blue and green screens of death are grayscale screens of death here!
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Review by Daniel McKinnon for Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
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‘Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions’ by David Karp is a fantastic book for anyone looking to squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze the most out of Windows 7. Made for hackers or the non-newbie user (let’s be honest folks, the average person that gets a Windows 7 computer isn’t going to be doing much other than browsing the web and some basic file operations, this is a very detailed analysis of all the goodies (and baddies) that exist in Micro$oft’s newest operating system.
If you want to get your hands dirty and have some fun, pick up this great book!!
***** RECOMMENDED
Review by Ira Laefsky for Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
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This is an excellent book for a user who is somewhat familiar with the nature of an Operating System on tuning and customizing important aspects of the Windows 7 Operating System. It will be a valuable resource for advanced users of Microsoft’s Windows 7 Operating System
in addressing performance barriers and mismatches between their preferred way of managing and using a computer and the default way Windows 7 “acts” with a given hardware configuration. I love the book–but have some concerns that naive users of “WINDOWS” may find
themselves out of their depth in attempting to adjust such features as Registry Manipulations, User Account Control’s, and Disk and Network Configuration. The book is exceptionally clear, but not chatty, and inexperienced users trying to modify the Registry may become
flustered if a screen prompt or message occurs that is not explicitly illustrated in the text.
Experienced users of “Real Operating Systems” will find everything they need, clearly explained on issues of Installation and Disk Configuration, Registry, User Account Controls, Networking, Troubleshooting the Operating System, and automating tasks from the Command Prompt. This is a superb book for the experienced computer user in making Windows 7 perform as s/he would like. It is not a book for the Newbie to consult when “Something just happened when I hit the “Any Key”.
–Ira Laefsky
MSE/MBA IT Consultant and Former Senior Staff Member of Arthur D. Little, Inc. and Digital Equipment Corporation
Review by Len Pasen for Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions
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Have referred to book 3 times so far. Just what I needed. Came in New cond. Quick Ship.