Windows 7 is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs.[6] It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009,[7] and became generally available for retail worldwide on October 22, 2009,[8] less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. Windows 7 is succeeded by Windows 8.
Unlike Windows Vista's many new features, Windows 7 was an incremental upgrade designed to work with Vista-compatible applications and hardware.[9]Presentations given by Microsoft in 2008 focused on multi-touch support, an updated Windows shell with a new taskbar, referred to internally as theSuperbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup,[10] and performance improvements. Some standard applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, including Windows Calendar, Windows Mail,Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are not included in Windows 7;[11][12] most are instead offered separately at no charge as part of the Windows Essentials suite.[13]
Features[edit]
New and changed[edit]
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
Among Windows 7's new features are advances in touch and handwriting recognition,[14] support for virtual hard disks,[15] improved performance on multi-core processors,[16][17][18][19] improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernelimprovements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter),[20] a new version of Windows Media Center,[21] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPSEssentials Pack[22] and Windows PowerShell[23] being included, and a redesigned Calculatorwith multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion for length, weight, temperature, and several others.[24] Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner[25] Display Color Calibration Wizard,[26] Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.[27] Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer. ReadyBoost on 32-bit editions now supports up to 256 gigabytes of extra allocation. Windows 7 also supports images in RAW image format through the addition of Windows Imaging Component-enabled image decoders, which enables raw image thumbnails, previewing and metadata display in Windows Explorer, plus full-size viewing and slideshows in Windows Photo Viewer and Windows Media Center.[28]
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with the ability to pin applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[29] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[30] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly (8 pixels) wider in order to accommodate being pressed by a finger.[31] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature namedAero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to the top of the screen.[32] Dragging windows to the left/right edges of the screen allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen for comparison between windows, such that the windows vertically take up half the screen. When a user moves windows that were maximized using Aero Snap, the system restores their previous state automatically. This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain translucent. Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[33] Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7.
Users are also able to disable or customize many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player 12, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[34] A new version of Microsoft Virtual PC, newly renamed as Windows Virtual PC was made available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[35] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[36] Furthermore, Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD; however, this ability is only available in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions.[37] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games, thus allowing use of DirectX 10 in remote desktop environments.[38] The three application limit, previously present in the Windows Vista and Windows XP Starter Editions, has been removed from Windows 7.[39] All editions include some new and improved features that originated with Vista, such as Windows Search,Security features, and some features new to Windows 7. Optional BitLocker Drive Encryptionis included with Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise. Windows Defender is included; Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus software is a free download. All editions include Shadow Copy, which—every day or so—System Restore uses to take an automatic "previous version" snapshot of user files that have changed.[40] Backup and restore have also been improved,[41][42] and the Windows Recovery Environment—installed by default—replaces the optional Recovery Console of Windows XP.
Windows 7 includes improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API[43] to provide multilingual support (particularly in Ultimate and Enterprise editions). Microsoft has also implemented better support for solid-state drives,[44] including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 is able to identify a solid-state drive uniquely. Native support for USB 3.0 is not included due to delays in the finalization of the standard.[45] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[46][47]
For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services),[48] new features to simplify development of installation packages and shorten application install times.[49] Windows 7, by default, generates less User Account Control (UAC) prompts because it allows digitally signed Windows components to gain elevated privileges without a prompt. This behavior has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted component.[50] Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that malware can also compromise a system when users agree to a prompt.[51]
Removed[edit]
Main article: List of features removed in Windows 7
Certain capabilities and programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have been changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionalities. These include the classic Start Menu user interface, some taskbar features, Windows Explorer features,Windows Media Player features, Windows Ultimate Extras and InkBall. Four applications bundled with Windows Vista – Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar[52] and Windows Mail – are not included with Windows 7, but applications with close functionality are instead available for free in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials which can be downloaded on the Microsoft website.
Editions and market focus[edit]
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 is available in six different editions, of which the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions are available for retail sale to consumers in most countries.[53] The other editions are not available in retail.[53] The Starter edition is only available preinstalled by OEMs on new PCs, the Enterprise edition only by volume licensing, and Home Basic only to certain developing countries' markets. Each edition of Windows 7 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[53][54][55][56][57]
All editions support the IA-32 computer architecture; all except Starter edition support the x86-64 architecture.[58] Retail copies of Windows 7 are distributed on two DVDs: one for the IA-32 version and the other for x86-64. OEM copies include one DVD, depending on the processor architecture licensed.
The installation media is the same for all consumer editions of Windows 7 that have the same processor architecture. Product license is used to determine which features are activated. License upgrades permit the subsequent unlocking of features without re-installation of the operating system. Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[54][58][59] Some copies of Windows 7 have restrictions, in which it must be distributed, sold, or bought and activated in the geographical region[60] specified in its front cover box.[61]
Microsoft is offering a family pack of Windows 7 Home Premium (in select markets) that allows installation on up to three PCs.[62] The "Family Pack" costs US$149.99 in the United States. On September 18, 2009, Microsoft said they were to offer temporary student discounts for Windows 7. The offer ran in the US and the United Kingdom, with similar schemes available in Canada, Australia, Korea, Mexico, France and India. Students with a valid .edu or .ac.uk email address could apply for either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, priced at US$30 or GB£30.[63][64]
Windows 7 is also currently available as an embedded version to developers (previously Windows Embedded 2011).[65]
The different editions of Windows 7 have been designed and marketed toward people with different needs.[66] Out of the different editions (Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate), the Starter edition has been designed and marketed for lower cost notebooks, Home Basic for emerging markets, Home Premium for normal home users, Professional for businesses, Enterprise for larger businesses and corporations, and Ultimate for enthusiasts.[66]
Hardware requirements[edit]
| Architecture | 32-bit | 64-bit |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz IA-32 processor | 1 GHz x86-64 processor |
| Memory (RAM) | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Graphics card | DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver model 1.0 (Not absolutely necessary; only required for Aero) | |
| HDD free space | 16 GB of free disk space | 20 GB of free disk space |
| Optical drive | DVD-ROM drive[68] (Only to install from DVD-ROM media) | |
Additional requirements to use certain features:[67]
- Windows XP Mode (Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise): Requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and additional 15 GB of available hard disk space. The requirement for a processor capable of hardware virtualization has been lifted.[69]
- Windows Media Center (included in Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise), requires a TV tuner to receive and record TV.
Hardware support limits[edit]
Physical memory[edit]
Maximum limits on physical memory (RAM) that Windows 7 can address vary depending on both the Windows version and between 32-bit and 64-bit versions.[70] The following table specifies the maximum physical memory limits supported:
| Version | Limit in 32-bit Windows | Limit in 64-bit Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 7 Ultimate | 4 GB | 192 GB |
| Windows 7 Enterprise | ||
| Windows 7 Professional | ||
| Windows 7 Home Premium | 16 GB | |
| Windows 7 Home Basic | 8 GB | |
| Windows 7 Starter | 2 GB | N/A |
Processor[edit]
The maximum total number of logical processors[71] in a PC that Windows 7 supports is: 32[72] for 32-bit, 256[73] for 64-bit.
The maximum number of physical processors in a PC that Windows 7 supports is: 2 for Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate, and 1 for Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium.[74]
