We’ve been using Windows 7 for 9 months now, and Vista for 2 years before that, so the Search feature is second nature to us now, and if you attended any of our Vista seminars, or watched the videos, you know all about Search too.  But, we’ve heard from many people who are just now switching from XP and going to Windows 7.  For all of you, PLEASE learn about the Search feature in Windows 7.  It makes life with the computer SO much easier!

Using XP – i.e. Before Search

1. You want to use a program called Excel and it doesn’t have an icon on your desktop. In XP you would click on Start, then All Programs, then Microsoft Office, then Excel.  What if you didn’t know that Excel was within Microsoft Office?  You’d just keep hunting and hunting, until, tired and frustrated, you either found the program or gave up?
2. Another example: let’s say you use an obscure bookkeeping program called Easy Bookkeeper.  You don’t have a desktop icon for it, and you don’t even remember that it is named ‘Easy.’  You have no idea where in ‘All Programs’ it is, but if you hunt long enough, you might find it in All Programs, Easy Software, Easy Bookkeeper.  You’d like to make a desktop icon, but you don’t know how

Enter Vista/Windows 7

Search has now become a way of operating your computer.  You don’t need to know where your programs are, let Vista/Windows 7 find it for you.  All you have to know is the name of the program.

1. To use Excel, just click on Start (the ‘Orb’ in the lower left.)  You should see that an empty box has opened up directly above the Start button, and your cursor/insertion point is blinking away just waiting for you to type something.  Type Excel.  If Excel is on your computer, you will see it show up at the top of the list.  Now you can just click it, or press Enter if it’s at the top of the list.  Excel is now open and running.
2. Now, what about ‘Easy Bookkeeper’?’  Same thing, just click Start and type the name.  If you don’t remember that the name starts with ‘Easy’ you can even type Book and ‘Easy Bookkeeper’ will show up on the list.  Select that, and you’re in business.

A New Interface to Using your Computer

This isn’t just a way to search for something you’ve lost!  This is a new way to use your computer.  You don’t have to find a program and double-click on it.  You just click Start, type the name of the program and press Enter.  If you’ve been using Windows XP and are now getting a new computer with Windows 7 do yourself a favor and learn the new features.  Our video series that was recorded on Windows Vista is applicable to Windows 7 as well.  The big changes came in the upgrade to Vista.  Windows 7 only has minor user interface changes.

Videos to Watch:

• No 1 favorite feature: Search  (Free)
• Overview of Files and Folders  (Members Only)
• Desktop Tricks (Members Only

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5. Windows 7 after 4 months