Windows 7 Release Candidate v r

As many of you should already know, we recently released Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) for Technet, MSND, MSDN-AA first and for everybody else a bit later.

I installed it as soon as I could and have been playing around with it for a few days already and found a couple of things I thought I would share.

How to provide feedback

The Beta version of Windows 7 had a Send Feedback link in the title bar of every window and that is gone now. The reason why is because being an almost final version, we want to test the “real thing” and the link on the title bar is not intended to be there in the final release.

So what to do if you do want to provide feedback? Quite simple:

  1. 1. Click on the Start menu
  2. 2. type CMD and hit Enter (this will open a command window)
  3. 3. type “rundll32.exe FeedbackTool.dll,ShowWizard” and hit enter again

This will open the Send an Issue report screen that you can use to send your feedback:

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You can also create a link on the desktop to point to the same:

  1. Right click on the Desktop
  2. Click New –> Shortcut
  3. In the Type the location of the item enter “rundll32.exe FeedbackTool.dll,ShowWizard”, then click Next
  4. Choose the name you prefer (I called it “Send Feedback”)
  5. Click on Finish

 

Where are the nice backgrounds?

The release candidate shipped with a number of very cool backgrounds which are all available via the Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Personalization applet.

Some of them are common for all installations and some are “localised”. So if you are in the UK you will see a United Kingdom section on top of the standard ones:

image

Now, what if you want to access the files? Easy, just open a Windows Explorer window and go to one of the following folders:

C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper

c:\windows\Globalization\MCT

(you need to type this address as the MCT folder itself is hidden and you cannot get there just browsing)

 

How can I create my own background slideshow?

One of the things I like most of Windows 7 is how easy it makes to customise your desktop and how it has a built in method of using a slideshow as desktop background.

But since I prefer to set up my own slideshow with some of my photos and some that were built in, how can I go about that?

Simple… create a folder somewhere (I did it in the picture folder) and call it something like “Desktop Backgrounds”. Put your own photos there (may be using also some of the built in ones discussed above).

Open the Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Personalization\Desktop Background applet (right click on the Desktop, click on Personalize, click on Desktop background).

In the Choose your Desktop Background window click on Browse, select your newly created folder and you are all set.

image

Really easy but a great effect!!!