Windows 7 Tweaks: A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7 [Paperback]

Steve Sinchak (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470525916 | ISBN-13: 978-0470525913 | Publication Date: December 2, 2009 | Edition: 1

The definitive guide to unlocking the hidden potential of the Windows 7 OS

Written by bestselling author and the creator of tweaks.com Steve Sinchak, this unique guide provides you with the ultimate collection of hidden gems that will enable you to get the most out of Windows 7. Packed with more than 400 pages of insider tips, the book delves beneath the surface to reveal little-known ways to tweak, modify, and customize Windows 7 so you can get every ounce of performance from your operating system.

Regardless of your experience with tweaking your system, you'll find fascinating and fun tips and tricks for getting under the hood of Windows 7 that will allow you to optimize its appearance, speed, usability, and security.

• Bestselling author and creator of tweaks.com shows you how to tweak, modify, customize, and take complete control of the new Windows 7 operating system
• Unlocks hidden gems for optimizing the appearance, speed, usability, and security of the Windows 7 OS
• Shows you how to customize boot and login screens, supercharge your network and online speed, get rid of features that drive you nuts, fine tune your User Account Protection, and more

So roll up your sleeves and take off your gloves so you can take total control over your Windows 7 OS!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Your Windows. Your way. You can make it happen.

Windows 7 has been hailed as the best version to date, designed with a focus on quality and user input. But did anyone ask what YOU wanted?

Follow Steve Sinchak's expert and understandable advice, and you can have Windows 7 exactly your way. Better performance. Faster bootups. A personalized user interface. Tighter security that doesn't drive you crazy. By the time you've finished this book, your Windows 7 will look and feel as if Microsoft designed it just for you.

Analyze the performance of your PC and learn how specific components can be optimized

Security is improved in Windows 7 but the most powerful and flexible settings are hidden from normal users

• Understand the different versions, choose what you need, and install Windows 7

• Customize startup and navigation, including the Taskbar and Windows Explorer interface

• Tweak Windows Media® Player and Media Center for your specific needs

• Optimize the file system, RAM, and other core Windows components

• Analyze performance to find and fix bottlenecks

• Take command of User Account Control and secure your data

• Improve online security and guard your privacy

About the Author

Steve Sinchak has repeatedly been honored with Microsoft's MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He manages several Web sites geared toward computer enthusiasts, most notably tweaks.com and wingeek.com. Steve is the author of Hacking Windows Vista and Hacking Windows XP, both from Wiley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470525916
• ISBN-13: 978-0470525913
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Sinchak, in addition to being a Microsoft MVP, is an entrepreneur who runs a Web development firm, Advanced PC Media LLC. He has worked with computers for 15 years and writes for several geek-oriented Web sites, including TweakVista.com. Steve is a systems engineer for a Global 100 company and the author of several books, including Hacking Windows XP, also published by Wiley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book!, February 7, 2010

By 

Chever (Salt Lake, Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows 7 Tweaks: A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7 (Paperback)

While I do not own this book yet, I have borrowed it from a local library and I am going to be purchasing it as soon as I can. I had also borrowed the Windows 7 Inside Out book and Windows 7 Tweaks is far better hands down. Within the first few pages the author is already suggesting registry tweaks and third party apps from the internet to accomplish certain OS changes. The whole book appears to be like this. While you could likely find the same stuff and tweaks on the web, having it in book form to to browse by chapter is handy. It might also be a bit technical for users who have never opened regedit or done stuff on the command line.

However if you know your way around the Windows registry this is the book for you.

50 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tweak7 Software, March 6, 2010

By 

J. Smith (oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Windows 7 Tweaks: A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7 (Paperback)

I understand this is a review for a book, but I want to say something about the companion software. I got the book and liked it, so I looked at the companion web site listed in the front of the book and found Tweak7 software. I downloaded the trial and it seemed to work fine so I clicked on purchase and was taken to a site called Stardock to purchase the software. After purchasing the software I was informed I had to download a program called Impulse in order to download the tweak software. I did this to find out Impulse is a front end that pushes you to buy other software. I asked Stardock for a download site and serial for the Tweak software as I didn't want Impulse on my system. As the Tweak software would not run correctly from with in Impulse. The best they would do was refund 75% of my money. Again the book is very informative. I would think twice before ordering the software.
The book is very good and the software works and is easy to use, the problem I had was only with the company selling the software, they are not the people putting out the book.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative!, July 22, 2010

By 

kclam (Hong Kong, China) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Windows 7 Tweaks: A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7 (Paperback)

This book offers a very useful guide to increasing system perfomance and securing Windows 7. Indeed, many of the them apply to Windows Vista as well!

In particular, I find that some tweaks really deliver significant system enhancement. For example: 1) System Boot can be speeded up by defragmenting boot files and disabling unneeded harware devices/services; 2) Computer can log on faster by disabling unneeded startup programs; 3) Windows Explorer runs faster by disabling legacy filename creation; 4) System performance can be enhanced by using a USB memory device for ReadyBoost and defagmenting hard drive using PerfectDisk utility; 5) Internet Explorer can be speeded up by changing default registry values of downloading just two files at a time; web browser security can be boosted by fine-tuning security settings and privacy can be increased by not accepting third-party cookies and do not save encrypted pages to disk.