Windows 7: What’s in it for you?

Alaa AjwehMCT Jordan BITS®

Agenda

Introduction to Windows 7

Usability Improvements

Performance & Power Saving Enhancements

Deployment Improvements

Manageability and Recovery

Introduction to Windows 7

• The Name, why “7” ?

• Windows 7 Editions

• Upgrade paths to Windows 7

• Windows 7 Hardware Requirements

The Name

The name is based on the NT version

Not the first time to have the NT version name as the OS Name

‒ Windows NT 3.51

‒ Windows NT 4.0

Why it reads NT 6.1 in the “winver” command?

Windows 7 EditionsMainly, only 3 are available for retail (X86 and X64)

–Windows 7 Home Premium–Windows 7 Professional–Windows 7 Ultimate

Another 3 –Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic for Developing Countries–Windows 7 Enterprise not for OEM

Special editions like “K” and “N”

Windows 7 Upgrade Paths

Upgrade from an Equivalent Windows Vista Edition

No In-Place upgrade from Windows XP

Transitioning is available from XP through Windows Easy Transfer

–Alternately in-place to Vista then in-place to 7.

–Clean Installation is always recommended.

Windows 7 Hardware RequirementsWindows 7 requires less resources than its predecessor

–CPU: 1 GHz–Memory: 1 GB Ram–Graphics: Support DirectX 9 device, 128 MB–Hard Disk Space: 16 GB of Free Disk Space

Windows 7 performs better on the same hardware than its predecessor.

Windows 7: Usability Enhancements• New Taskbar• Aero Enhancements• Search Enhancements• Windows Home Groups

New TaskbarPinned Applications Index Number Shortcut Integrated Start Menu ApplicationsTray Icons new managementPower Management

Aero InteractionsAero Snap, Mouse and Keyboard

–Full Screen–Vertical Maximize–Left and Right–Aero Shake!–Aero Peak

New Themes

Search EnhancementsFaster search results Introducing windows libraries Integrated with SharepointSearch the internet from within Windows Explorer

Windows Home Groups

Easily share Pictures, Music, Videos, Documents, and Printers

For printers, automatically download printer dirvers

Safe, using a Home Group password

Control which to share and which to prevent

Windows 7: Performance Enhancements

• Startup, shutdown, hibernation and sleep

• Graphics

• SuperFetching

• Triggered Services

• Overall memory savings

Startup, shutdown, hibernation and sleep

Allows multiple drivers to load at the same time.

Starts certain services, the remaining are off.

More aggressive to user applications

Reports which services took more time to stop

Less information written to the hard disk

Optimized for post-sleep responsiveness

Graphics

GDI Concurrency

–Vista used to allow holding system-wide exclusive blocks

–Achieved through thorough analysis

–Claiming for system-wide exclusive block is fine-tuned for rendering

Desktop Graphics

–Amount of data needed to run applications has been cut in half

–Accelerate common GDI operations

SuperFetching, Triggered Services

Enhanced user tracking, reduced when the user is active

Doesn’t run if the Windows Experience Index Disk higher than 6.5

Reduced prefetching for large seq. files, write-only files, low

memory machines

Services are off if not used

Domain Join, IP Change, device arrival and removal

Overall Memory Savings

Over 500 memory saving across kernel and runtime components:–Device support–Kernel–File System–Security Components–Graphics–Media–Networking–Shell

Windows 7: Deployment Improvements

• Windows Deployment Services

• Windows AIK 2.0

• Deployment Image Servicing and Management

(DISM)

Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

A Server Role in Server 2008 and Server 2008 R2

Supports remote installations of Operating Systems.

Supports Multicast installations.

Works in Collaboration with Windows AIK

Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) Installation of Windows 7 and prior windows editions. Capture windows images using ImageX Create and manage WindowsPE images. Supports configurations using DISM

Deployment Image Servicing and Management

DISM replaces the pkgMgr, PEImg, and intlConfgOffline and Online servicing.Supports WIM and VHD.

demo

Jordan Remix 2009

Windows 7: Manageability and Recovery• Problem Steps Recorder (PSR)

• Windows Powershell 2.0 and ISE• AppLocker• User Account Control• DirectAccess and BranchCache• Boot from VHD and VHD Mounting• System Restore Preview• Event Triggered Actions• Restore points from Backup

Problem Steps Recorder

All-new feature to Windows

Records what user clicks and takes a capture.

Captures what application is involved.

Let’s the user comment on his actions

Generates a zipped file to be sent

Powershell 2.0 and ISEBuilt-in for Windows 7Over 100 new cmdletsRemote Management Integrated Scripting EnvironmentSupport for transactionsGet-help online parametersBackground Jobshttp://microsoft.com/powershell

AppLockerControls what applications are allowed to Run Improved version of Software Restriction PolicyWorks in collaboration with Server 2008 R2Managed through Group PolicyHighlights:

–Publisher–Version Number–User groups– Import and Export

DirectAccess™

Solves VPN overhead problems

Works in the background

Managed through Windows

Server 2008 R2

Only available with Windows 7

BranchCache™Another improvement to Branch Office ScenariosCaches data coming from any otherBranch connected via WAN LinksWorks in collaboration with Windows Server 2008 R2User rights are checked against the Datacenter version

Boot from VHD and VHD mounts

Supports booting Windows 7 from a VHD

A VHD can be mounting as a if it’s a new hard disk

VHDs can also be created using Computer Management

More Features!Restore Point PreviewSystem Restore from BackupUser Account ControlEvent Viewer – Trigger Actions

ResourcesWindows 7 Website

http://www.microsoft.com/windows7Microsoft Technet

http://technet.microsoft.com

Thank You!

Jordan Remix 2009