Windows® 7 features

HomeGroup: Share files and printers on a home network.

Even if you don't have a server, you can take advantage of HomeGroup to easily share documents, printers and more across multiple Windows® 7 PCs. And not to worry — HomeGroup is password protected, so you decide what gets shared, and what stays private. You can join a HomeGroup network with any edition of Windows® 7, but you can only create one with Windows® 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate.

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Domain Join: Use your home PC at the office.

A domain is a type of computer network commonly found in the workplace. Windows® 7 Professional and Ultimate editions include an easy-to-use wizard that helps you join a domain quickly and more securely.

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Jump Lists: Open frequently used files in just two clicks.

New in Windows® 7, Jump Lists are shortcuts to files or commands. Just right-click a program icon on the Windows® 7 taskbar and a Jump List will open with your recent documents, pictures, songs or Web sites. You can even Pin programs you use often to the taskbar so you can launch them in just one click.

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Networking: Connect to most available networks with three clicks.

Windows® 7 makes it easier to view and connect to networks on your laptop wherever you go. Just click the network signal strength status icon on the taskbar to see all available wireless and wired networks, including Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up or corporate VPN. Click again to choose, and once more to connect.

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Windows Media Center: Watch, pause, rewind and record live TV.¹

Get access to free entertainment wherever and whenever you want with Internet TV.* Search and find TV shows and movies from the Internet with one simple-to-use guide. Plus, add an inexpensive TV tuner to turn your Windows Media Center into a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for recording broadcast TV shows, so you can watch them on your own schedule. Available in Windows® 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate editions.

*Internet access required. Free Internet TV content varies by geography. Some content may require additional fees.

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Aero®: Manage your desktop in style.

Customize the look of your computer and get quicker, more convenient access to programs and files. Snap, Aero® Shake and Aero® Peek features help you cut through desktop clutter by quickly resizing or closing open windows, minimizing them, or making them transparent so you can focus on the file you need now. Available in Windows® 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate editions.

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Internet Explorer® 8: Find what you're looking for fast.

Browse the web more quickly and easily with Internet Explorer® 8, included in all Windows® 7 editions. You'll spend less time trying to find what you're looking for and you'll be able to do more with that content once you find it.

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Parental Controls: Manage your kids' computer use and help them be safer online.

With Parental Controls in Windows® 7, you can set specific times when your children can use the PC, and determine which programs they can use and which games they can play. With Parental Controls in Windows Media Center, you can even block access to objectionable TV shows and movies.

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Windows® Touch: Use your touch-screen PC more easily and intuitively.

Move over mouse! When you pair Windows® 7 with a touch-screen PC, you can browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums, and shuffle files and folders — using nothing but your fingers. Plus, with new multi-touch technology, you can zoom in, right-click and more on any multi-touch-compatible PC. Available only in Windows® 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate editions.

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Windows® XP Mode: Run many Windows XP productivity applications.²

Designed primarily with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, Windows XP Mode is available as a free download for Windows® 7 Professional and Ultimate editions only. This mode requires virtualization software such as Windows® Virtual PC, which is also free on Microsoft's Web site. To download Windows® XP Mode or learn about its system requirements, visit the Windows Virtual PC Web site.

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BitLocker™: Help protect data on your PC against loss or theft.

Improved for Windows® 7 and available in Windows® 7 Ultimate, BitLocker™ helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by automatically encrypting any file you save to your hard drive. And with the new BitLocker To Go™, you can even protect the files you save to easily misplaced portable storage devices like USB flash drives and external hard drives.

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Backup and Restore: Recover your files and programs in the event of a crash.

This feature returns your PC's system files and programs to a time when everything was working fine, potentially preventing hours of troubleshooting headaches. With Windows® 7, you can now create more system restore points and see exactly what files will be removed or added in the event your PC needs to be restored.

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Language Options: Choose from and switch between 35 languages.

Work in the language of your choice or switch between any of 35 languages. Available with Windows® 7 Ultimate edition only.

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Location Aware Printing: Print to your previously used printers automatically.

Set Windows® 7 to automatically send documents to the right printer when you move back and forth between home and business networks. Available in Windows® 7 Professional and Ultimate.

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Let's get down to business. Find the Windows® 7 edition you need.

¹ Internet access required. Free Internet TV content varies by geography. Some content may require additional fees.

² Requires download of Windows® XP Mode (which runs on Windows® 7 Professional or Ultimate) and virtualization technology such as Windows® Virtual PC. Customers can download Windows® XP Mode and Windows® Virtual PC free of charge from www.windows.com/business/downloads when available.