How to Change Default Programs in Windows 7

11/01/2012 04:30:00 PM

Installing Windows 7 - Step by step

Boot from Windows 7 DVD

The first step is to place your Windows 7 DVD into the DVD tray and boot the machine. Your computer needs to be configured to boot from DVD. This is done via BIOS. On most computers, the BIOS menu can be accessed by pressing either the F2 or Del keys while the machine is booting.

Once you have completed this stage, Windows 7 will start loading. If you see the below image, you're doing well so far.

After a few moments, you will reach the installation menu. Your first step is to choose the language and the keyboard.

You will be now taken to the Install now menu. We have already prepared for the installation, so you can click Install now and proceed.

The next step is to accept the license agreement.

After this, you will have to decide whether you want to Upgrade an existing installation or perform a Custom (advanced) installation, which is basically creating a new copy of Windows.

We will discuss multiple boots in a separate tutorial. For now, if you are interested, you may want to explore a Dual boot tutorial that tackles this issue from the Linux side, with a Linux distribution being installed alongside Windows XP. In the soon-to-come multiple-boot tutorial, I will address the installation of Windows 7 alongside other Windows (XP and 7), as well as Linux.

Personally, I recommend you install a new copy. Fresh installations are always better. Your machine starts in a pristine state and does not rely on old leftovers.

Partitioning

The next step is to choose where you want to install Windows 7. This is probably the most important part of the entire installation, so you need to be very careful here and make the right choices.

We only have a 20GB unallocated space on our disk, so we have no dilemma. However, it is possible that you may have other partitions from previous installations present, or you may have created a custom partitioning setup before starting Windows 7 installation using a third-party partitioning software, like GParted. We will soon this discuss in greater detail. For now, let us create our Windows 7 partitions.

Inexperienced users can simply highlight the unallocated space and click Next. The partitioning layout will be created for them. However, we want to explore additional features. To this end, we need to expand the Drive options (advanced).

You now have the option to create new partitions, format them with a desired filesystem, change the size of existing or newly created partition (Extend), or delete them. The Load Driver function is usually necessary if you want to create more complex setups like RAID, but this is currently beyond the scope of this tutorial.

We will create a new partition. According to official system requirements, Windows 7 needs 16GB of free space. However, you can do with less. The minimum recommended space for a partition where you want to place Windows 7 is 10350MB. Eventually, the installation itself will take approx. 7GB.

Just for your information, here's a snippet of what would happen if you try to install Windows 7 on a partition that does not meet the minimum expected size limit:

This does not mean your installation won't succeed. It might, but why risk it?

We will create a 14GB partition:

Windows 7 installer will now tell you that it will have to create an additional partition for the core system files. This will be a small primary partition ahead of your newly created one.

This is what it looks like:

Important technical bits to pay attention to!

We now have a system partition and a primary partition, plus some free space. In purely technical terms, there is no such thing as a partition of the type system. There are only two types of partitions: primary and logical. The above-mentioned partition is a primary partition.

In total, there can only be up to four primary partitions on any physical disk. Windows 7, by itself, creates and uses at least two primary partitions. If we created another partition in the free space, it would too, become a primary partition.

Some quick math, this means that if we want to have more than two Windows 7 installations side by side, we don't have enough partitions available.

Recommendation:

Use a third-party partitioning tool to create a partition layout beforehand. This will allow you to place Windows 7 files on a logical partition, saving yourself the precious commodity of wasting primary partitions on what is essentially non-system data. We will see this example in a separate tutorial.

If you're using ONLY Windows 7 to create a partition layout on your system, then you should just create a partition with a sufficient size to hold the Windows 7 data files and nothing else. The system partition will be added. Leave the handling of any unpartitioned, free space after the installation.

Begin installation

If you're comfortable with your setup, highlight the created partition and click Next. Windows 7 will be installed to this partition. Depending on your hardware, this can take some time. My testing shows approx. 30-40 minutes.

During the installation, your computer may restart several times. Let it be.

User settings

Eventually, you will be asked to provide your username and a computer name. You will also have to password-protect your account. This is most advisable. You should opt for a strong password.

Activation

The next step is to activate your Windows. Grab your key and type it here.

Updates

You will be asked to configure your updates. You can choose either setting you like. However, I recommend you configure this choice later, after Windows 7 is installed and running properly.

We will discuss this separately in the Windows 7 security tutorial. Therefore, I will chooseAsk me later, but you may want to go for either the first or the second option, as you see fit.

Time zone

Configure your time zone:

Location

Your location will determine the firewall settings for your newly installed Windows 7. You have three choices: home, work or public network. Home and work networks are supposed to be trusted, so you should not experience any problems adding other machines to your group or sharing data with them.

However, the public network is meant to be untrusted. So if you have installed Windows 7 in, let's say, Internet cafe, then you should choose the third option.

Congratulations!

Congratulations, you have just successfully installed Windows 7.

11/01/2012 04:06:00 PM

How to Change Default Programs in Windows 7

Default Programs is used to choose which programs you want Windows to use by default to open a particular type of file, such as a music file, an image, or a web page. For example, if you have more than one media player installed on your computer, you can choose one of them to be the default player.

Using Default Programs, you can:

Set your default programs
Associate a file type with a program
Change AutoPlay settings
Set default programs for this computer

Let's see how you can change settings using Default Programs.

1. Click the Start button to view the Start Menu and then choose the Control Panel option.

2. The Control Panel window opens up. Click on the All Control Panel Items.

3. From all the options choose Default Programs.

4. The windows shows various options. Click on the Set your default program.

A window opens up with the list of all programs available on your computer.

Choose the program from the list by clicking on it eg. Windows Media Player and then click on the Set this program as default link and click Ok.

5. To make a file to be open with a particular program, click on Associate a file type or protocol with a program in the Default Programs window. All the file types with their extension names are listed.

As in above screen shot you can see the default program for .bmp files is Paint. You can change it to Windows Photo Viewer. Click on .bmp file extension, click on Change Program button. A popup opens up as below:

You can also Browse to select other programs. Select the Windows Photo Viewer from the Recommended Programs list and click ok.

6. To change AutoPlay Settings for CDs and other media click on the Change AutoPlay Settings in the Default Programs window. The window opens up with the default settings.

For Audio CD choose Play Audio CD using Windows Media Player option from the combo box and for Pictures choose View pictures using Windowsand so on. Click Save to update the changes.

7. Click the last option in the Default Programs that is Set program access and compuer defaults. Window opens up with three configuration options as below:

Using this you can control access to some programs and also set default programs for the computer. Clicking on the Microsoft Windows configuration option shows the default setting for Microsoft windows.

8. Click on Non-Microsoft option to see the defaults for Non-Microsoft programs.

9. You can also customize the configuration settings by clicking on Custom option. Window opens up.

Change default media player as Windows Media Player as shown in the below screen shot.

Click on OK to save changes.

11/01/2012 03:59:00 PM

How to setup a Network Connection using Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7

Network and Sharing Center allows you the options to Setup a new connection or network, Connect to a network and share the resources.

With a home or small office network, you can share an Internet connection or a printer, view and work with shared files, and play multiple-player computer games.

Let's see how to configure a network:

1. Click the Start button to view the Start Menu and then choose the Control Panel option.

2. The Control Panel window opens up. Click All Control Panel Items.

Window shows All Control Panel Items.

Click Network and Sharing Center, window opens up with the basic network information and showing your active networks.

3. Setup a new connection or network: allows you to setup a wireless, broadband, dial-up, ad hoc, or VPN connection; or set up a router oraccess point.

4. Choose the connection option eg. Connect to the Internet and click Next.

5. Choose the option How you want to connect? eg. Broadband(PPPoE).

You will be prompted to enter User name and Password provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Provide the info.

To view your password, check Show characters checkbox.

Select Remember this password checkbox if you want this computer to remember your password.

Type connection name. To share this connection with others who use this computer you can click Allow other people to use this connection. clickConnect.

If fails to connect the windows opens up as.

If connected successfully, the window looks as below screen shot.

6. Connect to a Network: allows you to connect to an existing network. Click Connect to a Network. The available networks are shown as below.

Choose the connection eg. Broadband Connection and click Connect.

Provide the User name and password and click Connect.

7. Choose homegroup and sharing options: allows you to access files and printers located on other network computers. You can also change sharing settings.

8. Fix a network problem: is useful to diagnose and repair network problems, or get troubleshooting information.

Click Internet Connections -> Next.

Select Can I access a specific web page?

Enter Website address as Google and click Next.

11/01/2012 07:50:00 AM

Configure a guest WLAN

Configuration

The changes below assume an OpenWrt default configuration, the relevant files are:

/etc/config/network
/etc/config/wireless
/etc/config/dhcp
/etc/config/firewall
/etc/config/wshaper

Step 1: Define a new network

Edit /etc/config/network and define a new interface section:

[..]
config 'interface' 'guest'
#       option 'type' 'bridge'
        option 'proto' 'static'
        option 'ipaddr' '10.0.0.1'
        option 'netmask' '255.255.255.0'
[..]

The new network interface will have to be configured as a bridge if your wireless network has multiple radios and access points, and you wish to connect more than one to the guest network.

Step 2: Copy the existing wireless network

In /etc/config/wireless, define a new, second wifi-iface section by copying the existing one and change its network option to point to the newly created interface section.

[..]
config 'wifi-iface'
        option 'device' '…'
        option 'mode' 'ap'
        option 'network' 'guest'
        option 'ssid' 'guest'
        option 'encryption' 'none'
[..]

For option 'device' '…' you should put the device listed in your 'wifi-device' section. For example, if your 'wifi-device' says config 'wifi-device' 'wifi0' then the wifi-iface section should say option 'device' 'wifi0'

Note: Your hardware may not be capable of this. For example, open source b43 driver for Broadcome hardware cannot have multiple SSIDs. You need to use the proprietary wl driver by Broadcom (with 2.6 kernel) - currently, you need to build the images yourself. — sup 2012/05/12 20:22

Step 3: Define a new DHCP pool

In order to support DHCP on 'guest' wireless, a new dhcp pool must be defined in /etc/config/dhcp:

[..]
config 'dhcp' 'guest'
        option 'interface' 'guest'
        option 'start' '150'
        option 'limit' '100'
        option 'leasetime' '1h'
[..]

Step 4a: Adjust firewall settings

Edit /etc/config/firewall and add new zone section covering the 'guest' interface, allow internet, DNS and DHCP to guests:

[..]
config 'zone'
        option 'name' 'guest'
        option 'input' 'REJECT'
        option 'forward' 'REJECT'
        option 'output' 'ACCEPT'

# Allow Guest -> Internet
config 'forwarding'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest' 'wan'

# Allow DNS Guest -> Router
# Client DNS queries ordinate from dynamic UDP ports (>1023) 
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest_port' '53'
        option 'proto' 'tcpudp'
        option 'target' 'ACCEPT'

# Allow DHCP Guest -> Router
# DHCP communication uses UDP ports 67-68
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'src_port' '67-68'
        option 'dest_port' '67-68'
        option 'proto' 'udp'
        option 'target' 'ACCEPT'
[..]

— sartan 2011/03/17 05:45

Step 4b: Different modifications to firewall settings

I created this small set of firewall rules to completely isolate guests on the guest SSID. I had some devices that only worked with WEP or no authentication at all. WEP doesn't like to run on .11n devices in HT mode, so the only option was a wide-open SSID. I also didn't want my neighbors to quickly steal my internet… This firewall config will only allow specific, known source MACs to connect to the internet, with zero access to the rest of the network.

Edit /etc/config/firewall and add new zone section covering the 'guest' interface, allow SSH, DNS and DHCP to guests, allow only specific source MAC addresses out to the WAN, drop broadcast traffic and deny the rest of orders:

[..]

# Enable logging
config 'zone'
        option 'name' 'guest'
        option 'input' 'REJECT'
        option 'forward' 'REJECT'
        option 'output' 'ACCEPT'

# Quick rule to allow SSH in
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest_port' '22'
        option 'proto' 'tcp'
        option 'target' 'ACCEPT'

# Allow DNS Guest -> Router
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest_port' '53'
        option 'proto' 'tcpudp'
        option 'target' 'ACCEPT'

# Allow DHCP Guest -> Router
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'src_port' '67-68'
        option 'dest_port' '67-68'
        option 'proto' 'udp'
        option 'target' 'ACCEPT'

# Allow only specific source MAC addresses out to the WAN
config 'rule'
        option '_name' 'Nintendo DS'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest' 'wan'
        option 'proto' 'all'
        option 'src_mac' '00:ab:00:32:00:00'
        option 'target' 'ACCEPT'

# Drop broadcast traffic, it just fills the logs :)
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest_ip' '172.16.62.255'
        option 'target' 'DROP'

# Another explicit deny at the end.
config 'rule'
        option 'src' 'guest'
        option 'dest' 'wan'
        option 'proto' 'all'
        option 'target' 'REJECT'

[..]

Step 5: Limit bandwidth of the connection

This is completely optional. Install package wshaper: opkg install wshaper

Edit /etc/config/wshaper:

config 'wshaper' 'settings'
        option 'network' '…'
        option 'downlink' '512'
        option 'uplink' '128'

For option network '…' run iwconfig and find out the interface that is running the guest WLAN.

Note: downlink and uplink options are maximal limits, but in practice the speed will be lower as wshaper also tries to prioritize traffic (so that the network stays responsive evene when someone downloads a huge file). The units are kbits.

Apply changes

Enable the new wireless network
```
wifi
```
Restart the firewall
```
/etc/init.d/firewall restart
```
Restart the DHCP service
```
/etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart
```
Start traffic shaping
```
/etc/init.d/wshaper start
```
Make traffic shaping permanent
```
/etc/init.d/wshaper enable
```

Troubleshooting

If you don't get an IP from DHCP check if you listen to the interface.

[..]
config 'dnsmasq'
        [..]
        list 'interface' 'lan'
        list 'interface' 'guest'
[..]

11/01/2012 07:31:00 AM

Bridged AP

Bridged AP is to extend your existing wired host router with wireless capabilities. Clients connecting to OpenWRT will get an IP address from the wired host router.

OpenWrt bridges the LAN network with the WLAN of the device in Access Point mode. The advantage of bridging is that broadcast traffic from Wireless to LAN and viceversa works without further changes.

This document outlines the steps necessary to implement such a setup.

Configuration

The changes below assume an OpenWrt default configuration, the relevant files are:

vi /etc/config/network
vi /etc/config/wireless

Step 1: Define a new network

Edit /etc/config/network and define a new interface section:

config interface loopback
        option ifname lo
        option proto static
        option ipaddr 127.0.0.1
        option netmask 255.0.0.0

config interface lan
        option ifname eth0
        option type bridge
        option proto static
        option ipaddr 192.168.1.2
        option netmask 255.255.255.0
        option gateway 192.168.1.1
        option dns 192.168.1.1

Step 2: Change the existing wireless network

In /etc/config/wireless, locate the existing wifi-iface section and change its network option to point to the newly created interface section.

config wifi-device wifi0
        option type atheros
        option channel 11

config wifi-iface
        option device wifi0
        option network lan
        option mode ap
        option ssid OpenWrt
        option encryption none

Optionally change the last line for option encryption 'psk2' and add the line option key 'secret key' to enable WPA encryption

root@OpenWrt:~# ifup wifi
root@OpenWrt:~# wifi

Installing Windows 7 - Step by step

Boot from Windows 7 DVD

Partitioning

Begin installation

User settings

Activation

Updates

Time zone

Location

Congratulations!

How to Change Default Programs in Windows 7

How to setup a Network Connection using Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7

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