There is one caveat though, you need to be running the Ultimate edition of Windows 7 to obtain and install different languages. If you are a volume license customer (large business), you might have access to the business equivalent of Windows 7 Ultimate called Enterprise edition. If don’t have either edition installed, you will need to do a Windows Anytime Upgrade from your current edition of Windows 7 to Windows 7 Ultimate. Click here to learn more about Windows Anytime Upgrade.

Before you can start using a language in Windows 7 Ultimate, you must first download and install it. Microsoft offers up to 35 different multi-lingual user interfaces through its Windows Update service. Lets take a look at how to install and configure one. For the purposes of this review, we are gonna install Spanish.

First, launch Windows Update.

Click Check for updates.

Click the optional updates are available link.

Here you will see a list of available languages for download. Check the desired language you would like to have installed, then click OK.

You will be taken back to the main screen, click Install update.

Wait while the update is downloading.

Installing the Language Pack

After the installation has completed, we will now enable the language pack.

Click Start, then type: language.

Hit Enter on your keyboard.

Click on the Keyboard and Languages tab.

Under Choose a display language, click in the list box and select the language you want to have displayed.

Click Apply and then OK.

You will be prompted to Log off now. Do so then log back in.

That’s it, you are now operating in Windows 7 using a different language.

When you are ready to change back to another language, just reopen the Region and Language dialog and select your default language.

That’s It!

Resources:

How to use Windows Anytime Upgrade
Language Packs in Windows 7
How do I get additional Display Languages

How to Install and Use Languages in Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

With the recent WikiLeaks episode dominating the media, we are witnessing a perfect example of how sensitive information released into the wrong hands can be more than just a nightmare, but also a risk to civilian lives. The vessel for most of what’s happening is the Internet. There is not much you can do about that, you can’t lock down the Internet since it was designed to be an open environment from the beginning.

In the case of the PC though, you have a bit more control. I am not just talking about passwords and access rights, these things are important of course, but there is more to think about today. Users need to look at more advanced tools to keep their sensitive data much safer, especially if you are in the field or on the road a lot. The risks get so much higher everyday for mobile users, laptops are stolen around the clock and recovery in most cases is next to impossible. This is where an important technology known as Encryption comes in.

Encryption in Windows 7 depends partly on the edition you are using, by default, you get standard  file and folder encryption in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. If you need advanced encryption such as BitLocker, BitLocker to Go, you will need to have either Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate. I will be looking at third party tools users can use if they are running Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic or Home Premium in a future article.

What is Encryption?

Encryption is the process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access. Encrypted data can be treated just like any other data, whether it’s storing it or sharing it through email. To access the encrypted data in a readable form, the recipient must first decrypt it. In the encryption process, the unencrypted, readable data is called plaintext. The encrypted (scrambled) data, the originator of the data converts the plaintext into what is called ciphertext. To encrypt the data, the originator of the data converts the plaintext into ciphertext using a password or an encryption key.

An encryption key is a formula that the recipient of the data uses to decrypt ciphertext.

As I noted earlier, there are two types of encryption available in Windows 7 depending on the edition. In the case of Windows 7 Professional, you only have the Encrypting File System which only supports encrypting Files and Folders. If you are running the Enterprise or Ultimate editions of Windows 7, you will get access to more powerful tools built in.

Introducing BitLocker

A feature first introduced in Windows Vista called BitLocker Drive Encryption allows you to encrypt a fixed hard disk. BitLocker Drive Encryption can help to protect all files stored on the drive Windows is installed on (operating system drive) and on fixed data drives (such as internal hard drives).

Unlike Encrypting File System (EFS), which enables you to encrypt individual files, BitLocker encrypts the entire drive. You can log on and work with your files normally, but BitLocker can help block hackers from accessing the system files they rely on to discover your password, or from accessing your drive by removing it from your computer and installing it in a different computer.

When you add new files to a drive that is encrypted with BitLocker, BitLocker encrypts them automatically. Files remain encrypted only while they are stored in the encrypted drive. Files copied to another drive or computer are decrypted. If you share files with other users, such as through a network, these files are encrypted while stored on the encrypted drive, but they can be accessed normally by authorized users.

If you encrypt the operating system drive, BitLocker checks the computer during startup for any conditions that could represent a security risk (for example, a change to the BIOS or changes to any startup files). If a potential security risk is detected, BitLocker will lock the operating system drive and require a special BitLocker recovery key to unlock it. Make sure that you create this recovery key when you turn on BitLocker for the first time; otherwise, you could permanently lose access to your files. If your computer has the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, BitLocker uses it to seal the keys that are used to unlock the encrypted operating system drive. When you start your computer, BitLocker asks the TPM for the keys to the drive and unlocks it.

Setup

Note: I strongly recommend before using encryption software, at least have your hard disk backed up. Having your data secure is one thing, but not having access to it is another problem. You can reference articles about how to backup your personal files and hard disk here and here

By default, BitLocker requires that your computer have the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), 1.2 hardware chip technology. If your computer does not support this feature (mine does not), there is another option, you can use a USB thumbdrive which is what I will be using. First, you will need to configure the system to not require TPM. If you try to run BitLocker without the necessary requirements, you will receive the following message:

To work around this:

Click Start, type: gpedit.msc

Then hit Enter on your keyboard.

This will open the Local Group Policy Editor (please note I am working on Windows 7 Ultimate).

Next, expand Administrative Templates then Windows Components then Bitlocker Drive Encryption then click Operating System Drives

In the Right pane, right click Require additional authentication at startup then click Edit

Next apply the following changes to the following window:

• Select Enabled
• Under options, check the box that says ‘Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM
• Then click Apply and OK
• Close the Local Group Policy Editor

Next, click Start and type: gpupdate.exe /force then press Enter on your keyboard to enforce changes, restart your system just confirm things.

We are now ready to encrypt our internal hard disk.

Preparing the drive

Click Start, then click Computer

Right click your Local hard disk, then click Turn on BitLocker

This will start the BitLocker encryption wizard

Checking to see if your system meets the minimum requirements

BitLocker will prepare a reserved hidden partition of approximately 300 MBs for encryption data.

Making changes to the drive.

Restart your system to confirm changes.

After restarting, the wizard will then continue with the encryption process.

BitLocker Drive Encryption wizard

I strongly implore that you have a USB thumbdrive, in fact, you will need it to move forward. Having a thumbdrive to store the encryption key somewhere safely is important when you need to decrypt the drive to access the operating system and your personal files.

Select the location where the Encryption key will be stored.

Save the recovery key to the thumb drive

BitLocker will do a trial run just to make sure the thumbdrive can decrypt the hard disk drive. If it is not possible to use the thumbdrive, you can still do the encryption, but you will need to remember the 48 character encryption key. That’s why it is best that you have it stored somewhere safe or print it and store it safely so you can reference it when you need to. The reason why it might not be possible to use the thumbdrive as a Start up key, the thumbdrive is not formatted using a supported file system such as exFAT, FAT 16, FAT32 or NTFS or your BIOS needs to be updated. If all goes well, when you start the computer, the BitLocker Drive Encryption program will automatically start, if not, you will receive an error.

Recommendation, re-run the BitLocker Drive Encryption wizard again, but this time, uncheck Run BitLocker system check then click Continue. Again, please be sure you have access to the key or it’s printed or you have memorized all 48 characters in the encryption (which I personally think is next to impossible for most people). The reason why the key is so long is to make it harder to be cracked. The longer and more complex the encryption key is the less likely it will be  successfully cracked.

Encryption can take some time depending on the size of the drive, you can continue using your computer while it does it’s thing.

Click close when complete

When you open Computer (from the Start menu), you will now notice a Padlock emblem on your hard disk, this indicates the drive is now encrypted.

BitLocker now enabled on my hard disk.

What happens next?

Everytime you start your computer, the Startup key (thumbdrive) needs to be present, if not, you will see the following screens:

Press Enter to access the BitLocker Recovery screen

Enter the 48 character encryption key to decrypt the drive

If you believe your data is at no risk of unauthorized access, you can suspend BitLocker Encryption. This is especially convenient if you are sharing a computer with someone such as your family at home where the risk is much lower for theft.

To suspend BitLocker drive encryption, click Start, type: BitLocker

Hit Enter on your keyboard.

Under BitLocker Drive Encryption – Hard Disk Drives, click the Suspend Protection link

Click Yes to confirm

You will now notice a exclamation emblem on the hard disk icon indicating that BitLocker is now suspended, you can click the Resume Protection link when you are ready to use it again.

Again I, strongly recommend before using encryption software, at least have your hard disk backed up. Having your data secure is one thing, but not having access to it is another problem. You can reference articles about how to backup your personal files and hard disk here and here When combined with practices such as password protection at the BIOS level and at Windows log on, BitLocker Encryption provides the most ultimate level of safety for Windows users.

In a part 2 article, we will look at using a free disk encryption solution for users of Windows 7 Professional, Home Premium, Home Basic and Starter.

How to Encrypt Your Hard Drive With BitLocker is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

The upgrade version of Windows 7 requires that you have a qualifying version of Windows (XP or Vista) already installed on your system to be in compliance with the upgrade license. In addition to that, the qualifying version of Windows must be activated, this is unlike past versions of Windows which only required that you provide the Windows disk for verfication. So creating a System Image right after installing Windows 7 can avoid these procedures if the need ever arises in the future. Of course, you will need to have an external hard disk if you plan on backing up your installation, especially if you have a large data set (install size of all your personal files, installed programs combined). External hard drives are abundantly affordable today, you can pick up a 1 TB hard drive for less than $80 from some computer retailers. So its a definite recommendation, especially for this guide.

Windows Vista introduced a powerful suite of backup tools that made securing your installation of Windows a more confident experience. All editions of Windows 7 include System Image, which provides options for backing your personal data such as Libraries, Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos and other application files or your entire installation of Windows 7 either to an external hard disk or remote location such as a Network drive (Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only).

Pre-requisite: To do a successful backup of Windows 7, you must have a few things in place:

• Enough available storage to perform the backup, whether you are backing up to a Network drive or an external drive is necessary. A System Image will create a backup of your entire installation of Windows 7. If you are doing an initial backup, each successive backup copies only the files that have changed since the previous one. The old copies are saved, just in case one of your backups are altered or a file has been deleted and you need to go back to a previous version. So enough space to accommodate these scenario’s is very important. Backup and Restore intelligently manages storage space, if there is not enough space on the disk, one ore more of the older backups will be discarded starting with the oldest.
• If you are backing up your laptop, ensure that your AC/DC power adapter is connected, since a backup might take longer than the available battery power can support. For my desktop, I have a UPS connected just in case a power outage occur’s.

Windows 7 backup and restore features are designed to make protecting your data and system easier. The combined file and system backup wizard delivers a simplified configuration experience, and the folder selectivity functionality for file backup provides users greater control over their backup content. Managing backup is easier with the new space management user interface and integration with Action Center. Recovering your system is made easier with simplified interface and better guidance for choosing a recovery method. Lets get started:

Click Start, type: Backup

Hit Enter

New backups must be setup before beginning

Searching for available Backup devices

If this is your first time creating a backup, you will need to set it up first. Click the Setup Backup link which will initiate the Backup wizard. The wizard searches your computer and displays a list of all destinations that you can use to store your backup. Because I have not turned on my External hard disk which is where I plan to save the system image of Windows 7 installation, it does not appear in the list. I will now turn on my External Drive and click the Refresh button.

Now that the backup device has appeared, I can select it and click Next to proceed with the Backup. Windows provides two options for back up in version 7:

Let Windows choose (recommended) Windows will back up data files saved in libraries, on the desktop, and in the default Windows folders. Windows will also create a system image, which can be used to restore your computer it stops working. These items will be backed up on a regular schedule.

Let me choose You can select libraries and folders and whether to include a system image in the backup. The items you choose will be backed up on a regular schedule.

The decision primarily comes down to available storage. Letting Windows choose is the best choice because everything will be backed up and provides the best option in the case of scenarios such as Windows unable to boot or the Startup Repair is unable to get your Windows installation working again. If you want some detailed options, the ability to choose is also great because you might have libraries you might not want to backup because they contain large amounts of data that might exceed your available storage space, so the option to exclude those makes it easier to backup what is most important to you.

I have chosen to backup my entire computer which includes all accounts along with a System Image of my Windows 7 Installation. The Review your backup settings, notes that you will need a System Repair disc to restore an System Image. Please refer to my recent recovery options article here for more details if your PC does not include one. You can also use your Windows 7 installation DVD to assist with the restoration of your System Image. Once you have reviewed everything, its time to start the back up, click Save settings and run backup button.

Preparing to Backup your Windows 7 installation

One of the changes you will notice in Windows 7, the Backup and Restore explorer is utilized for monitoring the progress of your backup. You can click the View Details button which will reveal more information such as percentage completed and what is happening during the backup itself. The time it will take to complete the backup will vary depending on the amount of data. Based on past experiences, if its your first backup, it will take some time, future incremental backups will be shorter.

Hiccups

I did come across some problems during my backup experience. The program seem to not be responding at all and remained stuck at 7% trying to create a Shadow Copy. After several failed attempts and restarts, I tried the following:

Click Start, type Services, hit Enter. Scroll down down to Windows Backup and Restore service make sure that it is set to start automatically. Right click the Service, click Properties > under the General tab > click in the “Startup type:” list box, and select ‘Automatic’, click Apply and OK. Click the ‘Play’ button on the Toolbar to Start the service. Do the same for Windows Shadow Copy service. My installation of Windows 7 was actually an upgrade from Windows Vista SP1, so its possible there was some anomaly that occurred during the upgrade that caused problems with certain services and tools. After doing this though and clicking the ‘Create a system image’ task link in the Backup and Restore explorer, I was presented with the option to backup my Windows 7 installation which proceeded without any issues from there on.

Doing the Restoration

Doing the restoration is a very simple process, if you need guided assistance you can use the the System Recovery Environment item in Action Center located in Control Panel to help. In my case, I will simply insert my Windows 7 DVD, boot from it and choose the the System Image Recovery option. Lets take a look at doing that.

Booting from my Windows 7 DVD which is loading the Recovery Environment

After selecting your Language, click the ‘Repair your computer’ link which will take you to the recovery options.

Checking for Windows installations

In our case, we will be doing a restoration, so select that option

The System Image Wizard will now begin, click ‘Next’

Here you can see I have a collection of System Images, I will select my desired image, in this case WIN7X64-ACER and click Next.

The Backup name and date listed will be restored to the selected location, in this case ‘C:’

If I had created any changes to the drive lay out after my last System Image Backup, such as creating additional partitions, I can have those partitions formatted and removed so it matches exactly to the System Image I am restoring from my external hard disk. You do have the option however to exclude attached storage devices and partitions.

Confirm your selected options, and click Finish to Start the restoration of your System Image.

Once the restoration is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer.

The restoration will take some time depending on the size of the image, my Windows 7 System Image which totaled about 69 GB’s took more than an hour to restore.

Conclusion

There you have it, a powerful way to protect your computer and personal files. Backup in Windows 7 has never been easier. You can also schedule your backups, which will ensure that your information is always safe. I am very impressed by how easy the process is both backing up and restoring. My recommendation is to get a dedicated external drive, backing up GBs of data to DVD which is an available option is both time consuming and unreliable. Also, backing up to an internal partition defeats the purpose of Backups in the first place. With System Image and External hard disk, you are able to keep a protected off site copy of your Windows 7 Installation in case something catastrophic happens.

How to backup your installation of Windows 7 is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

Editions

I mentioned that Windows 7 is available in 3 editions, true, but there are still 6 editions. No, I wasn’t lying, its just how Microsoft is marketing the editions. If you go into a Best Buy or wherever software/computer products are sold you will see only 3 mainstream editions in pretty product boxes, but Windows 7 is available in the following 6 editions:

Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.

Starter: Broad app and device compatibility, unlimited application support, Safe, reliable, and supported. Ability to join a Home Group, Improved taskbar and Jump Lists. Windows 7 Starter will be distributed only on new systems that meet a certain requirement: 10.1″ screen display with 1024×600 resolution, 1.66Ghz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a 250 GB hard disk – otherwise known as Netbooks.

Home Basic: Another OEM only version of Windows 7 will available on new systems in emerging markets. Microsoft describes this edition as a product for cost concious consumers. Users should note, that Home Basic is 32 bit only, (Vista Home Basic had a 64 bit edition). Home Basic includes enhanced visual experience, Advanced networking support (ad-hoc wireless networks and internet connection sharing), Mobility Center.

Home Premium: Now this edition is probably the sweet spot for many consumers who decide to move to Windows 7. You get all of the cool user interface features: Aero Glass & advanced windows navigation, Easy networking & sharing across all your PCs & devices through HomeGroups, Improved media format support, enhancements to Windows Media Center and media streaming, including Play To, Multi-touch and improved handwriting recognition. Windows 7 Home Premium is available in both 32 and 64 bit editions supporting up to 16 GBs of RAM if you have such a configuration (both disks are included in the product box too). If you have multiple PC’s, you can purchase the Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack Upgrade for 3 PC’s. This entitles you to upgrade 3 computers for just $149.99, great value. Learn more here

Professional: If you consider your self an advanced user, then Professional would be the right choice for you. Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Business users, if you are running those editions, its most likely you will need this one. Professional gives you the ability to join a managed network with Domain Join, Protect  data with advanced network backup and Encrypting File System, Print to the right printer at home or work with Location Aware Printing. In addition to this, Windows 7 Professional includes Group Policy Editor for controling access and behavior of your computer. Windows 7 Professional supports up to 192 GBs of Random Access Memory and includes support for multiple physical processors and its also available in 32 and 64 bit editions.

Enterprise: This is a unique edition of Windows that you won’t find in stores. It is sold to businesses who need Windows licenses in volume to install on hundreds or thousands of computers. Basically, Windows 7 Enterprise is like Windows 7 Professional on steroids, you will find all the features of that edition along with some additional tools called BitLocker Drive Encryption and BitLocker To Go for encrypting your laptop hard disk or an external storage device such as Thumbdrive, in addition to this, Enterprise features World Wide Language support (Multi-Lingual User Interface or MUI’s) support, with up 35 available languages. Enterprise edition also works best when deployed with Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 R2 network operating system to provide unique features such as AppLocker support, Direct Access, BrancheCache, features that protect what type of applications employees have access to, speedy access to network resources and faster access to Virtual Private Networks.

Ultimate: Combining all the features of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Enterprise, this edition of Windows 7 gives you every single feature available. Microsoft dubs it, ‘the most complete edition of Windows’. Feautures such as BitLocker data protection on internal and external drives, DirectAccess provides seamless connectivity to your corporate network.  (requires Windows Server 2008 R2), Decrease time branch office workers wait to open file across the network with BranchCache. (requires Windows Server 2008 R2), Prevent unauthorized software from running with AppLocker are all available in Windows 7 Ultimate. If you want it all, this is the Windows for you.

Ultimate, Professional and Home Premium, are the editions you will see in stores this October.

How much will Windows 7 cost?

Windows 7 will be available in 6 editions, but primary emphasis is being put towards Home Premium and Professional for mainstream markets.

Pricing:

• Windows 7 Starter Entry-level OEM SKU in all markets for cost conscious consumers.
• Windows 7 Home Basic Value SKU in emerging markets for cost conscious consumers on value PC’s.

Windows Anytime Upgrade makes it easier to get more features.

Anytime Upgrades allow you to move from one edition of Windows 7 to another without the need to reinstall from scratch or purchase the desired edition at retail upgrade pricing. Its great if you have exhausted the features of the current edition of Windows 7 installed and you need more. Another great thing about Windows Anytime Upgrade under Windows 7 compared to Vista’s, you don’t need a special disk and you don’t need to be online to do the upgrade, just have a key for the edition you want and you are good to go. Microsoft will be offering Windows Anytime Upgrades online in 13 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK or the US. While the Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack will be available in the US and 8 European countries (UK (£149.99), Ireland (£149.99), Germany (€149.99), France (€149.99), Switzerland (€149.99), Austria (€149.99), the Netherlands (€149.99), and Sweden (€149.99) on October 22nd 2009 while supplies last.

Which should you choose?

I have been reading through a number forums, and persons keep asking, which edition is right for me? Other questions that pop up, I have xyz amount of PC’s, how do I get to upgrade all of them. First of all, you need to evaluate your needs. A person who has 6 PC’s in his house hold used by four individuals in his family with 4 PC’s running Windows XP Professional SP3 and one system Vista Home Premium and the other Vista Ultimate would have to invest in a lot of licenses if they wanted to upgrade to corresponding editions of Windows 7. Considering that 4 of the PC’s are being used at home, do most of the PC’s running Windows XP Professional need the unique functionality of Professional (most of which are business oriented)? You probably could reduce the expenditure by investing in two Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack Upgrade Licenses for 3 PC’s. Home Premium features easier networking and sharing of resources such as Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos and even Printers. You can do things like stream music and videos to other PC’s and you get all of the major user experience features in that edition.

Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack provides an affordable way to upgrade multiple PC’s to Windows 7.

Another way to reduce the cost of licensing, if you have a student enrolled in college with a valid .edu, you could let them take advantage of Microsoft’s Student discount offer that gives you the option of purchasing either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for just US $30. Please note, these are upgrade licenses, meaning, you need to have a qualifying operating system such as Windows 2000 Professional, XP or Vista. Learn more here and here

Microsoft is putting less prominence towards Windows 7 Ultimate with this release too and you can see the reason why when you compare it to the Professional edition. The Windows Team has made each successive edition a subset of the other. So for instance, Professional is a subset of Home Premium including all its features and more. Unlike Vista Business which only included business only features, users will be pleasantly surprised to know functionality like Media Center is now available in Professional. The pricing is also another factor. Windows 7 Professional cost $300 (upgrade $200) for the full version, while Ultimate cost $320 (upgrade $220), this probably should be a time for reevaluating the need to upgrade from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate or choose an edition that is more inline with your needs.

Upgrade paths

This is probably the tough part. Users of Windows XP and prior versions of Windows must understand you cannot do an in place upgrade to Windows 7. Windows Vista users too must also evaluate their upgrade paths, because certain editions cannot do in place upgrade to certain editions of Windows 7. An in place upgrade allows you to upgrade to Windows 7 while preserving your personal files, settings, applications and installed drivers.

Don’t let this surprise you, if your are running Windows 2000, XP or Vista you are eligible for upgrade pricing to any edition of Windows 7. Customers who are running Windows Vista that can do in place upgrades to respective editions of Windows 7 must ensure they have Service Pack 1 or later installed.

Netbooks

Prior to Windows 7 users had two choices for operating systems on Netbooks, Windows XP or Linux. Microsoft has really improved the performance in areas such as disk and memory foot print, making any edition of Windows 7 suitable for that form factor. Most manufacturers might pre-load their Netbook devices with Windows 7 Starter, but you will have the option of using Windows Anytime Upgrade to move to a more feature rich editions such as Home Premium.

Conclusion

The information provided in this article might come across a bit overwhelming, but that really is the case when it comes to choice. Microsoft develops multiple editions to meet different needs and market trends. Hopefully with a simplified retail line up and more value added features available in Home Premium and Professional, users can make better choices without feeling there are trade offs in the process.

Resources:

Windows 7 Compare Editions

Windows 7 System Requirements

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

Purchase Windows 7 at the Microsoft Store

A Look at the Windows 7 Editions is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.