Show full folder paths in both panes in Windows Explorer

In Windows 7, we found one default setting in Windows Explorer to be especially disconcerting (and frankly, illogical): When you click on a given folder in the right viewing pane in Windows Explorer (or, as you might think of it, My Computer), the folders in the left-hand pane do not automatically “follow along” and drill down to show you the file path. So, for example, if you’re trying to get to Folder C (through Folder A and then Folder B), all you see in the left pane is a closed Folder A, with Folder C open on the right. Folder B is nowhere to be found, except in the “breadcrumb trail” file-path sequence in the navigation bar at the top of the screen. For example, see the mismatch here; we're deep in subfolders of the "Mac" folder, but they're not showing up in the left column:
 

 
This can be a royal pain for those who work on company networks with heavily nested folder structures or even on complex home networks. Luckily, there’s an easy fix. In Windows Explorer, just go to the drop-down arrow next to the Organize tab at the top and choose Folder and search options. In the General tab, check Show all folders and Automatically expand to current folder:
 

 
Now Windows Explorer should behave more like it did in Vista and XP.

Bring up a command prompt, pointing to any folder

Slowly, as each new version of Windows debuted, it seemed the venerable Command Prompt kept getting shuffled closer and closer to the exits, resigned to submenus or deep into obscure context menus and kept breathing only with the help of add-on software like Microsoft’s Power Toys. If you’ve still got a space in your heart for the stark prompt, though, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s at least holding its own in Windows 7.

Without installing any special software, you can launch a Command Prompt from any folder, and the prompt will emerge automatically pointing at that folder. (This was possible in Vista, too.) All you need to do: Find the folder in Windows Explorer or on the Windows Desktop, hold down the Shift key, and right-click the folder. In the context menu that unfolds, select the option Open command window here. (This option only appears when the Shift key is included in the action sequence.) You’ll get that comforting old monochrome window ready for your “DIR” command:
 

 
This isn’t the only way to launch a prompt, of course. You can still find the familiar Command Prompt launcher option in the Start menu, under All Programs > Accessories, which you can pin to the taskbar if you’re a real command-line aficion. (To pin it, right-click Command Prompt in the Start menu, left-click on Pin to taskbar.) And if you really use the prompt enough to make a desktop shortcut worthwhile, too, navigate in Windows Explorer to C:\Windows\System32, find the file cmd.exe, right-click on it, choose Send To from the pop-up menu, and select the Desktop (create shortcut) option to make a discrete icon happen.

Install Control Panel submenus in the Start menu

If you’re any kind of PC tweaker, like we are, you spend way too much time inside the Windows Control Panel. One of the quibbles we’ve had with past versions of Windows was the several layers of clicks you’d have to negotiate to get into the depths of Control Panel—especially with the Category as opposed to Classic view of the panel that was the default with Vista.

In Windows 7, you can set up the OS to allow you direct access to individual Control Panel items straight from the Start menu. To set this up, right-click the Start button in the taskbar, and choose Properties from the resulting context menu. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box that pops up, click the Start Menu tab, then the Customize button. Under the subcategory named Control Panel on the ensuing screen, choose Display as a menu. It's here:

Now, when you click Control Panel in the Start menu, you’ll get a selection list that shows all the same Control Panel sub-items that you’d get if you launched the Control Panel into its own window. It looks like this:

Change Your Computer Name in Windows 7 or Vista

If you’ve ever bought a new computer with the operating system already installed, you might be annoyed by the default name of the computer when you start trying to connect different computers together. I like to use more descriptive names than HP382811UX… for example, I called my new desktop SUPERFAST and my old computer SOSLOW.
Changing this in XP was extremely simple, but in Windows 7 or Vista it’s buried behind a few more menus. Here are three routes you can take to open up System Properties:

• Type sysdm.cpl into the start menu search box (quickest)
• Right-click on the Computer option on the start menu.
• Open Control Panel, and go to System and Maintenance, and then System.

If you chose one of the last two options, then you’ll need to click on Advanced System Settings on the left menu:

Now you’ll finally be on the right screen, which should say System Properties.

Click on the “Change” button to rename the computer, which will pop up this dialog:

Now you can finally change the name of the computer. You could also change the name of the workgroup to something more descriptive as well. You’ll have to reboot after you make this change.