The list below shows the application or tool that you used on the MAC, and then the applications on the PC to do the same thing and gives additional information and help for those applications.
Finder
To get to your files and folders in Windows, use Windows Explorer. This is the Windows file manager. Use Windows Explorer to browse for files and folders on internal and external hard drives, thumbnail drives, flash cards and other media. You can also browse network locations.
To start Windows Explorer click Start, and then click Computer. The Windows Explorer window the task pane on the left gives you access to your Favorites, Libraries and your HomeGroup. You can also get to all your local drives and to your network. The main windows shows content in the selected location and you can customize how that content is displayed and even view a preview of the selected file.
The MAC App Store
The Online
Microsoft Store, or physical
Microsoft Store locations are a great place to purchase many different hardware and software products and accessories. At the Microsoft Store you can find a complete catalog of games, computers, downloads for Windows 7, and more.
MAC Mail
For mail on a Windows PC, use
Windows Live Mail,
Microsoft Outlook for the PC or even a
Hotmail account. To get more information on Microsoft Outlook for the PC and other mail applications for Windows, see the following topics:
Microsoft Office OutlookWindows Live MailHotmailSafari Internet Browser
For browsing the internet on Windows PC's,
WindowsInternet Explorer is the default browser. You can export your favorites from Safari and other browsers and then import those settings into Internet Explorer. If Safari is your current browser on the MAC, you can export your bookmarks and then import them in Internet Explorer. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open Safari, click File and choose Export Bookmarks.
- Under Save as, type a name for the like (Example: Bookmarks.html. Note Make sure to save it as an .html file.)
- Under Where, select where you want to save your bookmarks.
- Click Save.
To start
Internet Explorer, click
Start,
All Programs and then click
Internet Explorer from the list of applications. To make starting Internet Explorer more convenient, right-click the Internet Explorer icon and click
Pin to Taskbar and you can start Internet Explorer from the Task bar with a single click.
For more information or for help with Internet Explorer, see the following website:
Apple iTunes
For playing Music and Videos on Windows PC's use
Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface to play digital media files, organize your digital media collection,
burn CDs of your favorite music,
rip music from CDs,
sync digital media files to a
portable device, and shop for digital media content from online stores.
To start Windows Media Player, click the
Start, click
All Programs, and then click
Windows Media Player.
Migrating your iTunes library to Windows is as easy, just start iTunes, go to Preferences/Advanced, make sure to select "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding." Next, copy the iTunes folders to the PC through your network or using an external drive. On the Windows PC, copy the iTunes files and folders to the “My Music” folder in your user account; be sure to copy the following folders:
- iTunes Music
- iTunes Music Library.xml
- iTunes Library
For more information or for help with Windows Media Player, see the following website:
Photo Booth
To capture photos and videos on the Windows PC use
Windows Live Movie Maker. Quickly add photos and video from your PC or camera into Movie Maker. Then fine tune your movie just the way you want it. Once your movie is ready, share it online on Facebook, YouTube or other social networking and video sharing sites. Send a link to your movie in an email to family and friends so they won’t miss it.
For more information or for help with Windows Live Movie Maker, see the following website:
iPhoto
For viewing pictures other Windows PC use
Windows Live Photo Gallery. With Windows Live Photo Gallery it's easy and fun to edit, organize, and share your photos and videos. Windows Live Photo Gallery is part of Windows Live Essentials, a free download that also includes tools for movies, instant messaging, email, social networking, and more.
To install Windows Live Photo Gallery, or for more information or help, see the following website:
FaceTime
Chat on a Windows PC using
Windows Live Messenger, or
Skype. Stay in touch with friends and family when they live in a different city.
With Windows Live Messenger, you'll be able to chat "face to face", even in HD. It's fast, it's easy and you actually get to see the people you might not otherwise run into on a daily basis.
With Skype, you can share a story, celebrate a birthday, learn a language, hold a meeting, work with colleagues and just about anything you need to do together every day.
To install Windows Live Messenger or Skype, or for more information or help, see the following websites:
iCal
You can manage your Calendar and events using
Windows Live Calendar. If you use Windows Live Calendar, your calendars and tasks are always available from any computer that's connected to the Internet, plus there's nothing to install.
For more information on Windows Live Calendar, see the following website:
Additionally, you can manage your calendar and events using
Microsoft Office Outlook for the PC.
For more information on Microsoft Office Outlook, see the following website:
Address Book
You can manage your Addresses and other contact information using the
Windows Live People page. Your contact list comes alive when you add people to your network on Windows Live. When someone updates their address or adds a new mobile number, it's automatically updated in your contact list.
For more information on Windows Live People, see the following website:
Additionally, you can manage your calendar and events using
Microsoft Office Outlook for the PC.
For more information on Microsoft Office Outlook, see the following website:
Tools:
System Preferences to personalize settings
Personalize your computer by using
Personalization changing the desktop background (wallpaper), desktop gadgets, colors, sounds, and user account picture. You can also change accessibility options, display settings desktop icons. To change your personalization settings, right-click on the desktop and click
Personalize.
For more information on the Personalizing, see
Personalize your computer Launch applications in Windows by clicking
All Programs from the start menu, just Click Start, click
All Programs and then click the application or click an applications folder to expand the list of applications in that folder.
For applications that you use frequently, you can also pin those applications to the Taskbar or to the Start menu. To do this see
Pin a program to the taskbar.
Work more efficiently and reduce the clutter on your desktop by using the
Windows Task Bar. The Task Bar holds quick links icons to your most used applications and shows any icons for applications currently running. Hovering over those icons shows a thumbnail of that application page, if an application has multiple documents open, you see a thumbnail for each of those documents.
For more information on the Task Bar, see
The new Windows 7 Task BarDocuments are stored in the Personal folder for each user. When saving documents in Windows, the files are directed to the Documents folder under your user's personal files folder. To get to your Documents and other folders, click Start, click your user name in the upper right corner of the Start menu and then click the Documents folder.
Download Stack
When downloading files on Windows, the files are automatically stored in the Downloads folder under your user account. To get your Downloads folder, click Start, click your user name in the upper right corner of the Start menu and then click the Downloads folder.
TrashUse the
Recycle Bin on Windows PC's. When you delete a file or folder, it doesn't actually get deleted right away, it goes to the Recycle Bin. That's a good thing, because if you ever change your mind and decide you need a deleted file, you can get it back. For more information, see
Recover files from the Recycle Bin.
If you're sure that you won't need the deleted items again, you can empty the Recycle Bin. Doing that will permanently delete the items and reclaim any disk space they were using.
For more information, see
Permanently delete files from the Recycle Bin.
In Windows 7, use
Windows Search and you can find more things in more places, find documents, email messages, songs, and other files, and do it faster. Start typing in the Start menu search box, and you'll instantly see a list of relevant files on your PC.
For more information on Windows Search, see the following article:
Windows Search.Windows Backup and Restore creates safety copies of your most important personal files so you're always prepared for the worst. You can let Windows choose what to back up, or pick individual folders, libraries, and drives yourself. Windows can back up files on whatever schedule you choose, you just set it and forget it.
For more information on using Windows Backup and Restore, see the following article:
Backup and Restore Apple CareFor
Online Self-help with Windows, visit
Windows 7 Help & How-to.
For
Community Support, visit
Microsoft Community and ask questions and look for answers for all your Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft Office and others areas.
For
Assisted Support, visit
Assisted Support Options and talk to an Answer Tech 24/7, 365 days a year
Security
There are several
Health and Security components and applications for Windows, Visit the sites below to get the best information, applications and components to stay healthy and secure.
PC HealthVisit our fun and helpful PC health selection of articles and videos designed to help you keep your PC running smoothly in Windows 7.
Action CenterWindows FirewallWindows firewall is like locking the front door to your house—it helps keep intruders (in this case, hackers and malicious software) from getting in. Windows Firewall is on by default in Windows 7, so you don't need to set it up—plus we've made it more flexible and easier to use.
Windows UpdateWindows Update helps keep your PC safer—and your software current—by fetching the latest security and feature updates from Microsoft via the Internet. In Windows 7, Windows Update is now part of
Action Center, which makes updating your PC even more convenient. To check for updates, just click the Action Center icon on the taskbar.
User Account ControlUser Account Control (UAC) helps defend your PC against hackers and malicious software. Any time a program wants to make a major change to your computer, UAC lets you know and asks for permission.
In Windows 7, UAC is now less intrusive and more flexible. Fewer Windows 7 programs and tasks require your consent. If you have administrator privileges on your PC, you can also fine-tune UAC's notification settings in Control Panel..
BitlockerHow can you help protect your data from loss, theft, or hackers? The answer: Bitlocker.
Improved for Windows 7 and available in the Ultimate and Enterprise editions, Bitlocker helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by encrypting the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on. Once Bitlocker is turned on, any file you save on that drive is encrypted automatically.
Windows DefenderWindows Defender is your first line of defense against spyware and other unwanted software. And in Windows 7, it's easier to use, with simpler notifications, more scanning options, and less impact on your computer's performance. A new feature called "Clean System" provides one-click purging of all suspicious software, and Windows Defender is now part of
Action Center, the streamlined place for keeping your PC running smoothly.
Microsoft Security EssentialsUse Microsoft Security Essentials to guard against viruses, spyware, and other evil software. It provides real-time protection for your home or small business PCs.
Windows Live Family SafetyKeeping your family safer online can be complicated, but
Windows Live Family Safety helps make it easier for you. Family Safety provides a
website and a free
program that you install on the computers your family use, so you can give them some independence but still keep tabs on their computer activities.
Additional links:
Visit the
Microsoft Store to find Software packages or Updates to your current software.
Get Started with OneDrive, if you don't already have an account see:
Get a OneDrive account.To see other hardware and software that work with Windows, visit the
Windows 7 Compatibility CenterIf you would like to run Windows on your Mac Hardware, see:
Installing Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot CampTo learn how to print from a MAC to a Windows connected printer, see
How to print to a Windows printer from a MAC