

BitLocker is the full-disk encryption technology first introduced with Windows Vista Ultimate and Enterprise, with the idea being to encrypt the whole hard disk in hardware: this means you can’t access data on the hard disk unless it’s plugged into the laptop, and you enter the password (which you set up).īitLocker To Go offers encryption for external USB drives.

The first omission is BitLocker the second BitLocker To Go. Because we’re actually disappointed by Windows 7 Professional, as we don’t believe it offers enough to small businesses – especially those that deploy laptops to their users. Read our comprehensive overall review of the whole Windows 7 familyĮxcept that it isn’t. Unlike Windows 7 Starter and Home Premium systems, a Windows 7 Professional PC can also join a domain (a necessary feature if your computer is centrally managed by an IT department using a domain). Just bear in mind that, if you’re running Windows 7 Professional, you’ll have to download Microsoft Virtual PC separately to use Windows XP Mode.Īlso note that the key advantage Windows XP Mode holds over software such as VirtualBox and Vmware is that it includes a licence for Windows XP.Ĭorporate users will be pleased with other features, too, including Presentation Mode, which can reset your desktop wallpaper to a default image, specify a pre-set volume level and prevent your screensaver from appearing – a one-stop shop to set up your PC for use in the boardroom. You’re able to do that if you so wish, but it’s able to share Windows 7’s Start menu and share file types, too. This is an ingenious virtual machine that goes one step beyond running a copy of Windows XP alongside Windows 7 on your desktop. Perhaps the most interesting feature, however, is Windows XP Mode.
