Windows 7 is full of shortcuts to get to stuff. One nice one to get to your "personal" folder -- that is, the default one associated with your username -- is available from the Start menu.

Left-click the Start button in Windows 7. In the right-hand pane, at the very top, you'll see your username (in my case, unsurprisingly, it's "Keith").

Click on your name, and it opens up the folder assigned to your name. That folder, in turn, has sub-folders that contain your documents, pictures, music, etc. It's much faster and slicker than going through "Computer" or some other navigation method that takes multiple clicks.

Note that the icon above my name here shows a folder with an image of a person in it. Normally, the icon in that place is the one you use for your account. But when you hover over your username, it switches to the folder icon.

Have a happy New Year, everyone! And remember to call a cab if you're out drinking and celebrating. Your loved ones will thank you for it.

I recently posted an article about using Parental Controls in Windows 7. Well, most of those same controls are available in Windows Vista, but getting to them is a little different, so I wanted to give you that information here.

In Vista, you start the same way: left-click the Start button in the lower left-hand corner of your desktop, then left-click "Control Panel", on the right-hand side of the pop-up menu. When that comes up, look toward the bottom, and click "User Accounts."

At the top of the User Accounts window, it says "Make changes to your user account." Look further down the list, where it says "Manage another account." Assuming you have more than one user account set up on your computer, you will see the other accounts listed.

Under the accounts is a headline that says "Additional things you can do." The first item there should say "Set up Parental Controls." Clicking that link will bring up the user account list (again). Click the account for which you want to set up controls, and follow the steps from the Windows 7 tutorial. They work the same way.

Reader Paul Rondeau isn't happy with the expense involved in moving to Windows 7, and thinks Microsoft should do more -- like, for example, bringing back the Windows 7 Family Pack -- to ease the financial burden for upgraders. Here's his take:

"I tried for 3 months to buy a new laptop without Vista and couldn't find a way that wasn't a lot more expensive.  Just a few months later, Microsoft was offering free upgrades.  Since PC buyers were left with no real choice, Vista is so awful that Microsoft should be forced to supply Windows 7 at a huge discount or free to any Vista user."

What do you think? Should Microsoft bring back the Family Pack, or provide big discounts to Windows XP/Vista users? Respond in the comments below or email me.