Install Windows 7 from an original disk image or DVD
Right click on the desktop > Screen resolution
Right click on the desktop > Personalize > Change desktop icons
Open Control Panel > Taskbar and Start Menu and set options
Open Control Panel > System > Advanced Settings and set Computer description and Workgroup under Computer Name
Open Control Panel > Folder Options and set options
Open Control Panel > AutoPlay and set options
Run Control Panel > Windows Update and install all important and recommended updates. Do not install any hardware updates. Disable automatic updates so Windows Update does not run after system startup. You can enable this later if you wish, after following the rest of this guide.