Why Is Microsoft Witholding Windows Vista SP2 from the Public?

Almost two weeks ago, Microsoft posted the final release of Windows Vista SP2 to its private servers. The only users able to download the service pack are Microsoft Connect subscribers (members of the closed beta program) and Technet and MSDN subscribers (paid account holders–accounts start in the $2500-range). The company has not released word on [...]

Microsoft: Windows 7 to Debut By the End of the Year

In a press release issued today, Microsoft announced that Windows 7 will likely be ready in time for the 2009 holiday season. Bill Veghte, senior vice president of the Windows Business at Microsoft, “With early RC testing and extensive partner feedback we’ve received, Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability.”
A follow-up post on [...]

More Fixes for Internet Explorer Crashes

We previously published a series of methods for preventing and eliminating Internet Explorer crashes. These include disabling add-ons and resetting the browser. We’ve now identified two additional procedures that can, in many cases, prevent crashes from reoccurring.
Kill IEUSER.EXE task Launch the task manager by pressing control-alt-delete, then launch Internet Explorer. Immediately after the browser launches, [...]

Applications Won’t Install, Run Properly (“Access is denied”) in Windows 7: Fix

Microsoft has identified an issue with the Windows 7 RC1 (7100) build in which the folder that is created as the root folder of the system drive (%SystemDrive%) is missing entries in its security descriptor. The company says that this problem can cause the following to occur: “applications that reference folders under the root may [...]

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Released

Microsoft has released the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which scans your PC to see if it’s ready for Windows 7, and tells you about any known compatibility issues.
The tool’s documentation states its “report will let you know if your PC meets the system requirements, if there are any known compatibility issues with your programs and [...]

The 7 Biggest Windows 7 RC1 Problems (and Fixes)

The Windows 7 RC1 roll-out, while smooth overall, hit a rough patch with some users. Problems run the gamut, from minor networking issues and gaming hiccups, to more serious boot failures and BSODs. Here’s a look at the top 7 annoyances plaguing early Windows 7 adopters, and the associated fixes.
1. Installation Fails
You won’t get [...]

Windows XP PCs Can’t See Windows 7 PCs on the Network: Fix

Several users have experienced an issue in which Windows XP PCs cannot see Windows 7 PCs on the same network and/or vice versa. Fortunately, this issue is usually due only to configuration issues and can be easily fixed:
Fixes
Change network setting to home or work If you have your group set to “Public” in the [...]

Internet Explorer 8 Update Fixes “webpage is not responding” in Windows 7

Microsoft has released an update for Internet Explorer 8 that resolves an issue in which users receive the message “A webpage is not responding” under Windows 7 RC1. Microsoft describes the problem thusly:

“Windows 7 RC includes a feature in Internet Explorer 8 that helps users recover from unresponsive Web sites. This feature uses a timer [...]

Windows 7 RC1 Breaks Some Antivirus Software

Windows 7 RC1 breaks compatibility with some antivirus/anti-malware programs that were compatible with previous pre-release builds of the operating system. Users are reporting problems with:

avast! Home Edition
AVG Anti-Virus Free
Symantec AV Corporate Edition

Some developers are already working on Windows 7 RC1-compatible updates to their antivirus programs. A post in the AVG forums, for instance, states “This [...]

Windows 7 RC1: Crash (BSOD) When Waking from Sleep; Fix

Some users are experiencing crashes or blue screens of death (BSODs) under Windows 7 RC1 when attempting to wake systems from sleep (hibernation). The first response to this issue is generally to disable sleep mode, but there is another fix.
Fix
Enter your system’s BIOS mode. This is accomplished by pressing a specific key repeatedly as [...]