Slow Windows 7 Shutdown: Fix

If you are experiencing slow Windows 7 shutdowns, there is an easy way to identify the potential culprit (an antivirus program, driver, or other process).
Navigate to: Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Performance Information and Tools > Advanced Tools. In some cases, this screen will display the problem files.
Failing that, open the “View [...]

Windows 7 Driver Problems? Check for Alternates

Some Windows 7 users are experiencing issues in which drivers suggested by Windows Update break functionality with certain devices.
One user, for instance, applied a new driver update–suggested by Windows Update–for his ATI Mobility HD 3650 graphics card, installed in a Lenovo W500. After applying the update, his screen went blank, displaying only the cursor. The [...]

Windows 7: Hard Drives Missing After Sleep

Windows 7 may exhibit a variety of issues when waking from sleep. One of the more recently reported issues involves the disappearance of mounted internal or external hard disks when the system is put to sleep (hibernation)–usually hybrid sleep–then woken up.
This issue will likely be resolved by a future update to Windows 7 or new [...]

Windows Vista SP2 Won’t Sleep: Fix

Update: A new fix for this issue has been discovered. Try removing third-party items from the system tray, then restarting. One user found that removing the OpenOffice 3.1 Quickstarter from the system tray resolved the issue.
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Some users are unable to put their systems to sleep after updating to Windows Vista SP2, despite proper power management [...]

BSOD with “Multiprocessor_Configuration_Not_Supported” in Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7

[UPDATE: A Microsoft TechNet discussion thread is tracking this issue and has the latest updates on potential fixes, along with commentary from Microsoft indicating that the company is working with system manufacturers to resolve this issue.]

Several users have reported an issue in which a blue screen of death (BSOD) accompanied by the error message “Multiprocessor_Configuration_Not_Supported” [...]

What’s New in Windows 7 Build 7021: Faster Graphics, Smaller Installer

Windows 7 Build 7021 is the latest build of the new OS, due in final form on October 22nd, to leak to file sharing networks. Users report that the new release provides yet another significant speed boost, along with the following enhancements:

Smaller installer
Better automatic driver installation (if you had third-party device issues with previous releases, [...]

Vista SP2 Problems? Uninstall, Run Readiness Tool, Reinstall

A number of Windows Vista SP2 problems can be resolved by uninstalling the service pack, running the Microsoft System Readiness Tool to eliminate inconsistencies and corrupt files, then reinstalling the service pack. If you are experiencing inexplicable issues for which you cannot find a suitable solution after the update, try these steps:

Uninstall Windows Vista SP2, [...]

Windows Vista SP2 Won’t Boot; Error 0xc0000034: Fix

Several users have encountered an issue wherein they receive the error message “0xc0000034″ followed by some other information (usually specifying a corrupt file) after attempting to install the Windows Vista SP2 update. Generally, this error message is accompanied by an inability to boot the system and a black screen with the aforementioned error message.
WindowsFixUp reader [...]