The latest pre-release edition of Windows 7, build 7137, has been distributed to testers and subsequently leaked to various file-sharing services. Users of the new build report yet another speed speed boost relative to prior build,s particularly with regard to graphic performance.
Users also report the installation of new ATI graphics card drivers after the update.
If you are having problems installing Windows 7, see our previous coverage for a fix.
We’ve also published fixes for the following Windows 7 issues:
Filed under News, Windows 7 by on May 28th, 2009. Comment. 
Several users have reported an issue in which Netflix online streaming does not work properly in Internet Explorer 8 under various versions of Windows, or under Windows 7 in various browsers (including Internet Explorer 8). In some cases streaming works, but screensavers are not automatically disabled, the stream incorrectly uses low bandwidth, or other functionality is missing. In other cases, streaming does not work at all.
Fixes
Try compatibility mode In the IE 8 toolbar, click on the small icon that looks like a page broken in half, next to the refresh button (pictured below). This invokes “Compatibility View,” which can fix the Netflix issue.
Source: Microsoft
If the issue persists and you would like to downgrade to Internet Explorer 7, follow the instructions in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article.
Use the beta Netflix player The Netflix beta player, which is based on Silverlight, works better under Windows 7 for a number of users.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on May 21st, 2009. 1 Comment.
Users have reported an issue in which Adobe Reader does not function properly under Windows 7. In particular, users report problems with intra-browser viewing of PDFs, noting that they sometimes get a blank pop-up with an Adobe title and an OK or hangs in the browser when attempting to view PDFs. The problem is most likely to occur in Internet Explorer 8.
Use an alternative reader
Several users have been able to quickly an easily work around this issue by installing and using an alternative PDF reader. One good choice is the free Foxit Reader. It tends to use fewer resources than Adobe Reader, and works well in Windows 7.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 21st, 2009. 4 Comments.
Several users have reported a problem in which Windows 7 RC1 systems either cannot connect to wireless networks or display the message low connectivity or no connection when attempted to the network. In some cases, using Windows 7′s built-in “fix” routine can resolve the issue, albeit temporarily.
Fix
Updating to the latest set of Broadcom wireless drivers, for systems that use Broadcom chipsets, resolves this issue for most users. In particular, users have had success with driver version 5.10.79.7, available here.
You may also want to run Windows Update to check for the latest drivers for wireless hardware from other manufacturers.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 21st, 2009. 5 Comments.
Several users have reported a problem in which various media, including video, music and podcasts cannot be added to the iTunes library under various versions of Windows.
Fix
In some cases this issue can be resolved by recreating your iTunes media library. This can be accomplished via the following process:
- Quit iTunes if it is open
- Navigate to the following directory: \Documents and
Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\ - Open the iTunes folder
- Remove the following files: iTunes Music Library.xml and iTunes Library.itl. Put them in another location on your hard drive for safe-keeping.
- Launch iTunes and navigate to the "File" menu then select "Import." Find the file iTunes Music Library.xml from the previous step and click "Choose."
- Failing the above, quit iTunes and navigate to \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\ and delete all files in the "iTunes" folder. Next, launch iTunes again and re-select "Import" from the "File" menu. Locate and re-import all of your music and other media.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, iTunes by on May 20th, 2009. Comment.
We previously reported on some Windows 7 installation issues, including a problem in which the installer states “Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information” (see a fix for that issue here). However, users are now reported a host of other installation issues, including one in which the installer freezes during the “expanding files” phase and another in which the screen goes blank near the end of the installation process.
Fixes
For freezes that occur during the “expanding files” stage, bad memory may be to blame. See our article on checking for bad RAM and replace any problematic modules, then re-try installation.
For an issue in which the screen suddenly goes black, try turning your monitor off then back on again. It appears that the Windows 7 installer may lose communication with the graphics card or the monitor during installation, and powering your display off then back on can re-establish communication and allow you to continue with the on-screen prompts for installation.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 19th, 2009. Comment.
Several users have reported an issue in which Windows 7 freezes when connected to wired (Ethernet) networks, but not when connected to wireless (WiFi) networks.
As described by Bryan Archambeault, a poster to Microsoft’s TechNet forums:
“So, as I mentioned above, I brought a wireless access point with me to the office today. I hooked up my laptop with the wired connection after having run it at home without any problems, and within 5 minutes, it locked up. I hooked up the wireless access point, removed the wired cable from the laptop, rebooted, and it’s now been working flawlessly since I came in this morning – about 5 hours ago.”
Another poster adds:
“I have been experiencing the same freezing problems with my T61p at work but at home where I have the wireless hub I haven’t experienced anything.”
It appears that, in some cases, this issue may be due to Cisco PIX hardware.
If you are experiencing a similar problem, please let us know at info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 18th, 2009. 1 Comment.
The latest build of Windows 7, build 7122, resolves some significant issues affecting a number of games under previous iterations of Windows 7.
We previously reported an issue in which certain games will not run with OpenGL capabilities under Windows 7 RC1. This issue is most likely to occur when User Account Control (UAC) is enabled.
Other users have reported problems wherein games do not recognize their 3D graphics cards and therefore refuse to run.
It appears that these issues, among others, have been fixed in the new release. This allows the usage of previously unplayable games, including Neverwinter Nights 2.
Most of the fixes appear to be due to enhancements made to DirectX in the new release.
Windows 7 build 7122 is currently available only to specific beta testers, but the release has leaked to various filesharing networks.
Fix for previous Windows 7 builds If you are running an older build of Windows 7 (including 7100, the RC1 release), you can use this fix, discovered by a poster to the Neverwinter Nights forums.
- Download this file and keep it somewhere safe.
- Navigate c:\windows\system32 or c:\windows\syswow64 depending on whether you are running Windows 32-bit or 64-bit.
- Take ownership of the existing dxdiagn.dll file in that directory (for instructions on taking ownership of a file, see this article)
- Rename the existing dxdiagn.dll file to dixdiagn.dll_backup
- Put the dxdiagn.dll file you downloaded in step 1 into the same folder that the old file was in.
Filed under News, Windows 7, games by on May 18th, 2009. 2 Comments.
Users have reported a variety of local networking issues under Windows 7. These include an inability to see or exchange files with Windows Vista or XP systems, inability of other systems on the LAN to see Windows 7 systems and more.
Fix
Some networking issues may be related to mismatched authentication settings. Make sure that local area network authentication settings are the same on all computers on the network. To check this setting on, click the start button, then enter secpol.msc in the search field (use “Run:” in Windows XP) and press enter.
Navigate to Local Policies > Security Options and find “Network Security: LAN Manager authentication level.”. Make sure it carries the same settings on all systems and the server, if one exists.
Alternative fix
Some users have also had success with temporarily turning off the Windows 7 firewall, allowing other machines on the network to be discovered, then turning the firewall back on.
To turn the firewall on or off, open the Control Panel then the click the Windows Firewall icon and modify the setting on the left.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 14th, 2009. 2 Comments.
Several users have experienced an issue in which Windows 7 hangs at shutdown, either with or without an error message.
Fixes
Uninstall drivers Try uninstalling any recently installed third-party drivers then restarting. To do this, click the Start button then navigate to Control Panel > System and Security > Device Manager. Right-click any recently installed third-party items and select “Uninstall” then restart.
End processes Processes spawned by some third-party drivers can also hang the shutdown process. Try opening the task manager (control-alt-delete) and ending any processes related to third-party devices or other hardware connected to your computer, then re-attempt the shutdown.
M-Audio audiophile Delta 249 conflict Joepsz, a poster to Microsoft’s TechNet forums, has discovered a fix that involves stopping the “Audiosrv” and “AudioEndpointBuilder” processes associated with the M-Audio audiophile Delta 249, which exhibits a conflict with Windows 7. The fix is as follows:
- Create a .bat file (create txt file and change extention to .bat)
- Right Click on file > “edit” and enter following info:
- net stop “Audiosrv”
- net stop “AudioEndpointBuilder”
- Save file as “Audio stop”(or whatever you want) to your main drive ie: C:\Audio stop
- Open “run” from start menu and enter “gpedit.msc” (without quotes) and hit “OK”
- Now navigate from right pain of window “User Configuration” > “Windows Settings” > “scripts (Logon/Logoff)” > “Logoff”
- From window that opens from clicking “Logoff” Click “Add” then browse to where you saved “Audio Stop.bat” earlier and double click on it.
- Hit “Apply” and close.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 14th, 2009. 15 Comments.