Office 2007 SP2 Installation Fails: Fixes

Several users are experiencing problems installing the new Office 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) update, which was released earlier this week. Users are sometimes presented simply with the message “updates failed” or “The installation of this package has failed.”
Fixes

Install the Microsoft Office System Update Download and install this file from Microsoft. It contains fixes for [...]

Windows 7 XP Mode to Be Publicly Available May 5

Microsoft has announced that it will post a downloadable beta of the Windows XP Mode tool for Windows 7 alongside the public release candidate on May 5th. The releases will be available from the Microsoft download center.

Serious System Slowdown? Try Disabling Windows Search

If your system suddenly slows dramatically or stalls altogether, with a spike in processor usage from the task “searchprotocolhost.exe,” you may want to try disabling the Windows Search service. Follow these steps:
Click the Start button. In Windows Vista, type services.msc in the search box and press enter. In Windows XP, select “Run” then type services.msc [...]

Find Out If Your Computer Can Run XP Mode in Windows 7

Microsoft today released a slew of details regarding Windows 7’s XP Mode, which allows applications to run under a virtual Windows XP machine. According to the new details, XP Mode will require:

2GB of memory
15 GB of additional disk space
a PC with Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled in the CPU

The first two requirements are easy enough to [...]

Office 2007 SP2: Problems and Fixes

Earlier today, Microsoft released Service Pack 2 for Office 2007 (see our previous coverage for a list of what’s new). Users are experiencing a range of issues with the update, ranging from minor to major.
Problems and fixes
Corrupt downloads/will not install Some users appear to be getting corrupt or otherwise problematic download files. When downloading Office [...]

Office 2007 SP2 Released: What’s New

Microsoft today released Office 2007 SP2, the latest edition of the company’s productivitiy suite. The new release is cumulative, meaning that it includes fixes included in Office 2007 SP1 and other public updates, security updates and hotfixes that were issued through February 2009.
The new release can be downloaded here.
What’s New Among the major enhancements in [...]

Games, Other Apps Quit After Launch: Fix

If various games and other applications quit immediately after launch, a simple system setting may be to blame. Toggling the setting, which may be automatically done by some driver updates, resolves the issue in many instances.
Fix
Open the control panel. Next, go to Hardware and Sound>Sound. In the recording tab, enable Stereo Mix.

Windows XP SP3 Fails to Boot: Fixes

Several users have encountered a problem in which, after updating to Windows XP SP3, the system will not boot.
Fixes
The first step in fixing this problem is to boot in safe mode. To do this, tap the F8 key on your keyboard repeatedly as the computer is starting up). Select a method of safe [...]

Constant Freezes? Disable Non-Essential Services

Many freezes under various versions of Windows are the result of problematic third-party system services. Forget registry cleaners and other paid tools for “cleaning out” your system; a simple procedure can get you back to the basics and, likely, freeze-free. From that point, you can add back the services you desire and check for continued [...]

Windows XP Fails to Boot with External Disks Attached: Fix

Several users have experienced an issue in which Windows XP fails to properly boot when external disks (either USB or FireWire) are attached. Generally, when this problem occurs, the system will hang at the Windows splash screen, forcing a restart. Disconnecting the drive(s) resolves the issue.
Fixes
Disable the 1394 Network Adapter If you are experiencing this [...]