Several users are experiencing an issue in which Windows 7 will not install, delivering the error message
“Load Driver A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now. Note: If the Windows installation media is in the CD/DVD drive, you can safely remove it for this step.”
This problem generally occurs right after pressing the “Install Now” button.
Fixes
Change BIOS boot order The most successful fix for this issue is to set the optical (DVD) drive as the first boot device in the BIOS. To do this, first enter BIOS mode as follows:
Enter your system’s BIOS mode. This is accomplished by pressing a specific key repeatedly as soon as your computer is turned on (or right after it is restarted). For many computers, the key is F8, but it may be F1, F2, F10, the Delete (del) key or the Escape (ESC) key. Consult your computer or motherboard’s manual or try different keys until you find the right one.
Find the screen or option for changing the boot order. Follow the instructions for changing the boot order. This is sometimes accomplished by using the + or – buttons.
Update ITE ATA driver Failing the above, try booting back into Windows Vista or XP. Launch Windows Update and install the ITE ATA driver update before attempting the upgrade. The upgrade advisor may not find this driver.
Switch from SATA to AHCI Follow the aforementioned instructions for booting into your computer’s BIOS, then check your HDD or storage settings. Turn off SATA, switching to AHCI, and reboot normally, then re-attempt installation of Windows 7.
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For other installation problem fixes, see our previous post “The 7 Biggest Windows 7 RC1 Problems (and Fixes)”
Filed under Windows 7 by on Aug 27th, 2009. 27 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.
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.
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 not install successfully or may not uninstall successfully. Additionally, operations or applications that reference these folders may fail. [...] some specific operations, such as deleting the folder, will fail when they are performed from a non-elevated command prompt.”
Fix
Microsoft has released a hotfix for this problem, but it should only be applied to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. The fix is available through Windows Update.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 8th, 2009. Comment.
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 much further on this list, or with Windows 7 in general, if the RC1 installation fails. Several users have experienced a problem in which the installer gives the error message “Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information.” Generally this error occurs in situations in which multiple disks are connected to the system. In order to eliminate this issue, disconnect any disks that are formatted as “dynamic disks.”
Meanwhile, some users have encountered an issue in which Windows 7 installation fails at the very end of the process, with the system rebooting automatically as soon as the Windows 7 splash screen appears. The system then displays a message indicating that it was not shut down properly.
This issue is, in most cases, due to a graphics card driver issue. One potential remedy is as follows:
- Turn your system off
- Disconnect your monitor from the DVI port and instead connect it to the VGA port on your system (this will require a different cable)
- Turn your system back on and reinstall Windows 7–the process should complete properly
- Disable Windows Update automatic update (in control panel>System>Automatic updates)
- Go to your motherboard or graphics card manufacturer’s website and download the latest Windows Vista driver(s); install the driver(s).
- Turn your system off and connect your monitor via the DVI port again
2. BSODs
Yup, they still exist in Windows 7. The most common cause of blue screens of death (BSOD) at startup, under Windows 7 RC1, is an antivirus software conflict. In some cases, this problem may be caused by a conflict with the Kaspersky Antivirus package. Follow these steps to disable the software.
Some users are also 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.
Enter your system’s BIOS mode. This is accomplished by pressing a specific key repeatedly as soon as your computer is turned on (or right after it is restarted). For many computers, the key is F8, but it may be F1, F2, F10, the Delete (del) key or the Escape (ESC) key. Consult your computer or motherboard’s manual or try different keys until you find the right one. Next check your HDD or storage settings. Turn off SATA and reboot normally.
Read more on The 7 Biggest Windows 7 RC1 Problems (and Fixes)…
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 7th, 2009. 8 Comments.
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 to detect when a Web page has become unresponsive. On low performance computers or on computers under high load conditions, the time-out value is frequently exceeded. Therefore, you frequently receive the error message that is described in the Symptoms section.”
To resolve this issue, run Windows Update in Windows 7 RC1. This will apply the fix. You must restart your computer after applying the update.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7 by on May 6th, 2009. 1 Comment.
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 is a known issue, and it is planning to be fixed in one of the future updates of AVG 8.”
Note, however, that some antivirus program error messages do not necessarily indicate that your system is unprotected. If, for example, you receive an error message indicating that that antivirus program is still on but is not properly reporting its status to Windows (as displayed below), you may still be protected.
In the meantime, we have compiled a list of antivirus applications that appear to be compatible with Windows 7 RC1.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Viruses/Malware, Windows 7 by on May 5th, 2009. 3 Comments.