The Windows 7 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 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, 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 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.
Filed under Windows 7 by on Oct 27th, 2009. Comment. 
[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” appears after attempting to install either Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7.
This error generally indicates that the system has multiple processors, but they are asymmetric in relation to one another. However, many users are receiving the message on systems with only one processor or systems with only one dual-core processors.
A reliable workaround for this issue has not yet been discovered, but, in some cases, a BIOS update may resolve the problem. Here are instructions for updating the BIOS on Intel motherboards, and here are instructions for other motherboards.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista by on Jun 5th, 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.
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 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.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 5th, 2009. 4 Comments.
Today, Microsoft released the first Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC1) [Download here]. Many users are likely to encounter a variety of issues, such as startup problems, application crashes, performance hiccups and more, after the update. Here’s a run-down of the best methods for preventing these issues and making your update experience a smooth one:
Backup First and foremost, a full backup should be performed prior to any major system update. Your best bet is to use a tool that can create a complete, bootable backup of your primary volume. If major problems ensue post-update, you will have working copy of your current applications and documents that can be put into use immediately. Acronis True Image is one such tool. Alternatively, you can use Windows Vista’s built-in backup tools.
Make sure your system meets requirements Requirements for Windows 7 are as follows:
- 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
- 1 GB RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of avaiable disk space (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Check for spyware Next, eliminate any spyware or malware that might interfere with the update process or create conflicts after your system is updated. Various free or inexpensive tools, including Ad-Aware and Spybot are available for this purpose.
Disable antivirus software until after installation After you’ve made sure that your system doesn’t have any viruses or spyware, you will actually want to disable antivirus software until after you’ve completed the Windows 7 upgrade. Some antivirus programs can cause conflicts with Windows 7–for instance, Kaspersky may cause a BSOD.
Kill any unnecessary startup processes Eliminating any unnecessary startup processes, or removing all third-party startup processes, can reduce compatibility headaches that often follow major system updates. Launch the System Configuration utility by clicking “Windows” then entering “System Configuration” in the search bar and pressing return. Click on the “Startup” tab and remove any unnecessary items, then restart.
Disable non-essential services Many freezes after Windows upgrades are the result of problematic third-party system services. Follow our guide for disabling non-essential services before running the Windows 7 upgrade.
Update drivers Check manufacturers’ websites for the latest driver editions for any third-party devices that are connected to your system. Many manufacturers have already updated their drivers for basic compatibility with Windows 7.
Disconnect any unnecessary devices Aside from your keyboard, mouse, monitor and network connectivity, virtually all external device should be disconnected from your system right before you install Windows 7. Disconnecting these devices can preclude a variety of issues. Once the update is applied, you can reconnect the devices one by one and check for compatibility issues.
Get your devices working Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Windows 7 upgraders involves hardware incompatibility. Many devices will be rendered temporarily unusable by the new OS or exhibit compatibility problems that will make them not worth using. See our guide to getting devices to work with the new OS.
If installation fails You may encounter 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. A fix for this issue can be found here.
Windows 7 may also fail to install, giving 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.” Dynamic disk volumes cannot be changed back to partitions, causing the Windows 7 installation process to fail. Simply disconnect any external or internal hard disks that are formatted as dynamic disks then re-attempt installation.
If you are upgrading from a previous pre-release build of Windows 7 If you are using a previous pre-release build of Windows 7, such as build 7100, you will not be able to directly update to the RC. Instead, you will need to follow a series of steps provided by Microsoft to bypass the normal upgrade routine.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 5th, 2009. Comment.
Beta testers of Windows 7 report that recently released security updates pushed through the Windows Update mechanism cause blue screens of death (BSOD) at startup, with a failure on kl1.sys.
Fix
It appears that, in some cases, this problem may be caused by a conflict with the Kaspersky Antivirus package. Follow these steps to disable the software:
- Startup in safe mode (tap the F8 key on your keyboard repeatedly as the computer is starting up)
- Select a method of safe booting from the menu (first try with networking; if the crash still occurs, try without networking)
- Once the system has booted, click the Start button and type MSCONFIG then press enter in Windows Vista (in Windows XP, click the Start button, then click “Run” and type MSCONFIG then press enter)
- Go to the startup tab
- Disable Kaspersky and any related items (e.g. kl1.sys), then press OK, then restart the system if it does not happen automatically. Startup normally (i.e. not in safe mode)
Alternatively, you can launch the Kaspersky application and set it to not start at startup.
If you wish to continue using Kaspersky, you can try installing the technical preview for Windows 7, although it may exhibit similar issues.
Filed under News, Viruses/Malware, Windows 7 by on Apr 16th, 2009. 11 Comments.
Perhaps one of the most frustrating times to experience a full system crash, accompanied by the blue screen of death (BSOD), is at startup. This issue typically occurs after a major system update or the introduction of some new third-party software or hardware to the system, and may display the error message “0x0000008E.” Fortunately, there’s a relatively straightforward process you can use to solve this problem in the majority of cases.
Follow these steps:
- Startup in safe mode (tap the F8 key on your keyboard repeatedly as the computer is starting up)
- Select a method of safe booting from the menu (first try with networking; if the crash still occurs, try without networking)
- Once the system has booted, click the Start button and type MSCONFIG then press enter in Windows Vista (in Windows XP, click the Start button, then click “Run” and type MSCONFIG then press enter)
- Go to the startup tab
- Uncheck any third-party and nonessential startup items–on most systems, this would include all items on the list. Apply the changes and press OK, then restart the system if it does not happen automatically. Startup normally (i.e. not in safe mode)
- If the blue screen does not occur, go back to MSCONFIG and start re-enabling items in groups. Enable a few items, then restart and check to see if the blue screen occurs. If it does, boot into safe mode again and disable some of those items then re-attempt a normal startup. Keep enabling items until you find the culprit, then leave that service turned off permanently or uninstall it.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 13th, 2009. Comment.
Many users have run into a frustrating issue in which Windows Vista x64 will not boot with more than 4GB of RAM installed in the system. In some cases, startup does not occur at all. In other cases, a blue screen of death (BSOD) or complete system freeze occurs soon after startup. Unfortunately, this issue has no clear-cut fix, but a number of promising solutions have materialized.
Check BIOS settings The first, and generally most successful fix for this issue is to modify your BIOS settings. First, boot into BIOS. 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, navigate to your CPU settings and select “memory.” Look for a setting called “memory hole” and turn it on, then restart your computer.
If you cannot find that option, or it didn’t work to remedy the issue, boot into BIOS again and look for the “MTRR Mapping” setting. Set this to “Discrete” or “Enablde” and restart.
Remove RAM then perform a Windows Update Microsoft has released software updates that can resolve this issue. Unfortunately, you may not be able to apply these updates if you can’t properly boot your computer. The solution: remove one or more RAM modules until the total is under 4GB (we suggest leaving only 2GB installed), then run Windows Update by clicking the Start button, starting to type Update, then clicking Windows Update. Specifically, you want to make sure that Windows Update 929777 is installed.
Update your device drivers Try booting in safe mode by pressing the F8 key immediately as the computer is starting up. If the system boots and operates properly, a driver problem may be preventing the use of 4GB or more of RAM. Make sure all of your drivers are up to date. The fastest way to do this: click the Start button, start typing Update, then click Windows Update.
Next check the manufacturer websites for any of the installed hardware components you know of: graphics cards, motherboards, or just the manufacturer of your computer. Install any pertinent updates then restart your computer.
Check for bad RAM Check for bad RAM or RAM-related issues using Memtest as described in our previous article.
Worst case: Adjust maximum RAM In the worst-case scenario, you will need to reduce the amount of maximum RAM your system can address to something about 2GB but below 4GB. This can be accomplished launching MSCONFIG (click the Start button and type MSCONFIG then return), then navigating to Advanced Options > Maximum Memory. You might need to remove RAM, as aforementioned, to ensure a proper boot before performing this procedure.
Filed under Windows Vista by on Apr 1st, 2009. Comment.