Windows Vista SP2 Won’t Install: Fixes

(See all of our Windows Vista SP2 coverage)
Several users have reported that they can’t install Windows Vista SP2. This problem is more likely to occur if a pre-release edition of Windows Vista service pack 2 was installed prior to the final edition, but it is also happening to systems that only had SP1 (make sure [...]

Windows XP PCs Can’t See Windows 7 PCs on the Network: Fix

Several users have experienced an issue in which Windows XP PCs cannot see Windows 7 PCs on the same network and/or vice versa. Fortunately, this issue is usually due only to configuration issues and can be easily fixed:
Fixes
Change network setting to home or work If you have your group set to “Public” in the [...]

Web Browsers Cannot Connect to Internet: Fixes

Several users have reported an issue in which various Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome) cannot connect to websites despite the presence of an otherwise valid, working Internet connection.
Many users find that, when this problem occurs, they can ping the network, access email and perform other network functions, but browsers are dead in [...]

Cannot Play Streaming Windows Media: Fix

Some users have reported an issue in which they are suddenly unable to play streaming Windows Media files from various websites. These include the Sirius and XM streaming sites as well as other outlets.
Fix
This issue can usually be resolved by simply setting Windows Media Player as the default playback program. This can be accomplished as [...]

“Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer”: Fix

Several users have reported an issue in which Windows displays the message “Windows cannot connect to the printer. Access is denied” when attempting to add a new printer through the printer wizard, or suddenly after a system update or restart.
Fix
This issue can sometimes be fixed via the following process:

Open the control panel and [...]

Cannot Install Adobe Flash: Fix

Several users have reported an inability to install Adobe Flash Player, generally accompanied by the error message “Unable to authenticate install.”
Fix This problem can usually be quickly fixed via the following steps:

Uninstall the Flash Player by navigating to this Adobe page then downloading and running the appropriate uninstallation program
Next, right-click your Web browser’s icon [...]

Antivirus Software Conflicts Can Cause Internet Problems

As we have noted, the presence of two overlapping antivirus or antimalware/spyware/firewall tools can cause various conflicts. Users should install one (and only one) strong anti-virus package and make sure it’s up-to-date.
One problem that can result from the presence of conflicting protection tools is an inability to connect to the Internet. This issue is [...]

Internet Explorer, Other Microsft Apps Cannot Connect to Internet: Fix

Some users have noticed an issue in which various Microsoft applications, including Internet Explorer, Windows Update and others, suddenly can no longer connect to the Internet. Internet Explorer may display “cannot display this web page” when the problem occurs. This issue is sometimes caused by problematic policy files spawned by third-party programs.
It can generally be [...]

Windows Vista x64 Will Not Boot With More Than 4GB RAM: Fixes

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 [...]