(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 you have SP1 installed before you attempt SP2 installation).
Fixes
There are three potential fixes for this issue:
Run CheckSUR First, download and run the System Update Readiness Tool (aka CheckSUR) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Running this tool, which takes 15 minutes or more on most systems, can resolve issues that prevent SP2 from installing. After running the tool, re-attempt installation of Windows Vista SP2.
CheckSUR is available through Windows Update (Click Start, then click Control Panel, and then click Security. Under Windows Update, click Check for updates) or this standalone download page.
Delete vLite key If you receive the message “Service Pack Installation Cannot Continue: One or more of components that the service pack requires are missing,” try deleting the file vLite key from the registry. To do this:
- Click Start
- In the search box (or in “Run”), type regedit then press enter.
- Navigate to HKLM\Software\
- Select vLite
- Choose Edit and then Delete from the Registry Editor menu.
- Restart your computer and try the Windows Vista SP2 update again
Try selective startup As a last resort, try running the Windows Vista SP2 update while booted in a selective startup mode. To do this:
- Click Start then go to the Control Panel and select “System and Maintenance”
- Go to Administrative Tools and select System Configuration
- Click Continue (enter admin password if required)
- Select the General tab then choose Selective startup
- Uncheck “Load startup items”
- Click the Services tab then check “Hide all Microsoft services” and select “Disable all”
- Click Apply, then OK
- Restart
- Retry the Windows Vista SP2 update
Disable antivirus/spyware software during installation Directly prior to installation of Windows Vista SP2, disable all antivirus/anti-spyware software, then re-enable it after the update is complete. These programs can interfere with proper installation of the update and cause other problems.
In particular, some versions of ESET Smart Security and the ESET NOD32 Antivirus software have caused issues with the update. Disable or uninstall this program before installing Windows Vista SP2.
Can’t see license agreement; fix Some users are unable to properly view the Windows Vista SP2 license agreement, and therefore cannot proceed with installation. In most cases, this problem can be resolved with Chris Pirillo’s Vista Font Fix.
Filed under News, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista by on May 26th, 2009. 64 Comments. 
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 Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7, the system will be undiscovrable by Windows XP machines on the network. Open your Control Panel, then select Network and Sharing Center, and change the setting to either “Work” or “Home.” Make sure that all computers are using the same group.
Make sure Network Discovery is turned on In Windows 7, go back to the Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel, and make sure that the “Network Discovery” option is set to “On.”
You may need to restart your computer after applying these changes.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows XP by on May 6th, 2009. 17 Comments.
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 the water.
Fixes
Disable link scanning in antivirus/malware software The number one cause of this issue is problematic link scanning functions in various antivirus/malware software packages. Try disabling any link scanning components, then restart and check for Internet access.
For example, you can disable AVG’s link scanner by clicking on the AVG icon in the task bar (lower-right hand corner) then selecting “Link Scanner” and unchecking the “Enable AVG Search-Shield” box.
Look for a similar Web “link scanner” or “web shield” component in your antivirus/malware package and temporarily disable it, then restart your computer and check to see if the problem still exists.
Remove conflicting antivirus/malware software Conflicts created by the presence of two antivirus or malware packages that duplicate each other’s functionality can cause this problem. Install one, and only one strong anti-malware package. The presence of multiple packages can create conflicts that decrease system stability and can actually make your system more vulnerable.
First, uninstall all antivirus and malware programs from your system, then reinstall one, solid package and check for persistence of the issue.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Viruses/Malware, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 16th, 2009. 2 Comments.
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 follows:
- Click the Start button
- Go to Default Programs>Set Default Programs in Windows Vista (or All Programs>Program Access and Defaults in Windows XP)
- Set Windows Media Player as the default media player.
If the above process does not work, you may need to rename the folder “Windows Media” in %appdata%\local\microsoft then re-try streaming.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, windows media player by on Apr 14th, 2009. Comment.
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 choose the printer section
- Choose “Add printer” then “Add a local printer”
- Click on “Create a new port” and choose “Local port”
- Click next, and you will be prompted for a port name. Type the following: \\computername\printername and apply the changes.
(where computername is the name of your computer and printername is the name of your printer.)
If you don’t know your computer’s name, click the start button then right-click on “computer” in Windows Vista and select properties (or right-click on “my computer” in Windows XP and select properties). The computer name will be displayed among the data.
To find your printer’s name, open the control panel then go to Printers and other
hardware>View Installed printers.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 9th, 2009. Comment.
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 or listing in the Start menu and select “Run as Administrator.” Navigate to the Flash download page, then download and install the Flash Player.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 6th, 2009. Comment.
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 typified by a persistent or sporadic inability to load web pages, generally accompanied by a never-ending “Connecting…” message in any given Web browser.
To resolve this issue, completely remove or disable all antivirus/spyware software (Norton 360, ZoneAlarm, AVG, etc.). In fact, you may need to uninstall the packages–simply disabling may not work.
Next, re-install one and only one competent antivirus/spyware tool and check for Internet connectivity.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Viruses/Malware, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 6th, 2009. 1 Comment.
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 fixed via the following process, which deletes specific policies:
1. Click the Start button, then type REGEDIT in the search field and press enter.
2. In REGEDIT, delete the following items (first back them up by right-clicking each and clicking “Export” then saving them to any desired location):
- [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft]
- [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies]
- [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy]
- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft]
- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy]
- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 2nd, 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.