Windows 7 Reports Wrong Processor, Causes Driver Problems

Some users have reported an issue in which Windows 7 reports an incorrect processor architecture. For instance, the system may identify itself has an AMD-based chipset when an Intel chipset is actually present.
This can cause problems with drivers–if the system installs drivers for the wrong architecture–in addition to other issues.
Fix
This problem can sometimes be fixed [...]

Windows 7 Won’t Install: “A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing”

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, [...]

How to Upgrade from Windows 7 RC to Final Version without Clean Install

Generally speaking, upgrading from a pre-release edition of Windows 7 (e.g. RC 7100) requires a clean install of the system, meaning that you will need to manually reload some files from a backup or other source, and will lose various system settings.
Fortunately, there is a way to bypass this requirement, although you may not want [...]

Windows 7 Freezes During Network File Copying

Windows 7 may freeze or hang when the user attempts to copy files across the network. “hetmankp,” a poster to the Microsoft TechNet discussion boards, writes:
“When I attempt to copy large files onto a shared network directory the entire user interface freezes. No response to the mouse or keyboard. Waiting several minutes (i.e. long enough [...]

3 Ways to Speed Up Firefox 3.5

Benchmarks for Firefox 3.5 release show the new version to be significantly faster than its predecessors, but still slower than Google Chrome.
Here are a few tips that can dramatically increase the speed of a slow Firefox 3.5:
Change maximum number of requests If you’re using a broadband connection, chances are that you can speed up [...]

Windows 7 Beta Testers Must Uninstall RC for Final Upgrade

It appears that Windows 7 beta testers who are using the publicly available release candidate of the new OS will need to uninstall the pre-release software and re-install their valid Windows XP or Windows Vista edition before applying the final Windows 7 upgrade.
Microsoft states:
“When you install the final version of Windows 7, you’ll need [...]

Windows Explorer Crashes: Fixes

Under various versions of Windows, Windows Explorer may repeatedly crash either when certain actions are taken (e.g. right-clicking an item), after several minutes of use, or immediately after the system starts up. In some cases, the following error messages are displayed:

“Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close”

The first thing you need to [...]

Vista SP2: “Windows Explorer Has Stopped Working” Fix

[We have already published two other fixes for this issue: turning off thumbnails and looking for a recently created or saved file that might be causing the problem. If they fail, try the following]
After upgrading to Windows Vista SP2, you may experience an issue in which you receive the error message “Windows Explorer Has Stopped [...]

What’s New in Windows 7 Build 7021: Faster Graphics, Smaller Installer

Windows 7 Build 7021 is the latest build of the new OS, due in final form on October 22nd, to leak to file sharing networks. Users report that the new release provides yet another significant speed boost, along with the following enhancements:

Smaller installer
Better automatic driver installation (if you had third-party device issues with previous releases, [...]

Windows Vista SP2 Won’t Boot; Error 0xc0000034: Fix

Several users have encountered an issue wherein they receive the error message “0xc0000034″ followed by some other information (usually specifying a corrupt file) after attempting to install the Windows Vista SP2 update. Generally, this error message is accompanied by an inability to boot the system and a black screen with the aforementioned error message.
WindowsFixUp reader [...]