Reclaim Hard Disk Space After Installing Windows Vista SP2

After installing Windows Vista SP2, various leftover files and remnants (including unnecessary components from Vista SP1) will be left on your system. Microsoft includes a tool with SP2 that can automatically delete these files. To run the tool, follow these steps:

Click Start then type cmd in the search box. Right-click on the cmd and click [...]

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 7 Install Fails/Freezes: More Fixes

We previously reported on some Windows 7 installation issues, including a problem in which the installer states “Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information” (see a fix for that issue here). However, users are now reported a host of [...]

Can’t Install Windows Vista SP2: Fix

(See more fixes here)
Early-access users who installed a pre-release version of Windows Vista SP2 are experiencing some issues with installation of the final release. Users may receive the message “Service Pack Installation Cannot Continue: One or more of components that the service pack requires are missing.”
Fix
Try deleting the file vLite key from the registry. To [...]

Applications Won’t Install, Run Properly (“Access is denied”) in Windows 7: Fix

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 [...]

Windows Vista SP2 RTM Leaks

The RTM (release to manufacturing, or final) edition of Windows Vista SP2 has leaked to file-sharing networks, signaling that the update will soon be available for public consumption. Among the notable enhancements in SP2:

Windows Search 4.0: “improved indexing and search relevance; helps find and preview documents, e-mail (including signed e-mail messages), music files, photos, and [...]

Windows 7 Installation Fails: Constant Rebooting

Several 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.
Fix
This issue is, in most cases, due to [...]

iTunes 8.1.1 Released; Fails to Install: Fix

A number of users have experienced problems updating to the newly released iTunes 8.1.1. Generally, when this issue occurs, installation appears to proceed normally but then delivers the error message “The installer encounted errors before iTunes could be configured. Your system has not been modified. To retry these operations at a later time please return [...]

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 [...]

Preparing Your System for Windows Vista SP2

Earlier this month, Microsoft delivered the first release candidate of Windows Vista SP2, meaning that the final, public edition of the update will be posted for download soon. The new release features some sweeping improvements, including Windows Search 4.0, native Blu-Ray recording capabilities, easier Wi-Fi configuration and more.
Unfortunately, many users are likely to encounter [...]