Windows 7 RC Expiration Process to Start Valentine’s Day

Beginning on February 14th at midnight, the Windows 7 expiration process will start–with infrequent warnings first, then more frequent notices, then forced restarts every two hours, then a complete expiration and a black desktop. Here’s the full schedule from Microsoft’s blog:
“On February 15th, people still running the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) will receive a [...]

Error 0×81000031 When Using Windows Backup; Fix

Several users have reported an issue in which Windows Backup (under Windows 7) fails with error 0×81000031. The program may also display the message:
“Check your backup Windows Backup failed while determining libraries location of one of the users included in the backup [...] BitLocker Drive Encryption cannot be used because critical BitLocker system files are [...]

The 7 Biggest Windows 7 Problems (and Fixes)

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 [...]

Windows 7 RC Downloads Come to an End

If you wanted to snag a release candidate copy of Windows 7 via Microsoft’s Web site, you’ve missed your chance. As of this morning, a message on the site reads:
“Sorry, the Windows 7 RC is no longer available for download. If you’ve got the download and need a product key, they’ll be available until October [...]

Old .hlp Files Don’t Work With Windows 7; Workaround

Old .hlp (Windows help) files cannot be natively opened in Windows 7. Although Microsoft offers winhlp32.exe for the Windows 7, it generally displays the following message when attempting to open .hlp files:

“The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn’t included in this version of Windows. [...]

Bi-Hourly Shutdowns of Windows 7 Beta to Begin

Neowin reports that Windows 7 beta users who are still on build 7000 will start to experience bi-hourly shutdowns on July 1, 2009. The shutdowns are Microsoft’s mechanism to remind users to upgrade to build 7100. On August 1st, all betas will expire, and begin to show the “Windows not Genuine” message.
You can avoid this [...]

Speeding Up Windows 7 with Process Explorer

Here’s a free, easy and quick method for routinely eliminating performance bottlenecks in Windows 7.
Download and install Process Explorer, which is part of the Microsoft SysInternals package. Launch the program, and you’ll be presented a beautiful display of all processes currently running on your system, along with a bevy of information about each process, including [...]

Vista SP2: USB Devices Don’t Work After Sleep

A number of users have experienced an issue in which various USB devices do not work properly or at all after systems that have been upgraded to Windows Vista SP2 wake up from sleep or hibernation. In some cases, USB devices do not respond for 30 seconds or more after the system has awoken; in [...]

Vista SP2 Problems? Uninstall, Run Readiness Tool, Reinstall

A number of Windows Vista SP2 problems can be resolved by uninstalling the service pack, running the Microsoft System Readiness Tool to eliminate inconsistencies and corrupt files, then reinstalling the service pack. If you are experiencing inexplicable issues for which you cannot find a suitable solution after the update, try these steps:

Uninstall Windows Vista SP2, [...]

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 [...]