Windows Vista SP2 Breaks Several Antivirus Programs

Users have reported problems with a number of programs after the update to Windows Vista SP2.
Microsoft provides a list of applications that will lose functionality (either partially or completely) after the update. Among them are a number of antivirus/anti-spyware tools, including:

Avira AntiVir
Spyware Doctor
Trend Micro Internet Security & Virus Buster
Spy Sweeper

Developers will be releasing updated [...]

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 Freezing When Connected to Wired Networks

Several users have reported an issue in which Windows 7 freezes when connected to wired (Ethernet) networks, but not when connected to wireless (WiFi) networks.
As described by Bryan Archambeault, a poster to Microsoft’s TechNet forums:
“So, as I mentioned above, I brought a wireless access point with me to the office today. I hooked [...]

Microsoft: Windows 7 to Debut By the End of the Year

In a press release issued today, Microsoft announced that Windows 7 will likely be ready in time for the 2009 holiday season. Bill Veghte, senior vice president of the Windows Business at Microsoft, “With early RC testing and extensive partner feedback we’ve received, Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability.”
A follow-up post on [...]

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 [...]

Internet Explorer 8 Update Fixes “webpage is not responding” in Windows 7

Microsoft has released an update for Internet Explorer 8 that resolves an issue in which users receive the message “A webpage is not responding” under Windows 7 RC1. Microsoft describes the problem thusly:

“Windows 7 RC includes a feature in Internet Explorer 8 that helps users recover from unresponsive Web sites. This feature uses a timer [...]

Office 2007 SP2 Installation Fails: Fixes

Several users are experiencing problems installing the new Office 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) update, which was released earlier this week. Users are sometimes presented simply with the message “updates failed” or “The installation of this package has failed.”
Fixes

Install the Microsoft Office System Update Download and install this file from Microsoft. It contains fixes for [...]

Windows 7 XP Mode to Be Publicly Available May 5

Microsoft has announced that it will post a downloadable beta of the Windows XP Mode tool for Windows 7 alongside the public release candidate on May 5th. The releases will be available from the Microsoft download center.

Windows 7 RC: System Requirements, New Features

Microsoft has issued a press release to accompany the posting of the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) earlier today. The statement divulges two important areas of information for the new release: system requirements and official new features.
System requirements are as follows:

1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of RAM (32-bit)/2 GB [...]

Windows 7 RC, Vista SP2 Hit Microsoft’s Private Servers

The official Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC)-the same build 7100 that leaked earlier–and the final build of Windows Vista SP2 have hit Microsoft’s private servers, and are now available to eligible users, specifically:

Microsoft Connect subscribers: members of the closed beta program
Technet and MSDN subscribers: paid account holders (accounts start in the $2500-range)

Subscribers are experiencing some [...]