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 by going to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and downloading the latest Windows Vista driver then installing it. If you have problems installing this driver (or any other), try installing it in safe mode via these steps:
- Right click the driver installation .exe
- Under “Compatibility” choose “Run this program in compatibility mode….” then choose Windows Vista SP2
- Choose “Run this program as an administrator” under the “Privilege Level”
- Click Apply then OK
Filed under Windows 7 by on Feb 10th, 2010. Comment. 
Several users have experienced an issue in which Windows XP PCs cannot see Windows Vista 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 Vista SP2, 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 Vista, 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 Vista, Windows XP by on Jul 7th, 2009. 1 Comment.
[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 Working” followed by a sudden quit of Windows Explorer or a disappearance of all on-screen windows, or a message that says “Windows Explorer will restart.”
Fix
This problem can often be solved by creating a new user account. To do this, follow these basic steps:
(note that if you can’t even get to the control panel to set up a new account, you can try booting in Safe Mode then creating a new user account [using the steps below] and logging into it, then restarting. To start in safe mode, tap the F8 key on your keyboard repeatedly as the computer is starting up. Select safe mode with networking. Once the system is booted in safe mode, you may be asked to install updates–do so. )
Instructions for creating a new user account:
- Click Start and select Control Panel
- Click “User Accounts”
- Under User Accounts and Family Safety, select Add or Remove User Accounts
- Click Create a new account
- Choose an account name and type it in
- Select standard or administrator
- Click Create Account
- Select the account again and create a password if desired
- Log in to the new account and check for persistence of the issue
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 19th, 2009. 4 Comments.
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 other cases, functionality is missing or the devices do not respond at all.
Potential fixes
While many users still experience these issues after applying this fix, Microsoft has released a downloadable hotfix that may resolve the problem in some cases.
You may also want to try deleting the INFCACHE file then restarting. Instructions for this process are as follows:
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 15th, 2009. 1 Comment.
Several users have reported an issue in which the computer’s gateway is missing after the update to Windows Vista SP2. This issue generally results in an inability to connect to the Internet, although connections to LANs may still work.
Fix
The solution for this problem, as discovered by Ilja Herlein of the NetSetMan forums, is as follows:
- Click Start
- In the search box (or in or in “Run”) type regedit then press enter to open the registry editor.
- Navigate to HKLM > System > CurrentControlSet > Services > Tcpip > Parameters > Interfaces
- Select the CLSID of your network adapter that you are currently using.
- Open the value “DefaultGateway” (double-click it). You will see a list of all the gateways that has disappeared.The first line will likely be empty. Manually remove this first empty line, then click OK.
- Restart your computer.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 15th, 2009. 5 Comments.
Update: A new fix for this issue has been discovered. Try removing third-party items from the system tray, then restarting. One user found that removing the OpenOffice 3.1 Quickstarter from the system tray resolved the issue.
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Some users are unable to put their systems to sleep after updating to Windows Vista SP2, despite proper power management settings. There are a number of potential fixes for this issue.
Check media settings Sharing of certain files, specifically media files, can sometimes prevent proper sleep.
First, in Windows Media Player, check for options to share (in Tools > Options > Library). Eliminate these, then re-try sleep.
In the Network and Sharing Center, click ‘media sharing’ and turn off any options listed there.
Also, in power options, navigate to advanced settings, then check the settings in ‘multimedia settings.’
Update your drivers Check manufacturers’ websites for the latest driver editions for any third-party devices that are connected to your system. Many manufacturers have updated their drivers for basic compatibility with Vista SP2.
Graphics card drivers are notorious for causing sleep issues, so run Windows Update or check the manufacturer’s Web site for any of these updates.
Disconnect external (USB, etc.) devices Aside from your keyboard, mouse, monitor and network connectivity, try disconnecting any external USB, FireWire or other peripherals then re-trying sleep. You can reconnect the devices one by one and check for compatibility issues.
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 5th, 2009. 1 Comment.
[UPDATE: A Microsoft TechNet discussion thread is tracking this issue and has the latest updates on potential fixes, along with commentary from Microsoft indicating that the company is working with system manufacturers to resolve this issue.]
Several users have reported an issue in which a blue screen of death (BSOD) accompanied by the error message “Multiprocessor_Configuration_Not_Supported” appears after attempting to install either Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7.
This error generally indicates that the system has multiple processors, but they are asymmetric in relation to one another. However, many users are receiving the message on systems with only one processor or systems with only one dual-core processors.
A reliable workaround for this issue has not yet been discovered, but, in some cases, a BIOS update may resolve the problem. Here are instructions for updating the BIOS on Intel motherboards, and here are instructions for other motherboards.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista by on Jun 5th, 2009. Comment.
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, per Microsoft’s instructions.
- Download and run the Microsoft System Readiness Tool.
- Reinstall the Windows Vista SP2 update via the standalone installer.
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 3rd, 2009. 7 Comments.
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 Corus, for instance, writes:
“My anti-virus Bitdefender found 3 trojans named Trojan.Heur and quarantined it. After SP2 finished installing, when attempting to reboot, a black screen came up and Vista would not start up (nothing I’ve tried so far has worked).”
Fix
To fix this issue, you will need to boot from the Windows Vista DVD. Follow these steps:
- Boot from the Windows Vista DVD or the Windows Vista recovery disc that was supplied with your computer by inserting it into the drive then restarting (if you don’t have this disc or can’t find it, you can download a replacement here). (Note: if your system does not automatically boot from the Vista disc when it is inserted, you need to change the boot device in BIOS. To do this, boot from the installation disc, insert the disc, then restart, and while the computer is restarting, continually press the appropriate key [F12 on most systems, F1, F2, F10, the Delete (del) key or the Escape (ESC) key on others -- consult your user's manual or perform a Google search for your specific model] then select CD/DVD/CD-RW as the boot drive.)
- Choose your language settings and hit “Next”
- Click “Repair Your Computer” at the bottom of the screen. This will launch Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
- Choose the installed OS to repair, and you will see a list of recovery tools.
- Open the command prompt
- Enter the following commands, pressing enter after each, to create a Manual System Restore (as discovered by Arun Kumar on the TechNet discussion boards):
- cd windows\system32\config
- ren default default.old
- ren sam sam.old
- ren security security.old
- ren software software.old
- ren system system.old
- cd regback
- copy default c:\windows\system32\config
- copy sam c:\windows\system32\config
- copy security c:\windows\system32\config
- copy software c:\windows\system32\config
- copy system c:\windows\system32\config
- Restart your computer, this time booting from the hard disk.
If the problem recurs, repeat the process.
Filed under Windows Vista by on Jun 1st, 2009. 52 Comments.
Several users have reported that the Remote Desktop Client (RDC, mstc.exe) will not launch after the update to Windows Vista SP2. In some cases, mstc.exe will appear in the task manager, but the application will not appear in the task bar or be otherwise accessible.
Potential fix
This issue can sometimes be resolved by running mstc.exe from the command line, as follows:
- Click Start then type cmd in the search box. Right-click on the cmd and click “Run as Administrator”
- Type mstsc -v:(IP address of host) -console e.g.: mstsc -v:192.168.1.2 -console
Filed under Windows Vista by on May 29th, 2009. 1 Comment.