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. 
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 to do a clean installation. So plan on backing up your data then reinstalling your applications and restoring your data.”
However, if you are purchasing a discounted, upgrade edition of Windows 7, you will need to first perform a clean install of a genuine edition of Windows XP or Vista before proceeding with the final Windows 7 upgrade. Windows Vista can be directly upgraded to Windows 7, while Windows XP requires a clean installation.
Microsoft provides instructions on how to uninstall the Pre-release version of Windows 7 and revert to a previous genuine operating system.
Filed under Windows 7 by on Jun 26th, 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.
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.
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 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.
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 “Run as Administrator”
- Type compcln.exe at the command prompt and press enter
- Follow the on-screen prompts
Note, however, that you may not want to run this tool until you are sure that you would like to stick with Windows Vista SP2. After running the clean-up, you will not be able to easily revert back to SP1 via System Restore.
Filed under Windows Vista by on May 28th, 2009. 1 Comment.
Some users who had problems installing Windows Vista SP2 are not sure if the update completed successfully due to error encountered during the installation process. These include error “800706BE” and others.
To check whether or not the update was successfully applied, follow these steps.
- Click the Start button
- Type Winver in the search field and press enter
- Inspect the build number
Build number 6000 is the original release of Vista. Build number 6001 indicates that SP1 is installed, and build number 6002 indicates that Vista SP2 has been installed.
Filed under Windows Vista by on May 27th, 2009. Comment.
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 versions of some of the aforementioned applications in the coming days, so stay tuned to manufacturers’ websites for new releases.
Filed under Viruses/Malware, Windows Vista by on May 27th, 2009. Comment.