Calumaya, Jaedee, Researcher

BIT 21

WINDOWS 7
COMMON WINDOWS 7 PROBLEMS AND HOW TO FIX THEM
By Matt Smith February 2, 2014

Windows 7 built upon the innovations of Vista to create an impressive desktop operating system
that is both highly functional and very stable. For the most part, at least; the OS has to work with
an incredible variety of apps and hardware, so problems do crop up. Here are some of the most
common, and how to fix them.

1. Windows 7 shuts down slowly

Shutting down Windows is supposed to be a quick process, but users sometimes find that the
Shutting Down screen becomes stuck for several minutes. This is often caused by the page
file, a file on the hard drive that stores overflow data from RAM and, if its set to be cleared at
shutdown, can slow the process.
First, do a Windows search for regedit.exe to open the Registry Editor. Once open, go to the
following directory.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management
Look for the entry ClearPageFileAtShutdown and see if it is set to a value of 1, which means it
is enabled. If this is so, change the value to 0.
Be warned, though, that the page file represents a potential security hole. If someone were to
steal your drive, they could look at the page file to try and see what you were working on. This
isnt a concern for most people, but it may be an issue if you handle sensitive information.

2. Windows 7 hangs at shutdown

If your system still shuts down slowly, or it freezes entirely, then the problem may be a system
process. Windows does not give you details about the shutdown process, so tracking down the
culprit can be difficult. Thankfully, theres a way to make Windows give you more information.
Do a Windows search for regedit.exe to open the Registry Editor. Once open, go to the
following directory.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

In the right-side pane, look for VerboseStatus and change its value to 1. If you do not see this
entry, right-click on an empty portion of the window, select New, and then DWORD (32-bit)
Value. Name this new entry VerboseStatus and put its value at 1.
This does not resolve the issue by itself, but it forces Windows to tell you what services are
shutting down, which means you can now see whats causing the problem. With that information,
you can find and disable the offenders.

3. Windows 7 wakes from sleep

When you put Windows to sleep, you expect it to stay asleep, but various devices can cause it to
wake. To see what might be waking your Windows 7 rig from its slumber prematurely, do a
Windows search for cmd and, in the command line interface that appears, type the following.
powercfg lastwake
This should show you the last hardware device which caused your PC to wake. However, in our
experience this command is not 100% reliable. If nothing shows up, try the following.
powercfg devicequery wake_armed
This tells you every device that has permission to wake your computer.
Now open Device Manager and seek out the devices matching what the command line reported.
Once found, double click to open Properties, and then head to the Power Management tab. Here,
youll find an Allow this device to wake the computer checkbox. Un-check it.
If you still have problems, then the issue might be software related, not hardware centric.
Windows search for Power Options, and in that window open the power plan your PC uses. Now
click the Change advanced power settings button.
Scroll down until you find the Sleep tree. Expand it, expand Allow Wake Timers, and disable
it. Software will no longer be able to wake your PC.

4. No sound or intermittent sound

Do a Windows search for Sound and open the Sound menu. Under the playback tab, you may see
a variety of options. Sometimes these are accidentally changed by the user or by software.
If you are using external speakers, you should have Speakers selected as your default device. But
if youre connecting to a display with speakers via HDMI, youll want the appropriate HDMI
Output to be the default. You can change the default by right-clicking an entry and then selecting
Set as default device.
You may have a driver issue if the problem persists. Under the label of each device in the Sound
menu, youll see the name of the device that enables it. Jump to Google, enter the name of the
device, and look for a new driver to download.

5. IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL blue screen of death

This classic problem has caused countless BSODs, yet the message itself is rather difficult to
parse. It means that an error has occurred with a driver, causing Windows to immediately halt.
Whenever a BSOD occurs, a dump file is generated in the C:/Windows/Minidump folder. This
file is also hard for most people to read, but you may be able to scan it for familiar names like
Nvidia, which will point you in the direction of the problem. You can also forward the dump
file to a friend, a help desk or any other source of assistance available to you.
Once youve identified the problem, you can try installing a new driver or re-installing the
existing one. If the problem persists, though, the hardware itself may be faulty and require
replacement.

6. Cant join a HomeGroup

A HomeGroup is a networking feature found in Windows 7 that makes it easy to share
information with other PCs on your home network. When it works that is, as many users have
trouble with this feature.
First, check to make sure that you have your network type set to Home, as this is the only type
that allows use of HomeGroup. Do a Windows search for the Network and Sharing Center, and
check the network under View your active networks. It should be listed as a Home Network,
but if its not, click the listed network type. A window will appear giving you three options.
Select Home Network.
If you still cant join, it may be because the PC that created the HomeGroup is not turned on.
Unfortunately, this is required for the HomeGroup to work. Youll have to boot that PC and log
in to Windows, even if you only want to use other PCs in the group.
Another possibility is that network discovery has been turned off. From the Network and Sharing
Center, find the Change advanced sharing settings link on the left side. Click it, then look for
Network Discovery, which should be the first option listed. Make sure its turned on, then save
your changes.
Finally, you may need to turn on some networking services manually. Do a Windows search for
Administrative Tools and open it. Then open Services in the window that appears. Youll now see
a long list of services with gear icons next to their name. Find the Peer Networking Grouping and
HomeGroup Provider services, right-click each, and then select Start.

7. Registration error after a major hardware upgrade

Windows 7 uses an online activation method that beams your Windows key data along with your
PCs configuration to Microsofts servers. This is then used to automatically reject any other
computer that tries to use the key.

Unfortunately, the system can become a pain if you have to re-install Windows after a major
hardware upgrade. Your systems configuration no longer matches up with what Microsoft has
on file, so youll receive errors saying your copy of Windows may not be genuine.
Do a Windows search for Windows Activation and open the result that appears. Choose to
activate online, and enter your key. This will most likely fail, so youll be given the option of
activating through the phone. Youll be given a number to call, and a field to enter numbers given
to you by the automated phone line.
If this fails and youre told that your copy of Windows could not be activated, dont hang up.
Stay on the line, and you should be transferred to a real person who will likely ask you if youre
only using Windows on one PC. If you say yes, theyll activate your copy. Should the call be
dropped, call back but dont respond to the automated prompts, and youll eventually be
transferred to a representative.
You can also get in touch with the Microsoft Activation Support line directly by calling 888-5712048.

8. Right-click context menu causes Explorer.exe crash

One of the strangest problems reported by Windows 7 users is an Explorer.exe crash that
sometimes occurs when a right-click context menu is opened.
This problem is typically caused by a corrupt context menu entry. Windows doesnt let you edit
the contents of the context menu directly, but theres a free tool called ShellExView that has this
capability. Download it and install it.
Open the program. Youll see a list of entries, but you only need to worry about Context Menu
entries, so sort them by type. A long list of context menu items will appear. Go through them and
disable any that are not related to Windows directly (you can tell by reading the entrys
description).

Now close ShellExView and restart your PC. The disabled context menu entries will no longer
appear, and the crash should no longer occur.
Conclusion
There are, of course, many other problems that might pop up, and well add them as we find
fixes. In the meantime, here are a few other Windows 7 articles that can help you learn about
how to use the operating system.
Common Windows 7 Problems & Solutions
By Joe Almeida
Common Windows 7 Problems & Solutions

Windows 7 is a fairly cool operating system, but like most operating systems its not perfect.
Some Windows 7 problems are bugs others happen to be features. Either way, they are annoying
and all we care for is a quick fix.
Some of the most commonly reported problems with Windows 7 include compatibility with
older programs, slow performance on low-end hardware, and trouble with the Aero theme and its
features. In this article, Ill show you how to fix these annoyances. For those that prefer an
automatic fix, scroll down to the bottom for suggested software solutions.
1. Windows 7 Seems Slow
Windows 7 is hungry for resources. It features many visual effects that draw heavy on your
graphics card and system memory. If your system was slow out of the box, chances are you can
easily fix that by turning off superfluous effects.

Go to > Start and type performance in the search field. Select > Adjust the appearance and
performance of Windows from the results. The > Performance Options window will open.
Under > Visual Effects select > Adjust for best performance. If you would like to retain a nice
interface, select > Custom and check > Use visual styles on windows and buttons.
2. Windows Aero Not Working
I recently wrote an article on How To Enable & Troubleshoot Aero Effects In Windows 7.
In addition to this article, you should make sure that your graphics card supports Aero and that
graphics driver is up to date. However, if your computer came with Windows 7 this should not be
an issue.
Finally, Aero could be disabled in your registry. Before I proceed to explain how to check and
edit your registry, I must warn you! Editing the registry can cause permanent damage to your
Windows installation. Please backup your registry and know what youre doing.
Go to > Start and type > regedit into the > search option. Launch regedit and browse to >
KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM. The value of the entry >
EnableAeroPeek should be set to 1, rather than 0.
3. Older Programs Not Compatible
Before upgrading to Windows 7, it is advisable to check which of your programs will be
compatible. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor checks the most common programs. However, as I
have outlined in my article How To Use Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor To Check PC
Compatibility, you may have to do a manual check at the Windows 7 Compatibility Center for
many other programs. Now, if you have already upgraded and if it turns out that a dear program
of yours is not compatible, there is a way out: Windows 7 Compatibility Mode.
To install a program in Compatibility Mode, right-click its > installation file and select >
Properties. In its > Properties windows switch to the > Compatibility tab, check > Run this
program in compatibility mode for: and from the > pull-down menu choose the latest version of
Windows of which you know that the program was running on.
You may have to repeat this step with the program itself once it is installed. Right-click the >
program icon, select > Properties, switch to > Compatibility tab, check > Run this program in
compatibility mode for:, and choose the respective Windows operating system.

Furthermore, you can change the settings for the respective program and you should explore
these, depending on the issue youre facing.
Finally, if you went with Windows 7 Professional or up, you can use Windows 7s XP Mode. It
runs Windows XP as a virtual machine and you can install all programs that worked on Windows
XP in this environment. Ars Technica has a very decent article on Windows 7s XP Mode.
4. DVD Drive Not Found
Windows 7 cannot find your optical drive? This is another issue that involves editing the
registry. The warning from point 2 applies!
Click > Start, search for > regedit and launch it from the > results. Navigate to >
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class. In the > right-hand
panel delete > UpperFilters and > LowerFilters, restart Windows and see if the problem was
resolved.
If not, click > Start, type > Disk Management, and select > Create and format hard disk
partitions. In the > Disk Management window right-click on the > optical drive icon and select
Change Drive Letter and Paths. In the > Change Drive Letter and Paths window click the >
Change button and choose a new drive letter. Restart Windows and hope the issue was fixed.
5. New Themes Change Custom Icons
So you switched themes and found that some of your custom icons where changed? Thats quite
annoying, but its easy to prevent. Right-click > desktop, select > Personalize, in the control
panel windows that opens switch to > Change Desktop Icons, and in the > Desktop Icon Settings
window uncheck > Allow themes to change desktop icons.
Another common issue, which only seems to occur in older laptops, is that Windows 7 falsely
reports an empty battery and subsequently shuts down. ITExpertVoice provides a workaround,
preventing Windows 7 from shutting down when it thinks the battery is empty. Unfortunately,
this may leave you with a sudden laptop death when the battery really runs out.
Finally, many Windows 7 problems can be fixed in an instant using handy tools. MakeUseOf has
reviewed FixWin in the article How To Fix Common Windows Problems In A Snap With
FixWin. Another option is QuickFix, which contains 21 common Windows 7 fixes. Since it is a

portable app, it could one day help you out of a virus attack or restore default Windows 7
behavior.

22 common Windows 7 problems solved

We like Windows 7: it's faster than Vista, makes better use of your system resources, is packed
with interesting features, and looks great, too.
But that doesn't mean it's perfect, of course. If you've moved to Windows 7 recently then you
might have noticed various upgrade problems, interface issues and features that seem to have
disappeared entirely, among many other complications with the new system.
Don't despair, though - while these problems can be really frustrating, answers are beginning to
appear. We've uncovered some of the best and most effective solutions around, so follow our
guide and your Windows 7 installation will soon be back on track.
18 cool things Windows 7 does that Vista doesn't
1. Vista upgrade hangs at 62%
Windows 7 can start causing problems before it's even installed, as many people report their
upgrade hangs forever at 62%. Which is annoying.
Reboot, and your PC should roll back to Windows Vista. You can then open the setup log file \
$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log to view what happened. Microsoft say this is
usually caused because the Iphlpsvc service has stopped responding, and just adding an

environment variable to ignore it will fix the problem. Point your browser
at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/975253 for the fix.
If this doesn't help (or your upgrade hangs at something other than 62%) then browse the setup
log for other clues. And you might also try to boot and install from the Windows 7 disc, if
possible, as that reduces the chance of any conflict with your existing Vista (or XP) setup.

INSTALL WINDOWS 7: Windows 7 upgrades are usually quick, but sometimes it doesn't install
at all
2. DVD drive not found
In some cases your DVD drive may not be found by Windows 7, even if it's visible in the BIOS
and using the standard driver.
The standard solution here is to run REGEDIT, browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\, then delete both
UpperFilters and LowerFilters in the right-hand pane (UpperFilters.bak and LowerFilters.bak
entries can be ignored).
No change? Resetting the drive letter has worked for some. Click Start, type Disk Management
and choose the "Create and format hard disk partitions" link. If your optical drive is visible here
then right-click it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, click Change and choose a new letter. If
the drive is now visible in Explorer, then repeat the process to change the drive letter back; if it's
still not visible, reboot and it should appear.
3. Aero isn't running
If Windows 7 isn't looking its best - transparency has been turned off, say - then the Aero theme
may not have been fully enabled on your system. Click Start, type Aero, choose the "Find and fix

problems with transparency and other visual effects" link, and click Next to launch the Aero
troubleshooting wizard. It'll try to identify and resolve and problems. And if it doesn't, then
install the latest driver for your graphics hardware. That could be all your system needs.
Some Aero features may be disabled in the Registry, though. For example, if Aero Peek (the
ability to make open windows transparent to display your desktop underneath) doesn't work for
you, then launch REGEDIT, browse to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM and make sure
EnableAeroPeek is set to 1, rather than 0.

NO AERO: Windows 7's troubleshooting wizards will fix many display problems while you
watch
4. Aero Snap irritations
Windows 7's new ability to move and resize windows, all in one movement, can be a genuine
productivity boost. But if you find windows moving around when you don't expect it then Aero
Snap is more of an annoyance than anything else, though at least it's one you can disable in just a
few seconds.
Launch Control Panel, click Ease of Access, and select either "Change how your mouse works"
or "Change how your keyboard works". Then browse down to the "Make it easier to manage
windows" section, check "Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to
the edge of the screen", click OK, and program windows now won't go anywhere unless you
specifically command it.
5. iPhone won't sync in Windows 7
Irritated iPhone users are beginning to report major difficulties in getting their iPhone to sync
with Windows 7 systems. Particularly 64-bit Windows 7 systems, based around the P55 chipset.

The iPhone is usually (though not always) recognised, but iTunes then complains that it can't
connect to the unit because of an "unknown error", usually (though again, not always)
0xE8000065.
Disabling USB power management appears to be one solution. Click Start, type
DEVMGMT.MSC and press [Enter] to launch Device Manager, then click View > Devices By
Type. Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section of the tree, right-click each USB Root
Hub entry in turn, select Properties > Power Management, and clear "Allow the computer to turn
off this device to save power".
Reboot your PC after this tweak and try again. This works for some, but if you're out of luck then
check the Apple Discussions thread for other ideas.
SYNCING FEELING: iTunes on Windows 7 won't always see, or sync with, your iPod
6. Windows 7 themes change your custom icons
Windows 7 has some spectacular new themes - there's a great selection at the Microsoft site - but
installing them can have one annoying side-effect. If you've previously changed a system icon
like Computer or the Recycle Bin then that could disappear, replaced by the equivalent icon from
the theme pack.
To prevent this, right-click an empty part of the desktop, select Personalize > Change Desktop
Icons, clear the "Allow themes to change desktop icons" box and click OK. Your icons will now
be preserved, and the only way to change them will be manually, from the same Desktop Icons
dialogue.
7. Taskbar problems
We like the new Windows 7 taskbar, but many people seem less than impressed with the new
approach to taskbar buttons, finding it difficult to tell at a glance whether an icon is a running

application or a pinned shortcut. If this sounds like you then there's an easy way to restore more
standard taskbar buttons, though - right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and set Taskbar
Buttons to "Never combine" or "Combine when taskbar is full".
You can even restore the old Quick Launch toolbar in just a few clicks. Simply right-click the
taskbar, click Toolbars > New Toolbar, type %userprofile
%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch in the folder box and click
Select Folder. The Quick Launch toolbar should then reappear, and you can move and resize it to
suit your needs.
STANDARD TASKBAR: Just a few seconds work and your taskbar has that retro look
8. Missing Explorer folders
Click Start > Computer in Windows 7 and you'll find system folders like Control Panel and the
Recycle Bin are no longer displayed in the left-hand Explore pane. This seems like a backward
step to us, but there's a quick solution. Click Tools > Folder Options, check "Show all folders",
click OK and all your top-level system folders will reappear.
9. Missing applets
Windows 7 installs quickly and takes up less hard drive space than you might expect, but in part
that's down to cheating - Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and other applets are no longer
bundled with a standard Windows installation. Instead you must download the programs you
need from the Windows Live Essentials site.
Installing Live Essentials will also get you potentially unnecessary extras, though, like an
ActiveX control to help in uploading files to Windows Live SkyDrive. And the Windows Live
Sign-In Assistant, which can be useful if you want to switch between multiple Windows Live
accounts. If you have only one Windows Live account, and no plans to use Live SkyDrive, then
these can safely be removed from the Control Panel Uninstall A Program applet.

TAKE YOUR PICK: You can install as many, or as few of the Live Essentials programs as you
like
10. Too many minidumps
By default Windows 7 now keeps the last 50 minidump files (memory images saved when your
PC crashes). If you're keen on using dump files to troubleshoot crashes then this is good news,
but if you've no interest in that kind of advanced debugging then minidumps are just a waste of
your valuable hard drive space. In which case you should run REGEDIT, browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, and set
MiniDumpsCount to 1. Windows will only now keep the last dump file and you'll free up a little
hard drive space.
11. HP Multifunction Printer problems
If you've an HP multifunction printer with its "Full Feature Software solution" or "Basic Driver
solution" installed then, after upgrading to Windows 7, you may find the printer stops working.
Press the buttons on the front of the printer and nothing will happen; launch the software
manually and you'll see reports that it can't connect to your hardware.
The problem is that a few files and Registry entries have been lost in the migration to Windows
Vista, and even reinstalling the original HP software won't help. Fortunately there's a new
version of HP Solution Center that should get everything working again, though, and you can
find out more about it at the HP support site.
12. Hidden extensions
Explorer's default settings in Windows 7 hide file extensions, as well as system files and folders.
To fix this, launch Explorer and click Tools > Folder Options > View.

Clear the "Hide extensions for known file types" to show file extensions, reducing the likelihood
that you'll accidentally double-click on virus.txt.exe in future.
And as long as there are no novice users on your system who might go poking around in
Explorer, we'd also choose to "Show hidden files and folders" as well as clear the "Hide
protected operating system files" box. It's often important to see these files when you're
troubleshooting, or following problem-solving instructions from someone else.

13. DVD audio issues

Windows 7 runs well even on old notebooks, say reviewers, and in general they're right. But we
have seen reports of problems, for example with DVD audio, where movie sound is either
completely unintelligible or doesn't appear at all.
Should anything similar happen to you then head off to Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound
> Sound, right-click your current default playback device (it'll have a green tick displayed) and
select Properties.
Then click Advanced, clear any settings in the Exclusive Mode box and click OK. You've now
ensured that older or badly-behaved drivers can't take complete control of the speakers any more,
and this alone will often be enough to get your system working again. (But if it doesn't, installing
new audio drivers is your next best option.)
14. Windows Live MovieMaker
For some bizarre reason Windows Live MovieMaker won't let you import network files by
default. Okay, so they'll be large and may monopolise network traffic for a while, but shouldn't
that be your choice?

Anyway, a quick Registry tweak will solve this annoying problem. Simply run REGEDIT,
browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Maker, add a
DWORD value called AllowNetworkFiles and set it to 1: job done.
IMPORT NETWORK FILES: Network access is only a Registry tweak away
15. XP Mode doesn't work
If you've ancient software that won't work under Windows 7 then in theory you can use XP
Mode, a virtual machine with an installation of Windows XP that should be more successful. In
practice, however, it doesn't always work out that way.
Problem 1 is XP Mode requires hardware support from the CPU. The Microsoft HardwareAssisted Virtualization Detection Tool can check your system to see if it's compatible.
Problem 2 is the feature must be enabled in the BIOS. Microsoft has some instructions, but
essentially you just need to browse your BIOS setup program looking for an AMD-V, Intel VT or
VIA VT virtualisation setting and ensure it's turned on.
Unfortunately problem number 3 is that some laptop manufacturers have previously disabled this
setting for "security" reasons. Sony Vaios had the feature turned off for a while, for instance,
prompting some to recommend ways in which you can edit their firmware to restore the setting,
although Sony seems to have restored it recently. If hardware virtualisation is turned off on your
system then check with the manufacturer - a BIOS upgrade may fix the problem.
And if all else fails, just use a package like VirtualBox that doesn't insist on hardware support.
You will need to provide a licenced copy of XP (or whatever other version you want to use) to
install on it, though.
WINDOWS 7 XP MODE: Good news - this CPU is up to the task of running XP Mode

16. Add Windows Media Center to AutoPlay options

Windows 7 includes Media Center, but for some strange reason you can't choose it as an
AutoPlay handler. The only standard program that can be launched to play DVD-Video discs,
say, is Media Player, which seems an odd limitation.
Fortunately there's no fundamental change that's preventing this from working, it's just that
Windows 7 doesn't contain the required Registry entries. If you've a Windows Vista PC to hand
then you could export these yourself: just go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Autopl
ayHandlers and save all the keys and values beginning with EHome.
Windows expert Ramesh Srinivasan has done the hard work already, though, so it's probably
easier to download the .REG file from him. Take a look at Srinivasan's Winhelponline to find out
more.
17. Missing crash dump files
Impressive though Windows 7 is, it'll crash sometimes, and if you've installed diagnostic
software like the Windows debugging tools then you'll want the crash dump file to hand for
further investigations. And yet in some situations you'll find the memory.dmp file never appears.
So what's going on?
First, click Start, right-click Computer and select Properties > Advanced System Settings >
Startup and Recovery Settings. Make sure that "Write debugging information" is set to
something other than "none", and that "Dump file" is the default "%SystemRoot
%\MEMORY.DMP".
If that's all correct then check your free hard drive space. If your system isn't on a domain, and
has less than 25GB free, then Windows 7 will no longer keep a crash dump file. If you'd like to
change that, launch REGEDIT, browse to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, create a new

DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and in future the crash dump file
will always be preserved.
18. Can't disable hibernation
Windows 7 doesn't make it easy to turn off hibernation, annoying if you never use it as you'll
permanently have a "hiberfil.sys" file taking up a sizeable portion of your hard drive. To rectify
this situation, launch REGEDIT, browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power, and set
HibernateEnabled to zero.
19. Poor video quality
The new Windows 7 power plan settings affect more of your software than ever before. If you
notice video playback quality seems poor, for instance, then click Start, type Power Options and
click the Power Options link. Click Change Plan Settings for your currently selected plan, click
Change Advanced Settings, expand the Multimedia Settings section and make sure "Playing
video" is set to "Optimise performance".
Alternatively, if you often play video on a laptop, then change the new setting to "Optimise
performance" and you may see an improvement in battery life.
20. Where's Software Explorer?
If you've ever played with Windows Defender on Vista then you'll have probably noticed the
Software Explorer feature, a very useful way to find out and control exactly what's launched on
your PC when Windows starts. So it's a little annoying to see this has disappeared in the latest
version, leaving you with only the aging MSCONFIG to control your startup programs.
We'd recommend you download and use Autoruns, then, instead. It's rather more technical than

Software Explorer, but nothing else provides quite as much useful detail on the add-ons and
extensions you'll be loading when Windows, Explorer and your browser are launched.
START UP: Autoruns shows all the programs that will load when your PC starts
21. Explorer navigation
The Windows 7 version of Explorer has partly disconnected its two panes, so if you're doubleclicking your way down a complex set of folders in the right-hand pane, the left hand tree won't
always expand to follow you.
This may improve performance a little, but it also means that you won't always be able to see the
complete folder structure unless you expand it manually, which on balance seems a bad idea. If
you agree then click Organize > Folder and Search Options, check "Automatically expand to
current folder", and click OK to restore normal operations.
22. Windows Live Messenger and the system tray
Close Windows Live Messenger on Windows 7 and it'll display its icon on the taskbar, chewing
up useful application space, rather than in the system tray where many believe it belongs.
Fortunately there's a very quick fix: right-click the shortcut to Windows Live Messenger, click
Properties > Compatibility, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and choose
"Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" from the list. Close Messenger and its icon should now appear
in the system tray, just as you'd expect.

Calumaya, Jaedee, Researcher

BIT 21

WINDOWS 8
Windows 8: The 10 biggest problems so far
How can I turn off the Windows 8 start screen?
For two months now, early adopters, IT pros, and developers have been working extensively with
the Windows 8 Developer Preview. Here are the 10 of the biggest pain points they've found,
Microsoft's reaction and some easy fixes!
By Sandro Villinger
ITworld | November 16, 2011
At Microsoft's BUILD conference in September, the software giant finally unveiled its latest OS
to the public. The Windows Developer Preview, geared towards (you guessed it), developers and
IT pros, has now made its way into the hands of thousands of early adopters who are busy
evaluating the new OS for their IT, writing apps based on the new WinRT platform or just
playing around with it.

I've jumped into Windows 8 with both feet. I installed it on all my machines, put all my
important files on it and made it my day-to-day work operating system. Of course, being both a
major step forward and a very early (pre-beta) release, I ran into some issues. Over the course of
the past two months, I compiled a list of some of the major pains I had with the new operating
system and monitored the Microsoft forums to see what quirks and annoyances other users were
reporting.
The following list shows the top 10 annoyances that other early adopters and I have experienced
with Windows 8, as well as some explanations, solutions, and workarounds.

1. The new Metro-style Start screen

Arguably the most controversial pain point of Windows 8 is the new Start screen, which is
Microsoft's new way of starting and managing apps.

Tweak the Windows 8 Metro interface

This mobile oriented approach to the future of the desktop hasn't been greeted with much love by
the community or the press. Focusing on one (maybe two) tasks at a time dumbs down the entire
user experience. Also, users find themselves constantly switching between the new Start screen
and the classic Windows 7-ish desktop (which includes the taskbar, desktop, explorer and so
forth). Here's an example of how annoying this is: Say, for example, you're checking on e-mail
using Outlook 2010, which is a traditional desktop application and one of your contacts is asking
for a specific document. The next obvious step is to launch a file search. The problem is: once
you click on the Start orb or hit the WIN key to launch the search feature, the classic desktop
disappears with a big swoosh and you're back on the new Start screen pictured above, since the
Start menu search is now only available in the new Metro-style environment. You find the file,
open it and with another swoosh it throws you back to the desktop.
The same happens when you switch between the built-in Metro apps (such as Twitter@ama or
Socialite) and your classic desktop applications. In terms of raw productivity, it's a major pain
point and a very noticeable UI break.
Many complaints also focused around the fact that the new UI is aimed at tablets and phones,
which makes it utterly useless on desktops and laptops.

Solution: Unfortunately there is no solution other than to turn the new Start screen off. After a
few days of pure agony and hatred for the new UI, I took a step back and realized that I'm
basically spending 95% of my work time on the classic UI and simply can't review this new
approach. And why is that? Simple: Because I'm not using real Metro-style apps day in and day
out! The default apps we get are mere sample applications written by summer interns (no
kidding, Steven Sinofsky actually made a big deal out of the fact that Metro-style apps are so
easy to write that even summer interns can do it in just a few weeks). So how could I even start
judging a new environment when I just use my regular applications that throw me back to the
traditional desktop? Do I spend enough time in those sample apps to judge the Start screen's
usability? No! Can I even begin to imagine what working in a new third-party app (think Nero or
Adobe) is like? Hardly! My solution to the problem is to wait at least until the beta hits sometime
in early 2012 with a working Windows Store and working apps. I need to download apps, use
them and then judge. I suspect that we'll still struggle with the mixture of legacy apps and new
apps, but I'll reserve my opinion until then.
Change Windows 8 start menu to Windows 7 style
By the way, to turn the Start screen off and go back to the Windows 7 way of things, just
download "Windows 8 Start Menu Toggle". Right now it's the only solution for Windows 8
testers who hate the Metro UI.

2. You can't close apps

A majority of testers complained about the lack of a mechanism to close apps: Once you start an
app, it remains open until Windows 8 decides to suspend it in order to save CPU cycles -- though
the app is still present. While that may not be an issue for the regular user, the more professional
users have major issues with this: The most viewed thread on the official Windows 8 developer
forums is titled "Exit Developer Preview Apps (aka Closing Metro Apps)", with nearly all users
crying foul over this obvious omission. After a heated debate, Microsoft's own Jon DeVaan,
Corporate Vice President for Windows Development, weighed in:
The idea is Metro Style apps are not closed. The system takes care of keeping the apps from
consuming background resources automatically. You can examine the app lifetime information in
the developer documentation if you'd like.

The problem with this approach is that even suspended applications consume resources (i.e.,
memory). Plus, when cycling through apps, I sometimes find that apps have automatically
suspended and are only available when I launch them again through the Start screen. That's
annoying. I don't want to swipe through applications without knowing whether it is still active or
not running. I want to be in charge of what's running or not.

Windows 8 task manager

Solution: In the Windows 8 Pre-Beta (the one WITH the developer tools, mind you) you can
close apps using ALT+F4, though that's not working with the regular builds. The only current
alternative is to launch task manager, jump to the Processes tab and close currently running apps.
But there is some good news on the horizon: Chief of Windows, Steven Sinofsky, briefly
mentioned in one of his whitepaper-style blog posts that there will be a way to close apps more
easily: "Will there be a way to close Metro style apps without going to Task Manager? (Yes there
will be, but we also want to talk about why you probably won't need to use it."
I guess we'll have to wait for the beta for a perfect solution.

3. The green Start screen is driving me crazy

By default, the Windows 8 Start screen has this default green theme with no option to change it:

Obviously, Microsoft knows that users love to customize their screens so there is no way that
they'll omit this feature from the final Windows 8 build. In fact, a screenshot of a newer
(unreleased) build leaked to the public on November 5th, is pretty solid proof that there will be a
personalization option:

Solution: For now, all you early adapters can use My WDP Customizer 1.3.0 to change not just
the Start menu background and the entire color set, but also the Windows 8 Start button with
custom images and colors. Take a look at my Start screen background in shown in #1 above. It
took me just a few seconds using the WDP Customizer and is a great interim solution.

4. How do I shut this thing down?

It's hard to believe but it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to shut down Windows 8. No
kidding. Clicking on the Start button just brings up the new Start screen. To properly shut down
or restart Windows 8, you'd have to:

- Log off, click on the Power button and select either Restart or Shutdown
- Hover over the Start button, click on Settings, go to Power and select your options.
I don't even dare to ask why Microsoft would put the Shutdown and Restart options in a menu
titled Settings -- it's beyond bizarre.
Solution: Thankfully, you can create a custom shortcuts for shutting down, restarting,
hibernating, sleeping and locking the PC and put them on your Start screen. Right-click on your
classic desktop, go to New/Shortcut and type in one of the following commands:
Shutdown: shutdown.exe s t 00
Restart: shutdown.exe r t 00
Hibernate: rundll32.exe PowrProf.dll,SetSuspendState
Sleep: rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0
Lock: Rundll32.exe User32.dll,LockWorkStation
Name them accordingly and choose an appropriate icon from Windows's default icon library:

Next, put them in the folder "%appdata%\microsoft\windows\Start Menu\Programs\". Go to the

Windows 8 Start screen and search for each of your shortcuts. The search results should bring up
the icons you just created. Right click on them and select Pin. Voila!

5. Side-by-side multitasking doesn't work

On displays with resolutions lower than 1366 x 768, the Snap feature that allows you to display
two apps on your screen (and resize them to 1/3 or 2/3 of the screen) won't work:

For reasons unknown, Microsoft decided to pevent Snap, despite the fact that a lot of mobile
devices these days still sport a resolution of 1280 x 800 and are perfectly capable of displaying
two apps side by side.
Solution: There's no reason to deal with Microsoft's restrictions: Open up regedit and go to
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell\".
Next, create a new key called AppPositioner. Within that key, create a DWORD entry which
you'll name AlwaysEnableLSSnapping. Double click on it and enter "1".

Bottom of Form
Once you've restarted your machine you can easily display all apps side-by-side. Great!

6. Running Windows 8 in a virtual environment

While I'm running Windows 8 on physical hardware to fully experience the new OS, most of you
probably just need to take it for a quick test ride or check on application compatibility.
Unfortunately, the Windows Developer Preview gives many users trouble using VMware or even
Microsoft's own VPC.
Solution: VirtualBox and VMware Workstation/Player 8 are now fully capable of running
Windows 8 virtualized, so make sure to jump to the latest version. They MyTricks virtualization
blog has some great step-by-step tutorials that'll help you get the Windows 8 Developer Preview
running onVirtualBox, VMware and even Parallels.
Hint: Make sure to delete/disable the emulated Floppy drive to avoid crashes!

7. Metro apps don't work anymore

On a lot of users' systems, Windows 8 apps refuse to launch or just freeze shortly after displaying
the startup splash screen
Solution: This is a known bug in Windows 8 that is tied to the user account control (UAC)
feature. If it's turned off (either by the user or some third party application), some apps might not
work properly. To re-enable UAC, go to the Start screen, search for "User Account Control" and
click on "Settings". Click on "Change User Account Control Settings" and move the slider to the
default setting. Also, make sure not to use the built in Administrator account to run Metro style
apps -- use your own user account instead.
8. Windows 8 requires a product key
The Windows Developer Preview is a public pre-beta and shouldn't require a product key. Yet,
some users were prompted with a "Please enter product key to proceed" window either when
installing Windows, when running Windows 8 off of a USB key ("Windows To Go") or after
they repaired the OS using the Windows Refresh feature.
Solution: To get rid of the product key check, Microsoft advises users to re-download the ISO
from the MSDN website and install everything all over. However, that might not be the perfect
option if you've already spent hours downloading, installing and configuring your Windows 8
test PC. A quicker method is to use a key provided by Microsoft's Support that works universally
across all Windows 8 Developer Preview builds. Simply type in:

6RH4V-HNTWC-JQKG8-RFR3R-36498 (for the Windows 8 Client) 4Y8N3-H7MMW-C76VJYD3XV-MBDKV (for the Windows Server 8)
That should be it to activate your Windows 8 Dev Preview!
9. .NET Framework 3.5 is missing
By some weird happenstance, Microsoft decided to omit the .NET Framework 3.5 from its
Windows 8 Developer Preview, which has version 4.0 running only. If you're trying to install an
application that requires 3.5, you'll be faced with a dialog saying it needs to download the
required components. Unfortunately, this process either takes half an eternity (45 minutes on
some of my machines!) or results in error messages.
Solution: Gladly, there's a way to run the offline installer on the Windows 8 Developer DVD.
Just make sure that the DVD is in the drive (or the ISO is properly mounted), fire up a command
prompt and type in:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /Source:x:\sources\sxs
Note: X is the letter of your DVD or ISO drive. This should launch the installer immediately.
10. Programs and drivers won't run
I think it's nothing short of a miracle that nearly all of my Windows 7 applications and drivers
work right out of the gate. Microsoft's legacy support is spot on, even in this early pre-beta
release of Windows 8. However, there is a small portion of programs and drivers that just won't
work, due to the fact that Windows 8's version number jumped from 6.1 (Windows 7) to 6.2 and
some installers' version checks simply refuse to run.
Solution: I won't bore with the various compatibility modes (as you probably tried that already),
but rather point you to part 3 of my "Running Windows on a Mac" series in which I describe
some steps to get rid of version checks. More precisely, it details how to remove the Windows
version check of an installer file using "Orca MSI Editor" or remove the version information
from "*.inf" driver files. Of course, these steps work differently on all drivers and installer files,
but it'll give you the basic idea of how to force your "legacy" software to run on Windows 8
Developer Preview and later.

How to fix common windows 8 and windows 8.1 problems

By Matt Smith January 25, 2014
Microsofts newest operating system has its fair share of problems, and while many issues are
related to the confusing new interface, some have deeper roots. Yes, like any new operating
system, Windows 8 has bugs. Gasp!
Fortunately, Windows 8 shares something else in common with prior version of Windows; a
trend towards maturity. Many showstoppers and annoyances now have solutions. Here are the
common problems weve run into and how to fix them.

1. Finding the Start menu

The number one issue that new Windows 8 users complain about is the missing start menu.
Despite what early rumors suggested, Windows 8.1 didnt bring the Start Menu back, though it
did add an App view, which sorta-kinda does the same thing.
Fortunately, there are some third party solutions that resurrect the Start Menu in Windows 8, and
weve already covered the best options. If you install one of these menus, then set Windows 8.1
to boot directly to the desktop, you can almost forget that the Metro interface exists. Almost.

2. Explorer.exe crashes and reloads frequently

Some users have reported repeated appearances of Windows Explorer has stopped working
after installing a fresh version of Windows 8. The problem usually occurs every few minutes,
which obviously makes Windows a bit hard to use!
The trigger for this appears to be a bug between the operating system and a hardware driver or
installed software (usually the former). To fix the problem, youll need to use the Refresh My
PC feature. Go to Settings, then Change PC Settings, and then Update and Recovery. After that,
open Recovery, and click or tap Get started under Refresh your PC without affecting your
files. This effectively re-installs Windows, but your files will not be deleted. With that said, its a
good idea to back up your data before a refresh, just in case something goes wrong.

3. Svchost.exe hogs your processors performance

A common Windows system process, svchost.exe, can start consuming processor cycles it
doesnt need. This can make your system feel sluggish, and may even cause it to crash.
There are a few potential causes. The first is malware. Because svchost.exe is a common
Windows service, some malware will use it as a disguise, knowing most users have come across
svchost.exe before and are unlikely to think its a virus. You can rule out this possibility by
downloading a free anti-virus suite like Avira and scanning your system.
Another potential trigger is the Windows uPNP (universal plug-and-play) service, which scans
your home network for compatible devices. The service can get out of hand, scanning
continuously and using resources until no more are left. To fix this, do a Windows search for the
Network and Sharing Center, and open it. Then go to Advanced Sharing Settings and turn
Network Discovery off.
Finally, some programs install services that can make svchost.exe go bonkers. The most likely
culprits include anti-virus apps, backup apps and networking utilities. Try un-installing any
software that you installed just prior to the problem arising.
Note that consumption of some CPU resources by svchost.exe is normal, including periodic
spikes. You only need to look for a solution if the process is continuously using a significant
portion of your processors power.

4. Backup saves multiple copies of files that havent been changed

Windows has a robust backup utility with file history functionality built in. This means the
backup service can detect files that changed and backup the new version while retaining the old
one. If you later decide something you did to the file was in error, you can restore the older
backup.
This is a great feature, but some users have noticed Windows 8 backing up new versions of files
that havent changed. This fills the backup drive to capacity with redundant files, which is a
major headache.
Unfortunately, while this issue has generated many complaints, the exact cause is unknown and
there is no accepted solution. Your best bet is to disable the default backup service and use a
third-party backup program instead. Weve covered some of the best options, like CrashPlan and
EaseUs ToDo, in a separate article.

5. Windows 8 does not go to sleep or stay asleep

Putting Windows to sleep is a great way to save energy, but sometimes a PC refuses to go to bed
or stay in it. This is usually caused by devices triggering a wake command.
You can see the devices that have permission to wake your PC by opening the Command Line
(do a Windows search for cmd) and then typing the command powercfg devicequery
wake_armed.
Now that you have a list, open Device Manager and track down each component. Double click to
open a components properties, and then go to the Power Management tab. In this tab youll see
a checkbox next to allow this device to wake this computer. Uncheck this box. Go through
your devices one-by-one, putting your PC to sleep after each, to find the offender.
If your PC still wakes, the problem may be Windows Update. Do a Windows search for, and
open, the Action Center. Then click on the Maintenance section. In the menu that opens, click the
change maintenance settings text, then uncheck the box next to allow scheduled maintenance
to wake up my computer. Alternatively, you can re-schedule maintenance to run at a time that
wont bother you.

6. A blank Explorer.exe window appears on boot

Many things can happen when your PC boots, but one thing that shouldnt appear is a mysterious
window. Some users have reported this problem, however, which takes the shape of a blank
Explorer.exe pop-up with no text and an OK button.
There are various things that can cause this problem, but whatever the source, the root cause is
the same; an erroneous Load value in your registry. To see it, do a Windows search for regedit
to open the Registry Editor, and then use it to find the Windows registry fold. In it you will see
an entry called Load, which may or may not have data associated with it. Get rid of that entry
and the blank box will go away.

7. DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL blue screen of death

While the dreaded blue screen of death can occur for many reasons, perhaps the most common
message flashed alongside it is the dreaded DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. This
bizarre message is trying to tell you that Windows has crashed because of a problem with a
driver.

If you pay attention to the additional text that often appears, you may be able to figure out what
driver is the root of the problem and proceed from there. However, since your PC automatically
restarts, you may not have time. You can find BSOD error dumps in the C:/Windows/Minidump
folder. Wading through them is not an easy task for the average user, but if you look for names
associated with hardware in your PC, like Nvidia or RealTek, you can probably spot what
happened. If not, you can try talking to the helpful folks at Microsofts TechNet, who can analyze
your dump file and pinpoint the problem.
Youll need to upgrade the drivers for whatever you find to be the cause of the problem. If you
still are plagued by BSODs, the issue may be faulty hardware, which means youll have to
replace the offending part.

8. Windows 8 activation fails with Error: 0x8007007B

Windows 8, like previous versions, requires online activation to verify that your key is
legitimate. However, some users upgrading from Windows 7 have had problems with the code
from the previous version of Windows becoming stuck and, since its for Windows 7 and not
Windows 8, activation fails.
To solve this you need to use the command line. Do a Windows search for cmd and make sure
you have elevated privileges you may need to right-click and use Run as administrator.
Now type these commands:
slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
slmgr.vbs /ato
In the first command, the XXXXX characters should be replaced with your Windows 8
product key. Your activation should now complete successfully.

9. Blurry or fuzzy text

You may notice that some programs display poorly on your Windows 8 PC. This typically is a
problem with older software which was designed for screens that have a lower resolution that
those today. Windows will often try to scale the software to a higher resolution, but not everyone
likes the blurry appearance that results.
To turn this off, right-click on a programs executable, go to the Compatibility tab and check the
box for Disable display scaling on high DPI settings. Then restart the program.

If your problem is with icons and general text, rather than programs themselves, you may simply
need to scale the Windows UI. Do a Windows search for Display and, in the menu that opens,
change to a larger or smaller UI scale. You can also customize text scaling with the set custom
text size link on the left.

References:
WINDOWS 7

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/common-windows-7-problems-fix/
http://dctechnologies.net/common-windows-7-problems-solutions/
http://www.johnpc.net/hesk/knowledgebase.php?article=20

WINDOWS 8

http://www.itworld.com/article/2827054/enterprise-software/windows-8--the-10-biggest-

problems-so-far.html
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/fix-common-problems-windows-8/