10 Most Common Problems With Windows 7
The Windows XP to Vista upgrade for most of us was a disaster because we found that some of the system drivers did not work well with our printers or other computer accessories. Although Windows 7 is more refined than Vista, it too has problems that needs fixing. For example, windows update can be annoying sometimes because it denies you access to your system when it automatically installs updates and will sometimes prompt you to reboot while you’re in the middle of something.
The "search" aspect in Windows 7 has a debugging issue that Microsoft needs to address. While using the federated search feature you can add Flickr and YouTube to the Windows Explorer searches, but the system does not search YouTube or Flickr, and "Federated Searches" is not mentioned in the help section. Another problem with Windows 7 is it's backup and restore function. Althoug an external drive is no longer required for backup, the process is complex and the new backup function is only available in the more expensive editions.
Finally, Internet Explorer 8 is now intergrated with Window 7. Internet Explorer 8 is a less innovative browser than FireFox and Google Chrome, which makes Windows 7 less appealing. Additionally, the document viewing interface allows users to create documents that are application-independent using a Microsoft PDF similar format, which is a portable document format that may not be supported by other OS’s.
Window 7’s SP1 Most Common Problems and Fixes
2. Iphone syncing is a problem in Windows 7. This problem can be solved by disabling the USB power management tool.
3. The “DVD not found” message often appear when using Drive E or the DVD drive on older laptops. Sometimes the audio is unintelligent or there may no sound at all. Microsoft recommends that you upgrade your hardware drivers to eliminate this error
4. Missing applets such as Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery have to downloaded separately from the Windows Live site, which is an extra chore for some users.
5. Windows 7 has too many (50) minidumps that uses far too much memory space. To fix this problem, run REGEDIT, go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, and set minidump to 1.
6. HP Multifunction Printer problems is often reported to the MS help Center. Downloading current drivers from printer manufacturers usually solves this problem.
7. File extensions and many folders are hidden, which can be very frustrating for some users. File extensions can be accessed by opening Windows Explorer, clicking on tools\options\view\then clear the Hide extensions box to show extensions.
8. The Windows Live Movie Maker does not allow network files to be imported by default. This has to be done manually by editing the registry.
9. XP Mode does not work in Windows 7. To make it work the virtualization setting in the BIOS will need to be adjusted, ensuring that they are all turned on.
10. The OS has missing crash dump files, which can cause it to crash sometimes. It is a good ideal to always make sure you have at least 25% free disk space on you computer and to remember to tune your system up regularly. Tuning your system consist of freeing disk space, defragging, running anti-spy and anti-virus software, and cleaning the registry using a quality registry program.
Most of these problems can be solved simply by permitting windows update to install automatically. Many end users are not aware of the importance of these updates and will continue to experience problems. Permitting windows update to automatically install the lastest updates is always recommended by Microsoft, but for more technical users, selectively updating is an option.
For more information on Windows 7 issues please visit www.techradar.com or the Microsoft Help Center at: http://support.microsoft.com/ph/14019. However, going to the MS update page will normally fix most problems.
