Windows 7 articles more ways than you can count 1 2 3 4 5 6 Seven
Microsoft Edge Update for Windows 7 KB4567409
Microsoft has made their new Edge browser available for Windows 7 user. Support for Windows 7 expired several months ago but Microsoft has made their latest version of Edge available when you run Windows Update.
Can I still Install and Activate Windows 7 April 8, 2020, Its now several months past the “End of Support” for Windows 7 but you can still install and activate Windows 7.
Windows 7 shutdown bug prevents users from turning off their computer Some users have been reporting that they are receiving a popup window "You don't have permission to shut down this computer" every time they try shutting down or rebooting their PC.
Windows 7 black wallpaper January 2020 bug Revised Feb, 10th, 2020
If you installed the last / final windows set of updates available for Windows 7 and now find you have a black background If KB4534310 is installed, users who stretched their wallpaper may now have a black desktop because the Windows stretch feature has been broken.
Yes and no. I’ll discuss some safe ways to continue using Windows 7 after January 14th, 2020 which is when the last security updates will be released and is the official Microsoft End of Support date.
TurboTax 2019 no longer supportsrecommends Windows 7 Revised 12/07/19: Microsoft’s Windows 7’s End of support date is January 14th, 2020. After this date security updates (2nd Tuesday of each month) will no longer be available.
Microsoft quietly removing windows 7 articles Even though Windows 7 does not reach it’s “End of Support” life until January 14th, 2020 I’ve noticed that a significant number of Microsoft Windows 7 Knowledge Base or other articles are no longer available. Either the link is dead, redirects you to a generic article or Windows 10 related material.
How to stop Windows 7 End of Support Notifications While a checkbox titled “Do not remind me again” is available, there are workarounds that will make Windows 7 completely stop notifying you about the End of Support.
Windows 7 KB4493132 End of Support Notification Revised May 2nd, Installing Windows 7 update KB4493132 enables a notification that reminds you about Windows 7 end of support.
Windows 7 end of support life date is less than a year away January 14th, 2020 is the day the support / Windows Update come to an end for Windows 7. On this date the last set of Windows Updates will become available. Read More ----->
Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows 10 - How to delete a write protected drive partition Here is an easy way to delete a write protected partition on a disk drive Read More ----->
Windows 7 updates stopped working You will no longer receive Windows Updates for your computer if you fail to install SHA-2 code signing support before the April 2019 “Patch Tuesday” security and the cumulative Monthly Rollup (March 2019 patch Tuesday update includes SHA-2 code sign support). Read More ----->
Hard Disk Drives versus Solid State Drives Benchmarks and Test software March 09 2018 - Before I put any newly purchased hard drive into service I perform benchmarks and about 9 hours of testing for a 1TB hard drive. SSD drives take considerably less time.- Part 3
How much life is left in your hard or SSD disk drive? Feb 27 2018 - How to protect and extend the useful life of your Windows 7 based computer beyond January 14, 2020 which is when Microsoft drops all support – Part 2
How to extend the useful life of your Windows 7 computer Feb 5, 2018
How to protect and extend the useful life of your Windows 7 based computer beyond January 14, 2020 which is when Microsoft drops all support for Windows 7. In this series of articles I will show you how to protect and extend the service life of your Windows 7 computer. ----->
EternalRocks worse than WannaCry -----> May 23rd 2017 J W Stuart
Why EternalRocks may be bigger and worse than WannaCry
How to protect yourself from the WannaCry ransomware SMB exploit attack -----> May 15th, 2017
I’ll show you how to check to see if Windows XP Vista 7 8.0 or 8.1 is protected and where you can get the security patch / update. Windows 10 is protected by default and no patch is needed.
March 2017 Windows 7 Update Quality Rollup KB 4012215 installation results -----> March 14th, 2017 By: J W Stuart
February 2017 Windows 7 Quality Rollup (Patch Tuesday) update has been delayed -----> February 14th, 2017 By: J W Stuart
February 2017 Windows 7 Update Quality Rollup installation results -----> February 14th, 2017 By: J W Stuart
January 2017 Windows 7 Update Quality Rollup installation results -----> January 10th, 2017 By: J W Stuart
Windows update November and Decembers patch Tuesday cumulative rollup update -----> November 8th, 2016, Revised December 13th and 15th By: J W Stuart
Dec 12th, 2016 - How to speed up the installation of Windows 7 Updates. Windows Update has become slow and slower over the years. Here is an easy fix to significantly speed up the scanning for updates ----->
Windows update October patch Tuesday cumulative rollup update -----> October 11th, 2016, Revised October 16th 2016 and October 18th By: J W Stuart
Windows 7 and 8.1 monthly cumulative rollup updates -----> By: J W Stuart: October 4th, 2016, Updated October 7th, Revised October 14th, 2016 Starting on the 2nd Tueday of October 2016 Windows Update will now use a Rollup to deliver updates. You will no longer see a list of Windows Updates to install. Instead a single “Rollup” update will be displayed if you manually run Windows Update.
Windows 7 - Speed Up Windows Updates / Obsolete -----> Obsoleted: June 3rd, 2016, Revised June 16th, Revised September 19th 2016 and October 15th, 2016 See December 12th revision here----->
By: J W Stuart
How to speed up the installation of Windows 7 Updates. Windows Update has become slow and slower over the years. Here is an easy fix to significantly speed up the scanning for updates.
Convenience rollup update for Windows 7 -----> By: J W Stuart June 10th, 2016, Revised June 16th
The Rollup is next best thing to the never released Service Pack 2 after performing a fresh / clean install of Windows 7 with Service Pack 1. It significantly reduces the number of individual updates (which can exceed 170 or more) that need to be downloaded and installed.
Windows 7 and Intel Skylake processors -----> April 23rd, 2016 By: J W Stuart
Why Microsoft may have extended the drop dead date for systems that use Intel’s Skylake processors.
How to create an Image Backup of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 to an External USB Drive -----> by J W Stuart March 16th, 2016
Upgrading to Windows 10; then create a disk and partition image backup, not to be confused with a “System Backup” of your current version of Windows before you do. The built in Windows 10 Roll Back / Restore previous version of Windows don’t always work leaving you with a nonfunctional or incomplete restoration of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 A disk and partition backup includes and will restore all the partitions on your drive and not just the Windows partition.
Create your own ISO file from a Windows 7 installation DVD October 20th, 2015
How to use your or a friends “Retail” version (Upgrade or Full product) of the Windows 7 installation media to create an ISO file which can be used to create a multi-version Windows 7 installation DVD. ----->
Upgrading to Windows 10 backup your current version of Windows before you do September 28th, 2015
For your protection be sure to back up your current version of Windows before you upgrade. Here is a low cost means of creating a backup. ----->
Windows 7 market share July 18th, 2015
As of July 2015 Windows 7 has slightly more than 60.9% of the total for all operating systems. How much impact will Windows 10 have----->
Microsoft has pulled the plug on the Digital River Windows 7 .ISO file downloads -----> February 6, 2015
Windows 7 enters the Extended Support phase on January 13th, 2015 January 8th, 2015
What this means is that Microsoft will not accept requests for warranty support, design changes, or new features during the Extended Support phase.
What about Windows Updates: The monthly security updates will continue until Jan. 14, 2020, currently Microsoft’s "End of extended support" date.
How to move from a smaller SSD to a larger SSD September 26th, 2014
If you find that your old SSD is running out of space here is how to migrate to a larger Solid State Drive now or in the future. For this article I’m using my 128GB SSD with Windows 7 installed and moving to a larger 500GB SSD. If you have Windows 8 or 8.1 the concepts and steps are the same. ----->
Windows 7 Mainstream support August 8th, 2014 Updated October 31st, 2014
Sales of computers to consumers with Windows 7 pre-installed by OEM PC manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Acer, Toshiba, Etc. ends on October 31st of 2014.
Mainstream support for Windows 7 ends January 13th, 2015 and enters the “Extended Support” phase. The long goodbye begins: “Every Windows product has a lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it's no longer supported. Knowing key dates in this lifecycle helps you make informed decisions about when to upgrade or make other changes to your software. Here are the rights and limits of the Windows lifecycle.” ----->
Windows 7 Availability
July 10th, 2014
Windows 7 has another problem. Want to purchase a version of Windows 7 (Upgrade or Full retail), all I can say is good luck on finding a copy. ----->
Windows 7 - How to delete outdated Windows updates
November 20, 2013
Microsoft recently released a Disk Cleanup Wizard addon / plugin / hot fix that allows users to
delete outdated Windows updates on computers with Windows 7 SP1 installed----->
How to restore Windows 7 after installing the Windows 8 Developer, Consumer or Release Preview. Revised October 3rd, 2012 (Added "Release Preview" build comments)
You have two choices: 1) Text only version, use thislink to print a hard copy of the instructions. 2) Text with supporting screenshots link provides the additional visual aid needed to make the recovery process as easy as possible.
"Windows 7 gained 0.51 percentage points (from 42.21 percent to 42.72 percent). Windows Vista meanwhile slipped 0.45 percentage points (from 6.60 percent to 6.15 percent) and Windows XP fell 0.34 percentage points (from 42.86 percent to 42.52 percent)."
How to move Windows 7 from a larger Hard Drive to a smaller SSD drive using Norton Ghost version 15.
September 24th, 2012
For this article I will move Windows 7 Professional 64Bit from a 500GB hard drive to a Samsung 830 series SSD 128GB using Norton Ghost 15 (Full Product). Ghost includes the ability of creating Image Backups of your existing drive and a means of copying a hard drive to the SSD unit, however copying is not supported in the trial version of Ghost. This is not a problem as I purchased a Samsung 830 series (Desktop Edition) Solid State Drive which includes a Ghost CD, and separate Samsung CD with anice set of utilities (Magician). ----->
For this article I will move Windows 7 Home Premium 32Bit from a 500GB hard drive to a 32GB SSD drive using Acronis True Image Home 2012 (trial version) image backups. Acronis includes a means of cloning the hard drive to the SSD unit, but unfortunately cloning is not supported in the trial version.
July 21st, 2011 How to recover delete files using the Restore Previous Versions feature in Windows 7 You accidently or intentionally deleted a file and then emptied the Recycle Bin or you may have edited a Word, Excel or Power Point document. The next day or later in the week wish you hadn’t and frantically check the Recycle Bin and search your folders only to realize its no longer there.
Windows 7 includes a rarely documented feature that just may stop you from screaming, pulling your hair out and save your day by recovering that all important file.
New - May 5th, 2011 Windows 7 - How to reset Backup and Restore’s Action Center.
After a backup fails the Action Center display needs to be reset to clear the error message and the failed backup folders and files deleted from the destination drive in order to perform a successful backup with the correct backup status results.
New April 30th 2011
Windows 7 – Where in the world is the retail version of Service Pack 1
More than 2 months have gone by since the Service Pack 1 (SP1) upgrade was released. However try to find a retail version of Windows 7 with SP1 already incorporated, you can’t. Only system builder OEM versions current include the service pack, the rest of us still are stuck with installing Windows 7 and then installing Service Pack 1.
I called a couple of local stores, no luck as they still are selling the original Windows 7 (minus SP1). Also checked online, no luck here either, could it be there are too many old Windows 7 retail versions still in their stockrooms or Microsoft still has not stamped out any SP1 media and retail boxes, if so why is that?
New - March 6th, 2011 Windows 7 - Service Pack 1 System Repair Disc After upgrading to Windows 7 Service Pack 1, now would be a good time to create a new and updated system repair disc.
Steps to take before installing Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Major revisions: 5 New steps and a correction added on - Feb. 24th, 2011 @ 6:00PM
New - February 23rd, 2011 How to install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 using Windows Update – Step by Step: A step by step guide to successfully installing Service Pack 1 (SP1) when using Microsoft’s Windows Update.
February 22nd, 2011 Windows 7 Service Pack 1 – Don’t rush to be the first
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is now available but I strongly suggest you avoid the “I gotta have it now” syndrome.
Don’t be the first to download and install SP1, wait a few days or even weeks. After all, you have waited all this time already, how will waiting a few days more hurt. Let someone else test the waters, see what issues arise from the early adopters and plan accordingly.
Already some have found issues with hibernation no longer working and no resolution this early in the game has been identified.
Incudes the following documentation: Deployment Guide for Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Windows 7 with SP1.doc Hotfixes and Security Updates included in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.xls Installing Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1.doc Notable Changes in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.doc Release Notes for Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1.doc
New - February 20th, 2011 How to install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 – Step by Step: A step by step guide to successfully installing Service Pack 1 and what you need to know.
New - February 17th, 2011 Windows 7 Service Pack 1 - First Looks: This is an advanced review of Windows 7 SP1 prior to its release to the general public on February 22nd, 2011. Information contain herein is subject to corrections, additions or revision when more information from Microsoft becomes available.
New - February 16th, 2011 Steps to take before installing Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Increase your chances of installing Service Pack 1 successfully.
How to replace your existing Windows 7 hard drive with a larger hard drive: A step by step guide on using Acronis True Image Home 2011. This is a follow up on the original article titled: How to move windows 7 to a new or larger hard drive using Backup and Restore.
New - January 13th, 2011 How to fix Error code: 0x81000037 when using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore. Backup and Restore failed and you receive the following error messages: Windows Backup did not complete successfully.
News Flash: January 12th, 2011 Windows 7 Service Pack 1 – The final release could be available shortly
Microsoft has just made KB976902 (Black Hole Update) available on January 11th, 2011 via Windows Update. As you may or may not know this update is a precursor to installing Service Pack 1 for Windows 7. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976902/en-us
Update information
Updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 installation software are included in this update. The installation software is the component that handles the installation and the removal of software updates, language packs, optional Windows features, and service packs. This update is necessary to successfully install and to remove any service packs to all versions of Windows 7 and on Windows Server 2008 R2.
New - January 8th, 2011 How to fix Error code: 0x81000001 or 0x81000008 when using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore. Backup and Restore failed and you receive the following error message: Windows Backup did not complete successfully.
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and 2
October 29th, 2010 - Updated Nov. 4th Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Release Candidate - First Looks: Step by Step guide on how to install and uninstall Service Pack 1 with Screen Shots.
July 16th, Revised July 17th, 2010
Windows 7 – Installing theService Pack 1 Beta This article is for informational purposes only. Service Pack 1 is a beta and as such may contain defects.
July 16th, Revised July 17th, 2010 Windows 7 – Installing the Service Pack 1 Beta using aUSB Flash drive On a fully updated version of Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit as of 7/15/10, the update process took about 10 minutes and a reboot to complete. There is no significant increase in the time to install when using the flash drive.
June 11th, 2010 Windows 7 - Service Pack 1A and Service Pack 1C Actual there is only one service pack however logically there are two, SP1 (A) is for all of us and is free whereas SP1 (C) is for the corporate IT departments.
December 27th, 2010 Windows 7 Family Pack promotion ends December 31, 2010 (Not True)
November 26th, 2010 Windows 7 - Backup and Restore Error code: 0x81000033
How to fix Error code: 0x81000033 when using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore. Backup and Restore failed and you receive the following error message: The backup did not complete successfully. Check your backup: Windows Backup skipped backing up system image because one or more critical volumes is not having enough free space.
New - October 15th 25 Years of Microsoft Windows In November of 1985 Microsoft released for sale Windows version 1.0 which ran on top of DOS 3.0. Windows will reach its 25th anniversary on November 20th of 2010 and Windows 7 will reach its 1st anniversary on October 22nd 2010.
How to restore your documents from a Windows 7 System Image A simple and quick method you can use to recover one or more of your documents from a ‘System Image’ without the need to restore the entire image.
September 30th, 2010 Windows Live Essentials 2011 Microsoft has announced that Windows Live Essentials 2011 for Windows 7 and Windows Vista is now available for download! http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials?os=winxp
Windows 7 for XP users - How to find your way around Navigating your way around can be a problem for someone who has used Windows XP all these years, but once you know where to find things it’s not all that bad. ---->
How to move windows 7 to a new or larger hard drive using Backup and Restore A step by step guide on how to replace your existing Windows 7 hard drive with a larger hard drive.
How to use windows 7’s Backup and Restore to create your own customized set of recovery DVD media. If you have just installed Windows 7 or purchased a new PC but do not have an external hard drive to store image backups, using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore ‘System Image’ feature is a great method for creating you very own custom set of recovery media. How to restore a backup using DVD media Step by step instructions on how to recover Windows 7 using a Backup and Restore ‘System Image’ stored to DVD media.
July 6th, 2010 Windows Installer Cleanup Utility Discontinued
Microsoft has quietly pulled the cleanup utility that was so useful in resolving MSI installer problems. Instead you now get to become a guinea pig when you try their new Mr. Fixit style offering at the Microsoft Fix it Solution Center:http://support.microsoft.com/fixit#tab9
Windows 7 Backup and Restore: How to create and save multiple image backups How you can use Windows 7 Backup and Restore to create and store multiple image backups to a USB drive that has limited free space. This article is based on a Windows 7 user who asked why backup and restore does not maintain multiple versions of system images as advertised.
How to remove Windows XP from a Windows 7 Dual Boot computer Windows XP is the original operating system installed on your computer’s hard drive. You then installed Windows 7 on the same drive and created “Dual-Boot” system. Windows XP is no longer needed and you want to know how to uninstall it.
How to improve the chances of a successful install of Windows 7 on a home built PC. Here are some steps you can take to help insure success when installing Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. Test utilities for home built Do It Yourself (DIY) computers.
March 1, 2010 Windows 7 RC enters the next phase of expiration:
Expiration notifications in the task bar continue. Computers that are running Windows 7 RC restart every two hours. Important Note: Your work "will not be saved" during shutdown.
Windows 7 -How to repair Bad Sectors reported by Chkdsk. If you plan installing Windows 7 on a new hard drive or already have installed Windows 7 then read on as you may be in for a big surprise. Windows 7 is only capable of performing a ‘Quick’ format of your hard drive when performing a “Custom” install.
Windows 7 Dual or Multi Boot - What happens if I remove Windows XP, Part 2
Unfortunately after deleting Windows XP you find that your Dual-Boot computer will no longer boot to Windows 7.
You might just want to say no to WAT. Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7 - KB971033 is coming.
Windows 7 Error Code (0x8078007D) Backup and Restore Error:
How to fix this problem in 10 easy steps. Windows 7 Dual or Multi Boot - What happens if I remove Windows XP, Part1 You have a Dual-Boot Windows XP and Windows 7 computer but after using Windows 7 for a while you decide that XP is no longer needed, so you deleted it by reformatting the partition. Unfortunately after deleting Windows XP you find that your Dual-Boot computer will no longer boot to Windows 7.
Windows 7 for XP users - How to find your way around Navigating your way around can be a problem for someone who has used Windows XP all these years, but once you know where to find things it’s not all that bad.
Windows 7 - Dual Boot, Triple Boot, Quad Boot, Penta, Hexa, Hepta (7) Boot and beyond This breaks the common misconception that Windows Multi-Boot configurations must be installed on “Primary” partitions.
Windows 7 Professional upgrade - Vista owners beware. The Windows 7 Professional Upgrade DVD (32-bit or 64-bit) has only one version of Vista that it is able to upgrade based on the upgrade path chart. Vista Business edition owners win everybody else looses.
How to perform an In-Place upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 Yes it can be done despite the fact that Microsoft wants XP users to start with a clean install thereby losing all your user files, settings and applications !
Windows 7 - XP Mode It appears that Microsoft has quietly released in the last few days leading up to the Windows 7 launch the final version of the XP Mode software for download. You will find the links for downloading both XP Mode and Virtualization software, installation, deployment and more. ---->
Windows 7 - 10 steps for a successful upgrade So you purchased the Windows 7 Upgrade product and are itching to try Windows 7. Here are some important steps you should take prior to and during the actual upgrade. ----> Windows 7 - True cost of upgrade product may not save you money For XP users who want to move to Windows 7 the Windows 7 upgrade versions may be no bargain. One of the things you forfeit when using the upgrade version of Windows 7 could be your XP or Vista license/keycode. ---->
Windows 7 - Libraries Libraries do not contain files but a pointer to files that can be physically located in a folder anywhere on your current partition or drive or other partitions or drives. Each user account has their own folder named ‘Libraries’, with four sub-folders named ‘Documents’, ‘Music’, ‘Pictures’ and ‘Videos’. ----> Windows 7 Gadgets New to XP users are a set of nice mini applications named "Gadgets". You can add Gadgets to your desktop to display information or to access some of the Windows 7 tools. ----> Windows 7 Jump List:---->
Windows 7 Launch Party Why I decided not to hold a "House Party" No it's not Microsoft that contacted me via email but houseparty.com. But the idea sounded enticing since I would receive a special signature edition of Windows 7 Ultimate. Read the complete article ---->
Is Your PC ready for Windows 7 - Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC to see if it's ready for Windows 7, and tells you about any known compatibility issues. After a few minutes, the report will let you know if your PC meets the system requirements, if there are any known compatibility issues with your programs and devices, and will also provide guidance on your upgrade options to Windows 7 http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx
Revised - August 13th, 2009 Windows 7 RTM - Clean Install Bug Windows 7 will not perform a “Clean Install” successfully on a PC that has multiple drives ---->
Windows 7 Family Pack: Install Windows 7 Home Premium on up to 3 PCs Pricing will be $149.99 for 3 Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows XP Mode RC Now Available According to Brandon LeBlanc of the Windows 7 Blog Team "The newly updated Windows XP Mode now works with the RC and RTM versions of the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise SKUs." This anouncement comes just 2 days before the RTM is made available to Microsoft's TechNet Plus subscribers.
New Features in Windows XP Mode RC Based on feedback from the Windows XP Mode beta, we’ve made several improvements to the usability of Windows XP Mode for small and medium-sized business users.
* You can now attach USB devices to Windows XP Mode applications directly from the Windows 7 task-bar. This means your USB devices, such as printers and flash drives, are available to applications running in Windows XP Mode, without the need to go into full screen mode. * You can now access Windows XP Mode applications with a “jump-list”. Right click on the Windows XP Mode applications from the Windows 7 task bar to select and open most recently used files. * You now have the flexibility of customizing where Windows XP Mode differencing disk files are stored. * You can now disable drive sharing between Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 if you do not need that feature. * The initial setup now includes a new user tutorial about how to use Windows XP Mode.
Windows 7 Anytime Upgade Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc reveals price structure 1) Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium: $79.99 2) Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional: $89.99 3) Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate: $139.99 Most likely the best and more popular option will be the Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional upgrade, which includes Windows XP Mode. The extra $50.00 for Windows 7 Ultimate only gives you two additional features, bitlocker (for increased security) and the ability to switch between any of 35 languages.
Windows 7 XP mode final (Gold) released - Read the full article: ---->
Windows 7 Has Been Released to Manufacturing Microsoft has signed off build 7600 as the RTM and has started to release Windows 7 to PC OEM and manufacturing partners according to Steven Sinofsky President of the Windows Division. The October 22nd date is still on target!http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/default.aspx7
Pre-Order Windows 7: Home Premium Upgrade for $49 Professional Upgrade for $99 Pre-Order prices has come and gone. More Pricing Info: ---->
Windows 7 – Wild Wallpaper After you install the RC build one of the first things you should check out is the wild new wallpaper. Then go to the Control Panel again to set the power options, one of my two test computers (running the 64Bit OS) went into hibernation and never could wake up all the way and if I didn’t hit the reset button might have stayed half way to nowhere with that little orb spinning till next winter.