Driver Detective » windows 7

Windows 7 Seems To Pass The Acceptance Test

paul — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:00:17 +0000

Windows 7 Seems To Pass The Acceptance Test

Windows 7, which has been out on the store shelves for about six weeks, seems to be getting good reviews from users who have installed it and use it regularly. PC World just released the results of a survey it conducted. The survey questioned Windows 7 users about their overall experiences with Windows 7 to see if the OS really lived up to the pre-release billing it received. Aside from missing drivers for some hardware and other similar glitches, users rated Windows 7 a relative hit.

Windows 7 Transition Has Been Relatively Smooth

According to the survey, more than 8 out of 10 respondents performed a clean installation, with just slightly fewer than 2 out of 10 installing the OS over a previous installation of Vista. More than 8 out of 10 users reported that their installation went off without a hitch worth noting and an additional 13% said the installation process went “fairly well.”

Roughly translated, 97% of Windows 7 users installed their OS upgrade with few or no problems. (PC World had more than 550 respondents to their survey.) That’s a major improvement over the results of a similar survey PC World conducted when Microsoft introduced Windows XP to the marketplace. In that survey, about half of all respondents reported serious difficulty when installing Windows XP.

In terms of performance, about 6% of PC World’s users rated Windows 7′s performance as poor, and 86% reported that they definitely would not go back to their old operating system. In all, that’s a pretty rosy evaluation of Windows 7. The operating system still suffers to some extent from drivers that are either not forthcoming from the vendor or are late to the party.

In some cases, manufacturers have opted not to support certain products in their line and that’s causing some grief for users. Many users report having to search for compatible drivers that will work with currently unsupported hardware. For those users, a driver management product like Driver Detective can be of invaluable assistance. Driver Detective will not only search for the correct driver for your hardware, it will also download and install the drivers for you. Each driver is kept up-to-date and should anything unfortunate happen to the driver software, Driver Detective will automatically uninstall the corrupted driver and reinstall a new one! Few things are easier to work with than Driver Detective.

Photo Credit: Alan_D, via Flickr

New Windows Drivers Released In Advance of Windows 7

paul — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:00:42 +0000

New Windows Drivers Released In Advance of Windows 7

With the Big Day just days away, expect to see a plethora of announcements from Windows hardware manufacturers about the availability of drivers for Windows 7. The release date is next Thursday, and Microsoft has put hardware manufacturers on notice that it expects working drivers to be available for Windows-compatible hardware when Windows 7 hits the streets.
What’s The Big Deal About Signed Drivers
For some users, the subtlety of having a signed driver might escape them. For Microsoft, producing a signed driver is moving toward the R-word – requirement. Now don’t get me wrong; there is still such a thing as an unsigned driver, but unsigned drivers represent (as far as Microsoft is concerned) a potential hazard that computer users and system administrators alike need to watch out for.

What exactly is a “signed driver?” A signed driver is an assurance that a downloadable driver was produced by what Microsoft terms “a legitimate publisher.” If you’re planning on installing unsigned drivers for Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008, you’ll need to have administrator privileges. This is (presumably) to cut down on the ability of the end user to install – either purposely or inadvertently – potentially rogue drivers that could cause problems for a system.

Also, if you’re loading kernel-mode drivers on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista or Window Server 2008, these require Kernel Mode Code Signing (KMCS) to load.

Any driver that is hoping for the Microsoft “seal of approval” – that is, one that gets the Windows Logo mark – will need to be signed. Microsoft will not approve any unsigned drivers for use with the Windows Logo or Windows 7/Windows Vista-compatible programs.

At some point, these requirements may cause problems for users and/or administrators, but Microsoft’s toughened stance on Windows drivers stems from its less than pleasant experience with the Windows Vista release. Although Vista is about to be replaced with what promises to be a more robust, stable product, there are many hardware manufacturers that never produced a Vista-compatible hardware driver for their products. That situation left many Windows users in the lurch – not being able to upgrade because they would lose the use of critical hardware – or being forced to upgrade hardware for want of a working driver.

Microsoft is determined not to let third-party manufacturers sabotage the release of Windows 7 in the same way, so if nothing else, users should expect stronger driver requirements and a better complement of Windows drivers right out of the box on October 22.

Photo Credit: Microsoft

Computer Speed Could Be Related To Windows Driver Problems

paul — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:52:44 +0000

Computer Speed Could Be Related To Windows Driver Problems

There are few things worse than a slow computer. Ok, there are many things worse than a slow computer, but working with a slow computer is maddening. If you can work faster than your computer, there’s probably a problem somewhere along the line. Although not the first suspects, Windows driver problems can cause severe performance degradations.

Bad Drivers Can Slow Your Computer Down
There are about a zillion things that can cause a computer to slow down, so troubleshooting a speed issue can be difficult. If you have the patience to locate the problem, you’re one step ahead of the game.

With speed problems, you want to know what the computer’s processor is doing and what the computer’s memory is doing. When these two resources are taxed, you can expect your computer to slow down. Windows comes with a performance monitor that can help you determine how much of your computer’s memory is in use, and how much of the processor is being used.

You can also use the Task Manager in Windows to find out what programs are running and how much of the processor’s capacity each application is consuming. If you have one process that’s taking up 90% of the processor, shut that application down using the Task Manager and see if your problem improves. It’s also a good idea to reboot the computer, particularly if an application has gone “walkabout” on you. Restarting the computer can clear out other problems in the OS or memory that may have caused the application to misbehave in the first place.

Once you restart your computer, look at the Performance Monitor and the Task Manager again. If the problem persists, scan your computer for viruses and malware that could be causing bad performance. Get rid of whatever you find.
You can also check your drivers. A missing, bad or corrupted driver can wreak havoc on your system. It can significantly increase the time it takes for your computer to boot, and it can also cause hardware malfunctions and other system-related problems.

To diagnose driver problems, unload your drivers and reload them manually one at a time. If you find the offender, uninstall it and re-install a fresh copy of the driver. Test your system to see if your speed problems improve. If unloading and reloading all of your drivers manually sounds like a chore, it is. You could also use a driver manager like Driver Detective. This program can automatically spot bad drivers, or drivers that are missing or in need of an update. Using Driver Detective to manage your drivers won’t solve all of your speed problems, but it will eliminate most of your concerns about your Windows drivers.

Photo Credit: Karola Riegler, via Flickr

What If You Don’t Plan To Upgrade To Windows 7?

paul — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:00:07 +0000

What If You Don't Plan To Upgrade To Windows 7?

As October 22 approaches, many PC users are debating whether to upgrade to Windows 7 or to remain where they’re at. A good portion of those users are currently “at” Windows XP, and are mighty happy, thank you very much. Windows XP was introduced in October of 2001 and struck a chord with Windows users. Its functionality, stability and power are all legendary in the hearts and minds of diehard Windows users. These users are least likely to welcome the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 7. So what’s the road ahead like for Windows XP users?

Windows XP’s Future Is Only Dimly Lit

Microsoft has made no bones about wanting to kill Windows XP. They’ve issued drop-dead dates for the product at least twice, and the latest kill order will take effect about six months after Windows 7 hits the stores. Users can purchase a double-downgrade license to Windows XP when Windows 7 graces the shelves only for that short window. After that, it’s anyone’s guess as to what happens to XP.
Right now, tech support is available for XP only on a per-call basis. The product is no longer available for sale on store shelves and Microsoft’s ability (and desire) to support the product is waning daily. Eventually, despite the outcry from users, Microsoft will pull the plug on support for the OS, effectively cutting XP users adrift.
Manufacturers will move away from XP support – Microsoft will make it hard for device manufacturers to continue supporting an unsupported OS – and users will no longer be able to get driver support for Windows XP. The big complaint about Windows Vista was that it didn’t make nice with Windows Server 2003. The complainers had a point. Vista’s inability to deal with Active Directory made it largely unsuitable for enterprises that had large AD installations.
Microsoft has addressed that with Windows Server 2008, which is scheduled for production release on October 22, alongside Windows 7. Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 go together like hand-in-glove, and enterprise users won’t have a lot of room to complain about what Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 don’t do. That doesn’t mean that Enterprise is dying to upgrade. It’s not. Upgrading is expensive and the Windows Server 2008/Windows 7 approach means that the average enterprise will have to upgrade both its servers and its desktops to get the benefits.
I strongly suspect that most enterprises will find it very painful to stay with Windows XP as time goes on. Fewer software publishers will provide XP-compatible releases, fewer hardware manufacturers will provide XP compatible drivers and as some enterprises upgrade, the laggards will come under incredible pressure to catch up.

Photo Credit: Surian Soosay, via Flickr

Confirmed: Microsoft Releases Windows 7 To Manufacturers

paul — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:00:46 +0000

Microsoft Releases Windows 7 To Manufacturers

Microsoft Releases Windows 7 To Manufacturers
Microsoft announced today that it had finished development on the Windows 7 Release Candidate and was shipping it to PC manufacturers. The official release of Windows 7 will be October 22. Microsoft will now turn its attention to Windows drivers and other critical applications like anti-virus and anti-malware software to make sure they will be available when Windows 7 hits the store shelves.

Hold The Vista Encore, Please!

Microsoft doesn’t want a repeat of the Windows Vista release, which saw many manufacturers claiming that their hardware and drivers were “Vista-ready” when in fact they weren’t. While the list of consumer complaints about Vista was long, the complaints persisted long after many of the most serious problems with the OS were fixed.

Windows 7 is built on a Vista chassis, but don’t expect Windows 7 to be “more of the same.” The new release of Windows 7 doesn’t contain a whole lot of dazzling, new features. Instead, Microsoft spent time repairing the underpinnings of Windows 7 to avoid repeating the Vista errors. The result is a more stable operating system that has fewer glitches out of the box, has tested drivers, and is most likely more secure.

For Windows XP diehards, Microsoft will allow users to purchase downgrade rights on new computers for about six months following Windows 7′s release. After that, Microsoft will try (again) to unhitch its wagon from the aging-yet-ageless operating system that so many users still run.

For Windows 7 to be a success in the IT market, it will have to play nice in a networked environment, something Windows Vista never quite learned to do. Most IT professionals looked at Vista as a “home-user” operating system that had nothing to offer users in the enterprise environment.

Being rolled out on the fringes of a recession didn’t help, either. Companies had a difficult time justifying the expense of rolling out a new operating system that didn’t provide any significant benefit over what they had, was slower, less stable and didn’t have the drivers they needed to run their hardware well, if at all.

Corporate IT often gives a chilly reception to new operating systems, so don’t be surprised if Windows 7 initially gets the cold shoulder from the business crowd. But at the same time, don’t be surprised if the same crowd embraces Windows 7 with open arms within the next 18-24 months.

Admittedly, the stakes are higher for corporations than for home users; corporate IT departments must be sure that their million- and multi-million dollar investments in their enterprise software won’t be laid to waste by a carelessly designed OS. Microsoft has, for the most part, addressed the major complaints with Vista. Whether new complaints are waiting to take their place has yet to be seen.

Photo Credit: Christopher Walker, via Flickr

Microsoft Releases Deployment Kit For Windows 7

paul — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:00:24 +0000

Microsoft Releases Deployment Kit For Windows 7

Microsoft released the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Beta 2 this week, in another sign that the company is ramping up for the release of Windows 7. Earlier this week, the company squashed rumors that the OS was being released to manufacturers. In a statement, the company said that while it is eager to get the OS to manufacturers, final development work on the new OS has not yet concluded. A spokesperson for the company hinted that the RTM ship date for the OS could fall within the next two weeks.

The MDT is designed to help enterprise-level users deploy the new operating system. The MDT contains tools that standardize installations, verify the availability of compatible drivers, and supports automated deployment. The MDT supports the deployment of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP. The toolkit is available at the Microsoft Web site.

For most small organizations and single users, the MDT won’t be of much use. The kit is meant to support a mass rollout of a Windows operating system. Organizations that use a uniform disk image, or that wish to do a complete, simultaneous rollout will get the most use out of the MDT.

The appearance of the MDT is more confirmation that Microsoft will meet its October 22 general availability release date. Although the kit is listed as beta software, enterprise level users will have time to familiarize themselves with the kit as they prepare their rollout plans. Microsoft may be somewhat disappointed by the tepid response that Windows 7 is expected to receive from the enterprise user community.

Most IT directors had no immediate plans to incorporate Windows 7 into their operating environment. Many IT directors cited lack of a compelling reason to upgrade and internal upgrade cycle conflicts as the primary reason for not pursuing an immediate upgrade to Windows 7. Most enterprise level users are expected to migrate to Windows 7 within 18-24 months of the OS’s October release.

Microsoft’s volume licensing program allows those users to load any Microsoft operating sytem they choose, including those that are no longer supported. Microsoft has said that it will drop downgrade installation rights for Windows XP approximately six months after Windows 7 is released.

Most enterprise level IT departments say they prefer Windows XP because it supports a wide range of hardware drivers and is exceptionally stable in a networked environment. Since the introduction of Windows Vista, the company has encountered strong resistance from users to its plans to drop Windows XP.

Photo Credit: Microsoft

Finding Software Drivers May Require XP Downgrade

paul — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:23:14 +0000

XP Not Available On Most New Computers

According to published reports, Microsoft now says it will allow OEMs to license Windows XP as a downgrade option for six months following the introduction of Windows 7. The company has not said when it will release Windows 7 to the marketplace, but industry analysts believe Microsoft is readying the Vista replacement for a Fall 2009 release. There’s no word on how Microsoft will address the consumers’ big complaint with Vista: difficulty in finding software drivers.

XP Still Available On A Technicality

As a catch, new computers sold after Windows 7 is released must include the physical media for Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate. Those two implementations of Vista are the only ones that permit a user to downgrade to an earlier version of the operating system. Another catch: OEM advertising must market the computer with the OS that is normally pre-installed on the computer. Computers with Windows XP installed must not display the Vista logo and vice versa.
Currently, OEMs can sell Windows XP on notebooks only. June 2008 marked the last desktop models shipped with XP pre-installed. Like Vista, downgrade rights for Windows 7 won’t be available in every version. Only the Professional and Ultimate versions will include downgrade rights, but users who have those versions can either downgrade to the corresponding Vista Professional or Vista Ultimate versions, or downgrade to Windows XP Professional.

Six months after the release of Windows 7, users will no longer be able to request downgrade to Windows XP. The only downgrade rights available will allow users to step back to Windows Vista. Currently, Microsoft will make Windows XP media available to OEMs only through July 2009. The new plan suggests that this deadline will be extended to accommodate the new Windows 7 release.
If this has you all confused, don’t worry. In simple terms, if you buy a new desktop computer today, it will come loaded with Windows Vista. If you’re buying a new laptop today, you can request that your notebook ship with Windows XP, but you’ll be required to pop for one of the premium versions of Windows Vista in order to get the right to back down to Windows XP.

If you buy a new desktop computer six months from now, there’s a good chance that it will ship with the new Windows 7. If you spring for the premium version of Windows 7, you can request the manufacturer back your system down to Windows Vista or Windows XP, but only for a limited time. In the spring of 2010, you’ll lose the ability to get Windows XP (which isn’t supported by Microsoft, except on a per-incident basis) and your only downgrade rights will be to a premium version of Windows Vista.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Dell