Troubleshooting Windows 7 Programs and Features
Windows 7 has so many features and components that you are bound to run into problems. When you run into these problems, please refer to this section for possible solutions for everything from installation to playback in Windows Media Player.
Resolving Problems with Programs and Features
Table-2 provides an extensive list of problems you may encounter while working with Windows 7. The table is organized alphabetically by program or issue, followed by details on problems you may encounter and possible resolutions to those problems. In some cases, the resolution details will also point to a specific page within the Microsoft Knowledge Base where you can look to find more information.
Table-2. Troubleshooting Windows 7 programs and features| Program/Issue | Problem/Resolution |
|---|---|
| 16-bit DOSbased programs | 16-bit programs will not run under 64-bit Windows. On 32-bit Windows, some 16-bit DOS-based programs and the Command Prompt will not run in full-screen mode in Windows 7. This issue occurs because Windows 7 device drivers do not support running all of the DOS video modes. The device drivers are based on the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM). To resolve this problem, you may need to install a Windows XP version of the video drivers for your video adapter. |
| Activation expires | You see an error stating "Your activation period has expired" or that you have a "non-genuine version of Windows 7 installed." If you have not activated Windows 7 in the time allowed or you are running a nongenuine version of Windows 7, Windows 7 will run in a reduced functionality mode. If you modify the computer hardware so that Windows 7 determines that it is running on a different computer, Windows 7 will also run in a reduced functionality mode. You'll need to activate and validate Windows 7 as necessary to resume full functionality mode |
| Activation fails | Activation of Windows 7 fails over the Internet. If you connect to the Internet through a proxy server where Basic authentication is enabled, you will not be able to activate Windows 7. Change the authentication method. Alternatively, when the Windows Activation Wizard prompts you, click Use the Automated Phone System and then activate Windows 7 over the telephone. |
| Administrator account | The Administrator account does not appear on the Windows 7 Welcome screen. In Windows 7, the built-in Administrator account is disabled by default and you cannot use it to log on to the computer in safe mode. However, during an upgrade, if the built-in Administrator account is the only active local Administrator account, Windows 7 leaves the built-in Administrator account enabled and puts this account into Admin Approval mode. |
| ATM network adapters | You receive an error message when you start Windows 7 after you install an ATM network adapter. This error occurs because Windows 7 does not support ATM. |
| Audio playback | You lose audio playback after you unplug a USB audio device, such as a microphone or headphones. This problem occurs because Windows Media Player does not detect that the USB audio device has been removed. To resolve this issue, stop and restart the media player or restart the computer after you unplug a USB audio device. |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | You see a "BitLocker Drive Encryption key needed" error message when your computer resumes from hibernation. This occurs because the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature expects the USB key to be inserted prior to you waking the computer. As prompted, insert the USB key and then press the Esc key to reboot. To avoid this problem in the future, insert the USB key prior to waking the computer. |
| Burning discs | When you try to burn a disc, Windows Media Player doesn't recognize your DVD-RAM. This error occurs because you can't use Windows Media Player to burn DVD-RAM discs. You'll need to use Windows Explorer to burn DVD-RAM discs. |
| Computer names | After you change the name of a computer, other computers can continue to access the computer by using the previous name of the computer. This occurs because the computer name is stored in the DNS cache. At an elevated command prompt (Start → All Programs → Accessories, then right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator), flush the DNS cache by typing ipconfig /flushdns. |
| Connecting computers | You cannot use a serial cable connection to connect a Windows XP-based computer to a Windows 7-based computer. To work around this issue, connect the computers using a network connection with Ethernet cables. |
| DHCP | Windows 7 cannot obtain an IP address from a router or non-Microsoft DHCP server. This can occur due to a design difference in the way DHCP is implemented. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233/en-us for more information. |
| Digital still cameras | A digital still camera is not recognized. Windows 7 uses the Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) standard instead of the Windows Portable Devices (WPD) standard to import pictures and videos. To resolve this problem, configure the camera to use the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) standard instead of the WIA standard. See the owner's manual for the camera to configure the camera to use the PTP standard. |
| Digital video cameras | When you are changing modes, Windows Live Movie Maker may incorrectly detect the mode of a digital video camera. This can occur if you quickly switch between the Camera, Off, VCR, and Memory modes. To avoid this problem, pause momentarily after switching from one mode to another and before switching to another mode. |
| Disk drives with large sectors | Windows 7 supports large-sector hard disk drives. Newer hard disk drives may contain physical sector sizes that are larger than the traditional 512 bytes per sector. If the drive uses an emulation mode to support these large-sector sizes, your applications should continue to work without problems. If the drive doesn't use an emulation mode, some of your applications may not work. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923332/en-us for more information. |
| EAP-MD5 | Extensible Authentication Protocol-Message Digest 5 (EAP-MD5) doesn't work. In Windows 7, EAP-MD5 has been deprecated and is not enabled. You can reenable support for EAP-MD5. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922574/en-us for more information. |
| Favorites in Internet Explorer | In Internet Explorer, Windows 7 does not let you type a favorite name that is longer than 227 characters. Make sure that the name of the new favorite is no longer than 227 characters. |
| Fingerprint readers | You cannot use a fingerprint reader or another biometric device to log on after you upgrade to Windows 7. Windows 7 does not support the Graphical Identification and Authentication (GINA) components that the device requires. Install drivers for the device that are compatible with Windows 7. |
| FireWire devices | In Windows Explorer or other interfaces, you cannot see a specific FireWire (IEEE 1394a) device that you've connected to the computer. To resolve this issue, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927827/en-us for more information. |
| GINA/biometrics | Custom GINA modules do not work after you upgrade your computer to Windows 7. This occurs because GINA functionality that existed in earlier versions of Windows is replaced by a credential provider model in Windows 7. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925520/en-us for more information. |
| Help (.hlp) files | Windows 7 won't display Help (.hlp) files. The Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) is not included in Windows 7. Windows Help is no longer supported. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607/en-us for more information. |
| Hosts and Lmhosts | You cannot modify the Hosts or Lmhosts file in Windows 7. This occurs because the program you are using must be in elevated mode to save the edited files. Before opening the Hosts or Lmhosts file, right-click the program shortcut and then select "Run as administrator." |
| Installation | Installation media is not recognized when you try to install Windows 7. If the media is damaged, you'll need to obtain replacement media. Otherwise, make sure that the CD or DVD drive is configured as a startup device in firmware and that you are inserting the media into the appropriate CD or DVD drive. |
| Installation | During installation, you are unable to select the hard disk you want to use. This issue can occur if the hard disk partition contains an invalid byte offset value. To resolve this issue, you'll need to follow the procedure discussed in the section "Removing Disk Partitions During Installation", later in this tutorial. |
| Installation | During installation of Windows 7, you see an "Error: uncaught exception" message. This error can occur if there are problems with the selected disk partitions. To resolve this problem, you'll need to remove the partitions, as discussed previously. |
| Installation | During installation of Windows 7, you cannot select or format a hard disk partition. If the partition is formatted with FAT32 or has other incompatible settings, this may be causing the problem. To work around this issue, you may want to boot to the current operating system, convert the partition to NTFS, and then restart the installation. As this could also be due to a problem with the drivers for the hard disk, you may need to boot to the current operating system, update the disk drivers, and then restart the installation. |
| Installation | During installation, you see a "This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk" message. This can occur if the disk has not been initialized for use or if the BIOS of the computer does not support starting the operating system from the selected disk. To resolve this problem, create one or more partitions on all the hard disks that are not initialized and then restart the installation. |
| Language/Keyboard | Only one keyboard layout is available during installation. If your keyboard language and the language edition of Windows 7 you are installing are different, you may see unexpected characters as you type. Select the correct keyboard language to avoid this. |
| Language/Keyboard | Some user interface items are not displayed in the correct language after you change the display language. This occurs because Windows 7 cannot update language settings for currently running processes. To resolve this problem, restart your computer. |
| Language/Keyboard | You see an incorrect display language when you use elevated permissions to open a dialog box. This can occur because Windows 7 uses the preferred user interface language of the administrator whose credentials you provide. This language may differ from your preferred user interface language. |
| Live File System | The available space on a Live File System disc is less than the capacity of the disc. This issue occurs because the Live File System reserves a small amount of disc space to accommodate link-loss area. In contrast, the Universal Disc Format (UDF) filesystem reserves at least 10 percent of the reported capacity of the disc for sparing. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928353/en-us for more information |
| Mf.sys devices | You cannot install a device that requires the Mf.sys device driver in Windows 7. The Mf.sys device driver is not installed in Windows 7 by default. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926171/en-us for more information. |
| Network Map | In Windows 7, Network Map does not display computers that are running Windows XP. This occurs because the Link-Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) Responder component is not installed on most Windows XP-based computers. You can download and install this component on your Windows XP computers from the Microsoft website. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120/en-us for more information. |
| Networking programs | Third-party networking programs that use NDIS drivers no longer function after you upgrade to Windows 7. To resolve this issue, you must reinstall the networking program. This will ensure that the third-party NDIS driver is installed and configured correctly. |
| Playing DVDs | A DVD+RW or DVD-RW video disc that was formatted on a Windows 7-based computer is not recognized by a DVD player that supports DVD+RW or DVD-RW video discs. This problem can occur if Windows 7 uses a version of the UDF that the DVD player does not support. |
| Playing DVDs | A video DVD does not appear in the correct aspect ratio in Windows Media Player on a Tablet PC. This problem may occur when you view the DVD in portrait mode. To resolve the problem, set the display to landscape mode. |
| RAW image files | You cannot view RAW image files after you copy them from a camera to your computer. This issue occurs if you do not have a RAW image codec for your camera model installed in Windows 7. To resolve this issue, install a Windows 7-compatible RAW image codec that either supports the camera model or is from the camera manufacturer. |
| Recording DVDs | You cannot record more data to a recordable DVD after you format and then eject the disc. This issue occurs because Windows 7 automatically closes a disc when you eject it. Closing a disc lets you use it in another computer or device. If you don't want Windows 7 to automatically close sessions, see the section "Changing Disc Close on Eject Settings", later in this tutorial, for a workaround. |
| Slide show playback | On a Tablet PC, the screen goes black when you switch the screen orientation during slideshow playback. To resolve this problem, exit the slideshow before you change the screen orientation, and then restart the slideshow. Or press the Esc key to restore the original screen orientation. |
| Sound Recorder | You do not hear any sound when you play back a recording that was recorded with the Sound Recorder. This can occur because the default volume of microphones is 0 dB. To resolve this problem, adjust the volume for the microphone. |
| Speech Recognition | Speech Recognition does not appear to be using the correct language. Speech Recognition is only available in U.S. English, U.K. English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese versions of Windows 7. Because of the way in which Speech Recognition is integrated into the operating system, the feature cannot be removed from versions of Windows 7 for which Speech Recognition is unavailable. |
| Speech Recognition commands | You cannot use Speech Recognition in Windows 7 to select commands on floating toolbars in Microsoft Office. With Speech Recognition, you can select commands on docked toolbars in Microsoft Office. Dock the toolbars to resolve the problem. |
| USB audio devices | You are unable to hear the audio from a newly connected USB audio device in Windows Media Player. To resolve this issue, restart Windows Media Player. |
| USB drives | A USB drive does not appear in the Windows Connect Now window. This behavior occurs if the USB drive uses the NTFS filesystem format and you do not have permission to write to the root directory of the drive. To avoid this problem, use a device that uses the FAT filesystem format. Alternatively, you may need to take ownership of the drive and its files |
| USB storagec devices | A connected USB storage device does not appear when you click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area in Windows 7. This problem can occur if the USB device has an embedded USB hub. In this case, you may be able to manage the device in the Computer console or you may need to shut down the computer before removing the device. |
| User Account Control | You encounter an unexpected error or behavior when you try to perform a task that requires elevated privileges. This issue can occur if UAC is turned off. To resolve this issue, turn UAC on. |
| Windows Complete PC Restore | You receive a version error message when you use the Windows Complete PC Restore program to restore a computer. If you try to restore a computer using a 64-bit version of Windows 7 using a 32-bit installation disc, you will see an error stating "This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows." To resolve this issue, start recovery using a 64-bit installation disc. |
| Windows Explorer menu bar | When you view files and folders by using Windows Explorer, the Windows Explorer menu bar is not displayed. To display the menu bar, press the Alt key. Press the Alt key again to hide the menu bar. |
| Windows Media Player | You see an "Invalid File Format" error message when you play a file in Windows Media Player. This can occur if you are trying to play a file type that Windows Media Player doesn't support. It can also occur if the file is damaged. If the file is in a supported format and is not damaged, you may need to reinstall Windows Media Player and then reinstall or upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft DirectX. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924073/en-us for more information. |
| Windows startup | In a dual-boot configuration, Windows XP does not start if you subsequently format or delete the partition on which Windows 7 is installed. This occurs because Windows 7 uses a different startup method than Windows XP does. To resolve this problem, you'll need to repair your Windows XP installation by starting an installation and selecting the Repair option. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922809/en-us for more information. |
| Windows 7 startup | Windows 7 won't start after you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration. See the next section, "Restoring the Windows 7 Boot Sector", for more information. |
| Wireless adapters | When running on battery, you experience connectivity or performance issues when you connect to a wireless access point. This can occur if the wireless access point doesn't support the 802.11 power save protocol. To resolve this issue, connect the computer to a power source or change the power saving options for the wireless adapter to use the Maximum Performance power saving mode |
In this tutorial:
- Getting Help and Troubleshooting Tips
- Detecting and Resolving Computer Problems
- Tracking Errors in the Event Logs
- Resolving Problems with System Services
- Creating Backups and Preparing for Problems
- Configuring System Protection
- Scheduling and Managing Automated Backups
- Recovering After a Crash or Other Problem
- Recovering Using Restore Points
- Restoring Previous Versions of Files
- Recovering Files from Backup
- Shutdown and Restart Issues
- Recovering from a Failed Resume
- Windows 7 Startup Repair
- Recovering Your Computer Using Windows RE
- Safeguarding Your Computer from a Corrupted Windows RE
- Recovering Your Computer from Backup
- Getting Help from Another Person
- Connecting to Your Computer Remotely
- Troubleshooting Windows 7 Programs and Features
- Restoring the Windows 7 Boot Sector
- Removing Disk Partitions During Installation