Tag: Drivers
This list is part of the ‘Devices Just Work’ effort at Microsoft to help ensure hardware compatibility with Windows Vista. Take the time to explore the updated HCL, its redesigned UI and improved search. Use it to confirm hardware compatibility with Windows Vista, Logo Status*, or even download a Logo Verification report. Use the new Windows XP tab to quickly discover products logo’d for Windows XP.
The Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List can be easily navigated via the hardware categories on the left-hand menu. Alternatively, you can execute a free-text search for a specific product name. Follow the steps below to get started: Read More»
Posted in Hardware, Windows Vista | No Comments »
When a users enters text in the search box on the start panel Windows automatically searches the file index as well. The file index includes all of the searchable files on your hard drive and can be quite large. One way to speed up searching through your start menu applications is to narrow the scope of the search so that it does not include hard drive files.
Prevent Start Menu Searches from searching the File index: Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | 1 Comment »
There are many free software diagnostic tools available to test and help you determine what, if anything, is wrong when you suspect there may be a problem with a hard drive.
Some of these tools are built in to your operating system already and are ready to use right now while others are available from your hard drive manufacturer.
Interested in some slightly more costly but arguably better third-party hard drive tools? Read More»
Posted in Hardware, Software | 6 Comments »
Running Windows Vista? Looking for drivers & software for your Microsoft peripheral? Here’s a site for all the latest drivers and downloads for our hardware.
Be sure to download all appropriate updates - critical or otherwise - for the best performance. Some of these will require Genuine Windows Advantage approval. Read More»
Posted in Hardware, Software, Windows Vista | 2 Comments »
It’s a real pain to find all the drivers you need after installing your operating system.
To spare yourself this pain, you should always back them up to a safe location, like a cd-rom or an external hard drive.
DriveMax is one of those freeware that does a pretty good job in identifying your drivers, back them up and easily reinstall them, when you need them. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista, Windows XP | 1 Comment »
If you are able to identify the driver or application that’s causing a startup problem, the obvious solution is to remove it or turn it off. Unfortunately, it is not always obvious how to do that. Programs that load at startup can be called from Win.ini, from the Startup program group, or directly from the Registry itself; drivers that load are called from the device’s properties in the Registry, and it’s not easy or safe for a beginning technician to edit the Registry directly.
For example, suppose a user had a scanner with a driver that loaded at startup, but then he removed the scanner and its software. However, for some reason the Registry never got the message and still tries to load the scanner driver at startup. You could look in the Startup folder on the Start menu, and if a utility for the scanner appears there, remove it. You could also look in Add/Remove Programs to see whether the driver can be uninstalled that way. But failing those two, the only thing left to do is edit the Registry to get rid of it. Read More»
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When installing a new device, and it doesn’t work, don’t automatically assume that the device is defective. The problem is more likely to be a driver issue, especially if you are running a different Windows version than the driver was specifically written for.
Visit the device manufacturer’s Web site and download any updated drivers or patches and install them. Only after you have installed the most recent driver and software versions should you seriously suspect a physical problem with the hardware. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Hardware | No Comments »
An ISO image is like the disk drive image backup created by Ghost or DriveImage. It holds the exact contents of the CD or DVD, byte for byte, without regard for the way those bytes are organized into files, folders, and so on.
You need to burn the file to a physical DVD, or you could use a program that lets you open the ISO image directly as a virtual DVD. Read More»
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Don’t waste your time searching dozens of vendor websites every month for the driver updates you need.
Just bookmark this page and come back whenever you need a new driver.
This FREE page lists the latest Windows Vista drivers and provides direct links to the files for downloads. We’re offering this as a free service to the community, to help you all get through this challenging period of Vista-transitioning. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | 2 Comments »
When windows XP launched, some PCs and peripherals wouldn’t work with the new OS because device drivers had not yet been written. The same is true for Vista. Whether you plan to install Vista on your current PC, or to buy a Vista-equipped system to use with your existing peripherals, these tips will help smooth the transition.
Study up beforehand: To run the bare-bones Vista Home Basic, Microsoft recommends a CPU running at 1 GHz or faster, plus 512MB of RAM and 15GB of hard-drive space. Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate editions with the new Aero environment require at least 1GB of RAM, and for systems without integrated graphics, a DirectX 9-capable graphics processor with 128MB of its own RAM, DirectX 9, and a few other features. Read More»
Posted in Hardware, Windows Vista | 3 Comments »
