Tech Talk on Windows 7 Operating System?

According to a survey , Windows 7 has been found the world's most popular operating system now a days. Windows 7 will carry on the substantial improvements that the Microsoft has done in improving Windows Vista: Windows 7 has been developed to be compatible with the latest hardware, software and device drivers for Windows Vista today.

Windows 7 features improved navigation, a fresh taskbar and simplified user interface for common tasks performed in Windows will make it easier and faster. You are able to share data with all computers and devices on your local network or at work. With Windows 7 + Windows Live, you can stay connected with people you care about, and Internet Explorer 8 gives a faster, safer, more productive Web experience.

Along with new features including gestures Touch and Device Stage, Windows 7 lets you make more of their devices, including the ones you use most frequently, such as digital cameras, cell phones and printers. Windows 7 makes it easier to use networked media devices to play music, watch videos and photos to show are on your Windows PC.

Not only this, Windows 7 also offers more options than ever to customize and personalize your Windows PC with styles that match your personality.

Here are some of the enhanced features of Windows 7

Desktop: With Windows 7, its impressive work at the desk. There are new features called Shake Aero, Aero Peek and Snap. You can try to show the desktop of the new slide, which shows a series of rotation image. The taskbar play a vital role in any OS, so Microsoft has completely changed the taskbar to help you work more intelligent, cutting clutter, and do more things. Now you can stick your gadgets anywhere on your desktop that is not possible in Windows Vista.

Lace: A new feature that lets you resize the windows open in a new way, by dragging the edges of the screen.

Jump List: You can access your frequently used programs, songs, pictures and documents. Thanks to this great feature. To open a Jump List, just click a program icon in the Windows taskbar 7. What the disclosure in a Jump List depends entirely on the program. The list Skip to IE displays websites frequently seen. You can quickly access to commands for things like compose new email messages or play music.

HomeGroup: Now it's easy to share files and printers a home network through this function. Connecting two or more PCs with Windows 7, and automatically HomeGroup start sharing your music, pictures, video and document libraries with other networked users. HomeGroup is also safe, which lets you give the password to the files and shared folders. This feature is available with all versions of Windows 7.

Browser window: In Windows 7, the search is quicker and easier. You just type in the box Search the Start menu and you will have a list of relevant documents, pictures and etc. Besides that they also can search any external storage device.

Well, I'll tell you something. If you like Windows Vista, without a doubt that you love Windows 7 because it is a better version of that operating system principles. Microsoft Redesigned virtually everything about Vista and made changes large and small across the board.

resource: http://www.graftonfallsnews.com/microsoft-winxp/

Windows 7 Recovery | Windows 7 Data Recovery

Windows XP data recovery from unbootable system

Windows XP is the most used and highest earning operating system for Microsoft. Easy-to-use, hardware compatibility etc are some of the features which make it so popular among users. However, there may be some start-up problems with the system. Such problems can occur due to power cuts, incompatible hardware, virus attacks etc.

In such cases, in-house methods should be tried to resolve the problem and start the system. And if you are not able solve the issue then you should use a third-party Windows data recovery software to retrieve data..

Here I consider that my readers would have used a bridged PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) display adapter. You have inserted the display adapter in a PCI slot and upgraded the operating system to Windows XP Service Pack 2. When you restart the system, it fails to do so. An error message is displayed, that is:

“*** Stop 0x000007B (parameter1, parameter2, parameter3, parameter4)
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE”

Cause:

The root cause of this error message is that there is an add-on PCI adapter on your computer that has an integrated PCI-to-PCI bridge and graphics adapter. Because of this, the ISA Enable and VGA Enable bridge control registers are not correctly set. And, if the boot controller is assigned the incorrect PCI resources, then the active system drive becomes inaccessible. And hence, the system is unable to boot.

Resolution:

To resolve this problem, you can perform the following steps:
Remove Windows XP SP 2 using the Recovery Console.
Install the 890463 hotfix.
Reinstall Windows XP SP 2.

You will able to access and boot the Windows system using the aforementioned steps. However, there is very big possibility that you may lose the data during this process as it involves installing the operating system. Therefore, to recover Windows files safely you should use a third-party Windows recovery software. Such read-only tools enable you to recover Windows data without overwriting the original data.

Windows XP Data Recovery if the core files get corrupted

At the startup of Windows XP system, the core files are executed to boot the system. Some of these files are ntldr, boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntoskrnl.exe, hal.dll, etc. These files are very critical for the well-being of the system. When one or all of these files are missing or get corrupt, then the system starts behaving abnormally.

Such cases may arise due to power outages, virus infections, corrupt file system, damaged operating system, etc. You should use appropriate corrective measures to rectify the problem. If you are not able to provide a solution, then you should use a third-party Windows recovery tool to do this.

Consider a scenario wherein you start Windows XP and you experience the following cases:

• The Start button or taskbar is not visible.

• Either the blue or black screen or the wallpaper is displayed.

Cause:

The root cause of such unusual behavior could be any of the following reasons:

• The taskbar has been selected to auto-hide from the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.

• The user account settings are corrupt.

• The explorer.exe file is not getting loaded during setup.

• The system that are required to boot the system are missing or corrupt.

Resolution:

To resolve the issues in corresponding manner, you should perform the following methods:

• Disable auto-hide: You should ensure that the auto-hide option is disabled in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.

• Log on as a different user: If the user account settings are damaged, then you should login as a different user. If it resolves the problem, then you should create a new account and copy the old settings to the new user account.

• Start computer in Safe Mode: If the explorer.exe file is not loading, then you should start the computer in Safe Mode and try to run an antivirus utility or apply all the updates from Windows Update.

• Repair Windows XP: If none of the previous methods work, then the operating system is corrupt. In such case, you should repair Windows XP. To do this, you should select the option to repair existing installation. Doing so will only replace the Windows system files while keeping the installed applications and data safe.

The aforementioned methods should be able to recover windows XP system. However, sometimes these methods do not guarantee the safety of data especially while performing in-place repair of Windows XP system. In such cases, you should use a third-party Windows data recovery software to recover Windows files.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is a Windows data recovery softwareWindows data recovery tool is capable of restoring more than 185 different file types from various storage devices. This utility is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, Server 2003, XP, and 2000. that recovers lost, inaccessible, or formatted data from both FAT and NTFS file systems. This

System Restore an advanced Windows 7 feature

Hopefully a user never uses this windows 7 application, but as with all system maintenance, it's always worth making sure that you're ready in the event of having to call on it.

The purpose of System restore is to keep notes of everything you change on your computer, enabling you to reverse them with a couple of clicks. Times you might need to use it include clearing up a bit of spyware that managed to sneak its way on to your system, error messages suddenly appearing after installing a new tool, or a critical error developing.

System Restore is switched on by default when you install Windows 7, although it's always worth doublechecking. Type 'restore' into your Start menu (not pressing Return) and you'll see the three key options – opening System Restore, and shortcuts to creating and restoring from a Restore Point.

Windows 7 creates these automatically, once a week or just before you install new software, but you're not bound to this schedule – you can create your own Restore Points whenever you like. For the most part, though, this isn't necessary.

The most important thing to remember about System Restore is that it isn't a file backup tool – it's a system backup tool, and there's a critical difference.

System Restore's job is to look out for Windows files; the programs that you install; registry settings that get changed; and other behind-the-scenes elements – not your documents.

System restore is entirely different from data backup. One should always backup data on hard drive in order to ensures windows recovery

The advantage of this is that in the event of a disaster, you can get your system up and running without needing to worry about anything you created post-Restore Point being wiped away. The downside is that there's not much that it can do if your problem is a deleted file or corrupted photograph.

Windows 7 does add one useful feature, however. Along with system data, Restore Points track any changes to files and folders, enabling you to go back to previous versions.

RESTORE POINT: The best time to make a System Restore point is when you've just installed/reinstalled Windows 7 and your drivers, and everything's working as it should

Right-click on any file or folder, choose 'Restore previous versions' and you will see the list. This is fantastic for documents with a long lifespan, but it doesn't help you if you only need to rewind time by an hour or so.

System security

What can help is that System Restore works hand-in-hand with Windows Backup, although this isn't switched on by default. You'll find the option to use it in System and Security in your Control Panel.

This provides extra previous version support, with its saved copies accessed from the same place as the System Restore ones mentioned earlier; file backups that enable you to retrieve individual documents; and most dramatically, full system images.

A system image is a complete copy of your hard disc – Windows, system settings, your documents, your files, even your wallpaper settings – that can simply be dropped back on to the drive after a crash, ready to use as though nothing ever happened.

Resource: http://www.techradar.com/

How to Create and mount VHD files?

The Microsoft's Virtual PC creates its virtual machine hard drives in VHD files, and Windows 7 can now mount these directly so you can access them in the host system.

• Click Start
• Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter
• Then click Action → Attach VHD and choose the file to be mounted.

It will then appear as a virtual drive in Explorer and can be accessed, copied or written
just like any other drive.

Click Action > Create VHD and you can now create a new virtual drive of your own
(right-click it, select Initialise Disk, and after it's set up right-click the unallocated
space and select New Simple Volume to set this up).

It will provide you a virtual drive that behaves just like any other drive , where you can
do whatever you like. This drive is just like this VHD file on your real hard drive which
you can easily back up or share with others. Right-click the disk (that's the left-hand
label that says "Disk 2" or whatever) and select Detach VHD to remove it.

The command line DISKPART utility has also been upgraded with tools to detach a VHD file,
and an EXPAND command to increase a virtual disk's maximum size. Don't play around with this
unless you know what you're doing, though - it's all too easy to trash your system.

Windows data recovery
resource: http://www.techradar.com

Windows 7 - Problem Steps Recorder

Here almost everyone of us would have faced the system malfunctioning. The problem becomes more frustrating when we are not able to explain the exact situation we are facing. When we go for some technical help, it becomes necessary to describe clearly , what's going on.

Till now it was a problem but the Microsoft has felt the user's problem and resolved it in Windows 7. The solution is in the form of Problem Steps Recorder.

In Windows 7 , if an application doesn't run properly , what the user needs to do is

• Click Start Button

• Type PSR and

• Tress Enter

• Click Start Record

Now the Problem Steps Recorder will start recording every click and keypress, take screen shots, and pack everything into a single zipped MHTML file , ready to mail.

With the hope that this easy and effective method will help you to save your precious time ,I want to say all the best to all me readers.

I will be back very soon with a new MS Windows tips.

windows data recovery

Windows XP Data Recovery after “Unmountable Boot Volume” Error

MS Windows XP contains a system volume where the operating system is installed. On completion of POST (Power On Self Test) operation, system partition is read operating system is loaded. If the boot or system partition is not recognized then the machine may not boot up.

This may result a severe data loss problem. In such critical situations, an updated and valid backup proves great help. But, if backup is not available, Windows data recovery is the only way to go.

In a practical instance of unbootable Windows XP computer, you may come across the below error messages while booting up y our computer:

“Unmountable Boot Volume”

After the above error message, boot process gets interrupted. The operating system can not load and you can not get into your system. In order to fix this behavior and recover Windows data, you must figure out the root of this problem.

What is the reason for 'Unmountable Boot Volume' Error in Windows XP?

You may run across this behavior of Windows XP due to any of the below reasons:

The Boot.ini file of your Windows XP computer is either missing or damaged.

The hard drive is bad and unreadable.

Solution

There are two possible solutions of this problem, depending upon the cause of the problem:


Missing or Corrupt Boot.ini File-

Boot your system in recovery console.

Type chkdsk /p in recovery console to check if drive is bad.

Reboot your system if chkdsk does not find any error.

If you system has same problem after running chkdsk, reboot your system back into recovery console.

Run chkdsk /r to locate bad sectors and retrieve data.

Bad or Unreadable Hard Drive-


If critical data structures, like file system, boot loader, and MBR (Master Boot Record) of your Windows XP, are corrupt, you need to format the hard drive and reinstall operating system to fix the issue.

Then comes the ultimate solution ie formatting but it also removes all the data from hard drive and puts you in need of Windows recovery.

Recovery is potential through advanced and powerful third-party tools, known as Windows data recovery software. They are competent enough to systematically scan entire hard drive and extract as much data as possible from it.

Steps to recover Windows Vista after making the dual boot

When Windows Vista was launched everybody thought to switch to it for better performance and better graphic experience. However, people realized that it is unable to match the robust and support for hardware that Windows XP provides. Because of these features, we opt for dual-boot systems.

It has been observed so many times that when a user makes dual ( Windows Vista and Windows XP) boot system, he is not able to access Windows Vista. In such cases, he should use appropriate measures to resolve the issue. If he is not able to resolve the situation then he may should consider a third party Windows data recovery software to resolve the issue.

What is the reason?

The cause of erroneous situation is that the prior version of Windows that is Vista are incompatible with new Windows Vista startup . A new Boot Configuration Database(BCD) store is used to boot the operating system in Windows Vista and its later version.

How to solve it?

To resolve the problem, perform the following steps:

• Restore the Windows Vista MBR as well as the boot code that transfer control to the Windows Boot Manager program use the Bootsect.exe

prompt:Drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All

• Create an entry in the BCE Boot.ini file for Windows XP use the Bcdedit.exe.Use the following commands:-

1. Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit /create {ntldr} /d “Description for earlier Windows version”

2. Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit /set {ntldr} device partition=x:

3. Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit /set {ntldr} path \ntldr

4. Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit /displayorder {ntldr} /addlast

• Restart the computer.

The method should be able to resolve the issue. If the problem is still not resolved then third party windows data recovery software to recover windows files.

Windows 7 Recovery of Corrupted Hard Drive in Case of MBR Corruption

An MBR holds the primary partition table of the hard disk and is responsible for booting the operating systems. MBR is the first program that is accessed when the system is started. It contains the critical information such as number of partitions , information about active partition and so on.

Corruption in the MBR can also lead to a dead hard disk. The corruption can happen due to virus infections, human errors, abrupt system shutdown, etc. In this case a third-party hard drive recovery software to resolve the issue.

Consider a scenario wherein you have a Windows 7 system. When you switch it on, it fails to start as its Master Boot Record (MBR) has been corrupted. You then try to run the Startup Repair tool to fix the MBR. However, the tool shows that there are no problems.

Cause:

The root cause for this problem is that there could be a flash drive inserted in the computer. Because of this, the computer hardware sometimes acknowledges it as the system partition. And the Startup Repair tool scans the flash drive in place of the original system partition on the hard disk. As there is no corrupted MBR on the flash drive, no problem is detected.

Resolution:

To resolve this issue, you should perform the following steps:

• Eject the flash drive from the computer.

• Insert the Windows 7 installation DVD in the disc drive.

• Start the computer.

• Press any key when there is a prompt to do so.

• Select language, time, currency, keyboard, input method, etc.

• Click Next.

• Click the Repair your computer option.

• Click the operating system that is to be repaired.

• Click Next.

• Click Command Prompt in the System Recovery Options dialog box.

• Enter Bootrec.exe/fixmbr and press Enter. This command would fix the MBR issue.

However, if you still are not able to resolve the issue then you should use a third-party hard drive recovery software to recover lost data in the system. Such read-only tools are able to recover hard drive by employing fast yet sophisticated scanning algorithms without overwriting the original data.

Resource