After a few days of playing with Windows 7 I must say Microsoft...bravo! What the hell took you so long?
For those of you who many not remember, Windows XP was released in 2001, 8 years ago.
Considering the fact that at that time, the longest distance between two Microsoft operating systems was 3 years (95 -> 98), that is one hell of a stretch.
And we, the PC consumer, have languished in those 8 years. After disappointing service packs that never seemed to solve the ills of XP and another Windows ME (crap), in the form of Vista; its about time Microsoft puckered up and gave us a nice kiss on the lips.
With that, here's your PC...simplified.
The taskbar's face lift is more than a lift, it's a complete overhaul.
The text that use to stretch taskbar icons into noticeable rectangles has been removed. Now, like on newer MAC operating systems, the taskbar icons are strictly graphic. This not only puts more icons in the taskbar, without requiring another row, it also reduced the clutter of text the taskbar could be if you had a lot of windows opened.
Since programs are now "pinned" onto the taskbar, much like MAC OS, all of your windows for 1 program are veiled behind the single taskbar icon. Got AOL instant messenger open along with a few IM windows? The AIM running-man is your icon, hover over the icon, and much like Alt-Tabbing a preview of each individual window expands below (or above, maybe to the side, depending on where you place the taskbar), simply click on the one you want.
The search feature is faster than ever, for those of us representing the "on-demand" generation, the search feature beings search after your second key stroke, that's fast. No waiting for the operating system to collect what you told it to look for, it collects and looks while you tell it.
Libraries have given people the ability to consolidate a hard-drives worth of material into one place. Have songs saved in your Windows Media File and iTunes? Set those directory locations (file path) to your "Music" library, and all of your songs will appear in that single window.
With tons of new features, and a complete reappraisal of others, this new Microsoft operating system is everything PC users have been waiting for.
PS: Find yourself to a store with computers that have Windows 7 installed, and just gaze at the depth this operating system has, the images appear 3-D...seriously go look!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Sheriff of Silicon Valley takes another outlaw down
The high noon sun hung aloft, stranded in the cloudless sky casting a blaze upon the two shadowless figures. Time stood still for the Sheriff and the Outlaw, for just a short time had this hyper ram-headed outlaw escaped the clutches of the Sheriff. Now, after a few weeks of frustrating chase the Sheriff had the Outlaw right where he wanted him.
The three who had ridden with the Outlaw since their gang started back in July split, fearful that reprieve wouldn't come, and they were right to, for this Sheriff took Outlaws down for the count not down to the court.
As the second-hand of the clocktower inched towards 12, the nerves of the Outlaw burst with electricity, he was jumpy, sometimes a blessing, but for this calm Sheriff that jolt didn't shock his focus.
Before the Outlaw could drop the hammer of his six-shooter he'd drawn from his holdster, the Sheriff reached outward from his side.
*Click* *Click*
Within the flash of a second the Sheriff had drawn and fired two well placed shots that left the Outlaw hangingly loosely in his saddle. The two white-colored stur-ups that clamped the ram-headed Outlaw into the saddle no longer maintained their grasp and the Outlaw fell...right onto my carpet.
It took a few days, but I found him. That damn culprit that had delayed my installation of Windows 7 for the last time! As I suspected, my computer had 1 bad stick of RAM out of it's 4.
After installing Windows 7 on one good stick. I shutdown and continued to place all of my RAM back in, stick by stick, checking my BIOS to ensure the motherboard registered each byte, upon placing the second stick back in what did I discover?
3368 bytes registered...RAM R/W test failed.
I had found him, my Outlaw renegade RAM.
Now he's resting in a jail cell called static-resistant plastic bag awaiting his trial at my computer manufacturer, a call placed Monday morning should have a new stick resting in my motherboard by Friday.
The three who had ridden with the Outlaw since their gang started back in July split, fearful that reprieve wouldn't come, and they were right to, for this Sheriff took Outlaws down for the count not down to the court.
As the second-hand of the clocktower inched towards 12, the nerves of the Outlaw burst with electricity, he was jumpy, sometimes a blessing, but for this calm Sheriff that jolt didn't shock his focus.
Before the Outlaw could drop the hammer of his six-shooter he'd drawn from his holdster, the Sheriff reached outward from his side.
*Click* *Click*
It took a few days, but I found him. That damn culprit that had delayed my installation of Windows 7 for the last time! As I suspected, my computer had 1 bad stick of RAM out of it's 4.
After installing Windows 7 on one good stick. I shutdown and continued to place all of my RAM back in, stick by stick, checking my BIOS to ensure the motherboard registered each byte, upon placing the second stick back in what did I discover?
3368 bytes registered...RAM R/W test failed.
I had found him, my Outlaw renegade RAM.
Now he's resting in a jail cell called static-resistant plastic bag awaiting his trial at my computer manufacturer, a call placed Monday morning should have a new stick resting in my motherboard by Friday.
Standard Maintainence
To my great success, the culprit has been cornered in the crime of delaying my Windows 7 install.
As I type to you now, I do so on Windows Explorer through my newly installed Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.
After cleaning my RAM heads and blowing the dust out of their saddles, I reinstalled all 4 sticks and gave Windows 7 a shot.
Same old story, the installation hung at the "Starting Windows" screen of uncertainty.
So I yanked the back 3 out and started over...and then it happened.
Marvelous colors of blue, green, red, and yellow began to appear in the center of my screen, rotating like dancing lights bringing about a fancy artistry foreign to a Windows start-up screen, the dazzling colors manifested into the Windows logo before leading my through the install.
After a few weeks of frustrations, business, and laziness, I finally got Windows 7 installed without any problems, on one 2-gig stick of RAM.
Now something important to remember is this.
You must maintain a strict schedule of standard maintainence for your computing-machine to keep it in proper working order.
That means weekly or monthly tasks that need to be done like clockwork.
Familiarize yourself with your BIOS, every start-up you should make sure all your RAM is recognized by your motherboard (it will tells you how much loads each time you start up), so go in your BIOS, disable quick boot, turn off the logo screens, and check to make sure the parts in your computer are registering.
Use the Windows Tools within Accessories in the Windows Start-up Menu, Programs.
Run disk clean up once a week to purge your computer of unncessary temporary files that build up in bulk if forgotten.
Make sure to disk defragment your computer on a monthly basis, this tool helps consolidate files on your computer, install a lot of stuff, download a lot of stuff, do you constantly move large amounts of files around? These all slow your computer down as bits are saved (like memories of past residencies) so your computer can remember the life and legacy of each file, shorten that legacy using the defragmentor.
A good dusting bi-monthly will ensure your fickle hardware keeps working will full functionality, don't forget to clean out the fans as well.
Stick to a strict code of standard maintainence and you will catch problems like I did, but much sooner.
As I type to you now, I do so on Windows Explorer through my newly installed Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.
After cleaning my RAM heads and blowing the dust out of their saddles, I reinstalled all 4 sticks and gave Windows 7 a shot.
Same old story, the installation hung at the "Starting Windows" screen of uncertainty.
So I yanked the back 3 out and started over...and then it happened.
Marvelous colors of blue, green, red, and yellow began to appear in the center of my screen, rotating like dancing lights bringing about a fancy artistry foreign to a Windows start-up screen, the dazzling colors manifested into the Windows logo before leading my through the install.
After a few weeks of frustrations, business, and laziness, I finally got Windows 7 installed without any problems, on one 2-gig stick of RAM.
Now something important to remember is this.
You must maintain a strict schedule of standard maintainence for your computing-machine to keep it in proper working order.
That means weekly or monthly tasks that need to be done like clockwork.
Familiarize yourself with your BIOS, every start-up you should make sure all your RAM is recognized by your motherboard (it will tells you how much loads each time you start up), so go in your BIOS, disable quick boot, turn off the logo screens, and check to make sure the parts in your computer are registering.
Use the Windows Tools within Accessories in the Windows Start-up Menu, Programs.
Run disk clean up once a week to purge your computer of unncessary temporary files that build up in bulk if forgotten.
Make sure to disk defragment your computer on a monthly basis, this tool helps consolidate files on your computer, install a lot of stuff, download a lot of stuff, do you constantly move large amounts of files around? These all slow your computer down as bits are saved (like memories of past residencies) so your computer can remember the life and legacy of each file, shorten that legacy using the defragmentor.
A good dusting bi-monthly will ensure your fickle hardware keeps working will full functionality, don't forget to clean out the fans as well.
Stick to a strict code of standard maintainence and you will catch problems like I did, but much sooner.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Random-access memory loss
After a few days of trouble shooting what should have been a simple upgrade installation of Windows 7, I have come to the conclusion that the errors I've suffered thus far...are not the errors of Microsoft.
I have a hardware issue...not a software issue.
What's the difference?
Hardware are the pieces that comprise your computer, your RAM, your CPU, the power supply, video / audio cards, etc.
Software are programs those parts run and project onto your monitor.
Given their nature, these two different spheres of the computer world are helplessly attached at the hip, when one fails, the other usually follows in step (or is the cause of the first failure).
Hardware have programs themselves, called Device Drivers, that are the protocols allowing the parts to interact with the programs. When the software has a conflict with the Device Driver, the program will crash, but this is not the problem I've had.
The problem I have experienced this time around, faulty hardware. (With the billions of lines of code and microscopic sizes of some computer parts its only inevitable for problems to arise from anywhere, you try keeping track of that much information without slippage!)
So the solution is this.
The BIOS is a manager of your computer parts and basic mechanical function that can be accessed during start-up, all that white text over black background, those are BIOS processes making sure your parts function properly before booting up into your operating system.
(Above is a picture of the BIOS manager menu)
In my case, I have 8-gigs of RAM, yet my BIOS is only registering a little over 6-gigs. Since I have 4 2-gig sticks of RAM, one bad stick may be my culprit.
So the plan is to take them all out, clean their contact points, blow some compressed air into your saddles on the motherboard, plug them in and see if they all register again. When your motherboard stops registering things plugged into it, they are usually just dusty not dead, time to clean.
If this doesn't solve my issue the next step is to remove them all once again. Then insert each stick individually, one at a time and start up. With only one stick in the computer, once I plug the bad one in (if there is a bad one) the computer won't start up and I'll know which one to have my computer company replace. (Though I can and have built my own in the past, I have a 3 year warranty for this machine and it feels great)
After I've nab my bad RAM stick, or cleaned them so they all register once again, anchors away for Windows 7!
I have a hardware issue...not a software issue.
What's the difference?
Hardware are the pieces that comprise your computer, your RAM, your CPU, the power supply, video / audio cards, etc.
Software are programs those parts run and project onto your monitor.
Given their nature, these two different spheres of the computer world are helplessly attached at the hip, when one fails, the other usually follows in step (or is the cause of the first failure).
Hardware have programs themselves, called Device Drivers, that are the protocols allowing the parts to interact with the programs. When the software has a conflict with the Device Driver, the program will crash, but this is not the problem I've had.
The problem I have experienced this time around, faulty hardware. (With the billions of lines of code and microscopic sizes of some computer parts its only inevitable for problems to arise from anywhere, you try keeping track of that much information without slippage!)
So the solution is this.
(Above is a picture of the BIOS manager menu)
In my case, I have 8-gigs of RAM, yet my BIOS is only registering a little over 6-gigs. Since I have 4 2-gig sticks of RAM, one bad stick may be my culprit.
So the plan is to take them all out, clean their contact points, blow some compressed air into your saddles on the motherboard, plug them in and see if they all register again. When your motherboard stops registering things plugged into it, they are usually just dusty not dead, time to clean.
If this doesn't solve my issue the next step is to remove them all once again. Then insert each stick individually, one at a time and start up. With only one stick in the computer, once I plug the bad one in (if there is a bad one) the computer won't start up and I'll know which one to have my computer company replace. (Though I can and have built my own in the past, I have a 3 year warranty for this machine and it feels great)
After I've nab my bad RAM stick, or cleaned them so they all register once again, anchors away for Windows 7!
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