Problems & Solutions

[Super Fast]

Please list the following when making a post here:

 

- Operating System (+ Service Pack #) that you have a problem with

- Problem(s) you are having, or have had

- Solution(s) to the problem(s) along with a link to the solutions if the solution is a download.

 

If you just have a problem, list the problem so others can post solutions.

This is a place for real people with real problems.

 

Thank you!

___________________

 

Windows 7 Solutions

___________________

 

- Start Menu -> Classic Shell -> http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ -> Fixes start menu search behavior/run box behavior/makes menus more direct

- Windows Explorer Navigation -> Right-click My Computer/Properties/Tools/Folder Options/Select Auto Expand folders -> Fixes having to manually tree out menus

- Muddy sound in WMP -> Open Media Player/CTRL + 3/Right-Click a blank part of WMP/Enhancements/Graphic Equalizer. Be sure you click the individual slider option so they won't all follow your mouse. Be sure the EQ is ON & drag the last slider on the right all the way up. Drag the next to the last slider to halfway between 50% & 100% (around 75%). The treble boost will greatly enhance your music listening with a clarity you may have been missing all along.

 

- No treble/bass controls -> I got a rockfish card with creative chipset -> Visit a local http://www.bestbuy.com/ location -> Drivers included with the card allow you to change treble/bass & it works systemwide.

- Cannot edit photos with Windows Image Viewer -> http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials?os=other & choose photo gallery -> feature was shipped with Vista, & this is supposed to add it back

- Make Windows Explorer tree desktop folders out -> Skip the "Favorites" location & navigate using Desktop under user name (below home group) instead.

 

- Image Viewer fix (Windows 7 viewer pixelates low res images when enlarged, & doesn't display GIF images in the viewer... Users have to use Internet browser to view animated Gif files, which is very inconvenient! Windows XP would smooth pictures instead of pixelating them, & view animated GIF files too!) http://sites.google.com/site/neotechni/Home/programs & scroll down to picture2.zip. Works in 7 & is a clone of XP image viewer. Can view GIF files as well. You will need to download mscomctl.ocx from somewhere such as http://www.ocxdump.com/download-ocx-files_new.php/ocxfiles/M/MSCOMCTL.OCX/6.01.9782/download.html & place it in the same directory as the viewer file.

 

____________________

 

Windows XP Solutions

____________________

 

- Ugly cartoony appearance -> http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/Royale-Theme-for-WinXP.shtml This visual style for XP really makes it look sooo much better!

___________________________

 

Windows 7 unsolved problems

___________________________

 

- Cannot drag a shortcut from the top left of a title bar to another location. XP would do this. -> Anyone know how a good way to fix this?

- Right click on desktop/personalize/display. Click Adjust Resolution, then click back, & click Change Display Settings. They are exactly the same. -> Anyone know how to remove the duplicate entry? Maybe some registry hack or something? You can check the address bar & clearly see that not only are the screens exactly the same, they are the exact same address. Very annoying to have duplicity!

- In XP, it's easy to navigate to the content.ie5 folder using internet explorer to dig in the cache & find what your looking. It's next to impossible in 7, unless you go manually to that folder!

[Andavari]

- Windows Image Viewer -> Images are pixelated when enlarged. In XP, it employed a type of smoothing to make images look good -> Anyone know how to fix this?

Use IrfanView or Paint.NET, both can use Lanczco filter for resizing to keep the image smooth looking. Although sizing up/enlarging will always cause a degradation in quality.

 

- Windows Image Viewer -> Cannot view animated GIF files. It uses Internet Explorer. -> Anyone know how to fix this (add on pack to make it work in WIV?)

IrfanView can.

 

Your solution is to just use 3rd party software for image viewing which have more features, can open allot more formats and save to them as well, etc., I have for years and would never even consider using the default image viewing/editing tools in Windows anymore.

 

 

Edit:

Edited to fix typos.

[Super Fast]

Use IrfanView or Paint.NET, both can use Lanczco filter for resizing to keep the image smooth looking. Although sizing up/enlarging will always cause a degradation in quality.

 

 

IrfanView can.

 

Your solution is to just use 3rd party software for image viewing which have more features, can open allot more formats and save to them as well, etc., I have for years and would never even consider using the default image viewing/editing tools in Windows anymore.

 

 

Edit:

Edited to fix typos.

 

Irfanview just don't have what I am looking at the moment.

 

I did find an XP clone that works in Windows 7 and will let you:

 

- View animated GIFS

- Scroll in & out on images (just like in XP)

- Haven't tested yet, but presuming it will also zoom images without pixelation

 

http://sites.google.com/site/neotechni/Home/programs & download picture2.zip

You may also need to download mscomctl.ocx (if you run this in XP)

 

Very confusing it you run it in XP, because it looks so identical that you sometimes forget which is the real viewer.

I mean, it IS slightly different... There are a few less buttons such as save/print etc, but it does look very XPish.

Since it runs in 7, it makes me feel like I can now move forward in a brave new Windows 7 world... With 2 less problems!

 

I am pleased. The Gods are happy again!

[Corona]

Edited to fix typos.

And I would've caught those nasty typos sooner, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!

[Andavari]

Unless, perhaps, you know a secret shortcut I don't. Interface looks much better than it did years ago, though.

I don't know. I still use a now ancient version of IrfanView and won't update it anymore which is just personal preference since I don't like some of the changes.

[Super Fast]

* Post deleted... (Found a fix)

[Andavari]

They have about 100 or more photo editors I am going to be trying in the upcoming months.

I'd recommend making Erunt backups that way undoing file associations won't be a nightmare.

 

The thing I didn't like in newer versions of IrfanView was how they changed the viewing of icon files and the different sizes available in the icon, it's not so much of an issue now since I use IcoFX.

 

I've used XNView before some years back when looking to replace IrfanView, I think I used it for about one month before returning to IrfanView. I've also tried PhotoFiltre, etc., and the results were the same I returned to IrfanView.

[Super Fast]

* Post deleted. (Found a fix)

[Andavari]

P.S. Did you try any of the downloadable "skins" to see if they were like you wanted? For IrfanView?

No I didn't because it was several years ago before it had "skins" which I didn't know it now had. The version I use is really ancient, but still works flawlessly on this now ancient XP system.

[trium]

i have xp pro

athlon xp 2000+

1 gb ram

geforce ti 4200 etc.

 

I like to play gothic 2.

since any time everything shakes, even the intro-videos do not run smoothly.

all matters other work fine.

even reinstalling does not help.

somebody has an idea what's there in the ass?

[Corona]

somebody has an idea what's there in the ass?

 

I'm not gonna go there.

[Super Fast]

i have xp pro

athlon xp 2000+

1 gb ram

geforce ti 4200 etc.

 

I like to play gothic 2.

since any time everything shakes, even the intro-videos do not run smoothly.

all matters other work fine.

even reinstalling does not help.

somebody has an idea what's there in the ass?

 

There are multiple things you may want to check here

 

- How much free space do you have? (Having a slow/low free space amount will cause low performance)

- What is your CPU speed vs recommended speed (higher is always better)

- How much free RAM do you have while running? (CTRL + ALT + DEL to bring up task manager & look at commit charge to the bottom right of the manager... If it is even close to 1 GB while trying to run the game, you will be using the harddisk instead of RAM, which will slow your performance by about 1,000 times because that is how much faster RAM is than using the harddisk as RAM, which is what windows does when it runs out...)

- How much RAM (if any) is being eat up by the PC as "graphics acceleration ram"?

- What antivirus/firewall/security app(s) are you using? (May conflict with game)

- Amount of 2D/3D Video vs recommended amount (If it required 128 MB & you got 0 to 64, your game will stutter... Upgrade to the recommended amount. Double the recommended amount for far better performance)

- Service Pack # vs the recommended (Do you have no service pack? service pack 1? 2? 3? & what service pack is recommended for the program?)

- Are you doing a clean or upgrade install?

- Have you checked to be sure you have the proper drivers installed, especially: Audio/Video/LAN drivers?

- Sometimes updating IE can fix certain problems. I had problems connecting to a motel WIFI where I work, even though I used Firefox, till I upgraded IE6 to IE8. Since then, it worked great.

- You may want to uninstall all versions of flash, then download the latest versions for Firefox & IE from filehippo. If you have flash intros, they may benefit from the newer updates.

[Super Fast]

I'd recommend making Erunt backups that way undoing file associations won't be a nightmare.

On this machine, I have everything (literally) backed up via external drive.

So I have no worries.

 

I test in batches, & I can usually recover.

I have a flash drive with an EXE association fixer as well as I can always right click/open with/always open with Windows Picture & fax viewer.

 

Most image editors (but not all) will give you the option to NOT set them as default if you don't fly through/click everything/done...

If Windows does crash, it is usually for these reasons:

 

- Hardware problems

- Malware/Viruses

- Conflicting programs

- You also had the same version of Windows on your external drive, & Windows tried to boot from it after you rebooted & left it plugged into your PC, which cause your local settings to get erased because Windows tried to import the registry hives from the external drive onto your local machine

 

Of course, if this happens, you can locate a known good registry hive (say, from the config folder on my netbook) & import it to save the day. I wouldn't do it unless your an experienced user & know what your doing with registry hives, but it is possible, & yes, I have done it.