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My finger is very secure! It’s attached to my body. However, PC PitStop community member Bob isn’t so sure his fingers are secure. He wrote in to ask about fingerprint sensor on his laptop. He’s been having trouble with them since updating from Vista to Windows 7.

Hopefully Bob ran Microsoft’s Upgrade Advisor. That will tell you whether or not a driver is avaiable for the fingerprint scanner to work inside of Windows 7. Just because it ran fine on Vista doesn’t mean it will run on Windows 7. Sometimes, drivers are poorly written – or not updated at all.

The bottom line is that Bob will need to contact the laptop manufacturer and find out where he can get an updated driver for his fingerprint scanner. If there isn’t one available, he may have to roll back to Windows Vista (*shudder*) if he really wants to use the fingerprint scanner.

Sadly, there’s no magic answer here. Bob needs a driver. The hardware worked perfectly in Vista, but stopped as soon as he upgraded the operating system. To me, that points a big red arrow right to the drivers.

Bob, check with the manufacturer of your laptop. You can even log on to their website, and look for drivers there, without having to call them. Most reputable manufacturers will have a section devoted to the most up-to-date drivers that are available.

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Fingerprint Problems in Windows

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Community member Scott emailed me recently to ask for my help with a documentary he is creating about Microsoft. He knows that I’ve been using Microsoft since the days of DOS, and wanted to get my thoughts on a few questions he had. Not only did I agree to answer them in this video… I want YOUR opinions, as well. Go ahead and leave a follow-up comment with your answers to the questions that Scott asked. It will be interesting to see what everyone thinks, and how our opinions on the matters vary.

• How do you think that Microsoft changed the way that computing was made simpler for the average user? – Back in the day, it wasn’t easy to use a computer. It was very confusing, actually. If you knew something was DOS or Windows compatible, it was a load off your mind. You knew it would work on your system. Despite any type of business practices that I may not agree with, I have to give props to Microsoft for uniting the industry. If you bought a PC, you knew it would be compatible, and there would be a ton of software available wherever you went. It was also a great opportunity for developers. If Microsoft hadn’t taken the lead in that capacity, someone else would have.
• How did Microsoft make it possible for most people to own a computer and be able to use it without advanced knowledge? – DoS wasn’t easy, and neither were the old Apple systems. Microsoft has never actually created a computer. They created an operating system, that could run on any computer. I always laugh when people compare Microsoft to Apple in that respect. They are nothing alike! Apple would be more comparable to a company such as Dell or HP. There may be Microsoft-branded hardware, but there has never been a Microsoft computer. Therefore, you cannot fairly compare Microsoft to Apple! You can compare their respective operating systems, yes. Microsoft was the first to make an operating system be user-friendly. Most of them are these days, but that wasn’t always the case. Microsoft, back in the day, made it possible for any average Joe (pun intended, Dad!) to sit down and be able to use a computer in their home without any training.
• Going through the history of operating systems, what has improved from DOS to Windows 7 that impacted society today? – You really can’t get along without a computer these days, whether it’s in your pocket or a desktop. To think that you could get a job these days without knowing how to use something like Word or Excel is laughable to me. By making a home computer more affordable, Microsoft opened up the opportunities for developers and regular users alike. If it weren’t for Microsoft, we’d likely be a lot further behind than what we are these days.

I think that the Internet itself has done more to impact our society than even Microsoft. The Internet snuck up on Microsoft and surprised them. Back in the day when Windows 95 shipped, it didn’t ship with a web browser. You had to upgrade to a plus pack, or buy Netscape off the shelf. It was crazy!

Overall, Microsoft has become less invasive and more pervasive. When you buy a computer today, you know it’s going to work. You know it’s going to allow you to do the things that you want and need to do. The computer is not an appliance these days, it’s an appliance. It’s inclusive in terms of its place inside our lives, giving us the ability to do things that we’d never have been able to do otherwise.

Thanks, Scott, for the questions and for making me sit and really think about some of these things.

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Microsoft History

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During a recent live call, Charles nearly knocked me out of my chair when he proclaimed that he LOVES Windows Vista. I was honestly shocked, especially since the calls were supposed to be about Windows 7. Charles stated emphatically that he never had issues with Vista, and that it actually just worked for him. He fully admits that he may be the only person in his entire town – or state! – who feels this way. We did, of course, end up discussing his views on Windows 7, and about Microsoft in general.

I feel that Windows Vista was, of course, one of the worst things to happen to Microsoft. Also, of course, the iPhone was bad for Microsoft, as well. The iPhone has been probably the most sought-after gadget in recent years, which only enhances Microsoft’s lackluster products. Even people at Microsoft have admitted that Vista wasnt’ fully baked, so how was the public supposed to like it?

Charles actually liked the fact that there were five different versions of Vista. He didn’t want to pay for features he wasn’t interested in. However, I don’t feel that languages should have been part of any type of upgrade, such as in the Ultimate edition. It should be built right in to the operating system as a core component!! Having so many different versions of one operating system creates confusion amongst the public, at least in my opinion. People who don’t know better automatically assume that they need the best they can afford, whether they truly need those additional features or not. That’s just not always the case. Often, they end up having paid for things that they never end up using.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel Microsoft is consumer-friendly, and that there should be many different versions of each Windows release? Or are you thinking what I’m thinking…

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Who Loves Windows Vista?

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Recently I threw down the gauntlet, asking all of you to submit your best screencasts. I plan to highlight the best of the best here in my channel, and help promote yours. Dylan has sent a few in to us now, and they’re fantastic. This particular screencast is going to help you quickly and easily turn off the UAC in Vista.

The first way that Dylan shows us to disable the UAC is to go into your control panel, and select “User Accounts and Family Safety”. Then go to “Add or Remove User Accounts”. Highlight your account so that it’s selected. You’ll see an option at the bottom that says “Go to the Main User Accounts Page”. Select that, and at the bottom of that screen, you’ll see where it says “Turn the User Account Control On or Off”. Choose that, and uncheck the box. You’ll then need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

For more advanced users who are comfortable when using msconfig, you can use this method, instead. Go to your Start menu, and type msconfig in the search box so that it will open that up. Once in msconfig, click on the “Tools” tab. Scroll down until you see where it says “Disable UAC”. Click the “Launch” button, and another small box will pop up telling you the operation was completed successfully. Close that little box, click OK in msconfig, and close everything. Reboot your computer, and you’re finished!

See how easy that was? Thanks much to Dylan for providing us with this screencast. Keep them coming, everyone! Who knows – you could be featured next.

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How to Disable the UAC in Windows Vista

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During live calls recently, the main topic of discussion was Windows 7. Ross was happy to get through, and immediately asked what he felt I think Windows 7 brings to the table for an average or intermediate computer user. I have my own opinions, of course. I’m interested in seeing what all of YOU think. So, let’s hear it!

I feel there are a variety of features that Windows 7 brings to the table. The most prominent ones are the taskbar and Start Menu changes. Those are excellent, for sure. Some people are complaining about them, of course, wishing they were more like very old versions of Windows. Personally, I think it’s about time they were so different! Functionality-wise, everything works very well on these.

I feel there is an epic UI fail, but that’s just me. Maybe it’s because I’m anal-retentive? Do you think? But I just don’t like that the popup menu where it shows recent programs has huge gaps between the program names. However, the normal “all programs” menu is missing those gaps. That just bugs me, but I’ll survive.

Ross also wanted to let all college students know that if you go to Win741 and use a college.edu email address – you can buy Windows 7 Home Premium for only $29.99! That’s official folks, and one heck of a great deal for students!

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What Does Windows 7 Bring to the Table?

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Josh called in last week during live calls to talk with me about Windows 7. His general opinion at first was just that Windows 7 is a “great operating system”. I had to chuckle at that, because I of course agree. As we talked more, we got into a bit of a discussion about how much better Windows 7 runs on our Macs inside of Boot Camp. In my opinion, anyway, Vista never did run well on any type of virtual machine. It just plain stunk.

In a virtual machine environment, such as with VMWare Fusion, Windows 7 just – works. It runs clean, and it runs fast. When I used to try and run Vista in the same environment, with the same hardware and same configuration… it never worked. It was buggy. It would crash. It was slow. Things wouldn’t – work!

Don’t forget that I have an awesome Windows 7 eBook available for only $7.00! It’s filled with 70 excellent tips and tricks, to help you make the transition to Windows 7 even easier.

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Virtual Machines Love Windows 7

I had to chuckle a little while ago when someone in our live chat room stated that Google’s new operating system will be 100% invulnerable to malware attacks. That’s an awful hefty claim for Google to make, if they in fact did. The truth is that nothing is impossible in this day and age of malware. Criminals, hackers and malware writers will indeed figure out a way to get inside of whatever Google comes up with. Sadly, it’s par for the course. It’s rumors like these that make people who don’t know any better think that they don’t need any type of security software.

I hate rumors and speculation. I’m a hard facts type of guy. Show me proof, or don’t tell me at all. I know, not everyone is like that. And that’s ok, I suppose. However, it’s imperative that you do your research, and find out the truth of the matter in anything you want to believe. It’s ok to have “faith”, yes. It’s not ok to blindly ASSume something is right and correct and real. Sometimes, that can get you in to trouble.

One of the reasons I love our community so much is that as Geeks, we take the time to back up what we say with facts and resources. Have you taken the time to read what it is they are trying to say?

• Cleanliness really is next to Godliness.
• What do you do when the Disk Administrator corrupts Windows partitions?
• Is the Internet private at all?
• Where do you start when you want to learn game designing?
• What would you say is the best gaming system money can buy?
• Gizmodo’s security has been compromised.
• Can the Android Market ever catch up to the iTunes App Store?
• An open Beta for the Heroes of Gaia game has begun.
• Are you frustrated and having problems using Wi-Fi in Windows Vista?
• Microsoft is saying NO to Family Guy.
• Dreams really can come true – unfortunately.

Over in our Downloads Center, you’ll find new software and apps every day that may be vital to your existence! For instance, today we are featuring a piece of freeware that allows you, the parent, to control what sites are allowed on your family’s computers. Safety and security – for free!

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

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During a live call session the other night, people were on the phone to gab about Windows 7. We talked about everything from security to aesthetics. This particular caller, Sonu, is a member of our live community on a regular basis. He is a gamer, and had something interesting to note in favor of Windows 7 that I hadn’t yet heard. I’m wondering if you are experiencing this, as well.

Sonu has been using Windows Vista for awhile now, and has only recently upgraded to Windows 7. He has the exact same hardware setup, and all of the same software installed now as he did with Vista. However, he’s noticed one very large – and very welcome – change: he is getting 10-15 frames-per-second (FPS) more than he did back when he used Vista.

FPS – or Frames Per Second – describes the rate at which your graphics card produces images on the screen. A real-time frame describes the amount of time it takes for your machine to complete the full round of processing tasks. Each type of application (or game!) requires a different level of FPS in order to work properly. It’s up to the designers and developers to decide what that is, and design the software around this in order to maximize performance for all types of computers. However, your graphics card has a LOT to do with it, as well. A low-quality or lesser “version” will cause your game or software to lag out, while a better one will give you the best experience.

Is this something you other gamers out there are noticing as well? I imagine that this absolutely is a very good upgrade for you if you are. Let’s hear from you gaming Geeks… are you getting more FPS now on Windows 7 than you did on other operating systems?

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Windows 7 – Better for Gamers?

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With the advent of Windows 7 going public, I opened the phone lines up. People called in to talk about anything and everything related to Windows 7. Danny Minick is a long-time member of our community, and now apparently has a new job working at his local Best Buy. During this particular call, I asked him what the buzz is around the store.

Danny says that at work the other night, several people were bashing Linux openly. There was a link given to Microsoft, some employee learning site. Apparently, there were slides and everything on there, openly dissing Linux and slagging it. I wondered why no one spoke up, with Microsoft’s claim that IE won’t run on Linux. It’s not true… and I hope all of you know that.

Danny uses OS X primarily, so I wasn’t sure if he used Windows 7. He says that he is, indeed, running Windows 7 under VMWare Fusion on his Macbook.

I reminded Danny that he can pick up my Windows 7 eBook, and any of the others that I’ve done, as well. I also reminded him (and all of you!) to keep an eye on my Coupons page for discounts on the new version of VMWare Fusion when it hits the stores.

More Best Buy Coupons:

• Best Buy - Weekly Blu-ray Savings (Posted on 5/24/10 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - 5% - 15% Off Select TVs (Posted on 3/30/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Special Offers on iPod Players, MP3 Players and Accessories (Posted on 2/1/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Weekly Home & Appliance Offers (Posted on 2/1/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Weekly Video Game Offers (Posted on 2/1/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Weekly Music Offers (Posted on 2/1/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Weekly Specials on Digital Cameras (Posted on 2/1/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Weekly Movie Offers (Posted on 2/1/09 and Expires on 12/31/15)
• Best Buy - Nintendo Wiis at Best Buy (Posted on 10/7/08 and Expires on 12/31/15)

Find Coupons for over 1100 Stores

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Best Buy and Windows 7

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I took several live calls the other night, talking to people about Windows 7. Mitchell was one of the callers. He absolutely loves Windows 7. He’s been a Windows user for many years, and never did like Vista. He started using Windows 7 with the very first build, and is now using the RTM via his TechNet subscription.

Although he never upgrade his own machines to Vista, he did use it on other computers. He hated it from the get-go, and refused to upgrade until something better was released. That something is obviously Windows 7 as far as he’s concerned.

In Mitchell’s mind – and my own – upgrading from XP to Windows 7 is an excellent idea. Mitchell feels that the upgrade is best because of the Windows Explorer. He’s very happy with that. He felt it was too confusing in Vista. With Windows 7, it’s easier to navigate and find what you’re looking for.

If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 7 yet, what are you waiting for? Remember, if you’re needing some tips and help, you can check out my Windows 7 eBook, available for only $7.00!

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Windows 7 Thoughts

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I guess I need more memory, since I keep forgetting my own name! Sadly, I can’t just buy and install some in my brain. The question that Lynn sent in to PCPitStop is centered around the amount of memory her computer has. She purchased a computer with 128MB of memory, which is running Vista. The store clerks keep telling her she needs more RAM, but she is wondering if they are just trying to get her to spend more money.

I’m not sure how she even bought a computer with only 128MB of RAM installed. I honestly don’t think that’s totally correct, but I have been known to be wrong before. She mentions that the computer isn’t heavily used – it’s mainly a web browsing/email machine. Even so, I’m fairly sure that Vista won’t even run on that amount of memory.

No matter – whatever amount you have is fine, as long as the machine is running ok. If it’s working to your satisfaction – don’t change a thing. If you feel it is draggy, slow to respond or do things… then by all means, look into upping the amount of memory you have.

Vista will run optimally with 2GB of memory. Keep in mind that memory isn’t where you store files and folders… that’s the hard drive. The memory is where things happen, such as opening a program. When you click a program, the pc takes it and throws it into the memory. Poof! It then opens.

If you’re happy with the way everything runs, then leave it alone. Don’t tempt fate. I never recommend that! At some point in the future when things feel sluggish, you may want to check out Windows 7. It runs a heck of a lot faster than Vista. For the money… it’s a better operating system.

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How Much Computer Memory Does Windows Need?

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They say that when God closes a door, he makes you use Windows. Of course, it depends on what kind of God you have as to what version he makes you use. My God would make you use Windows 7. Your God may not be so nice, and make you use Windows Vista. We have to deal with Windows, even if we don’t use it on a regular basis. Michael from the PCPitStop community wrote in asking about using Windows XP on his Vista machine. Michael says that his Acer machine currently runs Windows Vista, but he prefers to use XP Pro. He says he ‘knows’ that the operating system is burned onto the HDD, and so he thinks he’ll have to change the HDD.

Michael – this isn’t going to be as difficult as you imagine it will be. It is quite possible to change from Vista to XP on a computer. You may run into snags relating to drivers, and will have to try and find compatible ones. Be aware that some of your hardware may not have drivers for XP – meaning that a switch back to XP would be impossible.

The operating system isn’t burnt into the hard drive. It can be taken off (wiped clean) and another operating system can be placed right onto the hard drive you already have. You could alternately set yourself up with a dual-boot, running both XP and Vista.

Theoretically, yes.. you can do what you’re asking. Practically, you may want to check with your hardware manufacturers (or even Acer) websites to make sure that they have drivers available for XP. Watch out for it, because that’s the one thing that could hurt you the most.

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Can a Windows Vista PC Run Windows XP Instead?

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Oh Vista UAC how we hate you. The UAC is still present in Windows 7. Instead of just being an all-or-nothing as the UAC is inside of Vista, it has selectable controls in Windows 7! Windows 7 UAC Settings has a Slider to change your ‘comfort-level’ with the notifications.

To customize your UAC in Windows 7, go to the Control Panel, and choose User Accounts, and then Account Settings. You can choose to “never notify” or “always notify”… and there are two other levels in between. My recommendation is to leave it at the default setting for a bit, to see how that works for you, and then adjusting as needed from there. The default setting is to only notify you when something attempts to make changes to Windows. That’s probably a good thing for most people to know about, right?

If you’re a novice, or setting it up for a novice, my suggestion is to bump it up to always notify. That would notify them any time programs try to install software or make changes to the system. If they aren’t sure of what they’re doing, they could potentially create harm on their computer.

Since most programs didn’t support the UAC when it was unleashed in Vista, the programs would fail and create unnecessary problems, which created bad user feedback and experience. Since most software is built with the support of the UAC now, it’s pretty much a great experience within Windows 7.

It’s very nice to see that the UAC has been casually refined. It’s apparent that Microsoft listened to the feedback from the users who hated it when it came out in Vista. So far, the only time I’ve been prompted by it in Windows 7 is when installing drivers. That’s a good thing, since those would definitely make changes to my system.

This is better than all-or-nothing as it was in Vista. Keep your settings at the default level when you start out, and make your changes as needed. Definitely try Windows 7 if you have a machine to do so with. Start playing with it! You won’t be disappointed.

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What’s New in Windows 7: User Account Control (UAC)

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Yes, I’m now running Windows 7 on my HP TouchSmart PC, instead of using Vista. I knew that the Beta had been released, after hundreds of you had come pouring into our chat room asking if I had used it yet – and what I thought of it. I gotta say – so far it’s running very well!

I wasn’t able to get Windows 7 to recognize all of the hardware. I had to install it twice. The first time, it wouldn’t really work well. The second time, I did the same thing and it worked great. The only thing I cannot get to work still is the multi-touch feature of the TouchSmart. I was surprised to see that things I hadn’t expected to change have done so – and for the better! A lot more features have been fleshed out.

There are a few things I think will plague Windows for all of eternity. Once again, this version of Windows is chock full of the Tahoma font. For that reason alone, I could never think of any version of Windows as more than a Beta. I just can’t stand to have to look at it! I don’t think any self-respecting designer would release an operating system that had the use of MS Sans Seriff Tahoma throughout the UI. It’s kind of sloppy in my book.

However, if you can look past something like this, then Windows 7 will likely be an excellent upgrade for you. It’s definitely a lot faster than Vista. There isn’t any lag at all when doing a search from within the start menu or elsewhere on the system. When I plug in a USB device, it is recognized immediately.

A lot of the things that I appreciate are the things that they’ve seen through. A lot of what we saw added into Vista were taken out even more. They’ve added even more functionality without overwhelming the users. If you’re a power user, my recommendation is that you download Windows 7 Beta and give it a shot. I don’t know that I’d use this yet as your primary system, but it’s definitely worth trying.

I do plan to do a small series on Windows 7, to prepare people for what they’ll see. I am going to focus small videos on things that I have found within this new operating system that I already like. Windows 7 isn’t enough to make me want to “switch back” and away from Mac OS X. But I do like it, yes. It’s an excellent experience so far, and I know many of you are going to be happy with it. It feels so much more complete than Vista – it feels like what Vista should have been. There isn’t a lot of “wow” factor, but they have taken a lot of time to develop features that are important.

If you want to send feedback to Microsoft, you can download the Beta. Inside of every window, there is a direct feedback link. You can give it a star ranking, type in your feedback, and more. Allegedly, Microsoft will be taking a serious look at everything you have to say.

Keep in mind, you will likely run into issues as you begin to use Windows 7. Remember – you’re using a Beta, not a final release! Identifying and fixing bugs and issues is what a Beta is all about. Let me know what your experience is like so far – both positive and negative. If you have excellent tips and tricks already, let us hear from you!

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What’s New in Windows 7: A Lot!!

Tiger Direct has the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB Hard Drive Bundle With Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit DSP OEM DVD for only $229 + $2.99 Shipping

Not sure how long these will last, so you better move fast. Cheapest prices I’ve found on the drive and Windows Vista Ultimate are $100 and $185 respectively, so this is a good deal.

1TB Hard Drive + MS Vista Ultimate for only $229