Posted 10/31/09 at 09:00:32 AM by Justin Kerr

Microsoft launched Windows 7 with full DirectX 11 support, but until now, Vista users running ATI’s newest 5000 series cards were left out in the cold. Its not like you’ve been waiting months to play the newest DX11 titles, but at least you now have the comfort of knowing that you don’t need to upgrade your OS in order to take advantage of your new GPU.

DirectX 11 isn’t a massive leap forward over the DirectX 10.1 found in Vista SP2, and in fact, is actually a superset implemented using WDDM (Windows Display Drive Model). Windows XP users will need to continue making do with DirectX 9 because it is not compatible with WDDM, and Microsoft has been pretty clear that this isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

The platform update KB971644 should be delivered to Vista users automatically via Windows update. Now all you need is an Radeon 5870. DirectX 11 support in Vista seems as good a reason as any don’t you think?

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Posted 10/28/09 at 05:22:38 PM by Bart Salisbury

With all the hoopla over the release of Windows 7, it’s time to recognize that the must hated Vista isn’t going away any time soon. To underscore this point, Microsoft has released platform updates for Vista and Windows Server 2008.

The updates, which include some runtime libraries to handle new technology, include improvements to: Windows ribbon and animation manager library; Windows graphics, imaging, and XPS library; Windows automation API; and Windows portable devices platform.

For those still Vista bound, information on the updates can be found at Microsoft’s support site.

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Posted 10/22/09 at 01:30:00 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

By now, many of you will have a fresh copy of Windows 7 in your hands, ready to load up onto your PC (we show you the right way to do it). But while that stock Windows install may be OK for your mom, but is it good enough for you? Never! You deserve a Windows that soars above the clouds, swift and strong. That’s why we collected our team of Windows experts and spent countless hours mucking around in the registry, downloading little-known tools, and searching for new keyboard shortcuts to bring you this, our finest Windows tips guide of all time.

Dig it: we give you the definitive list of kick-ass, Maximum PC–approved tips and tweaks for Windows, whether you run XP, Vista, or Windows 7. While some are specific to Microsoft’s latest OS (you’ve upgraded, right?), many will work on XP and Vista, as well. So sit back, relax, and get ready to make Windows better.

Read on to learn how to supercharge Windows!

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Posted 10/21/09 at 05:34:19 PM by Bart Salisbury

With friends like Dell: “When you consider that Vista was a bust,” said Dell's president for large enterprise Stephen Schuckenbrock, “Windows 7 is a capability upgrade on a scale that has really never been seen before."

Vista a bust? Yeah, well, I suppose so. But why wait until the day before it’s upgrade appears to say so? Some of those very Vista users are where they are because of a recommendation they received from Dell. Besides a knife in the back of its customers, it sort of undermines Dell’s future sales pitches, doesn’t it?

And Schuckenbrock’s comment seems faint praise for Windows 7. Windows 7: it looks great when you compare it to Vista--which sucked! On that basis so to does XP, or Linux, or OS 9.

Interesting comment from a company that sees Microsoft’s new operating system as a pick-me up for their stagnant computer sales.

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Posted 10/20/09 at 10:00:00 AM by Paul Lilly

In just a few days, Microsoft at long last will officially release Windows 7 to an eager public ready to put the Vista saga behind them. It's a been a long wait, particularly for those who opted to stick with XP until something better came along, but no matter how you feel about Vista, it's been an even longer ride getting to this point.

With the release of Windows 1.0 way back in 1987, Microsoft set in motion a series of events that would ultimately change the way the entire world uses their computers. It's pretty amazing when you stop and think about just how many businesses around the globe rely on Windows.

Of course, Windows' storied history isn't without its many bumps and bruises along the way, from record setting fines for anti-competitive practices to controversies surrounding Microsoft's WGA scheme. As Microsoft gears up to release its greatest OS to date, we celebrate the occasion by taking a trip down memory lane to where it all began, and how we got to this point. We cover the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

So sit back, hit the jump, and enjoy the ride!

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Posted 10/15/09 at 04:45:13 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

In your “Better, Faster, Stronger” article (July 2009), one of the tricks you recommend is to defrag my computer. I have Vista and I am trying to do a full defrag through the command line. It will not allow it without an “administrator command prompt.” What is an administrator command prompt? I am the only user and my account is an administrator account. Any advice?

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Posted 10/08/09 at 08:06:16 AM by Paul Lilly

Uh oh, Windows 7 might not trump Vista across the board after all. According to PC tune-up software company Iolo Technologies, the OS of the hour takes longer to boot than Vista in most cases, no matter what you might have heard.

Iolo claims its lab unit found that a new machine installed with Windows 7 takes a minute and 34 seconds to fully load. Vista, on the other hand, takes a minute and 6 seconds, the company said. This isn't a straight boot time into Windows, says Iolo, who records how long it takes each OS to boot into a usable state where "CPU cycles are no longer significantly high and a true idle state is achieved."

Further crashing the Windows 7 party, Iolo says the situation becomes more dramatic over time. On a three-month old machine, Windows 7 took 2 minutes and 34 seconds to boot in Iolo's lab, or a minute longer than when first installed.

Have you noticed any boot-up sluggishness with Windows 7? Hit the jump and let us know!

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Posted 09/21/09 at 02:15:56 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

I’m building a new rig using Windows Vista. I thought I’d try the 64-bit version since all the bugs and such should be gone by now. Everything went fine until I attempted to install a wireless adapter in the PCI slot. Much to my surprise, I can’t find an adapter that’s compatible with the 64-bit version. I’ve found many sites that claim to sell 64-bit wireless adapters, but when I check the details of the specs they all say 32-bit compatible. Am I missing something or do they not exist? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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