Tweaking error handling
There are two schools of thought on the dump files left behind by blue-screen Windows crashes. A few people like to keep as many files as possible so that they can analyse the cause of crashes later with a debugger, while the rest of the world couldn't care less about crash dump files.
The Windows 7 development team knew this, but somehow they still managed to choose default settings that will annoy both groups. There's no way to fix the problem in the interface, either, so you'll need to launch Regedit to get Windows working as you'd expect.
If you like to analyse dump files, you might be puzzled why the last 'memory.dmp' file doesn't always appear on your system. What's going on?
It turns out Windows won't store the dump file for PCs not on a domain if they have less than 25GB of free hard drive space. To fix this, browse to 'HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ CrashControl', create a new dword value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump and set it to 1. The file will now always be saved.
If you're in the much larger group that thinks crash dump files are a waste of your hard drive space, you'll be unimpressed to learn that Windows 7 now keeps the last 50 minidumps by default. Again, browse to 'HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl' in Regedit, set 'MiniDumpsCount' to 1 (not 0 – there's always the chance that you'll need to look at the last error) and you'll free up a little drive space.
It's not all bad news, though – the new Control Panel applet Troubleshooting is the start of a technology that will make it much easier to track down and fix any problems. If your installation is misbehaving then give it a try and see what you can uncover.
Replacing XP Mode Windows 7 contains a compatibility mode in case your installation won't run older software, just as with XP and Vista. Right-click the application shortcut, click 'Properties | Compatibility', check 'Run this program in Compatibility mode' and choose a version of the operating system where the application should work.
If that doesn't help, then you could try XP Mode, which is an installation of XP that will run in a window on the Windows 7 desktop. However, this is only included with Ultimate, Professional and Enterprise, and your CPU must support hardware virtualisation (AMD-V or Intel VT).
The second issue is proving a major concern for owners of certain laptop models, who've discovered that hardware virtualisation has been disabled on their system. Sony has said that it removed the option from Vaio systems over security concerns (we've no idea what), and owners of Acer laptops have also reported problems.
One potential solution has appeared, but it's for the brave only, as you'll need to manually tweak your laptop firmware, and if this goes wrong then it may never boot again. Point your browser at http://feature-enable.blogspot.com if you'd like to give it a try.
A better idea might be to simply use another virtualisation package instead. VirtualBox and VMware Server are the best free offerings, and neither insist on explicit BIOS support. This won't get you a licensed version of XP, but if you don't have one then check Ebay – you should be able to pick one up for around £30.
Make Windows 7 faster
With your Windows 7 installation now mostly whipped into shape, you can finish things off by applying a few more familiar performance tweaks. Windows 7 services are well optimised, but there are still a few things you can do.
Launch 'services.msc', and set the start-up type of services you don't need to 'Disabled'. The Distributed Link Tracking Client and Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service are two obvious candidates, assuming you don't require either.
Look also for non-critical third party services like Apple Mobile Device and set them to 'Delayed Start' to help improve your boot time. (Just don't try that with something important like an antivirus service.)
It's even more important to keep track of other software that's launched when your PC boots. Unfortunately, Windows 7 has made that more difficult by removing the Software Explorer element of Windows Defender.
Download and run a copy of AutoRuns instead and it'll let you know exactly what things are running on your system.
Windows 7 is supposed to have sorted out the TCP autotuning issues that occasionally crippled Vista's internet and networking performance, but early reports say that they can still crop up. To disable autotuning, click Start, type cmd.exe, right-click the 'cmd.exe' link and select 'Run as Administrator'.
Next, enter the command netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled and press [Enter], then reboot and try again. If it makes no difference then use netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal to restore default settings.
Keep in mind, though, that many problems to do with both reliability and performance will be due to you running generic or very early drivers. New versions for Windows 7 should be appearing quickly and often, so check your manufacturer's support sites regularly for advice.
Better still, install a dedicated tool like DriverMax to do it for you automatically: the program is free and fast, and using it to uncover and install the latest drivers should quickly have your Windows 7 installation running at its best.
Windows 7 tweaking tools
If we've not uncovered an answer for your particular Windows 7 problem then you could always try a Windows 7 tweaking tool. But what can you expect? We took a closer look.
XdN Tweaker takes common Registry tweaks and makes them accessible at a single click, so for instance you can change the mouse hover timeout for Aero Peek, enable or disable hibernation, change the look of shortcuts, add 'Copy to folder' and 'Move to folder' features to the right-click Explorer menu, and more. There's nothing too ambitious here, but it all works well and the program has plenty of enthusiastic users.
The Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a more substantial effort, cramming more than 150 tweaks into a simple and straightforward interface. It's strong on ways to customise Explorer, the Start menu and your taskbar, can restrict a PC in many ways (you can disable Control Panel, for example) and includes Windows 7-specific features like the ability to enable and disable Aero Shake, Aero Snap and Aero Peek.
EnhanceMySe7en Free aims to be the complete maintenance toolkit, with modules to manage running processes, services and start-up tools, clean your Registry and hard drive, report on drive health and tweak and optimise many Windows settings. It looks impressive, but should you use it?
We've seen reports of users who've had problems with the tool, and we found it includes recommendations that are ineffective (set 'CPU Second Level Cache') and counter-productive (disable 'Last Known Good Configuration'). Avoid it for now.
Our verdict? Most tweaking tools are short on Windows 7-specific features – which is understandable – and reliability can also be a problem. We'd recommend you give new utilities three to six months for the authors to iron out any bugs, but if you must try one now, then the Ultimate Windows Tweaker delivers the best mix of features.
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First published in PC Plus Issue 288
Liked this? Then check out 67 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets
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