Windows 7 - Release Notes: Important Issues in This Beta Release of Windows 7

darkassain · 02-21-2009

These release notes address critical late-breaking issues and information about this beta release of the Windows® 7 operating system. For less serious issues, refer to Things to Know About This Beta Release of Windows 7 (Download details: Release Documents for this Beta Release of Windows 7). Unless otherwise specified, these notes apply to all editions of Windows 7 that support the features mentioned in each note.

Accessibility

Microsoft® Narrator does not read information from the command line properly. This issue may also affect non-Microsoft screen reader applications.

To correct this, always run the command prompt with administrator privileges.

Apple iTunes

This issue only applies to 64-bit editions of Windows 7.

If you attempt to download and install Apple iTunes, the 32-bit version will be installed instead of the 64-bit version. This will prevent syncing with iPhone.

To avoid this, install the 64-bit version from the following location: iTunes 8.0.2 for Windows Vista 64-bit.

Backup
- When you attempt to restore files backed up from a Windows 7 computer to a Windows Vista® computer using the Restore wizard on the Windows Vista computer, the restoration fails.
  
  To work around this, in the location where the backup file is stored, locate the Mediaid.bin file, which is in inside a directory that has the same name as the computer. Move the Mediaid.bin file up one level, so that it is at the same level as the directory with the same name as the computer, but not inside it.
- If you attempt to use a system image backup as a restore point, System Restore will stop responding.
  
  To avoid this, do not choose system image backup as a restore point. To ensure that you are not using a system image backup, in the System Restore wizard, check the Type column and confirm that the backup type is something other than Backup.
  
  If this has already occurred, restart System Restore and attempt to restore from another restore point that is not a system image backup.
- If you create a system image backup using the Windows Backup wizard, you will not be able to use this backup to restore to any new hardware. Similarly, if you change the disk layout of the computer after taking the backup, you will not be able to reimage the computer using the backup.
  
  To avoid this, use Create a system image in the Backup and Restore control panel (if available in the edition you are using) to create the system image backup instead of the Windows Backup wizard.
  
  If this has already occurred, there is no workaround other than to mount a virtual hard disk for the latest backup and attempt to retrieve user data from it.

BitLocker Drive Encryption

BitLocker Drive Encryption is not supported on drives that use the extended file allocation table (exFAT) file system. Use BitLocker Drive Encryption with drives formatted with FAT or FAT32 instead.

DirectAccess

In certain editions of Windows 7, configuring the Name Resolution Policy Table for DirectAccess can cause the computer to stop responding and repeatedly restart.

If this occurs, the user can recover by restarting the computer in Safe Mode without Networking, and then using Regedit.exe to delete the Name Resolution Policy table in the following registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\DNSClient\DnsPolicyConfig

The system administrators should then delete the affected computer from the Group Policy object the provides the Name Resolution Policy table to prevent the settings from interfering with the workaround the user has just performed.

Internet Explorer 8
- If you attempt to print a PDF document from the browser using the Adobe® Reader® plug-in, the operation fails.
  
  To avoid this, save the PDF document to disk, and then open and print it using the standalone Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat, or any application capable of viewing and printing PDF files.
- Feeds (such as RSS or Atom) may not update properly in the background.
  
  To correct this, open a command prompt and run the following commands:
  
  msfeedssync disable
  
  for /f "tokens=3" %i in ('reg query hkcu\software\microsoft\feeds /v synctask') do schtasks /delete /tn "%i"(If you receive an error, you can safely ignore it and proceed to the next command.)
  
  reg delete hkcu\software\microsoft\feeds /v synctask
  
  msfeedssync enable
  
  You can then confirm that the issue has been fixed by running the following command and confirming a result of SUCCESS:
  
  for /f "tokens=3" %i in ('reg query hkcu\software\microsoft\feeds /v synctask') do schtasks /run /tn "%i"

Language packs

In some editions of this beta release, Windows Update will not show any language packs as available for this beta release.

If your edition is affected by this issue, there is no workaround at this time.

Mobile broadband software

Some mobile broadband software does not install correctly and some devices are not detected or cannot connect to the Internet.

For a current list of devices known to connect to the Internet with this beta release, as well as simple workarounds for other devices and software, please refer to Microsoft Windows DHCP Team Blog : My Mobile Broadband card does not work.

MP3 files

When MP3 files are added (either manually or automatically) to either the Windows Media Player or the Windows Media Center library, or if the file metadata is edited with Windows Explorer, several seconds of audio data may be permanently removed from the start of the file. This issue occurs when files contain thumbnails or other metadata of significant size before importing or editing them.

To avoid this, take the following steps:

To protect your MP3 files
1. Before you install this beta release, back up all MP3 files that might be accessed by the computer, including those on removable media or shared network resources.
2. Ensure that all MP3 files are set to read-only. To do this, in Windows Explorer, find the files, right-click them, click the General tab, and then select the Read-only check box.
3. Install this beta release of Windows 7.
4. Read the article and install the update available at An update is available for Windows Media Center and Windows Media Player in Windows 7 Beta.
  
  Once you have installed the update, you can safely reset the read/write status of your MP3 files to your preference.
If you do not want to install the update, you can avoid this issue by setting all MP3 files that might be accessed to the computer to read-only as in Step 2.

Power Options

In some editions, the computer is not configured by default to require a password upon resuming from the sleep state.

To correct this, use the Power Options control panel to enable the Prompt for Password on Resume setting.

Routing and remote access
- Only 64-bit Connection Manager profiles are supported; these profiles will not work with 32-bit operating systems. To create a 32-bit profile on a 32-bit client computer, use the Connection Manager Administration Kit.
- Users connected through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that uses Internet Key Exchange version 2 will not be able to seamlessly switch the VPN connection from one network to another when they restart the computer. To correct this, the user should manually start the Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) Mobility Manager task before attempting to switch networks.
- The status of dialup multilink VPN connections shown in the View All Networks window is not accurate. To check the status of dialup multilink VPN connections, use the Network Connections control panel (ncpa.cpl) instead.
- If you use international characters for authentication credentials in a username for Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP), or Microsoft Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol Version 2 (MS-CHAPv2), Network Policy Server (NPS) for Windows Server® 2008 R2 is unable to authenticate the credentials. To avoid this issue, do not use international characters in a username for PAP, CHAP, or MS-CHAPv2. (Authentication works if you are using NPS for Windows Server 2008 R2).

Storage

If you upgrade to this beta release, any favorite iSCSI target connections are not retained and the configuration information is lost, so that disks connected with the iSCSI initiator are no longer accessible.

To avoid this, note the configuration of your iSCSI-connected disks prior to upgrading to this beta release, and then add the connections back to the iSCSI initiator once the upgrade is complete. If you use advanced connections with Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) security, you should also note advanced setting information, including the CHAP secret.

If this has already occurred, reconnect to the iSCSI targets and mark them as favorite connections.

System partition

The system will not prevent you from formatting the System partition. You will receive an error stating that the system partition cannot be formatted, but the operation will proceed anyway, with resulting data loss and the inability to boot the computer.

As you work with your system, ensure that you do not format the System partition. If this has already occurred, use the Windows Recovery Environment.

Video drivers

Systems which use XDDM drivers may completely stop responding in certain scenarios. The computer will not respond to CTRL+ALT+DELETE and you will have to cycle the power to restart the computer, with the attendant risk of loss of unsaved data.

Some activities which have been demonstrated to trigger this issue include, but are not limited to:
- Using Winsat.exe or using the Rate and improve your computer’s performance tool.
- Changing multi-monitor configurations
- DVD or other video playback
  
  To avoid this, do not use XDDM drivers, but find an appropriate WDDM driver instead. If your video chipset does not have a WDDM driver (such as the Intel 915), use a VGA driver or an GPU that supports WDDM drivers.
  
  If this issue occurs at setup, either avoid unattended setup or uninstall the XDDM driver and use a VGA driver until setup is complete.

Windows Media Center
- Windows Media Center does not recognize certain ISDB-T or ISDB-S tuners because they lack the required Protected Broadcast Driver Architecture (PBDA) drivers.
- Use only tuners compliant with Windows Media Center that are supplied with the computer by the original equipment manufacturer.
- Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) content does not play back on Windows Media Extender devices.
  
  There is no workaround at this time.
- If you start a Windows Media Center session and do not press any keys, the screen saver will not activate.
  
  To avoid this, select any item from the start screen.
- If you have recordings scheduled and the Windows Media Center enters the sleep state repeatedly, you may encounter a number of issues, such as a video overlay error when you attempt to watch live TV, no available disk space when you attempt to save files, and recordings deleted because of low disk space.
  
  To avoid this, use Power Options to disable the sleep feature on the computer while Windows Media Center is running or if a recording is scheduled.
  
  If this has already occurred, restart the computer and start live TV in Windows Media Center.
- If you have upgraded a Windows Vista computer to Windows 7, you may not be able to burn content to a DVD from Windows Media Center.
  
  To correct this, use Regedit.exe to add the following registry key:
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Extensibility\Entry Points\{1beb699f-dc1e-41a7-a31a-d4b339d21f42} "AddIn"="SonicMCEPlugIn.SonicDiscWriter, SonicMCEBurnEngine,Culture=Neutral,Version=6.1.0.0,PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35"
- If you have upgraded either a Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008 computer or a computer running an earlier release of Windows 7 to this beta release, using the Guide Search in Windows Media Center to search for Title, Keyword, Actor, or Director will return no results.
  
  To correct this, reconfigure Task Scheduler.
  
  To reconfigure Task Scheduler
  1. Exit Windows Media Center and start Task Scheduler by clicking Start, clicking Administrative Tools, and then clicking Task Scheduler.
  2. In the Task Scheduler Library, point to Microsoft, point to Windows, and then point to Media Center.
  3. In the middle pane, scroll through the list of Windows Media Center tasks to find RegisterSearch.
  4. Right-click RegisterSearch and click Run.
  5. Close Task Scheduler and wait a few minutes before attempting to use the Guide Search.
- If you attempt to use Windows Media Center immediately after installing this beta release, you may encounter setup errors or playback failure or Windows Media Center may stop responding.
  
  To avoid this, install the following update (either with Windows Update or directly from these links) before you use Windows Media Center.
  
  For 32-bit editions of Windows 7: Download details: Update for Windows 7 Beta (KB961367)
  
  For 64-bit editions of Windows 7: Download details: Update for Windows 7 Beta for x64-based Systems (KB961367)

Windows Media Services 2008

Streaming Media Services technologies are not available in this beta release. This includes the Remote Server Administration tools for Windows Media Services.

You should not upgrade the operating system on a Windows Vista computer that is a critical component of your streaming network infrastructure

Windows Search indexing

If you use a computer that has Windows Search enabled (Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP with Windows Search installed) and have chosen a custom index location that has a path name longer than 128 characters, the indexer will not start after you have upgraded the computer to this beta release. Search functionality and some library views are affected.

To avoid this, move the index to a different location that has a path name less than 128 characters long before you install this beta release as an upgrade.

If this has already occurred, use the Restore Defaults button on the Advanced Options pane of the Indexing Options control panel to reset the indexer.

Wireless networking

In certain wireless adapter and platform combinations, the wireless adapter may become disabled and no wireless network will be visible in the following scenarios:
- When the computer resumes from the hibernate or sleep states (Workaround here: Wireless Connection Workaround for Standby or Hibernation )
- When the computer is processing multiple video streams simultaneously over the wireless link
- Computers that have Microsoft Virtual PC installed
If your computer has Microsoft Virtual PC installed, you may be able to avoid this issue by uninstalling it. In all cases, if this occurs, restart the computer.

Barman58 · 02-21-2009

Thanks DA,

Excelent post

Everyone should read this info so have made thread sticky

dmex · 02-21-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by darkassain

[*]System partition

The system will not prevent you from formatting the System partition. You will receive an error stating that the system partition cannot be formatted, but the operation will proceed anyway, with resulting data loss and the inability to boot the computer.

As you work with your system, ensure that you do not format the System partition. If this has already occurred, use the Windows Recovery Environment.

LOL, Who tried doing that to their system partition...Sounds like something a particular Slashdot writer would do

C:\> Format C:
Error: Unable to Format System
Formatting 100%...

[Reboots]

Bug Check 0x53: NO_BOOT_DEVICE

Windows 7`s DRM formatted my system!

darkassain · 02-21-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by dmex

LOL, Who tried doing that to their system partition...Sounds like something a particular Slashdot writer would do

C:\> Format C:
Error: Unable to Format System
Formatting 100%...

[Reboots]

Bug Check 0x53: NO_BOOT_DEVICE

Windows 7`s DRM formatted my system!

yeah i was laughing at this...
and think they might believe it...

jfar · 02-21-2009

Great post well done.

CatFish · 03-03-2009

Excellent post.
Nice summary on the capacities of this wonderful OS.

Keep up the great work.

Kind regards.

Demon · 04-13-2009

I INSTALLED NEWEST RC1 BETA VERSION OF WINDOWS 7 BLACK And for some freeking unknown reason the swine wont update with auto updates nor will it even install windows live messenger any urgent assistance much appreciated as im dangerously close to doing summat i regret to me system ie BIG HAMMER

Maka · 04-13-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Demon

I INSTALLED NEWEST RC1 BETA VERSION OF WINDOWS 7 BLACK And for some freeking unknown reason the swine wont update with auto updates nor will it even install windows live messenger any urgent assistance much appreciated as im dangerously close to doing summat i regret to me system ie BIG HAMMER

For one it can't be RC and Beta at the same time.Also windows 7 black was obviously heavily modified by a third party before you got it so what did you expect?

Demon · 04-13-2009

well im asking for help man no need be gobby ffs

Maka · 04-13-2009

I just gave you help.You download something that someone already messed with heavily and then wonder why it doesn't work right?Are you serious?

Windows 7 - Release Notes: Important Issues in This Beta Release of Windows 7

Release Notes: Important Issues in This Beta Release of Windows 7 problems?