86% of Windows PC’s Maxing Out on Memory

Citing data from Devil Mountain Software’s community-based XPnet, Craig Barth, the company’s chief technology officer, said that new metrics reveal an unsettling trend. On average, 86% of PC’s running Windows 7 are using 90-95% of their ram, as a  result there is bottlenecks and decreased performance as systems are forced to turn to disk-based virtual memory to handle tasks.

While Vista was known for using a lot of RAM while it was idle, Windows 7 hasn’t been plagued with the same issues. However according to the pool of  XPnet computers, the number of  Windows 7 PCs using 90-95% of RAM is double that of the number of XP computers that run at memory “saturation” point. XPnet have more than 23,000 PCs in their pool and a recent snapshot shows that only a mere 40% of XP machines were using high amounts of RAM.

The vast majority of Windows 7 machines over the last several months are very heavily-memory saturated,” “From a performance standpoint, that has an immediate impact on the machine.”

said Barth today. What is also more worrying is that Windows 7 PCs generally have more RAM than XP Machines. The average Windows 7 Machine sports 3.3GB while Windows XP machines have approx 1.7GB on average.

“Windows 7 machines have almost twice as much memory to work with, but the numbers show just how much larger and more complex Windows 7 is than XP.”

However, there is another side to this data collected by XPnet.

Barth acknowledged that XPnet’s data couldn’t determine whether the memory usage was by the operating system itself, or an increased number ofapplications, but said that Devil Mountain would start working on finding which is the dominant factor in increased memory use.

It may just be that the Windows 7 machines running at the time were using more RAM because of the number of applications they were running etc…. Also if your machine has 1GB or 20GB of ram, I think you will find that there is a good chunk of it being used. No it’s not because the Operating System is a resource hog, it’s just being sensible.

You see RAM is “Random Access Memory” which means it’s used for “Random” tasks. Your computer doesn’t know that you are about to open up your browser or that you want to open up a photo editing program. So instead it stores information in the RAM which can be quickly accessed once you call for that program. Allowing your PC to load up a application quicker than it would straight from a hard drive.

So basically just because your system happens to be using a lot of RAM doesn’t mean it your PC is a resource hog, it’s just being sensible, any unused RAM is just going to waste. It’s when your RAM is maxed out that you get system bottlenecks and crashes, which has never happened to me to date on my laptop. I’m running Windows 7 64 bit with 4GB ram, and I do plenty of multitasking. Right now I have a browser with 10 tabs open, iTunes, Messanger, Microsoft Word and a Photo Editing program and my RAM is just at 50%.

I rarely notice any slowdown with my system since upgrading to Windows 7, and I when my system is idle I generally use about 35% of my RAM. Only on rare occasions like when playing Call Of Duty do I see it spike up to about 75-80%.

So to wrap it up, I wouldn’t be worried in the slightest if your PC is using anything up to 70% of your RAM, Windows will automatically reallocate RAM to where it’s need as you approach 100% and it’s only on systems with very low amounts of RAM that you will get system crashesand freezing if it fails to do this.

I would take this data from XPnet with a pinch of salt, unless I hear different from you guys. What is your current RAM usage at and how much available memory do you have installed? What is it at Idle and do you ever max it out?

Let us know in the comments

Free Anti-Virus Software For Windows 7 Vista and XP

There are plenty of paid antivirus software like Norton out there for Windows, but what if you want a free anti-virus. The good news is that there is plenty of free Anti Virus software that are out there.

Below I’ve listed the best of the free security software that is compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Many reviews say that Microsoft Security Essentials is the best free antivirus out there. MSE is very lightweight and effective, but it does have some issues when detecting false positives. If you want to use MSE you can download here.

Panda Cloud Antivirus

Panda Cloud Antivirus is security software in that works in the internet. The software is very lightweight, but it takes a very long tome to scan for infections. You can download here.

COMDO

COMDO has been really popular for a long time now. Like the other two options I mentioned it performs well and has OK detection. Click here to download COMDO. COMDO has different options for 32 Bit and 64 Bit PC’s so choose correctly.

AVG 9

Of all the software I’ve mentioned AVG is the most popular, but it does not mean its the best. Over the years AVG has went from performing excellently to just being plain awful. If you feel confident enough to try AVG you can download it here.

Avira

Avira is a very popular free Antivirus app. It has excellent detection and the scan speeds are the best you’ll find out of all the free apps.

The one big downside is the annoying nag screen asking to upgrade.  If your willing to put up with nag screens you can download it here.

Avast! 4.8

Avast is one of the favorite security apps of experts. Its lightweight, fast and it includes a DOS-based boot time scan, which is abnormal for free Antivirus software. You can download Avast here.

Looking at screenshots and deciding which antivirus has the good looks and which is ugly is easy. The hard part is choosing the one with the highest detection. Luckley PC world has orginised a chart with the detection rates. Here they are:

Panda: 99.4%

Avira: 98.9%

Avast: 98.2%

MSE: 97.8%

AVG: 95.8%

Comodo: 74.6%

What ever software you choose I recommend you download Both AVG's LinkScanner and Comodo Firewall as add-ons.

Remember to voice your opinion in the comments section.

Save $80 When Buying Windows 7 With a Few Hacks

The trusted Windows expert, Paul Thurott have figured out how to use a Windows 7 Upgrade disk to do a clean install of Windows 7. This is really great because the Windows 7 Upgrade costs a whole $80 less then the regular version.

Here are the installation instructions:

1. When installing Windows 7 do a clean install. You should have no problems doing this.

2. Make sure there are no Windows Updates pending -- if there's an orange shield icon next to the Shutdown button in the Start Menu, that means you need to reboot before attempting the next steps.

3. Open the Windows Registry Editor.This can be done by clicking start and type “regedit” (without quotes).

4. In the Registry Editor navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/

5. Change MediaBootInstall from '1' to '0'

6. Open Command Prompt. This can be done by clicking start and searching for “CMD”.

7. Type slmgr /rearm -- and press enter.

Your PC will restart and run the Activate Windows utility. Then like magic, everything works and you’ve got another $80 in your pocket.

The Today Show Helps to Launch Windows 7 by Showing in on a Macbook

Thank the lord the Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer did not turn around when he was launching Windows 7 on the today show, or he would have had a heart attack. Someone at the today show must really like Macbook’s or was pulling a funny prank because, as you can see in the above image, Windows 7 is shown on a Macbook.

We also have to consider that Ballmer may have noticed and just did not care. He may have just thought that it just promotes Windows 7 because it shows the wide verity of systems the Windows 7 can run on. Anyways you can watch the video above.

The Journey to Windows 7

In the development of Windows 7, several things have been speculated and screenshots were leaked. I could not think of a better day than today, the launch of Windows 7, to look back at the development. Below is a series of screenshots which have been collected over the past two years.

Windows 7 Milestone One

When Windows 7 Milestone One was leaked, the blogosphere went wild with rumors and reports. Something as little as an out of place button caused crazy speculation. When bloggers, including myself, look back and read this speculation it makes me stop and wonder what we was thinking.

Windows 7 M1 was a very small step forward from Windows Vista. At that point the two OS’ were almost identical except for a few minor changes. Of course, Redmond has lots of things up their sleeve. You can see more screenshots here.

Windows 7 Milestone 2

There is not much to say about Milestone 2 other than it improved the stability and speed of Windows.

Windows 7 Milestone 3

Windows 7 Milestone 3 was without doubt, the biggest leap in the operating system’s development. Not only did it feature a radically different interface than Windows 7 M2, it had plenty of enhancements under the hood. It also gave us our first look at features like Homegroups and Library's. Windows 7 Milestone 3 was also the first version of the OS that Microsoft released to the public.

Windows 7 Beta

Compared to Windows 7 M3, the Beta provided more under the hood enhancements than anything. There were a few visible changes, nothing too major. Windows 7 Beta did set in stone what the Windows 7 UI would be like, setting to rest any wild rumors.

Windows 7 RC

The release of the Windows 7 RC came as a shock to most people because, abnormally, there was no Beta 2 or 3. That just went to show how confident Microsoft was in reliability of their product.

The RC debuted a a feature called Windows XP mode which will greatly change how compatibility worked. In previous versions of Windows, if you wished to use a program designed to work in a old operating system in a new one, you had to run it in a virtual PC. With Windows XP mode people no longer have to do that. If you want to read more about Windows XP mode you can do so here.

Windows 7 RTM

The RTM marked the end of Windows 7’s development. The RTM was not very different than the RC, but it is without doubt the most important stage in an operating systems development. When the RTM is completed it means the the operating system is finalized, and that computer’s are beginning to be shipped with Windows 7. Remarkably the development of one of the best OS’s only took 2 years.

Watch The Windows 7 Launch Live on TUWB

Yes, its here. Windows 7 is really here. If you want to watch the launch of the worlds best Operating System you can watch it on this link.

Windows 7 Arrives at Stores

No, its not a dream. Windows 7’s launch is a little over 3 weeks away. The launch is so close that the Windows 7 retail packaging is arriving at a retail stores. It’s now time to say goodbye to Visa (or XP) because more happy is coming October 22nd.

Run Windows XP Apps in Windows 7 With Windows XP Mode

Windows XP Mode allows users to seamlessly run Windows XP applications in the Windows 7 environment. This means that all of your old software that runs on Windows XP will work in Windows 7. Before you get started take a look at the system requirements which I listed below:

• Operating System(s): Windows XP and Windows 7 Ultimate Professional or Enterprise.
• Processor: Processor capable of hardware virtualization, with AMD-V™ or Intel® VT turned on in the BIOS.
• Ram / Memory: At least 2 GB
• Hard Drive: At least 20 GB for Windows XP

If you need to check if your processor supports hardware virtualization, refer to your manual, call your computer manufacturer or download SecurAble, to determine if your processor supports XP mode.

You will now need to download some software.

You will need to download and install both Windows Virtual PC RC and Windows XP mode RC which you can find here.

Once you’ve completed the install click Virtual Windows XP in the start menu and choose a username and password. Make sure to remember these credentials, or XP mode wont work.

Once you’ve done that you should see a window, which will set up Windows XP for use. This can take a while so, go get a cup of coffee read the news paper and wait until it’s complete.  If you receive a message that hardware virtualization is not enabled, reboot your computer and check that the BIOS option is enabled, usually found under the advanced settings page. Call your hardware maker for more information.

If your computer chooses not to misbehave you should see a window with the regular Windows XP desktop in it.

 

You will now need to install all of your Windows XP applications in the Virtual Windows XP Window. Make sure to select install for all users when you install programs, or XP mode just wont work.

If you can't install for everybody, you can simply choose "Open All Users" on the start menu, and copy a shortcut to the application into the start menu's programs folder.

Once you install all of your programs they will be listed in the Windows 7 start menu under the Windows Virtual PC -> Virtual Windows XP Applications folder.

 

 

Depending on what the situation is, when clicking a XP mode application in Windows 7 you’ll be prompted to do different things. No matter what the window says XP mode should work.

The whole process of setting up XP mode should now be complete. When launching applications in Windows XP mode you’ll find that they look like they did in Windows XP except they are in Windows 7. Enjoy!

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7

You’d think that upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 would be easy considering that 60% of PC’s worldwide run it. Unfortunately upgrading form Windows XP to Windows 7 is not as easy as simply pressing the upgrade button, because Microsoft did not add upgrade support. But don't feel sad because your not out of luck, there is a somewhat easy way to upgrade.

What you'll need are:

• A USB flash drive or another form of external media
• A copy of Windows 7
• A computer running Windows XP (that is Windows 7 compatible)

For a strange reason some people recommend that you upgrade to Windows Vista first then upgrade to Windows 7. I don’t recommend that method at all because it is a waste of your money. The other method (which Microsoft and I recommend) is a clean install which would obliterate Windows XP and replace it with Windows 7.

If you've been using Windows XP for the past 8 years chances are you have quite a bit of important data on the computer so its a good idea to back it up.

To back up or data insert the Windows 7 disk into the computer. If auto run opens click don’t run. Now, browse the DVD for a file named migsetup.exe, which is the Windows Easy Transfer tool. Windows Easy Transfer is designed to help easily move all of your documents and settings to a new operating system. Easy Transfer will not transfer or applications so remember to keep all of the product keys for your paid programs, and the download link for the free ones.

When the Windows Easy Transfer welcome screen opens you will be prompted to select three options for where you want to save the data to. I personally prefer the external hard drive or USB flash drive option because it’s easiest, but you can click whichever you prefer.

When the next window pop up just click “This is my old computer”

The Easy Transfer Tool will scan for user accounts settings and documents. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours so be patient.

You will then be prompted to type in a password so you can archive. This is used to prevent people from getting access to your data just incase you loose the USB flash drive. When you’ve installed Windows 7 you will need to type in that password so you can get access to the data.

Its now time to install Windows 7 so, reinsert the install disk and click install now. Because your upgrading from Windows XP you will need to click the custom install option.

You can now install Windows 7 as you normally would. You can see screenshots of the process here. Ignore the first 6 setup screenshots.

Once Windows 7 is installed and running on your machine, attach the external hard disc that you used to take the backup, to the machine, browse over to it and double click on the backup file that you’d created earlier.

The Windows Easy Transfer utility will then start, ask for the password that you’d set earlier and migrate all your XP settings and data to Windows 7.

Dell Reviles “Future Proof” Desktop

We all know that the future is great, and that technology is advancing exponentially. The issue is that a product you buy now will most likely be outdated a year from now. Dell has decided that they are not going to be bullied around by constantly advancing technology, and has developed a “future proof” Vostro 430 desktop PC. This innocent looking box is fully configurable with the most advanced tech out there which includes, your choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processors and ATI or NVIDIA discrete graphics, along with up to 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, an optional Blu-ray drive, a 19-in-1 memory card reader, a couple of PS/2 and serial ports to support your older devices and, of course, plenty of room for further expansion (including no less than 10 USB ports). Surprisingly this powerful box starts at $699. You can get the high end options for under $1,000, Lets just hope all that tech does not end up like the rest of them; Outdated!

Win Windows 7 Ultimate From TUWB

Windows 7 is without doubt the best operating system Microsoft has released since XP. It has several feature to make using your computer easier such as, homegroups, aero peek, aero shake, Libraries, XP mode and much more. Usually to get Windows 7 you would need to give up $400 to get this wonderful operating system, but now you can get it absolutely free. Just comment below and you’ll be entered. If you win you’ll receive Windows 7 Ultimate in the mail once it is released on October 22nd. Commenting twice will get you disqualified. Contest closes on September 1st 2009. 

Windows 7 RTM Installation Screenshots

Ready to manufacturers (RTM) is the final stage in Windows 7 development. PC manufacturers are given the final code for installation on new computers, DVDs are pressed, boxed and packaged up, and stores can begin to prepare to offer machines with the new OS installed. In other words, Windows 7 is completed.

Below I’ve embedded a slideshow showing the installation process of Windows 7. Its basically the same as Windows 7 Beta’s installation, except for the slightly quicker installation.

Microsoft Retail Store Plans Leaked

Ever since Microsoft announced they would be opening a chain of Microsoft stores we’ve been wondering how bad the stores are going to be. Well, according to a PowerPoint presentation which was leaked to Gizmodo, its not too bad. In fact it makes the Apple store seem boring.

The presentation is by Lippicott, a "design and brand strategy" consultant firm with extensive retail experience that it appears Microsoft has hired to help develop the store's concept, principles, and design. The presentation seems legitimate; and if its fake I congratulate the creator.

Microsoft will be taking the best things from the Apple store the Sony store and other retail outlets and bringing them all together in the Microsoft store. The main focuses are going to be Windows 7, Xbox, PCTV (Windows Media Center) Surface and Windows Mobile.

Here are some highlights of the slideshow:

•There's going to be a Digital Media Wall--a massive screen--that wraps around the entire store, which you can see in some of the slides
• Lots of Surface demos
• Stage areas for Windows 7, Windows Media Center (PCTV), Windows Mobile and netbooks
• Their take on the Genius Bar is the Answers Bar (or Guru Bar, depending on which slide you look at, showing it's slightly up in the air, though we prefer Answers Bar since its sounds like slightly less of a Genius Bar ripoff)
• They're already planning out huge demos and events around Project Natal and their secret mobile project Pink
• A fancy Microsoft shopping bag
• You can pay to have your birthday party at the Microsoft Store.

You can check out the slides below:

Microsoft Confirms Windows 7 Upgrade Rules

As October 22 quickly approaches, Microsoft is releasing starting to release more details about Windows 7. The latest tidbit about Windows 7 is about upgrades. A company spokesman confirmed that users of the Windows 7 Release Candidate will not have to "reinstall an older version of Windows before using a Windows 7 upgrade disk.” Unfortunately, people who choose to do this will  have all of their files put into the folder “windows.old” when they upgrade. Interestingly, if you need to do a clean install of Windows 7 using your upgrade disk, you'll need to install and activate Windows Vista.

New Windows Head Chosen to Make Sure Windows 7 Launch is Successful

Microsoft has chosen Steven Sinofsky as the new head of Windows division, making him responsible for Windows Live, Windows OS, and Internet Explorer. Steve previously was responsible for developing Windows 7 and his success with delivering Windows 7 on time has led to the promotion. Not only is Windows 7 ready for launch, it is full of new and useful features.

Sinofsky has an excellent record of delivering huge products before product deadlines. The next step is to insure that Windows 7’s launch wont be an embarrassment, like Windows Vista’s. Windows 7 will be launched on October 22, just in time for the holiday season.

Google Releases Chrome OS Partners, Dell Sony and Toshiba are not Included.

Google has released a partial list of Chrome OS partners and it includes most of the big manufacturers you would expect, from all sectors of the computing world, from full-featured PCs to netbooks to handhelds, plus Adobe for some Flash support.

The full list is: Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments. Google made sure to note that this is a partial list, but we can see a range from primarily small-form computer makers like ASUS to bigger PCs like HP and Lenovo, and the addition of Qualcomm and TI means they've got low-powered chipset makers on board. Adobe is an interesting pull—can we expect heavy use of Flash in the OS's core?

The biggest company that is missing is Dell, although smaller PC makers like Sony and Toshiba are not included either. We are not to sure why Dell did not want to become a partner They make pretty popular netbooks and Chrome OS could be as big a boon for them as anyone else. Perhaps they will stick to Windows 7.

Windows 7 ISO Verifier

One huge problem people face when downloading a Windows 7 ISO from sketchy services is that they have to verify that it was not tampered with.  In other words, they need to verify that the Windows 7 they asked for is the Windows 7 they got.

The Windows 7 ISO Verifier has been created by Long Zheng and Sven Groot, and allows users to test to see if the ISO of Windows 7 they have has not been tampered with. ISO images can simply be dropped onto the exe after download.

The program calculates the hash of the local ISO and compare it with an online database, which is constantly updated. The process is very fast. It can obviously happen that a hash is not listed in the online database either because the release is to new, human error or because it has been tampered with (say another language was added).

Microsoft Confirms Windows 7 RTM Coming July 13

Neowin.net has reported that July 13, 2009 will be the day that Windows 7 reaches RTM (release to manufacturing). This is great news for people who are anxiously  awaiting the launch of Windows 7, on October 22. This means that the code will be finalized and manufacturing will begin.

July 13 will be a huge milestone for Windows 7. There will be no more testing, leaks, by-hourly testing, or shutdowns. The RTM will be the real Windows 7. The only thing that should delay the RTM is major bugs, but that is unlikely to happen.

We are still on track for general availability (GA) on October 22, 2009. That is the day when you can walk into a store and take Windows 7 right off the self and buy it. That is when we will finally know if the average person likes it.

In the next few months there will be a huge surge in Windows 7, as Microsoft makes more announcements and releasing ads. Its the beginning of the end!

Microsoft Makes Windows 7 Packaging Easier to Open

Microsoft has attempted to make everything in Windows 7 easier to use, including the packaging.

One of Windows Vista’s biggest criticisms was its insanely hard to open packaging. In an effort to prevent theft and piracy, Microsoft created boxes that required their own set of instructions to open.

In a blog post Microsoft said Windows 7’s packaging would be similar to Vista’s packaging, except that it would open like a standard DVD case.

 

The case will be recyclable and will contain only the Windows 7 DVD and starting guide. Microsoft said that overall it reduced the packaging weight by 37 percent.

Windows is scheduled to be launched on October 22 although pre-sales of the product as well as a free upgrade program for new PC buyers have started.

Official Windows 7 Video Tours Released

Microsoft has published video tours of Windows 7 which provides a great view of the new features in Windows 7. There are four videos in total which are embedded below.

So far I am very impressed with the PR campaign for Windows 7. Microsoft has not yet spent a huge amount of money on Windows 7, and have instead let Windows 7 sell itself. The Windows 7 Pre-Orders have been a huge success, making it Amazon’s most sold item on Monday.