Enabling Lenovo N100 SoundMax audio in Windows 7

I recently installed Windows 7 in my Lenovo 3000 N100 laptop. The installation went well and everything seemed perfect until I discovered that there was no audio. I checked the Device Manager and found no errors related to audio and others. My techie instinct tells me I needed to manually install the driver. Since no driver was available for Windows 7 from the Lenovo support website, I took the risk of dowloading the Windows Vista driver instead. After the download, I immediately installed the said driver but to no avail. Instead, Windows 7 loads its own high definition audio driver even when I uninstalled it and rebooted the machine. I searched the Internet for hours hoping I'd find a solution to the problem but become frustrated even more. Out of desperation, I did the following procedure to eventually solve the problem.

1. Using Windows Explorer, open the C:\windows\system32\drivers folder.

2. Select and right-click HdAudio.sys then select Properties from context menu.
3. In the Properties applet, click the Security tab.
4. In the Security tab, click Advanced then click the Owner tab thereafter.
5. In the Owner tab, you should see your username listed, click Edit.
6. You should see your username listed again. Select it and click OK.
7. Click OK when a message box appears.

8. Click OK again and click Edit.
9. Click Add and click Advanced then click Find Now.
10. Select your username and click OK and another OK.
Notice that your username is selected.

11. Tick the Full control checkbox and click OK.
12. Click Yes when prompted and click OK.
13. Delete HdAudio.sys and do the same for the other copies located in the following folders:

* C:\Windows\LastGood\system32\drivers
* C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hdaudio.inf_x86_neutral_9781e9d72e255b2e
* C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_hdaudio.inf_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_15368bf2c8c39eac

14. Download the driver from Lenovo support by clicking HERE.
15. When the download is completed, extract the SoundMax Vista driver by double-clicking it.

By default, it will be extracted on C:\Drivers\WIN\Audio.

16. Open the C:\Drivers\WIN\Audio\i386\Vista folder.
17. Copy ADIHdAud.inf and ADIHdAud.sys to the following:
* ADIHdAud.inf to C:\Windows\inf
* ADIHdAud.sys to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\
just click Continue when you encounter an access denied dialog box.

18. Launch the Device Manager and expand Sound, video and game controllers then uninstall High Definition Audio Device.
19. Reboot your computer.
20. After the reboot, launch the Device Manager and double-click Audio Device on High Definition Audio Bus under Other Devices.
21. Click the Driver tab.
22. In the Driver tab, click Update Driver and select Browse my computer for driver software then select Let me pick a list of device drivers on my computer.
23. Scroll down then select Sound, video and game controllers and click Next.
24. From the list of compatible drivers, select SoundMax Integrated Digital HD Audio and click Next.
25. Click Close and another close then reboot your computer.

That's it. Hopefully, this works for you.

System Mechanic

System Mechanic make your old PC run like new. Keep your new PC running fast and problem-free. System and registry clutter will degrade your computer's performance, leading to crashes, longer boot times, and system errors. System Mechanic combines over 40 powerful PC tuneup tools to clean hard drive clutter, repair your registry, defragment drives and memory, manage programs, boost your Internet connection, and remove spyware.

Download [ 19 MB ]

Style XP

A program to change the look of Windows XP. In its work, Style XP allows you to completely change the look of Windows XP. There are 2 versions of this program: Style XP Men and Style XP Ladies (different versions of the existence of different themes Windows XP). New topics for Style XP, you can choose from a package or download from the Internet. In the theme of Style XP includes the following components: design of the windows, sounds, wallpapers, screen greeting the user that appear when you run Windows XP.

Download [ 18 MB ]

Microsoft Security Essentials

Security Essentials is designed to work on Windows XP, Vista and 7 and protects end users against virus threats and spy ware. MSE is Microsoft's free anti-virus and anti-spyware product that is set to replace Microsoft's paid Windows Live OneCare subscription service which was withdrawn earlier this year. Neowin exclusively revealed Security Essentials in June when it was codenamed "Morro".

Security Essentials ranked fourth in a test with other leading free malware protection. If you are interested in MSE you can read an informative early.

Download - 32 Bit [ 4.2 MB ]

Download - 64 Bit [ 4.5 MB ]

PC Tools Desktop Maestro

Desktop Maestro is an all-in-one application that integrates registry cleaning, system monitoring and privacy cleaning. It combines the features of our award winning products, Registry Mechanic and Privacy Guardian to ensure that you have the range of tools at your fingertips to ensure optimal system performance, stability and user privacy.
Screenshot

Registry Cleaner

With Desktop Maestro, you can safely clean, repair and optimize the Windows® registry with a few simple mouse clicks. Problems with the Windows® registry are a common cause of Windows® crashes, slow performance and error messages. Desktop Maestro uses a high-performance detection algorithm to quickly identify missing and invalid references in your Windows® registry. These problems can occur for many reasons including incorrect or incomplete removal of software, missing or corrupt hardware drivers and orphaned startup programs. Within a few easy steps, Desktop Maestro will scan your entire registry for any invalid entries and list the registry errors found so you can choose to selectively clean each item or automatically repair all errors. Desktop Maestro can also make a backup of any repairs made so that you can easily recover any changes if required.

Download [ 9.2 MB ]

XP To Vista Transformation Pack

Like the look of Vista but hate the os? Well now you can have the look of vista without the hassel of actually getting vista with this program!!! Inside you can pick and edit diffrent bits of vista to mix with XP to create your perfect look.

Download [ 104 MB ]

Windows Xtreme Theme

Windows Xtreme - An integrated workspace environment, Xtreme is a powerful suite of applications that merge incredible usability and performance with breathtaking eye candy.Transforms your desktop Lets you have a desktop that becomes the envy of whoever looks at it? everybody loves a pretty face !

Organizes your Applications and Reduces Desktop Clutter. Xtreme allows you to eliminate the huge clutter from your desktop and quickly organize the applications and documents you use more frequently.

Download [ 20 MB ]

Windows 7 Wallpapers

102 Wallpapers in JPG format | 1280X800 - 1920X1200 |

Download [ 30 MB ]

Windows 7 Activator

This is an activator for windows 7 all version that have been released uptill now. Follow the instruction within the rar file.

Download [ 167 KB ]

Windows 7 codecs

It is an audio and video codec package for Windows 7. The installer will automatically remove most other popular codec releases from your computer before installing this concise yet comprehensive package.
You won't need to make any adjustments or tweaks to enjoy your media content immediately. Windows Media Player and Media Center will instantly recognize all your files as playable.

It does not contain a media player and it does not associate file-types. With this package installed you will be able to use any media player, limited only by the players' capabilities, to play all movies and video clips. Streaming video is supported in several formats in all popular web browsers. Users of the Win7codecs have the ability to choose what is installed and where to install it using the public redistributable. After installation you can select to remove specific portions without removing the entire package. You can also re-add the removed items at any time.

- update ffdshow to rev3044
- update gabests splitters to rev1195
- Updated AC3Filter to rev1.62b
- update integrated MediaInfo Lib rev7.19
- add ability to unlock/lock Microsoft decoders
- allow selection of H264 for Microsoft players
- enable full MKV and MOV thumbnailing
- set FLV thumbnails On by default

Download [ 19 MB ]

Original Vista Sidebar On Windows

This original Windows Vista sidebar works fine on Windows XP providing full support for all gadgets from the Live Gallery, the sidebar makes use of Alky’s DirectX 10 for Windows XP (included in the download) to make this functional on Windows XP.

Download [ 15 MB ]

Windows Xp to Win 7

Like the look of Windows 7 but hate the os? Well now you can have the look of Win 7 without the hassel of actually getting vista with this program!!! Inside you can pick and edit diffrent bits of Win 7 to mix with XP to create your perfect look.

Download [ 21 MB ]

Original Vista Sidebar On Windows

This original Windows Vista sidebar works fine on Windows XP providing full support for all gadgets from the Live Gallery, the sidebar makes use of Alky’s DirectX 10 for Windows XP (included in the download) to make this functional on Windows XP.

Download [ 15 MB ]

Windows 7 Activator

This is an activator for windows 7 all version that have been released uptill now. Follow the instruction within the rar file.

Download [ 167 KB ]

IE 8 Portable

IE 8 Portable

Download [ 27 MB]

Enjoy !

Weezo

Access your computer Remotely from Internet

Download [11 MB]

Microsoft Window 7

Vista didn’t really do Windows brand any justice and Microsoft have responded with promising a release or a new operating system in 2009 - Microsoft Window 7. There are loads of benefits to this new system and from looking at the Beta it seems to fix a lot of the problems with Vista. Some of the new functions to look out for:

• Improved task bar with full screen preview.
  This has always been a problem with users who open on average of 7 - 15 windows at once. I love the invisible window option.
• Jump Lists
  A nice convenient way to reach recent files or files you want to access often.
• New User Interface
  There is a bunch of new copy and paste features, more open, re-size, close, maximise, arrange windows options - but it still has the familiar windows style (in fact it does look branding wise just like Vista).
• Internet Explorer 8
  Mozilla 3 is currently my choice of browser having lost my patience with IE7 and memory issues. IE7 is still much quick at opening that Mozilla but the overall experience isn’t as good. IE8 plans to fixs this and pull back some of the market share it is losing. Some new functions to look out for with this release are;
  • Accelerators
    Highlight text or info from a page and select from a number of online services like address look up and
  • Webslices
    Which monitors changes to websites like weather, sport scores etc.
• Improved Device Management
  A single device windows to manage all devices on a computer and Device Stage which allows you to interact better with devices seeing it’s status and run common tasks.
• Home Group
  Home groups is a easy way to setup a home network. Microsoft has managed to make this extremely simple to share files, videos or music but with more security.
• Faster and increased performance
• Extended battery life for laptops and portable devices
• Action Center to sort problems easier
• Windows Touch
  After all Microsoft’s work on their touchscreen devices and tables of recent this should be a great feature albeit I think devices that start using this will take a while to appear. The problems with touch screens like the Eee PC is that your arms starts to ache after extended use - but it is great for quick tasks like selecting a film, sending an email or checking some news.
• Improved Voice and Handwriting recognition

This should start appearing mid 2009 and I hope to see Windows 7 SP1 (Service Pack) out by the end of the year - just in time for Christmas when gadget and electronics sales are up again. - more info…

Install an Application correctly in Windows 7

Windows 7, the best Pre-Beta OS release that Microsoft has uncovered in a long time. Most of the time when You install an application, it will install and work correctly under the new OS, but for a certain few, You need to work just a smidge harder to get the Application to work correctly.




Here's How:

1. First things first You of course want to download the application.
2. When Internet Explorer asks You if you want to download the file click on "Download File"
3. You will see a Pop-Up asking if you want to Run, Save, or Cancel the download. Click on "Save As"
4. Next You will choose the directory where You want to save the file, I recommend that You save it to your Desktop, because it is much easier to find, and easier to Delete when Installing is done.
5. Wait for the download to complete. You should now see a "Download Complete"
   Pop-Up. Close it, and find Your downloaded installer in the directory where You placed it, if You are following the tutorial My way, this would be your Desktop.
6. Next, Right-Click the installer, scroll-down and click on "Properties"
7. You should now be under the "General" tab. Go towards the bottom and click on the "Unblock" button.
8. After that, click on the "Compatability" tab, make sure that the "Run this program in Compatability mode" box is Checked. Then click on the drop-down, for this installation I recommend choosing "Vista RTM". Go down and in the "Privelege Level" area, make sure that the "Run this program as an Administrator" box is Checked. Finally click on the Ok at the bottom.
9. Run and Install the application, while following the On-Screen instructions.
10. If you still want to make sure that that application will run correctly, navigate to the directory of the installation. For example : Your Drive/Program Files/The Installation folder/The Installed application. Right-Click the Installed Application and repeat Step 8

Also, after the Application has been Installed, You can delete the downloaded Installer. In this tutorial it would be the CCleaner Installer that is on the Desktop.

I hope this tutorial helps many people with Windows 7 installed. This tutorial will hopefully prevent, and fix any issues with Application Installation in the new OS. Keep in mind, this is not 100% Guaranteed. This may not work for some Applications.

Computer Crash

Top 10 reasons for computer crash. Your computer pop ups something on the screen – Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy. If you click Enter to return to Windows or press the Control-Alt-Delete buttons to restart your computer, you will lose any unsaved works and information in all application that still open.

When you face the Blue Screen of Death, what do you have to do? How to prevent computer crash from happening again?

Conflict Between Hardware

Top reason for Windows system crashes is confliction of hardware. Each hardware device in your computer communicates to other devices though IRQ or interrupt request channel. These channels are formed to be unique for each device.

For instance, a printer often a printer connects internally on IRQ 7 and the keyboard uses IRQ1. Each item will try to keep a single IRQ channel for itself.

The conflict starts when devices in a computer are not installed properly as two of the devices might share the same IRQ channel. Crash happens when you try to use both devices that share the same IRQ number. One step to check if hardware conflict happens in your PC is through the following way:

Go to Start. Then click Settings. Choose Control Panel. Then click on System. Select Device Manager.

Usually there is a yellow exclamation mark (!) appears next to a problematic device. Highlight computer (in Device Manager) and click Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your PC. If two devices using the same channel, the IRQ number appears twice.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

Bad Ram (Random Access Memory)

Ram problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

Start. Select Programs. Then click on Accessories. Then choose System Tool. Then click on Disk Defragmenter.

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

Click on Start. Then choose Settings. Then Control Panel. Go to System Icon. Then to Performance. Select File System. Choose Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

Go to Start. Select Programs. Then Accessories. Click on System Tools. Choose Scan Disk.

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.
These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display.

Go to Start. Choose Settings. Click on Control Panel. Click on Display. Choose Settings.

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict.

Go to Start. Select Settings. Choose Control Panel. Click on System. Choose Device Manager.

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your anti virus software manufacturer.

An excellent anti virus program is AVG which you can get it for free for non-commercial usage.

Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

Don't have time to read? Download the PDF version of this post from this link
(Reason and How to Prevent Computer Crash).

Diskeeper Professional 2008 - Powerful Defragmentation Software

Over time your HDD becomes fragmented. As you delete and create files, you create new regions of free space. Your free space is not in one big chunk at the end, but instead just a number of small holes all over your disk. And sometimes it is impossible to allocate new files contiguously, and your operating system has to break them into fragments, putting a small piece here and a small piece there.
File system fragmentation on your HDD can bring unforeseen problems, such as complete slowdown of system performance, slow startup and shutdown, PC crashes and sometimes even to drive failures.
Fortunately for all of us there are a number of programs that are designed to eliminate fragmentation. One of the best programs of this kind is Diskeeper 2008.
Diskeeper 2008 has one of the most powerful defragmentation engines ever developed. Even if your system only has a 1% of free space it can be defragged by this great program.
Diskeeper runs in the background and in real time and automatically defrags your disk when your machine is idle. Thus it can handle fragmentation as it occurs, eliminating the need for manual defragmentation.



Diskeeper 2008 also allows you manually defrag your system. Boot-Time Defragmentation option allows you to defrag your hard drive at boot time, moving files that couldn’t be moved while Windows was in use.
The program can configure the MFTs (Master File Tables - the place where information about every file and directory on an NTFS hard drive is stored) and paging files (a hidden file on your HDD that Windows uses as if it were RAM), preventing them from fragmentation and thus increasing overall system performance.
Diskeeper 2008 includes many others options and features for advanced users.
If you abuse your harddrive with lots of new/updated/deleted files, I would definitely recommend that you try Diskeeper.
You can download the latest version of Diskeeper here.