In a nostalgic reflection on the early days of Windows 7, it appears that the vibrant mauve desktop background favored by many users may have contributed to some frustratingly slow boot times. According to Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen, who recently shared insights on his blog, Old New Thing, users who opted for a solid block of color as their desktop background experienced delays of up to 30 seconds at the welcome screen. This curious phenomenon, which many attributed to the operating system itself, was traced back to a programming error.
Chen’s revelations come from a support page indicating that Microsoft addressed this issue in November 2009, just five months after the launch of Windows 7. This raises questions about the overall performance of shared family machines during that era, but perhaps it’s best not to dwell too deeply on those memories.
Unraveling Microsoft Mysteries
Raymond Chen has been a source of intriguing anecdotes and explanations regarding various Microsoft quirks. Among his notable stories is the peculiar case of certain laptop hard drives that struggled with the powerful bass of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” As technology continues to evolve, it seems that Microsoft is now leveraging artificial intelligence to generate approximately 30% of its code. This shift may lead to a new wave of enlightening blog posts that delve into past programming oversights, offering a glimpse into the complexities of software development.
