Most popular submissions in 'Usability' of all time
Sound Schemes Control Panel Needs To Be Large
Sound Control Panel lists a tree of Sound Schemes in a small window and is difficult to navigate.
Make the Sound Schemes panel taller.
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
Help CEIP prompt is maximisable
The Help and Support Experience Improvement Program prompt is maximisable, but it maximises to a corner of the screen.
Disable maximisation for this dialogue to bring it into line with all other dialogues.
Low
Low
Not fixed
Reset WMP Settings Option for Codecs/Add-Ons
When you are stuck debugging any Codec or other WMP add-on issue within Windows Media Player there is no easy way to 'Reset' WMP to disable ALL current Add-Ons or Codecs back to the 'default' WMP 'Out-of-the-Box' experience.
Add a 'Reset' button to WMP Options just like Internet Explorer 'Reset IE'.
Note: "The WMP team liked this idea way back in testing and bumped it for a 'future version', hopefully this can be a reminder (more...)
Low
Low
Not fixed
Network should be a lot easier
As an onsite technician, getting the job done quickly and efficiently is highest priority.
One of my biggest annoyances is have to digg deep into Vista to get to network connections properties to see and fix or adjust IP settings. XP makes this (more...)
Enable the status and properties of the network connection to be available as an option, when the network icon is on the taskbar, as it was in XP.
Also show the network connections directly in the network sharing center rather then hidden behind (more...)
High
High
Not fixed
Open/Save Dialogs Should Be Aware of the Opened Folders on my Taskbar
The current Windows folder paradigm, combined with the Windows taskbar, is very useful when working with your files.
You keep your active work folders open on your taskbar. Typically these will be the same folders where you would most likely (more...)
Low
Low
Not fixed
Change Icon Dialog: Why are Folder Shortcuts Treated As Icon Files?
Let's say we have this folder shortcut "My Icons.lnk". To replicate this bug:
1. In the Properties Dialog of a Program shortcut, Click "Change Icon", Click "Browse".
2. Click "My Icons.lnk" shortcut, (more...)
Differentiate file shortcuts from folder shortcuts.
Medium
Low
Not fixed
Tooltip is hiding entered searchstring in Internet Explorer/Windows Explorer
If you start entering a searchstring into the searchbox of IE 7 an annoying tooltip hides the entered string.
http://img393.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tooltipannoyancehz4.jpg
Don´t show a tooltip anymore at the searchbox
High
High
Not fixed
Access to 32 bit Control Panel icons in Vista 64 is awkward
In Vista 64, to access 32 bit Control Panel icons, you have to enter a special icon named 'View 32-bit icons'.
This is really counter-intuitive since if you don't know this behaviour beforehand, you will enter the Control Panel and (more...)
32 bit icons should be displayed alongside 64 bit ones, with some sort of visual distinction, such as "(32 bit)" added to its icon label, or an icon overlay.
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
What are the items in "Do this for all current items (xx found)"?
What are the "all current items" when this dialog comes up during a file moving operation? Why must these items pause the rest of the file moving progress until I answer the dialog?
When moving files, move everything that doesn't need user attention, then show a dialog with a list of every item that needs user confirmation of what to do with them.
Medium
High
Not fixed
Toolbars don't match the taskbar and are difficult to create
If you create a new toolbar and manage to separate it from the taskbar (not an easy task, you must drag a folder hard to the side of the screen.) You'll find that the toolbar background is not the same as that of the taskbar, but instead shares (more...)
Change the background to match that of the taskbar
Low
Low
Not fixed
Explorer toolbar Button to create new Folders
There should be an optional button in the toolbar of the windows explorer to create new folders. If you have to do many folders and subfolders it's annoying to do rightclick -> New -> Folder all the time.
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
Windows Installer: add API to automatically search for updates and install them (notify but don't install by default for security reasons)
Windows Installer is a good package system, but it doesn't support application updates.
Add new APIs to Windows Installer, and integrate them with Windows Update (as a separate category). The applications should not check for new versions on startup via UI, but this should be automatically done (and the user should be able to choose for (more...)
Low
Medium
Not fixed
High Contrast Options for Visually Impaired Work Poorly
I would prefer dark backgrounds and contrasting text & lines, for better readability and power savings. Often, high contrast is more than just a preference for those who are visually impaired. However, High Contrast is the same since at least Windows (more...)
High contrast should automatically readjust color schemes so that there are never white backgrounds and so that text, line art, and widgets have automatically determined contrasting colors for better usability.
High
High
Not fixed
System DPI Scaling "Custom DPI"
When using the Custom DPI dialog, 100percent is the minimum setting. in win 95 through XP, it could go below 100percent/96dpi. I can't see any GOOD or SANE reason this was removed. on my 19" 1280x1024 monitor, at 100percent/96dpi, 1 inch (more...)
restore the option to set a lower DPI than 96 (100percent), and remove the API option to set a window size based on inches or centimeters
I'd like to ask those who don't have any clue what (more...)
Medium
High
Not fixed
Japanese fonts inconsistency
In Vista theres a new font called 'Meiryo' which is used to display Japanese characters. This font is beautifully rendered and is very readable. In alot of places throughout the system the old 'MS UI Gothic' font is used which is (more...)
Everywhere where 'MS UI Gothic' is still used, replace it with 'Meiryo'.
Medium
Medium
Not fixed