Does the MacBook Air make a good Windows 7 notebook? The short answer is, “Yes!”

MacBook Air Running Windows 7

Options for Running Windows

The biggest hurdle to running Windows 7 on a MacBook Air is installing it regardless of which system you use. Using Apple’s built-in solution – Boot Camp – is the cheapest way to do it, but least convenient if you want to run Windows applications beside OS X applications. With Boot Camp you are setting Windows up as a dual boot option. When you start up the MacBook you press the ALT/OPTION key and choose either Windows or OS X. To get access to your applications from both operating systems without having to reboot you will need something like Parallels or VMWare Fusion. A third free alternative is VirtualBox (see below). It is an open source virtual environment that can be used to run Windows on a Mac (other operating systems are also supported).

Virtual Box running Windows on a Mac

To learn how to use Virtual Box, check out their documentation. The above links will show you how to get Parallels or VMWare Fusion going. All three are good alternatives. I recommend starting with VirtualBox since it is free. If it is too limited, give one of the other commercial packages a trial before buying since they can cost $50 or more. Just be ready to be annoyed constantly with spam from either of the companies after you sign up for the free trial.

If you are like me and actually want to run Windows 7 almost exclusively, then Boot Camp is the best option. It will be faster than using Windows in a virtual environment, especially if you have less than 4GB of RAM. Although virtual environments are pretty good now, so don’t count them out too quickly.

When I first started trying to get my MacBook Air going with Windows 7 I did not have an external DVD drive. I began to search for a way to boot Windows 7′s installation using a USB flash drive instead of an optical disk. It’s doable but not easy, especially if you don’t have a Windows computer available to create the USB install drive. I have access to a Windows machine but I wanted to go through the process to see what it would be like if a person bought a MacBook Air and that was their only computer. It doesn’t have an optical drive so you can’t just install from a Windows 7 DVD. Microsoft has a tool for creating a USB boot install disk from a downloaded Windows DVD ISO file, but it won’t work on OS X.

I read some guides that explain how to create a USB install disc that you can then boot with using some third-party software (like one from CNet) but could not get this solution to work. After some investigation many others are having the same problem. The problem is that for some reasons burning the Windows 7 ISO to a USB drive under Mac OS X just doesn’t seem to work. If you know of a way to do it reliably, comment with a link below. I finally just realized that getting a cheap external USB DVD is the best solution. It was worth about $30 to make this simple.

Apple has a very helpful Boot Camp Installation Guide in PDF format that you can download and follow. The steps are straightforward.

Before you get started, back everything up in case something goes wrong. You will be repartitioning the drive your operating system runs from so you will want to be careful and keep copies of all important files. The basic steps are to run the Boot Camp Assistant with the Windows 7 install DVD in your new USB DVD drive hooked up to the MacBook Air. This works with any MacBook. Boot Camp will ask you some questions to set things up. The computer will reboot and you can install Windows 7 as you normally would. You will need a full copy of Windows 7 (not an OEM copy or upgrade copy), a USB DVD drive, your Mac OS X Install disc or a copy of the software that you can choose to download using the Boot Camp Assistant.

One of the questions you will have to answer in the Boot Camp Assistant is how big to make your Windows partition. You can slide the divider using your mouse/trackpad.

Boot Camp offers to partition your hard drive so you can install Windows

You have a few options:

1. Pick a minimal number if you plan to run OS X most of the time and only want Windows for one or two programs. We recommend 30GB unless you have the 64GB SSD, then go with 20GB.
2. Pick about 2/3 of the drive if you plan to run Windows most of the time. My MacBook Air has a 128GB SSD and I saved 30GB for OS X and used the rest for Windows since I run Windows most of the time on it.
3. Don’t worry about it and when you install Windows 7 just reformat the entire drive and only run Windows 7. We don’t recommend this. If you want to try it, read Paul Thurrott’s experience of doing so.

Running Windows

Once you get Windows installed load up the Mac OS X install disc or the USB drive where you saved the download from the Boot Camp Assistant. Run the installer that loads all the right drivers and then update Windows using Windows Update. Finally, update your Mac drivers and software using Apple Software Updater that will be installed when you load the stuff from Boot Camp or your OS X install disk. It will likely find updates even if you downloaded the software in Boot Camp.

Now you are ready to load all your software. Remember to go sparingly if you have a MacBook Air. I just install the essentials and that is it. Using the 2/3 to 1/3 ratio of Windows partition to Mac partition I have about 27GB of free space with all my essentials installed. I use Microsoft Office and only install Word, PowerPoint and Excel. I also have a 10GB theological library and 1GB of personal files that I might need at any time. 27GB of free space is pretty comfortable for running Windows 7.

So how does Windows 7 run on the MacBook Air? Pretty well! Speed is as fast as OS X for almost everything I do. The cool thing about the MacBook Air is the “instant on” feature thanks to the SSD and sleep mode. It is not as fast to start up with Windows, but close. I open the lid and am running in about 5 seconds compared to 1-3 seconds in OS X – an inconsequential difference. Booting cold is only about 5-10 seconds longer, which is again inconsequential. Applications often load within seconds.

Surprisingly, battery life is actually a little better in Windows. I haven’t run a formal test yet, but will soon. I get around five hours of battery life running OS X but have easily gotten 6+ in Windows with screen brightness set at 60%, which is what I prefer on battery. Windows is a little more advanced at handling SSD drives thanks to all the netbooks running them for the last two years. Right now, after running Windows 7 doing some Internet surfing via Wi-Fi and mostly just typing with screen at 60% brightness, I’ve used a quarter of the battery in an hour and twenty minutes. If the rate of battery decrease continues steadily I will get 5:20 of battery at a workable brightness level. That is awfully good!

Everything else is the same – great keyboard and display! All the special function keys that have Windows counterparts work well (brightness, volume, eject). The command key behaves like a Windows key and you still have to use the FN key with the Delete key to get a real Windows style delete key. Without the FN key the Delete key behaves like a Windows style backspace key. That takes some getting used to.

Be sure to go into the Control Panel and run the Boot Camp applet to configure things the way you like. There are options for choosing the default OS, changing how the F-keys work, and changing how the trackpad works. You will definitely want to change the trackpad functionality.

The biggest complaint is the trackpad. It is still big and very sensitive. It has two finger swipe for scrolling up and down like it does in OS X. The two finger tap can be configured to be a right click so you can access context menus. But the thing is so big and sensitive that I find myself hitting it all the time while I’m typing. OS X handles this better. Apple’s Windows drivers are not as good. I often type a sentence and suddenly the cursor jumps up a few lines and I’m entering text in a previous line. Worse, sometimes it quickly selects a whole paragraph if I accindentally touch the trackpad while I’m hitting the shift key as I type capital letters. The result is that I end up typing right over the selected text replacing it with the next few words I type. I have to hit CTRL+Z all the time to correct this.

Right click the HID-complient mouse and disable it

There is no option to turn down the sensitivity of the trackpad or have it turn off as you type, like most Windows trackpads. Apple can fix this with a driver update and I hope they do. I would love to just turn it off and use an external mouse, but that is not possible without going into Device Manager in Windows. That is a workaround. Just disable the trackpad. Make sure you have an external mouse hooked up before doing this. I use a Bluetooth mouse and that is not reliable enough to do this for more than just a single session. It does improve typing if you do a lot that.

Make sure it says "on Apple Multitouch" in the location

To disable the trackpad right click the HID-complient mouse and choose properties. Make sure it says “on Apple Multitouch”  in the Properties box under “Location:” as the above screen shot shows. There are two of them listed in the Device Manager under the Mice category. Click okay then right click again with your external mouse and this time choose disable. Leave the Computer Management box open to remind you to re-enable it if your Bluetooth mouse is as unstable like mine. If you have a USB mouse, then you can make this change permanently if you like.

Speaking of Bluetooth, the combo of Windows, the MacBook Air and Bluetooth seems to be a problem. My Bluetooth Logitech mouse is less stable on the Windows side than it is on the OS X side. I have to remove the device and add it again to make it work after a reboot.

Conclusion

My MacBook Air is a great Windows 7 computer. I love it! Apple has great hardware and Microsoft makes a great operating system. The Mac fanboys will cringe at this, but I wish that Apple sold Windows PCs out of the box. I’d be a buyer.

Windows fanboys will cringe too and immediately say, “There are plenty of equivalent laptops that you can buy for a lot less.” There are plenty of laptops with similar specs for a lot less, but few have the same speed, quality of build and form factor of the MacBook Air. It is so light and thin that it hardly feels like you are carrying a computer.

The upcoming Dell Adamo replacement looks like an option, but we will have to wait and see. Sony might have an option coming too based on recent leaks. One of the most exciting forthcoming options is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1. I want that one and haven’t even seen a review or video of it yet. Until we see all of these, the best option is probably the Samsung Series 9. If Apple refreshes the Air to include Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt as we heard may happen, then I think all of the above will have to go back to the drawing board.

Is the MacBook Air a Good Windows 7 Notebook? is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 7 yet because you can’t afford it and books while in school, Microsoft has a special educational pricing deal for Windows 7 Professional. Right now students can get this deal for $29.99.

Windows 7 Professional normally costs $200 to upgrade from previous versions of Windows. The difference between it and the Home Premium or Ultimate versions of Windows 7 are delineated on a special comparison site at Microsoft. In Professional, you get all the features of Home Premium plus the following:

• Run Windows XP in a built-in virtual mode called Windows XP Mode
• Special business networking features like connecting to domains
• Back up to a business network

The features you don’t get in Home Premium and Professional that are in Ultimate are as follows:

• Bitlocker functionality
• International language support

There are a few more detailed differences available at the Microsoft website.

Windows 7 is a great upgrade if your hardware can handle it. If you are running Windows Vista, then the $30 price is a no-brainer. Get the update. Windows 7 is so much better than Vista and worth the cost and effort. Also Vista users should have no problems updating. Your hardware should be able to handle it and by now most manufacturers have produced drivers to make their hardware work with Windows 7. Windows 7 runs smoother than Vista and is more stable. Windows 7 is also more secure.

For users of Windows XP, the decision is a little more complicated. The security features of Windows 7 make it a valuable upgrade. Windows 7 looks more modern than XP. Some Windows XP machines can’t handle the operating system because they are not powerful enough. To determine if your machine can handle Windows 7 run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor which you can download from Microsoft.

Microsoft Office 2010 is also available via educational discount. The Office Professional Academic edition is $79.95. The Professional version normally is $500.

To be eligible for either of these you will have to show proof that you are currently a student. To do so you must have an email address with a .EDU domain or from an eligible institution.

How To Get Windows 7 Professional for $29.99 [Student Discount] is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Microsoft has released Windows 7 Service Pack 1 as a public beta. Should you go get it and install it now? That will depend on a few factors.

The purpose of a service pack is traditionally to roll all the previous updates that you get from Windows Update into one installation to save time. After a version of Windows has been out for a while, they create one of these to help people install Windows more efficiently. Also, once the service pack, or SP for short, leaves beta, Microsoft usually distributes new versions of the OS with that SP already part of the install disc or on new computers. They are now testing it to make sure it will not cause significant problems with current installations of the OS.

This beta doesn’t offer any new functionality in Windows. Past SPs did make some changes, but most of the time they are like this one just a roll-up of previous updates into one big update.

This is the point where we should see if you really should get this beta. Ask yourself the following:

• Do you have a working version of Windows 7 running on a computer? If no, then stop.
• Do I like to test out software knowing that it may mess my system up? If no, then stop.
• Do I know how to restore a messed up copy of Windows that gets ruined by a beta that doesn’t work? If no, then stop.
• Do I know how to burn an ISO image file and install it using the resulting disk? If no, then you likely don’t have the technical knowledge to beta test an operating system service pack and should stop.
• Do I have an extra computer that can be lost due to a messed up beta and not keep me from getting mission critical work done? If no, then stop.
• Do I mind reformatting and reinstalling Windows 7 once the beta expires? If you do mind, then stop.
• Finally, do I meet the minimum system requirements below? If not, then stop.

The minimum system requirements for Windows 7 SP1 are as follows:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• DVD-compatible drive
• Internet access (fees may apply)

If you are still reading, then chances are you can handle a service pack beta.

How to download and install the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta:

To download this beta of Windows 7 SP1, you will have to first register with Microsoft and then answer a simple question. What occupation best describes you?” A tip: if you say Tech enthusiast you will not be allowed to download it. Nor will you be allowed if you answer with Student, Consumer, or Other. The other choices in the list do get you through the door. I am not at all suggesting you lie. I just wanted to warn you that if you are not an IT Manager, an IT Worker, a Developer or a Non IT Manager, you are not allowed to download it. Of course the last one puzzles me. I’m not technically an IT Manager. So does that one apply to me? And why does it let you in? I am guessing it means a manager of a tech company but you do not have the title IT director. That is the one I chose because it describes me since I’m the one who makes most of the tech decisions for my church, but I don’t carry that title.

Once you register and answer the occupation question, the next screen asks for your contact info and OS version. Hit continue and you get a list of reasons for downloading. I chose Evaluate Windows 7 SP1 Beta and that worked. You then have three options (see below). Download either the 32 or 64 bit version via Windows Update. That’s fine if only you have one computer that you want to install it on. The last option is for downloading an ISO image of the file to install on multiple computers. An ISO is a file that you can use to make a disc with an ISO burning utility like your CD/DVD burning file or Windows 7 built-in tool access via right clicking on the downloaded ISO.

So which of the three options mentioned above should you go with. The first part should be simple. Is the PC your plan to install it on a 32 bit install of Windows 7 or 64 bit. If you don’t know, then find the Computer Properties page. The easiest way is to click on the Start button and then type System. The resulting list will look something like this (see below). Find the System item in the resulting list and click it.

You should get a window that looks like the one below. Find System Type and it will say either 64 or 32-bit.

Now that you know which one you have, you can easily install via Windows Update. Click the download button below the one that matches your system and save the resulting file. After it finishes downloading, run it. It will be called WUSignUpTool_x64.exe (or x32.exe file for 32 bit). You can then go to Windows Update (Click start and type Update and you will see it on the list). Click Check for updates in the left hand column and it will find the Service Pack 1 update. You may have to update twice. I did. The first was an optional update for Windows 7 that needed to be done before it would find SP1. It will then download the SP and install it for you. You will have to reboot afterwards.

The other way to get SP1 is to burn the ISO and run the installation from the disc. This is the best option if you plan to update more than one computer or you have both a 32 and a 64 bit installation of Windows 7; both versions of SP1 are on the ISO. I would wait to update all your systems to see if the SP1 has any widespread issues. As I said in the questions above, you should have at least one PC that you can totally mess up without destroying your productivity. Or you can walk on the wild side, throw caution to the wind or do whatever other cliché you like that means do something that is very ill-advised.

A couple of final warnings: this beta will stop working in July 2011. Also, once the final version comes out in early 2011, you will not be able to just update your computer with the beta installed. You will have to start over with a fresh install of Windows 7.

Is it worth updating? I have not had any issues in the short hours since I downloaded and updated my PC. However, I have not really done much with that computer since. If I do have issues I will report back.

While I have not had any issues nor have I heard of any, there has been no real differences and there aren’t any new features to play with so most consumers should wait for the final version in 2011.

How To Install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Public Beta is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Besides the obvious media watching capability, there is a web browser and specialized apps developed in Silverlight. These can come from manufacturers or other sources. And, the manufacturer can customize the interface putting their branding on the Media Center OS. The basics of the interface will remain the same with the menus staying put. But things like font, backgrounds, and putting their logo can change, according to Irena Andonova, the director of product management for Windows Embedded 7 at Microsoft (via Betanews).

The reason a manufacturer can embed the OS is Microsoft is allowing them to specialize the installation for their hardware. There will not be a slew of drivers and included pieces of software. That way the manufacturer has just one video driver and one driver for their own input devices. And if they don’t think you need Notepad or Sticky Notes on your TV they can remove them as well. This sounds like something power users would love to have for their homebuilt PCs or their Notebooks leaving a lean and possibly fast version of Windows. See details check out the technical specs page at Microsoft.

The first manufacturer on board with the new OS is Reycom, a Swiss manufacturer. Below is their movie library” page in the new OS.

Others that may want to use the OS are cable and satellite TV providers as well as phone companies that have multimedia services. They can create web apps on top of the OS which gives them a way to change quickly without having to change the embedded firmware. The apps will run on top of the extensible embedded OS. Like we have come to expect the OS has a long horrible name Windows Embedded Standard 7. It will be interesting to see if any other manufacturers will include this in future TVs. Until then my wife will just have to put up with the PC hooked up to the bedroom TV so she can watch missed shows on hulu.

New Version of Windows 7 Released … For the TV? is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Microsoft has issued a statement about this issue on their MSDN blog:

“To the very best of the collective ecosystem knowledge, Windows 7 is correctly warning batteries that are in fact failing and Windows 7 is neither incorrectly reporting on battery status nor in any way whatsoever causing batteries to reach this state. In every case we have been able to identify the battery being reported on was in fact in need of recommended replacement. …every single indication we have regarding the reports we’ve seen are simply Windows 7 reporting the state of the battery using this new feature and we’re simply seeing batteries that are not performing above the designated threshold. … We are as certain as we can be that we have addressed the root cause and concerns of this report, but we will continue to monitor the situation.”

Well, Microsoft is saying everything is working.  But, the users are still reporting issues?  How is this going to wind up?  Is it really the fault of the PC manufacturers?Are we dealing with a bad battery manufacturer?  What is next for this?

Update to Windows 7 battery issue is a post by Amy from Notebooks.com.

The vast majority of 9 and 10 inch netbooks with Intel Atom chips and GMA 950 graphics have the same native screen resolution: 1024 x 600 pixels. This is usually more than enough space to surf the web or watch a video, but sometimes you need just a bit more.  Well, now there is a way to increase the resolution on a netbook running Windows 7 and utilizing the Intel Atom/GMA 950 graphics combination.

There’s a new Windows 7 driver for netbooks with GMA 950 graphics that lets you adjust the screen resolution to 1182 x 864 pixels.  The driver is the GMA 950 Windows 7 driver version 8.15.10.1912, available here.

Also, the folks at NetbookNews have a video of this new resolution in action.

Thanks to Liliputing and NetbookNews for the information.

Increasing netbook resolution on Windows 7 is a post by Amy from Notebooks.com.

The folks over at Liliputing have found a “Windows 7 Netbook edition” floating around the Internet.

From their post:

There appears to be a tweaked version of Windows 7 floating around called Windows 7 Netbook Edition. No, this isn’t the Windows 7 Starter Edition that’s been shipping on most netbooks introduced in the last month or two. Rather, it’s a customized version of Windows 7 Ultimate that has had a number of drivers, language packs, and other features ripped out of it. The end result is that Windows 7 Netbook Edition is said to run well on pretty much any netbook, including the original Asus Eee PC 701 with only 4GB of disk space.

This isnt a supported version of Windows by Microsoft.  This appears to be a hack of an older pre-release version.  Unless you have a legitimate Windows serial key, this edition will probably stop working after a certain time.

If you want it to play with, go for it.  However, if you want Windows 7 on a netbook, we recommend using a registered version and a detachable DVD or the USB key installation.

Windows 7- the Netbook edition? is a post by Amy from Notebooks.com.

Windows 7 comes with several themes, but what’s available to you is different from what users half a world awya see. For example, ff you register your computer in the United States your default theme will be the same as the rest of the Windows 7 users in the U.S. Users in the United Kingdom will get something different however. The themes are included on every Windows 7 installer, but are only revealed to certain users depending on their locations.

In addition to the default themes that come on the Windows 7 disc, you can add free themes if you want to change the look and feel of your PC.

So how do you access these additional themes?

Activate hidden themes on your operating system:

Step1: First find out how many themes are available to you by right clicking on desktop and selecting Personalize option.

Step2: You can see themes available to you under personalize section.

Please note that Step 1 & 2 are not required to activate hidden themes it’s just for information.

Step3:  Change folder settings to see hidden folder. Open the computer and click on Oragnize.

Step4:  Under Organize menu select the ‘Folder and Search Option’.

Step 5: Click on View tab, Under the view tab scroll down till you see option ‘Show hidden files, folders and drive’.  Select this option.

Step6: Under the same view tab menu, Uncheck ‘hide protected operating system files’.

Step7: You will get one warning as below. Select  â€˜Yes’ and close the organize folder setting.

Step8: Now go to ‘C:WindowsGlobalizationMCT’ folder and you will find hidden themes as below.

Step9:  Alternatively of step3 to step8 you can type ‘C:WindowsGlobalizationMCT’ in window 7 search box and can press enter. You will be able to see the hidden themes

Step10: You can see the wallpapers available to them as below

Step 11: Go to theme folder and double click on the .theme which will automatically add the theme to your personalize option and will be available to use.

Adding new theme to your personalize option:

Step1: Go to the Microsoft Windows personalization page.

Step2: Download the themes which you like to your computer.

Step3: Double click on theme and it will add the theme to your personalize option and will be available to use.

How to Add Windows 7 Themes and Unlock Hidden Themes is a post by Rajesh from Notebooks.com.

You can use Connectify the same way as you use any other wireless router without compromising any security.  The program uses WPA2 encryption, which uses very strong AES encryption algorithm and matches with strongest encryption standards available across wireless networking industry, to keep your files safe. If your wireless cards don’t support WPA2 security you should look for updated drivers from your computer’s manufacturer or purchase a new wireless adapter.

So if your notebook or desktop is running Windows 7 and has working wireless adapter (which supports WPA2) then you can throw the router in box and let your Windows 7 PC act as your wireless access point.

Downloading and installing Connectify:

Step1: Download Connectify Me from their website. Currently it’s in beta version and free to download. Before allowing you to download, it will ask you to fill the registration form which will take less than 30 seconds. After submitting your data you’ll be able to download the Connectify Me beta.

Step2: Run the installer, accept the license agreement and Connectify will be installed on your machine.

Step3: Start Connectify if it doesn’t start automatically (by default). You can start Connectify by looking into all programs or typing Connectify in search bar of window start menu.

Settings:

Step4:  Once Connectify starts you have to create a SSID name for your wireless access point. This is the name other computers will see when they want to connect to your wireless network. By default Connectify will choose an SSID of “connectify”.

Step 5: Enter the passphrase value into passphrase field. You can enter whatever you want. Just make sure that it secure password and can’t be guess by anyone. Remember though; this passphrase will work as password to connect to wireless access point so make sure you can remember it or write it down somewhere safe. The limitation of passphrase field is that you must enter at least 8 characters for your passphrase and maximum will be 32 characters.

Step 6: As you can see in screen shot there is dropbox labeled Internet. Here you will configure your wireless access point. If you want to have more than one connection, select the connection to share from column pull-down menu bar; you can use this column to share a wired or wireless connection.

Step 7:  Click the ‘Start hotspot’ button to turn on the Connectify access point.

Connecting to Connectify:

Step 8: On your other computers you can connect to the Connectify access point just like you would a traditional method wireless connection (how to connect to a wireless network). Just give the SSID name and passphrase and you will be connected to internet or network.

Please note that to access the Connectify access point you don’t need to have Window 7 installed on your machine. All other operating systems will be able to connect to the Connectify access point. So whether you have Ubuntu, Fedora, XP, Vista or OSX on a Mac you’re good to go.

Once other computers connected you can find out the lists of connected computers including the computer name and IP address.

Connectify is a great product and worth trying out especially since it is free. It’s very handy when you absolutely need to use router but don’t have it with you like when you are traveling, visiting family, want to share your laptop in conference room, etc.

Right now Connectify is in beta and free of charge but they might start charging for the software in the future.

For more info on Connectify you can watch this demo video.

How to Turn Your Notebook into a Hotspot with Window 7 and Connectify is a post by Rajesh from Notebooks.com.

Some users who are using SD cards (formatted in NTFS) with Windows 7 have run into unexpected problem.  Even if you are not using SD cards formatted in NTFS, it is still recommended that you install the patch in case you start using SD Cards in the future.

Problem Overview:  You have an NTFS formatted SD Card and a computer that is running Window 7 operating system and you use Advance Direct Memory Access (ADMA) to transfer data between the SD card and your PC. During an ADMA transfer process, the secure digital bus driver converts the DMA data structure of the operating system to the ADMA data structure of the SD Card. The DMA and ADMA data structure are also known as descriptor tables.  When you transfer data from the computer to the SD card, the data on the SD card may be corrupted. This means unexpected problems may occur when you try to use the affected data again. What happens in background is that the data-length field is 16-bit and has a maximum size of 64K. However, during the data conversion process, the SD bus driver doesn’t check the buffer size in the system’s tables. Because of this, the driver may set an incorrect data length. So corruption in I/O occurs, which cause the data corrupton or data loss. Please visit Microsoft’s site for more details.

Microsoft Releases Patch to Fix SD Card Corruption Flaw is a post by Rajesh from Notebooks.com.