Computer Support Services

Microsoft Releases Ten Patches, Three Critical

2010-10-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Microsoft released ten security bulletins today and updates to various products to fix thirty-four separate vulnerabilities. Three of the updates have a maximum severity level of Critical. Two affect Microsoft Windows and one is a Cumulative Update for Internet Explorer.

The three Critical updates were:

*MS10-033: Vulnerabilities in Media Decompression Could Allow Remote Code Execution—Two vulnerabilities affecting a variety of components in almost all versions of Windows could lead to remote code execution. The user would have to open a malicious media file or receive streaming content.
*MS10-034: Cumulative Security Update of ActiveX Kill Bits—Because of vulnerabilities in two COM objects from Microsoft and several others from Danske Bank, CA, Eastman Kodak and Avaya, this update applies kill bits to disable the components.
*MS10-035: Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer—6 different vulnerabilities affecting all versions of Internet Explorer on all supported versions of Windows are fixed in this cumulative update. Several are rated likely to result in working exploit code, including the two which are ranked Critical.

The remaining seven vulnerabilities top out at Important, meaning that there is some significant mitigating factor or that the damage is limited:

*MS10-032: Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers Could Allow Elevation of Privilege —All supported versions of Windows are vulnerable to privilege elevation owing to three vulnerabilities. An attacker would need valid logon credentials in order to execute the attack.
*MS10-036: Vulnerability in COM Validation in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution —Various Microsoft Office for Windows programs (not including Office 2010) are vulnerable to remote code execution if the user opens a malicious web page or e-mail attachment. Working exploit code is likely for this attack.
*MS10-037: Vulnerability in the OpenType Compact Font Format (CFF) Driver Could Allow Elevation of Privilege—All versions of Windows are vulnerable to an elevation of privilege vulnerability But the attacker needs valid logon credentials and consistent exploit code is not likely.
MS10-038: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution—Excel and certain other Office programs on Windows and the Mac are vulnerable to remote code execution through 14 different vulnerabilities, most of which are likely to produce functioning exploit code.
*MS10-039: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint Could Allow Elevation of Privilege—Two vulnerabilities in SharePoint could lead to denial of service (locking up the client session) or improper disclosure of information.
*MS10-040: Vulnerability in Internet Information Services Could Allow Remote Code Execution —An authentication error in all versions of IIS could lead to remote code execution.
*MS10-041: Vulnerability in Microsoft .NET Framework Could Allow Tampering—An attacker could tamper with signed XML content without being detected.

There were also a large number of non-security updates released today. including the following:
* New versions of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (32-bit and 64-bit)
* An update for the Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter
*Updates to various versions of Microsoft .NET Framework—strengthens authentication credentials in specific scenarios. [Why is this classified as a non-security update? Is it really the same thing as MS10-041?]

Source :-www.computerrepair.com

Microsoft's 10 Tips to Help Developers Play Nice with Sleeping PCs

2010-09-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

PC power management is becoming ever more widely adopted by companies and computer manufacturers alike -- a good example is that in order to achieve an energy star rating for a computer, it must ship with its operating system's power management features switched on.

But as with all innovations, it takes some time to bring everyone up to speed. In the vast ecosystem of software developers, some companies are long since up to speed on making sure programs don't interfere with built-in or network-based power management solutions, but many more still have some catching up to do.

In addition to providing a handful of guidance documents for developers, Microsoft's Director of Environmental Technology spoke at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco this week to help developers help their users save energy.

"This was a call for [users] to start taking the issue seriously, like they have with reliability and security in the past," Mark Aggar explained in an interview. "Developers have not played an active role in ensuring that their applications allow systems to run efficiently. It's all too easy for systems to undermine power management, or contribute to a poor user experience when they're trying to use power management."

Aggar gave the example of an early bug that arose in the development of Windows 7: Adobe's Flash player was failing to close the audio channel, even if users were not listening to any music or playing any videos. That simple bug kept the PC from going to sleep, wasting energy and money in the process.

With more and more companies seeing the easy benefits to embracing PC power management -- among them reduced costs, energy savings, reducing load on data centers and power grids -- it's becoming more important for developers to make sure their programs play nice with power management policies.

Windows 7 includes tools that let IT professionals see if an application is not cooperating with the sleep cycle, and Aggar said that programs that inadvertently keep PCs awake are likely to face repercussions.

"If organizations go to the effort to use less power, then they're going to care if applications they install are undermining efficiency on the machines," he said. "We'd say that over time organizations are going to care a lot more about this issue, and you as a developer don't want to find out that your application isn't being deployed because it doesn't work well with power management."

To help developers get up to speed on what Microsoft calls "Energy Smart" software development, Aggar outlined his top 10 list for developers at the Forum yesterday:

Be resilient and respectful of sleep transitions
Use system and display availability requests appropriately
Support virtualization
Measure system utilization when your application is idle
Help the system stay idle
Consider and adjust to the power environment
Measure workload power efficiency
Improve workload power efficiency
Scale resource use intelligently
"Cloudburst" the peak load

There are a number of similar guidance documents on the Microsoft Developers Network page for Windows Power Management. And you can read GreenBiz.com's list of 10 things to know about PC power management and much more in our energy efficiency section.

Source: greenbiz.com

10 Reasons Why Windows XP Requires Long-Term Microsoft Support

2010-07-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has officially discontinued support for Windows XP Service Pack 2. Although the company will continue to support Service Pack 3 through 2014, it's worth nothing that nearly 50 percent of the world's computers are still running Service Pack 2. Going forward, owners won't have the support they need to keep their systems safe.

But Microsoft's decision to stop supporting Service Pack 2 goes beyond just that version of the operating system. It makes it clear to its users that XP is losing its value to the software giant. That's unfortunate. Windows XP was the best OS release of the past decade. By slowly pushing users to its newer operating systems, Microsoft could be making a huge mistake. Not only will some folks opt to stick with XP, but others won't find happiness in Windows 7. The result is an issue that impacts all stakeholders.

Whether Microsoft likes it or not, the company needs to support XP indefinitely. It's simply too important to its operation. Here's why:

Nearly 50 percent still run XP SP2

As noted, a recent study from research firm Softchoice found that nearly 45 percent of all computers are still running Windows XP Service Pack 2. That alone should be enough for Microsoft to continue supporting the operating system. Windows XP was an unbridled success that is still being employed as the go-to operating system for both consumers and companies around the world. By not supporting a key build of that operating system, Microsoft is effectively saying to nearly 50 percent of the world's computer users that they need to keep up with the times, or their data will be put into danger.

The enterprise isn't switching

Microsoft's decision to no longer support XP Service Pack 2 smacks of the company trying desperately to prod the corporate world into adopting Windows 7. From a business standpoint, it's understandable. But for the enterprise, switching to Windows 7 at this point just doesn't look like the best idea. Not only are they concerned about the productivity and security problems that might come along with switching to Windows 7, but they're also heavily invested in XP and, due to the recession, may not have the available funds to invest in new technology. The vast majority of companies around the world are running XP on at least some computers. The last thing Microsoft should want to do is stop supporting those firms.

What about the world?

Discussions about Microsoft's decision to discontinue its support for Service Pack 2 have left out a key component that can't be overlooked: People in developing countries rely on XP. To simply stop supporting XP would potentially cause security problems for those people, which at this point, they just don't need as technology becomes an even greater part of their lives. Microsoft's reach is second to none in the software space. It's a key component in its success. But if it decides to turn its back on XP before it should, the company would also effectively turn its back on people all over the world who rely on XP to get technology into their lives.

Netbooks are a key battleground

Although speculation abounds over the future of netbooks, there is a chance that the lightweight computers will survive against tablets. And if that happens, Microsoft, which currently dominates the space with Windows XP, would be dumb to stop supporting its old operating system. Right now, Microsoft offers a version of Windows 7 designed for netbooks. But for the vast majority of consumers, Windows XP works just fine, and they don't see a reason to switch. If Microsoft doesn't support XP indefinitely, the company could put its netbook operation at risk, and potentially give Linux or even Google's Chrome OS the opening they need to capitalize. XP is extremely important in the netbook market. Microsoft can't forget that.

Vista should come first

If anything, Microsoft should stop supporting Windows Vista. The predecessor to Windows 7 is arguably one of the worst operating systems the software giant has ever released. And although Microsoft tries to say that it really wasn't as bad as some folks thought, most Windows users know the truth. Whereas Windows XP was a major victory for Microsoft in the software space, Vista was a failure that the company is still trying to overcome. If it were smart, Microsoft would support XP and Windows 7. If it absolutely needs to stop supporting an operating system, it should ditch Vista.

It's still being installed

How Microsoft can even consider stopping its support for Windows XP at any point in the near future is incredible. The operating system isn't being adopted as much as it was a few years ago, but there are still some consumers and even enterprise customers that are buying new computers and running Windows XP. The reason why is simple: They trust XP more than they trust some of Microsoft's latest operating systems. As more people download XP, it would seem that Microsoft would be smart to back off from its desire to stop supporting XP entirely. After all, XP's market share is holding steady. And to stop supporting it means Microsoft will leave a major piece of the market out in the cold.

Security implications

There are real and concerning security implications to Microsoft's desire to stop supporting Windows XP. When Windows isn't updated, those who run outdated software put themselves in undue risk. And by doing so, they're effectively putting the rest of the Windows ecosystem at risk. But when Microsoft decides it will no longer support a software version that is being used by nearly half of the world's PC population, it's Microsoft that could be creating more security problems. Hackers will target those still running XP and find ways to make those problems spread. It's a real issue that Microsoft must consider.

Pushing isn't the best idea right now

The last thing Microsoft should be doing right now is annoying Windows XP users. When the company released Vista, it was clear that Microsoft was in trouble. Consumers and enterprise customers didn't want any part of the operating system, and even vendors took issue with it. Now, Microsoft is trying to rebuild relationships. By stopping support for Service Pack 2, and eventually discontinuing its support for Windows XP, Microsoft is going about it all wrong. Whether it likes it or not, the market is still heavily invested in Windows XP. And if it wants to see them adopt Windows 7, it will need to be patient. It won't be easy, but it's the smart move.

IT manager push-back

Let's not forget that IT managers play a key role in the success or failure of Windows. As the tech experts at their business, they tell the executives what operating systems and software solutions the company should be using. By discontinuing support for Windows XP Service Pack 2, and eventually Windows XP, Microsoft is forcing the average IT manager's hand. That's not a smart move. IT managers will decide if companies should opt for Windows 7, stick with Windows XP or go with something new, like Mac OS X. Microsoft shouldn't want to annoy IT managers simply because it wants users to move to Windows 7. That will never be a smart move.

Windows 7 isn't a profit leader

For the time being, Windows 7 will not be the key to Microsoft's success. Although the company hopes to add more Windows 7 customers going forward, it's highly unlikely that a mass influx of users to the new operating system is coming anytime soon. Realizing that, Microsoft can't simply rely on the new operating system, and turn its back on all others. Yes, Vista was a mess, but Windows XP wasn't. By eventually stopping support for XP, Microsoft is putting all of its revenue potential into Windows 7, an operating system that that has shown some early success, but so far hasn't proven that it can best Windows XP.

Source: eweek.com

Does your Computer Really Need Tech Support

2010-06-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tips and How To

While experienced computer users can easily make a correct diagnosis out of observable signs and symptoms exhibited by their PCs, the rest of us barely have a clue as to whether or not something is really wrong with our computers. Although some problems may require an expert to fix, most glitches can easily be corrected without the need for a technician. So how do you really tell if your computer really requires repair? Here are tips on how to check:

Learning to Eliminate
Unless you are experienced at diagnosing what ails your computer, the best thing you can do is to try to determine the problem by elimination. First, find out the symptoms and then consider the most possible causes and eliminate those that are not plausible. This will help you discover the most possible explanation for the problem. From there, you can decide whether or not your computer really requires repair.

Learning to Scan
Many of the problems manifested by the computer are caused by malware such as viruses, spyware and adware. As long as your computer and antivirus software are updated, you can perform a regular scan to check for any infection. In most cases, common problems are solved this way, although others may require you to download patches to correct any errors and vulnerabilities.

No Power
If your computer won’t turn on, don’t immediately assume you’ll need professional help. Check if it’s connected to a power outlet and then check if there is power. Next, check the power button and the connections for the cables. If using a battery to run a laptop, determine if the battery has been sufficiently charged. Only when you’ve checked all possible scenarios and still failed should you consider having your computer repaired.

Slowpoke Computer
A slow computer may not always be a sign that it really requires repair. It may be because you’re running a lot of programs that may be too much of a burden for the amount of memory your computer has. Try to close programs you don’t need and delete stuff you have no use for. Empty your recycle bin right after. Defrag your system to re-organize your files.

If these steps still don’t fix your problem, it may either be because you need more memory or that there’s something in your system that requires a checkup from the professionals.

Missing Drivers
This usually comes as a surprise, when your computer shows a message indicating that a device is missing. If you are quite sure that drivers for hardware you’re using have already been installed, try to re-install them using the appropriate CDs. In minor cases, that should fix the problem. If the problem continues or if your computer exhibits even stranger symptoms, that’s a clear sign that you really need to have it repaired.

The need to Reboot now and then
Frequent rebooting is often the result of a system freezing or hanging up. This is when the computer screen just simply stops reacting to what you do and nothing you can do to the keyboard or the mouse seems to work. The only way to make the system work again is to press the reboot button. If this happens, then it’s a sign that you shouldn’t try to fix it yourself because your computer really requires repair.

Source: tekologik.com

3TB Hard Drives Coming, but You’ll need a new Computer

2010-05-18T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hard drive manufacturer Seagate has confirmed to UK website Thinq that 3TB hard drives are definitely on the plan for 2010.

The only problem? If you’re using a 32-bit version of a Windows operating system (which is – most people), you may end up seeing as little as 990MB of that huge storage capacity because of limitations to the Logical Block Addressing (LBA) measures used to access the space. Current PC standard for LBA cannot address more than 2.1TB of storage in a single drive.

The limitation appears set to become the "Y2K problem" for hard drives with the limitation of the LBA system setup by Microsoft and IBM back in 1980. Apparently, no-one expected anyone to need more than 2.1TB of storage.

Seagate product manager Barbara Craig told Thinq support for Long LBA is required for both hardware and software to handle the new drives which limits operating system support to 64-bit Windows 7 and Vista plus modified versions of Linux. The new 3TB drive won’t work with Windows XP at all.

The problem with hardware is more difficult to fix.

Drives of greater than 2.1TB will also require a GUID Partition Table – a system implemented in Apple computers – because the old Master Boot Record (MBR) method of noting storage particulars again can’t work with drives greater than 2.1TB. Intel announced last year that it was looking to improve the old DOS-look BIOS system with EFI – Extensible Firmware Interface.

However, very few PC motherboards currently support EFI and that pretty much knocks things on the head right there in terms of upgrading.

So if you’re thinking about turning your PC into a storage farm, chances are you’re going to need to start from scratch with a new PC to go with it.

Source: Techlogg.com

PC Computer Repair Concept

2010-03-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

When your PC behaves strangely like applications taking longer to launch, computer is running very slow etc., it indicates that your PC demands repair. For repairing your computer, you can contact any technical service provider. But it would be beneficial for you, if you contact an online service provider.
Online service providers offer a wide range of services at variant rates. iYogi Technical Services is one of them. iYogi offers round- -the-clock PC support and a variety of services at an affordable price. Some of the services offered through online support for PC repair are enlisted below:
• Installation, un-installation, re-installation of software
• Troubleshooting computer hardware and software errors
• Configuring settings of different applications
• PC Optimization
In addition to all the aforementioned services, many services are also offered through remote support. In online support, you just have to contact any remote service provider and they can reach out to you at the comfort of your home or office. Any tech expert from your service provider will remotely access your PC after taking your permission.
After accessing your system, tech experts will diagnose your system with great care in order to find out the root cause behind the occurrence of these technical issues. After diagnosing your system, the tech expert will carry out the necessary steps in order to repair your PC. In this manner, your PC gets repaired without any pain of transportation.
In case, you take your PC to any service centre, it would take roughly around three to four days to get it repaired and you will have to pay every time you go there. But this is not the case with online support; you just have to pay once and you can access unlimited services for the specified time. If you call any technician at your premises, you have to pay an extra amount for the services. So, it would be better to say that online technical support for PC repair is more beneficial as compared to on-site tech support.

Trojan Removal without Installation of any Antivirus Software

2010-03-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

Trojan is basically a software program that can perform enviable functions on your computer. In addition to this, it offers the facility to intruders to easily access your system. Trojans can get entry into your system from many methods, such as e-mail attachments, software downloads, etc.
Once any Trojan gets entry into your system, it allows remote access of your system to hacker. After getting access to your system, hacker can perform various tasks like, stealing your confidential information, installation of software, deletion or modification of files, keystroke logging, etc.
You can scan your system with Windows Live OneCare safety scanner in order to get information about malicious programs installed on your system. This scanner consists of various scan types and you can select any scan for your system. Its protection scan will check your system for Trojans viruses and other malicious software.
In addition to this, it will check for the open ports of your computer, which can make your system more vulnerable to online threats. After scanning, it will produce a report, which contains the number of files scanned, the number of infected files found, the type of infection and virus name, the number of common open ports, etc.
Another scan type of Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is clean up scan, which will find out the redundant temporary files of your system. Tune up scan will provide you the information about your hard disk drive. After scanning your system with Windows Live OneCare safety scanner, you can remove Trojans with Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
This tool can check the systems running Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 for infections and can also remove these infections. When its detection and removal process gets complete, it will display a report, which will contain information about all the malicious software detected and removed.

Make your Computer Fit and Healthy with Online Computer Repair Services

2010-03-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

At times your computer behaves strangely like, taking much time in launching applications, automatically shutting down, hard disk becomes inaccessible, etc. Under such circumstances, it is required that you should go for proper computer repair services.
In past some days, I was in need of taking technical support from a service provider. Then one of my friends suggested me to subscribe to iYogi’s computer repair services. . After accessing their exceptional tech support services, All I got was a fast performing computer running as fast as the first time I bought it.
Features
You will receive a lot of services while accessing online support for computer repair. Some of them are enlisted as:
• Installation, re-installation, and un-installation of software
• Diagnostic & repair of the hardware issues
• Troubleshooting software errors
• Optimizing your PC’s speed and performance
• Resolving driver conflicts
• Resolving Internet browsing problems
After accessing online support for your computer, it will become fit and healthy once again.
Usability
When you will subscribe to remote support for repairing your computer, then you just have to give your permission to access your system to its tech expert. After accessing your system, tech expert will diagnose your technical issues; and will carry out the necessary steps, in order to resolve your technical issues.
Limitation
If you opt for remote support for computer repair, then you do not have to take pain of transportation. But in on-site support, you either have to carry your system to any service centre or you have to call any technician at your premises.
At last, I suggest you to take remote support from iYogi Technical Services, because it offers unlimited support in a fixed price.

Recover Lost Data in Windows 7

2010-03-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Features
There may be manual fault or some unavoidable circumstances related with technical issues, when you lost your important home or business files (such as MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, Bkf, Zip), e-mails, photos, music and other rare things.
Although this happens very rarely, but the data once lost can take long time to recover or may be not be recovered at all, so there should be adequate management for data backup to assure that you access important files and folders anytime.
You would be considering me too much obscene, but I have suffered from data lost on my Windows 7 computer recently, that’s why I want to discuss with you about some important data recovery methods for Windows 7 and you must add the data recovery agent.
First I want to tell you about prevention, because it is an old saying that “prevention is better than cure”. As you do Ctrl+S with your word document every time to ensure it is saved regularly, similarly you should make a practice to take data backup of your hard drive memory on an external hard disk or other optical device, which can be used to combat such situations.
Next, when you are trapped under the situation and you don’t left with much of options, then Windows 7 recovery software is a better alternative. Some of the best recovery software available in the market are Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery v4.1, Advance Windows 7 Data Recovery Software and Recover My Files data recovery software.

Usability
Windows 7 data recovery software can effectively restore or recover entire data of your hard disk including deleted files emptied from the Windows Recycle Bin, or lost due to the format or corruption of a hard drive, infection with computer viruses, and unexpected system shutdown or software failure. You can also recover your data, which is located in corrupted partition, such asFAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS & NTFS5 of Windows 7 based hard drive. Windows 7 data recovery software are also compatible enough for recovering data from other types of data storage media such as floppy drives, flash drives, USB digital media, pen drive, zip drive, memory stick, multimedia card, secure digital card & many more.
Limitation
Data recovery is not possible with Windows 7 Recovery tools if it has been physically overwritten by low level disk format. You may face issues while recovering files located on hard disk which is well encrypted.

How to Repair Windows XP computer Without Losing Data?

2010-03-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, and media centers. It was released in 2001 and has been the most popular operating system all over the world.
If your computer is not working properly then, you might need to repair or format your computer. Repairing a computer will fix the corrupt operating system, and it will not delete your data. Follow these steps to repair Windows XP computer without any data loss:
Step 1: Firstly, you need to insert the XP CD into CD drive and restart your computer. As computer shuts down, keep pressing DELETE to enter the BIOS setup. In the BIOS setup, set the 'First Boot device' to CD-ROM and exit saving these settings.

Step 2: Now, your Windows XP computer will restart and a message will appear saying 'press any key to boot from CD'. Press space bar or any other key to continue.

Step 3: Next, you have to wait for few minutes as setup will inspect your hardware and Windows on computer. Setup will also load some necessary files to repair the Windows XP computer.

Step 4: Now you have to press F8 to accept the Windows XP license agreement, and then you have to select the drive which you want to repair. There may be more that 1 drives in some cases, then you can select the drive by using UP/DOWN arrow keys to select the drive which you wish to repair.

Step 5: Now, setup will examine the drive which you have selected and will go through 1 to 100% and a new window will appear on screen, hit F3 to continue and setup will reboot the Windows XP computer.

If you follow the above steps, you can repair your computer without any data loss.

Home Computer Repair- Save Money & Time

2010-03-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, computer has become mandatory equipment for every home. Therefore, it is important to take care of computer’s health for its prolonged life.
Most of the problems faced by computers are simple and common in nature. There causes too, are more or less similar. Some basic issues are computer freezing, blue-screen error, no sound, auto restart, etc
You can easily resolve the above mentioned issues, if you take some important steps. Microsoft has enriched its operating system with memory management tools like Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter, which can take care of your computer’s memory. These are easy to execute even without much of computer knowledge. These utility organize your important files and remove the temporary and unwanted files, which are created while uninstalling and installing a program. This helps to create more space on your hard disk. These applications provide you a detailed report about your hard disk and help you take the right decision about your hard disk and we offer a computer support service so you can fix PC problems with our advice.
You should also check Windows start up programs, to repair your computer against slow performance. There can be lot of programs, which are not required or are outdated. You should remove those applications from your computer’s hard disk. In addition to that scan your computer with a compatible registry cleaner tool, which can fix Windows registry related issues.
To ensure good speed over Internet, you must delete your browser cookies on regular basis and also modem driver should be updated, if required.
In addition, you should ensure that you have a good antivirus protection, because viruses make your computer vulnerable towards other damages. This can lead to blue screen error, slow performance of computer, and hard disk crash. Above all, you should keep regular data back of your important files, so that you can combat any situation of data loss.

Get Your Windows XP Problems Resolved

2010-03-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

Undoubtedly, Windows XP is a good operating system. But sometimes you may find certain issues with your computer running on Windows XP OS. Some of the randomly discovered issues are slow startup, SVCHOST.EXE error, blue-screen error, slow internet browsing, registry related error, shutdown issues, generic host WIN32 error and upgrade issue.
Most random issues of your Windows XP, like slow boot performance, slow browsing, blue-screen are easy to fix, with some basic tips and tricks. They just need your proper attention. For example, you should be habitual of defragmenting your hard disk on regular basis, scanning your PC with effective virus scanner every month, cleaning your windows registry with registry cleaner tool. Also don’t open any e-mail attachment, which comes from unknown destination, because it might be a source of virus. Keep your anti-virus program updated and to get effective results, contact your tech support provider without any delay.
When you keep working for a long time on your computer, your hard disk get cluttered with innumerous temporary files, Windows registry get flooded with invalid entries as a consequence of which, your system starts freezing or becomes totally unstable. You can fix hard disk related issues of your Windows XP, by using the disk defragmenter tool available in System Tools. You can access it as: Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter. You can customize the tool to do partial or complete defragmentation. The process takes some time, so have patience.
To counteract the invalid entries in your XP operating system, you can go for online registry cleaner software, which can automatically fix Windows XP’s registry. You can also perform manual tweaking of corrupted Windows registries, if you are confident with your tech skills. The Windows XP Support platform is a comprehensive and resilient operating system for the Home and Business PC user.
However, if you fail to fix any of the Windows XP issues, you can contact some authentic organization, which is offering support for Windows XP. For regular support you can avail some suitable subscription too.

Hewlett Packard

2010-02-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

Since its inception in the year 1947 HP has covered a long distance. Throughout its journey in this highly competitive sector, it has focused itself in developing models which are more and more user-friendly.
It debuted as a manufacturer of electronic test gadgets like signal generators, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, frequency counters and others.
From 1966 onwards, it started focusing on the computer manufacturing. The very first model was a notebook series HP laptop 2100/HP 1000.
But now it has become a global leader in computer manufacturing industry. It has dominated every segment, whether it is for home user or a business user. In addition to computer, it has also made entry in manufacturing of peripheral devices like scanners and printers. It has created such a reputation and trust in the market that every user before buying, does make a search on the latest available model from HP.
Let’s have a glance at a most recent HP model, HP Pavilion p6300Z series. This model was introduced with the launch of Windows 7. User will be getting its Home Premium version absolutely free. This machine will be empowered with AMD Sempron(TM) LE1300 processor [2.3GHz, 512KB L2, up to 1600MT/s bus], 4 GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs] memory, 750GB 7200 rpm SATA 3 GB/s hard drive and 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 [DVI, HDMI, VGA] graphic card. Hence, you will be getting incredible performance from your HP computer. In addition, Internet Explorer 8 will give you a better Internet experience.
Understanding the mind setup of customer with the launch of Windows 7, it has become an active partner for offering upgrade to eligible buyer.
To keep a deep penetration into the market it has also collaborated with major tech support provider so as to address any issue on the priority level.

PC Optimization

2010-02-01T02:19:00.001-08:00

PC optimization is a way to improve the performance of a computer system. You can optimize your PC using several tips and techniques. You can also use any of the good PC optimization software available in the market. Let us discuss some of the useful tips to optimize a Computer Setup.

Wipe off your computer desktop: Do not clutter your PC desktop with several shortcuts and programs. The shortcuts occupy considerable fraction of system memory. So, if there are several shortcut icons placed on the desktop then they will consume huge system memory. As a result, you should keep only the recycle bin and some of the frequently used applications on the desktop.

Minimize the size of recycle bin: By default recycle bin occupies more computer memory. You can alter the memory size of the recycle bin to a lower value to make your system fast.

Turn off screensaver and wallpapers: Screensavers and wallpapers occupy a large volume of system’s memory. So, to improve the performance of your PC you can turn off the screensaver and keep images of small file size as wallpapers.

Regularly delete temporary files from your PC: Temporary files are voracious eaters of computer memory. You can improve its performance by removing the temporary files at regular intervals. Windows XP provides “Disk Cleanup” utility that can automatically clean up disk space for all the unwanted temporary files stored on your PC.

Defragment your PC’s hard disk: Defragmenting a hard disk can help in improving the performance of your PC. The process of defragmentation frees up space on the hard disk and can automatically arrange the data stored on it thereby improving its performance. You can use the “Disk Defragmenter” utility provided in the Windows XP operating system and improve the performance of your PC.

Refreshing your desktops at regular intervals will help a lot in improving the speed of your PC. The process of refreshing a desktop removes all the unused files from your computer RAM, hence improving the computer speed.

Firewall Configuration

2010-01-28T00:06:00.000-08:00

A firewall is a device or a set of devices, which can be implemented in any of the hardware, software or both. All the messages passing through the firewall are verified to meet some level of security criteria.

It acts as a computer security barrier, which analyzes all the incoming and outgoing traffic to and from your computer or network based on the firewall settings. There are some common types of firewalls like: Application level gateway, Packet filtering firewall, Circuit gateways and Hybrid firewall.

Application level gateway firewall works on the application layer of the protocol stack. It works more intelligently than the packet filtering firewall. Packet filtering firewall examines the information contained in the header of the message packets.

There are some factors based on which the filters can be added or removed from the firewall:

1. IP address

2. Ports

3. Protocols

IP address: Every computer connected to Internet has a unique IP address. The firewall configuration can be customized to block any IP address so that your computer will not allow any kind of communication to take in between.

Ports: The firewall can be configured to allow or block messages from any port number.

Protocols: There are some commonly used protocols like IP, HTTP, TCP, FTP, and SMTP etc., which can be included in the firewall filter.

Some operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows offer built-in firewalls that are turned on by default to block all the incoming threats from Internet. There are several other third party firewalls available. You can choose any one the firewall to replace the default firewall in Windows.

Install Anti-virus

2010-01-25T01:26:00.000-08:00

With the increasing pace of Internet usage worldwide, the rate at which the Computer Security systems are being infected is also increasing. Not only the users connected to Internet are infected, but the non-Internet users are also being attacked at the same rate with the use of infected portable storage devices like floppies, CD/DVD, USB flash drives and other for transferring files, data, and other documents among different computer systems.

There has been a tremendous growth in the number of malicious codes developed and spread on Internet. There has been a growth in the virus, spywares, Trojan horse, worms, adware, key loggers and other similar threats. To tackle with this increasing growth of virus and other malicious code on Internet, anti-virus software are simultaneously developed and updated.

In today’s scenario the anti-virus software comes bundled with several additional programs such as firewalls, and spyware removal tools so as to provide a higher level of security to the computer users.

The first line of defense to protect your PC is to install some good anti-virus software carrying the feature of automatic update. The reason behind installing anti-virus software with the automatic update feature is to get the latest protection against the newly released viruses and other malicious codes. The next step is to update the anti-virus with the latest virus definitions.

The install anti-virus software compares the binary code of the content stored on the computer hard disk against the database of virus definitions. When the anti-virus software detects the similar binary code of the virus on the hard disk then it report it as the presence of virus. So, if the virus definition database is updated with the latest virus definitions then your computer system will remain protected against the latest virus attacks.

Data Backup Support

2010-01-19T00:54:00.000-08:00

A successful business organization must secure its data to remain a viable force. The Internet has enabled employees of an organization to work even when they are away from their workstations at their office. As employees work at various different locations, a large amount of data is always at risk. So, it is always recommended to have the best Data Backup Support.

You can go for an online data backup support which is the safest and secured way to keep your data protected as well as accessible. It is the price worth paying to get the PC Support for data backup because you can access your data anytime and from anywhere.

Data backup is nothing but a process in which additional files are made and kept at some other place. For data backup, you will be provided with software bundled together in a package by your service provider. This software allows you to select a range of files that is compressed by the software which is stored at safe location.

Main features of the online data backup support:

1. It is safe as it protects your data from any natural disaster, hardware and software crash.

2. It is portable and you can access your data from any location through the Internet connection.

3. You can get support very easily.

To have a data backup is always beneficial and this will definitely help your organization to grow.

You can lose your data at any point of time so don’t delay and get support for your data now.

Easy Online Support for Windows Registry

2010-01-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

The windows system Registry has been called the most important part of any Windows PC operating system (OS), but you probably didn’t even know it exists. There is a good reason for that. Microsoft doesn’t want you messing with it. Like so many other features in Windows, Microsoft chose to hide information considered too powerful to be left in the hands of mere mortals. Only the wisest of gurus can be entrusted with such knowledge.
The registry controls everything and a single mistake can have devastating consequences on the entire OS. Installed programs and applications will write important data into the registry. User defined data and configurations are also stored.
The data is tracked through a tree of folders and it’s called “keys” that branch off the registry nodes. Every key can have sub keys nested in multiple levels. Its data known as “values” are stored in the keys and sub keys. Groups of related keys, sub keys and values are known as hives.
Applications can modify the keys by changing the values, adding new keys or deleting existing ones. More recent versions of Windows will back up the registry and in the event of a problem, will ask you if you want to use the “Last known good configuration.” This was an option that began in the old Microsoft Windows vista days.
The good news is that such configuration issues related to the registry will not affect your important data like documents, photos, etc. The bad news is that many times the problem that caused the crash in the first place may also be saved in the backup versions of the registry.
Many software programs exist to examine registry the keys and make any necessary repairs. These programs can even check your registry for unused keys that clog your system. Removing these keys can significantly improve performance.
For more information on the Windows Registry, check out the Microsoft software support program.

Computer install to get the desirous software

2010-01-05T22:27:00.001-08:00

In today’s computer world no software is the ultimate one. As developer are working deliberately to give the best to the users. Hence, computer install is an essential part, both for beginner and the experts.
For critical software install user can take the help of reputed organization who are offering remote support for installation purpose. But, you must be aware of some general installation procedure so that you don’t have to frequently call them up.
Let’s get acquittal with installation of some important software program on your computer.
Installation for Security software and web browsers
Users can make use of CD/DVD of the latest security software like Windows Defender, Spyware Doctor, No adware and so on. For browser you have plenty of options, you can go for Firefox, Opera, IE 8. If you have the internet connectivity you may go for online download from authentic sites. General steps can be followed as:
STEP 1. Download and save the startup program to a desired location.
STEP 2. Run the setup file and proceed on following the prompts.
STEP 3. Accept the agreement and enter the suitable key words.
STEP 4. Click on “Finish.” Restart your system.
Communication has been revised well with the latest email clients. Programs like email client can be installed internally from the web browser.IE 8 have been designed to automatically launch your default email client.
However, if you have the ambition to install a different email client on your computer, you can change your default client in the browser's Internet Options menu. Proceed as follow:
STEP 1. Explore the Internet Explorer.
STEP 2. Navigate on to the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options."
STEP 3. Select the "Programs" tab.
STEP 4. Click the button "Set Programs." Select "Set Your Default Programs" from the window that appears.
STEP 5. Select your email client from the list of programs on the left side of the screen. Next, click "Choose defaults for this program."
STEP 6. Check the box next to "Mailto" and click "Save."
Hence, you have got your preferred email client installed on your computer. Hope, that the above computer install article would be useful for you.

Online Computer optimization

2010-01-05T01:03:00.000-08:00

Computer optimization can be understood as the vital tonic to boost up the system. It has become the major area of concern for the users. Many computer support firms are making campaign for computer optimization. They are making use of troubleshooting techniques and implantation of third party software to resolve the issue.
I will concentrate this blog to resolve some general issues. Unfortunately you may face issues where your screen freezes and programs stop responding. Even you are unable to close the windows of some application. This is the disgusting situation. The reason behind could be scarcity of RAM, infection of virus or fault in windows registry.
Notice the time of the freezing, in majority of the cases your system will be able to restore the normal condition by default without any attempt. But if the things are not in favor bring out the Task Manager utility with simple keyboard activity: Press the ‘Alt’, ‘Ctrl’ and ‘Del’ buttons all at the same time. You would land to a Window format, now scroll down the program which is causing the error and choose to end the program. Now, again you can start the program and get the normalcy.
Note: Lower value of RAM is the prime reason behind hence to avoid regular repetition you may upgrade the RAM.
However, you may not be lucky every time. If the concern is not addressed with the Task Manager then the root cause may be virus infection or corruption of Windows registry.
If you don’t have any compatible anti-virus, than opt for the best one available in the market. Some trusted names includes, McAfee, Bitdefender, Kaspersky and so on. Before making download, make sure that they are compatible to your windows platform. The role of the anti-virus program is to scan and remove any virus, spyware, malware, keyloggers, rootkits and so on and do the computer optimization.

Many independent software are available for computer optimization which can fix, Error messages, slow performance, slow internet browsing and many more within few minutes. Some of the best are RegCure PC optimizer, XoftspySE.

Computer Support

2009-12-21T09:54:00.001-08:00

A computer support consultant is a seasoned consulting role which involves contract programming and system administration. Quite a tedious job, a computer support consultant is basically hired on a contract basis and usually the consultants are experts in computer administration and dealing.

Functions

The basic concept behind hiring computer consultants is to fit into the role of the expert and get services which are otherwise not found in the employees of the company. This skill of the consultant is hired by the companies to fill in the gap and ensure smoother functioning of the company.

The computer support consultants are required to train the employees in the company who have been hired on a permanent basis. The whole idea is to train the permanent employees in such a way that they will take over the services rendered by the consultant after the training process is over.

After the underlying issues are resolved by the computer consultant, the contract usually expires. The contract can be renewed if there are other areas or department in the company which have similar issues. Otherwise the consultant leaves the company.

Prospects

While this whole process is also a learning curve experience for the computer support consultant, the consultant can earn more money in the process. The difference between a permanent employee and a consultant is that while the former has a job wherein years might be spend on a single project.

It is a reliable and less-demanding job as compared to a consultant's. Because the latter have contracts of up to 3 months or even lesser and will have to apply for jobs every few months. The chief criteria to be qualified as a computer support consultant are to possess good and specialized skills which qualify the person to be a hired giving expert advice to companies.

Computer Data Backup

2009-12-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

Losing data is becoming more and more common as all work and activity regarding businesses, projects, networking, communication etc. has been totally dependable on computers. There are a host of causes for losing data; it includes virus infections, hardware & software failures, accidental loss of data when deleting the wrong files, power failures and so on.

One has to be always well-equipped to encounter such problems, and so it is most important to enable a data backup so that everything can be restored when required for. For the Vista Operating System one can use Windows Vista’s Backup and Restore center to backup your personal files or the entire system. There is also a provision to create a manual backup or even schedule automated backups that can aid in adding new files or the modified files into an original snapshot.

The purpose of this article is to come up with innovative ways for a computer data backup. However as a word of caution, it should be kept in mind that the Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore is not included in Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium. To start with the proceedings, one will firstly, have to go to the search field of the Start Menu and type the word "backup". Next, click on the Backup and Restore Center shortcut. Alternatively, you can go to Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Backup and Restore Center.

It is interesting, that inspite of all this, the data backup section also offers two more options: Back up files and Back up computer. Back up files will create a backup of all personal files and folders while back up computer will create a complete backup of the whole computer. It is strongly indicated to create a full data back up of your computer after the computer has been setup for the first time. Windows Vista will take a snapshot of all the programs, settings and files. This snapshot can be deployed even in the event when your computer stops working and then it will restore it to the original state.

Computer Tech Support Issues

2009-12-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

With new advancements in technology and computer tech support services are available for all computer related problems , users and customers have also become wiser and more aware. Before making a purchase for a new computer, everyone makes sure that they have set their eyes on a good computer tech support service which can provide good tech support as well.

This makes more sense when a user is on the look-out for computer systems which can serve businesses, since the machines will be the best tool for administrative needs. Choosing and selecting for the best tech support services is trciky and needs careful analysis before a user zeroes in on one. Most companies with tech support usually subscribe to a single product and there is always the chance of having to purchase an additional product when assistance is asked for. This makes the user bear some extra cost.

There is the need for good tech support services created by leading computer tech support individuals who are experts in the field. The experts should have good knowledge of what goes into many different types of computers and should have a thorough understanding of the way that all models of these computers will function. Technical glitches, irrespective of what computer you have, should be fixed quickly and efficiently by tech support specialists.

These experts should have complete understanding of the most complex of issues releated to computers in order to give you the computer tech support that a user or a customer will need. They should be referred to in order to find the best method to ensure that all technical issues are dealt with at the right time. When running a business, one cannot afford to have a computer which has been lying dormant for a long time.

Computers are vulnerable to technical glitches and so getting the right computer tech support to fix the issue without putting the computer into any further risk is very essential.

Email Account in Outlook Express

2009-12-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

A host of email clients these days give out software and applications to enable a user to create an email account apart from the regular web-based browsers. These email clients are supported by a host of software companies. Prominent among them is Microsoft. The software gaints has been developing excellent email clients and still continuous to do so. Its latest offering is the Windows Live Mail.

The Outlook Express was the email client created before the present one, but it still goes down well with a lot of companies. A lot of companies still deploy the Outlook Express to carry out the functioning of their companies and to enable smooth and unparallelled communication among its employees. The Outlook Express also serves the same purpose like all email clients, to send and receive emails. Creating a personal or a business email account is simple in the Outlook Express and can be created with no issues. There are some things to keep in mind while creating the email account and if these steps are kept in mind, it should be a smooth ride.

Firstly, one will need to create an email account. An old email account will also do. Next go to Start and choose Outlook Express from All Programs and select Accounts. At this point, choose the "Mail" tab in the Internet Accounts window. Now click Add and then click Mail from the side menu. Next up, the user will have to enter a lot of information. Enter name in the Internet Connection wizard, email that one wishes to use and the sever information (contact ISP for information if unsure). Click Next as you endure all these three points. Finally, enter the email account name and password in the next window, this can also be accessed through the ISP or the control panel. Click Next for the final time and then on Finish.

With the completion of the last step and after the task following it, the Outlook Express email account has been created. Remember to follow the above manual with absolute accuracy and stick to the basics listed in it. A user should have no problem creating the email account for further use.

Features in Kaspersky Anti- Virus support

2009-12-01T03:25:00.000-08:00

A lot of features have been incorporated in the antivirus support software rolled out by Kaspersky. One of them is the Startup Scan. It comes along with an updateable database.It allows instant automatic updates. This is enabled through the Kaspersky Security Network.

There is further reduction of the Anti-Virus support database update size available in the Differential update which comes along with the package. Another feature in the antivirus support is the Script-Checker with Internet Explorer GUI plug-in. There is a way to identify and clean-up Critical areas which is made available to the user through the Scan Critical Areas Task.

It falls under the category of a "New Scan Hope". It also has the Scan Starup Objects. And as the name suggests, the user can have a full control of the task execution. Another important feature is the Ban-list of blocked computers by IDS subsystem. It comes with the un-block feature.

The features of Kaspersky Anti-Virus support is to basically help in facilitating identification of security breaches and also to keep a check on time reduction when it comes to protecting the computer from new security risks. It is a good anti-virus support pack and can also shield itself from malware,which has the ability to disable it, when a user information is not available and Kaspersky utilizes the lab to promote and further its security products. This keeps a check on the computer from corrupt and malicious threats.

Set up Outlook Express - Setting up new email accounts

2009-11-30T04:10:00.000-08:00

Outlook Express is one of the better email clients that are available to the user, and it is a product of Microsoft. To have an email account in Outlook Express is easy. It serves the same purpose like all email clients, to send and receive emails. Creating a personal or a business email account in Outlook Express is not a tough task. One needs to keep these steps in mind.

One will need to create an email account. For this purpose even an old email account will do. Go to Start and choose Outlook Express from All Programs and select Accounts. Now choose the "Mail" tab in the Internet Accounts window. Follow this step up by clicking on Add and then click Mail from the side menu.

Next up, the user will now have to undertake a bigger task of entering a lot of personal information in order to create his email account in Outlook Express. Enter name in the Internet Connection wizard, email the one that the user wishes to use and also the sever information (contact ISP for information if unsure). Simply click on Next after the aforementioned steps have been completed.

Finally, enter the email account name and password in the next window that pops-up. This window can be accessed through the ISP or the control panel. Click Next for the final time and then on Finish. The Outlook Express email account has been set up and is now ready to use to make things a lot simpler for you in terms of communicating and keeping in touch with family, friends or workmates.

Windows 7 update references application compatibility issues

2009-11-27T02:28:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has launched a minor update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that references compatibility issues for some applications. It’s the first update for new Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 since the availability of the release-to-manufacturing versions of the operating systems. The update will either improve the functioning of a particular application or block it from executing. The update implements a hard block to avoid an application from running or a soft block to just warn the user that the application executing is incompatible with the operating system.

Microsoft’s Knowledge Base explains that the update is planned to address problems typically encountered when executing legacy games or other applications on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. However, the article lists a fair amount of security software, including Trend Micro Internet Security, PGP Desktop and Trend Micro VirusBuster 2008. Even Window Live Photo Gallery made the list. The update package can be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center in x86 and x64 editions for Windows 7. It’s available in x64 and Itanium versions for Windows Server 2008 R2. The update needs a restart to take effect.

Users not helped by Microsoft’s update can try to execute incompatible applications by using Windows 7 desktop virtualization features. Microsoft recommends Windows 7 XP Mode desktop virtualization feature for small-to-medium firms. For larger organizations that needs centralized management control over multiple PCs, Microsoft rather recommends using Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V). MED-V is a element of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, available via Software Assurance licensing.

MED-V permits users to run XP or Windows 2000 virtual desktops in Vista. However, Microsoft plans to add support for new Windows 7 hosts when MED-V 1.0 Service Pack 1 is launched in the first quarter of next year, according to a Microsoft blog. MED-V doesn’t needs special hardware virtualization facilities for execution. In contrast, users of XP Mode have to first assure that the PC uses processors with built-in virtualization capabilities, such as Intel VT and AMD-V technologies.

For those facing scaring application compatibility issues and willing to pay for support, Microsoft currently rolled out a new support line for the purpose. The company also gives a free downloadable Application Compatibility Toolkit to help diagnose such problems. Microsoft partner-based support is available through the Windows 7 Application Compatibility Factory Program.

In another development, Home users doing clean installs to Windows 7 can use a cable device and Windows Easy Transfer software to facilitate migrating files and settings from an old computer to a new one. The Windows Easy Transfer software is present for both 32-bit and 64-bit machines. From a technical standpoint, Microsoft only supports upgrades from Vista to Windows 7. Upgrades from Windows XP 7 are not supported. Rather, XP users need to do a custom installation of Windows 7. A custom installation is important a clean install that needs backing up settings and options and then restoring them after installing Windows 7.

When XP users run the custom installation option in the Windows 7 setup program, it offers two options. Either the user wipes the hard disk, destroying data and settings, or they can install Windows 7 using the existing XP-partitioned drive on the PC. However, users need to have enough disk space to carry it out. Using the existing partitioned drive doesn’t pass over the user data but instead stores the data in a directory called “windows.old.” After the installation, users can move the data over to Windows 7 folders from the windows.old directory.

install anti-spyware support

2009-11-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

Most spyware can be generally harmless, but in the worst cases it is capable of gathering all your private details like bank account numbers etc. which can enable crooks to steal your money and identity. Although, the antispware support software designed was meant to gather information about the user, it can also have adverse effects. Therefore, it is necessary to install an anti-spyware support and shield yourself from such heinous acts that could be set on you. Its an easy and simply process to install the software in your system, and wouldn't cost you a penny either.
The most highly rated anti-spyware support that can be downloaded freely are Avast! Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy. Once the program is downloaded, one would be able to see an installer on your desktop or in your designated downloads folder. Double-click on the icon and confirm to install the software. Next, make sure that you follow the steps on the screen, confirming that you agree to the terms and conditions.
The system will do the rest. Finally, keep in mind Run the anti-spyware support software once a week to keep your computer clean. Do it on a weekly basis, at regular intervals, and all problems related to spyware will be a thing of the past.

Introduction of Microsoft Office 2007

2009-11-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has had a loyal fan following ever since it launched its suite of applications through Microsoft Office to allow users to simplify their tasks and make life a lot easier. The Microsoft Office 2007 does not disappoint and have been totally revamped and structured to meet the immediate needs of users. It has been targeted at user interface hoping that users can fully utilize the complete range of applications it provides for.

The features incorporated in Microsoft Office 2007 have been discussed below:-

The Ribbon

The Ribbon replaces the age-old menus and toolbars in Microsoft Office 2007. It has been devised to command organized information into a set of tabs. The tabs reveal the most appropriate commands for each task area.

The Microsoft Office Button

The UI in Microsoft Office patches the abilities of the Office system into one entry point, which is the Microsoft Office Button allowing users to access features and giving a free hand to Ribbon to concentrate on creating documents.

Contextual Tabs

The Contextual Tabs in Microsoft Office 2007 do not pop-up at its own will and do so only when needed. This makes it a lot simpler to find and enable the relevant commands required for the work at hand.

Galleries

While a user works on a document, spreadsheet, presentation, or Access database; the Galleries option gives the user a list of lucid details to choose from. In this way many operations are simplified.

Live Preview

Live Preview in Microsoft Office 2007 displays the details when a there is a change in the format or in editing. It saves a user a lot of time and effort.

Mini Toolbar

This feature in the Microsoft Office 2007 comes up on the screen when a user selects a text. Its purpose is to give an easier access to used formatting commands.

Themes and Quick Styles

Finally, the Themes and Quick Styles feature in Microsoft Office 2007 allows a user to define the various effects on a document like fonts, color, and graphics. Anything that can be inserted into a document is styled by this feature.

Microsoft Office 2010 With Sharepoint 2010

2009-11-25T03:59:00.000-08:00

One of the remarkable features in the new Microsoft Office 2010 is the Sharepoint 2010. Like the other applications, it also has a ribbon UI, which makes the document-hosting tool likely to Microsoft’s flagship products, like Word. A lot of features has been enabled in Sharepoint which comes with Microsoft Office 2010. One thing is that from now the authors of documents can be easily tagged and sharing of documents and files have been simplified. The software giants added that its browser versions have been tested on all the big browsers apart from Internet Explorer, including Firefox and Safari. Microsoft Office 2010 is still undergoing fine tuning and modifications to enable it to work alongside Chrome. Microsoft said that it is bringing down the number of Office editions from eight to five.

Office Web applications can now be accessed in three variant ways. Firstly, with Windows Live, consumers will have access to Office Web applications for free, and then with on-premises versions and via Microsoft Online Services, now users can make purchases for a subscription of MS Office. Microsoft Office 2010 will be made availlable from the first half of 2010.

The free, browser-based versions of Microsoft’s high-demand Office products play the key roles here. The software developers expect the browser tools to be easily absorbed by students, but enterprises will be attracted by the web-based applications. Security precautions should not be ignored and should be kept in mind while putting documents in a safe part.

Windows 7 with Windows Media Center

2009-11-24T04:15:00.000-08:00

What was originally devised as an interface for what was once called the Windows 7 Media Center PC it is basically a computer operating on Windows XP that’s solely configured for working out multi-timedia solutions and is often loaded with a TV tuner card and add to that a special wireless remote; one can now use the Windows version of this attractive application to play music, view digital pictures, play movies, and also get the option to watch and record TV (provided your computer comes loaded with a TV tuner card).

Remember, that a user can only connect a computer that is running the Windows 7 Media Center for Windows directly to a home entertainment center by buying the Media Center Extender. Connecting directly to an Xbox 360 by buying the Media Center Extender for Xbox is also a viable option. When Windows 7 Media Center is launched , the Welcome to the Media Center Wizard will be directly visible , which guides one through the steps of setting up the center of a screen display, then configuring it to get a TV signal and downloading the TV guide which is available online. If a computer comes with a TV tuner card, that is. Thereafter, each time the Media Center is launched, the program reveals a full screen in a largely dark-blue window.

Since the Media Center options have been crafted to be accessed by enabling the use of a special Media Center remote control along with a standard mouse, its interface is a lot times fluid than what can be usually found in other conventional Windows application. The first thing that will come in sight in the Media Center interface is the amount of audio and visual feedback it emits.

When a program is launched like the new Windows 7 and one selects the menu option thereafter, Windows gives you distinct tones and clicks as well as visual answers to enable people to know which menu option to opt for and when the selection is completed.

Once the preferred option is selected, the user can select and display its sub menu options by clicking on the mouse button. With the Media Center remote control, move up and down through the main menu options by pressing on the device’s up and down arrowheads. Click the OK button which is located around the middle of the remote from the one which separates the arrowheads and choose the main option accordingly.
You can play Media files in Windows 7 using Windows Media Player. On computers, the term media refers to something other than text: Audio and video are examples of media. Audio is a term that has wide variety of items for music and other sound files, such as books on CD. Music is often entirely digital nowadays. You can use Media Player to play the sample music included with Windows 7. You can play your audio CD on your computer using Media Player. If you want to make that CD playing more convenient then you can copy the audio files to your computer. You can create your own CDs with a library of music copied from your CD collection and you can also combine tracks. You can also copy audio files to an MP3 player.

Upgrading an Operating System

2009-11-24T02:32:00.000-08:00

Upgrading an Operating System is not much of a task but one should always remember to make a back-up of all data before initializing the installtion process to be on the safer side. This will save a lot of careless blunders playing spoilsport to the operating system upgrade party. For starters, the upgradation process starts automatically by itself once the ‘Upgrade CD’ has been inserted into the CDROM. The next step is to choose ‘Upgrade’ option and not the ‘Fresh Install’ when prompted. There will be a prompt to upgrade and it will also ask which ‘File System’ to choose from. At this point, remember that using the same file system is always a safer option instead of taking the option of a new file system. This is the most valid way for upgrading an operating system.

The upgrade process does not take too long and after the operating system has been completed, the first thing to do should be to do a quick check on all the applications and see if they work. Reinstall them if they fail to respond or work. Any other complications with it can be resolved by checking up on the operating system vendor's website. One should also do a quick check on the hardware devices and figure out if they function properly. In the event of any hardware device failing to function after the upgrade on the operating system, then immediately the right driver should be deployed for the hardware. This support is also available on the manufacturer's website. A user can always get back to it for further reference.

Windows 7 - Certain limitation regarding security

2009-11-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

Windows 7 users got a nice surprise on Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009 when Microsoft released its first set of security patches since unveiling Windows 7 last month. It will focus on the Windows 7 security outfit.
When Microsoft launched Windows 7, it was billed as the company's best secure release ever -- the result of a nine-year "Trustworthy Computing" effort to shore up a product line that had been riddled with major security holes.
But does stress-tested windows 7 how to software really matter to Microsoft's customers, seemingly besieged by more online attacks than ever before? Microsoft had years to improve Windows XP, but the Conficker worm, which began spreading last year, has till date infected more than 7 million Windows machines. And for every Windows bug that gets squashed, hackers seem to get new problems in the software that runs on top of latest Windows7-- Flash Player, QuickTime and Java.
No doubt Windows 7 is definitely by far the most secure operating system, said Dave Aitel, chief technology officer with Immunity, a security company that spends a lot of time finding the latest software bugs. But the question that everybody is asking right now is will it be sufficient?
The man behind Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiative, Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie, says the industry still needs to improve.
This is Microsoft's conundrum. Windows may be safer, but cyber-criminals still have plenty of other places to attack. And when you can target hundreds of millions of customers with a single attack, why change the game plan? So most of the worst attacks today still target PCs running Windows, whether the OS itself is safe or not.
Consider spear-phishing. Attackers are so efficient at sending these highly customized e-mail messages, complete with malicious attachments, that the underlying security of Windows 7 is almost irrelevant.
According to Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute, a security training company, the problem with the targeted attacks is that there's so much money that they can actually trump the security. Hence the governments and large industrial crime groups have to spend huge amount of money to trump any of the defenses.
In a report released last month for a congressional advisory panel, Northrop Grumman analysts detailed exactly how this happens. Looking at known attacks, the report found that targets are carefully selected, and then sent very believable e-mails with maliciously encoded attachments that exploit bugs in a product such as Adobe Reader -- something that's outside of Microsoft's control. The victim opens the .pdf and suddenly attackers have a foothold on the network.
Microsoft has taken initiation step in this direction with its Windows CardSpace identity management software. This will make people to check any fraud while online dealing.

Top Windows 7 Features

2009-11-20T04:15:00.000-08:00

This articles targets ten greatest features of Windows 7 that should've been in Vista, and know how those ten features will make your life that much better if you're currently thinking the upgrade.

1. Reasonable System Requirements

People were very excited about upgrading their Windows to something that was prettier, more flashy and more intuitive, but they weren't banking on buying an entirely new system in order to do so. The price of Vista was tough enough to swallow, the cost of Vista plus the cost of a system capable of running Vista was too much for some. Microsoft put off a lot of potential customers by demanding such high end hardware to run its Windows, and to compound the issue, many end-users felt that the upgrade wasn't even worth it

Windows 7's requirements are almost same as Vista's. The difference? Windows 7 is coming out in late 2009, whereas Windows Vista launched in early 2007. Windows 7 allows older machines specially those strong enough to handle Vista to run beautifully on a new platform. Even netbooks and Windows XP-based machines are seeing smooth performance on Windows 7, though Vista is still sluggish. The breaking news? Windows 7 does more with what you give it, and it functions smoothly with older hardware that has less to offer it.

2. Streamlined Code Speed

The developers spent an awful lot of time cleaning up background activity in Windows 7 as compared to Vista. In Vista, it always seemed like too much was going on underneath, as if wheels were turning unnecessarily. This led to the Windows being far too resource intensive, as it couldn't do the things it needed to do in a highly efficient fashion.

Windows 7, on the other side, is buttery smooth from boot-up to shut down. Transitions are seamless, application launching is fast and everything just seems to look better. If Vista was a first or second draft, Windows 7 is the final copy after being edited four or five times over.

3. Trust

Windows Vista seemed to question your every move, and while we know its intentions were (it wouldn't want you venturing to some virus-installed website, for example), the incessant nagging grew tiresome very quickly. Vista wanted to check, double-check and sometimes triple-check every single move you made, and while Windows 7 still asks for your permission before doing an awful lot of tasks, it's not nearly as persistent.

4. Aero Peek

Vista was plenty advanced enough to include Aero Peek, but instead, the only thing Aero was good for in Vista was adding a bit of sheen to your desktop while consuming 500MB of RAM in the process. Aero Peek is a Windows 7 feature that enables users to hover over application window groupings in the task bar in order to see what's currently going on. Let's suppose you've got three IE8 windows, two Windows Explorer windows and four Adobe Reader windows open on the desktop. If you roll over the IE8 icon in the task bar, your three IE8 windows pop-up above it; hover over the one you want to maximize, and that windows automatically takes center stage over everything else. What once was chaos is now calm and understandable.

5. Aero Shake

Here comes another Windows 7 feature that sound simple almost too simple to matter yet makes a big difference in daily work. In Vista, you had to either show the desktop and then click on the window you wanted to appear alone, or you had to manually minimize each and every window except your preferred one. Aero Shake enables you grab a window, shake your mouse like a crazy person, and view all of the other windows shrink down into the task bar. It's the Windows equivalent of a stress reliever ball, but it actually increase your productivity.

6. Aero Snap

In case you didn't notice, Windows 7 puts Aero to good use. Instead of just making your windows, desktop and transitions look cooler. Aero Snap is another great feature for quickly re-arranging your desktop into how you'd like it. Using this is simple; you just select a window, move it into the left or right side, and immediately that window resizes to fill precisely half of your desktop space (on whichever side you slammed it into). Do the same process to other window on the opposite side, and bam, you've just maximized your screen space while viewing two documents/web pages/etc.

7. A Smart Task bar

The task bar in Windows Vista was simply a newer version of the task bar in Windows XP. Sure, it worked, but it didn't innovate. And look, you're paying a lot of money for this new OS--surely some innovation should come standard, right? Windows 7's task bar allows users to pin applications launchers and documents to the bar, and it even lets you pin web pages and specific shortcuts on each main icon.

8. A Windows Media Center

For casual users of Windows Media Center, the one in Windows Vista is probably good enough. But for those with multiple TV tuners, a Netflix subscription and a library of movies that runs a few hundred titles deep, there were loads of issues to deal with.

The Windows Media Center within Windows 7 works a whole lot smoother, feels a lot less like a shoe-horned addition to the OS and is actually built to handle extenders such as the Xbox 360.

Windows7's version boasts a slicker interface, faster transitions and integration with far more web content portals. Oh, and did we mention the extra long list of compatible HTPC hardware? Chances are, your TV tuner, sound card and optical drive will work without any extra drivers on Windows 7, and simplicity is always a good thing.

9. Search That Works

Microsoft really enhanced searching in Windows 7, and considering that an operating system is a big, scary world, it makes perfect sense. You'll probably find yourself search for one thing or another on a daily basis, so wouldn't it be good if your Operating system was ready at all times to help you find it?

When it comes to searching Vista was not good enough.. It oftentimes wouldn't search in the locations you needed it to, and many times it would look right over the file you were trying to find. Worst of all, it acted like it needed you to give it a head start by telling in where in the drive to search. Windows 7, on the other side, allows you to simply hit the Windows key and start typing; your text automatically goes into a search field and the gears start turning as soon as you mash the first hey. Windows 7 is far better at indexing material to search, and we've yet to type in something that it couldn't locate.

10. Multi-touch Support

We all know multi-touch wasn't popular in 2007, but it wasn't unheard of. Microsoft's own Surface paved the way for simpler, consumer-oriented multi-touch programs, so we're confident the boys and girls in Redmond know a thing or two about it. Vista simply wasn't designed for touch, which is baffling given the amount of Tablet PCs on the market and the amount of touch-panel PCs that are shipping. Windows 7 rights that wrong, however, added a deep level of multi-touch support throughout the OS.

We believe Windows 7 is an outstanding operating system, and it really improves on the areas that Vista was lacked.

Ninite Windows 7 Upgrade

2009-11-17T02:22:00.000-08:00

Windows 7 has met with mostly positive reviews and a great deal of optimism by software professionals and there is no doubt that there will be a lot of users, many who will be making the change to Microsoft’s new operating system in the next couple of weeks. However, if one had to sit down and reflect, it can be alarmingly true that this could be a bit of a pain if you are stuck with Windows XP and skipped Vista, the previously launched operating system from Microsoft which failed to go down well with the users, altogether, because then the next best thing for one to do would be to perform a complete clean install after backing up all the data that has been stored on a computer and also the programs that have been saved on a computer.

Wiping out your data is one thing, but one will also need to install all the said applications from scratch again once one gets a hold of the new Windows 7 up, and get it running on a computer. It is quite the same thing, of course, for people who prefer to buy a new PC and start with only a few pre-installed programs. It could be simply none at all as well.

One can notice that installing multiple software applications can be more of a painstaking, time-consuming chore, but a Y Combinator-funded startup has just started up with a tool that aims to make the process very, very easy. And free of charge, without any cost, on top of that.

We have been beating around the bush, what we are talking about is the new software. Meet the Ninite a multi-app installer tool that’s as useful as it is simplified and easy to go about with.

Ninite has aggregated a range of popular PC applications in a range of categories on its website, and gives the option to a user to check multiple software programs and run the setup process for almost every one of them in one go. No installation of additional software is needed, and Ninite will even automatically refrain from the inclusion of toolbars and what not with the software one have opted to install. The only disadvantage that can be seen, however, is actually a feature: default settings for software programs that one has chosen to install will automatically be selected. So there is little customization you can perform during the set-up process.

Once all the selected apps have been sorted and organized, one will get a single executable file which will run all installations at a single click while one can go and relax, watch a movie or a cup of coffee. Ninite, which was called Volery when it was in private beta, is a product from Secure by Design, a YC-funded startup which discovered that people were always wishing for this type of tool when it was being marketed in the BaseShield App Store, essentially an app store for Windows apps. It is a company target and goal to make money off Ninite by incorporating in it premium features like local and domestic download caching, network share download caching and even a silent mode to paying users.

Tell me the Procedure to Burn Windows 7.ISO to DVD Disc.

2009-11-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

I have downloaded Windows 7 beta 1.ISO file but I am little uncertain therefore I want to keep the copy of it. Please suggest and help with step by step instruction, if available for the same.

Ans:Try the following steps:

Step1
Download Windows 7 Beta 1.ISO file.

Step2
You require to download ImgBurn.

Step3
Put a blank DVD in your DVD writer drive and fire up ImgBurn. Now select Write image file to disc. Point the Source to the .ISO file and click the button to start the disc writing process. This process will burn the .ISO file to the DVD.

How can I shift windows from one monitor to another in Windows 7?
I am running multiple monitor with Windows 7?

What good website provides for a compatibility chart for running Windows 7?
Please suggest a reliable and good website for the same. Thanks.

What is the procedure to add videos to Start Menu?
I want to access my favorite videos from start menu. Is it possible?

Ans: Right click the Start button, then go to Properties -> Start Menu -> Customize and set the Videos to “Display as a link” and you’re done, you will now find them in the Start Menu.

How hard drive can be defragmented in Windows 7?
I want to defragment the hard drive but not aware of the process of defragmentation in Windows 7. Please assist.

Ans: Graphical User Interface feature is included in Windows 7 that allows the user to perform defragmentation far more easier than in Windows Vista. Without any adverse effects the process can be terminated anytime. In Windows 7, defragmentation is set by default and the users don’t require to adjust the setting for it. Additionally, multiple volumes can be defragmented simultaneously.

What are Steps Recorder and Nirvana in Windows 7?
What purpose do they tend to serve in Windows 7?

Boot Performance: Windows 7 and Vista

2009-10-22T02:39:00.000-07:00

The PC tune-up developers reveals that Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7, starts up much more slower than Windows Vista and it’s booting speed tends to go slower with time. This statement contradicts the statement made by Microsoft company.

The Los Angeles maker of PC software, iolo Technologies, contradict Microsoft’s claim by remarking that Windows 7 doesn’t boot faster. Corresponds to iolo tests, Windows 7 boots 42% slower than it’s predecessor, the company also reveals the study result on a brand new machine – Windows 7 take one minute, 34 seconds whereas one minute, six seconds is taken by Windows Vista to boot up. It seems that Windows 7 boot faster but iolo measured the startup with a low load on the fully usable computer.

Microsoft stated that they have devoted significant resources to make Windows 7 boot and regain from the sleep and hibernation faster than Vista, after they got severe criticism in 2007 for Windows Vista starting slowly. Other test too resounds like iolo, that reveals that in some cases Windows 7 do boot slower than it’s predecessor. PC World, a sister publication of Computerworld, also measured the new operating system, Windows 7, against Windows Vista and reported that Windows 7 boots 10% slower than Vista in case of 32-bit version and boots 14% faster on 64-bit when compared.

The statement released by iolo also states that the booting time for new operating system tends to degrade over time like windows Vista. After many “commonly based” applications have been installed in Windows 7 box, its startup time increases to two minutes, 34 seconds which is an increase of about 64%. Over the time, Windows 7 will respond much slower. And by the end of two years, the startup time for Windows 7 would increase to 330%.
Perform Administrative task from Start menu.Procedure to add Administrative Tool in Start Menu icon.Windows 7 has built-in Administrative Tools such as system services, manage scheduled tasks, adjust firewall settings, manage hard drive partitions, and many more. If you often access these tools, then its better to add a link to Start Menu for your convenience.

Steps to perform this task:Right-click an empty area of the Windows 7 Taskbar and choose “Properties”.The “Taskbar and Start Menu Properties” multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the “Start Menu” tab.Click the “Customize” button.The “Customize Start Menu” dialog box appears. Scroll down to “System administrative tools” and choose from the following radio buttons.Display on the All Programs menuDisplay on the All Programs menu and the Start menu.Don’t display this item (default).Click “OK”Keep your system in inert condition for avoiding any manipulation of your data or settings.

Often it happens on shared system. Someone else may see your files and documents in your absence.Use of AppLocker tool can prevent all this. It blocks other user to access Executables, Windows Installer, Scripts, a specific publisher or path. Do as follows. Hold your Windows key. Type “Gpedit.msc.” Above command will open a window. Visti Computer Navigation> Windows Settings>Security Settings>Application Control Policies>AppLocker. Under AppLocker adjust the optional setting of Executables, Installer and Script.Now, you can remain relaxed at your home away from office.

Eligibility criteria for Upgrading to Windows 7

2009-10-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

If you have a computer that is pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, or Windows Vista Ultimate, you may be eligible to upgrade to a corresponding edition of Windows 7.

This upgrade option allows end users to get the appropriate Windows 7 edition at a minimum cost or no additional cost if the end user meets program qualifications. Consumers can contact their computer manufacturers directly in order to get complete details on this program.

Note: The Upgrade is not available for the following editions:

* Windows Vista Starter Edition
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
* Windows XP (all editions)

Different upgrade media will be required by different platforms (32-bit or 64-bit). The Windows Vista product can only be upgraded to the associated edition of Windows 7. Example: Windows Vista Business edition can only be upgraded to Windows 7 Business edition.

A language version of the qualifying Windows Vista product can only be upgraded to the same language version of the Windows 7 upgrade software.

Upgrading:

To perform an upgrade, you need to insert the Windows 7 installation disc in DVD-ROM while running Windows Vista and choose upgrade option. The setup will then upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7 without losing personal data. It will also move over all your user accounts and personal settings that can be transferred to Windows 7. There are many risks in doing this, such as application incompatibilities, issues with moving files and registry entries. It is still important to backup crucial files that you cannot replace if something should happen.

Here are the Microsoft minimum hardware recommendations for running Windows 7:

* 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
* 1 GB of system memory
* 16 GB of available disk space
* Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory
* DVD-R/W Drive
* Internet access

Note: Other features of Windows 7 may require advanced or additional hardware.

Windows 7 Task Manager Processes

2009-10-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

On Windows 7 Task Manager has undergone some major renovations. In this article, we focus on the Processes tab. The Processes tab displays a list of all processes - programs do not protrude - will run on Windows 7. Each program has at least one process, sometimes more. The operating system has several running processes. Background programs also appear here.

A good example of a background program is a struggle against the third-virus. To protect Windows 7 from a variety of threats, the software must be running all the time, the monitoring of programs and access to the network to make sure everything is behaving itself. This is shown as a process in task manager, often a darkly appointed. Task Manager is full of obscure name tasks.

When the computer becomes slow, it is often because too much working, even if you only have one or two programs open on your desktop. Then you have to ask, "Where do these processes and what do you belong to? Do I need them all? What happens if I miss this or that?

In earlier operating systems, this required extensive research. You could try googling the name of the process to try to find out what is and what it does. This often does not show anything useful, or give you a list of possibilities for confusion.

The redesigned Windows 7 changes all that. There is a new column on the Processes tab called Description. In most cases, this contains the name of the program initiator. This shows exactly what each of these processes is doing on the list. It demystifies the list, and can help eliminate the processes that you know are not helpful for you.

Kaspersky Latest Security Guards

2009-09-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Kaspersky Asia-Pacific managing director Harry Cheung said that the three solutions were the company's flagship product this year and hopes to Kaspersky for market leadership in 2009.

Kaspersky Antivirus 2010 provides real-time automated protection for a wide range of threats. His skills include real-time scanning of files, web pages and email messages, self-protection against malware, disabling links to malicious Web sites, emergency and regular updates for constant protection, and a new feature: a toolbar to warn Kaspersky Internet browsers of infected or unsafe websites.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 is designed to automatically block access to known phishing sites and blocks spyware designed to steal user passwords and access codes. It also implements a virtual keyboard that allows users to enter usernames and passwords securely.

"This unique feature protects sensitive data against theft by spyware and prevents it from taking pictures of the windows virtual keyboard," says Cheung.

Kaspersky Mobile Security 8. 0 is designed to protect against a wide range of threats faced by smart phone users. For example, it has an anti-theft function if a Smartphone is lost or stolen. Of its functions, including SMS-Block, SMS-Search, SMS and SMS-Clean-Watch allows users to block or delete sensitive data remotely.

Kaspersky Antivirus 2010 and Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 are priced at Bt690 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 costs Bt890.

"There are tremendous opportunities in the Thai market for us. Our market which grows by over 100 percent per year. With the performance of our product and affordable pricing strategy, we believe we can gain market leadership in Thailand this year," says Cheung.

Microsoft Windows Users and iYogi Predict a Surge in Tech Support for Windows 7 Upgrades

2009-09-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 16, 2009 -- iYogi, the on-demand tech services company with a unique global delivery model, announced today the results of a consumer poll regarding support concerns and predictions for the upcoming launch of the new Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. Based on responses from more than 1,000 Windows XP and Windows Vista users, 52 percent think that moving to a new operating system and moving their data is a hassle, suggesting some real frustrations on the near horizon. Nearly half (47 percent) think upgrading to Microsoft Windows 7 may require a call to technical support - potentially causing a huge backlog of support needs, as up to 40 million copies of Windows 7 are expected to be sold in 2009, according to IDC.

"We predict that more than 40 percent of XP users will generate support calls and inquiries globally this year and even more in 2010 as mass adoption kicks in and people face the prospect of dealing with an entirely new interface," said Vishal Dhar, President Marketing & Co-founder of iYogi. "We estimate twice as many support calls for current Windows XP users than Windows Vista users, since Microsoft Windows XP users will require a 'clean' install including migrating applications, settings and drivers--a potentially arduous, time-intensive task."

We predict that more than 40 percent of XP users will generate support calls and inquiries globally this year and even more in 2010 as mass adoption kicks in and people face the prospect of dealing with an entirely new interface

Additional survey findings reveal:

* 58 percent of users think they will or may upgrade to Windows 7, an encouraging number considering some of the backlash surrounding Vista

* Only 39 percent of users are aware that Windows 7 is launching soon, suggesting an increased flurry of help questions in the coming months as more people become aware of the upgrade options

iYogi has more has more than 90,000 annual subscribers and provides thousands of single incident sessions every day on a 24/7 basis. Its Global Delivery Platform delivers on the highest customer satisfaction benchmarks in the industry and gets smarter with every customer interaction, building a powerful knowledge base that provides unique customer insights on predictive needs to tech support.

ABOUT IYOGI
iYogi is a global on-demand services company that provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. iYogi's unique model, including proprietary technology iMantra and highly qualified technicians, is designed to eliminate computer-related stress and keep millions of digitally dependent consumers and small businesses always protected and productive. Only iYogi -- with its proven global expertise delivery model, intelligent customer insight systems, easy-to-use self-help tools and automated PC optimization and computer support services - offers users a simple yet comprehensive path to digital serenity. iYogi has perfected the remote technical support model to overcome the current limitations of in-store, on-site, or call center services to become the fastest growing provider of support in the industry. Major resellers and technology companies are increasingly turning to iYogi to improve customer satisfaction, reduce return rates, and deliver a compelling new-value added offering to customers. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net.

Resolve Your Computer Problems with Online Technical Support

2009-09-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

With the availability of thousands of computer support services online, you can easily improve your computer performance slow-moving and bring it to life in the comfort of your home. Wondering how?

Simple with the help of technical support online from computers that have the ability to solve technical problems related to computers and other technical products. As a guest, you only need to pay for the service you want. Computer repair online is becoming increasingly close as the preferred choice for customers seeking efficient resources for their desktop computers. Professionals can take most of their technical problems through remote control via Internet, provided you have a fast connection to the Internet.

You can find online help team of specialists by conducting a simple Internet search. Online resources give you a good idea about computer support services available. A computer repair technician online can see everything that happens on your system along with work on their issues.

With advancements in technology, you can even control the actions taken within the system at any time while the support session, where I think there is any security violation. In some cases, instructions are given to customers directly via the phone and the user simply has to follow these guidelines to fix your computer.

Most computer troubleshooters online off the program until and unless you want the program for future use. The whole process of online computer repair is moving into the foreground, but always suggested that you get good references from remote repair company. This will help verify the credentials of the company and ensure the safety of your valuable data.

Online computer support proves to be of great help to troubleshoot computer like nasty computer problems and can help with other annoying things such as virus removal, software installation, upgrading, disk cleaning and optimizing PC. The success rate is also quite high when it comes to fixing computer through online computer support.

Another advantage of the computer repair online is that you can save money and their efforts in the long term as they do not require you to launch your local system to any showroom and equipment repair technicians are working from its own location. In fact, they handle everything from one centralized console. So neither they nor you need to go anywhere in search of solutions to the mistakes of his team.

How to Repair a Slow Computer - 3 Tips to Make Your PC Run Faster!

2009-09-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's a team too slowly, or constantly gives the blue screen of death? This happens to most users, but fortunately there are some things you can do that can help solve the problem:

1. Get rid of useless programs: the average user has installed many programs that do nothing more than taking valuable memory. It is necessary to locate any program that is not going to use more and remove. This will increase the speed of the PC you significantly.

2. Remove all spyware and adware: Most computers that are connected to the Internet have spyware and adware on them. Every time you surf the net a few web sites will be reduced some adware on your PC. You need to download a spyware cleaner in order to get rid of this problem, which slows the system considerably.

3. Repair the registry: 90% of the time to do slow computers, recording errors is to blame. The registry is like a big file that eventually becomes bloated with useless files. After corrupted, it becomes very difficult to track data and this causes a significant slowdown in system performance. In this case you will need to remove all unnecessary entries, in order to free some space. You have to know what you're doing, because if you remove the wrong entry of your PC may fail.

A good idea would be to download an online tool registry cleaner that will remove errors and leaves intact all the necessary data.

Of course, you need to keep in mind that not all tools are the same. Some applications may detect more errors than others and are much safer to use.

How to Repair a Slow Computer - 3 Tips to Make Your PC Run Faster!

2009-09-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

It's a team too slowly, or constantly gives the blue screen of death? This happens to most users, but fortunately there are some things you can do that can help solve the problem, This post provide computer help tips to computer fix.

1. Get rid of useless programs: the average user has installed many programs that do nothing more than taking valuable memory. It is necessary to locate any program that is not going to use more and remove. This will increase the speed of the PC you significantly.

2. Remove all spyware and adware: Most computers that are connected to the Internet have spyware and adware on them. Every time you surf the net a few web sites will be reduced some adware on your PC. You need to download a spyware cleaner in order to get rid of this problem, which slows the system considerably.

3. Repair the registry: 90% of the time to do slow computers, recording errors is to blame. The registry is like a big file that eventually becomes bloated with useless files. After corrupted, it becomes very difficult to track data and this causes a significant slowdown in system performance. In this case you will need to remove all unnecessary entries, in order to free some space. You have to know what you're doing, because if you remove the wrong entry of your PC may fail.

A good idea would be to download an online tool registry cleaner that will remove errors and leaves intact all the necessary data.

Of course, you need to keep in mind that not all tools are the same. Some applications may detect more errors than others and are much safer to use.

How to disable the User Account Control (UAC) feature on my Windows Vista computer?

2009-09-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista has the built-in ability to automatically reduce the potential of security breaches in the system. It does that by automatically enabling a feature called User Account Control (or UAC for short). The UAC forces users that are part of the local administrators group to run like they were regular users with no administrative privileges.

This post provide windows tech support to disable UAC feature in Windows Vista, If you are facing any problems contact to online technician which provide Phone tech support for fixing computer problems.

Although UAC clearly improves the security on Windows Vista, under some scenarios you might want to disable it, for example when giving demos in front of an audience (demos that are not security related, for example). Some home users might be tempted to disable UAC because of the additional mouse clicking it brings into their system, however I urge them not to immediately do so, and try to get used to it instead.

Fix Using MSCONFIG Method
1.Launch MSCONFIG by from the Run menu.
2.Click on the Tools tab. Scroll down till you find "Disable UAC" . Click on that line. 3. Press the Launch button.
4. A CMD window will open. When the command is done, you can close the window.
5. Close MSCONFIG. You need to reboot the computer for changes to apply.

You can re-enable UAC by selecting the "Enable UAC" line and then clicking on the Launch button.

How to Find Those Lost Computer Files

2009-08-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

Many computer users download a file to the computer and forget exactly where the file was placed. I've downloaded computer files many times and thought that they were stored in the download folder. And to my surprise they were not there when I checked the file! Sounds like a real frustrating problem. But, actually it's not a big problem at all. Windows has a very good way to find those lost files hiding on the hard drive This post computer help you to find your lost file and folder.

Open any folder on your computer desktop and click the search button located at the very top. A search box appears on the left side of the folder.

A few options are displayed on the search box. Check the display box. And select an option.

Now type in the name of the file that you are searching for on the computer. Type the complete computer file name to speed up the search results. Typing in a partial name brings up all sorts of files that might not have anything to do with the search file.

Hit the search button. Now the computer searches through the computer for files with that name. If files are found that match your search term
they should display in the window. Check the results. And click to open the file that matches your search.

How to fix if you unable Find the Mouse

2009-08-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

Frequently lose your Windows XP mouse pointer? Make it easier to spot in the future via a Control Panel tweak.This post provide computer technical support to fix unable to find mouse.

Frequently lose your mouse pointer on the screen? Windows XP has a neat trick whereby pressing the CONTROL key displays a circle around the mouse. This makes it easier to spot it on a complicated background.

To turn this feature on follow the steps:

1. First, open Windows XP's Mouse Control Panel.

2. On the "Mouse Properties" multi-tabbed dialog box that follows, select the "Pointer Options" tab.

3. Check "Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key".

4. Press "OK" to close the dialog box.

How to Create a "Run" Desktop Shortcut

2009-08-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

This post provides computer support to Double-click an icon on your Windows XP Desktop to run software, bypassing the Start menu.

Do you often need to start software not listed in your Windows XP Start Menu? Is clicking "Start" and selecting "Run", or pressing the "Windows" keyboard button then "R" too much? If so, create a shortcut on your desktop that you can double-click to run software on your system.

Follow the steps
1. Click the "Start" menu.
2. Click on the "Run" link, keeping the left mouse button held down.
3. Drag and release the link on an empty area of your desktop.
4. If desired, right-click the link, choose "Rename", and name it whatever you wish.

How to Display a Disabled Taskbar Clock

2009-08-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

If the Windows XP Taskbar clock has disappeared and is disabled, the following Registry edit may redisplay the clock. This post provides step by step windows xp support to resolve this issue.

Normally the Windows XP Taskbar contains the system clock on the right side in the Notification Area. While you can remove the Taskbar clock, what if the clock has disappeared?

Normally all you need to do is right-click an empty area of the Notification Area, choose "Properties", click the "Taskbar" tab when the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" dialog box displays, check the "Show the clock" box, and click "OK". But what if the "show the clock" checkbox is grayed out / disabled?

1. Open "regedit.exe" from the "Start" - "Run" dialog box.

2. Navigate to the following key: My Computer \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ policies \ Explorer.

3. You should see a REG_DWORD value named HideClock. Double-click this and change its value to 0.

4. Close the Registry Editor. You will need to logoff and back on or restart your machine for the change to take effect.

How to Defragment Your Computer?

2009-08-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

When your computer writes information onto your hard drive, it does not always write information in the same location on the actual hardware. A section of a file can be written near the beginning of the disc, whereas the rest of that file could be written near the end. This causes programs to run slowly, as the computer spends time in retrieving these file clusters from all over the disc. Defragmenting your computer sorts all of your files in an orderly manner, in effort to reduce loading time. Here is how to do it.

Steps

Windows

1. Start Windows in Safe Mode. This is not mandatory, but it helps to avoid complications from other programs that are running in the background. This also speeds up and streamlines the process.
2. Uninstall any programs you do not use or need. It is best to uninstall programs prior to a defragmentation, as the newly-acquired free space will generally be located all over the hard drive, thereby giving rise to fragmentation.
3. Make sure that all unnecessary programs are closed. If you have already started in Safe Mode, then this has already been done.
4. Cancel any programs that are scheduled to run. If you have not manually scheduled any programs to run, then skip this step.
5. Delete any temporary files. This is done by running Disk Cleanup. To run the program, go to: START -> Run, and enter cleanmgr in the window.
6.
Disk Defragmenter with two hard drives.
Disk Defragmenter with two hard drives.
Run the Disk Defragmenter Program. Go to START -> Run, and enter dfrg.msc in the window. Alternatively, launch it by going to Start -> Programs (or All Programs) -> Accessories -> System Tools -> "Disk Defragmenter". A window similar to the one on the right should appear. Click Analyze so you can see what the damage is, and then look at the report. If you want to continue: Make sure that your desired drive is selected [C: being the default drive], and click on the Defragment button.
7. Wait until the process is complete. Sit back and relax as your computer organizes your fragmented files.

Batch Method

Although using batch files to defrag your computer, some actually prefer to see words filled with info than something filled with color.

1. Make a new txt application. On windows you will edit the txt document with Notepad on defult.
2. Make the code.
1. Type in defrag becasue you are obviously going to defrag a disk.
2. Type in the drive letter or mount point that you wish to defragment. For example: defrag c:.
3. Type in parameter -v if you want to see extra data.
4. Type in -a if you just want the data. Note: -a -v will print out a more detailed data.
3. Execute the file. First, rename your file so the extension is .bat. Your file is now a batch file. Next, click on it.
4. Wait. Play games, stare at the clock, get levels on RuneScape, whatever. It takes a long time to defrag a computer.

Source: wikihow

Repair or Replace Boot.ini in Windows XP

2009-07-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

The boot.ini file is a hidden file that is used to identify in what folder on which partition and on which hard drive Windows XP is located. Boot.ini can become damaged, corrupted or deleted for a number of reasons and is usually brought to your attention by an error message.

1.Enter Windows XP Recovery Console. The Recovery Console is an advanced diagnostic mode of Windows XP with special tools that will allow you to restore the boot.ini file.
2.When you reach the command line (detailed in Step 6 in the link above), type the following command and then press Enter.

bootcfg /rebuild

3.The bootcfg utility will scan your hard drives for any Windows XP installations and then display the results. Follow the remaining steps to add your Windows XP installation to the boot.ini file.
4.The first prompt asks Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All).

Type Y in response to this question and press Enter

5.The next prompt asks you to Enter Load Identifier:.

This is the name of the operating system. For example, type Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition and press Enter.
6.The final prompt asks you to Enter OS Load options:.

Type /Fastdetect here and press Enter.
7.Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.

Assuming that a missing or corrupt boot.ini file was your only issue, Windows XP should now start normally.

2009-07-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

Remote managed services are gaining a lot of attraction these days. Companies are looking to outsource the maintenance and monitoring of their IT infrastructure to a third party to improve efficiency and save costs. BizTech2.com caught up with Uday Challu, founding partner and CEO, iYogi, to see what the company has to offer in this space.

As far as Enterprise and SME customers are concerned, which verticals are you focusing on?

Our focus will mostly be on small companies with around five to 100 users and also firms that have multiple small branch offices like travel agencies, retail stores etc.

What kind of support services do you provide to your customers? What is the Green PC service?

iYogi provides the next generation of remote computer support services for consumers and businesses. For consumers, our live 24/7 support extends to technologies we use everyday, including hardware, software applications, devices, peripherals and networking equipment. iYogi also offers a full range of business IT solutions including managed monitoring, managed services, set-up and installation services, and incident-based services.

Green PC Service

With the current state of the global climate and increasing dependency on the computer, iYogi helps PC users reduce their carbon footprint and save money at the same time. iYogi’s Green PC service is the first in the independent computer support industry to offer customers a way to save money, conserve energy and protect the environment by optimising their PC’s efficiency. Consumers and businesses can save up to $200 per year, per desktop, in energy costs with iYogi’s Green PC application. This green application makes the computer environmentally friendly by reducing power consumption by almost 50 percent.

Our Green PC dashboard helps customise power settings and calculate power savings in kWh (kilowatt hour). The Green PC dashboard also gives a status on the reduction of CO2 and how responsible usage will benefit the environment by saving trees. A customised service that increases the energy efficiency of computers, undertakes the below-mentioned three primary initiatives:

- Computer assessment, analysing settings and PC energy use
- Customised efficiency planning geared specifically to the individual’s usage patterns
- Implementing setting changes to maximise the computer’s energy use

What are the technologies that allow you to offer 24/7 support and ensure there is no downtime at the client site?

We have invested significantly in developing a comprehensive monitoring and management tools stack. This enables us to manage and monitor all devices in the office network as well as for branch offices and mobile users. Our tools continuously monitor the customer’s network and notify our NOC (Network Operations Centre) in case of problems. Based on the set of events, tickets are automatically generated and escalated to corresponding teams. Over and above our proactive approach, the customer always has an option to call our 24X7 support line for issues that are not identified via the monitoring tools.

Please throw some light on your proprietary iMantra technology.

iMantra is a CRM system, which is tailor-made to suit the emerging business needs at iYogi. It allows for the formation of individualised customer relationships with the aim of providing personalised services to each subscriber. This tool is built on the latest java technology with a layered architecture that makes it scalable and secure. This architecture provides a seamless workflow and independent channels for various business needs: sales, support, quality and customer service. The entire system can be exposed in the form of secure APIs and Web services, which makes it a re-usable entity.

Your business model is similar to BPOs in India providing technical support to offshore customers. What unique values do you bring to this ecosystem that would help a potential client choose you over a competitor?

iYogi’s business model is different from traditional BPOs. Some key factors that differentiate iYogi include:

- Direct-to-consumer and -small business: iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is a global technical support brand based out of India. Unlike traditional BPOs in India, iYogi does not provide any private label support and/ or work on behalf of large OEMs or software publishers.

- Optimised Processes: iYogi has developed proprietary processes for consistently delivering on a resolution rate of 87 percent, which is among the highest published benchmarks in the support industry, where averages hover in the range of 50 percent.

- Comprehensive technology platform: iYogi’s global delivery platform, iMantra, gets smarter with every customer interaction. It documents every problem, the solution and relevant hardware and software aspects, while capturing each customer’s demographic information and creating a behavioural profile. All of this information is at the fingertips of iYogi’s Global Tech Experts. This set-up combines a knowledge base with a comprehensive set of tools and technology expertise. iYogi offers a range of tools that complement its remote support services for helping customers maintain technology at peak performance levels. iYogi’s products include iYogi Smart PC Scan, iYogi Support Dock, iYogi Green PC and iYogi PC Optimisation.

How do you plan to move up the value chain in the times to come?

The growing use and penetration of the Internet and new Web-based applications has consequently opened the door to threats and vulnerabilities, which affect the system performance and ultimately lead to degrading performance. If the threats are diagnosed early on, the impact on efficiency can be minimised considerably. Currently, a user only realizes that he needs technical support once the damage has occurred and reactive methods of support are used to recover from the loss.

At iYogi, we are developing our capabilities to not only provide support when demanded, but to also monitor, pre-empt and fix threats before they can cause any damage to the computer. This will be possible only by combining technology with processes that are capable of re-defining the way technical support is delivered today.

What is your India strategy?

Technically, we are capable of servicing any geography including India. At this stage, we are looking for the right kind of partners to find access to potential customers and provide them a consolidated, 360-degree solution and services for issues relating to hardware, software, network etc. We aim to launch our India services in the coming six to eight months. Our services will offer clients a one-stop solution for all their business needs.

Source : BizTech2.com

FIx Windows cannot connect to "Access_point"

2009-07-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

This section provides technical support tips if you find Error message when you try to automatically connect to a wireless access point that uses shared-mode network authentication in Windows Vista: "Windows cannot connect to " "Access_point"

This problem occurs when you try to connect to a wireless network access point that uses shared-mode network authentication.

Steps to fix this problems
To work around this problem, manually create a network profile by using the Manually Connect to a Wireless Network Wizard and by selecting shared-mode network authentication

1. Click Start
Start button
, type network and sharing in the Start Search box, and then click Network and Sharing Center in the Programs list.

User Account Control permission
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
2. Click Manage Wireless Networks, and then click Add.
3. Click Manually create a network profile.
4. In the Network Name box, enter the name of the network.
5. In the Security type box, click Shared.
6. If the network uses encryption, select the encryption type in the Encryption type list, and then enter the security key in the Security Key/Passphrase box.
7. Click Next, and then click Close.

Steps to reproduce the problem
1. On a Windows Vista-based computer, connect to a wireless access point that is configured to use Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) and shared-mode network authentication.
2. Open the properties of the wireless network connection.
3. Click the Wireless Networks tab.
4. Click to select the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box.
5. Click View Wireless Networks, and then click Choose a wireless network.
6. Double-click the WEP-shared mode access point.

How to Use Windows Defender

2009-07-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

Windows Defender is antispyware software that's included with Windows and runs automatically when it's turned on. Using antispyware software can help protect your computer against spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Spyware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge any time you connect to the Internet, and it can infect your computer when you install some programs using a CD, DVD, or other removable media. Spyware can also be programmed to run at unexpected times, not just when it's installed. This post describe how to protect your computer and remove virus or spyware using windows defender

Windows Defender offers two ways to help keep spyware from infecting your computer:

Real-time protection.‍‍ Windows Defender alerts you when spyware attempts to install itself or to run on your computer. It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows settings.

Scanning options. You can use Windows Defender to scan for spyware that might be installed on your computer, to schedule scans on a regular basis, and to automatically remove anything that's detected during a scan.

When you use Windows Defender, it's important to have up-to-date definitions. Definitions are files that act like an ever-growing encyclopedia of potential software threats. Windows Defender uses definitions to alert you to potential risks if it determines that software detected is spyware or other potentially unwanted software. To help keep your definitions up to date, Windows Defender works with Windows Update to automatically install new definitions as they're released. You can also set Windows Defender to check online for updated definitions before scanning. For information about keeping your definitions up to date and how to manually download the latest definitions