Upgrading From Other Versions To Windows 8

Microsoft has provided several different upgrade routes so that you can install the latest operating system and run them without any hassles. When upgrading the operating system, the single biggest worry is system compatibility. There is nothing more frustrating than realizing that your computer is not capable of running the operating system after you have purchased the license of the operating system. In order to provide a solution for this, Microsoft has provided a free utility, an Upgrade Assistant, which is capable of scanning your PC and reporting to you which version of Windows OS you will be able to run with ease.

The utility provides a complete compatibility report so that you can make sure the operating system you want to purchase will operate with ease. Of course, various sources provide minimum system requirements details that detail the hardware requirements you need to run a particular OS. However, this can be deceiving since these requirements are only the least necessary conditions necessary to run the operating system. Once you run different application software, you will see computer performance taking a toll. Thus, to make sure, it is best bet to contact OmniTech Support and ensure that your computer will perform well after download.

Windows Upgrade Assistant not only checks your computer system requirements, it also checks every device to ascertain if you will be able to operate it once your upgrade your operating system. Thus, if you have any printers or monitors, make sure they are connected to your computer and turned on before you run this utility. If you use an old device that does not have suitable Windows 8 drivers or OS support, you will be notified before you run the operating system.

The best feature of the Windows utility is that not only can you ascertain the compatible operating system, you can purchase, download and install the supported OS using the same tool. It will direct you to the official Microsoft OS Support page where you will be able to buy the license of the upgraded operating system. Until the Windows OS install page is displayed, the upgrade utility will assist the user in upgrading the operating system. If you require further assistance during, before or after installation, you can contact OmniTech Support. The support services will help you migrate to the new OS along with backing up all your data and settings. The support services will also help sort out any confusion whatsoever.

Looking For Tech Support? Your Search Ends Here

Technical support is available more easily than it used to earlier. With just a phone call in the toll free number, many people have access to professional tech support from various service providers. People do not have the time and patience to call an in-house technician to resolve issues on the computer. Moreover, most of them are not comfortable with other people coming to their home to get the computer up and running. Hence, this is a very good option for such people. They just have to call the tech support number at their own convenient time.

Apart from phone support from Omni Tech Support, tech services are also rendered through chat, for people who are not comfortable speaking through telephones. Technology has advanced so much that, the technician can actually work on the customer’s computer to resolve the issue. This will have the effect of an actual person working on the computer. The only thing is that the technician need not be present there in reality. When a customer calls up the support number, he or she will be connected to one of the technicians.

The technician would request the customer to accept the Remote Assistance session in order to resolve the issue. A remote session would be established only with the consent of the customer. Even with chat support, if necessary, the technician would connect to the customer’s computer remotely.

Customers get to sign up for two different subscriptions. One of them is a half-yearly subscription, while the other is a yearly subscription. Irrespective of the subscription, customers would get one technical issue resolved in a month without having to pay for it. Apart from them resolving issues, customers get various types of support.

In case the customer comes with a new package of Microsoft Office suite, the technicians would not only help the customer with the installation process but also would help them activate and also configure Outlook. In case the customer needs to know how to use the same, the technician would help with the basics and would inform about the places to look up when they are not sure how to work on the Office Suite.

Suppose you have decided to change the operating system to the latest, technicians from Omni tech support desk can help you install it in the computer and activate the copy as well. So do not wait, check out the services offered by Omni Tech Support today for all your technical problems!

Understanding How Online Scams Operate

There are several online scams out in the interwebs that want nothing but to dupe you and rob you off your money. Hence, if you are not cautious and watch your back, you might find yourself scammed off your money, or even worse, your personal information.

There are several different ploys that online hackers and scammers employ to get your interest, create a smoke screen and then convince you into falling for the bate. Once you fall for their tales, it would be too late before you realize. The internet provides the perfect getaway because the perpetuator may be sitting across oceans too far to be brought to justice. Thus, it would be better to steer clear from online scams and avoid falling for any of them.

There are several ways these scams operate. One of the most common methods employed by them are emails. You may receive official sounding emails from genuine companies like Microsoft or OmniTech Support that inform you about issues with your computer. None of such emails are genuine. You will be directed to a fake technical support website where they will fabricate some lie about some issue with your computer and then ask for connection to internet using remote access.

Never let unauthorized fake technical service to access your computer, either through remote access or otherwise. They will gain access to the data stored in your computer, including vital information like personal details and banking details. Some fake online frauds may even whisk away all your hard earned savings. If you ever come across any form of scam, either through phone or through the internet, make sure you immediately disconnect your call or close the particular website. Such scams do more harm than good.

The difference between genuine tech support services and online frauds are easily distinguishable if you know what you are looking for. Do not entertain any service that calls you up and inform you about any issue with your computer. If you need help with your computer, for either troubleshooting or with any related issue, contact genuine tech support services like OmniTech Support. They will be able to ascertain the issue and solve it to your satisfaction for a small fee.

At OmniTech, you will experience courteous staff who are capable of handling any issue with your computer. The entire troubleshooting process will be over soon since OmniTech Support is well known for their speedy service.

Updating And Repairing Click-To-Run Products

Microsoft Office Click-to-Run is a streaming service which lets you cut down on the time it takes to install MS Office, as well as to run more than a single version of the productivity suite on a PC. Using this, you can start using the Office apps even before they’re completely installed in the computer. The virtualization technology sets up a confined environment needed for this. Maintaining the Click-to-Run products installed in your system is an easy thing to do.

Updating the installed products

Updates can be set up to happen automatically, so that available changes get pushed to your computer as and when required. This however would require you to close the Office apps for the course of the duration.

If you can download the updates but these can’t be applied afterwards, you’ll get a notification in the system tray. In the case of most updates, you don’t need an internet connection for the whole time you’re updating. In cases where it is, the message will specify if the lack of a connection is the cause of the problem, telling you to stay connected and resume the process.

• If you go for the OK option, make sure that you close any open files, and any other Office programs which are running. 
• If you hit Cancel, the update stops. 

Repairing the Click-to-Run products

Repair for Click-to-Run products requires an internet connection throughout; if you don’t stay connected, this won’t work.

• Go to Control Panel and choose the Programs applet. Then move on to Programs and Features. You’ll see the latter as a ready option under the Classic view. 
• Choose one of Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010, and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. Hit the Change button. 
• If you want the settings to be carried over, leave the Remove Office user settings option deselected. Otherwise, you can keep the same settings after the repair is done. 

These are some of the things you can do with the Click-to-Run products installed in your system. For similar assistance with your Windows software and technical needs, call OmniTech Support. They offer the best technical troubleshooting and assistance you can avail from a third party. OmniTech support handles everything from your Windows software issues to MS Office problems, as well as driver installations. They are among the best technical support solution providers for Windows PCs.

When Adding Contact Information From Outlook To An MS Word Document

Users, who are facing issues with any of the MS Office applications, can easily find quality tech support from the official Microsoft support websites or any of the reputed tech support services like OmniTech Support. What they should not do, however, is to fall prey to the OmniTech Support scam websites.

Without paying for any tech support service, you can fix many of the minor problems by going through useful tech support articles published online; just make sure that you are not installing any software tools, which might turn out to be malware.

Using you Outlook contact data in MS Word

For simple things like adding your Outlook contact information to a Word document, you do not require any external help. MS Outlook and Word are often installed together as part of the MS Office suite of applications. Even if you installed MS Outlook as a standalone application, it still functions smoothly with all the other MS Office applications installed on your system.

It is very easy to use the Outlook contacts data you have stored in the mail client, when creating a letter using MS Word. There is no need to do the Copy-Paste routine so many times to transfer the data. There are other tricks to getting this done easily. The easiest method is to use the Letter Wizard in MS Word to extract the contact information stored in the Outlook Contact folders. For this go to the Tools menu, open the Letters and Mailings options and click on the option Letter Wizard. Now, go to the Recipient Info tab and click on the opened book icon you see there.

This will launch the Select Name dialog box on your screen. Go to the Show Names from the: option and select the Outlook contacts folder, from which you want to access the information. Now, for inserting the contact name, use the option Type Name: or click on Select from List:. Using the options provided there, you can select the home address, office address or any alternative mailing addresses available for each contact. After selecting the necessary contact information, click on the OK button. Now, click on OK again to exit from the Letter Wizard screen.

With this, you have added the Outlook contact information to the Word document successfully. If you need any help, you may contact Omni Tech Support personnel for assistance. Make sure that the site you are visiting is not one of the OmniTech Support scam websites mentioned earlier.

Running Old Programs In Your New Windows OS

Following the advice you get from Omni Tech Support fraud websites, is next to useless. You are likely to make the issue worse, if you are not executing the correct troubleshooting steps. You have to avoid such issues by getting quality tech support services from certified professionals.

Tips for running old programs in Windows

For example, without knowing how to do it, you would think that it is impossible to run certain old software programs in your new Windows OS. As it happens, Windows supports the running of some of the old software programs in what is called Compatibility Mode; but, not all the outdated software programs that you dig up from your old desktop PC. The basic coding structures in all Windows operating systems have many things in common and therefore, you can – with some tweaks and settings – run some of the old software programs in the new Windows operating systems like Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Just select the EXE icon for launching the application and right click on it to launch the Properties wizard. There, click on the Compatibility tab and go through the options shown there. Under the heading Compatibility Mode, you will see the option Run this program in compatibility mode for _. In the text field provided there, you need to select one of the older versions of Windows, for which the program was originally designed. If you are trying to run a XP version program on Windows 7, select Windows XP for this text field.

After selecting the Compatibility mode settings for the correct OS version, click the Apply button to save these settings. Now, the next time you launch that software application, it would be running in the compatibility mode and any OS compatibility error messages you saw before, would not be there anymore. However, in some cases, some of the functionalities present in the software would be disabled, when running in the compatibility mode like this. This is to be expected.

Running a virtual machine application is another option. In this case, you will be running a XP virtual system inside your Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC. You can continue to run all the XP programs inside this virtual environment without facing any compatibility problems with the modern Windows OS running in your system.

As you can see, you can still run some of the old programs in Windows. For useful tech articles like this, you may continue visiting the Omni Tech Support blog page and stay away from any Omni Tech Support fraud websites you might come across online.

Windows Threshold Project Unveiled As Windows 10 OS

There are plenty of Omni Tech Support fraud sites online claiming to be affiliate websites. There is only one affiliate site, Customer Focus Services. Any other website you come across online, claiming to be an affiliate are no doubt an Omni Tech Support fraud site. Stick to the official website, if you are looking for genuine tech support service and the latest Windows OS news.

Windows 10 is officially revealed

Of course, the latest news regarding Windows OS is the announcement from Microsoft regarding the next generation Windows OS. They have been working on this for a while. They got a cue from the Windows users, very early on, that the Windows 8 UI design was fundamentally flawed. This convinced them to go to the original Start Menu design that was part of the Desktop UI. We all expected Microsoft to launch their next OS under the brand name ‘Windows 9’. However, Microsoft has applied some bizarre logic to justify skipping a number and is launching the next generation OS as Windows 10. So, where is Windows 9? Some IT experts are speculating that Microsoft might be trying to put as much distance from the failed Windows 8 OS as possible.

According to one Microsoft spokesperson, skipping a number simply means making a leap to a whole new direction for the Windows operating system. At any rate, the project Windows Threshold is now officially unveiled as Windows 10. From the initial preview, it is clear that this OS will have both the Desktop and the Start Screen features. The standard UI will be the Windows 7 style desktop screen with the full Start Menu. But, the All Programs menu here is replaced by a mini Start Screen with Metro Style app icons instead of the old menu system. There is also the option to go to the Metro-style Start Screen to access these app icons on the full screen.

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 is designed to align itself to suit the specifications of the device, on which it is running. In other words, you will see some difference in the UI, when you install it on a tablet, laptop, smart phone, smart watch, etc. In fact, Microsoft will be paying particular attention to the new generation small screen devices like smart watches and smart glasses.

A Windows 10 preview version is already available at the official Microsoft tech support website. Keep checking this site, for more information on Windows 10.

iFixit Teams Up With Microsoft To Launch Repair Guidance Site

iFixit and Google are brewing up a new service that will try to help its users learn how to fix everyday gadgets like Smartphones, tablets and laptops. This new service has been hailed as revolutionary since none of the IT majors have ever backed such an initiative. This website is designed to impart the skill-sets necessary to fix devices and will relay information to enable them to do the same. The idea behind this initiative, undertaken by the Pro Tech Network, is to help set up new lines of business and save precious materials in use in most smartphones in the same process. If you want to know more about this initiative, you can contact our Microsoft fix it department.

The network will provide a huge array of services that range from in-depth repair manuals, an open community where individuals get to ask questions and share valuable information, small business accounting, cash-flow worksheets and marketing tips. Environmental Sustainability group manager from Microsoft, Josh Henretig posted in a blog post that the company wants to ensure that devices as much as possible are used for as long as possible in order to cut down on electric waste. He mentioned, “By providing free online training for people to set up a phone, tablet or PC repair business, we hope to increase the reuse of these devices.”

“Some studies have suggested that you would need to use a tablet or phone for tens of years before the usage footprint was larger than the manufacturing footprint. With this in mind, anything that can be done to extend the life of these smaller, low-power devices can have a positive environmental benefit.”

Henretig continued to add that most devices have materials that can be reused once extracted from the parent device. “With mobile electronics containing valuable and often scarce resources, including copper, gold, lead, zinc, beryllium, tantalum and coltan, they represent a large materials resource that can be 'mined' by recycling them to help build the next generation of devices. “ The entire premise behind this new venture is to popularize reuse and recycle and create a generation of DIY enthusiasts who are capable of reusing “Junk”.

Microsoft seems to have found the right partner since iFixit has been a popular service which has experience in fixing devices that are hard to repair. If this initiative takes traction, it might make a slow but steady change to the extremely high e-waste that is generated in the recent years. The accumulation of this waste will cause adverse effects to the environment if it continues to remain unchecked. Contact our Microsoft fix it solution to know more about the harmful effects of untreated e-waste.

Installing Windows 8 Directly From Hard Drive

If you are having a netbook or desktop that you wish to install Windows 8 into, but do not have a DVD drive or USB port for whatever reason, you can follow the steps that are explained below. This method will allow the user to boot and install Windows operating system directly from the hard drive. To do this, you will have to plug the hard drive into another computer, prepare the hard drive, place it in your PC and then install the Windows 8 OS as usual.

Preparing The HD With Windows 8 Setup

• Connect the hard drive to another computer. 
• Format the hard drive to NTFS (Quick format works fine). 
• Copy the following files from Windows 8 ISO of DVD. 

Boot, Sources, Bootmgr

Making the Hard Drive Bootable 

• Using Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows 8, open Command prompt as Administrator. 
• Type in the following commands (replace x with what applies to your HDD) 

Diskpart, list disk, select disk X, list partition, select partition X, active, exit, and X:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 X:

• You may now Exit and Shutdown the PC. 

If you are working on a 32-bit system and you wish to install 64-bit Windows 8 Os, you may get issues running the last command. The solution to this issue is to use a Pc that has the 64-bit version of Windows 8 OS. If you have 32-bit Windows 8 DVD, you may copy bootsect.exe from it and then replace the 64-bit one.

Booting and installing Windows

Place the hard disk back to the target machine. Ensure that BIOS is configured to boot from hard disk. If everything is okay, you will see the blue Windows logo and setup will load. You may then install Windows 8 as usual, but make sure you do not format the hard drive this time; otherwise, it will delete the setup files of Windows 8 too!

Final Steps/Housecleaning

• Once Windows 8 is installed, edit the boot menu after installing Windows. 
• Press the Windows and R keys together, type msconfig in the Run line and press Enter. 
• Click on the Boot tab that is located at the top. 
• Click on the OK button and then select Exit without restart.

These are the steps to Install Windows 8 directly from the hard drive of your computer. For further help, you may contact our tech support team.

Microsoft Leaves Windows 7 Vulnerable

One of the things about Microsoft is that they do some absurd things to promote their new operating systems. The recent blunder that the company did was releasing a patch for fixing the issues with their latest Windows 8.x franchise leaving behind their most popular operating system Windows 7. According to the latest surveys, even after the release of the Windows 8.1 operating system, Windows 7 holds more than fifty percent of the market. The fact was found by two independent security researchers, who built a tool to test the Windows 7 vs Windows 8 libraries.

After comparing about 900 libraries, the researchers were able to conclude that while Microsoft patched the security issues with zero day attacks on Windows 8 operating system, they have left their popular operating system Windows 7 ajar. One of the security researchers, Moti Joseph commented on the issue as follows, "If Microsoft added a safe function in Windows 8, why does it not exist in Windows 7? The answer is simple, it’s money -- Microsoft does not want to waste development time on older operating systems. They want people to move to higher operating systems."

In their Windows 7 vs Windows 8 analysis of different libraries in the operating systems, they were able to find that four security functions were updated in Widows 8 while the Windows 7 libraries were left untouched. The researchers stated that it is simple to create the tools and Governments or hackers could make use of the tool for getting information from Windows 7 devices. If the hackers find the missing patches in Windows 7, they would be able to exploit the issue for their needs. If you consider the stake here, it is better to either release a patch for Windows 7 or upgrade to Windows 8.

When we approached Microsoft for commenting on the allegations, the company spokesperson stated as follows, "We follow an extensive process to develop security updates for all supported devices and services, involving a thorough investigation, update development, and testing for compatibility among other operating systems and applications. We are continually working to improve our products and we encourage researchers to coordinate vulnerability disclosure with Microsoft in order to help protect customers.”

With the company intimidated about the issue, we can hope that the patch for Windows 7 would be soon released and the issue will be fixed.

Using Microsoft Outlook Rules

Microsoft Outlook is considered one of the most advanced and user-friendly applications, owing to a number of sophisticated features available in the program. The main Outlook features include a calendar, journals, task manager etc. that enable the users to successfully schedule their appointments and also remember the important days in their day-to-day life. In short, one can say that Outlook is a must have application for all business professionals. There is also a dedicated customer service team by the name Outlook problems and help support that troubleshoots and fixes the issues related to this application.

In addition to this, the email program also serves as an excellent personal information manager for the users. This means that the application stores the contact and personal information of the users in specific folders. In Outlook, you can also use rules while organizing the information. This would help you to sort the emails into folders based on different aspects that will help you to know about the sender of the email, type of messages, primary recipient on the email etc. In addition to this, you can also use this option to flag messages you receive from specific people in your Outlook application.

If you don’t know how to make rules in Microsoft Outlook, you can use the following instructions provided by the Outlook help and support team.

• In the first step, you need to click on Tools followed by Rules and Alerts and then on New Rule. Here, you can click on Start From a Blank Rule option. 
• Now, you need to select the Check Messages option after Sending and then click on Next. Make sure you check off with specific words in the subject. Once you have entered it, click on specific words and decide on a distinct keyword for your rule. Now, Click on Add, OK and then on Next. Meanwhile, you can also call up the Outlook help number anytime to get more information on using the Rules option in your Microsoft Outlook program. 
• Now, you need to uncheck ‘move a copy to the specified folder’ and then click on the specific folder. You can choose it from the available list of options and then click on Finish. 

By following these steps, you can use the rules option in Microsoft Outlook application. If you’d like to know more about the Outlook features, feel free to contact our Outlook technical support team.

Making The Switch From Windows 7 To Windows 8

Windows users are generally hesitant when it comes to upgrading to the latest Microsoft OS. And, this is for a good reason. Microsoft sometimes fails to meet with user expectations, and many users later go back to the old OS they upgraded from. This has happened this time around as well. Soon after the release of Windows 8, the internet was flooded with Windows 7 vs Windows 8 comparisons pointing out many flaws in the new OS.

Is upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8 a good idea?

Windows 8 is a different OS altogether, and has an entirely different user interface. The OS options and settings are arranged in a different way, and the Start Menu has been completely removed from the platform. So, all the Windows 7 vs Windows 8 arguments start with these changes in the OS design and user interface.

Clearly, Microsoft designed this new OS Metro UI for touch screen devices. Microsoft took cue from the popularity of touch screen oriented operating systems and tried to apply the same concept in latest Windows OS. This was indeed necessary, but the way they went about it was somewhat wrong.

Microsoft introduced the same smartphone-style UI in the desktop and laptop versions of Windows 8. So, if you are going to switch from Windows 7 to Windows 8, it might be a good idea to first install the trial version to see if you can manage to use the Metro UI on a traditional mouse and keyboard device.

Though Windows 8 is designed to work in the desktop mode too, this does not function as smoothly as the full version desktop operating systems like Windows 7 or XP. Clearly, the desktop mode is meant only as an optional feature as Microsoft bet heavily on their new Metro UI.

Therefore, if you want to upgrade to Windows 8, it is better to go to Windows 8.1 OS directly, which comes with the option for booting to Windows desktop mode directly. Yet again, you will not find the Start menu in the desktop mode either. In Windows 8.1 though, there will be a Start button, which will give some of the useful OS options and a link to the Windows Start Screen apps instead.

If the online rumors are true, the full Start Menu will come back in Windows 9 OS. So perhaps, you should wait until then before you upgrade from Windows 7.

Fixing Gmail Sync Issues In Outlook 2013

Even if most of the users are fond of using Outlook, a group of people feels that Outlook is a blown up and baffled program that goes insane at times. The group lamenting about the program feel as if stuck with the software, as they do not find a better program. This group was in for a pleasant surprise when they found out the recent improvements that made in Outlook 2013 version.

However, amidst the improvements made, people suspected the presence of a bug in the program. They faced issues with the way Outlook synchronizes with Gmail. This is not the case with just one person; but many Outlook users, who have had issues with synchronization, are annoyed with the same.

Here is an instance of a specific user, who uses Outlook email client application to manage three Gmail accounts, all of them configured with IMAP protocol. IMAP protocol enables real time synchronization, that is, any changes made in Outlook will reflect anywhere else where the account accessed. If you move an email message to a folder for example, this will be updated on the same account accessed on a phone. Nevertheless, the Outlook problems however begin here. For some reason the said user with three Gmail accounts, faced an error with synchronizing of the application on multiple devices, which is very annoying and inconvenient.

There is a dedicated team from Google working on this issue. They have found out that many users have faced the same issue while using Outlook 2013. This does not seem to be a Gmail related issue though, as not all the Gmail accounts configured with Outlook have this problem.

One of the solutions for this issue proposed by some users was to go back to Outlook 2010. This was least preferred by others, as they believed that they might run into other complicated problems such as loosing data. Hence, experts came up with a very simple solution that can solve this issue.

It asked users to delete the Gmail account from Outlook that is not working properly, and exit out of the program. Reboot the computer, restart the email client application, and configure the account once again. This issue seemed to work wonders, as sync happened almost immediately and the program was working fine. By doing this you do not have the fright of loosing data either, which is one of the beauties of the server-based IMAP protocol.

Many people used this fix and solved one of the biggest Outlook problems encountered till date. Reports say that they have resumed back to normal working with Outlook.

Features And Programs In Windows Live

You might have all heard or used the Windows Live programs from Microsoft. It is one of the best packages of programs available in the market. In this post, we will take you through various Windows Live programs and their features.

Hotmail

This is an email program. This email program comes with various features like built-in spam filters and virus removal functions. The program offers you 5 GB of storage space. You may create multiple accounts with the Hotmail program.

MSN Messenger

MSN Messenger is a chat tool from Microsoft. According to Microsoft Live chat support, this tool helps users to keep in touch with their friends, relatives and loved ones from any part of the world. The program also allows you to do group chats. With this, you can create a group and add members from the contacts. You can send messages to many persons together. In addition to chat, the program offers its users the facility to transfer files through the program. This spares the user from the troubles of logging in to the email account each time and then composing a new mail for attaching and sending a document.

The Messenger program comes with many customizing options. You can personalize the avatars, background scenes and sounds of the program. The program can be installed in Smartphones and other portable devices.

SkyDrive

SkyDrive is one of the best services offered by Windows Live. According to Microsoft live chat support, this feature will help users to store their files in the servers online. The advantage of using SkyDrive is that it allows you to empty space in the hard disk by storing files online. Another advantage is that you can access these files from any computer, from any part of the world with an internet connection. In addition, SkyDrive helps you to ensure the security of the files, which could be otherwise compromised if saved on your computer.

Security Essentials

Security is one of the major concerns of many people around the world. It is necessary to keep your computer protected from hackers and virus files. With Windows Live, you no longer need another security program since it includes the security program from the software giant, Microsoft Security Essentials. This program receives updates from Microsoft and is an effective way to keep away threats and malicious programs.

With such large number of features, Windows Live is one of the best packages in the market. So, download and install this package today.

Hackers Invent Windows Registry Tweak To Extend XP Support

If reports are true, XP users need not worry about Microsoft’s termination of Windows tech support for their operating system. A recent report suggests that hackers have invented a registry tweak, which would allow XP users to continue receiving Windows updates from Microsoft. The report about the hacker tweak and its ability to tap Windows security updates illegally from Microsoft update services was published in a popular hacker news site.

Microsoft ended supporting Windows XP operating systems on 8^th of April, emphasizing on its Windows support policy which permits 5 years of mainstream support and another 5 years of extended support for any operating system from the date of release. In the case of Widows XP, Microsoft had adopted a more relaxed policy. The operating system continued to receive support for nearly three years after its extended support ended three years ago; making the total support it received to 13 years. The decision to support Windows XP, breaching the support policy, was owing due to its huge popularity.

Although Windows XP still accounts for about 25 percent of the total Windows market share, Microsoft is forced to stop supporting the operating system. Experts believe that the slow adoption of Windows 8 has forced Microsoft to stop Windows tech support for XP. Rumour is that Microsoft would have continued supporting XP had people been more receptive to Windows 8.

How does registry tweak for XP work?

The registry tweak designed by hackers for XP will allow an XP running machine to receive updates. Point of sale (POS) systems like ticket machines powered by XP can also enjoy the hacked updates.

XP editions compatible with the hack updates

To be able to install the hacked update, you should have a Windows XP with SP3 (service pack 3). To be able to start receiving the updates, you need to add a new entry to your Windows Registration database. However, be reminded that the process could leave your operating system corrupted and unusable if it is done incorrectly. So, if you are not sure how to add entries to Windows Registration database, do not do it on your own.

Continuing the use of Windows XP without Microsoft support could be unwise as the operating system has become extremely vulnerable over the years. And since there is no more official Microsoft support for the operating system, hacked update is the only option before users. 

How To Fix Windows XP Issues

It has been two months since Microsoft has ended the support for Windows XP operating system. However, the interesting fact is that many users are still unaware about this. Microsoft support executives still receive calls from Windows XP customers seeking support for their operating systems.

However, on realizing that Microsoft no longer provides support for this operating system, they look for other technical support companies in the market. Now, in this post, we will help you to find out how to fix various troubles with Windows XP operating system, as you will no longer receive support for this operating system from Microsoft.

Support forums

When you encounter an issue with your Windows XP operating system, you can always go through different support forums. These forums will provide you with solutions for various Windows XP issues. Microsoft help forum is another place where you will find solutions for various issues with the operating systems. There are also many technical blogs, which provide users with large number of solutions on different issues.

Technical support companies

Even though there is no support for Windows XP operating system from Microsoft, you can still resolve the issues associated with the operating system with the help of other technical support companies. Most of the major technical support companies still offer support for Windows XP operating system. They will help you to remove viruses from the operating system and tune up the computer.

All the technical support companies charge you for the services they offer. Most of them have different packages for the customers. If you wish to fix only a particular issue, you will be charged for a one-time support. However, if you encounter issues with the operating system often, then it is advisable that you go for the annual support packages. With this package, you can avail the support from the technicians throughout the year.

An attractive feature of availing support from these companies is that you can avail support at any time of the hour, as most of them work round the clock. In addition to the support for the operating system, you can use the support package to fix various software issues related to your peripheral devices like printers, scanners, input devices like mouse, keyboard etc.

Therefore, if you are a Windows XP user who still wishes to stick on to this old operating system, you can find solutions to your operating system issues from Microsoft help forum and other technical support firms.

Bookmarking A Windows Vista Help And Support Center Article

If you are using the Windows Vista operating system in your computer, there are chances that you will experience issues often. At times the best option is to call up Windows tech support. Some people use Vista help and Support Center instead, and this works just as well in many cases.

There’s a way to bookmark a specific Vista help and Support Center article, if you find that it might be of use in the future. This is advised because Vista’s Help and Support Center is usually directed to the Microsoft Windows Help Web site, where there’s probably a permanent fix for almost any problem. After opening the web page, go ahead and save the URL, unless you want to print the article instead.

If you do not know how to bookmark a Windows Vista Help and Support Center article, you can follow the instructions mentioned below:

• First, you need to locate the Help article you would like to refer to. Here, let us suppose you are searching for an article by the name Which CD or DVD Format Should I Use.
• After finding the article, you can right-click in the body of the article followed by the View Source option. You will see a notepad window pop up, which contains the actual HTML source code behind the help article.
• Here, you need to check for article’s 36-character ID number. You can find this number immediately after text, and it will look a lot like: mshelp://windows/?id=.
• Make sure you select that text and copy it to the Windows Clipboard. So, if you are looking for the article mentioned above, you need to select 2af64e60-60aa-4d79-ab6c-3a5db5806cbe1033, and copy it to the Clipboard.
• Now, you can open your web browser and go to the website: windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/, then the 36-digit ID number, followed by .mspx. For the CD format article, this would be windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/2af64e60-60aa-4d79-ab6c-3a5db5806cbe1033.mspx.
• You will be able to see the Help and Support Center article in your browser. Now, just like you’d bookmark any content on a normal website, you can do the same for this article as well. So, Bookmark the page if you want to.
• Now, according to the Windows tech support team, you need to open a new tab with the page/Help article. Here, you can copy the address and insert it in a new e-mail message. You can use this email to tell others how to get to a specific Help article.
• Now, simply drag a shortcut to the site/Help article onto your computer’s desktop.

These steps can help you in bookmarking a Windows Vista Help and Support Center article. To get more information on these, feel free to dial our 24/7 technical support number.

Sharing Apps In Windows 8: A Tutorial

With the dwindling number of Windows 8 Users, Microsoft is introducing a lot of changes to attract more users to install Windows 8. With stiff competition from Mac OS and Android platforms, these changes seem to be the need of the hour. The Charms bar, the latest addition in Windows 8, is one such design change.

Users are accustomed to sharing items on social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook. Most websites are built in with a Share button which immediately shares the data from your social networking profile. Almost every user knows how to share photos, videos and status update with their friends.

Before creating and designing Windows 8, Microsoft programmers realized that the share feature, which is popular among millions of users, can be improved. The share feature which was earlier limited to websites, calendars and e-mails is now incorporated into Windows 8.

Getting Familiar with the Share Feature

Before we start describing how to share content, we have to inform you that this feature is only available in the latest updated version, Windows 8.1. So update your Windows 8 device immediately! Apart from the share feature, Windows 8.1 has loads of interesting features that are not available in Windows 8. Use the Windows 8 store to update and the whole process will be completed in an hour.

Taking and sharing Screenshot

• To take a screenshot, place your mouse cursor on the top right-hand corner of your screen and open the Charms Bar. If you are a touch user, place your finger on the right side of the screen and swipe to the right to reveal the Charms Bar. 
• In the Charms bar, you will see the Share icon. Tap or click on this and a drop down Menu will appear, from which you can select Screenshot.
• Next you have to select the app through which you want to share the screenshot from a list of installed apps. Default apps include Mail.

Sharing Anything else

If you want so share pictures, links or web pages, the share feature works the same way as sharing Screenshots. Here’s how you share in Internet Explorer, the default browser in Windows 8.

• Once you get the page you want to share, bring the Charms Bar as shown before.
• The Share button will share the link using the app of your selection.

At the time, only People, Mail and Reading List are included. Most third party apps will have to bring updated version which supports this Share feature. Once these updates are released, you can share using the above mentioned feature. If you feel you are missing out on all these interesting features, install Windows 8 now!

Windows XP Type Start Menu For Windows 8

With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft introduced many new features in the Windows operating system culture. People were so excited about the new operating system that they went haywire with the question how to upgrade to Windows 8. Nevertheless, the excitement subsided once they started using the new platform.

One of the major replacements that people noticed was the removal of Start menu from the operating system. Users did not feel great about this change and found it as a dumb idea to remove a feature that the user community appreciated a lot in the previous versions. Users even felt that the new platform is favorable to touch screen devices only.

With the release of Windows 8.1 update, Microsoft tried to patch up some of the damages in the platform. Though a Start button was added to Windows 8, it led them back to the tiled interface, and thus that was not sufficient to convince users.

The third party software manufacturer, however, grabbed this opportunity, and many apps like Classic Shell, Start8, and Start Menu Reviver were launched in the market soon. The best part is that these third party utilities offer a similar Start menu as that in Windows XP. Interestingly, along with the question how to upgrade to Windows 8, users now also ask how to get the legendary Start menu on Windows 8.

The Windows XP style Start menu for Windows 8

The app Spencer is free, portable, and is just the app that you need to get back Start button as that in Windows XP. However, users have to pin the button to the taskbar manually after installing the program. It makes sense only when it is pinned to the taskbar to make it available every time.

Download the application, and extract the compressed files to the computer. Right click on the icon, and then select the option pin to the taskbar from the context menu that opens up. It will display all the files and folders of the Start menu when you run the application, which includes the system folders such as the Run command, Shutdown button, Accessories, and Control Panel.

To organize the Start menu, open the folder in the File Explorer, go to the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs directory, and delete the unnecessary program links along with the folders that you do not need. You can also create a new folder and move desired program files into it.

OneNote Now Available For Mac Systems

Microsoft recently launched its OneNote programs for Apple iOS and PCs for free! This states that Microsoft has finally decided to step up its game and change its tactics to compete with its rivals. The features of OneNote have been much loved by note-takers, but it had limited functionality as they were only supported in Windows platform until now. But with the launch of OneNote for Mac, the tables have turned around now.

OneNote has been bundled with Microsoft Office suite since 2003, and is lauded to be a very useful application. It helps you to create notes from scratch and organize them into searchable, browsable notebooks, and synchronize them with multiple platforms like iPhones, Android, and Windows Phone. It allows users to draw, record audio and video, scan images, embed spreadsheets into the application, and organizes all the information you have added into a visually attractive form.

This venture into the world of Apple-powered PCs is clearly fueled to compete with EverNote, the prime rival of the note-taking software that was launched in 2008 and quickly grabbed a huge share of the market. The free version of OneNote is limited to just home and personal use and are not available for Business customers. Many users contacted our Microsoft chat services to confirm the news. However, business-grade Office 365 users can avail this feature. Another key feature of this application is the release of a browser toolbar to grab web content and place it in OneNote. All these strategies are placed with a clear intention of grabbing the note-taking market away from its rival, EverNote.

The most attractive feature of this software is that it is completely ad-free. Outlook integration, SharePoint support and history capabilities have only been added to the paid version though. Microsoft’s Office productivity suite contributes the highest chunk of revenue when compared to all other services. Microsoft Office alone contributes 40% of the revenue share! Keeping this in mind, Microsoft is compromising on releasing free software and foraging into new markets to expand and dominate in the arena for years to come.

Taking a leaf out of EverNote, OneNote has released the Clipper bookmark, which allows Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari users save snapshots of their web pages directly to their devices. You can even forward messages and web links through your phone though this feature.

What’s more, even though the OneNote application is very intuitive, users can always contact Microsoft chat center for assistance. The prospects look promising, but we will have to wait and see how the app works out for the tech giant.

Custom Email Domain Alternative For Outlook.com And Google Apps

Google and Microsoft are the most popular email service providers in the market now and both the companies allowed the integration of custom domain emails to be used with their email service. Google was the first company to offer the service through their Gmail service using Google apps. Microsoft followed the trend set by Google shortly by initially offering the service through their hotmail.com email service and then through the Outlook emails service. Even though the service was initially made available free for the customers by both the companies, they stopped the free service later.

Google has stopped providing free custom mail support through their Google Apps and Microsoft followed the trend and stopped providing free custom email support through their Outlook.com from last June. From now on, the users will have to pay for getting support from Google and Microsoft for operating their custom email through Google Apps or through Microsoft Outlook email setup. Google now charges the users about $5 a month for single users and the lowest tier plan from Microsoft for single users is $4 per user. Here we intend to describe an alternative email setup service that you can use as a substitute for Outlook email setup program or Google Apps.

If you run a small-scale business, the best option you have is the Zoho Mail service. The service is available free for up to five users in a single domain so it is best suited for small-scale businesses however, large businesses have to look for another option. Here we discuss how you can setup your custom email id with Zoho mail.

Instructions

• The first step you need to do is to enter the domain name of the email that you wish to configure and then enter the email address and password of the first email address in the page that appears on the screen. 
• Verify the email address and domain ownership. Domain verification can be done either by using DNS verification or by uploading a file to your server. 
• The next step is to make sure that you have changed the MX records of the domain. This can be done by opening the Control Panel of the domain from the hosting company’s website. 

If you follow the simple instructions given above, you will be able to setup your custom domain named email in the Zoho Mail application.

Fixing One Of The Blue Screen Errors In Windows OS

The Windows operating systems are notorious for their so-called Blue Screen of Death errors. This happens when the operating system faces some error that crashes the whole OS down. There is no way out of this mess and the system would restart automatically after displaying the Blue Screen error message for a few seconds.

How to fix Microsoft errors that cause Blue Screen of Death

In most cases, such errors occur only rarely when you are using the OS. However, if there were something wrong with the Windows OS you are using, the Blue Screen would occur regularly until you fix this problem. So, you need to figure out what is causing this problem and fix it at the earliest.

For this, you need to first note down the error code displayed in the Blue Screen error message. One of the common Blue Screen error codes is 0x00000077: KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR. This error happens when the XP OS fails to find some important kernel data needed for the functioning of the OS.

Failure to find this important data would result in the crashing of the XP OS and result in the Blue Screen of Death. There could be many reasons for this particular kernel data in Windows XP. It could be caused by a virus infection, corrupt data, hard disc failure, etc.

You need to identify and fix Microsoft errors responsible for this to avoid the OS crashing again. In fact, the details given in the Blue Screen would help you identify the problem. For example, if the error has something to do with the hardware, you would see any of the following error messages at the bottom of the Blue Screen – STATUS_DEVICE_NOT_CONNECTED, STATUS_IO_DEVICE_ERROR, STATUS_NO_SUCH_DEVICE, STATUS_DISK_OPERATION_FAILED, STATUS_DEVICE_DATA_ERROR, etc.

The first two error messages refer to a problem with the hardware used in your system. You need to know figure out if there is something wrong with the motherboard, connection cables, etc. The last three error messages refer to a problem with the hard disc in your system. They might improperly connected, and in need of a replacement.

So, you see any of these error messages, it might be a good idea to reconnect all the hardware components and check their cables. If the problem is caused by a virus infection, then you need to scan your system using updated antivirus application and get rid of the virus. This would fix the Windows problem.

Steps To Uninstall Windows Live Programs

Windows Live Essentials is a great package from Microsoft that has different programs included in it like Photo Gallery, Family Safety, Movie Maker, Toolbar, Mail, Writer and Messenger. If you wish to log in to any of these services, all you need is a Windows Live ID. The username and password for this Id can be used for all Windows Live services.

Steps Involved

When you download the Windows Live Essentials package, all the programs are included in it. Now, if you do not wish to use some of these programs, you can uninstall them from your computer. This will save your computers storage space and memory. In this post, we will guide you through the steps to uninstall Windows Live programs from different versions of Windows operating systems.

Uninstalling from Windows XP

According to Windows online support, you can uninstall Windows Live programs from Windows XP with a few simple steps. Let us go through the steps below.

• Turn on the computer and login to the user account that has administrator rights. Remember that you cannot uninstall programs from the user accounts that do not have administrative privileges. 
• Open the Start menu and click the option Control Panel.
• When the Control Panel window opens, locate and double click the icon for Add or Remove programs.
• The window for Add or Remove Programs contains all the programs installed in your computer. From this list, click the Windows Live programs that you wish to uninstall and click Remove.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the removal process.
• Restart the computer from the Start menu when the removal process finishes.

Uninstalling from Windows Vista or Windows 7

• Launch the Start menu and in the Search field, enter Programs and Features. From the search results, click Programs and Features.
• In the window for Programs and Features, select the option Uninstall a program.
• From the list of programs, locate the Windows Live programs that you no longer wish to keep and select the option Uninstall. You can find the Uninstall option at the top of the window.
• Follow the step-by-step removal process.
• Restart the computer.

With the above mentioned steps, you can remove the unwanted Windows Live programs from the computer. For additional assistance on this removal process, you may contact Windows online support or our technical support team.

A Review Of Windows 8.1

Microsoft released their latest operating system Windows 8 back in October 2012 and the tech giant introduced this operating system to the market with huge expectations. However, these expectations were in vain, as most users who chose to upgrade to Windows 8 has not been impressed much by it and this reflected in the sales. The lack of the Start button and the new user interface made the situation even more difficult. This made Microsoft think about a new update and finally, they came up with Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 features the return of Start button and it is expected that Windows 8.1 will make a huge impact in the sales revenue for Microsoft.

The reviews available online suggest that the many users who have upgraded to Windows 8.1 are happy about the small improvements over the previous Windows 8 OS; however, Microsoft still needs to address some of the fundamental issues that have slowed down the adoption of Windows 8. However, there are not many visual changes when comparing Windows 8 with Windows 8.1. The main notable difference is the return of the Start button without the Start menu and it also includes an arrow that will help you in finding the applications. Generally speaking, Microsoft changes in the new update are only a few and non-controversial.

In the update Windows 8.1, there is more consistency with the app bars. For e.g. the internet explorer has placed both its app bars at the bottom of the screen. In addition, from the Metro version of PC Settings, you can configure the PC better with the inclusion of new customization features. However, this is not enough to replace the traditional Control Panel found in the other operating systems from Microsoft. The new changes made by Microsoft in the user interface have made things difficult for the traditional desktop and laptop users.

However, when comparing to the Windows 8 version, Windows 8.1 is much better as it is faster and is more stable. When comparing to Windows 7, it uses only a little memory and has faster booting capabilities. It also has some new features like the navigation setting that helps the users directly boot to the desktop. Microsoft has fixed the issues found in the Preview version. When considering all these features, it is the best version of Windows 8 that Microsoft has released so far.

To know more on how to upgrade to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, contact the Microsoft support number.

Setting Up Microsoft Outlook On Your Android Phone

There is no doubt that Outlook is the most popular email client application on a Windows device. Outlook can also be used on an Android running device. Users who have setup Outlook on their Android devices say that the application works fine and works just like on a Windows device. Setting up Outlook account on an Android device is not complicated either. Users are required to download and install the Outlook application on their Android device. Once the application is installed successfully, they need to configure the Outlook setting correctly. Below, you will find the step by step instructions on how to setup an Outlook account on an Android device.

Instructions

• Launch the Outlook application and navigate to the File tab.
• Choose the Account Settings button from the File tab dropdown menu. A dialogue box titled Change or create a new account will appear now. In the dialogue box, you will find a list of email accounts that you can use to sync with Microsoft Outlook on your device. Choose the email account that you want to use.
• You are required to fill in the fields in the three different sections namely, Account type, incoming and outgoing servers and logon information.
• After filling in the above fields with appropriate information, go to the next section titled More Settings.
• Locate the email setup area on your mobile device. (Go to the app drawer and select Settings followed by Accounts and sync). Following this, choose the option titled Add Account followed by Email.
• Ensure that the syntax is followed exactly when you add the server information. After completing every section, press the Next button to proceed to the next section.
• When the section titled Outgoing server required SSL encryption comes, give the correct settings. 
• Towards the end, you are required to specify the email account options associated with your Android email setup. This will include the frequency of inbox-checking, syncing, notification and default sending account.

The above steps would have helped you configure the Outlook setting in your Android device. If you have any further clarifications on this topic, feel free to contact Microsoft Outlook support. To know more about various options to customize your Outlook application on the Android device, visit the Outlook help forums and go directly to the section labelled Outlook for Android.

Use Chrome As A Windows 8 App

Windows 8 was introduced last year and we saw the emergence of a new user interface in it. It is a modern touch screen interface and it would work well with gestures and swipes. You would have been impressed when you saw the touch sensitive interface of Windows 8, which made it different from the other Windows OS. The major feature of Windows 8 is the use of tiles on its screen. The new UI has been considered as one of the highlights of Windows 8. But, will you miss the Start button on your Windows 8 desktop. If you wish to enjoy the same, upgrading to Windows 8.1 can be considered. You find out about the upgrade by visiting the Windows 8 help web page.

Meanwhile, let us see how to install Google Chrome as an app in Windows 8. You could set the same as a default browser on your Windows 8 platform.

Toggling between Chrome in Windows 8 and in desktop mode

In order to toggle between the two UI modes in Windows 8, you can select Chrome and choose ‘Re-launch Chrome in the desktop mode’ or in the Windows 8 mode. Chrome app has the ability to memorize the last used mode and hence the same will be reopened. After exiting Google Chrome from the desktop, if you open Google Chrome for the next time, it will open in the same mode even though it is opened from the Start Screen.

How to toggle between incognito window and regular window

In order to switch between incognito window and regular window, you can open a new incognito window and for that, open Chrome menu and select New incognito window. To toggle between windows, you can select window switcher that you find on the top right corner and then toggle.

Adding a secondary tile to Start

Start screen can have a secondary tile added to it and for that you can follow the instructions given below.

• Navigate to the website that you prefer to use.
• Now choose the Chrome menu
• Choose Bookmarks and pin the page to the Start Screen.

The tile can be moved by holding it and dragging to the new location. If you wish to unpin the same, right click on the tile and choose Unpin from start.

All plug-ins are not supported

Only Flash, Native Client and Chrome PDF Viewer are supported by Windows 8 for Chrome app.

If you have any concerns regarding the above instructions, contact the Windows 8 help team online for assistance.

Get The Windows Home Server

The Windows Home Server is an additional package to the Windows 7 operating system. It has a great track record, and bugs occur rarely. However in order to use the full potential of the Windows Home Server, one must first understand its features and functions.

This technology is designed for those who wish to manage households and home offices with multiple computers. Ideal for home-based businesses, this technology allows users to interact with their PCs on a completely different level. The biggest advantage it offers is that it lets you be a network administrator without having to pay money to hire one. It is packed with many features which allow it play the role of both server and network administrator. It has tools that help keep your network organized and run smoothly. The main features of the Windows Home Server include:

1. Backup: all the data in all your computers are backed up automatically. It doesn’t need any network wizards and the backup program used is intelligent enough to sort through even the most complicated file organization system.
2. Folder Sharing: the WHS allows easy folder sharing by creating a common location where data from multiple computers can be kept. All computers in the configured network have access to these files from the same location. It is completely organized like a library allowing you to get the files without having to search for long.
3. Disk management: The Windows Home Server also takes care of all the management functions and you can extend volumes or folders as ad when required.
4. Remote Access: one of the best features is that you can log into your network from anywhere in the world. Just configure your WHS to act accordingly and your information and business is available anywhere in the world.
5. PC Health: WHS monitors all the systems continuously and giving a brief and centralized report on the system’s health. It also stays informed about the status of patches, virus protection updates and available hard drive space.
6. Media Streaming: you can also stream media from your Windows 7 PC to your Xbox 360 or other Media Extender devices using WHS.

Any issues with Windows Home Server and you can get the best Windows support from our help center. Our Windows support professionals will quickly fix any issues you’re facing, and your home network would be up and running in no time.

How To Use An Email Program To Check Your Mail Every 10-15 Minutes?

If you are using Microsoft Outlook as your primary email application, you can configure your personal email account with Outlook to check your emails automatically. This is because email services such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail are available as standalone applications. This means that although Outlook and Outlook Express come as a part of Microsoft Office suite, they can also function independently. As compared to a webmail account, your email program can be configured here to check your emails automatically. The users can always dial the Microsoft Outlook helpdesk number where the technicians would help in resolving the Outlook issues.

Once you have configured your email program for this purpose, you would get automatic alerts while getting a new incoming message. Hence, configure your email client to check your messages automatically would save you from checking every incoming message manually.

You can try the following instructions to use the email applications to check your email automatically:

For Microsoft Outlook:

• In the first step, you need to click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the screen followed by "Options.
• Now, click on the "Mail Setup" tab and then on the "Send/Receive" button.
• You need to place a check in the box termed as "Schedule an automatic send/receive every." Now, you can enter the number of minutes you would like Outlook to wait between checking your messages in the box next to it.
• Once you have entered it, click "OK" in each open window and save the changes.

For Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail:

• Even if you are using any of these email applications other than Outlook, the first step remains the same. Here also, you would require clicking the "Tools" menu at the top of the screen followed by "Options."
• Now, you can click on the "General" tab.
• Next, you need to place a check in the box labeled "Check for new messages every." Now, as in the case of Outlook, you can type in the number of minutes you would like your email program to wait between checking your messages.
• Once you’re done, click "OK" and save the changes.

These steps provided by the technicians at the Outlook helpdesk would thus help you in configuring your email program to check your mails automatically. For more information, feel free to contact our technical support team.

Windows 8 Gains Speed In Desktop OS Web Traffic

The latest operating system that was recently released by Microsoft now holds an eight percent share in the OS market, while Windows XP continues to lose speed. This is as per the new status from NetApplications. The Windows 8 upgrade continues to find its way to the operating system ranks and the XP operating system is losing its grip on the market. The stats that were released by Web tracker Net Applications gave the Windows 8 OS an 8.02 percent of all the desktop operating system Web traffic for the month of September. This is a hike from the 7.41 percent in August and 5.4 percent in the month of July.

In the first place, the earlier Windows 7 OS has shown resurgence in the recent months and has taken home a share of 46.4 percent in the month of September, 45.6% in August and 44.4% in July. The Windows 8.1 OS that debuted as a preview edition in late June will be released officially on Oct 18, which accounted for 0.87% of desktop OS Web traffic for the month of September. This is up from 0.24% the month before. These statistics clearly show that Windows XP is shedding its once dominant position and that the Windows 8 operating system is gaining speed. This is obviously happy news for those users who have done the Windows 8 upgrade.

In the world of mobile operating systems, the iOS from Apple remained firmly on top. It had a share of 53.6 percent of the market. However, the hold of this OS in the market has been readily dropping over the last year. This is as per the data from Net Applications. In the month of September 2012, the iOS had a share of more than 63 percent of the total mobile OS market.

The reason for the decline of the iOS is the steady increase in sales of Android OS. Android has been moving up the charts, especially in the last few months. For the month of September, the mobile OS by Google had a share of 29.4 percent that was up from 28.1 percent the month before and 25.2% in July. This shows that Android OS is becoming more and more popular among the mobile users for its unique and user friendly features.

If you wish to know more on the sales trends of the various operating systems, you can contact our tech support team.

Procedure To Uninstall The Yahoo Toolbar From Command Line

Toolbars are add-ons installed on your web browser. There are many toolbars available online. These add-on programs are downloaded or installed as part of some third-party software installation or they are installed from their official sites. A few of the famous toolbars include Yahoo toolbar, Google toolbar, Ask toolbar, etc.

The Yahoo! Toolbar is a web browser add-on that helps for the Yahoo! search engine to be used at any time through a search box that is glued to the top of the browser window. Moreover, the Yahoo! Toolbar can be customized further using mini-applications that can help create buttons on the toolbar. This can help in providing the ability of one-click access to popular websites such as eBay and Facebook. In case, you have tried the Yahoo! Toolbar and decided that you do not like it, then, you need not worry as it can be easily removed from the system from the ‘Add/Remove’ Programs list.

Some might prefer removing Yahoo toolbar from the command line, perhaps because the toolbar prevents the browser from loading. In such cases, you can uninstall the Yahoo! Toolbar in the Internet Explorer from the command line - in case you are unable to do so from the Control Panel. Here are the instructions:

Removing Yahoo Toolbar in Internet Explorer from the command line

• You need to press the Windows logo and ‘R’ keys simultaneously for bringing up the ‘Run’ dialog. Then you need to enter ‘cmd’ in the box, (you need to ignore the quotation marks) and then press the ‘Enter’ key. Then, the command prompt appears.
• You need to type ‘cd c:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common’ and then press the ‘Enter’ key. The prompt changes give you an indication that you have navigated to this folder. 
• Then, you need to enter ‘unyt_wrap’ (again omitting the quotes) and press ‘Enter.’ You will see that a new window appears asking if you are sure that you wish to uninstall the Yahoo! Toolbar. Then, you need to click on the ‘Yes’ button. 
• Subsequently, you need to click on the ‘No’ button when asked if you would like to send feedback about the Yahoo! Toolbar, then click on the ‘Close’ button. Then the Yahoo! Toolbar is uninstalled. You can now close the command prompt to continue working on your computer.

Following these instructions will successfully remove the toolbar from Internet Explorer.

Steps To Check If Someone Is Blocking You On Msn

As well all know, Windows Live Messenger is an instant messaging service developed by Microsoft, which allows the users to chat with others. Some of the features included in Windows Live Messenger are an album viewer, social networks integration, games, as well as the options to allow offline messaging. Earlier this service was termed as MSN messenger, and later on it was replaced as the current Windows Live Messenger. Windows live chat support provides ample assistance in fixing the issues related to this online messaging application.

In this application, the user can register for a free account, download the chat software, and then add others to the contact list. The best option about Windows Live Messenger is that here, you can block other users from contacting you through the chat service. Although you would not be able to check if someone else has blocked you in Windows Live Messenger, you can try the following instructions to view this information.

• One of the best ways is to check if the other person has blocked you is to ask that user to confirm if he/she is currently signed on. This is because if the person is online and still you cannot view him/her in your contact list, chances are more that the person would have blocked you.
• According to the technicians at the Windows Live chat support, another option is to add the person as a contact on another Windows Live account, without letting the person know about it. Now, you can check if the person is signed on, and if you are able to view him/her in your new contact list. Now, sign in using your old account, and if you are not able to view the person in your contacts list there, it simply means that you have been blocked by him/her.
• You can also rely on any Windows Live groups to which you both have been added. Here, you would be able to view the status of the person i.e. if he/she is online or not. Now, if you are not able to view the same person in your personal contact list, chances are high that you have been blocked by the person.

These are some of the tips that you can consider while checking if you have been blocked by someone in Windows Live Messenger service. For more assistance, feel free to contact our technical support team.

How To Remove The Ask Toolbar From Your PC

Ask toolbar is a browser extension program that is used mainly for providing the users with search results from the popular search engine Ask.com. However, the site does monitor your search traffic using the toolbar and will use the results for displaying ads from the site. Most of the users will find it rather intimidating and would like to remove the toolbar from their system. Follow the simple instructions given below for removing the Ask toolbar from your computer.

Instructions To Remove Ask Toolbar From IE

• Open the Internet Explorer web browser by double clicking on its desktop shortcut icon and then click on the Tools tab found in the top of the application window just below the address bar. 
• Click on the option named Manage Add-ons and the select the option named Toolbars and Extensions option for viewing all the toolbars and extensions added to the Internet Explorer web browser. 
• Look for the Ask toolbar in the list and uninstall everything related to the program for making the Ask toolbar removal process complete. 
• Now select the Search Providers option in the window and set the search engine of your choice as the default search engine of the browser. 

Instructions To Remove Ask Toolbar From Firefox

• Open the Firefox web browser by clicking on its tab found under the Programs tab in the Start menu. 
• Click on the Tools menu found in the menu bar and then select the Add-on option for viewing all the add-ons installed with the web browser. 
• Click on the option named Extensions and look for the Ask toolbar extension in the list populated, then click on it to select the toolbar. 
• Right click on the toolbar and then select the option Uninstall so that the users will be able to uninstall the toolbar from their computer. 
• Now move to the Tools menu and then select the Options tab for setting the homepage of the browser back to its default web page or you can set another page of your choice manually in the text box provided for entering it. 
• Restart the web browser for making the changes complete and for completing the Ask toolbar removal. 

If you follow the simple instructions given above, you will be able to easily remove all the contents related to the Ask toolbar.