Windows 8.1 RTM Version Released

Microsoft recently let its hardware partners get their hands on the final Windows RTM version, Windows 8.1 or Windows Blue OS. Microsoft commented on this release saying, "Unlike past RTM moments, this milestone represents progress in Microsoft’s new rapid release cycle and optimizes the overall customer experience, while highlighting the handoff to OEM partners and wide array of devices expected this fall".

The RTM version was released so that PS manufacturers and other hardware companies can tinker with the RTM version and come up with new products and devices. Microsoft expects a wide variety of innovative products that their customers can use, which will be rolled out later in the holiday season.

The company added the people around the world should expect a wide range of sophisticated and beautiful devices ranging from tablets, lightweight notebooks and versatile hybrids, including an array of devices aimed specifically for the business ecosystem.

However this arrival shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Tami Reller, Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer had announced at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference that the RTM version of Windows 8.1 would be released by the end of August.

Microsoft has made some drastic improvements to the Windows 8.1 operating system. It looks like the traditional Start menu will be returned, and an option to switch between regular interface and Metro Style interface can also be expected. Other improvement include the Internet Explorer 11, improved performance, and better cloud connectivity. This is great, as usually Microsoft releases only Service Packs, and OS upgrades do not happen so quickly. Looks like Microsoft is introducing the concept of quicker software upgrades, to win back its position as one of the best software companies. Along with Windows 8 powered touch devices, Microsoft could soon become a major competition for giants like Android and Apple.

Those hoping to make a Windows 8 transfer to the updated OS can get their hands on the OS easily, from the Windows Store. This upgrade is absolutely free for those who have already migrated to the Windows 8 operating system. If you are currently using the previous versions of Windows like Windows 7, Vista, or older, you will have to pay the retail price for upgrading to Windows Blue. The Windows 8 transfer to Windows 8.1 should be a relatively simple process, and easy to migrate.

Microsoft concluded by saying, "Thanks, in part, to customer feedback and an unparalleled level of collaboration across product teams, Windows 8.1 is a significant update. We have delivered in a very short time an update to the OS that will bring an even greater unified experience for our customers."

Read More

Fixing Issues With Help And Support

Whenever you require help with your Windows OS, you can always depend on the Microsoft help and support for troubleshooting. Microsoft help and support provides the best help tips for all your Windows queries. So when you access a help link, an executable called HelpPane is accessed by the system. The HelpPane accesses the information in the help files that are present in a separate folder and these files are shown on the help window. However, sometimes the files can get damaged and the help files become inaccessible. By following the below provided Windows 7 support guidelines, issues with the help files can be sorted out.

Instructions

• Reboot the system. Tap the F8 key until the Advanced boot options window appears.
• Choose Windows Safe Mode and tap Enter to start Windows.
• In order to access the Run command, tap Windows and R keys simultaneously in the keyboard. In the window, enter C:\Windows and tap the Enter key. Now, on a new window, the Windows directory will open.
• Locate the HelpPane file and right click on it. Select Rename and the name has to be changed to HelpPaneBackup. The files will be sorted alphabetically by default. If the HelpPane file cannot be located easily, in the empty area, you have to right click and choose the option labeled Sort By Name.
• Select the Start button and choose All Programs. Click Accessories and in the Command prompt option, right click. Now a menu will appear and you have to choose the option Run As Administrator. 
• Now you can run Command prompt with administrative privileges.
• Enter SFC /ScanFile=C:\Windows\HelpPane.exe and tap the Enter key. Now the system file checker will check and repair the file.
• After the process is complete, when asked, restart the system. If help and support still fails, you have to perform the next set of steps.

System Restore

• In order to access the Run command, tap Windows and R keys simultaneously.
• In the Run field, enter Rstrui.exe and tap the Enter key. Now the System restore utility will open.
• Select Choose a Different Restore Point and click on the Next button. Now a window containing a number of restore points will appear.
• By checking the date and time column, choose a restore point when you think the help and support worked properly. Now select the Next button.
• In the Confirm Your Restore Point window, choose the Finish button. Now the computer will restart and the system will be restored to the selected date.

By following these Windows 7 support guidelines, issues with Microsoft help and support files would be resolved.

Read More

Deleting AutoComplete Entries In Outlook

Your Outlook is not just a mere email client; it is a very efficient personal manager tool. MS Outlook can help you take notes, make journals, set appointment, generate tasks, manage contacts, keep connected with people. Outlook 2007 is empowered with the AutoComplete feature. This feature directly saves the names and email addresses of any person you sent mail to, who are not already on your contacts list. These entries may crowd up your contacts so here are some steps to delete them.

Instructions to Delete all AutoComplete entries:

•  Close the Outlook application.
• Your AutoComplete entries are saved in a location. Find out this location by clicking on Start in your desktop. Select the Computer option and then enter the following location in the file pathway box at the top of the window %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook.
• Turn your option to view file extensions on. This can be done by clicking on Tools menu at the top of your window. In the menu select the Options button and then click on View tab. Remove the check mark from the checkbox next to Hide extensions for known file types. This will permit you to look at all files and their extensions as well. Click OK.
• Locate the Outlook.NK2 file and delete it. Only delete the file ending in NK2 and nothing else. As there are other files that have Outlook in their names, make sure you do not delete any other file.

Instructions to Delete Specific AutoComplete Entries:

You can choose to delete only specific entries if you want and here is how you do it;

• Open the Outlook application and then select the Mail section, which is located in the left-hand navigation pane.
• Click on the New button at the top of the window, right below the menu options, to open an new mail.
• Type in the name email address of the mail that you wish to delete from the list. That email address will be visible in the line of text where you are typing.
• Press the down arrow key to and then press Delete to remove this from the list of entries.

Now, you can choose to delete any further entries you want individually. If you face any issues on Outlook 2007 feel free to contact Outlook tech support. Expert at Outlook tech support are dedicated to providing quick and effective solutions for all your Outlook problems. Enjoy Outlook 2007 and all its splendid features.

Read More

Steps To Set Up The Email Filter In Outlook

As we all know, Microsoft Outlook contains some of the most advanced and novel features which help users to remember and organize their important events. These include features such as calendar, task manager, event manager, note making, journals, and so on. Hence, the Outlook application is also used as a personal information manager along with being an email application. Outlook stores the information of the users in files known as personal storage tables or .pst files. Another feature of Outlook is the spam filters that allow you to filter the email that you receive. Hence, you would not get unwanted emails into your inbox. Outlook can be set to block these senders and their emails, sending the former to the trash folder until you wish to unblock the latter. Microsoft provides this feature in all versions of Outlook.

You can follow this procedure to filter email in Outlook before seeking assistance from the Windows tech support.

• In the first step, click the Windows Start button. Now, select the All Programs option, and you would see a list of all the programs currently on the computer. Now, click Microsoft Office.
• In the Microsoft Office, select the Outlook shortcut to open the Outlook email client on your desktop.
•  Now, click the Tools menu item, and then select Options. In the list of options, click the Junk E-mail button. A window would open where you can set up all of your email filters. You can also contact the Outlook support to get more information about spam filters in Outlook.
• Now, click the Blocked Senders tab. Make sure you click the users in the list of senders that you want to remove. Click Remove to enable the user to send email. This means that the user's email in Outlook is no longer sent to spam, so the sender can send email to your inbox.
• Now, click the Add button. Here, a dialog window would open where you need to add a new filter. Type a sender name you want to filter from your inbox, and click OK to save the settings. You can notice the newly filtered email that would display in the list of blocked senders.
• After you complete the list of filters, click OK to save your settings. The settings take effect immediately, and hence, the senders are filtered the next time they attempt to send email to your address.

Therefore, you can follow these simple steps to set up the email filter in Outlook. For more information on this, check Microsoft’s official website.

Read More

Minimum System Requirements To Upgrade to Windows Vista

Are you thinking of upgrading your Windows XP computer to Windows Vista? Upgrading to Vista will be a smart choice as it definitely improves your system performance, given you have the right system requirements to run the operating system.

The following list describes the recommended minimum hardware requirements for the basic functionality of the different editions of Windows Vista. Actual hardware requirements will vary, depending on the system configuration and on the programs and the features that you install. If you install Windows Vista over a network, additional hard disk space may be required. For your computer to run Windows Vista operating system, it should have a modern processor (at least 800MHz), 512 MB of system RAM and a graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.

These Windows Vista Help guidelines will help you determine the minimum system requirements for your computer.

Instructions

• Go to the Start menu located on your Windows taskbar and locate the option My Computer. Right-click on My Computer and choose the option Properties from the popup menu. This will bring up the System Properties window. 
• By default, the General tab will be active, where you will be able to find your current Microsoft Windows version, system processor, memory (RAM) details etc. The amount of memory will be expressed in terms of megabytes or gigabytes. Though the minimum amount of RAM required to run Vista is 512MB, it is best to have at least 1GB of memory installed before you upgrade to Windows Vista.
• Here, you can also find the type of processor in your computer. Microsoft suggests having a processor with a speed of at least 800MHz. If you have a faster processor, more efficient will be your computer.
• Now close the System Properties window. Once again go to the Start menu and click on My Computer to open the My Computer window. Right-click on the C: drive and choose the option Properties.
• Here, you will be able to check how much space you have on your hard disk. To install Windows Vista, you need to have a drive with a capacity of at least 2GB. Also, you will need at least 15GB of free space on the drive.

If you face any trouble upgrading to Windows Vista, you can always get Windows Vista Help from the Microsoft Support Center and get the issues resolved quickly.

Read More

Getting Rid Of The AVG Toolbar

A toolbar is designed to ease your work by providing useful functions and features, news and information and even links to your social media sites. The user downloads some toolbars while some others are installed on the system during the download and installation of other programs. Users have varying priorities for toolbars. While some consider them to be helpful, others consider it as a nuisance. You may be able to delete the toolbar directly or make use of an application like a toolbar remover in order to remove the toolbar.

By following the below provided steeps, you can easily delete a toolbar like the AVG toolbar easily from your web browser.

Deleting the toolbar using the inbuilt uninstaller of the AVG toolbar

• Launch the Internet Explorer web browser in your system.
• Next to the AVG logo on the AVG toolbar, there will be an arrow button present and you need to click on it.
• An option called Uninstall AVG Security Toolbar will be present. You need to select it.
• You will require selecting the option, Remove The Toolbar And AVG Secure Search and you need to select the OK button in order to uninstall the toolbar from your system.

Uninstalling by making use of the AVG toolbar remover

• You have to access your web browser, navigate to the AVG page, and from there download the AVG toolbar remover program.
• The time taken for the download will depend upon the speed of your internet connection. After the download process is complete, you will require running the program.
• The license agreement will appear on screen and you need to select the Accept button. In order to start the uninstall process, you have to select the Continue button. When the Continue option has been clicked, all the running browsers on your system will be automatically closed.
• Once the uninstall process is complete, you need to select the Exit button in order to close the application. Now the AVG toolbar will be successfully removed from your system.

By following these steps promptly, you can remove AVG toolbar from your system quickly. If you have any doubts on how to remove AVG toolbar, you can contact AVG support center to resolve your problems. You may also refer the help topics in the Microsoft help and support page for further assistance.

Read More

How To Get Rid Of Malwares Using Malwarebytes

Computer security is much relevant these days, and you have to take adequate security measures to protect your system from malware programs. There are different kinds of malware programs such as viruses, spyware and worms.
Viruses need a host program to infect, whereas worms don’t need the same. Hackers use spywares to steal our personal information and browsing habits. Hackers make use of these virus programs to hack into others computer and servers. The internet is the main source from where your system gets infected, so it is advisable to be cautious while surfing the net.
If your computer is infected by malware programs, you have to remove them as soon as possible. A number of antimalware programs that provide real time protection for your computer are now available.
Malwarebytes is such a program which provides good protection for your computer. This is a freeware program which scans and removes viruses and other threats from your computer. Periodically updating this program can help keep your system safe from new threats.
Try the following steps to use the Malwarebytes software to scan and remove the various kinds of malwares from your computer.

Steps to Follow

• Open the Malwarebytes software on your computer.
• If the updates are available for your software, click Yes to download the latest version of the database and install it on your computer.
• You can see several scanning options and check the box near to the option that you want to use. Usually the default setting is Perform Quick Scan. If your computer is not heavily infected with viruses, this is the best option for scanning.
• To start the scan, click the Scan button on the software. If you select Quick Scan, it will take several minutes to complete.
• Once the scan is completed, click OK. You can see a scanning log if your computer is not infected by viruses. If your computer is infected, you will be asked to remove the malwares.
• Check the box near to the option Deleted Threats and click the option Remove Selected Button.
• If you are asked to reboot, do so to remove malwares that are detected.

Hope you have got a clear idea about how to use antimalware programs to remove the malwares. If you follow the above procedure, you can easily remove malwares from your computer.

Read More

Fix Your Xbox 360 Controller

So, you come home tired on a Friday night hoping to lift your mood by playing your favorite game on your Xbox, but something is wrong. The console seems to have stopped working. What do you do? Well if your Xbox is facing some issues then the best option you have is to get it fixed by the developer, Microsoft itself. It is recommended that you do not tinker about with a malfunctioning Xbox unless you are certain about what you are doing. So how do you get in touch with them? Here are some tips to help you with the procedure.

Instructions

• Are you still in your warranty period? If you have not voided your Xbox warranty. then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Make sure that you do not dismantle your Xbox. or make any changes for that matter. If you void the warranty, you cannot get it fixed by Microsoft. Remember to hand over the Xbox exactly as it is.
• Why not contact the Xbox customer support number? Look up their number online, and call them up. Go through the automated system, following instructions, and specify your current issue. Make sure you get to talk to a Microsoft support representative for Xbox.
• Convey your problem clearly to the customer care representative. Give all relevant information and answer all their queries. Soon a box will be dispatched to you, in which you can pack up your Xbox 360 and send it over to Microsoft for repair.
• Follow the instructions on the box exactly as written. Pack your Xbox 360 and send it for repair to Microsoft. Within a week or so Microsoft will return your Xbox 360 console fully repaired and operational. If a serious damage was exposed, you might even get a brand new controller at home.

Now that your Xbox 360 controller is fixed, get back to your favorite games and relax. Xbox 360 is one of the most famous gaming consoles, and there are tons of cool games you can play.
If at any time you experience trouble with your Xbox 360, you will get excellent Microsoft support, and they will resolve your every issue. They have a department dedicated to fixing issues with their gaming consoles, who provide quick solutions. Also, check up on the Xbox One controller, which will be hitting the markets this year sometime, around the holiday season. So sit back and play your favorite game on your Xbox 360 controller.

Read More