Monday, September 30, 2013

Windows XP Running Slow

Windows XP is one of the most popular operating systems ever launched by Microsoft. This operating system continues to be used still in most corporations rather than using the latest version of Windows. Windows XP is just below Windows 7 in the list of most used Operating systems. Though a great operating system, it gets slow after prolonged use without much maintenance. Over time it accumulates temporary files and other useless data that isn’t required. This slows it down in the long term.
When Windows XP slows down if you do a little maintenance on it, it could probably be sped up by a considerable amount. You can contact support via the Windows support number. Here are a few instructions to solve this problem, though you should always make a backup of the data before cleaning your computer.
Click the Start button which is in the lower left corner of your screen. Navigate to the Control Panel and click on it. This would reveal the Add or Remove Software window. Go through this list one at a time, and remove the programs that you do not use. These programs could be removed by highlighting them in the list and then clicking on the Remove button corresponding. This would clean most of the programs that you have unnecessarily installed on your computer. Sometimes while installing one software another hitches on, with the user not noting any of this. Doing this every once in a while would keep your computer free from rogue programs and applications.
To clean your computer memory, go to My Computer and right click on the drive you would like to clean up. In the context menu, click on the Properties option. This will reveal the Properties window for that particular drive. Select the Disk cleanup button that appears. The disk cleanup utility only removes old log files and partially deleted files from your computer. They do not affect any other files on your computer. Click on the OK button to remove the unnecessary files.
Defragment your computer once in a while to keep your computer up to speed. You can get to this tool by right clicking on your hard drive and selecting Properties. Go to the Tools tab and then click on the Defragment now button. Select the drive you want to defragment and then click the Defragment button.
I hope you were able to speed up your computer by following the above tips. For more support you can contact Windows support via the Windows support number.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Know About The Windows 8 PC Settings

Microsoft’s latest Windows version, Windows 8 has definitely created quite an impression among the computer enthusiasts. A sudden outburst of Windows admirers has been witnessed with the launch of Windows 8 OS version. It has brilliantly included some intuitive human interface features that have gained much appreciation. Want to learn more about how to change to Windows 8, visit the Windows 8 transfer site.

Changing the PC settings of Windows 8
Here we are discussing on how to adjust the Windows 8 screen setting function. In order to open the PC settings screen, you may follow these steps:

First you need to open the Charms bar’s Settings pane. You can do this using either of the three ways. 
  • Using Mouse: Move the cursor to the screen’s top or bottom right corner. When you see the Charms bar appear, click on the “Settings” icon.
  • Using Keyboard: Press the short keys  “Windows+I”
  • Using touch screen: Slide your finger on the screen from right edge inward to pop-out the Charms bar and tap on the “Settings” icon.
From the Settings window, choose the option “Change PC Settings”. You will now get the PC Settings screen. Similar to the Control Panel that we are familiar with, the PC Settings screen breaks down into different categories. The categories are mentioned below.
  • Personalize:  Using this tool you can personalize your Start screen and Lock screen picture. Also you can change the thumbnail photo for different user accounts.
  • Users: Using this tool you can change your password and also can give authorization to a different person to use your system.
  • Search: This category is used to prevent an app or its contents from getting indexed.
  • Share: This is specially intended for those who are usually social network users who would like to share things they see on their screen. 
  • Privacy: This category is intended to prevent apps from grabbing your geographic location, name and account picture.
  • Devices: This lists all the connected devices to your computer like the mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer, camera, speakers and any other external peripherals. This allows you to remove or add any devices from or onto your computer.
  • Sync Your Settings: Suppose you have a Microsoft account and you have logged in using that account to your Windows 8 computer, this feature lets you sync the Microsoft account settings so that when you use a different Windows 8 computer, it loads with your Microsoft’s account settings like color, background, and other preferences on that machine.
The Windows 8 transfer site provides you with information to transfer your files to the Windows 8 platform. You can access the site for any further information on the same.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Repairing Your Outlook Application

The MS Outlook application saves all the information in PST file. Over the years this PST file format has undergone many changes in format. Older versions of Outlook saved PST files in the ANSI format, and could only have a maximum of 2 GB worth of information stored in the database. Later versions modified the PST file format to the Unicode format, which permitted the data storage capacity to increase substantially up to 20 GB.
Regular users of Outlook may be familiar with many difficulties with the Outlook application. One of the primary causes of these issues is the PST file exceeding the file storage limit. These files, also referred to as oversized PST files, are more prone to corruption which can cause loss of valuable information. Your PST file may also be destroyed by hardware issues, attacks from viruses, power surges, and improper exit from the application or a malfunctioning hard drive.
Other causes of error also include having insufficient RAM, inadequate space in the hard drive to save swapped files, corrupt installation of the Outlook program, and corruption of your Outlook profile.
Fortunately, all these problems can be fixed easily; just follow the below instructions.
  • If insufficient RAM causes an error message you should try to make more RAM available for the application to run smoothly. Close all programs and restart Windows. Upon restart open only programs that are required, and close any application after use. A good way to stop unnecessary programs is by accessing the task manager and stop execution of ones that have no immediate purpose.
  • If the error emerges due to lack of hard drive swap space, proceed to delete unnecessary items on the screen and obtain more memory space.
  • If your Outlook installation turned out to be corrupt, reinstall MS Outlook by modifying the name of the Outlib.dil file.
  • Create a new Outlook account if the cause of error is a corrupt Outlook profile.
Performing an Outlook repair in crucial moments can protect from data loss and file corruption. There are also Outlook repair tools available which can fix your Outlook issues, but which are slightly time consuming. You can also check up for other tools and software online, which would repair the PST files quickly. Some of the popular PST file repair tools include:
  • Kernel recovery for PST
  • Stellar phoenix Outlook PST repair
  • The built in cleaner Scanpst.exe
Using these tools can definitely help in repairing the files. If you face issues with the use of these repair tools, or any other problems with Outlook, contact the Outlook helpdesk for further instructions and tips.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

How To Add RAM In A HP Laptop

Are you a HP laptop user? Is your laptop running slow? Adding extra RAM to the laptop will definitely make it run fast. It is always easy for the CPU to access the RAM than the hard disk. RAM is the acronym of Random Access Memory and it is a type of data storage used by the CPU of the computer. The amount of RAM installed in your computer directly determines how fast your computer can perform assigned tasks and run multiple programs.

Therefore, adding RAM will increase the performance of your PC. If you are having an HP laptop, adding extra RAM is a very easy and an easy task and requires you to remove only a few screws. The steps to do this are explained below. You may also know more about this by referring the HP laptop support module of the official website of HP.

Instructions To Add RAM

  • Shut down the computer and remove the AC cable from the connector of the laptop. After doing this, turn the computer upside down so that you are looking at the bottom of it.
  • You can spot the memory bay at the bottom of the laptop. Unscrew the cover to the memory bay. You may use a Phillips-head screwdriver to do this. Make sure to ground yourself by placing a hand on a metal object and the other on the computer cover.
  • Open one of the memory bays. You can do this by spreading the clips on either end of the bay with the help of your fingernails.
  • Hold the new RAM chip on its ends and place the connectors into the bay. You can recognize the connector as it is gold colored. To snap the connector in place, press it down.
  • Rotate the clips over the new RAM chip to close the memory bay. After completing this, replace the cover to the memory area and tighten the screws. Plug in the AC connector of the laptop and turn it on to check if it is working properly. Now, check the available RAM from the system properties option.

These are the simple steps to add a new RAM module to your HP laptop. If you are not okay with any of the steps, you may seek the help of an HP laptop support technician to complete the procedure.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Finding An App And Installing It From Windows Store


Have you got used to Microsoft Windows 8 operating system already? You might have to find and install apps and programs of your choice from Windows store as free trial versions or purchased ones. You can get Windows help to solve the errors or doubts that you come across with apps on Windows store as well as their installation issues.

The reasons listed below might be preventing you from finding and installing an interesting app from Windows store.

  • You might be having settings for hiding apps
             Set your preferences for Windows Store so that the required or desired apps are never hidden from you. 
  • Age rating for a particular app due to family safety settings
             This parental or age control is useful, but sometimes prevent desirable apps to pop up in the searches made. You would totally forget about this safety setting and may complain that such an app never lists out in your computer’s Windows store.
  • The app unavailable in your country or region
             You need to know that certain Windows Store apps are country or region specific and wouldn’t be available in other areas of the world. This might also occur, if you have chosen your country as a random wrong option from the list of countries during account set up. Make changes to the country selected and the suitable apps would be available in the future searches.
  • The payment method enabled for your account does not match with your residing country or region
             If you wish to buy an app, the payment method should belong to the particular country from where you make the purchase. This might be enforced as a step to provide an overall control or monitoring of the transactions made. 
  • Windows store does not have this app any longer
             The app would have become outdated and removed from the Windows Store list.
  • Incompatibility of processor with the chosen app
            See to the standard system specifications for the chosen app; errors might be popping up due to incompatibility issues. 
  • The system requirements of the app are not met by your PC
            The account to which you are signed in to your PC might not be having enough privileges and specifications as required by the app. 

Hope Windows help information on the problems with apps on Windows Store helped you to fix the PC issues.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

How To Use The Windows Vista Narrator Program

Like with the previous Windows versions, Windows Vista too comes equipped with the very useful accessibility feature called the Text to Speech program, otherwise called Narrator, that lets users interact with their computers through voice.
This accessibility feature significantly reduces the use of the mouse and keyboard, at the same time maintaining or increasing the overall productivity. This feature is also intended to help users who are sight impaired. The Text to Speech program could read out documents, Emails, Windows menus or whatever texts you have on your computer screen, making your job really easy.
There is a similar feature in Windows Vista called the Speech Recognition program that lets you use voice commands to start or switch between applications or even control the different functions of your Windows operating systems. The below mentioned Windows Vista Help guidelines will help you use the Narrator program easily.

Instructions to use the Text to Speech Recognition program
  • Before you can use the speech recognition program, make sure that your computer speakers are in good condition. Test your computer speakers and their sound. Try playing some audio files like MP3 files and check to see if you are able to hear them properly. After you have confirmed that your computer speakers do work, you may start the Text to Speech program. 
  • To start the Text to Speech program, go to the Start menu and select “All Programs”. Click on “Accessories” from All Programs menu and further select “Ease of Access”. Here you will find the speech recognition program “Narrator”. Click on it to open the program.
  • If you want it to be opened in a minimized window, you could go to the Options menu and change it accordingly. Select the appropriate checkboxes to have Narrator read system notifications and messages for you. 
  • Open the document or the window that you want Narrator to read for you and click on it to make it active. Pressing "CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR" simultaneously will bring up the Narrator program, and the program will start to read the entire window. In order to read the title, simply press the “ALT+HOME” keys. To make Narrator program silent, press the “CTRL” key.
  • Once you have done using Narrator, click the “Exit” button to close the Text to Speech program.
If you have trouble using the Text to Speech Narrator program, you can avail of Windows Vista help from the Microsoft Help and Support Center to resolve your issue.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

How To Add Or Remove Address Book In Microsoft Outlook

As we all know, Microsoft Outlook is a very popular desktop email client used by many around the world. Microsoft Outlook’s user-friendly features and tools let you manage your multiple email accounts with so much of ease. It not only manages your email services but also doubles as a contact manager.

Among its various features, Address Book is an important feature that lets Outlook manage all its contact information efficiently. It sorts and organizes all your email addresses with so much ease that you never have to worry about how your emails are being sent and received. However, despite these facts, you may sometimes want to delete your Address Book or create a new one. Mentioned below are instructions on how you can add or delete your Address Book in Outlook.

Instructions
  • Close your Outlook application if it is open. 
  • Locate Outlook application in your computer and right-click on the Outlook icon. 
  • Select Properties from the popup menu and further select Email Account. 
  • Click on Directory tab and then select the option View or change existing Directories or Address book. 
  • Proceed by clicking Next and then Outlook Address Book. 
  • You need to click Remove, then Finish and finally click Close. 
  • Now open your Outlook to see if the Address Book is removed from it. You would not find your old Address Book anymore on your Outlook. 
  • Close the Outlook window once again. 
  • Right-click on Outlook icon like you did before and select the option Properties from the popup menu. Further, click the option Directories and then Add a New Directory or Address Book. Proceed by clicking Next. 
  • Click Additional Address Book and then Next. 
  • Further click Select Outlook Address and again click Next. 
  • Finally click OK and then Close to exit the window. 
  • Re-launch the Outlook application. Locate Contacts and right-click on it. 
  • From the popup menu, select Properties. 
  • From the Properties window, choose the Outlook Address Book tab. 
  • Select the checkbox adjacent to Show this folder as an email Address Book and click OK.
Hope you were able to remove your existing Address Book and add a new Address Book to your Outlook application. You can now add a fresh list of contacts to your Address Book and start using them for your email purposes.

How To Repair Corrupted Outlook PST File

Microsoft Outlook stores all your email information in PST (Personal Storage Table) file format. Microsoft Outlook uses this file format to store all Outlook data including emails, calendar, contacts, notes, journals and any other information.

The convenience of saving data in this format is that, it allows the easy transfer of data files between different computers and facilitates easy backing up of your emails. However, you may end up having some problems if these PST files get corrupted or damaged. That is why Microsoft has included an Outlook repair tool called “Outlook Inbox Repair” tool or “Scanpst.exe” tool, intended to fix damaged .PST files

Repairing corrupted .PST files in Outlook 2007

  • Before you start the repair process, be sure your Outlook 2007 is not open.
  • Go to Start menu and click on Computer.
  • Locate the “C:” drive and double-click to open it.
  • Double-click Program files to open the folder.
  • Inside Program files, you can find the folder for Microsoft Office. Open this folder and double-click Office 2012.
  • Locate the file named Scanpst.exe and double-click to launch the repair tool.
  • When the repair tool window opens, click on Browse and select the corrupted PST file.
  • Once you have selected the PST file to repair, click Start. This will start the repair process.
  • This tool will find the errors and list them. Click Repair button to fix those errors.
  • After the repair process is complete, exit the repair tool.
  • Now re-launch the Microsoft Outlook 2007 program. Some might have multiple Outlook profiles. Be sure to select the profile with the damaged PST file.
  • From the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go and then click Folder List.
  • Under the Folder List menu, you can find Recovered Personal Folders. Click it to expand to find the Lost and Found folder.
  • From the Lost and Found folder, select the entire contents and drag it to the correct location in the folder list. After you have restored all the lost files, you may delete the Recovered Personal Folders folder.
Now that you have fixed problems with the corrupted PST file, you should be able to send and receive emails without any problem. There are various Outlook repair steps for different problems. Many common Outlook issues can be solved if you follow these simple troubleshooting steps.

You may find many useful tips and tricks in the Outlook Help menu that can make your Outlook experience more enjoyable.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Different Features Of Outlook Repair Toolbox


Many of us use Microsoft Outlook as our primary email client to manage our different email accounts. Outlook manages our email accounts with ease and is convenient to use, considering the fact that it manages various email accounts under a single platform.
However, you may encounter problems while using Microsoft Outlook. You might then need to perform necessary troubleshooting steps in order to fix these problems. That is why Microsoft has included some Outlook repair tools, using which you can easily fix your Outlook problems.
Below mentioned are some Outlook Help descriptions on using Outlook Repair Toolbox and its various features.

Outlook Repair Toolbox features

  • While using Outlook, you might have problems with .PST and .OST Microsoft Outlook files. Outlook Repair Toolbox can be used to repair damaged or corrupted .PST and .OST Outlook files. Outlook Repair Toolbox will repair .PST files in Unicode format for files created under Microsoft Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010.
  • Using Outlook Repair Toolbox, you can read .OST files created by all versions of MS Outlook. This Toolbox is feature packed and delivers full control to the users to perform a wide range of troubleshooting steps. It allows users to read corrupted .OST files, convert .OST files to .PST format, save restored data as a separate .MSG file or as a .EML file. 
  • Outlook Repair Toolbox also lets you repair various email formats like plain text, RTF, and HTML as well as repair email file attachments and object attachments. 
  • In addition to these, Outlook Repair Toolbox can be used to fix problems with Outlook contacts due to corrupted .PST files, repair notes, alerts and calendars from corrupted .PST files.
  • Outlook Repair Toolbox can also be used to repair and preserve folder structure and types.  It also supports selective saving of restored folders and objects. In addition, it provides full support for drag and drop operations.
  • You can also save data to multiple .PST files without exceeding a specified volume. In addition, you can also repair password-protected .PST files. Furthermore, you will be able to process encrypted or unencrypted .OST and .PST files.

Exceptionally simple to use, the Outlook Repair Toolbox guides you through the entire process with a simple set of on-screen wizards - it is as simple as counting 1-2-3 to recover your email data and ancillary features, such as calendars, notes and attached objects.
To know more about this topic, go through the Outlook Help menu and gain access to useful tips.

How To Fix Windows Rundll Error


You might have seen plenty of .dll (Dynamic Link Library) files in every application folder on your Windows computer. These are used to store common pieces of application logic that can be accessed from multiple applications.

Windows uses the rundll32.exe application to launch functionality stored in shared .dll files. This executable is a valid part of Windows and any damage to this executable can cause problems to your computer. Usually the rundll32.exe error in Windows occurs when the computer is infected with a malware or a virus.

Sometimes, removing the infection can fix the issue or you may perform Windows repair to troubleshoot the problem. The following Microsoft Support guidelines will help you fix the rundll32.exe error on your system.

Instructions

  • You need to start Windows in Safe Mode. To get into Safe Mode, restart your computer and press the F8 key repeatedly until you get the Advanced Boot Options screen. Now select Windows Safe Mode With No Networking using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Then press the Enter key.
  • Once your system loads in Safe Mode, perform a full system scan using your antivirus and antispyware program that you have installed on your computer. This will detect any or all virus and spyware infections on your computer. 
  • Follow the onscreen instructions as provided by the antivirus program and delete the virus infections found by the software. Once the infections are removed, restart your computer. If this fixes the issue, you need not proceed to the next step. 
  • If you still get a rundll32 error message, it probably means that your Windows rundll32.exe file is corrupt. If that is the case, then you must perform a Windows Repair Installation.
  • In order to repair Windows, insert the Windows Installation CD into the computer CD drive. Now restart your computer and press any key when prompted to boot from CD.
  • You will get the Welcome to Setup screen on the Windows Installation wizard. You need to press the Enter key to select Setup Windows XP.
  • From the list of options, select the Windows Installation that you want to repair. To perform the repair, press the R key. You will be required to press the F8 key to accept the Microsoft licensing agreement.
  • Windows will now try to repair the errors and reinstall missing and corrupted files, including the corrupt rundll32.exe file. When you perform Windows repair, your data and other files remain intact. So there is no risk of losing your data. 
  • After the repair is completed, restart your computer. 

You should now have fixed the rundll32 error. If this doesn’t fix the problem, contact Microsoft Support Center and get advanced support.