Windows 7 Released and Security Concern

Whatever you do? How much you are protected but the threat is always there. Even Windows 7 Released which has been gone through various experiments but no doubt security concern is always there. Since in today’s life we are so much addicted and dependent to Internet that was never before, from entertainment on YouTube to online trading from credit card, everywhere we are suspect of being hacked.

What we can do we can minimize the threat from our end. Firewall & Windows Live essential has been an inbuilt feature of Windows 7 Released.

As with Vista, the basic settings for the Windows 7 firewall are accessed via the Control Panel applet. Unlike Vista, you can also access the advanced settings (including configuration of filtering for outbound connections) through the Control Panel instead of having to create an empty MMC and add a snap-in. Just click the Advanced Settings link in the left panel, as shown in Figure 1.

In many cases, greater usability hinges on small changes and Microsoft has been listening to users and incorporated some of those "little things that count" into the Windows 7 firewall. For example, in Vista when you created firewall rules, you had to list port numbers and IP addresses individually. Now you can specify ranges, which shaves time off of the performance of this common administrative task.

You can also create connection security rules that specify which ports or protocols are subject to IPsec requirements right there in the firewall console, instead of having to use the netsh command. For those who prefer the GUI, this is a handy improvement.

The connection security rules also support dynamic encryption. That means that if a server gets an unencrypted (but authenticated) message from a client computer, a security association can be negotiated "on the fly" to require encryption, making for more secure communications.

The Vista firewall can be configured to log events to a file (by default, Windows\System32\LogFiles\Firewall\pfirewall.log). In Windows 7 Released, the events are also logged in the Event Viewer's Applications and Services section, making it easier to access.

Apart from the inbuilt feature of Windows 7 Released you need some specific antivirus to comeover online threat. There are huge number of Software player who are in this Security product manufacting like AVG, PANDA, BITDEFENDER, BULLGUARD, KASPERSKY and many more Some important compatible Anti-Virus packages are AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0, Norton 360 Version 3.0, CA Internet Security Suit Plus 2010. Before getting installed anything make sure there compatibility is there with Windows 7 Released

Beware some companies use products that appear to be antivirus programs to install viruses or malware on your computer. When you install the program, you might also be installing the virus or other malware, without knowing it. Many companies, including those listed on this page, distribute antivirus programs. You should carefully investigate the source of antivirus and other products before downloading and installing them.

The companies listed with Windows 7 Compatibility Center provide consumer security software that is compatible with Windows 7.

Note: Before you install antivirus software, check to make sure you don't already have an antivirus software on your computer. If you do, be sure to uninstall the product you don't want before you install the new one. This may cause problem if you have two antivirus program on your system at a same time.

Three top firewall tuning tips

Every firewall is different and has different capabilities, but let's take a look at three common areas that don't get any attention when you're in a hurry -- but which can improve your security and security awareness.

1. MONITOR AND BLOCK OUTBOUND NETWORK TRAFFIC
   Most companies operate on a fairly relaxed basis, with a security policy that follows the "nothing gets in but anyone can go out" model. When you're getting started, this is the fast path to success. Once you're set, though, it's time to revisit this policy. In large enterprises, all outbound traffic is strictly controlled, and typically forced through a proxy server of some sort to provide content filtering and threat mitigation (such as antivirus scanning). You may not need that in a midmarket network, but you probably are letting more traffic out than you should.

   The easiest example is outbound SMTP (email traffic). In a typical company, the only system that should be legitimately sending email from the company network is the company's mail server, whether Exchange or some other product. There's rarely any reason to let people inside the network make outbound SMTP connections directly from their desktops or laptops. The biggest reason to block outbound SMTP traffic from end users is to block infected PCs from acting as spam robots. One of the main reasons hackers want to infect PCs is to turn them into robot armies (usually called bots).

   If you block outbound SMTP traffic from all but your official email server, you'll help to neutralize the negative effects from infected PCs. And, if you follow my next step, you'll get an early alert when one of the PCs on your network is infected.

   Controlling outbound email is the low-hanging fruit, but there are other benefits to being stricter on outbound traffic. Should people be using your internal DNS (domain name system) or NTP (network time protocol) servers? If so, then block that outbound traffic to help enforce proper configuration. Do you have devices such as printers or UPSes that should never be talking to the Internet? Block outbound traffic from that portion of your network, and you'll tighten your security profile.

2. SYSLOG FILTERS CRITICAL FIREWALL LOG DATA
   Firewalls generate tons of data about what's happening on your network, and chances are you aren't looking at any of it. The reason is probably pragmatic: you can't sort out the wheat from the chaff. What's interesting, and what's not? What should you look at and what can you skip?

   You have two options here. One is to tune the firewall itself, so that it only tells you about what's interesting. That may work, and it may not --most firewalls, in my experience, have insufficient knobs to limit the logs to the interesting stuff. The other option is to send the traffic to a tool, such as a SYSLOG server or SEM (Security Event Manager), and then further filter the traffic so you only see what is interesting to you.

   Telling you to install a SEM is probably counter-productive right now, although SEMs are a great way of filtering your security logs. So I'll suggest putting in a SYSLOG server and then writing filters for the interesting traffic. For example, you don't want to see "denied" traffic incoming to your network, because you have that kind of traffic all day long, there's nothing you can do about it, and it isn't worth looking at. However, you definitely do want to see denied outbound traffic because that indicates a problem, such as an end user who isn't following policy, someone inside your network behaving badly, or an infected system.

   In the same vein, look for alerts, such as reaching limits of sessions or memory (typically a sign of an infected system generating massive outbound traffic), denied logins to the firewall from the inside, and any other kind of severe error message your firewall has generated.

   The easiest way to trim this traffic is to summarize it all and then start writing filters to drop out the information you know you don't want, such as allowed connections that are following security policy. After a few hours of looking at logs and dropping the uninteresting parts, you'll find that the unusual and worthwhile information pops out at you quite quickly.

3. RATE LIMITING CONTROLS EXCESSIVE INBOUND, OUTBOUND TRAFFIC
   Most firewalls have some sort of denial-of-service protections, also called rate limiting. These features keep track of the velocity of connections through the firewall and can limit future connections when the traffic is excessive. Usually firewalls have different limits for inbound and outbound connections, as well as different types of connections (such as UDP connections, typically for tools such as DNS, or TCP connections, which would be more common in email and Web traffic).

   For example, a midmarket company's mail server might see about 1,000,000 incoming (from the Internet) connections a day, counting spam connections, if each of 1,000 employees received 100 messages a day. (Your email server logs should tell you the correct number; I'm just using 1,000,000 as an example.) That's about 10 connections per second. Set your firewall to block more than 20 incoming connections per second and you can both cut down on the amount of spam you get (since spammers often hammer mail servers when they're delivering their evil payloads) and ensure your own mail server doesn't get a sudden burst of mail it can't handle.

   Very high outbound connection rates are another potential sign of problems, since infected desktops and laptops often have very high connect rates towards the Internet as they attempt to re-infect or attack other companies. Using the built-in limiting features of your firewall to help block peak connections both inbound and outbound can shield you from inbound attacks and alert you when internal users are misbehaving, whether intentionally or because of a virus infection.

Increase Your Internet Speed Fast

I'm sure you've come across tons of articles and even suggestions from some of his friends on how to make your computer work faster. Everyone seems to give advice, but still has its problems and its sick! Relax, take a deep breath and I'll give you some basic ideas. It is not really so difficult to increase Internet speed. I'll do it real simple for you and you need not be a computer geek to make this work.

The first thing to remember is that never, and I mean absolutely never download programs especially free software without reading the fine print! Most free software bombard your computer with spyware, and other horrible things that will eventually bring your internet speed and computer to a screeching halt! If your PC is infected with spyware you can download the leading spyware remover called ad-aware scan your computer and remove spyware and cookies that track your surfing habits across the network.

Step 2 and another way to make your PC faster Internet connection, is to follow this crucial step: Click Start, then run, click and type the word msconfig in the run-down menu. Then go to the startup tab and remove any program except your antivirus software and any other program to run when Windows starts. Be careful not to delete any program that is required for Windows to start and function properly. If you are unsure about a program that Google and find plenty of sites that can help you find out if the program you want to remove is important or not. This advice will increase dramatically off during the time!

Step number 3, and I do almost every day is to clear the Internet cache. Follow these steps:

Go to control panel can be accessed from the Start button and click Internet Options. Go to temporary Internet files and clear history. I would recommend that also sets the history of the Internet to a maximum of 2 days. The next step is to delete your temporary internet files including offline content. Last but not least is clear your cookies. Be careful though because deleting your cookies will also delete useful information from your computer.

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

Survey Shows That Nearly Half of Consumers Think Upgrading to a New Operating System Will Require Technical Assistance

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

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

Additional survey findings reveal:

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

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

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

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

Finding Printer and Other Hardware Installation Software

When you want to add hardware to other hardware, then youoften need to have software that will perform the task of synchronizing the twodevices together. Examples include hardware to install a printer to your PC, a computer keyboard otherdevices your home and have a physical presence. Hardware istangible means something, even though its effects may be intangible, while issomething software that runs on hardware - such as software, online games ANDMORE.

In the case of consumer software is usually the case thatinstallation hardware will come with the product, which means that nothave to look beyond the box that has the hardware to find the installation of the printer driver download for printer support . In other cases you can find installation software BEHARD, especially when you're looking to install the hardware in a differentdevice company that developed software development. Softwarefor hardware installation can often be pre-installed on your computer, server or otherdevice time of purchase. On a Windows computer, for example, can finden option to install the hardware through control panel access. It is worth isprobably if this work before deciding to buy or find a freeinstallation software supplier. If you have other ofoperating system, then you should also explore the options and the usermanual to see if it is a possibility that can be exploited.

If you are unsure of the printer software is needed inorder to install the hardware then you should look for hp printer repair inside the user manual and findout if there is an explanation of how to install hardware that yourmachine. If there is no explanation or advice as to the software that Willner, then you will need to consult a computer engineer for advice on the problem of how toapproach this, however before doing so it is best to check ifthere are the resources online that could help with this. If you do aSearch to install "software name" on behalf "hardware", then you can just findthat someone who already has a solution there for you. Also worth notethat should try variations of this search query to find out if you canyield relevant results.

Once you have identified the software you need, eitherthrough Internet or otherwise, now is the time to locate and acquire thenecessary software. A great tool through which to find and compare software ISA comparison shopping engine such as Google Product Search or shopping.com. Type the name of the software and probably will work for a variety of vendors offering software, which lets you choose themerchant offering the best price. If you are uncomfortable with completing the online purchase then another great option is to go to a computersoftware provider locations, which may have exactly what you're looking for.

Nokia phones to get Microsoft Office

Long time rivals in the mobile phone arena Nokia and Microsoft have agreed on a corporation that might result in Microsoft's Office applications appearing on Nokia phones.

The accord, which is yet to be officially announced comes as Microsoft sees its dominance being increasingly challenged by competition like Google Docs that allow web-based office application access. With phones getting better and more "web-friendly", users are using their phones to view, edit and transfer official documents, spreadsheets and presentations, right from their phones. So, it was only a matter of time when Microsoft had to partner with Nokia, arguably the worlds largest manufacturer of mobile phones.

On the flip side, Nokia too is facing the heat from newer rivals and software platforms like the iPhone and more recently, Google's very own Android platform. Interestingly, Microsoft and Nokia too fight with each other, albeit indirectly if you add in Windows Mobile, Microsoft's smartphone OS platform to the list of competing mobile OSes. For the same reason, it is widely expected that this co-operation will only exist for MS Office access on Nokia phones and nothing beyond that.

Users keep Microsoft Windows XP alive

Last year Microsoft announced that they would be pulling the plug on Windows XP, users frustrated many who were not big fans of the Windows Vista operating system. However, since this story to many people still using Windows XP on PCs and laptops allowing downgrade rights to Windows Vista surely you want Microsoft windows upgrade to windows 7

With the release of Windows 7 scheduled Oct. 22, perhaps this is the end for Windows XP, unlike Windows Vista requirements 7 is not particularly good hardware necessary to install and run the operating system as well , microsoft has provided windows vista help for windows vista users

From the July 21 order OEM downgrade rights, it seems that ending the life of Windows XP, the only way you can get a license of XP will be the purchase from a supplier who still has a balance of it, demand XP license retailers will probably have to sell.

Microsoft is said to still offer XP for Netbooks, this is because some Netbooks hardware will not run any more advanced operating systems sufficiently.

How do I Disable Some of My Windows Startup Programs?

When you start your computer, many applications might load at startup, out of which some may not be required at all. Windows comes with a startup managing utility called MSCONFIG, using which you can disable startup applications. This is also called System Configuration Utility. To access MSCONFIG, try these steps:

• Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG
• Click Startup tab and view the listings there
• Uncheck the corresponding entry for the application which you want to disable from startup
• Click OK

The entries are reappearing again…..What now?
Some applications will repopulate the entry in the Startup. In that case, you need to check into that software’s options page and disable it’s “Run at startup” or similar feature.
Which startup items are mandatory?

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows XP does not require any program for mandatory startup. Everything is your choice. The very recommended ones which needs to run at startup are:

• Firewall programs
• Anti virus software and anti-spyware utilities
• Keyboard software or related for hotkey functionality (this one is optional as well)
• Software provided by your Internet Service Provider (for Internet Connectivity)

Change Windows XP Product Key

You can change the XP Product Key if your key is pirated or illegal! How to change the key without reinstalling Windows?

To do that, you need to edit the registry! Type ‘regedit’ in the Run command.

In the registry editor program, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents

Click WPAEvents folder and locate OOBETimer on the right pane.

Right click OOBETimer and choose Modify.

Change any one digit to deactivate Windows and click OK.

Once again click Start – Run. Type the following command in the Run box – %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a.

When the Windows Product Activation appears choose to activate by telephone. Click Next and choose Change Product Key. Type your new key and click Update.
If you’re taken back to the previous screen, you can call microsoft windows xp support.

Lastly restart your PC.

Dell's endless tech support loop

The plan went well right up to the day his offspring moved into her dorm area. "I installed the drivers for the printer we picked up for her a pair of miles from the university," explains Pete. "I confirmed the system restart, so the driver settings could take effect. But the laptop would not power back on afterward. It was completely dead. Now I was in panic."

The technician shipped a substitute motherboard to an authorized repair agent in the city where Petei daughter was attending college and made an appointment for Monday morning to meet Pete and make the fix. "This was getting close to the beginning of my daughter's classes and my plans to depart to make the 801 mile drive home on Tuesday," says Petei.

Pete waited at the appointed location with his cell phone in his pocket. "No one showed," he says. "And no one called." After two hours, he called and fell right back into the technical support vs. customer service loop he'd endured on Saturday. He spent several frustrating hours on the phone looking for someone who could help.

"Finally, with no logical end in sight," he says. "I gave up. I went to a local retailer and purchased another laptop for my daughter to use at school and began the long drive back home with the broken Dell in my car."

Two days after he got home, the computer repair technician called Pete. Now he was ready to repair the laptop. "He didn't find it particularly funny that I was several states away," says Pete. "And he had no intention of shipping the motherboard to me or a repair technician near my home. He said he would return the motherboard to Dell and that I should start over again in that endless customer service vs. technical support loop again. No thanks! It will be a cold day in you know where before I subject myself to that experience again."

How To Find Which Service Pack Level PC Is Running On Your Windows Vista

Some software applications may need that Windows Vista is a certain service pack and may not operate correctly if the service pack is not installed. Knowing the service pack level you’re currently running in Windows Vista can also come useful when troubleshooting certain troubles or when physically installing a service pack.

Here’s How:

1. Click on Start and then Control Panel.

Tip: In a hurry? Type system in the search box after clicking Start. Choose System from the list of results and then skip to Step 4.

2. Click on the System and Maintenance link.

Note: If you’re viewing the Classic View of Control Panel, you won’t see this link. Simply double-click on the System icon and proceed to Step 4.

3. Click on the System link.
4. In the Windows edition area of the View basic information about your computer window you’ll find your Windows Vista edition information and the service pack level. See the screen shot on this page for an idea of what you’re looking for.

Note: If you don’t have any service pack installed, you won’t see “Service Pack 0″ or “Service Pack None” – there will be no reference to a service pack at all.

See Also
pc support
windows vista help
Windows Live One Care Help You

common error’s during XP SP3 update

I have installed a brand new window on my new purchase computer was Windows XP which was also updated with Service Pack 3. One thing that I noticed when trying to change to my favorite Thellas theme from the default Windows XP theme was that it was not possible because I forgot to patch the file uxtheme.dll which protects the system from third party themes. The uxtheme.dll petchar that I had installed on my previous system was not working anymore because Microsoft seemed to have replaced the uxtheme.dll file with a newer version which had the result that the patch failed.

Many reasons are also encounter to update the service pack3 like This error occurs if you try to install the service pack when the computer is using battery power. This check is performed to eliminate the possibility of update malfunction because of battery power exhaustion during the installation proceses.and you can resolve the issue by computer to an AC power such as an electrical outlet. For more information about the power requirements for the computer, contact the computer manufacturer.

This error occurs if you try to install the service pack on a computer where Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP is already installed. This version of the toolkit is incompatible with Windows XP SP3 and resolve with done these steps Uninstall the Microsoft Shared Computer toolkit click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.Click Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit, and then click Remove.After the program is removed, install Windows XP SP3.

This error occurs if you have Update for Windows XP installed on the computer. This update includes the Multilingual User Interface Pack for the Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 Terminal Services Client 6.0. This MUI pack is incompatible with Windows XP SP3.Use the Add or Remove Programs item to uninstall “Update for Windows XP This update includes the multi User Interface Pack for the Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 Terminal Services Client 6.0 To do this, follow these steps Click Start, click Control Panel, and then clickAdd or Remove Programs.Click to select the Show updates check box at the top of the page.

Click Update for Windows XP and then click Remove. After update is removed,install Windows XP SP3 This error occurs if you try to install Windows XP SP3 over Windows XP Media Center Edition or over Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003.To install Windows XP SP3 on a computer that is running Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003, you must first install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). To obtain Windows XP SP2, you can use Automatic Updates or Windows Update.

What to do with Those Old Computer Parts

Recycling Computers, Monitors, Parts
Here in the Valley we have Allied Waste located in Albany, and they will take most of the computers and electronic stuff. They get a little unhappy if you bring in a truckload, but a few parts or a PC & monitor are fine. Just drive over to their site and you can drop it off in Albany, near the Train Yards. Allied Waste is located at - 1214 SE Montgomery St, Albany OR, 541-928-2551.

Staples has a program now that you drop off your electronics and they bag it up and send it to a recycler. There is no charge for mice, keyboards and smaller stuff, and they charge $10 for the larger stuff (you will have to check with them what they consider larger!)
Staples will also give you $3 Staples Rewards back towards ink purchase for recycling printer ink cartridges. Not bad, considering many people just throw them out. Every buck saved helps!
Laptops & Notebooks

Laptops have many special considerations, including the battery and the LCD monitor. Both of these things are very bad for the environment, and should be recycled. Sometimes people are willing to pay for a broken laptop, if there are some good parts on it. The problem is, usually when someone is getting rid of a laptop, it is usually really broken bad, or just an old dog that is not worth anything.

Here is a website with more information on good recycling practices for computers and electronics. They also list the manufacturers & retailers and their different programs.

How to deal with the Hard Drive and your Personal Info
With any computer that has a hard drive, the hard drive contains your personal information, even if you have deleted it. Many recovery programs can not only recover files that have been deleted, but even when the hard drive has been "erased" and reformatted! Special precautions have to be taken to remove data completely. Either the drive needs to be destroyed (think big Sledge hammer for you hulkamaniacs) or a special program is run to write 1s and 0s over the entire drive over and over erasing the data completely.

Batteries
You should not throw batteries of any kind in the trash. Watch, camera, computer and cell phone batteries are all bad for the environment and should be recycled. Radio Shack and staples both have great recycling program for batteries. That includes AA's to laptop batteries. Save up those AAs and turn them in next time you are out and about near one of these stores.

Software
There really is no good option for CDs and old floppies. Most old software is pretty useless, and so are the material they are on. They both contain plastic, and really are not recyclable. However, the CDs make for great bird deterrents in the garden or other weird stuff you can do with CDs!

See also
computer optimization
Printing to Public Computers
Windows Live One Care Help You
Will Your Device Work with Windows 7

Internet Running out of Bandwidth

When the Internet first started up, it really was used as a government and Educational resource to store and gain access to research material. It was never originally designed to do what we do today. It is like creating a wagon for the kids to play in, then eventually it turns into an aircraft capable of flying across the State!

A few years ago it was becoming evident that the Internet was running out of Internet addresses. This is a lot like our phone numbers, how we run out of prefixes or even area codes, because we need more numbers for more people. The Internet experts planned ahead and now they have added the possibility of bazillions of new Internet addresses for websites.

The next issue with the growth of the Internet is bandwidth or lack of it. Bandwidth is the size of the "pipe" that the internet uses to send information back and forth. The Internet originally was touted as the information super highway, and that is really a good analogy. There are big pipelines, like telephone lines or cable lines that stretch across the country, and world. Those connections only have so much space for information to travel on, just like on the roads.
If you have even been on the I5 near Portland or any big city during rush hour, you know what I am talking about. One traffic reporter I used to listen to years ago would always say, "too many cars, not enough pavement," during big traffic jams.

Well my friends, experts seem to think that is going to happen to the Internet. From the computer just working slower online, to actual brownouts that could last for periods of time where the computer "freezes."

The Sunday Times of London recently reported that the Internet may run out of bandwidth which could cause brownouts that will freeze user computers. They claim that the capacity for the amount of people and the amount of things they are doing, is taxing the Internet.
A report done by an American Think Tank Nemertes Research, says that "the web has reached a critical point.." They also say that more people are working from home and this is taking a toll on bandwidth.

Everything you do on the Internet takes bandwidth. Just like your electricity in your house. Some things in the house take much more electricity, and others take much less. If you are sending an email, it takes a small amount. If you send a huge attachment, that takes more. If you are just checking a website for plane tickets, that takes very little bandwidth. Watching your favorite network TV show online takes a lot of bandwidth.

Some of the things that take up large amounts of bandwidth are things such as YouTube and streaming movies or TV online. Those all take tremendous amounts of bandwidth, and it all adds up. Other things that many do not talk about are people who fileshare (or illegally download movies, music, software) and many Internet providers have taken action to minimize the filesharing by customers.

The current administration is putting huge amounts of money into infrastructure and the Internet and to give people access to the Internet, so it is hard to say how that will affect things.
The thing I do not like about this report is that if it got that bad, and the internet slowed down or just stopped working for periods of time, it makes it sound like your computer will stop working, your house will collapse on you, and your wife and dog will run away. I think it is a bit of fear mongering, because it would have nothing to do with your local computer, only things you are trying to do on the Internet.

We do a lot on the Internet today. Here I sit putting up a blog on the Internet, sending out email, and working on my website this afternoon. A lot of my business relies on the Internet, as many of your businesses and personal lives do too. So many of you are without jobs and looking now. Big business also relies heavily on the Internet. The Internet is critical to many people for a lot of reasons.

So maybe there could be some problems in the near future if something is not done. There is definitely need for the experts to work on solutions, but there is no need to panic as the article somewhat suggests.

See Also

fix browser problems

Printer Troubleshooting Tips

If you have any type of printer problems then you can try below methods to solve your problems instead of directly calling tech support guys , just follow below methods to solve your printer problems

Clearing out Stuck Print Jobs - Method 1

If your printer is not printing, check the print job status, also known as the print spooler. Usually the little printer icon will be stuck down by your clock on the bottom right side of your desktop. Double Click the printer icon, and check the status of your print job. See if your job is printing or if there is an error.

You can highlight the stuck document, Right Click, and click on Cancel. This will usually stop the print job.

If you have several documents in the list that are stuck, you can click on PRINTER on the top Menu and then choose CANCEL ALL DOCUMENTS.

Clearing out Stuck Print Jobs - Method 2

If you do not have the printer icon by your clock on the desktop, Go to CONTROL PANEL>Printers and Double Click the printer you are having problems with. Follow the directions above to kill the print jobs.

Clearing out Stuck Print Jobs - Method 3

Click on START>RUN

Type in CMD and you will get a Windows Command window

Type in NET STOP SPOOLER

Go to My Computer and double Click on the C:\ drive

Then go to C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete the files inside that folder.

Restart the print spooler by typing NET START SPOOLER at the command prompt.

If your printer is still not printing properly, try powering off the printer, and rebooting the computer. This will usually reset things. If that does not work, deleting your printer and reinstalling may fix things.

If all of these things do not not help, then it's time to talk to Paul!

Basics of Microsoft Word 2007

The Microsoft Office Button
The Microsoft Office button does many of the work that were located in the File menu of older Word. This button allows you to create a new document, open an existing file, save or save as, print, send publish or close.

Each of the tabs contains the following tools:
Home: Clipboard, Fonts, Paragraph, Styles, and Editing.
Insert: Pages, Tables, Illustrations, Links, Header & Footer, Text, and Symbols
Page Layout: Themes, Page Setup, Page Background, Paragraph, Arrange
References: Table of Contents, Footnote, Citation & Bibliography, Captions, Index, and Table of Authorities

Mailings: Create, Start Mail Merge, Write & Insert Fields, Preview Results, Finish
Review: Proofing, Comments, Tracking, Changes, Compare, Protect
View: Document Views, Show/Hide, Zoom, Window, Macros

Quick Access Toolbar
The quick access toolbar is a customizable toolbar that contains commands that you may want to use. You can place the quick access toolbar above or below the ribbon. To change the location of the quick access toolbar, click on the arrow at the end of the toolbar and click on Show Below the Ribbon.

You can also add items to the quick access toolbar. Right click on any item in the Office Button or the Ribbon and click on Add to Quick Access Toolbar and a shortcut will be added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

iYogi Re-Defines Technical Support – BizTech2.

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

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

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

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

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

Green PC Service

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

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

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

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

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

Please throw some light on your proprietary iMantra technology.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is your India strategy?

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

Source : BizTech2.com

How to install a new printer in windows

If you have a new printer and don’t know how to install the new printer in windows then just follow the below steps to install the new printer in windows ,

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
2. 2. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.
3. 3. Click Local Printer or Network Printer as appropriate, and then click Next.
4. If you click Network Printer, you are prompted for the network path for the printer. If you do not know the correct path, click Browse. Click either Yes or No in the “Do you print from MS-DOS-based programs?” area, and then click Next.
5. 4. Click the appropriate manufacturer and model for your printer, and then click Next.
6. 5.If you chose to install a local printer, click the correct port and then click Next.
7. 6. Type a name for the printer (or accept the default name), and then click either Yes or No in the “Do you want your Windows-based programs to use this printer as the default printer?” area. Click Next.
8. 7. To print a test page, click Yes. Click Finish.

If you have still problem in installing printer then look for some printer troubleshooting

How To Enable Shutdown without logging in

With Windows NT, enabling the shutdown button on the logon screen was as simple as editing the registry at HKEY_LOCALMAC_HINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion/Winlogon\ShutdownWithoutLogon , changing the value from 0 to 1.

But with windows 2000, it's no longer that simple. Sure the registry key is still there, but changing it, will not have any effect, as next time you logon, it will have changed back. The reason for this is because there is a group plolicy setting, that overrides your registry setting. To change the setting for good type gpedit.msc in the start->run dialog, and the Group Policy Tool should start.

The setting you want is tucked right down at Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> Allow system to be shut down without having to log on

That’s a long way down, change the setting to enabled, and you should be set !

Source:
http://windows.gumph.org/content/tips/enable-shutdown-without-logging-on.html

HTTP Error 500 - Internal Server Error

Cause
The 500 Internal Server Error is a very common HTTP status code that means something has gone wrong on the web site's server but the server could not be more accurate on what the exact problem is.

Resolution
The 500 Internal Server Error is a "server-side" error, meaning the problem is not with your PC or Internet connection but instead is a problem with the web site's server.

Even though the issue is not yours to troubleshoot or resolve, there are a few things you can do:
1. Retry the web page by clicking the refresh/reload button or trying the URL from the address bar again. Even though the 500 Internal Server Error is reporting a general error on the web site's servers and not your computer, the server error may only be temporary.



Trying the page again will often be successful.

Note: If the 500 Internal Server Error message appears during the checkout process at an online merchant, be aware that duplicate attempts to checkout may end up creating multiple orders - and multiple charges! Most merchants have automatic protections from these kinds of actions but it's still something to keep in mind.

2. Come back later. The 500 Internal Server Error message is one of the most common error message seen when checking out during an online purchase so sales are often disrupted. This is usually a great incentive to resolve the issue very quickly.

3. If you can't wait any longer for the problem to be resolved or if you'd like to help out, you may want to attempt to contact the webmaster or another website contact and advise them of their server error.

The webmaster of most Internet sites can be reached via email at webmaster@website.com, replacing website.com with the actual website name.

Source:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerrormessage/a/500servererror.htm

How to disable the "Turn Off Computer" in windows XP?

Today topic is very helpful mainly for those users who want to restrict the common users to shutdown public computer in common areas. You can disable the "Turn off Computer" button on the start menu and a common user will not "Turn Off, Restart and Stand By" a computer. Using registry editor, you can implement this task in all windows XP versions with minimum effort.

Follow the given steps to disable Turn off Computer" button on the start menu:
To use this feature, you will need to be logged into your computer with administrative rights.
Click Start button and type regedit in Run option then press Enter for next.

Here locate the location to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Here in right side panel, right click to create a new DWORD value with the name NoClose.

Now assign number 1 in value data box and close the registry editor.
Now close the registry editor and restart your computer after any changes to go into effect.
But next time, if you want to enable "Turn Off Computer" button on start menu then simply change the value of data box to 0 or delete NoClose DWORD item.

See Also
microsoft technical support

source
http://computerfreetips.com/windows_registry_tips/Disable-Turn-Off-windows.html

Why You Have to Regularly Install Updates on your PC?

What is an update?
Generally updates are those patches and hot fix which are provided by software manufacturer. New technologies, hardwares and viruses are coming day by day and people do not know when viruses infect their computer while browsing Internet. Updates protect your computer against latest viruses and other kind of security threats. New updates increases the software functionality, enhanced security and performance. Windows often release critical update and Service Packs, computer user's should installe the update on regularly basis whenever its available.

Some user ask is it safe to download update form net? answer is “yes” because it is noticeable thing when you download any update that winnows updating process does not send any information about your computer and its configuration to Microsoft. Before downloading any updatesyou you should be damn sure that you have a original software , Otherwise your Operating System might get corrupted.

Below are the updates which Microsoft support.

Advanced Security updates: When a new security problem face by Microsoft, they released instantly new hot pix and patches. This patch protect you computer against viruses. If you does not update this patch then you will need to use virus removal software.

Service Packs: service packs contains lost of critical updates. windows XP service pack 3 is latest update bundle of Microsoft. Service packs help your system reliability, Program compatibility, security and drivers upgradation and more.

Recommended Updates: Some type of updates are recommended by Microsoft for windows operating system. These type of update are generally give you pop-ups for downloading.

Device Drivers Update: This kind of update to computer hardware such as sound or video card. They updates hardware, firmware and makes your device perform better.

How to Schedule Windows Update:

If you are ready to download windows update either you can download it manually , or schedule it automatically. You can install updates manually from windows web site. There are four option for Windows Update. You can select within this option according to your needs.

1) Automatic: It is a recommended Option, if you are select this option, windows finds and downloads updates in the background process and you are not interrupted during this process.
2) Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them : It is gives you a notified alert pop-ups when windows search any updates, and download them.
3) Notify me but don't automatically download or install updates: It give you a notified alert pop-up and ask you to download or not update.
4) Turn off Automatic Updates: Some time your hardware requisiteness is not meet for new coming software, and you do not need to latest update then you can select this option for turn off the windows update.

To turn on the Automatic Updates feature

Step 1. Click Start, and go to Control Panel.
Step 2. Click here Performance and Maintenance tab.
Step 3. Now click on system and after click the Automatic Updates Tab.

Source
http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/why-you-have-to-regularly-install-updates-on-your-pc-974305.html

Enhance Your Knowledge about Computer Virus

Computer viruses have the ability to copy itself and spread infection to all computers connected through a common network. And it targets its aim like a terrorist i.e. without any prior information or knowledge of the computer users. The term "computer virus" is nowadays widely used. This is why; it is at times baffled with other malware like spyware, Trojan, and adware.

Computer virus are loaded with another kind of capability virus which is that it can change its behavior according to the data you are working on or have on your system. This is actually one of the properties of a metamorphic virus. As such, a computer virus can only copy itself and spread infection when its host is taken to an uninfected computer, for example by a user sending it over network or the Internet, or by carrying it on a removable mode such as a floppy disk, tape, CD, VCD or USB drive.

As opposed to a computer virus, a computer worm does not call for a need to be transferred through any host, and a Trojan horse is a file that appears safe to computer users. Worms and Trojans can definitely spoil the functionality of your computer and hamper its performance, or networking throughput, when executed.

Generally, most computers are connected to the Internet as well as local area networks, which push the growth and spread of malicious code. Computer viruses may use network services such as the e-mail, Instant Messaging and file sharing systems as a mode to reproduce and spread. Moreover, there are numerous other resources which use alternative terminology in which a computer virus is represented in any form of self-replicating malware , you can use virus removal software to protect yourself.

Computer malware is always deliberately designed to damage your computer programs, deleting files, and reformatting the hard disk. In case, you are looking for solutions to fix your virus infected computers, you must immediately call a computer professional to free your precious system of the virus slings before it actually proves to be harmful for you. Moreover, online computer support resources run their services for 24x7. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about their availability.

http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/enhance-your-knowledge-about-computer-virus-830007.html

Remote Computer Repair Services are Rising in Popularity

Remote computer repair is fast rising in popularity and emerging as one of the most preferred choice of customers looking for repairing their desktop PCs, laptops, hardware and peripherals. The technicians offering remote support can fix most of your PC errors as long as you have Internet facility.

As far as service charges are concerned, these resources usually charge according to the service plan you choose. There are some remote computer repair vendors who can send the technicians at your premises. You can search for any remote computer repair shop through a simple search on the Web. They have their websites which give you an idea about these technicians and the services they offer.

A remote support technician can watch everything going on your PC screen while fixing your computer errors. However, there is no thing like security threats in remote computer support. You can control the actions taken on your system if you feel suspicious about the on-going diagnosis. The technicians disconnect the connection program once their repair work is done. Although the entire method is gaining in popularity; it is always preferable that you narrow down on a reputable remote repair company. This way you will able to verify their credentials better and ensure the safety of your data.

You can avail remote computer support for any of your PC problems and errors related to computers. Some common services that are easily available with these resources are antivirus installation, virus & spyware removal, software installation, up gradation, cleaning up of disk, and pc optimization. The success rate is also soaring like anything when it comes to availing computer support services. One of the best advantages with such services is their ability to save money in long run, since the technicians are working from their own location.

You can carry out a quick search on the Internet regarding these services with the help of keywords like remote support, remote computer support, computer support services etc.

Source
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/remote-computer-repair-services-are-rising-in-popularity-918877.html

Top 3 Free Hard Disk Testing Tools

There are many paid and free hard disk testing tools available in market which is very useful for checking the health of hard disk, these tools can tell where is the problem in your hard disk below are the top three testing tools for testing the hard disk.

Seagate SeaTools
Seagate SeaTools is free hard drive testing software that comes in two forms for home users:
• SeaTools for DOS supports Seagate or Maxtor drives and runs independent from your operating system on its own CD or disk, making it highly reliable.

• SeaTools for Windows is a program that installs on your Windows system. You can do basic and advanced testing of any kind of drive - internal or external - from any manufacturer.

Hitachi Drive Fitness Test
Hitachi Drive Fitness Test is free hard drive diagnostic software available for use on most drives available today.

The Hitachi Drive Fitness Test software is available as an ISO file which can be burned to a CD and then used to boot the computer. See the installation instructions from Hitachi in the link below for details.

Microsoft Windows Built-In Error Checking
Error Checking, sometimes referred to as scandisk, is a hard drive testing tool that comes with Microsoft Windows that can scan your hard drive in search of a wide range of errors.
This tool can also attempt to correct a number of hard drive problems.

See Also
windows technical support
Email Help Center
Printing to Public Computers
Folder Options in Windows Explorer
Installation steps of Microsoft Exchange server

Printing to Public Computers from a MAC Computer

Mac users can see only those printers located on their particulur subnet. They must manually add any printer that is not. To add a remote printer, the printer should be configured as an LPR printer (printing directly to the printer rather than going through a print queue). The printer domain name and printer model informataion are required for setting up a Mac for printing to a public printer.

The public printers are found in the public computing labs as well as a small other public’s areas. Users with a Mac operating system computer can set it up to print to any of the public printers from a position of work. A list of public printers for Mac users can be found in the link belowe. Also below are instructions for setting up a Mac OS 9 and OS X computer to print to a public printer.

• Printer display menu says "paper tray empty" or "low toner."
• If it is a public printer, one of the HelpLine staff can be dispatched to replenish the paper or toner if non is available at the lab site.
• If it is a departmental printer, the secretary who manages the printer must be contacted.

See Also
multifunctional printer support
Email Help Center
Folder Options in Windows Explorer
Installation steps of Microsoft Exchange server
Cache Timer Brower History Sniffing in Firefox

Folder Options in Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is a program that provides detailed information about your files, folders, and drives. You can use it to see how your files are planned and to copy, move, and rename files, as well as perform other tasks pertaining to files, folders, and drives.

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type REGEDIT
4. Click OK
The Registry Editor will now open
5. Browse to the following key:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Note: HKCU stands for HKEY_CURRENT_USER
6. In the right pane, look for the value: NoFolderOptions
7. Right click NoFolderOptions and select Delete. (When prompted with "Are you sure you want to delete this value", select Yes.
8. Now browse to the following key:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Note: HKLM stands for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
9. In the right pane, look for the value: NoFolderOptions
10. Right click NoFolderOptions and select Delete. (When prompted with "Are you sure you want to delete this value", select Yes.
11. Close the Registry by choosing File | Exit
12. You should now be able to access the Folder Options menu. If not, reboot into Safe Mode and repeat the steps outlined above.

See Also
computer technical support
Email Help Center
Installation steps of Microsoft Exchange server
Cache Timer Brower History Sniffing in Firefox

Email Help Center

Securing your mail client is just one of the lessons necessary to achieve optimum security against email threats. If you have not already done so, visit the Email Help Center for tips on spotting malicious attachments and the do's and dont's of email security. Merk W. from Denmark provides the following tips for securing Eudora:

Qualcomm has virtually no information on their website about how to protect from email viruses and Eudora users are very much left to their own devices. The latest help file also offers little help.

All Qualcomm has recommended on their website is:
a. that you disable "Allow executables in HTML content" in Tools: Options: Viewing mail,
b. that you rename the Attach directory/folder to something of your own choice and reconfigure the program to know this (http://www.eudora.com/techsupport/kb/2020hq.html tells you how to do this). The reason for doing this is that malicious persons may use the default location when creating viruses.

c. that you turn off the Microsoft Viewer under Tools: Options: Viewing mail. This is an extreme solution as it will mean that ∑many emails will not display correctly. Instead I suggest that the "Show message preview pane" (also in Tools: Options: Viewing mail) be disabled so that the user always has complete control of what he wants to open and can delete suspect files without opening them.

d. Eudora warns you if you attempt to launch many file extensions as attachments. To change this setting (I would recommend this) so that you are warned every time you launch an attachment, regardless of the extension:

See Also
printer support
What is boot disk , and how to create it
Installation steps of Microsoft Exchange server
Cache Timer Brower History Sniffing in Firefox

Cache Timer Brower History Sniffing in Firefox

Cache timer attacks can allow remote website owners to determine other sites you've visited on the Web. Here's how to stop cache timer browser history sniffing in Firefox.

• Open Firefox.
• Click Tools then select Options.
• On the Privacy tab, change Keep my history for at least X days to zero.
• Also on the Privacy tab, check Always clear my private data when I close Firefox then click the Settings button to the right of that option.
• Under Settings, make sure each option is checked. (If you wish to preserve saved passwords, leave the saved passwords option unchecked).
• Click OK to accept the change.

See Also
pc technical support
top ten spyware
internet explorer cookies enable
What is boot disk , and how to create it
Installation steps of Microsoft Exchange server

What is boot disk , and how to create it

Boot disk
A boot disk will allow you to boot from the deskette in place of your hard disk. This deiskette can be used to fix problems that may come during the lifetime of your computer. After creating the boot dsekette write protect the diskette so that viruses would not be able to infect your computer

How to create Windows XP boot disk
Note: The Microsoft Windows XP CD is a bootable CD and in many cases you should not need a bootable floppy diskette. Booting from the Windows XP CD will allow you to not only install/re-install Windows XP but will also allow you to troubleshoot it.
Create MS-DOS bootable diskette

When formatting a floppy diskette, users have the option of creating a MS-DOS startup disk, follow the below steps to do this.
1. Place diskette in the computer.
2. Open My Computer, right-click the A: drive and click Format.
3. In the Format window, check Create an MS-DOS startup disk.
4. Click Start

Create Windows XP Setup diskettes
Microsoft is beginning to phase out bootable floppy diskettes in favor of bootable CD discs and has not included a method of easily creating a bootable floppy diskette in Windows XP or from the CD. However, Microsoft has downloads available for users who still need to create bootable diskettes to install (not upgrade) Windows XP.

See Also
microsoft technical support
top 10 spyware
set cookies in ie
Windows XP's Remote Desktop Utility
Ping command in printer network connection

Installation steps of Microsoft Exchange server

It is very difficult to install Exchange 2003 than any other Microsoft product. so there are few steps by using these steps you can install the Microsoft exchange server. Microsoft exchange server is a powerful mailing server . its capacity to store mails is up to 20 GB. so you can store more mails in this mailing server. these mailing servers are used in the big organization to store the data so the data will not loss. Before installing the exchange server Ad is installed with out the Active directory you can not installed the exchange server. these are the few services that should be start so that the exchange server will install properly.

Exchange Server 2003 Requires the following Windows 200x services

* .NET Framework
* ASP.NET
* Internet Information Services (IIS)
* World Wide Web Publishing Service
* Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service
* Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) servic .

Just like its predecessors, Exchange 2003 comes in two editions. Always choose the Enterprise edition because it has no limit on the mail Store database. The standard edition should come with a warning that the 16 GB limit will be insufficient for all but the smallest organization.


installation can be done in three steps . Install Exchange Server 2003 in stages:

a) Setup /forestprep Exchange 2003 - setup /domainprep and /forestprep

b) Setup /domainprep

c) Finally plain: setup .

after completing the installation . you can configure the exchange server and use it. it correlates the Active directory so the active directory must be installed and the DNS should be configured properly.

you can recover the mails and the deleted user accounts. so it is very useful for the organizations to store the data and the information.

See Also
computer optimisation

Intel 8-core 'Nehalem' server processor

Intel is one of the best company that develops the processors for the computers . All the computer uses the Intel processors for the motherboards. so Intel on Tuesday said it will ship a server chip that contains up to eight processing cores later this year, while IBM showed off a high-end server in the works that uses eight such chips, yielding 64 cores.
Nehalem-EX architecture supports up to eight processors and each processor can integrate up to eight cores.

Intel's Nehalem-EX processor, in production later this year and expected to be shipping in high-end server systems by early 2010, will feature up to eight cores inside a single chip that supports 16 threads, according to Boyd Davis, Intel's general manager of the Server Platforms Marketing Group, speaking at a teleconference on Tuesday.

IBM, which participated in the conference, discussed a server currently under development that uses 64 Nehalem-EX cores (eight processors) and can handle 128 threads, according to Alex Yost, vice president IBM BladeCenter. "We're very excited today to be the first to demonstrate Nehalem-EX," Yost said.

Nehalem-EX will increase the memory slots up to 16 memory slots per processor socket, and offer four high-bandwidth "QuickPath" Interconnect links.

Intel also said the currently-shipping Nehalem server chip is making market gains. Intel's currently-available Xeon 5500, the first server processor based on Intel's Nehalem architecture, will be "greater than half of shipments" for Intel's high-volume two-processor server shipments by August, according to Davis.

"Customer acceptance has been quite strong," Boyd said. "From an introduction at the very end of March to representing the majority of our shipments in the market for two-processor servers by the August time frame," he said.

See Also
pc optimization

Microsoft exchange server installation options

Microsoft exchanger server is one of the best mailing server . This server is used by the big companies . You can store more data in the exchange server. This is a mailing servers. So every one can use this server . Your data is safe in the exchanger serves. There are more options in the exchanger to the other mailing servers . These are the few benefits of Microsoft Exchange Server, and you are considering deploying this robust messaging & collaboration platform, you should become familiar with your installation options. They include:

• Self hosted
• Shared hosted
• Privately hosted

Many large companies and organizations invested to create own Microsoft Exchange Server environments. What they have found is that the costs associated with purchasing equipment and licensing, installing the messaging system, and maintaining it over the years can be prohibitively expensive. But the most important thing in the exchange server is that it is very difficult to maintain it, That doesn’t mean that self-hosting is always a bad option: if you have a large, well-trained IT staff and your users are highly centralized, you may find that self-hosting is the best choice for you.

Why is Self-Hosted Exchange server so Expensive?

All three servers must be licensed for Microsoft Windows Server 2003, and the mail server must be licensed for Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, you must license each user for both Windows Server and Exchange Server. So before you even consider hardware and implementation,

20 user system costs between $4000 & $5000 in licensing alone. There are several important components are
• Data Backup
• Anti-virus / Anti-Spam
• Internet connectivity
• Ongoing support and maintenance

What is Shared Hosted Exchange server.

umber of companies have sprung up on the web that have created large Microsoft Exchange Server infrastructures capable of supporting thousands of users. They offer a simple solution for single users or small companies to host Exchange email. They generally charge a very short amount from the customers. Their plans include a specific amount of storage for each user account,

Single Sign-on is another great feature of Exchange server that is unavailable to shared hosted customers. Exchange Server environment, users login using their Active Directory user account, and this account is also used to access their email system. That means that a single login, a single password, gives them access to all of their applications and data

Benefits of Shared & Self Hosted .

Customer designated users have access to management utilities. Every feature of Active Directory and Exchange Server may be customized to meet your organization’s needs. This mailing server support all third part softwares.

You can add VPN to any PHE plan, and with that we support single sign-on. We can establish a trust with an existing Active Directory or you can join your servers to your Active Directory in our data center. Either way, you can enjoy all the benefits of an enterprise AD environment without having to design and implement it. The exchanger server engineers free user account management, free implementation plans, and of course we can provide professional services to integrate your email system .

microsoft technical support

How To Test The Printer Equipment ( print test page )

We can determine whether the printer itself is functioning properly or not by printing a test page using selections on the printer's display menu to do so. The instructions below apply to the public HP4050 and HP4100 printers. (Other printer models may have menu options with slighly different names).

Test the printer equipment using print test page

• Press the Menu button on the printer until the Information Menu appears in the display menu. (On older models this menu may be called Test Menu).

• Press the Item button on the printer until Print Configuration appears in the display menu. (On older models this item may be called Print Self-test).

• Press Select to print a test page.

• If the printer is working properly, a test page will print.

See Also
printer troubleshooting
top 10 spyware
set cookies in ie
How To Connect Two Home Computers
Check the printer's status via the Web

How To Connect Two Home Computers

Connect two computers is the simplest networking in computer field you just need data cable to connect two computers and nothing else , to connect more than two computers you need extra devices for example hub , switch etc.

If you have only internet connection than this technique is very useful for you because you will be able to use internet connection in both computers
Connecting 2 Computers With Cable

The traditional method to network two computers involves making a dedicated link by plugging one cable into the two systems. Several alternatives exist for networking two computers in this manner:

• Ethernet crossover cable
• Null modem serial cable or parallel peripheral cable
• Special-purpose USB cables

Ethernet - Of the above choices, the Ethernet method is preferred as it supports a reliable, high-speed connection with minimal configuration required. Additionally, Ethernet technology offers the most general-purpose solution, allowing networks with more than two computers to be built fairly easily later. If one of your computers possesses an Ethernet adapter but the other has USB, an Ethernet crossover cable can still be used by first plugging a USB-to-Ethernet converter unit into the computer's USB port.


Serial and parallel - This type of cabling, called Direct Cable Connection (DCC) when using Microsoft Windows, offers lower performance but offers the same basic functionality as Ethernet cables. You may prefer this option if you have such cables readily available and network speed is not a concern. Serial and parallel cables are never used to network more than two computers.

USB - Ordinary USB cables must not be used to connect two computers directly to each other.
Attempting to do so can electrically damage the computers! However, special USB cables designed for direct connection exist that can be used safely. You may prefer this option over others if your computers lack functional Ethernet network adapters.

To make dedicated connections with Ethernet, USB, serial or parallel cables requires
1. each computer have a functioning network interface with an external jack for the cable, and
2. the network settings on each computer appropriately configured
One phone line or power cord cannot be used to directly connect two computers to each other for networking.

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Check the printer's status via the Web
How To Open Windows Control Panel

Check the printer's status via the Web

New printers have their own websites you can check that website for all information related to printers for example printing status, display messages, paper tray sizes, and printer capabilities.

To find this information for one of the newer printers via the web:
• Find the printer's IP address or name by following instructions in section FIND PRINTER DOMAIN NAME/IP ADDRESS AND PRINTER MODEL. Note: If there is more than one printer at the public lab location, the printers are connected in a printer queue and given one name, such as cha3hp.kenyon.edu. However, each printer also has an individual name (such as: cha3hp, cha4hp, cha5hp). When checking a specific printer on the web, you must enter the individual name of the printer you are checking.
• Enter the printer's IP address or name in the address field on your web browser screen, as in: cha3hp.kenyon.edu or 138.28.164.41
• A screen may appear, asking to install a Hewlett-Packard utility program for viewing the printer information. Click Yes to accept.
• Then a screen will appear with the above status information.

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How To Open Windows Control Panel

The Windows Control Panel provides access to a host of useful management tools, including the Add/Remove Programs attribute, printer controls, User Accounts management and network configuration. Here's how to access the Control Panel in Windows XP default and classic modes as well as Windows Vista.

Follow the steps to open windows control panel

1. Click the Start button.
2. In Vista, from the right pane select Control Panel.
3. In Windows XP default, from the left pane select Control Panel.
4. In Windows XP classic, from the left pane select Settings then select Control Panel from the resulting menu.

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Computer Support – MSCONFIG Command

Firefox 3.5 slows down in Windows 7

In preliminary Betanews tests Tuesday comparing the relative speeds of major Web browsers in Windows Vista- and Windows 7-based virtual machines, not only did the general performance of Microsoft Internet Explorer improve by about 23.0%, but the latest production build of Firefox 3.0.10 appears to improve its performance by 17.50%. This despite running in a Windows 7-based virtual machine that we estimate to be 12.10% slower overall than a Vista-based VM hosted by the same environment.

As we discovered, Windows 7 RC Build 71OO runs perceptibly slower on a Virtual PC 2007 platform on XP SP3, than Vista SP2. This does not mean Windows 7 is a slower operating system, but rather that it behaves more slowly in this particular virtualized environment, which after all was designed for Vista. So to make our test fair, we needed to estimate just how much slower our Win7 environment was from Vista, and factor out that difference.

Up to now, we've been comparing relative browser performance in Vista using a relatively slow browser to judge against: IE7. We've used IE7 as our gauge of how much more readily other browsers blow right past it in the performance department, including IE8. But we don't want to install IE7 on Win7 -- although it's technically feasible, doing so would pollute the operating system for running Win8 and other applications. So we needed a new, slow browser that we could rely upon to stand still for us, relatively speaking.

Our first choice was Firefox 1.5, but we learned it had difficulty running in Win7 at all. We ended up using Firefox 2.0.13, not quite the final build of that series of Mozilla's browser. Our aim was to use this browser as a fair gauge of how much slower our Win7 environment was than Vista. This way, we could equalize our indexes, which are based on IE7 -- we can't run IE7 on Win7, but we can estimate how much slower IE7 would be if we could, by measuring how much slower Firefox 2.0.13 is. Though the average speed difference is 12.1% in favor of the Vista VM, for our browser benchmarks, we created differentials for each heat in the competition, to more accurately account for environmental factors between the two environments.

In the Vista VM alone, Firefox 2.0.13 puts in a performance index of 2.490, meaning it performs 249% as well as IE7 in the same environment. Compare that to Firefox 3.0.10's index score of 5.190 in recent Betanews tests in the Vista VM.

Factoring out the speed differentials, we can reliably say that IE8 gives us a performance index of 2.69 in the Win7 VM versus 2.19 in the Vista VM. Meanwhile, Firefox 3.0.10 scores a 6.10 normalized index score in the Win7 VM versus 5.190 in the Vista VM.

The news is not all good for Mozilla, however. Under the same test conditions, Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 slows down in Win7, but only by about 2.5%, scoring a 10.180 normalized index score in the Win7 VM versus 10.440 in the Vista VM. So from this angle, it appears that Windows 7 helps close the gap between Mozilla's production browser and its experimental browser. We're interested to find out whether similar discoveries await us with regard to Google Chrome, and whether Win7 will play nicely with Apple's Safari for Windows. Those results are still forthcoming.

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iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine appointed as President Global Channel Sales at iYogi

New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi. iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances. Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said, "This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers." "We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses", added Challu. With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders. "I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners", said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi. ABOUT IYOGI Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.co.uk. ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com. CONTACT: iYogi Contact Vishal Dhar President Marketing iYogi Inc. Phone: 212 229 0901 Email: vishal@iyogi.net

The Press Release is available at its source: iYogi acquires Clean Machine Inc.

Is Your Computer Ready for Windows 7? Check with this tool

Microsoft has released the beta version of its Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, a free utility that tells you if your Personnel Computer is ready to run Windows 7. It scans your Personnel Computer, checking internal components, external peripherals, and programs. It also offers upgrade suggestions, such as which drivers to swap, should you make the move to Windows 7.

After downloading and installing Upgrade Advisor, you'll see an opening screen that advises you to connect all of your external devices, such as hard disk, iPod , Music players, and so on:

The compatibility check took about 6 minutes and found a few potential issues. While the Gateway's processor, memory, and hard drive met Windows 7's minimum requirements (I expected this), Upgrade Advisor recommended that I download the latest driver for the Realtek Wireless 802.11b/g USB 2.0 network adapter before installing Win 7. It didn't find potential conflicts with any installed programs.

Upgrade Advisor runs on Windows Vista and Windows XP Service Pack 2.

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