How To Fix Windows Update Problems

One of the best ways to keep your computer working perfect is by keeping it updated. By default, the Windows Update runs automatically, downloads the latest patches, and installs them to your computer. When the Windows Update stops updating automatically, important updates and patches will not get installed in your computer. This can cause your computer to run slow and may result in crashes and freezes. 

Another problem is that your computer will be very much susceptible to security breaches. Many Microsoft problems can lead to these issues. Some of the ways to get rid of these Microsoft problems and to fix the Windows Update issues are discussed below.

Instructions to Fix Windows Update Issues

• Turn off the Automatic Updates feature and update Windows manually. Navigate to the Windows Update site and scan your PC for the updates. If you are successful in installing the updates manually, the automatic updates issue will also be resolved. You may turn on the Automatic Update feature now.
• If this step does not work and the update issue is not fixed, try re registering the Windows Installer program. To do this, click on Start, go to Run, type in msiexec /unreg in the Run windows and hit Enter. After that, go to Start again, select Run and type msiexec /regserver, and press the Enter key.
• The Windows installer of your PC will now be re-registered. This will fix the Windows Installer and associated updates.
• If the issue is still there, try downloading software designed to fix Windows Update issues like Fix WU Utility v1.0, which is a free software. Run the program and follow the on screen instructions to fix the issues with Windows Update.
• If the issue is still not fixed, you can visit the Microsoft Updates Solution Center and search for the particular problem that you are facing. The Microsoft Updates Solution Center gives answers to all the Windows Update issues. There are also user forums to solve issues related to Windows update.

These are the simple techniques to solve the Windows Update problems. If you are unable to understand any of the above steps or if you are not clear with the steps, you can contact Microsoft help and support team to fix the issue. The technician can connect to your computer remotely with your permission and fix the issue for you. 

Steps To Use Sticky Notes In Windows 7

Sticky Notes can be defined as an application in Windows 7, which allows users to take notes using Post-it-note-like windows on their desktop. This accessory enables the user to plaster the electronic equivalent of the Post-it-like notes all over the user’s Windows 7 desktop. It also offers an additional feature, which enables the users to use Sticky Notes in Windows 7 as onscreen reminders. This would help the user to even color code them, helping them to manage their documents and stay organized.

You can follow these instructions to use Sticky Notes in Windows 7 before contacting Windows 7 help:

• While creating a Sticky Note, click Start and go to All Programs. Now, select Accessories followed by Sticky Notes. Windows opens a new blank note on the desktop, positioning the cursor at the beginning of the note.
• Now, type the text of the note. You also have the option to format the note text if you want. Just select the desired text and then press the appropriate shortcut key: Ctrl+B for bold text, Ctrl+I for italics, and Ctrl+U for underlining.
• If your text does not fit on the note, Windows automatically expands the height of the note to accommodate the length of your note. Once you finish entering the note text, click somewhere on the desktop outside the sticky note itself.
• Alternatively, you can click the New Note button (the one with the plus sign) to start a new sticky note, which would stay on the desktop. At any point of time you can also contact Windows 7 help and seek assistance.
• To color-code a sticky note, right-click the note and then click the color you want. The choices that would be available here are Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, White, or Yellow.
• You also have an option to delete a note that you no longer need. For this, click the Delete button in the upper-right corner. The first time you delete a note, Windows asks you to confirm the deletion. If you do not want to see this alert again, select the Don’t Display This Message Again check box before you click Yes.
• When you open an Explorer window that overlaps a note, you can bring the sticky note to the top of the pile by clicking any visible part of it. However, if nothing is visible, click the Sticky Notes Quick Launch button on the taskbar.

Hence, you can follow these simple instructions to use sticky notes in Windows 7. For more information, you can also check Microsoft’s official website.

Learn How To Import Outlook 2002 Settings to Outlook 2007

Microsoft Outlook is a feature packed email client application that comes with Microsoft suite. Like all other software, this application also has many variants.

In case you have an older version of Microsoft Outlook installed on your system, it is possible to upgrade your old version of Outlook to a newer version.  The steps involved in this process are simple and easy to execute.  Here, I am going to discuss about some tips for importing Outlook settings of Outlook 2002 to Outlook 2007.  In case you face any problems while carrying out this process, feel free to contact the Outlook support team.

Instructions

Export settings from Outlook 2002

• Launch Microsoft Outlook 2002. Go to the File menu and select the option, Import and Export.
• From the list of the options available, select Export to a file and click the Next button.
• From the list of all file types, pick Personal Folder File (.pst); after this, click the Next button.
• Next, save the file that is exported. To do this, enter the name of the file and click the Next button.
• Once you complete the process hit the Finish button to save the alterations. Once completed, close the Microsoft Outlook 2002.

Importing settings to Outlook 2007

• Open your Microsoft Outlook 2007 program.
• Then navigate to the File menu and select the option Import and Export.
• Then select Import from another program or file and click the Next button.
• Next, locate the Personal File Folder (.pst) on the list of available options, and click it. After that, proceed by clicking the Next button. After completing this, go to the hard drive where you have saved the actual file i.e. the Outlook 2002 file, and select it.
• Now select the way in which you want to import the Outlook 2002 file to 2007. If you want to receive the information from outlook 2002, select Replace duplicates with items imported. But if you want to keep the Outlook 2007 dates, then click the option Do not import duplicates. In case you don’t know the correct version, then pick Allow duplicates to be created. Now finish the process by clicking the Next and the Finish button.

Thus, you can easily upgrade from Outlook 2002 to Outlook 2007.  All you have to do is spend some time on changing the Outlook settings.

Startup Cleaning In Vista

Windows Vista is a very popular operating system which was introduced after Microsoft released Windows XP. It requires steeper minimum and recommended system requirements than Windows XP. Just as with another operating system, there will be a lag experienced by the users, due to the presence of too many programs installed in the system. This can especially slow down at startup, because of the large number of programs, processes and services being launched when you switch on the system.

Another cause for concern are fragmented hard disks, outdated software and hardware drivers, viruses and spyware and a lack of memory all which contribute to the Vista problems in startup and decrease the overall system performance. Choosing to remove unnecessary programs during startup can significantly increase the system performance. It can be done using the following instructions.

Removing unnecessary programs in startup:

• Click on the Start option in the left bottom corner of your desktop. A pop-up menu will appear; type defender in the Start Search field.
• Click on the Tools option then click on Software Explorer.
• Select the Show for all users button in the lower left corner.
• A list of all programs listed in the left column. Examine all the programs and select the programs you want to remove. Select Disable then click Yes to verify. Repeat for all unwanted programs.

Removing Unnecessary Services:

• Click on Start and type Services in the Start Search field. Press the Enter key.
• Right click on the first services then select Properties.
• Examine the selected service and select Manual in the Startup type drop-down menu if you no longer wish to avail that service.
• Click Apply then Ok. Repeat the procedure for all services you do not need.

Checking for Performance Issues:

• Click on Start then type performance in the Start Search field. Select Performance Information and Tools.
• Select Advanced Tools in the left column. Examine the Vista problems that are reported and make necessary corrections.
• Click the back arrow button and return to the Advanced Tools screen.
• Select Generate a System Health Report, which provides Warnings. Select the related diagnosis and correct the problem.

Restart the computer to see the changes in your system’s performance. Cleaning up the startup process is very beneficial to the system, and should be done a regular basis to keep the system operating at maximum efficiency. If you have queries, you can contact Microsoft tech support to satisfy your doubts about Windows Vista.

How To Access Virtual Keyboard In Windows XP

Do you have problems using your computer keyboard or is your keyboard damaged making it difficult to use it? Whatever be the case, Windows lets you overcome such an issue with the help of the very useful feature called the virtual On-Screen Keyboard that is built into the Windows operating systems.

This virtual keyboard feature lets you perform all tasks that you could otherwise do with a physical keyboard. Instead of keystrokes, here, you will be using your mouse pointer to navigate through the keyboard buttons that you see on-screen. In this section, we will see how to use the virtual On-Screen keyboard on Windows XP. Read on the following Windows XP support guidelines to know how to access the on-screen keyboard.

Instructions

• Go to the Start menu and select All Programs, then Accessories. Further select Accessibility and then choose On-Screen Keyboard.
• You can now select the type of keyboard you would like to use. You can choose between Enhanced keyboard and Standard keyboard. You also have the option to select the keyboard layout like the Regular and Block layout. There is also the option to select the number of keys from 101, 102 or 106 keys.
• You can select your preferences from the Settings menu. Always On Top is a very good option, and is the program's default setting. You also have the option to have a click sound each time a key is selected. You may also choose Click to Select, Hover to Select, or Use Joystick to Select. Further options like setting the amount of time for the Hover or Joystick can also be adjusted as per your need. You can choose this amount of time between half of a second to three seconds. If you want to change the keyboard font, you have that option too.
• Now open the application where you want to enter the text. Click on the text area where you want to type. Now move the mouse pointer over the On-screen keyboard. You can left click the mouse button to select the keys on the virtual keyboard.
• When you want to make the keyboard letters capital, simply click on the Shift key using your mouse button. Now type the text just the way you do with a regular keyboard. The features and functions are all the same, except that you use your mouse to do the typing.
• If you want to type numbers, make sure that nlk (number lock) key over the number pad is selected.

If you have any difficulty using the On-Screen Keyboard, you may click Help and then select Contents. This contains topics that you might find helpful. For more assistance contact Windows XP Support team.

How To Configure Gmail Account Automatically

Gmail is a widely used free email service offered by Google and Outlook is a personal information manager, with essential features from the reputed Microsoft Company. Synchronization of these popular accounts would help a lot of users worldwide. A lot of tasks fail when Gmail is set to automatic mode which could easily be done through manual settings. Here is one such case, which you need to take care of all by yourself. 

What to do if automatic configuration of your Gmail account doesn’t work?

Outlook support talks about errors that could happen when automatic configuration of Gmail fails. There is absolutely nothing to worry because the guidelines in this article would help you configure your Gmail account manually.

Instructions

If Microsoft Outlook was not able to automatically configure your Gmail account settings, you could still do it manually. Follow the same steps for accessing Gmail with Outlook and proceed with the instructions listed here. 

• Check on either Manually Configure Server Settings or Additional Server Types option.
• Now, click Next and make sure that the option reading Internet E-mail is chosen. 
• Click Next and the Account type should be selected as POP3. 
• Type in pop.gmail.com as the Incoming mail server. 
• For Outgoing mail server (SMTP): type in the text as smtp.gmail.com. Then, enter Gmail username under the Username field provided.
• You need to type in the Gmail password under the Password field and click on the More Settings option now. 
• Next step is to go to the Outgoing Server   and you have to verify that the option reading My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication is checked.
• Next, go to Advanced tab and proceed to next step.
• Under the title Incoming server (POP3): the option saying This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) has to be checked. 
• Set Incoming server (POP3) value as 995; verify the same after entering.
• You need to select Auto option under the field Use the following type of encrypted connection for the option Outgoing server (SMTP).
• Proceed by clicking OK, then Next and finally Finish to end the procedure. 

Hope you found this information on Outlook and Gmail accounts useful to solve the problems you have with automatic configuration settings. Outlook support team would be at your reach 24 hours a day, to clarify any doubts regarding Outlook issues.

Factors Affecting Slow Internet Connection

If you are having a busy day where you have a lot of projects to complete, you will find it hard going if your internet connection turns slow. Since almost all types of work on a PC require an internet connection to accomplish successfully, an uninterrupted internet connection is crucial. If there’s an interruption, you might find it difficult to access websites, or even open the web browser. There is no doubt that downloading programs or files would take hours and hours to complete. It would take longer than usual to open a web page. If you find yourself beset by these problems, you can consider switching to a high speed internet connection.

This is an important, and you’d do well not to put it off, since you can’t keep your work pending for long just because of a slow internet connection. If you find that the internet connection is pretty slow, the network sharing would turn even slower. If there are errors in the internet connection or the network connection, the internet connection can turn slow. This will make the work on a network more difficult.

Why is the internet slow today?

As noted before, there are several reasons that cause a slow internet connection. If you have opened more than one tab on the internet browser, your internet connection might turn slow. When two or more tabs are opened at a time, it would definitely take more time to finish the task.

If you have a high speed internet connection, you might find it really easy to open more than one browser tab or window. The speed of the internet connection has a very important role to play with the smooth running of the computer.

Make sure that your computer is up to date

If you want to speed up the functioning of the computer, you need to ensure that your computer is up to date. If you have a very slow dial up connection, switch to a high speed broad band connection which will help you accomplish the tasks much faster. You can keep your computer up to date by downloading antivirus programs. The presence of virus activity can also slow down the internet speed.

Now you have the answer to the question “Why is the internet slow today?” If you update to the latest operating system version, and keep your hardware and software updated, you can definitely choose a high speed internet connection.