How to Create a Batch File in Windows XP

Batch files are simple text files that help you execute several repetitive actions without navigating much, saving your precious time and efforts. For example, you can back up and sync the changes from one folder to another using a simple two-line command, manually install the latest Windows updates at once, list all the files at once in a folder, delete a file or folder automatically, change a file’s attributes, and shut down and restart your computer etc. Check the steps given below and create a batch file to sync it with another batch file. (See Also Windows XP support)

1. Right-click the Start button> click Explore. In Windows Explorer, click Local Disk C: drive under My Computer. Make sure you can see contents of both the Desktop and C: drive. Leave Windows Explorer opened. Click the Start button> All Programs, Accessories> Notepad.

2. A new Untitled – Notepad window will open up. Type ‘md c:\testsource’  (without quotes) and hit Enter. Type ‘md c:\testbackup’ and hit Enter. Press the Ctrl + S keys together to save the Notepad file. Give a name to the file like copy.bat> choose a location like C: drive, and click Save to save the file in the C directory. (See Also how to make Windows 7 look like XP)

3. You must use .bat as the extension to the file name. Exit the Notepad window. Browse to the C: drive and you will see two directories namely testbackup and testsource there. Delete the copy.bat file now from the C:\ drive. Double-click the testsource directory to open it. (Find Here how to fix corrupt Windows XP files)

4. We will now create some dummy files in this directory. Right-click anywhere on the blank space in the directory, click New> Text Document. It will open up the New Text Document window. Save the Notepad file and give it a desired name and then click Save. (I am naming this file as testdoc1 for reference purpose)

5. You will see the testdoc1 in the testsource directory. When done, right-click again anywhere on the white space and click Bitmap Image. Save this file as testbit1 (any desired name that you can recognize easily). Now you will need to create another batch file to automatically copy the contents of the testsource directory to testbackup. (See Also how to fix Invalid boot.ini error in Windows XP)

6. Now open another Notepad and type ‘@echo off’ and hit the Enter key. Type ‘xcopy c:\testsource c:\testbackup /m /e /y’ and hit Enter. Make sure that you type every command without quotes. Save this Notepad file as backup.bat or by any other desired name on the Desktop. When done, exit the Notepad window and look for the backup.bat file on Desktop. (Find Here how to install Windows 7 on XP)

7. Double-click the file to run the script. You will see the Command Prompt flashing once. Now go to the C: drive and look for the testbackup folder. You will see two copies of the files you previously created in the testsource directory. You can copy or add contents to your testsource directory and they will automatically reflect in the testbackup directory in real time. You can now copy your important files, folders, and photos etc. to the testsource directory and they will immediately back up in the testbackup directory. Besides, you can copy the contents of your data backup to a CD or USB flash drive for backup and restore purpose.

8. If you want to delete a folder or file without being prompted by Windows for permission, open Notepad and type ‘rd /s /q foldername’ and hit Enter. Save the file and give it a desired name. Close Notepad. Double-click the file that you just created. Click the Start button and then navigate to the C drive. You will no longer see the particular folder as it has been deleted. (Find Here how to reinstall TCP/IP stack in Windows 7)

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How to Format a Hard Disk Drive in Windows 7

Formatting a drive comes into picture when you want to expunge all the information stored on it following a virus infection or software issue etc. It’s not very difficult to format a drive in Window 7 as it is a basic function that does not require much knowledge and expertise. However, it should be done properly to avoid facing Windows 7 problems. Check the steps given below and format your Windows 7 hard drive: (Also find here Windows 7 support)

1. You must be logged in with admin rights to your Windows 7 computer to format your hard disk. Since formatting will erase everything, make sure that you back up your data to another an external hard drive, CD etc. or online data backup solution. Also, make sure that the drive you want to reformat is currently not in use.

2. If want to format a new hard disk that has not been partitioned, create a partition before reformatting it. Click the Start button> right-click Computer> select Manage. If prompted, enter your administrator password and proceed. On the Computer Management window, click Disk Management under Storage to display the details.

3. As soon as you click it, you might see an Initialize Disk dialog box. If your hard drive is less than 2TB or GPT in size, click MBR. If it is equal to or more than 2TB or GPT size, click OK. Look for the drive that needs a formatting and also for the unallocated space. Right-click Unallocated space> select New Simple Volume. (Find here how to personalize a Windows 7 PC)

4. In the New Simple Volume Wizard window, adjust the volume size or leave it to default and click Next. When prompted, assign a letter to the new partition or leave it to default and click Next. When prompted, click the Format this volume with by following settings button and adjust the File system (NTFS or FAT32), Allocation unit size, and Volume Label. Uncheck the Perform a quick format box and click Next.

5. Wait for the drive to be formatted. When done, click Finish to exit the New Simple Volume Wizard box. You will now see your newly formatted drive under Disk Management. You can now begin to restore the backup from another drive as desired. Before you restore your data backup, you must partition your hard drive. Without partitioning, you can't make full use of your hard drive. (Also find here how to customize a Windows 7 PC)

6. If you want to format an existing partition, go back to Computer Management (check 2^nd step), click Disk Management under Storage to display the details. Look for the drive that you want to format, right-click it and select Format. When prompted, type a name (any desired name) in the Volume label box, leave NTFS as the default File system and Allocation unit size to default. If you want to, adjust the unit size from the drop-down arrow. If you want to do a quick format, check the box beside it and click OK.

7. Remember, the quick format will not completely erase data on the drive. If you want to erase all the data completely on the drive, uncheck the Perform a quick format box and then click the OK button. A full format is also recommended because it involves drive checking for errors etc. Quick format does not check drive for errors and hence is not recommended. Also make sure that the Enable file and folder compression box is not checked. (Find here how to install Windows 7)

8. When done, click OK. If prompted, click OK again to close the warning message. Wait for the drive to be formatted. When done, click Finish. When done, you will see the space freed up after formatting. You can now begin to partition your hard drive. Find here how to create a new partition in Windows 7. Thereafter, you can start restoring your data backup to the newly formatted and partitioned drive.

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How to Install an External Hard Drive in Windows 7

If your Windows 7 computer is running out on storage due to which it hangs or malfunctions, it needs to be immediately tended to before a hard drive crash occurs, causing data loss or system crash among other problems. You can install an external hard disk to increase the disk space, extend your Windows 7 computer’s life, and fix several common PC problems. Check these steps given below and install an external hard disk in your Windows 7 computer: (Also find here Windows 7 support)

1. Unpack your external hard disk drive and keep its software setup disk and the cable handy. If you want, you can also keep the instructions handy though you don’t need them. Many hard drives are plug-and-play devices and hence don’t need driver installation via software setup disk in Windows 7.

2. Check if yours is a plug-and-play device. If it is, you simply need to plug it in to a USB port of your Windows 7 computer. Once plugged in, Windows 7 will automatically install the right drivers for it either from its existing driver file base or from the Internet if you are online. You will see a notification like ‘Installing device driver software’ in the system tray.

3. When done, you will see a message similar to ‘Your device is ready to use’. This message indicates that you can now start using your hard disk. However, you will have to first format this hard drive before using it to store files, images, videos, or audios etc. as desired. Find here how to partition and format the hard drive in Windows 7.

4. Windows 7 will automatically assign a letter to your second hard drive depending on your computer configurations. If you want to see what letter has been assigned to the hard drive, click the Start menu> Computer. There you will see your external hard drive besides your main drive C:\ (if you have assigned a different letter to your main drive, then you will see that one). Find here how to protect your hard disk from virus, malware infections.

5. If your external hard drive is not a plug-and-play device but requires an external SATA (Serial ATA) or IEEE1394/Firewire port, then you may need to insert the software setup disk and follow the instructions then to install it. Though it’s not needed because in that case also, you will have to plug the hard drive in the Firewire or SATA port and Windows 7 will automatically find and install the right drivers for it.

6. Once installed, you can now format your external hard drive as mentioned above and then use it to store your collection. If you plan onto using it as the primary hard disk for Windows configurations, you will have to first install Windows 7 on to it before using your computer. A Windows 7 installation disk will be required to perform the Windows 7 setup and configuration. Find here how to format and reinstall Windows 7 on your PC.

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How to Install Microsoft Outlook from Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook being the most popular email application allows users to manage virtual folders, maintain calendar and tasks, search faster, scan and download email attachments, block spam messages, and send/receive & archive mails etc. Such features enhance a user’s productivity and efficiency by saving a great deal of time and money. Loaded with so many features, Microsoft Outlook may give you hard time when you try to install it from the Microsoft Office suite. Check the steps below and install Microsoft Outlook from Microsoft Office suite in a few seconds:

1. Before you start the Microsoft Outlook setup process, close all the active windows/programs on your PC. Click ‘start’ button> ‘control panel’> ‘Add or Remove Programs’> select ‘Microsoft Office’, viz. enterprise or home edition, and click on ‘change’ or ‘Remove’. (Also find here how to uninstall a program completely from your PC)

2. On the next window, click ‘add or remove features’> ‘Continue’. In the next window, select Microsoft Outlook. Click ‘Run from my computer’ and then click ‘Continue’

3. Your Microsoft Outlook will be automatically installed on your computer and will ask you to create a new email account or newsgroup as you are running it for the first time.

Follow the below mentioned steps to configure an email account in your Outlook:

1. When prompted, ‘create a new email account or newsgroup’, select ‘manually configure server settings or additional server types’.

2. Click ‘Next’. In the ‘Add New E-mail Account’ window, you can either follow the auto-email wizard or manually create an email account. For manual settings, click the ‘Tools’ tab> ‘Account Settings’.

3. Click ‘New’> ‘Mail’> ‘Next’. On the ‘Add New E-mail Account’ window, key in all the required details viz. email address, password etc. Check the ‘Remember password’ box for Outlook to remember your password always.

4. Select ‘POP3’, ‘IMAP’, or ‘Microsoft Exchange’ from the drop-down list in ‘Account Type’. Type incoming/outgoing mail server addresses as ‘IMAP’ and ‘SMTP’ respectively followed by relevant extensions. Type the IMAP and SMTP port numbers, provided by your ISP.

5. Check the ‘Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)’ box if you desire to log on using SPA. (Find Microsoft Outlook support here)

6. Click ‘Test Account Settings’ for testing that an email account has been created and the servers are logged on and active, a test message will be sent to check the settings.

7. To make more changes to your email account, click ‘More Settings’ and type the desired information. Click ‘Next’ and then ‘Finish’. (Find common Microsoft Outlook problems here)

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How to Fix Black Screen Problem in Windows 7

“When I turn on my Windows 7 computer, I see a black screen and nothing else. Windows 7 doesn’t load up but my computer makes the usual sound when starting up. What should I do”? Does it sound like a problem similar to you are facing? If it does, check the below mentioned steps and fix Black screen problem in your Windows 7 computer: (Find here Blue Screen Error support)

1. Right-click the taskbar> click Start Task Manager. On the Windows Task Manager screen, click the Processes tab, select explorer.exe, and click End Process. Now click the File menu on Windows Task Manager> select New Task (Run). Type ‘explorer.exe’ in the Open box and click OK. Exit Task Manager. (Find here Windows repair)

2. Click the Start menu> right-click Computer> select Manage. You must be logged on with admin rights to access the Computer Management window. Click Device Manager> expand Display adapters to display your devices. Right-click your video adapter> click Update Driver Software. Make sure that you are connected to the Internet to update drivers. (Find here Internet/browser issues support)

3. Check Windows Registry for any registry issues. Click Start> type ‘regedit’ in the Start Search bar. Right-click Regedit.exe> click Run as administrator. You must be logged in with admin rights to your Windows 7 computer, otherwise can’t modify the registry. Before you begin, back up your Windows registry to restore it in case of any wrongdoing.

4. On the Windows Registry Editor screen, map read to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> Software> Microsoft> Windows> NT> CurrentVersion> Winlogon. After clicking Winlogon> double-click Shell in the right hand pane. Make sure that the Value Data box says ‘explorer.exe’. If the Value Data box has different value, then clear it and type ‘explorer.exe’ in it. Click the OK button.

5. Exit Registry Editor and restart your Windows 7 computer. it should turn on fine without the black screen. If the problem persists, you can restore your Windows 7 computer to an earlier date in the Safe Mode. You can choose any restore point when you computer was working fine.

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How to Find IP Address in Microsoft Windows 7

IP address is a digital number allocated to each computer to let it talk to other devices like computers, printers, routers etc. Like this, your Microsoft Windows 7 PC also has an IP address that you can use to set up an Internet connection, perform wireless network setup, share files or folders etc., connect to other devices, or troubleshoot various network-related problems. Check the steps given below and find out the IP address of your Microsoft Windows 7 PC:

***Find here Windows 7 support for Windows 7 problems.

Step 1: Click the Start button> Control Panel. In the Search box at the top right hand corner, type ‘network’. You will see a number of results on the screen. Under Network and Sharing Center> click View network connections. You will see the available network connections on the screen. Select a connection> click the Diagnose this connection button on the toolbar> and then click View status of this connection.

Step 2: On the Wireless or Local Area Network Connection Status window, you will see your network connection description. Click the Details button. You will see the details of your network connection viz. DHCP server, Subnet Mask, or DNS etc. Your PC’s IP address will appear as IPv4 Address under the Volume column. It may be something like 192.168.1.4. Make of note of it and if required of the other details also. When done, click the Close button.

Step 3: Close the Network and Sharing Center window when done. Another quick method of finding out the IP address is by using the Command Prompt utility. Open Command Prompt from the Start menu> All Programs> Accessories. You can open Command Prompt from the Start Search menu also. Click the Start button, type ‘cmd’ in the Start Search box. As soon as you type the command, the CMD.exe file will appear in search results. Right-click the CMD.exe file and click Run as administrator.

Step 4: In the Command Prompt window, type ‘ipconfig /all’ and hit the Enter key. You will see Ethernet adapter connection or Wireless LAN adapter connection (if you have a wireless connection setup on your computer). Look for the IPv4 Address entry and make a note of the 000.000.0.0 format number. The IP address of your Microsoft Windows 7 PC can be anything starting from like 198, 110 etc. When done, exit the Command Prompt window. You can now set up your Internet connection or troubleshoot a wireless network connection problem.

Step 5: You can also open Network and Sharing Center from the Network icon in your system tray. Click the icon and select Open Network and Sharing Center from the menu.

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Repairing Windows Vista with Win Vista Installation Disk

Despite being a feature-packed operating system, Windows Vista essentially runs into problems at times. This means that you will remain stuck unless you repair Windows Vista. To help you get rid of such problems, Windows Vista has a built-in system repair utility. Follow the steps given below and repair your Windows Vista computer:

1. Before you begin, make sure that you have the original Windows Vista setup disk. If Windows Vista came preinstalled with your PC, then you must have a mirror image of it on your hard drive.

2. Remove all the peripherals attached to your Vista PC like router, printer etc. Insert the installation disk in the CD\DVD-ROM drive and boot your PC. When prompted, press a key (any key) on the keyboard to initialize the process. Wait while Windows loads your files, settings etc.

***Find here Windows Vista Performance Tweaks.

3. When prompted, select your language, time & currency format, keyboard or input method, and hit Next. In the next window, click the Repair your computer option.

4. On the System Recovery Options window, you will see the installation copy of Vista. Select it and press Next. Click the Startup Repair option and hit Next. The repair process will begin, with Vista being diagnosed for problems. The Startup Repair tool will also show the problem that is being diagnosed.

***Find here how to restore backup files when Windows Vista crashes.

5. While the process is going on, your PC might reboot several times as a part of the normal repair course. So don’t worry. Further, you might also see a dialog box saying ‘Do you want to restore your computer using System Restore?’ during the process. It is also a part of the normal course, so don’t be worried and exit the box by clicking Cancel.

6. When repaired successfully, the process will return a success message. If the repair utility was unable to repair, it will show a message similar to Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically and may prompt you to report this to Microsoft. You can choose to or not to send information to Microsoft.

7. If you click the Don’t send link, you will return to the Startup Repair screen with options to View diagnostic and repair tools and View advanced options for system recovery and support. You can choose either one to proceed. You can choose from System Restore, Windows Complete PC Restore, Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool, and Command Prompt utilities.

***Find here how to restore Vista to factory settings.

8. If the problem has been resolved, exit all the programs, remove the disk, and reboot the PC. Or else click Finish to exit the process, remove the disk and reboot your PC. You can contact an expert Microsoft technician for help if you don’t want to repair on your own.

***If you don’t find any recovery option in your PC, then contact your computer manufacturer. It does happen that manufacturers often replace the tools to customize them.

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How to Uninstall a Program Completely in Windows 7

It is not unusual for your Microsoft Windows 7 PC to collect junk and programs that you seldom use or never use while working or playing online/offline. If we go by a technology analyst’s survey, users don’t even use about 10% of the programs and applications installed on their PCs. Even if we do not consider the survey statistics, the fact holds true for most of us who use computers mostly for work or entertainment purposes. If you are reading this post, you must have come looking for the ways to uninstall a program from a PC. Check the steps below and uninstall any program from your PC in some quick steps:

1. Make sure that you are logged on as an administrator to your PC. Otherwise, you cannot uninstall any program. Let’s begin! Click Start> Control Panel> Programs and Features. In the Programs and Features window, you will see a list of the programs installed on your PC under Uninstall or change a program.

2. Select the program that you want to uninstall, click Uninstall. You may also see the Uninstall/Change button instead of just Uninstall. If prompted, enter your admin password and proceed. Click Yes to confirm the action and wait while Microsoft Windows 7 prepares to proceed. Wait unless Windows prompts you to restart your PC.

***You can back up and restore your data in case of any wrongdoing.

3. When prompted, restart your PC. You must now remove the leftover registry entries of the uninstalled program from Windows Registry Editor. Leftover registry entries often clog Windows registry and create problems for other programs, preventing them from functioning properly. Since registry medication is a sensitive procedure, you must never do it unless you have expertise in computers. If you lack technical expertise, the only best way to remove the leftover registry entries is by using a registry cleaner tool. Skip to the next step for instructions.

4. Connect to the Internet and open your web browser. Download Ccleaner, a free registry cleaner tool and save it to your computer. Run the installation file, follow on-screen prompts, and install the program. When done, open Ccleaner from Start> All Programs or the desktop shortcut. Create a backup of your registry before making any changes to the registry. Run a scan of your entire registry. When done, hit the Fix Errors button or whichever option you see on the screen to fix the corrupt, leftover registry errors. Exit the Ccleaner window.

5. Now look for any leftover files of the removed program in directories and folders and remove them too. Click the Start button> Control Panel. Select a directory from the drop-down menu on the Address bar and type the program’s name in the Search box at the extreme top right-hand corner. Hit Enter to start searching for files. Right-click the file, select Delete. If prompted, click Yes to confirm the deletion. Perform this procedure for each file belonging to the program.

6. Continue the procedure  unless the Search utility stops bringing anymore files in search results. When done, close all the windows. The program has been fully uninstalled from your PC now.

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How to Create a Desktop Background Slideshow in Windows 7

How nice it appears when you recollect memories of an old vacation, birthday bash or office party right on the desktop of your Windows 7 PC with a moving slide show. It may certainly throw a smile on your face when you see your great photos appearing in a slide show on your desktop when you turn on your Windows 7 PC and move to work on a presentation or email. I am going to discuss here how you can make a Desktop background slide show of the collection of your great photos. Check the steps below:

1. First arrange the pictures that you want to put in a slide show in a single folder. If the pictures are scattered in different folders, copy and paste them one by one in a single folder.

2. When done, click the Start button> Control Panel. In the Search box, at the top right-hand corner, type ‘desktop backgrounds’ and hit Enter. Click the Change desktop background link in the search results.

***Find here how to restore Windows 7 sidebar.

3. You will see a list of pictures which you want to arrange a slide show of. If you don’t see the desired pictures on the screen, click the Browse button beside Picture Location and select your folder or library.

***Find here how to personalize your Windows 7 PC.

4. All your pictures in that folder will appear on the screen. By default, all of the pictures will be automatically selected for the proposed slideshow. However, if you want to select only a few of them, clear the boxes beside undesired pictures. The non-selected pictures will be excluded from the slideshow.

5. If you want to customize your pictures before you put them in the slideshow, do this. Click an image in the Picture position list to crop, stretch, center, or fit it to the screen etc. In the Change picture every list, you can change how quickly a pictures changes in the slideshow.

6. If you want to have your pictures appear in a random order, check the Shuffle box. When done, click the Save Changes button and you are done.

***You can also find here Windows repair support and Microsoft technical support.

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How to Fix Microsoft Security Essentials Update Errors

When upgrading your Microsoft Security Essentials program to the latest version or updating it with virus, malware definitions and patches etc., you may encounter miscellaneous errors. These errors result in product upgrade or update failure. Such errors are commonly caused by disabled Microsoft Update service or outdated Microsoft updates that update Microsoft Security Essentials. Check the steps given below and fix Microsoft Security Essentials errors:

***Find here how to customize Microsoft Security Essentials

1. Restart the Microsoft Update service. Click the Start button> type ‘services.msc’ in the Start Search bar. Hit the Enter key. If prompted, enter your admin password and proceed. Look for Windows Update> right-click it and click Start. If you don’t see Start, you may see Restart, click it. When done, exit the Services window.

***Find here fix for common Windows update problems

2. Exit all other windows also. Launch Microsoft Security Essentials from the system tray or the desktop shortcut. Click the Update tab> click the Update button to start updating the program with the latest virus and malware definitions. If you are upgrading the program, click the Help tab> select Upgrade Microsoft Security Essentials. Follow the on-screen prompts and complete the procedure.

***Find here how to update Microsoft Security Essentials

3. If you continue to face errors while updating or upgrading Microsoft Security Essentials, download the Microsoft Windows Update Troubleshooter. Check this link for download: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Troubleshoot-problems-with-installing-updates. Click Run and then Run again to run the troubleshooter.

4. Wait while the troubleshooter prepares itself. When prompted, check the I Agree box to accept the license use terms & conditions. Click Next. Make sure that you are logged in with admin rights to your PC. Otherwise, you will see an error message. If you are not logged in as an admin, log off and then log back in with admin rights. You can now run the tool.

5. The troubleshooter will diagnose and automatically fix any Windows Update problems. When done, close all the windows and restart your PC (if required and prompted). Afterwards, launch Microsoft Security Essentials and try to update or upgrade it. You should not face any problems while doing so.

***You can also find here Virus Removal Support, Trojan Removal Support, Windows Repair support.

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How to Create a New Partition in Microsoft Windows 7

If you want to add or organize your existing data in a way that it does not cause problems to your main hard drive (which is usually C), you can create a new partition and format it. Windows 7 does have this feature that lets you create a partition with a few easy clicks. Check the steps given below and do the same.

Click the Start button> type ‘computer management’ in the Start Search box. Right-click Computer Management in search results, click Run as administrator. If prompted, enter your admin password and proceed. 

***You can also find here how to install Windows 7 on Mac.

In Computer Management, click Device Management. You will see a list of existing partitions in your PC. You may also see an Unallocated space box (if there is some on your hard drive) besides the drive partition(s). If you only have one partition like C: drive in your Windows 7 PC and still don’t see the unallocated space, you can shrink it to spare some.

If you see some unallocated space besides your existing drive, right-click the box (of Unallocated space) and select New Simple Volume. The procedure is explained in the next steps. For now, skip to next steps to shrink an existing drive to free up space.

Right-click the C: drive (if your main OS directory is different, select that) and select Shrink Volume. On the Shrink dialog box, you will see the amount (in MBs) of data before shrink and amount of available space to shrink etc. Type the amount of space that needs to be shrunk in the Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB box.

***Repair Windows 7 or troubleshoot Microsoft Windows 7 problems.

You can use the Up or Down arrow to increase or decrease the amount of space. Before you click Shrink, make sure you do not exhaust the entire disk space. Leave some space in the drive to make sure it can accommodate some more data when needed. Click the Shrink button. Wait for the process to complete.

When done, you will see a new unallocated space box beside other disk drives. Right-click the Unallocated space box, click New Simple Volume. On the New Simple Volume Wizard window, click Next. You can now use the entire volume to create a new partition. click Next

Assign a letter to the new partition from the drop-down arrow. Click Next. In the Format Partition window, click the radio button beside Format this volume with the following settings. Select NTFS from the drop-down menu next to File system.

Leave the Allocation unit size to the Default and check the box beside Perform a quick format. Click Next and then Finish to exit the New Simple Volume Wizard window. A new drive letter will appear beside other drives in Disk Management. Exit the Computer Management window.

***Find here Windows repair support or Microsoft Outlook support.

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Personalizing Lock Screen in Windows 7

You have changed the wallpaper and theme of screensaver of your Windows 7 desktop screen and you love the way it looks like, but you hate how the lock screen looks. Don’t be sad because you can change. Check the below steps and personalize your Windows 7 lock screen.

1. Click Start> type ‘regedit’ in the Start Search box. Right-click regedit.exe and select Run as administrator. Enter your admin password when prompted and proceed.

2. In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> SOFTWARE> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Authentication> LogonUI> Background. Before you begin to tweak the Background key, back it up using the built-in Import and Export wizard.

3. When done, click once on Background (if not already clicked). You will see OEMBackground. Double-click the OEMBackground key to bring up the Edit DWORD (-bit) Value window. The –bit represents the 32-bit or 64-bit version of your Windows OS.

4. Change the value to 1 from 0 in the Value data box. While you make this change, make sure that the Hexadecimal radio button is selected. When done, click OK. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC.

5. When done, you will need to make some more changes and select desired wallpaper for your logon screen. Right-click the Start button> click Open Windows Explorer. In Windows Explorer, map read to C: drive> Windows> System32> oobe. Right-click anywhere in the oobe window, click New> Folder.

6. Name this folder as Info. Double-click the Info folder and create another folder by the name Backgrounds. Now that the Backgrounds folder is created, change its permission settings. Otherwise, you will get an error message when trying to save any image in it.

7. Double-click Backgrounds, copy any JPG image in it and rename it as backgroundDefault.jpg. The image shouldn’t be more than 256kb in size and should have the same dimension as Windows 7 PC’s screen resolution. If the picture size doesn’t match the screen resolution, it will either be cropped or expanded to fit the screen.

8. If anytime you want to wind back the changes you made, simply change the JPG file’s name. You can also change the shadow behind the logon button and text to make your lock screen look more appealing and effective. See below to learn how to do it.

9. Open Registry Editor and map read to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> SOFTWARE> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Authentication> LogonUI. In the LogonUI key, right-click anywhere and click New> DWORD Value.

10. Right-click the new key and click Rename. Name the key ButtonSet. To change the shadow, double-click the ButtonSet key. You can change the value from 0 (light shadow), 1 (dark shadow), to 2 (no shadow). When done, click OK to exit the window.

11. Exit Registry Editor and restart your PC. When done, lock it and see the magic. Your lock screen will show the image that you selected and in the way you actually changed it to.

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How to Repair Video File Crash or IE Freeze Problems

If the video file that you are currently playing crashes or causes Internet Explorer to freeze, it indicates a problem with Flash Player or sound card drivers or internal problems. Other than IE crash/freeze problem, the problematic video file can also cause your Windows PC or other Windows applications to hang. Check the below mentioned steps and repair this problem:

1. Close any window that is currently active on your desktop.

2. Connect to the Internet (if you are not already connected) and launch your web browser. If IE is not opening up, try another browser.

3. Visit the http://support.microsoft.com/mats/video_freezes_or_crashes/ link and click the Run Now button to start running the automated Microsoft Fix It tool.

4. Click the Run button again when prompted. Click Run again to confirm the action. Remember, to run this tool, you must be logged on as an administrator user to your Windows computer. Failing to which can result in an error.

5. Wait while the tool diagnoses and fixes the problem. When done, close the window or do as instructed by the tool. The tool updates drivers and applies fixes to any internal errors that are preventing video files from playing properly. The tool fixes IE crash/freeze problems, issues with other Windows applications or unstable video playing.

6. If prompted, restart the computer. Restart the player (VLC or WMP etc.) and replay the same or any video file that you want to. If it plays fine, the issue has fixed. If you continue to face problems playing video files, try this method (step 7).

***You can also find here Windows repair support

7. Update your Flash Player and Java with the latest updates and definitions from their respective websites. Afterwards, replay a desired video file and check back whether it works fine or not. If the problem persists, reset IE to factory settings.

8. Open IE and click Tools> Internet Options. In the Internet Options window, click Advanced. Click the Reset button. Click Yes to confirm the action. If prompted, check all the boxes and then click Reset. Confirm the action again if prompted.

9. Make sure that no other program window is opened except IE. Otherwise, you will experience an error. When done, you will be prompted to restart IE. Do as prompted. Now try to play an online or offline video file and it should work fine.

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How to Fix Common Windows Firewall Problems

Microsoft Windows integrates Windows Firewall Service, a built-in firewall program that protects your Windows PC from being compromised to virus, malware and other such threats designed to harm your digital data and safety. Yet at times, Windows Firewall may encounter problems due to several reasons. You can check the below common problems and their fixes to fix them:

Common Windows Firewall Service Issues:

     

1. Windows Firewall is not set as the default firewall

2. Windows could not start Windows Firewall, error 5 (0X5) or 80070424

3. Windows Firewall blocked Remote Assistance

4. Windows Firewall blocked access to shared files and printers

5. Windows Firewall could not be started

6. Missing BFE service

Follow the steps given below and fix the above mentioned problems:

1. Connect to the Internet and open your web browser.

2. Visit this link http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_firewall_diagnostic/ and click the Run Now button.

3. Click the Run button to start running the MicrosoftFixit.WindowsFirewall.RNP.Run.exe tool.

4. Click Run again if prompted. Once you click the Run button, the tool window will disappear and start diagnosing the Windows Firewall Service in your computer.

***Repair Windows for any problems that may occur or recur due to several reasons

5. Wait while the tool diagnoses and fix the problem. Make sure that you are logged on as an administrator to your Windows computer. Otherwise, you may encounter a run time error or similar one.

6. Follow rest of the on-screen instructions and finish the process. If prompted, restart your computer and you are done.

***You can also find here How to disable Windows Firewall in Microsoft Windows 7. You can also make your web browser secure and safe.

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