Connecting to a Printer on Windows 8

Like all other fans, you might have got an upgrade to Windows 8 to explore the features and utilities. Other than the Metro-style features, Windows 8 offers the same set of regular yet improved features for daily computer needs. Printing is indeed one of them. To start printing, you will have to install your printer software on your Windows 8 computer. Check the below mentioned tips and learn how you can connect and use a printer in Windows 8: (Check our Tweets here https://twitter.com/MuskySuman or https://twitter.com/vtechsquad/followers)

Step1: Turn on your Windows 8 computer. Wait for it to load up fully. Hover your mouse around and click the Charm bar> click Search. Type ‘compatibility’ in the Search field and hit Enter. Click Settings in the right hand-side column> click Run programs made for previous versions of Windows.

Step2: Follow rest of the on-screen prompts and complete the driver installation for your printer. When prompted, connect the printer to your computer using the USB cable or using a wireless connection. This should generally work for an already installed printer on your computer. (See Also Windows 8 features here)

Step3: If you haven’t installed or added your printer, click Desktop in the extreme bottom left hand corner. It will load the familiar Desktop screen. Look for Computer, right-click it and select Manage. This will launch the Computer Management window.

Step4: Click Device Manager in the left hand panel. Click on the name of your PC in the right hand panel at the top and then click Add legacy hardware. On the Add Hardware dialog box, select the button next to Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced) and hit the Next button.

Step5: In the list of hardware devices, click Printers, and then hit the Next button. Select the Use an existing port button and hit Next. If you have the disk, click Have Disk and hit the Next button on the Install the printer driver window. You must enter the disk when prompted. If you don’t have a disk, select your printer from the list and hit the Next button. (See Also Differences between Windows 8 and Windows 7)

Step6: When prompted to share your printer, select Do not share this printer. Hit Next or OK button. Click the Print a test page button to print a test page. Click Finish to exit the Add Printer wizard. In case the testing fails, go back to the printer settings and correct them. When done, exit the window. Remove the disk if it was there in your computer’s drive and reboot your computer. Your printer is now ready for use.

Step7: You can set up a wireless printer as well following the same above mentioned procedure. If you ever face a printer setup or different problem, contact Windows 8 support.

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Fix Windows 7 Error 1935

The error 1935 in Windows 7 is generated by Windows Installer when it is unable to access a particular file or folder while installing Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, or other .Net programs. The inaccessibility of a file or folder can occur due to several reasons. Check the steps given below and fix the error in your Windows 7 computer:

1. Before beginning with the mission 1935, simply create a restore point or back up your data to avoid data loss or other problems during the event. (See Also how to use system restore in Windows 7)

2. Download and run a registry cleaner program from a trusted website. Save the file to your desktop and install it using the wizard’s instructions. When done, open the file and run it. If prompted, create a restore point. Wait until the program automatically scans for corrupt, empty registry keys and removes them. (See Also how to fix registry errors in Windows 7)

3. Wait until procedure finishes. Do not shutdown the computer unless finished. You can choose to download a free or paid version from the available registry cleaner programs. These include PC Health Advisor, ReglnOut, FrontlineReg Cleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegClean, Registry Easy, and Advanced System Optimizer among others.

4. Since the error can also be caused by corrupt Mccoree.dll files in registry, run a scan from your registry cleaner to fix their problem. You can also remove and reinstall the program that uses Mccoree.dll file from its official website. (See Also Windows repair here)

5. If it is the Microsoft .Net framework that is troubling you, then update it by installing latest updates from Microsoft's website. If you are running an older version of .Net framework, then replace it with the latest one from Microsoft. You can also choose to repair the application on your own. However, it is little cumbersome and may require good expertise.

6. Defragment the disks and registry to clean up the unnecessary mess from the computer. Click on the Start button and then type ‘defrag’ (without quotes and as is) in the Start Search menu. Hit the Enter key on the keyboard to proceed. Select the drives that have exceeded the threshold limit and defragment them. (Run Defragmenter in Windows 7)

7. Use your registry cleaner that you downloaded and installed in the above steps to defragment the registry. You can also download defragmenting tools or other utilities to clean up the system junk. (See Also how to defragment disk in Windows 8)

8. Run a complete system scan from your antivirus program. Since malware or viruses among other infections can cause internal errors in your computer, running a scan will help detect and remove them. It is recommended to have a scan run regularly and as frequently as you can on your system. If you don’t have a security program installed, then download one from a trusted website. (You can Buy McAfee Antivirus here)

9. If the problem persists, then uninstall and reinstall the troubling program or application like Visual Basic\Studio or .Net among others. Go to Microsoft’s website and download the particular program. Install it using the wizard’s commands and get going. (See Also how to uninstall a program completely from Windows 7)

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5 Microsoft Security Essential Features

With so many antivirus programs around, Windows users have so many choices to protect their data from malware infections, data/identity thefts, and various online attacks. Despite that Microsoft launched Microsoft Security Essentials exclusively for its customers. It’s a free antivirus program designed to offer easy installation, enhanced malware protection, and better usage of the system resources.

Despite being a free program, Microsoft Security Essentials has the capability of outdoing many commercial programs that offer somewhat moderate protection from viruses, malware infections etc. I've compiled 5 important points about using Microsoft Security Essentials that I am sure users don’t know about. Check them below: (See Also how to install Microsoft Security Essentials)

1: Microsoft Security Essentials is a free antivirus program designed by Microsoft for genuine Microsoft Windows operating systems. If your Windows OS is not genuine, the antivirus will not work no matter what you do. You will have to have a legitimate copy of Windows if you want the Microsoft Security Essentials protection on your computer.  

2: It is designed for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. Hence, if you are running 32-bit Windows, download the 32bit version of Microsoft Security Essentials. For 64-bit Windows, you can download the 64-bit version.

3: If Microsoft Security Essentials doesn’t update automatically due to some conflict, you can update it manually from the Microsoft website. You can download the Microsoft Security Essentials updates and then load them manually. (See Also how to update MSE manually)

4: You can install Microsoft Security Essentials on up to 10 computers. Yes, no home user will have so many computers at home. But a small business might have. So the antivirus program serves the purpose of a small business also whose data protection needs are critical.

5: You must be logged on as an administrator to your Windows computer to install or uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials, update it manually or modify its settings. without admin rights, you cannot change its settings. (See Also minimum system requirements for Microsoft Security Essentials)

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How to Enable USB Port in Windows XP

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a popular plug-and-play hardware interface to use external USB devices like flash drive in your Windows XP computer. If you want to use an external USB device, you will have to enable the USB functionality in your computer. Check the steps given below and enable the USB port in a few quick steps: (See Also Windows XP support)

1: Before you begin, make sure that you are logged in as an administrator user to your Windows XP computer. Failing to which will not let you make any change to your computer.

2: Click the Start button> right-click My Computer> select Manage. In the Computer Management window, expand System Tools> click Device Manager> and then expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers. (See Also how to improve Windows XP performance)

3: Click the + sign to expand an item. Then right-click a USB Root Hub (you may see several of them) and click Enable. If prompted, confirm the action. If you do not see Enable option when you right-click the USB Root Hub, you may see Properties. Click Properties to get in the properties of the USB Root Hub.

4: Under the General tab, select Use this device (enable) from the Device Usage drop-down box at the extreme bottom. If you want to update drivers for your USB Root Hub, click the Driver tab and update them. When done, exit the Properties window and restart your computer. When the computer has booted, plug your USB device and start using it.

5: Alternatively, you can click the Start button> go to Control Panel to enable the USB Root Hub. Double-click Performance and Maintenance> open System to get into System Properties. Depending on your Windows XP version (SP2 or SP3), you may not see Performance and Maintenance but instead straightforward see System.

6: When in System Properties, click the Hardware tab> click the Device Manager button. Here in the window, you can repeat the third step to enable a USB Root Hub.

7: Another way to enable a USB Root Hub is by editing the Windows Registry Editor. Click the Start button> go to Run. In the Run window, type ‘regedit’ in the Open box and click the OK button.

8: In Registry Editor, expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and navigate to SYSTEM> CurrentControlSet> Services. In the Services category, click usbstor. Look in the right hand pane of usbstor and you wil see the list of keys and entries there.

9: Double-click Start and change its value to 3 in the Value Data box. While changing the value, make sure that the Hexadecimal button is selected. Click OK to save changes and exit the Edit DWORD Value.  Exit the Registry Editor window also and restart your computer. You can now start using your USB device. (See Also how to fix registry errors in Windows 7)

10: If you face problems while enabling or using your USB port, contact Windows XP technical support.

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How to Manually Register DLLs in Microsoft Windows Vista

Dynamic link library (DLL or .dll) is a set of small program files that are called upon simultaneously by various executable programs in Microsoft Windows to perform certain tasks like connecting to a device or saving a file etc. Sometimes, these files get corrupt and hence you need to register them again. You can register these files on your own. Check the steps given below and manually register DLL files in your Vista computer: (See Also Windows repair support)

Step1: Before you begin, make sure that you know the name and path of the DLL files to be registered. If you don’t know their names and paths, you won't be able to register them. Besides, you should take help of an expert if you don't know anything. It is because messing up with registry can lead to system crash or other severe problems in your Vista computer.

Step2: Click the Start menu> go to Run. If you don’t see Run anywhere, then press the Windows and the R keys together on the keyboard. This will open up the Run dialog box. (See Also Windows blue screen errors)

Step3: Type ‘regsvr32 C:\Windows\System32\Name.dll’ in the blank field (without quotes and as it is) and then click OK. This command is intended for the example. You must replace the path as well as name of the file (Name.dll, here it should be the name of the file with .dll as the extension and not just Name). For example, you have your files stored in H:\ drive and not in C:\ drive, then you would type regsvr32 H:\location of the file\name of the file followed by .dll.

Step4: Once you click OK, a dialog box will appear showing that the file has been successfully registered. Click OK to exit this window. If the program did not launch automatically, then open it manually. (See Also Windows Vista support here)

Step5: If you get an error message like the specified module or entry could not be found, then it indicates that you are either typing the location or file name wrong or the .dll file that you are trying to register is not compatible with your version of Windows.

Step6: If none of these is the case, try disabling the UAC (User Account Control) in Control Panel. You may need admin privileges to run such command or tweak the registry. You can also download and install a free or paid tool from the Internet to automatically install missing libraries or fix common problems. (See Also how to fix registry errors in Vista/7)

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How to Create a Zip File in Windows 7

A zip, a.k.a compressed file occupies less space and can be transferred quickly from one computer to another compared to an unzipped file. A good example of a zip file is the firmware or image file  etc. that you download from the Internet. In order to use it, you will have to extract its contents. You may want to create a zip file in your Windows 7 computer. Check the steps given and create a zip file quickly: (See Also Windows 7 support here)

Step 1

First look for the file or folder, which you want to create as a zip one. Afterwards, right click on the file> select Send To> Compressed (Zipped) Folder. You will now see a new zip folder in the same location where your original file is located. You can unzip this file whenever the need arises.

Step 2

If at any time you want to add more files to your zip folder, you can do it in two ways. The first way is to open the zip folder and copy and paste the files from other locations or folders into it. Or else, you can drag and drop files into your zipped file. The second way is to drag and drop the files right over the zipped folder that you previously created. Windows 7 will add all these files automatically to your zipped file or folder.

Step 3

Since you have created a zip file now, you will also extract its contents in the later course or whenever needed. Thus, you should know how to extract a zip file’s contents to view or change them as desired. If there is only one zip file that you want to extract, double click on it to open the original file. Thereafter, drag and drop this file to some other location. Or else, you can simply copy and paste this file to some other location.

Step 4

If the zipped file or folder contains several files, folders etc., you can unzip them all with this simple method. Right click the zip folder> select Extract All. In the Extraction Wizard window, click Next. Check the location where all the contents of the zipped folder will be extracted. You can also change the location by clicking Browse. When done, click Next. Hit Next again and then the Finish button to close the window and show the extracted files.

Step 5

Here is a word of caution for you for encrypted files. If you added encrypted files to your zip folder, they will be decrypted when unzipped. So, if you want to keep their privacy intact and undisclosed, do not zip them. (See Also how to snap documents in Windows 7)

Step 6

Another thing that must be remembered while zipping the contents is that try not to zip the JPEG images. It is because JPEG images are already zipped and thus need no further zipping. If you zip them, they will occupy about the same space as the original ones. Thus zipping would be of no use in that case. You can also use a tool like WinZip or WinRAR etc. to zip and unzip files, folders etc.

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Create a New User Account on Dell Windows 7 Computer

A user account is the profile usually protected with a password using which you log in to your Dell Windows 7 computer. It’s not just Dell but every computer that you might have at your home or office needs a user account with a password to log in. Since you want to create a user account for your Dell Windows 7 computer, here are some tips for you. You can also password-protect your newly-created user account. (See Also Windows 7 support here)

1. Before you begin, make sure that you have administrator privileges to log in to your Dell Windows 7 computer. Without admin access, you won’t be able to make such changes. If you have lost admin access to your computer, contact Dell technical support.

2. Log in to your computer as an administrator. If you are already logged in (but not as an admin), log off your computer and log back in as an administrator. When done, click the Start button> Control Panel> User Accounts> Manage another account> Create a new account.

3. In the Create New Account screen, type the name for your new account in the New account name box. When done, you will see two options namely Standard User and Administrator. If you want to make this new user account a standard one, click the Standard User option and then click the Create Account button.

4. If you want to make this an admin account, click Administrator and then click Create Account. You will now see your newly-created user account listed in the next screen (Manage Accounts). Since this user account does not have a password, it can be taken advantage of by anyone and I am sure you would never be willing to let it happen. So, let’s set a password for this account. Double-click the icon of your newly created account. You will now see Manage changes to your (name) account> Create a password.

5. In the Create a password for account screen, type the desired password in the respective box. Retype the password and click Create password and that’s it. Your new account is password protected now. You will now return to your user account settings. If you want to further customize settings for this user account, click each option and follow the prompts. When done, exit Control Panel. (See Also how to customize Windows 7 computer)

6. Despite putting your best efforts in creating and password-protecting your new user account, problems may arise. So, if you encounter a problem, contact Dell technical support. If the problem is Windows related, contact Microsoft Windows 7 support.

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How to Change Start Menu to Classic View in Windows Vista

It you have been using Windows for a long time, you might have developed familiarity with the Start menu. It is your way to the Windows Control Panel, settings, search, mail and various handy features that you can access immediately.

However, in Windows Vista, the Start menu has been overhauled to give you more control and power to your Windows features with a single click. Despite that if you don’t like the Windows Vista’s Start menu just because you have become accustomed to the old one, you have an option. You can change your Windows 7’s Start menu to Classic View. Check the steps given below and do so: (Consider Windows Vista support)

1. Click the Start button> Control Panel> Appearance and Personalization> Taskbar and Start Menu.

2. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window, click the Start Menu tab. Select the Classic Start Menu button and click the OK button.

3. If you want to switch back to the Windows 7’s Start menu, de-select the Classic Start Menu radio button. Click OK to save changes.

***You can also change the Control Panel’s view to Classic. Find here Windows 7 support. If you are planning to upgrade to Windows 8, consider Windows 8 upgrade essentials.

***Windows Vista and 7 have more or less the same options though the later is a very advanced version. Find here how to customize Windows 7 PC.

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What’s New in Windows 8?

Windows 8 has indeed become an eye candy after the launch of the Developer Preview. It certainly has been offered as bait by Microsoft to the users who would surely experience a cutting-edge difference when using Windows 8. (See Also how to upgrade to Windows 8)

Lock Screen – Microsoft has done away with the old-fashioned lock screen in Windows 8. The operating system now incorporates a more useful user-defined lock screen that has two main elements. One is the lock screen with notification badges like battery life icon, date & time, unread emails and messages, and network icon among other things, while the other is login screen that allows you to log in to Windows.

There is a catch about the login screen and that is there are two ways viz. picture- or gesture-based password and a classic alpha-numeric password to log in to Windows. This means that Windows has beefed up the security features in lock and login screen too. No one will be easily able to guess your password now. Besides, the lock and login screen and customizable to bring users more convenience, comfort, and flexibility with Windows 8.

SmartScreen Filter – Windows 8 features Windows SmartScreen, a smart filter that will alert you whether or not to open a program or application downloaded from the internet. This will prevent accidental interaction with viruses, Trojans, and other malware that usually users never come to know about.

It is because they never know in advance if a particular program would be harmful or useful for their computer. The SmartScreen filter comes handy in such a situation. It will scan the application in advance and warn users about its usefulness or maliciousness when they will try to open it. The filter will take care that malware programs never succeed in their dodgy intentions. You can even enable or disable Windows SmartScreen as desired.

Enhanced Control Panel – The ages old Control Panel has been overhauled to offer more convenience, customization, and control to users. New apps have been added to Control Panel to make it more useful. These apps include PC Sync, Notifications, Reset and Refresh, and Start Search among other things.

The classic Switch to Classic or Category View still forms a part of Control Panel. Besides, Control Panel can be launched either from the Metro-style Start screen or the Start Search. You can personalize privacy, user, wireless, lock screen, and search among other settings in a more enhanced and useful way. Now Control Panel offers tons of options to customize your settings. (See Also Windows 8 upgrade essentials)

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What’s New in Windows 8?

As you have seen that Microsoft has offered bait in terms of Windows 8 features to users, it is totally up to them how they take it. Windows 8 is undoubtedly the most versatile and advanced operating system from Microsoft. However, a thorough look into its features may change your decision of not upgrading to it (only if you were thinking so). However, you should upgrade to Windows 8 for a wholesome new experience, which is definitely absent from Windows 7 and previous versions.

WinRT – Windows Runtime (WinRT) is a developers’ toolset that will allow them to develop Metro-style apps for their customers. WinRT is a rich suite of Windows APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that will enable developers to create both Desktop and Metro-style apps using a comprehensive set of XAML, HTML, C, C++, C#, JavaScript, VB, Win32, .Net, and CSS among other languages.

SoC and ARM – Windows 8 will now support Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) and System on Chip (SoC) designs in addition to the x86 architectures. The ARM and SoC architectures will be from Texas Instruments, NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD. The SoC design compatibility will fuel a major change in the world of operating systems. With SoC integration, the power consumption required to boot or run a computing device will be greatly reduced, leading to the enhanced battery life for a laptop, minimized power expenditure, and faster CPU performance for desktop computers.

Besides, the size of computing devices such as laptops, Netbooks, tablets, and Notebooks etc. could be reduced greatly, leading to the development of smarter, faster, thinner and smaller devices. Besides, the ARM-driven Windows 8 will now be able to support Metro-style and full desktop apps. The ARM support will now bring the cutting-edge hardware –accelerated media playback, web surfing using Microsoft Internet Explorer 10, graphics, and multi-display desktops among other things.

Inbuilt Antivirus Protection – Windows 8 incorporates a built-in antivirus protection to prevent online threats like viruses, spyware, or other malware from exploiting the vulnerabilities of your computer. Besides, it prevents a virus- or malware-loaded USB device from being intruded into your computer.

Therefore, if you insert a virus-infected USB drive into Windows 8, your computer will not boot up no matter what you do. You will have to take it out in order to make sure that Windows 8 boots. So, finally there is an operating system that takes care of your computer’s health and prevents any external intrusion via such devices or the Internet.

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How to Fix Internet Connectivity Issues in Windows Vista

If you can’t connect to the Internet, browse the webpages, or the connection speed is very slow, certain websites don’t load up, or face frequent browser crashes when using Internet Explorer, you are indeed running in problems. Script or certificate errors are also among these Internet connectivity/browsing issues. Check the steps given below and fix these issues to connect to and browse the Internet properly in your Windows Vista PC:

1. Open Internet Explorer> click on Tools> and select Internet Options. Click on the Advanced tab and scroll down to the option ‘Use TLS 1.0’. Uncheck the box next to the option and click on OK to close the window. This will resolve the security certificate error.

2. Open Internet Explorer> click Tools> Manage Add-ons. Disable whichever add-ons you want to. Click Apply and then OK to exit the window. Check which add-on is causing the problem and remove it to make your browser work properly. (See Also why Internet Explorer can't download files)

3. Close all the windows currently opened on your desktop. Open Internet Explorer> click on the Tools tab> choose Internet Options> click the Advanced tab> and click Reset. On the Reset Internet Explorer Settings window, click the Reset button. When IE is done applying the default settings, click Close, click OK, and then again click OK to close the window. Close and re-open Internet Explorer to let the changes take effect.

4. Run Windows Updates to download and install any updates for Internet Explorer. It will help correct problems related to outdated files and vulnerabilities that are causing your browser to crash, hang, or malfunction frequently. (See Also how to remove Internet Explorer Content Advisor Password)

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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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