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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