Windows 7 Home Won't Boot or Safe Mode

If you have the Windows 7 disc, start up the computer and hit F12 to boot off the DVD. Go into the recovery options, choose "command prompt" at the bottom. 

Type "C:" without the exclamation marks and hit enter
Type "dir" and hit enter
Make sure the directories look like your C: drive, there should be the Users, Windows, Program File folders etc. If it is not right, try D:, E:, etc.

Once you know you are in the right drive, type "chkdsk /r" and hit enter. It will do a full check disc which will take about an hour.

After it is done, type "bootrec.exe /fixboot" and hit enter then "bootrec.exe /fixmbr" and hit enter. Reboot and try to boot into safe mode first.

If you don't have the DVD, try to hit F8 and choose "repair your computer", then follow the steps above

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install  Author: Michael Stevens MS-MVP 2001-2007

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Remove Chitka pop-up ads (Removal Guide)

"Chitka is a computer virus, which will display pop-ups containing advertisements and sponsored links, with the sole purpose of generating revenue for the cyber criminals.
The Chitka pop-ups will be appear in the lower right corner of the browser window, and at the same time, in the lower left corner another fake pop-up will claim that your Flash Player is outdated and install Flash Player HD (Please install Flash Player HD to continue) ..."

http://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-chitka-virus/

Windows 8: Boon or bust? - Tips, Reviews and Advice on All Things Digital - The Kim Komando Radio Show

Windows 8: Boon or bust? - Tips, Reviews and Advice on All Things Digital - The Kim Komando Radio Show

To fix the Blue Screen of Death

To fix the Blue Screen of Death, follow these steps:

 [A] Scan the System for Viruses:

 Your system might have a virus infected. Download a good antivirus software, such as, Free Avast or Kaspersky and delete all the viruses that found.

 [B] Repair the Registry:

 Using a registry cleaner, such as, Reginout, fix the problems that found in your system registry.

 [C] Run SFC:

 1. Click Start | Run.
 2. Type "SFC /ScanNow" and press ENTER.
 3. Follow the instructions on your screen.

 [D] Run Memory Diagnostics:

 Test the computer RAMs for possible defects. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic tool as shown below:

 1. Click Start.
 2. Type Windows Memory Diagnostic in the Search Box.
 3. Press ENTER.

 [E] Restore the System:

 Restore the systme state to an earlier date. This may help fixing your problem.

 1. Click Start | All programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore.
 2. Follow the wizard your own.

It’s Official: Microsoft’s Windows Blue Is Coming Later This Year

"Microsoft just confirmed that the successor to Windows 8 will roll out later this year, that it’s sold a whole lot more Windows 8 licenses than when we last checked in, and that the largely empty Windows Stores are finally getting more than just window dressing." ... More ==>

Microsoft Windows Blue ( update to windows 8)

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/its-official-microsoft-says-windows-blue-is-coming-later-this-year/

Microsoft delivers final version of IE 10 for Windows 7

Microsoft released to the Web the final (non-test) build of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 on February 26.

As of today, Microsoft is making the final bits available for download from its IE site in 95 languages. (If that link doesn't work, try this one from the Microsoft Download Center.)

To read the complete article Click Here
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-delivers-final-version-of-ie-10-for-windows-7-7000011849/?s_cid=e550

Microsoft and Symantec Take Down Bamital Botnet That Hijacks Online Searches

Microsoft and Symantec Take Down Bamital Botnet That Hijacks Online Searches

 Click here for more in Microsoft website and learned how to check your computer for free

http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/02/06/microsoft-and-symantec-take-down-bamital-botnet-that-hijacks-online-searches.aspx

Microsoft, Symantec shutter another botnet

Symantec and Microsoft join forces to stop a botnet, and for the first time they provide clean-up tools directly to people with infected computers. Click here for more

FCC to Congress: U.N.'s ITU Internet plans 'must be stopped'

Summary: Today's testimony from FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell to Congress explicitly reveals that the free and open Internet is under attack by the ITU. Click here for more

http://www.zdnet.com/fcc-to-congress-u-n-s-itu-internet-plans-must-be-stopped-7000010835/?s_cid=e550

Microsoft goes after Google with attack on Gmail privacy

Campaign titled "Don't get scroogled by Gmail" encourages users of Google's free e-mail service to dump it for Microsoft's Outlook.com.  Click here for more

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57568101-93/microsoft-goes-after-google-with-attack-on-gmail-privacy/

Best Free HTML Editor

 HTML text editors are fine for programmers or those who are comfortable coding (X)HTML, PHP and CSS, but many users have no interest in this. They just want an editor that allows them to produce web pages quickly in a WYSIWYG environment.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-html-editor.htm

Want to use your old iPhone accessories - well just buy one more accessory...:

Want to use your old iPhone accessories - well just buy one more accessory...:

http://mashable.com/2012/09/21/lightning-adapter-stores-apple/
Bottom Line:  So one of the biggest complaints with regard to the iPhone 5 (which I did receive on Friday after all as an aside), was that the previous adaptors didn’t work with the 5 because of the smaller adapter size.  The result was/is that the average 5 owner would purchase an additional $100 worth of accessories to replace the additional chargers, adaptors and dock stations that would no longer be functional.  Well there is good news (sort of).  If you buy the Lightning Adapter for the iPhone 5, you can still use all of your other accessories.  You may still rightfully be a bit skeptical for having to buy an accessory to use your existing accessories but it’ll likely be cheaper then replacing all of them.

Read more: http://www.wjno.com/pages/brianmudd.html#ixzz27OLdxKxd

ATT-YAHOO CHANGED MY HOME PAGE! :(

 http://att.yahoo.com/ vs http://att.my.yahoo.com/

All of a sudden my ATT-YAHOO Home page changed to some ugly web site loaded with bias news and junk. I lost my settings and personal preferences, but there is a  a solution to get my old page back.  Just Go to tools or preferences depending in your web browser kind and select the home page  instead as ==>  http://my.yahoo.com  This page ==>  http://my.yahoo.com is my old page with my old setting... Once a again I am a happy Camper!

iOS 6 Apple released, available, (AAPL) features: Download the operating system right now

Posted: 1:09 PM
Last Updated: 1 hour and 16 minutes ago

• By: Thom Patterson, CNN

iOS 6 has been released.
What's new:
This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:
• Maps
◦ Apple designed vector based maps
◦ Turn-by-turn navigation with spoken directions on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular ( 2nd and 3rd generation)
◦ Real-time traffic information
◦ Flyover for photo-realistic, interactive 3D views of major metro areas on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad ( 3rd generation), and iPod touch ( 5th generation)
◦ Local search results with Yelp photos, ratings, reviews, and available deals
◦ Siri integration for requesting directions and finding places along a route
• Siri improvements
◦ Sports: scores, player stats, game schedules, team rosters, and league standings for baseball, basketball, football, soccer and hockey
◦ Movies: trailers, showtimes, reviews and facts
◦ Restaurants: reservations, reviews, photos and information
◦ Send a Tweet
◦ Post on Facebook
◦ App launch
◦ Eyes Free in supported automobiles

◦ Local search available in Siri supported countries (availability may be limited during initial rollout)
◦ Additional country and language support for Canada (English and Canadian French), China (Mandarin), Hong Kong (Cantonese), Italy (Italian), Korea (Korean), Mexico (Spanish), Spain (Spanish), Switzerland (Italian, French, German), Taiwan (Mandarin), US (Spanish)
◦ Supported on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad ( 3rd generation) and iPod touch ( 5th generation)
• Facebook integration
◦ Single sign-on from Settings
◦ Post from Photos, Safari, Maps, App Store, iTunes, Game Center, Notification Center and Siri
◦ Add location and choose audience for any post
◦ View up-to-date Facebook profile photos and contact information in Contacts
◦ View Facebook events and birthdays in Calendar
◦ Like content and see your friends' Likes in App Store and iTunes Store
• Shared Photo Streams
◦ Share selected photos with the people you choose
◦ Friends can view shared photos in Photos app, iPhoto and Apple TV
◦ Friends can like and make comments on individual photos
• Passbook
◦ One place for boarding passes, store cards, movie tickets and other passes
◦ Barcode display for boarding flights, buying coffee, getting into movies and other actions
◦ Passes displayed on Lock Screen based on time or location
◦ Passes can be automatically updated
◦ Supported on iPhone and iPod touch
• FaceTime improvements
◦ FaceTime over cellular support for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular ( 3rd generation)
◦ Receive FaceTime calls, sent to your iPhone number, on your iPad and iPod touch
• Phone improvements
◦ Do Not Disturb to suppress incoming calls and notifications
◦ 'Reply with message' option when declining a call
◦ 'Remind me later' option based on time or location when declining a call
• Mail improvements
◦ VIP mailbox to quickly access mail from important people
◦ Flagged email mailbox
◦ Insert photos and videos when composing email
◦ Open password protected Office docs
◦ Pull down to refresh mailboxes
◦ Per account signatures
• Safari improvements
◦ iCloud tabs to see open pages on all your devices
◦ Offline Reading List
◦ Photo upload support
◦ Full screen landscape view on iPhone and iPod touch
◦ Smart app banners
◦ JavaScript performance improvements
• App Store and iTunes Store improvements
◦ Updated store design
◦ iTunes Preview history
◦ Complete my season
◦ Complete my album
• Game Center improvements
◦ Challenge friends to beat high scores and achievements
◦ Post high-scores and achievements to Facebook and Twitter
◦ Friend recommendations based on your Facebook friends
• Accessibility improvements
◦ Guided Access to limit device to one app or restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen
◦ VoiceOver integration with Maps, AssistiveTouch and Zoom
◦ Support for Made for iPhone Hearing Aids for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S
• Improved privacy controls for Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Photos and data shared over Bluetooth
• Reminders can be reordered in the Reminders app
• Custom vibrations for alerts on iPhone
• Clock app for iPad
• Clock alarm with song
• Search all fields in Contacts
• Automatic movie mode for improved video sound quality
• Definitions of a selected word for Chinese, French, German and Spanish
• New keyboard layouts for French, German, Turkish, Catalan, Arabic and Icelandic
• Keyboard shortcuts shared across devices via iCloud
• Bluetooth MAP support
• Global network proxy for HTTP
• Features for China
◦ Baidu web search
◦ Sina Weibo integration
◦ Share videos to Tudou
◦ Share videos to Youku
◦ Improved text input for handwriting and Pinyin
• Bug fixes

Read more about the new features here .

Windows 8 introduces significant changes to the operating system's graphical user interface and platform; such as a new interface design incorporating a new design language used by other Microsoft products, a new Start screen to replace the Start menu used by previous versions of Windows, a new online store that can be used to obtain new applications, along with a new platform for apps that can provide what developers described as a "fast and fluid" experience with emphasis on touchscreen input.^[2] Additional security features were also added to the operating system, such as a built-in antivirus program and a secure boot feature on systems with UEFI firmware. Secure boot requires the operating system to be digitally signed to protect malware from infecting the boot process. The implementation of this feature has sparked controversy among supporters of free software. Windows 8 also introduces an edition of the operating system designed to run on devices that utilize the ARM architecture, known as Windows RT.

For more details ==> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8

How to Configure Fast Cached Exchange Mode Settings for Outlook 2010 Using Group Policy

How to Configure Fast Cached Exchange Mode Settings for Outlook 2010 Using Group Policy  courtesy  of ==> http://www.expta.com/2010/10/how-to-configure-fast-cached-exchange.html

How to Configure Fast Cached Exchange Mode Settings for Outlook 2010 Using Group Policy

Microsoft introduced Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook 2003, and it's been the default configuration ever since.  Cached Exchange Mode saves a copy of your mailbox on your computer which provides quick access to your data and is frequently updated with the Exchange server.

Cached Exchange Mode works like this: When the Exchange Server notifies Outlook of a change, the Download timer starts and Outlook delays receiving the change information.  All notifications that occur in the 30 second window of the Download timer are grouped and processed as a batch at the end of the timer.  The timer is then reset.  Uploads to Exchange use a similar Upload timer, which lasts 15 seconds.  For more information, see Description of Outlook 2003 with Cached Exchange Mode in an Exchange Server 2003 environment.  This behavior is the same in Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010.

While this configuration reduces network utilization and load on the target Exchange servers, it reduces the "perceived" performance of Outlook/Exchange.  Users who change from Online Mode to Cached Exchange Mode frequently complain about slow performance, since they're used to the almost "instant messaging" behavior of Online Mode.

This behavior can be changed using a simple registry change, or, as I recommend, using Group Policy.  By changing the Download, Upload, and Maximum timers to one second, your users will enjoy much improved email performance and you will still see improved network performance over traditional MAPI "Online Mode".

 Install the Fast Exchange Cached Mode GPO Administrative Template:

• Download the CachedMode.adm Group Policy administrative template and save it to a temporary folder.
• Open the Group Policy Management Console.
• Navigate to the Default Domain Policy, right-click it, and choose Edit.
• Navigate to User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates.
• Right-click Administrative Templates and select Add/Remove Templates.
• Click Add and browse to the location where you downloaded the CachedMode.adm template.  Click OK.
• The Outlook 2010 Cached Mode Settings administrative template will be added under the heading "Classic Administrative Templates (ADM)".
• Edit the Outlook 2010 Cached Mode Settings policy and Enable each of the three policies.

• Close the Group Policy Management Console.

The Outlook users will need to download the new policy and either restart their computer or restart Outlook to get the new settings.

If you are a VPN user or a mobile user who cannot receive Group Policy settings, you can download the FastCachedMode.reg file, and install it manually.  Then close and re-open Outlook to get the new configuration.

Posted by Jeff at 1:19 AM

Labels: Exchange, Exchange Cached Mode, Outlook, Outlook 2010, tip, troubleshooting

How to Update the Offline Address Book

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2007-01-02
This topic explains how to use the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell to update an offline address book (OAB). After you create an OAB or modify OAB settings, the changes will not be available to users until the OAB generation (OABGen) process has completed.
For information about how to create OABs, see How to Create an Offline Address Book.

Before You Begin

---

To perform the following procedure, the account you use must be delegated the following:

• Exchange Organization Administrator role
  

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, see Permission Considerations.
Also, be aware that the procedures in this topic will only start the update process. It can take from several minutes to several hours to complete the process. New content will not be available until the process is complete.

Procedure

---

To use the Exchange Management Console to update an offline address book

---

1. Start the Exchange Management Console.
   
2. In the console tree, expand Organization Configuration, and then click Mailbox.
   
3. In the result pane, click the Offline Address Book tab, and then click the OAB that you want to update.
   
4. In the action pane, click Update.
   
5. Read the warning box, and then click Yes to continue.
   

To use the Exchange Management Shell to update an offline address book

---

• Run the following command:
  
  Update-OfflineAddressBook -Identity 
  

  For example, to update the OAB named My OAB, run the following command:
  
  Update-OfflineAddressBook -Identity "My OAB"
  

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see the Update-OfflineAddressBook reference topic.

For More Information

---

For more information about managing OABs, see the following topics:

• Managing Offline Address Books
  
• How to Create an Offline Address Book
  
• How to View and Modify Offline Address Book Settings

Users not showing in Global Address List

Users not showing in Global Address List

When you are in cached mode, Outlook keeps a local copy of the GAL and it is called the offline address book - essentially, the OAB is "cached" on your local machine along with all contents of your mailbox so that if you are to get disconnected from Exchange, you can still continue reading and writing emails. The cached copy of the OAB is downloaded once in 24 hrs from the server but if the server does not generate the OAB properly then you will not get the latest details.

When you are in online mode, it simply means you are directly connected to Exchange and you are viewing everything directly from the server and nothing is stored locally on your machine.

You need to update the OAB directly from the server (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997684(EXCHG.80).aspx). Make sure you increase diagnostic logging on the server for this process so you can see why these users do not show up!

How to Update the Offline Address Book

2 out of 7 rated this helpful - Rate this topic

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007

Topic Last Modified: 2007-01-02

This topic explains how to use the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell to update an offline address book (OAB). After you create an OAB or modify OAB settings, the changes will not be available to users until the OAB generation (OABGen) process has completed.

For information about how to create OABs, see How to Create an Offline Address Book.

Before You Begin

---

To perform the following procedure, the account you use must be delegated the following:

• Exchange Organization Administrator role

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Also, be aware that the procedures in this topic will only start the update process. It can take from several minutes to several hours to complete the process. New content will not be available until the process is complete.

Procedure

---

To use the Exchange Management Console to update an offline address book

---

1. Start the Exchange Management Console.
2. In the console tree, expand Organization Configuration, and then click Mailbox.
3. In the result pane, click the Offline Address Book tab, and then click the OAB that you want to update.
4. In the action pane, click Update.
5. Read the warning box, and then click Yes to continue.

To use the Exchange Management Shell to update an offline address book

---

• Run the following command:

·         Update-OfflineAddressBook -Identity

For example, to update the OAB named My OAB, run the following command:

Update-OfflineAddressBook -Identity "My OAB"

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see the Update-OfflineAddressBook reference topic.