How To Upgrade From Windows 7 To 8

Windows 7 has been one of the great OS platforms introduced by Microsoft Corporation and they provide many features like in the prior versions of Windows. After introducing a platform, Microsoft would be keen to introduce many new features and applications for the new OS platform. You might have heard about the release of the new Windows 8 upgrade last year. This new upgrade was entirely different from its predecessors and it had many new features that made the operating system unique. One of them is the tiled UI in Windows 8 that made it special. The users could access the different apps on their start screen and this would reduce the time they had to spend for navigation.

If you have Windows 7 installed on your computer, you need to follow some steps to get your operating system updated using the Windows 8 OS upgrade. There is the Clean install, In place upgrade and Migration.

If you were looking for a clean install, you would have to start the installation of Windows right from the start.  In in-place upgrade, you would have an older version installed, but installing Windows 8 OS will not affect your applications or its settings. It will not even affect the files and documents on your computer and all of them will be retained. In Migration, your settings get backed up initially and then the installation of Windows operating system starts. After installing the same, the settings will be reapplied and data will be added to Windows 8 upgrade.

The choices available vary according to different Windows operating systems used. If you are upgrading from an old version like  Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, the options will vary. You will find the choices right before you when you accept the End User License Agreement. If you have Windows 7 on your computer, you will find different choices and they would include options for retaining Windows settings, personal files and applications’ and for one for retaining the Personal files only.

In the first folders and files that are present in the Users folder along with all the compatible applications will be transferred to the new Windows 8 OS. In the Personal Files only option, you will be able to transfer all your files and folders in Users folders and this can be treated as partial migration because the settings will not be migrated.

Steps To Reformat A Drive In Windows Vista

Reformatting a drive in the Windows Vista operating system is usually a simple task. Reformatting a drive means taking the drive back to its original state, that is- making it a blank piece of hardware.
At times, this will be the last resort for you, for example, when the computer has become irreparably corrupt with viruses. You should try all the other available options before performing this drastic step. Before doing the format, backup everything that you can find and close all the currently open applications. You need not worry about the software programs, as you will have to reinstall them after the reformat process is completed. The Windows Vista help tips explained below will help you to reformat a drive in the Windows Vista operating system.

Instructions

• Click on the Start button, go to Control Panel and then select System and Maintenance. From there, go to Administrative Tools. You will have to be logged in as the system administrator to do these steps. Otherwise, you will not get the permission to make these changes.
• Double click on the Computer Management link and then click on Disk Management that is located on the left side of the window. The display area on the center of the window will show all the drives that are set up on your PC.
• Right-click on the drive or partition that you wish to reformat and then choose Format from the shortcut menu that is displayed. You should take a backup of all the necessary files before doing the format and make sure that you want to do the reformat before doing it.
• If you choose to reformat the system drive, which is usually the C: drive, you will be deleting the Windows Vista from your PC. Make sure that you have the correct discs to reinstall Windows Vista once formatting is completed.
• From the resulting dialog box, choose the option that you want and click on the OK button. There are two file system types from which you can choose, they are FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS is the default format.

These are the steps to do a reformat of a drive in the Windows Vista operating system. The steps are simple, but if not done properly, this can lead to irrecoverable loss of data and may also lead to other issues in your computer. If you have any more doubts, you can contact the Windows Vista help and support team.

Instructions For Adding And Removing Add-Ins In Outlook

Add-ins are special custom programs that add extra functionalities when added to the Outlook program. Add-ins are developed by various manufacturers and you must install add-ins from only trusted developers in your Outlook program, as otherwise they may change the Outlook setting in which you are working and may crash the software. When installed in the system, an add-in program makes working with the Outlook program easier and efficient. There are mainly two types of add-ins, COM and Exchange Client; we discuss how one could add or remove add-ins from the Outlook program below.
Instructions To Add or Remove COM Add-ins

• Open the Outlook program and then click on the Tools menu located in the menu bar. 
• Click on the option named Other found under the Options tab.
• Click on the option named Advanced Options from the window and then click on the COM Add-Ins option found there for viewing all the options related to the COM add-ins. 
• Now you will be able to view all the COM add-ins installed in your system. Put a check mark in the check box found beside the particular COM Add-in that you would like to enable. 
• If the COM Add-in that you would like to enable is not found in the list, then you will have to add the add-in from the Add-ins available list. Click on the Add button, then select the add-in you would like to add to the Outlook program, and then click on the OK button. 
• If you would like to disable a special add-in from the list, remove the check mark found in the check box next to the Add-in. 
• If you would like to remove the add-in from your system, after removing the check mark from the check box, click on the Remove button. 

Instructions To Add or Remove Exchange Client Add-ins

• From the Advanced Options menu, click on the Add-In Manager tab. 
• Look for the add-in you want to enable in the Outlook program and then click on the Install button. When the installation completes, double click on the extension configuration file you would like to use and click on the OK button. 
• To disable the add-in, remove the check mark found in the check box beside the add-in. 

If you follow the simple Outlook setting instructions given above, you will be able to add and remove add-ins in the Outlook program with ease. 

Removing Yahoo Toolbar From Your Browser

The Yahoo toolbar will be located on the top of your web browser and this toolbar offers a quick way to search the Internet, provides you alerts on the new Yahoo! mails and helps you to access social networking websites. The different icons that are present in the toolbar give the snapshot of your activities that you do over the Internet, like the current bids on the eBay website. This toolbar may get installed without your permission and if you find the toolbar unnecessary after the installation, you can remove it in a few minutes. At times, it will be very difficult to get rid of the toolbar and the toolbar may act very persistent.
Some of the versions of the toolbar are very easy to remove and they can be removed from the specific button that is in the toolbar. You need not worry if the Yahoo toolbar installed in your web browser does not have a button to remove it. You have the option to remove Yahoo toolbar from the browser manually.

Instructions

• Turn on your computer and click on the Start button that is located at the extreme left hand corner of the window. From the menu that appears, select Control Panel.
• From the Control Panel window, click on Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program icon, depending on the version of the Windows operating system that is installed in your computer.
• This will give you a list of the entire programs installed in your computer. Scroll down the list and find the Yahoo! Toolbar. You have the option to sort the programs alphabetically or as per the date on which the program was installed in the computer. You can click on the Name button to sort the list as per the name or you may click on the Installed On button to sort the list as per the date of installation.
• Click on the name of the toolbar to highlight it and then click on the Uninstall or Change/Remove button depending on the version of the Windows OS installed in your PC.

By following the above-discussed steps, you will be able to remove Yahoo toolbar from your computer. If you find it difficult to follow these steps, you can contact the Microsoft support or you may seek advice from a technical expert to make yourself clear on the steps. 

Steps To Fix Your Outlook 2003 Reminders

Microsoft Outlook is essentially an email application that also serves as a personal information manager for the users. This application comprises of several advanced features such as calendar, journals, task manager etc. which enable the users to schedule and organize their important events. Another popular feature of the Microsoft Outlook calendar is the ability to receive reminders for scheduled tasks and appointments. The personal information manager stores the contact information in Outlook Address Books, whereas the personal information is stored in personal storage tables. This is made easier with Microsoft Outlook 2003 as it comes with a Calendar folder to which the users can add appointments. Hence, this email application would display a pop-up reminder when the date or time for an appointment is approaching. However, if Outlook 2003 fails to display calendar reminders, the program may not be running as it should. These Outlook problems may result if the settings are misconfigured, or if the calendar items may be saved in the wrong folder. Outlook help provides ample assistance with fixing the issues related to the Outlook calendar.

You can also use the following instructions to fix your Microsoft Outlook 2003 reminders before seeking assistance from the technical support.

• In the first step, open the Microsoft Outlook 2003 application on your system. Once the service is opened, select the Tools option from the menu bar. Now, go ahead and select the Options option.
• In the following step, make sure that the Default Reminder option is checked and select from the drop-down menu once the Microsoft Outlook reminds you of appointments. Select the OK option.
• Now, leave the Outlook 2003 application open to receive the reminders. For this, you need to go to the primary inbox, where you receive your mail. You have to ensure that the reminders are in the Calendar or Tasks folder. You can also contact Outlook help any time, to seek assistance with such Outlook problems.
• Once it is finished, exit the Outlook 2003 application if all the Outlook settings are correct, and press the Windows and R keys to open Run.
• In the final step, input the command outlook /clean reminders into the Run dialog box, and click OK. Once this is complete, reopen Outlook 2003.

These steps would help you to fix your Outlook 2003 calendar reminders in your system. For more information on the features of Outlook, check Microsoft’s official website.

Voice Chat Quality Of Xbox One

Xbox One is the gaming console developed by Microsoft. All thanks to the Xbox developers, as they have improved the voice chat features of the Xbox One greatly so that the system now offers high quality audio chats. The predecessor of the Xbox One, Xbox 360 too provided voice chat features although the chat was sluggish and often the connection got lost. According to the latest reports from Microsoft chat, Xbox One offers the best in class chat features available for gaming consoles now available in the market.

Microsoft’s Xbox range gaming consoles allow users to chat with other users; no matter what game they are playing or even if they are doing any other job. However, by the acquiring of Skype messenger, Microsoft benefitted a lot, as it is the code of Skype that makes the audio quality of these consoles exceptionally good. The audio codec of Skype has dedicated multi user audio processing for voice chat and for Skype conversions on Xbox One. One of the major factors driving to the high quality audio input and output from the Xbox console is the presence of the new and advanced headset that provides HD quality audio effects.

According to the details in the Microsoft chat site, the headset captures speech at 24 KHz PCM, which is fifty percentage higher than the headsets found in the Xbox 360’s headset. For knowing the difference between the two new systems, Microsoft posted a video, in which one played back audio at the quality of Xbox 360 and then in the quality of the Xbox One gaming console. You can easily understand the difference in the voice chat quality and this is definitely going to increase the voice chat experience of gamers who are using Xbox One rather than the old Xbox 360.

However, Xbox 360 users will not be able to know about this difference or get a chance to experience the new improved audio quality, as users of Xbox One will not be able to chat with those using its predecessor. Even though Microsoft planned to release the headset as a separate accessory initially with a price of $24.99, it was later revoked by following many complaints and posts in the Microsoft site against it. So now every Xbox One console is shipped with an inbox headset.

If you would like to know more about the Xbox One and its features, visit the Xbox support site.

New Xbox 360 Gaming Console Released In The Market

With the increase in demand for gaming consoles and the high competition from Sony PlayStation devices, Microsoft decided to release an advanced and trim model of their popular gaming console Xbox 360. The announcement of the new console came along with the announcement of the Kinect controllers, which allows users to play motion sensing video games. If you are wondering what Kinect is, it is the name of a new technology developed by Microsoft that recognizes motion from the user and allows him to play motion sensing games effectively. According to Microsoft help line, Kinect was first code named as Project Natal by Microsoft technicians.

This new technology allows the users to play games with natural body movements rather than having to use handheld controller devices. The device uses 3D camera and gesture recognition software for enabling people to play games using natural movements. The new Xbox is also slimmer than its predecessor and hosts a 250GB hard drive and is available at the same price of its predecessor. The new console also has built in high-speed wireless connectivity technology.

The software company also displayed a variety of new games that can be played with the Kinect system at the Electronic Entertainment Expo held in Los Angeles. According to our sources in the Microsoft help line, about fifteen titles will be available for playing with the Kinect system in the market after the add-on for earlier Xbox consoles are released. According to the Kinect creative director Kudo Tsunado, “You interact with things the same way you would in the real world, with your moves and your voice, so anyone can jump in and play.”

Microsoft has developed many games for playing with the Kinect console, the main among these are discussed here. Kinectimals is a game that allows users to train and play with wild animals. There are also sports games developed by Microsoft like sprinting and javelin throw that allow users to play using body movements only. Another part of Kinect games is a game by the name Joy Ride, which allows the user to race a car and perform stunts with the car. Microsoft has also included adventurous games like virtual rafting in which one uses his whole body to control the raft.

In short, we can say that with the advent of the Kinect consoles, Microsoft may be able to lead the gaming console market very soon.