Steps To Tune Up Windows 7 OS

Even though Windows 7 is considered as a fast operating system, it might slow down after a few months of use. When you find that your operating system is no longer performing the way it used to, then there are certain things that you could do to improve its speed. In this post, we will take you through these methods in detail.

Increase the cores

According to the Windows help center, during the boot process, the computer uses one core. Now, if your processor is a dual core processor, the operating system is not making use of the other core. However, if you wish to experience a quicker boot, you may set multiple cores for booting. Follow the steps below to implement this.

• Press the Windows logo key and R together to open the Run window. In the Run window, enter msconfig and click OK.
• The above step opens the System Configuration Utility window. Select the tab Boot in the window and choose Advanced Options.
• Choose Number of processors and type the number of processors. Select OK and then choose Apply. Restart your PC. 

Remove unwanted fonts

You can find many TrueType fonts in the operating system. Even though you may not use them, they would use your system resources, which could in turn affect its performance. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the other fonts. In order to remove the unwanted fonts, open the Control Panel window and go to the folder Fonts. You may move the unused fonts to a different folder.

Disable search indexing

The function of search indexing is to give you quicker results while searching. However, if you do not use the search function frequently, it is a good strategy to disable this feature. In order to disable it, open the Run window and type services.msc. Click the button OK. From the Windows services, locate the service Windows Search. Right click it and choose the option Disable.

Speed up shutdown

You can decrease the shutdown speed by making changes to the registry. Open the Run window and enter regedit. Click the button OK and this will launch the Registry Editor. Go to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control and right click the option WaitToKillServiceTimeOut. The default value is 12 seconds. You may change this and enter a lower number. Select OK and restart your PC.

With the above steps, you can improve the speed of your Windows 7 computer. For further assistance on Windows operating systems, you may contact the Windows help center or our technical support team. 

Email Templates In Outlook

Just as you see with other Microsoft Office applications, MS Outlook, the email client application also supports convenience-enhancing features like templates. In Outlook however, it is known as email templates.

With the help of this feature, you can design templates that contain boilerplate email message. Moreover, you can create a toolbar button in Outlook, allowing you to compose a new email message consisting of this boilerplate text. This way, all you need to do is add relevant information in the form and customize other content you wish to add for creating a brand new message.

It only requires that you understand the basic technique. Once you master it, you can easily create Outlook templates and use them on them on the toolbar. This Outlook help article will guide you in understanding this basic technique.

Steps to follow

• Launch a New Message window in Outlook the way you normally do. Then, enter or copy in the message or information that you would like to appear as the boilerplate text.
• In case the subject is the same for all your messages, you can add the subject name as well. Similarly, if you plan to send the same message to a particular group of people recurrently, you can include them in the To, Cc and Bcc fields.
• When everything is done, go to File menu and then click on Save As button.
• Give a name for this template in the pop-up dialogue box, and then select Outlook Template (*.oft) from the drop-down menu in the Save As box. Click OK and your email template will be ready for use.

Like any other software, even Microsoft Outlook is not foolproof. Even a software as efficient as Outlook can give too many error messages at times. This can happen for the newly created email template as well, even though you have constructed it carefully and patiently.

Therefore, to deal with such issues, Outlook offers an inbuilt recovery tool known as Advanced Outlook Repair. This is an excellent tool, that helps to fix Microsoft Outlook problems quickly, and this way you will not lose any important data. Advanced Outlook Repair utility not only fixes the issues, but also helps to recover messages in HTML format. It also recovers embedded objects such as Word documents and Excel Worksheets. This way it ensures that even the templates remain unaffected.

So, now you know to create a Outlook template, use it and ensure its recovery in case of issues. Make use of this awesome feature whenever you need it. For any assistance in the matter, feel free to contact Outlook help center.

Finding Device Settings In Windows 8 And Windows 8 RT OS

The Windows OS users are familiar with the Microsoft Help & Support button, normally found in the OS Start Menu. This Help and Support button takes you to the OS wizard, where you can find the links, tools and tutorial articles for dealing with the different OS problems, like where to find the OS options and features, how to connect devices to the system, etc.

A similar Microsoft Help & Support option is present in the Windows 8 OS as well. Since Microsoft has removed the Start Menu from the new OS UI, it is not found in its usual place. All you need to do is just type the word Help from the Start Screen to the search function and you will soon the Help and Support link among the search results. Using the Help and Support app, you can easily figure out the different options and features in the Windows 8 OS.

About the Device settings in Windows 8 OS

The Device Manager option in the old Windows operating systems was very simple to use. A similar option is available in the Windows 8 versions as well. In Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, you can use the PC Settings function to access the Device Manager options and settings. You just need to swipe to the right edge of the screen to launch the Charms bar.

Among the Charms bar options, click on the Settings button. Here, click on the Change PC Settings option to launch the PC Settings menu on the screen. In the PC Settings menu, you will see many options for managing the OS settings. You need to click on the Devices option from this list. In Windows 8.1, there is a small change in these settings. You will find a separate PC and Devices settings and from there, you have to click the Devices option and so on.

This will take you to the Device settings page, where you will see the option for adding a new device to the system, as well as a list of the all the devices you have currently installed in your system. You can change the configuration settings of any of these devices or add a new device to the systems using these options. This feature works just like the Device Manager function in the old Windows operating systems.

If you have any doubts regarding these Windows 8 options, visit the Microsoft support website online.

Tips For Finding And Connecting With Friends In Xbox Live

Xbox Live is an application from Microsoft, which helps a user to carry out variety of functions including chatting, playing games with your friends etc. Finding friends for an online game is the best feature that you can find in the Xbox Live application. An online gaming medium is necessary when you are far from your friends. It is easy to find friends and connect using Xbox Live. Well, given below are some easy instructions given by the Windows Live chat support team to find and connect with friends using Xbox Live.

Sending a friend request

1. Start the process by logging in to the Xbox Live and navigate to the option called Social. From there, you need to choose the option called Friends followed by clicking Add Friend. 
2. Now, you need to type the gamertag of the user whom you wish to add. After that, select the option called Done. 
3. Next, you need to choose either 'write your own' or the 'standard message' option followed by selecting the option called Send Request.

Viewing a friend’s profile

1. Again, you need to log in to your Xbox Live account and find your way to the option called Social. 
2. Next, you need to select the option called Friends and to see their profile, you need to click the friend’s avatar. To select their gamer card, you need to press A. 

• Personal Profile- This includes the personal and gamer card information of your friend and this information includes location, bio and full real name.
• Gamer Profile- Here you can file a complaint, play a game, join a party, compare scores, send a message to your friends, invite your friends for a chat or delete a friend from the friend’s list.

Removing a friend

• Start the process of removing a friend by signing in to the Xbox Live account. 
• Next, you need to press the button called Guide from your controller. 
• After that, you need to click the option called Friends. 
• Now, you need to choose the gamertag of the user whom you want to delete or remove from your friend list. 
• Confirm the action of removal by selecting the option labeled Remove Friend. 

These instructions provided by the Windows Live Chat support team will help you to find friends and connect with them using Xbox Live. For more assistance, contact our Windows support number.

Update To Bing Maps Adds Slew Of Features

The update for Bing Maps for Windows 8.1 is ready for download. Microsoft claims that the update has added a number of options that its software development team has been designing for the last few months. Although the update has nothing to do with improving Windows 8 features, it is a temporarily relief for those who complain about the scarcity of Windows 8 apps and features on the new devices.

New features added to Bing Map

The features the update has added to Bing Map include integration of TripAdvisor, Yelp, personalized recommendation, list and details of cities in 3D, static search box and roaming favourites. The update is available in Windows Store. So, go to Windows Store and download it right away to have a glimpse of the new Bing Map.

Auto-suggest in Bing Map

Another interesting thing with the updated Bing Map is its streamlined auto-suggest feature. For instance, when you type something in your Bing Search box, your past searches of addresses and locations will be popped up, simplifying the searches in a more personalized way. If you added any places or addresses to your favourite lists, the search would become even simpler. You will also be alerted about the popular places you might be interested to visit nearby the searched locations.

Integration with TripAdvisor and Yelp
The updated Bing Map is integrated with TripAdvisor and Yelp. Both of these utility services are favourites of most travellers. The integration of these services with Bing Maps can help you get professional advice regarding the nearby places you must visit when you make a trip to a particular place. It will also help you find a list of feasible accommodation facilities nearby the places you visit.

Roaming favourites

The roaming favourite option with Bing Maps allows you to access the favourite list you have created in your Bing Maps app on any of the Windows device you use. So, if you can’t access your Windows powered laptop or tablet, no need to worry. Simply switch on your Windows mobile and access the favourite list. In order to enjoy this feature, you must enable it. For this, launch the updated version of Bing Maps, navigate to the Settings, and select the option that says Personalization.

Hope you got some info about the Bing Maps update now. Obviously, it is one of the simplest ways to improve your Windows 8 features.

Microsoft Looks To Resolve Window 8 Ban In China

If you’re in the mainland China and looking to install Windows 8 operating system on your computer, then there is some good news for you. Recently the Chinese government had released a new law banning the latest operating system from Microsoft, and the company has been looking to work out something with the government. The Chinese government issued a ban on using Windows 8 computers on state-owned machines. This move was made from the Chinese government as a counterstrike on Microsoft for taking out the support provided for Windows XP computers that most of the Chinese people use.

As of now, the officials from Microsoft are working hard to make the government revoke the ban on Windows 8 operating system. Joanna Li of Microsoft commented on the issue as follows, “Microsoft has been working proactively with the Central Government Procurement Center and other government agencies through the evaluation process to ensure that our products and services meet all government procurement requirements. At the same time we are working on the Windows 8 evaluation with relevant government agencies.”

Central State Organs of Government Procurement Center first issued the ban through an official notice that read, “All computer products are not allowed to install Windows 8 operating system.” Luckily for Microsoft the ban does not say anything about the Windows 8.1 operating system. This means that there is no ban on the Windows 8.1 operating system even though it is a revamped version of the Windows 8 operating system. The main reason that the government officials state for banning the operating system is the security issues found in the new operating system.

One good thing is that even though you are banned from installing the Windows 8 operating system, you still have the Windows 7 operating system, which still has a seven more years of support that is until 2020. However, it is advised that you take into account the use of Google’s Chrome operating system as an effective replacement to the Windows XP operating system. Some of the government agencies in the UK have already made the switch to Chrome books, and they state a significant amount of cost savings from the switch.

With their client base set to deplete due to the current ban, Microsoft will be looking to bring a workaround into play, or to placate the Chinese government and have them rescind the ban.

Accessing Live Hotmail Account From Outlook

Microsoft Outlook program is the email manager program that is used by most people to manage their email accounts. Here we discuss simple Outlook setting instructions for configuring Live mail account with the Outlook email client.

Instructions

• Open the Outlook email manager program by double clicking on its icon found in the desktop and then click on the Tools tab found at the top side of the application window. 
• From the drop down menu that appears on the screen, click on the Account Settings option and then select the E-mail tab found under it. Click on the option named New found in the context menu that appears on the screen. 
• Select the type of account as Microsoft Exchange, POP3, IMAP, or HTTP, based on the type of email server your service provider employs and then click on the Next button to continue with the configuration process. 
• In the text box found next to the option labeled as Your Name: type in the name that you would like to display to your contacts when you send them an email. Also type in the email address in the field labeled as E-mail Address. 
• Put a check mark in the box found next to the option labeled as Manually configure server settings or additional server types and then click on the Next button. 
• Select Internet Email, click on the Next button and select the type of account as POP3. 
• Set the incoming mail server as pop3.live.com and the outgoing mail server as smtp.live.com. 
• Now in the User Name filed, type in your complete email address including domain name and type in the password for logging in to the account in the Password text box. 
• Click on the More Settings button and then put a check mark in the check box found next to the option labeled as My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication and Use same settings as my incoming mail server found under the Outgoing Server tab. 
• Set the incoming server port as 995 and outgoing server port as 25 in the Outlook setting window and then click on the OK button for saving the changes made to the program. 
• Click on the Next button followed by the Finish button for making the changes permanent. 

If you follow the simple Outlook Setting instructions given above, you will be able to configure a Live mail account in the Outlook program with ease.