Microsoft Support & Discussions

By Paul Thurrott Earlier this month, I wrote about my decision to migrate my consolidated personal email accounts from Gmail to Hotmail, which I use along side Exchange-based solutions at work and with Office 365. Since then, I’ve gotten a lot of interesting feedback from readers and, perhaps not coincidentally, have seen some interesting moves from both Google and Microsoft in the web email space. But the big news, perhaps, is that this transition has gone a lot more smoothly than I’d imagined. Continue reading...

Converted laptop to Windows 7. Used Windows Easy File Transfer. Can't figure out how to recover my Outlook contacts (am now using Outlook 2010). Help! Continue reading...

I am having an issue with content advisor in that it will not let me download specific attachments from a website. i look after multiple computers located in diffent cities and i use content adviser with a ratings fill called noaccess.rat. the ratings file allows me to specify only the websites i want the end users to visit, and one of them is our policy online site. on the policy site we have many files including pdf, xls, doc, ppt and the problem appears to be the size of the files i am trying to open / download from the site. i have used different ratigs files including the default ones(icra3) that are built into ie 7 /8 and have encountered the same issue. when i turn…

New figures on Microsoft’s worldwide tablet share, coming changes to Windows 8 mouse navigation and the release of the System Center Advisor service were all in the news this week. Continue reading...

windows XP I want to access files from server and it is very slow, longer than 30 seconds, thanks! Continue reading...

Hi, My plataform is Windows 7 Professional 64 bits and this is the case: I have a HD with Windows 7 Professional that worked in one computer without any problem, but last week I had a hardware problem and I needed to change this machine. After change, this O.S don't work (Blue Screen of Death 0x0000007B). I found in Technet and others forums many solutions (use sysprep, Windows Repair, Safe Mode...), but this problem persist. I don't want go to formar this HD. Anybody have a possible solution for this case? Thanks a lot. Continue reading...

By Paul Thurrott A report by Strategy Analytics shows that sales growth of Android tablets outpaced that of the iPad in the fourth quarter of 2011, closing the gap between the two product lines. Apple’s iPad now controls 58 percent of the tablet market, compared to 39 percent market share for Android. Continue reading...

Good Afternoon, I am not sure where this question belongs as it touches a few groups. We have a domain running windows 2008R2 RTC and have a mix of Win7 and XP systems. I have a user that is on XP, he has a issue with his hands so it is difficult for him to press the Ctrl+alt+del keys at once to get to the login screen. We are a small company and I try my best to keep security locked down but at times there needs to be compromises. I found an article that explains how to go into the control panel and under administrative tools local security policy you can change the security options for interactive logon: Do not require Ctrl+Alt+Del from disabled (or in our case not…

Hi Chap's, I've just take over a small Windows 2003 Domain with around 60 Windows xp / 7 computers. Out of these i have come across 30 of them that have the same SID. The previous guy cloned them however never used sysprep to change the sid. So my Questions are : 1, What sort of issues could i run into down the line ? 2, Is this ok to do ? I've always thought changing the SID is a MUST TO. 3, if not, i need some sort of MS documentation to say this is a BAD thing as i need to present to my manager. 4, Are there any tools that will let me change the SID's without messing the user's profile up. Thanks all Roger Continue reading...

By Paul Thurrott An often irreverent look at this week’s other news, including Microsoft’s $250 million payment to Nokia, Microsoft’s supposed plans for Xbox LIVE on iOS and Android, Apple’s ongoing human rights abuses in China, Samsung (and not Apple) was the number one smartphone vendor in 2011, HP announces its plans for webOS, Netflix soars on better-than-expected results, AT&T sells way more iPhones than Verizon (but many were older models), and Motorola Mobility posts another loss. Continue reading...

running avg and mse at same time is this ok. do i need to remove and unistall one off them thanks Continue reading...

How can I get google calender or contacts on my Kin Two phone? or can I? Continue reading...

Diagnostic Report (1.9.0027.0): ----------------------------------------- Windows Validation Data--> Validation Code: 50 Cached Online Validation Code: 0x0 Windows Product Key: *****-*****-2DPTD-QQKB7-78DPR Windows Product Key Hash: Eo+G0yuicxQbUQ2VyEJ+MRMHH4g= Windows Product ID: 00359-OEM-8702902-42066 Windows Product ID Type: 3 Windows License Type: OEM System Builder Windows OS version: 6.1.7601.2.00010300.1.0.003 ID: {D4500BD3-A80E-48EF-B388-3EC61917738E}(1) Is Admin: Yes TestCab: 0x0 LegitcheckControl ActiveX: N/A, hr = 0x80070002 Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002 Product Name: Windows 7 Home Premium Architecture: 0x00000000 Build lab: 7601.win7sp…

It appears to me that you must put a dash between each groups of 5 characters in the WES7 product key value field in ICE. I haven't seen that in documentation anywhere, but I kept having trouble with installation until I did this. Can anyone else confirm? Continue reading...

risk of 'webiq tech engine' being installed on my PC? Continue reading...

Hi, since I updated a program called glary activities and forgot to click "do not make glarysearch my homepage" I have been unable to change my homepage back to its original page. Everytime I do "Tools," "Internet Options," "Change homepage," delete glarysearch, and add my normal homepage, internet explorer changes it back to glarysearch! I have tried everything from removing glary to running virius and adaware scans. I have even redone the update for Internet Explorer and am contemplating removing internet explorer and than re-adding it. (Something I was going to attempt previously but could not find the instructions how to do so, since it is not in my remove programs…

Hi, I tried to download from Technet, but failed because Active-X was not enabled in my IE9 x64. Can someone tell me how to do this. I'm a newbie under x64. Kr., Michael Continue reading...

In Word 2010, you can go to the File (Backstage) > Info > Properties > Show Document Panel to show the Document Panel. Can anyone tell me if there is a way to configure word, so that this shows up automatically upon opening word, or when you save a document? The reason I ask is that I want to replicate the Word 2007 behaviour when saving to SharePoint when trying to save to a library that has mandatory meta data. I don't want my users to have to go via the BackStage area, if I can get the Document Panel to open for them Thanks Continue reading...

In the security dialogue box, under Controls, Action Centre I am told that McFee if ON and the Windows Firewall is OFF. Below that is a warning information that running two firewalls at once can lead to conflicts. Below that are three buttons "Turn On", "Update" and "Close". Neither the "Turn on" nor "Update" buttons seem to work and they are pale in colour. Clicking or double clicking on either Firewall in the upper body of the dialogue box gets no response. I want to use Windows Firewall and get rid of Mcfee which was pre-installed on the computer. Anyone help me please. Continue reading...

Hi guys, built a new system running windows 7 (32 bit). kept old hard drive without reinstalling windows. i was expecting it wouldnt run but when it did i thought "you beauty" and away i went....all was well until... 1. i run my counterstrike source for online gaming...after perhaps 30 minutes (or even longer sometimes) of running....bang a red screen of death (completely blank of any text). computer will not restart either automatically, using any keys on the keyboard, or soft off power button. 2. when i run fsx (service pack 2 installed)...consistently crashes after only a couple of minutes of running the simulator. In order to get beyond the issue it must either …

Skype sends messages to people who are online, and these are some links ( http://www.j.mp/AeL2OA?g9e0x0xa, http://www.j.mp/wdaLRS?2bk7z , http://www.j.mp/ADY1vt?4zo6a5ut , http://www.j.mp/w3CwV0?92bn889z), how to prevent it? I dont know what kind of likn is it. Continue reading...

Driver for USB conect from Win7 64bit to Dolphfin 9500 br/Claes.Göran Continue reading...

Hi all, I am having problems with the deployment of Outlook 2010 and ensuring that when a user runs Outlook for the first time the deafult is to not use Cached Exchange Mode. However, no matter if I set the options in OCT, Policy and by applying a suggested MS patch, does Outlook behave as I want. When looking manually at the option, the check box (as below) is always checked. Have any of you see this behaviour and if so, do you have any advice? Thanks in Advance... Continue reading...

I have MS Security Essentials and Windows Defender installed. I don't know whether there is some type of conflict, but the Defender keeps getting turned off by itself. I get a message saying that it is off, I restart it and next time I look at the computer, it is off again! Any ideas? Continue reading...