Can I Upgrade From Windows XP to Windows 7?

Is it Time to Upgrade to a New PC?

Always, our recommendation for any new technology is to wait a few months before making that investment. Yes, we know there were a few of you that purchased Windows 7 immediately... However, if your business depends on your computers running smoothly, let the other end-users spend time with Microsoft Support while they work out the bugs.

Windows 7 isn't perfect, but it is an improvement over Vista. Service Pack 1 has now been released and Windows 7 does address and resolve several issues rampant in Vista, including the User Account Control "approval system" pop-ups that we mentioned in the previous section. Microsoft also reduced the number of distracting messages from the operating system which now queue up alerts into the new Action Center.
And while Windows 7's appearance has a similar look and feel of Vista, Windows 7 is less of a resource hog. So if Vista is running slowly on your current system, you might see increased performance by upgrading to Windows 7.

Will My Programs and Printers Work With Windows 7?

When testing Windows 7, our office applications did run surprisingly smooth. However, you can expect that when you begin installing your productivity software, both retail/boxed and specialty/customized programs will likely encounter issues that Microsoft didn't foresee. We recommend that you talk to your software vendor/manufacturer and ask if their software has been tested for compatibility with Windows 7 before you upgrade.

A common issue our customers have run into is trying to use an older model printer with Windows 7. When you are considering the upgrade visit the manufacturer's website and navigate to the support & drivers section. Verify that your printer has the supported drivers for Windows 7. If they are not listed, then chances are, you will have to upgrade your printer as well.

Can I Upgrade From XP to Windows 7?

The answer is yes and no. Your hardware may be able to support Windows 7 and you will be able to replace XP with the new operating system. What you can't do is perform a direct upgrade from XP that saves all your installed applications and data. To jump from XP to Windows 7, you must first backup your XP data, perform a clean installation of Windows 7, and then reinstall your application programs and data files.
Another option if you have access to Windows Vista is to perform an upgrade from Windows XP to Vista then from Vista to Windows 7. This will keep your data and programs in tact like they were before the upgrade. Be sure to make a complete backup of your XP hard drive just in case the upgrade or Windows 7 doesn't work for you.

How Do I Backup My Hard Drive?

The most reliable and efficient method to backup your computer is to create an "image" of your hard disk. Should Windows 7 not work for you, then you can use the original "image" of your hard drive to return your computer to a fully functional state.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6128470

Online Pc Tech Support-best Option For Computer Support

Computes Support

PC Tech support is most quick and convenient manner of computer support. Nowadays, there are many service providers that have been rendering remote technical support since number of years in a most economical manner. A good computer support has two basic aspects such as certified technicians and the economical feasibility of service. Through remote assistance you can avail best services which are both quality as well as economical.

The service providers mostly have team of Microsoft certified technicians that are likely to have in depth knowledge of all the technical issues related to your computer. Their expertise along with the years of experience of resolving computer troubles proves to be the best computer support ingredients for looking after your computer. Some of the companies assist you through online PC repair services via the medium of emails, online chats and phone calls.

The computer users nowadays have numerous options from which they can opt one that meets their convenience as well as requirement. Assistance via e-mail is suitable for transfer of files and instructions that don’t require detailed discussions. Online chat or phone calls are most convenient as they allow the computer users to have one to one discussions with the tech experts in order to resolve such issues.

PC Tech Support implies to the process in which the tech experts make use of remote technology to connect to your computer, you need not physically bring your computer of the purpose of repair. Owing to our busy schedule it is not always feasible to go to the repair shop every time your system encounters a problem. Most of the computer support service providers render online PC repair services through the medium of emails, phone calls, online chat or remote desktop connection.

Through remote assistance you can get your computer repaired while sitting at your own home. Here computer technicians connect to your computer using their own PC and take control of your computer too the extent allowed by you. If required the techies can even reboot your computer, remote desktop support can be considered to be best way of providing PC assistance remotely. With the assistance of remote technology you can be benefited in various manners from PC optimization, PC repair to virus troubleshooting all can be done in most economical and convenient manner.

Talking in terms of economy, PC Tech Support services providers offer various payment plans from which you can opt one that is light on your pocket. You can choose a plan in which you will have to pay per incidence terms or the annual plan which needs one time payments and unlimited services through out the year. By opting for a reliable computer support service you can enjoy hassle free computer operations without worrying of the tune up and maintenance chores.

Online PC repair is a good option for PC support services thus relieving the users from burden of technical troubles. The Microsoft certified technicians with credible reputation as well as years of experience take care of all your computer related issues. You can easily find the remote technical support providers by searching on internet nowadays, many credible companies.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Online-PC-Tech-Support-Best-Option-for-Computer-Support/1854447

Microsoft NO Way To Support WebGL and Meet Our Security Needs

Though Internet Explorer 9 has made great strides in improving Internet Explorer's standard support, and version 10 is similarly set to include a whole range of new features, one thing that Microsoft hasn't even touched is WebGL, a specification that allows webpages to create 3D graphics using an API based on the venerable OpenGL API. A blog post today from the company's security engineers may explain why: they don't think there's any way to implement it safely.

Three main concerns are enumerated in the post: WebGL exposes too much sensitive, privileged, or unhardened code to the Web; depends too heavily on third-party code for security; and is too susceptible to denial of service attacks. The first of these is perhaps most significant. Video hardware and video drivers are traditionally only exposed to relatively "trusted" code—programs that the user has explicitly chosen to install. Display drivers are notoriously unstable and buggy, and developers of 3D software have to go to quite some effort to ensure their programs do not use (or misuse) the 3D hardware in such a way as to cause problems.

Webpages often contain hostile code, deliberately written to provoke bugs and flaws in software. To combat this, browsers themselves are typically hardened, through use of sandboxing, privilege reduction, and other techniques, to minimize the impact of flaws; they're also vigorously analyzed to detect such issues, and coded in such a way as to aggressively detect misuse and handle such situations safely—in no small part as a result of a long history of browser-based exploitation. In the past, video drivers have never had to face this kind of threat, and so have never been written to cope with this kind of problem, often preferring to simply trust that 3D developers will do the right thing. WebGL changes this picture, and gives hostile webpages relatively free access to attack vulnerable drivers.

This brings up the second point—many of these flaws don't exist in the WebGL specification itself, but rather in the display drivers written by ATI, NVIDIA, and Intel. This makes it difficult for a browser vendor to effectively combat them; although attacks may be delivered by the browser, it's not the browser that's being exploited. The best the browser can do is to blacklist known-vulnerable drivers, but this in turn leads to a very uneven user experience. WebGL was not written in a vacuum, and some of these issues were considered in its design. OpenGL has also had features added that enable the underlying drivers to perform stricter validation of 3D code, with the specific intent being to make WebGL scenarios safer. Microsoft's third point is that these techniques aren't proven and are likely to be incomplete (the post specifically mentions a forthcoming OpenGL extension designed to improve WebGL security that extends an existing extension that's not sufficiently robust). Taken together, the company says that these issues mean that any WebGL implementation would not meet the company's internal standard for software security.

Though once the idea of Microsoft rejecting something on security grounds may have been considered laughable, the substantial efforts in creating new software development methodologies and embedding security into every aspect of a product's design and development have paid off; Windows Vista and Windows 7 have both had a substantially better track record than Windows XP when it comes to security flaws, both suffering fewer flaws than Windows XP and reducing the severity of many of the bugs they do have. The reluctance to implement a specification that doesn't abide by the security guidelines that have served the company well in recent years is understandable. Cynics might argue that the security argument is a smokescreen and that this is simply Microsoft once more rejecting an open standard in favor of its own, proprietary, Direct3D. That interpretation is harder to defend against a backdrop that has seen Microsoft actively participating in the development of HTML5 and vigorously promoting the use of open HTML5 standards—even at the expense of its own technology. The company appears to be making a good-faith effort to do the right thing, at least with regard to HTML5 and related specifications.

Microsoft also isn't alone in having a problem with the quality of video drivers. Firefox 4, like Internet Explorer 9, uses Direct2D and Direct3D to accelerate the drawing and animation of webpages. These APIs, both hardware accelerated, are heavily dependent on driver quality. Although the use of these APIs is in many ways quite controlled and restricted—it's Firefox calling them, rather than WebGL JavaScript calling them—the Firefox developers have still had to blacklist a large number of drivers, especially older ones, due to problems with crashes and screen corruption. They're simply not predictable enough or consistent enough to be usable without testing, and when they crash, the effects can be disastrous. Redmond may face a similar issue itself; Silverlight 5, which will be used for browser-based applications among other things, will include some support for Direct3D graphics. This could open browsers up to many of the same problems as WebGL—at least for those systems with Silverlight 5 installed and enabled. WebGL is in many ways a natural counterpart to the 2D Canvas API that many browsers—including Internet Explorer 9—support, extending browser graphics into the third dimension. Its omission is sure to earn some degree of criticism from other developers, especially as Microsoft's criticisms of WebGL are unlikely to encourage Mozilla, Google, or Apple to drop the technology. The blog post does acknowledge the desirability of WebGL-like technology, but says that the company won't implement anything that doesn't meet its security requirements. If WebGL won't, it's hard to see what will.

News Source http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/06/microsoft-no-way-to-support-webgl-and-meet-our-security-needs.ars

How Can I Contact Microsoft Tech Support ?

If you use Microsoft services, there are various services that are available to help you deal with any technical problems that come up. This support is offered online but you can also use the contact numbers that they provide in case you require more details. The Microsoft support site divides the services according to the users. There is a section for home users, IT professionals, developers and small and medium businesses.

The support services are designed to help you make the best of the investment that you have made in software. For home users, Microsoft offers support to help you fix some of the most common software problems. You can also learn how to activate the products you purchase from them. Viruses are a common problem among home users especially the ones who have access to the internet. The support services help you to remove viruses from your machines and install anti-virus software to keep your file and hard ware safe. Microsoft also offers a security solution center as part of its support services to help you enhance security on your system.

The support services are provided by professionals from Microsoft and they handle all types of products. Some sections of the support service site are dedicated to particular Microsoft products. The professionals also handle updates and downloads of some of the latest products to make sure you get the best services from them.

Apart from getting help from the Microsoft professionals, the Microsoft service sites also include forums that allow users to share tips on how to deal with various problems. The forums can be valuable especially if you have never used the products before. Microsoft support services come in handy because you do not have to contact a professional to deal with your computer problems. They are available for free therefore it is also a cost effective option.

Source: http://goo.gl/eAo7r

Major Issues Associated With Microsoft Windows 7

Microsoft Windows 7 has a new look, attractive interface and best part is that it is much faster than Windows Vista. However, it doesn't mean that Windows 7 is perfect. Most of the users have reported issues with the upgrading and usage of the latest version of Windows. Following are some of the more common Windows 7 problems:

Before you face problems of Microsoft Windows 7, the installation hangs at 62%. Once you start installing windows 7 while upgrading from Microsoft Windows XP, everything will be smooth until 61% however, as loading hits 62%, everything gets stuck.

You must have changed icons as per your convenience. But when you change themes in Windows 7, your customized items will be changed. The new version of operating system of Windows features spectacular themes. However, once you apply new theme to get a fresh look, the icons that you have changed previously will be replaced by preprogrammed icons of the theme.

Taskbar is another area of concern. It looks great, however, at the same time most of the users get confused in deciding whether the icon is just a shortcut or a running application.

If you are using Microsoft Windows 7 with default settings, you would not be able to see file extensions. It also hides system files and folders. You would face problem with Windows live moviemaker while using Windows with default settings. Network files cannot be imported by default.

In case, you are using old software which is not compatible with Windows 7, ideally you would be able to use it in XP mode. However, it is quite impossible to use XP mode, if new version of Windows is installed on your PC. Turning off hibernation is not as easy as it was in XP version. If you don't use hibernation and want to disable it takes considerable space of your hard drive. After using Windows Live Messenger on Windows 7, once you click the close button, icon will remain there on the taskbar.

People using iPhone are also facing issues with windows 7 because the new version of the operating system doesn't get sync with iPhone. This problem occurs especially with 64 bit systems. Generally, iPhone gets recognized however, users complain that iTunes is not getting connected and unknown error occurs. At some tech forums, you will find suggestion of disabling USB power management to solve this issue. But this is not a sure shot solution.

To get the problem rectified, you should get in touch with online technical support. If you are subscribed with online tech support, you can call them up 24X7 and get your issues rectified immediately. No matter whether you are facing issues with installation process or connectivity with external devices, expert technicians will guide you through the process of setting up your system as per your needs.

Source: http://goo.gl/1Sqe3