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Selling Techniques

English: An example of an automated online assistant. Further information is found in the Automated online assistant article in Wikipedia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

SALE (Photo credit: Gerard Stolk (vers l’Avent))

 

Selling Techniques 

 

   

 

Is fear of selling keeping you from converting your prospects into buyers? Here are my top 10 techniques for squashing fear and transferring your confidence to create happy lifetime customers.  

 

  

 

Selling… probably one of the most feared words in the English language, right up there with public speaking. But if you’ve ever persuaded someone to see things from your point of view, you’re already a salesperson. Here’s how to nip the fear of selling in the bud.   

 

What are you afraid of? Fear of success, fear of failure, acceptance, judgment, what everyone thinks about you, your clothes, your haircut, the car you drive? You know what? Forget about it.

 

Fear has to do with punishment. Don’t worry, no one is going to punish you for having an ugly web site, or lousy selling techniques. You might not get many people converting to buyers, but how can you get good at something unless you practice?

 

If you think about it, fear is just an absence of love. The only cure is to add love and compassion. That’s why the first newsletter I wrote in the summer of ’99 was… love what you do. If you honestly add value and truly want to be of service and help people, it’s a far more abundant attitude than a mere sales mentality.

 

If you are truly helpful, people will want to buy from you. All you need to do, is transfer your confidence to them. That’s all selling is really. To make someone as comfortable about their choice as possible. But they won’t be confident if you’re not.

 

That’s why, you need to know as much as possible, about what you are selling. Suppose I come to you and say, “This where I am now, but this is where I want to be.”

 

That measure, or distance between the two, is your opportunity to make the sale. This is where it’s crucial to understand, which product will best fulfill my needs. Sometimes, it’s not your product. But I expect you to know that.

 

That’s one of the biggest mistakes that salespeople make. Going after the short term, or single sale, rather than building the lifetime value or relationship with the customer. That said, here are a few rules we can apply to conquer the fear of selling, whether it’s a product, service, or selling ourselves.

 

1) People love to buy, but hate to be sold. So sell what people want to buy, not what you want to sell. One road leads to riches, the other to poverty.

 

2) Believe in your product. Know the features and benefits. But also know when it’s not right for a particular situation. People will respect your honesty.

 

3) Say the right thing on a continual basis. Stick to the truth, what you’ve experienced, the facts, and first hand proof. Avoid hearsay or stories you’ve heard others tell. In other words, keep hype to a minimum, or better yet, remove it completely. Hype doesn’t work anymore, especially on customers less than 30 years old.

 

4a) Don’t use the tired phrases and wording that everyone else is using. They don’t work anymore. (Words and phrases like; skyrocket, through the roof, amazing, fantastic, incredible, outrageous, ground-breaking, special, time limited, never again, powerful, reveal, exposed, moneymaking, fortune, profit.)

 

4b) All of the words in the list above, should be permanently banned from your sales vocabulary – and your sales letters – if you want to reach todays buyers. Todays buyers have their hype meters on full alert, and are quick to say, “bullship” totally ignoring the rest of your message. In fact, these hype words are so associated with spam that they won’t even get past most email filters.

 

5) Go after the long term relationship, even turning away business that’s not a proper fit for you, your company, or your personality. If there’s something that bothers you about a prospect, even if its a small thing, it will seem 10 times bigger down the road. Choose your clients – your relationships – carefully.

 

6) Don’t train your customers to wait for a sale. Offer good value at a fair price at all times. Above all, offer exemplary customer service. People will always return to someone, or a place, that made them good.

 

7) Think service, not sales. Ask what you can give in any situation, not what you can get. Start by being compassionate towards your customer.

 

8) People buy on emotion and later use logic, to justify a purchase decision. If you appeal to the emotion, the end result, how something will make someone feel, focusing on benefits, or feelings, as opposed to features, your conversion rates will be much higher.

 

9) Sell what you know. For knowledge is certain, not mere perception. Help customers make a wise decision. Make them feel good about their decision, by transferring your confidence to them.

 

10) Finally, when the time is right, don’t be afraid to ask for the order, with a strong call to action. Say, “Can I wrap one of those up for you?” or “Would you like to take one home with you?” On your web site do the same thing, “Click here to have it delivered to your door.” or “Click here to download it to your computer immediately.”

 

Follow these top 10 techniques to squash your fear of selling, and you’ll be well on your way to more confidence, which when transferred to your prospect, will make them a happy customer. One that rewards your desire to learn, inform and serve, with a long term relationship, returning time and again, as a customer for life.

 

Related articles

 

• We are Recruiting! (bataldesign.wordpress.com)
• Over 50 car insurance Security for the middle aged group (castlecover.co.uk)
• The Sales Manager’s 14 Commandments (management-me.com)
• Value-Based Sellers in Medical Device Industry Outperform Peers (sacbee.com)

 

The next big thing in computers

Quantum Computer (Photo credit: jurvetson)

Quantum Computing for Google Goggles (Photo credit: jurvetson)

Rose’s Law for Quantum Computers (Photo credit: jurvetson)

Image via CrunchBase

Computing as we know it will change dramatically in the next decade. Digital computing has reached a potential limit in terms of power, size of chips, and ever-decreasing costs. Otherwise referred to as the end of the prediction called Moore’s Law, this is what we are facing, an arrested development as it were.

The other big thing on the horizon is cloud computing, where we substitute our hard drives of data for life on another server, in the cloud. Cloud computing offers computing as a network service, like the electricity grid, that we plug into to send and retrieve information. But here major privacy issues may erupt. After all the information is being sent to another’s server.

One savior for both challenges may be the quantum computer. A recent study published in Science finds that quantum computing may be perfect for the cloud. But having data “out there” on the Internet as opposed to in your hard drive at home brings up privacy risks. The solution recently laid out in the paper is called “blind quantum computing.”

But let’s back up and explain quantum computing.

Its advantage comes from a computational unit called a qubit. So in computers as we typically know them today, a digital bit of data can take the form of either a 0 or a 1. The fascinating and fortunate thing with quantum computing is that a qubit can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously. Quantum computing uses photons that are sent over long distances and have operations performed on them to encode the data.

Researchers are hopeful that qubits will be able to perform tasks we simply cannot do today with digital computing. Among the top most-wanted: The ability to protect and crack encrypted communication.

With quantum computing information can be sent via cloud services like Google Docs with privacy intact.

Essentially blind computing means the data can be worked and manipulated without ever being revealed.

Right now quantum computing and cryptography remain a distant reward limited to labs, but in this recent paper scientists believe we only need to find a way to make qubits at home, while the complicated work of quantum computing can be done securely in the cloud.

“Quantum physics solves one of the key challenges in distributed computing. It can preserve data privacy when users interact with remote computing centers,” Stefanie Barz of the University of Veinna and lead author of the study, said in a publicly released statement.

As explained in a recent piece from the BBC news:

A user would send single qubits – each perfectly secure – to a remote computer, along with a recipe for the measurements to be made.

The process is completely clear to the user – for example, finding all the numbers that multiply together to reach the number 2,012 – but because the number 2,012 is encrypted, the instructions appear to be a series of random steps on an unknown number.

The remote computer blindly “entangles” the unknown bits, carries out the steps, and sends the qubits back down the line, solving the problem without ever decoding what is going on.

The team built a system demonstrating that the approach works, using a number of computational steps that might make up future computing scenarios.

Essentially this means the person who produces the qubits knows their state (or entanglement) and can decipher the outcome. But the people who do the data processing will not be able to decode the qubits. Basically the data would look like a bunch of nonsensical commands.

This research is a good first step towards realizing a possibility of having quantum computing widely available to the public, within the realm of cloud computing. Although right now the only organizations that can afford quantum computing are governments, mega-corporations, or the military. At least these recent studies promise hyper-secure computing for such organizations.

Still what is not there is the hyper-powerful quantum computer itself, although as the BBC noted earlier this January a computer could deal with 84 qubits at once. Scientists note in the abstract: This computation is the largest experimental implementation of a scientifically meaningful quantum algorithm that has been done to date.

Cost, size and complexity all need to significantly decrease, however, before quantum computing can become a reality in the consumer cloud.

Related articles

• What are quantum computers good for? (go.theregister.com)
• Quantum Bus to enable connections between quantum processors (nextbigfuture.com)
• Researcher: First Quantum Computers are 5 to 10 Years Out (tomshardware.com)
• Quantum computing ‘amplitudes’ (cs.stackexchange.com)
• Topological superconductors: Seeking a robust home for qubits (phys.org)
• Writing a single-atom qubit in silicon (foresight.org)
• Recycled photons set fresh quantum computing record (newscientist.com)
• Researchers Create First Working Qubit Based on Single Atom in Silicon (azonano.com)
• CIA and Amazon Founder Greedily Eye D-Wave’s Quantum Computer (dailytech.com)
• Researchers determine spin rate of qubit by measuring microwave field inside superconducting circuit (phys.org)

2012 – tribute to STEVE JOBS

English: Apple director Steve Jobs shows iPhone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Steve Jobs inspiration poster (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)

Image via CrunchBase

THE FIVE DRAGONS & Steve Jobs

Related articles

• Steve Jobs | Remembering the Steve Jobs Legacy | Domo | Blog (domo.com)
• Tiny Steve Jobs: The Review (gizmodo.com.au)
• Steve Jobs’ Most Important Products (forbes.com)
• Steve Jobs Once Gave This Guy A New Porsche For Selling Just 125 Macs (cultofmac.com)

Troubleshooting Installation Issues – Windows 7

Windows Vista (Photo credit: Jeremy Pearson)

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

You might encounter a number of problems before or after installing/upgrading Windows 7. Some of the common problems along with the respective solutions have been discussed below:

Problem 1: Windows Vista upgrade to Windows 7 hangs at 62%

Solution: Follow the below mentioned steps to solve this issue:

1. Reboot, and your PC should roll back to Windows Vista. You can then open the setup log file \$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log to view what happened. 

1. The Iphlpsvc service might have stopped responding. So adding an environment variable to ignore will fix the problem.

1. Browse the setup log for other clues. And you might also try to boot and install from the Windows 7 disc, if possible, as that reduces the chance of any conflict with your existing Vista (or XP) setup.

If the above steps do not help, use more advanced steps:

1. Restart the computer. Then, your computer will roll back to Windows Vista.
2. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.
3. On the Advanced tab, click Environment Variables.
4. Under System variables, click New.
5. Type MIG_UPGRADE_IGNORE_PLUGINS in the Variable name field.
6. Type IphlpsvcMigPlugin.dll in the Variable value field.
7. Click OK three times to close the dialog boxes.
8. Start the upgrade installation again.

Problem 2: Windows 7 setup fails when copying files

Solution: Perform these steps in order to resolve this issue:

1. Disable any security software before attempting to upgrade or do a clean install.
2. Make sure your computer is updated (devices and applications)
3. Disconnect any external devices before installing
4. Check your hard disk for any errors:
   1. Click Start and Type: CMD, from the results, right click CMD
   2. Click ‘Run as Administrator‘
   3. At the Command Prompt, type: chkdsk /r /f
   4. When you restart your system, your computer will be scanned for errors and attempts will be made to correct them.

1. Click Start, type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

User Account Control permission: If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

1. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
2. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
3. Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
4. Click OK.
5. When you are prompted, click Restart.
6. Attempt the upgrade again

Also, run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, it will scan your system and provide a report telling you if your PC can run Windows 7 and if there are any known compatibility issues with your programs or hardware.

Problem 3: Installer gives error code: 0×80070570

Solution: This error occurs because of missing or corrupt files.

This problem during Windows 7 installation has been attributed to a bad DVD created from the .ISO file used for the installation of Windows 7. A corrupt .ISO image or an incomplete download too could be the root cause of the issue.

To address this Windows 7 installation problem, you could try and download the .ISO file from a valid source and burn the DVD again using software such as ImgBurn, gBurner or MagicISO at low speeds of about 4x.

Problem 4: DVD drive not found when installing/upgrading to Windows 7

Solution:The standard solution here is to run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\, then delete both UpperFilters and LowerFilters in the right-hand pane (UpperFilters.bak and LowerFilters.bak entries can be ignored).

Resetting the drive letter has worked for some. Click Start, type Disk Management and choose the “Create and format hard disk partitions” link. If your optical drive is visible here then right-click it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, click Change and choose a new letter. If the drive is now visible in Explorer, then repeat the process to change the drive letter back; if it’s still not visible, reboot and it should appear.

Problem 5: Activation Error 0xC004F061

Solution: If you receive error “0xC004F061″ when trying to activate Windows 7, it means you’re using a product key for an upgrade version of Windows 7 and a previous version of Windows wasn’t on your computer when Windows 7 was installed. To install an upgrade version of Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP must be installed on your computer. If you formatted the drive before starting the installation process, you won’t be able to use the upgrade product key to activate Windows 7. To activate Windows 7, you’ll need to install your previous version of Windows, and then reinstall Windows 7.

Problem 6: When upgrading your current operating system to Windows 7 on a computer that is running Windows Live OneCare, you may encounter following message:

“These programs might not work properly after the upgrade. We recommend uninstalling these programs before upgrading. Cancel the upgrade, open Control Panel and search for uninstall a program.”

Solution: This problem occurs because Windows Live OneCare is not compatible with Windows 7.To resolve the issue uninstall Windows Live OneCare from Add/Remove programs. If you cannot uninstall OneCare, you must download and run the OneCare cleanup utility. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click the following link to download the OneCare Cleanup utility to your computer. Then click Save to save the download to your desktop. 
2. When the download completes right-click the OneCareCleanUp.exe file on your desktop, and then click Run as administrator.
3. Click Run on the Internet Explorer Security dialog box. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue, and then, click OK
4. When you receive the message “This program will clean Windows Live OneCare from your computer…” click Continue.
5. Click Accept on the End-User Licensing Agreement, and then click Continue.
6. Click Clean to begin cleaning Windows Live OneCare from your computer.
7. When the cleaning process has completed you will be prompted to restart your computer. Close all running applications, and then click Restart Now.

Problem 7: When you try to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7, the upgrade fails and your computer rolls back to Windows Vista.

Solution: This problem may occur for one of the following reasons:

• A memory issue on the computer.
• A hard disk issue on the computer.
• Certain third-party drivers are installed on the computer

Use both of the following two methods to troubleshoot the problem.

Method 1: Check the computer’s memory for errors

Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to check for memory problems. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Close all open programs.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then click Administrative Tools.
3. Double-click Windows Memory Diagnostic.
4. When you are prompt, click Restart now and check for problems.

If the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool returns an error, this indicates there are problems with the memory on the computer.

Method 2: Check the hard disk for errors

Run the Chkdsk tool to check for disk problems. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start and then click Computer.
2. Right-click the system drive, and then click Properties.
3. On the Tools tab, click the Check Now in the Error-checking area.
4. Click to select both the Automatically fix file system errors check box and the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.
5. Click Start.
6. If you receive the following message, click Schedule disk check, and then restart the computer.

Windows can’t check the disk while it’s in use. Do you want to schedule the disk check to occur the next time you restart the computer?

Related articles

• Microsoft warns of looming retirement for Windows 7 RTM (techworld.com.au)
• Windows 7′s Aero in pictures (reviews.cnet.com)
• Navigating the new Windows 8 OS (bestbuymobile.com)
• Windows 7 security in pictures (reviews.cnet.com)
• How to download Windows 8 online and dual boot it on Windows 7 PC (technostall.com)
• Enabling Windows Vista Remote Desktop (RDP/RDC) (jawata.wordpress.com)

Troubleshooting Windows Update

The Windows family tree. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Image via CrunchBase

 

 

The error messages generated while using the Windows Update site can be used to determine where the problem is occurring. Windows Update error messages can be viewed in two locations; they are displayed on the Windows Update site when the error occurs and are also entered into the WindowsUpdate.log file.

 

The following table lists the basic format.

 

Collapse this tableExpand this table

 

Date	Time	PID	TID	Component	Text
2005-06-01	18:30:03	992	810	Misc	= Logging initialized
2005-06-01	18:30:03	992	810	Misc	= Process:
2005-06-01	18:30:03	992	810	Misc	= Module:

 

The WindowsUpdate.log file is located in the %SystemRoot% directory, which is usually C:\Windows. It is important to note that there are two similarly named log files, WindowsUpdate.log is the version 5 log file, while Windows Update.log is the version 4 log file. For quick access to this file, click on Start /Run and type WINDOWSUPDATE.LOG and click OK.

 

To determine where an error has occurred by looking up the error code in the table below. The beginning segment will identify what Windows Update process returned the error. Once you have identified the error code and determined where it is being generated you can look up the error text in the spreadsheet for a more detailed description.

 

Error Prefix	Process
0x8DDD????	Windows Update Web Site
0×18??????	Windows Update Web Site
0×800700??	Windows Update Web Site
0×8024????	WUS Controls (Scan for Updates)
0×8019????	Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
0×8020????	Background Intelligent Transfer Service
0x8007F???	update.exe installer
0xC????????	Corruption in C:\windows\softwaredistribution\datastore

 

Using the error code received from the log file, you can search for articles from Microsoft website.

 

Troubleshooting Windows Service Startup Problems

 

If you cannot start the services tool, configure the service to use the built-in system account using the following steps:

 

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

 

Important: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.

 

1. Locate the ObjectName value in the following registry key:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ServiceName

 

1. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
2. In the Value Data box, type localsystem, and then click OK.
3. Quit Registry Editor.
4. Attempt to restart the service. You may need to restart the computer for some services to restart properly.

 

Note: If you cannot start Registry Editor, you can modify the service account information by performing a parallel installation.

 

Troubleshooting Windows Firewall

 

While troubleshooting Windows Firewall, follow the basic rules mentioned below:

 

1. Windows Firewall can be enabled or disabled only by administrators. It can be enabled or disabled by a Local Security Policy or Group Policy, as well—sometimes preventing access even by a local administrator.

 

1. To share printers and files on a local computer that is running Windows Firewall, you must enable the File And Printer Sharing exception.

 

1. If the local computer is running a service, such as a Web server, FTP server, or other service, network users cannot connect to these services unless you create the proper exceptions in Windows Firewall.

 

1. Windows Firewall blocks Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop traffic by default. You must enable the Remote Desktop and/or Remote Assistance exceptions for remote users to be able to connect to a local computer with Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance.

 

Follow these steps to diagnose problems:

 

• To verify that TCP/IP is functioning correctly, use the ping command to test the loopback address (127.0.0.1) and the assigned IP address.
• Verify the configuration in the user interface to determine whether the firewall has been unintentionally set to Off or On with No Exceptions.
• Use the netsh commands for Status and Configuration information to look for unintended settings that could be interfering with expected behavior.
• Determine the status of the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing service by typing the following at a command prompt:

 

sc query sharedaccess

 

(The short name of this service is SharedAccess.) Troubleshoot service startup based on the Win32 exit code if this service does not start.

 

• Determine the status of the Ipnat.sys firewall driver by typing the following at a command prompt:

 

sc query ipnat

 

This command also returns the Win32 exit code from the last start try. If the driver is not starting, use troubleshooting steps that would apply to any other driver.

 

• If the driver and service are both running, and no related errors exist in the event logs, use the Restore Defaults option on the Advanced tab of Windows Firewall properties to eliminate any potential problem configuration.
• If the issue is still not resolved, look for policy settings that might produce the unexpected behavior. To do this, type GPResult /v > gpresult.txt at the command prompt, and then examine the resulting text file for configured policies that are related to the firewall

 

Windows Firewall Troubleshooting Tools

 

Windows XP with SP2 provides the following tools for troubleshooting Windows Firewall issues:

 

• Netsh firewall show commands
• Audit logging
• Windows Firewall logging file
• The Services snap-in
• The Event Viewer snap-in
• The Netstat tool

 

Netsh Firewall Show Commands

 

To obtain information when troubleshooting Windows Firewall, use the following netsh commands:

 

netsh firewall show state verbose=enable

 

This command displays the actual state of Windows Firewall for the current set of settings, as configured by the combination of local Windows Firewall settings and Group Policy-based Windows Firewall settings, and the current set of open ports.

 

netsh firewall show config verbose=enable

 

This command displays only the local Windows Firewall settings as configured by local settings. Note that unlike the netsh firewall show state verbose=enable command, this command only shows what is configured locally, rather than the current state of the Windows Firewall. You can use this command when you want to compare what is configured locally to the actual state of Windows Firewall, to determine the changes in Windows Firewall settings due to Group Policy.

 

Audit Logging

 

To track changes that are made to Windows Firewall settings and to see which applications and services asked Windows XP to listen on a port, you can enable audit logging and then look for audit events in the security event log.

 

To enable audit logging on a computer running Windows XP with SP2, do the following:

 

1. Log on using an account that is a local administrator.

 

1. From the Windows XP desktop, click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click Administrative Tools.

 

1. In Administrative Tools window, double-click Local Security Policy Shortcut.

 

1. In the console tree of the Local Security Settings snap-in, click Local Policies, and then click Audit Policy.

 

1. In the details pane of the Local Security Settings snap-in, double-click Audit policy change. Select Success and Failure, and then click OK.

 

1. In the details pane of the Local Security Settings snap-in, double-click Audit process tracking. Select Success and Failure, and then click OK.

 

1. Close the Local Security Settings snap-in.

 

You can also enable audit logging for multiple computers in an Active Directory® directory service domain using Group Policy by modifying the Audit policy change and Audit process tracking settings at Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Audit Policy for the Group Policy objects in the appropriate domain system containers.

 

Once audit logging is enabled, use the Event Viewer snap-in to view audit events in the security event log.

 

Windows Firewall uses the following event IDs:

 

• 848 – Displays the startup configuration of Windows Firewall.
• 849 – Displays an application exception configuration.
• 850 – Displays a port exception configuration.
• 851 – Displays a change made to the application exceptions list.
• 852 – Displays a change made to the port exceptions list.
• 853 – Displays a change made to the Windows Firewall operation mode.
• 854 – Displays a change made to Windows Firewall logging settings.
• 855 – Displays a change made to ICMP settings.
• 856 – Displays a change made to the Prohibit unicast response to multicast or broadcast requests setting.
• 857 – Displays a change made to the Remote Administration setting.
• 860 – Displays a change made to a different profile.
• 861 – Displays an application attempting to listen for incoming traffic.

 

Windows Firewall Logging File

 

To determine whether a specific computer is dropping packets, enable Windows Firewall logging, either on an individual computer or through Group Policy settings. Then, check the Windows Firewall log file for entries that correspond to the suspected traffic.

 

The Pfirewall.log file, stored by default in your main Windows folder, records either discarded incoming requests or successful connections based on the Security Logging settings on the Advanced tab in the Windows Firewall component of Control Panel or through the Windows Firewall: Allow logging Group Policy setting. You can use the contents of the Pfirewall.log file to determine whether traffic is reaching the computer on which Windows Firewall is enabled without having to create an exception or enable ICMP traffic.

 

For example, when you select the Log dropped packets check box, all incoming traffic that is discarded by the firewall is logged in the Pfirewall.log file. You can view this file by double-clicking it in your main Windows folder with Windows Explorer. Use the contents of the log file to determine whether traffic reached your computer and was discarded by Windows Firewall.

 

The Services Snap-in

 

You use the Services snap-in to check the status of services (programs running on your computer that provide capabilities to other application programs you might run). For Windows Firewall troubleshooting, use the Services snap-in to check the status and properties of the Windows Firewall (WF)/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service. Once Windows Firewall has been enabled, the Windows Firewall (WF)/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service in the Services snap-in should be started and configured to automatically start. To use the Services snap-in for Windows Firewall troubleshooting, do the following:

 

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.
2. In the details pane of the Services snap-in, double-click the Windows Firewall (WF)/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service.

 

Startup type should be set to Automatic and the Service status should be Started.

 

The Event Viewer Snap-in

 

If the Windows Firewall (WF)/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service is unable to start, then it adds entries to the system event log with information about why it could not start. Additionally, audit log events corresponding to changes in Windows Firewall configuration and program requests to open ports are stored in the security event log. To view the system or security event logs, use the Event Viewer snap-in.

 

To view the entries in the system or security event logs with the Event Viewer snap-in, do the following:

 

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Event Viewer.

 

1. To look for error events for the Windows Firewall (WF)/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service, click System in the console tree of the Event Viewer snap-in.

 

1. In the details pane of the Event Viewer, look for Error events.

 

1. To look for audit events corresponding to applications or service attempting to open ports, click Security in the console tree of the Event Viewer snap-in.

 

1. In the details pane of the Event Viewer, look for events with the event IDs 849, 850, and 861.

 

The following figure shows an example of an audit event in the security event log.

 

The Netstat Tool

 

The Netstat tool displays a variety of information about active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics, the IP routing table, and IPv4 and IPv6 statistics. In Windows XP with SP2, the Netstat tool supports a new –b option that displays the set of components by file name that are listening on each open TCP and UDP port.

 

In Windows XP with SP1 and Windows XP with SP2, you can use the netstat –ano command to display the complete set of ports being listened to in numerical form and their corresponding process IDs (PIDs). You can then look up the PID in the display of the tasklist /svc command to discover the name of the process that owns the port. However, in some cases, there are multiple services within a single process and it is not possible with the netstat –ano command to determine which service within the process owns the port.

 

With the netstat –anb command, Netstat displays the complete set of TCP or UDP ports in numerical form, the file names corresponding to the components of the service that owns the port, and the corresponding PIDs. From the file names and the PID, you can determine which of the services in the display of the tasklist /svc command opened the port.

 

Troubleshooting Registry Corruption

 

When registry is corrupt, you may encounter different error messages such as

 

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

 

Or

 

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

 

Recovery Steps

 

To restore the computer to a stable condition, perform the following actions:

 

1. Use Repair Hives: Replace current registry hives with those from %windir%\Repair.
2. Boot the Computer to Safe Mode: boot to Safe Mode in order to access the Restore Point registry files easily.
3. Obtain Restore Point Hives: Retrieve registry hive files from a recent Restore Point and place them in a folder under %windir%.
4. Use Restore Point Hives: Replace current registry hives with those from the folder created in the previous step.

 

The steps for each of these actions are given below in detail:

 

Use Repair Hives

 

The best currently accessible registry files are in the %windir%\repair directory. These need to be copied to the %windir%\system32\config folder, after renaming the files currently in place. The steps in this section should enable the computer to boot, but applications installed since the Repair registry hives were last saved will likely not function.

 

Use the following steps:

 

1. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

 

cd \windows\system32\config

 

ren system system.old

 

ren software software.old

 

ren SAM SAM.old

 

ren security security.old

 

ren default default.old

 

cd \

 

cd windows\repair

 

1. This next step checks the date and time on the files in the Repair folder. It is important to determine how recently these files were updated. They could be unchanged since Windows XP was originally installed. In order to check the date and time of the files, type DIR.
2. Note the date the files were modified for use later.
3. Continue with the copy of files from the Repair folder to the Config folder using the following commands:

 

copy system C:\windows\system32\config\system

 

copy software C:\windows\system32\config\software

 

copy sam C:\windows\system32\config\sam

 

copy security C:\windows\system32\config\security

 

copy default C:\windows\system32\config\default

 

1. Type exit and restart the computer

 

Boot the Computer to Safe Mode

 

You may be unable to log on to the computer in Normal Mode at this point. This can occur because the local user account passwords have been reset to the point at which the Repair registry hives were last saved.

 

In the event that you cannot log on, use the Administrator account, which does not have a password set by default.

 

Obtain Restore Point Hives

 

After gaining access to Windows, you can now make copies of the more recent registries from the Restore Point folders created by System Restore. To do this, use the following steps:

 

1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under Hidden files and folders, click to select Show hidden files and folders, and then click to clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
5. Click Yes when the dialog box that confirms that you want to display these files appears.
6. Double-click the drive where you installed Windows XP to display a list of the folders. If is important to click the correct drive.
7. Open the System Volume Information folder. This folder is unavailable and appears dimmed because it is set as a super-hidden folder.

 

Note: This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as “_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}”. If you receive the following error message, use the steps below to add the current user to the permissions for the folder. Otherwise proceed

 

to step 8 below.

 

C:\System Volume Information is not accessible. Access is denied.

 

1. Open My Computer, right-click the System Volume Information folder, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Security tab, which will display an interface such as that shown below.

 

1. Click Add, and then type the name of the current user. This is the account with which you are logged on.
2. Click OK, and then click OK.
3. Double-click the System Volume Information folder to open it.

 

1. In the GUID folder, open a folder that was created recently. You may need to click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There may be one or more folders starting with “RP x” under this folder. These are restore points.

 

1. Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder. The following path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder. Also see for an image of a Snapshot folder:

 

C:\System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BCA0EB-

 

A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot

 

1. From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:\Windows\Tmp folder:

 

_REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT

 

_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY

 

_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE

 

_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM

 

_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM

 

1. Rename the files in the C:\Windows\Tmp folder as follows:

 

Rename _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT to DEFAULT

 

Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY to SECURITY

 

Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE to SOFTWARE

 

Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM to SYSTEM

 

Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM to SAM

 

Use Restore Point Hives

 

Now these registry hive files can be copied to the proper location for use by the system. To do this, return to Recovery Console.

 

1. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

 

cd system32\config

 

ren sam sam.rep

 

ren security security.rep

 

ren software software.rep

 

ren default default.rep

 

ren system system.rep

 

copy c:\windows\tmp\software

 

copy c:\windows\tmp\system

 

copy c:\windows\tmp\sam

 

copy c:\windows\tmp\security

 

copy c:\windows\tmp\default

 

1. Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer restarts

 

The computer should start in Normal Mode, and the most recent passwords should be functional again and the final state of the computer has matching files and registry configuration.

 

Troubleshooting Scenarios

English: Windows XP Editions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

Scenario 1: You might get an error message related to Windows Installer. This means the Windows Installer is corrupt.

 

Resolution: Follow the below methods to surpass the above issue:

 

Method 1: Reregister the Windows Installer

 

1. Quit all Windows programs.
2. Click Start, click Run, type msiexec /unregister in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. Click Start, click Run, type msiexec /regserver in the Open box, and then click OK.
4. Restart your computer.

 

Method 2: Remove the Windows Installer files

 

1. Quit all Windows programs.
2. Click Start, click Run, type msiexec /unregister in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. In Windows Explorer, rename the following files in the %systemroot%\System32 folder:

 

• Msi.dll
• Msihnd.dll
• Msiexec.exe

 

Note: If you cannot rename these files, try to rename the files at a command prompt. To start a command prompt, click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.

 

1. Restart Windows XP.

 

Method 3: Restart Windows XP in Safe Mode

 

Restart Windows XP in Safe Mode, and then retry Method 1 and Method 2

 

Method 4: Download latest version of Windows Installer

 

Download and install the latest version of Windows Installer from Microsoft website. This will upgrade the installed version.

 

Scenario 2

 

Already installed security software is not allowing to install the product thus causing a conflict or error during installation process

 

Ans- Do the following steps:

 

1. Create a System Restore Point
2. Check Add/ Remove Program and remove the already installed security software.
3. If fail to do so then download the removal tool from the product manufacturer’s website and run the tool to remove the program
4. Reboot the computer
5. Install the security software

 

Scenario 3

 

There might be a possibility that the computer is already infected by any virus or spyware which is not allowing to install the security software

 

Ans- Do the following steps:

 

1. Create a system restore point
2. Update the virus definitions if there is an Antivirus/ Antispyware is already installed
3. Run the Scan
4. If there is no Antivirus/ Antispyware installed then you can run the online scan. Following links can be used for online scan:

 

• http://home.mcafee.com/Downloads/FreeScanDownload.aspx?affid=0
• http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
• http://www.bitdefender.com/scanner/online/free.html
• http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/online-scanner/

 

Scenario 4

 

It might be a possibility that you have removed the already install Antivirus/ Antispyware application but it is not completely removed thus causing a conflict or error while installing another security application.

 

Ans- In such circumstances do the following:

 

1. Download the removal tool, from the product manufacturer’s website
2. Run the tool
3. Reboot the computer
4. Install another security software

 

Scenario 5

 

It might be a possibility that user is unable to use the internet after installing the security software.

 

Ans- This generally happens when the newly installed security software blocks the ports used to browse the web pages due to security reasons. In such scenarios do the following:

 

1. Open the Security Software
2. Go to Settings/ Advance Settings, where you can allow the ports
3. Open or allow port number 80 and 443 to browse the website
4. If you are using MS Outlook or any email client to check your mails then allow port numbers 110, 25.
5. You can also contact your ISP for the port number used for SSL Accounts and the allow the given port numbers

 

Scenario 6

 

It might be a case when you are not able to boot the computer after installing the security software

 

Ans- In such scenarios do the following:

 

1. Try to boot the computer by using LKGC

 

1. Boot the computer by using Advance boot options (Safe Mode)
2. Select the option Last known good configuration and then press Enter

 

1. Perform Clean Boot

 

1. Boot the computer by using Advance boot options (Safe Mode)
2. Select Safe Mode option and then press Enter
3. Perform clean boot by using Msconfig

 

1. Use System Restore via Command Prompt

 

1. Boot the computer by using Advance boot options (Safe Mode)
2. Select Command Prompt option and then press Enter
3. On the command prompt type the following commands:
4. CD WINDOWS and then press Enter
5. CD SYSTEM32 and then press Enter
6. CD RESTORE and then press Enter
7. RSTRUI and then press Enter

 

1. Unable to boot XP based computer in Normal and Safe Mode

 

Computer Restarts after the XP logo. Computer is unable to boot to safe mode or any other options listed. Computer will show the ARC paths and hang at agp440 on the last line of the screen

 

This error is found to be caused by an incompatible/corrupted video driver.

 

Follow these steps to resolve the issue

 

1. Boot computer in Recover Console
2. At the Command Prompt type ListSvc Check out if you have the AGP440 listed there.
3. Check for Agp440 service and that the startup type is set to ‘Boot’
4. At the command prompt now type Disable Agp440 and press enter.
5. You will receive a message that the registry setting for this service was found, and that its current startup state is ‘service_disabled’.
6. Type exit, and then press ENTER.
7. If you are prompted to start in Safe mode or Normal mode, start in Normal Mode.
8. Windows XP includes default video drivers that make it possible for the system to work.

 

Troubleshooting

 

How to Manually Remove Virus

 

If you need to remove the virus manually then you need to perform the following steps:

 

Step1

 

1. Create the backup by creating a System Restore Point.
2. Check for unknown processes running in the Task Manager.
3. If so, then highlight it and then click End Task.
4. Check Add/Remove Programs list and uninstall any suspicious program.
5. Check the Startup folder in your profile directory \Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
6. Launch Windows Command Prompt
7. Look for the directory or folder where the virus resides, generally virus resides in Temp folder and System folder: CD C:\System
8. To show the hidden virus remove its attributes by using Attrib command: For Example Attrib -r -a -s -h ABC. Virus
9. Delete the virus: For Example Del ABC. Virus

 

Step2

 

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit and then press Enter, it will open Registry Editor Window.
3. Highlight My Computer on the left Pane
4. Press F3, to open Find Dialog box, type the virus name and then press Enter
5. It will scan the registry hives and will highlight the searched entry.
6. Delete the highlighted registry entry.
7. Repeat the steps from No. 4 to 6, till it displays the message, no entry found.
8. You can also check the following Registry Entries, if Virus entries are added to it then Delete the infected keys:
   1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
   3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
   4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
   5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   6. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce

 

How to Manually Remove Spyware

 

You can remove a spyware using three methods, discussed underneath:

 

Remove Spyware Manually using Add or Remove Programs

 

1. Clicking the “Start” button that is located on the bottom left hand corner of the desktop.
2. From there, scroll the mouse up to the “Control Panel” button and double click this button.
3. The Control Panel window will open, and provide you with a variety of tasks you can perform.
4. Double click on “Add or Remove Programs”
5. The “Add or Remove Programs” window opens and provides you with a list of programs installed on your computer.
6. From here it is important to search for the spyware software that was installed onto your computer. Usually they will have names that are obviously associated with advertising such as Dealhelper or Bonzibuddy. You can highlight it by clicking it once.
7. Then click the “Change or Remove” button, and follow the instructions to remove the spyware from your computer.
8. Afterwards, it is recommended that the computer be rebooted again in normal mode.

 

Remove Spyware Manually Deleting Spyware Files

 

Another way to remove spyware manually from the computer is to research on the Internet the files that are specifically installed with a known spyware program.

 

From here it is just a matter of searching for these files, usually in your Windows “System” folder, and deleting them from there.

 

This method may cause error messages to appear when Microsoft Windows starts up, as Windows may attempt to run programs that no longer exist.

 

Remove Spyware Manually using HijackThis

 

It is also popular for many advanced users to download HijackThis and install it onto their computer.

 

HijackThis will return a list of all programs installed. You can also use it to manually remove registry entries installed by the spyware software.

 

Anti-virus reports a false positive

 

A false positive, also known as a false detection or false alarm, occurs when an antivirus program detects a known virus string in an uninfected file. The file, while not infected with an actual virus, does contain a string of characters that matches a string from an actual virus.

 

A false positive can also occur when a program performs an action, which appears to the antivirus program to be a virus-like activity.

 

Examples of such activity can include, but are not limited to, writing to the master boot record of the hard disk, making changes to a system file, or running a custom macro in a program such as Microsoft Word.

 

False detections, once confirmed, are usually corrected as soon as possible.

 

Troubleshooting Anti-virus false positive issues:

 

Situation 1: You encounter a Blue screen or DCOM error, followed by shutdown messages after you update your McAfee’s anti-virus to DAT file version 5958.

 

‘The file C:WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe contains the W32/Wecorl.a Virus.

 

Undetermined clean error, OAS denied access and continued.

 

Detected using Scan engine version 5400.1158 DAT version 5958.0000.’

 

Resolution: McAfee has developed a SuperDAT remediation Tool to restore the svchost.exe file on affected systems.

 

What does the SuperDAT Remediation Tool do?

 

The tool suppresses the driver causing the false positive by applying an Extra.dat file in c:\program files\commonfiles\mcafee\engine folder. It then restores the svchost.exe by first looking in%SYSTEM_DIR%\dllcache\svchost.exe. If not present, it attempts a restore from the following:

 

• %WINDOWS%\servicepackfiles\i386\svchost.exe
• Quarantine.

 

After the tool has been run, restart your computer.

 

Anti-virus is unable to update itself

 

The auto update feature of an anti-virus can stop due to below reasons:

 

• Installing a firewall
• Poor Speed of Internet Connection
• Elevated administrative privileges

 

Troubleshooting Anti-virus Auto update scenarios

 

Problem 1: Norton Antivirus Live Update Fails to Update with the following error:

 

‘Error: “LU1814: LiveUpdate could not retrieve the update list’

 

Resolution:

 

Step 1: Temporarily disable your firewall (for a brief test)

 

1. Start the firewall program.

 

Most firewall programs display a small icon in the area near the clock. Try right-clicking or double-clicking the program icon.

 

1. Temporarily disable the firewall.

 

Read the program’s help or contact the program publisher’s support for instructions

 

1. Start your Norton program and run LiveUpdate

 

1. Re-enable the firewall. Do this now whether or not LiveUpdate ran successfully.

 

1. Do one of the following:

 

• If LiveUpdate ran successfully when your firewall was disabled, go on to line 6.
• If LiveUpdate did not run successfully when your firewall was disabled, go to Step 3.

 

1. Change the settings in the firewall program so that the program allows the following file to connect to the Internet:

 

C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer*.exe

 

If you are not sure how to do this, contact the firewall program publisher. When you have changed the rule, run LiveUpdate again.

 

Step 2: Check settings in a Windows file

 

Windows Vista

 

1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.

 

1. In the Control Panel window, click Additional Options.

 

1. Click Symantec LiveUpdate

 

1. In the User Account Control window, click Continue.

 

1. On the FTP tab, click I want to use my Internet Options FTP settings

 

1. On the HTTP tab, click I want to use my Internet Options HTTP settings.

 

1. On the ISP tab, click Internet Options in the Control Panel.

 

1. Click Apply > OK.

 

Windows XP

 

1. Click Start > Control Panel.

 

1. In the Control Panel window, double-click Symantec LiveUpdate.

 

 If you do not see Symantec LiveUpdate, on the left side, first click Switch to Classic View.

 

1. On the FTP tab, click I want to use my Internet FTP setting

 

1. On the HTTP tab, click I want to use my Internet HTTP settings.

 

1. On the ISP tab, click Internet Options in the Control Panel.

 

1. Click Apply > OK.

 

Step 3: Download and install the latest version of LiveUpdate

 

Problem 2: McAfee antivirus won’t auto update and returns the below error message:

 

‘McAfee Common Framework returned error 80040154@1’

 

Resolution:

 

1. Uninstall the McAfee Virus scan from your PC.

 

1. Go to: Start –> Run, and type: regedit

 

1. Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and delete the registry folder named: “Network Associates”.

 

1. Close the regedit and restart the PC.

 

1. Install the McAfee, restart the PC again.

 

Problem 3: PC Security Shield Virus Update Fails with the error:

 

‘Update Failed!’

 

Resolution: Be sure that you are connected to the internet while starting your updates. If you are connected then it is likely that the system is simply busy from many people running updates at that moment.

 

Try a different server. Open The Shield Antivirus, go to Updates and then Configure and select one of the other 3 (B,C, or D) servers for updates.

 

Troubleshooting scenarios while Manual Update of Anti-virus software:

 

Situation 1: You encounter the below error message while trying to manually update AVG Antivirus 9.0:

 

‘The update has failed due to a binary code’

 

Resolution: Uninstall and then re-install AVG Antivirus 9.0.

 

Situation 2: You get the below error message when you try to manually update your ZoneAlarm Security Suite:

 

‘anti-virus update error’

 

Resolution: Uninstall and then re-install ZoneAlarm Security Suite.

 

Situation 3: After hitting the ‘Update’ button of my anti-virus, I encounter the below error message:

 

‘Anti-virus/Anti-spyware:

 

Error: Unable to install’

 

Cause: Few reasons responsible for the above error message can be a result of:

 

• Corrupted anti-virus settings
• Running multiple security tools
• Operating system damaged
• Malware malfunction

 

Resolution: Try a Database Reset using below steps:

 

1. Hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys together
2. Right click on the anti-virus icon near your clock in the system tray lower right corner
3. Choose ‘Reset’ from the box that comes up
4. Choose Yes on the Reset Settings dialog box
5. When prompted, choose OK to restart your system
6. Follow the on screen configuration prompts after reboot

 

Situation 4: The below error message pops up when you try to manually update your AVG software:

 

‘The connection with update server has failed’

 

Cause: Your Internet connection is not fully functional.

 

Resolution: Follow the below steps to rectify the above issue:

 

1. Open menu Start -> (Settings) -> Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Network connections.
3. Right-click on Local area connection and select Repair.
4. Try to update AVG.

 

Situation 5: While trying to update my AVG anti-virus, you might encounter the below error message:

 

‘Invalid Update Control CTF File’

 

Cause: The above error message occurs due to temporary update files.

 

Resolution: Follow the below steps to delete the temporary update files:

 

1. Double-click the AVG icon in the Notification area.
2. Click the Tools menu and click Advanced Settings…
3. Navigate to the Manage option in the Update branch.

 

(The Manage option is included in AVG version 8.0.233 and higher.)

 

1. Click the Delete temporary update files button.
2. Click Yes to confirm removal

 

Situation 6: When trying to update your McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.5i edition, you encounter an error message similar to following:

 

‘Error occurred while loading COM componet:{9BE8D8A1-2DB5-4A29-A95F-50C8B27820DA}.

 

2006-12-6 19:26:21 HEWEI\Administrator Error occurred while getting point product callback component interface………….’

 

Cause: Registry entry corruption.

 

Resolution: Delete the below registry entry:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Network Associates\ePolicy Orchestrator\Application Plugins\VIRUSCAN8000

 

Troubleshooting Antivirus Post Installation issues

 

Three common troubleshooting steps that resolve almost all antivirus issues are discussed below:

 

• Update your antivirus software

 

Missing antivirus software updates could be the cause of your computer’s problem. To make sure your antivirus is up to date, follow these steps:

 

1. Click to open Microsoft Security Center.
2. Click Malware protection.
3. If your software needs to be updated, click Update now.

 

If Windows can detect your antivirus software, it will be listed under Virus protection.

 

If your antivirus software is not displayed in Windows Security Center, go to the downloads section of your antivirus software provider’s website. Find the update for your version of the software and your operating system, and then install it. For more information, check the Help for your antivirus software.

 

Most antivirus software updates are free, but some providers charge a small fee for the updates. If you’re using an older version of the software, you might also have to pay to upgrade to a more recent version to continue to receive the updates.

 

• Check for multiple antivirus programs running on your computer

 

Running two antivirus software programs on your computer at the same time is not recommended because the two programs can interfere with each other. Even if you don’t think your computer could be running two antivirus programs, antivirus software can sometimes come bundled with your computer and it might be running without your knowledge. To check if two antivirus programs are running, follow these steps:

 

1. Click the Start button, click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and then click Administrative Tools.
2. Double-click Services. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. Look at the list of services under the Name column. If you find two antivirus programs, right-click each service associated with one of the programs, and then click Stop. Note that there may be multiple services running for one antivirus program.

 

• Contact the antivirus manufacturer

 

If you’ve completed the previous steps, it is recommended to contact the antivirus manufacturer directly for additional support.

 

Troubleshooting Real-Time Problems:

 

Situation 1: After you install CA anti-virus, the system starts running very slow.

 

Cause:

 

• The CA Anti-Virus real time monitor scans an MSP file
• Windows is trying to update / access the MSP file at the same time
• An activity with the MSP file causes step (a) to repeat
• An activity with the MSP file at step (a) causes step (b) to repeat.
• Steps (a) and (b) go in a loop.
• As computer’s memory is consumed for this process; it blocks you from other activities.

 

Resolution: Run the CA Anti-Virus hot fix that was released for this problem.

 

Situation 2: After installing McAfee antivirus 14, your MS Outlook 2007 does not open. Furthermore, you encounter the below error message each time you try to open your Outlook:

 

‘The add-in “McAfee Anti-Spam”  (c:\program~2\mcafee\msk\mskolplg.dll) cannot be loaded and has been  disabled by Outlook. Please contact the Add-in manufacturer for an  update. If not available, please uninstall the Add-in.’

 

Resolution: Follow the below steps to resolve the above error:

 

1. Click trust center
2. from the left pane click Add-ins
3. Under manage (at the bottom) uncheck any addon for mcafee / do the same for Disabled item
4. Close outlook and open it back to apply the effect

 

Situation 3: While trying to fix issues using Symantic, you encounter the above error message:

 

‘Error 1304: Error writing to file c:\programfiles\symantec antivirus\visurs defs/naveng.sys’

 

Resolution: Follow the below steps to resolve the issue:

 

1. Open the system in safe mode and logon as the administrator.
2. Uninstall Symantic anti-virus using ‘Add and Remove’ option.
3. Now reinstall the latest version of the software.

 

Situation 4: When trying to open the AVG to scan the system, you encounter the below error message:

 

‘C:\Program Files(x86)\AVG\AVG9\avgui.exe

 

The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log or use the command-line sxstrace.exe tool for more detail.’

 

Resolution: Uninstall AVG completely and reinstall it.

 

Situation 5: Your system shuts down several times in a day and generates the below error message:

 

‘Problem caused by antivirus or firewall program. Firewall or antivirus program caused blue screen error.’

 

The problem has been occurring since you updated your CA anti-virus software.

 

Cause: The updates are incompatible with your system or not downloaded correctly.

 

Resolution: Uninstall and then reinstall CA anti-virus software.

 

Related articles

 

• Windows Installer Service Could not Be Accessed in windows xp (techmarketblog.wordpress.com)
• Dual Boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 on your PC (techcular.com)
• How to Reset Windows Server Administrator password ? (lasdrashid.wordpress.com)

 

Managing Email Clients

The following section will describe how to manage the email the client applications:

Outlook Express

Add an Identity

When different people use Outlook express on the same system they need to have separate messages, contacts and personal settings, we need to create separate Identity for separate account.

How to create Identity

1. Click File menu and click Identities.
2. Click on Add Identity.
3. Type name in the Type your name field box.
4. You can set password for your Identity by checking Require a password checkbox.
5. Type your desired password in New Password field.
6. Re-enter password in Confirm New Password field.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Yes if you want to use the new Identity right now or else click NO.

To switch between different Identities

1. Click File menu and click Switch Identity.
2. If a password is set for the Identity, Type the password in Password field.

Create or Modify Identities

1. Click File menu and click switch Identity
2. Click on Manage Identities.

This will open Identity manager, you can modify, create new and change default identities.

Log off an Identity

1. Click File menu and click switch Identity
2. Select the current identity and click Log Off Identity.
3. Click Yes when prompted.

Set an Identity as the default Identity

1. Click File menu and click Switch Identity.
2. Click Manage Identities.
3. Check the checkbox against Use this identity when starting a program.
4. Choose the identity to set as default and click OK.

Customizing the settings by using Options Dialog

You will learn about some advance options which are helpful while using Outlook Express like adding signatures, looking for the path where the mails are been stored etc.

Click Tools>Options this will display a new window named “Options” you will see different tabs at the top of the Options window. These are following tabs on the Options window:

General- Under this tab it provides general settings options like- play a sound on receiving new mails, Notify for any new newsgroup, even you can define the time for OE to check for new mails by default it is 30 minutes.

Read- Under this you can customize the settings how to read mails like- after displaying a new mail it mark it as a read mail after 5 seconds, OE by default can download 300 header at a time you can change these settings, even you can change the font type and size to read a mail.

Receipts- Here you can request for a read receipts for all mails sent, returning of read receipts and for secured receipts for digitally signed messages.

Send- Here you can define the settings to send a mail like- saving a copy of sent messages in “Sent Items” folder. Automatically save the address in address book for the mails you reply, beside this you can define plain text and HTML settings.

Compose- It allows defining the settings to compose a mail like- font type and size, background layout, adding a business card, adding layout for mails in HTML format.

Signatures- This is the most commonly used tab as it allows adding signatures in a mail.

Spelling- It checks for spelling before sending a mail even allows customizing the dictionary.

Security- It checks for any virus or security zone level, it also gives an option not to open attachments, if this option is checked than you will not able to open attachments in a mail.

Connection- This is mainly used for dialup connections settings like- disconnect the internet after downloading the mails etc.

Maintenance- It allows compacting the mails and folder to save the disk space. It also allows changing the path or folder where OE mails are stored.

Backup & Restoration in OE

The following steps will guide you how to backup & restore the Outlook Express items:

Copy message files to a backup folder

1. Start Outlook Express.
2. Click Tools, and then click Options.
3. On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
4. In the Store Location dialog box, copy the store location. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Put the mouse pointer at one end of the box under the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
   2. Press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer across the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
   3. Press CTRL+C to copy the location.
5. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.

Copy the contents of the Store folder

1. Click Start, click Run, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
2. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
3. On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.

Create a backup folder

1. Right-click any empty area on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
2. Type Mail Backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.

Paste the contents of the Store folder into the backup folder

1. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
2. Right-click inside the Mail Backup folder window, and then click Paste.

Export the Address Book to a .CSV file

Note: Make sure that you follow this step if you use multiple identities in Outlook Express.

Microsoft Outlook Express 5.x and Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 use a Windows Address Book (.WAB) file to store Address Book data. The individual data for each identity is stored in a folder by user name within the .WAB file that is used.

The only way to separate the Address Book data for different identities is to export the data to a .CSV file while you are logged in as a specific identity. If the .WAB file becomes dissociated from the user identities, the data can be exported only as one total. In this case, the data cannot be exported folder by folder.

There is another reason to export the .WAB file to a .CSV file. If the .WAB file not exported to a .CSV file, but the .WAB file is shared with Microsoft Outlook, the addresses are stored in the personal folders (.PST) file in Outlook. When you export the file to a .CSV file by using the File menu in Outlook Express, the correct contacts are exported. However, if the Address Book is shared with Outlook, you cannot use the File menu option to export from the Address Book. This option is unavailable.

To export the Address Book to a .CSV file, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Export, and then click Address Book.
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select the Mail Backup folder that you created.
5. In the File Name box, type address book backup, and then click Save.
6. Click Next.
7. Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

Export the mail account to a file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.
5. Click Close.

Export the newsgroup account to a file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the News tab, click the news account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to export.
5. Click Close.
6. Back to the top

How to restore Outlook Express items

Note: To restore items when you use multiple identities in Outlook Express, you may have to re-create the identities before you follow these steps. Repeat each step as needed for each identity.

Import messages from the backup folder

1. On the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
2. In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5 or Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click Next.
3. Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and then click OK.
4. Click Browse, and then click the Mail Backup folder.
5. Click OK, and then click Next.
6. Click All folders, click Next, and then click Finish.

Import the Address Book file

1. On the File menu, click Import, and then click Other Address Book.
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select the Mail Backup folder, click the address book backup.csv file, and then click Open.
5. Click Next, and then click Finish.
6. Click OK, and then click Close.

Import the mail account file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click Import.
3. In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4. Click the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.
6. Click Close.

Import the newsgroup account file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the News tab, click Import.
3. In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4. Click the news account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to import.
6. Click Close

Migration of Outlook Express to Outlook 2007

The following steps will guide you how to migrate OE to MS Outlook 2007:

1. Open outlook 2007 setup wizard, click next.

1. At the account configuration page Select ‘No’ as it ask to configure new E-mail Account and then click Next button.

1. At the next Screen ‘Cancel Configuration’ page, check the option ‘continue with no email support’ and click finish

1. Now the Outlook 2007 opens, click import and export under file menu

1. Select Import internet mail and Addresses in the import and export wizard and then click next.

1. Select Outlook Express 4.x, 5.x, 6.x or Windows Mail in the next windows that appear, don’t forget to check Import Mail and Import Address Book checkboxes. Click Next.

1. Click Do not import duplicate items in the windows that appear next, click finish

1. When done window will appear with import summary. Click OK.

1. Your migration from outlook express to outlook 2007 is complete.

Importing DBX files from a backup folder in Outlook Express

Perform the following steps to import DBX files from backup folder.

1. Create a new folder in Outlook Express corresponding to the name of the DBX file which you want to import

Example- if you want to import Home Email.dbx from backup, you will need to create the DBX named as Home Email in Outlook Express

1. Create a test email and save it in the drafts folder
2. Move the test email from the drafts folder to the newly created folder created in Outlook Express
3. Close the Outlook Express
4. Go to the Outlook Express Store location and rename Home Email.dbx to Home Email.DBX. old
5. Copy the Home Email.dbx from the backup location to Outlook Express Store folder

Note: Home Email.dbx name is just a example, you will have to notice the DBX names in the backup folder which contains the backup emails.

How to Backup and Restore Blocked Senders List and Other Mail Rules

Perform the following steps to backup and restore the block senders list:

Note: Remember to take backup of the registry before performing the troubleshooting.

The Blocked Senders List

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type Regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and click the following registry sub keys (save each key to a different file):
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{IdentityNumber}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Block Senders
5. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.
6. In the Save In box, change the location to your desktop.
7. In the File Name box, type blocked senders.reg (for the Block Senders key), and then click Save.

Other Mail Rules

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type Regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and click the following registry sub keys (save each key to a different file):
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{IdentityNumber}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Rules\Mail
5. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.
6. In the Save In box, change the location to your desktop.
7. In the File Name box, type mail rules.reg (for the mail rules key), and then click Save.
8. On the Registry menu, click Exit.

Restoring blocked list

Open Outlook Express on the new computer, and complete the Internet Connection Wizard to set up your Identity and account information. If you had multiple identities in the previous installation, complete these steps for each Identity. To do this:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type notepad.exe.
3. Click Open on the File menu, and then locate the Block Senders.reg file that you created.
4. In the second line of text, select the text after “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identity\” that includes the braces {}. On the Edit menu, click Copy to copy this text to the Microsoft Windows Clipboard.
5. On the Edit menu, click Replace. Click your pointer in the Find what box, and then click Paste on the Edit menu to paste the text into that box. Do not close the Notepad application until you are directed to do so later in this process.
6. Start Registry Editor on the new computer (as in step 1 of “The Blocked Senders List” section), and locate the HKEY_Current_User\Identities folder. Double-click the User ID key in the right pane, and then click the Value data.
7. Press CTRL+C to copy that value to the Windows Clipboard. Click Cancel to close the Edit String dialog box, and then close Registry Editor.
8. In Notepad, click your point in the Replace with box, and press CTRL+V to paste the text. Click Replace All to replace all instances of the text strings.
9. Scroll through the entire list to make sure that all registry keys have the new text string, rather than the old string. On the File menu, click Save, and then close Notepad.
10. Double-click the Block Senders.reg file, and then click Yes when you are prompted: “Are you sure you want to…” to import the Block Senders list to the registry for the new computer.
11. Follow steps 1 through 10 above on the mail rules.reg file to update that file with the new Identity information.

Migration of Outlook Express to Windows Mail

Perform the following steps to migrate from OE to Windows Mail:

Export Address book from Outlook Express

1. Open outlook express,
2. Click on file menu, then export, address book.

1. This will open a ‘Address export tool’ box, select the option ‘Text file (Comma separated Values)’ and then click on save.

1. Go to the folder where you want to save your Address book by clicking on Browse, give a suitable name to the file and click Save.
2. CSV export window will open which will ask for the field you want to export from the address book, select the fields and press finish button.

1. You have finished exporting your address book.

Exporting E-mail Accounts settings

1. To export all e-mail accounts settings select accounts under tool menu, this will open internet accounts windows and you will get the list of e-mail accounts under ‘mail’ Tab.

1. Select the account you want to export first, click export select the destination folder and file name and save.
2. Repeat the above steps for all the accounts one by one.

Exporting the E-mail Messages

1. Go to Options under Tools menu, go to maintenance tab and click the store folder button.

1. A window will open showing the path where outlook express is storing the e-mail messages, Copy the location
2. Open my computer; paste the location in the address bar. This will take to the folder where outlook express is storing e-mail messages.
3. Copy all the messages to the different folder.
4. Don’t forget to uncheck the Read-Only attributes otherwise the Import process will fail.

Import Process to the Windows Mail

Run the windows mail as administrator otherwise the import process might fail and perform the following steps:

Importing the Address Book

1. Click Import and Windows Contacts under the file menu option in windows mail.

1. Select the first option ‘CSV-(Comma Separated Values) in the next window you see, and then click on import button.

1. Browse to the file where you exported the address book from outlook express click open
2. Now click on next,
3. Once again a window will appear asking to select the fields in the address book you want to import, select the desired fields and press finish.

Importing the E-mail Accounts Settings

1. Go to Accounts under Tools menu. In the Internet Accounts Window press the Import button

1. Browse to the location and select the file where you exported the e-mail accounts settings

1. Repeat the above steps for all the accounts one by one. After the account is imported you can see it under the Internet Accounts Window.

Importing the E-mail Messages

1. Click Import then messages under the file menu.

1. In the Windows Mail Import window, select the third option Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click next.

1. Select Import mail from an OE6 store directory and press the OK button

1. Browse to the folder where you exported all your e-mail messages select and press next

1. Select the message folder you want to import or press all folders to import all mail folders and then click next.

1. A window will appear with the ‘import complete message’. Press the finish button.
2. All the e-mail messages from outlook express will be place in the imported folder in windows mail. Any folder can be moved using drag and drop.

MS Outlook 2003

Creating backup of .PST file in Outlook 2003

Perform the following steps to manually backup the PST file:

1. Click options under tools menu.
2. On the maintenance tab, click store folder.
3. Copy the store location in the store location dialog box.
4. Click Windows + R, paste the above copied store location and press enter.
5. Copy the content of the stored folder.

Create a folder in desired drive, give a suitable name paste the content you copied and your mail is backed up.

Repairing PST File in Outlook 2003

Outlook keep data on computer using personal folder file (.PST), perform the following steps to repair the PST file:

If .PST files gets damaged outlook has a tool that can correct the problem without using the backup copy. This tool called Inbox Repair Tool is installed when Outlook is installed.

1. Click Windows + R
2. In the Run box, type:

Drive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanpst.exe

Here LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. you can find the LCIDS from Microsoft office Help.

1. Click OK.
2. Enter the name of the file you want to scan, type the path and file you got in error message.

Note: You may not be able to use the Browse button to locate this file because it is located in a hidden folder.

1. Click Options to change options for logging errors. If you choose Replace log or Append to log, the log file is saved to the same directory as the .pst file.
2. Click Start.
3. Check the option ‘Make a backup of scanned file before repairing when the file scan is complete
4. Click Repair.

Repair complete message will appear when successfully repaired, if the repair tool cannot repair the file you need the backup of your file.

How to backup Outlook 2003 items

Create a backup of Outlook 2007 items

1. Open Outlook 2003.
2. Click on File menu and then click on Import and Export.

1. Click Export to a file.

1. Click on Export To File (.pst) and then click Next.

1. Select the folder you want to backup and click Next.

1. Click Browse and select a system path to save your backup files.

1. Type a name in File Name field and click OK.

1. Click Finish.

1. Enter and re-enter a password if want a password for your file.

Import the backup file to Outlook 2003

1. Open Outlook 2003.
2. Click on File menu and then click on Import and Export.

1. Select Import from another program or file and click Next.

1. Click Personal Folder File (.pst).

1. Click Browse.

1. Go to system path where your backup file is saved, select file and click OK.

1. Enter Password if any for your backup folder.
2. Click Finish.

Migration of Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2007

Before upgrading to Outlook 2007 we must export Address Book, e-mail Accounts settings and e-mail messages in Outlook 2003 to export it in Outlook 2007. Perform the following steps:

How to export Address book in Outlook

1. Select import and export from file menu
2. Choose Comma separated Values and then press export button, install a translator if prompted.
3. Save the .CSV file to your desired location.
4. Give a name and press save.
5. You can select only the required fields to export.
6. Click finish and we are done.

How to import Address book in Outlook

1. Open import and export from file menu again.
2. Select the comma Separated Values (Windows) and then click next, Install a translator if prompted.
3. Locate the .CSV file that was exported by clicking Browse, click open then next. Click on Do not import duplicate items radio button and then click next.
4. Select fields if you wish before completing the import, click ok when done.
5. Click finish the address book will be imported.

How to import mail account settings

1. Click Import and Export under file menu option.
2. Click Import Internet Mail Account Settings, and then click Next.
3. Click Microsoft Outlook Express, and then click Next.
4. Check the displayed name is the name that you want to use, and then click Next.
5. Check that the e-mail address is correct, and then click Next.
6. Check properly the incoming and outgoing mail servers are correct, and then click Next.
7. Make sure that the account name is correct, type the password in the Password box, and then click Next.
8. Click the method that you use to connect to the Internet, and then click Next.
9. Click Finish to import your mail account settings.

How to import Outlook Express messages, address book and rules

1. In Outlook, click the File menu, and then click Import and Export.
2. Click Import Internet Mail and Addresses, and then click Next.
3. Use one of the following methods according to your version of Outlook:
   1. In Outlook 2007, click Outlook Express 4.x, 5.x, 6.x or Windows Mail.
   2. In Outlook 2003, click Outlook Express 4.x, 5.x, 6.x.
   3. In Outlook 2002, click Outlook Express 4.x, 5.
4. Make sure that the Import Mail, Import Address Book, and Import Rules check boxes are selected, and then click Next.
5. Select to import into either the Outlooks Contacts Folder or the Personal Address Book.Select the appropriate option the windows that appear next.
6. Click Finish.

Migration of Outlook to Windows Mail

First of all we have to export address book and e-mail messages from outlook one by one before importing to Windows mail. Perform the following steps:

Export Address book from outlook

1. Select import and export from file menu
2. Choose Comma separated Values and then press export button, install a translator if prompted.
3. Save the .CSV file to your desired location.
4. Give a name and press save.
5. You can select only the required fields to export.
6. Click finish.

Exporting the E-mail Messages

1. Select import and export from the file menu.
2. Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
3. Click Personal Folder File (.PST), and then click Next.
4. Select the folder that you want to back up. Check the Include Subfolders check box if the folder contains a subfolder and then click Next.
5. In the next window click Browse and then specify a name and location for your backup file.
6. If you back up a .PST file that you have backed up to before, you need to choose one of the options that appears in the next windows.
7. Click Finish.

Import Process to Windows Mail

Run the windows mail as administrator otherwise the import process might fail and follow these steps:

Importing the Address book

1. Click Import and Windows Contacts under the file menu option in windows mail.
2. Select the first option ‘CSV-(Comma Separated Values) in the next window you see, and then click on import button.
3. Browse to the file where you exported the address book from outlook click open
4. Now click on next,
5. Once again a window will appear asking to select the fields in the address book you want to import, select the desired fields and press finish.
6. And this completes the Address book Import to windows mail.

Importing the E-mail Messages

1. Click Import then messages under the file menu.
2. In the Windows Mail Import window, select the third option Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click next.
3. Select Import mail from an OE6 store directory and press the OK button
4. Browse to the folder where you exported all your e-mail messages select and press next
5. Select the message folder you want to import or press all folders to import all mail folder and then click next.
6. A window will appear with the ‘import complete message’. Press the finish button.
7. All the e-mail messages from outlook will be place in the imported folder in windows mail. Any folder can be moved using drag and drop.

MS Outlook 2007

Modifying E-Mail Account Settings

If later you need to modify your e-mail account settings, click the Tools menu and click Account Settings.

Then, choose the account that you want to modify and click Change. (Remember that there are also options here to modify or remove the account.)

Now, you can modify the necessary settings. Once you click Next, you will need to click Finish, and then you will be returned to the Account Settings dialogue.

Setting up an Exchange Account

To set up an Exchange mailbox, we need to access the e-mail account wizard in a different way because Outlook cannot be running when the Exchange mailbox is set up. We’ll need to follow these steps below. Note that some steps have two different ways of doing things; this is because there are different ways to set up your Start menu and your Control Panel. As well, these steps are for Windows XP; steps for Windows Vista are similar.

To begin, close Outlook. Then, click the Start menu and click Control Panel. (If you do not see Control Panel, choose Settings from the Start menu and click Control Panel.)

Next, double-click the Mail icon. (If you do not see the mail icon, click User Accounts, and then click Mail.)

Now, click the E-mail Accounts button.

This will open Account Settings dialogue box. Here, you can click New to create a new mail account.

Next, choose to manually configure your account settings and click Next.

Now, choose to set up a Microsoft Exchange Server account and click Next.

Now, all you have to do is fill out the name of the Exchange Server and your user name. (This information will be provided by the system administrator.) You can specify advanced options using the More Settings button, but you should only open this dialogue if your system administrator says so.

Setting up a POP3 Mailbox

To set up a POP3 mailbox, first open the Account Settings dialogue using the Tools – Account Settings command.

Then, in the dialogue that opens, click the New command.

Outlook 2007 has a new feature where it will try to find your account settings for you. All you need to do is enter the basic information and click Next.

Then Outlook will try to find your server settings. It will first use an encrypted (secure) connection; if it cannot use such a connection, you will be prompted to use an unsecure connection.

If Outlook is able to find server settings, you will be prompted to click Finish to complete the setup. If Outlook cannot find the server settings, you should check the option to manually enter the settings and click Next. Then, you will need to choose whether you are using Internet E-mail or an Exchange Server. For POP3, we will set up an Internet e-mail account.

Once you click Next, you will be prompted to enter your settings. (These should be provided by the company that set up your e-mail account.) Note that by default, POP3 is entered as the account type.

Once you click Next, you should receive confirmation that the setup has been successful.

Click Finish to return to the Account Settings dialogue.

Setting up an IMAP Mailbox

Setting up an IMAP mailbox is almost the same as setting up a POP3 account. Once again, we’ll open the Account Settings dialogue using the Tools – Account Settings command.

Then, in the dialogue that opens, click the New command.

Enter the basic information, check “Manually configure server settings or additional server types,” and click Next. Then, you will need to choose whether you are using Internet E-mail or an Exchange Server. For IMAP, we will set up an Internet e-mail account.

Once you click Next, you will be prompted to enter your settings. (These should be provided by the company that set up your e-mail account.) Make sure you choose IMAP as the account type.

Once you click Next, you should receive confirmation that the setup has been successful.

Setting up an HTTP Mailbox

Just like POP3 and IMAP accounts, you can use the e-mail accounts wizard to set up your HTTP account. Once again, we’ll open the Account Settings dialogue using the Tools – Account Settings command.

Then, in the dialogue that opens, click the New command.

Enter the basic information, check “Manually configure server settings or additional server types,” and click Next. Then, you will need to choose whether you are using Internet E-mail or an Exchange Server. For HTTP, we will set up an Internet e-mail account.

Once you click Next, you will be prompted to enter your settings. (These should be provided by the company that set up your e-mail account.) Make sure you choose HTTP as the account type.

Once you click Next, you should receive confirmation that the setup has been successful.

Click Finish to return to the Account Settings dialogue.

Managing Outlook Add-ins

To manage the Outlook 2007 Add-ins perform the following steps:

1. Open Outlook 2007 application
2. Click Tools and then click Trust Center

1. Click Add-ins on the left side of the new window
2. Scroll down and select COM Add-ins and then click Go button

1. It will display the list of installed Add-ins
2. Uncheck the box to disable an add-in

Unable to send and receive e-mails

When you try to send and receive e-mail, you may receive an error message that resembles one of the following:

1. No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.
2. The server could not be found. (Account: account name, POP server :’mail’, Error Number: 0x800ccc0d)
3. Task ‘server name - Sending and Receiving’ reported error (0x800ccc0f): ‘The connection to the server was interrupted. If this problem continues, contact the server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP). The server responded: ? K’
4. Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes of this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Account. account name, Server: ‘server name‘, Protocol: POP3, Server Response: ‘+OK’, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800ccc0f
5. Task ‘SMTP server name – Sending and Receiving’ reported error (0×80042109): ‘Outlook is unable to connect to your outgoing (SMTP) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact the server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).’
6. The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server 0x8004210a
7. time-out occurred while communicating with the server 0x800ccc19
8. You may also receive an error message that includes one or more of the following error codes:

• 0x800ccc15
• 0×80042108
• 0x800ccc0e
• 0x8004210b
• 0x800ccc0b
• 0x800ccc79
• 0x800ccc67
• 0×80040900
• 0x800ccc81

Cause: These error messages may occur if Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express cannot establish a connection with your e-mail server. These error messages are frequently caused by one of the following:

• You are not connected to the Internet or a network, or your mail server is temporarily unavailable.
• Your account settings are incorrect.
• Your user profile in Outlook is damaged.
• An e-mail item on your POP3 server is damaged.
• The configuration of your AV software is incorrect.
• Outlook Express was removed from the computer or the installation is damaged.
• The configuration of your personal firewall software is incorrect.

RESOLUTION: The most common causes of these error messages are problems with Internet connectivity and account settings configured incorrectly in Outlook or Outlook Express. First, verify that you are connected to the Internet. To do this, go to method 1.

Method 1: Verify that you are connected to the Internet

To verify that you can connect to the Internet and that your mail server was not temporarily unavailable, follow these steps:

1. Start an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer.
2. Type one of the following addresses in the address bar.
   • http://www.microsoft.com
   • http://www.msn.com
   • http://www.live.com

If you successfully connected to the Internet, go to step 3.

1. Send yourself a test e-mail to verify that you can send and receive e-mail messages without receiving an error message.
2. If your test was successful, you are finished. If you still receive an error message, go to method 2 to verify your account settings.

Method 2: Verify your account settings

To verify that your e-mail account information and e-mail server settings are configured correctly in Outlook or Outlook Express, we recommend that you contact your e-mail service provider (which may also be your Internet Service provider).

If this method did not work for you, perform the following methods in order.

Method 1: Start Outlook in safe mode

To start Outlook in safe mode:

Windows Vista

1. Click Start.
2. Type outlook.exe /safe in the Start Search box.
3. Press Enter.

Windows XP or Windows 2000

1. Click Start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type outlook.exe /safe.
4. Click OK.

Starting Outlook in safe mode starts Outlook without add-ins, the preview pane, or toolbar customizations and could indicate a damaged profile or conflicting third-party application or add-in. See method 2 to create a new e-mail profile.

Method 2: Create a new e-mail profile

You may be able to resolve these problems by creating a new e-mail profile. For more information about how to create profiles in Outlook

Creating a new e-mail profile in Outlook 2003/2007

Follow these steps to create a new e-mail profile in Outlook 2007 and in Outlook 2003:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Copy and paste (or type) the following command in the Open box and then press ENTER:

Control panel

1. If you are in Classic View, double-click Mail. The Mail Setup dialog box opens. Go to step 5.
2. If you are in Category View, under Control Panel, click Switch to Classic View, and then double-click Mail. The Mail Setup dialog box opens.
3. In the Mail Setup dialog box, click Show Profiles.
4. On the General tab, under When starting Microsoft Office Outlook, use this profile, click Prompt for a profile to be used, and then click Add.
5. In the Profile Name box, type the name that you want to use for the new e-mail profile, and then click OK.
6. In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, click Add a new e-mail account, and then click Next.
7. Click the appropriate server type for your new e-mail account, and then click Next.
8. Type your account information in the required boxes, and then click Next.
9. Click Finish, and then click OK.

Method 3: Delete suspicious messages from your mailbox

If there is a damaged message in your mailbox, you can resolve this by doing one of the following:

• Contact your ISP and ask them to delete any suspicious e-mail.
• Delete any suspicious e-mail by accessing your mailbox by using your ISP’s Web-based e-mail program.

Method 4: Check your antivirus vendor’s Web site for additional suggestions

If your antivirus solution includes an e-mail scanning feature, you may have to perform additional configuration tasks to use Outlook or Outlook Express with the antivirus e-mail scanning feature.

Antivirus software that is known to have caused this problem includes products by the following vendors:

• Symantec (Norton)
• McAfee
• Trend Micro (PC-cillin)
• Panda

Method 5: Remove and then reinstall Outlook Express

If Outlook Express was removed from your computer or the installation of Outlook Express is damaged, Outlook will not function correctly and may generate one of the error messages that are mentioned in the “Symptoms” section. To resolve this problem, reinstall Outlook Express.

Method 6: Verify that all SMTP e-mail addresses in a distribution list are valid

If one SMTP address in a distribution list is corrupted or incorrectly formed, error 0x8004210b can occur. Examine all addresses in the distribution list to verify that they are correct. Additionally, you can send individual test messages to each distribution list member to determine the bad address.

Method 7: Examine the configuration of your firewall software

Warning This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.

Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make the computer or the network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you decide to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect the system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.

Configure your firewall software to grant access to the Internet for the following files:

• For Outlook Express: Msimn.exe
• For Outlook: Outlook.exe

By default, most e-mail clients have outgoing access on port 25 and incoming access on port 110. For more information about the ports that communicate with your e-mail server, contact your ISP or system administrator.

Firewall software that is known to have caused this problem includes products by the following vendors:

• McAfee
• Symantec
• ZoneLabs
• Cisco
• Sygate
• Sonicwall
• Freedom Security Zero Knowledge

McAfee Personal Firewall

Check your configuration settings in the McAfee Personal Firewall program and make sure that Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express has full access.

For more information about how to configure McAfee Personal Firewall, visit the following McAfee Web site:

http://www.mcafee.com (http://www.mcafee.com)

Or, you can remove and reinstall the McAfee Personal Firewall program. The reinstallation process recreates the program signature file that is used by the firewall. Additionally, this process makes sure that both Outlook and Outlook Express are included in the list of programs where Internet access is permitted.

Norton Personal Firewall (Symantec)

If you are running Norton Personal Firewall 2002, Norton Internet Security, or Norton System Works software by Symantec, contact Symantec product support for upgrade or reconfiguration instruction to resolve your problem.

For more information about how to contact Symantec, view the Symantec contact information at the following Symantec Web site:

http://www.symantec.com/feedback/contactus.jsp

Method 8

If the error code is accompanied by a time-out error message, you may be able to resolve this problem by increasing the server time-out setting in Outlook or Outlook Express. To increase the server time-out setting, use the following method that is appropriate for your version of Outlook or Outlook Express.

Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.
3. Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
4. Click your POP3 account, and then click Change.
5. Click More Settings.
6. Click the Advanced tab.
7. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the issue is resolved.

Outlook 2007

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
3. Click to select the target POP3 account, and then click Change.
4. Click More Settings.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the issue is resolved.

E-mail stuck in outbox

In some situations, your sent mail may move to your Outbox folder but never move to your Sent Items folder. This situation describes how to troubleshoot problems with mail that remains in your Outbox in Microsoft Outlook.

Causes: Any of the following can cause sent mail to remain in your Outbox:

1. You opened the message from your Outbox before it was sent.

1. You are working offline and have not made a remote connection.

1. Your Personal Folders (*.pst) file is damaged.

1. Your Personal Address Book (*.pab) file is damaged.

1. You have an outdated or incompatible add-in.

1. You replied to an e-mail message that you received from an old account.

1. 1. Message Opened From Your Outbox: After you send a message, Outlook moves it into your Outbox. When Outlook establishes a connection to your mail server, it attempts a delivery and a copy of the sent message appears in your Outbox. If you open and close a message while it is still in your Outbox, you change the status of the message and it is not sent. The message title will no longer appear in italic formatting in the Outbox Messages view.

To return the message to Send status, open the message and click Send on the message toolbar. The message title should become italicized in the Outbox Messages view. During the next connection with the mail server Outlook should deliver the message

1. 1. Working Offline: If you use the Internet Mail Only (IMO) installation:

1. On the File menu, click to clear Work Offline.

1. On the Tools menu, point to Send And Receive, and click the name of the Internet Service account.

If you use the Corporate Workgroup (CW) installation with Microsoft Exchange Server service:

1. On the Tools menu, click Services to open the Services dialog box.

1. On the Services tab, click to select Microsoft Exchange Server and click Properties.

1. On the Advanced tab, click to clear the “Enable offline use” check box.
2. Click OK and OK again to close all dialog boxes.

1. Quit and restart Outlook.

NOTE: When working offline with your Microsoft Exchange Server service, your Microsoft Fax service is in an offline state as well. Fax messages remain in the Outbox when it appears that the only service set to offline is the Microsoft Exchange Server service.

1. 1. Damaged Personal Folders or Address Book Files

The first troubleshooting step is to run the Inbox Repair Tool. To do so, follow these steps:

1. If the Folder List is not visible, click Folder List on the View menu while displaying the Inbox.

1. Right-click the Personal Folders icon in the Folder List, click “Properties For ‘Personal Folders,’” and on the General tab click Advanced. Write down the path and name of your .pst file. Click Cancel twice to close the dialog boxes.

1. Quit Outlook.

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Inbox Repair Tool.

NOTE:If Inbox Repair Tool does not appear on the System Tools menu, click Start, point to Find, click Files or Folders and search for Scanpst.exe. Double-click to run the found program.

1. In the Inbox Repair Tool, click Browse and select your Personal Store file (.pst), recorded in step 2.

1. Click Start to begin scanning your file.

1. When you are finished with the Inbox Repair Tool, restart Outlook.

1. Copy the contents of the message stuck in your Outbox and paste it into a new message.

1. Delete the original message and try sending the new message.

Create a New Personal Folders File

The second troubleshooting step is to create a new Personal Folders file. To do so, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, point to New and click “Personal Folders File (.pst).”

1. Open the folder that contains your existing Personal Folders file, as noted in step 2 in the previous section, type a unique name in the File Name box, and click Create. For this test, keep the default settings in the “Create Microsoft Personal Folders” dialog box and click OK.

1. In the Folder List, click the new Personal Folders file.

1. On the File menu, point to Folder, and click “Properties For ‘Personal Folders.’”

1. Click “Deliver POP mail to this personal folders file,” and click OK.

1. Try sending your e-mail.

NOTE: If, after installing Outlook, you receive the following message “The MAPI Spooler has already begun transmitting this message”

1. follow the steps above to create a new Personal Folders file, copy the contents of all of the folders to the new Personal Folders file, excluding the Outbox, exit, and restart Outlook, and then recreate and send your messages.

Create a New Profile

The third troubleshooting step is to create a new profile with a new Personal Folders file (PST) and a new Personal Address Book (PAB).

If you use the Corporate Workgroup installation (CW), follow these steps:

• 1. Quit Outlook if it is running.

• 1. Click Start, point to Settings and click Control Panel.

• 1. Double-click the Mail And Fax icon or the Mail icon, click Show Profiles and click Add to add a new profile.

• 1. Follow the Inbox Setup Wizard to create a new profile with a new .pst and .pab file.

• 1. Start Outlook and try to send a message.

1. • 1. The fourth troubleshooting step is to search your system for multiple Personal Folders files (PST) and/or Offline Store (OST) files. Rename each file and create a new profile.

1. • 1. The fifth troubleshooting step is to check for the addressee’s e-mail name in the Personal Address Book. If it is not present, add it. If it is present, delete the entry and re-add it.

1. • 1. The last troubleshooting step is to try another client. Quit Outlook and search your hard disk for Exchng32.exe. Run Exchng32.exe using your existing services to send mail.

Outdated or Incompatible Add-ins

Outdated or incompatible add-ins may cause mail delivery problems.

Add-ins, such as old Netscape extensions or Fax software, may cause e-mail delivery problems. Follow these steps to check your active add-ins:

• 1. On the Tools menu, click Options to open the Options dialog box.

• 1. On the Other tab, click Advanced Options, and then click Add-In Manager. Your active add-ins have check marks beside the add-in name.

• 1. To deactivate an add-in, click to clear the add-in check box, and click OK three times to close all the dialog boxes.

1. 1. Replied to Message From Old Account

When you reply to an e-mail message within Outlook, Outlook tries to send the reply by using the same account through which you originally received the message. If the account in which you received the message no longer exists in your Outlook profile or account settings, the message may not leave your Outbox. This scenario is most likely to occur when you have old mail delivered to an Inbox in a Personal Folders File (.pst) on your local hard disk and you have changed mail accounts since you received the message.

The easiest way to resolve this issue is to move the message that is stuck in your Outbox to your Inbox, create and address a new message, paste the information from the message that is stuck in your Outbox to the new message, and then send the new message. Outlook attempts to send the new message from your current default e-mail account instead of the old account.

Error: Unable to open Outlook, no profile has been created or list of profiles cannot be loaded

Cause: This issue may occur on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP when the Outlook.exe file was configured to open with the Windows program compatibility mode settings

Method 1: Locate Outlook.exe

• For Outlook 2007- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
• For Outlook 2003- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 11
• For Outlook 2002- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 10
• For Outlook 2000- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 9

1. Right click Outlook.exe and then click Properties
2. Click Compatibility tab and uncheck Run this Program in Compatibility Mode
3. Click Ok
4. Try to open Outlook

Method 2: Modify the registry entries

Note: Perform the registry backup & create a system restore point before modifying the registry entries.

1. Click Start and then click Run
2. Type Regedit and then click Ok
3. Locate the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem

1. Delete the Profiles key under the Windows Messaging (Subsystem) key
2. Close the Registry Editor
3. Restart the Computer

How to import from Outlook to Eudora

Note: Before you begin the import, we recommend that you empty the Deleted Items folder in Microsoft Outlook.

1. From the File menu, choose Import. The Import Mail and Addresses dialog box appears.

1. In the dialog box, choose Microsoft Outlook.

1. Choose Import Mail and/or Address Book then click OK. Microsoft Outlook should begin importing into Eudora.
2. Depending on how much mail you have, the process may take a few minutes. Once it finishes, you should see your mailboxes available in Eudora.

Advanced Importing

If the automatic process above does not work for you, you can manually direct Eudora to import.

1. From the File menu, choose Import. The Import Mail and Addresses dialog box appears.
2. Click Advanced. The Advanced Import dialog box appears. Advanced Import dialog box (showing Microsoft Outlook required field).
3. Choose Microsoft Outlook.
4. In the Please Locate your PST file, click Browse and look for the .pst file. Make sure the file appears in the text box. (The PST file has the .pst extension. You can search for it using Windows Explorer.)
5. When finished, click OK.

Error: Unable to open the address book in Outlook 2007.

The following can be the possible error message:

Error: Can’t contact LDAP Directory server (81)

Cause: This error may occur if an address book that uses Internet directory services (LDAP) is configured in Microsoft Outlook, and Outlook cannot contact the LDAP server that is configured for that LDAP address book.

Solution: Open Microsoft Outlook 2007. From the ‘Tools’ menu, click ‘Account Settings’. Click the ‘Address Books’ tab. Click the LDAP address book. Click the ‘Change’ button. Ensure that the setting for the LDAP server are correct. Click the ‘Next’ button. Click the ‘Close’ button.

Microsoft Outlook 2007 enables you to send and receive e-mails. In Microsoft Outlook 2007, an Address Book contains information, such as name and e-mail address of the contacts. Sometimes, when you open the address book, you may get an error.

To resolve the problem:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook 2007.
2. From the ‘Tools’ menu, click ‘Account Settings’. (The ‘Account Settings’ dialog box appears.)

1. Click the ‘Address Books’ tab. (The ‘Address Books’ tab appears.)

1. Click the LDAP address book.

NOTE: If you are not using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Internet directory services, click the ‘Remove’ button.

1. Click the ‘Change’ button.
2. Ensure that the settings for the LDAP server are correct.
3. Click the ‘Next’ button.
4. Click the ‘Close’ button.

Contact information does not appear in the address book in Outlook

Cause: This behavior occurs because Outlook requires that you complete the following steps before your contact information is available for you to address messages by using your address book:

1. Install the Outlook Address Book service.
2. Mark your contact folder for use with your address book.
3. Specify either an e-mail address or a fax number for each item that you want to appear when you address messages.

Symptoms: When you use your address book to select recipients for an e-mail message or a fax

To resolve this issue, follow these steps.

Step 1: Install the Outlook Address Book service

To do this, follow these steps, as appropriate for the version of Outlook that you are running.

Microsoft Outlook 2002 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

1. On the ‘Tools’ menu, click ‘E-mail Accounts’.
2. Click to select ‘View or change existing directories or address books’, and then click ‘Next’.
3. If your Outlook Address Book is listed, click ‘Cancel’ and then go to the steps in the ‘How to Mark Your Contact Folder’ for Use with Your Address Book’ section.
4. If your Outlook Address Book is not listed, click ‘Add’.
5. Click to select ‘Additional Address Books’ and then click ‘Next’.
6. Click to select ‘Outlook Address Book’ and then click ‘Next’.
7. Click ‘OK’ when you receive the prompt that the address book you added will not start until you click Exit from the File menu.
8. Click ‘Finish’.
9. Click ‘Exit’ from the ‘File’ menu and then restart Outlook.

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

1. On the ‘Tools’ menu, click ‘Account Settings’
2. Click the ‘Address Books’ tab.
3. If your Outlook Address Book is listed, click ‘Close’ and then go to Step 2: Mark your contact folder for use with your address book.’ If your Outlook Address Book is not listed, click ‘New’.
4. Select ‘Additional Address Books’ and then click ‘Next’.
5. Select ‘Outlook Address Book’ and then click ‘Next’.
6. You receive a message that states that the address book that you added will not start until you click ‘Exit’ on the ‘File’ menu. Click ‘OK’.
7. Click ‘Finish’.
8. Click ‘Close’ and then restart Outlook.

Step 2: Mark your contact folder for use with your address book

1. On the ‘File’ menu, point to ‘Folder’ and then click ‘Properties for your folder name’.
2. On the ‘Outlook Address Book’ tab, click to select the ‘Show this folder as an e-mail address book’ check box, type a descriptive name and then click ‘OK’.

Step 3: Look for an e-mail address or a fax number

1. In the ‘Folder’ list, select the ‘Contact’ folder.
2. Double-click the contact to open the item, and then look at the e-mail address field and the fax numbers field. If there is no e-mail address or fax number, Outlook does not display this contact in your address book when you try to address an e-mail message or a fax message.

Contacts are missing on clicking To, Cc, or Bcc buttons in MS Outlook

First you need to configure contact folder as a part of Outlook Address Book.

1. Click Go and then click Folder List
2. Right click the Contacts folder and then click Properties
3. Click Address Book tab and check the box Show this folder as an Email Address Book.

Note: If this option is already checked or grayed out then do the following steps:

1. Click Tools and then click Account Settings
2. Click Address Book tab and if address book appears in the name column then do the following:
   1. Close Accounts Settings
   2. Click Tools and then click Address Book
   3. Click Tools and then click Options on the Address book dialogue box
   4. Click Contacts under Show this address list first

Note: If you are using a Microsoft Exchange Server account and want names from your organization’s online address book or Global Address List to appear when you click To, Cc, or Bcc, click Global Address List instead of Contacts.

1. Click Ok and close the address book
2. If Outlook Address Book does not appear under name then do the following:
3. Click New on the Address book Tab
4. Click Additional Address Book and then click Next
5. Under Additional Address Book Types, click Outlook Address Book, and then click Next
6. Click Close
7. Exit Outlook and restart the Computer

Contacts are missing after upgrading Windows Live Mail/Messenger

Cause: This happens because contact list is not migrated correctly from previous version to latest version.

Note: Backup the registry or create a system restore point before modifying registry entries.

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. Type regedit.exe and press Enter.

For Windows Vista or Windows 7

1. Click Start.
2. Type regedit in the Start Search box and press Enter.
3. Type password or click on confirmation in the security windows.
4. Locate the following registry entry,

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail

1. Double click the Settings Upgraded key.
2. Type B in the Value Data field
3. Click OK.
4. Exit Registry.

Images are blocked when you open an e-mail message in Outlook Express

Cause: This behavior occurs because of the new Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail security option. By default, this option is turned on in Outlook Express after you install Windows XP SP2.

Resolution:

1. Open Outlook Express
2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.
3. Click to clear the Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail check box.
4. Click OK

Email client prompts for user name and passwords

The most common possibilities for your email program prompting you for your password again include:

• You changed your password, and your email program simply needs to know the new one.
• You’re having connectivity problems to your email server. Try again later, or from a different location.
• Your email program is slightly confused. I’ve seen Thunderbird get into this state. Exit and restart your mail program.
• Your email account has been closed or suspended.
• Someone else changed your password, or your account has been stolen.
• Your email service no longer provides POP3/IMAP/SMTP access as used by desktop email programs

Resolution

1. Open Outlook
2. Select Tools> E-mail Accounts menu option Or Tools> Options> Mail Setup tab> Email Accounts button
3. The “View or change existing e-mail accounts” item should be already selected. Click “Next”.
4. Select the account you want to modify and click “Change”.
5. In the next screen, click “Remember password” in the “Logon Information” section in the lower left corner.
6. Then click “Next” or “OK” as necessary to confirm.

Unable to open link in OE mail

User is not able to open links in mail. To fix this problem follow the step 1 if this does not fix the issue than continue to step 2.

Step 1

1. Click Start, and then click Run
2. Type regsvr32 urlmon.dll, and then click OK.
3. When you receive the “DllRegisterServer in urlmon.dll succeeded” message, click OK.

Step 2

Register all the following files.

1. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Shdocvw.dll>click ok
2. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Msjava.dll>click ok
3. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Actxprxy.dll>click ok
4. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Oleaut32.dll>click ok
5. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Mshtml.dll>click ok
6. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Browseui.dll>click ok
7. Click Start>Run>Type regsvr32 Shell32.dll>click ok

Unable to open or save attachments in OE

When you are not able to open or save the attachments from the mails you received in OE than do the following steps:

1. Click>Tools>Options>Security tab
2. Uncheck the box “Do not allow attachments to opened or saved that could be potentially a virus.
3. Click Apply and Ok.

Getting Duplicate Email Messages

Cause: This problem occurs because Outlook 2003 has the junk e-mail protection level set to Safe Lists Only.

Resolution: Install the latest Service pack of Outlook 2003. The following link is for Service pack 3

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E25B7049-3E13-433B-B9D2-5E3C1132F206&displaylang=en

E-mail message appears empty when you open an Encrypted Mail

Cause: This problem occurs when you use Outlook 2003 in Cached Exchange Mode.

Resolution: Follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook 2003.
2. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.
3. Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
4. Under the Name column, click the account that you want to modify, and then click Change.
5. Click to clear the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box.
6. Click Next, click OK, and then click Finish.
7. Quit and then restart Outlook 2003.

If still issue is not fixed than install the latest Service pack of Outlook 2003. The following link is for Service pack 3

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E25B7049-3E13-433B-B9D2-5E3C1132F206&displaylang=en

Error Message when you start Outlook

Cause: The (.PST) file where Outlook delivers your e-mail messages is corrupted, and Outlook cannot locate it.

Resolution: Follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Search, and then click Files or Folders.
2. Type scanpst.exe in the Search for files or folders named box, and then click Search Now.
3. In the list of found files, double-click the Scanpst.exe file.
4. Type the name of the (.PST) file that you want to repair, or click Browse to locate the (.PST) file.
5. Click Start.

Error “Riched20.dll”

Exact Error: Outlook.exe caused an ‘access violation’ fault in module riched20.dll at 014f:4802bc95

OR

Outlook caused an Invalid Page Fault in riched20.dll

Cause: This behavior may occur if the Riched20.dll file on your computer is damaged or is missing.

Resolution: Rename the Riched20.dll file

1. Click Start, and then click Search.
2. In the search companion pane, click All files and folders under What do you want to search for.
3. In the All or part of the file name box, type Riched20.dll.
4. In the Look in box, click Local Hard Drives, and then click Search.
5. In the Search Results window, right-click Riched20.dll, click Rename, type Riched20.old, and then press ENTER.

Note: If the Riched20.dll file is not found then you need to repair Outlook. You may require the Office 2003 CD to complete the repair process.

Repair Outlook 2003

1. Start Outlook 2003.
2. On the Help menu, click Detect and Repair.

Unable to switch identities in Outlook Express after you install Windows XP SP1

Work Around

1. Open Outlook Express
2. Click File and then click Identities
3. Click Manage Identities
4. Click to clear the Use this identity when starting a program check box
5. Click Close.

Note: After you complete this procedure, you are prompted to select an identity each time you start Outlook Express. At this time, you can switch identities. However, you are prompted two times to switch to a new identity.

Resolution

Download and install Cumulative Update for Outlook Express 6.0 SP1 from the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0da93be7-65e3-4c76-ad1e-a9c153e76594&DisplayLang=en

Error: “Identity Switch Canceled” when starting Outlook Express

Cause

This issue can occur if the following registry key is missing or damaged:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\<Account ID>\<User ID>

Note: Backup the registry or create a system restore point before modifying the registry entries.

Resolution

Note: The User ID string value should be exactly the same as the name of the Account ID.

For Example- User ID have the value data of 12345ABC-ABCD-12A1-ABC1-12A12AB12345

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\12345ABC-ABCD-12A1-ABC1-12A12AB12345

In this key, <Account ID> represents your identity

1. Click Start and then click Run
2. Type Regedit and then press Enter
3. Locate the following registry key:
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\<Account ID>
5. If the User ID is listed, then delete the User ID string value and create a new one
6. If you have more than one identity and need to find out which one you need to edit, look at the Username string value of the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\<Account ID> key. Use the above given example to find the key.

Outlook crashes after upgrading Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2007

Note: Backup the registry or create a system restore point before modifying the registry entries.

1. Click Start and then click Run
2. Type Regedit and then click Ok
3. Locate the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\General

1. In the right pane Delete the following keys:

1. • Security Zone
   • PONT_STRING
   • BodyEditor
   • WarnDelete

1. Close the Registry Editor
2. Restart the Computer

Outlook 2003 crashes every time while opening

Resolution

1. Go to following location:
2. C:\Documents and Settings\%user%\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat
3. And Rename the OUTCMD.DAT as OUTCMD.DAT.OLD (here %user% is the user name)

Outlook crashes while starting-up

Resolution

1. Click Start and then click Control Panel
2. Click Mail icon and then click Show Profiles
3. Now click Add button to add a new TEST profile
4. Now select the option “Prompt for a profile to be used”
5. Click Ok
6. If you are able to open Outlook with the TEST profile then issue is with the profile you were using previously.
7. Then backup the data from old profile and transfer it by creating a new profile

How to backup .PST

1. Open Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Import And Export. If the menu item is not available, hover your pointer over the chevrons at the bottom of the menu, and then click Import and Export.
3. Click Export To File, and then click Next.
4. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
5. Click the folder that you want to export the .pst file to, and then click Next.
6. Click Browse, and then select the location where you want the new .pst file to be saved.
7. In the File Name box, , type the name that you want to use for the new .pst file, and then click OK.
8. Click Finish.

How to restore .PST

1. Open Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Import And Export. If the command is not available, rest the pointer over the chevrons at the bottom of the menu, and then click Import and Export.
3. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
4. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
5. Type the path and the name of the .pst file that you want to import, and then click Next.
6. Select the folder that you want to import. To import everything in the .pst file, select the top of the hierarchy.
7. Click Finish

The Printing Process

The local printing process happens as follows:

1. The user prints from within an application.
2. The application contacts the GDI.
3. The GDI contacts the print driver for printer-specific information, renders the job, and delivers the job to the print spooler.
4. The client-side of the spooler contacts the server-side spooler.
5. The server-side spooler contacts the print router.
6. The print router sends the print job to the local print provider.
7. The local print provider polls the print processors to find one that can process the type of data that is contained in the print job and then sends the job to the appropriate print processor.
8. The print processor contacts the GDI to further render the job if required to make it print properly.
9. The print processor sends the job to the page separator processor, where a separator page is added if required.
10. The print job is then sent to the appropriate port monitor, which ultimately delivers the job to the printer.

In local printing, the client server and print server are the same computer. Printing processes differentiate between client-side and server-side components, regardless of whether printing is local or remote.

The remote printing process is same as the local printing process, except for the need to forward the print job across the network to the print server in the middle of the process. The following steps outline the remote printing process:

1. The user prints from within an application.
2. The application contacts the GDI.
3. The GDI contacts the print driver for printer-specific information, renders the job, and delivers the job to the print spooler.
4. The client-side of the spooler contacts the server-side spooler.
5. The server-side spooler contacts the print router.
6. The print router locates a remote print provider that can forward the job to the appropriate print server and transfers the job to the remote print provider.
7. The remote print provider forwards the job across the network to the remote print server, where the local print provider receives it.
8. The local print provider polls the print processors to find one that can process the type of data that is contained in the print job and sends the job to the appropriate print processor.
9. The print processor contacts the GDI to further render the job if required to make it print properly.
10. The print processor sends the job to the page separator processor, in which a separator page is added if required.
11. The job is then sent to the appropriate port monitor, which ultimately delivers the job to the printer.

How to uninstall HP printer using installation CD

To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Put CD in CD drive.
2. Explore the CD.
3. Go to a folder of Util.
4. In Util there is a folder CCC. In CCC folder you will find 4 uninstallers. uninstaller_L1.bat

uninstaller_L2.bat

uninstaller_L3.bat

uninstaller_L4.bat

1. Run all of them in the same order, after every step reboot the computer.
2. After that Open registry through regedit.Take back-up of it.
3. Browse to – My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Current Control Set\Enum\USB,

My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Control Set001\Enum\USB, and other Control Sets as well.

1. Search of any entry by the name of Vid_0000&Pid_0000.
2. If this entry is found delete it.
3. Search for any other entry which starts with Vid_03f0&Pid_xxxx (Vid Stands for Vendor ID and Pid stand for Product ID, and every HP USB product has a Vid starting with Vid_03f0.)
4. If any Vid_03f0&Pid_xxxx if found click on (+) sign next to it and inside it there will be some folders. Click on each folder and check for the entry (DeviceDesc) in right pane.
5. If any entry(s) is/are found corresponding to the AIO which is being uninstalled then delete the entire Vid_03f0&Pidxxxx entry.
6. Exit registry and reboot computer.
7. Reinstall the software with the CD in normal mode.

Unable to perform the operation Error Occurs when Accessing Printer Services in HP All in One F4100

This article describes about an error unable to perform the operation in in HP Printer C3100 C4100 C5100 C 6100 C7100 F4100 Series. This problem occurs due to conflict of Mozilla Firefox

1. Click Start and click Control Panel
2. Double click Add/Remove Program
3. Uninstall Mozilla Firefox
4. Restart the Computer
5. Click Start and then click Run
6. Type Services.msc and then press Enter
7. Locate and start the print spooler service and select the startup type as Automatic
8. Locate and start the HP services and select the startup type as Automatic
9. Try to print the document.

Epson Printer May Be Unable to Print with the Epson Print Preview Option Enabled

To resolve this problem, you can disable the Printer Preview option:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Printers and Faxes.
2. Right-click the Epson printer, and then click Properties.
3. On the General tab, click Printing Preferences.
4. On the Main tab, click to clear Print Preview.

-OR-

If one is available, download an updated print driver for Windows XP from either of the following two Epson Web sites:

http://support.Epson.com/filelibrary.html

http://www.Epson.com

INFORMATION: The Print Preview option is a third-party feature that is available in some Epson print drivers. This option is not related to the print preview options that are included in many programs.

The Add Printer Wizard does not detect Bluetooth or wireless printer in Windows Vista.

Windows Vista provides fast and easy to use, share, and manage information on your computer. It also provides the Add Printer Wizard tool to add the network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer which is directly connected to your computer. Sometimes, the Add Printer Wizard does not detect Bluetooth or wireless printer.

To resolve the problem:

1. Make sure that the Bluetooth adapter is plugged into the computer and turned on.
2. Make sure that the Bluetooth printer is also turned on.
3. Remove the connection to Bluetooth printer, and then try again to detect it using the Add Printer Wizard.
4. If the Add Printer Wizard still does not detect the printer, check the information that came with the printer to make sure that it is set up correctly to work with computer, and then try again.

Cannot Use Network Printer If Your Password Is Not Saved

This problem can occur if you did not check the Remember my password check box when you initially provided your credentials to connect to the printer. The spooler will not prompt you to provide alternate credentials again. When authentication fails with the credentials you used to log on, an error is generated

To work around this problem, click to select the Remember my password check box when you initially connect to the printer so the credential manager will save the proper user name and password to connect to the resource. If you have already set up the printer, delete the printer, and then reconnect to it to receive the prompt again

Troubleshooting Wireless Network

Before troubleshooting check the following

• What is the symptom? If it is an error message, note the full error message.
• What wireless card is used? Note the manufacturer and the model number.
• What is the driver version for the card? Look in Device Manager or click Configure in the Properties dialog box of the wireless connection.
• What access point is in use? Note the manufacturer and the model number.
• Are the wireless settings configured by using Windows or by using a third-party program? If a third-party program is used, what is the program and its version number?
• Is the Wireless Zero Configuration service running?

1. Check the Windows Catalog at http://www.windowsmarketplace.com (http://www.windowsmarketplace.com) to determine if there is a Windows XP-compatible driver that is available for your wireless adapter.

• If there is a compatible driver, install the updated driver before you perform any additional troubleshooting procedures.

• If there is not a compatible driver, you may be able to use the network adapter, but its configuration and functionality may be very limited.

1. Determine if the driver that you are using recognizes the Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration service. To do this, follow these steps:

1. 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel

1. 1. Double click on Network Connections icon in Control Panel.

1. 1. Right-click Wireless Network Connection, and then click Properties.

1. View the available options:

• If Wireless Network Connection icon is not available in the Network Connections folder, or if you cannot view the properties, there is a problem with the driver for the wireless network adapter.
• If you can view the properties for the Wireless Network Connection icon, but you do not see a Wireless Networks tab, see the Drivers that do not support the Wireless Zero Configuration service section to continue troubleshooting.
• If the Authentication tab is missing in the Wireless Network Connection properties, make sure that the Wireless Zero Configuration service is running.

Drivers that do not support the Wireless Zero Configuration service

If you can view the properties of the Wireless Network Connection icon, but you do not see the Wireless Networks tab, the network adapter driver does not fully support the Wireless Zero Configuration service, or the Wireless Zero Configuration Service is not started. You may be able to configure Windows XP to use the connection, but the configuration options may vary depending on the network adapter and the driver that are in use. To resolve this issue, try to create a working connection by following these steps.

1. Make sure that the Wireless Zero Configuration service is running
2. Go to the properties of Wireless Network Connection, the following window will appear.

1. On the General tab, click on Configure. On the next window click on Advanced tab and then configure your wireless network by using the available configuration options. The available options and option names may vary depending on the driver manufacturer. The following list describes the basic configuration options under Property:

• Service Set Identifier (SSID): This setting must match the configuration of wireless access point or router. If there is no access point, this value will be the same on all the computers that are in the wireless network.

• Wireless Equivalent Protocol (WEP) or Encryption: For testing purpose, turn off WEP on both the access point and in these properties

• Mode or Network Type: If you have an access point, set this option to Infrastructure. If you do not have an access point, and if you are connecting your computer to another computer, set this option to Ad-Hoc

• Data Rate: Set this option to Auto or to 11 Mbps.
• Power Save: For troubleshooting, set Power Save to Off or to Disabled. After the connection works correctly, you can change this setting.

1. Click on OK and test the connection now.