Friday, December 12, 2008

RED HERRING AWARDS IYOGI FOR THE 2008 RED HERRING ASIA AMERICA 100

Award Recognizes the 100 “Most Promising” Asian Companies Driving the Future of Technology

Silicon Valley, CA, Dec 9th, 2008— Red Herring today announced that iYogi is a winner of the Red Herring 100 Award, a selection of the 100 most innovative private technology companies based in Asia.

iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India with more than 50,000 customers. The company offers consumers an unlimited, annual subscription service for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware, Microsoft Products Support, Windows Operating systems,Computer Support ,Software applications, MP3 players, Networking devices, Digital camera, Printers and scanners etc.

The Red Herring editorial board diligently surveyed the entrepreneurial scene throughout Asia and identified the top 100 out of more than 1,000 closely evaluated companies that are leading the next wave of innovation.

“Our winners and Finalists demonstrate that Asia is increasingly becoming a leader in innovation, contrary to common stereotypes", said Joel Dreyfuss, editor-in-chief of Red Herring. " It was tough to choose just the top 100 finalists from such a large list of excellent contenders, and we are very happy with the quality of the companies we selected as finalists."

“We believe consumers and small business owners should have low-cost access to the highest quality support available on the planet", said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are thrilled that our innovative approach to solving everyday technology problems for consumers and our managed services for small businesses has been recognized by Red Herring’s keen-eyed leadership. We are continuously innovating in adding new services that includes PC recovery, anti-virus, anti-spyware, data back-up and PC optimization in providing the best tech support experience for our customers”, adds Uday.

The 100 winning companies have been announced at the Red Herring Asia event in Hong Kong. The CEOs of the winning start ups presented their innovative ideas and technologies to an audience of leading entrepreneurs, financiers, and corporate strategists at the event at the Hong Kong, JW Marriott Hotel earlier this week.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support, iYogi now boasts of more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 600 professionals servicing customers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

iYogi Contact

Vishal Dhar
President Marketing, iYogi Inc.
Phone: 212 229 0901
Email: vishal@iyogi.net

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bolster Small Business Services by Delivering Server Support

NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2008 -- iYogi, a next generation remote technical support company, announced today the expansion of their small business services to include support for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, enabling business owners to efficiently maintain their network without maintaining an IT department.

With more than 50,000 customers worldwide, iYogi offers support for more than 72 software applications and peripheral devices and offers specific service packages uniquely geared for small businesses, starting at $119.99 per computer/per year.

"There are currently 2.4 million small businesses in the United States that have server-based LANs," said Merle Sandler, research manager in the SMB program at IDC. "Solving networking -- related problems can be an area of concern for small businesses, which often lack adequate IT resources."

Windows Server 2003 is a multipurpose operating system capable of handling a diverse set of server roles. iYogi provides the following features and support options:

    • Active Directory

    • Group Policies

    • Rights Management

    • Network set-up

    • File and print server

    • Internet based services

    • Virtual Private Network

    • Rights Management Services

    • Terminal server

    • Remote Access Services


Customers can select from the following pricing plans, paying a flat rate per incident or purchasing an annual subscription.

Single Incident $ 180
One Year, Unlimited Access To Technical Support $ 1999.99

"iYogi leverages India's 20 years of experience in providing excellent technical support to customers across the globe," said President of iYogi, Vishal Dhar.

"We have expanded our personal off shoring model to deliver an incredible experience at a revolutionary price. Our support services for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server are provided by Microsoft Certified professionals with years of experience supporting Microsoft's products. They have a passion for helping small business and enterprise customers develop the potential of their technology investments."

iYogi's Remote Service for Windows 2003 Server along with all of iYogi's services is available to customers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. With a resolution rate of 86% and customer satisfaction rating of 93%, iYogi provides customers with an inexpensive and consistent option for their technical support needs.

ABOUT iYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, NY, iYogi provides personalized computer support for small business and home office users. iYogi offers 24/7 phone and online assistance for technologies we use every day and supports products from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing proprietary technology, iMantra, and a superior Microsoft certified team, iYogi delivers higher resolution benchmarks and service levels than competing services. For more information and a detailed list of supported technologies.
Visit us at : www.iyogibusiness.com


Contact Details:
Company Name : iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address : iYogi Inc.
12, Desbrosses Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free No. : 1-800-237-3901
Work Number : 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number : 1-888-867-2715
E-Mail : awadhesh.singh@iyogi.net

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

iYogi Announces Launch of Monitoring and Performance Tool For SMBs.

iYogi – a leading provider of technical support services with horizons in the US, UK, Canada and Australia – today announced the launch of its exclusive server monitoring tools for small businesses. The new product offers integrated technology solutions to surmount the users’ unique IT support requirements thereby enabling them to derive and share information, data, enable network performance analysis, and security trends critical to plan and mana ge their set of servers – 24x7.


Uday Challu, iYogi’s CEO commented, “Holding a significant niche for itself in the computer support industry, iYogi has always known to be on the forefront of adapting breakthrough technology to exceed customer service expectations. This time we have developed a tool offering value-add functionality which will help small business customers maximize the business outcomes of IT.”


iYogi’s monitoring tool provides real time observation and monitoring solutions to ensure more robust and reliable IT support and infrastructure for small buinesses. Small Business owners also get a comprehensive assesment of their IT environment to meet technology needs with the scalability for future growth and create preventative measures based on quick analysis of network device alerts, pre-failure indicators, performance benchmark and security issues.


The new Monitoring and performance tool will provide small business with the opportunity to test all technical and non-technical aspects of their servers and help them to strengthen overall IT infrastructure. The array of services will include: Patch Management, Security Auditing, Site Inventory, Real Time Alerting Script Based Management, and Rights Management Services for all critical server issues.


“Irrespective of the business being small or large, when the consumer chooses iYogi, he leverages the potential of an elite taskforce of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Cisco Certified Network Associates, ready to service their critical assets, using the most advanced network asset tracking and Performance monitoring”, adds Challu.


Another factor where the Company aims to distinguish itself from its competitors is product pricing. Embracing the concept of service quality, iYogi offers competitively priced technical support services at no-haggle, low prices.


As for its small business support, the Company has integrated its exclusive Monitoring and Alerting Services under one price umbrella of just $480 annually. per server i.e. $49.99 per month. The price is certainly hard to find anywhere else.


For more information on iYogi Small Business Support, visit http://www.iyogibusiness.com/



Contact Details:
Company Name: iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address: iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no:1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number: 1-888-867-2715

Friday, July 25, 2008

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners
iYogi, a Direct-to-Consumer and Small Business Technical Support Provider, Paves the Way for Personal Offshoring to Become India’s Next Success Story

New York, 24 July, 2008: Personal Offshoring, which is driving the next wave of India’s outsourcing success story, got a huge boost today when iYogi - a remote technical support

provider from India - raised $ 9.5 million in Series B financing from SAP Ventures, a division of SAP AG, Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank.

iYogi (www.iyogi.net) delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India. The company offers its customers an unlimited, annual service subscription for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware Microsoft Windows operating system, software applications, peripherals and multifunctional devices.

“Personal Offshoring has created new investment opportunities in India with incredible growth potential,” said Doug Higgins, partner at SAP Ventures. “It is very exciting to see companies like iYogi challenging the traditional enterprise-focused offshore-service delivery model by creating a consumer-focused, direct-to-customer personal offshore model. iYogi is one of the fastest-growing companies in this market segment, and we look forward to working with them to create India’s next success story.”

“Our focus on the customer experience has helped us achieve a 93 percent satisfaction rate across more than 50,000 customers,” said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are delighted to have the support of three terrific investors as we increase our market share and continue to provide the best technical support experience possible for our customers.”

iYogi will use the funds to fuel its expansion into 12 new regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and to increase its delivery of new services including PC recovery, anti-virus/spyware, data back-up and PC optimization.

“As consumer technologies grow in sophistication, consumers will be seeking the kind of home IT support services – including remote services offered by companies such as iYogi – to help them solve their most complex problems,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst, Parks Associates. “In primary research, we found more than one-third of consumers are willing to pay for competent and professional remote support services, and 60% express a strong interest in software solutions – what we refer to as ‘PC Dashboards’ – that automate many basic PC performance enhancement and troubleshooting features, solving many PC-related problems before they even are noticed by end-users.”

iYogi had previously raised $3.1 million in Series A financing from Canaan Partners and SVB in April of last year. “iYogi is one of the most promising investments for Canaan Partners,” said Alok Mittal, managing director of India at Canaan Partners. “Third-party, vendor-independent technical support is an exciting new service category, witnessing explosive growth. Customers are looking beyond the traditional vendor-provided support to remote channels for better problem resolution, faster service, and greater overall satisfaction. iYogi has created an incredible value proposition and price offering for its customers that is hard to beat.”

”Several next generation outsourcing companies from India are delivering a range of personal offshoring services for individuals and small businesses in the U.S. including online tutoring, tax preparation, remote executive assistance and research services,” said Suresh Shanmugham, managing director of SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank. “iYogi has leveraged the technical skills available in India along with process expertise to scale as a global technical support provider for millions faced with increasingly complex technology”.

About SAP Ventures
SAP Ventures invests in innovative and disruptive software and services companies globally. We pursue opportunities across all stages for outstanding financial return. Our goal is to bring substantial benefit to all parties by facilitating interaction between portfolio companies and SAP and its ecosystem of customers and partners. SAP Ventures has a successful track record of building industry-leading companies by partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and top-tier venture capital firms since 1996. For more information, visit www.sapventures.com.

About Canaan Partners

Canaan Partners is a global venture capital firm specializing in early-stage information technology and life sciences companies. Founded in 1987, Canaan Partners has $2.4 billion capital under management and has invested in more than 240 companies, completed 63 mergers and acquisitions, and brought over 50 companies public. The firm catalyzes the development of innovative mobile, Internet, CleanTech, networking, semiconductor, enterprise software and services, biotechnology and medical technologies to build next-generation market leaders. Canaan was an early investor in Acme Packet (APKT), Aperto Networks, BharatMatrimony.com, Blurb, DoubleClick (DCLK), ID Analytics, Match.com and SuccessFactors, along with dozens of other market-leading companies. Canaan is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and also has offices in Connecticut, India and Israel. For more information visit: www.canaan.com.

SVB India Capital Partners Fund and Silicon Valley Bank

SVB India Capital Partners Fund is a $54 million equity fund that is focused on Indian companies and co-invests across industries and stages with top-tier venture capital firms. Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for emerging, growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity and premium wine industries. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 27 U.S. offices and five international operations. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group, with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support for $119.99 per year, iYogi now boasts more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 450 professionals servicing customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. iYogi shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.




Contact:

Company Name:

iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd

Address:

iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no: 1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
F ax Number: 1-888-867-2715

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Manage system services.

To open

Run as a plug-in for the Microsoft Management Console.

Command Prompt -> services



Description

This plug-in to the Microsoft Management Console displays system services and lets you start and stop services, control whether they run at startup, and customize how they run.

Collect and display information about your computer.

To open

Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information

Command Prompt -> msinfo32




Description

Microsoft System Information is a reporting tool used to view information about hardware, system resources used by that hardware, software drivers, and Internet Explorer settings. Information is arranged in a familiar Explorer-like tree. Expand or collapse branches with the little plus (+) and minus (-) signs, and click any category to view the corresponding information in the righthand pane.

Track and review system performance.

To open

Run as a plug-in for the Microsoft Management Console.

Command Prompt -> perfmon



Description

This plug-in to the Microsoft Management Console tracks system performance and shows a history of application, Windows, hardware, and miscellaneous failures, as well as software installations and uninstallations. Go to any day for details for the failures, installations, and uninstallations for that day. The graph displays the overall reliability over time, so you can see whether your computer is becoming less reliable as it ages.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Speeds up computer performance by storing commonly used files in a flash device.

Description

ReadyBoost, new to Windows Vista, uses a flash memory device (USB stick, SD card, etc.) to prefetch and store commonly used files, and essentially treats the device as a way to augment RAM. It's an inexpensive and easy way to speed up Windows Vista performance.

ReadyBoost speeds up Windows Vista performance in several ways. It increases the size of the prefetch cache, and it frees up RAM that would otherwise be used by prefetch. Depending on your system configuration, you may see a dramatic speed improvement.

To use ReadyBoost, connect a flash drive to your PC. Windows Vista will recognize the device, and then it will ask whether to use it to speed up your PC with ReadyBoost or use it as a normal drive. Select "Speed up my system" and ReadyBoost goes into action, without further intervention required on your part.

Automatically solve problems with your computer and Windows Vista.

To open

Control Panel -> [System and Maintenance] -> Problem Reports and Solutions



Description

One of the best new troubleshooting features in Windows Vista is its capability to automatically detect problems with your computer and offer automated fixes for them. The Control Panel's Problem Reports and Solutions applet is the place to go to find and launch these solutions.

The applet displays any solutions to install, as well as information about problems that do not yet have solutions, are not serious enough to require solutions, or will have solutions. Click any to launch a wizard that walks you through the steps to fix the problem.

Controls the balance between using advanced Windows Vista visual features and performance.

To open

Control Panel -> [System and Maintenance] -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Advanced, click Settings under Performance



Description

Windows Vista contains a great deal of "eye candy" that makes using the operating system a far more visually pleasing experience. But on some systems, these visual effects can slow a system down. Use Performance Options to balance visual effects against performance.

Rate your computer's capability to run Windows Vista.

To open

Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Performance Information and Tools

Description

This screen rates your PC according to how well it runs Windows, using what it calls a Windows Experience Index. It rates the processor, RAM, graphics subsystem, gaming graphics subsystem, and primary hard disk on a scale of one to five. The higher the number, the better the performance. The lowest rating of any of those is called the system's Base Score.

Read system logs and view other system events.

To open

Run as a plug-in for the Microsoft Management Console.

Command Prompt -> eventvwr



Description

A plug-in to the Microsoft Management Console, the Event Viewer provides an easy way to read system logs and view other system events.

Prepare and partition a hard disk.

Coming up with a new hard disk and getting it done is a common thing every individual comes along in his computer experience phase and when there is some thing as such one should always be aware of the details needed for a fresh hard disk installation. Here it is for you how to go for it...

To open


Command Prompt -> diskpart


Description

DiskPart is a full-featured program used to prepare hard disks and, optionally, divide them into two or more partitions. It's a command-line program and has no interface to speak of. When you start DiskPart, you'll see a simple prompt: DISKPART>. Type help and press Enter to view a list of all the available commands.

Reorganize the files on a disk to optimize disk performance and reliability.

Reorganize the files on a disk to optimize disk performance and reliability.

To open


Control Panel -> [System and Maintenance] -> Defragment your hard drive

Command Prompt -> dfrgui


Description

As you create files on your hard disk, they become defragmented so that a single file is stored in several different noncontiguous locations. As more files become fragmented, the reliability and performance of the hard drive diminish. Disk Defragmenter reorganizes the files and folders on a drive so that the files are stored contiguously, and the free space is contiguous as well.

Reclaim disk space by removing unwanted files from your hard drive

Reclaim disk space by removing unwanted files from your hard drive

To open


Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Cleanup

Control Panel [System and Maintenance] Free up disk space

Command Prompt -> cleanmgr

Description

Disk Cleanup summarizes the disk space used by several predefined types of files, such as Temporary Internet Files and items in the Recycle Bin. If you have more than one hard drive, Disk Cleanup prompts you to choose one. It also asks whether you want to clean up only your files, or files from all users on the computer (you'll need Administrator rights to do the latter).

Perform computer management tasks and run tools such as the Task Scheduler.

Computer management tasks and run tools such as the Task Scheduler.

To open


Run as a plug-in for the Microsoft Management Console.

Command Prompt -> compmgmt


Description

This plug-in to the Microsoft Management Console lets you perform a variety of computer management tasks, including monitoring performance and reliability. It also provides a way to run tools such as the Task Scheduler.

Back up your computer

Back up (copy) files from your hard drive to a CD drive, DVD drive, removable storage device, or another PC or drive on a network for the purpose of safeguarding or archiving your data, or for saving your computer configuration so that you can restore it in the event of a crash.


To open

Control Panel -> Back up your computer

Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Backup and Restore Center


Description

The Backup and Restore Center, new in Windows Vista, offers tools for backing up data as well as creating a restore "image" of your computer, which can be used to re-create the state of your PCincluding the operating system, applications, and settingsin the event of a hardware failure. It fixes a variety of shortcomings in the backup program built into Windows XP, such as not being able to back up across a network. On the other hand, it's less flexible than the XP backup program because it doesn't allow you to customize it to a great extent. You can't, for example, choose specific folders, or files from specific folders, to be backed up. Instead, you have to back up all files of a particular file type, such as documents.

Vista Hacks explained to a extent one by one

Hi friend's Vista has always been in the talk when i say that what i meant was right that you guessed all about the issues concerned with vista are so much and still counting that you can not miss the talk all about it from the day it has been manufactured on our desktop's and replaced Windows XP. But then we can not keep on murmuring or whispering's on that.. Lets rather have a look on some of the performance hacks we can go along and explore it to a pleasure extent


Back up your computer

Perform computer management tasks and run tools such as the Task Scheduler.

Reclaim disk space by removing unwanted files from your hard drive.

Reorganize the files on a disk to optimize disk performance and reliability.

Prepare and partition a hard disk.

Read system logs and view other system events.

Rate your computer's capability to run Windows Vista.

Controls the balance between using advanced Windows Vista visual features and performance.

Automatically solve problems with your computer and Windows Vista.

Speeds up computer performance by storing commonly used files in a flash device.

Track and review system performance.

Collect and display information about your computer.

Manage system services.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Were to Get Vista Drivers

I see this question posted a lot on forums. I have older hardware, were can I get vista drivers for my device. Before even plugging in the new device into Vista you should go and check out the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers, for vista support.

The manufacturer of the product is always the best place to search for the latest drivers. There you will also find information on whether the device is capable of working on Windows Vista. Read any and all instructions first before trying to install the drivers. You may find that you need to do a firmware update first.

Some computer components need the software installed before you connect the device. Hp for example is famous for this. If you install the device first and then the software you may run into issues.

Sometimes the manufactures site is not easy to navigate. When this happens do a search for just the model number and the keyword “driver”. Do not click on the first link you see. Look for a link that has the manufactures website in it. Many sites say they have free drivers but you find out later the program you downloaded was just trial software or a virus. Always try the manufacture first and if you cannot find it there then go to one of the third party sites. Be sure you have virus and spyware removal protection before you download any program from a third party site.

Some older devices will not work with Vista. Even if the manufacturer states it does work with vista do a little more digging and see if have a 64 bit processor. Some programs work with Vista but not 64 bit processors. I have run into a few cameras that had a hard time handling the 64 bit architecture.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Vista Hardware Compatibility Issues

Early up-graders to Windows Vista are reporting annoyance by the loads of software and hardware incompatibilities coming to the fore as they use Windows Vista. For the record the Redmond, Wash., software giant launched Vista and a companion update called Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update to the market on Jan 30. Seems like they expected a lot of issues with the system because they made sure that Vista patches were available on the net even before the Compact disks of the operating system left the factory.

That update, KB929427, makes good some of the more challenging application incompatibilities, but the nightmare is far from over, for the early bird upgraders. There is nothing new about compatibility issues when a new operating system is launched, however, Vista is not only has a number of incompatibilities with existing applications but also lacks many drivers for critical hardware components and hardware peripherals. Support for Vista hardware is compounded by the fact that most vendors have not created drivers of their hardware that is compatible for Windows Vista support making more of a headache. This is understood when it comes to peripherals such as printers and scanners but so far as critical hardware components such as hard drives, chipset controllers and video cards are concerned the lack of compatibility will crash the system. The manufacturers of primary components of the computer hardware system are just not ready with their wares to support Vista.

Early adopters of Microsoft Windows Vista have the following problems to contend with:

  • They will face a drastic lack of available drivers vendors leading to conflicts in applications.
  • New peripheral hardware components will lack compatible Vista drivers and the old components drivers will simply refuse to work in most cases.
  • New security feature often flags existing applications as suspicious and interrupts service
  • The OS automatically recommends which Vista versions is best for each PC's configuration. This will cause small businesses to download different Windows Vista Edition.

So in the ultimate analysis, Vista may seem attractive in it’s packaging but it still has far to go.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Microsoft Window Vista Startup and Repair

Startup Repair is a great Windows tool that can fix many issues like missing or damaged startup files they may be preventing Windows Vista from starting. The Startup Repair option scans your computer for problems and then tries to fix it. If you experience problems while trying to run Startup Repair, or if your computer does not include Startup Repair, your computer manufacturer might have customized or replaced the tool. Check the information that came with your computer or go to the manufacturer's website.

Using startup RepairStartup Repair is on the System Recovery Options menu, which is on the Windows installation disc. Startup Repair might also be installed on your hard disk if your computer has preinstalled recovery options. Startup Repair might prompt you to make choices as it tries to fix the problem, and if necessary, it might restart your computer as it makes repairs.If you have a Windows installation disc:

1. Insert the installation disc.

2. Restart your computer

3. boot to the installation CD or DVD.

4. Select your language the next

5. Click Repair your computer.

6. Select the operating system you want to repair, and then click Next..

If your computer has preinstalled recovery options:

1. Restart Computer

2. Press and hold F8 as your computer boots up. You will need to reboot again if you see the Windows logo. That just means it did not work the first time.

3. On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight Repair your computer, and then press ENTER

4. Select a keyboard layout, and then click Next.

5. Select a user name and enter the password, and then click OK.On the System Recovery Options menu, click Startup Repair. Startup Repair cannot fix hardware failures or certain types viruses. Startup repair do not repair lost files like documents or pictures. If you need that see our backup articles or view the forum.

For all your computer repair needs please go to computer support. You will get the expert advise you need to repair any computer issue you have for Vista, XP, ME, and 2000.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Lets Customize our Notification Area

The Notification area is a new name for what used to be called the System tray, the area where the clock and various other (active program) icons are displayed.

Like Windows XP, Vista's Notification area also has a mechanism that reduces clutter. Icons that are inactive become hidden. You are informed periodically that icons are inactive, and you can modify this behavior with customization settings, or disable this altogether.

To customize the Notification area, right-click the Taskbar and select Properties. Next select the Notification Area tab where you can select to show or hide the Clock, Volume, Network and Power icons, and show or hide inactive icons (Figure). The Customize button gives you control over the behavior of individual icons.

Customize the Notification Area


Hide Notification Area

In some cases it might be useful to hide the icons from the Notification Area, especially if the computer is in a place where users are not supposed to have access to the programs/settings the icons represent. Many programs (settings) can be accessed by double- or right clicking their system tray icon.

Notification area displaying many icons

To hide the notification area:

  1. Start the Registry Editor
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
  3. From the menu, select Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
  4. Name the new value NoTrayItemsDisplay
  5. Double-click the value NoTrayItemsDisplay and change the Value data to 1
  6. Close the registry editor
  7. Log off, or restart Windows for the changes to take effect

Only the time & date will still be displayed. To reverse, change the value of NoTrayItemsDisplay to 0, or delete it.

No icons displayed in the notification area

Friday, April 18, 2008

Black Screens of Death fix for Windows Vista SP1 and XP SP3

A new issue has been discovered that is causing Windows Vista SP1 and XP SP3 to display Black screen of Death.

The Windows version affected by this problem is Windows Vista Business ,Enterprise,Home Basic,Home Premium,Strater,Ultimate,and all the 64-bit edition , Windows Vista SP1,Windows XP Home,Proffessional, Windows XP Service Pack 3.

There is a hotfix available from Microsoft
KB951126 and is said to correct the problem described. This hotfix may require additional testing so its recommened to wait till here is a proper fix.


Source @ Windowsaddict

Friday, April 11, 2008

Tips on how to get along with 4GB of RAM (or more) in Vista

On a computer that has 4 GB of RAM, the System Properties dialog box and the System Information dialog box may report less memory than you expect. This problem occurs because the address space is limited to 4 GB in a 32-bit hardware environment. Memory may be relocated to make room for addresses that the basic input/output system (BIOS) reserves for hardware. However, because of this limitation, Windows Vista cannot access memory that is relocated above the 4 GB boundary.

Solution: Open an elevated Command Prompt, type BCDEdit /set pae ForceEnable and press Enter.

The pae parameter enables Physical Address Extension (PAE). On 32-bit versions of Windows, PAE is disabled by default. PAE is an addressing strategy that uses a page-translation hierarchy to enable systems with 32-bit addressing to address more than 4 GB of physical memory. PAE also supports several advanced system and processor features, such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP; "No execute"), Non-Uniform Memory Architecture (NUMA), and hot-add memory, so it is also used on computers with less than 4 GB of memory. PAE must be supported by the processor.

On a computer that supports hardware-enabled Data Execution Prevention (DEP), PAE is automatically enabled when DEP is enabled and automatically disabled when you disable DEP. To enable PAE when DEP is disabled, you must enable PAE explicitly: Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Type BCDEdit /set nx AlwaysOff & BCDEdit /set pae ForceEnable and press Enter.

For online technical support and computer repair you can visit Computer Support

Monday, March 31, 2008

Windows Vista VPN connection issues Resolution


Some of your users may face problems accessing network resources while using a VPN connection to the corporate network from a workstation running Microsoft Windows Vista.

One reason for this is because a Domain Name System (DNS) suffix cannot be obtained for the TCP/IPv4 address. This happens because Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) does not support connection-specific DNS suffixes. Therefore, DNS suffixes must be configured by using TCP/IPv4, either manually or automatically.

To work around this issue, manually configure the DNS suffix for the TCP/IPv4 address in the VPN connection. To do this:

  1. Click Start, right-click Network, then click Properties.
  2. Click Manage network connections.
  3. Right-click the VPN connection that you want to configure, then click Properties.
  4. If you are prompted to confirm that you want to continue, click Continue.
  5. In the "This connection uses the following items box" on the Networking tab, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Then click Properties.
  6. Click Advanced, then click the DNS tab.
  7. Specify the DNS suffix for the connection, then click OK three times.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Burning ISO images to disc in Windows Vista

Upgrading my desktop system to Windows Vista RTM has been a positive experience for the most part, but I hit a few snags that required me to turn to third-party software.

For one, Vista doesn't seem to have an easy way to burn an .ISO image to disc (if there is a native way to do it, I'd love to know about it) and my older CD/DVD burning program is explicitly not compatible with Vista. (That program, CDBurnerXP, is being extensively rewritten, and when its next iteration appears, I'll discuss it in detail.)

After some puttering around, I found a tool that more than did the job: TeraByte Unlimited's freeware tool BurnCDCC. These are the same folks who created the disk management utilities BootIt Next Generation and Image for Windows/DOS/Linux, which outperform many commercial products that cost exponentially more.

You don't have to install anything to work BurnCDCC, a single, self-contained .EXE file (a mere 144K) that you can throw on a USB flash drive and take with you as part of your on-the-go software toolkit. To use it, just put in a blank CD or DVD, select an .ISO image to burn to it, choose any applicable options (you'll probably want to select "Finalize") and hit Start. It worked fine with both of my DVD burners, and correctly detected both drive and media speeds without any work on my part.

One thing the program won't do is create an .ISO image from a set of files or folder. But there are other free tools which can do that.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Windows Vista Desktop Management FAQ

As a part of technical support team i use to come along a lot of daily problems which are being asked repeteadly by different users again and again.
Here is some of my windows vista desktop management FAQ collection for computer support. Hope you will enjoy it and find it usefull for your troubleshoot work outs.

Icon is missing from Desktop

Q: I don't know what has happened, but suddenly my Windows Media Player icon is missing from my desktop. Any idea how I can replace that back to my desktop?

A: Sure. Go to Start>> Programs. Right click on Media Player. Select "Send To", then "Desktop Shortcut".

I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin. How can I restore it?

Q: I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin. How can I restore it?

A: No problem, here's how:

1. Click the Windows button.

2. Type the following in to the Search text box: control desk.cpl,,@Web

3. Press Enter on your keyboard.

4. In the Desktop Icon Settings window, place a checkmark in the Recycle Bin checkbox.

5. Click OK.

Alternately, to access the Desktop Icon Settings, right click the Desktop and select Personalize from the resulting menu. From the left pane, select Change desktop icons.

Blocked Program Popup Notification On Restart

Q: When I disable a program using MSCONFIG and then I restart my computer it returns a popup notification that I have a blocked program. Is there any way to disable this notification?

A: The best way to accomplish this is to go back in to MSCONFIG and turn the program back on and then reboot. Go in to your Programs (Start>> Programs) and locate the actual program that you would like to disable. Try right clicking the program and select Properties. In there, you should find an option for disabling this program from automatically starting when Windows is started.

Remote Desktop to Vista Home Edition

Q: I have a machine with a new installation of Vista Home on it. I would like to be able to remote desktop with my other XP Pro and Vista business machines to this Vista Home machine. I can't seem to find out how this is done.

A: Vista Home does not support the Remote Desktop feature. You would need either the Business or Ultimate versions.

I can't find Windows Fax

Q: I just purchased a new computer that has Vista Premium on it. I can't seem to find Windows Fax. Can you please tell me where to find it?

A: I'm sorry, but Vista Home and Premium do not offer Windows Fax. You would have to either purchase a 3rd party software to accomplish this or upgrade to either Vista Ultimate or Business edition. It is unknown at this time if Microsoft plans to incorporate this in to any of their Service Packs at a later time.

DreamScene is not working in Vista Premium?

DreamScene is only available in the Vista Ultimate edition as an Ultimate Extra.

Taskbar area changed after defrag

Q: Yesterday I did a defrag of my machine and now my taskbar area has shrunk and only two of the icons are now showing. I can drag the dotted line out to view the others, but when I reboot it goes back to only showing the two icons. How can I get the taskbar back to the way it was before the defrag?

A: No problem. Here's how:

1. Right click an empty area to the left of your taskbar icons

2. Uncheck by clicking the option titled: Lock the Taskbar

3. Now, drag the dotted line out to the desired size to show all of your icons

4. Right click again in an empty area inside your taskbar

5. Click the "Lock the Taskbar" option once again

Virtual PC 2007 won't open on desktop

Q: I have been using Virtual PC 2007 for the last few days without any problems. However, this morning when I booted my machine, Virtual PC came up briefly for a moment and then minimized to my taskbar. I can open Virtual PC from the taskbar but I would like it to open automatically on the desktop as it once did. Is there any setting that can be changed in order to make it open on my desktop?

A: Virtual PC will remember the last position it was in when your system is shut down and will restart in that position. So, just open Virtual PC to your desktop, then restart your computer. It will now open to your desktop.

What is the difference between Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop?

Answer:

Remote Desktop:

Remote Desktop allows remote access to a machine without a user being present at the other end. Remote Desktop uses an account the pre-exists with a user name and password and is set up in the list of Remote Desktop users. When attempting a remote connection in this method, you will need to know the IP address or if on a local area network, you will need to know the computers name and password.

Remote Desktop only works between the following Windows Versions:

· Windows XP Professional

· Vista Business

· Vista Ultimate

Remote Assistance:

Remote Assistance allows remote access to a machine but in this method both users must be present. If Remote Assistance is needed on one end (usually for troubleshooting purposes), the user sends an invitation to connect via instant message or e-mail to a trusted person who can help. For security purposes, all sessions are encrypted and password protected.

Remote Assistance works for all XP and Vista versions.

Background on Vista is black

Q: I used to be able to set background pictures as my background on my Vista Premium machine. However, when I attempt it now all I get is a black screen. My Gadgets still show up on the desktop but no image is shown. How can I get the background image to show again?

A: Apparently this happens when one of the following changes are made to your policy settings:

· Hide and disable all items on the desktop on a domain controller

· Disable all items in Windows Vista

A Hotfix is available for this issue. Click the link below for the contact information for the Hotfix:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934008

The tabs have disappeared in my Task Manager

Q: When I press CTRL + ALT + DEL, it brings up my Task Manager. I used to have an assortment of tabs at the top of the window but they are gone. How can I get these tabs back?

A: Somehow, you have placed you task manager in 'tiny footprint mode'. To toggle back and forth between tiny footprint and regular mode, simply double click the border (next the to "End Tasks" button).

Why do my desktop icons disappear?

Q: At random times, when I click one of my desktop shortcuts, I am taken to the program and then my desktop icon goes missing leaving only the name of the shortcut on the desktop. A reboot will fix the problem, but how can I stop this from happening.

A: I have heard of others having the same issue. I'm not quite sure why this is happening, but in most cases just single left click an empty area of your desktop and then press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the desktop.

DreamScene makes my computer run very slowly

Q: Can you tell me why my DreamScene makes my computer run slowly?

A: There are a few reasons why DreamScene could cause computer performance issues:

1. You may not have a good enough video card installed in your system to achieve peak DreamScene performance.

2. The size of the video file may be too large.

3. You may not be using the correct file format for your video file. It is recommended that you use the MPG file extension for optimal performance. The WMV file extension is also supported in DreamScene. Even though an MPG file format tends to create a larger file size than WMV, it takes less resources to run an MPG file.

How can I create a Show Desktop shortcut on my Quick Launch Bar?

1. Go to Start

2. In the Search field, type in: Notepad

3. Press Enter on your keyboard

4. With Notepad open, copy and paste the following:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=shell32.dll,34
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

5. Select File>> Save As

6. Open the "Save as type" menu and select "All Files (*.*)"

7. In the "File name" textbox, type in: Show Desktop.scf

8. Select the Browse Folders button

9. Select Desktop

10. Select Save

11. With the Show Desktop icon now showing on your desktop, press the Shift key on your keyboard and right click your Show Desktop icon.

12. Select "Add to Quick Launch" from the resulting menu. Alternately, you can simply drag and drop the Show Desktop icon on to your Quick Launch bar.

How can I disable the Sidebar?

Q: I'm not happy with Vista's sidebar from taking up the space on my desktop. Is there a way that I can disable this feature?

A: Yes, you can. Here's how:

1. With Windows Vista Booted to your desktop, right click the Sidebar

2. Select Properties

3. Click inside the "Start sidebar when Windows starts" checkbox to uncheck this option

4. Click OK and reboot your system

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Services You Can Disable in Vista for Performance

There are several services you can disable to help improve performance of your microsoft windows vista.

Desktop Window Manager Session Manager - Provides Desktop Window Manager startup and maintenance services.
If you don’t plan on using Aero Glass, you can disable this service.

Diagnostic Policy Service - Enables problem detection, troubleshooting and resolution for Windows components
Set to Disabled

Diagnostic Service Host - Same as above

Diagnostic System Host - Same as above

Offline Files - The Offline Files service performs maintenance activities on the Offline Files cache, responds to user logon and logoff events, implements the internals of the public API, and dispatches interesting events to those interested in Offline Files activities and changes in cache state.

Terminal Services - Allows users to connect interactively to a remote computer. Remote Desktop and Terminal Server depend on this service. If you don’t use either of these, then you can disable the service.

Windows Error Reporting Service - Allows errors to be reported when programs stop working or responding and allows existing solutions to be delivered.

Windows Search - Formerly this was the Indexing Service. Provides content indexing.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Some Common Vista Faq

To start with today we are going to take some of the common requirements of vista in terms of personal system.

This are the common questions which every time i use to find on each forum repeatedly one after other.. So some where i think i should make the things a bit happening with the same scrap faq.
Here they are.....

What are the PC requirements for Vista?

According to Microsoft:

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:

  • 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor¹).
  • 1 GB of system memory.
  • Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)², Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
  • 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
  • DVD-ROM Drive.
  • Audio output capability.
  • Internet access capability.

What are the minimum system requirements to run Vista's Aero Glass feature?

  • DirectX 9 video card
  • Pixel shader 2.0 support
  • AGP 4x or better or PCI Express video cards are recommended.
  • At least 64 MB of video memory for standard resolution monitors. More will be needed for high resolution or multiple monitor setups.
  • A special WDDM video driver

How much RAM is recommended for smooth operation of Vista?

It depends. If you are running Vista Home, you probably will do fine with 5122mb. If you are trying to run Vista's Aero interface from Vista Premium or above that, then you will probably need at least 1 GB. For an optimum experience it is recommend 2 GB of RAM however, it certainly does not stop there. If you are running graphic intensive programs or running some heavy media type applications, you may need more than that. Not only the RAM will make for smooth operation of Vista. A dual core processor helps quite a lot too.

Friday, February 15, 2008

About the Blog

Hi Friends..

It has been a long time I was looking forward to kick start something as such on Vista, but due to the busy scheduled and lack of time management was not able to make the things happen.

But finally here it is... Microsoft has came with vista in 2006 and from then till know there has been a lot of buzz around Vista ease of use and adaptability among its user and their communities. Even I came across some of the posts mentioning vista as the one of the Technology mess of the decade or century.

But the fact is that after such criticism vista still prevailed and going to get strong with its service pack coming to the end users some time later this month..

Now, what i want to share and communicate through this blog post is we will look towards all the aspect of vista support and computer support the ways to dig the most of the OS.

After all future is "The Vista Way"