Google Offers Discounts On Chromebooks To Lure In XP Users

If you are still using Windows XP, then you need to realise that all the Microsoft support services for XP – the XP support website, the Windows support number phone-lines, etc – have officially expired. Now, Microsoft wants you and all the other Windows XP users to upgrade to one of their latest Windows operating systems, preferably Windows 8.

Google presents Chrome OS as an alternative to the XP OS

So, it is no longer practical or safe to use Windows XP OS in your systems, especially if you are running an organisation or a business. However, upgrading to Windows 8 or 7 from Windows XP is going to very expensive, as you would have to upgrade all the old hardware to meet the system requirements of the new generation operating systems.

So, naturally, most of the XP users are hesitating to make this upgrade. Now, Google sees an opportunity here and they are trying to lure in as many XP users as they can in to buying their Google Chrome OS systems. They are doing this by offering big discounts of $ 100-200 on Chromebook purchases.

About the Chrome OS

Now, you might not be familiar with the Chrome OS from Google. Google released the Chrome OS back in 2009. But, this OS did not make that much of an impact in the market because of the fact that it was more of a browser-based web client OS, rather than a full-fledged OS. This means that the Chrome OS would provide access to a variety of applications and programs, all stored in the online cloud.

So, if you do not have an internet connection, the Chrome OS would become almost useless. This disadvantage was the main reasons why Google Chrome OS did not do well in the market. However, the idea of cloud computing is becoming very popular these days.

Many corporate houses are actually considering subscribing to the software-as-a-service and infrastructure-as-a-service cloud services, instead of setting up the IT infrastructure and purchasing software applications for their organisation. A browser-based OS that provides most of its applications through the online cloud service might actually be a good option for these firms.

With this in mind, Google has introduced the Chromebooks for Business program, mainly targeting the Windows XP users. Under this program, the business switching to Chromebooks would receive up to 200$ in discounts as well as many free software applications and services.

But, if you want to upgrade to a Windows operating system instead, contact the Windows support number.

Windows 8.X Acquires 10% Market Share

According to the latest survey results from Net Applications, Microsoft has achieved a new Windows 8 milestone with Windows 8.X operating systems gaining about 10% of the total PC market. Even though the company had hoped that the operating system Windows 8 alone would take that much or more market share when it was launched with dynamic changes in the user interface, it did not work out as they had hoped as most of the traditional PC users hated the product for its complexity.

Most of the users found it difficult to use the program as it had a completely revamped user interface with no Start menu button. However, all that changed when Microsoft launched their Windows 8.1 operating system in late September. The main reason for the acceptance of the operating system was the return of the Start menu button in its rightful place that is in the left bottom corner of the system. Ever since the new operating system was launched, Windows 8 milestone of reaching 10% of PC industry sales seemed easy as more and more people started to migrate to the operating system.

Making the Windows 8.1 update free for Windows 8 customers was a good move from Microsoft and if you ask me, it is this benevolent act that attracted customers to try the Windows 8.1 operating system. Another important factor that helped in creating such a milestone is the end of support for Windows XP. Ever since Microsoft announced that they are going to recall the support provided to their oldest and most popular operating system, the sales of the new operating system started growing.

With the End of support for Windows 7 operating system, which is to come by in two years time also made the new users to upgrade to Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 operating system. The operating system has already outsmarted the sales of the Windows Vista operating system, which is the predecessor of its predecessor. However when you compare the sales with that of Windows 7, it is nowhere near its predecessor's sales, as Windows 7 had about 20% of market share just within a year of the introduction of operating system to the market.

However, with over thirty-five percent of market share for the Windows XP operating system about to be free with the option to use Windows 8 in the near future, we could see a lot more Windows 8.1 devices coming.

How To Remove The Search Helper Extension From Firefox

Most of the users who are using the Mozilla Firefox browser have noticed a new surprise extension named Search Helper Extension. This extension might affect the browsing speed and can affect the overall performance of the browser. It is not possible to remove Search Helper Extension completely from the system. However, it is possible to disable it. Most of the Mozilla Firefox browser users are surprised by seeing this new extension as they were unaware about how it got installed in the Firefox browser.

Usually, there are two ways, in which the Search Helper Extension would be added to your Firefox browser. The first way of getting this extension installed in the browser is when you install the Windows Update KB 982217. This is an update released to improve the homepage functionality of MSN Toolbar and Bing bar. Second way of getting this extension installed in the browser is when you separately install the Bing bar on your computer or as a part of Microsoft's Live Essentials program suite.

Bing toolbar is linked to the Search Helper extension and therefore, one of the easiest methods to remove Search helper Extension is by uninstalling the Bing Bar from your Windows computer. Now, let us look at the steps needed to uninstall the Search Helper Extension from Mozilla Firefox. This is very similar to the solution for how to remove Search Here toolbar

• Navigate to the Windows Start menu and click the option called Control Panel. Then, from the Control Panel, click Add or Remove programs and locate Bing toolbar from the list of installed programs. After that, select it, and click the button called Uninstall. Before the un-installation is completed, you are asked to close the Mozilla Firefox browser.

Another option to uninstall Search Helper extension is by removing the add-on from the Firefox by keeping the Bing toolbar on your Windows computer. You can locate the files in either C: \Program Files\Microsoft\Search Enhancement Pack\Search Helper or in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Search Enhancement Pack\Search Helper. The Firefox extension will be removed once you delete that folder. Sometimes the system will ask the Administrative permission to delete that folder from your system. This method will help you to uninstall the Search Helper Extension by keeping the Bing toolbar on your machine.

These above-mentioned tips would surely help you to remove Search Helper Extension. To know about how to remove Search Here toolbar, contact our customer care center online.

Steps To Search For A Person On Bing

Bing, the famous search engine developed by Microsoft, was earlier known as Windows Live Search, Live Search and MSN Search, at different times during its transition. The users can easily use this search engine to look for information on people by typing queries in it. For any information regarding the issues in Bing, users can dial the Windows online support to get assistance from the technicians.

You can use the following instructions to do a Windows Live Search for people on Bing:

• In the first step, you need to gather maximum information on the person you are searching for on Bing. For example, if you known the first and last names of the person, it would be pretty much easier for you to search.
• According to the Windows tech support, you can use other valid information such as an address, schools attended, place of work, etc. to make the search easier. You can also consider compiling information that includes the person’s notable accomplishments, books written by them, or other identifying facts that can help the search engine to provide you a more compacted search result.
• Once you have the information, you can go to www.bing.com, which is the name Microsoft uses for the search engine. As mentioned earlier, Bing was formerly known as Windows Live Search.
• Now, you can type in the person’s name in the search box and then initiate the search by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. Once you get the search results, go through it carefully. As stated by the Windows online support, the search engine will return results from both social networking sites such as Facebook and Linked In, as well as from general results from an Internet-wide search. This way, you will be able to find relevant information on the person with just one search.
• However, in cases where you did not get the required search results, it is better to include additional search terms to get more results. This includes adding the name of the educational institution the person studies to his/her spouse’s name as well as the person’s address.
• Other options in Bing include searching for pictures of the person. For this, you need to click the Images tab and check for the results.

By following these steps, you can easily search for a person on Bing. To get more information on the features of the search engine, feel free to dial our 24/7 technical support team.

Remove Ask Toolbar From Windows Registry

Ask toolbar is a search engine utility application designed for web browsers. The toolbar is released by Ask.com. Usually, the toolbar gets installed in a user’s web browser when they download and install any applications or programs from online.

Uses of Ask toolbar

Ask toolbar allows users to access the Ask search engine without opening a separate tab for it in the web browser. This enables users to look for important information while surfing online. Usually, the toolbar is safe enough. However, if you have a slow internet connection, the toolbar can further slow down your browser performance. If you want to remove the Ask toolbar from your PC owing to any specific reasons, you can do so without too many difficulties. You can either remove it from the Control Panel or from the Windows registry. Removing the toolbar from the Control Panel is the easiest method. However, it leaves chances for the toolbar to reappear in the browser. On the other hand, if you remove the toolbar from Windows Registry, you can be assured that it won’t reappear.

How to remove Ask toolbar from Windows Registry

• Navigate to the Start button and select the Run option.
• Enter regedit in the type field, and press the OK button. Windows Registry Editor will be launched now.
• Locate the following registry key in the left pane of the window.

           HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\appdatalow

• Now, go to the right pane of the window and locate askbardis and bar respectively. Right-click each one and select Delete from the resulting dropdown menu.
• After that, go to the following registry key in the right pane

           "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\classes\appid

• Locate the genericasktoolbar.dll which can be found in the right pane and delete it by right-clicking and selecting the Delete button from the dropdown menu.
• Following that, go to the left pane of the window and select the following Registry Key
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders\C:\Program Files. Now, go to the left pane and right-click Ask.com and delete it by selecting the Delete button from the dropdown menu.
• Exit the Registry Editor window and restart your PC. Ask toolbar would no longer be there in your web browser.

The above instructions on how to remove Ask toolbar from Registry Editor would have helped you get rid of Ask toolbar from your PC. When you remove Ask toolbar via Registry Editor, you need to be extra careful as any mistake made in the Windows Registry Editor could leave your computer with more complicated problems.

Google Vs Windows Competition Taking A New Turn

As far as technology is concerned, competition is always tough. Unlike small business firms, competitions faced by big software giants are unpredictable. They need to be focused and should have foresight to anticipate the moves from their competitors and only this strategy could help them to face the risks.

As you are aware, Microsoft and Google are competitors and it is quite obvious if the competition is taking a new turn. As per the recent news, people using Windows Phone could bid goodbye to the Google Voice apps as Google has decided to bring something new and the terms and services of Google are new as well.

As per recent updates, May 15, 2014 will be considered as the last date of usage of Google Voice apps on Windows Phone. But there are other loopholes for accessing Google Voice on mobile web even though it is not a preferred method. Even though the new move from Google is due to their competition spirit, they have a different explanation regarding the same.

According to Nikhyl Singhal of Google, “Finally, we want to make Google Voice as secure as possible. There are a few third-party applications that provide calling and SMS services by making unauthorized use of Google Voice. These apps violate our Terms of Service and pose a threat to your security, so we’re notifying these app developers that they must stop making unauthorized use of Google Voice to run their services and transition users by May 15, 2014.“

The new decision of Google will definitely affect the people using Windows Phone for accessing Google apps and they might treat Windows Phone as a less secure platform due to the initiative taken by Google. There are people who dial Windows support number and enquire about the credibility of Windows phone.

Normally, a single number is offered to users by Google Voice, which you can share with your family and friends. You could use this number for any type of phone no matter whether it is your landline or cell phone. Your number will also be secured by Google Voice if you do not want it to be displayed.

Other than ending support for Google Voice over Windows Phone, Google is also dropping Exchange ActiveSync. From all these moves, we can definitely get to a conclusion that the competition is quite tight and Microsoft should have to think about new plans to face the competition. We can definitely expect more people to contact Microsoft by dialing the Windows support number and they would definitely enquire about the fate of Google Voice in Windows phones.

Recalling An Email Message In The Outlook Program

Many of us know the feeling of sending an email message and then realizing that we have forgotten to add some important information, sent the email message to a wrong person, or said something that we did not intend to say. If you have sent this email message from the Microsoft Outlook 2010 program, you have the option to recall the message so that you will be able to make the intended changes in the message. The user can also choose to delete the message completely to replace it with a new one. You should understand that these things could be done only if the recipient has not opened the email that you have sent.

The steps to retrieve Outlook email messages are explained below in this article.

Instructions

• Turn on your computer and then launch the Microsoft Outlook program.
• In the Outlook program interface, click on the Sent Items folder from the folder list that is located in the left side of the window.
• Double click on the email message that you wish to recall.
• Now you can click on the Message tab that is located at the top of the window. 
• Click on the Actions drop-down in the Move section of the ribbon that is located at the top of the window.
• You may then click on the Recall this message button. 
• Click on either the Delete unread copies of this message option or on the Delete unread copies and replace with a new message option.
• Check the box that is located on the left of Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient  if you wish the be informed about the status of your recall or you may remove the check mark if you do not wish to be told.
• You may now click on the OK button to finish the recall process.

These are the steps to retrieve Outlook email messages. These steps can be used to get back the message only if the receiver has not opened the email that you have sent. Even if you recall the message, edit it, and resend the message, your receiver will know that you have sent an email and then recalled it. You will have to keep an answer ready to the question of the receiver regarding recalling of the message.