Windows 7 is the latest Operating System in the Microsoft Windows range. Currently, it is one of the most used OS worldwide but still you will find thousands of computers still running on Windows XP. The overall structure of XP is quite different from its latest successor Win 7. If you are thinking how to establishing networking between Windows 7 and XP then you’ve landed up at the right place. We will discuss the same in this blog post, stay tuned.
Disclaimer: We are going to discuss technical steps to network Windows XP computer with a Windows 7 PC. We don’t take any guarantee or responsibility of the results after performing the mentioned steps because it solely depends how you perform them. Contact Online Microsoft Help if you are not so much technical to understand these steps or face any issue while performing them.
Section 1: Make the connection properly
Make sure both the Windows XP PC and Windows 7 PC are connected properly through router or cross cable or any other medium. In our case, the computers are connected through Ethernet cables via router.
Section 2: Check the Workgroup
Checking Workgroup on Windows XP
- Go to the Control Panel -> System to open the System Properties.
- Open ‘Computer Name’ tab. This will show the name of XP computer and its workgroup.
Checking Workgroup on Windows 7
- Go to the Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> System for opening the System Properties.
- Check the name of Workgroup of Windows 7 PC.
You have to make sure the workgroup of XP computer will match the workgroup on Windows 7. If it doesn’t match then change the Work group of Windows XP with following steps,
- At the ‘Computer Name’ tab in System Properties, click on Change button.
- Enter the same name of Workgroup as on Windows 7 PC.
- Click OK button and restart the computer, if prompted.
TIP: You can also change the Workgroup name on Windows 7 PC, if required.
Section 3: Checking File Sharing in Windows XP
- Go to the Control Panel, and click Network Connections to open it. This will show all the connections in your network. If it is blank then get help from Microsoft Windows XP Support.
- Right click on the ‘Local Area Connection’ for your Ethernet card and click Properties.
- Check whether it shows ‘File & Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks’, ‘Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)’ etc. Almost all Windows XP computers using Internet will have it already installed. If not then get help from online Microsoft Windows Support.
Section 4: Networking Options in Windows 7
- Go to the Control Panel and click ‘All Control Panel items’.
- Click ‘Network and Sharing Center’ icon to open it.
Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel of Windows 7
- Click the ‘Change advanced settings’ in the left hand side panel.
Left Panel in Network and Sharing Center
- You will see different options for Home and Network as shown below:
Options in Change Advanced Settings in Network & Sharing Center
- You have to change the settings in both ‘Home or Work’ and Public options. You can select any one option to customize its settings.
List of Settings in Public Option in ‘Advanced Settings’ of Network & Sharing Center
- Enable the following options in these settings:
1. Turn on Network Discovery
2. Turn on File & Printer Sharing
3. Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders.
- Click on the button saying ‘Save Cwhanges’. Enter the login credentials of administrator, if required.
- You have to select the same settings for ‘Home or Work’.
Section 5: Checking the Networking
Go to the Windows Explorer -> Network to check whether Windows XP machine is being displayed therein or not.
If you are not able to connect the Windows XP machine and Windows 7 PC with above steps then it is recommended to take help of experts at online Microsoft help.
While installing a new or old HP printer, the users often get the ‘Fatal Error’. It is one of the most frustrating problems, especially when you face it with an all new HP Printer. You are just not able to print, scan or copy any document from it. Are you also getting this issue? In this blog post, we are going to discuss the possible solution of Fatal Error problem while installing HP Printer.
Disclaimer: We don’t take any guarantee or responsibility of the results after performing the mentioned steps. This is because the final result of troubleshooting solely depends upon the way how a user is performing it. If you are not so much technical or face any issue in performing the below mentioned steps then straightaway take help of online HP Technical Support.
Case Scenario
Fatal Error during HP Printer installation appears up in the last process when the computer is trying to connect with the printer. It means you have installed the printer partially and now its installation got stuck inside registry entries plus system files.
Resolution Steps
We are going to discuss different steps so we have separated them in different sections. Perform the steps mentioned in each section one by one.
Section 1 to uninstall HP Printer
The first and foremost step will be to uninstall all HP printer software and drivers completely from the computer. Any remaining stuck entry will create problems again while trying to install and use HP printer. Common HP Printer applications are listed below,
1. HP Solution Center 2. HP Photosmart Essentials 3. HP Photosmart Express 4. HP Photosmart Creations 5. Shop for HP Supplies 6. HP Customer Participation Program 7. HP Smart Web Printing 8. HP Imaging Device Functions 9. HP Image Zone 10. HP Software Updates 11. HP Director 12. HP Memory Disk 13. OCR Software (optional)
Disclaimer: If you are using any other separate HP product like HP computer, HP camera etc. then make sure they remain intact and there is no need to touch their applications or drivers. If you don’t know point out what HP software need to be removed then contact online Printer Support.
- Power off the printer and then disconnect it from the computer.
- In XP, go to Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs. In Vista/7, go to the Control -> Programs -> Programs and Features.
- Select the HP Printer software and uninstall them one by one.
Section 2 to remove stuck entries
It is the time to remove all the entries of HP Printer from Windows Registry and system files. You can do this using the HP Software Removal Utility.
Disclaimer: Take help of HP technical support when you don’t have the enough knowledge how to perform the steps mentioned in this section.
Perform below steps,
- Download All-in-One Software Removal Utility from http://goo.gl/kqKo7 for Windows XP & 2000.
- Download Officejet Removal Utility from http://goo.gl/YtJGW for Windows XP, 2000 and Vista.
- Power off the printer and disconnect it from PC.
- Run any of the above removal utility and perform on-screen instructions. You have to run this utility four times to achieve all of its four levels – L1, L2, L3, and L4. Computer restart is required only if prompted.
Section 3 Only for XP and Vista
Please don’t perform this section for Windows 7.
Only the Windows 7 and Server 2008 arrive preinstalled with the latest Windows Installer 5.0. Other Windows editions – XP, Vista, 2000, and 2003 doesn’t come with the latest Windows Installer 4.5. Perform below steps to check and update it,
- Go to the Start and click Run.
- Type msiexec.exe and press the Enter key. It will open a new window of Windows Installer and show its version.
- If you don’t have the latest Windows Installer 4.5 then download it from http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=8483.
- Install Windows Installer 4.5 in XP and Vista.
If you face any problem in installing Windows Installer 4.5 then take help of online Microsoft Windows Support.
Section 4 to empty Temporary Files
Perform below steps to remove the stuck temporary files,
- Click on Start Menu and then click on Run. The Vista or 7 users can type run in the search box in Start Menu to open it.
- Type %temp% to open the User’s temporary files.
- Delete all the temporary files from %temp% folder.
- Similarly, open Windows Temporary Files Folder through temp in Run.
- You have to empty C:\Windows\temp folder.
Section 5 to have the latest or available drivers ready
Case 1: For Broadband or higher Internet Connection
- Visit the http://support.hp.com to download the latest Full Package drivers for your HP Printer.
- Download the drivers in a folder under C: Drive.
- Download the WinRAR, 7z or any other compression utility and install it.
- Use the compression utility to extract the setup file it in a folder under C: Drive.
Case 2: For Slow Internet Connection
Copy the available entire HP Printer driver disc in a folder under C: Drive. If you don’t have the disc then you can order it online at http://support.hp.com.
The driver path in both cases can be C:\HPXXXX, where X will be replaced with printer model number.
Section 6 to install the printer
- Run the setup from the C: drive itself.
- Perform onscreen steps to install the HP printer.
Section 7
If you still face the ‘Fatal Error’ problem while reinstalling the HP Printer after following above steps then contact HP Technical Support directly. Else perform below steps,
- If you have installed Windows Installer 4.5 in the earlier troubleshooting, then you just have to perform steps of Section 1 to 3 and Section 4.
- If you are facing ‘Fatal Error’ while connecting the printer through Wired or Wireless Network, then make use of HP Home Network Diagnostic Utility from http://goo.gl/KqpWH before trying to install the printer.
- Perform the steps mentioned in Section 5 and 6 now.
If you still face the ‘Fatal Error’ problem with your HP Printer then it is strongly recommended to get help from experts at online Printer Support.
Microsoft Office is the well-known and the mostly used commercial Office Suite of applications on this earth. Almost each OEM supplies the trial of latest Microsoft Office version with their computers, which got expired after 30 days or 100 times of usage. It is quite easy to install Microsoft Office but sometimes the users face issues during its installation. In this write up, we will discuss a famous installation issue with Office 2010 setup and its resolution.
When you try to install the Microsoft Office 2010 then you get the error, ‘to install and use this product, you must be running one of the following operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003’. If you are not so much technical to perform the steps then you can straightaway contact Microsoft Office Support.
As the error itself suggests, this issue occurs when you are trying to install Office 2010 on unsupported Operating System. Microsoft Office 2010 can be installed only on following Windows Operating Systems:
1. Windows XP SP3 (32-bit) 2. Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) 3. Windows Vista SP1 (32-bit and 64-bit) 4. Windows Server 2008 (64-bit) 5. Windows Server 2003 (32-bit)
Check the system requirements first before installing Office 2010. If the system requirements are matched, then you should take help of Microsoft Office Support at SupportMart.
You can also check whether the Office setup is running in Compatibility mode or not. For the matching system requirements, you have to turn off Compatibility mode. Do a right click on the setup.exe file for Office, hit Properties, and then select Compatibility Tab. Uncheck the option ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’. Click Apply button and then hit OK button.
If you are still facing the problem while installing MS Office 2010, then you need help of experienced and certified technicians at Microsoft Office Support Team at SupportMart.
In this online world, each and every service is connected with an account provided by the relevant service provider. Not only you have to create a user in your Windows OS but you also have to create user accounts with online services like Online Banking, ISP, Software supplier, Antivirus, etc. Mostly the Username or User ID is easy to remember and is email address in most cases whereas the password should be strong enough to sustain in this modern age, where hacking is not a nightmare thing. In this write up, we will sum up some common conventions helping you to decide a right password for your Windows user or any other online account.
First, you should avoid using any kind of automatic password generator. Nobody knows who have developed these programs to get the automatic mixture of alphanumeric and special characters. May be some hackers have created them and providing as a free service or who knows if the hackers have already cracked it. Using the automatic tools to generate password means you are going to have a totally unsecure account, so avoid using it. Do you need expert guidance in creating passwords? Then call Online Technical Support team at SupportMart.
Your password should be a mixture of alphabets, numbers, and special characters. You can follow some manual mechanism to create these passwords, e.g. inserting your favorite numbers in your pet’s name such as t1o2m34. Make sure not to use your name, your spouse name, or any other well known phrase related to your identity. Also you should avoid the common dates of your life such as date of birth, date of marriage, or date of getting bachelors degree. If you need expert suggestion to create the passwords then you can contact Online Computer Support. Some good passwords are illustrated below:
Please do not use them as these are already illustrated publicly. You can create a password of any length from 8 characters to 30 characters but you should remember them. If you lost the password of your Windows user then you can contact Online Technical Support.
Some Websites have a pre-defined policy to describe which type of passwords can be used with them. Remember to read the password policy of the Website to know the necessary precautions like permitted special characters, minimum password length etc. In addition, you’re advised to create security questions in order to recover the password when you forgot it. Contact Online Computer support in case when you are not able to restore your password.
If you are using Online Internet Banking or Credit Card then make sure to change its login and transaction password twice in a month. Please avoid using already used credentials while changing passwords for online banking.
Whether you have a laptop or desktop, your computer must have the device drivers installed in order to perform any work or even for its booting up. If you have bought an assembled computer, then you will get a motherboard disc containing essential drivers. Basically the device drivers act as a communication layer between the bare hardware and Operating System.
Latest Windows OS and branded computers are shipped preinstalled with drivers of basic hardware components. So why to update the device drivers for your computer? Let us try to answer this question with this post. You can also consult a computer expert at Online Computer Support regarding the device driver update.
Manufacturers test their created hardware components even after supplying in the market. They also get error reports, suggestions, complaints, and feedback from the end users. These companies often release updates to keep their supplied drivers updated with latest software, Windows OS, and other applications. They also have numerous bug fixes to address the notified issues with particular hardware component.
Latest Operating Systems and software applications are being launched in the market from time to time. The computer hardware companies often creates the latest drivers for their existing hardware components and devices to make them compatible with the currently launched Windows OS & other applications. You have to install the latest device drivers in order to use these latest software programs. This practice also saves your computer from getting the critical problems due to incompatibility. Contact OnlineComputer Support if you are facing any problem due to the device drivers.
Following are the common ways to update device drivers:
1. In latest Windows OS (Vista & 7), the Windows Update automatically downloads the latest updates for the drivers. Sometimes these are optional updates so you have to select them for installation.
2. The PC manufacturers often provide an update utility like Sony VAIO Update. You can run such utility to update your device drivers.
3. Visit the Website of your computer manufacturer and explore the Download section of your computer model. It will display available latest device drivers for your PC.
4. In Windows OS, you can right click the device in Device Manager and click ‘Update Drivers’.
5. You can manually visit the manufacturers’ Website of the concerned hardware component to download the latest device drivers for it.
6. Contact Online PC Support for allowing the computer experts to install latest drivers for you.
If you are facing some problem in installing the drivers or updating them, then you can reach Online Computer Support at SupportMart.
Microsoft has launched Windows XP in August 2001 as a successor of Windows 98 and Windows ME. It appeared in the market in four different editions – Windows XP Home Edition, Professional Edition, Media Center Edition, and Tablet PC Edition. After 98, XP is the most like and successful Windows OS all around the globe. It had soon captured the largest part of the Worldwide Operating System Market. There are rare chances when the users face technical issues with this strong Windows OS. One of its famous problems is slow shutdown. When a user shuts down the Windows XP, it takes numerous minutes to shut down or often get restarted instead of shutting down. Here, we will discuss how to fix this Windows XP slow shutdown problem.
Disclaimer: We do not take any guarantee or reliability of resolving the problem with the steps mentioned in this article. If you are not so much technical to understand the mentioned steps or facing problem in following them, then contact online MicrosoftWindows XP Support or your local technician.
Slow shutdown problem with any Windows OS version occurs only when the internal Windows OS files got corrupted. This is a critical situation to be resolved but we will discuss the steps mentioned by our experts. If you face any issue then contact our experts at online MicrosoftWindows XP Support service.
If your computer is restarting automatically on shutting down the Windows XP, then you can perform below mentioned steps.
1.Right click ‘My Computer’ icon at the desktop or at Start Menu.
2.Go to Properties and then click Advanced tab.
Screenshot of System Properties in Windows XP
3. Click on the ‘Settings’ button in the bottom ‘Startup and Recovery’ section.
Startup & Recovery in Windows XP
4. Now, uncheck the option ‘Automatically Restart’ in ‘System Failure’ section.
5. Hit OK button.
6.Click Apply and OK button on the ‘System Properties’ dialog box. If you are not sure what to do exactly then take help of Microsoft Windows XP Support.
This is the workaround to let your Windows XP shut down and let it not to restart when it encounters failure in any critical operation.
Some device drivers also get confliction with Windows XP. You are advised to unplug all the connected external devices with the computers except the basic accessories such as keyboard, monitor, power cable, mouse, and any other connection need to start the computer. Please disconnect the router, printer, scanner, Webcam, external drives or any other connected device. Start the computer and then shut it down.
If you are still facing the Windows XP slow shutdown problem then contact Online Microsoft Help to get this problem fixed from the computer experts.
Windows 7 is the currently latest version of Windows OS released by Microsoft in 2009. After XP, it is considered as the best and stable Windows OS. It has included numerous features like Windows PowerShell, handwriting recognition, virtual hard drives, enhanced performance on multiple processors, DirectAccess, latest user interface, etc. Currently, it has the largest share of 46.1% in the Worldwide OS market as per W3C OS Platform Statistics. Are you thinking to upgrade your existing Windows version to all new Windows 7? Then buy its upgrade license and take help ofMicrosoft Windows 7 Support.
Microsoft has launched the latest Service Pack 1 for Windows 7. This has numerous bug fixes and enhancements for improving its default functionality. But is it necessary to install Service Pack 1 for Windows 7? Let us try to answer this question in this blog post.
In fact, Service Pack is a combined set of the bug fixes, latest updates, and numerous enhancements. You can install it to keep your computer updated and have fixes for the notified problems. The Windows 7 Service Pack 1 has following new features:
• Enhanced performance of HDMI Audio devices • Corrected behavior of printing XPS documents of mixed-orientations • Advanced Vector Extension Support • Enhanced Support for Advanced Storage Devices • Fixing the behavior of ‘Restore previous folders at logon’
In addition to above features, Windows 7 SP1 contains the latest security patches and updates to keep your computer protected from the online virus threats. Contact Microsoft Windows 7 Support to know more about the features of SP1.
Please do not install Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 if you • have the pirated Windows OS, • don’t think any necessity to keep your Windows updated • have not any install any single update from Windows Update till yet.
Make your Windows 7 genuine and install all the available latest updates in order to install Service Pack 1 for it. It is noteworthy that all the latest computers are being supplied with this latest Service Pack 1. So, why should you not update your computer today and install Windows 7 Service Pack 1?
This SP1 will be supplied in the Windows Update optionally but it is required to select it in the Windows Update for its installation. You can also visit http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5842 to manually download this Service Pack.
Are you facing any problem in installing Service Pack for Win 7? Then you can contact Microsoft Windows 7 Support. Here you will find only Microsoft Certified and experienced technicians, who are well versed to fix any kind of issue with all Windows editions (7, Vista, XP, etc.).