A New Version Of Microsoft Windows: Windows 8

Windows 8, the long awaited version of Windows operating system series was finally released on 30th October 2012. With Windows 8, Microsoft intends to open a new dimension to advanced technology with its modern metro touch screen user interface.

After the catastrophic failure of Windows Vista, Windows 7 became the savior for Microsoft and the main motivation behind its consistent improvements and innovations. The improvements in its latest version of Internet Explorer were a proof to the world that the Microsoft was not going to hang up its hat just yet.

Now the main question that comes into the mind of windows users: will Windows 8 be able to replace Windows 7 become the next success story in Microsoft history? Let’s find out.

Here are some of the key differences between Windows 7 and Windows 8 that might help you decide if you need to upgrade your operating system.

Windows 7 v/s Windows 8

• Interface

Windows 7 employs the traditional desktop interface which include start button, start menu, icons, windows explorer and control panel. These features have either been removed or replaced in Windows 8.

The most notable feature of windows 8 is its innovative Metro touch screen interface. This interface has been mainly designed for tablets but will also be available for PCs and laptops. Its design and functionality is similar to Windows Phone OS found in Nokia Lumia devices.

• Start Button

In Windows 7, we can easily recognize the iconic start button that has been deployed in every version of Windows. When we click on it we can see the start menu along with shortcuts to various computer services pinned in it.

In Windows 8, Start button is hidden. It now only appears when you hover in the bottom left corner with your mouse.

• Start Menu

In Windows 7, the familiar start menu, popped up when we clicked the start button, which has now been replaced with a Start Screen.

In Windows 8, the start screen uses dynamic app tiles instead of static computer icons which the user must touch to perform its function. The same kind of live tiles and data have been used in Windows Phone's home screen.

• Theme

The Aero Glass theme of Windows Vista and Windows 7 has been replaced with a Metro-style theme in Windows 8.

• Windows Desktop Gadgets

Popular desktop gadgets which were used in Windows 7 such as Calendar, Clock, Shutdown, CPU meter, Feed Headlines, Notes etc. will be no longer available.

Most of these gadgets will appear on Windows 8 Start Screen.

• Update Notifications

In Windows 7, we got our update notifications via system stray icon and balloon messages.

In Windows 8, all system and update messages will be shown on login and lock screens, so you might not even see them if you automatically log into your PC.

• Backup & Restore

In Windows 7, the Backup and Restore feature that allowed users to create system and files backups and restore from them.

In Windows 8, this feature has been replaced by a new feature called File History.

• Searching Files & Folders

In Windows 7, searching for files and folders was done through the search bar embedded in the start menu and windows explorer. The search bar allows users to find anything, anywhere on the computer by revealing its original file location.  There is an easy shortcut to Control Panel, where you can view and modify computer settings. The start menu has shortcuts to access various document, music and videos folder in one click. It simply takes one click to shutdown the computer, lock or hibernate system, or switch to another user.

In Windows 8, the only way to locate files and folders on the system is the charms bar that remains transparent on the home screen and lets you access to all the key features. These appear when you mouse to the right side of the screen or swipe in from the right on a touch screen. The Settings charm gives you quick access to basics such as volume and brightness controls, as well as putting your PC to sleep or restarting it.

• New Dialog Box For Copying

The new version of Windows Explorer in Windows 8 brings all of your file copy/ file move jobs into a single window, instead of managing multiple windows. You can also pause or stop copy jobs, easily manage file-name collisions  and get more details about the copy job, such as the speed of data transfer, more accurate estimate of time remaining etc.

• Personalization

In Windows 8, you can extend your home screen personalization. You can re-organize tiles, add tiles, group tiles, or remove tiles that you don’t need. You can configure the tiles to be live or not.

Conclusion

Wrapping up this post we would like to state that whether or not a user should upgrade to Windows 8 depends entirely upon their choice. Windows 7 is still powerful and popular. If the user feels that they aren’t impressed with Windows 8 they can continue using Windows 7.

Windows 8 is beautiful, it’s fast, and most importantly, it’s easy to use. It offers something for everyone from simple users who just want to check their email, surf the Web, and watch videos, to advanced users who need to manage multiple external hard drives.

Windows 8 will confuse you the first time you use it, but give it some time and chances are that you might not want to go back to Windows 7.

AKAL Achieves Microsoft Gold Partner Certification

Akal, a leading provider of IT support & solutions since 1999 today announced that it has achieved the prestigious Microsoft Gold Partner Certification for the year 2012 – 2013.

This is yet another achievement for AKAL as well another proof of their dedicated & experienced support and superior customer service.

By achieving the Microsoft Gold OEM competency, AKAL can now demonstrate greater value to its customers by showcasing best-in-class capabilities that have undergone a rigorous and auditable approval process. Now AKAL is in a perfect position to benefit most from the current market trends. With the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems, AKAL has an unprecedented opportunity to capitalize on the demand for new PCs and server services it specializes in.

Combined with Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to research and development and to innovation, AKAL’s membership in the OEM competency can help open new markets for the PCs and server services it delivers. AKAL can also demonstrate its capabilities to its customers when supporting & servicing hardware systems & solutions for the Microsoft platform.

Cannot send email through Windows Mail

Windows Mail is the desktop mail client created by Microsoft for Windows Vista. It is an upgrade to Outlook Express and was superseded by Windows Live Mail in Windows 7.

Windows Mail is better than Outlook Express in every way. You can easily use your contacts from Outlook Express as well keep an archive of messages which you imported from Outlook express. Windows Mail is better, faster and more secure than its previous mail client versions. Windows Live Mail brings together multiple e-mail accounts, calendars, and more into one easy-to-use program. You can get multiple e-mail accounts in one program - Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo.

Although Windows Mail is a powerful and reliable email client, it can sometimes run into various problems. Sometimes email won’t open. At other times we are unable to send or receive email from our address book contacts. We want to send an important email but our email settings are not correctly configured. At these times we need a Microsoft certified Windows live customer service that can help us provide us Windows live email help and fix our email problems.

Common Email Problems

Some of the common email problems faced by the web users are: -

• Problem in sending/receiving email messages.

• Unable to send attachments in email.

• Unable to download or save attachments received in email.

• Problem in adding new contacts in the address book.

• I can’t view email messages in other email accounts attached with Windows Mail.

• Why does my browser redirect me to the site of my ISP instead of my mail program.

• My address book contacts are receiving a lot of spam from my account.

• My firewall/antivirus is not letting me open my email program.

There are a few reasons why this might happen:

• Your email server is offline.

• Your email server address is incorrect.

• Your email server requires authentication.

• You have to activate your inbound email first to initiate the outbound mail server.

• Your ISP won't let you send email through a third-party SMTP server.

• The attachment on your email is too large in size.

• Your internet gets disconnected.

• The server times out before the email can be sent.

Following tips can help you fix most of your windows mail problems:-

• Check whether you have a good Internet connection. If you can receive mail and surf the Web with your web browser, the internet connection is not the problem area.

• Check to make sure your SMTP server address is correct.

• In order to prevent misuse of their servers by spammers, some ISPs require that you log in to their network server before sending email. If this is the case, ensure that your Windows Mail is set up to do that.

• Large attachments can cause problems with SMTP servers. Often they time out before an email can be sent, especially if you have a slow Internet connection.

• Third-party security applications, including antivirus scanners and anti-spyware scanners, can sometimes block email activity. Software firewalls can also cause serious problems.

If all else fails it is highly advised that you contact Microsoft certified Windows Live email support to help you fix your email problems and clear away all the problem causing elements so that you can check your email and send and receive emails smoothly.

Transfer Outlook Express address book from XP to Windows Vista

When you buy a new computer / laptop or have just formatted your hard drive and installed Windows Vista, you will need to setup the new computer according to your needs. One of the things you might consider doing is transferring your Outlook Express contacts and messages that you had with Windows XP and import them into Windows Mail. Outlook Express has been replaced by Windows Mail in Windows Vista. You will need to upgrade from Outlook Express to Windows Mail in either of the following situations.

• When you are upgrading a computer running Windows XP to Windows Vista.

• If you are not upgrading but want to transfer your Outlook Express messages to Windows Mail, running in Windows Vista.

• If you are just transferring Outlook Express messages (and not all your other files and settings) from a computer running Windows XP to your Windows Vista Computer.

If you are unable to import/ export messages and contacts from Outlook Express or are having outlook express problems then you might need to contact Microsoft outlook express support team to help you resolve your troubles.

This procedure involves two main actions

1. Exporting the Outlook Express address book to a standard CSV (Comma Separated Values) file format
2. Importing the Outlook Express contacts and messages to Windows Mail Vista.

Before we can export the Outlook Express address book to Windows Mail Vista we will need to first convert the messages and contacts to a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file format. A Comma Separated Values file is a standard format for moving data across different computers and applications. This file contains pieces of information or values separated by the commas and can be opened and viewed in programs like Microsoft Excel and even be imported to databases such as MySQL.

Instructions to save the Outlook Express address book and backup the contacts information

•  Select "Address Book" from the "Export" function under the "File" menu.

• The program gives you two options for exporting: Microsoft Exchange and Text file. Select Text File (Comma Separated Values).
  
  

• Click the "Browse" button and pick the folder in which you want so save the Address Book CSV file.

• Provide a name for the CSV file.

• By default, the Outlook Express address book export function does not select the names (First, Last, Middle and Nickname) of your contacts. Place a checkmark in these boxes.

• Click "Finish" and save the Outlook Express address book in CSV format.

Now that your messages and converted to CSV format, you can easily move that file to your Windows Vista computer using a USB Flash drive, SD Card or any other portable media.

Transfer Outlook Express address book to Windows Mail Vista

Once you have the CSV file on the Vista computer, you need to import it into Windows Mail.

• Select "File" -> "Import" -> "Windows Contacts"

• Choose the "CSV (Comma Separated Values)" option.

• Windows Mail will now ask you to specify the location of the CSV file Browse to the folder and double-click on the file.

• Click the "Next" button and get the list of fields in the CSV. I suggest you put a checkmark in front of all if that's what you had done when exporting.

• You have successfully transferred the Outlook Express Address Book to Windows Mail email program on Vista. Hit the "Finish" button and Close the pop-up window.

If you are unable to perform any of the above steps listed above then I suggest you contact Microsoft certified outlook express tech support so that they can help you with the outlook express problems you are facing and help you in troubleshooting other related issues.