Monday, April 29, 2013

Troubleshoot Outlook Using Email Transaction Logging


Microsoft Outlook’s user-friendly tools and features allow users to handle their multiple email accounts easily and efficiently. But what if you get a puzzling popup error message on your computer screen? You may now be completely clueless as to what to do next. In such a situation, when you don’t have any idea what really happened and what caused the error, the best option is to look into the log that Outlook had created automatically. Outlook creates a detailed list of all the activities in its log file which helps its users to track unusual activities taking place within the Outlook. By looking into this log data, you can pinpoint the problem yourself or at least show it to someone who has some knowledge about it.
Outlook logs all activities including its communication with Exchange, POP, SMTP, IMAP and Hotmail
servers. Below are the troubleshooting steps for Outlook problems with transaction logging.

How to turn on email logging for Outlook troubleshooting

  • Launch the Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
  • From the toolbar menu, click on “Tools” and then select “Options”.
  • When you get the “Options” window, click on “Other” tab.
  • Select “Advanced Options”.
  • Check to see if “Enable logging troubleshooting” or “Enable mail logging troubleshooting” is enabled. If it’s not enabled, mark the checkbox beside it. Click “OK” twice when it prompts to.
  • Now exit the windows and restart Microsoft Outlook.

You need to check if you still have the same problem persisting. Try to send or receive email and check if it reproduces the error. If it generates the same error, go back and uncheck “Enable logging troubleshooting” or “Enable mail logging troubleshooting” to disable it.

How to find the log file

Finding the log file is a bit more tedious task as compared to enabling or disabling the transaction logging.

  • Go to “Start” menu and click “Run”.
  • Type “%temp%” into the Open text field and click “OK”.
  • From the “Temp” folder, locate the folder for POP and SMTP. Locate the file “OPMLog.log”. This is the log file for POP and SMTP.
  • Locate the “Outlook Logging” folder within the Temp folder and open it.
  • Open IMAP folder and locate the files, “imap0.log”, “imap1.log”. These are the log files for IMAP.
  • Open the “Hotmail” folder within the folder “Outlook Logging”.
  • Locate the files “http0.log”, “http1.log” which are the log files for Hotmail service.

These log files help you to find the exact reasons for many Outlook problems which then in turn help you fix those problems.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Customizing Google Chrome Extensions


Due to simple design and high end user interface, Google’s Chrome web browser attained the “most popular tag” within a short time of period. Besides this, the browser is available to users for free and also offers a high browsing speed in almost all environments.

The Google Chrome browser supports numerous extensions, also called as web apps. Chrome users can easily download and install these extensions from the Google Chrome Web store. Want to know how to perform this? Then follow the below mentioned instructions.

Guidelines to follow

  • Turn on your Windows system and launch the Google Chrome browser 
  • Now click on the Wrench icon located at the top right corner of the browser screen and choose the tab marked Tools form the pull-down menu list.
  • Now click on the Extensions tab to view the list of Chrome Web Apps that you have already installed in your web browser.
  • You can disable the action of a particular extension by simply clicking the Disable button instead of hitting the Uninstall button.
  • For removing the entire traces of the Google Chrome Web app, access the Uninstall button that corresponds to the particular extension.
  • For making additional changes in the Google Chrome Settings for a particular extension, click on the Options tab. Now you can view the available options for that particular extension. 
  • If you want to run the app in an Incognito browser, place a tick mark in the box next to Allow in incognito option.

How to install Google Chrome extensions?

  • Launch the Google Chrome browser on the system
  • Click on the tab that reads Get More Extension displayed on the lower right corner of the window. This redirects you to the Google Chrome Web store and you can download any Chrome Web Apps from here. 
  • Once you finish downloading the app, click the tab marked Add to Chrome
  • Then you will able to view a pop-up window with an install button in it. Now click Install and follow the onscreen commands to complete the app installation process. 
  • After finishing the installation, it’s advisable to restart the Google Chrome web browser to apply the Google Chrome Settings changes.

To know more about the features and functions of Google Chrome Web Browser, make use of the Help feature incorporated with Chrome.

Monday, March 25, 2013

How To Allow Pop-Ups In Google Chrome


Are you constantly worried about the increasing loading time of web pages when you attempt to browse internet? It is frustrating to wait for the requisite pages you want when you are in a great hurry to start your work. You may think your computer is slow or that the browser is in trouble. However, wait a minute before taking further actions to repair your browser or a consequential clean up and re-installing the operating system because your computer may show similar slowdown symptoms due to the loading of unwanted ads and pop-ups while you try to load a particular website.
The pop ups not only stand guilty but also are most unwelcome, they also waste the precious bandwidth thus reducing the speed of data transfer. Fortunately, Google Chrome offers a remarkable service in this aspect, as it is fast and blocks any such popup windows from opening by default. The default Google Chrome settings, are set to meet this specification and thus improving your browsing experience. However, certain websites and applications require you to load these popup windows and in order to use them; you have to enable the Google Chrome settings manually to allow the pop-ups to load.

Steps to follow

First, you need to have the Google Chrome browser on your PC. If you do not have one, then install it.
Then move to the Tools menu or the Chrome menu and select Preferences.
You should go to the Under the Hood tab, which is given at the top of the window.
Next, click on the Content Settings button under the Privacy section.
Go to the Pop-ups tab.
In addition, you have to select the button very next to the option Allow all sites to show pop-ups.
Then click Close in order to save the settings. Now Google Chrome will open all website pop ups.
Just as you have seen, the procedure for disabling the pop-up blocker in Chrome is very handy and simple. Now getting tech support for similar issues is not a tough job as the availability of such helpful online resources are abundant, along with excellent tech support centers like Microsoft Help and Google Chrome Help which provide online chat and call facilities to achieve quick service.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Troubleshooting Internet Explorer Problems


Internet Explorer is the default web browser in the Windows operating systems. Although not the most popular internet browser around, it still is quite a capable one. Problems are quite common while using IE, and once you start using it, you will find that you need to spend more time fixing the problems it brings up, than browsing websites. The Microsoft support team has provided us with the following set of instructions, which will help you with resolving the problems in the Internet Explorer browser.

Instructions to resolve Internet Explorer issues
First of all, click on the “Start” button located in the lower left corner of your screen, and then click on the “All Programs” option. Choose the “Windows Updates” option, and then click on the “Check for Updates” option located on the left pane. A simple update process will suffice to resolve the issues in some cases.
Choose the “Start” option to open the Start Menu, and then type “msconfig” into the Search field. Click on the “Startup” to display all the startup programs in your computer. Disable all the programs that are unnecessarily run during the startup process. Make sure that you do not disable those programs that are vital for the computer startup process. Reboot your PC after this process.
Press "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" and then click on "Start Task Manager” option. From the list of running programs, choose the "iexplorer.exe” option, and then click on the “End Task” option. Ensure that you do not do this with the “explorer.exe” option, as it is a vital program.
Click on the “Start” button, and from the Start Menu; choose the “Computer” option. Move the pointer of your mouse towards the "OS (C:)" option, and then right click on it. Select the “Defragment” option from the menu. Repeat this process of defragmenting the hard drives with the other drives in your computer.
Restart your computer, and then check whether the program is working fine.
If the problems persist with the Internet Explorer browser, access the Microsoft Fix It Center, and download the Fix It program. Once this program gets activated, it will search for issues within the program and fix them automatically.
These are the instructions that you should follow in order to resolve the issues with the Internet Explorer browser. These simple and easy guidelines were provided by the excellent Microsoft support team and with the help of these steps, you will be able to get past any minor obstacles you might face.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Fix Windows Update In Vista


The update feature in Windows operating system is a default setup and design to keep the operating system updated with the latest program updates and security features. The Windows Update program will look for new updates on Microsoft website when you wish to update a certain program. The interesting feature of Windows Vista updates is that you can manually check for updates anytime or set time for the program to check automatically at a regular interval.
It is quite common for all the systems or programs to succumb to errors at times. Windows Vista may encounter a wide variety of technical problems and unfortunately, as a result of this havoc,  Windows Update will fail to function properly. When you see such Vista problems, the first involuntary response will be a panic attack, which is followed by a certain amount of voluntary disappointment. But hey, you can easily fix the problem all by yourself by making use of the troubleshooting steps given below.
 steps you should follow while troubleshooting
Click on the Start menu located on the bottom of the screen and go to the option marked as All Programs.
Locate the Windows Update option and click on it. A screen will show up and click on the label Get updates for more products. The Windows will take some time to install the program. If no option shows up, the program is already installed in the system.
Check for any new update availability by clicking on the button Check for updates. If any error occurs during the program updates, close the dialog box.
Go to the Start menu again and to the Control Panel. Type in troubleshooter in the search field space and click on the option marked as Troubleshooting.
Under the System and Security, click on the label Fix problems with Windows Update. Any issue that exists with the Windows Update will be located. You will also be provided with the necessary solutions.
Close all the running programs and go to the Start menu. Click on shutdown and select Restart. The Windows Update will continue and finish any unfinished updates.
Go to Windows Update from the Programs and select Restore hidden updates. Download the past updates by clicking on Restore.
Again, click on Check for updates option and see that the program functions properly. Choose the programs you wish to update and click on Install.
These troubleshooting steps will fix any Vista problems associated with the Windows Update feature. The Vista Support center can also provide you with additional steps to fix the related problems.


Monday, January 21, 2013

How To Configure Microsoft Outlook On A Home Computer Using Internet Mail Service?


Microsoft’s personal information manager application, Microsoft Outlook, comes bundled with Microsoft Office suite. The ease of use and multiple functionality in Outlook helps users to handle their data and information more securely and safely. Although Microsft Outlook is mainly used as an email client application, it also includes additional features such as calendar, contact list, address book etc.
If you have email accounts in Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc. you can configure those in Outlook. By doing so you can easily access your account and download emails to your system;  this will also enable the offline reading of email messages.
In order to configure Outlook you need to make some changes within the Outlook Settings. Continue reading to know more about the same.
Instructions
First of all, you need to enable the option within your Internet Mail Service settings.
Now obtain the mail server type: POP3 or IMAP
When done, obtain the incoming and outgoing mail server settings. Usually the details about the incoming and outgoing server are provided by the email provider.
Now launch the Microsoft Outlook application on your computer by clicking the Outlook icon situated on your windows desktop screen.
Now tag along the tools tab situated at the main menu bar. This pulls down a tools menu with several options.
Now select the option labeled account settings from the pull down list.
Then you need to click the email option followed by clicking the new tab.
Provide your email address and password in the desired field. When done, put a check mark in the box next to manually configure server settings.
Once you finish the prior step, trigger the next button.
Now determines the type of mail server IMAP or POP3.
When done, input your incoming and outgoing server settings. Normally this setting is provided by the service provider. Once you finish this, trigger the next button.
Now trace the onscreen prompts to configure Microsoft Outlook with your webmail.
Finish of the procedure by hitting the finish button.
In order to download your emails, you need to trigger the send/receive option in the main Outlook window.
By making these changes in the Outlook settings, you can easily configure Microsoft Outlook with your Webmail.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Tips To Keep Hold Of A Firefox Profile


The Mozilla Firefox web browser is regarded as a third generation browser packed up with options to customize its services.  The changes or modifications brought into the Mozilla Firefox web browser will be stored in the computer as a file or as it is better known, a profile. If you were to change your system or if you have to reinstall the Mozilla Firefox browser due to various reasons, running this file will bring back the customized settings as set by you on a previous occasion.
Whenever a Mozilla Firefox web browser is installed on a machine, a profile will be created to store the details of the settings applied which can later be shared with various other users with the help of LAN or a USB device. When reinstalled, this browser will lose the configuration parameters and will possibly result in crashing of the web browser if it has to run in tandem with other programs that requires settings customized according specifically for it. It’s better to keep save the Firefox profile to maintain these indispensable parameters of the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Just tag along the following instructions shaped out by the Mozilla Firefox support team to know more about this.

Instructions
Exit the Mozilla Firefox web browser that’s currently running on your computer.
Trigger the "Start" tab to bring on the "My Computer" tab to open up the Windows Explorer and then type in "C:%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles" into the address bar before engaging the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
Pick out the destination path of the file saved on your computer craft out a replica of that file and move it to an external drive or a USB device so that it will be secured.
Now just carry out a clean formatting and reinstallation of the Windows as well as other software including the Mozilla Firefox web browser.
Tag along the "Start" tab to bring on the "My Computer" to bring on the Windows Explorer and type in "C:%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles" into the address bar before hitting on the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
Pick out the destination path where you saved the Firefox profile on your system from "C:%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles".
Running that particular file will bring back the configuration parameters back to your Mozilla Firefox system.
Contact the Mozilla Firefox support team if you are encounter any problem while executing these instructions.