Cost Effective Technical Support Services

Today most of the business entrepreneurs are using computers and other IT devices. The business in a way has become totally dependent on these things. But it is not necessary that all people know about the technology of all the devices. These devices are a bit sophisticated and require technical support so that they can run smoothly. The technical support services are used for this because they are cost-effective.

These solutions are very good to use and practical as they are affordable to all. There are now many technical support solutions providers in the field offering support to the data and help the user to understand its PC. Different types of viruses and malwares can be found in the business. They can harm the computer system and can freeze the important data. This can become painful for those who have stored their business data on computers and this led to a gap between the relations with the customers. Hence the systems should have a backup and can take the help of the IT support providers.

You can take help about the maintenance of your computer systems. With the process of continuous monitoring you can have an assurance that your data is safe and secure. These services are offered on a twenty four by seven basis and they make confirm about the availability to make your systems healthy at all time. They are very creative in terms of technology and ideas and can help to expand your business. They work just like an extension of your IT department. It reduces the operational and administration cost of the business.

By taking the benefits of the hosted services, the IT costs are reduced and the complexity of the process as well. Technical services providers help in maintaining privacy of the data and guarantee about your only presence to your company's data. They recover information from the computers which are not healthy. They can retrieve your data that does not look to be retrieved. They maximize the company's time and try to increase the business productivity. It gives the company to focus on its core business activities.

Remote database management services are also popular in this context. Different types of providers are there in the market today; among them some are also providing the data center services to keep your data a remote storage place. You can store your data away from your work location so that it can easily be recovered if any disaster happens. You can also access this data from anywhere in the world. It is a cost-effective way to manage your data

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6577695

How Online Tech Support Minimizes Cost

Online tech support is one of the best ways of reducing the downtime caused by troubleshooting computers. This is especially important in a small enterprise that does not require a full department committed to solving information technology issues. Outsourcing all this work to different experts on the Internet, each of which is knowledgeable in a particular niche, minimizes cost in many areas.

One way how online tech support helps in reducing the expenses is that it presents a conglomeration of IT professionals who deal in different electronic hitches. For example there are those versed in fixing operational systems that can provide efficient advice depending on the details communicated to them by the client. These can be subdivided into specialists who deal in particular versions of the major operating systems. The fact that many technicians of different capabilities work under one firm means that one does not have to look for multiple technicians to fix each specific problem at a time.

Another way in which this web based help can be instrumental to sound electronic systems is in enhancing personal skills. Certain problems like those of blurred images on the screen, localized slow Internet connections, and incompatibility of software in a particular machine can be fixed through a do-it-yourself guide. One can look for an answer on anything related to computers and use professional guidelines and also user reviews to do the work themselves.

For online tech support to work out between the two sides in the virtual world of the web, it is important for the owner to diagnose the problem beforehand. This is because some hitches can be affecting all computers in a network and therefore one would be advised to wait until the problem is resolved universally. They can also connect their servers to a remote data center, especially if they are large businesses, where they can be served firsthand at minimal cost.

Source : ezinearticles

Tech Support Survival Tips

Hardly anybody enjoys talking to tech support. And whenever the topic even comes up, it seems to really hit a nerve with people. That is why you need tech support survival tips, tips that can streamline the tech support process and, therefore, get you the help you are seeking. Tech support survival tips are practical for you to use when resolving any issue -- a computer issue, a phone issue, a television issue.

1.Patience
Patience is a virtue, and it is a tech support survival tip you should learn. Be polite with tech support staff when you are on the line, even if you are frustrated by your tech problem. To help yourself remain calm, you may want to try a few suggestions. You can help yourself to a glass of water, take several deep breaths or even do some muscular stretches.

2. Serial Number
Before you call the tech support line, have the product's serial number available. You can find the serial number on the back of most manuals or the back of the devices themselves. Having the serial number ready lets the tech support worker target the proper piece of equipment you are calling about. If your call concerns a software issue, then immediately tell the tech support worker if you have a PC or a Mac.

3. Proper Number
People sometimes call the wrong tech support department when they have a tech problem. To avoid this, double-check the phone number and company name to make sure you are calling the proper manufacturer or company. It may sound obvious, but following this tip saves everyone time and resources.

4. Accurate Information
Always provide accurate, detailed and comprehensive information -- the more the merrier, in this case -- to tech support staff so they don't waste their time on misdirected suggestions. Informing the support worker what you were doing when the computer or other device encountered a problem is vital. With that information, the worker may already be able to diagnose the origin of your problem before you have to explain further.


Source : eHow.com

Tech Support and Museum Participation

NEW YORK— Mark your Google calendars! The VIP Art Fair, an ambitious experiment in creating an online-only art fair, is gearing up to return in 2012, having absorbed some hard-won lessons from last year's rocky launch. The organizers of the digital fair have just announced that VIP2.0, as they are calling the second iteration, will be "live" between February 3-8.

Sparking loads of hype and speculation, the first edition promised to cut the costs associated with art fairs — which for galleries include shipping art and providing lavish entertainments for clients — while providing its own air of exclusivity by featuring some of the world's best galleries and having a log-in-only "VIP Lounge" with exclusive content. But the fair was bedeviled with technical issues that at one point completely crashed the site. Some dealers also complained of being unable to move big-ticket items online.

Yet despite the bugs, not everyone was unhappy. "Not only did we sell work to new clients (your ultimate goal in any fair), but we connected the dots on long-standing clients who didn't know about certain works by other artists we work with," dealer Ed Winkleman enthused on his popular blog, predicting that online fairs would become an increasingly important part of the gallery routine in the future.

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The exhibitor list for the 2012 edition is still in formation, but already includes such big names as Luhring Augustine, Marianne Boesky, Marian Goodman, Pace, Salon 94, Victoria Miro, White Cube, Yvon Lambert, and David Zwirner, as well as a host of hip emerging galleries. Close to 100 have already signed on for the second VIP.

Notably absent from the current list are some of the high-profile spaces touted for the first edition, among them Gagosian Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, and Sadie Coles HQ, who were listed as "VIP Founding Galleries" during the fair's launch, as well as big names like L&M Arts, Marlborough Gallery, and Michael Werner. (Following last year's VIP experience, Werner director Gordon Veneklasen had told Bloomberg that he was demanding his money back).

After the problems of the first VIP, organizers offered 50 percent refunds to participants and allowed dealers to continue maintaining their virtual online "booths" for months after the official close of the event. There was also talk of changing the fair's model, making available its "private room" service — which allows the display of high-resolution, interactive images of artworks — for year-round use to galleries, even ones who hadn't participated in the original fair.

However, this latter initiative seems to have gone by the wayside as VIP prepared for its 2012 return. "We made a decision to focus all of our energies on solving the problems that the fair experienced last year in order to deliver a flawless experience for our visitors and exhibitors at this year's fair," organizer Jane Cohan told ARTINFO in an email. "To this end, we regrouped, brought our tech team in-house, and have now built a robust site from which we can move forward."

One intriguing feature of VIP2.0 looks to be a virtual "Museum and Edition Hall," where an assortment of top international museums will sell editions. Cohan said that the Serpentine Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery, and Parkett magazine were already on board.

In any case, attempts to bring art commerce into the digital age proceed apace. In a recent report, Clare McAndrew emphasized that the fundamental economics of the art world were likely to motivate a trend towards a hybrid "bricks and clicks" model of art commerce, combining online initiatives with more traditional avenues. The VIP Art Fair, despite its rocky start, still seems best placed to take advantage of this emerging trend. Expect art-world observers to be eagerly clicking back come February.

Source : artinfo.com

Versatile Software Support

The relevant software's are updated and installed on your computer to benefit you significantly, since everyday, breakthroughs are achieved in the world of science and technology and the area of computer software is only a part of it.

Computers being an important part of our life are borne with few problems occasionally. At that hard time online technical support helps you and everybody look for resources providing computer technical support. The support works efficiently for all issues either software or hardware.

The software supports services ensure not only the protection of equipments but also create a back up for your data, and protect your network from cyber crimes such as hacking, e-mail bombing, unauthorized access and virus attacks.

Online Microsoft Windows Vista Support will diagnose and troubleshoot issues with your Windows Vista operating system. Online computer support technicians resolve all the issues of operating systems at their level best and help to satisfy the customer's needs and enhance their goodwill too.

Microsoft support intends to learn you vital and significant changes in Microsoft products and users must learn and get accustomed to, and your learning experience is going to take much less time if you are new to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook.

A line of OS produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers is Windows XP having universal hardware support and better graphics which makes it a better OS. Windows XP is enhanced by its important features as security and wireless support.

Online Microsoft support is a type of remote computer repair assisting in great help to things like computer optimization support. Excellent customer care is provided as online technicians are oriented as such. Each issue however big or small, is equally important and expected to receive the same amount of attention and expertise.

Microsoft Windows XP Support is provided for its versatile version, where Windows XP Home Edition is targeted at home users and Windows XP Professional is targeted at power users, business and enterprise clients offering additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors.

You must go for online support services for setup and installation of Antispyware, if you are looking for successful defense tools and procedures. Highly trained tech support experts offer flexibility, low maintenance and centralized consoles to remove spyware and other wrong things.

Setup and installation of Antispyware software by technical experts is most required for protection against online malware threat by continually scanning for viruses, including Trojans and worms.

Setup and installation of Windows 7 is very simple, likely to other Windows operating system with online technical support. The different options are Internet, Windows 7 installation disc, or USB flash drive. In each you get the option of setup.exe. You have to double click that file to run the installation wizard. After that, the setup runs automatically and you need to just follow the on-screen prompts. Make sure that you have entered the valid product activation key.

Source: EzineArticles

Computer Tech Support

Whether you make a living as a computer support technician or just help your friends and family members when they get into trouble, helping other people solve their computer problems can be very rewarding. There are many ways to get started in the world of computer support, but it does pay to have a passion for computers.


1. Learn as much as you can about computers on your own. While classroom instruction and traditional learning are important, much of the computer tech support world is hands-on. The more real-world experience you can bring to the table, the better off you will be.

2.Check with companies in your area to determine what type of schooling and experience they are looking for in their computer tech support personnel. One way to do that is by reading the want ads, but a better way is to actually talk to people who are in computer tech support. You will find that computer technicians run the gamut in terms of background and experience, but it is important to know the requirements of any local companies you would like to work for.

3.Seek out courses at your local community college or vo-tech school. If you are still in high school, switching to a vo-tech program with an emphasis on technology can give you a leg up and introduce you to local businesspeople who may be willing to hire you as an intern or a part-time worker. If you have already graduated from high school, check out the programs offered by your local community college. Many community colleges offer not only basic computer courses but also courses that prepare students for industry certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and other major players in the tech industry.

4.Consider seeking out one of these certification tracks, especially if you are new to the tech world and lack paid experience. If you can point to a respected certification like the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), you may be able to get the attention of hiring managers and increase your likelihood of getting hired.

5.Be willing to start in a low-level position while you prove yourself to your employer. Many new computer tech support workers will start out in the company's help desk--fielding phone calls from frustrated computer users and assisting callers with common problems. Doing a great job in that relatively low-level role will give you the experience you need to move up to a more responsible--and better-paying--position.

Source: eHow.com

Tech wrap: Google+ now open to the masses

Google has opened up its Google+ social network to anyone who’d like to give it a whirl, after a successful three-month run as an invite-only service. The company also rolled out a slew of new features for Google+, including integration of its flagship search engine into the platform, and expanded its Hangouts video-chatting feature to enable mobile use on its own Android-based smartphones. Support for Hangouts on Apple’s iOS mobile software is “coming soon”, Google promised in a blog post. Users will soon have the option to broadcast their Hangouts sessions beyond the nine allowed participants as well by opening them up to live viewing by anyone. Want to record a chat for posterity? Well, that’s coming soon too.

Google+ rival Facebook also unveiled new tweaks to its service on Tuesday, introducing a new “ticker” on its users’ home pages and providing real-time notifications of what friends are doing on the service. Facebook also revamped the service’s main news feed to flag important items — such as a new baby announcement — for Facebook users who have not logged on for a few days. Facebook also changed the way photos are displayed on the site, increasing the size of pictures that appear in a users’ news feed.

U.S. prosecutors accused poker website Full Tilt Poker on Tuesday of running a Ponzi scheme in which the company’s owners and board members paid themselves nearly half a billion dollars while defrauding players. That indictment accused three Internet poker companies — Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and PokerStars — and 11 people, including Full Tilt director Raymond Bitar, of bank fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering offenses. Read the complaint in full here.

Oracle posted quarterly revenue slightly above Wall Street expectations, defying a weak outlook for global technology spending. New software sales, a gauge of future profit because they generate high-margin long-term service contracts, rose 17 percent compared with analysts’ expectations for 15 percent.

Whither the AT&T/T-Mobile merger? In a new analysis, Reuters correspondents Sinead Carew and Nicola Leske argue that “If AT&T fails to convince U.S. regulators that its proposed purchase of Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile USA should go ahead, the pair may end up having to settle for a lesser relationship.”

Texh Support Opportunity

Much has recently been made of the increasing need SMBs have for mobile systems and services. However, some statistics from a new study by business communications provider Fonality make it clear that SMB’s need for mobility is even more pressing than the pundits are saying. We don’t want to put too much weight in a vendor-produced survey, but it still presents a powerful argument for MSPs to focus even more on mobility, branch office and home office support.

This article’s headline is not a typo. The study finds that a full 50% of workers at SMBs employing 10-250 people work outside the primary office, with a quarter of SMB staff out and about at any given time. So if an SMB has 250 employees, about 125 of them will need reliable mobile access to corporate systems part or all of the time.
Save Your SMB Clients $10K per Mobile Employee&l

And lack of this access is hurting SMBs. The study finds that productivity loss is up to six hours per week of wasted time per mobile SMB employee. By providing the same business communications experience inside and outside the office, Fonality says an average firm consisting of 137 employees with 67 mobile workers can recoup up to $700,000 annually in measurable staff productivity gains, or more than $10,000 per mobile employee. Those figures make for a pretty persuasive sales pitch.
Four in 10 SMBs Plan Mobile/Cloud Deployments

In many cases, the study finds your sales pitch has already been done for you. More than four in 10 (43%) SMBs plan to deploy cloud-based or hosted mobile solutions to improve delivery to employees. Almost every one of them will need help from an MSP in implementing, integrating and managing these systems.
SMBs Look to Tablet, UC Capabilities

It is also worth noting the study predicts that tablet computers will become the standard SMB mobile device in 18 month, so don’t focus all your mobile services efforts on smartphones. Additional details from the report revealed that real-time presence as well as corporate directory and calendar access are favored Unified Communications (UC) capabilities; contact center functionality, including customer escalation, skills-based routing and queue management are an increasingly high priority; and Wi-Fi connectivity is a preferred method to preserve mobile plan minutes.

This is pretty powerful data, though it’s important to note that Fonality promotes a mobile unified communications solution for small business customers. Four in 10 SMBs are planning their mobile transition, and the rest will surely be interested to hear about possible savings of $10,000 per mobile employee. Are you convinced that getting seriously involved in managed mobile services is a good idea yet?

Source : mspmentor.net

Solyndra failure threatens DOE’s clean-tech support

The collapse of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra has raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) process for evaluating loan guarantees and its ability to successfully spend the remaining $10 billion earmarked to support clean technologies, observers said.

Fremont, California-based Solyndra, which designs and manufactures solar photovoltaic systems, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 6 September after failing to secure additional funds from the private sector to continue operations. Two days later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the company’s headquarters and the homes of several Solyndra executives, for reasons as yet undisclosed.

In 2009, the DOE offered Solyndra the first loan guarantee for a renewable energy project, valued at $535 million, to cover debt financing for about 73% of the cost of building a solar panel fabrication facility in California.

In late 2010, Solyndra asked the department to increase its loan commitment because it was unsuccessful in its efforts to raise additional equity. The DOE refused and Solyndra sought a new $75 million emergency loan from its current equity investors. In order to avoid an imminent default by Solyndra, the department agreed in February to restructure its loan guarantee to give the investors repayment priority over the DOE.
Republicans slam Solyndra loan guarantee

In a contentious Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives argued that the department erred in giving up the government’s primary recovery position, contrary to the plain language of the statute authorising the programme, which requires the DOE’s financial commitment not to be subordinate to any other funding sources.

Jonathan Silver, executive director of the Loan Programs Office, testified that DOE’s legal counsel signed off on the decision to restructure the loan guarantee.

“You didn’t have a very good lawyer and I think you got bad advice,” replied Stephen Scalise (R-Louisiana).

Several Republican members said the review process for the Solyndra loan was rushed due to White House pressure to promote its economic stimulus package. They also implied that the loan itself was made for political reasons, namely a financial contribution to President Barack Obama by George Kaiser, one of the company’s primary backers, which Silver denied.
US solar market flooded with Chinese imports, say Democrats

House Democrats and Silver blamed market conditions for Solyndra’s collapse, specifically the influx of Chinese-made solar products that has depressed cell prices by about 42% in the first eight months of 2011, Silver stated.

China has been the most aggressive country in supporting its clean-tech sector, providing more than $30 billion in credit to the country’s largest solar manufacturers through the government controlled China Development Bank, 20 times larger than the US investment, Silver said.

But several legislators also expressed concern that they were misled in July by Solyndra officials, who claimed the company was in a good financial position and would double its revenues this year. Solyndra’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer are scheduled to testify before Congress next week.

“I have no reason sitting here today to believe we were misled,” Silver said.

The DOE’s Section 1705 loan guarantee programme is set to expire on 30 September and staffers are working to complete all conditional commitments prior to the deadline. As of 12 September, 18 loan guarantees with a total value of about $8 billion have closed and another 18 projects have received conditional commitments totalling more than $10 billion.

“If the administration was so wrong about Solyndra after nine months of due diligence, how can it possibly exercise the proper controls when doling out $10 billion dollars in a matter of weeks?” asked Fred Upton (R-Michigan), chairman of the House energy and commerce committee.

Resource : environmental-finance

How to Use Add ons for Firefox?

Have you just started using Mozilla Firefox? Have you explored the special tools available for Firefox users? Mozilla Firefox has a large set of versatile tools called Add-ons, or Extensions. They allow you to personalize Firefox to suit your tastes and browsing habits.You can block many ad images and banners with Adblock Plus. Cool Iris lets you temporarily open a small browser window to explore another link while staying on the same page. eQuake Alert will keep you informed of earthquake details from all over the world. There is a Yahoo Toolbar designed specifically to help you get the best use out of Firefox and Yahoo.There are weather add-ons, dictionary add-ons, graphics add-ons, all kinds toys and games and tools to customize your browsing experience.


* 1 Open Firefox. Click on Tools, then click on Add-ons. This will open a small window in the corner of your browser. The bottom right corner has a blue link, "Get Extensions." Click on it. This will open up a new web page with links to lots of extensions. Look around at what's available and what sounds interesting to you.

* 2 Click on one of the extensions and you will get a button that says "Add to Firefox." Go ahead and click on it. This will open up a box to verify that you want to install this add-on. Click on "Install Now." Most add-ons will then ask you if you want to complete the installation by restarting Firefox now. Either do that, or close the window and your extensions will be finished installing the next time you close and reopen Firefox.

* 3 Find Cool Iris in the list of extensions. Cool Iris is a great add-on for checking out links without opening them in new tabs or windows before you're sure you want to. Follow the instructions above to install it, including closing and restarting Firefox. Now, when you roll over a link, you will see a small blue magnifying glass. If you click on or stay on that blue icon, a separate small window will open to show you where that link would take you. Keep your cursor on the window and you can see the information. As soon as you move the cursor away from the window, it will close.

* 4 Decide if you want to keep using the add-ons. You can keep them, delete them or disable them. Click on the Add-ons menu entry and it will give you a list of all your installed Add-ons and their status. In that window, check the green symbol that says "Extensions." From there, you can enable, disable or uninstall any of them.


Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_4432265_use-add-ons-firefox.html#ixzz1XG2Hz42J

Technical Support - Prevention is Better Than Cure

The best way to deal with the sloppy service you are bound to receive if you resort to a technical support phone call is to avoid that phone call altogether. The blunt truth is that technical support service, with unwilling companies and logistical hurdles galore, is not going to get better in the near future. Instead of leaving your computer system to the winds of fate and time, it is better and a lot easier to take matters into your own hands. Eventually, all computer software and hardware must be replaced but by taking care of your computer, you can reduce the chances of your computer system failing and increase its longevity. Taking care of computer is easy and cheap as most of the tools are available bundled with the operating system itself. Additional software that you might need is readily available free or very cheap online.

1. Always, always use an antivirus. Your computer, particularly if it is connected to the internet continuously through a broadband connection, is at risk of being infected by over one million malicious computer viruses. Computer viruses are essentially little bits of code that have found ways to get past or manipulate your computer security system. Once they are in your computer, they can wreck havoc. An antivirus is a must for any computer that is connected to the Internet. Even if the computer you use is rarely connected to the internet, it is at risk of being infected by flash-drives, floppies or practically any other external media. Free antivirus software is readily available online if you do not feel like shelling out money on one.

2. House-cleaning. Computers and humans and human life have a great deal in common. Because they were invented and designed by humans, they reflect a lot of human concepts. Computers, like homes, can become cluttered, particularly the hard-drives. Through intensive use, hard-drives will generally get fragmented, which means that a single file may be written across multiple locations on the disk. Although this poses no problem per se to the operation of the computer, it slows it down considerably as to read one file the hard disk must scan to several locations instead of being able to read in one line continuously. Regular defragmentation (the process of joining these fragments of data together on the disk) is a must. Defragmentation software exists natively on your operating system and need not be bought separately.

3. Backup. Never put all your eggs in one basket, someone said, and that principle holds all the more true in the cyber world. Always keep a backup of your important data in a separate location (i.e. on another computer or online; keeping a backup on the same computer is pointless). This way, in the event that your system goes through a catastrophic software crash, all you simply need to do is format (erase) the entire computer, reinstall the operating system and load your vital data back on. In many cases, a clean installation is a lot easier and takes less time than trying to diagnose the problem with a technical support staff.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/g9qn2

Find Free Business Software

Anyone trying to run a business knows the cost of software can be exorbitant. It doesn't have to be. Free business software is abundant on the Internet, if you know how and where to find it. Here are some steps to follow that will help you find the free business software you need.

Instructions


Evaluate your business software needs before beginning your search. The types of programs you are looking for will dictate your investigation.

Check that any free software program provides technical support via a toll-free number or online, features updates and offers the necessary tools to run the software.


Ensure any free business software is compatible with your operating system and other programs you are using before installing.

Visit websites, such as OpenOffice.org, for a free office suite program similar to Microsoft Office. This software offers word processing, spreadsheet and presentation capabilities and drawing functionality.


Look for free accounting/finance software at websites, such as FreewareHome.com. This site offers products ranging from beginner bookkeeping to budgeting for small and medium-sized businesses.

Search websites, such as cnet.com or freebyte.com, to download a wide range of free business software.

Read user reviews, computer magazines, consumer reports and vendor websites to learn about products you are interested in. Users offer hands-on evaluations and generally do not have product loyalty.


Read more: http://goo.gl/t3Cv7

Troubleshoot the Microsoft Access 2003 Software ?

Microsoft Access 2003 is a database management system that is a component of the Microsoft Office Professional 2003 application suite. There are several problems including opening and saving files, database operations, and printing that can occur while working with Access. Many problems can be resolved by following a sequence of steps to troubleshoot the software. A contact to the Microsoft Access technical support staff is the final step if you are unable to resolve the problem on your own.

Instructions

Check your computer's configuration to ensure that your system has adequate resources to run Microsoft Access 2003. Access 2003 requires Windows 2000, Windows XP, XP Professional, or the Vista operating system. Microsoft suggests a minimum of 128 MB of RAM running on a Pentium-233 or faster processor. Normal installations require a minimum of 20 GB of free hard disk space. Make adjustments to your computer if needed to ensure that it meets the system requirements.

Click "Help" - "Activate Product", and enter your software product key using the activation link on the Internet. You must register and activate your software as a prerequisite for downloading updates and obtaining formal technical support from Microsoft if it is needed. Click "Help" - "Check for Updates" to download and install the latest updates for Access 2003. Check the Microsoft support web site for updates to Microsoft Office 2003 and your Windows operating system to ensure that these software files are also up to date.

Click "Help" - "Microsoft Office Access Help", and enter the word "troubleshoot" in the search bar on the right panel of your screen. Browse the list of common problems and resolutions to see if your problem is documented and follow the recommendation for resolution if provided. If your problem is not listed, re-start your computer and run Microsoft Access without any other software programs running. Record any error messages you receive and note any other software programs that were running during the error.

Search the Microsoft support web site for any information related to the specific error messages that you received, or software applications that you were running when the problem occurred. Click "Help" - "Contact Us" to contact Microsoft support directly if you cannot find a resolution documented on the Microsoft web site. Technical support options include email, telephone and on line chat.

Read more: http://goo.gl/j8sjX

Reasons for Updating an Antivirus Protection Software

Malicious software or "malware" can take various forms such as viruses, spyware and keystroke loggers. Malware can cause a variety of problems ranging from annoyances such as popup ads to serious issues such as loss of data or hardware damage. Antivirus software is designed to detect and remove malware from your computer and also ensure that your computer does not become infected in the first place. However, your antivirus software must be kept up to date to ensure continuous protection for your computer.

Continuous Protection

The most important reason to update antivirus software is to ensure that your computer is continuously protected against viruses, spyware and other malware. New viruses are unleashed on the Internet every day and antivirus software developers must frequently update their products to recognize these new threats. A library of "virus definitions" containing data used to detect known viruses must be be updated frequently. Sometimes new virus definitions are released several times a month or even several times a week. If your antivirus program does not have these updates, it will not be able to protect your computer against newly discovered threats. Because updates are so important, most antivirus programs make it very easy to download these files. Some programs even download and install updates automatically.

Program Improvements

Another reason to download antivirus program updates is to upgrade the software with the latest bug fixes and enhancements. User feedback and testing may lead software developers to make changes or improvements to the user interface or the underlying program code. In some cases, updates may offer new features which were not available in older versions of the program. Updates may also improve program efficiency and add new functionality such as popup blocking, spam blocking, Web link scanning.

Technical Support

Software companies typically provide technical support for the most current versions of their software. Updating to the current version will make it easier for you to obtain technical support or other assistance with your antivirus software if you need it. Some software publishers do not provide any support for older versions of their products, so if you have a problem, you must resolve it on your own.

Compatibility

Antivirus updates can improve program compatibility and eliminate known bugs in the program code. Software publishers are often unaware of these issues until after a product has been released to the public on a wide scale and users begin reporting problems. Software can be optimized and refined to increase compatibility and reduce programmatic errors.

Read more: http://goo.gl/E7ln1

Useful Computer Troubleshooting Software

With any computer, you will inevitably encounter software or hardware issues that require troubleshooting to correct. Unless you have extensive computer knowledge, pinpointing the exact cause of computer problems can be difficult without software utilities that can diagnose and fix whatever problems that may arise. There are numerous useful tools and utilities that can help simplify the troubleshooting process and get you on track to solving common computer problems.

Diagnosis

The most important aspect of troubleshooting your computer is understanding where the problem is originating. There are a number of programs that provide full system profiles of your computer, including information about the functionality of software and hardware components. Look in my PC and System Information for Windows (see "Resources") can generate a report detailing the technical specifications of your system, the current status of hardware and software and make troubleshooting recommendations. Moreover, these applications provide you with all the details of your computer in case you need to depend on technical support from the manufacturer.

Anti-Virus

It may be common sense, but an effective anti-virus program is one of the most important computer troubleshooting tools around. There are a wide variety of free and paid anti-virus programs that can be employed to scan for security issues that may be causing your computer to malfunction. Among the free options, Microsoft's own Security Essentials (see "Resources") is one of the best rated and most comprehensive programs available. Microsoft also provides a comprehensive list of third-party anti-virus programs on their website (see "Resources").

Software Maintenance

Many computer issues can be solved with some simple software maintenance. Removing unneeded files, disk defragmentation and managing the start-up program list can go a long way in speeding up your computer. Piriform Software is the maker of two of the most popular software maintenance programs that address these three troubleshooting areas (see "Resources"). CCleaner can easily clean your computer of unneeded files and remove unnecessary start-up items while Defraggler provides a quick and effective disk-defragmentation utility.

Screen Sharing

In the end, it may be necessary to turn to outside help to solve your computer problems. One of the handiest utilities to have in your troubleshooting toolbox is a good screen sharing program. These programs enable you to quickly share your screen with anyone in the world, be it a technically proficient friend or family member or your tech support.


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Giving Tech Support With Remote Control Software

In the past, both giving and receiving technical support was a very disconnected experience. The user seeking support would typically be faced with the prospect of calling the company they needed support from, navigating through a complex web of support options, and explaining their problem to a support specialist - all before they ever received any actual support. Even after navigating this rocky road to support, the user had only really just begun their journey.

What would follow is a lengthy phone conversation with a tech specialist who may live on the other side of the world, and have only a set of pre-determined solutions to work with. In addition, trying to translate the words of the support specialist into issue correcting actions can be a very tricky process for even the most advanced users. Different operating systems, software version and hardware configurations can often lead to branching issues that require an expert's direct intervention. Fortunately for all involved, the methodology of both giving and receiving tech support has changed drastically in the last few years thanks to the rise of Remote Control Software.

Remote Control Software, also known as Remote Desktop Software, allows for connections among two or more computers. Once connected, users can take complete control over each other's computers and will have an exact full screen representation of the accessed computer displayed on their screen. While many users are finding exciting and time saving ways to leverage this software, its use in the technical support environment has perhaps been the most widespread. Administers of technical support find these products to be incredibly advantageous to their work due to the incredible amount of saved time and stress. Technical support specialists dislike the long wait times their customers are forced to endure as much as the customers themselves dislike waiting on hold to receive support. It is for this reason that many tech support specialists prefer to use remote control software to administer support whenever the option is viable.

Despite the advantages for the tech support specialists, the real winners in these situations are the customers. Every customer that calls for tech support has the same goal in mind: get my problem solved as quickly as possible. For those individuals fortunate enough to receive technical support from a specialist using Remote Desktop Software, that goal is typically achieved and, quite often, surpassed.

Businesses who decide to make remote control support a cornerstone of their technical support strategy are often rewarded in ways that go beyond mere customer satisfaction. When a customer receives tech support through the use of these programs, they tend to feel as though the level of service received is of a higher standard. If the support succeeds in solving their problem, this can result in what is known as brand evangelism. This is the process in which individuals, extremely pleased with the services of a particular company, take it upon themselves to spread the word on their positive experience with the company, and encourage others to try the product or service that company provides. We see that tech support delivered via remote desktop software can not only be quicker and of higher quality, it can result in new levels of customer satisfaction and even inspire them to generate new customers on behalf of the company.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4373419

Troubleshoot Computer Booting Problem

During the life of your computer, you will probably experience problems with booting the operating system. These boot problems are often caused by newly installed hardware or software. Windows has many tools that can help you to troubleshoot boot problems, find and resolve device and driver conflicts and remove offending software. By using a process of elimination, you can often find the exact cause of the problem. Once you've done the necessary maintenance, you can attempt to reboot your computer normally.

Instructions:

1. Write down the exact error messages you receive while the computer is booting Windows. Click "Start > Run." Type "msconfig" in the field and click "OK." Click the BOOT.INI tab.

2. Check the box next to "/SAFEBOOT." Choose "MINIMAL" to reboot Windows in safe mode. Select "NETWORK" to reboot in safe mode with network support. Choose "DSREPAIR" to reboot in Directory Service restore mode.

3. Click "Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs." Find the programs you installed most recently within the list and uninstall them. Keep the installation CDs or files handy in case you would like to reinstall the programs later.

4. Click "Performance and Maintenance" in Control Panel. Select "System." Select the "Hardware" tab. Click "Device Manager." Select the device that you added to your computer most recently. Right click the device and select "Properties." Click the "Troubleshoot" button and select the option that best describes the symptoms your device is experiencing.

5. Click on all of the plus signs next to the entries in Device Manager to expand all the devices. See if there are any black exclamation marks on a yellow triangle. This indicates a problem with your device. Also see if there are any red X marks near the devices. This indicates that the device is disabled.

6. Click "Start > Run." Type "msconfig" and select "OK." In the BOOT.INI tab, uncheck the /SAFEBOOT option. Reboot your computer. If the computer starts normally, you're finished. If it doesn't, reboot in safe mode and click "Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System Restore." Select "Restore my computer to an earlier time." Choose a date on the calendar that is at least one day prior to the time that your computer began experiencing boot problems.


7. Reinstall any software programs or hardware you removed one at a time. Reboot the computer after each installation. Make careful notes of any error messages or boot problems you experience.

Source: http://goo.gl/kDs1h

Technical Support - Prevention is Better Than Cure

The best way to deal with the sloppy service you are bound to receive if you resort to a technical support phone call is to avoid that phone call altogether. The blunt truth is that technical support service, with unwilling companies and logistical hurdles galore, is not going to get better in the near future. Instead of leaving your computer system to the winds of fate and time, it is better and a lot easier to take matters into your own hands. Eventually, all computer software and hardware must be replaced but by taking care of your computer, you can reduce the chances of your computer system failing and increase its longevity. Taking care of computer is easy and cheap as most of the tools are available bundled with the operating system itself. Additional software that you might need is readily available free or very cheap online.

1. Always, always use an antivirus. Your computer, particularly if it is connected to the internet continuously through a broadband connection, is at risk of being infected by over one million malicious computer viruses. Computer viruses are essentially little bits of code that have found ways to get past or manipulate your computer security system. Once they are in your computer, they can wreck havoc. An antivirus is a must for any computer that is connected to the Internet. Even if the computer you use is rarely connected to the internet, it is at risk of being infected by flash-drives, floppies or practically any other external media. Free antivirus software is readily available online if you do not feel like shelling out money on one.

2. House-cleaning. Computers and humans and human life have a great deal in common. Because they were invented and designed by humans, they reflect a lot of human concepts. Computers, like homes, can become cluttered, particularly the hard-drives. Through intensive use, hard-drives will generally get fragmented, which means that a single file may be written across multiple locations on the disk. Although this poses no problem per se to the operation of the computer, it slows it down considerably as to read one file the hard disk must scan to several locations instead of being able to read in one line continuously. Regular defragmentation (the process of joining these fragments of data together on the disk) is a must. Defragmentation software exists natively on your operating system and need not be bought separately.

3. Backup. Never put all your eggs in one basket, someone said, and that principle holds all the more true in the cyber world. Always keep a backup of your important data in a separate location (i.e. on another computer or online; keeping a backup on the same computer is pointless). This way, in the event that your system goes through a catastrophic software crash, all you simply need to do is format (erase) the entire computer, reinstall the operating system and load your vital data back on. In many cases, a clean installation is a lot easier and takes less time than trying to diagnose the problem with a technical support staff.

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Computer Tech Support: 7 Ways to Get Help From Tech Support People

Sooner or later, you may need to call up tech support to fix something. Perhaps one morning you get the blue screen of death, or you get one of those scary error messages on your screen. Or maybe you try to turn your computer on and...nothing. Perhaps it's not your computer at all, but your website is completely down and you have to make that call to your web designer or web hosting company.

I've been on both sides of that panicky call and there are 7 things you can do in order to help make that tech support call just a little less stressful:

1. Don't panic- This is easier said that done when you're computer's on the blink and you're staring down the barrel of a deadline. But things will be less stressful if you don't freak out. Chances are the problem is not nearly as bad (or expensive) as you think.

2. Check the obvious before you call- One of the first things that your tech person will have you do is to check for obvious causes of trouble. Like is your computer plugged in? Or is the surge protector your computer's connected is turned on? Are all of the cables coming out of your computer plugged in tight? Or are entering your password in correctly? Or do you have the "CAPS lock" key on while you're entering your password? They have you run through this drill because many times the simple stuff is the problem. So run through some of the obvious causes of trouble before you pick up the phone.

3. Get prepared- If you have any warranties or service contracts gather up all of those materials before you call. It will save you a bit of time just in case your tech person requests this information. You may also need the serial number for your computer. These are usually located on a sticker placed on the back, bottom, or side of your computer or they are located in your computer registration paperwork.

4. Be as specific as possible- Simply saying "My computer's not working" is not that helpful. Tech support already assumes that your computer isn't working because you wouldn't call just to say hi. What they need to know is "in what way is your computer not working?". You need to be as specific as possible. Will your computer not start at all? Is the problem that you can turn the computer on but it won't go past the startup screen? Perhaps you can get past the startup screen but you can't open up a particular program? Describe your problem from start to finish; what you were doing when you encountered your problem, what your computer does, and if there are any special situations that seem to coincide with the problem.

5. Write down error messages- Usually when something goes wrong, you'll get some kind of error message that attempts to tell you what the problem is. If you can't make heads or tails of the message, take the time to write it down. It may mean something to the tech person you're talking to and it might help them diagnose the problem just a bit faster.

6. Make note of any recent changes or incidents- Sometimes the cause of your computer trouble is something that's changed on your computer or some incident that has happened recently such as:

the addition of new hardware (printer, scanner, hard drive, memory, etc)
the addition or deletion of software
a power disruption or power surge
the addition of deletion of a service
software upgrades or security patches

Sometimes changes like this can cause some unforeseen problems with other things that may or may not seem to be related to your problem. When you're talking to your tech person, make them aware of any changes or additions you made before you started having problems. They'll be able to tell you if these changes are related to your trouble.

7. Keep notes- A lot of times a call to the support department means that you'll be spending a lot of time on the phone being sent from one person to another. Keep notes on who you talk to, when you talked to them, and what they've done to help diagnose the problem. If you find that you have to keep calling the support department or if you have to a repair person fix your computer in person, these notes will come in handy.

Source: http://goo.gl/ha3n9

Do it Yourself Technical Support

Technical support calls are, by no means, the highlight of anyone's day. You are put on hold endlessly and when you finally get to speak to a human they immediately transfer you to 'the relevant department'. Personnel at 'the relevant department' will not understand a word you are saying (and you probably will not understand a word they say) and after countless harrowing minutes of heated discussion, you will probably get transferred again! One cannot blame technical support staff for the poor service that they are known for. Technical queries are hard to diagnose (and harder to fix) over a phone. The sad truth is that software and IT companies spend very little on maintaining a proper support system. Once they have made a sale, a support system is an unnecessary expense. Sometimes, at the end of a particularly harrowing call, you might wish you could solve the problem yourself. What if you could? By following these two guidelines you can improve your chances of getting a positive result from a technical support call and, in some cases, could resolve the problem yourself.

1. Google it! Google is your one-stop destination for everything. From finding a cheap flight to figuring out a guitar chord to buying your wife something, Google is your portal to the online world. Somehow, we tend to think that when it comes to technical queries, Google is no good and for the most part that is true. Google does not speak English the way we speak English so asking it a vague support question will probably result in little or no useful results. However, if you enter in, say, an error number that was displayed on the error box you saw, there is a good chance that Google will find websites that have information regarding your problem. Most of these websites will be forums; places on the web were people, just like you, come together and solve their problems. In all likelihood, your problem has already been solved and is waiting on a website for you to find it!

2. Go Back. Don't you wish sometimes that your life had a rewind button? Time travel has consumed the minds of people throughout history but we are no closer to achieving it today then we were thousands of years ago. In the digital world of software though, time travel does exist. On the Windows platform it exists in the form a quaint little system program called System Restore. Mac users have the aptly named Time Machine that serves the same function. As you use the computer, both these programs periodically store 'snapshots' of your system. In the event that you install malicious programs or accidentally delete important system files, you can use these programs to take you back to the last stable 'snapshot' that was taken, effectively helping you travel back in time. Mac users, in particular, are treated to an incredibly beautiful user interface that makes you feel like you are actually going back in time!

When you hit a dead-end with your software or hardware, before you pick up the phone and make an hour long phone call, try solving the problem yourself. You would be surprised at how much you are capable of achieving.

Source: http://goo.gl/q8xCk

Troubleshoot Desktop Crash Issues

Just like some other component of a Pc, pc's desktop is an vital component of your entire computing process. Nevertheless, you will find amount of times when the pc's desktop stops working as well as it also requires routine maintenance which is crucial tip for pc optimization.

Probably the most frequent difficulties is the computer's desktop crashing. You will discover many reasons mainly because of that pc's desktop crash may possibly occur. Throughout a desktop crash, your documents, pictures, music, every thing is at risk. It is, thus, vital towards prevent your personal computer from crashing through following a few straightforward steps towards keep up your personal computer.

Poor RAM

RAM difficulties cause the blue screen of death. Whenever the blue screen of death appears, a note expressing 'Fatal Exception Error' is flashed. This indicates that there is a fatal problem through RAM for the reason that of a mismatch of chips. This crashes the machine.You must access the BIOS settings towards jobs around this trouble together with improve the wait state of RAM.

Software Conflicts

The desktop might even crash on account of programs conflicts. If an old software stops working after you install a new software, there may possibly be conflicts between the two software. Re-install the older software due to you can find chances that many of its files may had been over-written by the fresh software. An additional reason might be since of updates that lead to assist you to software conflicts. Make certain you make compatible updates and just in case problem, re-install compatible software.

Hardware Conflicts

If the personal computer crashes after you connect a fresh hardware device to your personal computer together with install software to assist you to run that hardware efficiently, check out the programs. There's a chance that the applications isn't compatible with your operating-system. Check towards the additional compatible software together with install it with your Personal computer. If this does not resolve the dilemma then it's possible that whenever you installed the software, Widows files had been changed and you are now would need for reinstall Windows.

Viruses

Generally, there's pc's desktop crash mainly because of virus infection. Some viruses attack the difficult drive together with erase the boot sector. This makes it impossible towards the Windows for load. For stay away from this difficulty, install a great antivirus software in your PC that can scan your system and filter any virus from accessing it.

Printer Issues

Whenever you send a document for printing, a temporary file is developed which is referred to as a postscript file. The printer memory referred to as buffer could be simply overloaded. This decelerates the computer's speed. If the printer starts printing unusual characters, it could lead to assist you to computer's desktop crash. For clear the buffer, unplug the printer for 10 seconds. This may reload printe's default settings and guarantee that the printer works fine.

Over-heating

Though CPUs are equipped with fans towards keep them cool, occasionally the fans fail and also the CPU starts to get overheated. This leads to the kernel mistake as well as lead to pc's desktop crash. For stay away from this from happening, be certain that your CPUs fans are working as well as if achievable, purchase a bigger fan installed inside your CPU.

You'll be able to stop your computer from crashing through following a couple of simple actions:

Try a registry scanner frequently. This could support you maintain your RAM totally free together with support you maintain control over the applications installed inside your PC.

Uninstall unwanted applications when you start your personal computer. This may ensure that there are not any unnecessary programs in your system that make it slow or lead to assist you to programs conflicts.

Check your personal computer for viruses through installing a good antivirus software.
PC Optimization
Picking out among countless different kinds of PC Optimization Tools is a difficult and tedious process, because each software features its own benefit and scarcity. Here you'll get tips about how to Clean registry and optimize PC for better performance.
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