About The Xbox Live Online Network

Over the years, Microsoft has developed their Xbox Live service in to cool online gaming network, which also has many entertainment options and services. Though initially designed mainly for the Xbox console users, Microsoft has since opened the gaming platform for the PC gamers as well. Microsoft has a different online gaming platform called Games for Windows Live for the Windows users.

About the Xbox Live subscription packages

It is reported that Microsoft will soon shut down the Games for Windows Live service and might focus on the Xbox Live as the sole gaming platform for all Windows operating systems and Xbox consoles. Of course, the old operating systems like Windows XP and Windows Vista might not be offered this service.

Microsoft already discontinued the Xbox Live service for the original Xbox console back in 2010. The Xbox Live gaming network is currently available for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One gaming console users as well as for the Windows 8 and Windows Phone users. Those who were using the Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems can access the service through the Games for Windows Live network.

The Xbox Live network is currently available in two subscription packages – Xbox Live Free and Xbox Live Gold. The Xbox Live Gold is a paid service that requires the users to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee. However, The Xbox Live is a free service that anyone using any of the genuine Microsoft products mentioned above can use by signing up for an account.

The Xbox Live network facilitates multi-player gaming with other gamers on the network as well as Microsoft Live chat session with them. You can also download the latest television shows, music concerts, live sports events, etc all through the Xbox Live network.

You can also purchase some of the coolest game titles for your Xbox console or the Windows PC. Of course, many of the features mentioned above are not available in the free Xbox Live subscription. You have to upgrade to the Xbox Gold service to gain access to all the cool options and features Microsoft has introduced in Xbox Live.

For example, the Microsoft Live chat options available for the Xbox Live Free and Xbox Live Gold services are different. The Party Chat option is only available to the paid users. Similarly, you will get many more options when you upgrade to Xbox Gold. Visit the Xbox Live website online to find out more.

Removing Ask Toolbar From Your System

Ask toolbar is a browser add-on that has been developed and marketed by the popular search engine Ask.com. The function of the toolbar is to provide fast search results from ask.com to its users. However, due to the excessive browser memory and internet bandwidth usage, you may feel like removing the toolbar from your system. Follow the instructions given above for removing it from your computer.

Instructions To Remove From internet Explorer

• Start the Internet Explorer web browser by double clicking on its icon found in the desktop or by clicking on its tab in the Start menu. 
• When the browser window appears on the screen, click on the small gear shaped icon found at the top right corner of the window. This will open a drop down menu with many options, click on the option labeled as Internet Options. 
• The Internet Options dialog box will now appear on the screen with options for configuring internet related options. Click on the Advanced tab found in the dialog box and then click on the Reset button for setting the browser back to its factory settings. 
• Now close the web browser by clicking on the small X shaped button found in the upper right corner of the web browser. Re-launch the browser for making the changes to come onto effect. However if you are still seeing Ask toolbar on your web browser, use an Ask toolbar removal tool for removing the toolbar from your Internet Explorer web browser. 

Instructions To Remove From Google Chrome

• Click on the Settings menu button that is denoted by three parallel horizontal lines on the top right corner of the web browser. 
• From the drop down menu that appears on the screen, click on the Tools tab and then on the Extensions tab from context menu that appears on the screen. 
• The program will now show you all the extensions and toolbars you have installed with the Google Chrome web browser. Look for Ask toolbar in the list and then click on the Recycle Bin icon found beside it for removing it from the web browser. 
• If the system asks you for confirmation on the removal, confirm it by clicking on the Yes button. If you are still seeing the toolbar in your web browser, try using some Ask toolbar removal tool. 

If you follow the simple instructions given above, you will be able to remove the Ask toolbar from your web browser.

About The Microsoft Outlook Not Opening Error

Even the most well designed software application can suffer from unexpected errors. Why is this? The obvious reason is that we cannot think of every possibility no matter how hard we try to make things perfect. Some or the other error crops up and you never know when. Outlook is in no way an exception to this fact. One of the most frequently encountered Outlook problems is the problem of Outlook not opening at all. When you are trying to launch the email client, the program takes more than half a minute to open. Some other issues include “Out of Memory” errors, Microsoft Error reports, etc. Fortunately, you need not rack your brain, as there is a simple solution that usually fixes these Outlook problems.

Usually the issue can be attributed to a corrupt OUTCMD.DAT file in your Outlook email program. What does OUTCMD.DAT do? It stores the custom changes you make to your toolbar buttons. If the problem is fixed when you rename the file, you need to make the changes in the custom toolbar button again. You may think that this is a file of trivial importance considering the fact that it is only monitoring the changes made to your toolbars. But, when you look at the number of spyware and adware that changes toolbars and add toolbars, etc, it is clear that this file can get corrupted easily, causing booting trouble in your Outlook program. It affects the normal launching of Outlook.

Now, this gives us valid reason to remove the OUTCMD.DAT file. Search your system for the file and then shift-delete it. When the Outlook email program is launched again, it will automatically recreate the file. This way, you will be removing the corrupted file and bringing in a new uncorrupted file. Here are the steps:

• First, you need to ensure that Microsoft Outlook is completely closed.
• Then, you need to click on the Search button in the Start Menu. Then you need to click on the “Files or Folders”.
• Ensure that “Look in” is set to the drive where the program is installed in (C:\).
• Now, in the “Named’ or “Search for…” box, you need to type “OUTCMD.DAT” and click Search or Find Now.
• You need to remove or delete any instances of “OUTCMD.DAT” and the close the search box. You will usually locate this file in the “Application Data/Microsoft/Outlook folder”
• Then re-launch the email program and you should find it working normally

The above steps should fix most of your problems concerning “Outlook not opening” or Outlook taking time to open, etc.

Banks In USA Upgrades ATMs With Windows 7

Microsoft’s recent decision to put an end to the support for Windows XP operating system from April 8, 2014 onwards elicited worldwide clamour. It is believed that end of support for XP will mostly affect financial institution that still depend on Windows XP powered self services. The decision has caused apprehension among folks who use ATMs on a regular basis to withdraw money.

That over 50 percent of the ATMs in America and Europe are still running XP makes things appear worse. Experts opine that since Windows XP is not supported, it is quite easier for hackers to penetrate into the vulnerable operating system. Since most ATMs are running XP, hackers do not have to work out brilliant plans in order to attack XP machines.

Popular banks to migrate to Windows 7

There is a good sign lately that many banks in USA are planning to replace the OS of their ATM machines, which is currently Windows XP or Vista, with Win 7 or other third party programs. First Federal Bank is one of the first banks to put such plans into practice already. In a recent meeting, the management of First Federal Bank of Louisiana decided to replace Windows XP on all its ATMs with the latest Win 7 operating systems. To expedite the process, it has contacted Dieobold Inc., a popular firm that installs ATMs and other self service financial services for different banks in the USA.

Diebold’s Agilis 3 software will improve security features of ATMs

In addition to providing the upgrade service for the ATMs, Dieobold offers its own security application called Agilis 3 software. This software will install advanced Encryption PIN Pads (EPPs) on the ATMs, enabling the banks to meet the security requirements of the recent PCI PTS version 3.1.

It is hoped that many banks in USA and Europe will follow the steps of First Federal Bank of Louisiana. Meanwhile, experts suggested that a few banks changing their ATM operating system will not contribute much to the security as a whole. However, if a single bank upgrades all its ATMs from the old Windows XP OS to the latest Windows 7 OS could certainly boost up the security of the particular bank.

Meanwhile, Diebold said that it would support all banks who contact them for the ATM upgrade service. Diebold currently holds the status as the number one ATM service provider in USA.

Creating A Signature In The Microsoft Paint Program

A signature shows a bit of your personality. This is the case when you are doing it with a pen on a piece of paper. In a computer, it cannot be done as the fonts do not show characters, but there is still a way to make a signature using the computer. The Microsoft help line tips that are shared below will help you to know more on the easy steps to make a signature with the Microsoft Paint program. The signature can be used with mails, however, we are stressing on creating game signatures here.

Instructions

• Turn on your PC and decide the game that you are going to use to have your game related signature. You can search for a starting image within the game.
• Open the Microsoft Paint program. You may then copy and paste the image to the program. If this particular image is saved in your PC, you can right click on the image and then select to open the image in Microsoft Paint.
• Choose the area of the image that you wish to use as your signature. It needs to be rectangular and the width should be greater than the height of the image. You can make use of the rectangular icon to select the area by clicking on the top left corner and then dragging to the bottom right.
• You can then copy this area by holding down the Control key and then pressing C. Open up a new page in the Microsoft Paint program and then press Ctrl and V keys together.
• As the next step, choose a font to use for the signature that you have selected. You will be able to find numerous free fonts at 1001freefonts.com website. You can install these fonts in the Fonts folder of your computer.
• You may then type your name anywhere on the image. It is always advisable to put it in an area where there are not many distractions. Highlight your signature and then select the font that you have installed.

These are the steps to make a signature with the Microsoft Outlook program. If you have any confusions in any of the steps that are discussed above, you can contact the Microsoft help line team. They will be able to clear all your doubts and will help you make a signature successfully without encountering any error messages.

Tips To Uninstall Default Tab Search Bar From Windows

A toolbar is a kind of browser add-on that may get installed in your computer without your knowledge and is meant for providing easy access to some of the functions offered by the specific toolbar. Sometimes, these toolbars will be very helpful, however, as the time passes, it will slowly decrease the efficiency of your computer by taking large amount of system resources. Moreover, it will also make your system very slow. Therefore, these toolbars are needed to be removed from your computer. Well, given below are some easy instructions on how to remove Search Here toolbar, which will help you to uninstall Search toolbar from your Windows computer.

Instructions

• Move the mouse pointer towards the lower left corner of your Windows taskbar and locate the button that is labeled Start. After that, click it. Now, a Windows Start menu will be available on your screen. From the Windows Start screen, you need to select the option called Control Panel. Now, the Control Panel window will open up in your screen. From that window, you need to select the option called Uninstall a program. 
• However, this is completely different, if you are using a computer loaded with Windows 8 operating system. If you are having a Windows 8 computer, you need to move your mouse pointer towards the right part of your screen and from the list that is available, you need to select Search followed by searching for Control Panel. Or else, you can select the Control Panel option by right clicking on the left bottom corner, and then selecting the option called Control Panel. From this Control Panel window, you can choose the option called Uninstall a program. 
• Now, the Uninstall or Add/Remove programs window will appear on your desktop screen. This window will display the list of programs and applications installed in your computer. From the list, find out the option called Search Bar and click it. Now, a pop up message saying Uninstall will appear on your screen. Click it and again click the option called Yes to confirm your action. If you need to install other applications, you can follow the same procedure. 

The above said instructions will help you to uninstall Default Tab Search Bar from your Windows operating system. To know more about how to remove Search Here toolbar, contact our customer support desk.