Internet Explorer 8 Support To End In 17 Months

According to recent announcements, Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer 8, giving users time duration of 17 months to migrate to other web browsers. Internet Explorer 8 is one of the most popular version of web browsers released by Microsoft so far. Our Windows tech support team has been receiving tons of calls from irate customers who wished to confirm about the same.

The post released by Microsoft in its official blog includes a list of operating systems and browser version combinations that will continue to receive service support. The list does not mention Internet Explorer 8 anywhere. Roger Capriotti, director of Internet Explorer, mentions in the blog post that, "After Jan. 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates. For example, customers using Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 9, or Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7 SP1 should migrate to Internet Explorer 11 to continue receiving security updates and technical support."

This news will hit several users, especially business users who have not upgraded their systems to Windows 7 or Windows 8 and are continuing to use old and even outdated systems. In order to run the newer version of Internet Explorer, users will have to upgrade their OS and PC systems as well. According to the post, Microsoft will only support IE9 on Windows Vista, IE10 on Windows Server 2012 and IE11 on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Losing updates and technical support from Microsoft will not translate to unavailability of the operating system itself. Users can continue to work on the systems they have been already installed in. However, this affair might be risky, as Capriotti mentioned in his blog post, "Running a modern browser is more important than ever for the fastest, most secure experience on the latest Web sites and services.”

However, several users are aghast when they came to hear about this latest development since previous support policy states that Microsoft will continue to support a version of IE as long as an operating system was able to run it. This meant, Internet Explorer should have continued to receive updates until 2020, when Windows 7 is supposed to retire.

As mentioned before, IE8 is the most popular web browser, since it is used by 37 percent of Internet Explorer users, which is a lot higher than the latest Internet Explorer 11, which runs in merely 29 percent of PC systems. In order to know more details about the same, you may contact our Windows tech support team.

Accessing SkyDrive From Windows 7 Explorer

Windows Live SkyDrive is Microsoft’s service that allows the users store any file on a virtual online folder that can be as large as 25 GB, available free of charge, and then access these files from anywhere from any web browser, Mac or Windows computer. While the implementation of Microsoft works fine, there is no clear way to get access to those files from Windows 7 Explorer, but it is not impossible. The Windows tech support tips that are shared below will help you to know more on the steps to use or access SkyDrive from Windows 7 explorer.

This method works by mounting the user’s SkyDrive as a network drive from within the Windows 7 Explorer by obtaining a specific URL. Of course, the users could get a SkyDrive alternative that integrates right into the Windows Explorer, as well as Linux and Mac OSX, like Dropbox. However, Microsoft’s services has the advantage of integrating right into the Windows Live Account. To do these steps, you will need the following.

• A computer that is running on Windows 7 OS. It may work on the previous versions of Windows OS, even though we have not tested it. 
• A working Internet connection. 
• Windows Live ID. 
• If you do not have Windows Live Essentials installed in your computer, you will need the Windows Live Online ID Provider. 
• SkyDrive Simple Viewer for WebDav. 

Once you got what it takes, you will just have to do the following steps.

Instructions

• Before starting, get your unique SkyDrive ID. In order to do this, open SkyDrive Simple Viewer for WebDav, and then type in your Windows Live credentials. 
• You will now see a list of the folders that are stored on your SkyDrive. Choose the one that you want to mount on your hard drive and then copy the URL that is shown on the right side. 
• Click on Start button, right click on Computer and then choose Map Network Drive option. Paste the URL that you copied before and then adjust the settings to your wish. Click on the Next button and the SkyDrive folder that you have picked will now show up as hard drive inside Windows 7 Explorer. This can be managed like any other drive or directory. 

These are the simple steps to access SkyDrive from the Windows 7 Explorer. For further assistance, you can contact our Windows tech support team.

Resetting The Windows Vista Password

The Windows Vista operating system has many security features and these features help to prevent unauthorized access to your computer. There is an option to set a log in password for the Windows Vista operating system. Without typing in the log in password, no one will be able to use your computer. There are chances that you may forget the log in password of Windows Vista and you may need to reset the same.
Microsoft gives its users two simple methods to reset the log in password of Windows Vista operating system. They are changing the password through an administrator account and changing the password through the Vista password reset disk. The Windows tech support tips shared below will help you know the steps to reset the Vista OS password.

Through An Administrator Account

• Log into an alternate administrator account in your computer and then click on the Start button, which is located on the bottom left corner of the screen. From the Start menu, choose Control Panel and then select User Accounts.
• Select the Manage another account option. You will be able to see the account for which you need to reset the password. Click on this account.
• Select the Change password option. Type in the new password two times and make sure that you add the password hint that will help you to remember your password in the future. After doing these steps, click on the Change password button. You have now reset the log in password from the administrator account.

Through A Password Reset Disc

• Type in any password in the Windows log on screen and click on the OK button to see the Reset password option. Click on this option.
• Insert the Windows reset disk to your computer and the Password Reset Wizard will open. Click on the Next button and select the drive that contains the reset information.
• Type in your new password two times and add a password hint that may help you to remember the password in the future. Click on the Next button followed by the Finish button. Performing these steps will make sure that you have reset the log in password of the Windows Vista operating system.

These are the general methods to reset the log in password of Windows Vista operating system. If you have more doubts, you may contact our Windows tech support team for further clarifications.

Resolving The Unknown Device Errors In Vista OS

The year 2007 witnessed a miracle from the Microsoft Corporation, namely Windows Vista. The instant succeeds, however, descended with the various issues. Among these, the compatibility issues stand tall. The Windows tech support and help experts have devised various troubleshooting steps to resolve the situation. Let’s check these out, shall we?

Instructions to resolve the issues

• To start off, you need to reinstall the driver for the “Unknown Device”. Navigate to the menu labeled “Start”.
• A new list of options is displayed immediately. From this new list, you need to select the option labeled “Search”.
• When the Search menu is displayed, you need to enter the command “Device Manager”. Now hit the button labeled “Enter”.
• From the list of results, you need to locate the “Unknown Device” in your computer. To locate this, you need to navigate to the “Other Devices” section, and expand it. Now double click on the option “Unknown Device” to open it.
• Select the button labeled “Reinstall Driver”. A list of instructions will be displayed on the screen. Follow these instructions accurately. To advance to the next step, the Windows tech support and help experts recommend you navigate to the website of the manufacturer of the device in question.
• Find the appropriate driver for the device. Now navigate back to the “Device Manager” of your computer. For information about the devices, you can click on the “Details” tab. If you are not sure about the manufacture’s details, you can copy the “Hardware ID” to your browser.
• You can locate the manufacturer’s website with the help of this ID. You need to search for a Windows-Vista-compatible driver. Simply download the driver into your computer and install it. You can follow the onscreen instructions for this.
• Now you need to uninstall the device and reinstall it through the option labeled “Device Manager”. To proceed to the next step, you need to right click on the option labeled “Device”.
• Now left click on it and select the option that reads as “Uninstall”. The computer should be restarted after this, and allowed to reinstall the device.
• You must make sure that your hardware is compatible with the Windows Hardware Compatibility List. Otherwise, the device may not function even with the right drivers.
This article provides instructions on how to resolve the unknown device errors in windows vista.

Turning OFF Windows Defender in Windows 7

According to User reviews, Windows 7 is the best Operating system or platform that has ever been released and it even puts Windows 8 in the second spot. Windows 7 is a brilliant platform, and I can’t stop praising the Redmond professional for creating such an exquisite piece of art. Windows 7 introduce some software, tools and utilities which benefited Windows users a lot.
Windows Defender, formerly known as Giant Anti spyware, Windows Firewall and Microsoft Security Essentials Antivirus are available for the Windows 7 platform. These software help protect the platform. Windows Firewall and Windows Defender are the inbuilt software in Windows 7, where as Microsoft Security Essentials is optional software, which you can download, using Windows update or from any Windows Tech Support website.

Windows Defender
Former product of the giant software company, Giant Anti Spyware, was replaced in the market with the name Windows Defender and some tweaks in the program. Windows Defender has developed a lot compared to the previous versions and provides very good security for the Windows platforms. Windows Defender, according to Microsoft, is a security program that protects the Windows platform from Malwares, Spywares and adware. When Windows Defender removes the threats lying inside the PC, Windows Firewall protects the PC from the external attacks. Even if any malware slips in to the system bypassing the Windows Firewall, Windows Defender detects it and removes it. The Malware DATABASE OF Windows Defender is very good. But you need to update the database frequently to protect your system from threats.
Windows Defender automatically scans your system for potential problems and automatically downloads updates for the software and database to ensure that you are protected from latest threats. But Windows 7 provides you with the option for third party software like Norton, Bitdefender etc. to do the security job. When you do that the Windows defender and Windows Firewall can be disabled to avoid contradictions. The process of disabling Windows Defender is very easy. The following instructions will help you to turn Windows defender off in windows 7.

Instructions
• Open Control Panel from Start Menu.
• Now click on the Windows Defender icon in the Control Panel window to open the Windows Defender options.
• There will be options given there, in which one link “Click Here to Turn Windows Defender Off” should be clicked. When you click on it the Windows Defender will turn off.
Check Windows Tech Support sites for more updates on Windows Defender.