Uninstalling Ask Toolbar

Many a times, while opening your web browser, you would have come across an add-on that goes by the name Ask toolbar. It is nothing but a free browser add-on that enables the users to search the web using the Ask search engine directly from the browser. Although this toolbar is intended to make the overall browsing experience faster and more advanced, it is always recommended to uninstall it from your browser. This is because the Ask toolbar replaces your browser’s default search engine to Ask website

According to the Windows technical support team, many users call them to know about how to remove Ask toolbar. The process is a simple one and includes the following steps mentioned here.

From the Internet Explorer:

• At first, you need to open Internet Explorer browser and click on Tools. Now, click on Manage Add-ons from the sub menu and locate Ask toolbar. You need to remove the check mark in the box for Enabled.
• Next, you should click on Search Providers and choose another search engine to make it your default search provider.
• Now, you need to click on Ask Search followed by the Remove button to uninstall the toolbar.
• Once you’re done, you can restart Internet Explorer.

From Google Chrome:

• Here too, at first you need to open Google Chrome and then click on the icon located on the right top corner. From here, you need to click on the Settings option from the sub menu.
• Next, you can click on Extensions from the left pane of the Windows, located just above the Settings option.
• To remove the Ask toolbar from your system, you can remove the check mark from the option Enabled. For deleting the toolbar, you need to click on the recycle bin icon available next to the Enabled option. Again, click on the Chrome menu button followed by Settings.
• In the next step, you need to click on the Manager Search engines button under Search. Here, you can search for Google and select it to make it your default search engine provider.
• Now, you can click on Ask Search from the list and delete the option by clicking the X mark.

That’s it. You now know how to remove Ask toolbar from your browsers. To get more assistance on the same, you may also contact our 24/7 Windows technical support team.

Reasons For The Unavailability Of Contact List In Windows Live Messenger

Microsoft is a leading company in the production of several applications and software that will come handy to the computer users at any point of time. One such application from Microsoft, which helps the users to stay in touch with their families and friends all over the world, is Windows Live Messenger. It is possible for you to conduct video chat by using webcams or you can text chat live with your friends and families.

Like any other application from Microsoft, Windows Live Messenger too has some problems. There is a good chance that your Windows Live Messenger application will show an error message stating that your contact list is unavailable even after logging in to the Windows Live Messenger account.

Error Codes

When the Windows Live Messenger shows any errors of this type, an error code will be displayed on your screen. 84cc0020, 85ac001d and 81000378 are the most common errors codes for this particular problem. You may require the help of MSN tech support, if you are not able to fix these issues on your own.

Causes

According to the Windows Live help team, many causes are responsible for Windows Live messenger to show these errors. The main reason for this error will be the poor web connection. If you are not able to access your contacts list in Windows Live messenger, then it may be due to the lack of internet speed. Therefore, check whether the internet connection is fine if you have this issue. Second thing that you should look is for any damaged or corrupted registry information. If you are not able to access the contacts list in Live messenger, then it may be due to some issues like accidental deletion of registry files or due to some corrupted registry files.

Fixes available

These issues can be fixed very easily depending on the cause of your problems. You need to repair the registry files to access contact list.

• Press the Windows logo key seen on your keyboard and on the search bar, you need to type the following commands like : REGSVR32 softpub.dll, REGSVR32 wintrust.dll, REGSVR32 initpki.dll, REGSVR32 Rsaenh.dll, REGSVR32 Mssip32.dll, REGSVR32 Cryptdlg.dll, REGSVR32 Dssenh.dll, REGSVR32 Gpkcsp.dll, REGSVR32 Slbcsp.dll and REGSVR32 Sccbase.dll. Before typing each command, you need to wait for a message called DllRegisterServer succeeded to appear on the screen. This will likely repair your damaged or corrupted registry.

The above said tips given by the Windows Live help team would help you fix the issue when the Contact List in Windows Live Messenger becomes inaccessible.

The Xbox 360 Service Outage Affects Some Users

It seems that Microsoft is not competent enough to deal with its outage issues in the last few months. Outage problems are being reported on a daily basis in its various services, the latest service to encounter the outage problem is the Microsoft Xbox service.
Though the tech giant assures its users that they may contact the Microsoft problems and support chat number in the event of an error, not many has really benefited from the service. Folks who get in touch with the service were requested to wait until the next update. Surprisingly, they were not specifically told when they could expect the update to fix the problem. Let us try to look at what went wrong with the Microsoft Xbox Service.

About the Xbox Service Outage

Some users of Xbox 360 encountered the reported outage in the service. The problem affected mostly folks who had Xbox 360 service on their Windows 8 systems and mobile devices. The outage prevented many of them from accessing the video services and playing games.
Though the tech giant expressed regret for the inconvenience with a short note that assured the users that there was nothing to worry as the service would be resumed soon, a good number of users were still found experiencing the errors. Obviously, there were valid reasons for the Xbox 360 users to feel unhappy and unconvinced as Xbox 360 is an older gaming console and the recent launch of Xbox One has made it outdated. The Xbox 360 users have the fear that Microsoft might end the support services to boost the sales of the new one.
Meanwhile, some electronic media sources seemed convinced of Microsoft’s efforts to resume the service. Some of the media sources highlighted Microsoft’s acknowledgement of the issue and its efforts to deal with it. See a statement published in a popular electronic media the other day, which is reportedly quoting from a Microsoft source. “We’ve got our team engaged and they are working hard to get everything back to normal as expediently as possible.” The report goes on with some assuring message quoted from a press release from the tech giant, which says “We want you back to enjoying the full scope of the Xbox Live service as soon as possible. We’ve got our best people working to get everything back to normal.”
Well, if the tech giant is competent enough to release a long term fix for the outage issues, the users would be happy to hear it. Let us hope that the tech giant resumes its Microsoft problems and support chat number support service for the time being.

How To Secure Outlook PST Files With Password

Sending emails is one of the easiest ways of communication today. Moreover, people have more than one email account to be used for different purposes. One for office use, one for business purposes, other for personal use and so on.
Microsoft Outlook is an email client application used by many for managing their emails. Microsoft has released many versions of Outlook till date and the email client includes many useful features like calendar, contacts manager, tasks, notes, etc that will help you manage your daily activities more effectively. Here, in this section, we will see how to secure your Outlook account with a password.
Having your Outlook account locked with a password will prevent your account from being accessed by other users who attempt to open your file. Once the password protection feature is enabled, the user will be prompted for the password when they attempt to view your personal storage folder file (.pst). Follow these Outlook tech support guidelines to enable password protection for your personal storage folder file.

Instructions

• Open Outlook 2007 on your computer and click on File on the top menu bar. From the File popup menu, select Data File Management. Select the personal folder file (.pst) where the password will be applied. Click on the Settings button and further click the Change Password button. This will bring up the Change Password dialog box.
• First, you need to enter your old password. Below that, you can see the New Password box. Enter the new password here. You need to confirm the new password by re-entering the new password in the Verify Password box. Then click the OK button. Make sure that you don’t select the check box for Save this password in your password list option. If this option is selected, it will enable access to your password. 
• Now close Outlook.
• Re-open the Outlook application. Now attempt to access your personal storage folder file by clicking on it in the Navigation Pane. Since the password protection is enabled, you will be prompted to enter a password. Once you enter the right password, you will gain access to the personal folder file. Suppose, if the user enters the wrong password, the personal folder file will not open. 
• Make sure that you remember your password to avoid future problems.

If something goes wrong, you can contact the Outlook tech support team and get your problem solved.

Fix Windows Live Messenger Error 80072EFD

Windows Live Messenger is an instant messenger application from Microsoft. It lets you communicate with your dear and near ones using its simple chat interface. You can also make use of its voice and video calling feature when required. Sometimes you might have problems connecting to Windows Live Messenger.
Whenever Live Messenger encounters such issues, it will display popup messages with error codes. These error codes will help you identify the problem. If Windows Live Messenger has internet connection problems, you will get an error code 80072EFD. Microsoft Support is available for users who face problems while using Windows Live Messenger.

Instructions

• Check whether you have an active internet connection. To do this, open your Internet Explorer or some other web browser and check to see if you are able to go to any website. If you cannot establish a connection with the internet, the problem could be with the modem or with the internet service provider. Resetting your modem can sometimes help fix the problem with the internet connection. If that doesn’t work, call the tech team of your ISP to fix the problem.
• Another option is to check whether your computer is equipped with the latest Windows updates. Click the Start button and select the option Windows Update. This will take you to the Microsoft Windows Update page. Click Check for updates, this will scan for any available updates. Your system will download and install necessary updates if any. Restart your computer before you login to Windows Live Messenger again. 
• Check the Windows Firewall settings to see if it is blocking the Windows Live Messenger. To get information on this, you may visit Windows Live Messenger firewall page. Here you will find useful tips on how to allow Windows Live Messenger through the most common firewalls.  Make necessary changes if needed. 
• Try clearing the DNS cache. To do this, click the Start button and select the Run command and type “cmd” into the Open text field. Click OK. This will open the Command prompt window. Type "ipconfig /flushdns" into the command prompt window and press Enter. Type “exit” and press the Enter key to exit from the command prompt window. 
• Check the proxy settings in your computer. Go to the Tools menu and click Options. From the Options window, click on Connection and further select Advanced Settings. Locate the SOCKS field and delete the contents from it. Finally click OK twice to save the changes.

Contact Microsoft Support Center for further queries or doubts on using any of the Microsoft products. Avail their assistance and get your problems fixed.

How To Troubleshoot Laptop Touchpad Issues

More people are using laptops and Tablet PCs these days due to its ease to use and portability. Unlike regular desktops, laptops have a compact design and avoid the use of many common components like a mouse or other pointing devices. Instead, it makes use of another technology called the track pad or touchpad that serves the same purpose as that of a mouse. However, they do provide the option to connect external mouse to it, if required.

Like any other components, this mouse pad too runs on software and drivers. Any problem with the software or driver can result in the malfunctioning of this component. If you have a problem with the track pad of your laptop or Tablet PC, re-installing the drivers can easily fix the problem. If it’s an issue with the Windows drivers, you can get it fixed from the Windows support site too. 

Instructions

• First, you need to connect an external USB mouse to your laptop. You can use the mouse as the pointing device to download and install the new driver.
• Launch the Web Browser and go to the laptop manufacturer’s website. Click on Support or Downloads. Look for the specific page for your laptop model. You can find the laptop model number either on the lid or at the bottom panel.
• You will be able to download the driver for the touchpad from this page. Make sure that you select the correct software for your operating system. If you want to know the operating system and other laptop related details, go to the Start menu, right-click on My Computer and select Properties. From the Properties window, you will get all the necessary details.
• Now download the driver from the website. The files may be in .exe, .msi, .zip, or .rar format. .exe and .msi are native Windows installers and need no modification. If the files are in .zip or .rar formats, you will need to extract the files. Right-click on the file and select Extract. This will extract the files to a folder on your desktop.
• Double-click the downloaded .exe or .msi file and follow the Installation Wizard. Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer. Restart your laptop now.
• Login and check to see whether the touchpad is working properly. You can adjust the sensitivity and buttons to your liking by going to the Start menu, then Control Panel. Double-click the Mouse icon, and check the settings available.

These guidelines should help you fix issues with your laptop touchpad. If this doesn’t fix the problem, get in touch with the laptop support team and seek advanced assistance. If it has to do something with your Windows operating system, contact Windows support through the Microsoft Support Center and get your problem fixed.

Change The Way System Folders And Icons Appear In Windows

Do you wish to change the looks of the folders and icons on your computer? Do you want to try something new so that you can change the normal view of your folders to a lively and more attractive display? 

You can configure the necessary settings to customize the views on your computer if you are running your computer on Windows operating system. By means of the folder view settings, saved image files on your computer can be used to symbolize the thumbnail view of a folder and the folder icon.

Even if you are a normal computer user or have not tried the folder settings, you need not worry. The following Windows support guidelines will guide you through the process of successfully changing the folder view settings. Follow the instructions shared below to accomplish the task.

Follow the Steps Below

• Open the Windows Explorer window and go to the folder where you want to bring into effect the necessary changes.
• Place the mouse cursor on an empty space in the folder and right-click on it. A drop-down menu will appear. Click on the Properties option. This will display the Folder Properties window. Then select the Customize tab.
• In the next step, you need to choose a template for the folder that will be available in the drop-down options of the template. Depending on the features associated with the template, the features such as viewing options and task links will be applied to the folder selected.
• You have the option to apply or use the same template for the sub-folders by checking the box beside the label Also apply this template to all subfolders.
• You can add an image file to a folder in the Thumbnails view by clicking on the Choose Picture button. If you choose an image file, a folder named Folder.gif will be created by the Windows Explorer. If not, the default folder picture will be used by Windows Explorer.
• To select an icon for your folder, click the Change Icon button in the Details, Icons, List and Tiles view. Files with extensions like .ico and .exe that contains icons or library files with .dll file extension can be used. 

These Windows support tips will help you successfully change the appearance of folders and icons view on your computer. In addition to these tips, Microsoft offers unending options to customize your computer and thereby improve the user experience.