Archive for the ‘Windows’ Category:
Yahoo Email and Upgrading from Vista to Windows 7
I read this question online recently:
I am upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7. How do I back up my Yahoo! emails and do I need to do it?
If you have a free Yahoo! email account then there is no need to back up your emails because the emails are stored on Yahoo!’s servers and not your computer.
If you have a paid Yahoo! email account, called Yahoo! Mail Plus, which costs $19.99 per year, then it is possible that you could be downloading email messages to your computer with a program such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Eudora, or some other program or email client.
Generally, when you are upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 there is no need to erase your hard drive. When the hard drive is erased it is usually referred to as a “clean install”. While it’s always good idea to do a backup before an upgrade, it isn’t necessary. When upgrading from XP to Windows 7 the hard drive must be erased, so this is a case where it would be a good idea to have a backup of some sort.
Still, if you want to take the precaution of doing a backup, go to a computer store and get yourself an external USB drive such as a MyPassport from Western Digital and use the Windows Easy Transfer wizard to copy important files to the external drive. For more info on Windows Easy Transfer go here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx
For more info on upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 go here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/help/upgrading-from-windows-vista-to-windows-7
Subscribe to the comments for this post$450 Computer with a Future
Thanks to everyone who contacted me yesterday by email and on the Skylarking Facebook page to wish me well amid all my respiratory problems and woes. It only takes 4 or 5 kind words to really lift the spirits. Thanks everyone!
One of the things I had been doing when I was able to breathe and function was building a new computer for a friend with a tight budget. They were actually a business client, but I like to call them friends, too. That’s just what I do.
So they had a tight budget of around $400, and I wanted to see to it that they got quality parts that weren’t going to give them any problems. I also wanted to get them setup with Windows 7 as an operating system. They had a Sony DVD burner in their old Windows XP computer, so I was able to transfer that to the new system. So I am not counting the cost of that DVD burner in the price of this system. I also reused their old monitor, but they could get a new flat panel for about $90 — 100.
As for the rest of the parts, I managed to spend about $60 on each component:
- ASUS P5KPL-AM Motherboard: This is the base of the system. Everything attaches to the motherboard (mainboard). Asus makes a lot of fine computer components, and they also make the Asus Eee PC netbook I often talk about.
- Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 Processor: This processor operates on the motherboard’s low end, but I let my friend know they could always get a better processor in a year or two when they had another $120 or so to spend. After their old Windows XP machine, the current processor is plenty fast for them.
- Crucial Ballistix, 2 GB RAM: Again, they could spend more money here later to double or even quadruple their total memory. Using the 64 bit version of Windows 7 allows them to add up to 8GB of RAM.
- Hitachi Deskstar 500 GB SATA Hard Drive
- PowerSpec TX366 mATX Case with power supply: $35
- Windows 7 Professional, 64 Bit Edition (OEM): $90. OEM means “Original Equipment Manufacturer”, which means it is meant to be installed by a computer builder. It also means if they have trouble with Windows, I am supposed to help them, and not Microsoft. Another $30 or $40 might have got them a standard retail copy, but I stand behind the parts I’ve added to this machine. I don’t anticipate them having any problems.
I am a little short on time this morning, so I’ll be back later or tomorrow to talk a little bit more about this system, the parts, etc. Have a great day!
Failed Windows Update Installations (Office 2007)
Are you using Microsoft Office 2007? Have you been told for days and days that “new updates are available” and every time you look it’s the same 4 updates for Microsoft Office 2007?
Yeah, me too, but I’ve fixed it.
For over a week, every time I shut down, my computer shows me that it’s installing 4 updates. Then when I turn on my computer later, I look and see that the same 4 updates are available. Clearly, they failed to install when my computer was shutting down earlier. The update files are:
- Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Junk Email Filter (KB975960)
- Update for Microsoft Office Word 2007 (KB974561)
- Security Update for the 2007 Microsoft Office System (KB973704)
- Security Update for Microsoft Office Excel 2007 (KB975393)
Do those look familiar to you? Have you been Googling for a solution to these failed installs? You’ve come to the right place. I can help. You’re going to have to install these updates yourself. And it’s not all that difficult to do.
First you’ll need to download and save the installation files to your computer. The four links below will each take you to the appropriate page at the Microsoft Download Center where you’ll be able to download. At each page you’ll see a download button, which you can click to start the download. Save the file to your hard drive, and be mindful of where you save then so you can access them later. I recommend saving them to either your Desktop, your Documents folder, or your Downloads folder.
- Update for Microsoft Office Word 2007 (KB974561) (Filename: word2007-kb974561-fullfile-x86-glb.exe)
- Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Junk Email Filter (KB975960) (Filename: office2007-kb975960-fullfile-x86-glb.exe)
- Security Update for the 2007 Microsoft Office System (KB973704) (Filename: office2007-kb973704-fullfile-x86-glb.exe)
- Security Update for Microsoft Office Excel 2007 (KB973593) (Filename: excel2007-kb973593-fullfile-x86-glb.exe)
Then you’ll have to manually install them as an Administrator. Locate the saved files. If you don’t recall where you saved them you can always search for them. I’ve included the full file names above for just such an instance.
Once you’ve located the saved file on your hard drive, point at the icon with your mouse, then click the right mouse button, and choose the “Run as Administrator” option on the shortcut menu that appears. (Alternately, you could click once on the icon, then click the File menu, and then choose the “Run as Administrator” option. Click the checkbox to accept the Microsoft License Terms, then click “Continue”.
Repeat that process for each of the 4 downloaded files, and that’s it. You’ll never be told about those updates again.
