I copied and pasted these instructions from a UK website I found. The original article can be found here. http://www.freebits.co.uk/backoutlook.html
1. Click on the TOOLS Menu and select OPTIONS.
2. Click the MAINTENANCE Tab and then click on Store Folder.
3. You now see the location of your Email Folder. Highlite the Folder Location and press CTRL+C to copy the location.
4. Click Cancel and then Cancel again to close all boxes.
5. Click the Windows Start button and the click Run. In the open box press CTRL+V to paste the mail location, then click OK.
6. You now have a window containing you e-mail database *.dbx files.
7. From the top Menu click EDIT click Select All.
8. On the top Menu again click COPY. Now close the window.
9. Open Windows Explorer, click FILE / NEW and then FOLDER.
10. Type a name for the folder and hit ENTER. Double click the Folder you just created to open it. From the EDIT Menu select PASTE. Close the window.
You have now completed a backup up of your email messages.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Install Windows XP On Dell Inspiron 1525 that originally had Windows Vista
I recently had a request from a user to install Windows XP on a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop. The system originally came with Windows Vista.
The problem: After formatting and running the XP installation, I came across this problem (look at the screen shot). The internal SATA hard drive does not have driver support built into Windows XP.
The solution:When a SATA hard drive is not recognized by the operating system during installation, usually you can specify third party drivers by pressing the F6 key during the initial setup. Unfortunately, these drivers are installed through a a 3.5 floppy drive. Of course with the floppy drive way outdated and not built into the Inspiron laptop, you must use the following procedure.
1. Reboot the computer and press F2 to get into the bios.
2. In the bios, you must disable Flash Cache Mode.
3. Now change the hard drive mode to ATA from AHCI.
4. You are done! You can now install Windows XP.
Note: You will have to download all the Windows XP drivers from the Dell website because there is no built in driver support for this particular laptop model.
The problem: After formatting and running the XP installation, I came across this problem (look at the screen shot). The internal SATA hard drive does not have driver support built into Windows XP.
The solution:When a SATA hard drive is not recognized by the operating system during installation, usually you can specify third party drivers by pressing the F6 key during the initial setup. Unfortunately, these drivers are installed through a a 3.5 floppy drive. Of course with the floppy drive way outdated and not built into the Inspiron laptop, you must use the following procedure.
1. Reboot the computer and press F2 to get into the bios.
2. In the bios, you must disable Flash Cache Mode.
3. Now change the hard drive mode to ATA from AHCI.
4. You are done! You can now install Windows XP.
Note: You will have to download all the Windows XP drivers from the Dell website because there is no built in driver support for this particular laptop model.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
How to change the product key on a computer that is running Windows XP
For whatever reason your computer may have an illegal copy of Windows XP installed on it. But then you buy a legit copy, and would like to use your product key. Instead of formatting the system, you can make the switch using the following procedure. Please note that this will work with Windows XP that has SP1 (service pack 1) and above. Also, if you don't have any experience using the registry editor, I don't recommend this for you.
Deactivate Windows
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents
In the topic pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.
Reactivate Windows and add new product key
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
Click Change Product key.
Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update.
If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 to verify that Windows is activated. You receive the following message:
Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.
Click OK.
This is a legal method of changing your product key. The method was written by Microsoft. To read the original Microsoft support article visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874
Deactivate Windows
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents
In the topic pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.
Reactivate Windows and add new product key
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
Click Change Product key.
Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update.
If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 to verify that Windows is activated. You receive the following message:
Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.
Click OK.
This is a legal method of changing your product key. The method was written by Microsoft. To read the original Microsoft support article visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Finding my bios version
I was looking to upgrade the motherboard bios on my computer, but first I wanted to know what version was already on it.
There are two ways to check your bios version.
1) You can reboot your computer and look for the bios version on the bootup screen, or
2) You can view it in windows though the Microsoft System Information box.
The easest way to run the System Information is to click on the start menu, and then type msinfo32 in the RUN box.
From the default system summary view, look for the BIOS version on the right hand side.
The system information box provides you with a lot more information about your computer.
There are two ways to check your bios version.
1) You can reboot your computer and look for the bios version on the bootup screen, or
2) You can view it in windows though the Microsoft System Information box.
The easest way to run the System Information is to click on the start menu, and then type msinfo32 in the RUN box.
From the default system summary view, look for the BIOS version on the right hand side.
The system information box provides you with a lot more information about your computer.
Can't open raw files in Photoshop
The Problem: My friend had a recent version of photoshop (CS3) but couldn't open up raw files from her new Nikon camera.
The Solution: There is no single raw file format. Different manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Sony etc.) encrypt portions of the file in an attempt to prevent third-party tools from accessing them. Even the same manufacturer will switch their raw file format when they release a newer model of their cameras. So Adobe can't possibly support newer formats without creating raw plugins.
Therefore the solution here is download the latest raw plugins from Adobe's website, found here.
Make sure to download the correct file depending on what version of Photoshop you have. You will have to put the raw camera plugin in the following directory.
Default installation directory
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop CSxx\Plug-Ins\File Formats
The Solution: There is no single raw file format. Different manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Sony etc.) encrypt portions of the file in an attempt to prevent third-party tools from accessing them. Even the same manufacturer will switch their raw file format when they release a newer model of their cameras. So Adobe can't possibly support newer formats without creating raw plugins.
Therefore the solution here is download the latest raw plugins from Adobe's website, found here.
Make sure to download the correct file depending on what version of Photoshop you have. You will have to put the raw camera plugin in the following directory.
Default installation directory
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop CSxx\Plug-Ins\File Formats
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Can't install Kaspersky Anti Virus because...
My friend was trying to install Kaspersky Anti Virus on a computer with a Windows Vista Operating system. But the installation would not proceed because it thought that McAfee anti virus was installed on the machine. My friend told me that McAfee was pre installed on the computer she bought, but she recently removed it from the Add and Remove Programs in the control panel.
The problem: This scenario is very similar to my previous "Photoshop CS3" installation problem. 9 out of 10 times, installation of software fails because previously installed software has left behind "junk" in the windows registry.
The solution in general: If you know enough about the windows registry, you will be able to go in there and delete install info left behind by uninstalled software. To be honest, I never felt comfortable deleting entries in the registry because it can cause windows to malfunction. Always remember to back up your registry before doing manual changes.
The easiest way to solve such a problem is to search the Internet for a cleanup utility. Preferably from the actual manufacturer of the unwanted software. For example, last time we found a cleanup utility from Adobe to remove unwanted CS3 values in the windows registry.
The actual solution: There is a McAfee cleanup tool called MCPR.exe. After uninstalling McAfee from the Add and Remove programs, download this tool and run it. After a restart of your computer, you should be able to install Kaspersky.
Additional information: Because two different anti-virus software can't coexist, you will most likely run into this problem if you even had a different kind anti virus software previously installed. Here are the other remove tools from the major anti virus vendors.
McAfee
Norton
AVG
Kaspersky: I could not find an official remove tool. I found some third party ones, but try them at your own risk (I will not post a link to them.)
The problem: This scenario is very similar to my previous "Photoshop CS3" installation problem. 9 out of 10 times, installation of software fails because previously installed software has left behind "junk" in the windows registry.
The solution in general: If you know enough about the windows registry, you will be able to go in there and delete install info left behind by uninstalled software. To be honest, I never felt comfortable deleting entries in the registry because it can cause windows to malfunction. Always remember to back up your registry before doing manual changes.
The easiest way to solve such a problem is to search the Internet for a cleanup utility. Preferably from the actual manufacturer of the unwanted software. For example, last time we found a cleanup utility from Adobe to remove unwanted CS3 values in the windows registry.
The actual solution: There is a McAfee cleanup tool called MCPR.exe. After uninstalling McAfee from the Add and Remove programs, download this tool and run it. After a restart of your computer, you should be able to install Kaspersky.
Additional information: Because two different anti-virus software can't coexist, you will most likely run into this problem if you even had a different kind anti virus software previously installed. Here are the other remove tools from the major anti virus vendors.
McAfee
Norton
AVG
Kaspersky: I could not find an official remove tool. I found some third party ones, but try them at your own risk (I will not post a link to them.)
Can't install Adobe Photoshop CS3
My friend was trying to install Adobe Photoshop CS3 on a Windows XP machine. Half way through installation there was an unreadable file on her CD, that caused the installation to abort. When we got a hold of a better CD, the installation would not run anymore.
The Problem: The previous attempt to install CS3 had failed, but never the less had gotten deep enough into the install to edit the registry and make windows think the program was installed.
Additional Problems: The installation problem can also occur if you had installed a pre-release version of CS3 on your computer, and now are attempting to install the full final version of CS3. Although this wasn't the case of us this time, a lot of Internet users have reported this installation issue with Adobe Photoshop CS3.
The solution: The first thing you should try is the Add and Remove programs from the control panel. This will most likely fail. The answer is to download Adobe's Clean Up Tool from this website.
You must also have Microsoft's Windows Installer Cleanup Utility installed before you can use Adobe's Clean Up tool. You can download the Microsoft Utility here.
When running the Adobe utility, try cleaning level 1 first. If your install does not work again, go back and try level 2. Remember to restart your computer after each clean prior to attempting installation of CS3.
The Problem: The previous attempt to install CS3 had failed, but never the less had gotten deep enough into the install to edit the registry and make windows think the program was installed.
Additional Problems: The installation problem can also occur if you had installed a pre-release version of CS3 on your computer, and now are attempting to install the full final version of CS3. Although this wasn't the case of us this time, a lot of Internet users have reported this installation issue with Adobe Photoshop CS3.
The solution: The first thing you should try is the Add and Remove programs from the control panel. This will most likely fail. The answer is to download Adobe's Clean Up Tool from this website.
You must also have Microsoft's Windows Installer Cleanup Utility installed before you can use Adobe's Clean Up tool. You can download the Microsoft Utility here.
When running the Adobe utility, try cleaning level 1 first. If your install does not work again, go back and try level 2. Remember to restart your computer after each clean prior to attempting installation of CS3.
Friday, February 20, 2009
This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer
Wow! Three plus years since my last post...
Let's get back into it...
I ran into a minor problem while saving photos from an email attachment. I download this picture onto my desktop and could not view it.
So I checked the the properties of the file and noticed something strange. An unusual message was there warning me "this file was from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer". I had to press the unblock button to allow access to the file.
Nothing major I said to myself, but this started becoming an inconvenience with every photo I downloaded from an email attachment.
Permanently disabling this windows security feature
From the start menu, select run
Type in gpedit.msc
Goto: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager
Enable: Do not preserve zone information in file attachments
Let's get back into it...
I ran into a minor problem while saving photos from an email attachment. I download this picture onto my desktop and could not view it.
So I checked the the properties of the file and noticed something strange. An unusual message was there warning me "this file was from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer". I had to press the unblock button to allow access to the file. Nothing major I said to myself, but this started becoming an inconvenience with every photo I downloaded from an email attachment.
Permanently disabling this windows security feature
From the start menu, select run
Type in gpedit.msc
Goto: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager
Enable: Do not preserve zone information in file attachments
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Keyboard shortcuts for most windows programs
Here are some common keyboard shortcuts that work on most windows based programs like Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop etc.
Save the current document: Ctrl-S
Open a new document: Ctrl-O
Undo the last thing you did: Ctrl-Z or Alt-Backspace
Select the entire current document: Ctrl-A
Delect the selection and move it to the clipboard: Ctrl-X
Copy teh selection to the clipboard: Ctrl-C
Paste the clipboard's contents into the current program: Ctrl-V
Open the print dialog box: Ctrl-P
Turns Italics on or off: Ctrl-I
Turns bold on or off: Ctrl-B
Turns underlining on or off: Ctrl-U
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document: Ctrl-Home
Move the curser to the end of the document: Ctrl-End
Open a shortcut (right click) menu: Shift-F10
Save the current document: Ctrl-S
Open a new document: Ctrl-O
Undo the last thing you did: Ctrl-Z or Alt-Backspace
Select the entire current document: Ctrl-A
Delect the selection and move it to the clipboard: Ctrl-X
Copy teh selection to the clipboard: Ctrl-C
Paste the clipboard's contents into the current program: Ctrl-V
Open the print dialog box: Ctrl-P
Turns Italics on or off: Ctrl-I
Turns bold on or off: Ctrl-B
Turns underlining on or off: Ctrl-U
Move the cursor to the beginning of the document: Ctrl-Home
Move the curser to the end of the document: Ctrl-End
Open a shortcut (right click) menu: Shift-F10
Shortcuts for Windows XP
These keyboard shortcuts apply when you are on the windows desktop. Here they are.
Switch back to a running program: Alt-Tab
Open My Computer in explorer mode: Windows Key-E
Rename a file or folder: F2
In Explorer mode, search for a file: Ctrl-F or F3
Search for a file in a new windows: Windows Key-F
Search for a computer in a new window: Ctrl-Windows Key-F
Minimize open windows, or restore windows minimized by this shortcut: Windows Key-D
Minimize open windows: Windows-M
Open the Run dialog box: Windows Key-R
Open current window's control menu: Alt-Spacebar
Switch back to a running program: Alt-Tab
Open My Computer in explorer mode: Windows Key-E
Rename a file or folder: F2
In Explorer mode, search for a file: Ctrl-F or F3
Search for a file in a new windows: Windows Key-F
Search for a computer in a new window: Ctrl-Windows Key-F
Minimize open windows, or restore windows minimized by this shortcut: Windows Key-D
Minimize open windows: Windows-M
Open the Run dialog box: Windows Key-R
Open current window's control menu: Alt-Spacebar
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Keyboard shortcuts for Internet Explorer
For my next three blog posts, I will talk about some keyboard shortcuts that you can use for Internet Explorer, on the Windows XP desktop, and in most Windows Programs.
Most keyboard shortcuts begin with the ctrl or alt keys. To execute these shortcuts, simply hold down that first key, they press the second key in the sequence.
Shortcuts 1/3: Internet Explorer
Go to the address bar: Alt
Add www. and .com in the address bar without typing it: Ctrl
Refresh the current web page: Ctrl
Stop downloading a web page: Esc
Show or hide the search bar:
Open the find box: Ctrl
Show or hide the history bar: Ctrl
Show or hide the favorites bar: Ctrl
Full screen On/Off: F11
Open a new browser window: Ctrl
Go to your Home page:
Open the Open dialog box to go to another web site: Ctrl
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