Windows 7 activation cracked

Since some Chinese hackers rumored to have cracked the code for Windows 7 activation, Microsoft is facing a security risk after the recent release of the final code for Windows 7 to manufacturers. The Windows Genuine Advantage antipiracy system in the Windows 7 Ultimate release to manufacturers (RTM) has been compromised by hackers.

This means the user can fully activate the software offline without connecting to Microsoft's activation server. The software's RTM code is usually the same as the retail code, which will be available to the public in October. Hackers must have used the leaked ISO file to get hold of the activation certificate that Microsoft digitally signed for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) version of Windows 7. An OEM activation key will unlock multiple copies and it is rumored that this particular key will work on machines from Dell, Hewlett-Packard or Lenovo.

Addressing this, Microsoft released its statement, "We are aware of reports of activation exploits that attempt to circumvent activation and validation in Windows 7, and we can assure customers that Microsoft is committed to protecting them from counterfeit and pirated software." It also advises customers not to download Windows 7 from unauthorized sources.

In News: iYogi Re-Defines Technical Support – BizTech2.com

Remote managed services are gaining a lot of attraction these days. Companies are looking to outsource the maintenance and monitoring of their IT infrastructure to a third party to improve efficiency and save costs. BizTech2.com caught up with Uday Challu, founding partner and CEO, iYogi, to see what the company has to offer in this space.

As far as Enterprise and SME customers are concerned, which verticals are you focusing on?

Our focus will mostly be on small companies with around five to 100 users and also firms that have multiple small branch offices like travel agencies, retail stores etc.

What kind of support services do you provide to your customers? What is the Green PC service?

iYogi provides the next generation of remote computer support services for consumers and businesses. For consumers, our live 24/7 support extends to technologies we use everyday, including hardware, software applications, devices, peripherals and networking equipment. iYogi also offers a full range of business IT solutions including managed monitoring, managed services, set-up and installation services, and incident-based services.

Green PC Service

With the current state of the global climate and increasing dependency on the computer, iYogi helps PC users reduce their carbon footprint and save money at the same time. iYogi’s Green PC service is the first in the independent computer support industry to offer customers a way to save money, conserve energy and protect the environment by optimising their PC’s efficiency. Consumers and businesses can save up to $200 per year, per desktop, in energy costs with iYogi’s Green PC application. This green application makes the computer environmentally friendly by reducing power consumption by almost 50 percent.

Our Green PC dashboard helps customise power settings and calculate power savings in kWh (kilowatt hour). The Green PC dashboard also gives a status on the reduction of CO2 and how responsible usage will benefit the environment by saving trees. A customised service that increases the energy efficiency of computers, undertakes the below-mentioned three primary initiatives:

- Computer assessment, analysing settings and PC energy use
- Customised efficiency planning geared specifically to the individual’s usage patterns
- Implementing setting changes to maximise the computer’s energy use

What are the technologies that allow you to offer 24/7 support and ensure there is no downtime at the client site?

We have invested significantly in developing a comprehensive monitoring and management tools stack. This enables us to manage and monitor all devices in the office network as well as for branch offices and mobile users. Our tools continuously monitor the customer’s network and notify our NOC (Network Operations Centre) in case of problems. Based on the set of events, tickets are automatically generated and escalated to corresponding teams. Over and above our proactive approach, the customer always has an option to call our 24X7 support line for issues that are not identified via the monitoring tools.

Please throw some light on your proprietary iMantra technology.

iMantra is a CRM system, which is tailor-made to suit the emerging business needs at iYogi. It allows for the formation of individualised customer relationships with the aim of providing personalised services to each subscriber. This tool is built on the latest java technology with a layered architecture that makes it scalable and secure. This architecture provides a seamless workflow and independent channels for various business needs: sales, support, quality and customer service. The entire system can be exposed in the form of secure APIs and Web services, which makes it a re-usable entity.

Your business model is similar to BPOs in India providing technical support to offshore customers. What unique values do you bring to this ecosystem that would help a potential client choose you over a competitor?

iYogi’s business model is different from traditional BPOs. Some key factors that differentiate iYogi include:

- Direct-to-consumer and -small business: iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is a global technical support brand based out of India. Unlike traditional BPOs in India, iYogi does not provide any private label support and/ or work on behalf of large OEMs or software publishers.

- Optimised Processes: iYogi has developed proprietary processes for consistently delivering on a resolution rate of 87 percent, which is among the highest published benchmarks in the support industry, where averages hover in the range of 50 percent.

- Comprehensive technology platform: iYogi’s global delivery platform, iMantra, gets smarter with every customer interaction. It documents every problem, the solution and relevant hardware and software aspects, while capturing each customer’s demographic information and creating a behavioural profile. All of this information is at the fingertips of iYogi’s Global Tech Experts. This set-up combines a knowledge base with a comprehensive set of tools and technology expertise. iYogi offers a range of tools that complement its remote support services for helping customers maintain technology at peak performance levels. iYogi’s products include iYogi Smart PC Scan, iYogi Support Dock, iYogi Green PC and iYogi PC Optimisation.

How do you plan to move up the value chain in the times to come?

The growing use and penetration of the Internet and new Web-based applications has consequently opened the door to threats and vulnerabilities, which affect the system performance and ultimately lead to degrading performance. If the threats are diagnosed early on, the impact on efficiency can be minimised considerably. Currently, a user only realizes that he needs technical support once the damage has occurred and reactive methods of support are used to recover from the loss.

At iYogi, we are developing our capabilities to not only provide support when demanded, but to also monitor, pre-empt and fix threats before they can cause any damage to the computer. This will be possible only by combining technology with processes that are capable of re-defining the way technical support is delivered today.

What is your India strategy?

Technically, we are capable of servicing any geography including India. At this stage, we are looking for the right kind of partners to find access to potential customers and provide them a consolidated, 360-degree solution and services for issues relating to hardware, software, network etc. We aim to launch our India services in the coming six to eight months. Our services will offer clients a one-stop solution for all their business needs.

Source : BizTech2.com

Audio Problems with Windows Server 2003

This post help you to troubleshoot sound problems with windows server 2003, If you Install Windows Server 2003 and getting Audio problems with your Windows Server 2003 and finally some Accessibility software features may not work properly.

It happening in following cases

1.A sound driver may not installed. windows server 2003 includes limited list of driver
2.Sound may be disable, By default.

To fix this issue follow the steps given below

1. Use Device Manager to verify that your sound device has a driver installed. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
3. Expand Sound, video and game controllers, and then verify that your sound device is listed.
2. If no sound device driver is installed, use Microsoft Windows Update to see if a driver is available.

Note Windows Server 2003 may disable the Microsoft Dynamic Update Service. To manually see if Microsoft Windows updates are available, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
3. After you verify that you have the correct sound driver installed, you may have to enable the Windows Audio service. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. In the Services Management Console, double-click Windows Audio service.
3. In the Startup type list, select Automatic, click Start, and then click OK.
Note By default, this step applies to all versions except Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition.

Security Checklist for windows 7

Use this checklist to make sure you are taking advantage of all the ways that Windows can help keep your computer as secure and safe as possible.

Action Center

Use Action Center to make sure your firewall is on, your antivirus software is up to date, and your is computer set up to install updates automatically.

Windows Defender

Use Windows Defender to prevent malicious software, like spyware or viruses, from infecting your computer.

User Account Control

User Account Control prompts you for your permission before installing software or opening certain kinds of programs that could potentially harm your computer or make it vulnerable to security threats.

Backup and Restore

it's important to back up your files and settings regularly so that if you get a virus or have any kind of hardware failure, you can recover your files.

Windows Update

Set Windows Update to download and install the latest updates for your computer automatically.

Windows Firewall

Use Windows Firewall to help prevent hackers and unwanted software from gaining access to your computer through the Internet.

Windows XP Optimization

Optimize Windows XP to improve home, work and gaming performance safely. This post guide will help you improve your overall system performance without having to manually edit the Registry. I avoid using or recommending "all-in-one" Windows XP Tweak programs since many blindly adjust settings that have no affect on performance and can cause future problems. This guide is designed to be performed top to bottom, in sequence since some steps are required to be performed before others. Before using this guide make sure your system meets the Windows XP System Requirements.

Read and follow the instructions carefully. This guide is not designed to be used in combination with other Windows tweaking guides or other Windows tweaking software. Before using this guide make sure all of your data is backed up. Viruses and Spyware can cause service pack installations to fail, make sure you have run through Step 1 completely before proceeding.

Remove Malware

Clean Adware, Root kits, Spyware, Trojans, Viruses and Worms. Malware is short for malicious software. It is a general term that refers to any software or program code designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. This guide will show you how to remove these infections and protect yourself from future infections using software.

Windows Update

Install All of the updates. Not just the critical ones. This may have to be run multiple times. Run it over again until it says 0 updates available. Non-critical updates are essential for improved performance, compatibility and enhanced features. They are all very safe to install.

Windows Drivers

Update your drivers using the Windows Driver Guide. Installing the latest Drivers improves system performance and application compatibility. Updated drivers include numerous bug fixes as well as system optimizations. It is recommended for optimal system stability to only use Official drivers and not Beta or Prerelease versions. Performance differences between driver versions including Beta or Pre-release drivers are negligible. The only time Beta or Prerelease drivers should be considered is when a serious application bug is fixed in the Beta or Prerelease version and the component manufacturer has not yet released the Official driver version that includes the bug fix.

Visual Effects
Disable Indexing Service
Increase the Mouse Pointer Speed
Prefetcher Fix

How to Delete files using Disk Cleanup

If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster, use Disk Cleanup. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.

1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Cleanup.
2. In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, choose whether you want to clean up your own files only or all of the files on the computer. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. If the Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection dialog box appears, select the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
4. Click the Disk Cleanup tab, and then select the check boxes for the files you want to delete.
5. When you finish selecting the files you want to delete, click OK, and then click Delete files to confirm the operation. Disk Cleanup proceeds to remove all unnecessary files from your computer.

The More Options tab is available when you choose to clean files from all users on the computer. This tab includes two additional ways to free even more disk space:

•Programs and Features. Opens Programs and Features in Control Panel, where you can uninstall programs that you no longer use. The Size column in Programs and Features shows how much disk space each program uses.
•System Restore and Shadow Copies. Prompts you to delete all but the most recent restore point on the disk.

System Restore uses restore points to return your system files to an earlier point in time. If your computer is running normally, you can save disk space by deleting the earlier restore points.

In some editions of Windows Vista, restore points can include previous versions of files, known as shadow copies, and backup images created with Windows Complete PC Backup. This information will also be deleted. For more information about System Restore, search Windows Help and Support for "system restore."

PC Help - Personalized Support

Late last night when we sitting out on the veranda, my little two year old remarked looking heavenward on how beautiful the clouds were looking and both my husband and I followed his gaze and realized that it was indeed a beautiful sight. My husband smiled and said that sometimes it pays to look at things through his eyes because he is only just beginning to enjoy the newness and joy in nature's bounty.

The point that I am seeking to drive home with this analogy is that the Personal computer is really a wonderful invention that gives us the whole world while we are seated right in our own homes. All of us who have been using the personal computer for a long while now quite forget all those new computer virgins who take tentative steps towards this technology beast that everybody feels that they just have to master.

A personal computer is on everybody's checklist and or definitely on their wish list. Be it parents' buying for their children or much older citizens realizing that the PC can be the best way to stay in touch with their kids and watch their grandchildren grow up.

Most new users who have not 'learnt' computers or studied it in school have a very tentative approach to the computer. They really could do with computer help on a regular basis. As an octogenarian aunt who is reinventing herself via the Personal Computer mentioned to me that it would be wonderful to have computer services that were tailor made for her needs. When I asked her what she meant by that she said that what she needed was help with her PC so that she did not need worry about computer virus and other such nasty things. Computer Help that worked on auto pilot, so to speak rather than having to get in touch with a computer help specialist all the time. She just wanted a computer service professional to check her system regularly and maybe teach her a new trick or two every now and then! Proactive tech support is what she wanted and given today's agile computer support companies, I am sure they have something suitable for my Aunt Sarah.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having a good trained, qualified and certified computer help company on board. When the world of computers is just opening up for a new users there can be numerous road blocks that can seriously inhibit new users; computer virus, spyware, e-mail issues to name just a few of the common but omnipresent issues. Having trained computer service persons around to help can ensure that your learning continues unabated and unhindered. As most tech support professionals work with multiple customers them on possible issues and road blocks. This will help new users identify and troubleshoot small problems on their own.

All computers regardless of brand come with help tutorials inbuilt into the system. I will admit that there are designed with care and are very easy to follow. However, for lay users who often have issues even launching their computers, this manner of computer help can be a little hard to follow. Sometimes even finding the tutorial on the computer can be a little difficult for some users!

In my opinion, if you are a lay user and have just begin to explore this wonderful world of computers, get some good tech support on board. A qualified computer repair technician will greatly enhance your learning curve and will also ensure that there no roadblocks in your wonderful journey down technology road.


Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?PC-Help---Personalized-Support&id=2417611