Monday, February 25, 2013

Resolving Some MS Outlook Problems


MS Outlook is a popular personal information management software, and is used by millions of people around the world. Although the program is not prone to too many errors, it does get problematic once in a while. Most often you get the “Cannot start Outlook errors, but these can be resolved using some simple troubleshooting techniques.
One error commonly found in the Outlook program is associated with the opening of the files with extensions .OFT (Outlook template) or .MSG. While trying to open such a file, if you were to receive the following error message which states that, “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. The command line argument is not valid. Verify the switch you are using”, then you will need to troubleshoot the program using the steps given below. These steps were obtained from the Microsoft Tech Support teams online, so they ought to suffice at fixing the problem.
Some troubleshooting tips
Go to the “location” section and then change the command to the one given below. "c:\program files\microsoft office\OFFICE11\outlook.EXE" /f "%*". This will ensure that all other file types in the Outlook program will get broken. However, there is a disadvantage to this method, since it creates two copies of the Outlook file, and as such this is not an ideal solution.
You can try to edit the registry in order to overcome this issue. Since editing the registry can cause problems if not done properly, it is recommended that you do so under the guidance of a skilled technician. Whatever be the case, make sure to backup the registry before you start to edit it.
Set the following registry key to fix the registry issues with the Outlook program.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
Name: PublishedAppCommandLineFlag
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 0x2
These are some of the troubleshooting methods that you can try in your computer, in order to resolve the issues with the Outlook program. If you cannot start Outlook even after carrying out these simple troubleshooting methods, it indicates that the repair needs to be done by skilled technicians. You can contact the Outlook tech support team in this case, and they will help you to resolve the issues with your Outlook program.
Problems with the MS Outlook programs can be fixed using some simple techniques. However, some methods mentioned here, such as the one that involves registry editing, need to be carried out extremely carefully. Otherwise, there is a chance that it might lead to more serious problems.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Tips To Reinstall And Activate Windows XP Service Pack 2


We are familiar with the proverb “It is easier said than done.” However, the proverb is in contrary in case of Windows XP SP2. It is easier to uninstall and then reinstall the software than saying the word “Reinstall”, simply because the Microsoft Windows online support team has made the process of uninstall and reinstall quite effortless. You can activate Windows XP Service Pack 2 software in your system via phone or internet. The following instructions will help you in achieving your target.
Instructions
Insert the installation CD, which you get with purchase of Windows XP SP2 software, into the CD-ROM drive.
Reboot your system. A few secondss before the Windows start loading, you will see this message on your computer screen “Press any key” to allow booting from the disk. Alternatively, you can press “F12” or “ESC” key to get options for booting. Select “CD-ROM” to go to the next step. Different computer will have different boot options key.
Now, a license agreement needs to be made. Pressing “F8” key means you have agreed to the agreement. Select “Current partition” option. Press “Enter” button to start the installation process. In case of multiple partitions, choose and click the option where the software is currently installed.
Using a popular file system format known as “NTFS”, you can format the partition that you have chosen.
While setting up the GUI, you are required to enter the following information: license key, time zone, and computer system as well as network settings. The setup will take 30 to 45 minutes. Your computer will restart automatically before the activation process, so just wait patiently.
As soon as your computer restarts, click on the bubble that shows the activation remainder. You will see this in the activation region. Then, choose your activation option, which is either phone or the internet. If you want the activation to complete in the shortest possible time, choose the internet option.
Now, if you have chosen the internet option of activation, you have to wait for a few minutes, normally 1 to 2 minutes, in order to get approved. Then, in order to make sure the activation process is successfully completed, you need to restart your computer again. If nothing went wrong during the activation process, then the activation reminder will disappear.
Even though it is easy to uninstall, reinstall and activate Windows XP SP2 in your system, errors may occur anytime. In such a situation, the best remedy is to get in touch with the Microsoft Windows online support team.