Lisa Hendrickson is the owner of Call That Girl. She is an Outlook Expert and Microsoft 365 Consultant.
When I ask a client, “What version of Windows are you using”….many don’t know, or they say “Windows 2010”. So, I thought I would show you pictures and explain in this blog what version of Windows you have. The reason I’m sharing this with you is because in April, Windows XP will no longer be supported by Microsoft. This means you should take your computer off the internet and only use it for music, games and money/finances. Or, you could get a new computer and hey, it’s probably time for one! We will discuss Office products in another blog.
So let’s review the versions of Windows that you may have. And you may have an older version, if so…you’re lucky!
Windows XP
The button usually looks like the image below (it could look different, but this is the standard…green color under white start letters). You also will notice the old school “log off” and “turn off computer” (some people opt to change their start menu appearance, but this is pretty standard).
Windows Vista
Now this fancier button can be deceiving because Windows 7 has the same “circle fancy button” but there are 2 ways to know the difference. Notice the 2 icons next to the start menu button? They are not available on Windows 7. If you look right above the start button, you will see “Start Search”, Windows 7 has “Search programs and files” above the start menu button. See images below.
Image found at http://www.thewwwblog.com/how-to-speed-up-an-external-hard-drive-in-windows-vista.html
Windows 7 Start Menu Button, notice with a bit more flair.
Image found at http://www.freemake.com/blog/windows-8-vs-windows-7-top-10-features-that-will-be-gone/
Now for Windows 8….we went from a nice circle button to this…?????? This isn’t really a start menu button, but an app clicker to get to the apps. I won’t elaborate on this, but if you see this…you have Windows 8.
Long story short, if you have Windows XP it’s time for an upgrade! If you need advice on buying a new computer, check out our blog here. For even more guidance, please call 612-865-4475 or email info@callthatgirl.biz.
Outlook E-Mail Help & Support for Minneapolis, MN and national remote support. Fast and responsive Outlook assistance (repairs, new computer setup, fixing contact lists, iCloud & iTunes glitches, broken PST files, Gmail problems, Outlook being slow, send/receive issues, whatever your issues are, we can help! (yes, Outlook 2013 too!)
Maybe you just need an Outlook Tune-Up? Click here for more info!
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We also support
Typical Outlook problems we see on a daily basis at Call That Girl….
We hear that a lot here at Call That Girl. If you ever have that problem or have corrupted PST files, need help setting up Outlook, transition your email from Outlook POP/IMAP/web access to Microsoft Outlook 2003, Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010…. or have trouble sending and receiving in Outlook -Call That Girl! We have over 14 years experience troubleshooting just about every problem with Outlook.
Lisa Hendrickson the owner of Call That Girl is our Outlook expert will get your email running the way you want it without much effort on your end. Outlook support is typically done with remote service, so as long as you have internet connection, we can help you from anywhere in the world!
What we can help with any type of Outlook problems
• Set up and configuration
• Backup and restorations
• Explaining how Outlook really works
• How to move from your Gmail to Outlook
• How to stop using free email programs for business
• How to export your contacts to load into social media networks
• How to export your LinkedIn contacts into outlook
• How to setup and use your Blackberry with Outlook
• Setting up rules for email (and following them!)
• Managing your email life much better
• How to manage more than one calendar (personal and business)
• Using Tasks and Notes
• Keeping more than one contacts list (for networking/emailing purposes)
• Moving from Outlook express to Outlook 2003/2007
• Calendar management
• Move from POP to IMAP or to Hosted Exchange (Synch your world!)
If you haven’t heard by now, Microsoft is ending life of many software products in the next few months. The big one is Windows XP, (so that means this XP computer should be off the internet as it will not be safe). To read my blog on how to buy a new computer, click here.
Moving on, Office 2003 is already out of date and not supported. You are for sure on your own there friend! If it breaks, you can’t call Microsoft, but most people just call companies like Call That Girl to fix it anyway. Worst case scenario…we reinstall it, which you can still do.
The problem with Office 2003 either way, is that you can’t install it on a Windows 8 computer or use any of the new technology out there. If you want hosted exchange, you have to upgrade.
The latest Office 2013 is still something I am getting used to. The design is all different, but the important things we need and use on a daily basis are still there, if you can find it! They have changed how to find our usual settings but if you spend enough time, you can figure it out quickly.
Now, on to the purchasing. There are no more disks with Office 2013. You have to create a Microsoft account, and then you purchase. After that, you have access to your software at anytime. There are many packages to buy and some seem a bit more lenient than others. Such as the home version of Office 2013.
To read more about what versions to buy, click here.
Questions
Did you know?
General Outlook Repairs
Office 365
Synchronize your Outlook calendar and contacts to your iPad, iPhone, Android and contacts with the cloud products such as Microsoft Office 365, Hosted Exchange, Outlook.com, 3rd party apps.
Training
Software upgrades and transitions
Migrations
Outside consulting
To book an appointment, please call 612-865-4475 or email info@callthatgirl.biz
www.thetogetherteacher.com
Our clients call in to get current technology problems fixed. In many cases, we end up finding even more problems than they knew about! However, I always help them find the solutions that will make their business day more efficient. It’s my job to know this stuff! Here is a checklist of the main problems people call with. How many can you check off?
1.) Do you have a good paid for antivirus program? Free ones don’t really work. They might for a bit, but when you really need them to, they won’t. Norton is still a favorite, but I don’t recommend using Norton if your computer is slow and old. Norton and McAfee still cause “unknown slowdowns” on fast computers. And not to mention, networking issues on occasion.
2.) Are you for sure backing up? If you are not sure, now is the time to check. If you have an external hard drive, be sure to unplug it when you’re done backing up.
3.) Are you using an old computer with Windows XP? You will need to think about getting a new one in April of 2014, as Windows XP will no longer be supported by Microsoft.
4.) Are your current email, calendar and contacts not synching with your other computers and smartphones? Are you tired of band-aiding multiple computers and smartphones just to keep your life organized?
5.) Are you having difficulty sharing data from one computer to another?
6.) Is your website a mess? Time for a refresh!
We can help you with all of these issues and find you new affordable solutions. Call us or email today. 612-865-4475 Lisa@callthatgirl.biz
This blog is very old and probably outdated!
It’s not surprising that I take a lot of calls from folks having issues with their internet. Many of those calling complain about Comcast and CenturyLink. The biggest complaints across the board are regarding the frustration clients feel when they have to call these companies to get a problem fixed. Both companies are so huge that the clients experience a never-ending phone queue issue of being transferred or constantly being put on hold.
I myself have used both companies for internet over the years for both business and residential purposes. I had the most problems with CenturyLink, which ended with them giving me many months of free service. Outside of the technical snags, if I had to call the support center, I cringed every time because CenturyLink had changed its call center to what appeared to be all new employees —who were very unhelpful. (Remember the old phone companies–Qwest, USWest, AT&T, Northwestern Bell–that had great customer service comparably?)
On the bright side, as of March 2013, Comcast took the initiative to increase the download speed of their services in Minneapolis. They realized that most residential units had multiple devices using the same internet services and the need for fast internet would continue to grow. Although Comcast’s internet speed was already faster than CenturyLink’s services, they almost doubled their amount of megabits per second. Technically speaking, Comcast is now more than two times faster than CenturyLink.
So back to the question: what company is the best? If I were to open an office right now in Minneapolis, I would go with Comcast—solely because of the speed. CenturyLink’s DSL is nothing compared to what Comcast can deliver. Both have pretty bad call centers and the pricing is about the same from what I remember. Many users say that CenturyLink is a bit cheaper, but only while their promotion is available. Once it is no longer valid, CenturyLink’s prices are comparable to that of Comcast’s. However, their speed is not.
