Have you receive the error message, “Your copy of Windows is not genuine?”  Your Windows 7 Ultimate operating system might show this message due to spyware, viruses, bad Windows update, or if the operating system is a hacked version.  However, most likely, Windows 7 Ultimate has been recently showing this error message due to a botched Windows update.

To resolve this error, our computer experts have been able to search high and low to find the Windows 7 Ultimate not genuine fix.  Just run it and hit the button to remove the activation when prompted.  Then, the program will take care of the rest.  This program essentially removes the activation key display in the Computer Properties area, and allows the computer to download/install Windows updates again.

Hopefully, you will not have to come across this computer issue, but if you do, you’ll now how to resolve the PC problem.

This nasty Windows XP Professional blue screen can pop up randomly to frustrate you when you’re working in a document or surfing the Internet.  Here’s how to resolve the Windows blue screen of death, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL:

1. Find out the exact error message.  You can do so by: Right-Click My Computer and Properties.  Select Advanced Tab->Startup and Recovery and turn off Automatically restart under System Failure.  Click OK from the 2 boxes.
2. Re-create the issue and document the error code.  Reboot and re-create that nasty blue screen of death so this time your computer will give you enough time to read the error message.  Look for the name of a file that is causing the issue (i.e. usbport.sys) that is located on the bottom of your screen. 
3. Reinstall the problematic driver.  Since this error refers to a driver issue (software installed for hardware component (i.e. wireless card, sound, video, etc.), we now have to find which driver is associated with the file (i.e. usbport.sys) indicated on your blue screen.  Go to My Computer->Properties->Hardware->Device Manager and from here select the problematic device.  If you see any yellow ! exclamation marks, this device might be the problematic one.  If you’re not sure, you can search the file / driver issue by clicking the device, select Properties->Driver->Driver Details and you’ll find all the files that make up the driver.  Go through each driver until locating the same file listed in your blue screen.  Once you found the same file name, reinstall the driver by right-clicking the driver and select Update Driver.  This will allow you to reinstall it or search on the Internet for a newer one.

If you need further technical support for this computer repair, be sure to contact your local NYC computer repair shop.

It is tempting to take your Windows XP or Vista computer, and just upgrade it to Windows 7.  No questions asked, just to do it.  Windows 7 is the best operating system yet, according to our Windows tech team, and so why not upgrade?

Before blindly upgrading your computer to Windows 7, check your computer manufacturer’s website to ensure all of the drivers are available for Windows 7.  You might be finished with your Windows 7 upgrade, and then realize you don’t have sound or wireless capable.  Not a good upgrade, eh?

Also, you’ll want to make sure to get the right version of Windows, either a manufacturer-based one for your computer, or a regular Windows 7 one from the store.  Basically, make sure you don’t put in a Dell Windows CD if you have a Sony!

Overall, you can upgrade directly from Windows Vista to 7.  But, with Windows XP, you’ll need to perform a full installation of Windows 7 so back up your files first.  Also, make sure your computer meets the minimum Windows 7 system requirements.

If you need help with your Windows 7 upgrade, feel free to call an NYC Windows 7 expert. 

Windows 7 - The real info you want. 

• Release Date - Expected October 22, 2009.In reality, it will probably be officially released in the first quarter of 2010 to finalize tweaks and positioning within retail stores. 
• Can you upgrade to Windows 7?  Windows XP users cannot directly upgrade to Windows 7.  Instead, they’ll need to back up their files and install Windows 7 fresh.  Windows Vista users may make the upgrade jump, especially since Windows 7 only requires only 1GB of RAM as its main requirement.   
• Will your software be compatible?  Yes, Vista software will be compatible and XP software will be compatible with 7’s “Windows XP mode,” providing a revolutionary virtualization feature to run Windows XP software.  
• Should you upgrade to Windows 7?  No.  Unless you are a computer enthusiast, you should not upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7.  Why?  Windows 7 is so new and doesn’t validate an upgrade on an existing computer due to possible upgrade quirks and issues.  That being said, buying a new computer with Windows 7 preloaded is a good option since the operating system is backwards-compatible with Windows Vista and XP and you’ll enjoy the cool tricks and features. 
• What new features are in Windows 7?
• Multi-touch: Use your fingers to click and drag instead of your mouse.
• Taskbar: Hover over an application icon and get a screenshot of the window.
• Music Library: Set up music on your hard drive and external hard drives while appearing only in one Music library folder.
• Windows Media Center: Send video and music to your stereo or other PCs; and play Internet TV.
• Device Stage: Assembles all of your hardware specs in one page and provides helpful vendor guides and support. 
• What do the experts think of Windows 7?

We have tested the beta version of Windows 7 and like the speedy startup and shutdown as well as overall stability.  Microsoft 2003 Word, an XP operating system software, actually works in this operating system which is two thumbs up right there.  Further, we find the screenshot feature to be very helpful for checking out what info is behind an application window without actually opening up the window.  Further, the Device Stage feature worked well when installing a new printer.  It provided the latest driver software to install.  Overall, we like Windows 7, but as with all new operating systems, feel that it is a good solution when buying a new computer for enthusiasts or home users.  But, offices and businesses should wait awhile before standardizing their network with a new operating system since networking and business systems have yet to be tested on this new platform.

Microsoft’s upcoming Office 2010 will integrate the Internet more than ever.  Nowadays, it’s common to have the need to network and share files.  The challenge comes if someone is at another location, such as home or on the road, and you need to share files from your office computer.

Microsoft Office 2010 will now allow running its Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote over Internet Explorer to provide ease of accessibility.  Wherever you are, you’ll be able to access and work on your files.  And you can have others collaborate easily.  This is very similar to Google Apps and this is no coincidence.  Microsoft is looking to compete with Google’s online sharing industry.

This new online version is a good way for Microsoft to compete with other online apps as well as free Office programs.  This online version will allow computer users to leverage the Internet to the fullest.

As Vista has settled in nicely, one may wonder: “Will my computer be ready for Windows 7, the next Windows version?”

If you just bought a new PC in the last year, chances are your computer will be ready for the new Windows 7 operating system.  But, you may confirm if your computer is really able to meet the Windows 7 requirements by running the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.  This advisor lets you know what specific uprades you’ll need to make in order to have your computer Windows 7-ready.

For instance, if your desktop or laptop is only at 256MB or RAM, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will recommend 1GB of RAM.  It will also let you know if you need to upgrade your driver software for your hardware devices.

This link is definitely a good tool to have in your tech support arsenal when looking to upgrade to Windows 7.

If you wanted to run Ubuntu in the past, you’d need to dual boot both Ubuntu and Windows together.  The point of this was to run Ubuntu applications in one operating system and Windows software in another.  Or lots of people preferred to run Ubuntu for a quick boot time and Internet browsing. 

Now, you can run Ubuntu and Windows together with Portable Ubuntu.  Think Mac with Windows on VM Ware.  This is what you’ll get with Portable Ubuntu on Windows.  Basically, you can run Ubuntu within Windows whenever you want instead of having to reboot Windows to boot into Ubuntu.  Another way you can run Ubuntu is from a portable USB device or thumbdrive so anytime you want to run it, you can just double-click on the Ubuntu program from the device.

You can download the Portable Ubuntu.  All you have to do it point the download to your computer or portable device to run from either one.  The installation is quick and painless and you don’t have to be a certified technician to set it up.

If you get the dreaded NTLDR is missing error message upon bootup for your Windows XP computer, you can resolve it in a few steps.

1. Restart your computer.  Try the easy fix first.

2. Remove any USB or firewire hard drives or CD/DVD drives.  Your computer may be trying to boot up to these devices by mistake.

3. Make sure your BIOS is set to auto or to recognize your hard drive as the primary boot device.

4. Restore the NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from the Windows XP CD.  You can do this by booting to your Windows XP CD and entering the XP Recovery Console.  Then type in 2 commands where d: is your CD/DVD drive:

copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\

copy d:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

Type exit and restart your computer

5. Repair or replace the boot.ini file.  Boot up to the Windows XP CD and go to the Recovery Console.  Type in:

bootcfg /rebuild

Type “Y” to prompt: Add installation to boot list?

Type “Windows XP Professional” or “Windows XP Home” when prompted for the name of operating system

Type “/FastDetect” when prompted to Enter OS Load options

Type Exit and Restart your computer

6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows XP system partition.

Boot to the Windows XP CD and go into the Recovery Console.

Type: fixboot

Type Exit and Restart your computer.7.  Repair Windows XP Master Boot Record

Boot to the Windows XP CD and go into the Recovery Console.

Type: fixmbr

Type Exit and Restart your computer.  Please note that if you get a warning that your partition is not standard and you might lose your data, then you should recover your files first before attempting this.

7. Re-secure all connections.  Unplug and re-plug IDE/SATA hard drive(s), CD/DVD drive(s), video and internal cards, and re-seat the RAM modules.

8. Update your BIOS.

9.  Perform an XP repair installation.  You can do this if you have the exact same Windows CD that came with your computer.  Instead of going to the recovery console, go to the steps as if you’re going to install Windows XP fresh.  Then, type the “r” option which will allow you to run the repair which essentially re-copies all of the Windows files again over the current possible corrupt or missing ones.

10.  When all else fails, back up your files and reinstall Windows XP.

11.  If you’re unable to reinstall Windows, you might have a bad hard drive and may require data recovery to obtain your files.  Then, you can install Windows on a new hard drive.

The above steps may be attempted to fix the NTLDR error.  It is always wise to back up your files first prior to performing these steps.  You may enlist a technical support company to help diagnose and repair your computer if you don’t feel comfortable with this computer repair process.

If your Windows Vista is slow, you can do the typical RAM upgrade.  But, you can actually tweak your Vista so your Internet surfing and downloading speed is faster.

Here are 2 sure-fire ways to speed up your Vista…and without adding any costly hardware:

1.  Open up Internet Explorer->Tools->Internet Options and uncheck the TLS box and click OK.  The TLS, or Transport Layer Security, performs an encryption process that could drag out Internet browsing and downloading.  Removing this security layer can speed up your Vista.

2.  Also, there is a TCP autotuning feature that could slow down the works.  A bunch of websites do not respond well to this feature and will slow down your computer.  So, you should turn it off to prevent any latency.  Here’s how to do this:  Click on Start-> type CMD and hit enter.  At the command prompt, type: netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel= disabled

Close the DOS window and restart your computer.

These two quick feature removals could drastically speed up your computer.  And it’s a great way to provide a PC tune-up.

If your desktop doesn’t turn on because of a blinking yellow light, you’re not in trouble.  There are a couple of ways to troubleshoot this in order to repair your computer.  First, open up your desktop by taking off the side panel.  Then, test the RAM by removing the modules one by one to see if there is a bad RAM module.  After the RAM test, you’ll need to test the power supply by replacing it for another one.  9 times out of 10, this blinking amber light is the cause of a bad power supply.

Keep in mind that recovering your files is not a problem with this issue.  This issue typically pertains to a power issue so your hard drive which olds your files is not in jeopardy.  If you’re still experiencing an issue after testing out the RAM and swapping out the power supply, you should have your computer further diagnosed by a top computer repair service company.