Free Download Windows Server 2008 R2 (180-Day Trial)

Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition evaluation copy with 180-day trial VHD images are available to download from Microsoft.

Evaluating any version of Windows Server 2008 R2 software does not require entering a product key, however will require activation within 10 days. Failing to activate the evaluation will cause the licensing service to shut the machine down every hour. Once activated, the evaluation will run for 180 days. After this time, you will need to uninstall the evaluation software and reinstall a fully-licensed version of Windows Server 2008 R2.

The only catch is that this installation requires Hyper-V, you will need to have a base install of Windows Server 2008 (x64) or Windows Server 2008 R2, running Hyper-V. You can find more details about using Windows Server 2008 R2 VHD with Hyper-V here.

Also download Changes in Windows Server 2008 R2 guide and Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2 e-book from Microsoft to know what’s new in the latest version Windows Server.

Download Windows Server 2008 R2 VHD

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Microsoft To Release Free Antivirus “Morro” Soon

Microsoft is all set to release a free antivirus substitute, codenamed "Morro", for its discontinued Live OneCare. The Microsoft Corporation has not revealed much information on its free antivirus Morro, but it’s believed that the Morro will clinch enough market shares from Symantec and McAfee.

Live OneCare was a paid computer security and enhancement tool for Windows. Live OneCare was released back in 2006 and discontinued in 2008.

The “Morro” is expected to come with only basic level protection. It will not have features like  firewall, encryption and parental control.

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Microsoft Morro Screenshots Out

The first glimpse of Microsoft’s next generation free antivirus system named "Morro" is here. Microsoft is all set to release Morro as a substitute to its discontinued security suite Live One Care.

The new Morro is being tested by Microsoft employees, so the UI is subject to change in upcoming build. Neowin has posted three screenshots of the Microsoft Morro few hours back. You can see all the screenshots at neowin.

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Windows Club Announces The Best Windows Website Contest 2009

The Windows Club / WinVistaClub is organizing its "Best Windows Website Contest 2009", to discover and to recognize some of the best Windows bloggers and website owners.

The Panel of Judges is very impressive and comprises of:

Paul Schottland, Product Unit Manager for Microsoft
Ed Bott, MVP, EdBott.com
Rafael Rivera, WithinWindows.com
Howard Lo, Microsoft’s Regional Team Manager (APAC)
Steven Sinchak, MVP, Tweaks.com
Lowell Heddings, HowToGeek.com
Emil Protalinski, ArsTechnica – One Microsoft Way
Corrine Chorney, MVP, SecurityGarden and The Windows Club Moderator
James Fisher, MVP, WindowsTalk.org and The Windows Club Moderator
Anand Khanse, MVP, TheWindowsClub.com | WinVistaClub.com.

The Winner of The Windows Club’s Best Windows Website Contest 2009, will also get a Free Windows Vista Ultimate box DVD, Microsoft Office 2007 box DVD, and licenses of ESET Smart Security Suite 4, TuneUp Utilities 2009, SnagIt 9, Acronis True Image Home 2009, Diskeeper 2009, Glary Utilities Pro, Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware Full, Extensions For Windows®, & WinPatrol Plus.

Moreover, every participant will get a 1 year license of a-squared Anti-Malware 4.5 worth $40 absolutely FREE, just for participating.

So, if you run a website (which includes a blog or a forum) which focuses primarily on Microsoft Windows, do participate … Or if you now someone who runs one, maybe he would want to know about this contests. SPREAD THE WORD!

With such a galaxy of illustrious judges, just having them visit your blog itself would be something. After all, who wouldn’t want the likes of Ed Bott, TheGeek of HowToGeek.com, Rafael and Senior Microsoft Execs visit your blog?

Entries are to be submitted HERE.

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Microsoft Learning SnackBox Beta Is Here

Back in April, we reported about the availability of the Windows 7, Vista and Server 2008 learning snacks, which are delivered by Microsoft Silverlight technology.

Microsoft has recently launched "Microsoft SnackBox" beta which contains many useful guides related to Office, Visual Studio, Windows, Server and other technologies.

Learning Snacks are short, interactive presentations. Each Snack is delivered by using innovative Microsoft Silverlight technology and includes various media, such as animations and recorded demos, as well as interactive mini activities.

And the best part is that you can also create and upload learning snacks by following a few simple steps. So, if you are an expert in any of the above mentioned technologies, you have a unique opportunity to share your knowledge and experience.

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Microsoft To Upgrade Windows Update & Microsoft Update Services Soon

Microsoft is all set to update Windows Update service soon. Today Microsoft Update Product Team Blog has revealed the update for Windows Update information.

Here is what the Microsoft Update Product Team blog:

We will start an upgrade to the Windows Update and Microsoft Update services. As a part of the service upgrade, an update to the Windows Update and Automatic Updates client code will be required. We will start this infrastructure update in late August, and it will take a couple of months to complete the rollout.

This update will not change your current Windows Update or Automatic Updates settings. It will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 computers running Windows Update, adding a more visible and detailed description of updates as well as improvements in how users are notified about service packs. This update will not change the look and feel of Automatic Updates.

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Download Office 2010 Demo Videos

So if you are wondering what’s new in Office 2010, here is a set of downloadable Office 2010 demo videos that help you to know more about latest version of Office.

Note that the videos are in WMV format, and click on the link to begin downloading.

Outlook 2010 demo

Excel 2010 demo

PowerPoint 2010 demo

A look at Office 2010 with Chris Capossela

ActionBase on Office 2010

You can also watch more Office 2010 related videos at Office 2010 video gallery. You can also download Office 2010 overview document to know more about upcoming Office version.

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Five Critical Rated Windows Fixes Coming On 8th, Tuesday

Microsoft Security Response Center today announced that it is all set to release a total of five critical rated fixes for Windows on Tuesday, September 8th.
Affected Windows Operating Systems:
     # Windows 2000 SP4
     # Windows XP SP2 & SP3
     # Windows XP x64 SP2
     # Server 2003 SP2 (x86 & x64)
     # Server 2003 SP2 (Itanium-based systems)
     # Vista, Vista SP1 & Vista SP2 (x86 & x64)
     # Server 2008 & Server 2008 SP2 (x86 & x64)
     # Server 2008 & Server 2008 SP2 (Itanium-based systems)

According to Microsoft Security Response Center, there are no fixes being released for Windows 7, Office or IE this time.

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Watch Windows 7 Launch Event Live

The release of Windows 7 is fast approaching. In fact, the countdown has already begun. Today, Steve Ballmer will unveil the best Windows OS to date in New York city and the event will start at 8am PDT/11am EDT.

To watch this Windows 7 launch event live, use the link given below:

Watch Windows 7 Launch Event Live

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Watch Windows 7 Launch Event Live

The release of Windows 7 is fast approaching. In fact, the countdown has already begun. Today, Steve Ballmer will unveil the best Windows OS to date in New York city and the event will start at 8am PDT/11am EDT.

To watch this Windows 7 launch event live, use the link given below:

Watch Windows 7 Launch Event Live

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Watch Windows 7 Launch Event Live

The release of Windows 7 is fast approaching. In fact, the countdown has already begun. Today, Steve Ballmer will unveil the best Windows OS to date in New York city and the event will start at 8am PDT/11am EDT.

To watch this Windows 7 launch event live, use the link given below:

Watch Windows 7 Launch Event Live

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Microsoft Office 2010 Giveaway Winners

Last week, we conducted Office 2010 giveaway and now it’s time to announce the two lucky winners. First, we would like to thank all our readers who have participated in this giveaway and also Microsoft for providing these Office copies.

We have elected Pavan Kumar and Abhijit Kar as the lucky winners of this contest with the help of Random.org site. Winners will receive a mail in a couple of days which will contain details on how to collect the prize.

Other readers can download the free 60-day trial Office 2010 copy from Microsoft and then extend the Office trial to 180 days.

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Windows 7 SP1 Beta Release In July

Today, at TechEd, Microsoft revealed that the beta version of Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is coming by the end of July.
As we have mentioned before, SP1 for Windows 7 will not contain any new features. For Windows 7, SP1 will simply be the combination of updates already available through Windows Update and additional hotfixes based on feedback by our customers and partners.
Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2008 R2 will contain Microsoft Remote FX and Dynamic Memory features. It can be remembered that a beta build of Windows 7 SP1 was leaked few weeks back.

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Giveaway: Microsoft Office 2010 Home And Student

Microsoft Office 2010 will be available in stores in a few weeks. Many of you even might have tried the free Office 2010 trail version. If you like the Office 2010, here is a chance to win your copy of Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Student edition.
Microsoft India Office community is providing us two copies of Office 2007 Home and Student as part of Office 2010 Launch Event and it will be freely upgradeable to Office 2010 once it releases in June.
Here are the details about Office 2010 Launch Event:
The community is hosting a Virtual Launch Event for Office 2010 on May 25 and 26th. The webcasts is FREE to attend and people can participate either online or by going to the nearest available center. The sessions will be delivered by MVPs. To register please visit: http://www.meraoffice.com
In June, limited cities will be hosting Community Launch Events for Office 2010. At the launch events, attendees will get to see Office 2010 in action and learn how to do their work better with Office 2010. The details are available on http://office.merawindows.com
To qualify to win a Office Home and Student edition simply tell us your favorite Office Office 2010 feature in comments. That’s all!  Contest ends 27 May and winners will be announced on 28 May, 2010.
Please note that the prizes can only be shipped to India. In other words, this contest is only for Indian residents.
Update: Winners will be announced on 31 May, 2010.

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Download Microsoft Office 2010 Language Interface Packs (LIPs)

Microsoft has started rolling out Language Interface Packs for its latest Office suite. A total of 62 Language Interface Packs (LIPs) will be available to download in coming days. Basque, Catalan, Galician and Serbian Cyrillic LIPs are available to download as of now.

LIP is a translated user interface that installs on top of a copy of Microsoft Office 2010. The LIP can be downloaded and installed for free and includes spell checkers in these languages.

Once the LIP is installed and configured, you can change the user interface for Microsoft Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word to your LIP language and use the spell checker in the language.

You can find the full list of LIPs available for Office 2003, Office 2007 and the latest Office 2010 at the official LIPs page.

Download Office 2010 LIPs (via)

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How To Know Your Microsoft Office 2010 Version And Edition

Knowing the right right Office version is important especially before downloading Office Language Interface Packs as Microsoft offers separate LIPs for x86 and x64. Refer to our how to install and activate Office 2010 Language Interface Packs guide to know more about using a LIP in the latest Office suite.

If for any reason, you want to know your Office 2010 edition and version, follow the steps given below.

1. Open Office 2010 Word, Excel or any other application.

2. Go to File menu and then click Help to see the Office 2010 edition and version in the right-side pane.

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How To Install And Enable Office 2010 Language Interface Packs(LIPs)

Now that the Language Interface Packs are available for Office 2010, many of you might want to install one or more LIPs. Downloading and installing a Language Interface Pack is pretty simple. Once installed, you can use OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel and World  features in different language.

 

For starters, here is how to install LIPs in Office 2010:

1. Visit the official LIPs page to download your LIP. Make sure that you choose the right version from the available x86 and x64 versions. If you are not sure about your Office 2010 version, please follow our how to know your Office 2010 version guide.

2. Run the LIP installer, click Yes for the UAC prompt, accept the license agreement and finally hit Install button to begin installing the LIP.

 

3. Once installed, click OK button.

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Download Group Policy Settings Guide For Microsoft Office 2010

Microsoft has made available for download a book named Group Policy settings for Office 2010 suite. This Group Policy guide is helpful especially for IT professionals and power users.

Group Policy is an infrastructure that is used to deliver and apply one or more desired configurations or policy settings to a set of targeted users and computers in an Active Directory directory service environment.

This guide is available to download in PDF, Doc, and XPS formats from the below mentioned link.

Download Group Policy Settings For Office 2010

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How To Save A File As PDF In Microsoft Office 2010

The latest version of Office suite comes with several new features and improvements. One of them is the ability to save a document in PDF format without installing an add-in.

One of the advantages of saving a document in PDF format is that the document looks same on most of the computers and you can view the document without installing the Office suite. If you are running Microsoft Office 2010, then saving a document in the PDF format is a simple task.

Follow the steps given below to save a file in PDF format:

1. Launch the Office 2010 and create a new file.

2. Once you are done with your file, click File button and then click Save As button to open the Save As dialog-box. 

3. In the Save as type box, select PDF in the drop down list and click Save button to save the particular file in PDF format.

Please note that we have used Office Word program in this guide. The above mentioned procedure applies for Excel 2010, Visio, InfoPath, OneNote, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher programs as well.

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Microsoft Office 2010 SP1 Beta Leaked To The Web

Just a day after Microsoft released the upcoming Office 2010 Service Pack 1 beta to testers, both x86 and x64 versions of SP1 have been leaked to the Internet.

The SP1 for Office 2010 contains updates for system reliability, security, and program compatibility and more. At this point of time, there is no information available on the improvements and features included in the Service Pack 1.

The download size of the SP1 x86 file is 294.93 MB, while the x64 version is 361.25 MB. We recommend not to download the leaked SP1 bits as the public beta is just around the corner.

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Download Office 2010 Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook Training Courses From Microsoft

Have you recently moved from Microsoft Office 2003 or Office 2007 to the latest Office 2010 suite? Looking for free training courses to step up your Office knowledge? Here are some free training materials for Office 2010 suite users.

Microsoft has made available for download some terrific training courses for Office Word 2010, Access 2010, Excel 2010, OneNote 2010, PowerPoint 2010, Project 2010, SharePoint Server

2010, and Word 2010 programs.

All these training courses are available in PowerPoint 2010 format. And ,if you don’t have PowerPoint program installed on your PC, you can download the free PowerPoint Viewer application.

If you are still using Office 2003 or 2007 suite, you can taste the Office 2010 by downloading the 30-day trial of Office 2010 Professional Plus suite.

Download Office 2010 Training Courses

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How To Uninstall Office 2010 SP1 Beta

Users who have installed the recently out Office 2010 Service Pack 1 Beta build may have already noticed some improvements in the overall performance of the Office suite. Although the SP1 beta is pretty stable, you might come across bugs and other issues.

If at any point of time, you decide to uninstall the Office 2010 Service Pack 1 Beta from your machine, here is the simple procedure that you need to follow:

1. Type appwiz.cpl in Start menu search box to open Programs and Features window.

2. In the left pane, click View installed updates option to view list of updates already installed on your machine.

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Download Office 2010 Group Policy Settings Worksheet

Microsoft Office 2010 Group Policy and Office Customization Tool Settings worksheet is now available for download from Microsoft. This document is completely different from how to use Office 2010 Group Policy Settings guide that we covered back in October.

This document provides information about the Office 2010 system Group Policy settings from Administrative

Template files and Office Customization Tool OPAX files.

For Administrative Template files, you may use the ADM files for any Windows operating system, or the combination of ADMX and language-specific ADML files on computers running at least Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

Other than ADML, ADMX, and ADM settings, the worksheet also lists new settings that are available in Office 2010. The worksheet lists over 400 new settings present in Office 2010 group policy.

Download Group Policy Settings

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How To Fix “810003c1: We were unable to sign you in to the .NET Messenger Service” Error In WLM

Unexpected! I have been receiving many emails regarding "810003c1: We were unable to sign you in to the .Net Messenger Service" issue in Windows Live Messenger.

Unfortunately the truth is Microsoft has shut off the Windows Live Messenger IM for users in the countries embargoed by the US hence Microsoft no longer offers Windows Live Service in the following countries:

* Cuba

* Syria

* Iran

* Sudan

* North Korea

Fortunately, there is a workaround for this "810003c1: We were unable to sign you in to the .NET Messenger Service" error. Just follow the below steps to access to get rid of 810003c1 error.

1. Login to your Windows Live/hotmail account using your username and password.

2. Under your account, click on Registered information link.

3. In the following page, under Home Location section, select a country name other than Cuba, Syria, Iran, Sudan, and North Korea. Click Save button and restart your messenger.

4. That’s it!

Note that you might get the same 810003c1: We were unable to sign you in to the .NET Messenger Service error even after the above workaround only if Microsoft starts blocking the users from the above mentioned countries using the IP address.

Thanks to arstechnica.com for this workaround.

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Download Windows Live Messenger 10th Anniversary Gift Pack

As part of Windows Live Messenger’s 10th anniversary celebration with over 330 million visitors every month, Microsoft is giving away a gift pack for free. Yes, you can now download the gift pack that comes with cool winks, backgrounds, display pictures, and emoticons.

The first ever Windows Live Messenger (then known as MSN Messenger) was launched back in 1999.

July 22, 1999: Release of MSN Messenger

July 20, 2000: The third version of MSN messenger releases with easy photo and document sharing

July 16, 2003: MSN Messenger launches several revolutionary feature including games, video chatting, and more

July 20, 2006: MSN Messenger officially becomes Windows Live Messenger

July 22, 2009: Live Messenger is now available in 36 languages, and Windows Live Messenger gets over 330 million monthly visitors.

Download 10th anniversary gift pack

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Messenger Plus! Live Add-On Pack Adds Cool Features & Extras To Windows Live Messenger

Windows Live Messenger is one of the best messengers available today. Most of the Windows users are running the Windows Live Messenger to chat with their family and friends. If you are using Windows Live Messenger on XP, Vista, or Windows 7, then here is cool download for you.

Messenger Plus! Live is an excellent extension (add-on) for Windows Live Messenger 8.0 or above that adds loads of cool features to the WLM.

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aMSN – Powerful MSN Messenger Clone

aMSN is a powerful MSN Messenger clone for Windows, Linux and Mac. This messenger clone comes with an impressive list of features such as event alarms, time stamping, multi-language support and more.

The best thing about aMSN is the vast number of plugins support. There are over 75 plugins available to extend its functionality. One can also customize it by downloading custom skins available at the official skins page.

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How To Uninstall Windows Live Messenger In Windows 7

Windows Live Messenger is one of the best messengers available out there. Most of Windows users have installed Live Messenger and eagerly waiting for the next version of Live Messenger, Windows Live Messenger 2010 (Wave 4).

 

Sometimes you may want to uninstall the Messenger from Windows 7. Though uninstalling the Messenger is simple, many users find it difficult as they can’t see Windows Live Messenger entry under the installed programs list of Control Panel. If for any reason, you want to uninstall Windows Live Messenger in Windows 7, you can do it as follows.

1. Type appwiz.cpl or programs and features in Start menu search box and hit enter to open Programs and Features window.

 

2. In the installed programs list, locate the entry named Windows Live Essentials and double-click on it.

 

3. In the resulting dialog-box, select Uninstall option and click Continue.

 

4. Select Messenger check box and click Continue to start uninstalling Windows Live Messenger from your Windows 7 computer.

 

5. You are done!

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Messenger Discovery: Ultimate Windows Live Messenger Extension

ood news for Windows Live Messenger users. A new version of Messenger Discovery add-on has been released and is available to download now. 

Messenger Discovery is a powerful customization add-on for Windows Live Messenger that lets you customize and enhance the messenger with ease. It comes with hundreds of tweaks to fine tune your Live Messenger. Here are some of the key features of Messenger Discovery:

#  Run multiple copies of Messenger at once

# Record Video from your webcam chats and save them to your computer.

# Chat Enhancements including chat only nick name and Imitate

# See if your contacts have deleted you

# Steal your contacts display pictures

# Send nudges as fast as you wish and stop the window from shaking

# Contact event logging

# Use Google search instead of Live search

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Messenger Skin Builder: Create Your Own Live Messenger Skins

It’s a well known fact that Windows Live Messenger supports third-party skins (using Messenger Plus!) and there are hundreds of good skins available to choose from. But, what if you want to create your own personalized skin in a simple way?

Messenger Skin Builder is a powerful Windows Live Messenger skinning application that helps you create your own personalized skins with a few mouse clicks. One can personalize almost every part of Messenger with this Skin Builder.

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Download Yahoo! Messenger 11 Beta Now

Yahoo! Messenger 11 Beta is live and is ready to download now. Yahoo! Messenger 11 Beta comes with new features and improvements, and lets you share, connect, and play with friends/family.
Social Games is one of the notable features of the Yahoo! Messenger 11 Beta, which allows you play some of the most popular social games with your friends.

Here are the some of the new features and improvements:
# Play social games
# Manage all your social networks from one place
# Post one status to multiple social networks
# Chat with Facebook friends
# Enjoy rich experiences across devices – Now on Android! – Make free video calls, and share photos and videos between PC, iPhone, and now Android.
# Converse virtually anywhere – Start your IM conversations on your PC and continue them from your iPhone, Android, or any Internet-enabled device.
# Always be available – Stay signed in to multiple PCs simultaneously so you never miss a message.
# Easy access to recent conversations – Retrieve recent IM conversations from any PC where you have signed in to Yahoo! Messenger.
Download [Via]

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How To Change Number Of Recent Items To Display In Windows 7 Jump Lists

We have already covered two guides related to Windows 7 Jump Lists feature: how to enable/disable Jump Lists in Windows 7, how to enable Jump Lists for Firefox in Windows 7.

If you are new to Windows 7, Jump Lists are lists of recent items, such as files, folders, or websites, organized by the program that you use to open them. In addition to being able to open recent items using a Jump List, you can also pin your favorite program to Jump Lists, so that you can quickly get to the items that you use every day.

By default, you can view only 10 recent items in Jump Lists. Once you get used to Jump Lists you always try to launch files and folders from Jump Lists only. So, to make the most out of Jump Lists, you need to increase the number of recent items in Jump Lists. To increase/decrease the number of items to display in Jump Lists, follow the steps given below:

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