Closing this blog

I am no longer actively promoting my computer business, and so will not be further updating this blog. I will leave existing posts here as an archive.

Patrick

Help! My Windows 10 Start menu has changed!

 

I’ve come across a couple of Windows 10 computers recently where the Start Menu – what you get when you start up the computer – has changed, inexplicably, to something like what you see above.  Note on the very left of the picture, little icons with 3 lines at the top and bottom, plus a Power icon. Whereas before you would get a list of all your programs and Apps.

I don’t know why it changed but I have found out how to fix it:

Click the “3 lines” icon top left.  “Settings” appears bottom left.

Click Settings, then when the box opens, click “Personalisation” on the right.

Then “Start” on the left.

Then on the right “Use Start Full Screen” – move this to the Off position.  Job done.

Another weird Windows 10 quirk!  I suspect it might be a virus which caused the issue, so do a virus check as well.  I hope this helps you.

 

 

Password Peril!

We’re often told that the passwords we use to protect our online lives are important. The advice is to use different passwords for different things, to change them frequently, not to make them too simple or easy to guess.

That’s all good advice, but the other piece of advice I would give is don’t forget them! It can be an enormous inconvenience if you forget your password.  One problem I often find is with email programs. You may have set your email program up years ago, choosing a password which was then “remembered” by the program and you have never used it since.  I have had some customers claiming emphatically that they do not have an email password.  But you do!

There are 2 ways to get to your e-mail.  1. You use your provider’s website. So if your provider is BT Internet, you can go to http://www.btinternet.com, and click the Mail link.  You will be asked for your password. Other providers have similar systems, which as Talktalk, Gmail , or Yahoo.

2. You use an email program.  The most common are Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird. In the old days, Outlook Express was commonly used, but is no longer supported.  Once you set the program up, the password is built in, and you won’t need to enter it again, perhaps for years.  But one day, you will need it!  Something will go wrong, and the program will ask for your password.  If you have forgotten it, it can be hugely difficult to get it back! The only option may be to create a new email address and lose all your old emails.

If you lose your password, you can try going to your provider’s website and logging into your email there.  Then if you put the wrong password in, you can click “Forgot Password?”.  It will take you through a series of security questions.  Some of these can be quite difficult – after all, you may be trying to remember what you put in 10 years ago!  But with a bit of luck you will be able to reset your password.

The trick really is to change your password regularly, so that you keep your security information up to date, and because you do it regularly you get used to the method. A few minutes spent doing this, even once a year, could save your precious email records!

 

Virgin Media’s Email Robots!

Virgin Media have introduced an extra level of security for those who use their webmail service. When you sign in, you are now faced with the statement “I am not a robot”.  It has a tick box by the side. (see picture). Tick the box, and if you are lucky you get to see your email.  If you are unlucky, you get a further box with a number of pictures. You are asked to “tick all pictures with airplanes”, for example (or pasta, or cars, etc).  Tick the right ones and they let you in to see your email.

 

Needless to say, a lot of users are a bit annoyed about this.  see the user forum here.

The idea is that it is an extra layer of security designed to protect you, and stop unwanted automated logins by hackers.    Apparently some users have been hacked in recent days, hence the change.

Virgin also say, in a separate development, that they are planning to change how their webmail service looks, so stand by for more confusion!

All this does not apply to customers who use a program like Windows Mail, thunderbird or Outlook for their email.

 

For information and computer support, contact me at PC Care

Down Periscope!

I’ve been taking a look at a new idea to ‘broadcast yourself online’.  Periscope is a mobile app which you can use to broadcast live to your ‘followers’ – other users of Periscope. It has been produced by Twitter, the well established social media application which has millions of users worldwide.

The idea behind Periscope is not new.  There are similar programs available, but its design for mobiles and its link with Twitter will mean that it has a huge potential user base.

Periscope is simple to use.  You download the app, login via your Twitter account and agree to follow the users they suggest.  You can choose your own user name. then just press a button you are live to the world!

I trialled Periscope for a couple of weeks and, overall, it worries me.

Firstly Periscope is very addictive.  It is a window into other people’s lives, as they show where they are and what they are doing – all live.  There are a wide variety of users.  Many are media people anxious to show you “behind the scenes” at some TV studio. You see people out for a meal, on a walk with the dog, driving in the car, watching the TV, lazing by the pool.  Broadcasters often switch between views of themselves and views of what they are witnessing.   All live and in real time.  It is so tempting to go back again and again and see more.

The idea is that you watch the broadcast, and can click the screen which causes “hearts” to appear, indicating you “like” what you see.  You can also make comments and ask questions in writing,  and the broadcaster can reply straight away, by speaking to you.

Some people seem to use Periscope for very useful purposes.  One guy seems to do regular broadcasts about how Periscope can help build your business, how to get the best from it, and so on. And there is the chance to get behind the scenes at major events, for example.  But Periscope has a dark side.  There are a lot of people who say they are just bored and want to talk.  They invite questions.  There will be viewers who don’t have the broadcasters’ best interests in mind.  Many comments are suggestive or rude. I believe there is a lower age limit of 13, so you will often see young girls just playing with Periscope, laughing and chatting to viewers,  but opening themselves to very inappropriate comments and questions.  I came across one girl who appeared to be very sad – almost on the verge of tears, and you feel you are being allowed to intrude, real time, into a very personal part of someone’s life.  There is a strong voyeuristic element to Periscope which I found disturbing.

I did not come across any pornographic content, but Periscope seems to be very vulnerable to that sort of abuse.

I have decided Periscope is not for me, and have closed my account and deleted the app. Like so much on the web, it can be used for good and noble purposes, but the risk of abuse in my view, is very high indeed.  We can do without Periscope in the world.

For all your computer needs, contact me at PC Care.

Windows 10 gets closer…

If you are a Windows computer user, you may have noticed a new little “icon” has appeared in your “tray” – on the bottom right of the screen, near the time and date.  It looks like this: See the square icon on the left?  Microsoft has put this there to encourage you to register to download Windows 10. Windows 10 is due out later this year, and it promises to be much, much better than the ill-fated Windows 8 (later 8.1). Upgrading from Windows 7 or 8 (8.1) will be free for the first year. What should you do? There’s no harm in registering – you will be notified when the download is available.  You can download it, but I would not advise installing it right away. With all new systems there are “teething problems”, and it would be wise to wait a month or two before jumping in. If you currently have Windows 8, or 8.1, there is every reason to then install Windows 10 and enjoy the ease of operation it offers.  However, if you are a Windows 7 user, there is no compelling reason to upgrade as yet. Windows 7 works well, and you are familiar with it.  Windows 10 will be similar, but invariably there will be new things to get used to.  It looks like this: Note the “tiles” on the right of the start menu. These are modified from Windows 8.1, but we have the start button back, and a much more familiar desktop. Windows 10 will hopefully be a vast improvement on 8.1. It may not be much of an improvement on Windows 7, but at least you will have longer life.  Support for Windows 7 ends in January 2020. Apparently There will be no Windows 11, but Microsoft will update Windows 10 as it goes along.  We shall see how it all turns out. For more details and advice, and to help install Windows 10 when the time comes, contact me at PC Care

Help! My internet’s not working!

It’s happened to all of us – you switch on your computer or laptop, eager to get on the internet to book your holiday or check the price of peas at Tesco. But it all grinds to a disappointing halt as the message comes up “Cannot connect to the website”. Then you try to check your e-mail, only to find the same problem – your internet has stopped.
As with most computer problems, there may be a number of reasons why this has happened. But here are some of the most common issues, and how to solve them.
1. Firstly, check your router. This is the little box which plugs into the wall somewhere, and actually connects your computer to the internet. It should have a number of lights on, some solid, some flickering a bit. If all the lights are off, check that it is plugged in to the mains correctly. If that is the problem, plug it in properly and give it a few minutes to for the lights to settle down. Try the internet again.
2. If that’s not it, switch off your router, by taking the mains plug out of the wall. Also switch off your computer. After a few minutes, plug the router back in, and restart the computer. Wait a few minutes for the lights on the router to settle down. Now see if your internet is restored. A lot of problems will be solved in this simple way.
3. If you still cannot connect – pick up your landline phone and see if you can get a dial tone. If you hear nothing, check that all the leads are plugged in securely, If they are, and you still hear nothing, then the problem may be with your phone line provider, eg BT, Talktalk, etc. They may sort it out themselves within a few hours, but if not, you will need to report the fault to them.

4. If that is not the problem and you still can’t get online, it may be that the website you are trying to reach is notworking. Try a different website.

5. Try a different “browser”. Many computers have more than one program to access the internet, called “browsers”. Common ones are Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox. These all do basically the same thing, and it is useful to have more than one in case you have a problem. If you cannot connect with one browser, and you have an alternative, try it.

If you still cannot get online, then give me a call on 01903 533586, or send me a message via my contact page.

Windows 10 – a first look

Microsoft has released a “technical preview” of their new Windows 10 Operating System, due in the shops in Summer 2015.  It’s the latest in a long line of Windows systems, the most recent being Windows 8.1 That was not a huge success, despite itself being a minor upgrade from the even less popular Windows 8.

Windows 8, and 8.1 famously, or infamously, did away with the familiar Start button and was a rather brutal way to force users into the world of touch screen and tablet. It went down very badly with traditional keyboard and mouse users, so now Microsoft has skipped a number (9) and introduced Windows 10, which thankfully brings back the Start button and relegates the so called “modern” tiled desktop to a secondary option.  When you click Start, a small tiled area pops up on the right but the old Start menu items like Documents, Pictures, and all your programs, are there as well. Windows 10 is also much easier to shut down – a simple function which was made horrendously complicated in Windows 8.

One useful innovation is the “virtual desktop”, where you can create separate desktops, say if you are working on more than one project at a time.  See the third button from the left on the Taskbar.

On the face of it, Windows 10 looks like, as PC Advisor magazine put it, “the (system) that’s set to save Microsoft”.  There are rumours that it may also be much cheaper than earlier versions.  There will still be a lot of changes before Windows 10 hits the shops next year, but so far, it is a promising Start!

For whose benefit?

I’ve come to a conclusion recently.  It’s taken me a while to get here, but there I am.  It is this.  That computers, these days, are not meant to be for the benefit of the user.  They are instead intended for the benefit of the major software and hardware manufacturers, and indeed anyone who wants to sell you something online.

What’s the evidence for this claim?  Well you don’t have to look further than Windows 8, the recent latest incarnation of the ubiquitous Windows operating system.  Apart from being incredibly unfriendly to the user – a fact which has made it universally unpopular – it does not come with any games built in.

I recently had a customer with a Windows 8 computer.  Among the few things they wanted to do with it was play Freecell.  Now in the old days, card games came free with Windows computers, right back to the days of Windows 3.1, and almost up to date with Windows 7.  But not with Windows 8.  There is of course a way to get games, but you have to go to the “Windows store” and be faced with a barrage of X Box-type shoot-em-ups then search for Freecell.  Then you have to open a Microsoft account to download the game.

You may already have fallen for the trick of the Microsoft account.  Microsoft make it very difficult to set up Windows 8 without one, but it is possible.  Not, however, if you want to play games.  So Microsoft get your email address and all manner of other information that you may prefer not to part with.  The new Office 2013 requires you to have a Microsoft accoount, and by default stores your documents on its own servers, not on your computer.

So its a bit annoying really.

As for other software manufacturers, just remember there is no such thing as “free software” any more.  Most so called free programs come with a variety of “bundled” stuff that you don”t want, and some of it is harmful to your computer.

So, next time you use your computer, or buy a new one, or buy any new programs, remember, you are not doing this for you – you are doing it for “them”.  Big Brother is indeed watching you…….

For no-nonsense impartial advice and brilliant customer service, contact me at pccare.me.uk

 

The end of Windows XP?

Word is getting out that After April this year, Microsoft will cease to support their Windows XP operating system. What does this mean? Will you need to buy a new computer? Here’s my advice..

First, some background. The Operating System is the program which runs your computer. It can do nothing without the Operating System (or OS). It is, if you like, the backbone, while all your other programs (Microsoft Word, etc) are the bones connected to it. If we had no backbone, we would collapse!

Windows XP was launched in 2001, so it is quite old now. But about one-third of the world’s computers still use it. If you bought your computer more than, say 6 years ago, the chances are you have XP.

What happens after April? Well, your computer will carry on working. Until the other day, Microsoft were saying that they would stop issuing “security updates”, so that your computer would soon become more prone to viruses and less stable generally. Microsoft have now announced that they will continue issuing security updates for another year. See this BBC article here.

The latest Operating System, Windows 8 (and its recent predecessor Windows 7) are certainly better than XP.  They run more smoothly and are more stable and secure, which is important in an age when many of us are so dependent on our computers.

So what are your options?

1.  Do nothing.  OK, your computer will continue to work, and be safe, at least until 2015.

2.  Upgrade your Operating System to Windows 7 or 8, while keeping your computer itself.  This may be a good option, depending on the age of your computer. It involves taking a copy of all your documents, pictures, emails etc, to keep them safe, then deleting everything and installing the new Operating System,  Then  copying back all your documents and reinstalling any programs.  it’s quite a performance, very time consuming, and hence expensive.  If it’s an old, PC (say 6 years or more), it may be more economical to…

3. Buy a new computer.  This is the safest option, but also the most expensive.  If you would like to buy a new one, O can supply it and set it all up for you.  Visit my website at www.pccare.me.uk.