DDR RAM – How to tell the difference
We often get asked how to differentiate between DDR2, DDR3 & DDR4 – the easiest way it to look at the pins on each stick. This simple image will help you.
Scam calls from fake companies (Wintech)
Today I am working on a new clients laptop after they got a call from a company called Wintech Experts (not the US web developers).This company has charged this lady £490 for a ONE TIME FIX : LIFETIME (does that even make sense?)They have sold her a fake MS Office …
How to spot a fake email?
I am constantly asked by customers how do we know if an email is genuine? The easiest way is to check the URL (web address) you are about to click – if you hover over the web address, you can see the actual address it will take you too. On …
Outlook not adding Exchange Accounts?
Outlook bypasses AutoDiscover and connects directly to Office 365 mailbox? Has this happened to you, it has me, TWICE in a week, it turns out it’s because of this: Starting in Outlook 2016 version 16.0.6741.2017, Microsoft has enabled a new feature called Direct Connect to Office 365. What this feature does …
Firmware Updates – what and why
Firmware is a software that is embedded into a hardware device. Firmware controls how your device behaves. We recommend that you update the firmware on all your products whenever new firmware becomes available. New firmware often fixes bugs, contains new features, and protects you from security vulnerabilities. Some products can …
How to fix Task Scheduler in Windows
How to fix issues with Task Scheduler: I’ve had quite a lot of my customers PC’s that have been affected by this bug, it’s unsure how it happens but the result is the same, newly installed programs cannot create tasks to update/scan etc. This is how you fix it 🙂 …
Update WordPress database SCAM – DO NOT OPEN!
This morning one of my customers sent me this to ask what he needs to do to update his database: If ever you get emails that you are not 100% sure about just hover your mouse over the link and look at the web address, you can clearly see here …
100 useful Windows commands for the I.T. guys
I am sure some of you will find these useful. (a lot of these no longer work in Windows 10) Type CMD and then type the command in “Command Prop” 1. Windows Version – winver 2. Windows System Security Tool – syskey 3. Windows Firewall – firewall.cpl 4. Add/Remove Programs …
Windows 10 Start-up Sounds – turn them ON
One of the annoying things M$ have done in Windows 10 is hide the logon/logoff sounds – all you can do now is turn the initial startup sound ON or OFF, not much good for power users. I have made a small .reg file that turns them back on in …
What? No Antivirus? No Security?
This is what happens when you have no protection on your computer. So many people think they are OK to run their systems with no anti-virus, but the truth is, if you have not been infected, it’s just pure fluke! This particular customer could not run any programs on the …
Merging 2 offices together, the stresses of working in I.T.
The Stresses of working in I.T. – Today was not the day we planned. What happens when you are merging 2 companies together and the new company coming to your customer of 15 years, have had an arse looking after their IT? No antivirus despite paying for a site license …
WordPress – Disable ADMIN accounts!
We have set up a site for a new client, the site has been live for about 1 month In that time these are some of the failed hacks that have hit the system – once you see this list you will see how important it is that: 1. You …
GDPR – Are you ready?
The six fundamentals of GDPR success. If you need help with security, virus protection, backups etc please do not hesitate to get in touch with us! GDPR is centred on protecting consumer rights and ensuring their data is properly protected by the organisation to whom it has been …
Intel Meltdown bug – MS fix and your Anti-Virus may cause your system to crash!
Intel Meltdown bug – MS fix and your Anti-Virus may cause your system to crash! Over the past few days Microsoft have released patches for the Intel Meltdown bug, we have already had 5 customers PC’s that have crashed during the update – all PC’s were running Kaspersky – Today …
How to turn off COMMENTS in WordPress
It is quite apparent since the latest updates of WordPress that most users, ourselves included, will want a discussion on their Blog, and some pages. It is however apparent that small companies don’t want a blog and do not want user comments plastered all over their website. On the latest …
Discover the many dangers of going online using public Wi-Fi.
7 Ways You’re at Risk Without a VPN You won’t believe just how easy it is to hack the Wi-Fi network you are on and steal incredible amounts of your valuable data. Worse, every time you go online you run the risk of somebody snooping through your personal info. This guide reveals 7 …
Dropbox Email Scam
I have had a new scam email sent to me today, pretending to be from Dropbox Of course if you see anything like this, look at the info, I don’t know “Atlas Autos”, and only one garage ever does my car, so know this is not for me. Now look …
Steps on how to avoid Ransomware
Steps on how to avoid Ransomware 1. Backup your computer immediately Investing in an external hard drive and making regular backups will help you in protecting your data, if not in saving you against malware. A data backup can save you from significant stress, time and money in the event when …
Secure your Browsing Experience using HTTPS Everywhere
HTTPS Everywhere is produced as a collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Many sites on the web offer some limited support for encryption over HTTPS, but make it difficult to use. For instance, they may default to unencrypted HTTP, or fill encrypted pages with links that …
How to fix Windows 10 Update that kills Internet etc
Many of you may have heard about the Windows 10 update that kills your internet/LAN ? If you encounter this issue, this is how you fix it: Run Command Prompt in ADMIN MODE (Right Mouse Click it after typing CMD in search) at the command prompt type: netsh winsock reset …
Another scammed customer today, now with Ransomware!
Today I visited a new customer, I had been recommended by another customer. (Thanks to everyone who recommends my business by the way ). On arrival he tells me he got a call from Windows (yes Windows, not even Microsoft this time), he goes on to say that he …
New scam from people pretending to be from B.T.
Today 30th August 2016, I was called out by a regular customer, they had taken a call over the bank holiday weekend from a guy saying he was from B.T. (British Telecom) and needed to fix issues on their computer as it was running slow. Unfortunately, my customer agreed and …
What to do if Windows fails after updates saying “REGISTRY Corrupt”
Today I have been working on a Windows 7 PC where the registry got corrupt after installing some Windows 7 updates (at least that’s what we think did it) After many reboots and trying to use the Windows Boot Disk (via USB of course) to force a recovery I have …
Facebook posts that say type “Amen” etc
THINK BEFORE YOU SHARE or REPLY – just use your head! Beware of deceitful Facebook users who are posting (FAKE) pictures of sick, starving, dead and injured children, adults or animals on Facebook, to trick other Facebook users into commenting on them by typing “Amen,” in order to make them …
Windows 10 – Ready to Upgrade
Is it OK to Upgrade now? Yes, now all the bugs are fixed and it seems much more stable here Just make sure you disable Kaspersky As with ANY Operating System Update there may be residual errors carried over from the previous version and these can cause a myriad of …
How to Reactivate Windows 7 using CMD (DOS)
So, you got a PC and someone decided to put a hacked version of Windows 7 on for you or maybe you installed a DVD off the internet that has pre-cracked your software? May be you just want to go legal BEFORE upgrading to Windows 10?? Whatever your reason, this …
Got a new Laptop? Let us set it up for you.
If you have bought a new laptop in the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals the chances are that it is full of Bloatware (Programs that you will never use, or Trial versions that you have to buy to get the full features) Anti Virus and MS Office will both …
Why can’t I paste into youtube comments on firefox?
Why can’t I paste into YouTube comments on Firefox? Solution: go to your address bar and type “about:config” (or copy and paste the text without the quotes) then press the “I’ll be careful, I promise” button next type “dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled” (or copy and paste the text without the quotes) then double …
Email Upgrade – SCAM EMAIL
There is a new email doing the rounds asking you to UPGRADE your Email Accounts because your mailbox is nearly full. If you click the link you are presented with a mail-form, DO NOT fill this in as it will capture your email address and password and forward it to …
XPoint – 1000 times faster than SSD’s – WOW
Intel, Micron debut 3D XPoint storage technology that’s 1,000 times faster than current SSDs Intel and Micron today unveiled their all-new memory technology called 3D XPoint (pronounced “cross-point”). This is a new class of memory that can be used both as system memory as well as nonvolatile storage. In other …
DO WE RELY TOO MUCH ON THE TECH IN OUR POCKET AND HOMES?
DO WE RELY TOO MUCH ON THE TECH IN OUR POCKET AND HOMES? New exploit turns Samsung Galaxy phones into remote bugging devices As many as 600 million phones vulnerable to remote code execution attack As many as 600 million Samsung phones may be vulnerable to attacks that allow hackers …
Where is SCAN.PST?
Scan.pst is the file used in Microsoft Office to help fix a myriad of errors on your PST files, but typical of Microsoft they don’t store it in a normal location, and with every version of Office it moves around – bloody crazy if you ask me :/ So to …
Sinclair’s ZX Spectrum is coming back as a retro gaming console
Sir Clive Sinclair earned his knighthood by building some of the earliest affordable computers for the home back in the 1980s. One of his best-loved machines was the ZX Spectrum — think of it as the UK equivalent of the Commodore 64 — which is now being recreated by an Indiegogo project endorsed by …
How secure is YOUR Password?
A great help from Kaspersky again! You THINK your password is safe? Type one of yours in this website and see just HOW secure it is Please type your results, on here and let us know how long YOUR current Facebook password will take to hack (Obviously DO NOT post …
Microsoft calling you at home or the Office? This is a SCAM!!!
This scam seems to have been revitalised again, now this has been happening for almost 3 years that I am aware of and it’s still happening! I received a call from Microsoft this morning, the phone number was 0200 333 1312. The Indian guy told me that my computer had …
Keyboard Shortcuts on Facebook
Just to make browsing Facebook easier, did you know you can use these short-cuts using your Keyboard?
Synology NAS add-ins
If you use any NAS system, we recommend Synology ONLY! After spending weeks trying to configure 2 variations of Netgear Nas’s we switched our clients to Synology and the NAS units are fantastic. Firstly the Netgear systems would not set up users and every time we tried it failed, on …
PayPal Scams on the increase
If you get a message from PayPal, please do NOT click it unless you are 100% sure its genuine – the URL on any hyperlinks will be https://paypal.comYou can forward any suspicious emails to SPOOF@PAYPAL.COM – they usually reply within 24 hours saying if it’s a scam or not 🙂This …
DVI-I or DVI-D – what’s the difference?
After much hassle looking for the right adaptors and monitors for a specific job at an Engineering company, its become apparent that some adaptors will not work with some monitors :/ This graphic may help
Another SCAM Email, please beware & Share
When you receive ANY email, its always wise to check it BEFORE clicking any Hyperlinks If you hover the mouse over the link you can see the REAL site the link will take you. If this was from Microsoft the link would be to Microsoft, same goes for Paypal etc. …
25 Most used Passwords – Is yours in this list?
These are the TOP 25 most used passwords. I often see “password” and “1234” I think the funniest is “trustno1” ha, with a simple password like that, it will be easy to hack :p Your logon password to your Laptop or PC is useless if any tech savvy person …
File-NUKING Cryptolocker PC malware MENACES ‘TENS of MILLIONS’ in UK
File-NUKING Cryptolocker PC malware MENACES ‘TENS of MILLIONS’ in UK BACKUP BACKUP BECKUP OR END UP PAYING OUT £560 TO GET YOUR FILES BACK!! This is quite possibly the cleverest and most lethal virus/malware to ht the UK and its going viral because people are clicking it! Here is the …
Public Posting on Facebook – The risks and issues
Facebook now has almost 2 BILLION users, which means that if you post something using the PUBLIC setting, all of them people and MORE can see it. It can be indexed by Google etc, and your post can be shown on EVERY search engine globally! This is extremely silly if …
Google + and YOUR Information
Very soon Google will be changing Terms of Service to allow them to publicly tell people what you buy, what you post and where you visit on the web. If you do not opt out, you may see you personal information begin shared on Google searches to all your Facebook …
New Fake Virus from “FBI” – I’m getting $10 million from Africa?
I received this email today and haven’t seen it before but of course we know it’s a fake 🙂 Your attention is needed immediately We have been informed through our global intelligence monitoring network that the sum of $10.500, 000.00, has been released from a bank in Africa bearing your …
Mass Effect 3 – Custom Shepard?
Who played Mass Effect 3? Did you customise your Shepard Character? Care to share a screen-shot and the code from ME3? This is my import from ME2 but it needs work :/ Code = 131.8BH.5J4.P5N.KL7.8BV.PAJ.8C1.JI6.D95.235.376
Microsoft kick themselves in the nuts AGAIN!
As an avid gamer, I have played on Microsoft consoles since the launch of XBOX in 2001 – I switched to the 360 on the day of release – I have Kinect and all the usual addons and extras you buy on the way 🙂 However, after all the press …
How to Fight Root Kits (The Kaspersky Way)
Security professionals and enthusiasts are aware of rootkits, but general audiences typically don’t know about this kind of malware, which is specifically designed to hide itself and its activity in an infected system. This threat is well worth public awareness as there’s a high chance of you possibly meeting this …
XBOX ONE vs PS4
Just a quick look at the 2 systems: GamesSony’s presentation certainly trumped that of Microsoft in this area. We really don’t know too much about what launch titles will be on the Xbox One, whereas Sony dedicated pretty much all of their presentation to forthcoming PS4 titles. Thus, Sony have …