Wednesday 10th February 2016
News
Windows 10 Upgrade
As from 1st Feb 2016, the W10 Upgrade will be delivered to W7 and 8 users as a ‘recommended update’. For many users, this means it will be automatically downloaded. However, as I understand it, users will still
have a final opportunity to decline before W10 will actually be
installed. This is another step in
Microsoft’s plan to coerce as many W7/8 users to migrate to W10 as possible. If you don't want W10, you can try downloading and running 'GWX Control Panel' (http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/) - a third-party program which attempts to stop the W10 upgrade.
The W10 Upgrade is free for W7 & 8 users until 29th July this year. After that, you may need to pay around £100 for the upgrade, although some commentators believe Microsoft may extend the free offer period.
The W10 Upgrade is free for W7 & 8 users until 29th July this year. After that, you may need to pay around £100 for the upgrade, although some commentators believe Microsoft may extend the free offer period.
IE
Just to confirm what I mentioned last time, IE10 and earlier are no
longer supported by Microsoft, i.e. they will not receive updates. You should be running IE11 or, if this is not
possible (e.g. on XP) an alternative browser such as Firefox.
Chrome
The Chrome browser will not be supported on Windows XP or Vista after
April this year. Chrome will continue to
function on these systems, but will not receive any further updates after
April. Firefox is still supported on both
XP and Vista, so you might want to switch to Firefox on these two older
versions of Windows. Support for Firefox
will cease on XP and on Vista at some point, but, as far as I know, no
announcements have yet been made. If you install Firefox, you can import bookmarks from Chrome, but you would have to set the Home Page.
New Processor Chips
Intel’s latest generation of processor chips, the so-called 6th generation or ‘Skylake’, are starting to appear in new Windows 10 machines. Microsoft/Intel are stating that they will not be ‘backwards compatible' with previous versions of Windows. It’s unlikely that many home users would want to down-grade their brand new machine, but if you did want to install Windows 7 or 8.1 onto one of these new PCs, there is no guarantee that it will work. I believe this is the first time new Intel chips have not supported previous versions of Windows.
Keyboards
We have spoken before about different keyboards being used in different
countries, even the US and UK, which leads to problems if you have set the
wrong language in Windows. I thought
this was an interesting article about the French AZERTY keyboard - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-eu-35365604.
Q & A / Duscussions
The Malicious Software Removal ToolThis is downloaded each month from Microsoft as part of the Windows Update process. It runs in the background and will scan for and remove the most common viruses and malware.
Windows Defender
On W10 and W8, Windows Defender is a full anti-virus program and is built into Windows, so no additional anti-virus program is required. On W7 there was also a program called Windows Defender, although, confusingly, that was a spyware check only, so additional anti-virus is required.
Windows Vista
Extended support for Windows Vista will cease next year on 11th April 2017, so from that point it will not receive further updates.
Keeping software up to date is the primary defence against malware and hackers, so using unsupported versions of Windows is a security risk.
Microsoft Edge
Edge is a new web browser from Microsoft which is found in Windows 10. Edge is a replacement for the old Internet Explorer, although IE is still available in W10. The Edge symbol looks confusingly similar to the IE symbol - both are a form of the letter 'e'. Edge has been designed from scratch to be both fast and secure. IE is currently at version 11 and will not be developed further, i.e. there will not be an IE12.
Internet Security
Discussing the items above about Chrome support ceasing on XP and Vista, support for IE10 and earlier ceasing, support for Vista ceasing next year etc, led to some discussion on security in general. In particular, it should be noted that the first and foremost method of keeping your system secure is to keep all relevant software, especially the Operating System and Browser, fully up to date.
Should I Use Rapport
Many banks recommend downloading and installing some security software called Rapport which is produced by an IBM company called Trusteer. I have seen very mixed reviews about Trusteer. While it may add an additional layer of security, there are reports of it adversely affecting system performance and causing other issues. Going back to my comment above, if you are using current, fully updated software to access the web, then I'm not sure that Rapport adds much in the way of extra security, but I don't have a definitive view on this. There would be no harm in giving it a try.
Checking Anti-Virus
To check the current status of anti-virus, firewall etc you can do the following:-
Windows 10. Press Windows Key+X, Control Panel, (System & Security), Security & Maintenance, Security.
Windows 8. Press Windows Key+X, Control Panel, (System & Security), Action Centre, Security.
Windows 7. Go to Start, Control Panel, (System & Security), Action Centre, Security.
Windows 10 - Sign-In Pop-Up
Linda had a notification popping up on W10 asking to sign in with Microsoft credentials. I have also seen this message which seems to be a bug due to a recent update. Hopefully it will get fixed by a further update.
Biometric Sign-In
Allan asked if it is possible to sign in to Windows with a fingerprint, in a similar way to some Apple devices. W10 has a new feature called Hello, which, together with the appropriate hardware, allows sign-in using a fingerprint, facial or iris recognition. The system uses infra-red detection to give a very high level of security to fingerprint and facial recognition. For example, simply using a photograph of your face would not fool the system. These systems will be found on some new W10 laptops.
Printer Problem
Brian has a printer attached by USB to a Windows Vista system which he has shared. He also has a W10 system which can 'see' this printer and perform a Test Print, but fails to print from an application. I had no solution, but I have since found this which may help:-
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/troubleshoot-network-printer-problems
Make a Non-Wireless Printer Wireless
Tony asked if it is possible to make a non-wireless (i.e. USB only) printer wireless by using some device. The answer is that it is possible to use a device called a Printer Server and this is an example of a TP-Link product on Amazon:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WPS510U-Single-Wireless-Server/dp/B001LIJYMA
However, this costs about £35, and some wireless printers cost little more than this, for example this Epson all-in-one:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epson-Expression-XP-235-Inkjet-Printer/dp/B01433ZT0K/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1455190584&sr=1-2&keywords=wireless+printer
Modern wireless printers also enable you to print from an Android or Apple mobile device as well as a PC.
Printing From Mobile Devices
As mentioned above, you can print wirelessly from your Android and Apple device, provided both the printer and your mobile device are connected to the same network, i.e. they are both connected to your router at home.
Internet of Things (IoT)
More and more devices are internet-connected, such as central heating controllers, video security cameras and even light bulbs! The question is: are all these devices secure from hacking? If any device on you home network can be accessed by a hacker, then that hacker potentially has access to other devices on your network. If you have a router with a 'guest network', it may be better to connect all the (possibly less secure) IoT devices to that, while your PCs, phones and tablets connect to the main network. This is a topic that you will probably hear more about as IoT devices become more prevalent.
Photos in the Cloud
There are a number of cloud storage services that can upload photos from your phones and tablets, allowing photos to be seen across all your devices including PCs. Such services include Apple's iCloud, Microsoft's OneDrive and cross-platform services such as Google Photos and Dropbox. So, for example, adding the Google Photos app to your iOS or Android device allows you to sync all your photos to the Google cloud, where they can be serached in a variety of ways, and you can also view them by going to https://photos.google.com/.
App Stores
The three main operating system platforms, Microsoft Windows, Android and Apple iOS, all have a 'store' from which you can download apps, either paid-for or free. These stores are the Windows Store, Google Play Store and Apple App Store. For example, you can get the Microsoft Excel app on Apple, Android and on Windows Phone - the free version allows you to view Excel spreadsheets, but you will need to subscribe to Office 365 to be able to create and edit spreadsheets.
Solid State Drives (SSD)
Is it worth paying more for a PC with an SSD? Would it be more reliable?
SSDs are more physically robust than a Hard Drive. The Hard Drive has rotating magnetic discs which spin at between 5000 and 7000 rpm and can be damaged by physical shock, especially while in use. An SSD is more expensive, but has no moving parts and is, therefore more reliable. SSDs have the advantage of being faster than a Hard Drive, although SSDs are more expensive. SSDs do not last forever and they have a limited number of read/write cycles which they can perform.
Creating a System Image
A system image is a total copy of everything on the hard drive of your PC. If the hard drive fails, this image can be restored onto a new hard drive and the system will be back as it was when the image was taken. To make a system image on Windows 10 and 7, connect an external Hard Drive and go to Control Panel, Backup and Restore and click on Create a system image. On Windows 8, go to Control Panel, File History and click on System Image Backup.
Next Session
Many banks recommend downloading and installing some security software called Rapport which is produced by an IBM company called Trusteer. I have seen very mixed reviews about Trusteer. While it may add an additional layer of security, there are reports of it adversely affecting system performance and causing other issues. Going back to my comment above, if you are using current, fully updated software to access the web, then I'm not sure that Rapport adds much in the way of extra security, but I don't have a definitive view on this. There would be no harm in giving it a try.
Checking Anti-Virus
To check the current status of anti-virus, firewall etc you can do the following:-
Windows 10. Press Windows Key+X, Control Panel, (System & Security), Security & Maintenance, Security.
Windows 8. Press Windows Key+X, Control Panel, (System & Security), Action Centre, Security.
Windows 7. Go to Start, Control Panel, (System & Security), Action Centre, Security.
Windows 10 - Sign-In Pop-Up
Linda had a notification popping up on W10 asking to sign in with Microsoft credentials. I have also seen this message which seems to be a bug due to a recent update. Hopefully it will get fixed by a further update.
Biometric Sign-In
Allan asked if it is possible to sign in to Windows with a fingerprint, in a similar way to some Apple devices. W10 has a new feature called Hello, which, together with the appropriate hardware, allows sign-in using a fingerprint, facial or iris recognition. The system uses infra-red detection to give a very high level of security to fingerprint and facial recognition. For example, simply using a photograph of your face would not fool the system. These systems will be found on some new W10 laptops.
Printer Problem
Brian has a printer attached by USB to a Windows Vista system which he has shared. He also has a W10 system which can 'see' this printer and perform a Test Print, but fails to print from an application. I had no solution, but I have since found this which may help:-
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/troubleshoot-network-printer-problems
Make a Non-Wireless Printer Wireless
Tony asked if it is possible to make a non-wireless (i.e. USB only) printer wireless by using some device. The answer is that it is possible to use a device called a Printer Server and this is an example of a TP-Link product on Amazon:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WPS510U-Single-Wireless-Server/dp/B001LIJYMA
However, this costs about £35, and some wireless printers cost little more than this, for example this Epson all-in-one:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epson-Expression-XP-235-Inkjet-Printer/dp/B01433ZT0K/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1455190584&sr=1-2&keywords=wireless+printer
Modern wireless printers also enable you to print from an Android or Apple mobile device as well as a PC.
Printing From Mobile Devices
As mentioned above, you can print wirelessly from your Android and Apple device, provided both the printer and your mobile device are connected to the same network, i.e. they are both connected to your router at home.
Internet of Things (IoT)
More and more devices are internet-connected, such as central heating controllers, video security cameras and even light bulbs! The question is: are all these devices secure from hacking? If any device on you home network can be accessed by a hacker, then that hacker potentially has access to other devices on your network. If you have a router with a 'guest network', it may be better to connect all the (possibly less secure) IoT devices to that, while your PCs, phones and tablets connect to the main network. This is a topic that you will probably hear more about as IoT devices become more prevalent.
Photos in the Cloud
There are a number of cloud storage services that can upload photos from your phones and tablets, allowing photos to be seen across all your devices including PCs. Such services include Apple's iCloud, Microsoft's OneDrive and cross-platform services such as Google Photos and Dropbox. So, for example, adding the Google Photos app to your iOS or Android device allows you to sync all your photos to the Google cloud, where they can be serached in a variety of ways, and you can also view them by going to https://photos.google.com/.
App Stores
The three main operating system platforms, Microsoft Windows, Android and Apple iOS, all have a 'store' from which you can download apps, either paid-for or free. These stores are the Windows Store, Google Play Store and Apple App Store. For example, you can get the Microsoft Excel app on Apple, Android and on Windows Phone - the free version allows you to view Excel spreadsheets, but you will need to subscribe to Office 365 to be able to create and edit spreadsheets.
Solid State Drives (SSD)
Is it worth paying more for a PC with an SSD? Would it be more reliable?
SSDs are more physically robust than a Hard Drive. The Hard Drive has rotating magnetic discs which spin at between 5000 and 7000 rpm and can be damaged by physical shock, especially while in use. An SSD is more expensive, but has no moving parts and is, therefore more reliable. SSDs have the advantage of being faster than a Hard Drive, although SSDs are more expensive. SSDs do not last forever and they have a limited number of read/write cycles which they can perform.
Creating a System Image
A system image is a total copy of everything on the hard drive of your PC. If the hard drive fails, this image can be restored onto a new hard drive and the system will be back as it was when the image was taken. To make a system image on Windows 10 and 7, connect an external Hard Drive and go to Control Panel, Backup and Restore and click on Create a system image. On Windows 8, go to Control Panel, File History and click on System Image Backup.
Next Session
Wed March 9th 1:30 to 3:30pm.
