Wednesday 10^th July 2019

Windows 1903 Update

Margaret commented that she had done the 1903 update on her computers and had a couple of issues. The update appeared to hang at 90% download - rebooting the system seemed to cure this problem. Also, her printer was not working after the update. This problem seems fairly common with these big feature updates. Microsoft re-installs drivers after the update, but sometimes it does not use the best or latest driver. Usually, this problem can be resolved by downloading the latest software from the printer manufacturer for your specific model and re-installing the printer.

Only a small proportion of users worldwide have yet updated to 1903 - see this article by Paul Thurrott written on 27th June:-
https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/209277/windows-10-version-1903-continues-rolling-out-slowly

Average users will simply wait for the update to occur automatically. Advanced users can go into Settings, Update & Security and Check For Updates. This will apply any current security or bug-fix updates and give you the option to download and install a Feature Update (e.g. 1903) if this is available and appropriate for your hardware.

For more on 1903, refer back to our blog for the Computer Club on 12th June 2019.

Amazon Echo - NHS Choices
It was announced on the news today that Amazon Echo (Alexa) devices will now be able to offer health advice from the NHS, based on the NHS Choices web site. Here is a news article by the BBC today:-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48925345

There are a range of Amazon Echo devices, some with a screen/camera and some without.
You can see the range here on the Amazon web site:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=14100223031

Echo devices respond to voice commands and can answer general questions, play radio, play music (subscription required) and control a range of smart devices around the home such as thermostats, lights, TV, etc.

Google and others also offer similar smart speakers.

Digital Rights management (DRM)

Linda asked (last month) about downloaded programs from Netflix etc which ‘expire’ after a period of time. Due to licence agreements for movies and music, downloads will often only function for a limited period of time. Even downloads from the BBC iPlayer will only be available for a limited period, usually 30 days, after downloading. If you still have a valid subscription and the programme is still available, you may be able to download it again after it has expired.

Mouse Middle Button
Margaret asked what the middle button of a mouse does. Usually, the middle button is also a scroll wheel. While most people are familiar with the scroll wheel function, many perhaps do not realise that you can also press the wheel down and it acts as a middle button. In a web browser, if you point at a link and click with the middle button, that link will open in a new tab - this is equivalent to right-clicking on a link and then selecting Open link in new tab. Also, the middle button provides an alternative scroll mechanism (not just the scroll wheel) - press the middle button on a web page or a document and a scroll symbol will appear on the screen. You can then scroll by simply moving the mouse without pressing any buttons. Press the middle button again to turn the function off.

Malicious Browser Pop-Ups

Malicious pop-ups can sometimes appear in your browser, warning you of all sorts of impending doom if you don’t take immediate action. These scareware pop-ups aim to frighten you into actions such as clicking on links to install rogue software or calling fake support phone numbers where you might get talked into surrendering control of your PC to scammers.

More recent versions of browsers are more resilient to these fake pop-ups, so keep your software up to date. Most browsers will update automatically. Edge is an integral part of Windows and will be updated through the Windows Update process, although some updates will only be applied via the twice annual big feature updates to Windows.

If your browser is stuck on one of these pop-ups and will not close, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager where you can select the running browser and then End Task.

If the pop-ups relate to visiting just one web site, then avoid that site.

If they are more random:-

1. Run a full virus scan.
2. Check your browser for any rogue Extensions (google for how to do this if unsure).
3. If necessary, reset the browser (see bit.ly/CE-BrowserBasics for details)

If the messages are relevant to Windows or Microsoft products, you can send them details for analysis - see this site for details:-
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/securitycompliance/submit-spam-non-spam-and-phishing-scam-messages-to-microsoft-for-analysis

Switching Mobile Phone Networks

Ofcom have introduced new rules which make it easier for customers to switch their mobile phone service to another provider. Previously, you had to phone your old provider for a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code). Under the new system all you have to do is:-

1. Text PAC to 65075.
2. Your current provider will text back within 1 minute with the PAC (which is valid for 30 days).
3. Give the PAC to your new provider.
4. Your new provider will arrange the switch within 1 working day.

For more details on this new system, visit the Ofcom site at:-

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/text-to-switch-simple-to-switch-mobile-network

Family History
We had a brief discussion around family history. Margaret mentioned she uses both Family Tree Maker and Family Historian software. Although I haven't done much with it for a few years, I used a program called Legacy to record my family history data. The 2 main online services for family history research are:-
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/, and
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
Both of these require a subscription.
Some free information can be found at:-
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/ - The Civil Registration index of Births, Marriage and Deaths for England and Wales.
https://www.freecen.org.uk/ - Free Census Record search.
https://www.freereg.org.uk/ - Free Parish Register search.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/ - A Free  database provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Nitro PDF
Linda asked about Nitro. Nitro provide a range of PDF software, including a PDF reader which is an alternative to Adobe Reader. The free Nitro PDF Reader can be downloaded from:-
https://www.gonitro.com/pdf-reader

Credit Reference Agencies
We had a brief discussion about Credit Reference Agencies (CRA). The UK has 3 CRAs:-
Experian
Equifax
Callcredit

After the Club, I found this site which explains more:-
https://www.clearscore.com/credit-score/what-are-credit-reference-agencies

Equifax had a major data breach in 2017 which potentially gave hackers access to 145 million consumers in the USA and in other countries including at least 400,000 consumers in the UK. Remember, you can find out if your email address has be found in any data breaches by using the web site https://haveibeenpwned.com/ which we discussed at the Club in December 2018.

Google Drive/Photos Syncing
Google announced today that automatic syncing of photos between Google Photos and Google Drive has ceased. Frankly, I did not previously realise that this was even an option, so I won't miss it now that it's gone! This is Google's announcement:-
https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9316089

As this was only announced today, I will look into it a bit further and we can talk about it again next month.

Next Session

Wed 14^th August 2019 1:30 to 3:30pm.