Internet Explorer – Removed From Windows 10
At the Club in June this year, I mentioned that Internet Explorer (IE11), Microsoft's old browser, reached its end of life on 15 June 2022. It is not available in Windows 11, but it remained in Windows 10. However, on Patch Tuesday in February next year (2023), Microsoft will issue an update that will permanently disable IE11 on Windows 10. See this article for more:-
https://www.ghacks.net/2022/10/30/still-using-internet-explorer-11-on-windows-10-it-will-be-disabled-in-february-2023/
Internet Explore Mode in Edge
If you find any old web sites that only render correctly in IE11, you should be able to view them in Edge in IE11 mode. To enable this feature in Edge, click on 3-dots, Settings, Default Browser. Alongside the heading Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode), choose Allow. Then, when viewing a web site, you can click on 3-dots and select Reload in Internet Explorer Mode.
WordPerfect
Brian mentioned that WordPerfect, a longstanding word-processing package produced by Corel, requires Internet Explorer. The requirements for the software state that it requires IE11 or higher. After the Club, I downloaded and installed the trial version on my Windows 11 laptop and it installed successfully and seems to works. So, IE11 does not appear to be required.
Microsoft Money
John thought that Microsoft Money, which dates back to 2005, needs IE. However, I have been successfully running a version on my Windows 11 system for some time. The installation file is no longer available to download from Microsoft, but I have placed a copy of the installation file I used on my Google Drive and I think anyone should be able to download it by using this link:-
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s16cxrx2sKwUqrAuRN_-kE7pOaiX3TYH/view?usp=sharing
It is an executable file, so you will get a warning message. This file is trustworthy, but remember, you can always scan a downloaded file for malware by using:-
https://www.virustotal.com (See the August Blog if you need a reminder).
Update on Updates
At the September Club, I mentioned the annual updates coming this Autumn to iOS, Android and Windows. At that time, there were no firm dates for the iPadOS or Windows 10 updates, but they have both now been released.
Windows 10 – 22H2
While the 22H2 update for Windows 11
was released on 20 September, the
Windows 10 22H2 update was not
released until 18th
October. It is very quick to install and only introduces minor changes.
iPadOS 16
Although iOS 16 (for iPhones) was released on 12th September, the iPad version (iPadOS 16) was not released until 24th October. This Apple page takes you through what’s new:-
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/10/ipados-16-is-available-today/
The End of Passwords?
One of the new features introduced in iOS 16 and now in iPadOS 16 is Passkeys. We mentioned this concept of logging in without passwords at the Club on 8th June this year under the heading “The Future Without Passwords”:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2022/06/
Developed by the FIDO Alliance, Passkeys are a new way to authenticate with a web site instead of using passwords. Apple, Google and Microsoft are all gradually introducing this passwordless technology, although it will take some time (years?) for web sites and apps to adopt it. You can find FAQs about Passkeys on the FIDO Alliance web site at:-
https://fidoalliance.org/passkeys/#faq
One company that has announced support for a Passkeys sign-in is PayPal. They are introducing it first in the US and then perhaps in the UK next year. See this article for more:-
https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2022-10-24-PayPal-Introduces-More-Secure-Payments-with-Passkeys
Essentially, a Passkey is a unique cryptographic code (actually a Public/Private Key pair) which is created when you first set up an account with a web site or app using a compatible mobile device (e.g. an iPhone running iOS16). When you visit that site in future, you use the biometric features of your device to allow access to the stored passkey and that authenticates you as you. Apple will use its KeyChain feature to sync your Passkeys between your Apple devices. You can read more about Passkeys in this Pocket-Lint article:-
https://www.pocket-lint.com/apps/news/apple/161398-apple-passkeys-how-do-they-work-replace-passwords-mac-iphone-ipad
Public/Private Key encryption is the same system used when accessing encrypted (https) web pages. You can read more about that in my article “Web Site Encryption – How Does it Work?” which you can find in the Tech Hints & Tips section of my web site at:-
bit.ly/rogersdocs
Note you can also access my web site from the link or QR code on the right of this blog.
Note that, if you create a Passkey authenticated account using your Apple device, and then want to sign in to that account on a Windows PC, it should still be possible to use your iPhone, as it would link to the PC via a QR code or Bluetooth.
I am sure we will keep returning to this topic as it develops and becomes more widely implemented.
"Forgotten Your Password" Method
John mentioned that it is not necessary to remember passwords for infrequently used sites. You can simply create a password when you first sign up and then use the Forgotten Your Password link if/when you need to sign back in at a future date. This will send a reset link to your email address allowing you to create a new password - which you don't bother to remember either. I have heard stories of people who use this method for virtually all their logins. In general, I would not recommend this method and would rather suggest a password manager is used so secure passwords can easily be created and remembered for you.
This emphasises how important it is to have a secure password and 2FA for your email account, as that is the route for resetting passwords on other accounts.
QR Code Readers
Linda mentioned that mobile devices no longer require a special app to read QR codes, you can simply use the camera app.
2-Factor Authenticator (2FA) App
Cherry raised the problem with current 2FA system when an SMS text message is used to send the Timebased-One-Time-Passcode (TOTP) and a mobile signal is not available. Most accounts that use 2FA offer several ways of generating the 2FA code. You should always set up 2 or more 2FA methods, such as an Authenticator App, a voice call via a landline, email, backup codes, etc.
There are a number of Authenticator Apps, but my preferred one is Authy which you can download from the App Store and use for free. It can also be downloaded for Windows, Mac and Linux from:-
https://authy.com/
Authy allows you to backup up your 2FA data by creating a password so you can recover it if your phone is lost or replaced. You can install Authy and synchronise it across multiple devices.
LibreOffice Calc Files
Tony was having issues with the Calc files being slow to open on his iPad. This may have been caused by a recent iPad update. By default, Calc saves spreadsheets in ".ods" format. I don't know the answer, but perhaps saving the files in ".xlsx", which is the Microsoft Excel format, may be worth trying.
Pros & Cons of Using “Sign in with Google” etc
Some web sites which require a sign-in offer the option to sign in with your Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter etc. This is an example of such a sign-in screen:-
So, rather than creating a unique username/password sign-in for that site, it uses one of these major entities, such as Google, to do the authentication. This is often promoted as a way to reduce the number of passwords you need to remember, but is it a wise thing to do?
On the plus side, you don’t have to remember so many passwords. Also, you may have much more faith in Apple or Google to secure your credentials than whatever organisation your are trying to sign in to.
However, there have been cases where a Google, Facebook, etc account gets blocked. This often happens where someone’s account has been hacked and then used for malicious purposes. Or it could just be that one of these major platforms (e.g. Facebook) goes down for a few hours. It would be bad enough if you found you could not get into your Google, Apple or Facebook account, but even worse if this prevents you signing in to other sites because you had used the “sign in with…” feature.
Also, some users are concerned that signing in with, for example Google, allows Google to know even more about which sites you are visiting.
Personally, I avoid using this “sign in with...” feature and always create a unique password for every site. A Password Manager removes the problem of remembering these passwords – but also have a backup of your password vault too!
Spoof Email Sender
Brian mentioned a common spam email where you receive emails, apparently from the name of one of your contacts. The "From" name at the top of the email is easily changed. It is known as the "Display Name". For example, in Gmail you can change this by logging in to gmail.com and clicking on Settings, Accounts and Import and look for Send email as. Click Edit to change the name recipients will see when you send an email.
A scammer can acquire email addresses from hacking someone you have emailed or, as John had experienced, from LinkedIn. As Brian pointed out, when sending a group email, the the recipient list should be a BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) which means the email addresses are not visible by any of the recipients.
Copying Zoom Links
Lynn wanted to send a group email listing several Zoom meetings and the associated links to join those meetings. This should be possible by copying the details from the original Zoom invitation and then pasting them into a new email, with any added explanatory text as required.
Next Session
Wed 14th December 2022 at 2pm by Zoom.
