Vodafone Broadband – Update
Brian was having issues with getting his broadband updated to Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) which he raised at the Club in January. He has since followed Tony’s suggestion of visiting the Vodafone shop in Northwich and it seems the FTTP upgrade is now back on track for an April install. Perhaps we will find out how this went at the next meeting?
Interestingly, Brian mentioned that the FTTP will be cheaper than his existing FTTC for a higher speed. I mentioned that there is no longer any "line rental" with FTTP and the addition of any VoIP (Voice over IP) phone service is optional.
Internet Explorer (IE11) Removed From Windows 10
Microsoft's old web browser, Internet Explorer, reached its end of life on 15th June last year. IE remained in Windows 10 (it was never part of Windows 11). We covered this at the Club last November – see the blog for more details:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2022/11/
The Patch Tuesday update to Windows 10 on Feb 14th this year permanently removed IE11. Existing icons in the Start Menu or Taskbar to launch IE11 will remain, but clicking these will now launch Edge. Browsing data such as bookmarks and passwords should have been transferred to Edge. The IE icons will be removed in a later update scheduled for 23rd June this year.
Older versions of Windows (i.e. Windows 8.1 or earlier) will remain unchanged as they are all unsupported and not receiving any updates.
New Bing
Last month, I mentioned that a new version of Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, would soon be available to people who have signed up to the waiting list at bing.com. Access to the new Bing is now becoming available to those people. This new Bing includes a chat function based on Chat-GPT which we covered at the Club last December, shortly after it was released – see:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2022/12/
You will need to use the Microsoft Edge browser to visit bing.com or the Bing app on mobile devices to be able to use the chat feature. Just click on Chat at the top of the page to get started. You can run Edge on Windows, Mac, iOS or Android – see this Microsoft site:-
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/download?ch&form=MA13FJ
The Bing app is probably the easiest way to use Bing search and the new chat feature on mobile devices - tap the Bing button at the bottom centre for the chat feature. It is free to install from the Apple or Google app stores, so give it a try.
I demonstrated the new Bing in Edge on my PC and the Bing app on my iPad. Note that it shows the sources of its information within the chat, and you can ask follow-up questions which it will related to the previous question(s). The technology is still very new, so there are some errors, but this will improve over time.
At some future date, we can expect to see Google to introduce a similar chat function into their Google Search engine based on their Bard AI technology. Microsoft will be adding AI chat features to a number of their products over the coming months, including Office apps such as Word, I believe.
Bitwarden – Encryption Enhancement
Bitwarden, like any other password manager, converts your Master Password into a Key that encrypts/decrypts your password vault. This is done using a Key Derivation Function (KDF). The variant of KDF used by Bitwarden was PBKDF2 and, at the January Club, I mentioned that you could increase the strength of the Key by increasing the iteration count. See:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/01/
Look under the heading LastPass Data Breach.
In a further improvement, it is now possible (from Bitwarden version 2023.2) to use a different KDF called Argon2id. Argon2 makes it more difficult for any hacker who gets hold of your vault to crack the key.
So, if you are using Bitwarden, I would suggest you change to Argon2id. Make sure that all your instances of Bitwarden (Desktop app, browser extensions, mobile apps) are all at version 2023.2 or later. Argon2id takes longer to calculate the key, so I suggest you leave the KDF iterations set at the default value of 3 for now (rather than the 1,000,000 I recommended for PBKDF2!). Together with a strong Master Password of around 30 characters, this would make it extremely difficult and time-consuming for anyone to crack your password vault. See this Ghacks article for more and instructions on how to make this change:-
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/02/15/bitwarden-password-manager-introduces-support-for-argon2-kdf-iterations/
SIM PIN Follow Up
We discussed changing your SIM PIN on your mobile phone for additional security last month - see:-
https://computerclub100.blogspot.com/2023/02/
Linda had a BT SIM and did not know the current (default) PIN. This BT help pages suggests it will be either 5555 or 6666:-
https://www.bt.com/help/mobile/how-do-i-get-a-pin-or-a-puk-code-for-my-mobile-phone-#:~:text=We%20send%20out%20our%20BT,PIN2%3A%206666
However, as you only have 3 attempts before the SIM is locked, I would suggest contacting the network provider (BT in this case) to check what the default PIN was for your SIM.
PC Problem
Allan had an issue with his laptop which flashes up a message saying "Locking" and then shuts down. It will then restart, but this occurs randomly.
Dave suggested that it could either be caused by malware or by over-heating.
To check for malware on Windows 10, you can use the in-built Windows Defender (or any third-party anti-virus program you may have installed). You can run Defender by going to Start, Settings, Windows Security, Virus & Threat Protection. Then click on Scan options and select Full scan and then Scan Now. A full scan may take a few hours.
Overheating can be caused by dust blocking the vents. Try blasting some air through the vents (a can of stray duster which you can buy on Amazon is ideal for this) to dislodge the dust.
Since the meeting, I have found this site which suggests some other possible solutions:-
https://thegeekpage.com/windows-pc-says-locking-and-shuts-down-randomly/
If none of that helps, the last resort might be a re-installation of Windows, as described below. The PC would then need to be set up again from scratch, as if it were a new PC. Given the age of the machine, it might be worth considering replacing it with a new one.
Reset Windows PC
If you are going to dispose of your old Windows PC, you need to remove all your data and reset it back to the “out-of-box” condition so the new owner can set it up again from scratch.
First, make sure you have made backup copies of all your data and noted any serial/licence numbers for any paid-for software. If you have software with a limited number of machine licences, uninstall it, if possible.
The process for resetting Windows is built into the Operating System. You can get to it as follows:-
Windows 11 – Settings (Windows Key+I), System, Recovery
Windows 10 – Settings (Windows Key+I), Update & Security, Recovery
This article from Tom’s Hardware steps you through the process:-
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/factory-reset-windows-11-or-10
Choose an option
Here, you would want to select Remove everything if you are passing the machine onto someone else. If you are just resetting it and intend to keep using it yourself, you can select Keep my files, although desktop apps will still be removed.
How would you like to reinstall Windows?
Choose Local reinstall to avoid having to download over 4GB, if possible.
Additional settings
Here, click on Change settings where you can then choose to clean the drive. This will take longer, as it will overwrite existing drive data so that it cannot be recovered. This is essential if you are passing the PC on to someone else.
Reset an iPhone/iPad
If you are moving to a new iPhone/iPad, transfer your data to the new device – this Apple page explains how:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT210216
If you are changing your phone number, add the new number to your list of trusted phone numbers by logging in to:-
https://appleid.apple.com/
Click on Account Security to add/remove trusted phone numbers/devices.
Before passing your old device onto someone else, you then need to sign out of your Apple account and erase the device – this Apple page explains how:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201351
Reset Android Device
If you are disposing of your Android phone, you need to ensure it is backed up and data is transferred onto your new device. Then, sign out of the old one and factory reset it to erase all data.
This guide from Android Authority explains how to back up your data:-
https://www.androidauthority.com/backup-android-phone-708622/
If you are using a Samsung device, you can refer to this Samsung guide:-
https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/backing-up-and-restoring-data-on-my-galaxy/
This Android Authority guide steps you through the process of factory resetting the phone:-
https://www.androidauthority.com/factory-reset-android-1119937/
"You have Added a Card to Your Google Account"
Tony had an email with the above message. This could be a scam.
If it relates to Google Pay, you should be able to check this out by going to pay.google.com and clicking on Payment methods to see any payment cards held by Google Pay. You can edit/remove any cards here.
If it relates to card information stored in a browser, you can check this in the browser. So, for the Chrome browser, do the following:-
Click on the 3-dots, Settings, Autofill, Payment methods. Here, you will see any saved payment details and these can be edited or deleted.
If there is a chance that the Google Account has been hacked, then I would recommend changing the password and setting up 2-Factor Authentication (2FA). You can do this by going to:-
https://myaccount.google.com/
Click on Security. Under How to sign in to Google, click on Password to change your password, and click on 2-Step Verification to set up 2FA. Initially, you will use your phone to receive the TOTP (Time-based One Time Passcode) via SMS or voice call. You can then click on 2-Step Verification again to set up alternative methods for that second factor, including Backup codes, Google Prompts, an Authenticator app or a hardware security key. The latter costs money to buy a key, but the other 3 are free and I suggest you do all of them, so that you don't get locked out by not being able to produce the second factor.
Clearing Individual Site Cookies
Sometimes, if a website appears to be misbehaving (i.e. not displaying correctly), you may be able to solve the problem by deleting the cookies for the site. This is a less drastic solution than clearing all cookies.
Remember, cookies are small data files relating to a specific website. Each browser will store it’s cookies separately. Here is how you delete site cookies on Chrome and Edge on Windows, and Safari on iOS.
Chrome on Windows
Click the More 3-dot symbol (top right) and select Settings
Select Privacy and Security, then Cookies and other site data
Click See all site data and permissions
Scroll down to select the required site, or use the search box at the top. In many cases, sites may have sub-domains which you see by clicking the down-arrow to the right of the site name.
Under Usage, you will see the number of cookies stored and you can delete them by clicking the Clear data button.
Edge on Windows
Click the More 3-dot symbol (top right) and select Settings
Click Cookies and site permissions
Click Manage and delete cookies and site data then See all cookies and site data
Scroll down to select the required site, or use the search box at the top. In many cases, sites may have sub-domains which you see by clicking the down-arrow to the right of the site name.
Click the delete Bin symbol to the right of the site address to delete its cookies.
Safari on iOS
Launch the Settings app
Scroll down and select Safari
In the Safari settings, scroll down to the bottom and select Advanced
Tap on Website Data and tap Edit (top right)
Tap the red Minus symbol to the left of the required site and then tap Delete
You will find similar options on other browsers.
Note that, having deleted the cookies for a site, when you re-visit that site, it will be as if you are visiting it for the first time.
Using Old Smartphones
Linda mentioned that she had an old smartphone and this led to a discussion of uses for an old phone. Without a SIM, the phone will still connect to wi-fi and is, in effect, just a small tablet and can be used to download and run apps. It just can't make or receive call/texts without a SIM.
Even if it is too old to run some modern apps, you could reset it (as above) and just install the app(s) you need. It could be used, for example, as an alarm clock, a web cam or security camera, an mp3 player or a photo frame.
Convert Cine Film to Digital
Linda asked about converting old cine film to digital. We didn't have any specific recommendations, but there are number of companies in the UK that will do this, so just search and compare reviews and prices for the service.
Authenticator Apps
Linda asked a question about this, in particular whether these apps could be used on financial sites. The authenticator app I use is Authy, which is free and works across multiple devices. It is available from https://authy.com/download/ for Windows, Mac and Linux and from the app store on iOS or Android. Other authenticator apps are available - this PC Magazine site offers a 'best of' list:-
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-authenticator-apps
Next Session
Wed 12th April 2023 at 2pm by Zoom
