This is a little rant I'm afraid. I know it's basically my fault BUT!!!!!

Sometimes when at clients premises, I have to use a series of rescue/installation discs to resolve an issue.

Sometimes, it can take quite a few hours to sort out the multiple problems people allow to accumulate on their computer before seeking professional help. A lot of which is helped along by the 'bar room fixers' who know absolutely sod all in real terms about much at all.

They don't know what the real problem is because they've not seen it and clients rarely know how to describe the problem fully anyway - not that there's anything wrong with that, I don't expect it.

The client then goes and mis-follows the wrong advice they've been given and make an even bigger dogs breakfast of the whole thing and after they've totally screwed their computer, they call me.

Now to the point of my rant.

After I've spent hours sorting out the cock-up, I put my things back in my bag (or so I think) and head off home. Some days, or even weeks, later I open my bag looking for the discs to find that I've accidentally left at my clients.

The annoying thing is the client, who now has a full set of service and recovery discs that I've paid for, and doesn't have a clue in hell how to use them, hasn't had the decency to ring me and let me know I've left them. This has happened every time I've done it.

I now have to go through the time and expense of getting a new set of dics together.

ONE THING YOU GET FROM ME IS HONESTY, IF YOU CAN'T RETURN THE FAVOUR THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE THE SERVICES I OFFER.

​I will work out where I left them and that person will have a heavy bill next time they call me!

It just goes to show, there's a lot of really dishonest immigrants out there.

Well, Windows 10 has been available as an upgrade for nearly 2 months now so is it now OK to go for the free upgrade.

In short, no. Do NOT accept the free upgrade unless you know what to do if everything goes wrong as it often does.

Just about everyone who worked with the evaluation and testing versions say it's OK. A lot of people who've upgraded say it's OK BUT, there's a lot of people out there who've gone for the free upgrade and regretted every second.

It's not that 10 is intrinsically that bad, it's better than 8 but that's all you can say about it. The real problem lies with the upgrade process, it's just too unreliable.

Almost everyone who has opted to do a clean installation of 10 says it works with few exceptions but that comes at a cost. The price of 10 starts around £80.

My bottom line is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Only go for 10 if you REALLY want to have the latest version of windows. It certainly isn't any better than 7.

OK, I've got XP, what should I do?

That's easy. Get Linux Mint. It has an appearance of win 7 and is free. Mint has a crisp, clean appearance and is built on the ever popular Ubuntu version but with a different appearance not too dissimilar to 7 making it easy for windows users to cross over.

Unless you have specialist needs, Linux Mint will work for you.


Opinions are those of the writer.
Trade marks and brand names acknowledged.

For the millions of people out there who bought PCs with Windows 7 on, there will be no more updates!

What does this mean?

It means our friends at Microsoft are no longer interested in developing anything more, or improving  Windows 7.

WHY????

Simple. Microsoft have a three year turn around for new Windows operating systems. 

Three years ago, Windows 8 was launched and was such a success that nobody wanted it and despite all the massaging Microsoft could muster with the sales figures, it's been a complete disaster, even when compared to the ill-fated Windows Vista.

Additionally, Microsoft stop developing an operating system three years after it's successor is released. Now, as we said, Windows 8 was released three years ago and so that means MS will no longer develop Win7. However, they will continue to release security updates for the next five years.

BUT, MS have actually reneged on their support agreements as they stopped any further development for Win8 following the release of Service Pack 1, otherwise known as Win8.1 (just to boost the sales figures). This is how confident they were of its' success.

This year sees the launch of Windows 10 and so MS should still be actively working on updates to Win8 but they're not. Anybody want to take MS to task on this contract infringement? When you bought into Win8, you bought into their 'End of Life' support agreement.


All registered trade marks and brand names acknowledged.

This latest scare affects all versions if Internet Explorer (IE) from version 6 - 11, that includes the version you're using. Are we surprised, not really!

I've never had much faith in IE once I realised Microsoft leave the settings wide open so it's easy for people to steal your information by default. Unless you know what you're doing, you will always be at risk using IE. I've also known my Internet settings change following Microsoft updates.

These are reasons I will not use IE. These are also the reasons why you shouldn't be using IE. Add to this a report I read a couple of years ago where the guy behind IE openly admitted it was rubbish. He cited Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox as being far superior to it.

I would agree on both counts there although I wouldn't recommend Firefox just now because I find it crashes too regularly. Even on PCs that I'm asked to maintain remotely, I can see that Firefox crashes a lot. The only plus side is, it's a lot more secure than IE.

I can't get on with Google Chrome some of you will shout. How do I get Google Chrome some others will shout. What are you talking about some will say.

Some will even say, I use Google all the time then open IE because they don't know what we're talking about. That's perfectly fine because if everybody knew what it's all about, I would be out of a job.

I always use Google Chrome because it's faster.

Anybody wanting to try Google Chrome, please download it from www.ninite.com. Once the download process starts, it will download and install in one go without you having to do anything else.

Yes, it is different, that's because it isn't IE. No, it doesn't have all the cumbersome toolbars that get added to IE, because toolbars break things - keep away from them. Most of you don't know how to use them but insist on keeping them - WHY?. No, don't sign in to google unless you already have a gmail account, click the skip now link.

Most people won't use it because they think it's black magic or, because we always use IE, or in reality, they don't want to learn something new because they're scared of change.

A lot of people will simply accept that Windows has IE built in so that must be what you have to use. I only use Windows because I have to, so I can keep up to speed with how bad it is.

I'd much rather be using Linux Ubuntu. None of my clients that have tried Ubuntu has ever needed to come back with problems. I do, however, have to still visit these people to sort out their Windows machines. Says it all really.

Registered brands and trade marks acknowledged.

We are in the season to be jolly, fa la la la laaaa, la la la laa.
Time to part with lots of lolly, fa la la la laaa, la la la laa.
Bought a laptop from the auction, fa la la la laaaa, la la la laa.
Got it home and now it's crapped out, fa la la la laaaa, la laa laa laaaaa.

Jesting aside, buying a second hand laptop can be fraught with problems, depending where you buy it from.

Without exception, all the laptops I've seen at the various auction houses I wouldn't entertain. They look nice on the outside, all nice an clean (for the most part). It's when you start looking what's on the inside that you realise it's about to expire.

My rule of thumb for selling second hand pc's is - would I use it? If I answer no, then I don't see why I should expect my customers to either.

How do you know what to look for?

Firstly, look at the brand. Proper brands (Acer, HP, Toshiba) will usually be OK, although I wouldn't touch Acer or HP myself but if it's a cheapie brand, then don't expect it to last very long.

Well, if it's running, see who the previous owner was. If it says 'owner' or 'user' then you know it's been reinstalled with an illegal operating system (unless it has the manufacturers installation disc with it). Check that the operating system is the same one that's on the label on the laptop.

Check the size of the hard drive. If it's 80G or less, it's probably the original or a second hand one and if it has windows xp on it, it could be over ten years old. If it has a small hard drive and anything newer than windows xp, then it's definitely an illegal operating system and you should steer clear because it probably won't work properly. Again, check the labels on the laptop.

Another thing to look at is how much memory does it have. You need a MINIMUM of 1G to run xp or vista and more for win7. When xp first came out, it would run on a pc with just 128M of ram (memory) and many still have just 256M. Avoid these like the plague.

What programs does it have installed, if none, once again, it's probably a hookey OS so don't expect it to run properly. I have a customer who had a 'modified' copy of xp installed by somebody wanting to show off how clever they were. That has now crapped out to such an extent it's almost unusable and he needs a proper copy of windows installing now.

I'm always suspicious of 'modified' copies of windows. What has been modified, what has been added. It could easily have spyware added in, trojans or anything they desire.

I've also seen laptops for sale on facebook and enquired about them. Some definitely have the wrong version of windows on them because I checked with the manufacturers website. When I asked the seller (someone who sells them for a living) about this, the answer I got was 'that's what it had on it when I got it'. My comment about that is - liar.

I did ask some other questions as well, including recovery discs. He's selling machines with win7 on them 'with the disc that came with it'. Thing is, on checking, some of those machines came with vista ONLY - never had win7 on them at any time. That means you are paying over the odds for an old pc - and one that I wouldn't use.

I don't consider €200 to be a fair price for a five year old laptop. Why? Because the life expectancy is five to seven years for a decent model in good hands.

My advice:

• check the manufacturers website to see what version of windows it should have
  
• check labels on it - all laptops less than 8 years old will tell you the windows version
• check size of hard drive
• check how much memory (don't touch anything with less than 1G)
• make sure you have minimum 6 months full warranty (repair, replace or cash back)
  
• avoid 'modified' copies of windows
• insist on official recovery discs (it's built in to some pc's - HP & Compaq and others - make sure they work
• don't buy cheap models or nondescript brands
• do your research and know what spec you want
• buy from a recognised bona fide trader, not from facebook or the man in the pub

Sorry, I don't currently have any used laptops that I would sell to my clients.

If you ever needed a reason to move away from a Windows OS, this is it.

The Cryptolocker Virus is gaining victims by the hour and there is very little you can do about it.

When you know you have this particular virus, the damage has already been done. The way it works is by getting into your system via email, social media sites (facebook), pirate downloads or other infected website that you happen to drop on. It then starts encrypting EVERY data file on your Windows PC using industry standard technology as used by places such as The Pentagon and other high profile organisations.

There are currently only 2 ways to get your data back, pay the €300 ransom or totally format your hard drive, reinstall from your recovery discs (you know, the ones I'm always telling you to do) and restore your data from that backup you've done (what do you mean, what backup).

I think that means you have a couple of jobs to do sooner, rather than later! That's backup your data - all those photos and important documents - and create your recovery discs so your PC can be reset to the day you bought it. Generally speaking, if you have Windows XP, you should have an installation disc somewhere, if not, get one form your PC manufacturer or we can source one for you. Most Windows 7 systems have an option to create recovery media as do Windows 8. Do it!

You cannot be complacent, this threat can and will destroy your data and/or the entire contents of your hard drives if you don't pay the ransom.

I am receiving regular updates of individuals and corporations alike, all succumbing to this threat at an alarming rate and most are paying the ransom to get their data back because they didn't look after it in the first place. Don't let this happen to you.

The easiest way to backup your photos and documents is to copy your 'my documents' folder (or libraries folder - win7/8) onto a usb memory stick. If you don't have all the photos and documents on your PC in the 'my documents/libraries' folder, then put them there now and stop being sloppy. That's where they belong if they're on your PC.

Please be assured that if you get this and you don't have your data backed up, there is only one way you MIGHT get it back, and that's paying the €300 to the crooks within 3 days or it's gone. If they 'give' you your data back, it can take days before all your files are returned and you need to keep you PC turned on and connected to the internet until the job is finished or you lose what hasn't been undone.

This can be a problem for those on wireless services such as Ole, Telecable, TeleEast and the like because they always have momentary dips in service when it's not available and this can be enough to disconnect from the remote PC doing the decryption.

What a surprise. From the results of the poll on the website about Windows 8, it would seem that the majority of you who have cast you vote would like to lose Windows 8 all together.

Fear not for that is entirely possible (even if it is a bit of a headache). We can even have you up and running on Windows XP even if your new laptop is hardwired for Windows 8 only.

If you simply 'upgraded' your computer to run on Windows 8 then the downgrade is simply reinstall your original operating system from the installation disc or the recovery discs it asked you to create before you 'upgraded'. You did do that little task, didn't you!?

OK, so your computer came with Windows 8 on and you want to downgrade - that is your right, and we can help you maintain your rights. Downgrading your computer will cost you €65.00 whether you want to go back to Windows 7 or you want to use XP, you decide.

If you don't have your installation/recovery discs then asking someone like me to install an operating system without them, or the original product code, is highly illegal and will result in me serving time in jail and very hefty fines when - not IF - Microsoft find out. I have no intention of doing that so don't ask.

OK, so the other PC guy did it without question - where is he now - gone. A moving target is harder to hit. They milk the area then move on to the next. I'm here for the duration.

Hello everybody.

Please be advised that we are starting to get booked up for April, so if you think your PC has a problem, or you're considering taking up one of our other services then please contact us now or we may not be able to get you sorted before we go.

You might even miss out on our FREE telephone install offer available for this month only if you don't get in now! Check our Special Offer page for more details.

Please don't leave it until the last minute and miss out.

Over the past few months, I've been extolling the virtues of a wonderful website that allows all us ex-pats to view live UK TV without the need to do anything special, and without the need for satellite TV installations. This website is www.filmon.com. It seems that Filmon are now only able to offer live UK TV in the UK. This is probably down to licencing regulations and the fact that to receive licenced UK TV broadcasts, you should be paying for a licence.

This issue does NOT affect any of our Satellite Internet clients as they all have a UK Internet address.

Currently, anyone residing outside the UK should not be able to watch live UK TV. Scream and shout as much as you like, that is how it is. So why can other nationalities get away with it then - you ask. Well, that's because they don't have the same licencing regulations as the UK so as to provide you with honest and impartial reporting of world events (for most of the time, that is).

So, you don't live in the UK BUT, you want to watch live UK TV (shame on you ;-) ). How do you go about it?

You can always fork out for a satellite dish and receiver and buy a forged sky card, you can pay for an illegal card sharing setup, you can pay one of the many illegal re-broadcasters who pop up all over the place - and disappear just as quickly with your money or you can watch live UK TV through the Internet, either directly from the broadcasters website or from an aggregators website such as www.myiplayer.com.

When I try to watch TV on the broadcasters website, it tells me it's not available in my region. Of course it does, because it's illegal to watch it outside the UK - because it's licenced for the UK only! Please pay attention, I'm getting to that.

OK smart a**e, how's it done? I'll tell you. You use something called a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that fools the website into believing you are in the UK.

How can I get one? There are many free one available along with some relatively cheap ones (5.00 GBP a month). I have personally used a 5GBP one from www.my-private-network.co.uk and it works fine, and they give you a full setup guide with pictures. We have also used the free "Best UK VPN Service" and find that works very well also.

What I do find a lot of - and have to uninstall a lot of - is Expat Shield. Whilst Expat Shield may be free, it's backed by advertisers, it also installs a 'handy' toolbar. Anybody who knows me knows how I feel about third party 'handy' toolbars. They're very handy at breaking things (as many of my clients can testify) and should be banned.

To get the "Best UK VPN Service", it is available from the myiplater.com website on the "catchup" page.

In my opinion, the only thing handy about Expat Shield is the ability to click a few buttons and it installs itself, along with the c**p it comes with. I used it for a couple of days then got rid of it and it will never darken my PC again. Not to be totally negative about this product, I do have customers who think it's marvelous, brilliant and all sorts of other positive adjectives.

Oh, I forgot to mention this option - Slingbox. An ideal option for those with relatives in the UK with a Sky/Cable subscription.

How does that work then? Well, it's intended for people on holiday who would normally be paying for their UK licence but they're not currently using it because they're on holiday and no one is in the house watching TV. That way, you're not breaking your licence agreement and it's legal.

It works by connecting a Slingbox to a Sky/Cable TV box in the UK. You then connect the Slingbox to your internet router. Whilst you're (ahem) 'away', you can watch your Sky/Cable package on your laptop or you would take something with you called a Sling Catcher. Sling Catcher is like a set top box that plugs into the Internet and the TV you're going to be watching. It then transports all your programs from the UK to where you are.

If that all sounds like black magic then when you've got the kit from Currys/PC World, just drop Sling Media support a line from their website and they'll set it all up for you. So that's the Slingbox in the UK, and SlingCatcher over here.

If you would like any more info, please feel free to drop us a line or comment below.

I have no connection to any of the products mentioned in this article.

All brand names and registered trade marks belong to their respective owners - not me.