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Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 3

 Contents
8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

6 News DuckDuckGo admits it lets Microsoft

track you

10 Question of the Fortnight Why do we

force the elderly to always use apps?

11 Protect Your Tech

Council tax & energy rebate scams

12 Letters I saved £18 a month by ditching

Sky Broadband

14 Consumeractive
Can I challenge a small claims verdict?
p10
16 Grow Your Family Tree
Search the 1950 US Federal Census App for debate
18 Best Free Software
OnlyOffice 7.1 Beelink SER 4800U
21 Named & Shamed p22
Audacity clones in the Microsoft Store

Reviews
22 Beelink SER 4800U
Mini PC makes big impact

23 Acer TravelMate Spin P4

Laptop-tablet goes full circle

24 Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360

Galaxy laptop travels at light speed

25 Motorola Moto G22

Budget phone makes a few wrong calls Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360

26 Acer CB282K p24

pxx
Affordable monitor supports the resolution

28 Anker Powerconf C200

Webcam that puts you in the picture
Doro 6880
Phone that ditches smart for simple

29 TP-Link Deco X90

Excellent mesh router goes the distance

30 Buy It/Competition Win Audio-Technica

ATH-CKS50TW earbuds

4 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Subscribe now!
See page 58 for our special subs offer

Workshops & Tips The joy of text

p35
35 How to… Convert your
handwriting to digital text

38 Control your Android smartphone

from your Windows desktop

40 Readers’ Tips Get VoIP and PSTN

numbers on one phone

42 Browser Tips
Block online ads without leaving spaces

44 Phone and Tablet Tips Get your

Android device to read your texts aloud

46 Make Windows Better

Install new Quick Assist app

47 Make Office Better

Export your Quick Access Toolbar

48 In the Club
Make charts that automatically update

49 What’s All the Fuss About?

Broad deployment

50 COVER FEATURE
Best free software for vital PC tasks
We recommend the best 16 tools for
keeping your PC safe, fast and always on
the top of its game

60 Clean your PC with BleachBit

Whether you want to tidy up or deep-clean
your machine, we explain what to do

62 Why you need an internet radio

Get access to thousands of radio stations
through web radios that are more versatile
and rich-sounding than you might think

64 Problems Solved
Why can’t I email my GP?

71 Reader Support
Where’s the install button for Vivaldi?

72 Jargon Buster

74 Easy When You Know How

Robert Irvine shuts down his PC remotely

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 5

 News The top stories in the world of technology

DuckDuckGo admits it lets

Microsoft track you
P
rivacy-focused search then tweeted about it,
engine DuckDuckGo saying that “while
has admitted that it DuckDuckGo blocks
does allow Microsoft to track Google and Facebook
you online when you use its trackers, it allowed
browser on Android and iOS Microsoft trackers to
devices, and Apple Macs. continue running”.
Security researcher Zach DuckDuckGo
Edwards made the discovery responded by
acknowledging that the
WHAT WE THINK browser doesn’t block
tracking on some sites
This is embarrassing for owned by Microsoft, such
DuckDuckGo, but no worse as recruitment site
than that. If anything, it’s a LinkedIn and search
reminder of the huge battle engine Bing, because of a founder of DuckDuckGo, protection because it’s not
it faces in taking on the tech “search syndication pointed out that the contract possible for a number of
goliaths. In return for offering agreement” with the company. with Microsoft has “nothing reasons”.
DuckDuckGo its search This refers to Microsoft’s to do with search”, and that The company is more
results, Microsoft wants Bing providing much of the you’re completely anonymous famous for its search engine,
special permission to track search results given by when you use the company’s which doesn’t share details
you. Despite this, Weinberg DuckDuckGo’s search engine search engine. of your searches or collect
is right when he says (https://duckduckgo.com). A spokesperson later added personal data that can be used
DuckDuckGo offers “above- DuckDuckGo has also that anyone using its browser to show you adverts tailored to
and-beyond protection changed the description of the on Android or iOS is “still your interests (see Issue 632’s
that most browsers don’t browser on the Google and getting significantly more ‘Stop Using Google Search’
even attempt to do”. His big Apple app stores, which now privacy protection by default Cover Feature).
challenge is to make sure states “we are prevented from with DuckDuckGo than they But it plans to launch a
this news doesn’t put people blocking due to contractual would using Safari, Firefox, browser for Windows
off using the forthcoming restrictions with Microsoft”. Chrome and other browsers”. computers later this year, to
Windows version of the Replying to Edwards’ tweets They also said that complement those already
browser. (www.snipca.com/42100), DuckDuckGo has “never available for Android, iOS
Gabriel Weinberg, boss and promised 100 per cent and Apple Macs.

Old Kindles lose ability to buy ebooks

F rom August you’ll no
longer be able to browse,
buy or borrow new ebooks
Kindle Keyboard (pictured),
Kindle (4th Gen), and Kindle
(5th Gen) will lose access to
to continue reading titles
you’ve already added.
In its email, spotted by
directly on certain Kindles the Kindle Store. website Good E-Reader,
made before 2012. However, you’ll still be able Amazon offers US customers
Amazon has emailed to buy ebooks from Amazon 30 per cent off a new Kindle,
customers saying that Kindle when browsing on another and $40 to spend on ebooks.
(2nd Gen) International, device and transfer them to It’s not clear whether the offer
Kindle DX International, your Kindle. You’ll also be able is available to UK customers.

You’ll like this… but not this…

Virtual network Smarty is offering 100GB of Russian hackers ‘leaked sensitive Brexit
data for just £12 (https://smarty.co.uk) emails’ (www.snipca.com/42097)

6 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

Phone customers stuck on IN BRIEF

SKIP TO ‘MOST REPLAYED’

hold for longer PARTS OF YOUTUBE
YouTube now lets you skip

T he average time mobile-

phone customers have to
wait to speak to their network
However, the time
broadband and landline
customers had to wait
to the ‘most replayed’ parts
of a video. It will show these
moments in
when phoning them has fell in 2021, though it a graph that
nearly doubled since 2019, was still slightly longer appears at
Ofcom says. than before the the bottom
Its annual report (www. pandemic. On average, of the clip
snipca.com/42013) on customers waited two (pictured).
customer service in the minutes, 16 seconds, a big broadband and landline Other
broadband and mobile drop from four minutes, nine customers who complained new tools include ‘Single
industry showed that wait seconds in 2020. In 2019, the to their provider in 2021 Loop’, letting you watch the
times in 2021 rose to two average time was two minutes, were satisfied by how their same video for as long as
minutes, 15 seconds – up by 10 seconds. problem was dealt with. you want. Read more on
eight seconds from 2020, Customers of KCOM, No company scored higher YouTube’s blog: www.snipca.
and an increase from one which serves Hull and the than 57 per cent on this com/42018.
minute, 18 seconds in 2019. surrounding area, waited the Despite these problems,
Ofcom said that the increase longest in 2021, at nearly nine Ofcom reported an overall LEAVE YOUR WHATSAPP
is due to the “impact of the minutes, followed by Virgin “high” level of customer GROUPS ‘SILENTLY’
Covid-19 pandemic”. O2 Media (three minutes, 45 satisfaction across mobile You may soon be able to
customers had to wait the seconds). Now Broadband (91 per cent), broadband leave WhatsApp group chats
longest (three minutes, 59 answered the phone fastest, (83 per cent) and landline without any other members
seconds), followed by taking 31 seconds on average. (71 per cent). BT received the knowing. It’s working on
Vodafone (two minutes, 30 Resolving complaints is also highest broadband rating at a tool called ‘Silently exit
seconds). Three answered the an area of concern, Ofcom 88 per cent, ahead of EE and groups’ that shows you a
phone fastest, in just 16 seconds. said. Only half of mobile, Sky (see box below). message saying that the
only person who’ll be told
BROADBAND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION that you’re leaving is the
group’s admin – ie, the
person running it. Currently,
when you leave a group it’s
88% 85% 84% 79% 78% 78% 77% announced in the chat, which
makes some people feel
uncomfortable.

Amazon releases first TOMORROW’S

WORLD
Fire 7 tablet with USB-C
Six-wheeled robots from

A mazon has finally

released a Fire 7 tablet
with a USB-C port for
two-megapixel resolution,
and record videos at 720p
HD. You can use it to
Starship Technologies are
now delivering goods from
Co-op stores to homes in
faster charging, but it’s £10 control Amazon’s voice- the Cambridgeshire village
more expensive than the activated assistant Alexa, com/42012. of Cambourne (see www.
previous version. letting you perform tasks There’s also a new Fire 7 snipca.com/42019). Let’s
It has a seven-inch screen including playing videos Kids model, priced £109.99, hope they know their way
as before, but RAM is doubled and music. which comes with a around better
to 2GB, making web pages There’s a 16GB edition “kid-proof case” in blue, than this
and apps load more quickly. priced £59.99, and 32GB for purple or red, and has confused
Amazon claims that the £69.99. To remove adverts 32GB RAM, double the robot,
quad-core processor is 30 per from the lock screen and previous model. who was
cent faster and battery life screensaver you’ll have to A year’s subscription to photographed
40 per cent longer, which it pay £10 extra. It’s available Amazon Kids+ is included, trundling
says will provide 10 hours in three colours: black containing 10,000 children’s through a
of browsing the web or (pictured), rose and denim. films, TV shows, books and wood in
watching videos. You can pre-order the educational content from the Northampton
The front-facing and Fire 7 now, ahead of release likes of Lego and National (www.snipca.com/42020).
rear cameras both have a on 29 June, at www.snipca. Geographic.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 7

 News
IN BRIEF Over 1.5m ‘abandoned’ apps on
OPENREACH ADDS 56
TOWNS TO FULLFIBRE
Google & Apple stores
Cambridge, Dartford,
Hartlepool and Peterborough
are among 56 towns added
T here are more outdated
apps in Google and
Apple’s stores than those
apps, removing apps that no
longer function as intended,
don’t follow current review
to Openreach’s schedule being actively updated, guidelines, or are outdated”.
to receive Fibre-to-the- according to new research. Apple’s policy affects apps
Premises (FTTP) broadband. Analytics firm Pixelate that haven’t been updated
To see all 56, plus locations said there are 1.5 million within the past three years,
previously added, download “abandoned” apps that haven’t and those that “fail to meet
Openreach’s PDF from been updated in two years, a minimal download
www.snipca.com/41993 outnumbering the 1.3 million threshold”, which covers
(starts automatically). The that had been updated in the apps that haven’t been
new towns are highlighted in past six months (www.snipca. downloaded at all or
dark blue/grey. com/41994). Apps that aren’t The report comes a few “extremely few times” during
being regularly updated can weeks after Apple started a rolling 12-month period.
UPDATE YOUR OLD pose a security risk. emailing developers to warn Anyone who has already
NVIDIA CARDS In total, Pixelate analysed them that it would remove installed a removed app will
Nvidia has taken the unusual five million apps across both apps that haven’t been be able to continue using it,
step of releasing security stores in the first three updated “in a significant but it will be delisted from
driver updates for graphics months of 2022, finding amount of time”. It gave the App Store, preventing any
cards it no longer supports. 650,000 neglected apps in developers 30 days to new downloads.
The fixes are for the GTX Apple’s store, and 869,000 update their apps. Google is also stepping up
600 and GTX 700 range of in Google’s. On its App Store measures to remove old apps
cards, which Nvidia sold and It also identified 314,000 Improvements page (www. by forcing developers to make
supported between 2012 “super abandoned” apps snipca.com/41995), Apple their apps work with either
and 2021. To check if you that haven’t been updated in says it is “implementing an Android 11 (released 2020) or
need the updates, visit over five years. ongoing process of evaluating Android 12 (released 2021).
www.snipca.com/41992 and
click the Supported Products
tab. If so, click the green
Download button.
Government’s new app protects you
THE WORLD’S
from foreign spies online
GONE MAD!
T he Government has
launched a new app to
prevent people being tricked
Infrastructure. Chancellor of
the Duchy of Lancaster Steve
Barclay, Lead Minister for
online by foreign spies. Cyber Security, said fake
Called ‘Think Before You profiles are being created on
Link’, it will help individuals an “industrial scale”, with
identify personal profiles that many being used to gain
may be fake, and allow them national-security information.
to report anything suspicious. In the first half of 2021
Tom Birchy (pictured), the self- MI5 claims it has seen over alone, LinkedIn prevented
proclaimed ‘King of Leeds’, is 10,000 attempts by spies to 11.6m fake accounts from
a video blogger who reports fool UK users on sites such as being registered.
from the city. He recently Facebook and LinkedIn. Current and former civil around 16.8m LinkedIn users
asked his 170,000 followers Director General Ken servants are attractive targets in the UK may have accepted
to order food and drink for McCallum said: “Foreign spies for scammers because of contacts from unknown
him via the Wetherspoons are actively working to build their experience and people, and that awareness of
app. They ended up spending relationships with those knowledge, the Government the threat from spies using
£2,000 and causing chaos working in government, in said. Many are contacted on fake profiles is lower than
in the pub. Staff had to stop high-tech business and in LinkedIn by unknown users other online threats.
serving him, and now need to academia”. promising well-paid To install the app, search for
process mass refunds. Your The app has been launched consultancy work. ‘Think Before You Link’ on the
round, Tom? by the Centre for the Research from Portsmouth Google Play Store (Android) or
Protection of National University suggests that Apple App Store (iOS).

8 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

Millions of phone users could win IN BRIEF
compensation for ‘overpayments’ ANDROID APPS SHOW
‘ACCESSIBILITY’ LABELS

C onsumer group Which?

has won permission to
represent 30 million UK
Google will soon add
accessibility labels to apps
on its Play Store to indicate
customers in a mass legal case how easy they are for
against US firm Qualcomm. disabled people to use.
It alleges the company, which They’ll appear under the
makes smartphone components, ‘About this app’ heading and
abused its position as the cover categories including
market leader by charging visual and hearing assistance,
manufacturers, such as Apple Qualcomm’s argument that individual basis.” learning disabilities and
and Samsung, inflated costs. the cost of bringing the claim Qualcomm rejected these motor assistance. Read
These were passed on to outweighed any financial claims as “meritless” and more and see examples on
consumers in the form of benefit. It ruled that “given the said they “recycle allegations Google’s blog: www.snipca.
higher smartphone prices. cost of living challenges faced in an old case brought by the com/42058.
The Competition Appeal by many consumers” £16-£17 Federal Trade Commission
Tribunal ruled in May that isn’t small enough to deter in the US”, which Qualcomm ‘OBSCENELY LARGE’
Which? could proceed people from taking part. won. EDGE MENU TO SHRINK
with the case, which seeks Anabel Hoult, Which? Chief To find out whether you’re Microsoft is
£500m compensation for Executive, said: “If Qualcomm eligible for the claim, visit planning to
“overpayments” made on has abused its market power it www.smartphoneclaim.co.uk reduce the size
Apple and Samsung phones must be held to account. This then scroll down and answer of the right-click
bought since 1 October, 2015. judgement ensures that it can the seven-part questionnaire. menu in Edge
Which? estimates that be. Which? brought this claim You’ll be automatically in response to
customers could win an on behalf of millions of included in the case unless criticism that
average of £16 to £17, with the affected UK consumers, as it you tell Which? you don’t it’s “obscenely
exact amount depending on would not have been realistic want to be. large”. Currently,
the specific phone bought. for people to seek damages The Tribunal will set a date for right-clicking in the browser
The Tribunal dismissed from the company on an the trial in the next few weeks. can show as many as 16
options (pictured). Microsoft
admitted this was “too long,
Microsoft defending Ukraine in too wide” (www.snipca.
com/42074), and said it will
‘first major hybrid war’ start to fix the problem in
the Canary preview version

M icrosoft has said that

Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine is “the first major
leaders” across
different industries.
He claimed it was
of Edge (www.snipca.
com/42075). Any changes
are likely to be added to the
hybrid war” because it’s being essential for full version in time.
fought in cyberspace as well Ukraine’s security
as on land, sea and air. to shift its cloud PARAMOUNT PLUS TO
The company’s president infrastructure LAUNCH IN JUNE
Brad Smith (pictured) revealed outside the country. TV-streaming service
that it had identified potential This was aided, he Paramount Plus (www.
attacks against Ukraine being said, by Microsoft having plant that followed a hack paramountplus.com) will
launched shortly before the spent $12 billion building just hours earlier. launch in the UK on 22 June, it
physical invasion took place. datacentres across Europe. With the war now in its has been confirmed. It costs
He added that Microsoft’s “You are most safe when fourth month, Smith said £6.99 a month or £69.90 a
security team helped Ukraine people don’t know where Microsoft will focus on year, though it’s free for Sky
defend itself by assisting your data is,” he said. disrupting Russian Cinema and Q subscribers. It
government departments and He also revealed that the disinformation, protecting will be available on the usual
key Ukrainian companies to time passing between a cyber citizens on the ground, and range of services, including
move their systems online. and ground assault has making sure it could collect Android and iOS, Apple,
Smith was speaking at shrunk from days to hours, evidence of war crimes. Amazon, Google, Roku and
Microsoft’s Envision event in highlighting one physical Watch his talk at www. Samsung.
London, a forum for “thought attack on a nuclear power snipca.com/42055.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 9

 Question
Questionof
ofthe
theFortnight
Fortnight
Why do we force the elderly
to always use apps?
People without smartphones are excluded from society, campaigners say

W
hen 84-year-old
Chris Paphides THE FACTS
arrived at
Birmingham’s Greek • Baroness Altmann wants
Cathedral for a friend’s a Minister for Older
memorial service, he found People to tackle the digital
that he could pay for parking “discrimination” faced by
only by using a phone app or the elderly
automated payment line. He • Ten per cent of people
couldn’t work out what to do, who have mobile phones
but he didn’t want to miss the use a model that can’t
service, so he phoned his son download apps
Pete and asked him to explain • Thirteen councils in England
to the parking company what and Wales have made their
had happened. car parks totally cashless,
But the company didn’t leaving people without
listen, and his father soon smartphones unable to pay
received a fine. He’ll never
have to pay it though because,
sadly, he has since died. life peer now campaigns for cannot — or do not feel take on in 2015. Altmann said
Getting the fine annulled may the rights of older people. She confident enough — to she was “thrilled” by the idea,
be just a small part of the was moved by Pete’s tweets, embrace digital technology but it was rejected by the
paperwork his son now has to writing in the Daily Mail that and, as a result, they find Department for Work and
deal with, but it has left an it is a “small but all-too-real themselves excluded from Pensions.
emotional scar. illustration of the struggles accessing vital services.” You may think it’s odd for a
He wrote on Twitter (www. faced by so many of our She’s right. Figures released computing magazine to
snipca.com/42096) that it precious older generation in a by the Office for National highlight this problem.
breaks his heart “how difficult digitally obsessed age”. Statistics last year showed that Shouldn’t we be championing
we’ve made it for old people to She added: “The majority of of the three million people how technology can improve
go about their daily business”, those left behind by the drive who never use the internet, life? Well, we do. Smartphones
and that we “terrorise them to digitise even the most vital more than two million are are incredible devices, letting
for the crime of not knowing services are elderly or disabled. over 70. Even more significant us do things that even 20
how to download an app”. For assorted reasons they is that 10 per cent of people years ago would have seemed
Many Computeractive who use mobile phones unimaginable. We’ll always
readers would agree. We get own a model that’s unable to recommend the best apps for
plenty of emails from those download apps (ie, a ‘dumb’ them.
frustrated that they’re being phone – like the Doro 6880 But they mustn’t be the
forced to use their phones for reviewed on page 28 – not only choice available. We’re
everyday tasks. Some of these ‘smart’). shocked that in England and
are far more important than Altmann says that “a large Wales, 13 councils have
paying for parking, such as section of society is left already made their car parks
contacting their bank or the feeling at best marginalised, totally cashless, leaving people
NHS. Companies and at worst completely without smartphones unable
organisations alike now forgotten”. She argues that to pay. Altmann calls for
increasingly expect people to this “discrimination” can “urgent action to ensure the
not just own a smartphone, be best tackled by the needs of those who can’t
but feel comfortable using it. Government creating a participate in this brave new
It’s a problem that concerns Minister for Older People, a online world are taken into
Baroness Altmann says many people
former pensions minister are feeling “at best marginalised, at role that then-Prime Minister consideration”. We back her
Baroness Altmann, who as a worst completely forgotten” David Cameron asked her to completely.

10 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

Protect your tech
Scams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools
WATCH OUT FOR...

Council tax & energy rebate scams

What’s the threat? 1 the next five years from
Scammers are impersonating energy April 2023.
regulator Ofgem by sending emails Likewise, the council-tax
that claim you can sign up for both a rebate, available to
council-tax rebate and a discount on 2 households in council tax
your energy bill. bands A to D, will – if you
The messages contain Ofgem’s genuine pay by direct debit – get
logo, and have the heading ‘You Are paid automatically to your
Eligible To Apply For Energy Bill Rebate’ account from your local
( 1 in our screenshot). They give you a authority. If you don’t pay
deadline to claim an energy discount by direct debit, your council
worth £200, and a non-repayable will ask you to apply for
council-tax rebate of £250. Clicking the the payment.
black ‘Claim Bill Rebate Now’ button The scam is a sign that
takes you to a fake Ofgem-branded criminals have moved on
website where you’re asked to submit from Covid and are now
your personal details, and set up a direct exploiting the latest crisis –
debit to receive your rebate. the soaring cost of living.
has asked the National Cyber Security The emails sent so far gave the deadline
How can you stay safe? Centre to investigate). In fact, you don’t for claiming the rebates as 1 June 2022 2 ,
The scam refers to genuine Government need to claim the energy rebate at all. but you can expect more to be sent after
schemes to claim rebates, but you can’t Instead, electricity suppliers will that, specifically as we near the deadline
apply for them through Ofgem (the automatically deduct £200 from your (30 September) for councils to make the
regulator has confirmed it’s a scam and bills in October, then add £40 a year for payment.

New tools Updated DuckDuckGo ScamWatch

extension Readers warn readers

Google’s jargon- called Topics, which Simon says ‘it’s a scam’

development team have triggers the same “Simon attempted to deliver today
been working overtime. “fundamental privacy your parcel but no one answered”.
They’ve come up with issues of automatically So read a text message I received
FLEDGE, standing for First sharing information about on 15 May. It’s the first time I’ve
Locally-Executed Decision your online behaviour received a scam that mentioned the
over Groups Experiment. with websites and name of the person delivering, so it
That sounds like gibberish to tracking companies made me look twice. But then I saw
the average person, which without your consent”. the URL I was meant to click to
suits Google because it’s In response, “reschedule & track” my parcel:
actually a new method of DuckDuckGo has updated https://postoffice-depot38.com.
tracking your activity online its browser extension to That didn’t sound genuine to me, so I
when browsing in Chrome. thwart Google’s new tracking searched online and apparently
Thankfully, DuckDuckGo are experts onslaught. If you’ve not installed it yet, quoting a depot number is a new
at deciphering Google’s jargon. On do so at www.snipca.com/42015. tactic of scammers, as must be
their blog (www.snipca.com/42014) When you’re on a site with trackers, its adding a person’s name. Well, this is
they say that FLEDGE means you’ll duck icon in your browser toolbar will one game of Simon Says that I won’t
“continue to have creepy ads following change into a letter rating indicating be playing.
you around the web”. the site’s privacy strength (A is good, F Fiona Short
They’re similarly damning about is terrible). Sky News, for example, gets Warn your fellow readers about scams
Google’s other new tracking tool, a B+ (see screenshot). at letters@computeractive.co.uk

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 11

 Letters
Tell us what’s on your mind

Customers will slash both from the tech monopolies to keep you declined because we’re going back to the
speed and bills trapped into using their services. Sorry high street. But another reason might be
One of the side effects of Google, but I use Brave, not Chrome, and that people are getting fed up with the
broadband providers sending DuckDuckGo, not your biased search rubbish delivery standards of courier
end-of-contract notifications is that engine. I try to avoid these companies as companies. Over the years I’ve lost items
many customers will switch not to much as possible, though admittedly to thieving neighbours, had them dumped
cheaper deals and the same speed, but to that’s hard to do with phones. We badly in puddles next to wheelie bins, and even
slower and cheaper deals. I suspect that’s need an alternative to Android and iOS. thrown on top of my porch roof.
not what Ofcom had in mind though. It Brian Callaghan This behaviour seems to have got worse
wants to encourage a high uptake of fast since the first Covid lockdown. Couriers
broadband, and so expects customers to You’ve got Windows 11 are either employing the wrong sort of
switch from one gigabit package to coverage right people, or they’re forcing them to make
another, maybe saving £5 a month. But You asked recently so many deliveries in a day that they’re
it’s just as likely that customers will slash whether we think cutting corners.
both their speed and their bills. Computeractive is These days, I’d rather put up with the
I don’t blame Ofcom for forcing obsessed with Windows hassle of driving into town, because at
companies to send notifications. 11, and whether you’ve least I can guarantee that I’ll have an item
Customers should be told when their got the balance correct between that and safely in my hands when I return home.
contracts are due to end. But if in a few Windows 10. I was astounded to read Chris Michael Sharp
months time Ofcom is reporting a drop Venables’ view that you should “concentrate
in gigabit uptake, it could be because on Windows 10”. That operating system Leslie Bonham (Letters, Issue 632)
those notifications it introduced are has been around for a few years now and is right that service in high-street
sending people to slower speeds. most people (although not all) running it stores has improved since they reopened,
John Fletcher have a fair handle on how it operates. but I also think their online help has
It’s important that you still provide improved too.
Use phone as password? information when there are changes Several shops that I used to visit
I’ll stick to my own method for those running it, but Windows 11 is regularly in the years before the
Reading not only new but also constantly pandemic survived the lockdowns by
Issue 632’s changing, so the information provided by establishing a new system of online
‘Question of the Computeractive is invaluable. So well support. Some of this was by email, as
Fortnight’ (‘Is your done for keeping us informed on what you might expect, but what really
phone about to we can (and can’t) do with it. I think you surprised me was how quickly they set
become your new have got the balance right. up live-chat support too. A few shops
password?’, Lorna Gibbon even invited customers to contact them
pictured right), it via WhatsApp.
depresses me to Couriers dumped online I thought some of these communication
think I’ll end up packages in puddles methods would be binned after
having to use my I agree with the letters in Issue 632 lockdown, but every store has kept using
phone even more saying that online shopping has them. One shopkeeper I spoke to said
than I do now. We’re giving this tiny,
overrated device just too much power.
What’s the Issue…?
?
I can’t figure out what’s so wrong or
difficult about using passwords anyway.
I’m no Einstein, but I’ve still managed to I want to try running Windows 625’s ‘Never Get
come up with a coded method for from my new SSD. Didn’t you Tracked Online’
remembering individual passwords for explain how to do that recently? Cover Feature, on
each account I have. They’re easy to Dean Wright page 57.
remember and hopefully impossible to
guess. I’m going to keep typing them for CA SAYS We did – on page 56 of Issue I seem to recall you
as long as I can, and avoid relinquishing 626’s Cover Feature. recommending a Firefox tool
that power to my phone. that stopped spammers emailing you
Katherine Renton When was your round-up of the – or did I dream it?
best browser extensions for not Simon Crawford
So let me get this straight: Apple, being tracked online?
Google and Microsoft want me to Peter Hamlin CA SAYS No, you’re right: it’s called
hand over to them all responsibility for Firefox Relay (https://relay.firefox.
signing into my accounts? They have got CA SAYS It was at the end of Issue com). See Issue 621, page 38.
to be joking. It’s just another power grab

12 8– 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive
Twitter: @ComputerActive
www.twitter.com/computeractive

these tools kept her in business during

the crisis, and it forced her to modernise. STAR LETTER
She says that more customers email or
text her than phone, which is the reverse
of the pre-Covid era. I saved £18 a month by ditching Sky
Harold Kane
Broadband
It didn’t surprise me to read that
Sky customers make the biggest
saving when switching to another
broadband provider (Issue 632, page 7).
It tallies with my own experience last
year. It slowly dawned on me that I
Give Google your data and didn’t need the 100Mbps broadband I still streams without glitches. It makes
get free search in return was paying over £40 a month for. I me wonder if I’m actually still paying
I think Phil Hardman is being sometimes watch iPlayer online, but too much for a speed I don’t need, so I
unfair on Google when he claims not very often, and I certainly don’t may switch again when BT nudges me
they don’t care about your privacy play any games that require super-fast that my contract is soon to expire. I’ve
(Star Letter, Issue 632). It’s more subtle speeds. I live alone, so there’s only me heard you can comfortably watch
than that. Google is simply exploiting online at any one time. iPlayer on 24Mbps.
the fact that if you want its service to be Sky kindly reminded me that my Ofcom gets a lot of criticism for over-
free, you’ll have to accept that it needs to contract was coming to an end, which regulating the broadband industry, but
make money in other ways, namely I took as my cue to jump ship to BT. without these measures I’d probably
advertising. In Google’s eyes, this is a Ofcom says that on average a Sky have stuck with Sky, complacently
fair transaction: give us your personal customer saves £9.26 a month when paying much more than I should. I’m
data and we’ll give you a free search switching, but my saving was around proof that these rules can benefit you. I
engine. double that. It’s true that my BT urge other readers to take note of these
It’s clearly the right strategy because package is less than 50Mbps, so half the ‘you’re contract is ending’
the last time I checked Google was the speed of Sky, but it hasn’t given me a messages and start
fourth biggest company in the world. It single day’s problem. I actually watch shopping around.
didn’t even exist 25 years ago. iPlayer more often these days, but it Ian Ellison
Gavin Atkinson
The Star Letter writer wins a Computeractive mug!
Delays on Virgin broadband
drove me mad
I’m glad that Terry Sutton feels Rest in peace iPod must concede that they changed the face
satisfied enough with Virgin to stay I was interested in your small news of technology with that one little device.
with them, but there are many other story in Issue 632 about Apple Philip Gregg
customers who feel badly let down ending support for old iPads, but a bigger
by the company’s appalling service. loss is Apple’s decision to stop selling the Many virtual networks don’t
For several weeks in April and well into iPod (see www.snipca.com/42046). I support Wi-Fi Calling
May Virgin’s broadband was suffering remember reading about the device first While I cannot fault the logic of
from severe delays, making it almost in the pages of Computeractive, then switching to a virtual phone
impossible to use the internet without buying the original model (pictured) network – as you describe in Issue 632
being driven mad with frustration. The within weeks of its launch. (page 60) – I would like to air a word of
company’s forums were crammed with At the time it felt like the most caution. Many of the networks you
customers complaining, and I saw a few exciting device I’d ever mention don’t support Wi-Fi
websites reporting on it (www.snipca. owned, and looking Calling as the main networks do.
com/42038). back I’m not sure any As I live in a rural backwater, with
To be fair, Virgin’s support team did its other product has come a flaky mobile signal, this service
best to placate a horde of irate customers, close to generating the has been a godsend for me. It
and I don’t blame those who had to field same level of awe and means (if your phone supports it)
calls and reply to emails. And I don’t excitement. I’ve still that you can make and receive
blame the engineers who must have been got it in a drawer in the mobile-phone calls through
rushed off their feet fixing problems. But loft, though I can’t have your Wi-Fi just as if you had a
I do blame the management who for listened to it for over a good signal for a nearby mast.
whatever reason let this issue fester. decade. Definitely something to think
Needless to say, when my contract expires I think even those about before jumping into
I’ll be looking to leave. not convinced by these networks.
Nicholas Shotton Apple’s products Malcolm Jones

Views expressed don’t necessarily reflect those of Computeractive Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 13
 Consumeractive
We stand up for your legal rights

Can I challenge a LEAD Can Currys refuse

CASE a voucher?
small claims verdict? After buying a gas cooker from

An Epson
Q Currys that didn’t work, we
received a voucher for £519.56.
Q EcoTank ET 2750
printer (pictured)
However, we used only part of this, and
at the time Currys agreed we had £124.59
I bought from Currys in left. But when we tried to use it, Currys
February 2019 stopped said it was invalid. Currys then agreed to
working four months later. reissue a voucher for this amount, but
After discussions with haven’t done so. Can you help?
Currys the printer was Michael Clements
returned to Epson, but the
one I was given back wasn’t We were confident of being able
even the same model.
Currys refused to help, so I
A to help, and so it proved. We
explained the problem to Currys,
took my case to the small which sent a replacement voucher for
claims court and won. But I Michael to spend.
feel short-changed by the verdict. amount deducted depends on how much The reason Currys thought the voucher
Can I do anything? usage the customer got from the product, was invalid is that the expiry date had
Stan Lawrence in the eyes of the court. passed. It’s perfectly legal for retailers to
Stan made a formal complaint about add these deadlines, but Currys should
When Stan first contacted us in the judge, but he did so before the ruling, have explained to Michael that he had a
A February, the case was still being
considered by the court, so
so it can’t be considered an official
appeal. It may now be too late anyway,
limited time to spend the voucher.
However, Michael shouldn’t have had
neither we nor Currys could comment. because appeals have to be made within to accept a voucher in the first place. If
But it’s now been ruled on, and Stan has 21 days of the verdict. To be successful, inherently faulty goods can’t be repaired
received a refund with around £50 being he’d need to either identify irregularities or replaced, you’re entitled to a cash refund.
taken off the original £199 price to reflect in the proceedings or argue that an error The only time retailers can offer a voucher
the usage he got from the printer. in law has been made. is if you’re returning items bought in
We find it odd that money was taken We’ve also contacted Currys again. store simply because you’ve changed your
off the refund because usually this isn’t Legally it can argue the case is closed, but mind. Remember though that in such
allowed if a product stops working within we’ll say that under the circumstances a cases retailers don’t actually have to give
six months of purchase. After this, the partial refund is unfair. you anything.
CASE ONGOING CASE CLOSED

CASE UPDATE

Dell blames reader for spilling liquid on laptop

Paying £150 to fix a warranty. David has no recollection asked a friend to buy the laptop for him, but
laptop-tablet isn’t a great of doing so, but felt he couldn’t can’t remember how he paid. He might have
resolution, but it’s better prove otherwise. So, reluctantly, he made the cheque payable to Dell and asked
than the £799 (plus VAT) returned the device to a local repair his friend to give it to the company. Or he
Dell originally wanted to charge reader shop which fixed it for £150. might have written the cheque to his friend,
David Burt. As we explained in Issue 626, he However, we’re not convinced by Dell’s who then paid Dell from his own account. If
had waited several weeks for Dell to collect theory. We’ve asked David whether the latter, then his friend will have to ask for
the device. The company finally picked it up the repair shop could suggest another a refund because he (not David) formed a
following our customary nudge. explanation for the problem because, if it contract with the company.
Dell justified its initial bill by claiming David suspects an inherent fault, he might be able So, we’ll close the case for now, but will
broke the device by spilling liquid on it, and to get a refund for the £150 he paid. be happy to reopen it should David find
such accidental damage isn’t covered by the There’s a complication, though. David evidence of payment.

14 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Contact us so we can investigate your case
Email: consumeractive@computeractive.co.uk
Please include your name, phone number and address.

Is Apple to blame for my iPhone dying?

My first-generation iPhone SE customer winning such a same problem.
Q (pictured) died after I downloaded
an iOS update. Neither the staff
case against one of the tech
giants.
Sheila faces two hurdles. One, her
iPhone is five years old, and so could
at an Apple store nor an Apple-approved However, the Consumer be considered to have reached the end
repair firm could identify the problem. Rights Act is clear on this of its life; and two, nobody has been able
I was told that fixing it would cost me issue. If a software to locate the source of the problem,
£279.00. This seems unfair, so is there download breaks a device, meaning she has no proof the iOS
anything I can do? the company that released update was to blame. However, they must
Sheila Trueman the software is responsible. have some idea what the problem is
They must repair the because they’re charging her to fix it.
Software problems like these are device, fix any software glitches or offer a While Sheila asks Apple for more
A incredibly hard to prove, especially
against a company as huge as
refund. Often the only way to work out
whether you have a case is to trawl web
information, we’ll investigate whether
other people have experienced the
Apple. In fact, we’ve yet to hear of a forums to see if others have suffered the same problem.
CASE ONGOING

We’ll try. Anne’s month, instead of the

Can I get a A problem arose normal £70, but she was told

refund for Virgin she calledbecause in December

Virgin about
this £13 would be taken off
when her payment was due.
overcharging me? getting its Volt package (www.
snipca.com/41996), which
Anne duly signed up with
O2, but despite this Virgin
upgrades you to the next-level failed to ensure the money
In January this year, Virgin broadband speed, and doubles your was deducted from her January bill,
Q Media O2 overcharged me by
£13 and despite numerous
O2 data.
She was told by a customer-service
which has caused confusion. The
call-centre staff can see that from
phone calls and emails, I can’t get assistant that this would normally add February £13 is being recredited every
this corrected. I know it’s not a lot an extra £5 a month to her bill, but it month before her payment is taken, but
of money, but my emails are being would be free if she signed up to an O2 she’s still owed £13 from the January bill.
completely ignored and the call-centre mobile account. We’ve asked Virgin to investigate this
staff seem unable to understand my At the same time, she was told that her and ensure the money is recredited to
problem. Can you help? broadband would be upgraded for free to Anne’s bill, so her next bill should be
Anne Gerald 100Mbps. Her bill would show as £83 a £26 lower.
CASE ONGOING

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

Garmin replaced out-of-warranty watch for free

I contacted Garmin Friends tell me this is typical of
when the case on my Garmin’s customer service, and the pride
Vivoactive fitness watch it has in its products. I’ll certainly buy their
(pictured) broke where products again.
the strap was attached. I bought it asked to complete a simple form to Robert Levene
over two years ago, and have found confirm my address, and three days
it far superior to rival Fitbits. later a new watch arrived. They
Contact
I emailed the company and received didn’t want the broken watch back,
an immediate acknowledgement. They nor proof of purchase.
Garmin
said they would replace the watch free of Has a company impressed you with its • Support page
charge, despite it being well out of warranty, customer service? Please let us know: www.snipca.com/41891
and without any prompting from me. I was editor@computeractive.co.uk

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 15

 Grow Your
Family Tree
If you have ancestors that emigrated to the States, follow
Chris Paton’s advice to…
Search the 1950 US Federal Census
U
S census records are made public Search by general
after 72 years, so genealogists have details such as
1 names and year of
been looking forward to the birth, or narrow it
release of the 1950 US Federal Census, to include parents
2 and siblings
which was recorded in every state on
1 April that year. In a technological first,
Ancestry used artificial intellignce to read
the handwritten entries (as explained on
its blog www.snipca.com/41948). These 4
were evaluated for accuracy by volunteers
from Ancestry and FamilySeach 3
(www.familysearch.org).
The process allowed Ancestry to
publish records in weeks, where
previously it would have taken years. It
means that a searchable version of the tool at the top ( 1 in screenshot) to narrow It’s always best to start with as few
census – containing details of 150 million it down to a specific enumeration area details as possible, and in this case I
people – is now available to Ancestry (which is the area covered by a census typed only his forename and surname,
members with a worldwide subscription. worker). You can search by first and his birth year of 1907, and the location for
middle names, surnames, year of birth this as Ireland.
Narrow your search and location, and where they lived 2 . In the returns, his is the first entry that
Ancestry has recently redesigned its Further options narrow down entries, pops up, showing him based in Quincy,
home page, making it much easier to find such as those for names of parents, Massachusetts (see screenshot below).
what you’re looking for. Click the Search siblings or a spouse 3 . Clicking ‘View Record’ offers a brief index
menu at the top, then Card Catalogue You can also browse by state, county, entry and a link to the image, which
from the dropdown menu. Once in, populated place and enumeration provides the full record – highlighted in
untick the top-left box titled ‘Only district, if for any reason the indexing yellow in the screenshot – as well as
records from the UK and Ireland’, then software has not correctly picked up those of his wife and five children,
type 1950 United States Federal Census on a name 4 . highlighted in green.
into the Title or ‘Keyword(s) fields. Now For further details on additional forms
click Search and a link to the collection View individual records you may encounter in your searches, visit
will appear in the results box. Here, I’ll look for a relative of my wife, the US National Archives and Records
If you don’t know which district your Henry Giles, who left Ireland for the Administration website (www.snipca.
ancestor lived in, use the ‘Explore maps’ States in 1922. com/41974).

Your Genealogy Problems Solved

I’m having problems finding details of a institutions. In France, the Archives
French ancestor (surname Joly). He was a Nationales (www.snipca.com/41975),
bodyguard to Archduchess Maria Anna of includes the ‘Commission nationale
Austria (1738-1789), and prevented an d’héraldique’. In Austria, try the Austrian
assassination attempt. Can you help? State Archives (www.statearchives.gv.at).
Fred Bernard
Have a genealogy question for Chris?
Email letters@computeractive.co.uk with
A useful starting point is the key archival ‘Grow Your Family Tree’ in the subject line. Chris’s wife’s ancestor was living in Quincy,
Massachusetts in 1950

16 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633 Next issue: Search records held by the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens)
 Best Free Software
Robert Irvine recommends new programs that won’t cost you a thing
OFFICE SUITE

OnlyOffice 7.1
www.snipca.com/42063
What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, macOS or Linux

Back in February (Issue 624), we recommended OnlyOffice Some enhancements, such as improved
7.0 as a great free alternative to Microsoft’s expensive Office. tools for adding and editing shapes as well
But it wasn’t long before LibreOffice reclaimed its place as as support for new chart types are available
our favourite free suite when it released version 7.3 (reviewed across all the suite’s key tools (Document Editor,
on this page in Issue 625). Not to be outdone, OnlyOffice has Spreadsheet Editor and Presentation Editor).
now bounced back with version 7.1 – a major update that More useful features have been added to individual tools.
adds a raft of great new features and tools. In the Spreadsheet Editor, for example, there’s now a
The most notable improvement is support for devices with useful print preview to help you avoid accidentally printing
ARM processors. While ARM-based Windows PCs are still your spreadsheets across multiple pages. The improved
relatively rare, this does mean OnlyOffice can now be installed Presentation Editor, meanwhile, lets you add and adjust
on cheaper, low-powered devices, including Raspberry Pi. If animations to your slides.
you need this version, make sure you click the ARM option for All these changes make OpenOffice even more familiar
your operating system when downloading OnlyOffice. to former users of Microsoft Office. You can also use its
Version 7.1 now includes a document viewer that lets you tools across OnlyOffice’s free mobile apps, and via any web
open and read PDF, XPS and DjVu files. You can also convert browser by signing in with an account at https://personal.
PDFs to editable .docx files with just a few clicks. onlyoffice.com.

1 To view and convert PDFs in 2 With a PDF open, click the 3 To convert a PDF, click File, 4 It’s easy to avoid printing
OnlyOffice, launch the suite, button with two stacked ‘Save as’, then navigate to errors in the Spreadsheet
click Document to open the squares on the left to where you want to save Editor – click File, then
Document Editor, then click reveal the Page Thumbnails your file. From the ‘Save as Print and you’ll now see a
File and browse for the PDF pane, which makes it much type’ menu, select ‘Office preview of how your printed
you want. easier to navigate lengthy Open XML Document spreadsheet will look on the
documents. (*.docx)’ and click Save. right.

18 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

SYSTEM TOOL
WHAT SHOULD
FullEventLogView 1.70 I DOWNLOAD?
www.snipca.com/42057
We tell you what software & apps to use
What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10

NirSoft’s impressive What can I use to stitch

FullEventLogView is an
alternative to Windows
panoramic photos together?
Event Viewer, with a I see that Microsoft has withdrawn Microsoft ICE
much simpler interface.
Let’s say you want to
Q (Image Composite Editor, see www.snipca.
com/42047) from download. I found this a very
check your computer’s useful program for creating wide-angle panorama images
logs for recent errors, from a set of photos. Can you recommend a similar free
simply launch FullEventLogView and look at the events program I can use instead?
displayed as a list (with the most recent at the top). You can David Newbury
re-order these by type (click the Channel heading), Event ID
and so on. Click an event to view its full description in the It’s a shame that Microsoft decided to ditch
lower pane. You can export events (click File, then Save
Selected Items) as text files – useful for sending to someone
A support for Image Composite Editor. ICE was a
great tool with a very straightforward interface
who’s helping you diagnose a problem. and, unfortunately, there’s no like-for-like equivalent
This latest version also lets you open and view the contents available.
of a specific log file – click File followed by Choose Data Many of the best panorama tools are included within
Source, then select ‘Load events from single log file’ in the expensive paid-for programs, such as Adobe Lightroom
dropdown menu (see screenshot). Now just click the three- (from £10 a month). Meanwhile, some of the better free
dot button to browse for the .evtx file you want. tools, such as AutoStitch (www.snipca.com/42049), haven’t
been updated in a while, so we wouldn’t feel comfortable
IMAGE EDITOR recommending them.
The closest thing to
ICE at the moment is
Inkscape 1.2 probably Hugin (www. 1
https://inkscape.org snipca.com/42043), a
What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 free program that
stitches photos you’ve 2 3
The latest version taken into panoramic
of this excellent images. It’s pretty good,
image editor for too. Click the ‘Load images’ button ( 1 in our screenshot)
vector graphics then select your shots and Hugin will arrange them in the
introduces plenty preview area. Click the Move/Drag tab and rearrange them
of new features yourself if they’re not in the correct order. Next click Align
and improvements, 2 – this will analyse the images and attempt to connect
such as the ability them together in the best way possible. Finally, click ‘Create
to include multiple panorama’ 3 . If results don’t look right, there are plenty of
pages within the settings you can play with. These aren’t particularly easy to
same image file. The use though, so refer to its online tutorials if you need help.
interface has been revamped and now offers a customisable There are also several mobile apps that promise to stitch
toolbar and a redesigned export box that lets you preview panoramas seamlessly, but most are fairly poor. One you
your image and select from multiple export formats. The could try is Bimostitch (free with ads on Android, www.
update also features a new Tiling effect and provides the snipca.com/42044) or (£3.49 on iOS, www.snipca.
option to import vector files directly from a number of online com/42045). Bimostitch is pretty basic – you just load your
sources, including Wikimedia. selected images and let the app attempt to stitch them
Though great for creating logos and other illustrations, together. Results can be a bit hit and miss.
Inkscape is not necessarily the easiest program to get the
Do you need our advice on what software to use? Just email us at
hang of. We recommend checking out the useful online letters@computeractive.co.uk
tutorials available at the tool’s website to help you get started.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 19

 Best Free Software
HOW I USE...

Google Drive
Tired of paying Microsoft for an Office subscription, David Ludlow switched to
an online rival with clever conversion tricks
Microsoft Office remains stubbornly David can
popular, though I’d argue it’s got worse easily convert
Google
over the years. Then again, I still use it, Sheets
paying an annual subscription to Office into Excel
365, so I end up giving Microsoft spreadsheets
money no matter how much (or
increasingly how little) I use it.
For my job, I find Google Drive
a much better choice. I don’t have
to remember to save files manually
because every change is automatically
saved online, and I can access files
from any device, share them with other
people and collaborate on documents.
Google Drive is completely free (up to
15GB) with a Google Account.
The default way of using it is
through a web browser at https://drive.
google.com. It works much like File
Explorer: you can create folders and
Google files (Sheets, Docs and Slides), offline mode (for Chrome and Edge) – Excel – all without me ever opening
although you can also upload any file just click the Settings cog and tick the the latter.
type. If I’ve just downloaded a file that box in the Offline section. This lets me Converting between file formats
I want to store online, I find it easiest access files I’ve recently opened even is easy. With an Office file open in
to drag and drop it into the Google when I’m not connected to the web. Google Drive, I click File, then ‘Save as
Drive browser window to upload it All this is great, but sometimes I need Google’. That creates a duplicate file
automatically. I also use the Google to submit work as Word documents, in Google’s own format. That’s handy,
Drive app for Windows (www.snipca. which means I need to perform some but it’s more useful that Google can
com/41976). This new version creates a clever conversion tricks in Google Drive. convert its own files to Office. It
virtual drive that holds the contents of Once I’ve uploaded a Microsoft Office means I can create a Google Doc,
my entire drive, so I can drag and drop file, I right-click it and select ‘Open with’ say, and easily share it as a Word
files into this and create folders. then click the name of the related Google document, having never actually
By default, the app ‘streams’ files, app: Docs for Word files, Sheets for opened Word.
which means that they’re not actually Excel, and Slides for PowerPoint. There are two ways of doing
stored on my computer, but are just Google opens the file in the app that I this. First, I open a file, click File,
shortcuts. Unlike Microsoft, Google want, but keeps it in the original Office Download, then select the format
doesn’t have offline versions of its format. That means I can make edits in I want. In our screenshot I’m
office tools, but you can activate an Sheets that are automatically saved in converting a Google Sheet into an
Excel spreadsheet. Alternatively, I can
WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE IN GOOGLE DRIVE select one or more files, then right-
click them and select Download. This
If Google can convert Office files in the scratch? From a legal perspective (ie, automatically converts all Google files
ways I’ve described, and let me edit them, licensing the software) I can’t see the into Office versions. If I select multiple
why can’t it also let me create them from difference. That would save a lot of clicks. files, Google Drive even bundles them
into an archive for me.

20 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633 Next issue: How I use... ImageMagick

Named & Shamed
Barry Collins puts the boot into tech villains, jargon-
spouting companies and software trying to trick you

SOFTWARE WARNING!
Audacity clones in the Microsoft Store

G
iven the sheer volume of junk and
rip-offs in the Microsoft Store, it
amazes me that respectable
software companies even want to appear
in it. However, it seems those rip-offs are
the very reason Audacity finally decided
1
to include its audio-recording app.
“Due to the ludicrous number of fake
Audacitys on the Microsoft store, which
charge users for non-functional or very 2 3 4
limited applications, I’ve now (finally)
taken the name back and have published
the proper, free version for the first time,”
read a recent tweet from Martin Keary,
head of product at Audacity (www.
snipca.com/41963).
It’s not hard to see why Keary’s upset.
Search for Audacity, and beneath Keary’s The only genuine Audacity here is the one with the green tick
legitimate product are several others
carrying a thinly disguised version of the I downloaded an app with the hideous Editor Pro Audacity Portable 4 show
company’s logo that charge three or four title ‘Audio Editor base Audacity screenshots that are blatantly Audacity
quid. You can see them in the screenshot Windows’ 2 . Once Microsoft had taken by another name.
above right. Under the official Audacity my money and the app was installed, I It’s shocking that Microsoft allows
(with the green tick 1 ) are four copycat clicked Open. It used the same code as unscrupulous people to abuse
apps that use the Audacity name and a the genuine Audacity. It was literally the open-source software in this way. You
distorted version of the logo. Anyone same files. Other apps, including ‘Audio could say that I can’t believe it has the
casually browsing for it would be fooled. Editor PRO using Audacity’ 3 and Audio audacity to get away with it.

WHAT ARE THEY BARRY’S VILLAIN OF THE FORTNIGHT

TALKING ABOUT?

WHAT THEY SAY

LLOYDS BANK
Microsoft’s New Future of Work Report
www.snipca.com/41972 When scammers phoned Margaret making
“Managers should consider how Margaret Lippard, 81, the payments. The
teams and tools are partners forming pretending to be from bank backtracked
‘technologized team relationships’. Amazon, they asked her following negative
Technologized team relationships are to check her account for publicity, but it was too
those in which the technology is an unauthorised purchases. late: the charity was
intermediator, an active participant that They then stole £55,000 from the forced to close.
influences, and is also influenced by, the accounts of the Bargoed Community Margaret has said she will give the
human actors in the relationship.” Hub – the charity she ran in south reimbursed money to people in the
Wales helping families who are community for other charitable
WHAT THEY MEAN struggling with poverty and loneliness. projects, but this wouldn’t have been
People need computers to work as a Her bank, Lloyds, initially refused necessary if Lloyds had coughed up
team, though that doesn’t contain enough to refund the money, even though it straight away. Read more at www.
long words to make us sound important. had made no attempt to check it was snipca.com/41973.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 21

 Reviews New products tested by our experts

MINI PC [ £519 from Beelink www.snipca.com/41983

Beelink SER 4800U

Small wonder

Chinese PC manufacturer Beelink is new

to the pages of Computeractive, but it
has been specialising in powerful mini
PCs for more than a decade. You can now
for the first time buy these models
directly from its website (www.bee-link.
com) in pounds sterling, cutting out
middlemen and getting a high
performance mini PC for a very
affordable price. Its PCs are also available
on Amazon, but you’ll pay more.

considering the SER 4800U is over £200 can be ramped up when needed without
Powerful, space- cheaper and a fraction of the size, this the risk of overheating and then having to
space-saving alternative has a lot going slow everything down.
saving PC is well for it. For those with the room to accommodate
It also more than doubles the score of it, we’d still recommend opting for the
connected and the last mini PC we reviewed, the £500 Wired2Fire Ultima WS Home Office
easily upgraded Chillblast WAP 2500U Ultimate Micro
PC, which scored 3,137 in the same test
Workstation above this model. For the
price you pay, the Wired2Fire is a
(see Issue 612). brilliant PC that runs Windows superbly
The SER 4800U comes in a compact Due to their size, smaller PCs usually well. However, if you’re on a tight budget
case, measuring just 126x113x40mm compromise on the number of ports, or want a PC that doesn’t hog space
(HxWxD) and weighing 300g. Inside, but we have no complaints here. On the around your desk, the Beelink SER
however, it packs quite a punch. Our front it has two USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C 4800U is well worth a look. It’s just a
£519 test unit came with an eight-core port and an audio jack for connecting shame that it isn’t quieter when being
AMD Ryzen 7 4800U processor, 32GB headphones. On the rear (pictured put through its paces.
of RAM, and a 500GB SSD. If your below) there’s a Gigabit Ethernet port,
budget doesn’t stretch that far, it’s also two HDMI ports and two more USB 3.0 SPECIFICATIONS
available with 16GB of RAM for £459. ports. It also has Wi-Fi 6e and Bluetooth Eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 4800U processor • 32GB
Both versions come with Windows 11 5.2 built in. Should you ever need to memory • AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics • 500GB
SSD • Wi-Fi 6e • Bluetooth 5.2 • 1x Gigabit Ethernet
Pro installed. upgrade the memory or storage, it’s port • 2x HDMI ports • 1x USB-C port • 4x USB 3.0
Our benchmark tests produced surprisingly easy to access the interior, ports • Windows 11 Pro • 126x113x40mm (HxWxD)
impressive results for such an affordable as there’s only four screws holding the • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/41983
PC. It achieved 1,187 in the single-core case together.
tests, and 6,398 in the multi-core tests. One disappointing aspect is the
This is some way behind our current amount of noise it makes, particularly VERDICT A tiny PC with a surprising
favourite desktop PC, the Wired2Fire when it’s being worked hard. It was amount of power at an affordable price,
Ultima WS Home Office Workstation loud enough to be annoying during a but it makes a lot of noise when pushed
(reviewed in Issue 630), which scored face-to-face meeting. Nevertheless, to its limits
9,545 in the multi-core test. However, these fans ensure the processing power
+++++
ALTERNATIVE
Chillblast WAP Pro v4 £174 Its Intel
Celeron processor
is much slower, but
it’s probably the best
mini PC you can buy
for under £200

22 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 HOW WE TEST
Computeractive is owned by Future PLC,
LAPTOP-TABLET [ £839 from Box www.snipca.com/41990 which employs a team of specialist
technical reviewers. You’ll often read

Acer TravelMate Spin P4 references to our benchmark testing,

which is a method of assessing products
using the same criteria. For example, we
Flexible friend test the speed of every PC and the battery
life of every phone and tablet in exactly
the same way. This makes our reviews
authoritative, rigorous and accurate.
This is a close relative of the Acer TravelMate Future PLC also owns the magazines
P4, which we reviewed in Issue 626. The Maximum PC, PC Pro and T3, and the
difference between the two is that the websites Laptop Mag (www.laptopmag.
screen on the TravelMate Spin P4 can com), TechRadar (www.techradar.com)
rotate all the way back until it touches the and Windows Central (www.windows
base of the keyboard, at which point you central.com). This means we can test
can use it as a Windows 11 tablet. Indeed, thousands of products before choosing
the strong pair of hinges support the the most relevant for Computeractive.
screen at any angle you might want.
FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
Our writers follow strict guidelines to
Its screen packs a ensure the reviews are fair and impartial.
by the less flexible Dynabook Tecra The manufacturer has no involvement in
punch and its keyboard A40-J-101 (reviewed in Issue 632). This our tests.
is significantly quicker than the 4,074
makes typing a joy achieved by the Huawei MateBook 16 OUR AWARDS
Windows 11 tablet in the same test (see We award every product
Don’t expect an experience similar to Issue 631). that gets five stars our
using a slimline iPad or Android tablet, Surprisingly for a laptop-tablet, the Buy It! stamp of approval.
however. It feels heavy by comparison P4’s most impressive component is its It means we were
– at 1.55kg it weighs three times as much keyboard. With its soft, slightly extremely impressed by the product, and
as a basic 10.2in iPad. It’s also 18mm cushioned key press, we thoroughly we think you will be too.
thick (an iPad is 7.5mm). Its screen has a enjoyed typing. There’s backlighting,
Every product that gets a
16:9 aspect ratio, which is great for too – albeit with a simple on/off option,
four-star review is given the
watching films in landscape mode, but but no brightness adjustment – and
Recommended award. We
less useful in portrait mode. the most important keys are large and
highly recommend these
The screen is glossy and made of hard to miss. The trackpad is less
products, although they just fail to meet the
Gorilla Glass that should protect it from impressive – it’s too small and generates
high standard of our Buy It! winners.
accidental damage. Turn up the brightness loud clicks when pressed.
level to its maximum of 277cd/m2 and its Acer packs most of the connections PRICES
bold whites make a great impression. The into the crowded left-hand edge, where Our reviews contain a link to the best price
panel covers only 56 per cent of the sRGB you’ll find a Gigabit Ethernet, one USB-C, we found online at the time of press.
colour standard, which isn’t great, but and two USB 3.0 ports, as well as the
with a 1,418:1 contrast ratio the screen power connector. The right edge offers a
still packs a punch. microSD card slot, 3.5mm jack, an
It also impressed in our performance awkwardly placed power button (with VERDICT A laptop with a 360-degree
benchmark tests, scoring 4,497, which is fingerprint reader) and a slot for the hinge that converts into a chunky but
a shade quicker than the 4,448 managed stylus. The stylus is very slim (5.3mm in very usable tablet
diameter), so we wouldn’t want to use it
for long periods. Battery life is fine but
+++++
not brilliant, running our video-playback ALTERNATIVE Huawei MateBook 16
test for 7 hours 43 minutes. £1,000 This is a better bet if you want
a slimmer Windows 11 tablet
SPECIFICATIONS that still converts
Four-core Intel Core i7-1135G7 processor • 8GB into a laptop –
RAM • Intel Iris Xe graphics • 14in 1920x1280-pixel but it’s more
touchscreen • 256GB M.2 SSD • Wi-Fi 6 • Bluetooth expensive and not
5.2 • 1x USB-C port • 2x USB 3.0 ports • 1x HDMI
port • Windows 10 Pro (free upgrade to Windows
as powerful
11) • 18x325x236mm (HxWxD) • 1.55kg • One-year
warranty www.snipca.com/41358

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 23

 Reviews
LAPTOP-TABLET [ £1,349 from Samsung www.snipca.com/41999

Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360

Shape of thin to come

If you like the flexible casing of the Acer

TravelMate Spin P4 (reviewed on page
23), but have the budget for a faster, even
better designed model, look no further
than this stylish laptop-tablet.
It’s available in five versions, but
we’re reviewing the most expensive
model here. This has a 15.6in screen,
the latest-generation Intel Core i7-1260P
processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB
SSD. If you want to shave off a few
pounds, the other models come with
various compromises, including a
smaller 13.3in screen, an Intel Core In our Spin P4 review we bemoaned 373cd/m2) and colourful, while providing
i5-1240P processor, 8GB of RAM the fact that, in tablet mode, the laptop is perfect contrast.
and a 256GB SSD. You can see the chunky (18mm thick). That’s less of a In our colorimeter tests it reproduced
choice of specifications at www.snipca. problem here – it’s 11.9mm when folded, 88 per cent of colours in the DCI-P3
com/42000, with the cheapest available though that’s still much thicker than a colour standard. This is the first time
for £949. All configurations include 7.5mm iPad. Opt for the 13.3in model and we’ve quoted a result using this colour-
Samsung’s S Pen stylus. it comes down to 11.5mm. It’s still fairly accuracy gauge, but it’s one we’ll be using
weighty for a laptop, at 1.41kg, but that’s more in future as screens improve,
the price you pay for packing in a because it includes a wider range of
A stylish machine full-size keyboard. colours than the older sRGB standard.
The case is made of sturdy aluminium, The result is a vast improvement on the
with a vivid, accurate with a robust hinge that keeps the Spin P4’s screen, but you’d expect that
screen at the angle you want it. The for the price.
screen and zippy case features a magnet for attaching The keyboard isn’t as comfortable to
performance the S Pen. This maintains a pretty strong
grip when in use, but you’ll probably
type on as Acer’s – the thinner case
allows less space for travel, so the keys
still end up scrabbling around for it at don’t press down particularly deeply,
It’s the processor that really lifted our the bottom of your laptop bag every time which makes it feel less substantial.
test unit to another level. In our you lift it out. Security-conscious users will appreciate
performance benchmark test it achieved There are five ports arrayed around the the fingerprint sensor built into the
an overall score of 9,043. Compare that device, which is impressive given how power button at the top right of the
with the 3,613 achieved by Acer’s Spin P4 thin it is. On the left edge, you get two keyboard, which worked quickly and
and you can see the difference a current USB-C ports, one of which can connect to reliably when we tried it.
generation 12-core processor and a few a monitor. The right edge has another
hundred pounds can make. You’re USB-C port, a heaphone/mic jack and a
spending a lot on this laptop but its microSD card slot. VERDICT Slim, attractive and
performance won’t let you down. The 15.6in screen doesn’t push any extremely fast – this impressive laptop-
resolution boundaries, content with the tablet has it all if you’re prepared to pay
Full HD standard (1920x1080 pixels). The the price
good news is that it has the same AMOLED
screen technology that Samsung uses in
+++++
its smartphones, making it bright (up to ALTERNATIVE Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
£680 Our current
SPECIFICATIONS favourite sacrifices
Twelve-core Intel Core i7-1260P processor • 16GB power and flexibility
RAM • 15.6in AMOLED 1920x1080-pixel resolution in return for a more
touchscreen • 512GB NVMe SSD • 1080p webcam •
Wi-Fi 6e • Bluetooth 5.1 • 3x USB-C ports • Windows
affordable
11 Home • 11.9x355x228mm (HxWxD) • 1.41kg price tag
• One-year warranty www.snipca.com/41999

24 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

PHONE [ £124 from Amazon www.snipca.com/42051
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPECS
Motorola Moto G22 Theoretical
Talk is cheap
router speed
What is it?
It’s the absolute maximum speed that
Motorola is expanding its range of budget a router could achieve in lab conditions,
models with the Moto G22, which means which is a lot higher than you can
you don’t have to spend a small fortune expect to get when using the router at
on your next smartphone. It launched home. It’s a figure that manufacturers
recently at £150 for a SIM-free model, often use when stating the speed
and is already being discounted by many of their routers on packaging and
retailers, including Amazon. It’s a marketing material.
relatively chunky device, but it’s nicely
curved and feels well made. Its thickness How is it calculated?
(8.5mm) doesn’t compare with the The manufacturers use a couple of
slender 7.7mm of the iPhone 13 or 7.6mm tricks to boost these stated speeds.
of the Samsung Galaxy S22. First, they don’t use a regular house
with brick walls and multiple floors
battery takes longer to drain. As a result it when testing their maximum speeds.
Budget phone can easily last two days of light use on a Instead, they make sure there are no
single charge. obstacles between their test devices
makes compromises The 6.5in IPS LCD screen is another and that they are positioned closer than
casualty of its limited budget. With a most home users would ever have
on performance, screen resolution of 1600x720 pixels it’s not them. This gives them the best possible
particularly sharp, and it’s not especially
and camera bright or vibrant either. You do at least
signal and the fastest speeds. It’s also
normal for manufacturers to add the
get a refresh rate of 90Hz rather than the maximum bandwidth of all the router’s
Inside, there’s a MediaTek Helio G37 old standard of 60Hz, though the benefit available networks together to reach a
processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage of a slick screen is undermined by the grand total. That speed isn’t achievable
(though you can expand this via a G22’s slow-running processor. by a single specific device connected
microSD card if you need to). These The rear camera takes snaps up to to the router, but it’s a guide to the
specifications are just about the bare 50 megapixels, and there’s also an maximum speed you could get in total if
minimum you need to run Android. ultrawide and macro lens. On the front, you had a few devices spread across all
Everything works fine, but it felt slightly the selfie camera is up to 16 megapixels in the router’s available networks.
slow in our tests, with noticeable lags size. It takes reasonable enough pictures
after tapping to open menus, switch in good light, if you can hold the phone What are the specs?
between apps and load websites. steady. In low light we found photos As an example,
This feeling was confirmed in our grainy and somewhat disappointing. Netgear’s Nighthawk
performance benchmark tests. The phone There is a night mode you can switch to AX11000 Tri-Band WiFi
scraped together scores of 171 in the for shots in the dark, but we didn’t find Router (pictured, £549
single-core test and 960 in the multi-core that much help. from www.snipca.
test. These are among the lowest we’ve com/42054), which is one of
seen on a phone in recent memory. For the fastest routers around, claims
comparison, our current favourite phone, VERDICT A very affordable speeds of up to 10.8Gbps. However, it
the Realme GT2 (see page 30), scored smartphone that comes with Android reaches this number by adding the
3,562 in the same multi-core test, though 12 and lasts a good while between theoretical maximum speed of its three
it’s significantly more expensive (starting charges, but its performance and screen available networks: one 6Hz Wi-Fi 6e
at £499). The benefit of the G22’s quality reflect its low price network at 4.8Gbps; one 5GHz Wi-Fi 6
lightweight performance is that the network at 4.8Gbps; and a 2.4GHz
+++++ network that maxes out at 1.2Gbps.
SPECIFICATIONS ALTERNATIVE Redmi
Eight-core MediaTek Helio G37 processor • 4GB RAM Note 10 Pro £219 Spend a bit Can I change it later?
• 64GB storage • 6.5in 90Hz 1600x720-pixel LCD more money and you’ll get Even if you could reach these theoretical
screen • 50-megapixel rear camera • 8-megapixel a phone that really delivers, maximum speeds, which would be
ultrawide camera • 2-megapixel macro camera •
Wi-Fi 5 • Bluetooth 5.0 • Android 12 • 8.5x75x164mm
with a better screen and faster almost impossible outside a lab, it’s not
(HxWxD) • 185g • One-year warranty performance something you can upgrade later.
www.snipca.com/42051

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 25

 Reviews
PC MONITOR | £279 from Currys www.snipca.com/42030

Acer CB282K
Long live the resolution

As a rule, the greater the resolution It’s not short on connection options,
of a monitor screen, the more expensive either, with two HDMI ports and one
it will be. It stands to reason that it DisplayPort 1.2 socket. That’s enough
costs more to build a panel with the 8 for attaching three devices, though it
million pixels (3840x2160) required for a would have been nice to see a USB-C
4K screen than it is to make, say, a Full input here as well.
HD screen with 2 million pixels We tested the CB282K for a number
(1920x1080). Rules are made to be of scenarios, including watching films
broken, however, and Acer has worked its and gaming, and found it capable of
magic with this 28in monitor – a 4K displaying well-balanced, sharp
model that you can buy on the high street pictures with negligible motion blur.
for less than £300. In fact, it’s only about That 4K resolution really makes a
£100 more than our current favourite difference in terms of detail if you’re
monitor, the Iiyama ProLite moving up from a model with fewer
XU2492HSU-B1, which has only pixels. With 90 per cent of the DCI-P3 working. On the other hand, it’s not so
Full HD resolution. standard covered, it’s impressively hefty that it will crowd out everything
With corners having to be accurate at reproducing colours. else on your desk.
cut somewhere, the build The screen doesn’t rotate on its pedestal
quality isn’t what you’d call but it can tilt by 40 degrees, and there’s a
premium, but it still has a limited amount of height adjustment as VERDICT An affordable way to bring a
surprisingly classy look for well. Its 2W speakers sound quite tinny, highly detailed 4K-resolution screen to
such an affordable model. but they’d be perfectly adequate for your desk
The bezels around the sides speech, if not music.
of the screen are reasonably At 28in we like this size of screen. It’s
+++++
thin and the speaker bar expansive enough to do justice to films ALTERNATIVE Huawei MateView
underneath is tastefully done. and games, while there’s plenty of room £499 A 4K monitor
On-screen menus are for multiple open windows when you’re with USB-C and a
navigated using a joystick and squarer 3:2 aspect
three buttons around the SPECIFICATIONS ratio, which is
28in IPS screen • 3840x2160-pixel resolution • 16:9
back of the monitor, which aspect ratio • 4ms response time • 2x HDMI ports • 1x
probably better for
are easy enough to use once DisplayPort • 617x637x269mm (HxWxD) • 7.25kg • Windows work
you’ve figured them out. Three-year warranty www.snipca.com/42030

WHAT SHOULD I BUY? We solve your buying dilemmas

What’s the best phone for taking photos?

I bought a Moto G4 The best smartphone If your budget doesn’t stretch quite
Q phone just over five
years ago following
A photos we’ve seen
recently have been
that far, we’d recommend the Xiaomi
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (£299 from www.
a review in Computeractive, taken on a Google Pixel 6 (£580 snipca.com/42036). This also has an
which said it took the best from www.snipca.com/42034, excellent camera that takes great shots
photos of the Moto range. pictured). This has a superb in just about any light conditions.
It has certainly lived up to my camera and Google’s software If that’s still too much to spend,
expectations. I am now makes the whole process even consider an older Redmi Note 10
considering a replacement, better. You should opt for the (£219 from www.snipca.com/42037),
with camera performance as Pro version (£800 from www. which is almost as good and costs
the most important aspect. snipca.com/42035) if you’re £80 less.
What should I buy? tempted by its additional 4x Do you need advice on what you should buy?
Vanessa Cheek optical zoom lens. Email us at letters@computeractive.co.uk

26 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Reviews
WEBCAM [ £80 from Amazon www.snipca.com/42016

Anker PowerConf C200

Picture this

If your laptop’s webcam is simply not you connect it using the supplied cable.
good enough for your family or work Windows should recognise the camera
video calls, this might well be a suitable immediately and you can use it without
upgrade. It has excellent build quality, a installing any additional software.
plug-and-play setup, and handy software However, the associated software lets you
to fine-tune how it works. make a range of tweaks, such as changing
The PowerConf C200 can be attached the camera’s field of view and tinkering
to the top of your screen using the with the colour settings (though we
supplied stand, or you can use the tripod found the defaults to be excellent).
mount on the base if you prefer. On top In our tests, the camera performed
there’s a switch that controls the privacy well, with impressive colour accuracy VERDICT A decent webcam with great
shutter – a bright red plastic lens cover, so and a clear, crisp image. The autofocus video quality, but the noise-cancelling
it’s easy to see whether it’s been activated works well and makes quick adjustments microphones fall short
or not. when necessary.
Setting things up is easy. It has a USB-C The one thing that disappointed us is
+++++
port on the rear (though you only need a the webcam’s microphones. Although ALTERNATIVE Logitech C925e
USB 2.0 or above port on your PC), and they work well in standard mode, they Business £70 Our
also have a noise-cancelling feature. current favourite cam
SPECIFICATIONS This might be worthwhile in busy and has better microphones
2K 2560x1440-pixel video resolution • Dual noise-
cancelling microphones • USB-C to USB 2.0 cable
noisy locations, but we found it made but a lower (1080p)
supplied • 50x40x55mm • 198g • Eighteen-month our speech sound choppy and overly resolution
warranty www.snipca.com/42016 processed.

PHONE [ £99 from Amazon www.snipca.com/42017

Doro 6880
Easy touch

The latest smartphones aren’t suitable for HD voice technology to enhance the
everyone. Doro is one of the few companies audibility of calls, and is compatible with
to acknowledge that there’s still a section hearing aids.
of society who don’t want or can’t use It also has an assistance button on the
high-tech handsets. So if you’re trying to back. This is similar to an emergency call
make sure a parent or grandparent is button, which can alert a chosen contact
contactable on a mobile network via an whenever the phone’s owner is in need
easy-to-use phone, the new Doro 6880 is of assistance, even if they can’t dial or
a suitable choice. speak into the phone. VERDICT An impressive basic mobile
Its clamshell – or flip – design (with an It’s only designed for calls and texting, phone that has easy-to-see buttons
external screen showing caller identity) however. There’s no way to read emails and works with hearing
opens to show a small screen and an on it, for example, and you can’t install aids
easy-to-see number pad, ensuring that communication apps, such as WhatsApp.
making calls isn’t rocket science. It uses The upside to this back-to-basics
+++++
approach is that the battery lasts for days. ALTERNATIVE
SPECIFICATIONS It comes with a charging cradle, which Nokia 2720 Flip £90 A
4G • 2.8in 320x240-pixel resolution screen •
External display shows who’s calling • Bluetooth 5.0 •
can be positioned on a bedside table, for more stylish flip phone,
107x56x20mm (HxWxD) • 124g • Two-year warranty example, so it’s easily charged overnight but not as easy to use
www.snipca.com/42017 and is always close at hand when needed.

28 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

MESH ROUTER [ £349 from Amazon www.snipca.com/42078
DO I REALLY NEED...
TP-Link Deco X90 DisplayPort 2.0?
So far, so good
What is it?
DisplayPort (pictured) is a format for
connecting PCs to monitors. DisplayPort
Some mesh Wi-Fi systems 2.0 was announced by its governing
focus on high-end body VESA (the Video Electronics
performance, others prioritise Standards Association) back in 2019,
affordability. The Deco X90 but it has only recently
finds its own balance: it’s awarded certification to a
hardly a budget system, handful of companies.
but it’s competitively priced Without this, a company
considering it promises to can’t produce a DisplayPort
deliver Wi-Fi 6 for up to 200 2.0 device.
devices, throughout a home
of up to six bedrooms. What does it do?
Despite those ambitious It increases the bandwidth available for
claims, the kit contains only two transferring video from one device to
units. They’re not much to look another (up to a maximum of 80Gbps).
at, but tasteful enough, with a single This could allow PCs or other devices
status LED near the base of each one. If the house, and measured file-copy to send an 8K video at 60fps without
you need to extend the system’s reach, an speeds to and from the NAS. having to apply any compression. The
additional unit costs around £231 (from The results were impressive. It current fastest HDMI 2.1 standard can
Scan at www.snipca.com/42079). provided the fastest same-room speeds manage only 48Gbps.
we’ve ever seen, with a file-transfer
rate of 148MB/s. This outperforms the What’s the catch?
Lightning quick Netgear Orbi RBKE963 (£1,500 for three Currently, only three companies have
devices from www.snipca.com/42080), certification to produce DisplayPort
over short distances, which reached speeds of 118MB/s in the 2.0 devices: AMD, MediaTek and
same test. Realtek. It’s likely that more companies
and no slouch in the far The Deco X90 isn’t only fast over short will follow, but for now the choice of
distances. As you’d expect, performance compatible devices will be limited.
reaches of our home dropped off in the furthest reaches of our
house, but no matter where we took our So can I do without it?
TP-Link has opted for a regular laptop, it consistently delivered download Yes, unless you buy an 8K monitor.
tri-band configuration, with each speeds between 60 and 70MB/s. However,
unit containing one 2.4GHz and two it just lags behind the Orbi’s Wi-Fi
independent 5GHz transmitters. One of 6e-boosted efforts, with the Orbi’s speeds NEXT ISSUE
these is reserved for the backhaul traffic topping 70MB/s at distance when
– the communication channel the mesh downloading to a Wi-Fi 6E device. On Sale Weds 22 June
network needs between the two devices.
Both units are also equipped with two
Ethernet sockets, one is a standard Gigabit VERDICT While it seems a lot of Box Cube Mythic
Ethernet and the other 2.5 Gigabit. money, the X90 is surprisingly good Superb graphics
performance from
What sets the X90 apart is its value if you have a large house,
a reasonably priced
performance. To test it, we set it up in our because it significantly outpaces more desktop PC
house with the main unit in the study expensive rivals
and the secondary one at the opposite
end of an adjoining bedroom. We
+++++ Samsung
Galaxy Tab S8
connected a NAS drive to the 2.5 Gigabit ALTERNATIVE Netgear Orbi An 11in Android
Ethernet socket of the primary unit, then RBKE963 £1,500 This tablet with an
carried a laptop to various places around Wi-Fi 6E system is amazing screen
more expensive but
SPECIFICATIONS its three units maintain These and much more...
Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 • 1x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port and
1x Gigabit Ethernet port per unit • 210x123x130mm
faster speeds over Subscribe to Computeractive at
(HxDxW) • 610g per unit • Two-year warranty greater distances www.getcomputeractive.co.uk
www.snipca.com/42078

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 29

 Buy It Find out what other products we liked.
Buy our new 2021 Back Issue CD:
£17 from www.snipca.com/42077
NE W

Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award

LAPTOP P DESKTOP PC APPLE iPAD
DRRIC
OP E
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 (256GB) Wired2Fire Apple iPad 10.2in
£662 from www.snipca.com/41099 Ultima WS Home Office £319 from www.snipca.com/36178
Tested Issue 601 Workstation Tested Issue 566
£750 from www.snipca.com/41500
Tested Issue 630

Weighing just 1.16kg, this is an

excellent lightweight laptop with a With an overclocked eight-core chip The basic iPad is great value, especially
great screen and an AMD processor and a 1TB SSD, this PC performs Windows now it’s been updated with a powerful
faster than many Intel rivals. It has two tasks at a blistering speed. It comes A13 processor and iPadOS 15. It includes
USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports and with Wi-Fi 5, and has plenty of ports, Scribble handwriting recognition with
a microSD card reader. Battery lasts including five USB 3.0 and three for the £89 Apple Pencil. Storage isn’t
nearly 16 hours. monitors (DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA). expandable; consider 256GB at £459.

ALTERNATIVE Dell XPS 13 New Intel ALTERNATIVE Palicomp Intel Mercury ALTERNATIVE iPad Mini With an even
CPUs and a taller screen make this Over two years old and with a slower better, but smaller, screen than the
a more powerful, all-round slim processor, but still a mighty PC with a 10.2in iPad, the Mini also supports
laptop. Prices start at £859 from speedy SSD. £600 from www.snipca. the Pencil and has 64GB of storage.
www.snipca.com/40042 com/34223 £479 from www.snipca.com/33050

ANDROID TABLET APPLE iPHONE ANDROID PHONE

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ Apple iPhone 12 Realme GT 2

£699 (256GB) www.snipca.com/41608 £679 from www.snipca.com/36582 £549 from www.snipca.com/41667
Tested Issue 617 Tested Issue 595 Tested Issue 631

This performed so well in our most Released in 2020, this model has a modest China’s Realme has made a phone with
recent tests that it has ousted the increase in already exceptional processing a powerful processor, excellent battery
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro as our favourite. power plus even better photos and videos life, bright screen and a 50-megapixel
It has a stunning OLED screen, with from the front and twin rear cameras. It camera that takes great photos. It’s
perfect contrast and superb colour comes in a redesigned case with aluminium more expensive than our former
reproduction, and comes with Samsung’s frame and even tougher glass. Consider favourite (below), but its superior
S Pen stylus for making notes. paying the £50 extra for 128GB of storage. performance justifies this extra cost.

ALTERNATIVE Lenovo Tab P11 Pro It’s ALTERNATIVE iPhone SE With a single ALTERNATIVE Xiaomi Poco F3 This
slower than the Tab S7 and the screen is camera and smaller screen but the remains an excellent phone, with 6GB
duller, but has a detachable keyboard so same powerful A13 processor and 64GB RAM and 128GB storage. The only phone
you can use it as a laptop. £538 from storage as the iPhone 11, it’s great value. under £450 that’s faster is the iPhone
www.snipca.com/41101 £419 from www.snipca.com/34773 SE. £309 from www.snipca.com/41102

30 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Buy It
Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award
EBOOK READER SECURITY SOFTWARE WEBCAM P
DRRIC
OP E
Kobo Libra 2 Norton 360 Premium Logitech C925e Business
£160 from www.snipca.com/40645 £24.99 from www.snipca.com/33247 Webcam
Tested Issue 624 Tested Issue 629 £63 from www.snipca.com/41104
Tested Issue 608

Norton has always performed strongly

in our antivirus tests, regularly
A fantastic 7in screen, 32GB of storage making the top three. Owned by US Despite the name, this webcam is also
and Bluetooth connectivity make this a firm NortonLifeLock, it’s available great for home users. Its standout
rival to Amazon’s Oasis ebook reader, at a discount on our Software Store. feature is automatically adjusting itself
yet it’s £70 cheaper. Battery life is Click the link above for a 10-device, to keep your picture looking sharp. It
superb – we managed 54 hours of use two-year licence. Other versions are offers a 78-degree field of view, which
per charge. It supports OverDrive, so available, including Norton 360 for is fine for everyday video chats with one
you can borrow ebooks from libraries. Gamers. person in front of the camera.

ALTERNATIVE Amazon Kindle This ALTERNATIVE Bitdefender Total ALTERNATIVE Anker PowerConf C300
low-cost option remains a good choice, Security Another top performer that Good image quality, crisp audio and lots
especially now it has 8GB of storage. we’re offering at a discount. £19.99 of features. £100 from www.snipca.
£70 from www.snipca.com/41103 from www.snipca.com/41141 com/41105

PC MONITOR ROUTER PRINTER

Iiyama ProLite Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 Epson EcoTank ET-1810

XU2492HSU-B1 £300 from www.snipca.com/39013 £160 from www.snipca.com/41232
£165 from www.snipca.com/39701 Tested Issue 603 Tested Issue 627
Tested Issue 618

This 23.8in screen is superb value, This is the fastest Wi-Fi 6 router we’ve An inkjet printer that comes with
with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. ever tested, transferring data at speeds enough ink to print 4,500 mono
Colour is good, covering 88 per cent of of 520Mbps in the same and adjacent and 7,500 colour pages, making it
the sRGB colour range. Connect your rooms of our test house. Also works exceptionally cheap to run. It’s not
computer via HDMI, DisplayPort or with Wi-Fi 5, and comes with four spare the fastest printer, but quality is good,
VGA, and there’s a USB hub to connect Ethernet ports and two USB ports. especially on photo paper – we’ve
your mouse and keyboard. never seen better on an inkjet.
ALTERNATIVE Asus RT-AX82U
ALTERNATIVE AOC 27P2C Slower than the Nighthawk on Wi-Fi 6, ALTERNATIVE Brother DCP-J1140DW
This also has a 1920x1080 resolution but but faster on Wi-Fi 5, so a better Compact multifunction model with rare
it’s 27 inches, so pixel density is lower. But choice for older devices. Has four features at this price, including
you’ll only notice if you look really closely. Gigabit Ethernet ports. £195 from double-sided printing. £133 from
£332 from www.snipca.com/41609 www.snipca.com/41106 www.snipca.com/41480

32 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Buy It

COMPETITION

Win 1 of 3
Audio-Technica
ATH-CKS50TW earbuds
Winner of our Recommended award in of listening. www.snipca.com/42028 and
Issue 632, Audio-Technica’s ATH- You control the earbuds either by submit your details. It runs until
CKS50TW earbuds combine advanced pressing buttons on the device, or midnight Tuesday 21 June.
acoustic technology for stunning through Audio-Technica’s Good luck!
sound with a comfortable fit, preventing comprehensive Connect app, which
that deep bass sound from escaping. has four EQ presets. You can also set You can buy the Audio-Technica
Battery life is incredible, playing for your own using the five-band adjuster. ATH-CKS50TW earbuds for
20 hours between There’s noise-cancelling £149.99 from Amazon (www.
charges. Both the case too, and you can connect snipca.com/41870). For more
and the buds can be to two Bluetooth devices information on Audio-Technica’s
recharged quickly. Just simultaneously. other products visit www.audio-
10 minutes of charging To enter this competition, technica.com and follow
guarantees 90 minutes answer the question at @AudioTechnicaUK on Twitter.

MESH ROUTER SOLID-STATE DRIVE SMART SPEAKER

BT Whole Home Wi-Fi Corsair MP600 Pro LPX Google Nest Audio
£170 from www.snipca.com/26990 500GB £90 from www.snipca.com/36475
Tested Issue 496 £85 from www.snipca.com/41547 Tested Issue 593
Tested Issue 630

Produces a rich, clear sound, and better

understands your questions than
BT’s set of three discs, managed In our tests, this M.2 SSD hit speeds of Amazon’s Echo devices. You can use
from an Apple or Android app, 7,364MB/s and 6,870MB/s when Google’s app to control audio from
connects to your broadband and reading and writing data – astonishingly other units around your home (pair two
spreads high-speed Wi-Fi all around fast scores. It’s compatible with the of them for £160). The clever Ambient
the house. Reception is far better new PCIe 4.0 standard, which is twice IQ tool increases the volume if it detects
than a single router, and the price is as fast as PCIe 3.0. The 1TB model external noise, such as a hairdryer.
lower than any rival. costs £140; 2TB costs £280.
ALTERNATIVE Amazon Echo (4th
ALTERNATIVE Zyxel Multy X ALTERNATIVE Crucial MX500 500GB generation) The latest version of the
These two pillow-shaped boxes are As fast as an SSD can get in the Echo changes the shape from a cylinder
powerful enough for most homes and traditional 2.5in SATA format, this to a ball, which improves sound quality
provide four Ethernet ports apiece. is a great-value upgrade. £56 from – though the Nest’s is still superior.
£265 from www.snipca.com/41109 www.snipca.com/37304 £90 from www.snipca.com/41111

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 33

Computeractive 2021
Back Issue CD

LE NOW!
ON SA
CON
T
AL AINS
L
ISSU26
FROM ES
2
021

Buy it from us now at

www.snipca.com/42077
 Pull Out
& Keep

Workshops & Tips Issue 633

14 pages of easy-to-follow workshops and expert tips

35 Convert handwriting to 40 Readers’ Tips PLUS
digital text 44 Phone & Tablet Tips 47 Make Office Better
42 Browser Tips:
38 Control your Android Block online ads 46 Make Windows 48 In the Club: Make
phone from Windows without leaving spaces Better charts that update

HOW TO...
Convert your handwriting
to digital text by Nik Rawlinson

What you need: iOS, Android or Windows device Time required: 30 minutes

I
t doesn’t take long to become a using a keyboard.
proficient typist, but even the quickest Here, we explore options for converting
fingers will be slower at transcribing handwritten notes into typed text, using
handwritten text than an app that can iOS, Android and Windows. We were
transcribe text from a photo. Likewise, expecting that the accuracy of our results
when you’re taking notes or jotting down would depend on the clarity of our
ideas as they occur, it will often be more handwriting, but we were pleasantly
convenient to scribble these using a pen surprised by the versatility and
or finger than to record those thoughts effectiveness of the tools we used.

Convert handwriting ( 1 in our screenshot) and again with

on your phone largely separated letters 2 to give the
Now on version 5, Prizmo has long been 1 software the best chance of recognition.
one of the best-known and most flexible The results were pretty accurate in both
OCR (optical character recognition) instances, with even our joined-up text
programs available for iOS. It’s free to transcribed almost faultlessly.
download from www.snipca.com/41977, But Prizmo isn’t the only option, so we
although handwriting recognition repeated our test with the Pen to Print
requires a payment. There are two plans 2 app. Again, this is free to download, for
to choose from: ‘small’ and ‘large’. The both iOS (www.snipca.com/41969) and
small plan lets you save 50 examples of Android (www.snipca.com/41970), with
your handwriting online and costs 99p in-app purchases enabling some key
a month or £9.99 a year. The large plan features, like exporting recognised text.
increases this to 500, and costs £4.99 a Again, the results were good. It
month or £49.99 a year. made only very minor mistakes with
We tested it by writing out the opening both our joined-up and non-joined
lines of Pride and Prejudice (‘It is a truth original. Where it did make a mistake,
universally acknowledged, that a single it was usually at a point where we had
man in possession of a good fortune,
Prizmo transcribed both our normal
must be in want of a wife’). We wrote it (rather messy) handwriting (1) and
twice: once in our regular handwriting neater version (2)

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 35

 The app
‘Pen to
Print’ made
a couple of How I use handwriting recognition
1 excusable
slip-ups On the rare occasions that I need to use handwriting recognition,
due to our
own untidy
it’s most often to capture things that I jotted down years ago,
writing having rediscovered them quite by chance, and would rather not
type from scratch. In the longer term, though, I see myself using
2 this as a tool to digitise long-gone relatives’ diaries and letters so
they can be passed on to future generations.
Nik Rawlinson
How do you use handwriting-recognition tools ?
Please let us know: letters@computeractive.co.uk

ourselves made an error. For example, using an Apple Pencil

it rendered ‘a wife’ as ‘anoite’ ( 1 in our stylus on a compatible
screenshot above) which, considering iPad, and convert it into
our handwriting, is probably forgivable. the typed equivalent
Likewise, it wasn't convinced by the ‘v’ in real time (ie, as you
we wrote over the top of the erroneous write). It’s available
‘w’ in ‘uniwersally’ 2 . Despite needing when you have one of
to correct these slips, converting our the combinations of
handwriting to text was much quicker Pencil and iPad shown
than retyping from scratch. in the table below.
To export your recognised handwriting, Start by checking that
you’ll need to sign up for a plan. These Scribble is enabled on
start at £1.99 a month or £9.99 a year, your device by opening
giving you an unlimited amount of text Settings and tapping
exports between each renewal. There’s Apple Pencil in
also a lifetime plan for £25.99. the sidebar. Make sure
Google Lens was similarly accurate, the slider to the right Turn on Scribble for your iPad in the settings
and the fact it’s built into Android of Scribble is switched on
makes it more convenient than the apps (see screenshot above right). logo at the centre of the group of five
mentioned above. Tap the lens icon at Now use the installed Safari browser to icons at the top right of the window.
the end of the search box on the Android visit a web page that features a form and Write on the screen, and Notes will
home screen and take a picture of the write into one of the text fields. After a convert your handwriting to typed text.
handwriting you want to capture. By second or so, your iPad will convert your We found it impressively accurate – even
default, Lens will search for similar handwriting into typed text. when we used joined-up writing.
results on Google Images, but tap Text You can also use the Apple Pencil for If you make a mistake, Scribble has a
and it will highlight and recognise the longer passages of text. Open the Notes few extra features up its sleeve to help
text it’s found. Now tap ‘Select all’ and app, create a new note and tap the pencil you correct errors. Draw a vertical line
you can copy it for free, then paste it between two characters and it will insert
into another app. In our case, it even Support for Support for a space. Do the same in an existing space,
recognised the source of the text as Pride Apple Pencil Apple Pencil and the space will be removed so the
and Prejudice. (1st Generation) (2nd Generation) words on either side are pressed together.
While the results were good when iPad mini (5th iPad mini (6th Draw a horizontal line through text to
working with our sample, it swapped generation) generation) select it, and draw a circle around an area
around a few of our words and missed to select the contents.
iPad (6th iPad Air (4th
out a couple of others. It failed to correct You don’t need to be entirely accurate
generation and generation and
our ‘w’ and ‘v’ slip-up in ‘universally’ and when you do this, because iPadOS selects
later) later)
switched the order of the last few words complete words. So, if you had written
in the second paragraph. Considering it’s iPad Air (3rd iPad Pro 11in (all ‘how are you feeling today?’ and circled
free, though, we find these minor errors generation) generations) ‘you’ but strayed slightly into ‘are’ and
easy to overlook. iPad Pro 9.7in iPad Pro 12.9in (3rd ‘feeling’ either side, all three words would
generation and be selected. You can then apply whatever
Convert live later) formatting you require, or use the pop-up
handwriting on iPad iPad Pro 10.5in
toolbar to copy, paste, translate, look up
Version 14 and later of Apple’s tablet or share the selected text.
operating system iPadOS has a tool called iPad Pro 12.9in (1st You can also cut the text from the
Scribble that can recognise text written and 2nd generation) same toolbar, but there’s a quicker way

36 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Convert your handwriting to digital text

to achieve that: simply scribble on the

words you want to delete, rather than
select them, and they’ll be removed 2
immediately.

Convert handwriting
to text in Windows
Windows 10 introduced a handwriting
recognition feature called Ink, which is
still available in Windows 11. It works
best with a Bluetooth-enabled stylus on a 1
touchscreen, but you can also use a finger
on a trackpad for some functions if you
have no other option.
Not all computers let you write
with your finger or stylus on screen.
To check whether yours does, open
Settings by pressing the Windows key+I,
then click System, followed by About. Using the trackpad and a finger to write is much harder than using a stylus on screen
Check in the ‘Device specifications’
section for ‘Pen and touch’. As you the sidebar, followed by Taskbar. If the mode’. If you don’t see this button, tap
can see from the screenshot below, ‘System tray icons’ section is collapsed, the Expand link to open the full set of
ours is touch compatible with 10 click it to reveal its contents, then make options. When the keyboard appears
touchpoints, which means it can sure the sliders beside ‘Pen menu’ and on the taskbar, tap it, then tap the cog
detect 10 simultaneous points of contact ‘Touch keyboard’ are switched on. and select handwriting from the list of
at a time. You will now see a small keyboard input methods.
If your computer supports pen and icon to the right of the taskbar. Click this Now, whichever version of Windows
ink and you’re using Windows 11, click to open the on-screen keyboard, then you’re using, open a program to receive
‘Bluetooth & devices’ in the sidebar, click the cog in the upper-left corner and your text – like Notepad, for example
followed by ‘Pen & Windows Ink’. Click select Handwriting from the menu. – then use your pen or finger to write
the top section (‘Use your handwriting On Windows 10, open Settings and in the box ( 1 in our screenshot above).
to enter text’) and make sure your tap Devices followed by ‘Pen & Windows Windows converts your writing to typed
Bluetooth pen is selected, if you have Ink’, then tick the box beside ‘Write in the text and sends it to the program you
one. If you don’t have a pen paired with handwriting panel using your fingertip’ if opened 2 . If you don’t have a pencil, you
your computer, make sure there’s a you don’t have a Bluetooth pen. can also write by dragging your finger on
tick in the box beside ‘Write with your The easiest way to work with Ink on a the trackpad, which is what we’ve done
fingertip’. Windows 10 computer supporting touch in the screenshot above. As you can see
You now need to enable the writing is to switch to Tablet mode. You can do from the quality of our handwriting, this
panel, which is part of the on-screen this by tapping the speech bubble to the isn’t as easy as using a pen. Nonetheless,
keyboard. Click ‘Personalisation’ in right of the taskbar then tapping ‘Tablet Windows recognised our writing and
converted it.
There’s one other setting you might
like to change. As you write, Windows
will monitor your input and compile
a personal dictionary that it can use to
improve recognition in the future. If
you’d rather your input wasn’t used this
way, return to Settings and click ‘Privacy
& security’ in the sidebar, followed
by ‘Inking & typing personalisation’.
Make sure the slider next to ‘Personal
inking and typing dictionary’ is set to
Off. To remove any data it has already
added to your dictionary, click ‘Personal
dictionary’ followed by ‘Clear your
personal dictionary’.

Check in your PC's System settings to see if it has a touchscreen

Next issue: Organise your PC’s folder structure like an expert Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 37
 Workshop
Control your Android smartphone
from your Windows desktop
What you need: Windows 10 or 11; smartphone running Android 7.0 or later
Time required: 30 minutes

M icrosoft’s excellent Phone

Link (previously called Your
Phone) is a free Windows tool that
text messages. You can even make
and receive phone calls from your
computer without touching your
lets you control your phone from phone. If you have a recent
your deskop. A recent update Samsung phone you can also
added useful new features, as we’ll control Android apps running on
explain. It uses Bluetooth and the device. We won’t be covering
your Wi-Fi network to link your that here, but if you do have a
devices, so you can use your PC to Samsung phone you can see if it’s
see your photos, and respond to compatible at www.snipca.
your phone’s notifications and com/42048.

STEP To open Phone Link on your PC, click the Windows

button, type phone link in the box, then select it
1 from the list that appears. On the welcome screen,
click the ‘Get started’ button. As instructed on the next
screen 1 , open a browser on your Android phone and go to
1
www.aka.ms/yourpc. This takes you to the ‘Link to
Windows’ app in the Google Play Store. Install it by tapping
the Install button. Open it and tick the ‘I have the Link to
Windows app ready’ box. In Windows, click ‘Pair with QR
code’ 2 . On your phone, choose ‘Link your phone and PC’. 2
You may need to sign into your Microsoft account, or set one
up if you don’t already have one.

2 3
STEP Phone Link will now
create a QR code you
2 can use to link your
phone to your PC. When it
appears on your PC screen,
hold your phone’s camera up 1
to it when the app tells you to.
You’ll also need to give
Microsoft the permissions it
needs to control your phone’s
functions, such as the ability
to access your contacts 1 and
files 2 . You can do this by
responding to the prompts, or 1
returning to your settings
later and adding anything you STEP The biggest change to the app is a revamped home
skipped. You can also remove screen. If you can’t see the sidebar on the left initially,
permissions here, if you
3 widen the window so there’s enough space to
decide you want to deny accommodate it. This is always visible and displays notifications
access at a later date. 1 as they pop up on your phone. It means you can manage your
notifications without picking up your phone. Click the pin icon
2 to send a notification to the top of the list and keep it there –
2 any new notifications will then appear below it. Click the cross
icon 3 to remove a notification, which clears it from both Phone
Link and your phone.

38 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 5

1
6
1
2 8
2
3

3 4 5 6 7
4

STEP Writing a text message is much easier with your STEP Phone Link makes it easy to access your phone’s
computer keyboard than it is on your phone. Click the collection of photos on your PC. Click the Photos tab 1
4 Messages tab 1 to see all your messages below 2 . Click
5 to view all the pictures on your smartphone and scroll
one and the conversation will open on the right-hand side. down until you find the one you want. Click one to open it for a
You can add a new message by typing it in the ‘Send a message’ closer view 2 . At the top you’ll see buttons that let you open the
box 3 , where there are also options to send emojis, animations image in the Windows Photos app 3 , copy it to your clipboard 4 ,
and images 4 . You can call a contact by clicking the phone save it 5 or share it with another person or app 6 . You can also
icon 5 , which will show a dropdown arrow if the contact has Delete it from your phone 7 . At the top right there’s also the
more than one phone number. To send a message to a different option to open the image in the app of your choice 8 .
or new contact, click the ‘New message’ button 6 .

1
1

2
2
5

3 4
3
7

STEP If you have a microphone you can make and answer STEP You can have more than one phone linked to your
calls via Phone Link. Click the Calls tab 1 to see a list of computer, which is handy if you share a PC or switch
6 your recent calls 2 . To return a call, click it in the list
7 between multiple devices. To do this, click the Settings
and click the phone icon 3 . You can also click the message icon icon , followed by My Devices 2 , then ‘Link new device’ 3 . You
1
4 to send that contact a text message. To call a contact you can also connect more than one PC to your phone. Open the
haven’t spoken to recently, start typing their name into the ‘Link to Windows’ app, tap the Settings cog, then tap ‘Linked
‘Search your contacts’ box 5 and a list of contacts will appear computers’. Tap ‘Add Computer’. There are other settings worth
for you to choose from. If you know the number of the person exploring on both devices, so go through them when you have
you’re calling you can also enter their number using the some spare time. For example, in Windows, click the Features
number pad 6 . Click the call button 7 to launch the call. tab to choose which phone apps you receive notifications from.

Next issue: Set a schedule to remove PC junk Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 39
 Readers’ Tips
TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT

Get VoIP and PSTN numbers on one phone

Following Issue 628’s ‘How To’ on recommended, but its can be placed anywhere in
converting your home phone to VoIP benefits outweigh the the house) can access both
using a Sipgate account, I agree that extra costs involved, and the VoIP line and the
paying around £200 for a fully featured it works fine with existing phone line. It
VoIP phone can’t be justified. Sipgate. means both phone numbers
After some research, I bought the What drew me to it are accessible from just one
Siemens Gigaset S850A GO Professional was the base unit. It’s phone.
VoIP Cordless Phone (£80 from LiGo similar to the one used It suits our home layout.
Electronics, www.snipca.com/41985, by the HT801 that The router is in the spare
pictured). I appreciate it’s £40 dearer connects to your router, bedroom near
than the Grandstream HandyTone HT801 but also has a connection to plug into the front of our bungalow,
(www.snipca.com/41133) that you your PSTN socket, so the handset (which while the lounge, diner

Brian wins a copy of our 2021 Back Issue CD Buy it on Amazon www.snipca.com/42077

ANTIVIRUS software. One of my programs was

Stop Norton blocking quarantined, removing it from its folder.
safe programs Nobody else uses it except me, so I know
Like many of your readers I exactly what I programmed and what it
switched from Kaspersky to does. Fortunately, Norton has settings
Norton, much as a point of principle as such as Data Protector and whitelist
well as the possibility that updates may options to stop over-enthusiastic scans
not continue. However, I found that and warnings. You can also confirm EXE
Norton blocked some of my Visual Studio files as safe by going to Settings, Antivirus,
then ‘Scans and Risks’ (see screenshot left).
Rob Barnes

WINDOWS press Windows key+X to open the

Press X, U and S to send ‘Power User’ menu, then press U to open
your PC to Sleep shut-down options (see screenshot
In Issue 631 (page 60) you explained above), followed by S. This sends the
how to use the ‘Power & sleep’ computer to sleep straight away. Note that
setting to send a computer into Sleep when you press U and S you don’t need
mode. I’ve used another, slightly quicker to also hold down the Windows key.
method on my past three computers. I Terry Steels

Why I stopped using…

My hands
I run a business and have to perform many repeated
tasks, such as filling in forms, moving files, copying
data from websites and emailing customers. This used to take
me and my team 80 hours a week by hand.

And what I use instead...

Now we use six Razer keyboards, such as the Cynosa Lite
(£23 from www.snipca.com/41986, pictured), together with file – I simply click record on the Macros setting, perform the
Razer’s Synapse software (www.razer.com/synapse-3). task once, then click stop. It will then do that for us thousands
We’ve recorded macros for each task, so the keyboard and of times while we go off to work on something else.
Synapse can perform them for us automatically. You’re Pete Wallace
supposed to use these keyboards for gaming, but instead I’ve
turned them into personal assistants. Tell us why you stopped using a website, app or program: letters@
Let’s say I want to move a photo, create a folder or rename a computeractive.co.uk

40 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Handy hints and tips from your fellow readers
Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk

EMAIL
Replace corrupted Profile Reader recommends…
folders in Thunderbird
I couldn’t agree more with Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
Howard L Smith’s tip in Issue 629 £675 from www.snipca.com/41904
(page 41) recommending you back up
Thunderbird’s Profile folder. I’ve been I thank Computeractive for
doing this for at least 15 years. This bringing this laptop to my
folder not only holds emails, but also attention (see review Issue 601, page
the unique set-up configuration details 22). I loved it straight away. It has metal
for each user, such as server ports set up casing. It’s also extremely light to carry, It came with Windows 10, but it was
as POP3 or IMAP. You can access these and the picture on the 14in screen easy to upgrade to Windows 11.
precise settings if they ever become looks great. The only downside is the camera. It’s
corrupted. It has a backlit keyboard with a no good for selfies, but it’s fine for video
In such situations, simply delete the simple on/off key via the space bar. chats using Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
corrupted Profile folder in the App Data Sound quality is excellent too, with or Ken Brown
folder and copy the backup Profile in without headphones. Battery life is good
Want to recommend hardware or software
its place. All that will be missing are – I charge it every two to three days. It to fellow readers?
copies of emails sent since that backup. has two USB 3.0 and two USB-C ports. Email letters@computeractive.co.uk
Any missed incoming mail should still
be held in the server account(s)
Thunderbird holds, providing this has Cover option so it’s ‘on’ (see screenshot
been set up in the Accounts folder. below). If you don’t see this option, you
My backups are given appropriate file may need to update your Kindle’s
names TB20220405 (ie, 5 April 2022), software. By the way, you can check
so numerous backups will be in which generation Kindle you have at
chronological order if storing a year’s www.snipca.com/41988.
worth (or more) of backups. Kevin Pickford
Bill Munns
TV STREAMING
EBOOK READERS Pair your Roku remote control com/41987), then hold down the pairing
Show the book you’re reading with your device button for 3 seconds (pictured above).
as your Kindle screensaver I love my Roku player. Or rather, I This should make a pairing message
I finally got round to ditching my loved it before the remote control appear on screen. That was all I had to do.
6th-generation Kindle (bought in stopped working. At first, I thought the It seemed that for some reason my control
2013), replacing it with the latest model batteries needed changing, but that had ceased to pair with my device.
(£70 from www.snipca.com/41989). One didn’t solve anything. Then I sought Ryan Bennett
of the best things it can do that my old help from some fellow Roku fans, and
model couldn’t is add the cover of the they told me about the ‘pairing’ button SOFTWARE
book you’re reading as your screensaver on the back, just below where the Update share prices using
on the lock screen. batteries are stored. MSMoneyQuotes
Tap the three dots at the top right of Bring the remote control as close as you Like John Tanzer (Readers’ Tips,
the home screen, then Settings. Now tap can to your Roku device (I own the Issue 631), I still use Microsoft
Device Options, then slide the Show Express 4K, £35 from www.snipca. Money, and have done for more than
18 years. I still find it essential for
managing my money. I update the price
of my share and fund holdings every day
using MSMoneyQuotes, which costs
$9.99 (about £8.14) for a one-off purchase
from https://gaiersoftware.com/money,
though there’s a free trial that lets you
use it 60 times. It’s a very useful tool, but
I do need to refer to the help pages now
and again whenever the link to MSN
Money fails.
I noticed that after I installed Windows
11, Microsoft Money would occasionally
cause my PC to slow down or hang for a
few minutes. I now run Money in Admin
mode and have had fewer problems.
Stewart Dickey

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 41

 Browser Tips
CHROMIUM first place. Retheme works best on
Block online ads without ‘high-traffic’ sites that it applies custom
leaving spaces themes to – see our ‘before’ and ‘after’
One of the screenshots (left below) of the Time
main website (https://time.com).
1
problems with using an ad blocker – Retheme’s developer suggests that you
other than the ethical issue of depriving use the add-on in tandem with your
sites of revenue – is that it can mess up a usual ad blocker, such as uBlock Origin
site’s layout and leave big gaps where the (www.snipca.com/41842), to ensure you
ads were. A new extension called block trackers, scripts and other
Retheme (www.snipca.com/41958) unwanted elements too. Alternatively, if 2
prevents this from happening by used on its own, ads will simply be
removing ads from web pages, then rendered invisible, so sites will still earn
cleaning up afterwards. It automatically money from them.
adjusts a site’s design to reduce empty Note that when you install the extension 3
space and make the content easier to from the Chrome Web Store, you may see
read. This gives you the best of both a warning that it’s “not trusted by
worlds, because you won’t see annoying Enhanced Safe Browsing”, but this is
ads or even know they were there in the because it’s from a new developer – see want to save the file to your default
our Workshop below to find out how to downloads folder. To choose different
BEFORE turn this option on and off. Retheme is folders for your downloads, click Firefox’s
completely safe to use and makes three-line menu button, choose Settings
browsing the web a lot less irritating. and scroll down the General tab to the
‘Files and Applications’ section. Select the
FIREFOX option ‘Always ask you where to save files’
Confirm you want to ( 1 in our screenshot above).
download or open files You can also set Firefox to ask you
In Issue 625 (page 42), we reported whether to open a file rather than save it.
that Mozilla had removed the option The Applications box lists its default
from Firefox to confirm that you wanted actions for file types such as PDF and
to download a file. This saved you having WebP, which you can change by clicking
AFTER to click to continue, but also ran the risk their dropdown menus 2 . Below this,
of you downloading something you’ll see a new option to ‘Ask whether to
accidentally or – more worryingly – open or save files’ 3 .
malware being downloaded without your
knowledge. The change was made in CHROME
version 97 of the browser, but in response Rearrange tabs using
to feedback from users, Firefox 101 keyboard shortcuts
(released 31 May) has restored the feature. Keyboard shortcuts help take the
When you click a download link, you’ll strain off your wrist when browsing
now be prompted to confirm that you the web, saving you from constantly

2
WORKSHOP Avoid dangerous extensions in Chrome

2 1
1

1 2

1 To turn on Chrome’s ‘Enhanced

protection’ option, which warns you
about risky extensions, click the browser’s
2 Select the ‘Enhanced protection’ option 1
in the Safe Browsing section to receive
warnings about potentially dangerous
3 To make sure you haven’t installed any
dodgy extensions, click back to the
Security page and click the ‘Check now’
three-line menu button and choose extensions, downloads and websites. If you button under ‘Safety check’ 1 . This will
Settings. Select ‘Privacy and security’ 1 in find the feature overzealous, switch to scan Chrome for harmful extensions and
the left-hand menu and click Security 2 . ‘Standard protection’ 2 instead. software 2 , and exposed passwords.

42 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Secret settings and the best extensions

BEST EXTENSION FOR… Subscribing to RSS feeds

Feeder restricted to its paid-for (and

Chrome, Edge and ad-free) Pro version, and you
Firefox don’t even need to register for
https://feeder.co an account – doing so lets you
After scrapping its popular sync your feeds across devices.
Google Reader tool in
2013, Google may soon If you don’t like that, try…
be adding an RSS reader RSS Reader Extension
to the desktop version (by Inoreader)
of Chrome, following the Chromium www.snipca.
Android app getting one last com/41967
October. In the meantime, you can use URL, or browse categories such as News, Firefox www.snipca.com/41968
Feeder to subscribe to feeds from your Tech and Food, and click the Follow button The free version of this tool lets you
favourite websites and keep up to date (see screenshot ) to subscribe to a feed. You subscribe to 150 RSS feeds, as well as
with their latest content. The extension can choose how often to check for updates podcasts, social-media pages and email
is easy to use: simply click its toolbar and organise your feeds into folders. Feeder newsletters. It’s simple to use but can be
button to search for a website or feed is free to use, though some features are slow at delivering updated content.

this. The browser has a new Apps

hub, which you can access by
clicking its three-dot menu button
and selecting Apps, then ‘Manage
apps’. This lets you view and open
all the PWAs you’ve installed (see
screenshot below), and pin them
to the Windows taskbar and Start
menu.
pointing and clicking with your mouse. To install a website as a PWA, click
Chrome 102, released 24 May, adds two the ‘App available’ button in Edge’s
shortcuts that let you rearrange your address bar – this looks like a square
browser tabs, so the most important ones of three blocks and a plus sign –
appear on the left or right – depending different work of art from the Museum of and click Install. Compatible sites
on your preference. Rather than drag tabs Modern Art in New York every time you include Twitter, Argos, YouTube, Google
into different positions using your cursor, open a new tab, which you can click to Photos and Outlook, but Edge now goes
you can now press Ctrl+Shift+Page Up to learn more about the subject and artist. further than Chrome by letting you install
move the active tab to the left, or The add-on was created using Google’s any website as a PWA. Click its menu
Ctrl+Shift+Page Down to move it right Tab Maker tool, which we wrote about in button, choose ‘Install this site as an app’
(see screenshot above). Issue 623 (page 74) and is similar to in the Apps submenu and click Install
The new keyboard shortcuts Google’s own Arts & Culture extension to add the PWA to your Apps hub.
complement existing options in Chrome, (www.snipca.com/41957), which hasn’t You can add the Apps hub to Edge’s
such as pressing Ctrl+Tab to cycle been updated for two years. So far, it’s Favourites bar for easy access to your
through your tabs from left to right, or shown us such famous works as Salvador PWAs, and sync your installed apps
Ctrl+1 to jump to the first tab, Ctrl+2 to Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory (see across all the PCs on which you’re signed
jump the second and so on. You can also screenshot above), Vincent Van Gogh’s into your Microsoft account.
use the shortcuts to rearrange tabs in The Starry Night and Jackson Pollock’s
Firefox, and they’re reportedly coming to One: Number 31, 1950.
Edge in version 103.
EDGE
CHROMIUM Install any website as a PWA
View works of art on Towards the end of last year, there
your New Tab page was lots of excitement about
Bring a bit of progressive web apps (PWAs). We even
culture to devoted a feature to the subject in Issue
your New Tab page by installing a new 619 (page 60). Since then, things have
extension called ‘New Tab with MoMA’ gone quieter on the PWA front, but the
(www.snipca.com/41955). This displays a latest version of Edge (102) should rectify

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 43

 Phone and Tablet Tips
ANDROID Currently, you can’t change the long-
Change your keyboard’s press delay on the iOS version of Gboard.
long-press delay
Android’s onscreen keyboard ANDROID
(Google’s excellent Gboard) has a Get your Android device
handy long-press menu that appears to read your texts aloud
when you hold down your finger on If you’ve ever heard that text
certain keys. Long-pressing one of the message ‘ping’ at a moment when
letters on the top row, for example, lets you’ve got your hands full – when you’re
you select a number instead. driving, for example – then you’ll know
But long-pressing can be tricky to get how useful it would be to have your
the hang of. If you’re typing quickly, for phone read your incoming messages
example, you may find the delay before aloud to you.
the long-press menu appears is slowing To do this, you’ll need the Google app iOS & iPadOS
you down and it’s easy to misjudge the (www.snipca.com/42003) and Google Stop podcasts taking up so
lag and end up making a typing error. Assistant (www.snipca.com/42004) on much space
Thankfully, you can adjust the length of your device – most recent Android The automatic download function of
this delay to suit your typing style. phones come with these installed. You Apple’s Podcasts app is very useful
Open any app that lets you use the can find out whether Google Assistant is because it means the latest episodes of
keyboard (such as Messages). Tap in the enabled by saying “Hey Google” or “Okay your favourite shows will be ready on
text entry box, then tap Settings (cog Google”. If Google Assistant is switched your device whenever you want to listen
icon) and select Preferences. Scroll down off, you’ll be prompted to switch it on at to them. However, it’s easy to end up
to the bottom and tap ‘Key long-press this point. Note that on some models, you with dozens of podcast episodes hogging
delay’. By default the delay is set to 300 may need to press the Home button valuable storage on your iPhone or iPad.
milliseconds (ms, 0.3 seconds), but you before issuing spoken commands. Among the features introduced in iOS
can use the slider (see screenshot below) Now, say “Okay Google, read my text 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 (released in May) is a
to set it to anything from 100-700ms messages”. The first time you do this, handy new setting that provides much
instead. Shorten or lengthen the delay as you’ll see a request for permission to more control over the way the Podcasts
required, then tap OK. ‘Allow your Assistant to read your app’s automatic downloads work,
notifications to you’. Tap OK and you’ll be potentially saving you masses of space.
taken to the ‘Device & app notifications’ To change these settings so they apply
settings screen. Tap Google here, then tap to all the podcasts in your library, tap
the slider next to ‘Allow notification Settings then Podcasts, then tap
access’ to enable it (see screenshot above Automatically Download. To change the
right), then tap Allow. Say “Okay Google, settings for a specific show, open the
read my text messages” again to hear any Podcast app, tap Library then the show
new messages read aloud. you want. Tap the menu icon (three dots)

BEST NEW APPS What you should install this fortnight

Gallery Slideshow Total War: Medieval II NowPlaying

Free £11.99 (Android); £12.99 (iOS) Free*
Android www.snipca.com/42031 Android www.snipca.com/42032 iOS www.snipca.com/42039
Gallery Slideshow effectively converts iOS www.snipca.com/42033 Shazam is a great app for identifying tunes
your phone or tablet into a digital picture If you like historical war-strategy games, you hear playing.
frame. Creating a slideshow is as simple this new mobile app of the classic PC game But since being
as selecting is an absolute must. Vie for supremacy of bought by Apple,
the images (or the Middle Ages through conquest, trade, it has become
albums) you want diplomacy or duplicity. Check the list of closely tied to the
and tapping play. supported devices in the app’s description company’s own
You can fine-tune to make sure your device can run it before music-streaming
transitions, add you buy. service. The new
music and more. version of rival app
Note, however, NowPlaying lets
that this app you open songs in
won’t save your Spotify as well. You
slideshow as a can also view lyrics,
video file. artist info and more.

*Contains in-app purchases

44 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Brilliant things to do on your device

to remove these.
Alternatively, you could disable access
to the Control Centre from the lock
screen altogether. Tap Settings, ‘Face ID &
Passcode’ (or ‘Touch ID & Passcode’ on
older models), then scroll down to Allow
Access When Locked and switch off the
Control Centre option (see screenshot
right). You’ll now notice that the small
line has vanished from your lock screen.

BEST APPS FOR... Cheaper supermarket shopping

in the top-right corner and select Settings,
then tap Automatically Download. ALDI UK
In both cases, the default setting is All Free
New Episodes, but to save storage, you Android www.snipca.com/42007
could limit this to, say, the ‘5 Latest iOS www.snipca.com/42008
Episodes’ (see screenshot above) or the Aldi’s mobile app lets you browse and
Last 24 Hours setting instead. Tap the save on the store’s reduced items and
setting you want and you’ll be prompted ‘Specialbuys’, which you can order via the
to remove older episodes, freeing up space. app or buy in person from your nearest
branch using the app’s store-finder tool.
iOS You won’t miss any bargains, thanks to its
Prevent people accessing calendar of current and looming sale dates.
private info on your lock screen You can also get notifications of upcoming
Ever noticed the short horizontal line discounts.
that appears under the mobile Best For Planning your shopping trips
network, wi-fi and battery icons in the
top right of the lock screen on an iPhone Sainsbury’s SmartShop
X or later? This is actually a handle you Free
can swipe down to open the Control Centre Android www.snipca.com/42009
on newer iPhones with Face ID. On older iOS www.snipca.com/42010
models, Control Centre is opened by With this app, you can use your phone
swiping up from the bottom of the screen. instead of in-store handsets to scan the
This provides a handy way to access items you bag up, then bypass the queues
frequently used settings and tools when by using the speedy SmartShop checkouts.
your device is locked – volume and It also lets you link your Nectar card, earn
brightness controls, airplane mode, points and unlock extra benefits, such as
media playback, torch and so on. But, coupons, Digital Nectar offers and more.
depending on how your Control Centre is Deals on frequently purchased items are
set up, it could allow anyone who picks automatically applied, so you won’t miss
up your device to access personal out on savings.
information and more. Best For Speedy shopping in store
For example, if you’ve enabled
HomeKit controls in your Control Centre, Lidl Plus
someone could gain access to your Free
web-connected ‘smart’ home devices. Android www.snipca.com/42005
People can also potentially view what iOS www.snipca.com/42006
music or podcasts you’ve listened to Think of the Lidl Plus app as a super-
recently, and add notes or record voice charged reward card. Download it and
memos (though your device would need register an account to receive exclusive
to be unlocked to access existing notes coupons that you can activate within the
and voice memos). app – scanning your digital Lidl Plus card
There are two solutions for this. at the checkout will apply your savings
You could tap Settings, Control Centre automatically. You also get in-app access to
and remove any options that might a digital version of Lidl’s weekly leaflet with
compromise your privacy. Next, you can further offers, and digital receipts to help
disable Show Home Controls to remove keep track of your spending.
access to smart-home devices, or tap the Best For Exclusive savings
red button next to Notes or Voice Memos
*Contains in-app purchases

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 45

 Make Windows Better Expert tips for every version

WINDOWS 10 & 11
WINDOWS 10 & 11
Change where your
screenshots are saved
When you take a Install new Quick Assist app
screenshot using
Windows key+PrtScr, it On 23 May Microsoft Once installed, search for the app via
is saved to C:\Users\[User Name]\ deactivated the built-in the Start menu to launch it (don’t press
Pictures\Screenshots. If you want to version of Quick Assist, the Ctrl+Win+Q shortcut). The tool works
change this to another folder, open File which allows people to remotely access the same as before, so either type the
Explorer (press Windows key+E or select another computer running Windows. code you’ve received 2 to let someone
it by right-clicking the Start button), then Press Ctrl+Win+Q to launch it and access your PC, or click ‘Assist another
navigate to This PC, followed by Pictures. you’ll be prompted instead to open the person’ 3 to remotely access another
Now right-click the Screenshots folder new version, available as an app from person’s machine. For more
and select Properties in the menu that the Microsoft Store. Microsoft said it instructions, read Microsoft’s updated
appears to bring up the Screenshots made this decision because it guidance: www.snipca.com/42050.
Properties box. You can now type the can release security updates
file path of the new save location for your more quickly through apps
screenshots ( 1 in our screenshot below), than programs.
or click Move 2 and navigate to the folder. If you don’t see the option
Click ‘Apply’ at the bottom to make the to open the Microsoft Store
change and you’ll be asked whether you when you press Ctrl+Win+Q, 2
want to move all your existing you should instead search for
screenshots to the new folder. You can Quick Assist by typing its
change back by clicking Restore Default. name in the Store. Click the 1
‘Get’ button to install it
(which then changes to
Open – 1 in our screenshot).
Note the tool’s new logo: two 3
overlapping blue screens,
replacing the old logo of two
white screens.

Assets heading and click

2 ‘ElevenClock.Installer.exe’.
1 2 2 Once it’s installed, click
the up arrow in your
taskbar, then right-click
1 the program’s icon (red
and black clock hands on
WINDOWS 10 & 11 a white background),
See PDF previews and then the slider next to ‘Enable PDF (.pdf) followed by ElevenClock Settings at the
thumbnails in File Explorer thumbnails’ on the right 2 . While you’re top. Now click the ‘Date & Time Settings’
File Explorer sometimes there, click the slider for ‘Enable PDF (. heading ( 1 in our screenshot below),
struggles to show pdf) preview’ to also see PDF previews in then tick ‘Show seconds on the clock’ 2 .
thumbnails of PDFs even File Explorer. You may need to reboot your You’ll now see the seconds appear on
if you’ve unticked the ‘Always show computer for these changes to take effect. your taskbar clock 3 .
icons, never thumbnails’ box – which you
can see by clicking the View tab at the WINDOWS 11
top, then double-clicking Options on the Add seconds to your taskbar
right, followed by the View tab in the box clock for free 1
that opens. Start11, one of the best
You’ll find one solution in Microsoft’s replacements for Windows 11’s
PowerToys suite of tools (if you’ve not Start menu, recently added the 2
downloaded it yet, visit www.snipca. option to show seconds on the clock that
com/42073 and click the ‘PowerToys appears in your taskbar. However, there’s
Setup-0.58.0-x64.exe’ link under the no free version of Start11 – prices start at 3
Assets heading, which was the latest £5.99 (www.snipca.com/42086).
version at the time of writing). Launch it, To add seconds for free, install
then click ‘File Explorer add-ons’ on the ElevenClock instead. Visit www.snipca.
left ( 1 in our screenshot above right), com/40346 then scroll down to the

46 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

Make Office Better Top tips for MS Office & LibreOffice

MICROSOFT WORD

Export your Quick Access Toolbar to another computer

After you’ve customised the all customizations’ 2 , then save
Quick Access Toolbar to add your toolbar on your computer as
the icons you want, you can an Exported Office UI file.
export it to another computer, so you
2 To import this file to another
can take the same commands with 1 computer, follow the above steps
you. We’ll explain how to do that but and this time choose ‘Import
first, if you’re not using the toolbar, customization file’ in the
right-click anywhere on the ribbon at dropdown menu, and navigate
the top then select ‘Show Quick Access to where it’s saved. Note that
Toolbar Above the Ribbon’. You’ll see when you import the
the toolbar appear to the top right of You can also click More Commands to customization, it will replace your
your document. bring up the Word Options panel, where current toolbar setup. If you think
Now customise it by clicking the you can add further options, including that you might want to revert to the
down arrow to the right of the icons cut and paste. customization you currently have, you
( 1 in our screenshot) and ticking/ Once you’ve finished, click the Import/ should export it before importing a
unticking the tasks shown in the menu. Export dropdown menu, choose ‘Export new one.

LIBREOFFICE CALC & Extensions Manager, then restart

MICROSOFT EXCEL Calc. 2 3
Get a pop-up calendar for your Now select a cell you want to add
spreadsheet a date to, then hold down the Ctrl
Instead of typing dates into key and right-click. You’ll see the
1
spreadsheet cells, you can calendar pop up, with today’s date
use a LibreOffice extension in red ( 1 in our screenshot below
to insert them from a pop-up box. left), though alternatively you can
To do this, you’ll need to install the click the Today button at the bottom 4
calCalc add-on from LibreOffice’s 2 . Click the left and right arrows at
Extensions site. Visit www.snipca. the top 3 to skip to a different
com/42001, then click the first green month. Simply click the date you
Download button and save it on your need to insert it. appear in the document (‘Location’ 3 ).
computer. When you first open the For Excel, try the WinCalendar To go to one, select it then click ‘Go to’ 4 .
extension, you’ll see it being added to extension (www.snipca.com/42002). When
LibreOffice’s Extensions Manager. Click you’ve installed it, click the WinCalendar OUTLOOK.COM
‘Add’ at the bottom, navigate to the file tab at the top of your spreadsheet, Delete your search history
you saved, then double-click it. Close the followed by Show WinCalendar. This will Microsoft keeps a history of all
make the extension float above your the searches you make in
spreadsheet. You can also make it appear Outlook.com. If you’re not keen
by pressing Ctrl+Shift+C. on this, you can delete it with a few clicks.
First, click the top-right Settings cog, then
ONLYOFFICE ‘View all Outlook settings’ at the bottom.
Insert and order your bookmarks Now click General on the left ( 1 in our
You can insert bookmarks in screenshot below), followed by ‘Privacy
OnlyOffice documents, just as and data’ 2 then ‘Delete history’ 3 and
3 you can in LibreOffice Writer Continue to confirm. You’ll see there’s
and Microsoft Word. Click where you another option – to export your search
want the bookmark to appear, then history as a spreadsheet 4 . Click this, and
click References at the top, followed by your history will be saved as a CSV file.
Bookmark. Name the bookmark (it can’t 3
contain spaces – it’s OnlyOffice 1 in our 1
screenshot above right), then click Add
1 2
and you’ll see it listed in the ‘Sort by’
menu below. You can show
your bookmarks so they’re 2
alphabetically listed (‘Name’
2 ), or in the order they
4

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 47

 In The Club
Run a club or society? Here's how your tech can make it easier

Make charts that automatically update

G oogle Slides is an excellent (and free)
presentation tool. It doesn’t limit you
to only showing data that you’ve added to
the slides – you can also create graphs
using data stored in Google Sheets (ie,
from a spreadsheet). For our example,
we want to keep a tally of team scores in 1
an ongoing weekly pub quiz.
There are several ways of doing this,
but the best is to make the chart
‘dynamic’ – one that automatically
pulls in the latest data. That way, we only 2
need to create the chart and slide once –
it will then update itself without any
intervention from us.

Create a Sheet with data

The easiest way to open Slides is to sign 3
into your Google account, by visiting
www.google.co.uk, clicking the ‘Google
apps’ icon top right (nine small dots),
then the yellow Slides icon. Now click the Follow these steps to insert your Sheet into Slides
blank slide at the top, under ‘Start a new
presentation’. Repeat this process by selecting the other spreadsheet’ box ticked. This guarantees
There are two options for creating a bar colours. that any changes we make in our Google
chart: you can select Insert, then Chart The clever thing about Google Sheets is Sheets file will be replicated in the Slide.
and choose one of the predefined options that the graph will automatically expand Finally, we click Import.
– Bar, Column, Line or Pie. This will the more data we add. For example, add Our chart is then imported into Sheets,
insert a chart with dummy data, stored in Week 5 to the bottom of the data along letting us resize and place it wherever we
a newly created Sheets file, which you with Week 5’s scores and these will want. Once you’ve done this, click the
can edit. appear instantly in the chart. chain icon (top right of the chart – 1 in
For our purpose, a better option is to screenshot below) for a menu of useful
import an existing chart, which means Insert your Sheet into Slides options, including ‘Open source’ 2 which
we need to first create a new Sheets file. Now we’ve made our chart, we go back to opens the raw data in the Google Sheets
In the new file, from cell B2 going down, our Slides file and select Insert, Chart, file – providing a quick way of editing the
we insert the week number of the quiz: From Sheets ( 1 in our screenshot above). data. The ‘Unlink’ option 3 removes the
Week 1, Week 2 and so on. Then from cell We choose our Sheets file from the list 2 link to the spreadsheet, turning the chart
B1, running horizontally, we insert the then click Select 3 . On the next page, we into a fixed one, so the data won’t update
teams’ names. Their scores are then choose our chart and leave the ‘Link to automatically. If you choose this option,
entered into the cells in the table. you’ll need to click the
Next, we highlight all the data to select 4 Update button 4 to ensure
it, then click Insert, followed by Chart. the latest data in your
This adds a column chart to our Sheet, Sheet also appears in your
but we change this by selecting ‘Bar presentation.
chart’ from the ‘Chart type’ dropdown
menu. We also double-click the default 1
name (Team 1, Team 2 and Team 3) and
entered the name ‘Pub quiz scores’. 3
If you want to show the scores on the
chart, click a bar of one colour (for Click the chain icon for
2 options including Unlink,
example, blue), then click the ‘Data which stops your Slide being
labels’ option in the ‘Chart editor’ sidebar. automatically updated

48 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633 Next issue: Create 60-second club videos using YouTube Shorts
What’s All the
Fuss About...
Broad deployment
Windows 11 is now ready for mass consumption, but do you want it?
What is it?
Microsoft’s rather dull way of describing
that a version of Windows (or an update
to it) has become reliable enough for
anyone to install. In the most recent case,
that’s Windows 11. Microsoft announced
it on 17 May, seven months after the
operating system was released.

Why has it taken so long?

Because Microsoft used a staggered
release that prioritised computers best
suited to run Windows 11. The more
powerful your computer, the earlier
Microsoft would have deemed it was
capable of handling the operating system
without problems. If it thought your
machine wasn’t up to scratch, it would
have imposed a ‘safeguard hold’ to
prevent you from installing the system.
you’ll see it available on this page.” If so, needs to be updated by its developer to
Is that anything to worry about? click ‘Learn more’ (see screenshot below become compatible with a part of the
Not really. It just means Microsoft thinks left) and you’ll be given details about any operating system.
your computer would respond badly to specific safeguard holds that apply to However, if your computer doesn’t have
Windows 11, causing problems such as your computer. At the moment there’s the technical requirements to run the
“rollback of the update, data loss, loss of only one safeguard hold in place. system – by lacking TPM 2.0, say, or
connectivity, or loss of key functionality” having less than 64GB storage (see the
(see www.snipca.com/42025). Better safe How do you know that? full list at www.snipca.com/42026) –
than sorry, in other words. Because Microsoft lists them at www. then you won’t even get as far as a
snipca.com/42023. Scroll down and safeguard hold.
Can I check whether I have a you’ll see they’ve all been ‘resolved’ or
safeguard hold? ‘mitigated’ except a problem relating to Do I have to upgrade to
Yes. Press Windows key+I to open Intel’s Smart Sound Technology processor Windows 11?
Settings, then click ‘Update & Security’ which handles audio and voice in No. Microsoft won’t force it on you, and
followed by Windows Update in the Windows 11. Microsoft recommends you will continue to support Windows 10
menu on the left. You may see in the contact your computer’s manufacturer if until 14 October, 2025 (a Tuesday, in case
middle an option to upgrade to Windows this is preventing you from upgrading. you were wondering).
11. If not, you may instead see this
message: “Upgrade to Window 11 is on its Are safeguard holds the same But should I upgrade?
way to your device. There is nothing that as technical specifications? That’s trickier to answer. We think
requires your attention at the moment. No, and this is a crucial point. If you get a Windows 11 is a great operating system,
Once the update is ready for your device, safeguard hold, it means your computer but if you’re happy with Windows 10
has the technical then it’s probably not enough of an
requirements to run improvement to justify upgrading – at
Windows 11, but there’s least, not yet. That might change with
something else holding it up the release of the system’s first Feature
– most likely a driver that update (22H2), due this autumn, which
hopefully will add folders to the Start
menu, drag-and-drop to the taskbar, and
maybe even tabs to File Explorer. Wait
Has Microsoft given you a
safeguard hold? Click ‘Learn until then and you’ll be installing a better
more’ to find out why operating system. Broadly speaking.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 49

 COVER FEATURE

Some PC jobs are just too important to keep putting

off, so you need to know the best programs to
execute them correctly. Nik Rawlinson recommends
16 that you should learn

W
e all know the kind of ‘boring there are lots of things in life we should We’ve highlighted 16 tasks that you’ll
but useful’ tasks we should do, but don’t. One of the reasons we put probably have attempted in the past,
carry out regularly on our off such PC tasks is not knowing the best perhaps with mixed results because the
computers: backing up, program to use. That’s a problem we aim programs were too difficult to use. We
syncing, eradicating junk and so on. But to fix in this feature. start with tools that help you manage
your files: removing, renaming, searching
for and converting them. Once that’s
SOFTWARE WE RECOMMEND FOR EACH TASK done, we move on to security – or, more
specifically, encryption. You’ll learn how
1 TreeSize Free www.snipca.com/42021 10 SeaTools www.snipca.com/42061 to hide files behind passwords, and even
2 Bulk Rename Utility 11 WhatInStartup inside other files.
www.snipca.com/42022 www.snipca.com/42062 Backing up and syncing comes next,
3 SearchMyFiles 12 Acrylic Wi-Fi followed by tools to keep your computer
www.snipca.com/42024 www.snipca.com/42064 running smoothly: cleaning memory,
4 Handbrake www.snipca.com/42027 13 Wireless Network Watcher analysing hard drives and uninstalling
5 VeraCrypt www.snipca.com/42040 www.snipca.com/42076 programs that launch when you boot.
6 OpenPuff www.snipca.com/42041 14 aText www.snipca.com/42081 We then recommend Wi-Fi programs for
7 Synchredible www.snipca.com/42053 15 SharpKeys www.snipca.com/42082 optimising your network – including
8 Folder2Iso www.snipca.com/42052 16 X-Mouse Button Control kicking off anyone stealing your signal –
9 Mem Reduct www.snipca.com/42059 www.snipca.com/42084 before finishing with clever tricks to
perform with your keyboard and mouse.

50 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 MANAGE YOUR FILES LIKE AN EXPERT

1 Find and remove

space-hogging files
The excellent program TreeSize Free
TreeSize Free
found 125GB
of old files that
we can safely
can help you find and delete files you’ve remove
lost track of and have outlived their
usefulness. Download the ‘TreeSizeFree-
Portable.zip’ file from www.snipca. 1
com/42021, unzip it, then right-click 2
‘TreeSizeFree.exe’ and choose ‘Run as
administrator’ so it can scan folders that
would otherwise be locked.
Click ‘Select Directory’, then ‘This PC’ 3
in the File Explorer sidebar, followed by
C:. Now click Select Folder, and TreeSize
Free will scan your entire drive, and order
your folders by size, with the largest first. In Windows 11, click Apps, followed by add a sequential number to the end of
Much of what it finds will be Windows Installed Apps, then click the three dots each file name. You can preview your
system files, so be careful what you beside any you want to remove, followed changes in real time in the main pane.
remove. Expand the Users folder, and by Uninstall. When you’ve finished, click Rename to
your own folder inside it, then explore process your selected files.
the directories within. As you can see
from our screenshot, where we’re
working our way through the ‘nik’ user
2 Rename all your files in one go
Your camera or smartphone labels
every picture with a prefix and serial 3 Search for missing files
When you’ve been working on a
folder 1 we have more than 125GB of old number. This ensures new pictures don’t document but lost track of where you
files sitting in the Downloads folder 2 , overwrite old ones, but does nothing to saved it, you need to be able to search for
many of which can be removed. help you tell them apart. Renaming it without using its name.
This includes four versions of the batches of pictures so they’re more NirSoft’s powerful SearchMyFiles
Raspberry Pi operating system, occupying recognisable will help you search for (www.snipca.com/42024) does the job.
almost 11GB 3 , that we installed several them later. When you run it, use the box that
years ago. To delete a file, right-click it, Install Bulk Rename Utility (www. appears to tell the program as much as
then click Delete in the context menu. snipca.com/42022), launch it, then in the you can about the file you’re looking for.
Also check the ‘Program Files and top-left pane navigate to the folder In our screenshot below, we’ve told it to
‘Program Files (x86)’ folders for containing the images you want to only search our user folder 1 , and selected
particularly large sub-folders containing rename ( 1 in our screenshot below) ‘No’ for every option in the Attributes
software you no longer use. Rather than Select these images in the main pane 2 , box 2 , so we don’t get an enormous list of
delete these directly through TreeSize then use the fields below to implement system files. Finally, we know that the file
Free, though, you can uninstall them via your changes. We’re using the Remove we want to find was created within the
Windows. In Windows 10, open Settings option to strip out the first eight last two weeks, so we’ve specified 14 days
(press Windows key+I), then click Apps, characters 3 , which deletes everything in the File Time box 3 .
followed by ‘Apps & features’ on the left. before the ‘.JPG’ file extension, then Add When you’ve given as much information
Now, in the middle pane, click an app you to prefix the new filename with ‘Blackpool as you can, click Start Search to scour
want to remove, then click Uninstall. Trip June 2020 -’ 4 and Numbering 5 to your selected folders for your missing file.
Use Bulk Rename 1
Utility to re-label
your images in one
batch and see the
changes as they
happen 2

2
3 4
5
3
6
Tell SearchMyFiles where on your computer
to look for missing files

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 51

 4 Convert video files to
modern formats
You should always make sure you
1

convert your videos to modern formats

because older formats will fall out of use,
meaning you (and younger generations)
won’t be able to play them in the future.
Handbrake (www.snipca.com/42027)
lets you convert multiple videos
3
simultaneously, saving you the time it
would take to change each video’s
format individually. 2
Collect your videos into a single folder,
then launch the program and drag the
folder on to the home screen to add its
contents to a queue. Use the dropdown
menu beside Preset ( 1 in our screenshot)
to select a format, and optionally click the
Dimensions tab 2 to crop, add borders Handbrake lets you choose a format, dimension and resolution for a batch of videos
and change resolution 3 .
When you’ve finished making your videos to the processing queue, then click chosen settings. By default, they are saved
adjustments, press Alt+A to add the Start Queue to encode them using your in the Videos folder inside your User folder.

KEEP YOUR FILES SECURE AND PRIVATE

5 Encrypt a locker of files

Whether it contains personal finances
or a list of passwords, there’s nothing
navigate to the folder where you want to
save your encrypted files. Type a name
for your encrypted locker in the ‘File
VeraCrypt home screen, with the drive
letter you chose earlier still selected. Click
‘Select File…’, then navigate to and open
suspicious about encrypting a file to name’ box, then click Save. the locker you just created, then click
avoid disclosing its contents. Indeed, if Click ‘Next’ twice, then specify how Mount 2 . Enter the password you
you plan to email that file, you could much space you’d like to devote to your specified, then click OK.
argue that encrypting it using a program locker. The more space you assign it, the Your encrypted locker will be unlocked
like VeraCrypt (www.snipca.com/42040) more files you can store in it. If you’re and show up in Windows File Explorer,
is prudent. It scrambles files or folders only going to encrypt a handful of where it will behave like a regular drive.
using random algorithms, secured by a documents, make your locker just a Drag the files and folders that you want to
password. little larger than their combined size. encrypt into it and, when you’ve finished,
Launch VeraCrypt, then select a drive We’re making a locker for some Word return to VeraCrypt and click Dismount.
letter in the top panel. It doesn’t matter documents, so have only given it 50MB The locker will be removed from File
which one you choose because none of (see screenshot below left). Explorer, and can’t be reopened without
the options are used by any media Click ‘Next’ and provide a password to mounting it again and providing the
attached to your computer – the letter is encrypt and decrypt the locker. Click password.
just used to mount the encrypted locker ‘Next’ again, then start moving your
you’re about to create. Click ‘Create
Volume’, then leave ‘Create an encrypted
file container’ selected and click Next
cursor randomly. This is what creates the
algorithm that scrambles your file. When
the bar at the bottom of the window is
6Hide files inside other files
Steganography is a technique that
lets you hide one file inside another – like
twice. When you reach the Volume full ( 1 in our screenshot below right), a document inside an image. The image
Location screen, click ‘Select File…’, then click Format. You’ll be returned to the can still be opened, as usual, but only

We devoted 50MB to our VeraCrypt locker containing a handful of

Word documents As VeraCrypt encrypts your file you’ll see the bar at the bottom fill up

52 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

those who know there’s another file
hidden inside will be able to extract it
and read its contents.
The tool you need to do this is called
OpenPuff (www.snipca.com/42041 –
click ‘Download binary for Windows/
Linux’ at the top of the page). Install and 1
launch it, then click Hide on the first
screen. Enter three unrelated words in 2
the three boxes top left ( 1 in our
screenshot) to create a password, then
click Browse 2 and select the file you 4
want to hide. Finally, click Add 3 and
choose the image or images you want to
hide your file inside. Your image(s) must 3
be larger than the file you want to hide
inside it. The red box at the bottom won’t
turn green 4 until you’ve chosen a large
enough image, or added enough smaller
images to accommodate your file. Enter three unrelated words as your password in OpenPuff then select your file
Finally, click ‘Hide Data!’ and choose
the folder where you want to save it. This To extract your hidden file, launch created when hiding your file.
way, OpenPuff can create a new copy of OpenPuff again, but this time click If you used more than one image,
your image and its hidden contents, so Unhide on the first screen. Enter the make sure you select them in the same
the original won’t be amended. The result same three words you used for your order here. Now click ‘Unhide!’ and
can be opened for viewing – as an image password, then click Add Carriers and specify where you want the extracted
– in a regular image viewer. select the output image (or images) file to be saved.

BACK UP AND SYNCHRONISE BETTER

7 Synchronise your folders

Synchronising folders means you’ll
always have a current copy of your
files that you can disconnect and take
with you should you need to work
away from your main machine. You can
set up synchronisation using the free
personal edition of Synchredible
(www.snipca.com/42053). 2 3
Make sure your external drive is
connected and, on the first screen, select 1
the folder you want to back up by
clicking the folder icon below Folder 1,
and the folder to which you want to
synchronise its contents by clicking the
folder icon below Folder 2. We’re
synchronising our Documents folder
to an empty external drive, which is
connected as D:( 1 in our screenshot).
Click ‘Next’, then specify how the
synchronisation should be handled. You
can sync just from Folder 1 to Folder 2 by
clicking the left-hand tick box 2 . If you Either tick one box to sync in one direction, or both to keep them fully synchronised
do, any file you add to or delete from
Folder 1 will be added to or deleted from how online-storage services like Dropbox filter’ in the dropdown menu. Specify the
Folder 2, but anything you do to Folder 2 behave, so we’ve ticked both boxes. extension (such as *.iso to exclude all files
will have no effect on Folder 1. Ticking Click ‘Next’ twice, then optionally with an iso extension) or folder (such as
only the right-hand box 3 does the specify whether Synchredible should /backups/ for a backups folder inside
opposite, so operations you perform on ignore any specified file types, such as Folder 1, if it exists) that you want to
Folder 2 will be reflected in Folder 1. large downloads that would quickly eat exclude.
However, we want to keep the folders into your available space. Click the Exclude Click ‘Next’ again, then expand the
fully synchronised at all times, which is tab, followed by Add, then select ‘Manual ‘Synchronization on changes’ section

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 53

and tick the boxes beside both
‘Synchronization on changes in folder 1’
and ‘Synchronization on changes in
folder 2’ boxes to enable real-time
monitoring. Any amendments you make
to your files will now be immediately
reflected in the synchronised folder.
Click ‘Next’ twice, followed by Apply.
Finally, click ‘Execute task’ to perform
your first synchronisation. This will take
longer than subsequent syncs, which
only copy across changes. Even so, our
initial synchronisation of 633 files
completed in less than two minutes. You
can now close the Synchredible window
and the program will continue running
in the background. Click ‘Generate ISO’ to save your files as an ISO using Folder2Iso

8Back up files as ISOs

ISO files are virtual disks. Creating
one when backing up a folder ensures
download Folder2Iso. When it’s arrived,
double-click the file to expand it, then
launch the ‘Folder2Iso.exe’ file from the
(see screenshot) and wait for the
process to complete (it took around
20 seconds for the 633 files in our
its contents exactly match the source /folder2iso/ folder inside your Downloads Documents folder), then check that
material when re-opened, complete with folder. it’s made an accurate copy of your
its original sub-folder structure. You don’t Click ‘Select Folder’ and choose the originals by navigating to the ISO file,
need any special software to read an ISO, folder you want to back up, then click double-clicking it, and selecting File
but you do need a free program like Select Output and navigate to the location Explorer when Windows asks how you
Folder2ISO to create one. where you want to save the ISO file. Give want to open it. It should mount as a
Click the OneDrive link half way down the ISO a name in the ‘File name’ box, new drive (E: in our case), masquerading
the page at www.snipca.com/42052 to and click Save. Next, click ‘Generate ISO’ as a CD ROM.

READER OFFER!
Buy Windows 11 Pro ADD A
DISC FOR
for just £79.99! £5.95
In this special offer you can buy
Windows 11 Pro for just £79.99 –
that’s £140 cheaper than
Microsoft’s full price of £219.99.

To buy Windows 11 Pro, visit

www.snipca.com/41588 and
click the red Buy Now button
on the right.
JUST SO YOU KNOW…
This offer can be used by one person only, and expires at midnight
on 21 June, 2022. It’s a lifetime licence for one computer.
 KEEP YOUR PC RUNNING SMOOTHLY

9 Clean up PC memory
The quickest way to free up
memory when you start running
random areas, while the ‘2-minute
Generic Test’ limits the number of spots it
checks to reduce the working time.
short is to reboot, but that Should the tests reveal any problems,
interrupts your work and requires 1 immediately make a complete backup of
you to save your work and quit your drive (or at least your User folder if
every program you’re running. you only want to secure your data and
A better alternative is to use not your programs) before exploring the
memory-cleaning software to Fix All menu. This has two options: Fix
work out which data your memory All Short and Fix All Long, which both
chips no longer need to retain, 2 perform a thorough check of every sector
and clear it out. and, when they find a problem, carry out
Mem Reduct does this by a fix or move the data in that location to
using features that are difficult an alternative spot on the drive. The ‘Fix
for users to access. Visit www. All Long’ option is well-named, with
snipca.com/42059 then click Seagate’s documentation advising that it
‘memreduct-3.4-setup.exe’ to 3 can’t be interrupted and may take as long
download it. It should launch as one hour per terabyte to complete.
automatically once it has installed We were using 57 per cent of our physical memory
to show how much physical and
virtual memory you have – and
how much is free.
before running Mem Reduct

www.snipca.com/42061 then work

11 Disable your startup items
Limiting the number of programs
that run when your PC starts means your
Of our 7.85GB physical memory, we through the instructions. memory and processor capacity can be
were using 57 per cent ( 1 in our Once it’s up and running, you’ll see a devoted more fully to the software you’re
screenshot above right) when we first ran list of all the drives installed in your PC. actively using. It can also reduce the time
Mem Reduct, along with 38 per cent of Start by selecting the one you want to it takes to get Windows ready for action.
our 11.9GB of virtual memory . After
2 analyse, clicking Quick Tests (see WhatInStartup (www.snipca.
clicking ‘Clean memory’ , the virtual
3 screenshot below left) just below the com/42062) reveals which programs your
memory figure remained the same, but Health tab, and picking Short Self Test. PC runs automatically, and lets you
the figure for physical memory dropped This tests all aspects of how the drive is switch them off. Select one that you don’t
to 25 per cent. We recouped just over working, but doesn’t perform any need and press F7 to disable it. As you can
2.5GB of usable memory that our active random tests on the read/write area itself. see from our screenshot below, we’ve
programs could put to good use. It took around three minutes to complete disabled seven programs on our PC –
this test on our internal Intel NVMe SSD. highlighted in grey, with ‘Yes’ listed in

10 Analyse your hard drive

As the place where you store all
your photos and files, it’s important you
For a more thorough test, click Extended
Tests and choose one of the options. The
‘Long Drive Self Test’ goes beyond the
the Disabled column.
You can easily re-enable a program by
selecting it then pressing F8. If you want
keep your hard drive healthy. SeaTools, Short Self Test by performing limited to take more drastic action, press Ctrl+Del
from Seagate, works with any brand of checks of random sectors of the drive’s to remove a program from the startup list
hard drive or SSD, and can help you to data storage surfaces to check that they entirely. The software itself won’t be
monitor its condition. Click ‘SeaTools 5 aren’t corrupted. The ‘Long Generic Test’ deleted, but it will stop running when
(Windows)’ in the Downloads section at checks every sector, rather than just Windows starts.

SeaTools took three minutes to run the Short Self Test on our internal Intel Disable any program in WhatInStartup and it will be highlighted
NVMe SSD in grey

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 55

 GET BETTER Wi-Fi AT HOME

12 Choose the right

Wi-Fi network
Even the most basic of modern routers
is capable of hosting two networks
simultaneously. One usually runs at
2.4GHz, while the other runs at 5GHz,
with the former being slower but
spreading further, and the latter
providing better performance, but
degrading more quickly as it passes
through walls and floors. Often, choosing
between them depends on where you’re
going to use the connection, more than it
does on the specs of the router itself.
When faced with the task of choosing
the best network, you might immediately
go for the fastest option, but that’s not
always the right choice. A network’s
stated speed will be a measure of the We checked the unnamed device at 10.0.0.17 and discovered it was one of our Wi-Fi boosters
maximum rate supported by the router,
and you’ll only ever see that kind of
performance if the signal reaches your PC
under optimal conditions. It will rarely
how strong the signal is at your current
location. Although we own both the
Brecqhou-5G2 2 and Ovingo 3 networks
13 Check if someone is
stealing your Wi-Fi
If your Wi-Fi starts feeling sluggish, or
do that (see page 25 to learn why). (and most of the others), we prefer not to you’re on a capped broadband contract
Acrylic Wi-Fi (www.snipca.com/42064 use Brecqhou-5G2, despite it supporting and frequently approaching or exceeding
– click ‘Download for Windows’ in the a higher maximum speed, because the your bandwidth limit, an unauthorised
‘Free download’ box to the left) helps you graph suggests average performance, while device might have piggybacked on to
choose the best network to use in any Signal Quality, in the status bars, is almost your network.
location. It does this by visualising not exactly half way between best and worst. The simplest solution to this problem is
only its speed, but also the quality of the Ovingo, however, while supporting a to change your network password, via the
signal at that location in your home. lower maximum speed, has full bars for router’s configuration pages, but doing so
When you’ve installed it, click Acrylic both Signal Quality and Transmission disconnects all the devices you’ve
Wi-Fi Home from the list of options on Speed 4 , and a line that consistently authorised yourself – not just computers
the program’s home page. cuts a higher path on the graph - see the and tablets but also any ‘smart’ devices
Click the Max Speed column header ( 1 green line 5 . The higher signal quality you have around the home. Reconnecting
in our screenshot below) twice to order suggests that we’ll get a more reliable them can be a time-consuming business
the networks with the fastest at the top. connection even though the theoretical that you want to avoid if you can.
If it’s one of your own, click it, and check maximum speed supported by that NirSoft’s Wireless Network Watcher
the status bars and graph below to see network is lower. (www.snipca.com/42076) lists all the
devices connected to your
1 router, so you can check them
and – if you recognise them all
– avoid the hassle of changing
your password. As well as
device names, and details of
2 who made the network adapter
in each one, it shows their IP
3 addresses, which sometimes
link through to a configuration
of information screen if typed
into a browser. Thus, where
5 our network is hosting an
unnamed device at 10.0.0.17
(see screenshot above), for
example, typing that into a
4 browser leads us to the login
screen for a wireless network
booster that we know is ours.
It’s therefore not a threat and
We’ve chosen the Ovingo network because while the speed is lower, it’s more reliable we know we can ignore it.

56 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 DO CLEVER THINGS WITH YOUR KEYBOARD & MOUSE

14 Type long phrases

instantly
How many times this year have you
on the scroll wheel of a tilting mouse. In
our case, our laptop also emulates this
function when we swipe left or right with
signed off an email with an identical turn two fingers on the trackpad. This may be
of phrase? You can use aText (www. dependent on your laptop, so check your
snipca.com/42081) to stop this becoming own trackpad to see whether yours does
Use aText to create snippets you type to
tiresome by defining snippets that, when trigger longer phrases the same.
typed, are instantly replaced by much Download XMBC by clicking the ‘Latest
longer phrases. Key 2 below the left-hand column and version’ link (top left) at www.snipca.
So, for example, to save you typing press the key you want to change. Now com/42084. Open the download and work
‘thank you very much’ a dozen times a click Type Key below the right-hand through the installer, leaving everything
day, you could create a new snippet for column 3 and press the key you want it at its default setting. Now click the dropdown
that phrase and attach the abbreviation to emulate. Click OK 4 , followed by menu below Tilt Wheel Left and select
‘tyvm’ (see screenshot above right). Every ‘Write to Registry’, then click OK, log out ‘Simulated Keys: (undefined)’ ( 1 in our
time you typed tyvm, it would be of Windows, and reboot your computer screenshot below). Click the dropdown
swapped for the complete sentence. You for your changes to take effect. menu at the top right of the following
can create both plain text and rich text To return a button to its original function, screen 2 , hover over the Modifier Keys
snippets – the latter can include images open SharpKeys again, select the changed sub-menu, and click Alt on the menu
and formatting. key in the list on the opening screen, and that appears. Click the same button, hover
click Delete. Click ‘Write to Registry’ over Direction Keys, then click Left 3 .

15 Change what certain keys do

If your volume buttons have
stopped working, or you want to disable
again to save your changes, and reboot
your machine for them to take effect.
Finally, click OK 4 . Windows will now
interpret a sideways press to the left on
the tilting mouse wheel as an Alt+left key
the Caps Lock key so you don’t hit it by
accident when reaching for Shift, use
SharpKeys to ‘remap’ your keyboard’s
16 Browse the web quickly
with your mouse
If you’re anything like us, your hand will
combination.
Repeat the above process, this time for
the dropdown menu below Tilt Wheel
behaviour, changing what a certain key rarely leave your mouse when browsing Right, and select Right when choosing a
does. the web, even though common shortcuts button from the Direction Keys menu.
Download it by clicking the like Alt+left and Alt+right can be used in Click Apply.
‘sharpkeys394.msi’ link at www.snipca. many browsers for going back and forth Test your new setting by opening a
com/42082, then launch the file and through a tab’s browsing history. browser window and navigating to a page
work through the installer screens. X-Mouse Button Control (XMBC) can of your choice. Now tilt the central wheel
Click ‘Add’ ( 1 in our screenshot below) help here. We’re going to use it to reprogram of your mouse to the left to navigate back
to remap your first key, then click Type what happens when we press left or right to the previous page.

2
1
3
4 1
2
3
4
We used XMBC to change what a left- and right-click does on the
SharpKeys can change what certain keys do when you press them scroll wheel of a tilting mouse

ON SALE
NEXT ISSUE On sale Wednesday 22 June Weds
22
PLUS June

Hack YouTube
Every trick to make it work better (and that
• Drag and drop like an expert
Secret tips you need to master
• Fix a broken keyboard
might annoy Google) Replace letters & change settings

Subscribe to Computeractive at www.getcomputeractive.co.uk

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 57

 Clean your PC with
BleachBit
(and stop using
CCleaner)
BleachBit is our new favourite
PC-cleaning software, but which
of its powerful tools do you
need to use? Jonathan Parkyn
explains basic, moderate and
advanced cleaning strategies

T
here was a time when the Clean button will run all the cleaning about your system and activity. The same
release of a new version of tools you’ve selected. goes for ‘Memory dump’, which shows
CCleaner would have got us the contents of your RAM when your PC
quite excited. But version 6.0 of BASIC CLEANING crashes, and could contain sensitive info.
the program (www.snipca.com/41984) Remove Windows junk ‘MUICache’ refers to your computer’s
doesn’t have us reaching for the Windows has its own built-in junk list of previously run programs – cleaning
‘Download’ button. As we explained in cleaner (Storage Sense), but BleachBit’s this isn’t essential and won’t regain much
Issue 627’s Cover Feature (‘Stop Using tools (under the System heading, 1 in our space, but can be a good way to prevent
Rubbish Software’, page 51), the free screenshot below) are much more others from seeing what you’ve been
BleachBit (www.bleachbit.org) has forensic, letting you remove digital debris doing. Similarly, running the ‘Prefetch’
supplanted Piriform’s once-mighty from the deepest recesses of the tool will erase the contents of a Windows
program as our current system-cleaning operating system. On our test PC, for cache file that makes loading frequently
tool of choice. It’s packed with powerful example, BleachBit erased a further used programs and files faster. Cleaning
features for every type of user, whether 2.76GB of Windows junk that Storage this may actually slow down some
you want to free up space by clearing out Sense couldn’t remove 2 . functions, so only select this if you want
junk files, or dive deeper to clean your Some of the System options are to delete this information for privacy
entire system and protect your privacy. self-explanatory: ‘Clipboard’ purges the reasons.
However, with so many options it’s not clipboard, ‘Recycle bin’ empties your ‘Custom’ lets you specify a file or folder
easy to know which ones you need to trash, and so on. ‘Logs’ deletes old system that you want to clean – ignore this
select to perform the kind of clean that’s logs – these won’t take up huge amounts unless you have a specific reason to use it.
suitable for you. Here, we split your of space (about 14MB in our case) but can We’ll be looking at the ‘Free disk space’
options into three tiers: basic, moderate be worth erasing if you’re concerned option later. The other option worth
and advanced. about privacy, as they contain information ticking is ‘Update uninstallers’. This
But first, a note on BleachBit’s interface, cleans out the uninstaller files for
which is split into two panes. On the left, 1 Windows Updates. These can take up a
you’ll see a selection of categories and fair amount of space (895MB in our case)
programs – clicking the arrow next to and it’s unlikely you’ll ever need them.
each one will reveal or hide their selection
of cleaning tools. Clicking on the category Make BleachBit easier to see
heading itself will show a description of For reasons known only to its developers,
each tool in the right-hand pane.
2 BleachBit defaults to a dark interface with
Tick the box next to any of the cleaning white text on a dark-grey background,
tools and you may be shown a warning if which can make it somewhat hard to
it’s likely to have any significant effect on read. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to
your system. Click the Preview button to fix this. Click the BleachBit menu icon
see how much hard-drive space your We removed data and recovered 2.76GB that (in the top-left corner) then select
selected options will free up. Clicking the Windows Storage Sense couldn’t Preferences. In the window that opens,

60 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

click the General tab and untick the ‘Dark Permanently
mode’ box. wipe a specific
file by clicking
BleachBit’s
MODERATE CLEANING icon then
Remove backup and selecting
temporary files Shred Files
For a more thorough system clean,
consider the options listed under ‘Deep
scan’. Here, ‘Backup files’ and ‘Temporary
files’ (see screenshot right) will remove
BleachBit’s ‘Deep scan’ removes backup and
.bak and .tmp files generated by Windows temporary files generated by Windows and
and programs (don’t worry – it won’t the programs you use
delete your own backup files). ‘Thumbs.
db’ and ‘.DS_Store’ will erase any especially if you share your PC with and folders in Windows doesn’t erase
unnecessary metadata. The two ‘VIM others. them entirely – and with the right
swap’ options will clear out data held in software it may be possible for someone
virtual memory. Running these ‘Deep Delete File Explorer activity else to recover deleted data. But not if you
scan’ tools may not recover a huge File Explorer holds information that use BleachBit’s shredder to permanently
amount of space, however – only 235MB would allow others to see which files and wipe files and folders.
on our test machine – and the process folders you’ve recently used or searched To shred a specific file, click the
can take a while. for. To clean this data, click the arrow BleachBit menu icon in the top left and
next to Windows Explorer in BleachBit select Shred Files (see screenshot above).
Wipe ‘recently used’ programs and select ‘Most recently used’, ‘Search Now browse to the file you want to erase
Anyone who accesses your PC can see history’ and ‘Recent documents list’ (see and click Open followed by Delete. The
which documents or files you’ve recently screenshot below left). Note that process is the same for erasing a folder,
used because most programs, including choosing the latter will clear any locations except you need to select Shred Folders
VLC, Paint and OpenOffice, have their you have pinned to ‘Quick access’. from the BleachBit menu.
own ‘recent’ lists. BleachBit has a way of Additionally, selecting the ‘Run’ option BleachBit can also securely wipe the
wiping this data. In the left-hand pane, clears what Windows retains of the free space on your drive – very useful if
you’ll find several programs listed among commands you’ve entered into the you’re planning to sell or donate an old
the other categories. Click the arrow next Run.exe tool (press Windows key+R to PC. You can do this by selecting Wipe
to each program and you’ll see a ‘Most bring it up). Selecting ‘Thumbnails’ can Free Space from the BleachBit menu, or
recently used’ option – tick these to select save a fair amount of space (152MB in by ticking the ‘Free disk space’ under
them, then click Clean. our case), but Windows will then need to System while clearing out Windows junk
Cleaning this information will rebuild thumbnails as you browse folders (see above).
probably only recover mere kilobytes, but containing images and media files, which
it can be a useful privacy precaution, may slow down performance. Clean old browser data
The oddly named ‘Shellbags’ option You can clear data, such as browsing
will delete further metadata that history, cache and cookies, from within
Windows stores about your folders, browsers, but BleachBit goes much
including usage dates. It doesn’t pose further with advanced options (for
much of a privacy risk, though, and Chrome, Edge and Firefox).
running it will alter the arrangement of These include ‘Form history’, which
your desktop icons. erases all the data you’ve entered into
online forms, and ‘Site preferences’,
ADVANCED CLEANING which clears all personalised settings
Permanently remove for individual websites. The ‘Vacuum’
Wipe information that reveals which files and specific files or folders option is interesting. It defragments your
folders you’ve searched for You may already know that deleting files browser’s system files, shrinking them
without removing data – though, if
we’re honest, this doesn’t appear to have
Use the portable version of BleachBit much tangible effect.
Cleaning your browser can recover a
If you’re really worried about cluttering the downloaded ZIP file and transfer the surprising amount of space, however.
up your PC, you’ll be pleased to hear that ‘BleachBit-Portable’ folder it contains to We were able to recover almost 4GB by
you don’t even need to install BleachBit your USB stick. running all the cleaning tools available
– you can download the portable version You can now delete the ZIP file and for Chrome, for example. If you’re
of the tool and run it from a USB stick its extracted contents from your PC’s planning on uninstalling a browser, it’s a
instead. hard drive. Whenever you want to run good idea to run all its clean-up tools in
From the main BleachBit web page, BleachBit, insert your USB stick, open the BleachBit first, as this will wipe all
click Download, then Windows. Click the BleachBit-Portable folder and double- personal information, including any
‘BleachBit portable’ option, then extract click the ‘bleachbit.exe’ file. passwords and synced account data
stored on your computer.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 61

 Why you need an
internet
radio
Web radios let you stream stations
from around the globe, as well as your
own music. Daniel Booth reveals the
best models and explains the smartest
ways to use them

B
ritish radio is nearly 100 years smaller portable models, many of which feel confident recommending – Pure’s
old. At 6pm on 14 November, have handles. These typically run off Elan Connect (£65 from Amazon www.
1922, ‘Uncle’ Arthur Burrows – batteries, unlike the larger radios that snipca.com/42083, pictured below left).
Director of Programmes at the produce a warmer, more expansive sound, If you’re browsing stations then the dial
newly formed BBC – read its first news and can fit into existing hi-fi setups. and screen make it as easy to use as
bulletin. In fact, he read it twice: once Think also about ease of use. The Pure’s more expensive models, and you
quickly, then slowly, and asked listeners appeal of internet radio is browsing can pick three to access through the
which speed they preferred. hundreds of stations for something that pre-set buttons. Searching for a specific
It’s hard to imagine what he would catches your ear. You’ll want a radio that station is harder though, because it
have made of today’s internet radios, makes it as easy as using a browser on means entering each letter individually.
which can play tens of thousands of your computer, so you’ll need to choose The biggest compromise Pure makes,
online stations from around the world, as between a touchscreen, buttons or though, is with audio clarity, so don’t buy
well as music saved on your devices. He old-fashioned dial. And when you’ve this if you want crystal-clear sound.
would have been dazzled by the choice found stations you like, check how many We should also mention the Amazon
on offer, but then so are many of today’s it lets you store as pre-set favourites. Echo Dot here, which is even cheaper at
radio fans who have grown up with a Lastly, just as you need to check your £50 (www.snipca.com/42085). It’s not a
different kind of ‘wireless’ technology. favourite TV-streaming services are specialist web radio – there’s no screen
Here, we’ll reveal the best web radios to available on TV devices, you need to make for easy browsing – but you can ask Alexa
buy, revealing which of the many extra sure your preferred web radio works with to play any station in TuneIn’s massive
features are worth paying for. your music services of choice. directory (over 100,000, though you
probably won’t need more than half a
How to decide which radio Buy the best cheap radio dozen).
to buy With money tight and getting tighter,
First though, you may be thinking: why we’ll start with the cheapest radio that we Buy the best radio overall
not just listen to online radio through We’ll leap straight from the best cheap
your PC, phone or tablet? After all, there radio to the best overall, which is the
are plenty of apps and websites that give Roberts Stream 94i (pictured above
you access to whatever you want. The two right). We gave it a five-star ‘Buy It!’
main reasons to use an internet radio are award in Issue 618 last November,
sound quality and features. A purpose- praising its superb sound quality. Our
built radio will always sound better than sister magazine What Hi-Fi? agreed, even
a phone or laptop, and they can access if their description (“fizzing with clarity
music-streaming services as well as any and warmth”) makes it sound more like a
music you have stored on other devices. bottle of Champagne.
When shopping around, consider But it’s the abundance of ports that
where you’ll be placing the radio. If you Pure’s Elan Connect makes browsing easy, but justifies the £198 price tag (up from
want to carry it around, buy one of the not if you’re searching for a specific station £179 when we reviewed it – buy from

62 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

Winner of a five-star ‘Buy It!’ award, the Roberts At £1,099, the Ruark R5 is strictlly for audiophiles
Stream 94i is our favourite internet radio with existing hi-fi systems and deep pockets

www.snipca.com/42087). It has a USB and extra music services. The Roberts Echo device to pair it with. The screen
port you can use to play audio files from Revival iStream3 (£218 from www. is on top, not at the front, which you
a stick, and a 3.5mm audio input for snipca.com/42088, pictured below) may find makes it harder to browse
connecting other devices. It also has both looks like the kind of radio Arthur stations, though you can also do this
a line-out and headphone jack, so you Burrows would have lived to see before from your phone or tablet using the
can send audio to another set of speakers he died in 1947, and works with Deezer, Undok app (Android www.snipca.
if you prefer. Amazon Music, Tidal and Spotify com/42093; iOS www.snipca.
On top of that, it streams via Bluetooth, Connect. com/42092).
and works as a network player, which Cleverly, it has built-in charging for the
means you can stream tracks stored on a six AA batteries, and you can control it Splash out on a high-end radio
computer or NAS drive elsewhere in your using your voice if you have an Amazon We’ll finish with the ‘if money’s no
home. It works with Spotify Connect too, object’ choice: the Ruark R5 (£1,099 from
which is the music-streaming service’s www.snipca.com/42091, pictured above).
best feature (see box below). And if What you get for your money is a
that’s not enough, you can tune into stunning sound, far richer than any
FM and DAB (digital), and there are other radio here. It’s aimed at
five pre-set buttons for easy access to audiophiles who want their web
your favourite stations. radio to sound as exquisite as their
Perhaps the only thing that might existing hi-fi system.
put you off is having to pay another If you own a turntable you can
£45 for a compatible battery (the hook that up to the R5 via its phono
BP931, see www.snipca.com/42090) inputs and there’s even a slot-loading
if you want to play the radio away CD player, as well as an Ethernet port
from a mains socket. for a more reliable connection.
These are all exceptional features,
Tune into more music services but clearly they’re overkill if all
Go above £200 and you start paying The retro-styled Roberts Revival iStream3 works with you really want is a simple internet
for a more stylish design (often retro) Deezer, Amazon Music, Tidal and Spotify Connect radio.

What is Spotify Connect?

Launched in 2013, Spotify Connect lets you play the even while Spotify Connect is running.
audio in your Spotify collection to any compatible It’s not free though. You’ll have to sign up to one
device – smart speakers, smart TVs, web radios and of Spotify’s paid-for Premium services, which start at
hi-fis – not just your phone or computer. It’s all done £9.99 a month (www.snipca.com/42094) and bring
via Wi-Fi, so you can avoid the hassle of pairing via other benefits such as no adverts and the ability to
Bluetooth. choose which songs to play.
It works on one device at a time, unless you’re How you use Spotify Connect depends on the
using a multi-room system such as Sonos, where device you’re controlling it from. On your phone, select
you can select a group (two rooms or more, set a song to start playing, then click the ‘Now Playing’ bar,
up via Sonos’s app) to stream music to. Best of all, followed by the device logo at the bottom left. Now
Spotify Connect doesn’t use your phone, tablet or select a device to hear the audio on and it’ll turn from
computer to stream music. Instead, the audio comes white to green (see screenshot). On a computer, click
directly from its servers to your device. This means for the ‘Connect to a device’ button bottom right to bring up
example that you can use your phone to make calls devices you can use.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 63

 Problems Solved
Our experts solve all your tech problems

PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT

Why can’t I email my GP?

Help! I registered with my 2
Q local GP practice to order my
repeat prescriptions online. I
was invited to visit mypractice.
prescriptionservice@nhs.net in order
to make my request to our local
chemist. This is where the problem
starts, as the computer asked me
choose an application to open the
‘mailto’ link. This listed Yahoo! Mail
and Googlemail as options, but I use
Firefox for my emails. I visited the
General section of Firefox’s Settings
page and selected Firefox as the default
for mailto. Having done this I restarted
and then clicked the mailto link and
was pleased to find this time that
Firefox was listed as an option. 3 4
Unfortunately, selecting Firefox did not
seem to take me further and I jumped
back to where I came from. Having
read Computeractive for many years, I
cannot recall you ever mentioning
mailto. What does it do? I did not get
much help online. I use Plusnet
webmail, incidentally. Add the NHS email to contacts (2); select ‘Compose mail to‘ (3); send email to that address (4)
John Shepherd
many NHS trusts and, frankly, we believe because, as noted, Firefox isn’t an email
The fundamentals of your many less confident computer users service – and mailto is a ‘handler’
A problem are quite
straightforward. However, it
would struggle to understand what to do
with it because the full stop in the
protocol that tells your computer
which email program or service to
took us a while to unravel what you address can be confusing. launch to handle the email link.
originally wrote, and what we’ve We think you started by typing this It’s not impossible to make Firefox
published has been edited for length. email address into Google, as doing so connect to other webmail tools, but the
So let’s start with the place you were returns precisely one result (for your method is complex and won’t work
“invited to visit”. This is an email specific practice). If you then click that with every service. So, forget that.
address. We have changed it here to link, the surgery website opens on a page Which brings us to the simple
avoid revealing your real practice. about ordering repeat prescriptions. That solution – and that’s to log into your
However, its format is one used by page includes an invitation to do so via Plusnet webmail and compose a
email, by clicking a link that is the same message to the real mypractice.
1 email address. prescriptionservice@nhs.net email
Do this in Firefox and it’ll indeed pop address, just as you would to anyone
up a mailto box asking what you want to else. Indeed, you could click the
do (see screenshot 1 ) – because Firefox Address Book option and then add this
itself isn’t an email tool. It suggests either email address as a contact 2 . Then,
Googlemail (meaning Gmail) or Yahoo! whenever you wish to request a repeat
Mail webmail services. Cancelling that prescription, you can simply right-click
before going to Firefox’s Settings does the contact name in Plusnet webmail,
Firefox suggests using either Googlemail or allow you to add Firefox, as you did, but then choose ‘Compose mail to’ 3 and
Yahoo! Mail then you get stuck in a loop. This is write your request 4 .

64 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Email us your problem and we’ll try to help:
noproblem@computeractive.co.uk

Why does my PC crash to a black screen?

My Lenovo IdeaCentre 5105- drivers for this directly from
Q 081SH desktop PC keeps crashing
to a black screen. My monitor
Nvidia, at www.snipca.
com/41899, so download and
then tells me there’s no connection. The install those.
desktop is still switched on, but there is If this doesn’t work, then it’s
no indication of anything happening. If I possible that the card is 2
hold the power button, the computer overheating, causing it to shut
switches off and I can then switch it back down to protect its sensitive
on and it starts up as usual. I tried the GPU. This could cause the
WhoCrashed analyser tool (www. symptoms you describe.
resplendence.com/whocrashed), but it Resetting the computer gives
reveals nothing. Any idea? the GPU a few moments to cool
Michael Briggs down, which would explain
Try this keyboard shortcut to restart the
why the PC then starts okay. graphics card (1). Alternatively, remove the
Intermittent glitches are hard to One possible cause of overheating is a card (2) and clean the fan (3)
A diagnose. However, we do have a
couple of ideas – both relating to
dust-clogged fan. Earth yourself, then
carefully open your PC. Remove the
3
the graphics card. card 2 and use a can of compressed air to
First, it could be that the graphics-card thoroughly clean the cooling fan 3 ,
driver is crashing. To test this theory you ensuring that the blades can turn freely.
can try a little-known keyboard shortcut In addition, doing this will allow you to
– Windows key+Shift+Control(Ctrl)+B ensure the card is firmly secured when
(see screenshot 1 ). Pressing this you reseat it – eliminating a loose fit as
combination forces Windows to restart the final possible cause.
the graphics driver. If this works then 1
it suggests the drivers are indeed
somehow fouling up and causing the
black screen.
Your PC came with an Nvidia GeForce
GT 730 card. You can grab the latest

How do I stop Clear the tick from

the ‘Add 10pt space
after paragraphs’
double-spacing option

in WordPad?
I use WordPad for creating my
Q documents. When I press
Enter for a new line, I notice
that it is double-spaced. On the other
hand, if I type lines that are longer
than the page width, these are single-
spaced. In my opinion, this results in a
very untidy document. Is there any this handy word-processor built into there is a way to fix this quirk. The
way to circumvent this extra spacing? Windows. It’s basic, for sure, but we trick is to first click at the top to select
Alan J Beasley expect it offers enough tools for many the Home tab, before clicking the ‘Line
readers. So, we’re publishing your spacing’ icon: that’s the one with five
WordPad! We might be the question in part as a reminder of the horizontal lines alongside the up and
A UK’s best-selling computer
magazine – and one of the
existence of WordPad. It’s there in
Windows 11 and versions before, so just
down arrows. That opens a little menu
and, there, you need to click to remove
longest-running – but, even we click the Start menu to find it. the tick from the ‘Add 10pt space after
sometimes forget about the existence of Now, to answer your question – yes, paragraphs’ option (see screenshot).

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 65

 Problems Solved
Why are all my files now 7z?
Will installing My small-business hard drive 1
Windows 11 from Q was hacked, and now all of my

USB circumvent stuff has a .7z file extension.

Opening any of these files demands a
support woes? password. Is there a way I can get my files
back?
I was intrigued to see in Ken Charlton
Q Issue 628’s Workshop
(page 38) that Windows 11 You didn’t say what type of hard
can be installed from a USB stick,
thus bypassing compatibility checks.
A drive you’ve got, when this
happened or what might have
2

Would installing it in this way preceded it, but it sounds like you’ve
prevent potential problems with fallen victim to a ransomware attack.
Microsoft not supporting a PC for Specifically, we think you’ve been hit by
future Windows 11 security and Qlocker, or a variant of it. This is malware
feature updates? How likely is it that that attacks network-attached storage
Microsoft will ease hardware (NAS) drives, specifically targetting
restrictions in future? models from QNAP (www.qnap.com) –
Richard Marsh turning user files into encrypted archives,
password-protected in the 7-Zip (7z) file We don't recommend it, but you can enter a
If an update to Windows 11 format. client code (1) and make a Bitcoin payment (2)
A creates problems for PCs
that Microsoft has deemed
QNAP’s advice is essentially to stop
using the device immediately and to perpetrator is after a ransom. Sometimes,
incompatible, then the fact you contact the company’s support team, via if the ransom is paid, the hacker will
bypassed restrictions by installing https://service.qnap.com. It promises that send you the password. To be crystal
the operating system from a USB it will attempt to recover files. It also clear, we absolutely do not advocate
will not help. offers a ‘self-service’ tool called QRescue, doing this.
Microsoft easing hardware but this is very complex and likely to be However, if you’re absolutely desperate,
restrictions is not inconceivable, beyond the abilities of everyday users. then you will find among the remnants of
because it has previously shifted a You can read more about both options on your locked data a file called ‘!!!READ_
few older processors from the QNAP’s website, at www.snipca. ME.txt’. This will tell you to use the
unsupported to supported list. com/41895. You should also run the anonymising Tor web browser
However, the chances of this QNAP Malware Removal tool, which is a (www.torproject.org) to visit the hacker's
happening again become less likely free download from www.snipca. payment page, and to enter a key specific
over time. So, if the PC Health Check com/41896 – but contact QNAP before to your encrypted files (see screenshot 1 ).
app (www.snipca.com/41898) is at doing anything at all. There, you’ll be invited to make a
this stage still classifying your How successful (or not) the recovery payment in Bitcoin (BTC) 2 . For Qlocker,
computer as unsupported, then we attempts are will depend on numerous this is usually 0.02 or 0.03BTC (about
don’t expect that to change. factors, including how much the drive £600-£1,000, depending on the wildly
Finally, we don’t think Microsoft has been used since the attack happened, fluctuating value of Bitcoin). If you’re
would deny people security or but QNAP offers no guarantees. lucky, the necessary password will be
feature updates, but those updates Nonetheless, at this juncture, it is your revealed. Certainly, with Qlocker attacks
might not be compatible with least-worst option. specifically, this has worked for some
unsupported PCs. You might justifiably wonder what the people. Equally, there’s no guarantee that
worst option is – which would be to your specific culprit will actually honour
engage with the hacker. That’s because the deal, so you might just be handing
the point of ransomware is that the over money for nothing.

Q: When will my iPad become

obsolete?
A: Issue 615, page 66 – find it on
our 2021 Back Issue CD
Updating to Windows 11 from a USB is a Buy it from
risk for PCs deemed incompatible www.snipca.com/42077

66 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 Should I click the Unsubscribe button in spam?
I’ve been plagued with emails
Q from companies offering
everything from investments
with a return of 49 per cent to tax
rebates if I wore a uniform. I tried
searching for the senders in
DuckDuckGo but nothing came back. I
tried checking IP addresses and merely
got an offer to buy the associated
domain for however many dollars. I
appreciate I can use the Unsubscribe
button but caution holds me back.
I’ve sent several of these to report@
phishing.gov.uk. Have you any
suggestions, please?
Edmund Hobby
Reporting suspect emails to the National Cyber Security Centre won't halt the flow of spam
The only useful suggestion we
A have is to continue resisting
the temptation to click the
Indeed, were you to indicate to such a
sender your desire to receive no further
report@phishing.gov.uk address, that
agency’s ability to prevent further
Unsubscribe button. messages, then it would simply act to messages is limited.
While there are plenty of inform them that your email address is a You’re receiving spam messages, and
organisations that send emails with working one – exacerbating your annoyance. there’s just no way to stop that. You
legitimate Unsubscribe buttons, from While it’s fine to forward such can, and should, click the ‘Mark as
your description of the unwanted messages to the National Cyber Security spam’ button in whatever email tool
messages we can be confident that Centre (www.ncsc.gov.uk, see screenshot you use, but, beyond that, we’d give
they’re not from any legitimate outfit. above), which is the operation behind the these messages no further thought.

How do I activate 1 The ’Activate Office

2010’ page (1) has
a link to a second
my old Microsoft support page, which
has the international
Office? numbers for activation
by phone, including
Recently, I uninstalled Microsoft the UK – 0800 018
Q Office 2010 from my computer
and moved to Microsoft 365
8354 (2)

Family instead. In the old days, I would 2

have been able to reinstall Office
elsewhere, if desired. However, Microsoft
appears to have blocked this, presumably
in the hope of selling newer versions of
Office. I tried installing Office 2010 on to manual-activation phone numbers that
an old laptop, but, when trying to were part of Office 2010.
activate, I was told that it was already One could fairly question Microsoft’s
installed elsewhere and the licence’s motivations behind doing that. Most
limit had been reached. Furthermore, the charitably, we’d flag up that those phone
company has literally pulled the plug on numbers are at least 12 years old, and
the activation phone line. So, is this true? things sometimes do need to change.
Is there anything I can do? However, the company does still allow
Garth Williams manual activation by telephone – if you
know the correct new number. The Office
It is both true – and not. It’s 2010 support page, at www.snipca.
A certainly true that Microsoft
would prefer people to buy new
com/41901 (see screenshot 1 ), explains
that the program might display an error
support page, at www.snipca.com/41902,
which has a list of activation numbers for
editions of Office. It’s also true that the message when trying to activate by countries around the world. For the UK,
company has disabled the original telephone. It also links to a second that number is 0800 018 8354 2 .

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 67

 Problems Solved
How do I revoke an 1 In the
Subscriptions

Office 365 licence? section of

your Microsoft
account is a list of
devices on which
I purchased a family
Mircrosoft 365 is
Q subscription of Office 365 four
years ago. I used one of the five
installed (1). You
can select one and
licences on my wife's PC. Recently, I ‘Sign out’ before
reactivating its
accidentality deleted her licence. When I licence (2)
tried to reinstall Office on her computer
it refused. I tried to contact the seller on 2
eBay, but no answer. Who can I contact to
‘rescue’ a licence to use on her machine? click the Manage link under
Steve Bown the Microsoft 365 heading.
Here (see screenshot 1 ),
We need to be clear that in the you’ll find a bunch of
A wacky world of Microsoft
marketing, Office 365 is now
options for managing both
your Microsoft 365
officially Microsoft 365 – though you’ll subscription and the
still find it referred to as Office 365 in machines on which it is
various places on the Microsoft website. currently installed (or
We say that because in order to manage ‘licensed’ if you like, though to five at any one time).
this you’ll need to visit the Microsoft 365 strictly speaking your Microsoft 365 Now, just find the offending machine in
Family section of your Microsoft account, subscription is a single licence that allows the ‘Signed in devices’ list then click ‘Sign
at https://account.microsoft.com. Once you to install the software on many out’ 2 and confirm by clicking ‘Sign out’
logged in, in the Subscriptions section, machines, and be actively signed in to up once more.

What’s up with my GPU?

I bought an Acer Aspire A715-
Q 42G laptop because it has an
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
graphics card that can handle Adobe
Photoshop and Lightroom. I set it up so
that Windows 11 switched from the
AMD Radeon integrated graphics to the
higher-specification Nvidia GPU. The
notification area icon tells me that
‘Photoshop.exe’ is running on this
GPU, but also that no screens are
connected to the card. Acer’s tech
support has been hopeless, and the
firm wants me to send it back. The last
resort is sending it back to the supplier
because it doesn’t have a replacement
for this specific model. Do you have
any idea what the problem is? It was Keep an eye on Nvidia’s driver downloads page for a potential update
supplied with Windows 10 but updated
itself to 11 on initial setup. I updated have updated the graphics drivers. updated drivers.
the graphics drivers to Windows 11. All we would say is that Windows 11 is So, if you’re not prepared to send the
Harold Johnson still a relatively new operating system. As laptop back from whence it came, then
such, it will contain many small and hope and patience is the only answer.
We’re afraid we don’t have any as-yet-undiscovered bugs and quirks. Make regular visits to Nvidia’s driver
A magic solution to this
problem. It is one that’s
This could be one.
We say that because over the years,
download page, at www.snipca.
com/41900 (pictured), to search for the
bubbled around for years and does users experiencing this particular latest drivers for your GPU – because
appear to be driver-related – but we hiccup have found that the problem is we suspect that eventually this will pay
think you already know that, as you eventually fixed by Windows updates or dividends.

68 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

 ?? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN...
Excel comments and notes?
I’ve recently subscribed to Excel comments
Q Microsoft 365. I did this to
replace my Office 2010 apps,
can now be used
for discussions
between users, as
which I understand are no longer they are in Word
supported. Mostly, I use Excel, for – an update that is
only flagged the
tracking household bills and so forth.
first time you visit
Sometimes I attach comments to the Comments tag
certain cells, as a reminder for
something or other. I don’t have a
problem, as such, as I can still do that
in Excel 365. However, I noticed that
they look a bit different from before.
Also, when right-clicking to attach a contrast, in Word, adding a comment has look and work, you’ll need to create
new comment, I see an option called for years created a place where an onging notes. Cells containing new-style
New Note. I tried this and the text box conversation can take place between comments are marked with a purple
that appeared looked like my different people who might need to work tag, while notes (old-style comments)
comments used to. So what’s going on on the document. are flagged with a red marker.
here? What’s the difference between Microsoft stuck with that arrangement Now, Excel 365 does inform users of
comments and notes? for decades, but doing so presented this change but only on the Review tab
Kevin Ward obvious inconsistency between the Office of the ribbon, and only the first time
apps. So, with Excel 2019, Microsoft you visit it (see screenshot). So, it’s easy
This is because Microsoft has renamed comments to notes, so that to miss that. If comments/notes are
A made a change to bring Excel
in line with other Office apps,
comments could become, well, comments!
In other words, creating a comment in
created via the right-click menu, as you
do, then you wouldn’t see it at all – so
though it’s a bit confusing. Excel now allows you to have discussions you’d have no reason to know this.
Traditionally, adding a comment in with other people, as you might in a Want to know the difference between
Excel would result in a box that looks a Word document. If you want comments technical terms? Email noproblem@
little like a sticky Post-it Note. By that look how Excel’s comments used to computeractive.co.uk

How do I rename my PCs?

Recently, while 1 2
Q exploring my
Microsoft account
online I found myself on the
Devices page, at https://
account.microsoft.com/
devices. Here, I noticed that
Microsoft has assigned both
my Windows 10 PCs names
that seem to be a series of ON SALE
random characters. Why is
this? Does it matter? I In System settings click ‘Rename this PC’ (1) and
Next Issue Weds
22 June
couldn’t see an option to enter your preferred name (2)
change them. • Why is my PC shutting
Joseph Barnett don’t matter but, if you have many down on its own?
computers, random names aren’t helpful. • How do I pin My Computer
This isn’t Microsoft’s doing, per To change a name, on the relevant PC to the taskbar?
A se – as the Devices page in your
Microsoft online account just
click Start, Settings, then System followed
by About. Now click the ‘Rename this PC’
• How do I redact PDFs?
...And many more
reflects the names applied on the PCs button (see screenshot 1 ), type a new
themselves. These can be set by the user, name 2 then click Next. Note, the name Subscribe to Computeractive at
but are typically auto-generated by the can’t contain spaces, but hyphens are www.getcomputeractive.co.uk
computer’s manufacturer. The names allowed. You’ll need to restart your PC.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 69

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Problems Solved
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Email editor@computeractive.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help

Where’s Vivaldi’s button for extensions (so that you can

installing brower extensions? re-install them afterwards if this
I tried to install the CookieBlock process works), then click the
Q extension to my Vivaldi browser
(Issue 630, page 42), so visited
Remove button for each one. Once
you’re done, close and restart your
www.snipca.com/41493 to go to the browser, then try again.
Chrome Web Store. But I couldn’t see
an install button. Can you help? Is McAfee Stinger a PUP?
Peter Ratcliffe Before installing tools

Assuming you’re using the latest

Q on my USB stick as
explained in Issue 630’s
A version of Vivaldi, you should
see an ‘Add to Chrome’ button
Cover Feature, I scanned my
computer with McAfee Stinger
when you visit the CookieBlock (www.snipca.com/41531), which Click the Select button in Rufus (not the down arrow
extension’s page in the Chrome Web you recommended in the same next to it) and browse for the ISO file you want to use
Store. Clicking this (even though you’re feature. Having restarted my
using Vivaldi instead of Chrome) will computer later, I noticed a McAfee Why can’t I save Windows
install the extension. shield on my taskbar that wasn’t there to my USB stick?
If you’re not seeing this button, it’s previously. When I hovered over it, it was I followed the instructions in
likely that a privacy setting is blocking
you from installing extensions from the
called ‘Real Protect’ or similar. Right-
clicking showed an option to remove it,
Q Issue 630’s Cover Feature (‘Run
Anything From a USB Stick’),
Chrome Web Store. In Vivaldi, click the which I did. But I now see permanent but can’t save Windows or Zorin to my
Menu button (the top-left ‘V’ icon) and ‘Update’ options when I go to shut down. USB stick. Neither of them appear under
select Settings. Now click Privacy on the These are obviously a result of using ‘Boot selection’ in Rufus. What am I
left, and look under Google Extensions at Stinger because I have run nothing else doing wrong?
the top of the right-hand pane. If the Web on this machine since deciding to follow Austin Myall
Store option here is unticked, this could your article. So, is McAfee Stinger a PUP?
be the problem. Click to enter a tick in Neil Tait Several readers have had
the box (see screenshot below), then
close the browser and restart it. Happily, we can confirm that
A problems running Windows
from a USB stick, and we’ll
Try installing CookieBlock again. If you
still can’t see ‘Add to Chrome’, try
A McAfee Stinger is definitely
not a PUP. It’s listed as safe by
admit that it can be a little fiddly.
Helpfully, Austin sent us a screenshot of
deleting any extensions you’ve got VirusTotal (www.virustotal.com) and Rufus to illustrate his problem. From
installed. To do this, click the Menu doesn’t attempt to add any unwanted what we can tell, it looks like he may
button and select Tools, then Extensions. tools when you install it. ‘Real Protect’ is have clicked the down arrow to the right
Make a note of all your existing just McAfee’s tool for monitoring what of the Select button, rather than the
happens on your computer, and is what Select button itself.
Stinger is built on. They’re effectively The down arrow just lets you choose
one and the same thing. between selecting an ISO file from your
Neil’s problem with persistent computer or downloading one from the
‘Update’ options sounds like a fault web, so ignore this. Clicking ‘Select’
with Windows Update, and is unlikely itself (see screenshot above) will open a
to have been caused by McAfee. We’d window that lets you browse your drive
suggest running the Windows Update for where you downloaded either the
troubleshooter to see if that fixes the Windows or Zorin ISO file – in most
problem. Click ‘Start’, Settings, Update & cases, this will be your Downloads folder.
Security, Troubleshoot, then click Click the ISO file to select it, then click
‘Additional troubleshooters’. Click the the Open button.
Ensure Vivaldi’s Web Store option is ticked in Windows Update option, then ‘Run the Now you should see the relevant ISO
privacy settings to install Chrome extensions troubleshooter’ and follow the steps. file shown under ‘Boot selection’.

Issue 633 • 8 – 21 June 2022 71

 Jargon Buster
720p A common resolution of Cookie A small text file stored on GHz Gigahertz. A measure of Macro lens Lets you take sharp,
high-definition video: 1280x720 your computer by a website. Used how many instructions a chip can detailed, close-up photos of small
pixels. to store browsing preferences, process per second. 1GHz is equal objects.
website log-in details and so on. to 1,000MHz.
8K Video with a resolution of MicroSD card A small type of
7680x4320 pixels. Currently the Core Units on a processor that Gigabit Internet connection memory card. Can be converted to
highest resolution available. carry out program instructions. offering speeds of at least 1Gbps SD size using an adapter.
(1,000Mbps).
Admin mode Allows you to make CSV Comma Separated Value. NAS Network-attached storage. A
changes to a computer that will A standard file format, used for Gigabit Ethernet A very fast hard drive attached to a network
affect other people who use it. storing tabulated information, networking standard that can that can be shared with other PCs.
that can be opened by most transfer data at up to 1,000Mbps.
Airplane mode Phones and spreadsheet programs. OCR Optical character recognition.
tablets in this mode disable all Gorilla glass Scratch-resistant The process by which printed text
radio communication (GSM, DCI-P3 A colour space that has a glass that’s used to protect the is scanned and converted into
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc) so they are wider spectrum than sRGB. Used screens of tablets and phones. documents that can be edited.
safe to use on aircraft. by US film industry.
Graphics card A component in a Open source Software that can
APK Android Package Kit. The Defragment To reorganise the computer that produces the image be modified by anyone, rather
file format Android uses to install data stored on a hard drive so files shown on the monitor. than just by the employees of the
apps. are stored in one piece and can company that created it.
be accessed quickly. Sometimes HDMI High-definition media
Aspect ratio A measurement of shortened to defrag. interface. A type of connection that Plain text Text in a document that
the shape of a display. Traditional transmits high-definition video and doesn’t contain any formatting,
computer screens are 4:3. DisplayPort A new socket for audio signals. such as bold characters and italics.
Widescreen displays are 16:9 or connecting monitors.
16:10. Hz Hertz. Measures the frequency POP3 Post Office Protocol 3. A
DjVu File format designed to store something happens: 1Hz equals system for remotely accessing and
Bandwidth A measure of how scanned documents that may once a second. retrieving email from an ISP. Most
much data can be transferred include text, line drawings, colour email applications and ISPs use
through a connection at one time. images and photographs. IMAP Internet Message Access POP3.
Protocol. A method for email that
.bak The extension for backup files. DOCX The default file format used lets the user manage messages PSTN Public switched telephone
by Word 2007 and later. stored on a remote server. network. Traditional phone
Benchmarking Comparing infrastructure that uses landlines.
software and products with an Driver A file that tells Windows how IP address Internet Protocol
accepted standard. to work with an external device. address. A unique set of numbers PUP Potentially unwanted
used to identify computers and program. A program that may
Cache A temporary space for Drive image File containing the websites on the internet. not be desired, despite the
storing information. Can be contents and structure of an entire user consenting to it being
memory used on a computer data storage device - a hard drive, IPS A screen technology. downloaded. Examples include
processor, or space on a hard drive for example. Monitors that use it have wider unnecessary plug-ins, toolbars
used by a web browser. viewing angles and better, more and browser hijackers.
Emoji A small graphic that can be accurate-looking colours than
Cast To send content from your inserted into a text message or monitors that do not use this PWA Progressive web app. A
PC to TV. email. technology. website that looks and works
like an app, which you can
cd/m2 Candela per square metre. Encode To convert media files to ISO file A type of image file that install on computers, phones
Standard unit of brightness. a new format, such as WAV audio contains all the data from a CD or and tablets.
files to MP3. DVD.
Code Describes the various QR code Quick Response code.
programming languages used to EXE A program file designed LCD Liquid-crystal display. The A barcode that can be read using
create programs. to run in Windows. Has the file technology used to create almost smartphones and dedicated QR-
extension .exe. all flatscreen monitors. reading devices.
Colorimeter A tool for measuring
the colour accuracy of monitors by File path Shows the location of a LED Light-emitting diode. An RAM Random-access memory.
calibrating its brightness, contrast file within Windows. electronic device that emits light. The computer’s working area,
and colour. Used on almost all electronic used for data storage while the
Firewall A piece of software devices, and to provide the PC is switched on. Its capacity is
Contrast ratio A measure of the or hardware that prevents backlight for some LCDs. measured in megabytes (MB):
difference between the darkest unauthorised access to a computer the more memory your PC has,
and lightest possible shades over a network, such as the internet. Macro An automated series of the more things it can process
shown by a screen. Screens with commands or options that can simultaneously and the faster it
higher contrast ratios are good Fps Frames per second. be run at any time. Handy if you will seem. Any information in RAM
for watching movies or playing Normally used to indicate gaming often need to perform repetitive will be lost when the power is
games. performance. actions. switched off.

72 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633

Ransomware Malware run by SSD Solid-state drive. Storage USB 2.0/3.0/3.1 Faster successors WebP Google’s image format
hackers who lock files on your PC that, unlike a hard drive, uses no to USB. designed to create files that are
and demand a payment to release moving parts. Faster but more smaller for the same quality, or of
them. expensive than conventional hard USB-C A new connector that’s higher quality for the same size,
drives. reversible, letting you plug it in than JPEG, PNG, and GIF.
Raw data Information that has upside down.
yet to be processed in a particular SSID Service Set Identifier. A Whitelist A list of allowed
program. name used to identify a wireless Vector graphic Graphics that can websites, email addresses and
network. be enlarged to any scale without applications used by security
Refresh rate Measured in Hertz a loss of quality, unlike bitmapped software to ensure you only visit
(Hz), the number of times per TPM Trusted Platform Module. images which will become jagged safe websites and download safe
second that the image on your A computer chip that allows your when blown up. programs.
monitor is redrawn. Slight changes hardware to perform security-
in the image each time it is related tasks. Virtual drive A set of files seen by Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi standard with
updated combine to give Windows as a separate hard disk. speeds up to 10 times faster than
the illusion of movement. For Transition A way of joining two 802.11ac. Also called 802.11ax.
a steady image, the higher the video clips together or moving Virtual memory Data that is
refresh rate, the less flicker you from one clip to another. Common temporarily moved from RAM Wi-Fi 6e Wi-Fi 6 extended to
will see. A refresh rate over 85Hz examples include wipes, dissolves to hard drive to make up for include the 6GHz band.
is generally accepted as being and cutting to black. shortages in memory.
flicker-free. Wi-Fi Calling Lets you make
Travel The distance the keys of Visual Studio A Microsoft system and receive voice and video calls
Rich Text A file format used to a keyboard have to be pressed for building software. over a Wi-Fi connection instead
transfer files between different before the keystroke is recognised. of using your cellular (mobile)
types of word-processing VoIP Voice over IP. The routing connection.
programs. It preserves most of the Ultrawide Offering a field of view of voice conversations over the
formatting of a document. that’s wider than traditional digital internet, which is cheaper than the XPS Microsoft’s alternative format
cameras. telephone network. to PDF.
sRGB A standard RGB colour
space for use on monitors, .tmp Extension used by WAN Wide Area Network. Exists ZIP file A file that contains
printers and the internet. temporary files. over a large geographical area. compressed documents or files.
 Easy when you
Know How
Worried he’ll leave his computer running when he
jets off on holiday, Robert Irvine tries to…

Shut down his PC remotely

A
s I exclusively revealed in last
issue’s column, I’m about to head
off on holiday. This means I’ve
been working through a long list of
things to do, such as changing travel
money, packing bags and taking an
observed Covid test so I can be deemed
‘fit to fly’. As always, I’m sure I’ll be
halfway to the airport when I start 2
worrying that I haven’t locked the front
door, have left all the taps running and 1
that my hob is currently filling my flat
with gas (despite being electric). Less
scary, but more likely, is that I’ll have left
my PC on, after spending a few bleary-
eyed minutes checking for flight delays.
Determined not to let an energy- Robert couldn’t get the remote-access feature to work in Airytec Switch Off, but had more luck
guzzling computer ruin my long-awaited with its shutdown-scheduling option
trip, I resolved to find a way to shut it
down remotely, should I forget to do so in my Wi-Fi network, and presented me authentication’ box, because I didn’t
person. The ideal solution would be to with a list of options, including Power. want the hassle of entering a password,
switch off my PC using my phone, I tapped this, pressed the Shutdown and clicked Apply. I then clicked the
whether prior to boarding the plane button and my computer switched off. option to ‘View/update static IP address’
or after landing in New York, then not Problem solved, (suit)case closed! (see 1 in our screenshot) to see the URL
think about it again for 10 days. Except, what I’d failed to realise was I’d need to switch off my PC remotely.
that Unified Remote only works with Unfortunately, this merely displayed an
devices that are connected to the same error page and none of the fixes I tried –
wireless network. Impressive though the opening port 8000 on my router,
tool is, I seriously doubted that my Wi-Fi disabling my firewall – seemed to work.
signal was strong enough to stretch across Thankfully, there’s another option in
I seriously doubted the Atlantic – it barely reaches my the program that did help, which was to
that my Wi-Fi signal kitchen at home. So my search for a truly schedule my PC to shut down after a
certain period of inactivity. To activate
remote power-off option continued.
would stretch across I eventually discovered an old program this, I clicked Airytec Switch Off’s taskbar
called Airytec Switch Off (www.snipca. button, chose ‘No computer activity’ in
the Atlantic com/41947), which hasn’t been updated the ‘Select schedule’ dropdown menu
since January 2015, but promised to and entered 1:00 (one hour) in the
let me shut down my PC “from any Period box. I then selected Shutdown in
computer or mobile (cell) phone with a the ‘Select action’ menu 2 , ticked the
web browser installed”. With only two ‘Force applications to close’ box and
Several online articles recommended a days until check-in, I figured it was worth clicked Enable Task.
free tool called Unified Remote (www. a try, so downloaded the tiny (240KB) So now my computer will turn itself
snipca.com/41946), which lets you “turn tool and installed it in Windows 10 off automatically when it hasn’t been
off, lock or wake up your computer using without any trouble. used for an hour. It’s not as clever as
WOL (Wake on LAN)”. I installed the Airytec Switch Off added a power icon controlling it from another country, but
Unified Remote Server software on my to my taskbar’s system tray, which I at least I’ll be able to relax and enjoy my
Windows PC and its Android app on my right-clicked and chose Options. I then holiday. Now, where have I put my
phone (it’s also available for Linux, clicked the Remote tab and selected passport?
macOS and iOS), and found it very easy ‘Enable web interface’ to allow me to Need help with remotely accessing your
to set up at both ends. The app quickly access the program from my phone’s computer?
detected and connected to the server over browser. I unticked the ‘Enable Let us know: noproblem@computeractive.co.uk

74 8 – 21 June 2022 • Issue 633 Next issue: Robert tries to create a fancy photo collage
9000 9001