SSD vs HDD
Sold state drives have been replacing hard disk drives in recent years. The new drives are much quicker and can be more compact. Click icon to find out more.
Privacy with Microsoft
A tech video blogger shows you how and why to stop your PC uploading so much of your browsing data to Microsoft. He has an engaging, if slightly quirky, presentation style.
Perhaps the most basic take away from this is to check your PC’s privacy settings. It seems that this could help to unclog broadband – if it needs it. Click play button to watch video or thumbnail for PC privacy screen print.
Many users would probably be wary of trying out any of the more ambitious things that he talks about. This is probably wise for most of us.
Tips
- Have you seen the Windows security screens? They enable you to ensure that things are in order. In Windows 10, look for Control panel -> Security and maintenance. In Windows 11 it has been re-organised. updated
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The easiest way to keep your Windows software up to date is to use Windows Update. You can set it to work automatically in PC Settings >> Update & recovery >> Choose how updates get installed.
.- On Microsoft Windows, System Restore can be a handy way of removing problems on your PC.
. - Re-installing Windows from scratch is probably one of the more reliable ways to remove malware from your PC, provided you are reasonably confident with the technology. It should give you a clean start in most cases.
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All files are deleted from your hard disk so it is important to copy any data files you want to keep beforehand, maybe to memory stick. It is also wise to ensure there is a firewall switched on after the basic installation, at the beginning of the updates – if there are any. Other software needs to be re-installed rather than restored from backup if you cannot be sure the backup is not infected.
. - It is always advisable to look for the official software developer’s website when you want to download software. Unofficial sites may try to introduce additional software that will cause problems, sooner or later. The key bit to look for is the bit next to the .com or .org etc. For example, Firefox is produced by Mozilla so the first address below is likely to be a better bet than the other two. The third example is the cnet website not the Mozillla site.
Similarly, for Windows software, the site to look for would be microsoft.com Whatever the developer, though, it is a good idea to do some research to get a better idea how to be safer.
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