Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2017 i Windows Help & Advice

Hardly a day goes by without some story appearing in the news about websites being hacked or someone having their PC held hostage by ransomware, so in this issue we’re going to show you how to fight back! In our lead feature starting on page 14 , we’ll show you how to lock down your PC and protect it from hackers and other nasties; how to create strong passwords, encrypt your emails and chat securely with contacts; and even how to stay safe using Wi-Fi. In Explore, starting on page 27 , we’ll also show you how to speed up a slow PC; make the most of File Explorer; and learn how to test the speed of your internet connection along with some tips and tricks to give…

Autopilot? Is that what it sounds like? It is, or at least it soon will be. Tesla’s Autopilot system has added a huge range of driver assistance features since it was first integrated into vehicles in 2014, but since October last year every automobile produced by Tesla has included an upgraded suite of hardware containing everything necessary for the cars to run completely autonomously, “at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver”, the company says. That sounds fantasically futuristic, so how does Tesla Autopilot work? With a massive amount of computing power. Eight cameras are dotted around the body of the car, giving its central computer 360-degree vision over 250 metres. Twelve ultrasonic sensors can detect hard and soft objects over the same range, and a…

A website that says ‘hey’ and ‘ho’ over and over. An never-ending ASCII picture of a towering horse. A wobbling black sausage that turns into a flashing musical mess when you shake your mouse. These are the first three incomprehensible sites that The Useless Web offered up to us, and there are hundreds more to see. Click the inviting pink ‘please’ button and you will be sent to a corner of the web to enjoy a toy with no purpose or a random digital oddity. Even if you’re an internet veteran, you’ll see something new, and it’s hard to complain at being sent to www.sanger.dk even if you have seen it before. See also www.weirdorconfusing.com, which offers up baffling products from around the world; we were tempted by the yodelling…

There’s hardly a day goes by without some new hacking controversy. From online sites getting compromised to people facing down ransomware demands, the always-connected era is one fraught with danger. Prevention is always better than cure, so what can you do to ensure you’re as protected as you can be? In this feature we’re going to arm you with all the tools, tips and guides you need to close the door on drive-by hackers, malware and other online threats to your privacy and security. We’ll start by locking down your PC – ensuring your security software is up to scratch, you have a firewall that’s fit for purpose and that your personal data is encrypted and as difficult to steal as possible. Next, we’ll look at tightening the security of…

If you back up data to the cloud, you may be concerned about its security. All cloud providers promise to encrypt your data for privacy purposes, but what kind of encryption is provided, and where are the keys required to decrypt your data stored? If you’re at all paranoid, you will want those keys kept in your personal possession, a technique which is known as client-side encryption. Sadly, not many cloud backup providers offer this – neither Dropbox nor OneDrive do, for example. If this is a concern, you can encrypt your data locally before uploading it to the cloud – if you’re already using VeraCrypt, for example, you could simply create an encrypted volume inside your cloud folder and store all sensitive data in there. On the other hand,…

1 Check out an app’s internet needs Any app on your computer (or other device) that needs access to the internet should make it clear what you need to do in order to open up access to it. You should start by looking into the program’s own settings to find out where you determine which ports it requires and the steps you need to follow to make it work. 2 Set static IP address If you’ve not already done so, you’ll need to set up a static IP address for the device that is running the application. In Windows 10, you should follow the guide at https://portforward.com/networking/static-ip-windows-10.htm. Make sure that you give the device an IP address which doesn’t clash with your router’s DHCP server. 3 Add new port Armed…

Do you often stay in touch through instant messaging apps such as Skype? While they can be great fun, the bad news is that Skype, in particular, isn’t that secure. If you want true end-to-end encryption for voice, video and text-based chats (as well as secure file sharing), then you’ll need to look into using an alternative solution. The most secure we have found is Retroshare (www.retroshare.net). The only catch is that you’ll have to convince all your contacts to use it too – if this is a deal breaker, take a look at Jitsi (https://jitsi.org/), which supports a number of different messaging platforms. You can install Retroshare (choose the QT5 version when at the download page) to your PC’s main storage drive or run it as a portable application,…

1 Remember logins Once you have installed LastPass, browse to a website and log in using its username and password in the usual way. After logging in, LastPass will pop up a green bar offering to save the website’s credentials for you. Do so, and when you next visit the site, you’ll see a LastPass button appear in the login fields – click this to fill your details in quickly. 2 Update passwords If an existing password you use is a weak one, go to your account’s settings and look for an option to update your password. Click the small padlock button next to the password field to generate a new random password. Be sure to set the password length to longer than the default six characters – 10 or…

Your guide Nick Peers says… “Compose, edit and manage your blog posts without having to use your web browser” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 PUBLISH CONTROLS Use these controls to switch between various services as well as publish or upload drafts to your online blog. SET CATEGORIES Open Live Writer lets you to organise your posts by category and, in some cases, tags. These are taken from your blog. PREVIEW Periodically select the Preview tab to see how your blog post will look within the main blog site when it’s published. COMPOSE Posts are shown with the same colour scheme, font and other design elements as defined by your blog theme. SPELLCHECK Open Live…

Your guide Matt Hanson says… “No one likes a slow PC, but there are plenty of tricks to give even the oldest PCs a speed boost” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 UNINSTALL APPS Keeping your drive free from unused programs can help your PC run faster. In the ‘Uninstall or change a program’ window, select a program that you don’t use and click on Uninstall. UPDATE PROGRAMS Outdated apps may run slowly, so check this column to see which version you have installed. A quick internet search will tell you if a later version is available. PERFORMANCE Click here to see a graph of your PC’s performance and the resources that are being used.…

Your guide Nick Peers says… “Bring order to your chaotic photo collection with Adobe’s free image-cataloguing tool, Bridge” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 NAVIGATION Use this pane to navigate your file system – pin frequently access folders to the Favorites pane for easy access. FILTERS Use Filters to hide unwanted files from view; switch to the Collections tab to group related photos together. BREADCRUMBS Use these navigation aids to swiftly move up multiple folder levels or navigate back to the previously selected item. SWITCH VIEW Change the focus to ‘Filmstrip’ (image previews), ‘Metadata’ or ‘Keywords’ depending on the data you’re reviewing. PREVIEW Click on the preview image to magnify part of it, or right-click…

Just starting your Windows journey? Confused by the changes Microsoft has made to the Anniversary update? Or maybe you just want to learn something new about Windows 10. Well, this is the section for you! There’s not enough space to tell you absolutely everything you need to know here, but Windows Help & Advice always has your back. In this month’s Basics section, we’ll show you how stay up to date with what’s going on in your world with notifications in Windows 10’s Action Centre. We’ll also show you how to make the most of the changes in the Start menu.…

SIGN OUT QUICKLY Click your user picture to access the account menu previously found at the top of the Start menu. HAMBURGER Click the hamburger-like icon to show or hide the titles of the buttons in the left-hand column. OTHER SHORTCUTS These icons give you access to File Explorer, Settings and the Power button – place user folders here too. ALL-IN-ONE The revised Start menu now lists All Apps on the main screen beneath the recently and frequently used lists. OUR BEST TIP! Go to ‘Start > Settings > Personalisation > Start’ to remove ‘Recently added’ and ‘Most used’ Start menu sections. TILES Your previous tiles remain untouched – but look out for an increased number of “suggested apps” (or ads). RESIZE As before, adjust the number of tile columns…

It’s hard to find a modern album that hasn’t been touched by a computer in some way, from the digital recording process to editing, mastering, effects and even instrumentation. If you fancy yourself as a musician – or even if you think you’re not musical at all – there are a variety of free ways to make beautiful tunes, or make the most of any musical instruments that you use. Take www.incredibox.com, for example. It gives you drag-and-drop access to a neat beatbox sequencer, and there’s a game in there too – find the right combination of beats, effects and vocals and you will unlock special choruses and interludes. When you fancy something slightly more advanced, Google’s Chrome Music Labs (musiclab.chromeexperiments.com) gives you a number of musical toys to play…

In this month’s Explore section we’re going to show you how to deal with three common problems: slow computers; slow internet connections and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). On page 38 we explain the roadblocks that can slow your PC down and what you can do to get around them. On page 46 we’ll tackle the unwanted programs that can sneak on to your PC – and tell you how you can avoid them. And on page 56 you’ll learn how to can test your internet connection and the tricks you can use to speed it up.…

At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 QUICK ACCESS Click any item here to quickly jump to the relevant folder. Some items, such as the Documents and Pictures folders, are here by default, but you can easily add your own shortcuts. MAIN WINDOW The files and folders in the currently selected location. Select Ribbon > View to change the way these items are displayed: in a list, as small icons, etc. RIBBON The four tabs – File, Home, Share and View – contained in this toolbar let you to perform various actions on files, on folders and on the File Explorer itself. PREVIEW PANE Enable this option to get a sneak peek at a file without…

Your guide Nick Peers says… “TidyTabs allows you to group multiple program windows into tabs - just like your web browser.” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 REVEAL TABS Move the mouse pointer to the top left or top centre of a program window to reveal its collection of tabs. TAB OPTIONS Right-click a tab to access useful options for quickly closing tabs, excluding the program from TidyTabs or accessing settings. ADJUST WINDOWS You can resize, drag or pin a window group together. Unpin a tab and the window reverts to its original size. GROUP TABS Professional users can tell TidyTabs to automatically group multiple windows by app – manage them from here. APPEARANCE You…

Your guide Nick Peers says… “Bring order to your chaotic school or university life with this handy free Windows app” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 APP MENU Open this to access Study Planner’s preferences, plus share content with other apps and search by keyword. UPCOMING EVENTS This section tells you what’s coming up – click the arrow buttons to scroll through what’s happening. EDIT ITEMS Select an item to make changes to it or delete it once you no longer need it. TIMETABLE Record details of all your subjects here – include your teacher’s name and room number. Right-click for editing options. HOMEWORK Never miss an assignment again – all your recorded homework is…

Built right into Windows 10, the Windows Store is a great place to discover, try and buy apps that can enhance your PC experience. Best of all, developers – including Microsoft – often improve that experience by delivering free updates to the apps you have already downloaded, often squishing bugs and adding new features along the way. Here’s how to you can make sure get hold of the latest updates… VISIT THE STORE Open the Windows Store app, right click your user ID and select ‘Downloads and updates’. GET UPDATED Now you will see which which updates are available. Click the ones you want to download.…

Thanks to the popularity of smartphone cameras of us are taking photos than ever before – but how can you make the most of the images you take? One way is to subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud. Another is to use a free photo editor. In this issue we’re going to look at four of the best to see which ones gives you the best mix of usability and features. We also take a look at the Acer Swift 7 ultrabook, test the limits of Netgear Orbi’s Wi-Fi mesh network and give the Misfit Phase fitness smartwatch a run for its money. Enjoy!…

It’s the next big thing in smartphones: bendable, foldable screens. LG and Samsung have been working on the tech for some time, and now word has leaked from Apple, via the US Patent Office, that the company is ready to jump on the bandwagon with its own foldable device. They’ll mean a greater screen size in a smaller space, essentially transforming your phone into a tablet when unfurled – and a huge marketing advantage. Expect them to drop before the end of 2017.…

1 Approximately what percentage of the world’s population uses Facebook every month? A. 0.2% B. 2% C. 20% 2 Which country has the world’s fastest broadband speed? A. Hungary B. South Korea C. USA 3 Which country has the most active internet users? A. Russia B. India C. China 4 Why is Google Earth blocked in Iran? A. US export restrictions B. Because its broadband speed are too slow C. It shows images of secret military installations 5 How long would it take for a packet of internet data to travel across the world? A. 1.5 seconds B. 0.6 seconds C. 3 seconds 6 What is the best selling computer model of all time? A. Apple iMac (2014) B. IBM PC Jr. C. Commodore 64…

1 Add your browser After installation, TinyWall will block most applications from accessing the network by default – including your favourite web browser. Open your browser, then click ^ on the Taskbar Notification area, right-click the new TinyWall icon and choose ‘Whitelist by window’. Click inside the browser window, and it should now work correctly. 2 Add other apps You can repeat this process for all your other open applications, or you can choose ‘Whitelist by executable’ to manually locate a program executable. If the app is running, try ‘Whitelist by process’ to select it from a list of running programs. To whitelist it, simply highlight the program’s process name and then click Select to do so. 3 Use Autolearn Some applications use multiple processes, which can be tricky to…

You’ve tightened your router settings, but what about the devices connected to your network? The growth in smart home tech means many more wireless devices are now communicating over the internet, so make sure these are locked down too. We’ll show you how to use strong passwords and other measures to lock down any account settings screens on page 22-23, but you should look out for firmware updates that can help close security loopholes. If you have a webcam attached to your PC make sure it’s not in a place where it could be used to spy on you. Keep an eye on the activity light – it should only be on when you’re using it. If the camera is a USB model, consider unplugging it when not in use…

1 Set up Enigmail First, you need to install the Enigmail plugin for Thunderbird. To do that, open the Thunderbird menu and select ‘Add-ons’, then click the ‘Get Add-ons’ button. Type ‘Enigmail’ into the search box, then click Install next to Enigmail. When it’s downloaded, click Restart Now to restart Thunderbird. 2 Add PGP After installing the Enigmail plugin, go to Extensions and click Options > Enigmail. You’ll now be told you need GnuPG – click the Setup Wizard and follow the prompts, choosing ‘Install GnuPGP…’ when prompted to download and install the required components (be sure to tick Kleopatra, which is on the list). 3 Create certificate You will now be prompted to create a new key pair for each email account that you have. Enter a passphrase to…

When you enable two-factor authentication, logging into the account on a new device or application should trigger a prompt to confirm your identity, but some older devices and apps – including emails apps Thunderbird and Outlook – don’t work nicely with it. The good news is you don’t need to source a separate app or compromise your security – most services that offer two-factor authentication offer what’s known as one-time passwords. These are passwords you can use in place of a regular password to log into an application or device. If an app refuses to work properly even after entering the correct password, try one of these instead. If you’re a Google user, for example, go to accounts.google.com and sign in. Choose your username, then My Account. Click ‘Sign-in &…

Packed with informative tutorials Every issue, we guarantee to pack the magazine with great tutorials teaching you all the best things you can do with your PC. Each article features step-by-step instructions to make learning new skills fast and enjoyable. Customise Windows to work your way We all know how to do the basics but getting the most from Windows isn’t always easy. Our dedication to the operating system means you get the very best tips and tricks for all versions of Windows. Get more from your favourite websites We all have our list of favourite sites but often we miss out on great features because they’re difficult to use or hidden from sight. We’ll show you how to do more online, for a more satisfying web life. Discover new…

Your guide Nicholas Odantzis says… “We’re going to show you how to boost the standard security built into Windows with AVG AntiVirus Free, so you can keep your PC protected against viruses” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 NICK’S BEST TIP To perform a scan without opening AVG AntiVirus Free, right-click the Taskbar icon and click Scan Computer. Looking for some additional virus protection for your PC? Then look no further – AVG AntiVirus Free is the perfect addition to any machine running the standard anti-virus protection that’s included with Windows. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the standard Windows security, but it’s certainly wise to get backup to increase the level of protection. As its…

Your guide Cat Ellis says… “When you download free software, there’s a risk that unwanted apps will come along for the ride. Here we’ll show you how to avoid or remove them…” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 CAT ’S BEST TIP Open source software is developed by volunteers and distributed free - advertising or PUPs aren’t included . Have you ever opened your web browser to discover a strange toolbar taking up half the top of the screen? That your default search engine has changed? Or that your homepage is no longer the one you orginally chose? Then you could be suffering from PUPs – potentially unwanted programs that have installed themselves alongside other…

Your guide Alex Dale says… “With one easy-to-use app and a few quick menu tweaks, you can check the speed of your network connection, and boost it by as much as 80%” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 ALEX’S BEST TIP Laptop users, if you don’t want to disable updates, but need a quick speed boost, set your device to ‘battery saver’ mode to pause updates. Step-by-step Check and boost your connection 1 Download the app There are many speed-testing apps out there. They work by connecting your device to servers across the globe, and then measuring how long it takes to send and receive a response. Microsoft recommends its own Network Speed Test app,…

TIME TAKEN 30 minutes CONTROL NOTIFICATIONS Enables you to switch off notifications for apps, programs and services that you find annoying. APP SETTINGS The quickest way to configure an individual app’s behaviour is to right-click it and choose ‘Go to notification settings’. PRIORITY LEVELS Notifications appear in three tiers: ‘top’ is assigned to a single app, while others are configured ‘high’ or ‘normal’. RESPONSE OPTIONS Click a notification to access it through its app. Click the arrow to view it in detail or ‘X’ to dismiss it when read. SEE MORE You can now view all outstanding notifications for a selected app by clicking the ‘See more’ link. QUICK ACTIONS You can now rearrange all of your Quick Action buttons, not just those on the first row. Jargon buster! Action…

You can trust our reviews Our reviewers are 100 per cent independent, with years of experience in the world of computing. Our rigorous testing procedures mean that only genuine, high-quality products are awarded high star ratings. If you see an item of hardware bearing a high score, you can be confident that it is an excellent product. We choose the best products Thousands of new PC products are released every year and choosing between them can be an impossible task. Our experts select only the best hardware and software to feature in this magazine. Even better, our star rating system makes it simple to find the best products, giving you a fast, trustworthy guide. How we review Our expert reviewers guarantee to test every piece of hardware rigorously and thoroughly,…

£399.99 | $399.99 www.netgear.com Sometimes, no amount of prime router placement is going get you decent Wi-Fi coverage throughout your house. Netgear isn’t the first to try and solve this problem, but its new Orbi Wi-Fi system tackles it pretty handily. Comprising a single Router and one (or more) Satellites, the Orbi system broadcasts an unimpeded Wi-Fi signal to every room in the house. It sounds like an empty promise from a 2am infomercial, but we’re happy to report that the Netgear Orbi does exactly what it says on the tin. Price and availability Since this is a Wi-Fi mesh system rather than a traditional router, try not to suffer too much sticker shock when you see the Netgear Orbi’s £399.99 ($399.99) price tag. Now available in the US and…