Tech tips from ChezvousPC

Beware of the new Windows 10 ‘1803’ update. There isn’t a lot you can do to avoid it if you have a Windows 10 device which is connected to the internet, but we have found that it has caused issues on quite a few machines locally, usually during installation of the update itself, so our best advice is to be very patient with the update as it downloads and applies itself, and DO NOT restart or turn off your machine until it does it on its own! If you do find that your machine fails to start again afterwards, and if you don’t have backups, it is best to seek help rather than trying the automatic restore/reset mechanisms. It is all too easy to lose data if you aren’t 100% sure what you are doing…

There was a time when if we had no mobile signal on our phones we could buy a booster from the network and it would use the broadband to make and receive calls. This is still the case, but now, our phones are much more capable and depending on your service provider and phone model, may be able to take advantage of WIFI Calling. This allows you to make calls as you normally would, except it uses your WiFi network instead of its mobile network access where possible to improve call quality. Your service provider should be able to advise you if this is something they, and indeed your phone supports!

It is worth being careful where you buy your software from – these days it is easier to get access to ‘cheap’ or discounted software products online, and from most of the larger retailers this is absolutely fine. However, some customers have bought from online marketplace style retailers and received what appears to be legitimate legal software, only to find that the ‘keys’ used to activate the product do not work. You are pretty much out of luck if this happens to you with smaller retailers, and it’s definitely worth checking out the returns policy, as you need to open the packet to check if it works…

TIM, Tim and Carol – ChezvousPC

For help with any home or business IT needs, give us a ring on 01822 855822 or visit chezvouspc.com