Windows 10 free upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies

If you use assistive technologies, you can get a free upgrade to Windows 10 as Microsoft continues our efforts to improve the Windows 10 experience for people who use these technologies. With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, we’ve taken a number of steps to improve the accessibility of Windows 10. To learn more, read our… Read More »

Microsoft is warning Windows users over a fake Microsoft security product that locks an infected computer and tries to trick victims into calling a support number

Microsoft doesn’t call you to offer tech support and does not provide phone numbers to call on its BSoD security warnings.   Microsoft has sounded the alarm over a fake installer for its Security Essentials, which attempts to trick victims into contacting bogus help centres.  Microsoft has released a  “severe” warning over new Windows malware… Read More »

How to safely destroy data on your HDD (Active@ KillDisk)

Active@ KillDisk allows you to destroy all data on hard disks, SSD & USB disks completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders.  It’s a hard disk drive sanitising tool and partition eraser utility.  If you use FDISK, FORMAT utilities, or the standard operating system DELETE command for data removal, there… Read More »

Microsoft to raise prices by up to 22% after slump in pound

Microsoft is to increase its prices by as much as 22%in the UK because of sterling’s recent decline, a rise that is likely to affect thousands of businesses and could cost the Governments tens of millions of pounds. The price increase, from Jan. 1 2017, will be 13% for its enterprise software and 22 %… Read More »

Support for the 2013 version of Office 365 ProPlus ends February 28, 2017

Users who are running the 2013 version of Office 365 ProPlus after February 28, 2017 will have to upgrade to the latest version of Office 365 ProPlus to continue to receive support from Microsoft. Note This article doesn’t apply to the Office 2013 Professional Plus, Professional, and Standard editions. For the support dates for the… Read More »

KillerLocker Ransomware

We have received reports of yet another ransomware. KillerLocker ransomware is not vastly different from other ransomwares that we have seen in the past. It encrypts the victim’s files and shows a warning once it finished its job. This time, the warning uses a creepy image of a killer clown. With killer clown attacks all… Read More »

Microsoft Azure and Office 365 data centre go live in the UK

Microsoft has opened Azure data centres for Azure and Office 365 in the UK.   Azure has two new regions, UK West which is listed as Cardiff but is probably in Newport, and UK South which is listed as London but is probably near London.  Office 365 (just Exchange Online and SharePoint Online at this time)… Read More »

Email inventor Ray Tomlinson dies at 74

Internet pioneer Ray Tomlinson, who is credited with the invention of email, has died at the age of 74. The US computer programmer came up with the idea of electronic messages that could be sent from one network to another in 1971. His invention included the ground-breaking use of the @ symbol in email addresses,… Read More »

Microsoft Windows was launched 30 years ago today

The year 2015 was a milestone for the technology realm. Both eBay and Amazon ditched their teenager tags and celebrated 20 years in business, while IMDb turned 25. Elsewhere, the humble .com domain name reached 30 years of age, as the first dot-com domain was registered in March 1985. However, 1985 was a notable year… Read More »

Manually updating SharePoint databases with PSconfig

In order to update the SharePoint databases, you must manually run the PSconfig utility. 1. Open an Administrative command prompt. 2. Change directory to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\%VERSION%\BIN 3. Run PSConfig.exe -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -force -cmd applicationcontent -install -cmd installfeatures

Understanding REIN and SHINE

What are REIN and SHINE? Repetitive Electrical Impulse Noise (REIN) and Single Isolated Impulse Noise (SHINE) describe interference that can affect the stability and performance of a Broadband service. In both cases, a power source is generating interference in the frequencies used by the ADSL Broadband service. REIN is where this interference is generated for… Read More »

Cryptolocker victims to get files back for free

By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28661463) Before now Cryptolocker victims had to pay a hefty fee to get the keys to unlock their data. All 500,000 victims of Cryptolocker can now recover files encrypted by the malware without paying a ransom. The malicious program encrypted files on Windows computers and demanded a substantial… Read More »

Configuring a Microsoft Exchange mailbox on Android devices

The below instructions require information specific to the Exchange Server within your company. Should you require assistance with this information, then please contact the Readycrest support team. 1. Touch Apps. 2. Touch Settings. 3. Scroll to and touch Accounts. 4. Touch Add account. 5. Touch Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. 6. Enter your workplace email address. 7.… Read More »

Windows users warned over spammed-out gadget malware attack

    Windows users are at risk of having their computers infected, after a malware attack posing as an “important company update” was spammed out. The emails, which use forged headers to pretend to come from the same domain as your email address (in other words, if you have an email of fred@example.com the email… Read More »

How To Create a Windows 8 Recovery Drive

Open the Windows 8 Control Panel. Windows 8 includes a tool to create a Recovery Drive and it’s most easily accessible from the Control Panel. Tap or click on the System and Security link.Note: You won’t see System and Security if your Control Panel view is set to Large icons or Small icons. In your… Read More »