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Heartbleed – The Basics

There has been a lot of publicity recently about the Heartbleed Bug, but a lack of a basic explanation of how it affects people and what they can do about it. The advice and information given out by security companies should be considered more expert than this page, but this is an attempt to make the information more accessible to the non-technical. A Q&A page answering some questions about the bug can be found here http://heartbleed.com/ . It may, however, be too technical to be useful to many. OpenSSL is the technology used by many, but not all, sites on… Read More »Heartbleed – The Basics

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to everyone who knows us. We hope everyone still manages to have a wonderful Christmas despite the terrible weather in the UK and, most importantly, that everyone is safe. I hope we’ve been helpful this year and can do more to help you in 2014.

Making addresses auto-complete in Outlook 2010

Many users rely heavily on the autocomplete feature when they are composing emails in Outlook. This feature allows you to type just the first one or two characters of an email address or recipient name in the To, CC or BCC field and then choose the correct recipient from a drop-down list. If you have been using this feature for some time, it can appear that this list is a representation of the contacts in your address book, as over time the lists naturally become similar. However, this autocomplete list is made up of addresses that you have previously used… Read More »Making addresses auto-complete in Outlook 2010

How to get back deleted or lost files

[This post is a work in progress, but the basic GOLDEN RULE of file recovery is so important I have posted it before it’s finished. I’ll update with more information when I have the opportunity.] There are many reasons why files get lost, and the flippant and unsympathetic response of many companies of “Do you have a backup?” is normally followed by an even less helpful look of scorn when the reply is “I’ve been meaning to but never got round to it”. This is not helpful in the slightest, and just adds to the despair of losing those photos… Read More »How to get back deleted or lost files

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Severe VirginMedia broadband issues in the Dorking area

For anyone becoming more and more frustrated with the VirginMedia broadband service, particularly in the Dorking area, I wanted to give an update on my own experience, and that of those of my clients who are with VirginMedia. On Thursday morning I started work at 9am and found I had no internet connection. I am on the VirginMedia 30Mb package and although I have never managed to get more than 17Mb it is normally a stable connection. It was down until approximately 11.30am which was, frustratingly, the exact moment I managed to get through to someone in support. I had… Read More »Severe VirginMedia broadband issues in the Dorking area

Merry Christmas from HolmPC

A very Merry Christmas to everyone from HolmPC. I’d like to thank everyone for their custom in 2012 and hope that all our customers are satisfied with the service. Hopefully early 2012 will see a major revamp of the website, and more regular blog posting.

How to install Ubuntu 12.04

Many customers are surprised at the cost of a Windows licence, and ask whether there’s a cheaper alternative. My answer is yes, there is, and it’s perfectly usable. Linux is often thought of as a “techy” operating system which can only really be used by computer experts. This isn’t true, although it can be a little harder to get used to than the ubiquitous Windows operating systems. As long as you’re prepared to hunt a little bit further for instructions on how to do things, and put up with the fact you’re going to have to experiment, and learn a… Read More »How to install Ubuntu 12.04

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Simple computer performance tips

There are many things that can be done to make an old laptop, or even a brand new machine, run that little bit faster. Some of them are complicated or risky, and best left to experts who can perform complete backups before attempting them. However others are simple enough for anyone to do for themselves. Here are a few things that you can try to keep your PC clutter-free and working smoothly. Don’t install things that come free unless you really want to. Nowadays, many software providers (especially free software) make a bit of money on the side by bundling… Read More »Simple computer performance tips

Windows keyboard shortcuts

Using the keyboard to accomplish simple tasks such as opening, closing and switching between windows, copying and pasting is quicker and easier than using the mouse and navigating your way through menus to get to what you want. There are many shortcuts available, and you can also create your own for tasks you carry out particularly often. These are the shortcuts I find most useful. Most are available in all versions of Windows. The Windows key is the key to the left of Alt, which is just to the left of the spacebar, with a symbol on it similar to a… Read More »Windows keyboard shortcuts

FAQs

Here are some quick and simple tips on how to do basic tasks and find information in Windows.  Ideas for new ones welcome! Q – How do I find out what version of Windows I am using? A – Click Start and the right-click on My Computer (XP) or Computer (Vista and 7). The windows or dialog that comes up will tell you which version of Windows you are using, and the level of Service Pack, if relevant. Q – How do I stop a CD from running when I put it in the CD drive? A – To stop… Read More »FAQs