For various safety/security reasons, you should never post any of the following on a public website such as Scooploop/Facebook:

1. Your photograph - This can open a whole world of trouble, such as identity theft.
2. Telephone number.
3. Address - even a location.
4. Name.
5. Email address.
6. Date of birth.

The smallest amount of information can be used to your detriment.

On Facebook, never post your holiday photos while you are on holiday, or that you are going on holiday.

https://bit.ly/41erwhy

Should you ever forget your email password, or it is not accepted for some reason, you will, of course, click 'Forgot password'. To gain access to your account you will have to prove who you are. This is done using the recovery information in your account, so it is essential that this is kept up-to-date. If you have no recovery information then add some - alternate email or a mobile phone number. If you get a new phone number, you must change it before you lose access to the old one.
If your recovery information is not correct, or you have none, then you may never see your email account again.

Some users are losing month's worth of files. If you have any backups of your files not connected to Google Drive, be sure not to overwrite them.

https://bit.ly/3t7fhXi

I keep getting messages that there is a new voicemail without there being any phone calls, it is always a recording from the same firm going on about energy prices and that they will phone again another time.
Because there is no number I cannot block it
How can it go to voicemail without a phone call ?

Result of November 23 PC browser poll.

Final result of browser poll for Android phone, iPhone, iPad or other tablet users, but not PC users

Members did not post details of 'Other'

Someone has asked 'why use the Scooploop app?' If you use the app, why do you use it instead of the website on your phone's browser?

The 15GB Google Drive photos/files allowance will be further reduced early next year, when WhatsApp chats, photos and videos will be included.

I think it's possible to get another SIM card for my old beloved non-smart phone so that I can still use it, albeit with a different number. How do you pay for this on a pay as you go basis, please. I see that Amazon have them for various providers from about £5 upwards, where does the number come from, or do you use to just make calls? How does one put more credit in as and when?

Nothing wrong with the smart phone I have, I don't think, just went for more bells and whistles than I needed just in order to park - so big and heavy to carry around I can't be bothered to use it which defeats the object of having a phone for emergencies which is all I really need. So I wondered if this might work? Thanks.

If you have many windows open, you can close them in various ways:

You can close all windows at once by pressing and keeping down alt and tab at the same time, then pressing and keeping down delete.

You can close individual ones by pressing and releasing the Windows and tab keys at the same time, then click the windows you wish to close.

On the phone setting there is supposed to be a 'menu' [ 3 dots at top] I haven't got it.
All the instructions for blocking calls etc say click on the 3 dots - which I haven't got.
How can I get them ?

https://bit.ly/40LQ01n

Being a Windows user, I did not have Safari in mind. I have removed the current poll, and will be replacing it with one in respect of desktop/laptop use only, not phones or tablets. Including those devices does not give a true picture of browser choice on a computer. A poll of iphones/iPads/Android tablets would reflect market share, i.e. Safari users would be 30%. I shall do a separate poll of those devices soon.
Thanks to all who have voted in the previous poll.

Judging by the votes so far, I suspect that some are voting with DuckDuckGo in mind as a search engine and not a browser. If so, let me know below. Also 'Other' is high, please let me know what you voted for in other.

Completely non techie here: two queries:
1 the warning just posted mentioned signing in - I seem to be permanently signed in as google drive, photos, search engine, etc all just open when I click on them. Does this count as signed in?
2. Does getting into any one of them save all the others? For instance, although I usually use Duck Duck Go on my phone and tablet, I tend to use Google on my lap top.
Thanks in anticipation of explanations.

https://bit.ly/3ML89qg

Freevee is a completely free streaming service with thousands of hit movies, shows, and Originals. You can even see movies that you might have to pay to see elsewhere.

Over 3000 films available - see all content in comment below.

https://bit.ly/3sxbsdR

Depending on who your current provider is, if you move to another, you may have to pay to continue to use your current email address. BT and TalkTalk are examples.

https://bit.ly/47mNKji

Typing the y tzpes z and z tzpes y what has gone wrong.

Hi
Can any of you recommend a good reliable VPN.
Ideally a free one but If I have to pay to get what I want then that's ok.
I've already got free VPNs built into my Opera and Chrome browsers but this needs to work with any internet enabled software.
I realise it'll reduce my upload and download speeds but that's ok, within reason.
It needs to have servers in multiple countries in particular the UK, USA and ideally Germany.
Cheers
Tony

I now have a second Apple laptop. All my data was transferred and is fine. Wanted to use my old one as back-up and maybe play some games but now have no facility for internet and emails. When I queried it with my friend was told Apple does not let you use same data on two laptops.
In the past did read on here that some of you have second laptop as back-up. Do not want to pay out if this is not possible or offend my friend if he did not know if this was possible.

The office of Scooploop is at 516 Wandsworth Road in London.

The staff can be found at any time of the day in The Plough Brewery.

The website is located in Germany.

https://bit.ly/3Ss646o

Be aware that Microsoft has made changes to OneDrive that may affect your ability to send emails and use OneDrive:

1. Email attachments in Outlook.com are now part of the 5GB free allowance.
2. Any photos that you place in an album will count double, even though there is only one copy.

https://bit.ly/3slEQ6y

There are now confusingly three different Outlooks:

1. Outlook is part of Microsoft Office for any email provider.
2. Outlook is the program that is replacing Windows Mail, and can be used with any email provider.
3. Outlook.c o m is a website, and can be used with only Microsoft email accounts.

So when asking for help or talking about Outlook, it is important to say which one you are talking about.

You can access previous posts in the series by using the link below.

https://bit.ly/3slEQ6y

To find a particular post, type the title in the loop's search box and press enter, or scroll down

No.1 - The Internet
No.2 - HTTPS does not mean safe
No.3 - Bookmarks bar
No.4 - Paying for antivirus and other programs
No.5 - Turn off PC with one click
No.6 - Bring back Twitter!
No.7 - SMS text messages - lack of security
No.8 - Optimising your SSD
No.9 - 'Private' browsing
No.10 - Outlook!
No.11 - OneDrive changes
No.12 - Changing provider
No.13 - Freevee
No.14 - Closing windows
No.15 - Email recovery information
No.16 - Google Drive allowance
No.17 - Batteries
No.18 - Downloading DVD films
No.19 - Hacked phone
No.20 - Cookies
No.21 - iPlayer download app for PC is no longer available
No.22 - Digital switchover - transferring calls
No.23 - BT - last phone book
No.24 - EE 3G phones
No.25 - Drying a wet phone with rice
No.26 - Myth - HTTP websites are unsafe
No.27 - Phoning 999 when you have no signal
No.28 - Your documents are not in your documents folder!
No.29 - John Lewis broadband closing
No.30 - Find the location of a file on your PC

I changed my laptop no other information e.g. email aso. I can log into all my accounts apart from Sainsburys shopping. Phoned them and asked for technical advise but their helpline would or could not help and cut the conversation. I would get an email from them which so far I have not received.
I have my grandson popping in sometime to help sort it out but being me I would like to gather some info . -- Any idea? many thanks.

https://bit.ly/3tMcYJo

During the recent outage, some members thought that they were able to see Scooploop on the Web. What they were seeing was a memory of the page (cache) they had open. Such a page would still be visible even if Scooploop no longer existed. Any page that you could see could not be used because there was no active content. Cached tabs that you haven't cleared on a phone also show old content. You can experience a cached page by opening an active thread, then open the same thread later in another tab. The first tab will still show the earlier content.

For techies: (The domain Scooploop.com was active, but was unable to receive content from the Content Delivery Network. The help website was not working at all.)

https://bit.ly/472zRGy

https://bit.ly/3tG3wXY

A member who was a moderator has left SL, which has resulted in all their content being removed. This is not necessary, and is detrimental to SL. Please see the link below.

https://bit.ly/3ZTzB9M

https://bit.ly/3LXDs0L

Note that the Freeview channels that you can receive depend on three factors: Your location, the transmitter that your aerial points at and your equipment. Enter your postcode in the link below, to see what you can receive at your location. If any are missing, you need to retune your TV.

https://bit.ly/3tjmHXb

If you use LibreOffice, due to a security flaw, you should check that you have an up-to-date version.

Opening a new private/incognito window in a browser does not mean that where you have been on the Internet is private, it only means that someone using your computer cannot see where you have been. Your ISP, Google, and websites have a record of your activity as if you were not 'private' browsing.

https://bit.ly/3Q77PEk

If you have an SSD (solid state disk), then you should be aware that you should not defrag it. It should, however, be trimmed. TRIM is automatically enabled in Windows 10 if it detects that you are using an SSD. To see this in operation, do the following:

Open the Windows 10 Start Menu and type "optimize" into the search box. Select "Defragment and Optimize Drives" app from the search results. The Optimize Drives window shows connected drives that can be optimized. Select the C drive from the list and then press the "Optimize" button to manually start trim.

If you have a look at optimize occasionally, you may find that even though it has been set to run automatically, it has not done so.

Today I put a post on my loop SuperFunGuy's Quizzes and it has an advert for Amazon at the end (nothing to do with me). I tried editing but it is not there to delete. Anyone experienced this kind of thing before?

Watch out for emails wrongly informing you that you need a new meter because of the BBC switch-off. I received one from SO energy, followed by one apologising. It only applies if you are on Economy 7 or 10 tariff.

https://bit.ly/3PM62Dq

I belong to a private group. Can whats up be connected just to a laptop Apple or do I need a mobile phone?

If you sign up to Plusnet, be sure to check if it includes a phone line.

https://bit.ly/3rxNM8I

If you have an Economy 7 or 10 meter, note that the BBC transmitter that controls these will be switched off next year. Full details below.

https://bit.ly/454pIYN

Beware of update if you don't want Win 11. Today's taskbar icon leads to update, as below. It will also have another go with full-screen displays next time you boot.

If you want privacy, then note that text messages are not encrypted on their way to the recipient. This means that your mobile phone provider can read everything you write, and knows who you contact and when. They can also be intercepted by hackers due to the system used worldwide to deliver them, this is called SS7 (google for details). This enables hackers to intercept verification codes sent to you, for example. Also, if you have malware on your phone, they can be read because they are not encrypted.

Texts are the most common way for fraudsters to target you. They can send thousands at a time. This is called Smishing (SMS phishing). They rely on you being fooled because they appear to originate from expected sources. This does not happen on WhatsApp, because you know they are a stranger.

WhatsApp messages are encrypted, and can be read only by the recipient.

Freely will be built into smart TVs next year, and will provide a free streaming service for BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 all in one place, with a programme guide. It will provide live broadcasts and on-demand.

https://bit.ly/452xxhu

It is no longer possible to purchase a landline using copper telegraph wires, it has to be a digital connection using broadband.

https://bit.ly/3PtTFeO