Remember the good old days when you could quite happily have watched your hard disk defragmenting for hours!? Someone said that if Bill had sold the program, he would have made even more money.
Hopefully you are aware that you should not/cannot defragment you SSD (Solid State Drive, but you may not be aware that you can optimize it by typing Defrag in to the search box, click 'Defrag and Optimise drives'. You will then see the usual optimise window that you see with a hard disk. You may see that optimise is not available, but if it is, click it, and your SSD will be 'Trimmed'. Avoiding technicalities, this makes your SSD faster.
https://bit.ly/3kxUW6z
John H @JohnH6 Westcliff-On-Sea
Westcliff-On-Sea
Windows PC help and troubleshooter.
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Samsung has revealed that its TVs come with a TV Block app, that kills a stolen* TV. When it is connected to the Internet, it sends the serial number to Samsung's server, which then permanently deactivates it. *From a warehouse etc., not a burglary.
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See 5 comments...From 1st November, WhatsApp will stop supporting Android version 4.0.4 or older. To find which version you are using, tap 'Settings', then 'About phone'. To avoid losing all your chat history, make sure you back up as late as possible before the deadline. To continue to use WhatsApp, you will have to upgrade your phone.
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When checking out, look for the option to have the order delivered free to an Amazon locker or shop. Lots of money saving tips here: https://bit.ly/3EH3xvQ
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See 1 comment...Adverts have appeared on cybercriminal forums asking for scammers to target a batch of stolen Microsoft 365 email addresses. The gangs want to recruit scammers who speak English as their first language, because they are less likely to make the grammatical errors that expose many phishing emails.
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See 6 comments...Some Windows Insiders* are being removed from the program because their machine no longer meets the needs of Windows 11, and are no longer eligible. They are being told to reinstall Windows 10, and continue with the Insider Program for that version. Windows 11 will be released on 5th October, firstly to those machines that were specially built for Windows 11, then to machines that Microsoft thinks will be able to cope with the upgrade. *The Windows Insider Program is an optional service provided by Microsoft to let users experience the next version of Windows before public release. The program is aimed at early adopters and the "enthusiast" crowd, or people who enjoy beta(*) testing new software. Besides just using the software, Microsoft encourages testers to send feedback on their experiences through a specialized app, which includes ratings and a place to leave notes to the Windows development team. (*)User testing or customer validation, beta testing aims to ensure that end users are satisfied with a software product before it is made generally available.
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See 6 comments...Look out on your phone for the offer to install a new version which has the ability to connect multiple devices. The new version is in Beta*, and will allow you to connect your WhatsApp account on up to 4 devices at once. The new system will operate even if your phone is switched off. *A beta version is a limited release of a product or service with the goal of finding bugs before the final release.
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See 4 comments...Depending on the location, using Google maps Street View, you can go back to see how it was in a previous year. Visit the location, and look for a small clock in the top left hand corner. Click the clock, and a year slider will appear, move it to a year to view, then click the image to see it full screen.
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See 17 comments...What you see on a website is produced by the page's hidden computer code. You can view this code on any website by right-clicking the page, and selecting 'View page source'. A Scooploop page may have about 14,000 lines of code. A Scooploop page has your personal details as part of the code, these are viewable only by you. You can see these by pressing Ctrl + F to bring up the browser's find/search box, then type 'uid' with the apostrophes. Here is the web's smallest website, view the code as above: https://bit.ly/3gqOGLo The site belongs to Elon Musk, who has an affinity for the letter X.
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See 6 comments...The National Cyber Security Centre is advising that it is best to use passwords containing three random words, and if possible not to add special characters , as attackers are aware of this, and use programs to spot them. They say that three random words are strong and easy to remember, and that this will make people less vulnerable to cyber criminals: https://bit.ly/3zbSKGy I have been doing this for years, with JohnHSecretWords on all my sites, and for banking I add a £ sign!
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See 3 comments...Please note that all new Scooploop members are assigned automatically to this loop, so it is possible that from time to time some members from different countries will join. So posts may be tests, and not necessarily an advert (See comment below from Daisy).
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If new to the loop, please read the posting guidelines below. The Workshop - a place for users, new and existing, to experiment with creating posts, events and polls, writing comments, adding photos and videos, using the editor, and generally seeing how a loop works. Remember that site guidelines still apply, so nothing offensive, or irrelevant to the loop, etc, and no commercial advertising. (Users who can't play nicely will be removed.)
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See 3 comments...1234567890-=!"£$%^&*()_+qwertyuiop[]{}asdfghjkl;'#:@~\zxcvbnm,./| <>? M & S
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See 5 comments...Unofficial downloads of Windows 11 are being offered that contain malware, and may not even include Win 11. If you are keen to be an early user of Win 11, only download from Microsoft. At the moment, only a Beta* version is available. *A version of a piece of software that is made available for testing
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See 7 comments...Pages no longer exist, some have been turned into Loops. You can see all the current Loops here: https://www.scooploop.com/groups/?tab=all
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https://www.scooploop.com/groups/scooploop-workshop The Workshop - a place for users to experiment! Create posts, events and polls. Write comments. Add photos and videos. Try using the editor. And generally see how a loop works.
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Acer provides little information. It says 'Windows 11 will run on the vast majority of products on the market, including those announced in the past three years'. They are promoting their Swift 3 laptop* as their top choice for Windows 11. *https://acer.co/2UWtOEg
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See 5 comments...Acer to follow. HP says its Spectre, Envy and Pavilion PCs are 'expected to be upgradeable' to Windows 11: https://bit.ly/3BTx7wO
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See 1 comment...Other brands to follow. Dell has hundreds of computer listed, with help to find out which model you have: https://dell.to/3zOAV0r
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See 4 comments...Links to other brands to follow. Unfortunately Lenovo does supply a list of computers, they only show technical requirements. https://lnv.gy/3BKLfZb
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See 20 comments...Due to the requirements of Windows 11, which is expected later this year, it is not advisable to buy a new PC at the moment. I shall be posting links to where you can find out if your current PC is expected to be able to cope with Win 11.
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See 26 comments...If you do not own a smartphone, or are looking to replace/update your current one, then there is no need to spend a lot of money. The Moto E6s phone below will enable you to do everything you need, including taking high quality photos and videos, and costs only £90. No more annoying texts with a link that you can't click, or need to copy in to a browser on a PC! No more manually supplying your personal details for Covid checking in! There is an Alcatel smartphone 1C for £50, but it is worth paying the extra £40 for the large screen and good quality camera. For anyone interested in the specifications of the Moto phone, note that it is 2GB of RAM, not 4: https://amzn.to/2UWncFP
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See 26 comments...Starting in 2023 some 3G phones will start to be phased out by BT. They have announced that they will switch off 3G phones in 2023, necessitating the purchase of a new phone, or you could get it unlocked if necessary, and use it on a different network, until they follow suit This will affect hundreds of thousands of users of EE, Plusnet, and other BT brands.. About 2- 3 million people across all networks use 3G phones.
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I.T. Non-Techie help, information and tips Galaxy S21 series and Huawei pacemaker and implanted defribulator warnings (Edited)See 1 comment...Galaxy S21 series warning: https://bit.ly/3r8IhbN Huawei warning: https://bit.ly/3khddoK
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I.T. Non-Techie help, information and tips Apple iPad/iPhone pacemaker/implanted defribulator warning (Edited)Apple has provided a list of its devices that should be kept away from pacemakers and implanted defribulators: https://apple.co/3k7FsX9
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See 6 comments...Windows 11 will not run on all Windows 10 computers. Microsoft issued a checking tool, but it was withdrawn due to it just stating that a computer was not capable of running Win 11, without giving a reason. The tool will be issued again later in the year. One check you can make yourself, is how much memory you have. Win 10 requires a minimum of 2GB of memory, but Win 11 will require twice this. To check how much memory you have, do the following: Press the Windows key and I. Windows Settings screen will appear. Now click the system icon top left. On the left, scroll to 'About' at the bottom. On the right, under the heading 'Device specifications', you will see 'Installed RAM'(memory). Other checks are too technical for this loop. My PC has failed the first two checks!
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See 1 comment...This post includes information about the TopCashback scam: https://bit.ly/3dQFgr5
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Whether you are a help seeker, or a helper, please be polite. Help seekers:If a particular device or operating system (Windows 10 etc, Mac etc.) is the subject of your post, put this at the beginning of the title of your post, so that other members can see if they can help, or if it interests them. If it concerns a phone or tablet, give the make and model number, and, if you can, the Android version (if appropriate) Always give full details of the problem to avoid too much toing and froing, thus, hopefully, giving you a quicker solution. Don't forget to thank helpers, and please don't post a problem and disappear. Before posting, use the group search box (on the right on a PC), to see if it has been discussed before. Helpers: Please check that your help/advice is correct and up to date, and please bear in mind that this group is to help non-techies. If possible, provide a link to a suitable website explaining it in simple terms, and/or screenshots. Please be polite, but if you feel like swearing, turn the keyboard off!
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I.T. Non-Techie help, information and tips Ruja Ignatova - Founder of OneCoin - The world's biggest scam? (Edited)See 1 comment...Ruja Ignatova - Founder of OneCoin - The world's biggest scam? I'm currently listening to episodes of The Missing Cryptoqueen on BBC Sounds. It is a true story about Ruja Ignatova, the founder of the fake cryptocurrency OneCoin. The scam took in millions of victims, and stole billions of pounds. https://bbc.in/3qzVGtc
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I'm currently listening to episodes of The Missing Cryptoqueen on BBC Sounds. It is a true story about Ruja Ignatova, the founder of the fake cryptocurrency OneCoin. The scam took in millions of victims, and stole billions of pounds. https://bbc.in/3qzVGtc
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See 1 comment...Apple has issued an emergency update to fix security flaws in old devices dating back to 2013. Full list available here: https://apple.co/3x17tD8 Connect to WiFi, connect your charger, then install the update by tapping Settings/General/Software update.
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See 3 comments...https://bit.ly/35QF9Yn
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If you are not a member of Scooploop Community Support, you will be unaware of a poll that they are running to discover the age of members. If you wish, you can join in here: https://bit.ly/3xNUhBF
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I.T. Non-Techie help, information and tips Scrolling on threads and websites, using Firefox on Windows 10Seeing a post about having to scroll up and down in a thread, reminded me of an add-on that I use in Firefox; here is a description: Everyday scrolling on long pages can be a tiring experience especially on those sites which provide infinite scrolling (like facebook, twitter, etc). You will keep scrolling using your mouse to see more and more updates and then when you want to go up to the top of the page, you might move your hand from your mouse to keyboard to search for the Home key or you will drag the scroll bar to the top. Scroll To Top tries to minimize this effort by providing an intuitive icon at the bottom-right corner of each page so that with one click you will be at the top of the page with beautiful animation. No more searching for the Home key on your keyboard and no more dragging of the scroll bar. It will be just fun and ergonomic to use it. Here is the link to get the add-on: https://mzl.la/3gPlj5U
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I.T. Non-Techie help, information and tips Frying tonight! Save your router and possibly a lot more (Edited)See 39 comments...If this evening's/tonight's lightning is nearby, if you get your broadband through overhead telephone wires, you will be well advised to disconnect your phone line from your router. Outside TV aerials and overhead power cables also give an easy path to your equipment and property, and can cause a great deal of damage. If you are unaware of this, have a google; here is an example: https://bbc.in/3zyZWgw
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See 6 comments...You will soon be able to send and receive WhatsApp messages on up to four synched devices. Currently, the only other way to do this is by using the Window's WhatsApp web program that enables you to send and receive messages on a PC. This is only possible if your phone is switched on. The new capability will work even if your phone is turned off. Another feature that is on the way is 'View once', this will delete any communication after it has been viewed. There may also be an iPad app.
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Due to the way that web links are displayed on Scooploop, only one website image is displayed in a post. Here is the second part of the earlier post: https://bit.ly/3gtjJXk
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Scams of any type. Avoiding credit/debit card fraud, and protecting your credit/debit card and your identity (Edited)Note there are two links below. Prompted by a credit card scam posted in another loop, here is some information about avoiding credit card fraud, and protecting your credit/debit card:You should never let someone else have possession of your card, doing so is considered negligence, and you would not get your money back: https://bit.ly/3xCt7Oj You can protect your card in various ways against theft/loss/copying: https://bit.ly/3gtjJXk
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https://1drv.ms/b/s!AtxiPFXpEKB_gd8VSFMdbDcIi8jF1g?e=kalQhf
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See 23 comments...Windows 10 was forever, remember? Well, it looks like Microsoft may be going to announce that Windows 11 will arrive later in the year. Clues are: the logo below that shows the window frame shadow without the horizontal bar, which gives 11 as the shadow, and they are having an event on 24th June at the unusual time of 11.00am.
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See 2 comments...When taking a screenshot, be careful not to include any personal information. This applies especially to a full screenshot. There are many ways to take a screenshot; you can use your browser, or a dedicated program. The quickest and easiest way is to use Firefox: right-click on a blank space on the webpage, then click 'Take screenshot'. Select the area you require (see screenshot) , then click 'Download'. You will now have the image in your Downloads folder, that you can post/email etc. You can post below, your method, or program you use. Please bear in mind that this is the non-techie group.
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When viewing a webpage on a PC, you can make the browser's menu, address bar, bookmarks bar, etc., and also the taskbar disappear, by pressing F11, which will make the page bigger. To move down the page, tap the space bar. To go back to normal view, press F11.
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See 2 comments...https://historyhouse.co.uk/placeL/essexl16vote.html https://www.leighonseatowncouncil.gov.uk/history
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If you are thinking of buying a Roku streaming Stick, be aware that Roku has removed YouTube from its app store. If you already have it installed, you can continue to use it. https://bit.ly/3fbWOPR
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The CIA and Germany's secret service BND, ran a Swiss company Crypto AG, that sold encryption machines to governments around the world. These machines allowed the CIA and BND to read the user's communications! https://bbc.in/3fch2ZO
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See 2 comments...The Canon Pixma TS8350 all in one wireless printer received 5 stars in a recent test. They found that photo prints were stunning due to it having six cartridges. It was not expensive to run as long as Canon's XXL cartridges were used. Black prints were 3.4p per page and colour 6.2p. It was easy to set up and use, and had a great quality scanner. It is currently 119.99 at Argos: https://bit.ly/3fvq0A9
