Table of contents for 708 in Computeractive

When I was writing this issue’s Cover Feature I kept referring to Windows 10 in the past tense. It was a telling mistake. The curtain is falling on my favourite ever operating system, with Microsoft ending support on 14 October. There are several ways you can keep using Windows 10 safely after October, as we’ll explain soon. But to make the most of modern computing, you now need to use Windows 11. When it launched in 2021 it was too similar to 10 to be worth upgrading to. That’s no longer true. Thanks to regular updates, every aspect of the system is considerably better than what came before. My Cover Feature picks the top 18 reasons why it’s superior, but I could have chosen many more. I’ll miss Windows 10,…

Microsoft would like you to think you have only two options when it ends support for Windows 10 in October: upgrade to Windows 11 or buy a new computer running it. But for some a better alternative is to install a version (or distro) of Linux. Most are continuously updated, so you don’t need to worry about support ending. One of the best distros is Zorin, which has LibreOffice for working with Microsoft Office files, and lets you install Windows software (see www.snipca.com/51972). Until recently its default browser was Mozilla’s Firefox, but it has replaced this with Brave in version 17.3. Zorin said Mozilla’s changes to its privacy policy (www.snipca.com/54384) means it can “no longer feel assured Firefox aligns with our commitment to protect your privacy”. If you install Zorin…

I’m performing a security check-up and want to read your article on what not to save in a password manager. When did you publish that? Dennis Cowley CA SAYS In Issue 678, page 62. Scammers seem to have stolen my phone numbers. Didn’t you advise how to prevent this? Jack Fletcher CA SAYS Yes, in Issue 688, page 62. I’m frustrated by how few apps I can use on my new Amazon Fire tablet. Didn’t you once explain how I can hack it to install more apps? Mick Highsmith CA SAYS Yes, in Issue 684’s How To (page 35). Read it and the features above on our 2024 Back Issue Stick: www.snipca.com/53180.…

We can finally close Jenny Beady’s case against Lidl after the company agreed to send her a replacement lamp (see original case in Issue 704 and update in 705). Jenny put a £10 coupon towards the lamp’s price of £11.99. She sought a refund when it turned out to have a faulty USB charger, but a Lidl store manager offered her only £3 because the coupon was a competition prize, meaning it had no monetary value. We didn’t think this was fair, so we asked the company to clarify. It said that because the lamp is faulty Jenny should contact its customer service team instead (020 3966 5566), rather than ask a store manager. This turned out to be good advice. After Jenny explained the situation, Lidl agreed to contact…

Before he died 20 years ago, my father said he filled in a questionnaire after being released from Stalag X-B in Germany, where he was kept as a prisoner of war. Would these be available to search anywhere? Roy Kennedy You might find your father in Ancestry’s ‘UK and Allied Countries, World War II Liberated Prisoner of War Questionnaires, 1945-1946’, which were published in late 2023. Visit www.snipca.com/54270 then search by name and date of birth. It would help if you knew your father’s unit, service branch, service number and rank. You can search for free, but you’ll need a subscription to view the questionnaire. Have a genealogy question for Richard? Email letters@computeractive.co.uk with ‘Grow Your Family Tree’ in the subject line.…

How can I erase photo metadata? Q In my part-time job I have to upload lots of photos taken with my camera to social-media sites and forums. I make sure there are no personal details in them, but I’m aware that they contain metadata that could give away details like location and when the photo was taken. Can I erase this before uploading? Liz Barton A Yes, you can do this either on your phone, or on your computer. To do the former, install Photo Metadata Remover for Android (www.snipca.com/50166) and Exif Metadata for iOS (www.snipca.com/50167) – both are free. You can remove metadata within Windows by rightclicking the file, then selecting Properties followed by the Details tab. Now click ‘Remove Properties and Personal Information’ at the bottom, then ‘Remove the…

The iPhone 16e has replaced the iPhone SE, which was Apple’s most affordable phone. As its name suggests, it’s a closer relative to the current iPhone 16 than the SE was to previous generations. The SE typically just adopted the components and designs from older iPhones to keep its price down. Not surprisingly then, this costs more at launch than its predecessor, which arrived on the market for £419 in 2020 (reviewed in Issue 630). The 16e costs £599 for the cheapest model, which has 128GB of storage. That’s only £200 less than the cheapest iPhone 16. There are also 256GB and 512GB versions of the 16e, but at £699 and £899 respectively, they’re significantly more expensive. Both options remain £200 cheaper than an iPhone 16 with the same capacity,…

Winner of a Recommended award in Issue 701 (page 28), the Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo is the perfect way to keep an eye on the feathered friends in your garden. It has two cams and two angles, raising the bar for backyard birdwatching. The main camera, located centrally, has a useful pan-and-zoom function that follow birds around the feeder for the best shot. The secondary side camera has a wider-angle lens, which helps to fit larger birds in the frame. The species-recognition system can sound an audible alarm if a squirrel visits the table. Power for the Wi-Fi comes from a solar panel that works well even on overcast days, while video quality is excellent. Thanks to Birdfy’s upgraded algorithm, it instantly delivers perfect bird photos and wide-angle video clips…

TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT Move brush to make precise edits in ImageFX My favourite tool in Issue 706’s excellent Cover Feature on AI tools is ImageFX (www.snipca.com/54057). It’s the easiest image generator I’ve ever used, and has some advanced editing options if you know how to use them. Type your descriptive prompt as usual, then click Generate and select an image you like. Hover over it and the ‘Edit image’ button should appear bottom left. Click this and you’ll be taken to a page where you can change the ‘brush size’ slider (1 in screenshot). This indicates the size of the brush you can move over the image – like a standard brush tool in a traditional image-editing program. Now draw the virtual brush over the part of the image you…

WINDOWS 10 & 11 Get quick links to Windows update information As we explained in Issue 707 (page 19), FullUpdatesHistoryView is a new tool from NirSoft that shows all the updates ever installed on your PC. One hidden option is to right-click an update in the list then select ‘Open Information URL In Web Browser’ (see screenshot below). This takes you to the official page for the update (usually on Microsoft’s site) providing details to help you understand what it contains. To download FullUpdatesHistoryView visit www.snipca.com/54361 then click the link at the bottom. It triggers a Windows SmartScreen warning but it’s completely safe to use, so click ‘More info’ then ‘Run anyway’. WINDOWS 11 Move pinned apps by right-clicking You can now move pinned apps in your Start menu by…

What is it? The error message that Windows Insiders see when their computer crashes. This appears instead of the traditional ‘Blue Screen of Death’ (BSoD) in the stable version of Windows, which has been ever present since Windows NT in 1993. Is that it pictured right? Yes. It’s a lovely shade of green, but that’s not enough to stop it being a strong contender for the dullest screenshot ever published in Computeractive. It’s not without interest though, because you may notice something is missing. Perhaps you could crash your computer and compare error screens. Or maybe you could just tell me? Fair enough. Microsoft has removed the ‘sad face’ emoticon and the QR code (as pictured below). What did they do? Not much really. The sad face was meant to…

128bit A type of computing or encryption system that uses 128-bit addresses, allowing more unique values than stars in the universe. 32bit/64bit A measure of how much data a PC can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit, more modern ones are 64bit. 3G/4G/5G Technologies that deliver faster mobile broadband. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 7z A format for compressing files into an archive format. 8K Video with a resolution of 7680x4320 pixels. Add-on A program that adds extra features to your browser. Administrator Someone who can make changes to a computer that will affect others who also use it. AES-256bit A form of encryption based on a key length of 256 bits. Airplane mode Phone mode that disables all radio communication (GSM, Wi-Fi,…

‘DVLA payment unsuccessful’ In mid-March I received an email with the correct GOV.UK logo at the top telling me my “latest vehicle tax payment to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was unsuccessful”. I knew for a fact this was wrong, so smelt a rat straight away. But I can easily imagine how it might fool those who were less sure. The email was well written with no errors that I could spot, and the threat of being fined £1,000 if you don’t act will scare some into clicking the ‘Update Now’ button. Judge for yourself at www.snipca.com/54362. Do you think it would have fooled you? Chris Winters Warn your fellow readers about scams at letters@computeractive.co.uk…

In Issue 707 (page 8) you asked whether ChatGPT accusing a man of murdering his children puts us off using the tool. Yes, you could say that! AI chatbots have been sold to us as a way of making our lives easier, largely by eliminating boring tasks and speeding up those we have to do. I must have missed the memo that warned they might also think you guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable. I thought it was interesting that the same issue’s Workshop (page 38) explained how to use Google’s new tool for removing personal details from search results. Your writer said it had found comments he’d left 15 years ago. Google may have refused to remove these for your writer, but I was impressed that it…

On 1 March I ordered a Samsung phone from Amazon. The confirmation email said delivery would be later in the month, which was much longer than I’d expected. Then I realised that the phone would be supplied by an Amazon partner supplier. I subsequently received a new delivery date of 8 March. However, I was concerned that the tracking information didn’t show that the order was out for delivery. When it didn’t arrive I contacted the supplier and received a revised delivery date of 17 March, with a message that I’d be refunded if this was missed. Again, nothing arrived. I asked Amazon to call me, which it did within five minutes. The helpful assistant said he’d contact the supplier, but I reminded him my contract was with Amazon, not…

SYSTEM TOOL Wintoys 2.0.81.0 www.snipca.com/54456 What you need: Windows 10 or 11 Wintoys is one of our favourite tools for optimising, customising and removing junk from Windows, but it’s been a while since its last big update. So we’re pleased to report that the new version of the app (it’s available from the Microsoft Store rather than as a traditional program) has been worth the wait and is packed with useful new features. A new ‘welcome experience’ introduces you to Wintoys, explaining the benefits of the app and encouraging you to create a system restore point in case of problems. This is complemented by a new Restoration option in Wintoys’ Settings, which instantly reverts any changes you’ve made. The Home screen has been updated to provide at-a-glance information about different…

SOFTWARE WARNING! ‘Have I been pawned?’s nasty typosquatting What difference can a mistyped ‘a’ make? Quite a lot actually, as reader Mel Taylor recently found out. He thought he’d typed https://haveibeenpwned.com – the invaluable database of stolen email addresses and passwords run by security guru Troy Hunt. But he accidentally added an ‘a’ to make it pawned, and ended up somewhere far less helpful. The site showed a warning that impersonated Microsoft and claimed that his PC was corrupted. When I visited the site (see screenshot right), it showed the Edge logo 1 and prompted me to take a ‘Microsoft Edge security check’ 2 – whatever that meant. Clicking ‘Allow’ 3 would not have been a good idea. When I tried again later I found a page with sponsored search…

Q I am a volunteer at our local library, where we’ve started using Dell OptiPlex Micro Neil Howells A We tested the Dell OptiPlex Micro 7000 in Issue 657 and awarded it four out of five stars. The 7020 (pictured) is an updated version. It looks largely identical, though the allocation of ports have changed – an HDMI socket has been added; two of its three DisplayPorts removed; and it has one less USB 3.2 port but adds two USB 2.0 ports. It’s available in a range of configurations. If you want it to last as long as possible, we’d recommend the most expensive version you can afford. The costliest specification currently has an Intel Core i5 14500T processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and costs £645 from www.snipca.com/54410. It…

In 2021, Sky shook up its entire offering with Sky Glass. It’s both a 4K-resolution TV set and a subscription to Sky’s TV services, delivered through your broadband connection rather than via a satellite dish. Now Sky has launched Glass Gen 2, which replaces the previous version. As before, there’s a choice of Sky-branded TVs in three different sizes (43in, 55in or 65in), and you can choose whether to buy the screen outright or pay monthly. Then there’s a monthly subscription to pay on top, to get the usual Sky channel packs. “Has a better screen and more speakers to boost audio quality” Breaking those costs down, you pay a £20 setup fee, then with a 48-month contract, you can pay £14 a month for the 43in TV; £19 a…

What you need: Skype account; Microsoft Teams Time required: One hour After 22 years, Skype is shutting up shop. Microsoft has called time on the internet phone service, which has seen competitors like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft’s own Teams steal much of its market share since they really came to prominence during the Covid lockdowns. Skype was many users’ first experience of internet telephony, but the system went beyond merely enabling calls. It also offered text-based group chats, let you send and receive cash, and was a handy, commitment-free option for anyone who wanted a second phone number without the cost of having a second line run into your home. Skype’s final day of operation is 5 May – after which Microsoft recommends users switch to its free version…

CHROME Add a Downloads button to the toolbar Chrome used to show your downloads in a bar across the bottom of the browser, which made them easy to open when ready. Google then relocated downloads to a ‘download bubble’ in the top-right toolbar. This bubble is more convenient to access and prevents downloads from obscuring the web page you’re viewing. However, it only appears when you start downloading a file, then vanishes when you restart the browser. To retrieve the file after restarting, you need to press Ctrl+J to open Chrome’s ‘Download history’ and open it from there. To solve this problem, Chrome 135 (released in early April) lets you pin a permanent Downloads button to your toolbar. This means you can access your downloads whenever you want – at…

MICROSOFT WORD Ignore white-space characters in ‘Find and Replace’ You can ignore white-space characters when using ‘Find and Replace’ in Word. This helps you find words which are spelt both with a space and without, such as ‘webpage’ and ‘web page’, or ‘filename’ and ‘file name’. Press Ctrl+H to open the ‘Find and Replace’ box, then click the ‘More>>’ button and tick ‘Ignore whitespace characters’ (1 in our screenshot). Now type the word you’re looking for without a space (for example, webpage 2) and click Find Next. Word will find all examples of the word with spaces 3, as well as without. ONLYOFFICE Add ‘Confidential’ and ‘Approved’ stamps to your PDFs Version 8.3 of OnlyOffice, released in February, lets you add stamps to your PDFs to mark them as…

If you listened carefully during March you might just have heard the sighs of relief coming across the Atlantic from Microsoft’s Seattle headquarters. Windows 11’s global market share jumped from 38.13 to 42.69 per cent (www.snipca.com/54454), while Windows 10 fell from 58.7 to 54.2 per cent. It was one of Windows 11’s best ever months. At that rate it’ll overtake Windows 10 by May. It’s already more popular in some countries, including the UK (www.snipca.com/54455). There will still be hundreds of millions of computers running Windows 10 when Microsoft axes support in October. That’ll prove to be a major headache for the company. But there’s significant momentum behind Windows 11 now, and it’s well deserved. Despite an underwhelming launch in 2021 and several flawed updates since, it has grown into…

British digital radio manufacturer Pure has released two editions of its retro-styled ‘Classic’ radios with access to internet stations. The Classic H4 radio (pictured) can now play internet radio as well as DAB+ and FM. It has a 10-watt mono speaker and a 2.4in colour screen that shows what’s playing. Also updated with web radio is the Classic C-D6i, which doubles as a CD player, and has dual 15-watt speakers. However, both cost more than the original models that don’t include internet radio. The Classic H4 costs £120 (up from £90), while the Classic C-D6i is priced £220 (up from £180) – both available from Pure’s site (www.pure-audio.com). You’ll like this… Google Messages is making it easier to block spam (www.snipca.com/54485) but not this… One in four Brits have lost…

SHARE PROTON DRIVE FILES VIA LINKS Proton Drive now lets you create links for sharing files and folders, meaning you can share them with people who don’t have a Proton account (see screenshot below). You’ll also now get emails when someone makes a comment on a document created with Proton Drive. Read more at www.snipca.com/54464. UPDATE WINRAR TO FIX SECURITY FLAW WinRAR users should update their software now after a security flaw was found that hackers could exploit to install malware. Visit www.snipca.com/54465 and download version 7.11. Windows 11 users don’t need to use WinRAR because the operating system can now unzip RAR files – see page 52. DOUBLE-TAP TO TURN KINDLE PAGES Amazon has released a firmware update (5.18.1) that lets you turn pages by double-tapping the side or…

E Bay sellers are threatening to boycott the site after it forced private sellers to use the company’s Simple Delivery method to post most items priced over £10 or weighing over 100g. The company said the service is an “all-in-one delivery solution” that makes the process smoother and saves customers money. When you list an item via Simple Delivery, eBay recommends the size and weight of the item. The seller needs to confirm this is correct before they can post it. Once items are sold, eBay sends sellers a digital QR code and prepaid printable label. They then choose which to use, and either take the item to their courier’s nearest pick-up location or book a home collection. EBay claims sellers will save 20 per cent on postage costs, and…

WATCH OUT FOR… WhatsApp scams targeting the UK What’s the threat? WhatsApp scammers are targeting the UK more than any other European country, with victims losing £2,437 on average. The figures come from UK financial firm Revolut, which has more than 11 million British customers. Its research found that WhatsApp scams made up 21 per cent of all reported UK fraud cases in 2024. The most common scams offer fake job offers and investment schemes (51 and 38 per cent of total cases respectively). The former advertise basic admin roles for unrealistically high pay, and ask for an upfront payment (around £100-£300) to receive “training materials”, “background checks” or “equipment”. Other job ads trick you into laundering stolen money, such as by asking you to transfer money to an account…

UK security is more important than Apple’s independence Gareth Newcombe might trust Apple more than he trusts the Government (Letters, Issue 707), but I think his faith is entirely misplaced. Thankfully, we still live in an age where governments can tell companies what to do, not the other way around. Apple may be one of the world’s biggest and most influential companies, but it’s not going to be around forever. The security of the United Kingdom – which has been and will be around for much longer – is of far greater importance than Apple’s business independence. Tech companies need to be reminded who’s in charge. Chris Hedges Freeview will be a distant memory within 10 years Vince Bracewell’s passionate defence of Freeview aerials seems a little delusional to me…

Can a website reserve free delivery for ‘guests’? LEAD CASE Q I saw a coffee machine I liked on Tassimo’s website (www.tassimo.com) priced £44.99. It clearly stated that orders over £25 have free delivery, but the company tried to charge me a £5.99 delivery fee. I contacted the site, and it suggested I try paying as a guest rather than signing in. I did this and wasn’t charged for delivery. Surely Tassimo is guilty of mixed – or even misleading – messages. Claire Bodemeiad A Yes, it certainly is. If there are any restrictions to free delivery, Tassimo must state this clearly and prominently with the message. We visited the site to check (www.snipca.com/54414) but found no such caveat. Scrolling down, it merely says ‘Receive free shipping on all products above £25’…

Stardock CursorFX www.snipca.com/54475 Price: £4.99 Free trial: 30 days What you need: Windows 10 or 11 If you’re bored of pointing and clicking with the same old white-arrow cursor or find the default Windows pointer difficult to see, CursorFX offers a host of more interesting and accessible designs. Unlike many free cursor packs you can download from the web, it’s completely safe to use and its changes are easy to undo. On the My Cursors tab, you can choose from more than two dozen animated cursors – some with quirky designs that resemble drops of water, grinding gears and spaceships, while others are more practical. Click the lens button next to a cursor to view all the variations within that theme, such as for when you click a web link,…

Wired2Fire HAL 9000 Compact PC Game changer Gaming PCs tend to come in larger cases, offering plenty of room to house all the hardware and cooling components they require. Wired2Fire has squeezed its HAL 9000 into a relatively small (‘compact’) box – 377x185x295mm (HxWxD) – that should sit neatly to the side or under your desk. “Played 4K games with Ultra or High graphics settings at an excellent frame rate” The Cooler Master NR2300P Max V2 chassis is finished in an anodised grey that looks much better in the flesh than in our photos. The front-mounted USB ports (one USB-C, two USB-A) sit neatly next to the power button and a 3.5mm audio jack socket. Most of the time during our tests the HAL 9000 ran near silently, with the…

ANDROID & iOS Chat with Meta AI in WhatsApp Meta has added its AI assistant to WhatsApp in the UK and EU, almost a year after it launched the feature in the US. You may already have received a welcome message from Meta AI in your Chats list, and have a new Meta AI button – which resembles a blue-and-pink circle – in the bottom-right corner of the app. Although the message says ‘Meta AI is an optional service’, it’s currently impossible to remove the feature from WhatsApp. Coupled with the placement of its button directly above the ‘New chat’ button, where it’s easy to tap accidentally, it’s unsurprising that many WhatsApp users have complained about Meta AI being foisted on them. To try the new feature, either reply to…

Can I revert to classic Outlook without a Microsoft 365 account? Q I’d love to be able to get back to the old ‘classic’ Outlook, as you explained in Issue 706 (page 6). However, I followed your instructions and completed the download (from www.snipca.com/54211), but the only way it can be used is by also installing Microsoft 365 and having a 365 account. I don’t want to subscribe to 365, so is there another way to revert to the classic version? Martin Jones A The link we printed in Issue 706 takes you to a Microsoft support page for ‘Outlook for Windows (Classic)’, where you can either click the Download button and run the installer, or opt to ‘Install from Store’, which takes you to the Microsoft Store page for the Windows app…