Table of contents for October 2018 in Windows Help & Advice

DOWNLOAD THE LATEST INSTALLER Q I have lost or don’t have a Windows installation disc. What’s the best way of getting hold of one? A First, open your web browser and point it to www.microsoft.com/software-download where you’ll find three big links at the top of the web page pointing to downloads for Windows 10, 8.1 and 7 respectively. Click the relevant link – If you’re reinstalling Windows 8.1 and 10 you will be prompted to download the Media Creation Tool. There is a single Media Creation Tool for Windows 10, but if you’re reinstalling Windows 8.1 then you’ll need to select ‘Windows 8.1’ from the ‘Select an edition’ drop-down menu, then choose ‘English (international)’ for the product language. Finally, you’ll be prompted to download the 32-bit or 64-bit version. Press…

1 Pin your favourite apps When you open an application, you’ll see its icon appear on the Taskbar. Clicking the logo brings the application to the forefront of your desktop so you can swap between your open applications. You can also ‘pin’ the applications you use the most to your Taskbar. This keeps their icons on the Taskbar, even when the apps are closed, and clicking on it will quickly open them. 2 Search straight from the Taskbar One of the new additions to the Taskbar in Windows 10 is the search box on the left side, next to the Start menu. Click in the search box and start typing what you want to look for. This could be a file or folder on your PC, an app you want…

Your guide Dan Grabham says… “Chrome’s built-in malware tool is little-known but can help you root out major issues with your PC. Here’s how to scan your machine in next-to-no time” Google Chrome is an app that many of us have on our PCs. While Microsoft Edge is a very good web browser, Chrome is the best option if you regularly use Google sites and services. But did you know Chrome can also scan your PC for malware? While it can infect your PC more widely, malware often causes problems with your browser such as changing your homepage or search engine without your permission, or perhaps you keep being redirected to sites you don’t want to visit. That’s where Chrome’s built-in malware scanner comes in, and we’ll show you how…

1 Update Windows Many security problems have already been solved and Microsoft regularly updates Windows to fix bugs and potential issues. But those updates only work if you have them installed on your PC, and the best way to do that is to have automatic updates enabled in Settings > Windows Update. If you don’t want automatic updates, make sure you regularly check for them. 2 Have effective anti-virus Windows 10 comes with its own security software, Windows Defender Security Center, although with earlier versions of Windows we recommend installing a third-party app such as AVG Free or AVAST. Whatever anti-virus software you have, it’s crucial you keep it up to date by downloading the newest database: new viruses and other kinds of malicious software are discovered daily. 3 Update…

1 Install QuickLook Installing QuickLook is quick and easy. Search for the app in the Microsoft Store (or go to http://bit.ly/msftqklok) and click Get. It’s small, 150MB or so, and doesn’t take long to download. Note: you’ll need to be running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update or later to use it, and once it’s installed you’ll find a new icon in your System Tray that looks like a folder and a magnifying glass. 2 Run the app The icon doesn’t do much if you right-click it, offering to check for updates, to quit, and whether to load itself at startup. You’ll want QuickLook to run every time you switch your PC on, since it’s an app that sits in the background until you need it – after all, there’s no…

Take your mind back for a moment. The year is 2007, Steve Jobs has announced the iPhone, Chelsea has finished smashing Manchester United in this year’s FA Cup final, and Windows Vista has now been out for three whole months. Microsoft’s operating system brought with it a hefty installation size, a ton of unnecessary resource-consuming processes, and – more importantly for us – access to the Windows Media Center across all of the various editions of the flagship OS. For the first time (outside of the Windows XP Media Center Edition OS, of course), there was an intuitively designed, integrated user interface developed specifically for simpler input methods, such as a remote, and baked directly into the operating system itself. This is arguably the one thing that Windows Vista got…

It’s all too easy to view Android as a smartphone-only platform, but with Google’s expertise in general web connectivity, and with online services being able to connect multiple devices together as one entity, there is a lot to look forward to. You can already send all of your films and photos to your TV using an accessory, and you will soon be able to use your Android device as your entertainment hub when driving. Add to this the ability to control various devices in your home and you can start to imagine where all of this will end up. Android does not have a direct affiliation to a desktop operating system like the iPhone (macOS) or Windows Phone (Windows), but this could potentially become an advantage. It could be able…

Project Loon is an idea that will appeal to everyone, whether they need it or not. In many rural areas, Internet connectivity can be difficult to maintain and this is especially true in some countries. Did you know that two-thirds of the world’s population does not currently have access to the Internet? This is without doubt because the cost of providing connectivity is not small and the time needed to build the infrastructure is great. Google’s idea is to send balloons into the stratosphere, which will be able to send a valid connection anywhere using an entire balloon network. It sounds daft, but it’s a bit like using satellites to make phone calls, but is potentially much more affordable and thus more accessible to a greater number of people. When…

Microsoft’s virtual personal assistant takes its name from a character in the Halo series of videogames. That incarnation of Cortana – an AI who is outwardly female (having been created from the brain patterns of a female scientist) and never seems to have been provided with quite enough clothes – can hack alien computer encryption and fly captured spaceships. The Windows 10 version is perhaps a little less powerful, but comes in useful all the same. She can search using natural language terms, and by using voice activation just like Siri does on your iPhone. And if the idea of voice controlling your PC alarms you, or perhaps your computer isn’t equipped with a mic, then you can still interact with Cortana through the keyboard, typing your queries for Cortana…

£1,399 | $1,799 www.asus.com Ultrabooks provided a much needed breath of fresh air to the tired laptop scene when they first made an appearance six years ago and Asus has been a major proponent since their inception. While there is still a perception that ultrabooks are a pricey way of getting on the thin and light bandwagon, the likes of the ZenBook 3 prove there’s a lot of great technology and performance to be had in small-form-factor laptops – if you’re prepared to spend that little bit more. The latest ZenBook 3 employs one of Intel’s eighth generation quad-core processors, codenamed Kaby Lake R. Asus has combined that with a healthy amount of RAM and the latest NVMe PCIe solid-state drive (SSD) to make sure you have the performance you…

£399 | $500 www.studio19.london With the Bluetooth speaker market at saturation point, you have to do something special to stand out from the crowd – and in the case of Studio19, that involves a tube-shaped portable unit with enough bass to shake the foundations of your very home. The Solo E500X-EQ comes with Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio and an HDMI ARC input, a 8,800mAh rechargeable battery, 3-band graphic equaliser controls and a fancy rings of LED lights around the bottom, making it as much a piece of furniture in your home as it is a device for enjoying your music. Unfortunately, however, an aesthetic like this doesn’t come cheap: You can order the E500X-EQ direct from Studio19’s site for £399 (around $500). For those who are non-plussed with the graphic equaliser…

WHEN TO REINSTALL Q How often should I be looking to reinstall Windows? A On average, we’d suggest reinstalling Windows from scratch every two or three years. A lot, of course, depends on how many changes you make to your system – if you frequently install and remove programs, for example, then you may find a reinstall every 12-18 months is more practical. To cut a long story short, if your copy is Windows is starting to slow down and become unstable, a clear out and fresh reinstall could be the answer. It’s the surest way to make your PC feel like new. TIME TO REINSTALL Q How long does it take to reinstall Windows on average? A The reinstall process for Windows takes around 30-60 minutes depending on the…

BLOCKED ACCESS TO USER FOLDERS Q I can’t access my documents, music or other folders after reinstalling Windows. Instead I get an ‘access denied’ error. A This happens when you’ve moved your data folders to another drive or partition, then pointed Windows towards those folders. Windows may offer to give you access to the folders – accept the request and you should find they work normally again. If not, you need to take ownership of the folders: right-click each one in turn and choose Properties, then click the Security tab. With the Security tab open, click the Advanced button to open the Advanced Security Settings screen. You should now see a name beginning ‘S-1-5’ is currently listed as the owner – click the Change link. Click ‘Advanced’ followed by Find…

Photoshop Elements’ filters get a bit of a bad rap, as they’re really easy to use and their effects can be quite obvious. It doesn’t have to be this way, however, since using more than one filter, and some of Photoshop Elements’ other features such as layers and blending, can create a mesmerising effect that will have anyone who sees it puzzling over exactly how it was done. Here, we’re going to take a single image and produce from it a digital artwork with nothing but a few filters and some layers. Your choice of initial image will define how your final result looks, as will decisions you make when setting the options for your filters, and when blending layers together. Your final result may look nothing like ours, but…

1 Start Chrome – if you can If you’re looking to scan for malware, you’ll either be checking your PC doesn’t have any issues or looking to resolve an issue that you’ve discovered already. Hopefully you haven’t got a big issue with your PC that prevents you from starting Chrome, such as aggressive pop-ups. If you have, try scanning your PC with Windows Defender or a third-party anti-virus/security suite 2 Access Chrome’s settings Click the three dots to the right of the address bar to go to Google Chrome’s main menu, then click the Settings option. Another way to access the same option is to type chrome:// settings into the address bar. Once in Settings, scroll down to the bottom of the window and click Advanced. This will show you…

Your guide Nate Drake says… “Streamline your productivity with PinClipBoard, a fantastic free app that’s ideal for grabbing images, text and web content – here’s how…” Whether you are boning up for an important exam, or researching a work project it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of material available online. You can spend hours browsing the web, diligently copying and pasting relevant information, but this eats into your precious time. PinClipBoard offers a way to streamline your productivity by creating a local database of every piece of text and image you copy to the clipboard. Using the app’s simple window, you can then review all the content and export the most useful items to another program. If you frequently copy and paste the same content, PinClipBoard also…

1 Get Balabolka Go to www.cross-plus-a.com/balabolka.htm and click Download Balabolka. Once downloaded, extract the compressed balabolka.zip to a convenient folder on your PC, then double-click the setup file to run it. Choose your preferred language, then click Next to step through the installer. When it’s done, check the box marked ‘Launch Balabolka now’ and click Finish. 2 Convert some text The easiest way to see how Balabolka works is to type or paste some text into the blank document provided. Click to position the blinking cursor at the beginning of the text, then click the green Play button. The text will be read aloud using one of the default voices installed with Windows. You can also open text documents or have it read the contents of the clipboard. 3 Choose…

Your guide Alex Blake says… “Over time your PC will accumulate all sorts of cruft that will slow it down. Unclog your computer and get it running smoothly again with our handy guide!” You’ll be amazed by how much rubbish there is bunging up your computer under the surface. Thankfully, there’s a free program that can sweep away the cobwebs, get your PC back up to speed, and restore order to the universe (maybe not that last bit). That program is CCleaner – with a few simple clicks you can clear out gigabytes of unwanted and unnecessary data that could be slowing your computer to a crawl. You should be careful, though. Don’t run CCleaner’s Drive Wiper and Wipe Free Space features if Windows is installed on an SSD. Similarly,…

When it comes to choosing the kit for your home cinema PC – unsurprisingly, like the rest of our most prestigious hobby – it’s very easy to get swept up in one of those buying frenzies, and lay down way too much cash for a machine that’s far more powerful than you really need. Nvidia GeForce GTX 2080? Intel Core i9-8700K? 16GB of DDR4? Sure, you could shell out for all that, but unless your use case scenario includes some exceptionally high-end gaming on the side of your entertainment shenanigans, the reality is that it would be total overkill for your requirements. So, then, let’s break it down: What exactly do you need for a home cinema PC? Well, the truth of the matter is that Kodi (the open-source home…

1 Install Windows You need a full version of Windows on this rig for more compatibility later down the line, and there’s a few important steps to take into consideration. Use the Windows Media Tool [Image A] to create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10, plug it into a USB port on your home cinema PC, enter the BIOS, and direct the boot order at the USB flash drive. Point the Windows installer at your main SSD drive, and begin the installation process. There’s one important thing you need to remember during this home cinema PC install, and that’s to only create a local account, and one without a password. Remember: This is meant to be a home cinema PC, a switch-it-on-and-go machine, as opposed to something more…

You will likely know the most popular apps and services that Google runs, but there are other apps that the company has either acquired or developed over time that may surprise you. Some of these apps offer no obvious indication at all that Google is involved, but that they undoubtedly bear all of the hallmarks of the Google system behind the scenes. From community-based navigation to image editing, Google’s reach extends way beyond the obvious and into a variety of areas. The company is now even delving in to the world of home automation, too. There’s almost no area in the tech world that Google hasn’t attempted to touch. While some apps have been much more successful than others, here are five useful and interesting ones that are well worth…

In the very early days of Android, Apple’s iPhone was receiving all of the headlines and was trying to drag early adopters away from traditional phones such as the Pam Treo 650 and other smart niche devices. It was clear, however, that a new approach was needed for smartphones to gain mass market appeal and so Android was quickly developed to offer as complete a system as was possible at the time. Early Android phones, dominated by screens, were created alongside more traditional units with hardware keyboards, but it would be fair to say that the early versions were somewhat experimental. Just like the iPhone, the features were limited not just by the ability to create powerful software, but also by the slow mobile networks available at the time. Google…

Initially, Android tablets struggled to compete in terms of apps available and even the suitability of each app. Many were simply stretched to fit the larger screen and this led to concerns about usability. But app developers were relatively quick to embrace Android tablets and create apps that were worthy of the platform. Samsung and other manufacturers then jumped on board, and today, we have a vast array of tablets available that push the boundaries of what a mobile device can do. If you want a mobile experience that’s close to a full computer in your hand, a tablet is the ideal way to go.…

The Chromecast is an extremely well-priced accessory that plugs into the back of a TV. Your Android device can then stream films and video clips to it wirelessly to offer a much better experience than watching on a phone or tablet. On top of this, you can ‘cast’ apps to the TV as well and enjoy games as you would with a dedicated games console. Viewing photos is easy and the actual Chromecast app will display a series of customisable photos on the TV when you’re not using it. Support for Netflix, YouTube, Optus Sport and other well-known services is included to round off a complete feature set. The setup process is simple and the system works reliably, which makes it one of the most useful accessories available for your…

When not actually using applications, the Windows desktop is where you’ll spend much of your time, moving files about, hunting for that obscure application you installed six months ago and suddenly need, or lining up your windows so that they fill the space perfectly (a time-wasting pastime that’s all but dead now thanks to window snapping). In Windows 10, the desktop and the taskbar get a few new tricks that make working with files and folders even easier, and the new search bar means pulling up an application you don’t use often is a breeze. Follow these tips to a happy start… 1 Show desktop/peek The Show Desktop button isn’t marked, and some people don’t even know it exists. Press this anonymous section at the extreme right of the taskbar,…

HOW DO I CHECK FOR PROBLEMS? Q My PC has been playing up. Before I reinstall Windows which tests should I run to make sure that it’s not hardware-related? A The two main areas where problems can occur are to do with your PC’s memory (RAM) and its main storage storage drive. RAM can be tested using the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool – type memory into the search box and select it to schedule a test when you next restart your PC. If your PC’s main storage drive is an SSD, download the relevant tool from the drive’s maker that will alert you to potential issues, or install and run SeaTools for Windows (www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/). Other problem areas are likely to be your PC’s power supply and an overheating CPU. If…

1 Choose a photo Look for an image with strong areas of distinct colour for this. Open the file in Photoshop Elements’ Expert Mode, then open the Layers palette using the button at the bottom right. Double-click the only layer, called Background, and click OK in the window that appears. This changes the layer from one that’s locked at the bottom of the stack to one that can be moved. 2 Use the Mezzotint effect Duplicate the layer twice by right-clicking it and selecting the appropriate option. Hide the new layers, which will be at the top of the stack, by clicking the eye icon to their left. Click the layer below to select it – this is the layer you’ll work on first. Go to the Filter menu and…

1 Install and launch PinClipBoard Open your browser and go to https://pinclipboard.com/.Click the Download button, then choose to Run the installer. Once Setup launches click Next to continue. Double-click the install location and then click Next to confirm. Select ‘Install’. Once the install is complete, tick the Launch PinClipBoard option, then click Finish. Click ‘Yes’ to allow the app to make changes. 2 Start copying text Open your document or web page of choice. Use your mouse to highlight any text you wish to copy, then use [Ctrl] + [C] to copy it to the clipboard. Do this as many times as you need. All copied items will appear under PinClipBoard’s Recents section. To export text, right-click on a list item and choose Copy. From here you can paste ([Ctrl]…

Your guide Ian Evenden says… “You don’t need to open an app to see what a file contains, just install an app and tap the [Spacebar]” For those times you want to quickly check the content of a file without waiting for an app to load, there are a few options. If it’s an image file, you can, of course, use Windows 10’s built-in thumbnails and preview pane. The preview pane also works if you want to look at a PDF. However, it comes up short when you want to preview text files. To get a large, fast preview of a file, there’s a little gizmo available for free on the Microsoft Store that will bring it up in seconds. It’s called QuickLook, and it mirrors functionality that macOS users…

1 Clean up unwanted files Tell CCleaner what to clean by selecting items on the Windows and Applications tabs. Check this carefully so you don’t accidentally remove all your saved passwords, for example. Then click Run Cleaner. CCleaner will clear out your web caches, temporary files and more, based on what you selected. Run for the first time, it can clear gigabytes of unneeded data. 2 Spruce up the Registry To clean up broken or missing Registry items, first click the Registry button, then ‘Scan for Issues’ (CCleaner’s developers recommend leaving all settings checked). Once the scan is done, click ‘Fix selected Issues…’, then click Yes to back up your Registry (that’s a must). You can then go through each issue and fix them individually, or tell CCleaner to fix…

Imagine for a minute an operating system that is always protected from viruses and malware, and which you never need to update. Now, imagine being able to choose from thousands of apps that you can download, all of which work together, and having every Google service available to you by just logging in once. It would be wonderful if it could run so efficiently that even laptops and desktops priced way below the average Windows device could run it smoothly and extremely fast. It would also be fantastic if it powered on instantly and you had a choice of devices to run it from that ranged from budget to premium. Stop imagining, because that’s Chrome OS, which runs on a growing range of Chromebooks – devices that could soon offer…

Drones Drones may one day come to dominate the skies if Google has anything to do with it Drones are currently receiving a lot of attention – much of it is quite negative – but the potential future uses for this technology are actually very positive. Google has already started testing drones in Project Wing to deliver goods to customers, which would potentially greatly speed up receipt and also cut a lot of waste out of the traditional delivery systems we still use today. It sounds bizarre, but Google has tested delivering a package using a drone, which lowers the package by a type of fishing line from 45m in the air. This type of technology would be ideal for so many of the items that we purchase currently and…

Microsoft Office MOVE OFFICE TO A NEW HARD DRIVE Q My Samsung R850 hard drive appears to have crashed, Windows 10 going into automatic recover mode and telling me to replace the drive whenever I try to boot from it. This means a new hard drive and new Windows 10 OS as my install discs are in another country for the next four months. Can I move Office 2010 from my Samsung N150 to the new drive? It’s too slow for anything but photos. Bob McKnight Nick P’s solution First things first, there should be no need to buy a new copy of Windows 10, Bob. So long as it’s a straight hard drive swap, then your Windows 10 license should be tied to your old PC – all you need…

The Start menu’s return was big news when Windows 10 launched, and it has evolved as the operating system has been updated. It’s become a fast, and efficient way to access apps and settings – Windows 8’s full-screen monstrosity is now a distant memory, thankfully! However, if you don’t like how the Start menu looks when you first pop it up on your fresh install of Windows 10, it doesn’t have to stay that way. It’s fully customisable in ways that were never possible in earlier versions of the operating system, and can be made to work in just about any way you want, standing out from its background for ease of reading, or automatically blending in with the colour scheme of whatever theme you have currently set on your…

£509 | $549 www.microsoft.com Mcrosoft’s 10.1-inch Surface Go is everything you love about the Surface Pro, only smaller. You’ll find no half-baked operating systems and no strange app compatibility issues here – even if it ships with Windows 10 in S Mode and has less raw horsepower. It’s just a smaller Surface that works. Price and availability The Surface Go configuration on test costs £509 ($549), and is the most powerful version of the tablet Microsoft offers. The entry-level model goes for £379 ($399), with 64GB of eMMC storage and 4GB of memory, while the rest of the specs remain the same. Annoyingly, Microsoft continues to sell the tablet’s all-but-essential accessories separately. The Surface Pen goes for £99 ($99), while the new Alcantara fabric Type Covers (available in burgundy, cobalt…

£598.80 | $799.99 https://epson.com/ Epson’s SureColor SC-P600 is designed for both enthusiast and pro photographers looking for a high-end home printing solution to produce up to A3+ (329x483mm) prints. Make no mistake, this isn’t a jack-of-all-trades printer that can scan and copy as well; this is a high-end piece of kit that’s designed to produce beautiful looking prints fit for a gallery wall. The SC-P600 uses Epson’s premium UltraChrome HD inks, and packs in nine cartridges (yellow, vivid light magenta, light cyan, vivid magenta, cyan, light light black, light black, photo black and matte black), while there’s a large 2.7-inch touchscreen display to keep things nice and simple. Design This is one large printer, and with a footprint of 616x369mm you’re going to need a big desk or somewhere else…

£59.99 | $59.89 www.yitechnology.com/ Sixty pounds (or dollars). That’s how much Chinese company Yi is charging for its latest budget action camera. And you know what? It’s pretty good. Yi has been on a mission to undercut GoPro for a while, issuing budget action cameras like the Yi 4K. Now it’s undercutting itself by taking its already good value Yi Lite and slashing a few features to create this, the Yi Discovery. The accessory-laden Yi Discovery Action Camera with Accessory Kit bundle sells for £59.99 ($59.89), while the Yi Discovery Camera pack (which includes only the camera, a micro-USB cable and a battery) sells for a mere £42.99. While the former package is aimed at the beginner, the latter is explicitly for the ‘backup’ action camera market. Don’t want to…