About the Questions
The I.T Support team tackles all sorts of problems. For example, we might get an email that says:
I can’t log in to the such-and-such website.
There is clearly a problem here, and we'd like to help. The enquirer is probably annoyed and may be confused. They don’t care what the problem is, they just want it fixed. But that initial report hasn’t given us enough information. We can’t even tell if this is a technical problem or just a simple user error.
So we nearly always start by asking questions of our own. Until we understand the problem, we can’t offer a sensible solution. And this sometimes takes a lot longer than actually fixing the issue. Einstein had the right idea when he said:
“If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.”
Your current difficulty might have several possible solutions. But, if we really understand a problem, the right solution is nearly always obvious.
Going back to that “can’t log in” example, perhaps the enquirer has just forgotten the password. On the other hand, if it’s a technical problem, we would need to know whether they are using a phone, a tablet or a laptop computer, and whether they are using Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s MacOS, or Google’s Android operating system. We may also need to know which web browser they are using. All of those things could be part of the problem.
There are a thousand and one questions you might ask, and we can't answer them all here. But there are a few general questions that we can answer immediately. You will find some of them on this page.
Some Answers
All the answers here can be expanded and collapsed. An answer marked with a down-pointing triangle can be collapsed by clicking anywhere on the line with the triangle. Similarly, an answer can be expanded by clicking a line with a right-pointing triangle.
Should I upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11?
If your computer is capable of running Windows 11 then, yes, you should definitely upgrade to Windows 11.
If you stick with Windows 10, there is a risk that your computer will become infected with a computer virus or some other type of malware. In that case, your computer may become slow and some things might not work at all. Even worse, your computer might start spreading the virus to anyone else in your contacts list.
My computer won't run Windows 11. What should I do?
If you are currently running Windows, you have two choices:
- Buy a new computer
- Install the Linux operating system on your existing PC
If you have only ever used Windows and don't want to learn a different operating system, you will have to buy a new PC.
If you are thinking of buying a new computer and are prepared to try a different operating system, I would recommend an Apple MacBook or a Google Chromebook. Apple computers are a bit more expensive, but they are high quality products and Apple's customer support is exemplary. If you only use your PC for email and browsing the World Wide Web, a Chromebook will be cheaper than an equivalent Windows PC and perfectly adequate for your needs.
Alternatively, you can avoid adding to the ever-growing pile of scrapped electronic equipment, by installing Linux on your existing computer. There are several varieties of Linux; we recommend Linux Mint.
I've never heard of Linux. What is it?
Linux is the free version of the Unix operating system. Apple's macOS and iOS, Google's ChromeOS and Android, and Linux itself are all based on Unix. If you use any kind of smartphone, you are already familiar with one member of the Unix family.
Linux is relatively lightweight and highly secure. For that reason, most of the World Wide Web servers are running Linux. It also runs on a very wide range of hardware, from mobile phones to laptops, desktops and supercomputers.
What Is This Thing Called ‘The Cloud’? And Why Would I Use It?
‘The Cloud’ is a file storage service offered by the big tech organisations (Apple, Google, Microsoft) and some specialist companies (e.g. Dropbox). It serves two purposes:
- to provide you with extra storage space
- to synchronise the files on your various devices
When you create an account with Apple, Google or Microsoft, they allocate space for you on their servers. You get a certain amount free (5GB on Apple, 15GB on Google, 5GB or more on Microsoft, 2GB on Dropbox). All those organisations also offer paid subscriptions with more storage space.
Smartphone users who take a lot of photos often find they run out of space on their phones. The simplest solution to that is to use your Apple account (if you have an iPhone) or your Google account (if you have an Android phone) and switch on the option to upload photos to the cloud automatically. Paid subscriptions are very cheap and offer a lot more storage. (Apple offers 50GB for £0.99 per month.)
You don’t have to have an account with any of the cloud service providers, but almost everyone does. The tech companies encourage it, it’s free (at least to start with), and it provides a convenient way to ensure that your important information is available on all your devices.
Suppose, for example, that while you are in town you see a poster in a shop window advertising a concert that you are interested in, and you add it to the calendar on your smartphone. Then you go home, sit down at your computer, and start to compose an email to send to your gig-loving friends. If your phone and your computer are both registered with the same cloud account, the calendar on your computer will have been synchronised with the one on your phone. The where, when and ticket price of the gig will be right there in the calendar app on your computer. And it all happened automatically.
Is It Safe to Have My Data Stored On a Big Tech Server?
Some people worry about having their personal data stored on servers owned by the big tech companies. It is a legitimate concern. The data on those servers is highly valuable and, if the security of your cloud provider is breached, your information could find its way into the hands of criminals.
On the other hand, the cloud providers take security extremely seriously. Their businesses are utterly dependent on keeping our data safe and their systems are designed by world-class experts. Stealing data from them would be like breaking into Fort Knox. It’s not impossible, but it’s so unlikely that ordinary domestic computer users don’t need to worry about it.
Some people, though, may have more cause for concern. If you are a journalist investigating corruption in your government, or you are a political activist speaking out against your government’s policies, you probably don’t want your data stored where the authorities can compel the service provider to release it. But the average computer user doesn’t need to worry about that.
For most people, the risk is tiny and well worth the extra convenience that comes from cheap data storage and automatic synchronisation across multiple devices.
What’s the Difference Between Admin and Standard User Accounts?
When you set up a new computer, it will create a user account for you. If you choose the default options, you will end up with one account with full administrator access. This lets you perform essential tasks like updating the operating system, installing new apps, and creating new user accounts. But it also lets you do some unwise things. If you are not careful, you could accidentally delete essential files or open security holes, leaving your PC vulnerable to hackers.
Standard user accounts are not allowed to do these dangerous things.
For this reason, we recommend that you create separate administrator and standard accounts. You should use a standard account for everyday things (reading and sending emails, browsing the web, creating documents, etc.) and only use the administrator account on those rare occasions when you need greater access.
You can still update your operating system and your apps while logged in to your standard user account, but the computer will ask you for the username and password for the administrator account before doing the update. If you always do this, you will very rarely have to log in to the administrator account. But you will need to remember the administrator’s username and password for routine maintenance tasks such as updating your software and changing the system settings.
I’ve heard that Windows is in decline. Is that true?
Yes, it’s true. For ordinary PC users, running Windows has been an increasingly frustrating and expensive option over the last few years. Compared with the other popular operating systems, Windows tends to be slower and to require more up to date hardware. And it pesters you with advertisements for apps and upgrades that steal your attention. Furthermore, the Windows software gathers information about your machine, the apps you use and your browsing habits primarily so that Microsoft can make more money for its shareholders. Instead of the computer being a tool that you control, it feels more and more as if Microsoft and its partners are in control.
This isn’t just an issue for individual PC users. Commercial organisations are finding Windows software increasingly expensive as Microsoft adopts a business model based on subscriptions. And governments are increasingly concerned about their reliance on U.S. corporations for their critical infrastructure.
As a result, many individuals, companies and governments are switching to cheaper, faster and less intrusive operating systems. There has been a steady drift away from Windows towards the free, open-source alternatives. And Linux is by far the most popular of those.
For a more detailed explanation, watch this video: