Computeractive - January 31, 2024 UK

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Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 3

Contents
31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676
6 News Check your passwords as 71m

stolen logins are leaked
12
10 Question of the Fortnight Will you
need 16GB RAM to run Windows 12?
11 Protect Your Tech

Emails with fake Temu offers
12 Letters Telecare firms have ignored

copper line switch-off
14 Consumeractive Is Wowcher
responsible for refunding return cost?
p10
16 Grow Your Family Tree
Search Old Bailey criminal records Windows 12 may require memory muscle
18 Best Free Software

Files 3.1.1
Minisforum UM780XTX
21 Named & Shamed
Microsoft’s AI rebranding of Edge p23
Reviews
22 HP Envy Move
Portable all-in-one PC carries it off
23 Minisforum UM780XTX
Tigerish mini PC earns its stripes
24 Amazon Fire HD 10
Amazon’s latest tablet warms to its task
25 Epson EcoTank ET-2830

Ink-tank printer leaves its mark Epson EcoTank
ET-2830
26 Motorola Moto G54 pxx
Budget phone makes some good calls p25
28 Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk

Portable workstation is smart move
Creative Live Cam Sync 4K
4K webcam makes clear sense
29 Eufy Video Doorbell E340

Smart doorbell takes a different view
30 Buy It/Competition
Win Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 earbuds
4 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

Subscribe now – and save 30%!
See page 58 for our special subs offer
Workshops & Tips Get tooled up in Windows
p35
35
How to… Turn on hidden
Windows tools
38
Download audio-only video
from YouTube
40 R
eaders’ Tips Import YouTube
subscriptions to FreeTube
42 Browser Tips
Block third-party cookies automatically
44 Phone and Tablet Tips View web

pages in picture-in-picture mode
46 Make Windows Better

Password-protect your zipped folders
47 Make Office Better

Rotate a table to print in landscape WHY YOU MUST USE
48 In the Club
Use Google Meet’s Companion Mode SMART
49 What’s All the Fuss About?
Amazon Matter Casting
50 COVER FEATURE
PLUGS
Master these cheap
Why you must use smart plugs
but powerful devices to CO
Control your home and keep it safe with FEATVER
the compact, versatile plugs that make control your entire home UR
P50 E
devices and appliances a little smarter
60 Is your phone’s battery dying?

Is your mobile’s battery on the way out? We
explain how to check and what to do about it
62 Cancel your printer ink subscription

With the cost of ink subscriptions on the
rise, we reveal how to keep printing cheap
CANCEL
your
64 Problems Solved
Where have my Excel cell styles gone?
printer ink
71 Reader Support
Why is my Brave browser so slow?
72 Jargon Buster
74 Easy When You Know How

Robert Irvine controls two PCs with one
mouse
subscription
pxx
p62

News The top stories in the world of technology
Check your passwords as

71m stolen logins are leaked
A
ll internet users have Hunt, who runs the website
been urged to check Have I Been Pwned? (HIBP),
whether their email said that it’s not unusual to
address and passwords are see large collections of stolen
in a new batch of 71 million addresses being sold online.
leaked online. He explained that he
It contains many details that normally ignores requests to
have never been leaked before, examine them because most
warned Australian security of the passwords and
consultant Troy Hunt. addresses have already been
leaked online, and are part of
WHAT WE THINK the existing database you can
search at HIBP. He was advised to look at Check if your details
Troy Hunt is one of the But around a third of the the data by a “well-known are included
world’s most respected 70,840,771 addresses in the tech company”, which took it His team has uploaded the data
security experts, so when he latest leak, called ‘Naz.API’, “seriously enough to take to its database, so if your email
warns about a new privacy aren’t listed by HIBP. This is appropriate action against address and passwords are in
leak you should listen. Before “statistically significant”, their (very sizeable) user base”. the leak they’ll appear when
you do anything else online, Hunt said, meaning it’s likely The data, comprising 319 you search for them at HIBP.
visit Have I Been Pwned? and they’ve never been made files and 104GB, was stolen To search for email
check all the email addresses available online before for using malware from infected addresses, visit https://
and passwords you use. It scammers to buy and use. computers, Hunt said. haveibeenpwned.com then
doesn’t store anything you Hunt wrote on his blog Hunt revealed that the leak click Enter; for passwords it’s
type, so it’s completely safe. (www.snipca.com/49031): contained details of 427,308 https://haveibeenpwned.com/
If it finds any, change them “This isn’t just the usual HIBP subscribers. He then Passwords.
immediately. There’s simply collection of repurposed emailed some to check If you see the message
no easier way of checking lists wrapped up with a whether the accompanying ‘Good news — no pwnage
whether your login details brand-new bow on it and passwords in the leak were found!’, it means what you
have fallen into the wrong passed off as the next big real. This helped him confirm searched for isn’t in any of
hands. thing; it’s a significant volume that the leak contained HIBP’s sets of stolen details.
of new data.” genuine data. If you see ‘Oh no — pwned!’,
it means your details were
found, and you’ll see how
HACKERS SIGN INTO GOOGLE WITHOUT YOUR PASSWORD many times. As an example,
Hackers are able to access cookies in order to bypass the password ‘Windows 12345’
your Google account without the two-factor authentication is found 186 times in HIBP’s
using your password, (2FA) that you normally need to records (see screenshot).
researchers have found. confirm your identity. They can Hunt launched HIBP in
Indian security firm even gain access if you change 2013, and has since added
CloudSEK said that the flaw your password. details from nearly 13 billion
lies in Google’s cookies, which The flaw was first revealed and stealth” of modern cyber hacked accounts.
remember your login details in October 2023 when a hacker attacks. To receive an alert when
when you next visit a site. explained it on the messaging Google said it’s “taken action your details are breached,
It added that hackers have service Telegram. CloudSEK said to secure any compromised enter your email address at
worked out how to use these it “underscores the complexity accounts detected”. https://haveibeenpwned.com/
NotifyMe.
You’ll like this… but not this…

Gmail’s Android app is getting an Fake tickets were sold online for a church
‘Unsubscribe’ button (www.snipca.com/49042) craft fair (www.snipca.com/49041)

BT axes inflation-linked IN BRIEF
price rises PLAY GAMES ON

RETRO ATARI 400 PC
You can now pre-order
B T will stop increasing

prices based on
percentages and the rate of
However,
BT still plans to
stick with the
a modern edition of the
Atari 400, which was first
released in 1979. Made by UK
inflation, following Ofcom’s existing pricing firm Retro Games, the Mini
proposal to ban the practice. model for the next 400 (pictured) contains 25
It said from early summer it price increases in April. games, including Berzerk and
will introduce a pricing model This means prices will rise Millipede, and comes with a
that uses “a clear and simple by 7.9 per cent – which is new version of Atari’s CX-40
view of any changes in January’s rate of CPI inflation joystick. It costs £100 and
‘pounds and pence’”. plus 3.9 per cent. is available from 28 March.
BT added that it expects The company has acted For details visit www.snipca.
broadband to rise by £3 a before Ofcom has officially linked to inflation plus a com/48996.
month in future and that confirmed a ban on percentage.
customers renewing their mid-contract rises linked to Every major broadband
mobile contracts will pay inflation. The regulator is provider except Sky has
£1.50 more. currently consulting with now adopted this model for
Marc Allera, head of BT interested parties and will calculating price increases.
Group’s Consumer Division, make a decision this spring. Allera added that there will GAME STOPS TRADE-IN
said this was “about the price Complaints about the be no increase for “customers CREDIT SCHEME
of a takeaway coffee each practice have shot up in the in financially vulnerable UK store Game will cease
month”. He added that in past year, Ofcom said. circumstances” who use EE its trade-in scheme on 16
“real terms” people pay less Its research shows that only Basics or BT Home Essentials. February, meaning it’ll no
for broadband than ever 16 per cent of broadband No other internet provider longer give you credit for
before, and get “much more” customers knew their has yet announced how they’ll your unwanted consoles,
for their money (see www. monthly bill would increase manage price increases games or accessories. It will
snipca.com/48989). mid-contract, and that it was following Ofcom’s ban. continue to sell pre-owned
items while stock lasts.
The decision leaves CeX
British Library restores its website as the
UK’s main
after hack retailer
selling
B ritish Library has put its

main catalogue back
online, following last year’s
second-
hand
games.
cyber-attack that removed
access to 36 million records. TOMORROW’S
It’s the first major step to WORLD
restore access to the library’s
records, but for now they’ll This is the new version of
be available in a ‘read-only’ Samsung’s robot Ballie
format. Users will be able to demonstrating its standout
search for items online, but feature – a projector. As well
not check their availability as entertaining bored dogs,
nor order them to use in the it can beam video chats
reading rooms. The Rhysida ransomware and Kazakhstan, and has and exercise workouts on
Chief executive Sir Roly group claimed responsibility previously targeted King to living-room walls, and
Keating said restoring all for the hack, which took Edward VII’s Hospital in the night sky on to ceilings.
services would be a gradual place on 31 October. As well London, the Chilean Army’s Samsung reveals all at
process. He added: “Although as knocking systems offline, website and the University of www.snipca.com/48991.
the processes may be slower it stole customer data and has the West of Scotland.
and more manual than we’ve since auctioned it on the dark The British Library has
all been used to, this is the web. The data included more apologised for failing to
familiar heart of the library’s than 490,000 files – totaling protect customer details, and
offering to researchers and 573GB. has pledged to improve its
restores a core element of our Rhysida is thought to have security. Read more on its blog:
public service.” members in Russia, Belarus www.snipca.com/48985.

News
IN BRIEF Weather information coming to
46 MORE AREAS SHUT
COPPER PHONE LINES
Windows 10’s lock screen
Openreach has announced
46 more areas where it will
stop selling copper landline
M icrosoft is adding
weather updates
to the Windows 10
feature for ‘eye control
system settings’,
which lets you back
phone services and switch to lock screen, having up settings from a
digital. They include phone already tested this in former device while
exchanges in Chelmsford, Windows 11. you set up a new one.
Evesham, Grimsby, Leicester It’s part of Build You can then install
and Lisburn – see www. 19045.3992, which them on your new
snipca.com/49032 for the is a preview version device.
rest. It plans to deactivate available to Windows Adding weather to
copper phone lines across 10 Insiders (see www. Windows 10’s lock
the UK by the end of 2025. snipca.com/49034). screen is the latest
Microsoft announced that Details include the highest sign that Microsoft isn’t
GOOGLE REMOVES 17 the tool would be coming and lowest temperatures for planning to abandon the
ASSISTANT FEATURES to Windows 10 a couple of the day, and local weather operating system ahead of
Google is removing 17 weeks after first adding it to warnings. When you click the standard support ending in
features from its Assistant preview Build 23612 of weather ‘card’ and sign in, October 2025.
tool, which lets you perform Windows 11 in early January. Edge will open with the full Soon after launching
actions using your voice It will cover US locations first forecast in MSN weather. Windows 11, Microsoft said
on smart speakers, phones – such as Seattle (pictured) Microsoft said the new that Windows 10 wouldn’t
and tablets. They include – before rolling out to other information will be shown be receiving any more new
playing audiobooks on countries. by default. To turn it off, features.
Google Play Books, and It appears that the feature open Settings (press But it backtracked on this
sending email, video or will work the same in both Windows key+I), then click last autumn by announcing
audio messages. Google versions of Windows. Personalisation. Next, click plans to add its AI tool Copilot
called the removed tools Microsoft said that you’ll see ‘Lock screen’ and set ‘Lock to the operating system. It has
“underutilised”, meaning weather information “as you screen status’ to None. since also added a backup tool
they’re not popular with hover over the weather on Build 19045.3992 of to Windows 10 – see Issue
users. See the full list at your lock screen”. Windows 10 also adds a 671’s Workshop (page 38).
www.snipca.com/49033.
THE WORLD’S
GONE MAD!
Adblock Plus admits faulty update
This is Valentino Fury,
slows down YouTube
niece of the boxer Tyson,
demonstrating the ‘nose
cover’ trend that teenagers
A dblock Plus has admitted
that a faulty update
caused YouTube videos to
wasn’t responsible for
the latest problems.
Adblock Plus then
are using when being load slowly, but said it will said the fault was
photographed by their release a fix soon. caused by version 3.22
parents. It’s a reaction to It was responding to of the extension, and
parents complaints from users online that it would be fixed
sharing who suspected that Google, in version 3.22.1 (www.
too many which owns YouTube, was snipca.com/48997). Plus, though is made by the
pictures of deliberately slowing down Browsers update extensions same company – German
their kids videos for people using ad automatically, so this fix will developers Eyeo.
online, blockers. be applied without you having Hill claimed that the faults
Credit Instagram/@parisfury1
which can Google had acknowledged to do anything. in both Adblock and Adblock
lead to in November that people In a message on X (formerly Plus could cause problems on
bullying. using ad blockers would Twitter), uBlock Origin other sites, not just YouTube.
Remember the kinder days experience “sub-optimal developer Raymond Hill said He also said that uBlock
when photos were stuck in viewing” when watching the problems also existed in Origin (https://ublockorigin.
photo albums only seen by videos. version 5.17 of Adblock (www. com) wasn’t affected.
family? But in mid-January it
released a statement saying it
snipca.com/49010). This is a
separate product to Adblock
• Download audio from
YouTube – page 38

Wi-Fi 7 approved with a IN BRIEF
maximum speed of 46Gbps FIRST EVER 2TB
MICROSD CARD COMING
W i-Fi 7 has been approved

by industry body
Wi-Fi Alliance, making it
– a theoretical
maximum speed of
46Gbps, almost five
Taiwanese company AGI
has released the world’s
first 2TB microSD card
the official current version times faster than (pictured below), which is
of the technology. Wi-Fi 6 (9.6Gbps). At the maximum capacity the
Like Wi-Fi 6E, it transmits this speed, it would format can hold. It has peak
data on a third frequency be able to transfer a read and write speeds of
(6GHz), which is much faster 4.7GB DVD in less 170MB/s and 160MB/s.
than the existing 2.4GHz than one second. the new technology will AGI said it’s ideal for adding
and 5GHz frequencies. This However, actual speeds now carry the official logo storage to the iPhone 15
doubles the maximum inside homes will be much (pictured above). The first and high-resolution recording
channel bandwidth to lower. Intel has demonstrated router to support Wi-Fi 7 on Android phones. UK price
320MHz, meaning it can how a laptop with Wi-Fi 7 was TP-Link’s Deco BE85 and availability have yet to
transmit more data. support can reach speeds of mesh system, released last be announced.
It also uses a new 5.8Gbps, which is more than year priced £999 (www.
technology called Multi-Link twice faster than Wi-Fi 6. snipca.com/48961).
Operation, which lets devices The Wi-Fi Alliance, which Like all major Wi-Fi
simultaneously send and/or comprises almost all leading versions, Wi-Fi 7 is
receive data across different tech companies (www.snipca. backwards-compatible, which
frequency bands and channels. com/48959), said that around means it will work with your
This also allows Wi-Fi 7 233 million devices supporting existing Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5
routers to avoid congested Wi-Fi 7 are expected to be devices. However, to use all its
channels and switch to a released in 2024. This will new features your router and SKY MOBILE PRICES RISE
less crowded one. grow to 2.1 billion devices by device will both need to BY THREE PER CENT
These advancements give 2028, it predicts. support it. Read more at Sky Mobile has announced
Wi-Fi 7 – also called 802.11be All devices that support www.snipca.com/48950. that monthly bills for
out-of-contract customers
will increase by an average
LG TVs to have Chromecast built in of three per cent. Most tariffs
on 20GB and below will
L G will start releasing TVs

this year with Google’s
Chromecast feature built in,
increase by £1, while most
on 25GB and over will rise by
£2. Sky is also cutting how long
meaning you won’t need to you can ‘roll over’ unused
stick the service’s USB dongle data for – from three years
into the side of the set. to just one. This change kicks
It said that viewers will in on 1 April. If you’re out
be able to “start a video on of contract you can cancel
their phone or their Chrome without paying a fee.
browser and with just a
tap of the Cast icon be able to BROADBAND CABINETS
start watching on the best BECOME EV CHARGERS
screen in their house”. BT has begun a trial to
One TV to include which LG claims is the first ‘transparent’ TV, the 77in convert broadband street
Chromecast will be the M4 wireless 4K set with a frame OLED Signature T (pictured cabinets into chargers for
OLED (pictured above right), rate of 144Hz. left). LG says that when it’s electric vehicles. The first
LG sets already switched off it becomes location will be in East
come with Apple “practically invisible” Lothian, Scotland, with more
AirPlay built in, and “blends into the across the UK coming soon.
letting you show environment”. BT said it might be able
content from your It didn’t confirm price or to convert up to 60,000
iPhone or iPad on release date. Read more at cabinets that are no longer
your TV. www.snipca.com/48958. needed (www.snipca.
The company
has also unveiled a
• Amazon Matter Casting
takes on Chromecast – page 49
com/48980).

Questionof
Question ofthe
theFortnight
Fortnight
Will you need 16GB of RAM
to run Windows 12?
Reports say computers will soon need a lot more memory
Y
ou might already be fed
up reading that 2024 THE FACTS
will be the year of AI 12
PCs. Microsoft has banged • Market analysts say
home the message with every Microsoft will set a
announcement of the past few “baseline” of 16GB of
months. It means little to the RAM to run AI-powered
average user at present, but is computers
likely to have a big impact in • Currently, Microsoft says
future – especially when it 4GB RAM is the minimum
comes to decisions about for running Windows 11
upgrading Windows on your • Dell’s new XPS 13 laptop,
computer. which has “built-in AI”
A report from market and a Copilot key, requires
analysts TrendForce claims Cortana ever was – or so paragraphs ago. 8GB RAM
Microsoft will set a “baseline” Microsoft hopes. The first wave of AI PCs
of 16GB of RAM for the next Whether this justifies don’t back up TrendForce’s
generation of Windows Microsoft using the term ‘AI claim. Dell says its new XPS 13 But most users – 67 per cent
machines (www.snipca. PC’ is beside the point. What laptop, which it describes as a at the last count – have stuck
com/49049). That’s a huge matters is that Copilot “futuristic design, with built-in with Windows 10. Some of
jump from the minimum of requires a lot of processing AI” (www.snipca.com/49050), these would have wanted to
4GB for Windows 11, let alone power and memory to work at will need only 8GB RAM. upgrade, but their machines
2GB for Windows 10 (if you full potential. But TrendForce The AI it refers to is provided lack the specifications.
don’t know yours, type RAM doesn’t actually provide any by Intel’s Core Ultra processor, Surely Microsoft won’t
into Windows search and look evidence Microsoft is which is powered by a neural make the same mistake again.
under ‘Device specifications’ considering increasing RAM processing unit (NPU). These Copilot is already in the
– see screenshot below). requirements. are vital to AI PCs because taskbar, the Edge sidebar, and
This increase gets to the It seems to base the claim they help computers perform may soon even have a shortcut
heart of what Microsoft means on the obvious point that complex tasks such as from File Explorer. Why
by ‘AI PC’. It plans to build Microsoft is “poised to learning what the user wants would it bet so heavily on this
them around Copilot, which is integrate Copilot into the next to do, and recognising images tool only to restrict it to
the company’s much-hyped generation of Windows, and speech. machines running 16GB RAM?
tool for performing tasks on making Copilot a fundamental It seems implausible that Much will depend on
your PC and searching the requirement for AI PCs”. Any Dell would herald the XPS 13 whether Windows 12 launches
web. By using AI, Copilot is analyst could have told you as an AI device if it lacked this year. It had seemed likely,
more versatile and useful than that. In fact, we just did – two enough RAM to actually carry but Microsoft sources now say
out any AI tasks. Furthermore, a major Windows 11 update
the laptop’s keyboard comes (24H2) is the priority. If so, then
with Microsoft’s new Copilot Microsoft will probably stick
key for activating the tool with the 4GB requirement for
(see Issue 675, page 49). What the rest of 2024, while
would be the point of that if it encouraging customers to buy
couldn’t run Copilot? 8GB to get the best out of
Microsoft’s failure with Copilot.
Windows 11 also suggests it And then in 2025 might come
won’t risk setting the RAM bar the big push to Windows 12,
at 16GB. It had hoped that 16GB RAM and AI integrated
making TPM 2.0 a Windows 11 into everything we do. Maybe
requirement would motivate TrendForce’s prediction will
Look under ‘Device specifications’ to check your computer’s RAM people to buy new computers. prove to be one year early.

Protect your tech
Scams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools
WATCH OUT FOR...
Emails with fake Temu offers

What’s the threat? Temu. Action Fraud
Scammers are sending emails promoting warned about the scams
offers that claim to be from Chinese- in late December, saying
based shopping site Temu. In one scam, 30,000 people had
you’re urged to take a survey to win a reported them in the
‘Temu Mystery box’ ( 1 in our screenshot). previous six weeks.
Clicking the button takes you to a site Temu has grown
branded with the Temu logo, and using rapidly since launching 1
a URL similar to Temu’s genuine site in the UK last April,
(www.temu.com). It asks you to answer and now has nine
questions on your shopping habits and million users attracted 2
pay a delivery fee of between £1 and £2. by the low prices. It can
In another common scam, you’re told sell items so cheaply
to claim ‘brand new free Temu pallets’ because it connects
containing items as a reward for being shoppers directly with
chosen to take part in a ‘loyalty program’ Chinese manufacturers,
2 . It claims you just need to answer “a few cutting out the middleman.
questions” to win this “fantastic prize”. We expect to see many more Temu These are especially popular on Temu.
Again, clicking the buttons takes you to a scams throughout 2024, particularly Visit www.snipca.com/48930 then scroll
fake site branded with Temu’s logo. those offering mystery boxes. This is a down to the questions at the bottom and
genuine trend in online shopping, you’ll see that Temu says the biggest-
How can you stay safe? where people buy a package of items selling mystery boxes are for plush doll
First, be aware that scammers are without knowing precisely what it clothes, make up, jewellery, shoes and
increasingly exploiting the popularity of contains. interior decor.
New tools Log into Bitwarden with passkeys

www.bitwarden.com
ScamWatch
Readers warn readers
Bitwarden, our favourite computer (see screenshot). ‘Missing’ delivery

free password manager, In the video instructions address message
now lets you sign into at www.snipca. I’ve received lots of fake delivery
your vault using a passkey, com/48954, Bitwarden texts over the years, and most of
rather than by typing your selects a security key. It them have asked for payment or
username and password. shows how you need to promised to track a courier. I got a
This is available to users type your key’s PIN, new variation recently when a text
on every Bitwarden then touch the key to claiming to be from Royal Mail said I
package (free or paid-for). sign into it. needed to update my address
You’ll first need to set it Name your passkey because it was “missing”. Missing
up. Sign into Bitwarden, then click your device, then tick ‘Use for vault where? And how? No idea. The
profile’s dropdown menu at the top encryption’ and click ‘Turn on’. You’ll instructions made no sense to me. I
right and select ‘Account settings’. then need to select your passkey device was asked to reply by texting ‘Y’ then
Next, select Security on the left, then once more, and sign in. If this works, close the message and reopen it to
scroll down to the ‘Log in with passkey’ you’ll see confirmation under the ‘Log activate a link. What link? Again, no
heading and click ‘Turn on’. in with passkey’ heading. Next time idea. I showed it to my postman, who
Now enter your master password, you sign into Bitwarden, you’ll be given said he’d never seen it before, but
click Continue, and decide where to the option to ‘Log in with passkey’. that it was definitely a scam.
store your passkey from the three Remember that Bitwarden also lets Colin Watson
options: phone/tablet, security key you sign into websites using passkeys Warn your fellow readers about scams
such as a YubiKey, or your Windows – see Issue 672’s Workshop (page 38). at letters@computeractive.co.uk

Letters
Tell us what’s on your mind
Adverts do not keep the U-turn (see Star Letter), public concern format. These can be passed to friends
internet free can prompt authorities to take action. I and family who can view them in any
There are predict the same will way they want.
countless flaws happen with passkeys. Now I just need to leave a note for my
in John Young’s When it seems obvious grandchildren to keep up to date with
argument that adverts that many people – any new persisting file formats that come
keep the internet free most of them vulnerable into popular use. The whole lot is kept
(Letters, Issue 675). I’ll – will be left behind, on a large capacity USB drive, with two
name a few. Netflix companies will be put duplicates.
charges £4.99 a month under enormous John Bythell
for streaming with adverts (pictured), as pressure to keep passwords as a safe and
does Disney+. ITVX has adverts, but to manageable option. Microsoft’s error was strict
watch shows streamed live you need to Arthur Kenyon requirements for Windows 11
pay for a TV licence. The same applies to In Issue 674’s Star Letter, Gary
Channels 4 and 5. Store digitised media for Henderson suggests that Microsoft
Amazon has provided the biggest dent generations to come has made a “strategic error” in offering
in the argument by introducing adverts I read with interest the process extended support for Windows 10.
in Prime Video. Has it done this so it can of digitising audio cassettes in Actually, Microsoft had no choice but to
offer Prime Video for free? Of course not. Issue 673 (page 35). I don’t think enough continue support for their large corporate
It’s part of an industry-wide move to thought is given to how you need to customers. To make the same support
create a two-tier internet. There’s store the resulting digitised media. I’m available to individuals via regular
first-class for those who can afford to now in my 80s and can well remember Windows updates has negligible added
remove adverts; and second-class for all the changes that have taken place cost.
those who can’t. regarding storage and viewing of pictures, This U-turn has been forced on
I’m afraid to say that for those who movies and sounds. Microsoft by the minimum hardware
hate adverts, worse is to come. This new During the Covid lockdowns I managed requirements that they set for Windows
business model creates an incentive to digitise nearly all of my family 11, which neither corporate nor
for companies to keep increasing the collections. It’s not been easy. Most of individual customers have been prepared
adverts it shows. The more annoying and the problems were caused by moving to accept – and that was Microsoft’s
frequent they become, the more viewers between many different storage types. strategic error, which has led directly to
will cough up for the more expensive But the most difficult aspect was deciding the slow adoption of Windows 11.
packages to avoid them. which file types to use to ensure they can Computeractive has helped many
Les Mansfield still be opened in years to come. readers, including myself, to install
In the end I chose to use the most Windows 11 on hardware that did not
Death of passwords has been popular file types – for example, JPEG, meet the minimum requirements.
greatly exaggerated TXT, MP4. I’ve not used any proprietary Perhaps, knowing that Windows 11
I can understand why some software and have used file names would run happily on ‘lesser’ hardware,
readers are worried about the starting with the date in year-month-day Microsoft made another strategic decision
potential problems of passkeys, but I
think that reports of the death of
What’s the Issue…?
?
passwords have been greatly exaggerated
(to paraphrase Mark Twain). Passkeys are
a classic example of technology moving With adverts appearing browsers that track
too fast for a sceptical public. This often everywhere, I want to try new you’ Cover Feature,
happens when the enthusiasm of tech ways of blocking them. When did you page 50.
companies collides with the reality of explain how to switch ad-blockers?
users not being ready to ditch something Paul Collard I remember you answering a
they’re comfortable with. question about paying for
Passkeys will only be a success if CA SAYS In Issue 664, page 62. parking without a smartphone. What
people start using them after being issue was that?
nudged to do so, or if tech companies I seem to recall you explaining Graham Arnold
force them to by axing passwords what you liked and didn’t like
completely. The latter scenario seems about the Brave browser. When was CA SAYS In Issue 660’s Problems
unlikely to me, simply because it would that? Solved, page 64. It’s available on our
leave millions of people unable to sign in. Anthony Betts 2023 Back Issue CD, as are the two
That’s not very inclusive from an industry features above: www.snipca.
that claims to prioritise inclusivity. CA SAYS In Issue 668’s ‘Stop using com/48860.
As we’ve seen with the digital phone

Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive
(formerly Twitter): @ComputerActive
www.x.com/computeractive
to quietly loosen the requirements to

increase uptake. STAR LETTER
Ian Thow
CA SAYS Microsoft is unlikely to admit Telecare firms have ignored

as much, but it surely must realise it was
a mistake to set Windows 11’s technical
copper phone line switch-off
requirements so high. Windows 10 is I never thought lose patience and shame the
over eight years old (which feels ancient I’d be writing to telecare firms into action.
in operating-system years), and yet it Computeractive to defend The likes of BT and Virgin
still runs on 67 per cent of Windows telecom giants like BT and aren’t going to accept
computers. By contrast, Windows 11 Virgin Media, but they’ve incompetence from
runs only just over a quarter. The got a point in blaming telecare companies.
interesting question is whether Windows telecare companies for Too many firms seem
12, reported to be released this year, confusion over the digital content to ‘sweat their assets’
will be easier to upgrade to. phone rollout (Issue 675, – ie, rely on their existing
page 6). equipment rather than invest
Why was four-star mini PC As a former engineer in new kit. I appreciate that it
in Buy It! section? employed in installing telecare alarms, involves substantial amounts of money.
As a regular reader, I’d like to ask a I’ve seen how these companies have It’s not just the physical kit they need
question that’s been bothering me. wilfully ignored the coming copper to pay for to replace analogue with
In Issue 669 you reviewed the Geekom line switch-off. When I addressed the digital, but also all the home visits
Mini IT13 (page 23), giving it a five-star problem to several executives, they they’d need to schedule to make sure
Buy It! stamp of approval. In the same said it wasn’t their problem and that the new equipment works. But with
issue, it appeared as your favourite mini either the Government or internet sensible budgeting these costs could
PC in your Buy It! section (page 32). providers would end up paying for have been absorbed over many years.
In Issue 670, you gave the Beelink GTR7 upgrading the alarms. We may now see a stand-off between
7840HS a four-star Recommended award I was dismayed by this complacent telecoms and telecare companies. You
(page 22). Then in Issue 673’s Buy It! attitude, but changing it was above predict Government will have to step
section this Beelink computer was named my paygrade. I also thought it was in to sort it out, and I think
as your new favourite mini PC. I thought misguided because at some point the you might be right.
the Buy It! section was only for devices internet providers were always going to David Jones
that had won five stars, meaning that the
Beelink should never have appeared The Star Letter writer wins a Computeractive mug!
there. Please clarify because I want to buy
a mini PC, and I’m confused.
Piotr Mioduszewsk device was Beelink’s GTR7 7840HS, I would like to point out that the
which, as Piotr says, won four stars in PSTN is not some magical service that is
CA SAYS Piotr’s right that our Buy It! Issue 670. We always intended this to immune from being cut off. Someone
section is typically reserved for devices be a temporary placement until a new recently crashed into our green cabinet,
that we’ve given a five-star Buy It! award five-star mini PC was on sale. It has thereby severing all the local PSTN lines
to. These are our current favourite devices now been replaced by the Minisforum and broadband services in one fell swoop.
in a range of categories – see pages 30-34. UM780XTX (pictured below), which It took over a week for Openreach to fully
However, on rare occasions we need earns a Buy It! award on page 23. reinstate all the services. So the PSTN is
to place a ‘Recommended’ (four-star) Judging what our favourite mini PC is not indestructible, and vulnerable people
product in the section because there are can be tricky because there are so many have been left high and dry (without
no five-star alternatives available. coming on to the market, and they can severe flooding) a number of times.
This happened in our Mini PC category be removed from sale without notice. It’s right that the media highlights
in Issue 673. The Geekom Mini IT13, our The market is fluid and unpredictable. how vulnerable people can maintain
top choice in Issue 672, was no longer But generally, anything that gets four communications with the outside
available, and there were no suitable stars and higher is a decent device that world, but they need to do this in a
five-star alternatives. The next-best we’d be happy to use, and recommend. balanced and informative way. For
instance, they should be pointing out
PSTN phone lines are also that the battery backups being provided
vulnerable by internet providers are not meant to
In 674’s Letters, Richard Dolphin keep broadband connections running
highlighted the potential pitfalls non-stop. They are there only to be
related to the switch off of the PSTN, used when calls need to be made to the
giving the example of his hamlet being outside world, not for streaming This
affected by severe flooding, but which left Morning!
the PSTN phone lines operative. Carlos Nicoya
Views expressed don’t necessarily reflect those of Computeractive Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 13
Consumeractive
We stand up for your legal rights
Is Wowcher LEAD Should Temu

responsible for CASE refund me if
delivery is late?
refunding return cost? I ordered some items from Temu
I recently bought a refurbished

Q (www.temu.com) on 30 December,
with delivery estimated around
Q HP Pro x2 12in laptop-tablet
through a Wowcher deal from a
15 January at the latest. But I still haven’t
received my order. Can I get my money
company called Solatek (https://solatek. back?
co.uk). The device was stated as having Sharon Styles
an Intel i5 processor, but it actually has
an Intel M3-7Y30, which is less powerful. No, Sharon wouldn’t be able to
I went through Wowcher’s returns
process and was told that I’d have to pay
A get her money back until 29
January, which is when the
to send the device back and I wouldn’t be item would be legally considered late.
able to claim a refund for this delivery Although Temu is a Chinese company,
fee. However, I thought the seller must supplier whose goods you want to buy. it’s covered by the UK’s 30-day delivery
pay to receive goods being returned If you don’t use the voucher, you can get rule. This applies to all items bought ‘at a
when they’re not as described. Is this a full refund within 14 days. After this, distance’, such as online, over the phone
true? And who is the seller – Wowcher Wowcher will give you credit towards or by catalogue. Temu delivers items from
or Soltek? another voucher. China, so some are bound to arrive close
George Smith If you have redeemed the voucher, to this 30-day deadline.
then responsibility for refunds switches Legally, the word ‘estimated’ is seen
To answer George’s first question to the retailer/supplier. Benchmark only as a guide to when delivery is
A – yes, the seller must refund
delivery costs if you return an
tests show that the Intel i5 processor
advertised is faster than what he received
expected. The only reason Sharon
would be able to seek a refund is if she
item that’s not as described. But it’s less (www.snipca.com/48948), so he’s got a had paid extra for early delivery and
clear which company would pay George strong case against Solatek. We’ll ask it Temu had missed this deadline. As
that refund. to confirm that it will refund his delivery Temu’s popularity in the UK grows, we
Wowcher, like its main rival Groupon, costs. It must also refund the full cost expect to see it appear in more cases from
partners with businesses to offer daily of the computer because under the readers – not to mention related scams
deals at often big discounts. You buy a Consumer Rights Act it’s not as (see page 11). Drop us a line if you have
voucher to redeem with the retailer or described. any questions about it.
CASE ONGOING CASE ONGOING
CASE UPDATE
Virgin gives two months’ credit for email not working

Virgin Media has apologised for time to save important emails. When Virgin’s secondary accounts. The association
the problems reader Neville advice to change his password didn’t work, between Virgin and NTL dates back to June
Beynon was having with his he turned to us for help. We contacted Virgin, 2006 when NTL:Telewest merged with
@ntlworld email service, and and the matter has now been resolved, with Virgin Mobile UK and Virgin.net to become
added two months’ credit to his account. This Neville again being able to access his emails. the first UK company offering TV, internet,
follows Neville asking us why the company It didn’t tell us what the problem had been. landline and mobile services.
had blocked the account, which he had been Like many other providers, Virgin is shutting Neville isn’t the only Virgin customer to
using for 25 years (see Issue 673). old email addresses it used to run, or those have had problems. One person wrote on
When he spoke to Virgin, it told him the belonging to companies it bought or merged the company’s forums that the closure of
email address had been blocked, but didn’t with. In 2022, it stopped giving @ntlworld their account had cost them their business
give an explanation. He was angry that he email addresses to new customers, and and holiday (www.snipca.com/48431). Get
hadn’t been warned about this, giving him no prevented existing customers from creating in touch if you’ve had similar trouble.

Contact us so we can investigate your case
Email: consumeractive@computeractive.co.uk
Please include your name, phone number and address.
Has BT broken its contract with me?

My contract with BT, signed 19 Ken read out upgraded to Full Fibre 100
Q months ago, included Halo 3+
hybrid broadband, which is
A the terms and
conditions of
broadband without needing a
new contract was the main
backed up by an EE mobile connection. his contract to us, and yes factor in signing up for
I got this because I was promised a free it does seem as if BT is Halo 3+.
upgrade to Full Fibre 100 to the premises refusing to honour its We’ve asked BT whether
as soon as it could be supplied to my contract. It clearly states there are any extra conditions
address. It’s available now, but BT says I he will get a free upgrade that Ken is unaware of. Perhaps
have to sign a new contract to get it. without having to sign a new the offer of a free upgrade had a
Has BT broken its original contract contract. He told us other deadline. But if not, then we think
with me? And can I now cancel without customers are having trouble getting this BT has breached his contract and he
any penalty for leaving early? free upgrade from BT. should be allowed to cancel early
Ken Mardell He added that the promise of being without penalty.
CASE ONGOING
Can I get refund Sylvia lives in Greece, and we

don’t know if she’s using a
for Kaspersky bank that’s regulated by UK
D
REFUN
law. We’ll also look into
subscription? Normally this protections offered by
At the beginning of the

A would be easy
to answer. UK
Greek consumer law.
This will be affected by EU directives,
Q Russia-Ukraine war in 2022
we uninstalled Kaspersky
financial law states clearly that if you
tell your bank to cancel a subscription,
which aren’t as strong as UK rules.
Kaspersky, like many software
and replaced it with Bitdefender. then it must do so. If it continues companies, uses payment company
We thought we had cancelled the with the payments, these are called Digital River to collect money from
subscription, but we’ve been charged unauthorised transactions, and it must customers. Over the years we’ve been
a renewal fee of 90 euros. Our bank refund you in full. Also, if you weren’t contacted by many readers who’ve
was told not to pay anything to aware of a payment and it’s clearly had money taken by Digital River
Kaspersky or Digital River, but it went unauthorised, the bank must refund you for subscriptions they thought they
ahead with the transaction. Can we get – usually within a day. The bank’s only had cancelled.
our money back? defence is if you acted negligently. We’ll also ask Kaspersky for its
Sylvia Johnson But the potential complication is that reaction.
CASE ONGOING
CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE
Mesh upgraded my laptop after screen was damaged

About eight months ago, I to me – though the screen was transferred to the new model.
bought a Mesh laptop from damaged. I spoke to Rashmi again, I feel that Rashmi went above
Amazon. But after a few months who arranged for it to be collected and beyond his duty to make one
all my programs stopped a second time. customer happy.
responding. I reset the laptop to its factory A week later he told me they were waiting Harry Connell
settings, but had the same problem. Amazon for a replacement screen. But when one
told me it could return the laptop to Mesh, so arrived they couldn’t get it to fit. He then Contact
I decided to email Mesh directly instead. arranged for a new upgraded laptop to be
I was contacted by a Mesh assistant called sent to me. Also, my settings have been
Mesh
Rashmi who immediately arranged for the Has a company impressed you with its • Email cshq@meshcomputers.com
laptop to be collected and returned to the customer service? Please let us know: • Phone 020 8955 0731
company. It was repaired, then returned editor@computeractive.co.uk

Grow Your
Family Tree
If you think your ancestors may have found themselves on the
wrong side of the law, follow Judith Batchelor’s advice to…
Search Old Bailey criminal records
T
he Old Bailey has been London’s 3
central criminal court for centuries.
Nearly 200,000 trials took place
there between 1674 and 1913, and court
proceedings were published regularly.
Even if your ancestor didn’t personally
2 1
stand trial, they may have been the victim
of a crime or called to give evidence as a
witness. The official site hosting these
records has been revamped with more
powerful search tools. We’ll explain how Judith discovered that her ancestor William Maxwell was a witness in a grand larceny case in 1792
to use this fantastic (and free) resource.
One of the new search features is a When searching by name, there are
See your results as a ‘macroscope’, which shows the results separate boxes for surname, the given
‘macroscope’ mapped against all the trials in the name and any aliases. Include different
Visit www.oldbaileyonline.org, then click archive – as long as there are fewer than variants of the surname box, or use a
the Keyword button on the left of the 20,000 results. In our example (see wildcard search to find all possible
search bar and choose a search category. screenshot below), all the red dots are instances. Add more personal details in
Alternatively, keep Keyword selected. cases that mention the surname the More Criteria panel on the right. If
This is the default option and can be ‘Maxwell’. The grey background consists you scroll down the home page and click
anything from one word to a complex of dots representing every case in the Advanced Search, you can combine a
phrase. For example, you might choose collection (this is explained in more detail name search with the crime, plea (a new
an ancestor’s address or occupation. at www.snipca.com/48914). category), verdict and punishment.
In this
‘macroscope’ Read the final thoughts of
the red dots condemned prisoners
are cases I searched for my ancestor William
featuring Maxwell, whose job as a ‘waterman’ –
the surname
‘Maxwell’ ferrying people across the Thames – I
thought may have led to a few brushes
with the law. I added ‘waterman’ in the
Your Genealogy Problems Solved

Refine panel on the right ( 1 in our
screenshot above), and this produced
two results 2 .
My father Matthew Broadhead was transferred to other regiments. I found In one entry, dated 1792, William
gassed at the Somme in World War 1. Matthew Broadhead’s service papers on appeared as a witness because he piloted
I have a ‘star’ medal inscribed 1914-15 Ancestry. When he enlisted at Bradford on the boat that took three men accused of
with his name, and 2571 on the reverse. A 23 September 1914, he joined the 1/6th grand larceny into custody 3 . All three
handwritten card calls him ‘Pte’ (private) Battalion of the Prince of Wales’s Own were convicted and sentenced to seven
2571. But another document shows him (West Yorkshire Regiment) and was given years’ transportation.
as a lance corporal with a different the number 2571. He later joined the 51st Another useful search category is
number. Can you shed any light on this? Battalion (number 209112), and then the ‘Ordinary’s Accounts’, which contains
John Broadhead 53rd Battalion (240660). the thoughts of criminals condemned
to death. They were compiled by the
Have a genealogy question for Judith?
Each soldier was issued a regimental Email letters@computeractive.co.uk with chaplain of Newgate prison, and
number, but this changed when they were ‘Grow Your Family Tree’ in the subject line. contained prisoners’ final speeches and
stories of their lives and crimes.
16 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676 Next issue: Find ancestors who emigrated to the US
Best Free Software
Robert Irvine recommends new programs that won’t cost you a thing
FILE MANAGER
Files 3.1.1
www.snipca.com/49009
What you need: Windows 10 or 11
Only two months after its last major version (see Issue 671, in new tab’. To enable this option, click
page 18), this brilliant alternative to File Explorer has been the Settings cog in the top-right corner of
updated again with more new features and improvements. Files and choose Folders. Scroll down to the
These include a ‘smart extract’ option for compressed Behaviours section, select ‘Opening items’ and switch
archives, which makes it easier to unpack the contents of ZIP, on ‘Open folders in new tab’.
RAR and 7z files. Right-click an archive and select ‘Extract A new system-tray icon shows you when Files is running
here (Smart’) in the Extract menu, or left-click it and press in the background. To set Files to start with Windows,
Ctrl+Shift+E and the program will then choose the best minimised to your system tray, go to Settings then Advanced
way to extract the contents. If the archive contains only one and switch on ‘Open Files on Windows startup’ and ‘Leave
item, Files will extract it to the current folder, but if there are app running in the background when window is closed’.
lots of files, it will unpack them to a new folder. This saves When you download Files from www.snipca.com/49015,
you having to create a new folder manually, and stops your be sure to click the tiny ‘classic installer’ link. Clicking
folders becoming cluttered with extracted files. ‘Download Files’ opens the Microsoft Store, where the app
Another handy new feature lets you open folders in new costs £8.99. The EXE file may ask if you want to install
tabs simply by dragging them to the ‘New tab’ button. 7z Setup SFX, but this is just the name of the Files self-
Previously, you had to right-click a folder and select ‘Open extracting archive, so don’t panic.
1 Use the new ‘smart extract’ 2 Files now lets you open a 3 Updated sorting options 4 You can also group items
feature to save time when selected folder in a new in Files allow you to prioritise by day, which allows you
extracting the contents of tab simply by dragging it files over folders – at its to see all the files and
ZIP files. Right-click a ZIP to the ‘New tab’ button on default setting, it does the folders you created or
file, or other compressed the toolbar. You can also opposite. Click the Sort modified on specific days.
archive, and choose ‘Extract select multiple folders menu and select ‘Show files Choose ‘Group by’ in the
here (Smart)’ in the Extract and drag them to the first’, to make the program list Sort menu, click ‘Date
menu – or just press button to open them all show files above folders in created, or ‘Date modified’
Ctrl+Shift-E. in separate new tabs. the current view. then select Day.

SYSTEM INFORMATION TOOL
SHOULD I PAY FOR…?
Glow 3.00 Choose the right version of software
What you need: Windows 10 or 11
Glarysoft Malware Hunter Pro
This is the final www.snipca.com/49011
version of Glow, Price: £22 per year Free trial: N/A
because its developer What you need: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11
says the program is
now “where I wanted The excellent reliability of Microsoft Defender Antivirus
it to be”. The open- means you don’t need to install third-party security
source alternative to software, so Glarysoft describes Malware Hunter as a ‘great
Speccy has improved companion’ to the built-in Windows tool. It has the
massively since we advantage of working on older versions of Windows, and
first wrote about it in Issue 660 (page 18), providing a wealth also includes options to clean and speed up your PC.
of useful information and features in a smart, simple The free version of Malware Hunter lets you run quick,
interface. Glow’s Cache Cleanup Tool has been revamped to custom and full scans (see screenshot below), not just for
make it easier to remove junk files from your PC – hover your malware but also dubious background services, outdated
cursor over an option such as ‘Temporary Cache of drivers and registry problems. To schedule scans and
Applications’ to see which folder it will empty when you click activate real-time protection, you need to upgrade to the
Clean (see screenshot above). The Operating System section Pro edition – whereas Microsoft Defender offers those
now detects which antivirus, firewall and anti-spyware essential functions for free.
software you have installed, and the developer has fixed bugs We were impressed that Malware Hunter found three
that caused options to freeze. Glow’s performance is now 15 ‘low risk’ threats Defender had missed, and let us resolve
per cent faster, too. Note that it still triggers a SmartScreen them in a couple of clicks. We were able to do this in the
warning, but just click ‘More info’ then ‘Run anyway’. free program without being asked to buy a licence.
Other features limited to the Pro version include
DUPLICATE CLEANER automatic scanning of downloaded files and protection
against infected USB drives. Again, Microsoft Defender
Wise Duplicate Finder 2.1.1 covers both of these, so they’re not an incentive to pay for
www.snipca.com/49014 Malware Hunter Pro.
What you need: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11 The Speedup and Cleanup tools allow you to disable
unwanted startup items, tidy your registry and optimise
Wise Duplicate Finder your network settings. However, they’re pretty basic, with
offers an effective way no explanation of what the results mean, and are the same
to remove copies of in both editions.
files from your PC.
However, like many
duplicate cleaners
(and Wise programs),
the free edition has
some restrictions – it
lacks the option to
select all duplicates with a single click, and to update the
program automatically. These are available only in the Pro
version, which costs £13.48 per year. Still, the latest update is
worth a look for its new ability to filter scan results by file
type. Click the ‘File type’ menu (see screenshot above) and
choose which duplicates you want to view, such as audio,
graphic, text, video or compressed files. The program will OUR VERDICT: Don’t pay for it
filter its results accordingly, making it easier to spot and delete Malware Hunter doesn’t clash with Microsoft Defender,
unwanted copies. Wise has also fixed a bug that prevented so it could prove handy for a second opinion, but we see
Duplicate Finder from showing previews of image files. We’ll little point in paying £22 a year for protection that
be taking a close look at duplicate cleaners in our Cover Windows gives you for free.
Feature in Issue 677, on sale Wednesday 14 February.

Best Free Software
What should I download?

We advise you which software and apps to use
Can I colour files and folders
Will my old software in Windows 11?
work in Windows 11? Q
For years in
Windows 10 1 2
I’m ready to upgrade to Windows 11, but I’m I’ve been
Q worried that my old versions of image editor
Photoshop CS2 and accounting software Quicken
using free versions of
Folder Marker and
2000 won’t work. Do you know if that’s the case? And if FileMarker or Folder
not, what else could I use? Colorizer to colour
Charlie Gilkeson my files and folders.
But now I’ve upgraded to Windows 11, I find that FileMarker no
We think it’s unlikely they’ll work fully or smoothly longer works, and Folder Marker is only free for one folder. Are
A in Windows 11. Photoshop CS2 turns 19 years old
in 2024, while Quicken 2000 is even older. Adobe
there free alternatives?
David Cross
says that you can no longer reinstall Photoshop CS2, 3 and 4
even if you have the original installation discs because the Try Custom Folder, which is free from www.snipca.
“aging activation servers for those apps had to be retired”
(see www.snipca.com/48892). Some users have suggested
A com/48871. Use the main window ( 1 in our screenshot)
to select the colour you want to apply to your folder.
in forums that Photoshop might run on Windows 11, but You can also choose a symbol such as a music note, video
only in a trial mode that lasts for 30 days. camera and play button to make your folders easier to spot.
If you’re happy to spend some money and want to stick Next, open the Folders panel 2 and drag in the folders to which
with Photoshop, Adobe’s Photography Plan (which also you want to apply your new design.
includes Lightroom) costs £19.97 a month (www.snipca.
com/48893).
If you prefer to avoid a subscription, we’re big fans of Which ebook reader software
Affinity Photo 2 (pictured), which costs a one-off £67.99 on
Windows, or £17.99 on iPad. You can try it for free for 30 works with 7z files?
days by visiting www.snipca.com/48894 then clicking ‘Free I have several 7z files containing old ebooks. Is there an
trial’ below the green ‘Buy Now’ button in the box for
Affinity V2 Universal Licence (which contains Affinity
Q e-reader program for Windows that lets me open these
files?
Photo, Designer and Publisher). Pat Griffin
For free software to replace Quicken, try the open-source
GnuCash (www.gnucash.org). If that doesn’t fit the bill and 7z is a file-compression format rather than an ebook
you’re happy to pay a subscription, try Quick Books (www.
snipca.com/48910).
A format. First, expand your files using 7-Zip (www.7-zip.
org). When you’ve extracted the books, look at their
file extension. If
it’s .mobi ( 1 in our
screenshot),
2
they’re for older
Kindles (released
before 2022).
Newer Kindles
and other ebook
readers use the
EPUB format
1
instead 2 . If you
have an e-reader connect it to your PC, open it in File Explorer,
and drag your books across. Now disconnect your e-reader and
check whether you can read the books. If not, use Calibre
(www.snipca.com/48872) to open the books on your PC.
20 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676 Email us your questions at letters@computeractive.co.uk

Named & Shamed
Keumars Afifi-Sabet puts the boot into tech villains,
jargon-spouting companies and misbehaving software
SOFTWARE WARNING!
Microsoft’s AI rebranding of Edge
M
arketing teams love Companies know customers
to add buzzwords to think AI sounds futuristic and
products to make advanced, even if they don’t
them sound cutting edge. really understand how it works.
For years ‘smart’ was their term of choice This cynical practice of adding
until it became meaningless through unnecessary words leads to
overuse. It’s been replaced by AI, and some unwieldy labels. The
that’s rapidly becoming just as cliched. latest culprit is Microsoft, which
has renamed its Android/iOS
Edge app ‘Microsoft Edge: AI
Browser’ without actually
1 appearing to have improved Edge wasn’t keen to discuss whether it truly is an AI
the app to justify this. browser
It does have a Copilot button,
but that was added some months actions you’d expect from an AI browser
2 ago – and I’m still not sure it works – none of which it can perform. When I
well enough for Edge to be described as asked whether Edge was actually an AI
an AI browser. I installed the Android browser, it threw a strop and asked me to
version (www.snipca.com/49036) then move on to a “new topic” (see screenshot
asked Copilot to take me to YouTube and above). Perhaps, like me, Copilot felt
bookmark Wikipedia’s home page. It misled by Microsoft and was too
rather apologetically admitted it couldn’t embarrassed to admit it.
do so ( 1 in our screenshot left). The Maybe you’ll have more luck with the
reason? “I’m just a chat assistant, not a iOS version (www.snipca.com/49036),
web browser.” though I doubt it. Edge might now be
I then asked it to “imagine” it was an AI an ‘AI browser’, but I’m not convinced
Copilot suggested lots of AI actions that it browser 2 . It replied saying that would be Microsoft knows what that means
can’t actually perform an “interesting scenario”, and listed beyond the chance to create more hype.
WHAT ARE THEY KEUMARS’ VILLAIN OF THE FORTNIGHT

TALKING ABOUT?
WHAT THEY SAY

HelloFresh
Lenovo www.snipca.com/49037
“As the world enters the breach of AI- HelloFresh has made a nor was it clear how
enabled technology, Lenovo is proud to dog’s dinner of its to opt out” (see www.
be at the pinnacle of this charge. With marketing strategy. snipca.com/48977) –
Lenovo Legion’s newest lineup of Between August 2021 and leading to a “barrage” of
hardware AI chip-powered laptops, gamers February 2022 the meal-delivery messages they didn’t want. Sneakily,
are empowered to reach impossible new service sent UK customers 79 million the only place HelloFresh explained
heights thanks to fully user-customizable spam emails and 1 million spam texts. that customers would receive emails
AI-assisted performance increases.” Nearly 9,000 people complained, was in a statement asking them to
catching the attention of the confirm their age.
WHAT THEY MEAN Information Commissioner’s Office The company even continued to send
Say AI over and over again and perhaps (ICO), which has fined it £140,000. messages to people after they’d asked
people won’t notice that you can’t actually The regulator said customers “weren’t to stop receiving them. That must
reach “impossible heights”. told exactly what they’d be opting into, have left a nasty taste in the mouth.

Reviews
New products tested by our experts New products tested by our experts
ALL-IN-ONE PC | £1,099 from Currys www.snipca.com/48906
HP Envy Move
Buy and hold
Claiming this all-in-one 23.8in desktop

PC is ‘portable’ (as HP does, hence the
‘Move’ in its title) is probably pushing it
– you wouldn’t want to lug it on to a train
and carry it into work. However, with a
handle on the back (pictured below) that
lets you lift it up like a briefcase, and a
weight of 4.1kg, it’s fairly easy to pick up
and transport around the house.
And to be fair, HP has put a lot of
thought into how this should work. It has
a built-in battery, which means you don’t
need to worry about plugging it in if you
temporarily want to work in a different
room. The two feet that support the
screen can be rotated 90 degrees so they has a separate keyboard. That said, the processor than Dell managed in their
don’t jut out and get caught on a door supplied keyboard isn’t the best wireless Inspiron 24 all-in-one PC (£679 from
frame while transporting. It also has a model we’ve used – with no option to tilt www.snipca.com/47627, reviewed in
kangaroo-style pouch at the rear to house it to a different angle. The built-in Issue 668), despite similar basic
the combination keyboard/touchpad. touchpad is useful in an emergency but specifications.
you’ll want to add a Bluetooth mouse. The Move isn’t fitted with a standalone
We have no complaints about the graphics card, though, so relies on Intel’s
Sensible choices screen. A peak brightness level of Iris Xe graphics that are built into the
314cd/m2 is plenty for inside use, while processor. This means you won’t be able
create a good balance its colour accuracy was better than we to run games such as Microsoft Flight
expected, covering 96 per cent of the Simulator with all its visual settings
between portability sRGB standard and 70 per cent of DCI-P3. turned up.
and performance Its 2560x1440-pixel resolution is
generous for a screen of this size and is SPECIFICATIONS
razor sharp as a result. Ten-core Intel Core i5-1335U processor • 16GB
There are downsides to these design HP has also given careful consideration RAM • Intel Iris Xe graphics • 1TB SSD • Wi-Fi 6E •
Bluetooth 5.3 • 5-megapixel webcam • 1x HDMI
decisions. Those feet don’t let you tilt the to the webcam. This records videos at port • 1x USB-C port • 1x USB 3.0 port • Windows 11
screen back more than about five degrees, 1440p rather than the typical 1080p, Home • 149x552x37mm (HxWxD) • 4.1kg • One-year
and you can’t adjust the height as you can and both detail and colour accuracy are warranty www.snipca.com/48906
with a regular monitor. However, sitting well above average. Our only criticism
at a desk in front of this PC is arguably is of the microphone, which made us
still more comfortable than hunching in sound like we were calling from the VERDICT A thoughtfully designed PC
front of a laptop – mostly because this bottom of a well. We were, however, with a good-sized screen that’s easy to
blown away by the sound of the transport around your home
dual 5W speakers. They’re loud,
capable of nuanced detail and offer
★★★★★
decent bass notes. ALTERNATIVE
For the price, the overall Dell Inspiron 24 £679 A cheaper
performance is impressive. It’s all-in-one PC, but it
powered by an Intel Core i5-1335U lacks a battery and
processor, backed up by 16GB of carrying handle,
RAM and a 1TB SSD. This blasted and lagged behind
through regular Windows work in in our performance
our tests. HP has managed to eke tests
out more speed from this

HOW WE TEST
Computeractive is owned by Future PLC,
MINI PC | £729 from Minisforum www.snipca.com/48917 which employs a team of specialist
technical reviewers. You’ll often read
Minisforum UM780XTX references to our benchmark testing,

which is a method of assessing products
using the same criteria. For example, we
Easy, Tiger! test the speed of every PC and the battery
life of every phone and tablet in exactly
the same way. This makes our reviews
authoritative, rigorous and accurate.
This mini PC packs a Future PLC also owns the magazines
powerful punch thanks to Maximum PC, PC Pro and T3, and the
its AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS websites Laptop Mag (www.laptopmag.
processor, 64GB of RAM com), TechRadar (www.techradar.com)
and 1TB SSD. It’s so fast in and Windows Central (www.windows
fact that it replaces the central.com). This means we can test
Beelink SER6 Pro 7753HS thousands of products before choosing
(£629 from www.snipca. the most relevant for Computeractive.
com/46416, reviewed in
Issue 661) as our favourite FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
mini PC, despite costing Our writers follow strict guidelines to
£100 more. It also has ensure the reviews are fair and impartial.
twice the memory, twice The manufacturer has no involvement in
the storage and a superior processor. our tests.
The better components showed their
mettle in our benchmark tests. When
One of the fastest OUR AWARDS
testing the processor alone, the
UM780XTX’s individual cores ran more
mini PCs we’ve seen We award every product
that gets five stars our
than 50-per-cent faster than the SER6 and it handles graphics Buy It! stamp of approval.
It means we were
Pro’s, and in multi-core tests it’s nearly
30-per-cent faster. For a mini PC it’s better than most extremely impressed by the product, and
also impressive at handling graphics, we think you will be too.
running 16-per-cent faster. otherwise hidden away on your desk.
Every product that gets a
The graphics muscle comes from the It’s available in three colours – black,
four-star review is given the
processor’s built-in Radeon 870M champagne (beige) and blue (aka ‘vivid
Recommended award. We
hardware, and is about the best gaming cerulean’), but at the time of writing the
highly recommend these
performance you can get without having black version (pictured) is only available
products, although they just fail to meet the
a separate graphics card. It should run as a barebones model (for £489) without
high standard of our Buy It! winners.
most games at a reasonable frame rate as RAM, storage or Windows. Choose the
long as you can live with less graphical version you want under the ‘Type’ heading. PRICES
detail and lower resolutions. The attractive tiger head design Our reviews contain a link to the best price
There’s a fan that helps keep the powerful (pictured above) is actually a magnetic we found online at the time of press.
processor cool. This produces a low hum, stencil you can place over the case’s lit-up
but it’s kept to a minimum with some panel. You can remove this so it shows
clever additional cooling. The metal just a square of light instead – or switch
casing helps, because it disperses heat off entirely if you prefer. VERDICT One of the fastest Windows
away from its surface. There’s no shortage of ports. One mini PCs we’ve reviewed for a very
The inclusion of cooling USB-C and two USB 3.0 ports sit on the reasonable price
components means it’s front, alongside the audio out and reset
slightly larger than button. The same combination of ports sit
★★★★★
most mini PCs we’ve on the rear panel, alongside video outs ALTERNATIVE Beelink SER6 Pro
come across, for HDMI and DisplayPort. There are also 7753HS £629 You can save around
measuring two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports. £100 on this model, but it has less
62x130x125mm power and storage
(HxWxD). SPECIFICATIONS
However, it’s still 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor • 64GB RAM
• AMD Radeon 780M graphics • 1TB SSD • Wi-Fi 6E
small enough to
• Bluetooth 5.3 • 2x 2.5Gigabit Ethernet ports • 2x
be attached to USB-C ports • 4x USB 3.0 ports • 1x HDMI port • 1x
the back of a DisplayPort • Windows 11 Home • 62x130x125mm
monitor or (HxWxD) • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/48917

Reviews
TABLET | £160 (without ads) from Amazon www.snipca.com/48929
Amazon Fire HD 10
New flame
Believe it or not, this latest version of

Amazon’s popular 10in tablet is its 13th.
And as ever, this Fire HD 10 can be yours
for a very reasonable price.
Here, we’re reviewing the 32GB version
without ads, but if you can live with the
constant promotions, you can save £10.
These tend to appear on the home screen
so aren’t too obtrusive, but we think it’s
worth a tenner to bypass them altogether.
If you want more storage there’s also a
64GB version (£180 with ads or £190
without). That extra £30 to double up
your storage is probably worth it if you
can afford to, particularly if you tend to
keep a lot of apps, videos and music on
your device. of the processor in a 10th generation everything together.
iPad.. It even stuttered occasionally when It doesn’t come with the Google Play
carrying out basic jobs such as browsing Store, but you can install it by
If you can live with Amazon’s operating system. However, downloading the app directly. Changing a
things seemed to pick up when we few settings on the device will make it
its sometimes clunky opened individual apps, meaning it copes work. We explained how to do this in
well with web browsing and email. Issue 648 - read it on our new 2023 Back
performance, this is a If you’re used to having a 120Hz screen Issue CD: www.snipca.com/48860. Add
great-value tablet on your phone, then you’ll find the 60Hz

refresh rate here somewhat sluggish.
Google Drive and Docs – or Microsoft
365, which is available from the Amazon
There are no such worries when watching app store – and you have a very portable
In this price range its main rival is the videos, however. They play smoothly and and potentially productive device.
Honor Pad X9 (£149 from www.snipca. look great. The screen covers 90 per cent It also has a respectable battery life,
com/48636, reviewed in Issue 674). In of the sRGB colour standard and 67 per lasting for 12 hours 39 minutes in our
terms of performance, the two sit at the cent of DCI-P3. web-browsing test with the screen set at
bottom end of the tablet speed scale, Audio quality is much better than we a brightness level of 150cd/m2.
which is where we’d expect tablets that expected. It makes a decent stab at Those with the previous-generation
cost less than £200. In fact, in benchmark producing punchy bass and, while trebles Fire HD 10 won’t find much cause to
tests that push a device’s graphics can sound a tad harsh, the overall output upgrade unless your current model has
capabilities to its limits the Fire HD could is impressive. The same applies to the slowed down. This will speed things up,
barely muster more than one frame per camera, which does a great job of but it’s nowhere near as slick as an iPad.
second. However, when we ran popular capturing 1080p video from either the
albeit less demanding games – such as front or rear 5-megapixel camera. Its
Jurassic World: The Game and Roblox – microphone captures your voice clearly, VERDICT A good-value 10in tablet as
they performed perfectly fine. too, which is great for video calls. long as you can live with its occasionally
The processor also performed below There’s even the opportunity to do juddering performance
average in similarly challenging tests, some real work on this tablet, as Amazon
running at around one third of the speed sells a compatible Bluetooth keyboard
★★★★★
case for £53 (www.snipca.com/48932). ALTERNATIVE Honor Pad X9 £149
SPECIFICATIONS Amazon didn’t send this for testing, but An even cheaper
Eight-core MediaTek MT8186A processor • Mali-G52 judging from previous models you tablet with similar
graphics • 32GB RAM • 10.1in 1920x1200-pixel shouldn’t expect deep key travel or much performance levels,
resolution IPS touchscreen • 32GB or 64GB storage • in the way of luxury. You could also buy and runs a cleaner,
5-megapixel rear camera • 5-megapixel front camera
• Wi-Fi 5 • Bluetooth 5 • USB-C port • Amazon Fire OS 8
the £35 Amazon Stylus Pen (www.snipca. better version of
• 165x246x8.6mm (HxWxD) • 434g • One-year com/48933). There’s a loop in the top of Android
warranty www.snipca.com/48929 the keyboard case to help you keep

PRINTER | £230 from John Lewis www.snipca.com/48962
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPECS
Epson EcoTank ET-2830 MU-MIMO
Plenty in the tank
What is it?
MU-MIMO (Multi User Multiple Input
Multiple Output) is a technology that
This is an ink-tank printer, splits Wi-Fi traffic into multiple streams,
meaning you empty bottles of ink so that devices can do more tasks
into built-in storage containers simultaneously.
rather than the more traditional It was introduced
system of replacing disposable in Wi-Fi 5, though
cartridges. This adds to the price of the it’s been enhanced
initial purchase, but this does include pages per minute (ppm) in our 25-page in later standards.
enough ink to print around 6,000 pages black-text test, though it printed in draft You’ll find it on our
– which should cover you for a year or mode (using less ink) at 17.2ppm. Colour current favourite
two of light home use. prints chugged out at 4.5ppm. router, the Asus
There’s little to complain about with RT-AXE7800 (£213 from www.snipca.
the quality of prints, scans and copies. com/47586, pictured – see page 33).
Photo prints have Draft text was faint in our tests, but
Normal quality produced crisp and dark How does it work?
crisp details, vivid results. Colour graphics weren’t the most The first Wi-Fi networks used single
vibrant we’ve seen, but they were free of streams to send information back
colours and realistic banding, and comfortably good enough and forth, and devices simply added
skin tones for home users. Photo prints were a
highlight, combining surprisingly crisp
their data to the back of a queue to
be processed as and when it arrived
details with vivid colours and realistic at the front of the queue. MU-MIMO
The ET-2830 is similar to the Epson skin tones. splits each data stream it receives into
EcoTank ET-1810 (reviewed in Issue 628) The EcoTank ET-2830 may be basic, multiple streams, so more data can
except that it can also copy and scan but it’s not unduly slow, and it does be processed at the same time. It’s a
without costing much more. There’s no everything well. Because it adds scanning bit like opening more checkouts in a
screen, no USB port (so you can connect and copying to the basic features of the supermarket – the greater capacity
only via Wi-Fi) and no memory card slot. ET-1810 it replaces that model as our means more customers can pay for
Instead, you get a few buttons and LEDs favourite (see page 33). Once you’ve used their shopping. The Multi User element
(pictured below) and an uncluttered design. up the bundled ink, its running costs means that more devices can be
The scanner doesn’t have a document amount to less than 0.5p per colour page. handled, because each access point
feeder, and the printer input is limited to Don’t be fooled by the relatively high within the router can take more streams
a single paper feed at the back. It can’t purchase price: the ET-2830 is a bargain. from more devices.
flip over pages automatically for double-
sided prints, though its driver helps you SPECIFICATIONS What are the specs?
do this manually. 3-in-1 printer, copier and scanner • Four-colour All Wi-Fi 5 and later devices have MU-
ink-tank system • 100-sheet paper capacity •
Setting up is straightforward, and the 4800x1200dpi print quality • 1200x2400dpi scan
MIMO built in. Wi-Fi 6 increased the
ink bottles have moulded necks that quality • Wi-Fi connection only • 179x375x347mm • number of streams it could process at a
make it impossible to connect them to 4.1kg • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/48962 time. Wi-Fi 5 devices are still compatible
the wrong tank when filling up. with Wi-Fi 6 and will use as much of
Everything else is set up through an app, that standard’s MU-MIMO technology
which is also a simple process. VERDICT A great little all-in-one as they can, but Wi-Fi 6 devices will be
Once installed there are no real printer, scanner and copier that works faster, particularly if there are a lot of
surprises. It will happily get on with jobs, well while keeping running costs low devices connected to your network.
leaving printed pages in a neat stack. It’s
not especially fast, managing only 12.3
★★★★★ Can I change it later?
ALTERNATIVE Epson EcoTank MU-MIMO is built into the Wi-Fi
ET-1810 £160 A cheaper ink-tank networking hardware and can’t be
printer if you upgraded at a later date. However, if
can live without you buy a MU-MIMO device, older
the copying hardware will still work with it. But you
and scanning won’t get the full benefit until you pair
functions two MU-MIMO devices together.

Reviews
SMARTPHONE | £159 from Amazon www.snipca.com/48949
Motorola Moto G54

True colours
When it was owned by Google, the

Motorola Moto brand demonstrated just It has a large screen
how well Android could provide amazing
features on affordable phones. It lost with natural, vibrant
some of that focus with the brand’s
move to Lenovo, but the Moto G54 is a
colours, a long battery
welcome return to form.
Indeed at just under £160, the Moto
life and slick apps
G54 is an absolute bargain. A large 6.5in no word on a release date yet. The G54
screen covers the front of the device, with Motorola claims the phone is water- certainly runs the operating system
a small punch hole camera in the centre repellent, which means it should survive smoothly, and the apps are responsive
at the top. There’s a small hump on the a downpour, but not immersion in a and slick. It has to work that bit harder to
rear that houses the other two cameras bath, for example. run games at a decent frame rate and we
(pictured below), though this is barely The 2400x1080-pixel resolution LCD noticed the phone getting warm when we
noticeable. screen is pretty good for a phone at this tried to do so, so it isn’t ideal for gaming
A power button with built-in fingerprint price. Contrast levels are impressive, with enthusiasts.
sensor and volume controls are on the blacks that aren’t quite as deep as you’d The camera isn’t the best we’ve seen,
right-hand edge. The sensor activates the find on an OLED screen, but not far off. and is one of the few obvious
phone instantly around 90 per cent of the Meanwhile, the colours strike a sensible compromises. However, battery life is
time, which isn’t too bad. balance between natural and vibrant. outstanding, lasting comfortably more
The left edge accommodates the tray One word of caution is that the glass can than a day in our tests.
for the SIM and microSD card – the latter be quite reflective even with brightness
can expand the storage up to 1TB. turned up all the way, so when streaming
videos you should avoid having bright A great budget phone with an excellent
lights behind you. screen and slick performance
The phone runs Android 13 and will get
14 as soon as it’s available, though there’s
★★★★★
ALTERNATIVE
SPECIFICATIONS Google Pixel 7a £379
Eight-core MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor More expensive, but
• 8GB RAM • 256GB storage • 6.5in 120Hz with a superior camera
2400x1080-pixel LCD screen • 50-megapixel rear
camera • 16-megapixel front-facing camera • Wi-Fi 5 •
and even smoother
Bluetooth 5.3 • Android 13 • 162x74x8mm (HxWxD) • performance
177g • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/48949
WHAT SHOULD I BUY? We solve your buying dilemmas
Can you recommend an Ethernet switch?

I’ve been told by Virgin that Can you recommend one?
Q my landline phone has to be
connected to my Hub 3 router
Ray Brown another port on the switch, you’ll still
have two other ports left for future
by May this year. Virgin says it will We’d recommend opting for a expansion. Switches aren’t expensive.
supply an adapter for the phone, but I
think it will still need to be plugged
A network switch. A five-port
switch will use a port on both
Argos sells the TP-Link 5 Port Gigabit
Ethernet Switch for just £13 at www.
into an Ethernet port on my router. All the Hub and the switch to link the two, so snipca.com/48951 (pictured). It has an
four of the ports on my router are you’ll need to disconnect a device that’s average rating of 4.9 stars out of five
currently occupied – two for desktop currently connected to your Hub and from more than 500 reviews.
PCs and two for printers. I see there are plug it into the switch. Do you need advice on what you should buy?
many Ethernet switches on the market. If you need to plug your phone into Email us at letters@computeractive.co.uk

Reviews
LAPTOP DOCK | £180 from John Lewis www.snipca.com/48935
Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk

Box office
Most people buy a laptop because it’s easy into a laptop stand), a good-quality
to set up and use in several locations. While wireless keyboard and a wireless
you may have a dedicated desk with a touchpad that’s significantly larger than
monitor that you sometimes plug your those found on most laptops.
laptop into, there will be times when you Open up the case and press the bottom
need to use it elsewhere. If that sounds of the keyboard and touchpad within
like you and you’d like a workspace on their respective compartments and they
the go that doesn’t leave you hunched will pop out of the base. Lift the plastic
uncomfortably over your laptop, then the lining from the lid’s underside and VERDICT A handy portable
Logitech Casa is worth considering. connect it to the magnetic strip at the workstation that makes laptop work
When not in use this bundle of front of the case, and you have a stand more comfortable, wherever you are
peripherals is designed to slip into your that lifts your laptop closer to eye level.
bag or sit neatly on your bookshelf. Although it’s all very inventive, it’s also
★★★★★
Unpack it, however, and it becomes a fairly expensive for what you get. The ALTERNATIVE Dell Dual Charge
comprehensive mobile workstation. It components are high quality, but you Dock £105 A wireless phone charger
comprises the case (which transforms could find more affordable alternatives, that can also
albeit less convenient than the Casa. connect a laptop
SPECIFICATIONS Nevertheless, if you like the idea of to a keyboard,
Bluetooth wireless keyboard and touchpad • Powered
by rechargeable batteries • USB-C ports on keyboard
being able to set up a more comprehensive mouse and
and touchpad • 29x290x230mm (HxWxD) • 1.2kg • workstation on the move, we haven’t seen screen
Two-year warranty www.snipca.com/48935 anything else quite like it.
WEBCAM | £55 from Creative www.snipca.com/48944 1
Creative Live Cam Sync 4K

Sharp sighted
2
The Creative Live Cam Sync 4K is an not needed. On top, there are buttons
oblong webcam that can sit on your desk for muting the two built-in mics and
or perch on top of your screen (see 1 ). enabling the backlight-compensation
There’s even a screw hole to connect a feature 2 , which lets you adjust the
standard tripod to the base if you prefer. brightness level according to lighting
At 103g, it’s certainly lightweight and conditions.
measures 53x58x106mm. It can be tilted With its 4K resolution this is currently
and rotated to secure the best angle. the best webcam made by Creative. You VERDICT An affordable 4K webcam
There’s a generous 1.8m USB cable also get a 95-degree field of view so you that produces high-quality video and
attached, and the whole thing starts can fit plenty into the frame. Simple captures your voice from a distance
working as soon as you plug it into a white LED lights let you know when the
Windows PC. There are a few settings you mic is enabled and the camera is in use.
★★★★★
can tweak if you download the Creative We have no complaints about the video ALTERNATIVE
app from the website at the URL above. quality, which is sharp and fluid, and the EPOS S6 £105 This pricier 4K webcam
It has a lens cover for extra privacy, camera coped well with a range of is smaller, has a
which dangles down from the lens when lighting conditions. It also did a fine job better privacy
of picking up our voice and transmitting shutter and
SPECIFICATIONS
4K (2160p) resolution • 95-degree field of view • Dual
it clearly, even when we were walking comes with a
microphones • Manual focus ring • 53x106x58mm • around our desk or sitting some distance case
103g • Two-year warranty www.snipca.com/48944 from our computer.

Reviews
VIDEO DOORBELL | £160 from Amazon www.snipca.com/48984
DO I REALLY NEED...
Eufy Video Doorbell E340 A laptop/Android
Eyes down tablet hybrid?
What is it?
Eufy’s Video Doorbell E340 has two Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus
cameras, one to capture visitors and Gen 5 Hybrid (pictured)
another directed downwards to check looks like a standard
for packages that may have been left on laptop at first glance,
your doorstep. but the 14in OLED
Included in the box is a mounting screen can be
bracket and the screws you’ll need to removed to
attach it to a wooden door frame. It also become an Android
comes with wires to connect it to an tablet.
existing doorbell’s wiring, or it can be
operated wirelessly. In the latter case What does it do?
you’ll need to remove it for charging – the When the screen is attached the Hybrid
charging port is on the back of the unit. can run Windows or Android, and you
Eufy says a charge will last six months, can switch between them at the touch
though you can buy spare batteries and of a button. As soon as you remove
use them, so you can still use your the screen it automatically switches to
doorbell while charging. Android mode.
What’s the catch?

Wired or wireless, Being two devices in one it requires
clear. When visitors arrived at the door more components, with an Intel chip
this unit offers detailed during our tests, notifications announcing in the base for running Windows and a
video, clear audio and their arrival appeared on our phone

almost instantly, though there’s a slight
Snapdragon processor in the screen to
run Android. This makes it expensive. It’s
internal storage delay if you’re away from home.
As ever with Eufy security equipment,
expected to cost $1,999 (around £1,580)
when it’s launched later this year.
one of the big selling points is that you
Setting up is simple and carried out via don’t have to fork out for a monthly So can I do without it?
Eufy’s app, which you’ll also use to view subscription. There’s 8GB of storage built Yes. You can buy both a Windows laptop
any recorded footage. The video feed in, which means you can keep a sizeable and an Android tablet for less.
from both cameras is displayed in a archive of video backed up without
split-screen arrangement on the phone having to rely on online storage.
app, so you’ll have simultaneous views of Overall we were very impressed. The NEXT ISSUE
visitors and delivered items. E340 offers plenty of installation options,
The button on the doorbell activates an records clear video, doesn’t cost any On Sale Weds 14 Feb
alert on your phone – you can then open extra to use over time and is reasonably
the app to see who’s calling. You can also priced. What’s not to like?
Lenovo Ideapad
set the device to detect and alert you to
Slim 3i 15
any motion, though this may be triggered
A decent laptop
by anyone passing your house and could VERDICT A good-quality doorbell for less than
become annoying. with no requirement for a subscription £500
The 2K-resolution video sent to your and plenty of internal storage
app is crisp and clear in daylight, while
the night vision is more than good
★★★★★
GMKtec NucBox M4
enough to see anyone after dark. The ALTERNATIVE Ring Video Doorbell A slim mini PC in a
two-way audio comes through loud and £99 A cheaper alternative stylish case
from Amazon, but you’ll need
SPECIFICATIONS an ongoing
Wired or wireless installation • 8GB internal storage subscription These and much more...
• 2K video resolution • Two cameras • Swappable
battery • Compatible with Alexa • Two-way audio •
to store Subscribe to Computeractive at
150x52x28mm (HxWxD) • 236g • One-year warranty footage www.getcomputeractive.co.uk

Buy It Find out which other products we liked.
Buy our 2023 Back Issue CD:
£18 from www.snipca.com/48860
Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award

LAPTOP DESKTOP PC APPLE iPAD
Huawei MateBook 16s 2023 Palicomp Apple iPad 10.2in

£1,300 from www.snipca.com/47772 AMD Cobra £319 from www.snipca.com/48634
Tested Issue 669 £400 from www.snipca.com/43515 Tested Issue 623
Tested Issue 643
In all our years of testing no laptop

has ever performed Windows tasks The 9th-generation of the basic iPad,
as quickly as this. This breathtaking This fast PC is a mouth-watering released in 2021, is now the best-value
speed is down to the powerful Intel bargain, with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD Apple tablet. The 2022 version looks
Core i9 processor. It also has a sharp and a six-core processor – though it better and has a faster processor, but
16in screen, 16GB RAM and long lacks USB-C ports and built-in Wi-Fi. it’s not worth paying £130 extra for.
battery life.
ALTERNATIVE Wired2Fire Ultima WS ALTERNATIVE iPad Mini With an even
ALTERNATIVE Honor MagicBook X 16 Home Office Workstation Blisteringly better, but smaller, screen than the
2023 Also has a 16in screen and is good fast PC, powered by an overclocked 10.2in iPad, the Mini also supports
value, though it’s not especially fast. eight-core processor and 1TB SSD. the Pencil and has 64GB of storage.
£700 from www.snipca.com/47868 £644 from www.snipca.com/41500 £569 from www.snipca.com/33050
ANDROID TABLET P APPLE iPHONE ANDROID PHONE

DRRIC
OP E
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Apple iPhone 13 Google Pixel 7a
Tested Issue 667 Tested Issue 627 Tested Issue 660
With a much brighter screen than our

previous favourite – the Galaxy Tab S8 Now £200 cheaper than its 2021 launch
– this is perfect for watching TV. It also price, the iPhone 13 has a superb screen,
has a faster processor, so tasks feel long battery life and an excellent camera – A cheaper version of Google’s flagship
smoother, even with several windows particularly for taking quick snaps without phone, this uses AI to add clarity to
open. £679 will get you the 128GB blurring. You could pay £799 for the newer photos, and lasts an impressive 10
version. If you want 256GB you’ll need iPhone 15, but we’re not convinced it’s hours. Has a fast processor and 8GB
to spend £100 more. worth the extra money. RAM to supercharge performance.
ALTERNATIVE Lenovo Tab P11 Pro It’s ALTERNATIVE iPhone SE With a single ALTERNATIVE Xiaomi Poco F3 This
slower than the Tab S9 and the screen is camera and smaller screen but the remains an excellent phone, with 6GB
duller, but has a detachable keyboard so same powerful A15 processor and 64GB RAM and 128GB storage. The only phone
you can use it as a laptop. £380 from storage as the iPhone 14, it’s great value. under £450 that’s faster is the iPhone
www.snipca.com/45244 £429 from www.snipca.com/34773 SE. £259 from www.snipca.com/44553

Buy It
Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award
MINI PC ENNEW EBOOK READER SECURITY SOFTWARE
TR
Y
Minisforum UM780XTX Kobo Libra 2 Norton 360 Premium
£729 from www.snipca.com/48917 £170 from www.snipca.com/40645 £19.99 from www.snipca.com/33247
Norton has always performed

This powerful machine costs only strongly in our antivirus tests,
£100 more than the Beelink SER6 A fantastic 7in screen, 32GB of storage regularly making the top three.
Pro, but has twice the memory, twice and Bluetooth connectivity make this a Owned by US firm NortonLifeLock,
the storage and a superior processor. rival to Amazon’s Oasis ebook reader, it’s available at a discount on our
These help it run PC tasks faster yet it’s much cheaper. Battery life is Software Store. Use the link above
and handle graphics more smoothly. superb – we managed 54 hours of use for a 10-device, two-year licence.
Ports include USB-C, USB 3.0, HDMI, per charge. It supports OverDrive, so Other versions are available, including
DisplayPort and Gigabit Ethernet. you can borrow ebooks from libraries. Norton 360 for Gamers.
ALTERNATIVE Beelink SER6 Pro ALTERNATIVE Amazon Kindle This low- ALTERNATIVE Bitdefender Total
7753HS Has 32GB RAM and a 500GB cost option is a good choice, especially Security Another top performer that
SSD for slick Windows performance. now it has 16GB of storage. £85 from we’re offering at a discount. £29.99
£629 from www.snipca.com/46416 www.snipca.com/44221 from www.snipca.com/41141
WEBCAM PC MONITOR SOLID-STATE DRIVE
Logitech C925e Business Iiyama ProLite Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

Webcam XU2492HSU-B1 500GB
This 23.8in screen is superb value, In our tests, this M.2 SSD hit speeds of
Despite the name, this webcam is also with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. 7,364MB/s and 6,870MB/s when
great for home users. Its standout Colour is good, covering 88 per cent of reading and writing data – astonishingly
feature is automatically adjusting itself the sRGB colour range. Connect your fast scores. It’s compatible with the
to keep your picture looking sharp. It computer via HDMI, DisplayPort or new PCIe 4.0 standard, which is twice
offers a 78-degree field of view, which VGA, and there’s a USB hub to plug in as fast as PCIe 3.0. The 1TB model
is fine for everyday video chats with one your mouse and keyboard. costs £84; 2TB costs £170.
person in front of the camera.
ALTERNATIVE AOC 27P2C This also has ALTERNATIVE Crucial MX500 500GB
ALTERNATIVE Anker PowerConf C300 a 1920x1080 resolution. It’s 27 inches, so As fast as an SSD can get in the
Good image quality, crisp audio pixel density is lower, but you’ll only notice traditional 2.5in SATA format, this
and lots of features. £90 from if you look really closely. £191 from www. is a great-value upgrade. £45 from
www.snipca.com/41105 snipca.com/41609 www.snipca.com/37304

Buy It
COMPETITION
Win 1 of 4
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2
Winner of a Recommended award in preferences.
Issue 675 (page 28), Edifier’s NeoBuds Equipped with 4+4 built-in
Pro 2 use Advanced Wide-Band microphones and advanced
Multi-Channel ANC to deliver a deeper AI algorithms, the NeoBuds
noise-cancellation experience. They Pro 2 effectively eliminate
extend the depth of noise cancellation environmental and wind noise,
to an impressive -50dB and broaden while enhancing vocal clarity
the noise-cancellation bandwidth to during calls. They also track your
reach 5kHz. head movements, enveloping you
They produce robust bass, crisp in audio that dynamically adjusts as
mid-range and sparkling treble tones, you move. You can buy Edifier’s NeoBuds
while support for LHDC, LDAC and To enter this competition, answer Pro 2 for £130 from www.snipca.
AAC audio codecs ensures you hear the question at www.snipca. com/48768. For more information
every nuance in exceptional detail. com/48981 and submit your details. on Edifier products, including
Choose from five distinct noise- It ends at midnight Tuesday 13 headphones and speakers, visit
reduction modes tailored to your February. Good luck! www.edifier.com.
PRINTER ENNEW SMART TV ROUTER

TR
Y
Epson EcoTank ET-2830 Samsung Q60B Asus RT-AXE7800
This replaces the ET-1810 as our With our former favourite – the TCL This router has Wi-Fi 6E, so will be
favourite printer because it adds 55RP620K – out of stock, Samsung’s capable of the fastest possible speeds
copying and scanning to its functions 43in set is our new pick. It has excellent on the 6GHz network over the next few
for only £80 more. Print quality is colour reproduction in well-lit scenes, years. It has five Ethernet ports and also
great, especially for photos which have and the picture is wonderfully sharp, a USB 3.0 port to connect a hard drive or
crisp details, vivid colours and realistic especially in 4K. NAS drive.
skin tones.
ALTERNATIVE LG OLED42C3 ALTERNATIVE Synology WRX560
ALTERNATIVE Epson EcoTank ET-1810 LG’s 42in TV is more than double the Our previous favourite remains an
Not the fastest printer, but comes with price, but unlike TCL’s model it has an excellent choice, delivering speeds of
enough ink for 4,500 mono and 7.500 OLED screen, boosting picture quality up to 791.5Mbps. Add more units to set
colour pages. £150 from www.snipca. considerably. £989 from www.snipca. up mesh Wi-Fi. £204 from www.snipca.
com/43670 com/47271 com/44696

Computeractive 2023
Back Issue CD & USB Stick
Both the CD and Stick contain all 26 issues from 2023
LE NOW!
ON SA
Buy the CD from us at Buy the Stick from us at

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Pull Out
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Workshops & Tips Issue 676
14 pages of easy-to-follow workshops and expert tips

35 T
urn on hidden 40 Readers’ Tips PLUS
Windows tools 44 Phone & Tablet Tips 47 M
ake Office Better
42 Browser Tips:
38 D
ownload audio-only Block third-party 46 M
ake Windows 48 In the Club: Use
video from YouTube cookies automatically Better Companion Mode
HOW TO...
Turn on hidden
Windows tools by Nik Rawlinson
What you need: ViVeTool; Windows 10 or 11 Time required: 60 minutes
W
indows is being constantly If you like to keep ahead of your peers, pre-release versions of Windows and use
developed – and, rather than or just enjoy tinkering with Windows, you ViVeTool to tailor which features are
wait until it’s finished, Microsoft can often enable these features yourself. available on your PC. Before starting,
makes some features in development One of the easiest ways to do so is to use make sure you have at least a complete
available on a rolling basis. However, ViVeTool, which lists all the features of backup of your system from which you
many of these are available only to the version of Windows you’re running, can restore if something goes wrong.
Windows Insiders signed up to preview and lets you enable or disable each one. The features ViVeTool can activate are
versions of the operating system. Here, we’ll show you how to download experimental, so proceed with caution.
Sign up for Now make sure the slider in

1 Windows Insider
Windows Insider is a free
the ‘Send optional diagnostic
data’ section is on ( 1 in our
membership program that lets you screenshot). Once that’s done,
download pre-release versions of click Windows Update on the
Windows. Microsoft has a good reason left 2 , followed by Windows
for running this scheme: it wants 1 Insider Programme in the
early feedback on its features so it main part of the window.
can fix problems before it makes Next, click the blue ‘Get
them available to everyone. started’ button, followed
It’s a great way to use Windows features
2 by ‘Link an account’. Select
early, and you’ll be able to try many of your Microsoft account in the
the tips we explain in Make Windows Before you can sign up to Windows Insider, you need to box that appears, then click
Better every issue (see page 46). However, turn on optional diagnostic data Continue and choose which
there’s always a slight risk in running ‘channel’ you want to sign up to.
pre-release versions of the operating your computer send back information There are four to choose from,
system because their tools will still be in that Microsoft needs to monitor how well ranging from the Canary Channel
beta. You might therefore want to avoid Windows is running on your hardware. (an “unstable” release for “highly
running it on your primary computer or Press Windows key+I to open Settings, technical users”) to the Release Preview
to carry out essential tasks. then in Windows 10 click Privacy (or (which is the closest version to what
First, you need to turn on optional ‘Privacy & security’ in Windows 11), will be officially released). Microsoft
diagnostic data in Windows. This lets followed by ‘Diagnostics & feedback’. recommends the Beta edition (see

How I use Windows Insider builds
Although Windows Insider builds are experimental, I’ve run them
in the past without problems. However, I’ve been quite cautious,
and signed up for channels that push out less ambitious, close-
to-completed editions – such as the Beta or the Release Preview.
The closer you get to the Canary build, the greater is the risk that
you’ll come across something that doesn’t work properly.
Nik Rawlinson
How do you use Windows Insider?
The Beta channel is the most stable way of Please let us know: letters@computeractive.co.uk
trying new features early
screenshot above), which is one stage Download ViVeTool

before the Release Preview and more
stable than the Canary Channel. We’ve
2 Visit www.snipca.com/48739 in
your browser. This is ViVeTool’s
used it for years and experienced very page on GitHub, which is a Microsoft-
few problems. Click the channel you’re owned service that developers use to
comfortable working with, then click manage and share code.
Continue. ViVeTool is on an update cycle,
Now confirm that you agree with the which means there are several versions
terms and privacy notice, then restart available for download at any time. At
your computer. When it’s up and running the time of writing, the latest version
again, return to the Windows Update is ‘1.7 Pre-Release 2’. However, when
section of the Settings tool and check for we last checked this was marked as an Find your Windows build in the dropdown
updates. This time, it should find an ‘emergency’ release that was still being menu then select it
Insider Preview build of Windows (see tested for bugs. We therefore scrolled
screenshot below). Download all the down to an older and more stable Select your version
updates it offers. version (1.6.2), released on 5 June 2022.
Download it by clicking the arrow to
3 of Windows
Not every disabled feature
the left of the Assets header, followed by appears in every version of Windows.
‘ViVeTool.GUI.Setup.exe’ (see screenshot This is why you have to tell ViVeTools
below left). which version of Windows you’re using.
Once the program has downloaded, Open Windows Settings again, then
launch it. Windows will check that click System in the sidebar. Now scroll
you really want to run the file. Let it down to the bottom of the main pane
do so, then follow the instructions to and click About. Carry on scrolling to the
Once you’ve signed up for Windows Insider, install ViVeTool. When we launched the ‘Windows specifications’ section, then
return to Windows Update and download any
preview versions it finds program for the first time, it told us that check the number beside ‘OS build’.
a new version was available ( 1 in our Make a note of this.
screenshot below), explaining that this Now return to ViVeTool, click the
was version 1.6.999.3 rather than the dropdown menu at the top left, then look
pre-released version 1.7 on GitHub. We for and select your build number (it’s
clicked Update 2 to download this but, 25169.1000 in the screenshot above). If
once we’d done that and the program you can’t find the specific build, look for
restarted, it identified itself as version 1.7 the closest number below it – which will
after all. be the next-earliest release of Windows.
Be aware though that this might bring
up features that aren’t available in your
version of Windows.
There is the option to tell ViVeTool
1 to automatically work with the latest
available build of Windows by clicking
‘About & Settings’, followed by Settings,
then selecting ‘The latest Build Feature
List’ from the ‘Automatically load’
2
dropdown menu. However, this is also
Download an older version of ViVeTool to When you first launch it ViVeTool may notify likely to show you features that may not
avoid any bugs in the pre-release edition you that a new version is available for download be present in your version of Windows.

Turn on hidden Windows tools
Choose a feature
4 to turn on
Having selected a Windows
build, ViVeTool assembles a list of
features it contains – you’ll see these
flash past on your screen. Some features
are already enabled because Microsoft
activated them by default; others are
disabled by default. As you’ll see if you 1 2 3
expand the sections, each feature has
both a name and a Feature ID – the latter
typically comprising seven or eight digits.
These feature IDs are important, as
they identify what task they perform.
Other programs that perform similar
functions to ViVeTool require you to type
the IDs in Command Prompt to configure
specific features. ViVeTool simplifies Check forums online to see which tasks different Feature IDs perform
this job by allowing you to select them
through a graphical interface.
It’s not always easy to find which IDs 2
you might want to change, as several IDs
can be tied to a single feature. The best
strategy is to first search for a specific
feature that you know your version of
Windows contains, but isn’t activated in. 1
Or to search more generally for a part of When you search for
a Feature ID ViVeTool
Windows that you’d like to improve – in will try to predict
our example we searched for tabs ( 1 in which one you want
our screenshot below).
If you know what a feature does and visit a forum offering advice. tray (38764045).
want to turn it on, select it by clicking For example, the Microsoft Community Here are some other IDs for Windows
so it’s highlighted in blue. Next, click site (which is not affiliated with Microsoft) 11 we found while searching online:
Perform Action at the top 2 and click
the Activate Feature option 3 . You’ll see
has posted a selection of IDs at www.
snipca.com/48781 ( 1 in our screenshot
· 37969115 Add a floating bar to perform
web searches
a green message confirming it has been
successfully enabled. If it doesn’t work
at the top of the page), along with a
description of the task they perform 2 ,
· 39420424 Add a search bar to Task
Manager
or you don’t like it, click Deactivate and the minimum version of Windows · 39263329 Add new search button
Feature 4 . you need 3 . · 34300186 Add full-screen widgets
The other way to find features you
can activate is to look at the Feature IDs.
Some of the most useful features
listed are adding seconds to your taskbar
· 36860984 Add Task Manager option
when right-clicking taskbar
These won’t mean anything to you unless clock (41314201); adding the new details Some features require you to activate
you do a bit of research. You could search panel to File Explorer (38613007); two or more IDs. One good example
for them online, but that could generate and activating tabs in File Explorer is getting instant search results in File
lots of irrelevant results. It’s better to (37634385); and using the new system Explorer as you type - for which you
need to activate both 39281392 and
Select a feature then
click Perform Action 38665217.
to activate it To search by ID number in ViveTool,
just type in the box at the top left. As you
type, it will try to predict which feature
you’re looking for and highlight it. We
searched for 37969115 as listed above,
1 and ViVeTool selected the correct feature
2 ( 1 in our screenshot above) after we
3 had typed the second ‘9’ 2 . You can
turn it on by clicking the Perform
4 Action button.
However, once you’ve found your
feature to activate, you’ll need to close
ViVeTool and restart your computer for
the changes to take effect.
Next issue: Stream from PC to TV using Jellyfin Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 37
Workshop
Download audio-only video from YouTube
What you need: Vividl
Time required: 30 minutes
W e recommended video converter Vividl

in Issue 664 (page 53), but it later
developed a problem that could only be fixed
portable versions – we recommend the
latter. Click the link beside ‘Portable zip’ in
the Download section and, when it’s arrived
using Command Prompt. The good news is in your Downloads folder, extract it and
that a new version has recently been double-click the ‘Vividl.exe’ file to launch it.
released that resolves the problem. Here, we explain how to use Vividl to
Download this version for free from www. download audio-only files from YouTube
snipca.com/48919. There are installable and videos to your PC’s hard drive
STEP In your browser visit the YouTube video from which STEP Vividl will add your link to the queue of videos to be
1 you want to download the audio. Click the Share

button 1 below the playback window, then click the
2 downloaded. By default, it will be set to convert the file
to an MP4 video. We only want to extract the audio, so
Copy button 2 next to the long URL that appears. Alternatively, click the dropdown menu below the video’s name 1 and
highlight the video’s URL in the browser address bar and press change the format to ‘Best Audio-only Download’ 2 . Behind the
Ctrl+C to copy it to your clipboard, then switch to Vividl and scenes, this selects the WEBM audio format. This is a widely
press Ctrl+V to paste the video address into the program. supported format that you can open in a browser.
2 1
2
1
STEP However, if you prefer a different format, click the spanner
3 button 1 , then select ‘Convert to MP3’ 2 in the dropdown

menu beside Current Configuration. This takes you to the 2
audio settings and sets MP3 as the default file type. MP3 is a lossy
format that reduces audio detail to keep the file size down. If you want
to preserve as much detail as possible, select Flac in the ‘Convert to’
menu, then click Apply.

1
2 3
STEP You’ll see that the destination in the top-right corner STEP You can also use Vividl to download videos. Click the
4 indicates that our audio file will be saved in a

Downloads subfolder of our Videos library 1 , which
5 recycle-bin button 1 to clear your downloads queue,
then use your browser to visit the video you want to
isn’t appropriate for an audio track. Click the pencil button 2 download, copy its URL, return to Vividl, and press Ctrl+V to
(the button to the left of it opens the listed folder), then navigate paste it into the program – as you did with your audio
to the folder you want to save it to – we’ve selected the Music download. Click the dropdown menu below the video’s title
folder 3 . When you’ve chosen your preferred folder, click OK 4 , and select the option for Best Direct Download 2 which sets the
then click the down arrow and Vividl will download the audio download to 720p (1280x720 pixels). To change this, click the
track of your selected video. spanner button 3 .
1 2
2
3
STEP Be careful what you select from this list. Notice how STEP You can set defaults for several of the options
6 there are two tabs: one for ‘Audio+Video’ 1 and the

other for ‘Video/Audio only’ 2 . There is an option to
7 mentioned here. Click Options, followed by Settings,
then set a default download destination in the Video
download higher-resolution video on the second of these tabs Download Folder section 1 . You can also use the options beside
(1920x1080 3 ), but it doesn’t include the audio track. If you ‘Default download format’ 2 and Preferred Video Resolution 3
want to download video and audio as a single file, stick to the to avoid having to select your preferred formats for every video
option you chose in Step 5, or choose one of the two options on you want to download.
the ‘Audio+Video’ tab.
Next issue: Add subtitles to your own videos Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 39
Readers’ Tips
TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT
Import YouTube subscriptions to FreeTube

I’ve been using FreeTube (www.snipca. Click the blue ‘Next step’ button,
com/48924) as a result of your make sure ‘Export once’ is selected, 1
recommendations. It’s a brilliant tool, then click ‘Create export’. This file 3
and not just because it removes will now download – and Google will
YouTube ads. It also makes it easy to email you when it’s complete. Click the
import all your YouTube subscriptions. ‘Download your files’ button in the 2
Sign into Google’s Takeout Manager email, then another Download button.
(www.snipca.com/48925), then click Extract the file and it will save as an
‘Deselect all’. Make sure all the boxes Excel spreadsheet.
are unticked, then scroll to the bottom You now need to open FreeTube,
and tick ‘YouTube and YouTube Music’. then click Settings ( 1 in our screenshot).
Now click ‘All YouTube data included’, Next, click Data Settings 2 , followed
then untick all the boxes that appear by Import Subscriptions 3 . Navigate to into FreeTube.
except Subscriptions. Click OK. the Excel file, then select it to import it David Medlycott
David wins a copy of our 2023 Back Issue CD Buy it from us at www.snipca.com/48860
EMAIL Microsoft, but I worked out how to fix it. started working properly again.
Restore Outlook’s search option You have to click File at the top left, John Bailey
For some reason the search option then choose Options in the left-hand
in my Outlook app stopped menu. This brings up the Outlook TV STREAMING
working. I don’t know whether this was Options panel on the left. Here, select Use Freeview to watch
caused by a problematic update from ‘Search’, then on the right choose what you want
Indexing Options. Regarding Issue 674’s ‘What’s All
In the box that appears, look in the the Fuss About?’ on Freely (page
Index These Locations section. When I 49), there’s no need to wait for the service
did this, I saw that Outlook wasn’t to launch or to buy a new TV. You can
listed. To add it, I clicked Modify, ticked achieve the same thing already. Just visit
the ‘Microsoft Outlook’ option (see Freeview at www.snipca.com/48923 in
screenshot left), and confirmed the any browser to see what’s being
change by clicking OK. broadcast live. Find something you want
You then need to close the boxes and to watch from the listings, then simply
wait while Windows indexes your Outlook use your current smart TV or streaming
contents. This took about 10 minutes for stick to watch the programme. Do this on
me. Once that was completed, my search a PC or Windows tablet, and from the
Why I stopped using…

TalkTalk fibre 1pMobile (www.1pmobile.com), which
broadband offers 5G on its packages. They start from
After some deliberation I’ve £7.50 a month for 4GB of data, rising to
decided to drop TalkTalk Full £20 for 200GB – which is what I pay.
Fibre 150 in favour of a 5G mobile Every package has unlimited calls and
service. I first got the idea about five texts. Overall I save £10.41 on what
years ago when I rented a house close TalkTalk was charging me.
to a 4G mast, where I received 1pMobile’s speeds over 5G aren’t quite
exceptional download and upload as fast as TalkTalk’s Full Fibre 150 package, To make the most of 5G, I bought a
speeds, letting me stream TV services but they’re still acceptable. They’d be Google Pixel 7a phone (£379 from
such as BBC iPlayer and YouTube. even faster if I lived nearer to a mast. www.snipca.com/46332), as per your
Another reason for switching is the copper recommendation in Issue 660, page 26.
And what I use instead... landline switch-off, and BT closing its John Ryan
TalkTalk did offer me a discount to stay, phone exchanges. Switching to 1pMobile Tell us why you stopped using a website, app
but I’ve chosen instead to sign up to future-proofs me. or program: letters@computeractive.co.uk

Handy hints and tips from your fellow readers
Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk
Reader recommends…
Reflecta x33-Scan Slide Scanner
To follow up on recent questions

about digitising slides – during
lockdown (with limited buying choice) There’s a 5in preview screen and a
I settled on the Reflecta x33 scanner. I variety of flip and rotate settings. It
found one for £140, though it seems to saves to SD card or via USB.
be £30 more expensive on Amazon now. It takes just two seconds to digitise
In essence, it’s a 15-megapixel an image, rather than two minutes as
fixed-focus colour camera with a light with my old Epson scanner. So far I
source. It holds four 35mm mounted have carried out well over five
slides in a carrier, and up to six 35mm thousand digitisations.
negatives. Phil Verity
It also handles 110/126 film negatives, Want to recommend hardware or software
browser you can watch on that device as and with a bit of manual juggling can to fellow readers?
long as you have set up the channels. hold half- and quarter-frame film too. Email letters@computeractive.co.uk
Also, if you download the Freeview app
(www.snipca.com/48920, pictured
above) to your Android/iOS phone or EMAIL
tablet, and have the apps for the on-air See all of Outlook’s
channels downloaded (it will prompt you voice commands
if not), then you can click straight from Thank you for the tip in Issue 675
the app on your device to watch. on writing emails in Outlook
John Tanzer using your voice (page 47). My hands are
increasingly arthritic, so I try to control
OPERATING SYSTEM my computer with spoken commands
Install Linux Mint on an old laptop as much as possible.
I read with interest about Dai Rees’ I searched for more commands to correctly in sync.
efforts to install Linux on an old use in Outlook and found them on The other tool is SyncFolder, which I
laptop (Issue 674, page 67). I’ve done that Microsoft’s site. Visit www.snipca. installed from the Microsoft Store (www.
several times. In the past installing the com/48899, then scroll down and choose snipca.com/48897). It syncs selected
Linux operating system was easy enough, English in the ‘Select your language’ folders on set overnight schedules to my
but installing programs and printer dropdown menu. This reveals categories OneDrive account online. I also perform
drivers was more difficult because you of commands you can speak. full system backups manually on a regular
had to use a terminal. A lot of the commands are logical, basis. Thankfully, I’ve never suffered a
However, the last time I installed Linux and what you’d expect, but it’s still complete disaster, but I feel safely covered
– a few months ago – installing drivers worth checking. For instance, the precise should it ever happen.
and programs was easy. I connected a command for typing a different subject John Perkins
16-year-old printer and it worked line is “change the subject line to subject”.
seconds later. I chose Linux-Mint-Xfce Ruth McCulloch SOFTWARE
(www.snipca.com/48915, pictured Copy floppy discs to DVD
below) because I’d read that it was SOFTWARE to use old Office
suitable for Windows users wanting a Use Google Drive and In Issue 674’s Problems Solved
fast, lightweight operating system that’s SyncFolder to back up (page 68), Harry Beard asked
easy to learn. In your reply to Andrew Ball whether Microsoft Office 7 will work in
Nick Clatworthy recommending IDrive (www.idrive. Windows 10. Well, I have Office 2000
com) for backing up files (Issue 674, page running on my Windows 10 computer.
20), I was surprised you didn’t mention It does what I need, so why would I
two brilliant tools that I use. The Google upgrade? It originally came as 32 floppy
Drive desktop app (www.snipca.com/48896, discs, but I have copied them all to DVD
pictured above right) automatically and and it loads fine. I wonder what other old
instantly adds any new items to my programs readers are still using?
Google Drive account online. It also I’m also still using the 2007 version of
uploads any changes and edits I make Winamp (www.snipca.com/48895), and
and lets you choose which files and occasionally Total Commander (www.
folders you wish to sync. When I reboot ghisler.com), but that was updated in 2012.
my PC, it checks that everything is Chris Bell

Browser Tips
CHROME ‘Super Drag and Drop’. This lets
Block third-party cookies you open links, images and text
automatically in new tabs simply by clicking
As we reported in our ‘Question them and dragging your mouse
of the Fortnight’ column in Issue in any direction – without even
675 (page 10), Google’s plan to eradicate 1 having to lift your finger off the
third-party cookies by the end of left mouse button.
2024 has begun in earnest, with the ‘Super Drag and Drop’ is
introduction of its Tracking Protection currently an experiment in
feature in Chrome. This prevents websites Edge, which you need to enable
from installing cookies in the browser so 2 manually. See our Workshop
they can track your online activities. below to find out how.
Tracking Protection is currently only
available to one per cent of Chrome users, OPERA GX
with everyone else getting the feature Protect your screen
later this year. You can tell if you’re one with a panic button
of these early adopters by looking for a per cent, you can manually activate Opera GX, the special version of
crossed-out eye icon at the end of the Tracking Protection through Chrome’s the browser designed for gamers
browser’s address bar. Experiments page. Type chrome://flags in (www.opera.com/gx), has introduced a
When you click this icon ( 1 in our the address bar, press Enter and find the handy privacy feature called Panic Button
screenshot above right), it will open relevant experiment by typing Tracking (www.snipca.com/48903). This lets you
the ‘Tracking protection’ panel and Protection for 3PCD. Select ‘Enabled’ in instantly hide what you’re doing from
confirm that third-party cookies are its dropdown menu, click Relaunch and prying eyes around you, when – for
blocked or ‘limited’ 2 for the current when the browser reopens you should example - you’re playing games or
website. If you have trouble loading a see the ‘Tracking protection’ eye icon in watching videos when you should be
site because it requires cookies, click the your address bar. working.
option to temporarily allow them for Simply press F12 on your keyboard
90 days. You can also access Tracking EDGE
Protection by clicking the ‘View site Open content in new tabs
information’ button at the far left of the more easily
address bar. Edge offers several ways to open
Don’t feel too disappointed if you links, images and selected text from
don’t yet have the new feature. Other web pages in a new tab. You can either
browsers, including Brave and Firefox, right-click them and choose ‘Open [x] in
block third-party cookies by default, new tab’ – or ‘Search the web for…’ in the
and Chrome has an existing – albeit less case of text; drag and drop the content on
effective – option for that purpose. Go to to the ‘New tab’ button; or hover your
Settings then ‘Privacy and security’, click cursor over it and press your middle
‘Third-party cookies’ and select ‘Block mouse button.
third-party cookies’. Edge 121, released at the end of January,
Even if you’re not among the one adds another, even easier option called
WORKSHOP Activate Edge’s new ‘Super Drag and Drop’ feature
2
1
1
1 2
2
1 Type edge://flags into Edge’s address

bar and press Enter to load the
Experiments page. Find the experiment
2 When Edge reopens, click the three-dot
menu button and choose Settings then
Appearance 1 . Scroll down to the ‘Customise
3 Select ‘Configure Super Drag and Drop’
and click the ‘Open mode’ menu 1 .
Here, you can specify whether links,
Microsoft Edge Super Drag Drop 1 , select browser’ section and switch on the option images and text that you click and drag
Enabled in its dropdown menu 2 and click ‘Enable Super Drag and Drop’ 2 . open in a background tab 2 or a foreground
Restart. tab.
42 31 January– 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

Secret settings and the best extensions
BEST EXTENSION FOR… Viewing website information
Country Flags & IP Whois It’s a useful way to identify and avoid
Chromium phishing scams, and to discover which
www.snipca.com/48907 supposedly UK websites are actually
Firefox hosted elsewhere in the world. Right-click
www.snipca.com/48908 the toolbar button for further options,
Websites use your IP address to identify including content translation, URL
which country you’re browsing from, so it’s shortening and malware scanning.
only fair for you to know where they’re
based. This extension tells you the location If you don’t like that, try…
of the site you’re viewing by changing its IP Domain Country Flag
toolbar button to the relevant country’s www.snipca.com/48909
national flag (see screenshot). information. This typically includes when the This extension works in a similar way
Hover your cursor over the button to domain was registered and by whom, along and also tells you a website’s popularity
view the URL of the site’s host server and with a contact email address and phone ranking in the world. However, it’s less
its IP address, or click the button for more number, where available. reliable than ‘Country Flags & IP Whois’.
and Panic Button will mute and pause CHROMIUM or click LeapSearch’s toolbar button to
video and audio playback across all your Switch between search engines choose a search engine there.
open tabs, and replace the content of the One
current tab with a ‘safe’ page. Press F12 advantage FIREFOX
again to restore tabs to their previous Firefox has over Chrome is that you can View images in
state once the coast is clear. easily switch to a different search engine search suggestions
You should see a message about Panic when your default provider doesn’t find On a related note, Firefox 122,
Button after you update Opera GX to the the results you need. Just click the released at the end of January,
latest version (105) – click ‘Try now’ to browser’s address bar and select another improves the browser’s search
open the feature’s settings. search engine from the ‘This time, search suggestions by including images and
You can also access this page by with’ options. descriptions. When you type a query into
choosing Settings in the main Opera A new extension called LeapSearch the address bar, some suggestions will
menu and selecting GX then ‘Panic (www.snipca.com/48905) brings this now be accompanied by small pictures
button’. Here you can switch the feature flexibility to Chrome and other Chromium and text labels (see screenshot below),
on or off (see screenshot left), and specify browsers by letting you quickly switch which tell you more about that suggestion.
which ‘safe’ websites to display when you between multiple search engines with a This feature is now enabled by default
press the F12 key. Default options include single click. It adds a menu to the left- and the only way to disable it is to switch
Wikipedia, Gmail and Google News – hand side of your search results that off search suggestions altogether. Click
click Add to enter additional URLs. includes buttons for Bing, Google, Firefox’s three-line menu button and
You can get a similar feature in other DuckDuckGo (see screenshot below left), select Settings, then Search. Either untick
Chromium browsers by installing the Yandex, Baidu and the relatively new the option ‘Show search suggestions’
extension ‘Hide!!! – Panic Button and Tab search engine You. Click a button to or move them below suggestions based
Manager’ (www.snipca.com/48904). This transfer your current search query to the on your browsing history by unticking
hides all your tabs when you press Alt+P relevant provider. If you don’t see the ‘Show search suggestions ahead of
and reopens them when you press Alt+O. menu, hover your cursor over the ‘L’ icon, browsing history in address bar results’.

Phone and Tablet Tips
ANDROID more than 200 However, rather than
View documents using improvements, the switch standard browser
LibreOffice revamped app works 2 tabs to PiP mode, the
LibreOffice is one of the most more efficiently and feature works with
popular alternatives to Microsoft reliably with the latest apps that use Custom
Office 365, letting you create, view and versions on Android, Chrome Tabs (CCTs) to
edit documents, spreadsheets and which should help display pages without
presentations on your PC for free. But the boost its poor user launching Chrome.
LibreOffice app for Android phones and rating on the Play Store. Gmail, TripAdvisor and X
tablets was abandoned in 2020, due to LibreOffice Viewer (formerly Twitter) are
“lack of maintenance”, and when it was uses the same technology three examples of apps
revived last year you could only install it as the desktop office that open links in CCTs.
through the third-party app store F-Droid suite, which means you To activate the
(www.snipca.com/48963). can view Word, Excel experiment, type
Thankfully, that’s now changed and and PowerPoint files, as 1 chrome://flags into
LibreOffice Viewer is now officially well as files in Open Chrome’s address bar
available from the Google Play Store Document Format (ODT, and press Enter to load
(www.snipca.com/48964). Incorporating ODS and ODP), print the Experiments page.
them from your mobile device and export Find the entry Allow Custom Tabs to be
them as PDF files (see screenshot left). minimized ( 1 in our screenshot above
However, you can’t currently edit files left), select Enabled in its dropdown
in the app, though the feature is being menu and tap Relaunch.
tested – go into Settings and enable Next, open an app that supports CCTs
Experimental Mode to try it “at your own and tap a link to a web page, such as one
risk”. Alternatively, install Collabora in a Gmail message. When the page loads
Office (www.snipca.com/48965), which in a CCT, tap the arrow icon to the left of
is based on LibreOffice and offers editing the web address. This will minimise the
options on both Android and iOS devices. page to a floating PiP window 2 , which
you can move around your screen while
ANDROID you use other apps. The PiP window
View web pages in remains open until you close the original
picture-in-picture mode app, and lets you restore the web page by
A new experiment in the Chrome tapping it and pressing the Maximize
app for Android lets you minimise button.
web pages to a floating picture-in-picture The new feature complements the
(PiP) window, so you can continue with existing option in Chrome that displays
other activities and return to them later. videos in PiP mode. To enable this, open
BEST NEW APPS What you should install this fortnight
Vivaldi for Android Clear Todos Microsoft Copilot

Free Free Free
Android www.snipca.com/48955 iOS www.snipca.com/48957 Android www.snipca.com/48952
Vivaldi’s updated Android app lets you This popular app for creating and managing iOS www.snipca.com/48953
set a separate default search engine for to-do lists in bold, colourful styles has Microsoft has launched a dedicated app
private tabs. This means you can use, for been redesigned for its Copilot tool, which saves you having
example, Google to make it even to install Bing or Edge
for searches smarter and easier to use the AI chatbot.
in standard to use. What’s Ask questions about
browsing mode more, Clear Todos anything to get
and DuckDuckGo has ditched its informative answers;
when browsing in-app purchases enter text prompts
privately. Set your to become entirely to generate stories,
preferences by free to use, though poems, emails,
tapping the menu you can buy extra images and other
button and choose themes, fonts content; take photos
Settings, then and icons from its to identify objects;
‘Search engine’. store. and much more.

Brilliant things to do on your device
Settings and tap Apps, then Chrome. iOS you can attach to belongings
Select ‘Picture-in-picture’ and switch on Find twice as such as your wallet, bag or keys,
‘Allow picture-in-picture’. many lost items has convinced the company to
Apple has updated its double the number of supported
iOS Find My app (www. items to 32.
Create WhatsApp stickers snipca.com/48968) to To locate a lost device that’s
from your photos let you locate twice as associated with your Apple ID,
WhatsApp’s Stickers feature lets many lost or stolen items. open the Find My app, select
you make your conversations more Previously, the app Devices and tap the name of the
fun by including quirky illustrations. limited you to finding 16 item. Its current location will be
The iOS version of the messaging app devices, including your shown on a map and tapping
has now added the option to create your iPhone, iPad, Apple the Directions button will show
own stickers using photos stored on Watch, AirPods or you how to get there. Select
your phone, so you can amuse your MacBook. But the ‘Play Sound’ (see screenshot
friends and family with personal popularity of Apple’s left) and the device will make
designs. AirTags (www.snipca.com/48969), which a noise to guide you to its location.
To try the new feature, press the
Stickers icon next to the message box
in a WhatsApp chat (tap the Emoji icon
BEST APPS FOR... Selling your old stuff
first if you don’t see this), then tap the
plus (+) symbol to create a custom sticker. MusicMagpie
Select the photo you want to use and Free
WhatsApp will automatically identify Android www.snipca.com/48975
and cut out its subject, then display the iOS www.snipca.com/48976
result in its Sticker Maker ( 1 in our Scan the barcodes of old CDs, DVDs and
screenshot below). games, or enter the details of electronic
Tap the Stickers icon in the top-right devices including phones, tablets and
toolbar 2 to add emojis or other stickers consoles, to discover how much you can
to your design. You can also add text to get for them. MusicMagpie will then send
the sticker by tapping the T icon 3 , and you a box or padded envelope to return
adjust the alignment, font and colour. items, and as soon as it receives and
Tap the pencil symbol 4 to annotate your checks them you’ll get your money.
sticker by drawing on it with your finger. Best For Selling a range of items
When you’re happy with your sticker
design, tap the blue Send button to share Vinted
it with your WhatsApp contact and save it Free
to your Stickers library. Android www.snipca.com/48973
Note that you can only create your own iOS www.snipca.com/48974
stickers on iPhones that are running iOS Turn your old clothes into cash by selling
17 - in older versions of the operating them through this popular app. Vinted
system, you’re limited to editing existing lets you flog everything from shoes,
designs. The feature should be added to sportswear and suits to trousers, T-shirts
WhatsApp for Android soon. and ties, with no listing or selling fees. It’s
simple to use and very competitive, with
many items priced as little as £1.
Best For Selling unwanted clothes
WeBuyBooks
Free
2 3 4 Android www.snipca.com/48978
iOS www.snipca.com/48979
Although MusicMagpie buys books, it
can be fussy about the titles it accepts.
WeBuyBooks is more generous, both in
the range of books it takes and how much
1 it will pay you for them. Scan barcodes or
enter ISBNs to get a quote and arrange
collection. Sell over £25 worth and the app
will give you an extra five per cent.
Best For Selling second-hand books

Make Windows Better Expert tips for every version
WINDOWS 10 & 11
WINDOWS 10 & 11
Use new on-screen pen
gestures in OneNote
Microsoft has launched
a new ‘OneNote for
Password-protect your zipped folders
Windows’ app (www. Using 7-Zip Next, in the box that appears, enter
snipca.com/48947) that adds more (www.7-zip.org) you and re-enter a password ( 1 in our
features to the ‘Ink to Text Pen’ tool. can add a password screenshot). You can choose between
You can, for example, use your digital to protect folders that it has saved different encryption methods in the
on-screen pen – or a stylus – to delete compressed files to. Once you’ve installed ‘Encryption method:’ dropdown menu
notes by scribbling over them. 7-Zip, open File Explorer then highlight 2 , but the default choice (AES-256) is
First, select the Draw tab ( 1 in our the files you want to compress and one of the strongest available, so we’d
screenshot below) and choose a pen from apply a password to. Right-click one of leave it selected.
the Drawing Tools (note: this doesn’t them and then, in Windows 10, hover Finally, click OK, and your folder will
work with highlighters). We chose the over 7-Zip in the menu and click ‘Add appear in File Explorer. You’ll now be
black 1mm pen 2 , then wrote ‘note- to archive…’. In Windows 11 you’ll first prompted to enter your password 3
taking’ and scribbled over it 3 to delete it need to click ‘Show more options’ in whenever you want to extract your
(we pressed Ctrl+Z to go a step back so we the right-click menu. compressed files.
could show the scribble in our screenshot).
2
3
WINDOWS 11 INSIDER
Add a custom voice shortcut
Windows 11 Insiders on the 3 1
Beta Channel (running build
22635.2915 or later) can now
create their own voice commands for 2
controlling the operating system.
Get started by searching for and
opening the Voice Access app. Say “voice
access wake up” to activate it, then “what After clicking Apply to confirm one
can I say?” to open the ‘Voice access voice command, you have the option to
commands’ settings window. Click ‘Voice ‘Add next action’ to build a sequence of
shortcuts’ ( 1 in our screenshot below), commands. Click the ‘Voice shortcuts’
then ‘Create a new shortcut’. section to see voice commands you’ve
In our example, we created a voice created.
1
shortcut to open the Downloads folder.
In the ‘When I say’ box, we typed ‘Open WINDOWS 10 & 11
Downloads’ 2 . In the ‘Perform action(s)’ Separate Command Prompt
dropdown menu we chose ‘Open folder’ results into pages
3 . Next, we clicked Browse to find the In Issue 675’s How To
folder’s file path, and then clicked Select. (page 35), we explained 2
Finally, we clicked Apply, then Save. how to use Command
Prompt switches to list and find files
on your computer. One drawback of
doing this is that you can generate
2 very long lists that are hard to screenshot above right) then pressing
navigate using Command Prompt’s Enter will show all the items in your
3 scrollbar on the right. To avoid this, Windows directory, separated into pages.
add the switch /p when typing a You’ll see ‘Press any key to continue’ at
command. This makes results the bottom 2 . Do this and you’ll see the
appear one page at a time, so next page of results. If there are too many
1 they’re easier to look through. pages to process, press Ctrl+C to break
For example, typing the command and return to the
dir %WinDir% /p ( 1 in our command line.

Make Office Better Top tips for the best office programs
MICROSOFT WORD
Rotate a table to print in landscape

You may want to print an
entire Word document in
portrait mode, but tables are
sometimes better suited to being 1
printed in landscape. To do this,
consider presenting your table on just
one page and rotating it by 90 degrees. 2
There are several ways to do this, but
the easiest is to change text direction.
First, highlight your table. Next, 3
click the blue Layout tab ( 1 in our
screenshot) at the top right, then click
the Text Direction 2 button. Click it
a second time. Your table will now
be oriented so that you can print it in
landscape mode 3 .
ONLYOFFICE button on our mouse, we clicked

Auto-complete on the square and dragged our
months of the year cursor to B26. A thick green
Previously in OnlyOffice’s border 2 formed around our 1
Spreadsheet Editor, when you selection. We released the left-
typed months of the year in click and the months of the year
order you had to do this one at a time. appeared in the cells.
Version 7.5, released in October, lets you
use auto-complete instead. This also MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
works for days of the week. Set ‘To Do’ as your
In our example, we first entered January task-management app
into B3 ( 1 in our screenshot below). We Outlook includes a
wanted to fill one years’ worth of cells built-in task manager 2
with months. We clicked on B3 and (click Home, New Items,
hovered our cursor on the tiny square in then Task), but Microsoft now lets you – see www.snipca.com/48916 for details.
the bottom-right corner until it turned use its To Do app inside Outlook instead.
from a thick into a thin plus (+) symbol. This has a much cleaner interface than LIBREOFFICE IMPRESS
While holding down the left-click Outlook’s built-in tool, letting you Use the navigation panel
organise tasks more efficiently. during your slideshow
Open Outlook, then click File at the top Version 7.6 of LibreOffice, released
left ( 1 in our screenshot below), followed last August, added a navigational
by Options at the bottom. In the box that panel with a forward and back
appears click Tasks 2 , then tick ‘Open button to switch between slides. This
tasks in the To Do app’ 3 . Click OK to gives you an alternative to using the
confirm. Note that this is available only arrow keys on your keyboard.
in the new version of Outlook, which To activate the panel, click Slide Show
Microsoft started rolling out last September ( 1 in our screenshot above), then Slide
1 Show Settings. In the box, click
2 ‘Show navigation panel’ 2 then
OK. Now, when presenting, a
3
small transparent panel will
appear at the bottom left of
1 your screen.
The new panel also has
options to jump to any slide,
and set the cursor to use as a
2 digital pen, letting you draw on
the screen.

In The Club
Run a club or society? Here's how your tech can make it easier
Use Google Meet’s Companion Mode

P icture the scenario: you’ve been asked
to present something for your next
virtual club meeting. The problem is,
the presentation is on your PC and you 1
normally log into meetings using your
phone or tablet. To solve this, use Google
Meet’s Companion Mode. Simply join 3
the meeting from your mobile device as
normal – this will be your primary device
– then log in from your computer in
Companion Mode. This lets you present
from a separate window, as we’ll explain. 2
Set up your meeting
To set up a meeting in your web browser,
visit https://meet.google.com and click 4
the blue ‘Sign in’ button. Once logged in,
click the blue ‘New meeting’ button that
appears alongside ‘Enter a code or link’. Paste the meeting link and click ‘Use Companion Mode’
In the menu that appears next, choose
‘Create a meeting for later’. A small again and your phone/tablet will have You’ll now see options to share
‘Here’s the link to your meeting’ message been set up as your primary device. another browser tab, a program running
will show the link to your meeting. Click Now switch to your computer and on your PC, or your entire screen.
the copy button to the right to copy the paste the full link into your browser Make your selection, click Allow, and
link, then share it with other members. (for us it’s https://meet.google.com/ you’ll see confirmation that your screen
Don’t forget to make a note of it yourself. czj-gvpn-mqi – 1 in our screenshot is being shared.
Alternatively, open the Google Meet app above). If asked whether you want people Now look at your phone/tablet. You’ll
on your phone or tablet, then tap the to see you in the meeting, click ‘Continue see the software window you’re using is
‘New’ button, followed by ‘Create a new without camera’. On the left is a preview being shared ( 1 in our screenshot below),
meeting’ to bring up the meeting's web of your camera, which should be blank 2 , alongside your video feed 2 . You can
link to share. along with a list of who else is on the call now present from your computer while
(yourself via another device) 3 . Ignore interacting with your audience through
Join your meeting and share the blue ‘Join now’ button and instead your phone/tablet.
your screen click ‘Use Companion Mode’ 4 .
When it’s time for your meeting, paste You’ll now see the main Google
the link into your phone or tablet’s web Meet interface, and confirmation
browser. If you prefer using the Google that your PC’s microphone and 1
Meet app, tap inside the ‘Search or enter speaker are disabled to avoid echo 2
code’ box, then select ‘Enter a Meet code’ from your phone/tablet. You can
and type the 12-character code from the now ignore this screen until
http://meet.google.com link you shared you’re ready to present. When
earlier (it’s czj-gvpn-mqi in our case), that happens, make sure that any
before tapping Join. software you want to share is
A preview from your webcam will open, then click the ‘Present now’
appear at the top of your screen. Tap ‘Join’ icon (see screenshot below).
Click the ‘Present
now’ icon to share
what’s on your PC
Once set up, your audience can see both you and your
PC screen
48 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676 Next issue: Design your own background for video meetings
What’s All the
Fuss About...
Amazon Matter Casting
Get primed for a new way to send video from phone to TV
What is it?
A new tool from Amazon that lets you
‘cast’ shows via Wi-Fi from the Prime
Video app (www.snipca.com/48966,
pictured right) on your phone or tablet It could become more
to a smart speaker or TV.
versatile and popular
Is that the same as
streaming shows? than Apple or Google’s
Not quite. When you stream a show, live
video and audio is being transmitted over
casting tools
the internet to a device. This is what
happens when you watch a show on
Netflix or iPlayer, for example. When you
cast, you’re actually sending content
that’s playing on your own phone/tablet
to another device in your home.
Why – what’s happening then?
Do I need to plug a dongle Amazon says Matter will be added to
into my TV? “compatible” Fire TVs, including
No – it casts content directly from your Panasonic TVs that come with Fire TV.
phone/tablet to the device receiving the
signal. You’re probably thinking of Remind me - what’s Fire TV?
Google’s Chromecast dongle which, when It’s TV software that comes built into
plugged into a TV’s HDMI port, lets you some TV sets. Amazon normally works
cast content from your phone/tablet. But with manufacturers to include Fire TV.
Chromecast is now built into many TVs devices – including many smart-home In recent years JVC, Hisense, TCL,
(see the best at www.snipca.com/48971), gadgets such as smart plugs (see page 51). Toshiba and Xiaomi have all made
including LG’s 2024 range – as we explain This means that Amazon’s casting can in compatible sets. However, last year
on page 9 – meaning you don’t need a theory work with any device that’s Amazon released its own Fire TV – the
dongle. The same is true of Apple AirPlay, compatible with Matter. This could make 43in Omni QLED (£450 from www.
which lets you cast from iPads and it much more versatile and ultimately snipca.com/47091). We don’t yet know
iPhones to compatible TVs (see www. more popular than either of Apple or which sets will work with Matter, but it
snipca.com/48972). However, while the Google’s casting tools, which are owned seems likely that Amazon will add the
concept is the same, Amazon Matter by the companies themselves and work software to its own TVs.
Casting is different from AirPlay and only on approved devices. Matter can
Chromecast in one important respect. also be used to adjust volume, change Is Fire TV different from
channel and switch between HDMI ports, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick?
Which is? though developers and manufacturers Yes. The Stick is a device you plug into
Matter is an open-source technology that will need to build these functions into the back of your TV to get streaming
can be used by any company to connect their products. services. It’s much cheaper than buying
a Fire TV. Even the most expensive Stick,
What devices can you use the 4K Max, costs just £70 (www.snipca.
Amazon Matter on? com/48970).
At the moment you can only cast content
to Amazon’s Echo Show 15 smart speaker, So, does Matter matter?
which costs £240 (www.snipca.com/48967, We think it does. Amazon’s tool could
pictured left). It’s Amazon’s largest Echo be the breakthrough moment for the
Show, with a 15.6in screen – which is just technology, though we’ll reserve
about big enough to watch TV on. If you judgement until the first Fire TVs arrive
The Echo Show 15 is the first device that want a bigger screen, you should wait a that work with it. It’s too early to cast
works with Amazon Matter Casting few months. Apple and Google aside yet.

COVER FEATURE
WHY YOU MUST USE

SMART
PLUGS
Cheap, compact and
versatile, smart plugs
offer an easy way to
control your entire home.
Robert Irvine explains
how to make the most of
these powerful devices
T
urning your home into a smart thermostat or security camera. But if you
home is an intriguing idea in want a smart device that’s affordable,
WHAT YOU CAN DO theory, but in practice it can prove reliable and has clear practical value, you
more trouble and expense than can’t go wrong with a smart plug.
• Turn lights on automatically when it’s worth. Aside from smartphones and These tiny devices provide an effective
you’re not home to deter burglars smart TVs, smart devices can be fiddly to means of converting standard home
• Monitor your devices’ electricity usage set up, suffer frequent malfunctions and appliances into smart ones – with
– and cut your energy bill even pose privacy concerns. minimum cost and hassle. They’re
• Fix Wi-Fi problems by resetting Rather than automate your life in a suitable for smart-technology novices and
your router remotely futuristic way, many smart gadgets often experts alike, and you can have as many
• Prevent your phone or tablet from go unused once the novelty wears off. For as you require for your automated needs.
overcharging example, the popularity of smart Here, we explain how smart plugs work,
• Control eight devices from a single speakers such as the Amazon Echo and reveal all the useful and clever things you
wall socket Google Home soon dipped once people can do with them, and recommend the
• Switch appliances on and off using ran out of things to ask them. That’s not best models to buy. We also provide
your voice to say smart technology is pointless, and step-by-step instructions for getting your
you may swear by your smart doorbell, new smart plug up and running.

WHY YOU MUST USE
SMART
PLUGS
YOUR SMART PLUG QUESTIONS ANSWERED
What is a smart plug? Plug an
electrical
A smart plug is a Wi-Fi-enabled power device into a
adapter that turns ‘dumb’ electrical smart plug to
devices (meaning those that aren’t control it using
an app on your
internet-connected) into smart ones. Plug phone
a device into a smart plug and the smart
plug into a wall socket and you’ll be able
to control it over your Wi-Fi network or
Bluetooth using an app on your phone or
tablet (see picture right).
Why do I need one?

Smart plugs save you having to be in the
same room – or even the same building
– as a device to turn it on and off.
Provided the device has a mechanical
power switch, which allows you to leave
it always on, you can operate it remotely off and on without using an app, and a when using smart plugs. As with any
without touching it. The smart plug’s app notification light to indicate that they’re smart technology, cheap models from
will let you schedule connected devices active or in pairing mode. On some plugs, unknown manufacturers may contain
to switch on and off at specific times of the light will start flashing when you plug security flaws that could allow hackers to
day, as a means of automating your home it in, while on others you’ll need to press steal your Wi-Fi login details and access
and cutting energy costs. the on/off button. devices connected to your network.
Additionally, most smart plugs can be Beyond those essentials, smart plugs However, this is only likely to happen if
added to an existing smart-home system, may include USB ports, so you can your internet traffic is unencrypted or
such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa, connect items that don’t have three-pin you’re still using your router’s default
Samsung SmartThings or Apple HomeKit, plugs, and energy-monitoring functions factory password.
so you can control them with your voice that help you reduce your electricity You should also ensure your smart plug
using the relevant smart assistant. usage. We take a look at different types of has a genuine ‘CE’ certification to
plug on page 55. confirm that it meets required safety
How much do they cost? Some smart plugs support the new standards. A few years ago, Amazon
Smart plugs are considerably cheaper Matter standard (www.snipca.com/48921, stopped selling Hickton plugs that were
than most smart devices, with some pictured below), which works across the deemed to be a fire hazard (www.snipca.
models costing less than £10. This makes different smart-home systems, rather com/48922).
them ideal for people on a budget who’d than limiting you to one. It also adds a
like to experiment with smart technology, local network to your Wi-Fi devices, so Will a smart plug
and means you can start with one unit they continue working even when your slow my Wi-Fi?
then add more plugs to your home set-up internet connection goes down. No. Unless you have dozens of devices
when you can afford to do so. connected to smart plugs, all working at
Are there any dangers the same time, your Wi-Fi connection
Which devices can I use to smart plugs? won’t slow down. Smart plugs
with smart plugs? Other than connecting heavy-duty themselves use very little data and power,
The most popular electrical appliances to devices that may cause them to overheat, and your usage will depend on which
connect to smart plugs include table there are a couple of risks to be aware of items are plugged into them.
lamps, desk fans, coffee makers, radios
The Matter
and televisions – though only models standard unites
with physical switches. We’ll explain all smart devices that
the main benefits, including less obvious use different smart-
ones, over the next few pages. home systems
However, for safety reasons, you
shouldn’t use smart plugs with devices
that you wouldn’t normally leave
unattended, such as electric heaters and
power tools, or that require constant
power, such as medical equipment.
Do all smart plugs work

in the same way?
All smart plugs have their own power or
‘override’ button, so you can turn them

8 CLEVER USES FOR SMART PLUGS
Deter burglars by pretending
to be at home
The most common use for smart plugs is
to switch lights on and off, which saves
you having to walk across or into a room
to do so manually. Simply connect a table
or floor lamp to a plug to control it
remotely via the app on your phone or
tablet.
Combining lamps with smart plugs can
also protect your home from intruders
while you’re away. Schedule the lights to
turn on when it gets dark and you can
fool potential burglars into thinking
there’s someone on the premises. Not
only is this cheaper than leaving your
lights on all day and night, but it’s also a
more convincing deterrent against
break-ins.
Some smart plugs, including TP-Link’s
Tapo and Kasa models, have a special
‘away mode’ for this purpose (see
screenshot right). This lets you select the
days and times you’re likely to be out,
then randomly switches your lamps on
and off during these periods. Others have Fool burglars by using a smart plug to turn Use your smart plug to track how much
a Schedule or Routine function in their your lights on and off electricity a device consumes
apps, which automatically turns lights
on and then off again at the times you name or similar, such as Power get up, walk over, either switch it off at
specify, or at sunset and sunrise. Consumption. the wall, press its power button (pictured
This will show you how much electricity below left) or unplug its power cable,
Cut your bills by monitoring the connected device is using, by day, then wait 60 seconds before switching it
energy usage week and month (see screenshot above back on again, can seem like a hassle.
Because smart plugs make it easy to turn right). Enter the unit rate you pay for your Smart plugs solve this problem by
off devices when you’re not using them, energy tariff, in pence per kilowatt hour letting you reboot a connected router
either remotely or on a schedule, they (kwH), to track how much it costs you. from anywhere in your home. Turning it
can help reduce the cost of your energy off is easy through the plug’s app, but
bill. You can also use the timer option in Boost your Wi-Fi by rebooting turning it back on is trickier because –
the plug’s app to switch off a device your router with the router temporarily out of action
automatically after a specific length of Rebooting your router is often the best – you won’t be able to control the smart
time, or the schedule feature to only way to improve the performance of your plug over your Wi-Fi network.
charge it at off-peak times. Wi-Fi. It clears the router’s memory, There are two solutions for this
Additionally, because the plug sits refreshes its connections with devices on dilemma. Either use Bluetooth rather
between your electricity supply and the your network and forces it to re-scan for than Wi-Fi to connect your phone or
device drawing a current, it may allow the fastest available Wi-Fi channel. tablet to the smart plug, or set up a
you to monitor how much power is being However, when your router is on the schedule or routine that switches your
consumed. This means you can adjust other side of the room or house, having to router off then back on again after a
your usage accordingly, for example by minute or so – this should work even
not leaving an appliance on standby, without an internet connection. You can
changing the time of day you use it or also use the second option to regularly
upgrading to a more energy-efficient reboot your router at a time when you
model. don’t need the internet, such as while
Not all smart plugs offer this you’re sleeping.
function, so check the manufacturer’s
description before you buy – our top Boil your kettle from your bed
recommendation, the Meross Matter As we mentioned on page 51, you can use
Smart Plug Mini (see page 55), is one such a smart plug to turn on a coffee maker
model. If your plug supports energy every morning, provided it has a
monitoring, you’ll find the option in its Reboot your router through your smart plug to mechanical power switch rather than a
mobile app – look for a tab with that avoid switching it off manually, as above digital one. But if you prefer to start your

WHY YOU MUST USE
SMART
PLUGS
Connect your kettle
to your smart plug
to turn it on and boil
water remotely
Credit: Hive
day with a cup of tea, it’s also possible cooker doesn’t have a timer function, set
to boil your kettle remotely through the it to switch off after a set number of hours.
smart plug’s app, as long as you set it up Feasibly, this means you can cook your
beforehand (see photo above). dinner while away from home, to be
Fill the kettle with the required ready for when you get back, or if that
amount of water, push down the switch sounds like a safety hazard, just leave the
to start boiling, then either turn off your food cooking overnight. Stop devices overcharging by setting a timer
with your smart plug
smart plug through the app or using its
physical power button (don’t turn the Turn on the radio in the morning room or while you have a nap – be it a
kettle off at the mains). Want to wake up to your favourite radio phone, tablet, laptop, toothbrush or
In the morning – or whenever you station, but don’t have a radio alarm shaver. Not only does it waste electricity
fancy a cuppa – switch the smart plug on clock? Then connect a standard radio and needlessly increase your energy bill,
via the app, to boil your kettle without to a smart plug – it will need to have a but frequent overcharging can damage
you needing to get out of bed. mechanical off switch and be powered the device’s battery and shorten its
Alternatively, you could create a schedule from the mains rather than batteries. Set lifespan. Some tech experts recommend
or routine to turn on the kettle via the the radio to your desired station and use that you should only charge your
smart plug at a specific time of day. the smart plug’s app to specify when to smartphone to a maximum of 80 per
switch it on in the morning. cent, rather than fully, to keep the battery
Cook your dinner before you Although the smart plug can’t change healthy (see our feature on page 60 for
get home the station or adjust the volume for you, more advice on this subject).
Smart plugs obviously shouldn’t be used it will let you turn off the radio when A smart plug gives you several ways to
with appliances that can overheat and you’ve heard enough – either at a prevent your devices from overcharging,
catch fire, which rules out electric ovens, pre-specified time or as you’re leaving by cutting the power supply to the wall
hobs, and air fryers. However, they do the house. You could also use it to pacify charger. You can stop them charging
work well with slow cookers, which a lonely dog or other pet when you’re manually, by tapping the ‘off’ button in
gently cook food at a low heat over a long going to be out for the day. the app, or a voice command; set a timer
period, and are safer to leave unattended. so they only charge for a specific number
Add all your ingredients to your slow Prevent your devices of minutes or hours (see screenshot
cooker, then use your smart plug’s app to from overcharging above); or schedule them to stop charging
schedule a time to start and finish It’s easy to forget that you’ve left an at a particular time of day. As mentioned
cooking (pictured below). Or, if your slow electrical device charging in another opposite, this can reduce your electricity
bill by restricting items to charging at
Safely heat food while
away by combining off-peak times.
a smart plug with a It’s worth installing your smart plug’s
slow cooker app on more than one mobile device, so
you’ll be able to remotely control the
phone or tablet that’s charging.
Access hard-to-reach
plug sockets
Rather than bend down, move furniture
or perform other physical exertions to
plug a device into a hard-to-reach wall
socket, then unplug it afterwards, you
can leave it permanently plugged into a
Credit: Drayton
smart plug. Just use the plug’s app to turn

the device on and off as required, from
wherever you are, without needing to
strain yourself.

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WHY YOU MUST USE
SMART
PLUGS
WHICH SMART PLUG SHOULD YOU BUY?
Meross Matter Smart Plug Mini
When we reviewed smart plugs in Issue
672 (page 24), this Meross model
(pictured right) was our five-star Buy It
recommendation. We still think it’s the
best smart plug you can buy because it
combines versatility with ease of use.
It’s Matter-enabled, which means you
can use it with Google Home/Nest, Apple
HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings and
Amazon Alexa devices, and either control
it through the Meross app or the app for
your smart-home system. We’ll explain
both methods on page 56.
Opt for the Energy Monitor model and The Meross Matter Smart Plug Mini is The Philips Hue Smart Plug turns standard
you’ll be able to track how much compact, versatile and easy to use lamps into smart ones
electricity connected devices are using,
and potentially reduce your energy bills. to ensure it works seamlessly with any you turn lamps that aren’t compatible
Other features include Routines – which smart-home system. with smart bulbs into smart devices. It
lets you schedule devices to switch on connects to your phone or tablet using
and off automatically at times of your Meross Smart Power Strip 425F Bluetooth, so you can control it directly
choosing – and voice control using your £32 from www.snipca.com/48938 from the Philips Hue app – or using Alexa
preferred smart assistant. The Meross Smart Power Strip (pictured or Google Assistant when you’re nearby.
The smart plug’s compact size means it below) lets you connect and control up to However, if you want to operate it over
won’t block adjacent sockets, and though eight devices in one place. It features four your Wi-Fi network, you’ll need a Hue
it costs slightly more than some rivals, standard plug sockets and four USB ports, Bridge (£43 from www.snipca.com/48942).
Amazon offers regular discounts. You can which should be enough for most of your As well as direct control, you can also set
buy a pack of two for £31. gadgets, delivering a total power output a schedule for the smart plug to switch
of 3250 Watts, with overload protection. on and off at set times, and randomise
TP-Link Tapo P100 The strip is compatible with HomeKit, these to fool burglars into thinking you’re
£9 from www.snipca.com/48936 Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, home when you’re out. With a Bridge,
If you’re intrigued by smart plugs, and lets you operate connected devices you can also set the lights to turn off
and aren’t interested in tracking your individually (though USB ports are automatically when you leave the house.
electricity usage, this TP-Link model controlled as a group) or all at once, when
(pictured below) offers the cheapest you want to completely turn off the Meross Outdoor Smart Plug
way to get started (at least from a power. It’s the ideal option if you have £30 from www.snipca.com/48940
trustworthy manufacturer). It’s simple to more appliances than mains sockets, Bring the power of smart plugs to your
set up, offers voice control through because it only requires one – and it can garden or garage with this two-socket
Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and be wall-mounted. A 10-device model is unit from Meross. This allows you to
lets you share it with other family also available: www.snipca.com/48939. control outdoor lights, heaters, sprinklers
members through the Tapo app. and other equipment using its app or
For an extra £8, you can buy the Tapo Philips Hue Smart Plug your voice, with support for Siri, Alexa
P110 (www.snipca.com/48937), which £29 from www.snipca.com/48941 and Google Home. However, we wouldn’t
includes energy monitoring and Matter, This smart plug (pictured above right) lets recommend using it with a lawnmower
You can connect up
or power tool, in case it runs amok!
to eight devices to As you’d expect, the Outdoor Plug is
the Meross Smart weatherproof, with plastic covers to
Power Strip protect the
sockets when
not in use. It
offers the same
schedule and
timer functions as
indoor Meross
plugs.
Control devices in your

The TP-Link Tapo P100 is a cheap way to get garden using the Meross
started with smart plugs Outdoor Smart Plug

HOW TO USE A MEROSS SMART PLUG
1 To activate your smart plug, you first need to install the free
Meross app on your phone or tablet. You can get the Android
version from the Google
2 Tap the Home tab in the Meross app, then the plus button in
the top-right corner to add your smart plug. Grant the app
permission to access nearby
Play Store at www.snipca. devices and it will search for
com/48945 and the iOS Meross hardware in your
version from the Apple App vicinity 1 . Select ‘Add’ next
2 Store at www.snipca. to your smart plug when the
com/48946. Switch on 1 option appears. If the search
Bluetooth on your mobile hangs without detecting any
device and ensure you’re devices, tap Smart Plug
connected to a 2.4GHz 2 under ‘Please select a
Wi-Fi network – not 5GHz device you would like to
(see the box below to learn install’ 2 and choose the
why). Open the app, tap the model of your Meross plug
User tab 1 then ‘Log in’ 2 – which is the Meross
1 and sign up for a free Matter Smart Plug Mini in
Meross account. Once our case – then tap Next.
you’ve registered, insert
your new smart plug in a
wall socket and switch it on.
3 Check that the LED light on your smart plug is flashing amber
and green 1 , to indicate that it’s in pairing mode. If not, tap ‘The
LED is NOT blinking amber
4 Once your Meross smart plug is set up, you can control any
device plugged into it directly from the app. On the Home tab,
press the power button for
and green’ 2 , then press the your plug to switch it off and
power button on the device on. To schedule a connected
for five seconds to reset it. device to turn on and off at
Tap ‘Got it’ to return to the
1 specific times, tap the Smart
previous screen and tap tab and select Routines 1 ,
Next. The Meross app will then press the plus button in
1
now connect your phone or the top-right corner. Select
tablet to your smart plug – ‘On/off on a schedule’, tap
you may be prompted to Smart Plug and press On.
turn on its Location service Specify the time you want
to complete the setup to switch your device on, tap
process. If the connection 2 Next and give your routine
fails, tap ‘Start over’ and try an appropriate name, such
moving your device closer as ‘Light on’ 2 . Tap ‘Save’ to
to the plug. confirm.
Why don’t smart plugs work over 5GHz?

One of the most common problems with a good reason for the restriction. other side of the house.
setting up a smart plug is an incompatible Although 5GHz delivers higher speeds – You can solve the connection problem
Wi-Fi network. Virtually all plugs use the up to 1,300Mbps compared with 600Mbps by disabling the 5GHz band on your router
2.4GHz Wi-Fi band rather than 5GHz, – the 2.4GHz band provides wider wireless when you set up your smart plug (you can
which may cause connection problems on coverage, and its low frequencies enable turn it back on afterwards). To do this, you’ll
dual-band routers that use both. This may it to more effectively pass through solid need to sign into your router’s admin page
sound strange – why use an older band objects and walls. This ensures you can in your browser, and change its wireless
when a faster one is available – but there’s connect to your smart plug when it’s on the setting to temporarily use 2.4GHz only.

WHY YOU MUST USE
SMART
PLUGS
5 To turn the device off at a specific time, create a second routine,

but this time choose Off. Alternatively, select ‘Auto
off after X min’ to set up a
6
If you want to control your smart plug and connected devices
using your voice, press the User tab in the Meross app. In the
Integration section, select
2 timer for the device. Amazon Alexa 1 or Google
If you want to use the 1 Assistant 2 (or SmartThings
energy-monitoring feature, or Apple HomeKit if you use
1 tap the plug icon, which looks 2 those systems, though
like a pause button. This will they’re not as easy to
track the power consumption configure), and link your
of any device inserted in your Meross account with the
smart plug 1 . To work out voice assistant. Follow the
how much it’s costing you, tap instructions to give your
the three-line menu button plug a suitable name, such
2 and choose ‘Electricity bill as ‘Living room lamp’. This
calculation’. Switch on the will enable you to control
option then enter the kilowatt the plug using voice
hour (kWh) unit rate of your commands, for example
energy tariff. “Turn on living room lamp”.
7
It’s also possible to add a smart plug to your existing smart-home
system without using the Meross app. With a Google Home
system, open the Home app,
8 You can add a smart plug to an Amazon Alexa smart-home
system in a similar way. In the Alexa app, tap the Devices tab
then the plus button in the
choose Devices and tap Add. top-right corner. Choose
Because our Meross plug ‘Add Device’ in the menu
supports Matter, we’ve that opens and tap the
selected ‘Matter-enabled Matter shortcut 1 . You can
1 device’ 1 , but for non-Matter then link the plug with your
plugs you can choose ‘Works Amazon Echo device, so you
with Google Home’ 2 . Scan can turn it on and off using
the QR code on your smart your voice. For non-Matter
plug using the camera on your plugs, select ‘Plug’ 2 under
phone or tablet. Agree to All Devices and choose the
connect the device to your 1 brand of your smart plug.
Google account and the Home You’ll need to set up your
2 app will find and connect to device through the Meross
your smart plug. app first, then connect your
2
account to Alexa.
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Is Your Phone’s
Battery
Dying?
If you know the warning signs, you
can tell when your phone’s battery
is heading for its final charge.
Daniel Booth explains how to check
L
ithium-Ion batteries in modern enough electrical energy to register as Our battery is
phones can store energy more full because the materials have degraded. “significantly
efficiently than older batteries.
1 degraded”
and its
But they’re still destined to run Your battery takes longer to maximum
out of power at some point. All batteries charge and shuts down early capacity is
lose a little capacity every time they are If your smartphone takes much longer to only 79 per
cent
discharged, then recharged. charge – maybe an hour, when before it
On average this works out to around a took 30 minutes – then a dying battery
one-per-cent loss for every 25 charge could be to blame. It’s a particularly bad 2
cycles. Typically, a modern phone sign if your phone struggles to charge the
battery’s lifespan is two to three years, final few per cent. Also, a smartphone
3
which is about 300-500 charge cycles. shouldn’t shut down until its battery
After that, the battery capacity will drop is as low as one or even zero per cent.
by roughly 20 per cent. However, if it shuts down at higher
Eventually they stop being able to percentages – particularly over 10 per
build a charge and turn into a container cent – then the battery needs replacing
of semi-toxic and expensive materials urgently.
that don’t do anything. When that Check iPhone battery
happens, you’ll need to install a new Your battery runs out of health and usage
battery if you want your phone to power faster Open Settings, then tap Battery
continue working. But before that, you This can be hard to diagnose because the followed by Battery Health (in iOS
should keep checking for signs that it’s problem could be caused both by 15) or ‘Battery Health & Charging’
not long for this world. power-hungry (and often useless or (in iOS 16 and 17). Look for a warning at
malicious) apps, or simply that you’re the top ( 1 in our screenshot above) and
Your battery declines in using your phone to perform more check your battery’s maximum capacity
big chunks intensive tasks such as recording video. 2 . Our iPhone clearly needs a new
One of the first warning signs is your One experiment you can try is wait battery – it’s “significantly degraded” and
phone’s battery dropping by 10 or 20 per until your battery is around 20 per cent the maximum capacity is just 79 per cent.
cent as soon as you unplug your charger. then try to record a video. If your phone Another warning message to look out
Another ominous sign is if you used to go shuts down soon after you press record, for is ‘Performance management applied’,
half the day and your battery was still at then the battery is struggling to cope with which means your declining battery has
60 per cent, say, but it now hits 30 per such resource-heavy tasks. But to truly caused your phone to restart at least
cent at the same time of the day. isolate the problem, you need to check once. You can tap Disable to restore your
You may also notice that no matter your usage times and look for battery- iPhone to full speed, though Apple warns
how long you leave your phone plugged draining apps. We’ll explain how to do this may result in “further crashing”.
in, it never shows as being charged fully. that in the Android and iOS sections Our screenshot also shows Optimised
This is probably because it can’t hold later. Battery Charging is turned on 3 . Since

iOS 13 (released in 2019), Apple switches 1
this on by default to delay batteries being
fully charged for long periods, which can
reduce its lifespan.
Its main purpose is to stop batteries 1
fully charging when plugged in overnight.
If you do leave it charging while you sleep, 2
your battery will stop at 80 per cent. Apple
will learn when you typically switch on 2
your phone in the morning, and complete
the charge to 100 per cent just before that
time. However, if you charge your phone
at irregular times – or never overnight –
then there’s little point to the feature.
Indeed, it might even slightly decrease
your battery life by using resources to Safari is the largest drain on our battery on our If you have a Samsung phone, use the
learn how you use your phone. You can iPhone, followed by Pocket Casts Members app to check your battery’s health
turn it off by tapping the green slider.
If there are no warning signs, you is the Samsung Members app, which Battery or ‘App battery usage’ and
should still check your battery usage for works only on Samsung phones. It should you’ll see three options: Unrestricted
any unusual activity. Go back to the main come installed on your phone but if not (lets apps use the battery without
Battery section then tap Last 24 Hours or you can download it from the Google Play limitations); Optimised (will save some
Last 10 Days. You’ll see what charging Store: www.snipca.com/49016. power tailored to how you use your
level your battery was at during the Swipe down from the top of your phone); and Restricted (limits what the
period you chose, and when you used it. screen, then tap the cog icon to open app can do to preserve battery life). In our
More useful though is the data showing Settings. Scroll down and tap ‘Battery and experience, the Optimised setting strikes
which apps you’ve used most often. This device care’, followed by Diagnostics, the right balance between preserving
could reveal if any are unexpectedly then ‘Phone diagnostics’. This will open battery and usability.
draining your battery. Tap ‘Show battery the Samsung Members app. Now tap Another option is to type the IMEI code
usage’ and you’ll see them ranked by ‘Battery status’ and look at the Life rating, *#*#4636#*#* as though you were
percentage of battery use. Apple’s Safari which relates to its health. It’ll be Good, making a call. Now look for and tap
browser is our most used app (46 per Normal or Weak – as shown in our ‘Battery information’ to see its charge
cent, 1 in our screenshot above right), screenshot above right 1 . Below this level, health and temperature. Not every
which isn’t surprising. However, the rating is a message confirming our Android phone will have this option,
podcast app Pocket Casts is using a lot of battery is “old or in poor condition” 2 . though. If yours doesn’t, look for
battery at 30 per cent 2 , so we’ll consider If you don’t have a Samsung phone, ‘Usage statistics’ instead, which lists
using that less. you can still check battery use by tapping how much power your apps use.
Settings, Battery, then Battery Usage (or As a last resort, try AccuBattery
Check Android battery similar). You’ll then see which apps use (www.snipca.com/45839), which is
health and usage the most battery power (you may need to the best third-party app for managing
The instructions for checking on tap ‘View all apps’ or ‘View details’ first). battery health. It tracks the battery’s
Android phones varies by model, You can control how much power an capacity and health over time, so you
and there’s no exact equivalent of app uses by going to the Apps section in can decide whether and when you
Apple’s Battery Health option. The closest Settings, then selecting an app. Next, tap need to upgrade it.
Your battery IS dying – what should you do? kit costs £50 (www.snipca.com/49020,
pictured).
Once you’re convinced your battery is to replace its battery costs £69, while the It’s a similar story for Android,
a goner, you have two choices: get it self-repair kit is £101. If you’re committed to complicated by different policies offered
replaced professionally or do it yourself. fixing it yourself, you’ll find cheaper prices at by manufacturers. For example, Oppo
The former is usually cheaper and easier. iFixit (www.ifixit.com) – the iPhone 12 repair has a send-in service (www.snipca.
For iPhones, book an appointment at com/49022), while Samsung offers to fix
an Apple store (search at www.apple. devices at your home – see www.snipca.
com/uk/retail), or send it for repair. Get com/49021 for locations and prices.
an estimated repair price at www.snipca. Otherwise, check prices at independent
com/49017 – prices tend to range from repair stores such as iSmash (www.
£65 for older phones to £95 for newer. ismash.co.uk – Samsung and Google
Apple launched a self-repair kit in 2022 Pixel only) and Timpson (www.snipca.
(www.snipca.com/44388), but it’s been com/49023). To do the job yourself, buy a
criticised for being too difficult. It’s also kit from iFixit (www.snipca.com/49025) –
expensive – sending an iPhone 12 to Apple prices start from £19.

CANCEL
your printer ink
subscription
HP has hiked the price of its Instant
Ink plans for the second time in just
over a year. Robert Irvine explains
how to beat the price rise while
keeping your printer going
What’s happening with HP can now include paper

with your Instant Ink plan but
HP ink subscriptions? it’ll cost you extra
From 1 February, HP will increase the
price of all its Instant Ink subscription
plans (www.snipca.com/48982, pictured month for an Occasional
below). The cost of printing 10 pages subscription even if you
per month on HP’s Light plan will rise only print a few pages, and
from 99p to £1.49, while the Occasional have plenty of ink in your
plan, which lets you print 50 pages a cartridges. In fairness,
month and is the most popular option 150 unused pages can be
with HP customers, will increase from carried over to subsequent
£2.99 to £3.99. months when you don’t
That’s a 33-per-cent price hike for the reach your 50-page maximum, but it’s service (www.snipca.com/48986), or
Occasional plan (and a 50-per-cent still going to cost you an extra £12 a year. they may be supplied with a new printer.
uptick for the Light plan), which is way If you exceed your monthly limit, you’ll HP then connects to your printer over the
above the rate of inflation and follows a need to pay £1 for each additional 10 pages. internet to monitor the ink level and how
50-per-cent increase last January - it Other than HP customers on a free many pages you print.
previously cost £1.99 a month. This trial, the only Instant Ink subscribers As soon as you start running low on
means the price of the plan has doubled who won’t be affected by the price rise ink, the company will send you
in just over a year, without giving you are those lucky enough to be on its replacement Instant Ink cartridges. These
more pages for your money. 15 Page Plan, which lets you print that are larger than standard cartridges, so
All Instant Ink plans operate on an ‘up many pages per month for free. HP supposedly contain more ink and last
to’ basis, so you’ll now pay £3.99 every stopped offering a free tier to new longer. Until the recent price rises, this
customers in 2020, but existing meant you could save a decent amount of
subscribers can stay on the 15 Page money, but because an Occasional plan
Plan for the ‘life of the printer’ now costs just under £48 a year, this may
(www.snipca.com/48983). no longer be true – especially if you don’t
print many pages.
Is it worth paying for HP also gives you the option to include
Instant Ink? paper with your Instant Ink subscription
The main benefit to an Instant Ink (www.snipca.com/48987, pictured
subscription is that you never need above). For an extra 79p a month on a
to worry about your printer Light plan, or £1.99 on an Occasional
running out of ink. You get your plan, this add-on sends you between one
first black and colour cartridges and three reams (500 sheets in each) of
HP’s Instant Ink subscriptions no longer offer the when you sign up for an Instant A4 paper when it detects you’re running
excellent value they once did Ink plan through the HP Smart low. It bases its calculation on the same

You can cancel your Instant Ink subscription through your HP Smart Save money by buying compatible third-party ink cartridges for your
account printer from a reputable supplier
print count as your ink, but the paper dropdown menu and click the Cancel Details, or the Update Plan link under HP
and cartridges are sent separately. Instant Ink link under Plan Details (see Instant Ink. Select the ‘10 pages/month’
One catch to be aware of is that HP screenshot above left). option then click Change Plan to switch
defines a printed page as one upon which Click ‘Complete Cancellation’ to end your subscription – note that you’ll be
“any amount of ink is placed by your your subscription at the end of the charged one final time at the higher price.
printer” (see Terms of Service at www. current billing cycle. The Instant Ink
snipca.com/48988). This means a page cartridges in your printer will then stop Can I still use my printer
containing a single line of printed text working, and you may be asked to return after cancelling?
will still count towards your monthly total. them to HP ‘for recycling’. You can keep Yes, you can either buy official HP
using your printer by installing standard cartridges for your printer, or save
How do I cancel my ink cartridges, as we’ll explain. money by purchasing compatible
Instant Ink subscription? Alternatively, you can save money third-party cartridges. Either way, make
If you’re unhappy with the latest price without ditching Instant Ink by sure they’re from a reputable supplier
rise, you can cancel your Instant Ink downgrading from an Occasional such as Cartridge World (www.snipca.
subscription at any time, though you’ll subscription to a Light plan. Although this com/48998) or Stinkyink.com (www.
still need to pay for the current month. only lets you print 10 pages a month, as snipca.com/48994), and are guaranteed
Sign into your HP Smart account at www. we mentioned earlier you can buy extra to work with your printer model.
snipca.com/48990, click HP Instant Ink pages if and when required, at 10 for £1 For example, Cartridge World sells
in the left-hand menu and choose – on top of the £1.49 monthly fee. Either a pack of XL colour and black ink
Overview. Select your printer in the click the Change button under Plan cartridges for our HP OfficeJet 3830
printer for £38.40 (www.snipca.
com/48999, see screenshot above). Not
What about other ink subscriptions? only is this significantly cheaper than
paying £72 for original HP cartridges, but
Other printer manufacturers offer are priced from 99p per month for 10 it also costs less than 12 months of an
ink-subscription services, which aren’t as pages. Its most popular plan costs Instant Ink subscription – and with no
restrictive as HP’s and haven’t recently £2.99 for 50 pages – additional pages limit on how many pages you can print.
hiked their prices. Here’s what you get are 10p each. If you don’t want to be tied If you remove Instant Ink cartridges
from the main alternatives. to a subscription, opt for ReadyPrint Go, before the end of your billing cycle,
which notifies you when you’re low on you may receive an ‘Action needed’
Canon Printer Ink Subscription ink and lets you choose whether to order email from HP, telling you to put them
www.snipca.com/49000 more. back in so it can continue monitoring
Canon offers three ink-subscription plans. your printing. If you can combine an
‘Repeat and Save’ lets you choose how Brother EcoPro Instant Ink cartridge with a store-bought
much ink you want, then save five per cent www.snipca.com/49002 one, it will still count towards your
on repeat orders; while Auto-Ink Delivery Brother offers the best-value ink monthly limit - until your subscription
sends new cartridges when your ink runs subscriptions, letting you print up to officially ends.
low (price varies according to printer). 50 pages per month for £1.99 and roll Contrary to some reports online, HP
Pixma Print Plan is similar to HP Instant over 100 unused pages – you can buy an will not disable your printer once you
Ink and costs from £2.49 a extra 10 pages for 89p. cancel your subscription, only the Instant
month for 30 pages. It’s currently offering Ink cartridges. There was a problem
a six-month free trial involving the company’s Dynamic
Epson ReadyPrint of all EcoPro plans for Security feature, which prevented
www.snipca.com/49001 compatible Brother third-party cartridges from working in
Epson’s ReadyPrint Flex printers (offer ends 31 certain HP printers, but this was fixed
ink subscriptions (pictured) March). by a firmware update (www.snipca.
com/48995).

Problems Solved
Our experts solve all your tech problems
PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
Where have my Excel cell styles gone?

I had Excel 365 set up to my 1
Q liking, but a recent Microsoft
update has messed things up.
Previously, within my ribbon, I had a
visible panel showing six cell styles –
any one of which I could apply with
a single click. These have now
disappeared and been replaced by a
Cell Styles button. Clicking this opens
a dropdown menu, from where I can
choose the style I want.
However, this is more work than
before. I wonder if Microsoft changed
the original layout due to lack of space
in the ribbon? I tried to remove items
from the ribbon, some of which I don’t
use, but without success. If I could
remove, say, Conditional Formatting To make room for desired settings on Excel’s ribbon, right-click it and click this setting…
and ‘Format as Table’, would the space
released enable me to move in my six directly. Instead, the ribbon has always change you made, if possible, should
favourite cell styles? Any advice in your adjusted itself to fit the space available, see your ribbon return to how it was
excellent magazine will be appreciated. with some elements ‘shrinking’ down to before.
Chris Parker buttons (like the Cell Styles icon you’re Otherwise, yes, it’s possible to
now seeing) or even disappearing customise the ribbon. However, you
There a couple of things in altogether. can’t remove individual items from the
A play here. First, it’s true that
Excel 365 is now just one of
So, we wonder if you’ve changed your
PC’s screen, or otherwise resized the
ribbon’s settings groups – only hide
entire groups. You didn’t tell us how
countless apps that are subject to Excel window? Alternatively, perhaps you’d tried and failed to edit the ribbon
‘continuous development’, meaning it’s you’ve increased the size of apps and but, as you named specific tools you
never finished and features come and text in Windows Settings? Any of these wanted to lose, we suspect this was
go according to Microsoft’s schedule. changes, even if only a small tweak, could the hurdle that tripped you up.
However, we don’t think this has result in insufficient space for the ribbon Admittedly, most of the ribbon’s
anything to do with the disappearance to display everything it did before. If this settings groups contain at least one
of the cell styles panel – at least, not rings bells then reversing whatever useful tool, but for many people those
toward the right-hand side are more
…then select the Add-ins you 2 dispensable – such as Add-ins and
want to get rid of from the
ribbon and click Remove Assistance. If you can do without these,
it might free up enough space for the
cell styles panel to reappear.
To do this, first right-click the ribbon
then choose ‘Customize the Ribbon’
(see screenshot 1 ). Next, under the
‘Customize the Ribbon’ heading, open
the dropdown menu and choose Main
Tabs. Next, click Home to expand that
category, and click to select Add-ins
then click the Remove button 2 . Repeat
for Assistance (or whichever other
settings groups you can live without).
Finally, click OK.

Email us your problem and we’ll try to help:
noproblem@computeractive.co.uk
Where’s my missing SSD space?

My PC has an SSD as its C drive, 1 2
Q where Windows is located, as
well as a 3TB traditional hard
drive (D). I try to store all my apps and
other files on this second drive. However,
over the years C has become clogged up
and it’s almost out of space. The Storage To clean up a drive, type this into the Run box
section in Windows settings says 101GB (1), then click ‘Clean up system files’ (2)
is used space and about 5GB is free. File
Explorer shows the same values. However, administrator by right-clicking its entry
when I investigate the individual folders, in the Start menu, then pointing to More
they total only 78GB. When I double- before clicking ‘Run as administrator’.
checked this using WinDirStat (https:// This won’t change the fact that your C
windirstat.net) it suggests the same. drive is low on space. To deal with this
Why is this? And how can I free up we’d suggest starting with the Disk
space without having to install a new and Clean-up tool that’s built into Windows.
larger SSD or wiping and re-installing Press Windows key+R to open a Run box,
Windows 10? then type cleanmgr.exe (see screenshot 1 ) installed programs from drive C to D.
Andy Flounders and press Enter. In the next box, click the This works only for apps installed via the
‘Clean up system files’ button 2 then Microsoft Store, but it’s worth trying.
This is because the latter two select the More Options tab and click in Click Start followed by the Settings cog,
A methods of checking how much
space folders and files take up
turn the ‘Clean up’ buttons: both System
Restore and Shadow Copies can be
then Apps followed by ‘Apps & features’.
Now click an app and, if you see a Move
won’t necessarily account for hidden storage hogs, so clearing out these could button, click it, then choose drive D as
system files. To see a fuller picture with free up plenty of space. the destination before confirming your
WinDirStat, for example, launch it as an Finally, you might be able to move some choice by once more clicking Move.
How do I fix my tables in LibreOffice Writer?

I’ve been talked into creating a 1
Q simple newsletter for my local
bowls club. As part of this I 2
want to include results tables. I’m
using LibreOffice Writer for this and
can insert tables easily enough.
However, getting them to look just
how I want is another matter. I’ve
worked out that I can drag and drop
the frame elements of the table to resize
columns, but it’s not very precise. I’d
also like to centre the tables themselves
on the page, but clicking the Align
Centre button in Writer’s toolbar
centres only the contents of a cell –
not the table itself.
How do I fix this? To centre your table in Writer, right-click …then select Centre under the Alignment heading
David Shelley it and choose Table Properties… on the next screen
There’s much more to Writer anywhere on a table and then, from the select the Centre option 2 . Then, for
A than the visible buttons and
controls, and some of these
pop-up menu, choose Table Properties
(see screenshot 1 ).
precise control over column widths,
click the Columns tab and use the
‘hidden’ tools are what you need here. To centre the table itself, click the Table numbers boxes to define the sizes
The trick here is first to right-click tab and under the Alignment heading you want.

Problems Solved
Can I remove this new Chrome arrow?
How do I open 1
these old DRW
Recently, when I opened
Q Chrome, I noticed that a
image files? new down arrow had

been added to the left of my tabs.
If I click it, it opens a search box
Going through an old hard for the tabs. I only ever have a
Q drive I came across a bunch
of files with .drw file
handful of tabs open and have no
use for this. I find it distracting –
extensions. I do remember creating and very irritating that Google
these several decades ago, but I can’t (I assume) has just plonked this
recall which software I used. I’ve button here without asking. I’d
tried to open them with various like to get rid of it, but I can find
modern programs but nothing nothing in Chrome’s settings, and
works. They can’t be important online searches haven’t helped.
because I’ve not needed to look at Do you have any idea how to give
them in 20-odd years, but I’m it the old heave-ho?
curious about their contents. Any Howard Parker Disable Chrome’s new features by first typing
idea how I might open them? chrome://flags into the browser’s address bar…
Alan Hunter Google does have a habit
You sent us one of the files

A of adding features and updating
interfaces without asking users
these features in one go. First, in the
Chrome address bar type chrome://flags
A and we were able to
determine that your DRW
if it’s what they’d like – and this is a
prime example. The button you’re
(see screenshot 1 ) and press Enter. Next,
in the ‘Search flags’ box at the top, type
files originated from an ancient referring to is known as ‘Search tabs’ and chrome refresh 2023 and press Enter.
program called Micrografx Designer. it’s part of a raft of new features and Finally, next to the Chrome Refresh 2023
A series of acquisitions saw that design elements that Google has dubbed entry, open the dropdown menu and
product merge into CorelDraw (see Chrome Refresh 2023. choose Disabled 2 . Now just restart
screenshot 1 ). So as far as we know, For now at least, you can disable all Chrome for the change to take effect.
this is the only program that can
2
open the DRW file format.
Corel charges a small fortune for
CorelDraw (£319 a year) but you can
download a 15-day trial version free
2 , and without handing over any
payment details. That should give
you enough time to satisfy your
curiosity about the contents of your
old files. Get it from www.snipca.
com/48819.
…then disabling the Chrome Refresh 2023 option
2
Q: Why did my VPN fail to hide my
identity?
A: Issue 668, page 67 – find it on
our 2023 Back Issue CD
CorelDraw (1) opens old DRW files and is Buy it from
available on a 15-day free trial (2) www.snipca.com/48860

How do I stop software updates slowing my PC?
I use several computer-aided 1 2
Q design (CAD) tools that mean
my laptop is often working
overtime, as they crunch the numbers.
Inevitably, some program will decide
that this would be a great time for an
update – and everything slows down.
Stop software updates (1) and limit the
I’ve previously ticked the relevant amount of bandwidth Windows can use for
boxes in Windows that state which downloads (2) to stop them slowing your PC
hours the machine is being used and I
don’t want any interruptions when Moreover, beyond Windows itself, every
they install, but I cannot control when program can do its own thing, pretty
they download. This slows everything much to its own schedule.
to a crawl. Is there any way to disable However, there are a couple of options
all downloads until I decide? Or should that you may not have found that could
I just rip off the blasted screen in help. First, you can prevent Microsoft First click Start followed by the
frustration and be done with it? Store apps updating automatically. Settings cog, then ‘Update & Security’
Rob Millar To do this, in the Store app, click your followed by Delivery Optimisation and
user icon at the top right then choose then ‘Advanced options’. Then, under
We’ve certainly shared your Settings. Next, under Settings, click the ‘Download settings’, choose either the
A frustration at times, but we’re
afraid there isn’t one single
‘App updates’ slider to the Off position
(see screenshot 1 ). Next, you can limit
Absolute or Percentage option and then
choose to set a low or the lowest (that’s
universal setting that disables all the amount of bandwidth that Windows 0.1Mbps for Absolute 2 or 5 per cent
downloads. Setting the active hours, as and other Microsoft tools can use for for Percentage 2 ). Also tick both boxes
you’ve done, only prevents restarts, not downloads. As this seems to be at the to limit both background and
downloads – as you’ve discovered. root of your problem, it might help. foreground downloads.
Will I have to To create a text

file with a list
of all installed
re-install all my apps, choose
this option in
software when UninstallView
upgrading to
Windows 11?
If let my desktop PC upgrade
Q from Windows 10 to 11, I
understand my data will survive
– but do I have to reinstall all the
software? I do realise that some or all
of it will need to be run in Compatibility
mode, but reinstallation supposes I
can even find the original installation
software. Is there any tool that can
compile a tailored reinstallation list of
software from the old machine?
David Nicol clean installs, so you don’t really need choose File followed by Save Selected
to create a list of existing apps. Items (see screenshot).
If you’re performing only an However, if in the future you want Finally, if at some point you decide
A upgrade, as opposed to a clean
install (which involves wiping
to do so, UninstallView is a free tool
from NirSoft that’ll do the job you
you do want to perform a clean install of
Windows 11, then simply click the second
the hard drive), then both data and want (download it from www.snipca. ‘Download Now’ button (see screenshot)
software will remain intact. The Windows com/48821). To create a text file with a on Microsoft’s Windows 11 download
11 Installation Assistant (www.snipca. list of all installed apps, simply press page to begin the process of creating
com/48820) performs only upgrades, not Ctrl+A to select all listed programs then an installation disc or USB stick.

Problems Solved
How do I fix my
slow startup?
My HP Pavilion 500-319na
Q desktop PC runs the latest
Windows 10 version. It has a 2TB
hard drive with a vast amount of room
left on it. I use it mostly for web browsing
and emails. The trouble is, it’s painfully
slow to start up. I’ve tried all the usual
advice – defragging the drive, clearing
out temporary files and reducing the
startup menu to the bare minimum – but
nothing seems to work. I’d be grateful for
any advice you may have.
John Paddison
Speed up your PC’s startup via a clean install using Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page
Clearly you’ve already tried a lot.
A If you’re certain the machine’s
startup is significantly slower
accelerate startup is to switch the boot
drive from a traditional hard drive to an
than when you first got it then one SSD, and just use the hard drive for storage.
‘nuclear’ option would be a clean install You say there’s loads of free space on your
of Windows 10. This would be certain to 2TB model, so you could probably save
do away with anything that might be money by cloning to a lower-capacity
slowing things down. You can do that by SSD – this 1TB Crucial model (pictured
choosing the option to create installation right), for example, is around £70 (www.
media from Microsoft’s Windows 10 snipca.com/48823).
download page (www.snipca.com/48822 –
see screenshot 1 ) Transfer your boot drive to a quicker SSD, like
The only other guaranteed way to this 1TB Crucial model
How do I switch my shared screen back to my PC?

I have an HP Pavilion 27
Q all-in-one PC running
Windows 11. It’s linked,
via a cable, to my HP work laptop,
so that I can use the Pavilion’s large
monitor. This means I should be
able to close my laptop’s lid and the
screen should switch back to
displaying the Pavilion.
However, when I do this, the
Pavilion doesn’t show anything
on its screen – even though it’s
powered on. I’ve resorted to
holding down its power button to
force a shutdown, which isn’t ideal.
How can I get my PC’s screen
to simply switch back and show
whatever I’m doing on the Use your monitor’s onscreen display menu to control its input source
Pavilion?
Gaius Coleman at the bottom right, to bring up and Alternatively, use the Windows
control an onscreen display (OSD) menu. key+P keyboard shortcut to make
Some HP Pavilion all-in-one If yours has these, then use the OSD Windows flip back to the built-in
A models feature buttons on the
back of the display, typically
menu to switch the input source back to
the built-in display (see screenshot).
display before closing down your
laptop.

?? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN...
Image-compression rates?
I’ve been dabbling at a very GIMP’s Quality default
Q amateur level with a bit of
photo editing using GIMP
setting of 90 produces
good-quality images
and a loss of detail
(www.snipca.com/48870). It’s hard that’s hard to detect
going but I’m enjoying the journey.
One thing I’m not sure about is the
Quality slider when I save my photos
(as JPEGs). This is set to a default of algorithm is
90. I understand that this relates to applied during
compression, but I’m wondering why the save process
Microsoft Paint doesn’t show a similar and some detail
setting when saving JPEGs? is discarded. How
Is it safe to assume that setting it to much depends on
100 would mean no compression and the level of compression, yes, but even at GIMP’s 50 setting a JPEG photo can
therefore ‘perfect’ quality? And is this at GIMP’s ‘100’ setting, a tiny amount still look good – at least at a glance –
the level Paint saves to by default? And of information will be lost – though but the file size would be a small
is there a way to alter the level in the detail loss would be practically fraction of one saved at the 100 level.
Microsoft’s program? undetectable to human eyes. As for Microsoft Paint, it does apply
Graham Wallace At GIMP’s 90 setting (see screenshot), compression – but there’s no way to
more original image information would adjust the level. Microsoft doesn’t state
Some of your assumptions be discarded, and the file size would be what level its algorithm applies but
A would seem obvious, but
they’re not entirely accurate.
much smaller – perhaps half of the 100
setting. However, the results would still be
the file sizes it produces suggests it’s
typically the equivalent of GIMP’s 90
Let’s begin with the JPEG format almost impossible for the average person mark.
itself, which is fundamentally a ‘lossy’ to notice. In fact, with a good-quality
Want to know the difference between
format. This means that, in order to photo, you can go surprisingly far before technical terms? Email noproblem@
reduce the file size, a compression many would detect any degradation. Even computeractive.co.uk
Why is my email address being rejected by websites?

I have my own domain name so Next, click the ‘Add a forwarding
Q my email address is first name@
surname.co.uk. Increasingly,
address’ button (see screenshot), type
your charlie@wilkinson-smyth.co.uk
I’m finding that when I enter this on a email address and click Next, then
website it’s rejected as an invalid address. confirm by clicking Proceed.
I’ve been using this domain for 25 years! Gmail will send a verification email to
Is there anything I can do to rectify this your alternative address: just click the
issue, because I am now having to use Forward emails from Gmail to an alternative link contained within this message to
Gmail. account by clicking this button in settings enable the forwarding process.
Charlie Wilkinson-Smyth
Nonetheless, validation is beyond the ON SALE
A
We’ve changed your surname at
your request, and for obvious
control of anyone other than the webmaster.
It’s a sledgehammer approach to thwart Next Issue Weds
14 Feb
reasons. Unfortunately, there’s spammers, which is such an enormous
not a single thing we, you or anyone else problem that some websites simply reject • What’s up with my Ring
can do about websites rejecting a given email addresses that don’t fit what they doorbell?
domain name as invalid, because that deem to be linked to ‘real’ domains. •W
hy won’t Outlook open my
decision is down to whoever designed the One workaround is to have your documents?
relevant websites. Gmail account automatically forward all •D
o I need two security
It is a frustrating policy, as a ‘valid’ messages to your preferred email address. tools? ...And many more
domain name could be virtually anything To do this, in Gmail, first click the
– including your real surname, which is settings cog followed by ‘See all settings’, Subscribe to Computeractive at
perhaps slightly uncommon, but certainly then click the ‘Forwarding and POP/ www.getcomputeractive.co.uk
not unique or in any way offensive. IMAP’ tab.

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Why is my Brave browser reinstalling Brave. First, in Windows 11, the taskbar and select Task Manager.
so slow? navigate to Settings, Apps, Installed Apps, Click ‘More details’ if only minimal
You regularly praise the virtues then locate Brave. Now click the three- information is displayed, then click the
Q of the Brave browser, especially
its security and speed. Security
dots button and select Uninstall. In
Windows 10, open Settings, then click
Processes tab and see whether any apps
or background processes are using up
I can’t comment on, but I’m not Apps, locate and click the app itself, then lots of memory and/or CPU power –
impressed by its speed. It recently took click the Uninstall button that appears. In if so, this could be the problem
three minutes to launch, and then I both cases, click Uninstall again and you
had to wait 90 seconds for the BBC should see a message asking whether Was your cursor-finding
shortcut to open, with repeated ‘Page you’re sure you want to uninstall Brave. advice too complicated?
unresponsive’ messages. Opening a new Tick the box next to ‘Also delete your In Issue 670 (page 46) you gave a
tab can sometimes take 15 seconds. I’m
getting very close to going back to Firefox
browsing data?’, then click Uninstall. Q complicated routine to set up
PowerToys to find your cursor.
as my default browser. Why can’t I check whether This is unnecessary. There’s a simpler
Chris Prichard BitLocker is working? option, which is pressing CTRL to locate
Following your news story on your cursor. To enable it, go to Mouse
Brave should feel snappy and Q BitLocker slowing down SSDs Settings, ‘Additional mouse options’,
A responsive, assuming your
broadband is fast enough.
(Issue 670, page 8), I tried to
check for it on my Dell OptiPlex 7010 PC
Mouse Properties, then Pointer Options.
Tick the ‘Show location of pointer when I
However, all browsers start to feel running Windows 10 Pro (version 22H2). press the CTRL key’ box, then select OK.
sluggish over time. When it becomes This has a 256GB SSD and is now taking Jim Darroch
slow, Brave recommends disabling quite a long time to open certain
extensions one by one to see if any is programs such as PowerPoint and Excel. You’re right – Windows does let
causing problems.
It’s also worth clearing the cache. Type
Your instructions didn’t work. Have I
done something wrong? I can’t see any
A you highlight the location of the
mouse cursor. The PowerToys
brave://settings into the address bar, then errors in my Command Prompt entry. method we described has a slightly
press Enter. Click ‘Privacy and security’ Arthur Gray different effect. Your method highlights
( 1 in our screenshot below), then ‘Clear the cursor by placing a small, animated
browsing data’ in the middle. Make sure Our original instructions were circle around it, while PowerToys
the ‘Browsing history’, ‘Cookies and other
site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’
A correct, but we admit that using
Command Prompt perhaps isn’t
darkens the screen except for a small
area around the cursor. Additionally,
boxes are all ticked 2 , then select ‘All the simplest way of checking whether the new version of PowerToys lets you
time’ 3 from the ‘Time range’ dropdown BitLocker is enabled. Instead, click Start, change the keyboard shortcut you use to
menu. Finally, click ‘Clear data’ and type encryption, then click the ‘Manage trigger the highlight.
restart Brave. BitLocker’ link that appears. This will Which method you choose is down to
If you still have problems, try open Control Panel. Check whether personal preference. We’ve taken a
BitLocker is on ( 1 in our screenshot screenshot of the Pointer Options
below), and turn it off if necessary 2 . window you describe (below), so that
1 If BitLocker is switched off and your other readers can see the box they need
2 programs still launch slowly, right-click to tick in order to enable this.
2
1
3
Try clearing your browsing data to make Open Control Panel to check whether Tick ‘Show location of pointer when I press
Brave faster BitLocker is running the CTRL key’ so Windows shows your cursor

Jargon Buster
2K A screen with 2048x1080 Clean install An operating system Factory settings The original LCD Liquid-crystal display. The
pixels. installation that overwrites all system state of an electronic device. technology used to create almost
other content on the hard drive. all flatscreen monitors.
3G/4G/5G Technologies that File extension The part of a
deliver faster mobile broadband. Clone A feature found in some file name after the full stop. For LED Light-emitting diode. An
backup programs that makes an example, .doc is the file extension electronic device that emits light.
4K Video with a resolution of at exact copy of a drive on to another for Word documents. Used on almost all electronic
least 3840x2160 pixels. drive. devices, and to provide the
File path Shows the location of a backlight for some LCDs.
720p/1080p/1440p Common Code Describes the various file within Windows.
types of high-definition video programming languages used to Mesh Wi-Fi Wireless network
of 1280x720, 1920x1080 and create software. Firmware Basic software stored system that uses multiple,
2560x1440 pixels respectively. on hardware, such as a processor, connected routers to stretch Wi-Fi
Cookie A small text file stored on to control its operation. further than a traditional router.
7z Also known as 7-Zip. A free, your computer by a website. Used
open-source file archiver. to store browsing preferences, Frame rate The number of still Metadata A set of data that gives
website log-in details and so on. images, or frames, shown per information about a file.
Administrator Someone who can second to create a moving image.
make changes to a computer that Core Units on a processor that Higher frame rates make games MicroSD card A small type of
will affect others who also use it. carry out program instructions. appear smoother and more memory card. Can be converted to
realistic. SD size using an adapter.
AES-256 Advanced Encryption Dark mode Showing white text
Standard. A form of encryption on a black background. GHz Gigahertz. A measure of MP4 A type of digital movie file
based on a key length of 256 bits. how many instructions a chip can often used for portable players.
Cracking it would take longer than Dark web Websites that can process per second. 1GHz is equal
the age of the universe. only be accessed using special to 1,000MHz. OLED Organic light-emitting
software such as the Tor browser. diode. A thin-film organic light-
AI Artificial intelligence. GIF Graphics Interchange Format. emitting diode used in computer
Intelligence demonstrated by a DCI-P3 A colour space that has a A type of image file often used on displays and television screens.
machine rather than a human wider spectrum than sRGB. the web.
being. Often used to describe Open source Software that can
technology that can perform Defragment To reorganise the Gigabit Ethernet A very fast be modified by anyone, rather
human-like tasks. data stored on a hard drive so files networking standard that can than just by the employees of the
are stored in one piece and can transfer data at up to 1,000Mbps. company that created it.
Bandwidth A measure of how be accessed quickly. Sometimes
much data can be transferred shortened to defrag. Graphics card A component in a Passkey A method for signing into
through a connection at one time. computer that produces the image accounts by typing a one-off code,
DisplayPort A socket for shown on the monitor. fingerprint or facial recognition
Benchmarking Comparing connecting monitors. rather than a password.
software and products with an HDMI High-definition media
accepted standard. Domain These are used to interface. A type of connection that Phishing A form of internet
identify one or more IP addresses. transmits high-definition video and fraud that tries to trick you into
Beta A version of software that’s audio signals. revealing personal details.
being tested. Beta versions are Driver A file that tells
often released so problems can be Windows how to work with an Hz Hertz. Measures the frequency Picture-in-picture Shows video
ironed out. external device. something happens: 1Hz equals in a small moveable screen while
once a second. you browse the web or watch TV.
Cache A temporary space for DRW DRaWing. A file format used
storing information. Can be in Micrografx Designer. IMEI Integrated Mobile Equipment PSTN Public Switched Telephone
memory used on a computer Identity. A unique number used to Network. Old copper phone network
processor, or space on a hard drive Dual-band router A Wi-Fi identify each mobile phone. that’s being switched off in 2025.
used by a web browser. router that operates on two
bands: 2.4 and 5GHz. IP address Internet Protocol Punch hole camera A design
CAD Computer Aided Design. address. A unique set of numbers feature in phones where the front-
Software used to create 3D Emoji A small graphic that can be used to identify computers and facing camera is placed in a small
models. inserted into a text message or email. websites on the internet. cutout or hole on the screen.
cd/m2 Candela per square metre. EPUB A file format used by many ISBN International Standard Book QR code Quick Response code.
Standard unit of brightness. popular ebook readers. Number. A 13-digit code used to A barcode that can be read using
identify books. smartphones and dedicated QR-
Chatbot A computer program Ethernet A standard used reading devices.
designed to recreate conversation for almost all wired computer JPEG Joint Photograph Experts
with human users, especially networks. Group. A common type of image RAM Random-access memory.
over the internet. Typically used file created by most digital The computer’s working area,
to offer automated customer EXE A program file designed to cameras. Some image quality is used for data storage while the PC
support. run in Windows. lost with each save. is switched on.

RAR Roshal Archive. A format for sRGB A standard RGB colour Temporary file Created by sites WEBM Video file format
storing compressed files. space for use on monitors, and software to store info for a supported by major browsers and
printers and the internet. specific purpose, but not meant to software.
Read speed How long it takes be stored permanently.
a hard drive to ‘read’ data, and SSD Solid-state drive. Storage Widget A small program that runs
respond to it. that, unlike a hard drive, uses no Terminal A text-based interface on the Windows desktop.
moving parts. Faster but more to control Linux.
Refresh rate Measured in Hertz expensive than conventional hard Wi-Fi 5 A standard for wireless –
(Hz), the number of times per drives. TPM Trusted Platform Module. also known as 802.11ac – networks
second that the image on your A computer chip that allows your that allows for much higher transfer
monitor is redrawn. Switch (page 46) Modifies what hardware to perform security- speeds than 802.11n.
a command does in Command related tasks.
Refurbished A second-hand Prompt. Usually a forward slash Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 extended to
device that has been repaired by followed by a letter. Travel The distance the keys of include the 6GHz band.
its manufacturer so that it can be a keyboard have to be pressed
resold and reused. Switch (page 26) Allows more before the keystroke is recognised. Wildcard A character that can
than one PC to be connected to a be substituted for one or more
SD card Secure Digital card. A wired network. Two-factor authentication characters in a web search.
popular type of memory card. A system that uses two different
System image A backup of your means to identify the user. For Windows Insider A Microsoft
Security key A USB device that PC that includes your operating example, a code sent to your scheme that lets you test preview
locks and unlocks your computer. system drivers, PC’s settings, phone in addition to a password. versions of Windows before
programs and files. they’re released fully.
SIM Subscriber Identity Module. TXT A basic file format that
The smart card used by all digital System restore point The contains nothing but text. Write speed How long it takes a
mobile phones. The SIM card collection of system files stored hard drive to save data.
carries the user’s identity and by System Restore on a given date USB-C A new connector that’s
phone number for accessing the and time to which Windows can reversible, letting you plug it in ZIP file A file that contains
network. revert if a problem occurs. upside down. compressed documents or files.
Easy when you
Know How
Saddled with more computers than point-and-click
devices, Robert Irvine tries to…
Control two PCs with one mouse

B
ack in Issue 670 (page 74), I relayed The Mouse
the thrilling tale of my lost mouse, Without
Borders tool in
which resulted in me using my PowerToys let
phone as a temporary point-and-click Robert share his
device. Although the story had a happy cursor between
ending when said mouse was discovered two computers
in a box of cables, I still haven’t got round
2
to buying a spare one.
As with many things

in life, the answer
came from Microsoft macOS and Linux on Xorg have partial
support as well.” I had no idea what that
‘Security key’ and typed the security key
I’d generated – this was the trickiest part
PowerToys meant – it was possibly the plot of a sci-fi
novel – but I eventually found the ZIP file
because it involved a long jumble of
uppercase and lowercase letters and
for the Windows version in the Assets special characters. I then entered the
section of Lan Mouse’s Releases page device name of my PC and clicked
(www.snipca.com/48912). Connect ( 1 in our screenshot).
After giving Lan Mouse the benefit of Magically, both computers were now
This means that when I move between the doubt when Chrome and Windows shown in the ‘Device layout’ section, with
my Windows 10 PC and my Windows 11 flagged the download as risky, a Command my main PC highlighted in green 2 . I
laptop, which happens several times a Prompt window opened listing several dragged it to the first position on both
day in the course of my work, I have to warnings and errors. The main Lan machines to show the laptop who was
unplug my mouse from one USB port and Mouse interface also opened, but as this boss – in Windows 10, I first needed to
plug it into another – or else face the gave no guidance as to what to do next, restart PowerToys without ‘elevated’
fiddly horror of the touchpad. It’s hardly I decided to seek a simpler and safer administrator privileges to be able to
The Krypton Factor, but it’s still a hassle alternative. rearrange the devices.
– albeit one that could be avoided by The answer came – as with many Frustratingly, when I moved my cursor
paying a tenner for another mouse. things in life these days – from Microsoft to the edge of my screen, which was
I found a potential free solution to this PowerToys (www.snipca.com/48913). supposed to transfer it to the second
problem in the form of a program called I’d forgotten that the amazing free device, nothing happened. To remedy
Lan Mouse (www.snipca.com/48911) – system-utility suite has a tool called this, I chose the Troubleshooting option
that’s ‘Lan’ as in ‘local area network’ Mouse Without Borders – “a quick and ‘Add a firewall rule for Mouse Without
and not, as I initially misread, the name easy way to move your cursor across Borders’. This did the trick, and my
Ian Mouse. multiple devices”. cursor now moved seamlessly between
This new tool promises to let you I opened PowerToys on my Windows 10 the two screens.
control multiple PCs with a “single set PC, selected Mouse Without Borders in I was now able to click, drag, drop and
of mouse and keyboard”, which is the left-hand menu, clicked Open Settings, more on my Windows 11 laptop, without
apparently known as a KVM (keyboard, and flicked the slider to Enable Mouse needing to physically (or wirelessly)
video and mouse) Switch. Without Borders. I then clicked ‘New key’ connect a mouse. Further options
I understood that much, but sadly most to generate a security key – so far, so allowed me to share my clipboard and
of Lan Mouse’s GitHub page seemed to be straightforward, unlike Ian Mouse. transfer files between the computers, but
written in a different language, as if the Next, I installed PowerToys on my by now I’d sufficiently made my point.
developer only wants techy types to try Windows 11 laptop, opened the program’s Need help with controlling multiple PCs?
the program. “The primary target is Settings and switched on Mouse Without Let us know: noproblem@computeractive.
Wayland on Linux but Windows and Borders there. I clicked the arrow next to co.uk
74 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676 Next issue: Robert tries to block ads on his smart TV
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IS YOUR PHONE UNLOCK SECRET DOWNLOAD

BATTERY DYING? WINDOWS TOOLS

WHY YOU MUST USE

 CUT YOUR BILLS  DETER BURGLARS

© Copyright Future PLC 2024.

Computeractive is a registered trademark.

Average sales, Jan-Dec 2022 59,617

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 3

6 News Check your passwords as 71m

11 Protect Your Tech

12 Letters Telecare firms have ignored

18 Best Free Software

25 Epson EcoTank ET-2830

28 Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk

29 Eufy Video Doorbell E340

4 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

Workshops & Tips Get tooled up in Windows

44 Phone and Tablet Tips View web

46 Make Windows Better

47 Make Office Better

60 Is your phone’s battery dying?

62 Cancel your printer ink subscription

74 Easy When You Know How

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 5

Check your passwords as

You’ll like this… but not this…

6 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

price rises PLAY GAMES ON

B T will stop increasing

B ritish Library has put its

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 7

8 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

W i-Fi 7 has been approved

L G will start releasing TVs

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 9

10 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

Emails with fake Temu offers

New tools Log into Bitwarden with passkeys

Bitwarden, our favourite computer (see screenshot). ‘Missing’ delivery

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 11

12 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

to quietly loosen the requirements to

CA SAYS Microsoft is unlikely to admit Telecare firms have ignored

Is Wowcher LEAD Should Temu

I recently bought a refurbished

Virgin gives two months’ credit for email not working

14 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

Has BT broken its contract with me?

Can I get refund Sylvia lives in Greece, and we

At the beginning of the

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

Mesh upgraded my laptop after screen was damaged

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 15

Your Genealogy Problems Solved

18 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676

Issue 676 • 31 January – 13 February 2024 19

What should I download?

20 31 January – 13 February 2024 • Issue 676 Email us your questions at letters@computeractive.co.uk

WHAT ARE THEY KEUMARS’ VILLAIN OF THE FORTNIGHT

WHAT THEY SAY