Advice page

To help you get the best out of your PC and keep abreast with technology, A.J.V. Computing offer valuable tips and advice. Just click on the topic

that interests you. This page is updated (fairly) regularly – so keep checking back for the latest information.

SSD     Windows 11    Replace or Upgrade?     Wireless Networking (WiFi) & Powerline Adapters     Broadband explained

Viruses  Passwords   Firewalls   Malware   Backups   New Custom PCs

SSD - Solid State Drives

We can upgrade your PC or Laptop with a new SSD. This is a hard drive with no moving parts using non-volatile flash memory in place of a

physical hard disk to improve speed, reliability and durability.

An SSD in place of your existing hard drive can transform your computer and make it a pleasure to use again. They are now the standard

storage device in all new PCs and Laptops.

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Windows 11

All PCs and Laptops now come with Windows 11. It has been available since October 2021.

You can upgrade from Windows 10 for free via Windows Update. Computers over approximately 5 years old may not be compatible.

Of course you don't have to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 10 is fully supported until October 14th 2025.  This date may change.

Here is a link to the Windows 10 lifecycle page:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro 

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Replace or Upgrade?

With any operating system upgrade a clean install is generally the best way to go. ie. backing up all required data and settings, then wiping the

hard drive and installing the new operating system. Upgrading nowadays is easier and more reliable however, best to backup your data before

taking the plunge! We can do the upgrade for you. Sadly Windows 11 won’t work on older PCs. We can supply custom-built new PCs or advise

on new Laptops etc. Contact us for a quote.

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Wireless Networking (WiFi) & Powerline Adapters

Wireless & Powerline technology is cheap, fast and reliable. We can provide the equipment and set up the wireless network for you. If you have

a large house or thick walls you can use the mains wiring as a network using Powerline Adapters, we can also supply and set this up for you.

Some Powerline Adapters also have wireless built-in so you can extend your wireless network even further.

Mesh WiFi: Replace the weak WiFi on your Router with a Mesh WiFi system which gives you strong WiFi coverage throughout your house.

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Broadband explained

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Viruses

Prevention is better than cure!  Today, more than ever, it’s vital to have anti-virus software on your computer(s). Every day new viruses are

released - usually attacking Microsoft products running on PCs and Servers. Contrary to popular belief Macs can also be infected!

We recommend ESET Internet Security products available from us.

Firefox by Mozilla is our recommended web browser. It's free and secure. Get it here. Useful free add-ons are also available which can block

adverts and clear your cache & cookies - check out uBlock Origin and Clear Browsing Data add-ons.

Some ‘don’ts’ :  Be careful when you download programs from the Internet as these may contain viruses. And remember not to open e-mails

with attachments from people you have never heard of - no matter how tempting it may be! Just hit the delete button.

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Passwords

Ensure you use strong passwords for all of your online and email services. A good password should be fairly long with a mixture of uppercase

& lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Also use different ones rather than the same password for every website. If you have

many passwords to remember a password manager could be a good idea. Recommended products include Lastpass and Dashlane.

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Firewalls - Safe surfing!

If you use the Internet, a firewall is essential. This acts as a barrier between you and everyone else on the ‘net. It acts to block ports that

dubious individuals or companies could otherwise use to gain access to your computer. A firewall can also block malware on your computer

from accessing the internet without your knowledge.

We recommend ESET Internet Security which gives you a powerful firewall with anti-virus and anti-malware.

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Malware (including Spyware & Adware)

Malware is a generic term for any program that installs itself onto your computer without your knowledge.

Ever had your browser continually sending you to a web page you've never heard of? If so you're probably infected with hijackware - software

that installs itself and hijacks your web browser, forcing you to a certain web page.

Spyware installs itself with software that you download. It transmits personally identifiable information from your computer without your

knowledge. Adware is similar to spyware, but does not transmit personally identifiable information. Both monitor you to deliver

advertisements tailored to your habits. Cookies are usually benign and are used to track your surfing habits. They are stored by your web

browser whilst surfing.

Various scam anti-virus programs are commonplace which try to force you into paying for them by continuously popping up and claiming you

are infected with many viruses.

Malware is a complete pain and can cost you time and money. Fortunately, there are ways to remove it. A good anti-virus product such as ESET

should be able to remove it. However, malware is getting cleverer all the time and sometimes is very hard to remove. Contact us for this

removal service.

We also provide a PC Healthcheck service. Click contact us for details.

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Backups

Unfortunately your hard drive can fail at any time so the most important thing you can do is to backup your data regularly. You really don't

want to lose those precious documents and digital photos do you?

Save yourself time, heartache and money by using one of the backup methods described below. The one best suited to your needs depends

on the amount of data you have.

USB Flash drive

The modern alternative to the floppy disk. They start at 2gb and go up to 256gb and beyond. Quite cheap to buy, an 8gb drive costs less than

£5. They are fast to use and reliable. If you are doing important backups on them keep a couple for safety should one fail or get lost!

CD & DVD

You can burn up to 700 mb onto a CD or 4.7 gb onto a DVD. Dual-sided DVDs can store up to 8.5 gb of data but you will need a dual-layer DVD

writer. Ideal for backing up digital photos, music and video files.

External hard drives

The recommended backup solution for the home user. Available products hold anything from 500GB to 4TB of data. Some drives come with

backup software included. For automatic backups use File History on Windows 10/11 or Time machine on Apple Mac.

On-Line or Cloud backup

Various products are available such as Carbonite and SecurStore which allow you to securely backup your files on their servers. Dropbox can

be used to synchronise your local files with an online backup as can Microsoft Onedrive.

Please contact AJV Computing for supply and installation of any of the above.

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This advice page was last updated on 23rd October2024.