PC fixing? One of the quickest ways to free up space is to sort through your Downloads folder and delete anything that you don’t need anymore. This could include old installers for programs, downloaded music and videos, and large documents. Deleting programs you don’t use anymore can also free up a lot of space. This is especially true with some video games, which can take 30 GB or more of your hard disk space. For information on deleting programs in Windows, click here. For Mac, click here. The Disk Cleanup tool in Windows will scan for files that you no longer use. It can free up a large amount of space. Click here for details on running it.
Learn about Phishing Scams – be very suspicious of emails, phone calls, and flyers. We recently blogged that phishing scams are nastier than ever this year. In a phishing scheme attempt, the attacker poses as someone or something the sender is not to trick the recipient into divulging credentials, clicking a malicious link, or opening an attachment that infects the user’s system with malware, trojan, or zero-day vulnerability exploit. This often leads to a ransomware attack. In fact, 90% of ransomware attacks originate from phishing attempts.
Many hackers will sell the data they hack. This will includes information on thousands, if not millions, of people and their passwords. If you are using the same password for every account then it won’t be difficult for a hacker to gain access to all your systems. Otherwise a hacker may use ‘brute force’ to find your password. This is much harder if password is longer and contains more variety and does not spell out any words. Use a password manager of some kind to ensure you don’t keep forgetting your passwords. Hackers are always looking for vulnerabilities in the software your business uses. This could be as simple as finding a way into your Windows network. The software companies themselves work hard to create patches and updates that fix these vulnerabilities so it’s important to update them as soon as an update is available.
Windows 10 version 2004 (April 2020 Update or May 2020 Update) is the next major release expected to be available for supported devices sometime during spring 2020. This will be the first of two feature updates coming this year, and it’s an update that will ship with a new set of features and improvements to tweak and enhance the overall experience. Although this new version is not a massive update that will significantly change the way you use your device, it’s a small update that includes a slew of incremental improvements and some small features around optimization, security, and productivity. Find additional info on Laptop repairs.
One of the more obvious changes is to Cortana. With a new search box in Windows 10, Cortana is being relegated to a separate app updated from the Microsoft Store. It’s getting a new focus — less for consumers, and more for business users. Currently it supports lists and reminders, assisting with email and calendars, and launching apps. Its search features are now handled by Windows, although it will soon add support for voice-driven quick searches. Microsoft showed a video of its vision for what the new Cortana could be at Build in 2019, with support for continuous conversations and deep integration with Microsoft 365 services. It’s not there yet, but it’s certainly on the way. Local search in File Explorer gets a boost too, with Windows Search providing faster access to your files. It’s now able to provide spell-checking and uses less CPU.
Keep in mind, with Windows 10 there are two kinds of applications, traditional desktop ones and modern Windows Store apps. You’ll see both kinds in the modern Settings app’s Apps & Features page. But for non-Store apps, Control Panel opens, where you can uninstall good old desktop programs. In either, you can sort by size, date installed, or name, or search for a particular app. One reason removing apps helps performance is that many programs load processes at boot time and take up valuable RAM and CPU cycles. While you’re in the Programs and Features section of Control, you can also click Turn Windows Features On or Off and scan the list to see if there’s anything you don’t use. For more help on what to remove, read How to Rid a PC of Crapware. Find more information on PC service.