Windows 7 Help & Advice

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Help & support
100% jargon free
Welcome
I like to think that, here on Windows 7 Help & Advice, we

listen to what you have to say and respond in kind. Many of
you are happy with the way your machine performs, though
a lack of infallibility means that things inveitably go wrong
even with us experts. By design, Windows will give you a
hint as to what youre dealing with, but most of the time
youre looking at something unfamiliar and unfathomable.
While our resident Support Squad specialists deal with a high
turnover of specific computer queries, they dont often apply
to everyone, which is why in this issue I bring you the magic
of our main cover feature: Solve 100 PC problems. Here we
uncover the most general of Windows issues and tell you
how to fix them, whether youre plagued by a slow startup,
or witnessing mystical errors. Please, do get in touch if you
think weve missed anything though well be happy to
cover it in a future issue!
Nicholas Odantzis Deputy Editor

www.facebook.com/windowsmag
THE ONLY COMPUTER MAG TO HELP

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Help & Advice also comes with a disc, on which
you can find some of the great apps covered in
the magazine. If you get a chance, take a look at
how you can even read the magazine on your
laptop, phone or tablet.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
FEATURES
12 Solve any PC problem
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you error messages, weve got the solution
60 Stay safe online
Secure your web accounts, your home

network and your personal information
74 10 reasons you should

upgrade to Windows 8.1
Windows 8 had a mixed reception, but the

new upgrade is well worth investigating
REGULARS
6 Discover Keep your gadgets and

files safe from thieves
27 Next month Gaze into the
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Help & Advice | February 2014
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UPGRADE
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and recommendations
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85 Plantronics Rig
86 Microsoft Surface 2
88 HP Pavilion 15
ON THE COVER
STAY SAFE
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90 Battlefield 4
92 Batman: Arkham Origins
94 Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag
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60 Re-think
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to keep your
PC secure
ON THE COVER
10 reasons you should

upgrade to Windows 8.1
74 The new
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and packed with
amazing features
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February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
NEW THINGS TO DO
AMAZING WEBSITES
PROTECT YOUR TECH It can be worth investing in

special insurance for your PC and mobile devices
FASCINATING FACTS
Discover
Protect your gadgets

Q
8Q OOR
The Knowledge
How to keep your

tech safe and secure
7KHDYHUDJHKRXVHKROGRZQVYHLQWHUQHWFRQQHFWHG
GHYLFHVEXWKRZFDQ\RXSUHYHQWWKHPEHLQJVWROHQ"
ake a look around you and youll

probably see more expensive tech
than youve ever owned before.
Its likely that you own a decent
TV and a Windows computer, and you
probably have a smartphone, too. They
may well be the most valuable items in
your home, and sometimes they hold
precious photos and other content, too.
In the event of a break-in, thieves will
head for the living room rather than your
grannys jewellery
box, so its vital to
make sure everything
is secured, registered
and insured. Your
rst step should be to
ensure your home is as safe as, well,
houses, but its also worth taking the
time to read the small print in case
you need specic locks on your doors
for your insurance policy to be valid.
The next step is to come up with an
inventory of all your gadgets. Its worth
making a spreadsheet with each items
model, manufacturer, serial number and a
brief description, including distinguishing
marks. Every mobile phone also has a

unique number known as an IMEI, which
you can nd by dialling *#06#. Once
youve done that, visit www.immobilise.
com. This is a police-endorsed database
of property in the UK, so if your stuff goes
missing but later turns up, you can be
reunited with it. Its easy to use, and once
youve set up an account you can add new
items quickly. Its not just tech either you
can also add jewellery, bicycles and more.
If your kit is stolen,
your home contents
insurance should
cover it, but its worth
checking your policy
to see if it covers your
gear when its away from home. If not, you
can compare gadget insurance at http://
bit.ly/IixYLu. Its also worth reading
your policy to see whether your phone is
covered. If not, contract customers can
add an insurance bolt-on for a small extra
charge each month. Bank accounts often
come with add-on mobile insurance too.
Its worth checking to see if that works out
cheaper than buying insurance separately.
7KLHYHVZLOOKHDGIRU
WKHOLYLQJURRPUDWKHU
WKDQ\RXUMHZHOOHU\ER[
HERES WHERE TO START Track your property

Having your laptop stolen can be a galling
experience, but a small program called
Prey can help you get the upper hand on
thieves. Prey sits in the background, and
if your laptop is nabbed you can activate
it via a website. From here you can take
photos using its webcam and triangulate
its position using the nearest Wi-Fi access
point. Its already been used successfully
to catch gadget thieves red-handed. To get
started, visit www.preyproject.com.
ACCOUNT MANAGER Sign up for an account, then

click the link in the conrmation email you receive.
GET PREY Once youve downloaded the software,

open it and follow the instructions to install it.
PREDATOR Prey is ready to go, and you can access

your device from https://panel.preyproject.com.
Intel Bay Trail

Ah yes, the bicycle and pedestrian
link around the shoreline of the San
Francisco Bay.
I hate to disappoint you, but this is a
technology magazine, not a travel one.
The Bay Trail were talking about here is
chip manufacturer Intels latest mobile
processor, which is designed to sit at
the heart of tablets and make them run
quickly without draining too much
precious battery power.
Why should I care about a mobile
processor when there are 500 miles of
walking to be had?
Bay Trail is rather important to Intel
because it marks the companys rst
proper push into Android tablets, a market
that has until now been dominated by
British company ARM. With desktop PC
sales continuing to slide, Intel needs to
get into the tablet game in order to stay
on top of the competition.
So what does it do that an ARM cant?
Intels miniaturisation bons have
shrunk a 64-bit chip into a tablet-friendly
form, making Bay Trail far more powerful
than the current ARM standard of 32-bit.
It also includes Intels HD 4000 graphics,
giving you roughly the same amount of
power as youd nd in a modern laptop.
How well does it work?
Its an exceedingly powerful little chip,
and all the more impressive considering
its diminutive size. Intel says it runs
Photoshop 40 per cent faster than Intels
previous mobile chip, and it draws a lot
less power.
Yeah, but I bet Ill have to cancel my
trip to San Francisco before I can aord
one, right?
Intels masterstroke lies in the relatively
low cost of its chips, and it reckons that
Android Bay Trail tablets will cost less than
100. Well see for ourselves when theyre
released later this year.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
1+6
+1<
(57
3

7(+
7(5
Multi monitors
Thanks to the power of modern graphics
cards, you can now connect a multitude of
displays to your computer, enabling you to
watch a DVD on one while composing an
email on the other. First though, you need to
make sure youve got enough outputs take
a look at the back of your computer where
the monitor connects and see if you have
more than one socket. If you do, its time to
get started. Once youve got the relevant
lead and connected the second screen,
fire up Windows and press [Windows]+[P].
Youll see a menu so you can choose whats
displayed on each screen, and holding
[Windows]+[Shift], then tapping either the
left or right arrow key will let you move
windows from one screen to another.
Zoom raider
Running Windows on a larger than average
monitor or TV screen can be problematic,
especially if youre a sitting long way from it.
Fortunately, you can zoom in on just about
every part of Windows for a magnified view.
The simplest way to zoom is to hold down
[Ctrl] and move your mouse wheel up or
down. If youre just using a keyboard, you
can hold [Ctrl]+[Alt] and use the [+] and
[-] keys to enlarge or shrink your view in
Windows Explorer, or just hold [Ctrl] and tap
the [+] and [-] keys in Internet Explorer or
Google Chrome. Pressing [Windows]+[+] is
a neat shortcut for the Windows Magnifier
tool, which doubles the size of everything
on screen to make navigation much easier.
In control
Windows XPs Control Panel contains all the
necessary bits and bobs to customise your
PC, but accessing it via the Start menu can
be a bit of a hassle. However, you can create a
Start menu for the Control Panel so that each
setting and entry appears as an option there.
Right-click the Start button, then choose
Properties. Next, click Customize, followed
by the Advanced tab. Tick Display as menu
beneath the Control Panel heading and youll
be able to access the intricacies of your PC
in just a couple of clicks. Its especially handy
if you want to uninstall programs, or if you
need to set up a new printer.
Struggling to get something to work? Need a tip?

Then email us your woes (to windowsmagazine@futurenet.com with the subject line
Windows Insider) and well share your perfect Windows tweaks in a future issue.
Tip of the month
Find it faster
Smarter, swifter search

With Windows 8, you just need to start typing
to find results from your PC and the web
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft has
drastically improved the search
function, and its now one of the
operating systems best features.
The new version scours both your
computer and the internet for results,
so you can type Control Panel to
access your PCs settings, or Facebook
to go straight to the social networking
website without opening your web
browser and typing the address.
To quickly search for something,

simply tap [Windows] on your
keyboard or select the icon on your
screen, and then begin typing and
results will be displayed instantly.
To change the way it works, type
search then choose Search settings.
Here you can choose to use Microsoft
Bing to search online, and modify
settings such as personalised results
and SafeSearch.
SEARCH HIGH AND LOW With Windows 8, you can get search
results from the internet without opening your web browser
Discover
Tech talk
Discover this
Internet surveillance
Upworthy
www.upworthy.com
Edward Snowdens whistleblowing has changed

the publics perception of the internet
ecent tales of whistleblowers,

surveillance and information
leaks have made the front pages
of newspapers on both sides
of the Atlantic, and 2013 will surely be
remembered as the year in which the
term top secret lost all meaning.
Our clandestine tale begins with
Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee
and contractor to the USs National
Security Agency, who was privy to highly
classied
information.
In late 2012, he
anonymously
contacted
Guardian
journalist Glenn
Greenwald, saying
he had sensitive
documents he
wished to share.
The cache
Snowden sent to Greenwald contained
between 15,000 and 20,000 documents,
which detailed the NSAs deep-rooted
surveillance programs. The programs
were capable of intercepting the phone
calls and internet communications of
over a billion people, and were run with
support from other security agencies, such
as Britains GCHQ and Australias DSD.
The leak, published in the Guardian
and the Washington Post, was a dramatic
revelation, especially since companies

such as Google, Facebook and Apple were
found to have been subject to surveillance.
Snowden was charged with espionage and
is currently seeking asylum in Russia.
The companies concerned immediately
denied any ties with the NSA. In a
statement, Google said, From time to
time, people allege that we have created a
government back door into our systems,
but Google does not have a back door for
the government to
access user data.
Facebook,
Google and Apple
are among those
who signed a
letter calling for
reforms to the
US governments
surveillance
programs. The
letter applauds
the USA Freedom Act a bill to end
the collection of data. We urge the
administration to work with Congress
in addressing these critical reforms
that would provide much needed
transparency, the companies state.
Its in internet companies best
interests to keep your precious data out
of government hands, and things will
get better, but the internet has suddenly
become a scarier place.
The internet can be a thoroughly

depressing place at times. If, like us,
youve got one eye permanently turned
to news sites, youll have noticed that
there isnt a lot of positivity in the world.
Twitter, Facebook and online forums seem
to be places where people have a great
big moan about how bad their lives are
and share grim stories.
Upworthy is the antidote to the
depressing parts of the web. It showcases
human interest stories from around the
globe on a sparsely-designed site with no
advertisements or promotions, and its a
great place to visit if you need a bit of a
lift. While it doesnt shy away from the
harsher realities of life, it more often than
not oers a solution to these problems.
UPWORTHY Get your daily uplift here
Follow us on
,=
7+(6(&'
V W UWQ
3 QD HD \
A) Gratuitous nudity
B) Pretending to
shoot people
C) Excessive swearing
Google Street View

has just mapped
which public buildings?
A) Airports and
railway stations
B) Police stations and
hospitals
C) Pubs and restaurants
What is the name

of Amazons new
virtual currency?
Which supermodel is
behind gift exchange
site Impossible.com?
A) Coins
B) Tax
C) Shillings
A) Naomi Campbell
B) Gisele Bndchen
C) Lily Cole
How many rotors

does E-Volos flying
Octodecacopter have?
A) Boston
B) Philadelphia
C) Detroit
A) 8
B) 10
C) 18
Which US city
became the first to
ban 3D printed guns?
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE

FEBRUARY
Answers 1 C. 2 A. 3 A. 4 B. 5 C. 6 C.
Why have some

people been banned
from Xbox Live recently?
February 2014 |
14
FRIDAY
Help & Advice |
hen you buy a new PC, it generally behaves very well.

Your system boots and runs quickly, programs install
without any problems and it all works just as youd expect.
But then, quite often, things begin to change. Your
computer starts to slow down. Odd things happen
occasionally some features stop working, for instance, and
you cant understand why. Some of your applications and
maybe Windows itself may begin to display cryptic error
messages, or perhaps crash occasionally.
Some people say this is normal its just the way PCs are,
and you have to put up with it but we say no. You dont
have to live with poor performance, desktop problems,
12
misbehaving software and the many other hassles that

might be troubling your system. You dont need weeks of
spare time and a degree in computer science to solve these
issues, either most can be tackled with surprising ease once
you know where to get started. Thats where we come in.
Weve put together a guide which deals with some of the
most annoying PC problems out there, covering everything
from sluggish speeds and desktop deciencies to boot
problems, installation issues, confusing warning messages
and more. So dont just put up with Windows annoyances
take our advice, ght back, and youll soon have your system
running smoothly again.
Cover feature
Solve any PC problem
How can I tell whats

tying up my PCs
resources?
Click Start, type
resmon and press
[Enter] to nd out
whats using your PCs
CPU, hard drive and
internet connection.
Itll take ages to

PRYHP\OHVWRD
new PC!
Easy Transfer is a tool
supplied with Windows
that makes this very
simple. Search for Easy
Transfer in Windows
Help for more details.
Why is my Wi-Fi
so slow?
Run Xirrus Wi-Fi
Inspector (from your
free disc). If it shows
interference from a
nearby network,
changing your wireless
channel should help.
Navigating folders
takes too long in
Windows Explorer
To see a folder youve
used recently, just
right-click the Explorer
icon on your Taskbar
and select it from your
Jump List.
February 2014 |
How can I browse

the web faster?
Using Namebench
(http://code.google.
com/p/namebench)
to nd a faster DNS
server can dramatically
cut the time it takes to
access websites.
Help & Advice |
13
Some folders take an

age to open
Deleting any les you dont
need can sometimes help
speed things up, but sorting
out the folders properties
usually delivers the best
results. Right-click the folder,
select Properties > Customize,
set the Optimize this folder
for list to General items and
see how this works for you.
My Explorer windows
close when I reboot
In Explorer, click Tools >
Folder options > View, then
scroll down and check Restore
previous folder windows at
logon. When you next restart,
any Explorer windows you had
open before will appear again.
The Windows desktop
clock isnt accurate
An incorrect PC clock isnt
just annoying, it can also
cause signicant problems
with networks and some
applications that rely on it.
If you notice yours is out,
right-click it and select Adjust
date/time > Internet time >
Change settings. Check
Synchronize with an internet
time server, then click Update

now to correct it.
It takes me too long to
QGOHV
To nd one le in a packed
folder, you dont have to scroll
through the entire list. Either
enter its name in the Search
box, or just click in the blank
area to the right of the list of
les and begin typing its name
here. Every time you hit a key,
Explorer will jump to the rst
matching le. When the right
one appears, you can press
[Enter] to open it.
Im having trouble with
the Start menu
If the Start menu is missing
some feature youre familiar
with, perhaps from another
PC, then click Start, right-click
the Shut down button and
click Properties > Customise
to see a host of useful
conguration settings (you
can add the Run box to the
menu, for instance). Tweak
these settings to suit your
needs, or click Use default
settings to restore the
standard Windows behaviour
if you prefer.
Extra programs appear when

Windows starts
Start by launching these programs, checking their settings
for an option like Launch at startup and turning that o.
If thats no help, click Start > All programs, expand the
Startup folder, right-click any applications youre sure you
dont need and select Delete. Alternatively, install and run
CCleaner from your free disc, click Tools > Startup >
Windows, select any programs that are surplus to
requirements and click Delete to remove them.
A FRESH LOOK There are hundreds of Windows themes available online
Im bored with my
desktop wallpaper
To change the look of your
PCs desktop, right-click an
empty part of it and click
Personalize > Get more
themes online. A browser
window will open at the
Windows Themes page, where
youll nd hundreds of themes
on all kinds of topics animals,
art, games, movies, landscapes
and more and theyre all free
to download.
([SORUHUVOHLFRQVDUH
the wrong size
Click in the folder window,
hold down [Ctrl] and spin your
mouse wheel to cycle through
every possible le view. Its
much quicker than having to
choose the right option from
Explorers menus manually.
A program window has
just disappeared
If you can see a programs
button on the Taskbar but
clicking it doesnt display
anything, this could mean
that its window has been
accidentally moved o the
screen somehow. Press
[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[Esc] to launch
Task Manager, right-click your
program in the Applications
list, select Maximise and it
should reappear.
Using the command line
takes ages
Typing something like CD\
This\Is\A\Very\Long\Path can
take a while, but there may
be an easier way. Hold down
[Shift], right-click the folder
in Explorer, choose Open
command window here and
14
cmd.exe will open at that

particular folder.
How can I mute
the startup sound?
Click Start, type sound, and
click Sound > Sounds. Clear
the Play Windows Startup
sound box if you dont want
to be alerted when your
system has booted. You can
also add a custom sound here
(click Browse and select it),
and adjust other system
sounds to suit your needs.
Explorer opens at
the wrong folder
By default, Explorer always
opens at the Computer folder.
To choose another location,
right-click the Explorer
shortcut, select Properties,
click in the Target box, press
[Space] and enter your new
path in quotes (itll read
something like %windir%\
explorer.exe d:\).
,QG:LQGRZV$HUR
Snap annoying
If you dont like the way
windows reposition and resize
themselves when moved to
the edge of the screen, you
can turn this feature o. Go to
Control Panel > Ease of access
and select Change how your
mouse works or Change how
your keyboard works. Check
Prevent windows from being
automatically arranged when
moved to the edge of the
screen and click OK.
Explorer is showing the
wrong icons
Close Explorer, launch Disk
Cleanup, choose your drive,
Cover feature
Search is
too slow
By default, Windows only
indexes les stored in your user
folders (Documents, Desktop,
Pictures and so on), so searching
elsewhere will take longer.
Moving the documents you
want to search into your user
folders (from C:\MyFiles to C:\
Users\[Name]\Documents\
MyFiles) should speed things
up, but you can tell Windows
to index other folders as well.
Click Start, type index and
click Indexing options. Click
Modify, expand the tree and
check the folders youd like to
be indexed (remember, the
more les there are, the longer
indexing will take). Click OK
when youre done.
make sure Thumbnails is
checked and click OK. This will
delete the Explorer thumbnail
cache, which may get your
folders displayed properly.
a particular option, just click in

the Search box, press [E], and
youll see all the settings in a
single list that should be much
easier to navigate.
,FDQWQGDSDUWLFXODU
setting I need
If youre tired of browsing
through Control Panel to nd
What have other users

done to my PC?
If someone else has messed
up your desktop then it can be
I need more space on

my Windows desktop
Right-click your desktop, select Screen resolution and make
sure youre using the highest recommended setting. If you
are, click Start, type personal and select Personalization.
Click Window Colour > Advanced appearance settings,
choose Border padding and select a size of zero. You can
also cut the size of menus, scrollbars and more, but beware
this might stop some programs working properly.
I accidentally
GHOHWHGDOH
If you make a mistake
in Explorer (delete an
important folder, for
example, or move the
wrong les), just press
[Ctrl]+[Z] to undo your
last action.
I dont want to use

Windows Explorer
Try Q-Dir (from your
free disc or www.
softwareok.com). It has
browser-like tabs, you
can use it to save all
your open folders and
restore them later.
useful to know exactly what

they did, and LastActivityView
(from your free disc or http://
bit.ly/TvSITZ) can help,
showing you programs theyve
run, les theyve opened
or saved, folders viewed,
programs installed, network
connections, start and
shutdown times and more.
My Taskbars system tray
is too cluttered
Click the arrow to the left of
the tray and select Customize
from the menu that appears.
If there are any icons here that
youre sure you dont need, set
their behaviour to Only show
notications. If you decide you
dont need the clock or other
standard items, click Turn
system icons on or o to
disable them.
My icons arent
arranged neatly
DesktopOK (on your
free disc, or from www.
softwareok.com) lets
you save your icon
positions and restore
them whenever you like
with a couple of clicks.
I cant see thumbnails for

DOOP\YLGHROHV
Click Tools > Folder Options >
View and make sure Always
show icons isnt checked. If
that doesnt help, install Media
Preview (from your free disc or
www.babelsoft.net/products.
htm) and it will add thumbnail
support for all the main video
le types.
,QHHGDOLVWRIWKHOHV
inside a folder
Hold down [Shift], then
right-click the folder youre
interested in and select Open
command window here. Type
dir /b | clip, then press [Enter]
and the names of the les in
your folder will be copied to
the clipboard so you can paste
them wherever you like (a
Word document, for example).
My desktop looks
too cluttered
Just select the main
program you want
to use, then press
[Windows]+[Home]
and everything else
on the desktop will be
minimised immediately.
February 2014 |
Text appears too

small on screen
If you cant see some
tiny detail, hold down
the [Windows] key and
press [+] to zoom in
with the Magnier.
Hold [Windows] and
press [-] to zoom out.
Help & Advice |
15
An old program wont run

on my PC
Hold [Ctrl]+[Shift], right-click
the program, select
Troubleshoot compatibility
and Windows will launch a
wizard to try to help. If youre
having trouble running old
DOS games, try DOSbox (from
your free disc or http://dosbox.
sourceforge.net). Its a great
way to run ageing programs
on modern hardware.
Im seeing an error code
what does it mean?
Error messages are sometimes
unhelpful, displaying some
cryptic code like 0x00000653.
Entering these into the
Windows Error Lookup Tool
(from your free disc or www.
gunnerinc.com/welt.htm) can
provide more information.
then you probably have

a broken add-on. Restore
extensions as you need them
by clicking Tools > Manage
add-ons, then right-clicking
and selecting Enable. When
you nd the one responsible
for your problems, uninstall
or reinstall it separately.
Im unable to close a
particular program
If you cant close an
application from Task
Manager, try Process Hacker
(from your free disc or http://
bit.ly/OoURT). To close a
process, right-click it and
select Miscellaneous >
Terminator > Run selected.
Take care ending a system
process could crash your PC.
Windows Update reboots

my PC
Launch REGEDIT and browse
to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\
Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
(create the last two keys
yourself if necessary). Create a
DWORD (32-bit) value called
NoAutoRebootWithLogged
OnUsers. Double-click this,
give it the value 1, and your
PC wont be rebooted again.
I cant defragment my
hard drive
Right-click a drive in Explorer
and select Properties > Tools
> Defragment now. If Explorer
says no defragmentation tool
is installed, launch REGEDIT,
browse to HKEY_LOCAL_
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\
MyComputer\DefragPath,
double-click Default and set
it to %windir%\system32\
dfrgui.exe to repair it.
Internet Explorer refuses

to start
Click Start > All programs >
Accessories > System tools >
Internet Explorer (no add-ons).
If IE now launches properly
Windows wants to burn

OHVWRGLVF
Your PC has temporary les
that Windows thinks youd like
to burn to disc. If youre sure
you dont, right-click your hard
I accidentally
GHOHWHGDOH
UndeleteMyFiles Pro
(from your free disc or
http://bit.ly/Zd3USw) is
an excellent tool that
makes it easy to recover
apparently lost les,
and even emails.
16
0\UHZDOOKDV
stopped working
Click Start, type
rewall, select
Windows Firewall, then
click Restore defaults
to return it to its
original settings and
get it working again.
My PC suddenly says Windows

is not genuine
You bought Windows, activated it and everything was ne.
Then, suddenly, a message appeared saying that your OS is
not genuine, demanding you activate it but activation
doesnt work. Launch REGEDIT, expand HKEY_USERS,
right-click S-1-5-20 and select Permissions. Click Network
Service in the list. If you dont see it, click Add, type Network
Service and click Check names > OK to add it. Make sure the
Allow boxes for Full Control and Read are checked, then click
OK. Close REGEDIT, restart your PC and all should be well.
drive in Explorer and select

Delete temporary les.
Some applications wont
play sounds
Click the system tray volume
icon, click Mixer, and ensure
any volume slider for your
application is set high enough
and not muted. Also launch
Control Panel, click Hardware
and sound > Sound, right-click
your default playback device
(it has a green tick) and select
My system is really
unstable
Click Control Panel >
System and security >
Action centre >
Maintenance > Check
for solutions. Windows
will check for problems
and suggest xes.
Properties. Click Advanced

and clear any settings in the
Exclusive Mode box. Click OK,
reboot and try again.
I need permission to
access a folder
The folder probably belongs
to another user on your PC. If
you have an administrators
account then Windows will say
you can click Continue to get
access. If not, you must ask the
other user for the les.
My libraries have
vanished
Sometimes Explorer will
forget its libraries, so if
you click on the folder
theres nothing there.
Right-click Libraries
and select Restore
default libraries.
0\OHVKRUWFXWV
are broken
ShortcutsMan (from
your free disc) will scan
your PC and tidy up
shortcuts. It highlights
any that are broken,
and you can delete or
x them in moments.
Cover feature
Bootmgr
is missing
Boot from your Windows disc,
choose a language option and
click Repair your computer.
Select your operating system,
click Startup repair and
Windows will try to x the
problem. If that doesnt help,
boot to your System Recovery
options, click Command
prompt (instead of Startup
repair as before) and enter
the following commands:
bootrec /xmbr
bootrec /xboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Now close the command
prompt, remove your Windows
disc and try booting again.
7KHVHDUFKWRROFDQWQG
my documents
Launch Control Panel, type
Index and click Indexing
Options > Advanced > Rebuild
> OK to create a new index.
A program has stopped
responding
Wait a moment the program
may be busy. If nothing
happens you can close it from
Task Manager (press [Ctrl]+
[Shift]+[Esc], right-click the
program and select End task).
your computers memory

problems to run a RAM test.
A program is taking all of
my CPU time
Launch RESMON.EXE and nd
the rogue process in the CPU
box. Right-click it and select
Suspend process to stop
the program, then right-click
and select Resume process
to start it again. Beware, this
might crash the program and
your system, so keep it as an
absolute last resort.
I see error messages when I

install a program
Check that the application runs on your version of Windows.
Dont launch a program directly from a web page; save it to
your desktop rst, then run it as an administrator. Uninstall
older versions of the program (or at least close them down)
before you install the new one. Left over temporary les can
sometimes cause installation problems too, so use CCleaner
(from your free disc) to clean them up, then try again.
The screen turns blue and
I have to reboot
Typically this means theres
a driver problem on your
PC, although you may have
hardware issues as well. Enter
any error messages that are
displayed on the screen into
Google for guidance; update
your drivers (DriverIdentier,
from your free disc or www.
driveridentier.com, may be
able to help); and launch
Control Panel, search for
memory and click Diagnose
Why has a program

locked up?
Launch RESMON.EXE,
right-click the process and
choose Analyze process
to see the threads in the
process, and exactly what
holds the resources that are
making the program hang.
You can then kill that part of
the process if appropriate, but
this is dangerous and may
crash both the program and
your PC. Only try this if its
absolutely necessary.
I cant create a System

Restore point
To x this, click Start, then
right-click Computer and
select Properties > System
protection. If protection is
o for a drive, select it, click
Congure, choose the
settings you need and click
OK. If protection is on already,
or the change doesnt help,
run QuickSystemRestore (from
your free disc or http://bit.ly/
VzkzU1). This will try to create
a System Restore point and
repair any problems.
My desktop has stopped
responding
Restarting Explorer may help.
Launch Task Manager, click
Processes, right-click
Explorer.exe and click End
process. Now click File > New
task, type explorer.exe and
press [Enter]. A buggy shell
extension might also be to
blame. Use ShellExView (from
your free disc or http://bit.

ly/3vpBOB) to nd and remove
any unnecessary extensions.
A system component
doesnt work
Serious Windows problems
could mean some system les
are missing or corrupted. Click
Start, type cmd, right-click
cmd.exe and click Run as
administrator. Then type sfc /
scannow and press [Enter] to
detect and repair any issues.
Im still having problems
with Windows!
There are lots more options
you can try. For example, you
can install any Windows
updates, update your video
card driver, remove plug-ins
from applications or delete
your temporary les. You can
also right-click your drive in
Explorer, then click Properties
> Tools > Check now to check
it for errors.
WATCH AND WAIT If a program isnt responding, it might just be busy
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
17
A website isnt being

displayed properly
Websites built for old versions
of Internet Explorer may not
display properly in the latest
versions. To try and x this,
click Tools > Compatibility >
View settings, type the sites
domain name (www.google.
com, say) and click Add.
Computer > Properties and

look at the computer name,
domain and workgroup
settings. Each PC should have
a dierent name, but the
workgroup should be the
same. If not, click Change
Settings > Change. Enter and
save your new details, reboot
the PC and try again.
I dont want to share a

particular folder
Browse to a folder youd like to
make private, right-click it and
select Share with. Choose
Nobody and other network
users wont be able to see it.
,PQGLQJLWLPSRVVLEOH
to reach some websites
If you cant see one specic
website, check www.down
foreveryoneorjustme.com to
see if its a general problem, or
just you. If you nd you cant
reach several antivirus vendors
www.avg.com and www.
avira.com, say then that
could mean youve been
infected by a virus. Run a full
system scan immediately.
How can I keep my kids

safe online?
Run DNS Angel (from your
free disc) and click MetaCert
DNS. This makes your PC
use MetaCerts DNS servers,
blocking most adult sites.
I cant connect my PCs to
one another
If your networked PCs cant
see each other, click Start >
My PC connects to the
wrong network
If youre within range of two
Wi-Fi networks then Windows
may sometimes connect to
the wrong one. To set it up
A toolbar has taken

over my web browser
Install some programs and theyll try to equip your PC with
a browser toolbar or some other annoying piece of spyware,
which may take over your home page, search page and more.
To remove this, go to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a
program. Click the Installed on header to sort your programs
by date. If you see the toolbar, select it and click Uninstall.
If that doesnt help, see if you can remove the extension
manually. In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Manage Add-ons
to look for it (click Tools > Add-ons if youre using Firefox, or
Tools > Extensions in Chrome).
If the toolbar is still there, run AdwCleaner (from your free
disc or http://bit.ly/XJWrfY) to get rid of it.
STAY SAFE DNS Angel will stop your kids seeing inappropriate websites
correctly, click Start, type

wireless and click Manage
wireless networks. Youll see a
list of networks youve used.
Use the Move up and Move
down buttons to rearrange
the list, with the most
important at the top, and
Windows should then connect
to those networks rst.
How can I access my
router settings page?
Download and run RCon.exe
(www.nuetools.co.uk) and it
will automatically open your
browser at the right address.
Alternatively, click Start, type
nslookup.exe and press
[Enter], then type the address
it gives you into your web
browsers address bar.
A program says I have
no internet connection
If an internet program acts
as though youre not online,
open a command window,
type ping google.com and
press [Enter]. If you see several
Reply from messages then
you know your internet
connection is working.
If there are no replies, you
should right-click the network
icon in your system tray and
select Troubleshoot problems
to launch the Windows
Network Troubleshooter.
Malware has messed up
my IE settings
Install the Anvi Browser Repair
Tool (from your free disc or
http://bit.ly/S123Nh). Its an
excellent tool which can repair
many broken IE settings in just
a couple of clicks.
18
I suddenly lose my
network connection
Launch Device Manager,
expand Network adaptors,
double-click your network
adapter and select Properties.
Click System idle power saver
in the list. If this is turned on,
set its value to Disabled,
reboot and try again. If that
doesnt help, return to the
Properties dialog and click
Power management. Turning
o the power saving options
might help, but bear in mind
that it may also shorten the
battery life of laptops.
I want to deactivate IEs
spell checker
Internet Explorer 10 will
regularly highlight words it
thinks are misspelled. If you
dont need this, click Tools >
Manage add-ons > Spelling
correction and clear the
Enable spelling correction
box to turn it o.
One of my devices isnt
working properly
Run Devmgmt.msc to launch
Device Manager. If Windows
nds a problem, it highlights
the device with a yellow icon.
Double-click this for details, or
click Driver > Update driver
to try to x things.
Cover feature
I need more
hard drive space
There are many ways to free
up valuable hard drive space
and improve your computers
performance. Start by using
WinDirStat (www.windirstat.info)
to nd the largest les and
folders and uninstall programs
you dont need. Run Disk
Cleanup or CCleaner (on your
free disc) to nd and remove
junk les. Launch Explorer,
right-click the drive and select
Properties > Tools > Check
now. This will check your drive
for errors, and may recover
lost space. If you dont use
hibernation, disable it (run cmd.
exe as an administrator and
enter powercfg -h o) to save
drive space.
My DVD drive isnt
recognised by Windows
Run REGEDIT, browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Control\Class\{4D36E965-E32511CE-BFC1-08002BE10318},
delete both UpperFilters and
LowerFilters and reboot.
If thats no help, click Start,
type disk management and
click Create and format hard
disk partitions. Right-click your
optical drive, select Change
drive letter and paths, click
Change, choose a new letter
and reboot. If the drive is now
visible in Explorer, you can
repeat the process to change
the drive letter back.
,FDQWQGVRPHGHYLFH
settings that I need
If you cant nd the hardware
settings you need in Control
Panel, open the Devices and
Printers folder, instead. It will
have icons for many of your
devices, and just right-clicking
any of these will list your
available options.
I accidentally hit my
laptops touchpad
Install Touchpad Blocker
(which you can get from your
free disc, or download from
http://touchpad-blocker.com)
or Touchfreeze (from your
disc or http://bit.ly/5rvRbH).
These programs disable the
touchpad when youre typing,
so if you accidentally brush it,
nothing will happen.
Im having problems with
a USB device
If your PC doesnt recognise a
USB device or it just doesnt
work properly then try
plugging it into a dierent
USB port. There may be a USB
connector on your monitor or
your keyboard, but youll often
get better results with a USB
port on your PC.
My PCs disk drives are
too slow
Launch Device Manager,
Expand Disk drives, doubleclick the drive youd like to
speed up and click Policies.
Checking both Enable write
caching and Turn o
Windows write-cache buer
ushing should improve your
drives performance, but take
care if your PCs power fails
then youre much more likely
to lose data than if you leave
these settings alone.
How can I rename a USB
DVKGULYH"
Renaming your USB keys can
make it easier to tell them
apart, but the usual route
(right-click, then select

Rename) doesnt always work
as it should. If this happens to
you, make sure theres nothing
you need on the USB drive,
then reformat it (right-click,
then select Format) and try
renaming it again.
My monitors colours
arent accurate
This is a very common
problem. First, try adjusting
your monitors physical
controls (white balance,
brightness, contrast and so
on). If thats no help, click
Start, type DCCW.EXE and
press [Enter] to launch the
Display Colour Calibration
Wizard, which should help
you improve the situation.
I cant always see the

cursor on my laptop
Click Start, type pointer,
click Make it easier to see the
mouse pointer and check
Disable pointer trails to
make the cursor more visible.
Alternatively, check Show
location of pointer when I
press the [Ctrl] key and click
Apply. Now, when you press
[Ctrl], Windows will highlight
the mouse cursor for you.
My laptops battery life
is too short
Click Start, type cmd,
right-click CMD.EXE and select
Run as administrator. Type
powercfg -energy, press
[Enter], and check the report
it produces for problems.
SPELL IT OUT If your keyboard isnt working, try the on-screen version
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
19
The wrong keyboard

characters appear
If you press some keys on your
keyboard and the wrong
characters appear, click Start,
type region and click Region
and language > Keyboards
and languages > Change
keyboards. If you dont see
English (United Kingdom) in
the Installed Services box, click
Add and select it. Now click it
in the list, then keep clicking
Move up until its at the top.
If theres a language in the list
that you dont need, choose it
and click Remove.
Video quality on my
computer is poor
Click Start, type power
options and click the Power
Options link. Click Change
plan settings for your current
plan, click Change advanced
power settings, expand
Multimedia settings and
make sure Playing Video is set
to Optimise video quality.
Text doesnt look clear
enough on screen
Launch cttune (the ClearType
text tuning wizard) and follow
the instructions provided.
The keyboard isnt

working properly
In an emergency, you can
always click Start > All
Programs > Accessories >
Ease of access and launch
the on-screen keyboard. Then
simply select the program
youre trying to control, return
to the on-screen keyboard and
click its keys as necessary with
your mouse.
Can I run a program as
another user?
Yes, if you have the right
login credentials. Just hold
down [Shift], right-click the
programs shortcut and
choose Run as dierent user.
Enter the username and
password for that account and
your application will launch.
What photo-editing
program is best?
If youre in a hurry and your
needs are simple, give
Windows Paint a try its
better than most people
realise. You can crop images,
resize or rotate them, paint
and draw, and even add
some fun annotations such
as thought bubbles.
It takes too long to set

up a new computer
When a new computer arrives, youll probably want to equip
it with browsers, Flash, a PDF viewer, a zip manager, a media
player and lots more. Normally youll nd these by browsing
directly to each program site and looking for the download
page. DDownloads (www.ddownloads.net), however, knows
all about 900+ popular applications. Just choose a program,
click Direct download from page and itll automatically open
a browser window and begin downloading the le you need.
20
PICTURE PERFECT For simple photo editing, dont underestimate Paint
My PC has been infected

with a virus
Before you try downloading
a security tool, click Start,
type MRT and press [Enter].
If its installed youll see the
Microsoft Windows Malicious
Software Removal Tool, which
may be able to help remove
the virus from your PC.
How can I step through
a video?
Its not exactly obvious, but
pressing [Ctrl] while clicking
the Play button in Windows
Media Player will step forward,
while pressing [Ctrl]+[Shift] will
clicking Play will step back.
I cant install a new
program on my PC
Close all other programs
before you run the installer.
Uninstall the old version,
if there is one, and use the
Disk Cleanup tool to clear
temporary les. If all else fails,
create a new user account and
install it from there.
another just normally, then

youll probably nd you cant
drag and drop les between
them. Run both with the same
rights, and drag and drop
should work.
Can I stop my kids
installing software?
If you want to prevent other
users of your system from
installing programs, give
Installguard a try (get it from
your free disc or download it
from www.completelock.com).
Free for personal use, it
ensures only authorised users
can install software, and only
programs you permit are
allowed to run on the system.
What tool do I need to
RSHQWKLVOH"
If you sometimes download a
le and then dont know how
to open it, install OpenWith
Enhanced (from your free disc
or http://extensions.frieger.
I need more screen

grab options
Windows can capture the
entire screen to the clipboard
if you press [Print Screen],
or just the current window if
you press [Alt]+[Print Screen].
If you want more, though,
launch SnippingTool.exe. It can
also grab rectangular or even
freehand areas from any part
of the screen you like.
com/owdesc.php), right-click
any le, select Open with, and
the program will recommend
applications that can open it.
Drag and drop isnt

working properly
If youre running one program
as an administrator and
I lose data when I reboot

my PC
Launch REGEDIT, browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
Cover feature
I cant uninstall
a program
Go to Control Panel > Programs
> Uninstall a program, click it
in the list and select Uninstall.
If you dont see the program
there, click Start > All programs,
select its folder and look for an
Uninstall option. If you nd
the uninstaller but it seems to
hang, be patient; removing an
application can take a while.
If the program doesnt work
rst time, reboot and try again,
or try uninstalling the program
from Safe Mode. Sometimes
reinstalling an application will
allow you to uninstall it. If all else
fails, Revo Uninstaller (www.
revouninstaller.com) can remove
many stubborn programs.
Software\Policies\Microsoft\
Windows\System, and look
for the DWORD value Allow
Blocking AppsAtShutdown.
If you see this, and its set to
zero, double-click it, set the
value to one and click OK.
Can I run a program as
an administrator?
Yes, and it isnt dicult.
If you can see the program
executable (or a shortcut),
right-click it and select Run as
administrator. If youre using
the Run box, though, type the
program name REGEDIT, for
example then hold down
[Ctrl] and press [Enter] to
launch the program with
administrative rights.
How can I tell if I have
32-bit or 64-bit Windows?
Some programs come in both
32- and 64-bit avours, so its
useful to know which version
of Windows you have. To nd
out, click Start, right-click
Computer, select Properties,
and the System Type entry will
tell you whether you have a
32- or 64-bit operating system.
Ive lost a Windows
product key
Reinstalling Windows is
generally very easy, but you
will need your Windows
product key. Its usually on
a sticker thats attached to
your PC or Windows disc box,
but if you cant see anything
then Keynder (from this
months free disc or www.
magicaljellybean.com) will
help you recover it.
A program is hogging
my CPU
If an application has a high
CPU usage but you dont want
to close it, press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+
[Esc], click Processes, rightclick the process and select
Set anity. Now clear All
processes, select just one
CPU core and click OK. The
program is now unable to use
your other cores, leaving them
free for other applications.
Files are opening in

the wrong program
If double-clicking a le on your desktop doesnt open it in
the right application, dont worry this is easy to x. First,
launch Control Panel and click Programs > Default programs
> Set your default programs. Now choose the application
youd like to open this le in the Programs list and click
Choose defaults for this program. Check the le types youd
like this application to handle by default (or check the Select
all box if youd like to use it for everything). Clear the others
and click Save when youre done. Your les should now open
in the application of your choice. Q
Nicks verdict
Windows problems can seem extremely complex, but as weve
seen, thats often not the case. Just tweaking a single setting or
running the appropriate applet may be all it takes to get your
system working again. When life isnt so straightforward though,
youll need to apply a few more general strategies.
If youre experiencing a new technical issue with Windows for
instance, you could try using System Restore to recover your
previous settings and system les. Some programs may need to
be reinstalled afterwards but your data les wont be aected.
Microsofts Fix it Centre (http://support.microsoft.com/xit)
has a host of automated solutions to all kinds of problems.
Check out the general Microsoft support site, too
(http://support.microsoft.com). There are helpful
text documents, tools to download, forums to get
help from other users, and you can even chat live
with Microsoft technicians.
Nicholas Odantzis Deputy editor
February
May 2013
2014 |
Help & Advice |
21
WINDOWS TIPS
INTERNET ADVICE
Welcome
Whether
youre stuck for
inspiration or
want to become
a master of your
Windows computer, our
Explore section is the place
to come. Each month we pack
it with tutorials covering a
range of subjects suitable for
all levels of expertise.
This month Christian shows
you how to control your PC
remotely using an iPad and
some clever software, Matt
helps you fix troublesome
hardware issues, and James
explains how to identify
programs that are hogging
your PCs resources.
Theres never been a better
time to see how your PC can
make your life easier than ever!
Nick Odantzis, deputy editor
nick.odantzis@futurenet.com
YOUR DISC SOFTWARE
)LVQ
24 Organise your schedule
with Remember the Milk
46 Free up storage
with WinDirStat
28 Access your Windows

PC from an iPad
48 Identify and repair

common hardware issues
32 Make your own

mobile app toolkit
52 Get started with

Amazon Cloud Player
36 Keep your files

in sync with Skydrive
54 Create a bootable
Windows 8.1 installation
38 Switch to a solid
state boot drive
56 Make a folder system

that works for you
42 Publish blog posts

with Live Writer
<L
1L3UV\
With Amazon Autorip,

you can purchase a
physical copy of an album
and have instant access
to it while you wait for
the CD to arrive
7WSDIP
Our promise to you

Get more from Windows, software and all your favourite sites
Packed with informative tutorials
Get more from your favourite websites
Every issue, we guarantee to pack the

magazine with great tutorials teaching
you all the best things you can do with your PC.
Each article features step-by-step instructions
to make learning new skills fast and enjoyable.
We all have our list of favourite sites

but often we miss out on great features
EHFDXVHWKH\UHGLIFXOWWRXVHRUKLGGHQIURP
sight. Well show you how to do more online,
for a more satisfying web life.
Customise Windows to work your way
Use our full software to try new things
We all know how to do the basics but

getting the most from Windows isnt
always easy. Our dedication to the operating
system means you get the very best tips and
tricks for all versions of Windows.
Our exclusive industry access enables us

to pack your free disc with full commercial
software. From speed-up and security software
to superb photo apps, theres always
something new to try on your PC.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
23
Organise your
schedule
<L&D(P(LV\
Peel those sticky notes off your monitor

Remember the Milk will make sure you
never forget another appointment.
At a glance
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
30
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
uthor Douglas Adams once

said: I love deadlines. I like
the whooshing sound they
make as they y by. If youre
anything like me, that particular
sound is like nails on a blackboard,
but thankfully theres a free online
service called Remember the Milk
that will help you silence it.
Remember the Milk can be as
simple or complex as you like. At its
most basic, you just type a list of
things you need to do and check
them o as you nish them, but there
are dozens of handy little tools at
your disposal if you want to delve a
little deeper. You can add a due date
and time, set a location, assign
priorities and sort all your tasks into
categories. Best of all, you can access
your to-do list anywhere via your
smartphone or tablet, and it all syncs
seamlessly with your Google or
Facebook calendar.
So what are you waiting for?
SKILL LEVEL
ADD A TASK
If theres something
you need to do, just
type it in here and
press [Enter]. If you
add a date and time,
it will be added to
your calendar
automatically.
Step-by-step Make a detailed to-do list
up
1 Sign
Open your web browser and go to www.rememberthemilk.
in with Facebook or Google

2 Sign
If youd rather use Remember the Milk with your Facebook
com. To make a new account, click Sign up at the top of the page
and enter your details, plus a username and password. The form
will tell you whether the username you have chosen is available.
Click Sign up and youll be sent an email to confirm your account.
Click the verification link in the email, and youre ready to start.
or Google account instead, click the relevant icon on the top right.
Youll be prompted to enter your username and password, then
agree to let Remember the Milk access your details. Signing up
this way has the advantage of automatically linking your Google
or Facebook calendar to Remember the Milk more on that later!
24
Explore
Organise your schedule
GET SORTED
These tabs let you organise your
to-do list into categories. You
can add more if you want, and
delete any that you dont need.
ADVANCED OPTIONS
The Settings link lets you
update your prole, set up lists
and tags, add reminders and
connect Remember the Milk to
your smartphone or tablet.
MORE INFO
When you click a task,
extra information will
appear in this panel,
such as the day its
due, where you need
to be, and the name
of anyone youve
shared it with.
YOUR TO-DO LIST

Tasks to be completed will
appear in this list. By default,
high priority tasks will be listed
rst, but you can also arrange
them by due date or name.
started
3 Get
Youll now see your to-do list. It looks pretty empty right
now the only task is Try out Remember the Milk. To mark that
task as finished, select the checkbox on the left, then click the
Complete button. The task will vanish from the list, and an
orange box will appear, offering you the chance to bring it back if
you didnt mean to remove it.
$76%673
,\HZQW
XJHVHD
50IP
DKWL59
a task
4 Make
There are various tabs to choose from Inbox, Personal,
Study, Work, Sent and All Tasks. These help you keep your list
organised. Lets start by making a task in the Personal category.
Type in something you need to do say, Buy birthday card and
press [Enter]. Click the task then look at the panel on the left.
Youll notice it has no due date, location or tags lets fix that!
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
25
a deadline
5 Set
You can add more detail to your tasks as you see fit. For
Smart Add shortcuts

6 Use
Smart Add is another handy way to add detail to your tasks.
example, if you select the Work tab and enter Business meeting
Friday, Remember the Milk will add the task Business meeting to
your list, and mark its due date as Friday. Similarly, if you enter
Business meeting Friday at 3pm, Remember the Milk will set the
time, too.
Click the Personal tab again and enter a task, then press the [^]
key before submitting it. A drop-down list will appear so you can
choose a deadline for the task. If you type an exclamation mark,
you can choose a priority level, from one to three. For a full list of
Smart Add shortcuts, visit the help page at http://bit.ly/1a4PYCu.
up locations
7 Set
Sometimes, you need to be reminded where youre meant
your tasks
8 Add
Now you know how to add tasks, enter all the things you
to be. Click the Location link and youll see a map. Type the name
of a place in the box on the top left, and a drop-down list will
appear. Select the correct place and a pin will appear on the map.
Click this and enter a name (such as Work). You can then use the
Smart Add shortcut [@] for tasks that take place there.
need to do and appointments you need to keep. Use the tabs to

arrange tasks into categories, and use Smart Add to include due
dates and other useful information. Once youve finished, click the
Overview link on the top right and youll see a quick list of all the
tasks that are due today and tomorrow, plus any that are overdue.
connected
9 Get
Click Settings and select the Services tab. Click Third-party
it off
10 Check
If you want to edit one of your tasks, click it once to select it,
services and youll see a list of ways to connect Remember the

Milk with your other accounts (such as Gmail, Twitter and
Evernote) and devices (including Apple and Android phones and
tablets). I recommend connecting your Gmail account, so tasks
are added to your Google calendar automatically.
26
then make the necessary changes in the grey box on the right.
You can also share a task with other people by clicking the More
actions drop-down menu. Once youve completed the task, just
check the Complete box, or select Postpone if, despite your best
efforts, you need another day to get it done. Q
Windows 7 Help & Advice is an internationally licensed title and is

exported to another 22 countries.
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Email: windowsmagazine@futurenet.com
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EDITORIAL
In the next issue..
Deputy editor Nick Odantzis

New media editor Jeremy Ford
ON SAL
Frida E
14 Febr y
uary
2014
ART/PRODUCTION
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Next issue on sale 14 February 2014
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February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
27
Access your Windows

PC from an iPad
<L&LVL+V\
Need to access your PC while away from home,

or help someone else with their PC? Call on
TeamViewer for speedy remote access.
At a glance
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
15
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
ost of us use cloud

computing services such
as Dropbox and Microsoft
Skydrive to sync les, but what if
youve forgotten to upload your work
to the cloud and the only way to get
that precious le from your PC is to
access it remotely? Dont worry with
the brilliant TeamViewer, you can
access your PC from anywhere with
an internet connection.
But what if you cant get to a
Windows PC? No matter, as long as
youve got the software installed on
your home PC, all you need is the
TeamViewer app for smartphones
and tablets! In this tutorial Im using
an iPad to get into a home PC.
TeamViewer on mobile devices
doesnt have quite as many features
as the desktop version, but its
been brilliantly designed to make
the most of gesture controls with a
virtual keyboard and mouse. Now
lets get going!
SKILL LEVEL
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QGZUGLZ
QU, HDKQ
WUDUXUV
Step-by-step Access your PC using TeamViewer for iPad
remote control
1 Allow
First, you need to set up TeamViewer on your PC. Install
the free version from this months disc, or grab it from www.
teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx. When you open it, the first screen
will show two tabs. On the Remote Control tab youll see that
youve been given an ID and a password (all in numbers). Youll
need these to log in with your iPad.
28
your iPad
2 Connect
To access your PC you have to enter the ID and password
on your iPad, so its important that you can remember them. You
can either hit the Refresh button to generate a new password,
or better still you can set a permanent one that youll remember.
Avoid writing down your password you dont want someone to
find it and access your PC without your permission.
Explore
Access your Windows PC from an iPad
touch controls
3 Master
As tablet control is very different from the traditional
keyboard and mouse, theres a special set of gesture controls that
you can use to make navigation easier on a touchscreen. Youre
introduced to them the first time you launch TeamViewer on the
iPad. Remember that to right-click an object, you need to tap it
and hold your finger there.
your options
5 Adjust
The main options menu is split into a few different
categories. At the top, the Online Settings section lets you adjust
your connection options vital if youre having problems linking
your iPad to your PC. Under the Control heading you can change
the image quality and screen resolution, as well as turn the
remote cursor on or off.
typing
7 Try
Tap the virtual keyboard option to bring up the iPads
standard on-screen keyboard. Youll see some extra options at the
top, including a handy Start button that provides quick access to
the Windows 7 Start menu. Youll also notice that theres another
keyboard symbol click this to open up a second, more detailed
keyboard for better input via the iPad.
the desktop
4 Explore
Youll now see your Windows 7 desktop displayed on your
iPad, adjusted so it fits perfectly to the iPads screen proportions.
You can call up a black bar at the bottom by pressing the
keyboard symbol, which provides you with access to further
useful options such as the on-screen keyboard, mouse cursor
options and the settings menu.
the wallpaper back

6 Get
When you first arrive on the Windows 7 desktop via the
iPad, your background will have been removed and replaced with
a black one by default. This is done to speed up performance
by removing what TeamViewer deems as unnecessary graphics.
If youd rather have it back, look under Advanced Settings and
select the option to reinstate your original wallpaper.
team viewing!
8 Enjoy
You can now use touchscreen gestures and keyboard
controls to operate your Windows machine remotely. The
TeamViewer console at the bottom can be hidden by clicking the
tab. Most options here are for PC-to-PC use only, so you wont
need them. To end a TeamViewer session, either tap the X on the
iPad apps menu bar or terminate in the Session list on your PC. Q
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
29
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February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
31
Make a mobile
app toolkit
<L1L3UV\
Keep all your apps and settings

together in a single folder for
convenient access across all your PCs.
At a glance
SKILL LEVEL
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
hour
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
ortable applications have

many advantages, the key
one being that theyre
contained within a single folder. That
means you can carry that folder with
you typically on a USB stick and
always have the program and your
carefully crafted settings to hand.
Portable apps can also be used to
keep your programs and settings in
sync across multiple PCs. Simply store
them using a cloud-based backup
and sync service such as SkyDrive,
Dropbox or SugarSync, and changes
you make on one PC will be pushed
to the others automatically.
A third benet to portable apps is
that they can survive a Windows
reinstallation. Simply restore your
portable apps folder, and all your
apps and preferences will be there,
ready to go. In this tutorial youll learn
how to create your ultimate portable
application toolkit so youll never be
without your favourite apps.
BACK IT UP If your portable

applications folder isnt stored in
the cloud (where its backed up
automatically), take the time to
back up either the entire folder
or just your app settings.
Step-by-step Create your own app toolkit
your drive
1 Prepare
Browse to the location where you plan to store your apps
Portableapps
2 Install
Next, install the PortableApps.com Platform tool from your
and their settings - either a USB flash drive for on-the-go access
from any PC, or a dedicated folder on a cloud storage service
(such as SkyDrive or Dropbox) if you want to sync between
specific computers. Make sure you have sufficient free space for
your desired apps up to 2GB may be required.
free disc. This makes it easy to add, launch and manage your
portable applications from a single location. Follow the
installation wizard, making sure you select the folder you created
in the previous step when prompted. Once finished, leave Launch
PortableApps.com Platform ticked and click Finish.
32
Explore
Make a mobile app toolkit
TWEAK APPEARANCE Click the
Options button to change how
the launcher looks and behaves.
Use the Themes tab to set the
colour scheme, and the Advanced
tab to customise other aspects.
Jargon buster!
PORTABLE DOCUMENTS
PortableApps Launcher also
creates a Documents folder
within your portable folder,
allowing you to easily store
documents on the move too.
Portable
application
Regular applications
store their settings in
various locations of
your PC, including
the Registry;
portable applications
ensure their settings
are stored within the
apps own folder.
ACCESS APPS The PortableApps

Launcher can display your apps
in a number of dierent ways.
To change how theyre shown,
click Options and select the
General tab.
MANAGE FREE SPACE

Its easy to build up a
large library of apps, so
use this bar to measure
how much free space is
left on your USB drive.
and install apps

3 Browse
After a short pause, the Portable App Directory window will
PortableApps
4 Access
PortableApps will download and install the selected apps
open, listing hundreds of apps divided into categories. Familiar

and unfamiliar apps, games and tools will appear in this list. Scroll
through the list, placing a tick next to those apps you wish to add
to your toolkit, taking note of the Install size of each. When youve
made your initial selection, click Next.
into a PortableApps directory inside the folder you created look

out for licence agreements that youll need to accept. Once
complete, open the PortableApps menu via its icon in the Taskbar
notification area (click the arrow if it is not immediately visible), or
by double-clicking the Start icon inside your portable folder.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
33
apps
5 Launching
The PortableApps Launcher which appears in the bottom
more apps
6 Find
Click the Apps button and select Get more apps to browse
right-hand corner of the screen looks and works in a similar way

to Windows own Start menu. By default apps are simply displayed
in alphabetical order, but if you click the All portable apps
shortcut at the bottom you can browse them by category instead.
Launching an app is as simple as clicking its entry in the list.
for and install new applications from the Portable App Directory.
You can browse the directory by category, title, release date or by
how recently apps were updated. This method can also be used to
check for updates to your collection of portable apps and to
install them manually.
apps from elsewhere

7 Install
Not all portable-friendly apps are found at PortableApps.
manually
8 Install
Other portable applications are provided as extractable
com check the websites of your favourite programs to see if

they provide portable builds. If the file is provided in the .paf or
.paf.exe format http://portablexapps.blogspot.co.uk is a source
of these save it to your hard drive, then open the PortableApps.
com Launcher and click Apps > Install a New App to install it.
installers or zip files. In either case, the trick is to extract their

contents into a dedicated folder inside the same PortableApps
folder that contains the apps installed by the Launcher. Once
done, open the Launcher and click the Apps button, then select
Refresh App Icons to create a shortcut to that app.
applications
9 Manage
Right-click an applications entry in the list to reveal more
options, such as uninstalling it, adding it to a list of favourites for
easier access, or running it with administrator privileges. If youve
just added a new application manually, you can rename it from
here if necessary, and file it into the correct category to help keep
your list of portable applications organised.
34
portable toolkit, complete

10 Your
There you have it all of your key apps are now available in
portable form. If youre using a cloud folder, youll find that your
apps and settings are automatically synced between all the PCs
connected to that folder, while your USB stick allows you to take
your apps with you on the road, plugging them into any PC for
access wherever you are. Q
Plus essential tips for

Windows 8, Vista & XP
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/HKW
Keep your files in

sync with SkyDrive
<L0:OVV\
I often need to jump from one computer to another.

5DWKHUWKDQXVLQJD86%GULYH,QGWKDW6N\'ULYHLVD
JUHDWZD\WRDFFHVVWKHOHV,QHHGRQDQ\3&
At a glance
SKILL LEVEL
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
30
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
wning a computer is no
longer considered a luxury.
In fact, many people or
households, at least have more than
one at their disposal. If youre one of
those people who often nd
themselves working with multiple
machines - perhaps a desktop and a
laptop, for example, or a couple of
desktops in dierent places - youll be
only too aware of the problem of
ensuring that you have access to the
les you need on the computer you
are using.
This is where SkyDrive is hugely
helpful. It makes it possible to
synchronise les between computers,
and it even gives you the option of
accessing them online. Its an
amazing way to ensure that you can
always work on your les no matter
which computer you end up using.
Read on to nd out how.
$.6%673
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KDGHQROZ
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UX6'EL
Step-by-step 6\QFKURQLVHILOHVZLWK6N\'ULYH
SkyDrive
1 Download
If you are using Windows 7, you will need to install a copy of
and get started

2 Install
Click Yes if a User Account Control dialog appears and wait
SkyDrive. Go to www.skydrive.com using Internet Explorer. You

will need to sign into your Microsoft account. At the bottom left
of the screen, click the Download button or the Get SkyDrive
applications link. Now click Download the desktop app and save
the setup file to your hard drive before starting the installation.
while the installation runs its course. Once this is complete, an

introductory screen will be displayed click Get started to
continue. So that your files can be synchronised, you will need to
sign into your Microsoft account, so enter your email address and
password before clicking the Sign in button.
36
Explore
Keep your files in sync with SkyDrive
your folder
3 Configure
Although SkyDrive stores your files online for easy access,
sync options
4 Set
The SkyDrive folder includes sub-folders for pictures,
they still need to be kept on your hard drive so you have a local
copy. By default, a folder will be created for this purpose in your
user folder, but you can click the Change button to choose a
different location. When you are happy with the folder thats
being used, click Next.
documents and shared files, all of which are synchronised by

default. If you are happy with this, just click Next. Alternatively,
select Choose folders to sync and tick the boxes next to the
folders to synchronise. Leave the box labelled Let me use
SkyDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC ticked and click Done.
files
5 Synchronising
The beauty of SkyDrive is that you really dont have to do
on the web
6 Access
As you save files to your SkyDrive folder on your computer,
anything. When you save a file that you want to access on other
computers, just make sure you save it to your SkyDrive folder. You
will need to install the SkyDrive software on other computers you
use. You can tell your files are synced by the appearance of a
green tick on folder icons.
they are automatically uploaded to the SkyDrive website. You can

view them online at www.skydrive.com, where you can also keep
an eye on the amount of online storage space thats available to
you. These files will be downloaded automatically to any other
computer with the SkyDrive application installed.
in Windows 8.1
7 SkyDrive
If you have upgraded your computer to Windows 8.1, you
will find that SkyDrive is now built in as standard there is no
need to install it separately. As well as integrating with Explorer
just as in Windows 7, there is also a dedicated Windows 8 app that
provides an extra means to access your files, but everything works
in much the same way.
easy access!
8 Enjoy
Thats all there is to it! Providing you remember to save your
files into the SkyDrive folder you need never think about moving
files from one computer to another it is all taken care of for you!
Some people worry that talk of working in the cloud is
complicated, but it makes everything so much easier when you
move between PCs. Give it a try for yourself and find out. Q
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
37
Switch to a solid
state boot drive
<L10V\
Installing a solid state boot drive is one of the best

ways to make your PC start faster, and making the
switch is much easier than you might expect.
At a glance
SKILL LEVEL
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
hour
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
ave you seen how cheap it is

to pick up a solid state drive
(SSD) today? If youre not
throwing solid state boot drives into
all your PCs then either youre not
saving enough of your hard-earned
pennies, or youre terried by the
prospect of reinstalling Windows.
Well, be terried no more Ill show
you the foolproof way to clone your
existing boot drive to a fresh new
solid state drive for free!
The new drive must be big enough
for all the data on the existing boot
partition (the part of your hard drive
needed for the operating system
to start). Its best if the new drive is
larger than the old one, but this isnt
essential; it just makes life easier.
This isnt a quick process if youre
lucky, and it all runs without a hitch,
it can take under an hour, but if there
are issues or errors, this can extend to
ve hours or more. Its not something
to try when youre in a rush.
Step-by-step Migrating to a new boot SSD
discs
1 Recovery
We usually find that the newly cloned drive needs to have
its bootloader (a small program that starts the operating system)
rebuilt. We recommend creating a Windows emergency recovery
disc (in Windows 8 its called a Recovery Drive). Open the Start
menu, type Create a system repair disc and select it. Youll need a
spare blank CD or DVD onto which you can burn this.
38
everything unwanted
2 Remove
If youre lucky youll have a solid state drive larger than the
one its replacing, but if your SSD is a bit tight for space, remove
any unnecessary programs to make room. You can also remove
the large hibernation file: open the Start Menu, type Command
right-click Command prompt, select Run as administrator, type
powercfg h off and press [Enter].
Explore
Install a solid state boot drive
partitions
3 Resize
Its possible to resize the existing boot drive. To do this,
right-click Computer and select Manage > Disk management.
Right-click on the boot partition that youre going to clone and
select Shrink volume. The Disk Management tool will calculate
the amount of space that can be removed. If system files are
causing issues, see step four.
sizing
4 Partition
If youre having issues freeing up enough space and
shrinking the partition down due to system files, then you can try
the EaseUS Partition Master software, which you can download
free from www.partition-tool.com. This will physically shift the
data to shrink the partition and its pretty bulletproof, but it will
require a reboot into its exclusive mode.
the drive
5 Connect
Were getting close to the copy session, so hook up the new
and copy
6 Select
Macrium Reflect is my favourite drive-copying tool, largely
drive on a spare SATA or eSATA connection (if youre not sure what
these are, check http://bit.ly/17co9Vj). This is easy on a desktop
PC, but for a laptop youll need to use a spare desktop machine
to handle the copying, or else use an external drive caddy. Ideally
this should be running over eSATA.
because it has a pretty interface and Im easily distracted, but also

because it plays very nicely with Windows. You can download it
free from www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx. Simply select the
boot drive and click the Clone this drive link that appears, select
the destination drive and itll do the rest.
it
7 Recover
Once Macrium Reflect has finished cloning the drive, power
reboot
8 And
Any recovery can be completed by the automatic system,
down your computer, disconnect the old boot drive, permanently

install the new one and boot. Whenever Ive run the clone process
Ive always been tripped up by something. Usually Windows will
get confused and want the bootloader to be rebuilt, so boot the
recovery disc and let it run.
and should only take a minute to finish. When its done, the
new boot drive will be ready to run. You shouldnt notice any
difference when your computer starts because it should run as
an identical system, although youll discover that its much faster
if youre upgrading to an SSD. Q
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
39
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Help & Advice |
41
Blog with
Live Writer
<L-H6WHV\
Ditch those awful web forms

and publish straight from your
Windows desktop.
At a glance
SKILL LEVEL
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
30
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
logging may have been

the technology buzzword
of 2008, but its still going
strong. Its a fantastic way to express
yourself, and it doesnt matter if you
only get a few visitors; blogging is
about reaching out and sharing ideas
with like-minded people. Whether
youre writing about classic cars,
cooking, shing or something else,
starting a blog is a great way to get
more from your hobbies.
The trouble is that most platforms
use long and complicated web forms
for uploading your blog entries to the
site, which can be time-consuming
when you want to publish something
in a hurry. Thats where Windows Live
Writer comes in. This handy Windows
Live app lets you write your blog in
a familiar-looking interface, so any
Oce veteran will be right at home.
Lets get started with Windows
Live Writer, and nd out how to start
blogging the easy way.
PUBLISH
Hitting the Publish button will make
your post live, but you can schedule
it to appear later by setting a date
and time at the right of the toolbar.
PICTURE SIZE
Once youve added a picture using
the toolbar button, it is dropped into
the page. You can then drag it
around and change its size.
Step-by-step Publish posts in moments
Live Writer
1 Install
Go to http://bit.ly/10iWHFw and click the green Download
your service
2 Choose
Windows Live Writer is a tool that makes it easier to write
now button. This will open the Windows Live installer, which you
can use to install Live Writer, along with a selection of other apps
from Microsoft. There are lots of great tools and its well worth
having a look through them. We particularly recommend the Mail
and Photo Gallery apps.
blog posts, not a blogging service itself, so youll need an account

with one of the main blogging services, such as Blogger or
WordPress. If you already have a blog, choose your service from
the list provided. If you dont have one yet, thats fine choose
Start a new blog and click Next.
42
Explore
Blog with Windows Live Writer
LINKS
Links are essential in blogs, so try to
include plenty. They help to improve
your blogs ranking in Google, and make
online connections with other bloggers.
Jargon buster!
Blog
Short for weblog,
blog describes a
website that shows
the most recently
added thing rst
whenever you post
a new article, it
appears at the top
of the site.
SPELLING
Dont publish a post thats full of
typos. Before you press the Publish
button, make sure you click Spelling
to check what youve written.
Hyperlink
A link, usually taking
the form of a piece
of text or an image
that can be clicked
on, that takes you to
another document
or a web page.
DRAFT
If you start writing a
blog post, but then
realise youd like to
nish it later, just
click Draft. This
means you wont
lose your formatting
work, and you can
pick it up again later.
the press
3 Start
Microsoft has partnered with WordPress for its preferred
platform. If youre happy to use it, youll be guided through the
signup process, which lets you register your blogs name. Simply
complete the basic form and youre sorted. If youd rather use a
different blogging service, youll have to visit its website and sign
up there, then return to step two and choose it.
a template
4 Pick
All your settings will now be imported into Windows Live
Writer, which may take a few minutes. Once all the templates have
been set up, youll be asked to give your blog a name and save it
into your Windows Live Writer profile. This enables you to blog to
multiple platforms straight from Windows Live Writer, which is
perfect if youre a new media guru.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
43
your bearings
5 Get
Press Next and your blog will load in Windows Live Writer.
a post
6 Write
Add a headline for your blog in the top box, then type the
Unlike a normal web page, the Writer interface is all about adding
content quickly and easily. Windows Live Writer will immediately
prompt you to start a new blog post, which is a good way to
begin. Dont worry about introductions just think of your best
idea and get straight to the point.
content for your blog post into the main pane below. When youre
done, dont hit Publish straight away youve only just started!
Its time for some fine-tuning. You can change the font, size and
colour of your text or just portions of it using the top bar, just
like you would in Microsoft Word.
some colour
7 Add
Text alone doesnt make a great blog post, so add some
links and pictures too. To add a link, highlight some words, then
click Hyperlink and paste in the address of a web page. Pictures
are even easier. Just click Picture and choose an image from your
hard drive. You can then drag it around the page, and alter its size
by dragging out the corners.
your posts
9 Tag
Tags are a very important part of any blog; as well as
helping people to find interesting posts that youve written,
search engines such as Google will use them too. Try to add about
three single-word tags to every post. You can enter them in the
Live Writer toolbar. Youll naturally write about some topics more
than others, so dont worry about using the same ones every time.
44
it
8 Catalogue
Your blog may cover a range of topics after all, who wants
to write about the same thing all the time? Categories help you
organise your posts, and Live Writer makes it easy to create them
and assign them to posts. Hit the Category drop-down menu at
the top, type in a subject and click Add. Once youve entered a
category, it is saved to reuse later.
your work
10 Publish
When youre happy with your blog post, select Publish
and it will be uploaded straight away. Alternatively, you can
schedule the publication date by clicking Set post date in the top
right, then changing the date and time before hitting Publish.
Well done! Your blog is now up and running, so its just a case of
keeping it updated regularly. Q
31
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Target and destroy

storage hogs
<L-H6WHV\
Working out whats taking up all your

PCs hard drive space can be frustrating,
but not if you use WinDirStat.
At a glance
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
30
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
eve all had that feeling.

When you bought your PC,
you had half a terabyte of
storage spare a void of space that
you never imagined could be lled.
However, four years later, things are
slowing down and Windows is telling
you to free up some space. What
can possibly be clogging up that
much of your hard drive?
WinDirStat is an easy-to-use tool
that scans your drive to provide
an exact map of whats using every
byte of it. By studying this map,
you can nd out whats taking more
than its fair share of space, then make
informed decisions about what
programs and les you should
archive, what you should keep
on your PC and what should be
banished into the digital ether.
Read on to nd out how to install
and use WinDirStat in eight simple
steps. Your drive will be clean and
tidy in no time!
SKILL LEVEL
066%673
'QZQHHW
5H\% 'H
HL(UDU
KWUDL
Step-by-step Clean up your hard drive
1 Install
Get WinDirStat from your free disc, or download it from
2 Scan
The first thing youll notice when you open WinDirStat is
www.fosshub.com. Run the installer, follow the steps to install

the tool on your PC, and choose to run the WinDirStat when
prompted. Its not a program youll likely use often, so theres
no need to have it pinned to your Windows 7 Taskbar or give it
pride of place on your desktop.
its simple interface, which makes it very easy to use. First, the
program asks you which of your drives to scan. The dialog box
will list all of your drives, so just choose your main hard drive and
press Scan. Most main drives will be listed as C, but if you have a
different letter assigned, choose that.
46
Explore
Target and destroy storage hogs
the picture
3 Get
Now is the time to get yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit,
and let WinDirStat do its thing. The program will analyse all the
folders on your computer, which can take some time. You can sit
and watch the animation as it works through your system if you
want, but its not necessary. The whole thing generally takes
around five minutes to complete.
a block
5 Click
Each block on the map represents a group of files, so
the bigger the blocks, the larger the group of files cluttering
your hard drive. These big blocks are the ones you should start
investigating first. Click one of these to identify it in the key in
the right-hand pane. This helps you to identify the biggest
clusters of non-essential files.
7 Delete
If youre sure that a cluster is just wasted space or youve
archived its contents on an external hard drive WinDirStat can
remove it from your computer. Click the offending cluster to
highlight it, then choose Clean Up > Delete. You can either opt to
send it to the Recycle Bin, or have it immediately and irreversibly
deleted. Be careful with the latter option!
your folders
4 Explore
Once WinDirStat has trawled through your system, an
impressive map of all of your files will appear in the bottom of the
window. Looking at your system in this way can be overwhelming,
and unhelpful, but its easy to drill down. Use the folder tree in the
top-left pane to delve deeper into your system and, more usefully,
to explore precise areas of your drive.
in depth
6 Explore
Unfortunately the key is rather vague, so a big cluster
labelled JPEG image could mean a lot of things. Luckily,
WinDirStat makes it easy to find out what these big clusters are.
Right-click any square on the map and choose Explore here. This
opens Windows Explorer for you to have a nose around and see
exactly what is taking up all that precious hard drive space.
where to back up to
8 Select
Congratulations! Youve identified and decimated the
storage hogs on your hard drive, leaving you with plenty of space
for new files and programs. Remember that its highly advisable
to defragment your drive after cleaning up your system to gain
the full effects of your optimisation work, or all your diligent
space-saving will be less effective than it should. Q
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
47
Fix hardware
problems
<L0+QVV\
Most of us have encountered a hardware

problem, but Windows will help you identify
and correct them quickly and easily.
At a glance
SKILL LEVEL
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
30
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
ne of the most amazing

things about PCs is that they
come in all shapes and sizes,
from slender Windows 8 tablets to
portable and powerful laptops, all
the way up to hand-built gaming
PCs packed with the most powerful
components known to man. The
huge variety is fantastic, but it also
means that we sometimes come
across hardware problems. There are
so many possible combinations of
parts from dozens of manufacturers,
sometimes they can have trouble
talking to one another.
This can be frustrating and its not
always obvious where the problem
lies, but dont worry there are a
number of tools built into Windows
that will let you nd out whats gone
wrong quickly and easily, and help
you x or replace any problem parts.
Ill show you how to use them, and
suggest some common problems
and solutions. Lets get going!
CONFIGURE A DEVICE
Click this option to get
Windows to scan for
hardware problems
and attempt to x
them automatically.
TROUBLESHOOT AUDIO PLAYBACK

If youre having trouble hearing
sounds through your speakers or
headphones, run this troubleshooter
to nd out what the problem is.
Step-by-step Identify and resolve hardware issues
Device Manager
1 Open
If your computer has started to act a bit strangely recently,
the first thing to do is see what might be causing the problem.
As long as Windows will start correctly, you can check out the
Device Manager by pressing [Windows]+[R] on your keyboard
and typing mmc devmgmt.msc. You can also open Device
Manager through Windows Control Panel.
48
your devices
2 View
Device Manager lists all the hardware and components that
are currently installed. If there are any problems a yellow or red
icon appears by the device, letting you know something is up.
Right-click on a device and select Properties. Under Device status
youll see a notification telling you whether the device is working
properly, and if not, what the problem might be.
Explore
Fix hardware problems
Jargon buster!
SEARCH BOX
Use this to nd what youre
looking for faster. From the
main Control Panel window,
type troubleshooting into the
search box to see this window.
Control Panel
A part of Windows
that contains lots of
useful and powerful
tools. In Windows XP,
Vista and 7 you can
get to it by clicking
the Start menu, and
selecting Control
Panel. In Windows 8,
go to the desktop
and bring up the
Charms bar, then
select Settings >
Control Panel. You
can also type control
panel into the Start
search bar.
Troubleshooter
A step-by-step guide
that takes you
through the process
of identifying and
xing any problems.
RAM
This stands for
random-access
memory, and is an
essential part of
modern computers.
It lets Windows
access stored
information quickly,
and the more RAM
you have, the more
data your PC can
use quickly.
FIX PROBLEMS WITH

WINDOWS UPDATE
Although Windows Update deals
mainly with software, its worth
checking there were no Windows
Update problems, as they can
occasionally aect hardware.
update your drivers

3 Automatically
Faulty drivers are the source of many hardware problems,
but you can easily update them from the Device Manager.
Right-click on a device then select Update driver software. First,
try Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows
will check your computer and online for the best drivers, and
install them automatically. If that doesnt work, try the next step.
your drivers manually

4 Update
You can also install drivers manually. If your device came
with a DVD containing drivers, insert that. You should also check
the manufacturer's website to see if there is a new driver available
to download. Once done, go back to the Update Driver Software
page and select 'Browse my computer for driver software'. Click
'Browse', then select your DVD drive or your Downloads folder.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
49
the troubleshooter
5 Open
Another way to find solutions to hardware problems is
to use the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter. Open up the
Control Panel, then in the search box in the top-right hand corner
of the window type troubleshooter and press [Enter] on your
keyboard. Under Troubleshooting click Find and fix problems,
then select Configure a device.
memory problems
7 Solve
If something is wrong with its RAM, your PC can be plagued
with problems. You can identify and fix these issues by opening
the Control Panel and typing memory into the search box. Under
Administrative tools, select Diagnose your computers memory
problems. You can either restart Windows now and check for
problems, or have it check next time you start your computer.
serious issues
9 More
Sometimes a hardware problem is so severe that Windows
wont start. When you turn on your PC, a long beep or a series of
short beeps can inform you what is wrong. For example, one long
beep tells you that the graphics card is not powered properly.
It varies from manufacturers, so you may need to search the
internet, or take it to a store to be fixed.
50
the steps
6 Follow
With the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter open,
click Next to begin. Windows will now scan your system and
attempt to fix any problems it finds. When it does, youll see a
list of changes it has made, and you should be able to continue
working. You can also select Explore additional options or View
detailed information for more clues about what has gone wrong.
your network adapter

8 Fix
Cant connect to the internet? Unplug your modem from
the power supply, wait 20 seconds, then plug it back in. Once
it has restarted, try connecting again. If that doesnt help, type
network in the Start menu (or the Start screen in Windows 8).
Click Network > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter
settings. Right-click your network connection and click Diagnose.
tips
10 Troubleshooting
Following these steps you should now be able to fix any
hardware problems you encounter. Start with the most obvious
problem, such as a driver error, then work your way through each
step. Youll hopefully hit the solution as you go. Unfortunately,
some serious problems may require the help of a professional to
either fix or replace the faulty hardware. Q
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Turn your existing

CDs into digital music
<L1L3UV\
Discover how to easily play

and download tracks youve
purchased on Amazon
At a glance
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
15
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
mazons Cloud Music service

gives you access to more
than MP3 music downloads
youve purchased through Amazon. It
also includes digital versions of many
CDs and vinyl records you may have
purchased through Amazon over the
years too. Thanks to the new AutoRip
feature, you can purchase a physical
copy of music and have instant access
to the tunes via Amazons Cloud
Player while you wait for the CD or
record to arrive. The music comes in
256Kbps MP3 format, which can be
played back on many music players.
Although you can access your
digital music collection through a
web browser, a far better way to
manage and play your Amazonhosted music collection is with the
dedicated Amazon Cloud Player
application for Windows. Its simple
to set up and use in this tutorial
well show you everything you need
to know.
SKILL LEVEL
,.6%673
,HWQJL$XWPDLF
GORD$P]3
6WUKDHWV
XUKDHW\3&
Step-by-step Play and manage your Amazon Cloud Music
install and sign in

1 Download,
Go to www.amazon.co.uk/cloudplayer, click Get started
and play local music

2 Browse
At the top left of the app, click Computer to see the music
and sign in with your Amazon account. If youve used Cloud

Player with an Amazon.com account, follow the prompts to
switch to using the UK version. At the top of the next page,
click the link to download and install the Cloud Player app for
Windows. Open the app and sign in using your Amazon account.
stored locally in your Windows Media Player and iTunes libraries.

Amazons player works in a similar way to those apps view your
music in different ways using the controls at the top, and click an
album cover to browse its tracks and play them. Create playlists
by dragging tracks into the Playlists pane on the right.
52
Explore
Get started with Amazon Cloud Player
Jargon buster!
Adobe Flash
This means of
delivering interactive
content, such as
games, video and
applications, is built
into some browsers,
but for others it must
be installed as a
standalone plug-in.
Cloud Music
3 Access
If youve already purchased MP3 downloads
to PC
4 Download
You need to be online to access your cloud-
from Amazon or purchased CDs or vinyl that are

covered by Amazons new AutoRip feature switch
to Cloud view by clicking the button at the top left.
Browsing and listening to your online music works
identically to the previous step.
based purchases, but you can download them to

your local library to play when youre offline. Either
drag individual tracks into the Download pane on
the right, or right-click an artist, album or track and
choose Download to add it to the queue.
AutoRip
The process whereby
digital copies of
selected physical CD
or vinyl record
albums are added
automatically to your
Amazon Cloud Player
account after you
purchase them
through Amazon.
music
6 Upload
to the cloud
You can store up to 250
music tracks online for free
with your Amazon Cloud
Player account, and at the
time of writing the Cloud
Player Premium service
which stores up to 250,000
tracks is free for a year.
You cant upload directly
from the app, though. Click
the icon at the top left of
the app and choose Import
Music to Cloud Library.
Youll be taken to the
Amazon website. Sign in
with your Amazon account
when prompted.
more music
5 Buy
Click Store at the top right to browse the
Amazon MP3 Store within Amazon Cloud Player.
Click an album to reveal its tracklisting, or use the
search box to find a favourite artist. Highlight a
song and click the play button for a 30-second
preview, or click the price tag to purchase it.
music
7 Import
At the top left, click Import your music to select and upload
anywhere
8 Listen
Amazon will attempt to match your chosen tracks with its
songs from your computer. If prompted to install or enable Adobe

Flash or AIR, follow the prompts to do so. Launch the Amazon
Music Importer, then authorise your computer as one of your 10
permitted devices. Click Start scan and let it finish, then choose
which detected songs to upload and click Import selected.
own library for speed, only unknown or unsupported tracks

need to be uploaded. When finished, your tracks are accessible
from the Cloud tab in Amazon Cloud Player, accessible on all of
your authorised devices including phones and tablets and
space can be freed on your computer. Its a win-win. Q
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
53
Upgrade multiple
PCs to Windows 8.1
<L$O'[V\
The way Microsoft delivers the Windows 8.1 update

is awkward for updating more than one PC. Heres a
great way to make a bootable USB installation.
At a glance
SKILL LEVEL
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
45
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
fter a prolonged preview

period, Microsoft has nally
unleashed its muchanticipated update to the latest
version of Windows on the world.
Right from the o there have been
issues with it on Windows RT systems,
resulting in the update application
being removed from the store on
Microsofts tablets.
There are no such problems on the
PC, beyond a few hiccups with USB
devices slowing down the update
process. However, as the update is
primarily available from the Windows
Store, updating multiple machines is
a bit of a pain. As it stands, if you
want to install Windows 8.1 on a new
build, or reinstall Windows from
scratch on your existing PC, youre
looking at a lengthy process of
installing Windows 8 rst, patching it,
then installing Windows 8.1.
When you also consider that
people who took part in the
Windows 8.1 preview period cant
update their machines to the nal
version directly, you start to wonder
what Microsoft is really playing at.
If you nd yourself in such a
situation, in theory you can refresh
back to the vanilla version of
Windows 8, then update from there.
Alternatively, you can follow this
tutorial to create a USB stick that has
GET UPDATED The Windows Store is a poor option for updating multiple PCs
54
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:HFQXJQ
%LHRK
\ERUQPXW
SGDZIDV
all your update

needs answered.
Theres a problem
though, and that is in
order to download
the Windows 8.1 installation, you
need a Windows 8.1 product key,
which no one currently has. Luckily
there is a solution, but its a little
ddly: you must start the installation
process for Windows 8, close it, then
start the Windows 8.1 install assistant.
Once you have updated your
machines there should be no
complex tweaking to do; it should
just be business as usual. However,
we would recommend downloading
and updating your graphics drivers,
as there have been problems gaming
with older drivers, and you dont
want to settle for using those that
Microsoft provides with Windows 8.1
if youre looking to play games.
Explore
Upgrade multiple PCs to Windows 8.1
Step-by-step Update to Windows 8.1 with ease
your key
1 Find
Start by locating your Windows 8 key, as youll need it
plan B
2 Or
If youre still drawing a blank, you need to grab a neat little
during installation. If youve bought a machine that comes

pre-installed with Windows 8, you should find the key on a sticker
on your case. Otherwise, system builders sometimes stick it to a
piece of card and hide it with your motherboard manual.
app called Belarc Advisor from www.belarc.com/free_download.

html. Run it to perform a scan of your system which builds a
profile page that includes your Windows 8 product key. Dont
worry: this isnt uploaded anywhere its for your eyes only.
start
3 False
Now start the process of grabbing the Windows 8.1 ISO. Visit
again
4 Back
Return to the Windows Upgrade website and click the link
http://bit.ly/SCANcl and click on Install Windows 8 (dont click

Install Windows 8.1). This will start the installer assistant. Enter
your product key and select Install by creating media. Once it
starts downloading, immediately close the installer.
labelled Install Windows 8.1 to launch the newer install assistant.

Again, click the Install by creating media option, but this time
dont cancel it. This option enables you to create an installation
using a USB stick or a DVD.
wisely
5 Choose
We recommend going for a USB installation here, simply
multiple machines
6 Update
If you need to update several machines, its a good idea to
because it gives you the most options (you can upgrade machines
that dont have an optical drive), and its much quicker than
installing from spinning media. Youll need a USB stick with at
least 3GB of space available. It will take a while to create the
image on the drive (depending on your connection).
change the way the installer works so that it asks for the product
key after installation. To do this, create a new file in the Sources
folder called ei.cfg and enter the details shown in the screenshot
above. Save the changes onto your USB stick and youre ready to
start installing the update onto your machines. Q
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
55
Master folders
in minutes
<L-H6WHV\
Windows is the most customisable

OS in the world, and you can even
tweak the folders to work your way.
At a glance
Anyone can do it
Straightforward
Tricky in parts
TIME TAKEN
15
minutes
SUITABLE FOR
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
our folders are the backbone

of Windows, and theyre
one of the most frequently
used elements of your computer.
Folders contain your documents,
music, videos, photos and other les,
and most people use them every
days without even thinking about it.
What most people dont realise
is that these folders can be subtly
customised to the way you work, so
its easier to nd the les you need.
You can change the way the les
are displayed, add special preview
functionality so you dont need to
open les to nd out what they
contain, and even change the way
Windows performs searches, so you
can nd what you need faster.
As youre about to discover,
anythings possible with Windows 7,
and changing just a few simple
settings can save you time every day.
Read on to nd out how you can start
making Windows work your way.
SKILL LEVEL
GET ORGANISED You can

ne-tune the folder settings
with the Organize menu,
which youll nd in the
toolbar. This enables you to
dig deep into the settings and
make changes to the way
Windows searches the folder,
and how you navigate around
your computer.
Step-by-step Use Windows faster than ever before
a folder
1 Open
To begin making the folder system on your Windows 7
PC work your way, you need to open one up and get started.
For the purpose of this tutorial, were going to be focusing on
the Documents folder, but you can make changes to any of the
folders and libraries in Windows 7. You can access the Documents
folder through the Start menu.
56
a new perspective
2 Get
The first change you can make to your Windows folders is
to adjust the way you see their icons. By default, document files
(including text documents and spreadsheets) are represented by
a small icon, and pictures with a thumbnail of the image. If you
want to change the way they appear, you can do so by clicking
the drop-down menu on the toolbar.
Explore
Master folders in minutes
EXTRA INFO By default, your
folders show les as icons,
and pictures as thumbnails.
If youd rather have more
information about your les,
you can change to Detail
mode, which gives
information such as when
les were last modied.
Jargon buster!
CHANGE VIEW This button

reveals a slider, which
you can use to adjust the
way icons appear in the
folder window. Move the
slider up to make the icons
bigger, and down to turn
them into lists.
Libraries
Single folders that
pull in content
from all over your
computer. You can
use your Documents
library as a central
place to access les,
even if theyre stored
somewhere else.
Natural language
Technology that lets
you use real-world
terminology to
search, such as last
week instead of
numeric date ranges.
Preview
A quick look at a le
before you open it.
Perfect when youre
hunting for a certain
le, but dont want
to open it to nd
out if you have the
right version.
PREVIEW PANE This area to

the right of the folder enables
you to preview les with a
single click. Just click once on
an icon and a large thumbnail
appears here.
more details
3 See
When you click the drop-down menu, a slider appears next
to a range of options. As you raise the slider, the icons in your
folder will become bigger. If you go to Details, youll see a list of
your files along with various bits of information, such as the date
they were modified and the file type. This can be really handy
if youre looking for something specific.
a preview pane
4 Add
You can change the behaviour of the folders in Windows 7
at the click of a button, so they suit the way you work. The Preview
pane button on the toolbar toggles an area of the screen to the
right, so you can view documents, and even play snippets of
audio files to make sure youve got the right one without having
to load the whole file.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
57
your options
5 See
If you want to fine-tune your folder settings even further,
you need to access the Folder options. Dont worry though
theyre easy to get into and straightforward to use. In a folder
window, select the Organize menu button, and a drop-down
list will appear. Choose Folder and search options, and youll be
taken to a new list of settings.
single clicks
7 Try
Some people prefer to use a single-click to open folders,
rather than a double-click. If youre one of them, youll be pleased
to hear that theres a setting that lets you do precisely that in the
Folder Options menu. Check the Single-click to open an item box,
and you can change the way files behave to something that
makes it easier for you to work.
files faster
9 Find
Once youve activated Natural Language, you can use
normal conversational phrases such as pictures from January or
documents this week to search your folders, which makes life a
lot easier. You can perform these searches from the Start menu,
or the search box, which youll find located in the top right-hand
corner of each folder.
58
in a new window
6 Open
As soon as you open the settings menu, youll find yourself
presented with two really useful options. The first is the ability
to change the way folders behave as you browse through them.
By default, when you browse folders, they open in the same
window, but check the Open each folder in its own window
option and each one will open in its own pane.
naturally
8 Search
Windows Explorers Natural Language option enables
you to search your folders using real terms rather than having to
remember complex search commands. Its much simpler to use
and understand, but its not switched on by default. You can turn
it on using the option in the Search tab; just tick the box labelled
Turn on Natural Language.
and experiment
10 Explore
Youve now set up your folders so theyre easier to use
than ever before. Having options such as the preview pane and
Natural Language search really make Windows 7 stand out from
the crowd, and show how easy it is to customise your computer
to work your way. Its worth taking a little time to explore all the
options and discover which are best for you. Q
SERIOUS ABOUT
HARDWARE?
NOW
ON APPLE
NEWSSTAND
Download the
day they go
on sale in the
UK!
PERFORMANCE ADVICE
FOR SERIOUS GAMERS
ON SALE EVERY MONTH
Stay
safe
online
Secure your online accounts, your network
and yourself with our complete guide to
identifying and avoiding potential threats
eve all learned to

think before we
click. Will we really
end up where URL
implies? Does that
address look a bit
shy? Is this form
safe to complete?
Theyre all questions weve become
accustomed to asking whenever were
browsing the web, checking our mail or
scrolling through a column of tweets. Yet
the threats we face in our daily online lives
are many and varied, and its easy for one
or two to pass beneath the radar.
As the worlds most widely used desktop
operating system, every new version of
Windows has seen massive improvements
where security is concerned, much of
it built in at the core. At the same time,
add-ons like Microsoft Security Essentials,
phishing detection for Internet Explorer
and an improved permissions system that
alerts you whenever a download is trying
to execute a potentially harmful action on
your PC have done much to ameliorate the
60
most potent dangers. Even so, theres still

more you can do to keep yourself safe.
Over the next 11 pages well explain the
risks that we all face, whether through our
browsers, inboxes or messaging clients.
Well reveal the true scale of international
phishing, what proportion of global email
trac is made up of spam, and the clever
ways in which social networking can be used
to make you click a false link. Well explain
how to verify whether an email really is from
the sender it claims, identify when the site
you think youre browsing is actually hosted
on an unfriendly third-party server, and
show you how to enable two-step
authentication to protect your most
sensitive data and online accounts.
Some of the steps well be taking will
require that you re-think the way you work
and play online, but none of them need any
third-party software or tools. They wont
cost you a penny, either, but in the long run
they could save you pounds by protecting
your most sensitive data and, in the process,
repay the eort of putting them into
practice many times over.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
61
Phishing has a hook and a bait often a large

sum of money. Trouble is, youre the prey
eve all seen them, and

weve all probably
received one. The
so-called 419 scam
named after the article of
the Nigerian penal code that deals with
fraud is perhaps the most infamous of
all phishing scams. It oers the recipient
untold wealth, if only theyd allow an even
larger sum of money to rest in their bank
account temporarily on its route out of a
distant nation oh, and of course, to wire
over a small amount to cover the senders
expenses. It might sound tempting, but
the reality is that no one, not even a
desperate prince, is going to give you
money for nothing.
PhishTank, a collaborative clearing
house for information about phishing on
the internet operated by OpenDNS, had
registered 1,198,703 veried phishing sites
at the time of writing, of which 12,143
were still active. Google is going one step
further and actively agging suspected
phishing sites in users browsers. Were
currently agging up to 10,000 sites a
day, wrote Lucas Ballard, Google
Software Engineer in June 2013, and
because we share this technology with
other browsers, there are about 1 billion

users we can help keep safe.
We still cant aord to be complacent,
though. Figures released by RSAs
Anti-Fraud Command Centre indicated
that in 2012, the UK was the number one
victim of phishing scams, with losses of
over 405m from close to 250,000
individual attacks. That was an increase
over the previous year, in a period when
gures for Canada and the US declined.
Far from the real deal

Increased public awareness means that
phishers have to resort to subtlety.
As recently as May 2013, the US Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) was posting
advisories to its website warning
American taxpayers that scammers,
passing themselves o as the IRS were
hooking recipients with phony tax cuts
and rebates. IRS Commissioner Doug
Shulman called it a disgraceful eort by
scam artists to take advantage of people
by giving them false hopes of a
nonexistent refund.
Its UK equivalent, HMRC, maintains an
extensive list of spoofed email addresses
frequently used by phishing operatives
NAMED AND SHAMED HMRC, like many other ocial organisations, maintains a list of addresses
scammers have used to contact potential victims. Find it at www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/examples.htm
62
making similar claims over here, with such

likely candidates as service@, secure@ and
customs@hmrc.gov.uk all in circulation
and all fraudulent. Bookmark http://
hmrc.gov.uk/security/examples.htm, and
check that any addresses that you might
receive future emails from HMRC dont
appear on its updated list.
Phishers often go to great lengths to
make their emails look like the real deal.
Dont be fooled into thinking that just
because an email includes logos from
HMRC, your bank or PayPal that its been
anywhere near those organisations
servers. Watch out for clues, like spelling
WHAT TO LOOK FOR This email is well put together but

the use of the phrase we advice you is a big giveaway
LOOK CLOSER Just because this email appears to

carry an ocial logo doesnt make it genuine. In
actual fact, apart from the matching colours its
quite dissimilar to the genuine USPS mark
mistakes or grammatical errors that would

less likely be made by a native speaker, as
these too could indicate that the message
might have originated from overseas.
Be wary of emails that are too familiar
(tax authorities and credit card companies
are unlikely to open an email with
Greetings or sign o with God bless),
or which ask for too much information.
Online banks will never ask you to provide
your password or username, sensitive
data such as maiden names or other login
credentials. They usually conne sensitive
communications to secure messaging
areas within the account management
screens that can only be accessed after

logging in with a username and password,
so dont trust emails that appear to
include a lot of sensitive nancial data.
Be wary of emails purporting to come
from your bank that incites you to click
a link to access its site; phishers use this
tactic to present an apparently genuine
login page, which they use to harvest your
access credentials. Even if you believe the
email is genuine, open a new browser
window, type your banks URL and follow
the links to nd the page you need.
Not all phishing scams immediately
look like theyre after money or credit card
details some are simply designed to win
your custom without you realising that
youre leaving an existing supplier. Less
reputable domain registration agents are
among those who might write to the
owners of domains approaching expiry,
inducing them to click a link and renew
their online property. Rarely do they
explain in anything but the smallest print
that doing so will shift the domain away
from your original registrar to themselves,
leaving them free to apply new terms and
conditions and potentially charge a higher
price, either immediately or in the future.
It can take up to a month to transfer a
domain from one registrar to another, so
be suspicious of emails of this type that
arrive well in advance of your current
registration period expiring its a sign
that youre not dealing with your existing
host. If in doubt, log in to the domain
management system of your existing
provider and renew your domain there.
:KDW
G[
irst of all, dont even think about

clicking any links in a scam or
phishing email. Thats the golden
rule. Then, wherever possible, you should
report it to any aected parties and in
particular any organisations that its
senders may be attempting to spoof.
We live in a world now where most banks
and other nancial institutions have
dedicated email addresses to which you
can report phishing scams (for HMRC, for
example, its phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk).
Type the organisations name followed
by phishing into Google, and the result
youre looking for will almost always
be in the top spot. Forward the email
in its entirety to the reporting address
complete with its full headers, because
these show the route that the message
took to reach you, which can be useful
digital forensic evidence. Most email
clients suppress these for clarity by
default, but you can usually expose
them by clicking a small arrow near the
subject line of the email.
Usefully, you can report phishing and
spam emails directly in Gmail by picking
those options from the Reply menu
attached to each message.
UNCOVER THE TRUTH Hovering over the link in this email reveals that it doesnt lead to UPS at all.
Be particularly careful of any embedded links in emails from senders you dont trust
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
63
Even apparently benign data is a valuable resource to identity thieves
ed like to think that

common sense kicks in
when it comes to making
personal information
public knowledge online,
such as never giving out any of your
accounts password after all, you
wouldnt divulge the code for your house
alarm or allow a stranger to cut a copy of
your door key now, would you? However,
there is plenty of other information about
you that, although it might appear totally
benign to the innocent eye, should be
treated with just as equal caution.
Many sites use specic personal
information combined with a password to
verify your ID. That means personal data
such as your mothers maiden name or
your favourite colour could be far more
valuable than you think. As well see later,
pets names and favourite holiday
destinations are also commonly used as
passwords, so be careful when uploading
pictures of either of these to social
networks and certainly think twice

before adding tags or captions that could
give the game away to prying eyes.
Treat them with equal caution when
using them in social media apps, like
those that work out things like your
pornstar name, for example (by
combining the name of your rst pet with
your mothers maiden name). While Fluy
Cleghorn might make for a hilarious wall
post, its also gold dust to the potential
identity thief wholl do more than just
Like it. Armed with this information, they
can click the forgotten password link on
a webmail service and use it to prove that
theyre you and reset your password. After
all, who else would know that thats what
you called your rst rabbit?
Selling an old device

Dont fall into the trap of unwittingly
passing on personal information when
selling or scrapping an old computer,
phone or tablet. Format your PCs hard
drive, or if youre scrapping the device,

remove and destroy the drive separately.
Make sure all accounts are removed from
mobile phones and tablets, and that
wherever possible theyre returned to
their factory state. On an iPhone, iPad or
iPod Touch, open Settings and tap
General > Reset > Erase all content and
settings. If youve logged in to any public
networks, be sure to close any accounts
associated with your device before selling
it, because some use the unique device
identier to associate browsing by the
phones new owner with your credentials.
Plan for the worst and set up your
devices so that you can wipe all personal
information from them remotely. On iOS
devices, open Settings > iCloud and make
sure the slider beside Find my iPad or Find
my iPhone is set to On. Whenever its in
reach of a Wi-Fi or 3G signal youll be able
to track your device through www.icloud.
com/#nd and, if necessary, remove your
personal data remotely.
.ORJU
Tools that record every press of a key on your keyboard.

Just imagine if someone could detect
every single thing you typed on your
keyboard. Its certainly not something
you would want hanging over your
head from a security point of view. If a
software keylogger is present on your
system, it was almost certainly installed
as a Trojan, bundled up with otherwise
legitimate software. You can remove it
using an anti-virus tool.
Hardware keyloggers are also

available, so check for unfamiliar
devices attached to your USB ports and
remove any that you dont recognise
particularly if they are connected to your
keyboard cable. If you suspect that
someone has installed an internal
keylogger, use an on-screen keyboard
instead of a physical device to enter
sensitive info such as card details.
The on-screen keyboard

In Windows 7, you can access the
on-screen keyboard by clicking Start,
then selecting All programs >
Accessories > Ease of access > On-screen
keyboard. You can then click the keys
to type, and any keylogging software
installed on your PC will be unable to
record what youre writing.
SAFER PASSWORDS Using an on-screen keyboard instead of a physical keyboard can help thwart keyloggers, which record what you type
64
Most email traffic is spam dont let it dominate your inbox
pam accounted for a colossal

70.7% of all email in the second
quarter of this year, according to
Kasperskys Securelist, with 2.3%
of all emails containing a
malicious attachment. Trustwave puts the
spam proportion slightly lower at 68.5%.
Most spams are merely a nuisance,
promising lower bills, more impressive
erections and under-the-counter meds
all of which wed recommend you steer
well clear of, naturally.
Enabling junk mail ltering is a good
rst defence. In Internet Explorer 10, click
the Tools (cog) button, expand the Safety
sub-menu and click Turn on SmartScreen
Filter. You should also enable junk ltering
at the ISP level if possible, and if you own
a domain disable any catch-all email
addresses so that only specically
addressed emails make it through.
Spammers often add tracts of white
text to the end of a message to help
convince spam lters that the email is
genuine. Multi-national computer security
company, Kaspersky, noted an increase in
the number of spammers spoong
greetings cards from Hallmark through
the early summer this year, while the
companys head of content analysis and
research, Darya Gudovka, highlighted that
spammers have begun sending out
TAKE CARE A good way to spot spam is to check

for grammatical errors, and to mouse over the
links to check that their destinations are correct
emails with malicious attachments

designed to look like automatic delivery
failure notications sent out by servers.
Another common trick is to make
malicious emails look like notications
from well-known online resources, and
include links to malicious websites.
Hover over links

Its not only online delivery failures that
theyre spoong, either. Take the above
example, advising of a failed parcel
delivery. Initially it looks quite convincing,
but there are several problems. The US

Postal Service logo uses the right colours,
but the wrong font, and the address from
which it was sent isnt USPS.com. The
body of the email is missing an
apostrophe and includes a couple of
grammatical mistakes. Its also embedded
as a graphic rather than plain text. The big
give-away, though, is that hovering over
the link to print a replacement delivery
label shows that it leads not to usps.com,
but a Russian investment site.
Always hover over links before clicking
them so you can see where they lead, and
dont click them unless the destination is
accurately described in the content of the
email and matches the server from which
the email was sent. If in doubt, open a
fresh browser window and search for the
page in question using Google. Whatever
you do, dont open any attachments, as
these could infect your PC with a Trojan or
virus. Even something as innocuous as a
Word le could include executable code.
Resist the urge to use the Unsubscribe
links on the bottom of an email as this will
verify that your inbox is open for business,
increasing the likelihood that youll receive
more junk in the future as the spammer
sells on your conrmed details to the next
malicious marketer down the line.
5PRPDHPO
What they are and how to get your email client to block them
REMOTE IMAGES Some spammers use images hosted on their own web servers to nd out whether
youve opened one of their emails. This lets them know that the email address they have is real
HTML-based spam often includes links to

remotely hosted images that, when loaded
by your email client, confirm to the sender
not only that youve opened their message,
but also that your address is valid. This lets
them more effectively target you in the
future. The spammers server effectively
mail merges a unique image URL for each
recipient into a standard message and sends
it to everyone on its list. Your PC requests
the image from the server, which sends it
out and simultaneously makes a note
against your name, confirming that your
address works. To protect you from this kind
of attack, Outlook.com blocks images in
emails by default. If you want to unblock
pictures for a particular message, click the
info bar at the top of the message, then
select Show content.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
65
The webs address system is flexible, yet highly structured and logical
nderstanding the URL uniform resource

Locator is key to keeping yourself safe
online. More commonly known as a web
address, the URL is the friendly, humanreadable equivalent of the numeric
location of every device, folder or le on the internet.
The rst part, running up to the rst single slash or
port number (see below), is converted to a string
of digits by a domain name system (DNS) server
and is entirely case insensitive. Everything else is
handled by the host server, which, depending on
its conguration, may be case sensitive. This could
allow hackers who gain access to the server to insert
a malicious le called, for example, INDEX.HTM
alongside an existing index.htm. Being directed to
the capitalised le by an email, instant message or
another web page could open you up to attack.
Limit your exposure to scams by employing your
browsers phishing protection tools. In Chrome, visit
chrome://settings, click Show advanced settings
and check the box beside Enable phishing and
malware protection. In Internet Explorer 10, click the
Tools (cog) button, expand the Safety sub-menu
and click Turn on SmartScreen Filter. These tools
compare your entered URLs against lists of malicious
sites and pop up a warning if it nds a match.
7HNG
The domain name (or host name),
which is the name of the server
on which the resource is located.
Often preceded by www, which
can sometimes be omitted.
Port number. This directs your request to

a specic position on the remote network
if the default web trac port port 80
wouldnt resolve to the server you need.
You dont often actually see this.
http://example.com:8080/pages/index.html
The active protocol. Browsers default
to HTTP (HyperText Transport
Protocol) so you can leave it o, but
alternatives include, among others,
FTP, SMB and HTTPS.
Specic path to the requested

resource. If the server is set up with
default lenames, omitting the part
after the nal slash loads the default
le for the selected directory.
6EGPVFP
http://www.barclays.co.uk.stealingyourdata.ru/login
Subdomains can be used to redirect you to directories on a
remote server. http://news.bbc.co.uk, for example, redirects to
www.bbc.co.uk/news. Always read the complete domain to
ensure you really are accessing the domain you think you are.
A link to www.barclays.co.uk.stealingyourdata.ru, for example
may look like its sending you to Barclays, and the pages to
66
which it leads could be designed to reinforce that impression,

but any data you enter will be captured by the owners of www.
stealingyourdata.ru in this case. Look for the domain name
immediately preceding the first slash (reading left to right,
ignoring the double-slash in the protocol); thats what youre
actually connecting to, and if its not what you expect, stop.
Scramble your data to make it pretty much useless to hackers
he NSA and Britains GCHQ

have adopted a battery
of methods in their systematic
and ongoing assault on what they
see as one of the biggest threats to
their ability to access huge swathes
of internet trac the use of
ubiquitous encryption across the
internet, according to documents
leaked to The Guardian by NSA
whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Check for the padlock

What this means, in eect, is that
either of these agencies and likely
their counterparts in other countries
can now intercept your credit card
details and other personal data,
even over an encrypted
connection. Before you panic,
though, this is only possible
because they have billion dollar
budgets and banks of
supercomputers, which means
that in pretty much any other
instance encryption still aords
an eective level of protection
against regular hackers for
browsing, email, and Voice over
IP (VoIP). You should therefore use
an encrypted connection wherever
possible and certainly when
shopping online. Check your
browser URL box for a padlock to
verify this. Its on the left in Google
Chrome, and the right for Internet
Explorer. Safari for iPad puts it on
the page tab, while the iPhone adds
it to the browser title bar.
Its not only shopping sites that
oer encryption. Gmail, Yahoo Mail
and Outlook.com all oer encrypted
versions of their email services.
Gmail has employed strict SSL
(Secure Sockets Layer) as default
since December 2012; Outlook.com
switches to a secure connection as
soon as you visit the login screen;

and you can enable it in Yahoo by
clicking the cog icon in the webmail
interface, picking Mail settings and
switching to the security tab. There,
enable the SSL option and click
Save. The site will refresh to the
secure version.
SSL encryption uses a pair of keys
one public key used to verify the
identity of the server and a second
private key thats used to scramble
the data that passes between that
and your own computer. Only when
it reaches its destination will the
data be decoded, which makes
an encrypted shopping site an
Use an encrypted
connection where
possible certainly
when partaking in
online shopping
exponentially safer connection
over which to pass your credit
card details than plain email, since
anyone who intercepted the data
in transit would be unable to read
it without the resources of GCHQ.
The longer the encryption key in
bits, the more secure it is. Strong
encryption, at 128 bits, can calculate
288 times as many combinations
as 40-bit encryption. Thats over
a trillion times stronger, says
Symantec. At current computing
speeds, a hacker with the time,
tools, and motivation to attack
using brute force would require a
trillion years to break into a session
protected by [a 128-bit certicate].
6KD
[DF
L+76"
The padlock symbol isnt the only clue

that youre using a secure connection; the
protocol identier at the start of the web
address will also change to HTTPS, which
stands for hypertext transfer protocol
secure. Dont log in to any shopping site
that doesnt include this prex, and dont
become complacent later in your browsing
session just because you saw it on the
password page. An HTTPS-prexed page
that redirects you to regular HTTP for any
other page after youve logged in wont
keep you secure because the rest of your
session will be unencrypted.
SSL certicates only last for a specied
period, and need to be renewed by the
certicate holder from time to time. They
are issued by certicate authorities, in return
for a per-year or multi-year fee. They can
be revoked prior to the end of their life if
theyve been compromised, in which case
they are added to a blacklist that browsers
can interrogate using the Online Certicate
Status Protocol (OCSP) which allows the
browser to throw up an alert if youre about
to visit an unsigned or insecure site. All
browsers since Firefox 3 plus all editions
of Safari and Chrome support OCSP.
You can check the validity of the
certicate in use for your current session
and its strength by clicking the browsers
padlock icon. If youre browsing an online
store and you cant see a certicate in place,
then its either been revoked or its expired.
If this is the case, then theres only one piece
of advice we can oer you: shop elsewhere.
Its just not worth the risk.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
67
A strong password is your first line of defence against data capture
ow many accounts do you

have that require a password?
Email, instant messaging, bank
accounts, utility accounts,
dating sites the longer you sit
and think about it, the longer the list will
become. If you use the same password
for even two accounts, miscreants who
hack into one account get easy access to
the other and thats a big risk when we
have so many tasks online.
The average online Brit had 26 online
accounts by the middle of last year
according to research conducted by
Experian a number thats set to increase,
with most of us signing up to six or more
new accounts every month. No wonder a
quarter of us use the same password for
each one, with the 10,000 most commonly
used passwords likely to open 99.8 per
cent of all online accounts a disturbing
and worrying statistic according to data
published by security researcher Mark
Burnett at www.xato.net.
It shouldnt be any surprise, then, that
even those of us who take better care of
our online defences often fall back on a
rather predictable list. In the number one
spot, according to August 2013 research
conducted by Google Apps, is your
current pets name, which considering
how frequently cats and dogs pop up on
Facebook and Instagram, shouldnt be
too hard for anyone else to uncover.

The word password sits in the 10th spot,
with such staples as a place of birth, childs
name and favourite holiday destination
in between each of which is very likely
to be within reach of an identity thief
after a short trawl through your social
networking history.
The answer is to pick a dierent
password for each service however,
remembering each of them would
quickly become an issue, and although
writing them down would help solve that
problem it leads to another one: anyone
who nds your written list has all the keys
they need to your whole digital world.
machine on which youre running

1Password (or rival tools such as LastPass
and KeePass) because you wont have
memorised any of your passwords.
However, that also means that it isnt
always a suitable option, and it doesnt
get around the problem of dealing with
randomly requested data, such as a single
eld that can change between login
attempts to request dierent pieces of
personal information, such as a place of
birth, rst school or mothers maiden
name. This is a tactic often employed by
banks to keep your account secure.
Get a password manager

Password manager applications can help.
1Password for Windows, Android, OS X
and iOS not only stores passwords and
other form data such as credit card
numbers for any site but can also generate
super-secure random passwords that mix
characters, numbers and punctuation.
Theyre almost impossible to remember,
but by delegating the task of storing and
submitting them every time you need to
log on, all you need to do is remember a
single password to unlock the 1Password
utility and itll take care of the rest.
The problem comes when you need
to log in to an account away from the
SAFETY IN NUMBERS When it comes to new

password requirements, work within them, but be
sure to include letters, digits and punctuation
7ZIDFWXQLFDL
Dig an extra moat around your castle of important data
wo-factor authentication adds a

second level of security to your
online accounts, requiring that you
use a supplementary device to verify your
identity when performing certain actions.
If you have an online bank account youll
almost certainly have come across it
already, with many banks supplying
customers with a calculator-like keypad
that generates a unique sequence in
response to a specific code that youll
have entered from the banks website.
Google uses a mobile phone to
authorise changes to key account data
and to restrict the computers through
which anyone can log in to your account in
68
a very similar manner. It calls the process

2-step verification. To set it up, start
by logging in to your account at www.
google.com, clicking your user icon in the
upper-right corner and picking Account,
followed by Security. Scroll down to
2-step verification and click the Edit
link, followed by Start set-up.
Youll need to provide a valid mobile
phone number to which Google can
send an authentication code. If youve
previously provided a number through
the general Account Security settings, itll
be used to pre-populate the form. Choose
whether youd prefer a text message or
automated voice message containing the
code and click Send code. When the code

arrives, tap it into the new box on your
screen and choose whether or not you
want to permanently associate it with your
current browser. If you do, you wont need
to wait for a new code to be sent to your
phone every time you log in, but anyone
who tries to access your account from a
different browser or machine will.
Not all of Googles services can use twofactor authentication. Picasa, for example,
isnt compatible, and you wont be able to
access Gmail from an external client like
Outlook until you create applicationspecific passwords for each one. Point
your browser at https://accounts.google.
The best advice, then, is to use a

password manager for those services
where it is an eective tool, and rely on
traditional password selection methods
in all other cases, perhaps employing a
personal two-tier system with unique
passwords for sensitive sites such as bank
accounts, and half a dozen shared but
personally memorable passwords for
everything else.
Wherever possible, mix regular
characters with digits and punctuation
and, where
permissible, spaces
and underscores,
to build up phrases
or even entire
sentences. Dont
fall into the trap
of believing that
swapping out
letters for numbers
such as 5 for S, 1
for I or L, and 9 for
G is an eective
remedy. This is a well-known trick and one
to which the crackers are entirely savvy.
Some sites require passwords to be
constructed in a specic manner for
example, a minimum of eight characters
comprising both letters and numbers
but where youre given the freedom to
dene your own rules, go wild. If youre a
procient typist it wont take you much
longer to tap out a whole sentence to gain
access to your email account than it would
a regular eight-character password, but
will take a hacker much longer to crack it.
Conning yourself to eight characters
would let you generate 6.1 quadrillion
passwords, according to Deloitte research

directors Paul Lee and Duncan Stewart
on www.wsj.com, but unfortunately this
still gives you less of a head start on the
malcontents than you might expect.
Reporting on the Passwords^12
conference in Oslo for www.security
ledger.com, Paul Roberts wrote that
researchers running password-cracking
software distributed across ve servers
were able to churn through a whopping
348 billion password combinations per
second. At that
rate, as conference
organiser Per
Thorsheim
explained, a 14
character Windows
XP password
would fall in just
six minutes.
If the futurists
get their way,
the problem of
choosing and
remembering passwords might well
soon solve itself anyway as we move
closer towards using biometric identiers
such as the new ngerprint recognition
weve seen announced for the Home
button on the new iPhone 5s. IBM fellow
and speech CTO David Nahamoo wrote
on the IBM Research blog in December
2011, Over the next ve years, your
unique biological identity and biometric
data facial denitions, iris scans, voice
les, even your DNA will become the key
to safeguarding your personal identity
and information and replace the current
user ID and password system.
Dont fall into the

trap of believing that
swapping letters for
numbers is a good
way to make a
secure password
0RVXH
SDVZUG
As compiled by SplashData from lists
of stolen passwords posted online by
hackers, the most common passwords
in use in 2012 were:
1 ........................................ password
2 .............................................. 123456
3 .........................................12345678
4 ...............................................abc123
5 .............................................. qwerty
6 ............................................ monkey
7 ............................................. letmein
8 .............................................. dragon
9 .................................................111111
10......................................... baseball
11 ......................................... iloveyou
12 ......................................... trustno1
13 ......................................... 1234567
14 ........................................sunshine
15 .............................................master
16.............................................123123
17 ........................................welcome
18...........................................shadow
19 .............................................. ashley
20 ..........................................football
21..................................................jesus
22 ..........................................michael
com/IssuedAuthSubTokens and enter a

name for the first service for which you
want to create a password say, Gmail in
Outlook. Click Generate password and
Google will display a randomly generated
character string. Use this to change the
password for one of your Google services,
and repeat the process for each one.
Apple uses two-factor authentication to
secure iCloud accounts. To set it up, you
need a device that can receive four-digit
codes by SMS, such as a mobile phone, or
you can use Find my iPhone. Point a
regular browser at http://appleid.apple.
com, logging into your account and
picking Password and security. Follow
the instructions by clicking Get Started
under Two-Step Verification.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
69
6RL
HL
Beware of hijacked Twitter accounts,

and dont click links in random spam
mentions. These often come through
almost immediately in response to
something youve posted, and include
your username so that they appear in
your mentions and are visible not only
to you, but also anyone following your
conversation. If your Twitter client lets
you report spam directly, get into the
habit of doing this right away, and the
sender will be simultaneously added
to your block list.
Beware shortened links

Keep in mind that shortened links with
obscured URLs like those appearing
in Twitter posts wont always take
you where the covering tweet might
indicate, so click them with caution if
you dont know or follow the person
who sent them and, if necessary, copy
the link and paste it into a browser
using Private Browsing (on Safari) or
Incognito mode (Chrome) or InPrivate
Browsing Mode (Internet Explorer) so
that the destination site cant write
any permanent data to your computer.
Once you reach the destination,
examine it carefully. During the appeal
for funds for the Japanese tsunami
victims in 2011 for example, one
widely shared link claiming to be for
the Red Cross actually sent money to
a private users webmail account.
Once youve hardened your online apps and

services, do the same to your home network
afety begins at home, and

nowhere in the digital world is
there more truth in that statement
than where your wireless network
is concerned. A strong signal can
pass well beyond your walls particularly
if you happen to live in a at and stray
into neighbouring properties or even
out into the street, taking your network
trac with it. Unless youve secured the
connection, it would be all too easy for a
third party to interrogate that data and
extract from it whatever they choose.
Start by enabling wireless encryption
on your network. Most routers oer a
range of options here, with WPA2-PSK
(Wi-Fi Protected Access II Pre-Shared Key)
the best option, and its predecessor,
WPA, a viable fallback. Avoid using WEP,
because this has been shown to have
vulnerabilities. If this is the only option
available on your router, however, its
time to upgrade your hardware, either
through a rmware patch or, if there isnt
one available, by replacing it altogether.
WPA and WPA2 employ a passphrase
system to encrypt trac on the network.
Think before you post

Regularly review your list of
authorised client applications and be
sure to deauthorise any of the ones
that you dont use any more, in order
to reduce the risk of your account
being hijacked should any of them
develop security flaws. The same goes
for web-based apps, such as those that
run inside your Facebook account.
Finally, bear in mind that social
media is far from a walled garden.
Be careful what information you give
out because it is, to all intents and
purposes, a public forum. Posting lots
of pictures to a social media account
when youre on holiday, for example,
may be enough to alert a potential
housebreaker to the fact that your
home is empty, and is easy prey.
70
This is commonly written on the side of

the router if you havent changed the
default, and is also the password you use
to access the network when rst making
the connection. As such, you shouldnt
divulge this phrase to anyone who
shouldnt have access to the network or
the stu on it. If youre choosing your own
passphrase, then ideally it should be at
least 13 characters long to minimise the
chance of it being cracked using
automated means.
Stay hidden
If your router allows it, hide the network
name, also known as its SSID (service set
identier). It wont then appear in lists of
detected networks on Windows, OS X or
mobile devices, even though a network
snier will still be able to detect the
presence of a Wi-Fi signal in its vicinity.
Dont stop there either, or youll leave
the job half-done. Router manufacturers
routinely recycle network names, so
theres a fair chance youre running
a network called linksys, belkin54g,
ZyXEL, NETGEAR or something else
thats fairly generic. So well known are

these names that you can nd a list of the
most common Wi-Fi network names
online. Unless you change your SSID to
something unique, obscuring it will do
nothing to prevent third parties cycling
through the list until they nd a match.
Next, turn your attention to the security
guarding your routers admin pages.
These are routinely protected by a set
of easily-guessed credentials. Many
usernames are set to admin or user, and
the password is often admin too, if not
password or pass. Once a third-party
gains access to your network theyll be
able to detect the router address from
their internet settings, and by referring
back to the default network name, theyll
also be able to look up the default
username and password and walk right in.
Router address
To change your login details, you rst
need to nd your router address you
can do this in Windows 8 by opening
Network and Internet in Control Panel,
following the link to Network and Sharing
Center, and clicking the option Change
adapter settings in the sidebar. Doubleclick the active connection, then click the
Details button on the dialog. The router
address is the four sets of digits beside
IPv4 Default Gateway.
Typing this address in a browser will
show you or a hacker the router login
screen, allowing them potentially easy
access if you havent yet switched away
from the default settings. You need to log
in yourself, navigate to the router settings
and change the login details to avoid this.

Most routers are set up so that client
devices are automatically assigned a local
address on the network using DHCP
(Dynamic Host Control Protocol). This
makes it easy for rst time users of the
network to start sending and receiving
data straight away and also reduces the
amount of work that the home user has
to do to maintain their network. However,
it also means that any rogue network
interlopers will be assigned an address
Amend the security

guarding your
routers admin
pages; many
default usernames
are simply set
to admin
along with legitimate users. Put another
barrier in their way by disabling DHCP, and
making a note of the router address and
subnet mask that applies to your network
from the router conguration pages
so that in the future you can enter them
manually on each machine that needs to
connect. Also make sure to implement
your routers MAC Authentication feature.
This uses a list of unique identiers
associated with the network adapter on
each machine to ensure that only those

that have been specically permitted
are granted access.
You can nd the MAC address of the
network card in a PC by returning to the
Network Connection Details panel from
which we obtained the router address
above and copying the six pairs of letters
and digits beside Physical Address
Once youve obtained your address,
add it to the list of authorised clients on
your router conguration screens.
Disconnected
If you arent using any wireless devices,
then consider shutting o the routers
wireless connection altogether. Even
if your desktop machines arent all
in the same room as the router
itself, its easy to pass data around
your home without sending it
through the air by turning your
domestic electric cabling into
a wired network.
Devices conforming to
the Powerline networking
standard can transfer
data between machines
and access points at up
to 500Mbits/sec, which
is plenty for online
gaming and HD movie
streaming, and because
the signal wont pass
beyond your fuse
box or a modern
consumer unit it
wont leak out
into the world.
Get stronger network protection

Its easy to think of your network
password as just that a password
to grant access but its actually
something far more important.
All the data on your Wi-Fi network
is encrypted using this phrase,
meaning that even if someone could
intercept sniff the traffic, it would
be unintelligible gobbledegook
unless they also had this key with
which to decrypt it.
WPA2 provides stronger network
protection than WPA and WEP. It
comes in two flavours: WPA2Personal (sometimes denoted

WPA2-PSK) which uses a
passphrase system to gain access
to the network and encrypt traffic
passing between the base station
and its clients and WPA2Enterprise, which authenticates
users with reference to a list
maintained on a centralised server.
Check for the Wi-Fi Alliances logo
on any packaging or detail sheets
when purchasing a new router.
WATCH OUT Look for the Wi-Fi Alliance logo on the packaging of
any new router to ensure its compliant with WPA2 encryption
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
71
Fort Knox or Hard Knocks? Test your defences with our safety quiz
How many of your passwords
appear in the list of the 22
most commonly used passwords
on page 33?
eve run through a

number of ways in
which you can try to
improve your online
security, but how much
of it have you actually downloaded? The
following questions are aimed to analyse
your awareness with regards to keeping
your data safe from the sharks while
surfing. Pick answers from the multiple
choice options and add up your total
using the scoring system at the bottom;
no cheating now after all, it could be
more than your pride thats at stake here.
(a) More than half of my passwords. Is that

a problem?
(b) Fewer than half of my passwords, but
thats not too bad, right?
(c) Are you crazy? None of my passwords
are on that list. (Or: I use a password
manager.)
(a) Ignore it if you havent bought

anything from abroad.
(b) Deal with its contents before the end
of the tax year.
(c) Report it to HM Customs and Excise as
soon as possible.
(a) Irrelevant; I dont use any Apple

devices, so it doesnt apply to me.
Ive just worked out what my

pornstar name is. It is:
(a) Pretty funny, actually! Tell me yours

and Ill tell you mine?
(b) A potentially useful tool for hackers
who could use your mothers maiden
name to reset your passwords.
(c) Available for everyone to read on my
blog, Facebook wall and Twitter stream.
When should you check for a

padlock in your browser
address bar?
(a) Whenever youre shopping or doing

online banking.
(b) When looking at mucky sites
youd rather not have made public.
(b) It helps me to identify my machine

on a network.
(c) It lets me authorise my Mac to connect
to my router and blocks all other wired
or wireless devices.
Which of the following should

I not make public on my
wireless network?
(a) The password.

(b) The SSID (network name).
(c) Both of the above.
Which of the following is the

most appropriate kind of
wireless security for a home or
small office network?
(a) WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access).

(b) WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access
Pre-Shared Key mode).
(c) WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).
(c) When working with sensitive data or

logged in to a password-protected site.
Which of the following options

would offer the most secure
level of encryption?
(a) Your full system spec and details of

your email provider.
(a) A 40-bit key.

(b) A 128-bit key.
(c) A 256-bit key.
When reporting spam to a

sender s ISP, what should
you include:
(b) The complete set of headers associated

with the email.
A
(c) covering note explaining why you
believe the note to be spam
(a) Back up all of your personal data.

Losing it is unthinkable.
(b) Research the best prices on eBay.
People will pay top dollar for one, so
why miss out on some easy money?
(c) Restore its default settings.
WHATS YOUR SCORE?

Top notch. Your security
set-up could give the
Alcatraz a run for its money. Why not
treat yourself to a little reward while
youre at it? (Be sure to check for the
browser padlock if youre buying it
online but you already knew that.)
11-20
Good, but not great.

Youre pretty savvy, but
still a soft target for a hardened hacker.
There are still a few extra steps to take
thatll do a lot to bolster your defences.
1-10
Poor show. Security doesnt only

apply to jobs and blankets, you
know. Check out our tips again and
think again about the simple changes
you can make to keep yourself and
your computer safer online. O
ANSWERS
Score 2 points each if you selected:
1c, 2b, 3c, 4c, 5c, 6c, 7b, 8b, 9c, 10c
Score 1 points each if you selected:
1a, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5b, 6a or 6b, 7a, 8c, 9b, 10a
Score no points for any of the following:
1b, 2c, 3b, 4a, 5a, 7c, 8a, 9a, 10b
72
How can knowing your MAC

address help you keep your
wireless network secure?
Youve received an email from

customs@hmrc.gov.uk. What
should you do?
When selling an iPhone or

iPad, what is the most
important step to do?
10
THE PERFECT READ FOR

THE PERFECT READ!
OUT
NOW!
DELIVERED DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR
2UGHURQOLQHDWwww.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
RUQGXVLQ\RXUQHDUHVWVXSHUPDUNHWQHZVDJHQWRUERRNVWRUH
REASONS YOU
SHOULD UPGRADE
TO WINDOWS 8.1
Left cold by Windows 8?
The new 8.1 edition is a
much better proposition!
SMART
SEARCH
By default, the new Smart Search in Windows 8.1

includes relevant results from Bing alongside les from
your computer and SkyDrive. It wont work for every
search and you can disable it if you dont like it but
its a useful tool to have at your disposal.
Music searches show tracks on your computer as
well as band information pulled from the web, for
example, and there are better image search capabilities
and improved website previews. You can now see
images of sites in your search results, which helps you
see which are most likely to be relevant.
All search results are presented in a neat visual way
that makes it easier than ever to nd what you need.
74
FIND IT FAST With the new Smart Search tool, youll get relevant information from
Bing alongside your usual search results. Why waste time opening a web browser?
Feature
Upgrade to Windows 8.1
IMPROVED
APPS
FIND A FILM The new Netix app lets you swipe through lms easily,
and you can start watching on one device, then resume on another
Microsofts own built-in apps, including Mail and

Photos, are getting better all the time, and third-party
developers are also starting to up their game. The
Start screen Netix app is actually an improvement
on the web interface, for example particularly if
youre using a larger screen.
App docking has been improved in Windows 8.1
too, making it easy to have Start screen and desktop
apps running alongside each other. You can even
have three or four apps running simultaneously if you
have a larger display.
CLOUD
CAPABILITIES
THINKSTOCK.COM
SkyDrive might not be called SkyDrive for much

longer thanks to a legal challenge, but no matter
what you call it, the service is here to stay. Microsofts
cloud-based le storage system is better integrated
into Windows 8.1 than Windows 8, which was
something of a halfway house. You no longer need
to download a Skydrive app the updated operating
system has eortless syncing and backup built in,
and makes it easier to share les online too. If you
prefer to use Dropbox to store and share your les
online, there are free ocial desktop and Start screen
apps available that will work with Windows 8.1.
CLOUD COVER Its easier than ever to store les in the cloud, so
you can access them on any device with an internet connection
DESKTOP
TWEAKS
If youre using Windows 7, Vista or XP you may well

want to spend most of your time on the desktop,
and youll be pleased to know that Windows 8.1
has made improvements here too. Microsoft has
introduced a Desktop Display Scaling function to
enhance performance on larger and smaller screens
(or systems with two displays of diering resolutions),
simplied the File Explorer utility with a This PC view
that replaces Computer, and added extra commands
to the right-click Start menu (including Network
Connections and Shutdown).
LOOK
AND FEEL
You now have far more control over the look and
feel of your Start screen than you did in the original
release of Windows 8. There are more colour and
background choices, additional tile sizes, and the
option to have a slideshow instead of a static image
on the lock screen. You can even replace the Start
screen with the Apps page, if youd prefer to see all
your programs at once rather than scrolling through
their tiles. You can make your desktop applications
appear rst on the list too, if you prefer. On the
desktop, you can change the functions of the hot
corners if you dont like the way they work by default.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
75
BOOT TO
THE DESKTOP
The iconic Windows 8 Start screen isnt going away

any time soon, but Microsoft has acknowledged that
its not to everyones liking, and you can now bypass
it when you log in Windows 8.1 lets you boot up to
the Start screen, the Apps page or the desktop. Whats
more, you can keep the same wallpaper on both the
desktop and the Start screen if you want to make the
change less drastic. If youre on a tablet, its easier to
stick to the Start screen; if youre on a traditional
computer, its easier to stick to the desktop.
TAKE YOUR PICK

Find the apps you
want in seconds
with the new look
Windows Store
SKYPE FRONT
AND CENTRE
Like SkyDrive, Skype is an essential part of the Windows

experience in 8.1, bringing together video calling, audio
calling and instant messaging under one virtual roof
thats only a click or a tap away and replacing the
Messages app at the same time. Its easier than ever to
search for your contacts, and you have more control
over how much of your screen the app uses. Microsoft
promises that Skype will now be front and centre.
That might sound either appealing or o-putting
depending on whether you prefer Google Hangouts!
When it was rst introduced, the Windows 8

Store felt a little half-baked and wasnt
always as intuitive as we would have liked.
In Windows 8.1, it works and looks much
better. Having all of your software under
one roof is a convenient way of working, and
apps update automatically now as well. The
Store has a new look too, with at-a-glance
descriptions and ratings that make it easier to
sort through recommended programs and
games so you can spot the best of the new
apps on the platform.
EASIER
CONFIGURATION
More tech-savvy users who enjoy having a poke around

in their computers settings may have decided to give
Windows 8 a miss because of the hodgepodge created
by the combination of the Start screen PC Settings app
and the familiar desktop Control Panel. Windows 8.1
has a much more comprehensive Settings app, so
most of the options youre going to need are available
from both places, and tweaking your machine is more
straightforward, whichever interface youre using. There
are lots of new options to explore, too.
CUTTING EDGE Windows 8.1 is packed with exciting new features that will help you
keep up to date with new technology, including 3D printing and much more
76
A BETTER
STORE
10
FUTURE
TECH
Windows 8.1 includes a host of more minor

improvements and tweaks that make it future-proof,
including built-in 3D printing capabilities. This means
you can use 3D rendering software to design an
object, then simply connect a 3D printer to your PC
and select it as you would any other printer. Theres
also support for Wi-Fi Direct printers, so you can hook
up your wireless device without any extra software.
Its also worth checking our the updated and enhanced
Fresh Paint digital artwork app that Microsoft has
been showing o recently. If youve been wondering
whether to upgrade to Windows 8, now is the perfect
time to make the jump! Q
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February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
77
WINDOWS HELP HARDWARE FIXES SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS INTERNET TIPS

Windows
MOVING TEMP FOLDERS
Do you have a
PC problem?
Get in touch
Email full details of your
problem to the
support team and well
do our best to help
windowsmagazine@
futurenet.com
Q I would like to make my main
Windows 7 partition as static

as possible in order to keep the
junk o it, as well as to help reduce
the size of the snapshots I take
using a program called RollbackRX.
Is there some way to relocate such
items as temporary internet les
and other non-essential functions
to another drive?
Ken Wood
TEMP SHIFT Move

your temporary
folders to another
drive by changing
environment
variables
78
Adams solution
The answer to this
question requires you to
tread a ne line, moving
genuinely non-essential les o
the system partition without going
too far and potentially causing
major problems further down the
line. Ken is correct in assuming
that temporary internet les can
be safely moved away weve
answered this question separately
in the step-by-step guide on p80
but weve identied four more

areas worth exploring.
First, disable the Hibernation
feature if you dont need it. To do
this, open a Command Prompt as
an administrator from the Start
menu or Quick Access menu, then
type powercfg.exe /hibernate o
and press [Enter]. Second, switch o
System Restore if its not required
(RollbackRX replaces this anyway
in Kens case) via the System
Protection tab of the System
Control Panel. Third, move the
paging le to another physical
drive. To do this, click Advanced
system settings in the System
Control Panel. Click Settings
under Performance, switch to the
Advanced tab and click Change
under Virtual memory. First, untick
Automatically manage paging
le size for all drives. Select your
system partition (typically drive C)
and choose Custom size. Set both
initial and maximum sizes to the
same gure 200MB if you have
4GB RAM or less, 400MB if you
have 4-8GB, and 800MB if you have
more than 16GB and click Set.
Support
Technical help
FIND THE SOLUTION! WhoCrashed

This free program available from www.resplendence.com
allows you to view Windows crash logs in more detail.
Quickfire questions
About a month ago, a friends
Thunderbird client started
printing out two pages of
unwanted information at the
top of every email.
Reg Marshall
Open the View menu in
Thunderbird and check the
Headers entry. Setting this to
Normal reduces the amount
of header information printed
along with the email itself.
COMPATIBLITY
SOLUTION
VueScan lets you
keep using your
trusty scanner in
Windows 7 and 8
Now select
your second
drive, choose System
managed size and click Set
followed by OK. Follow the
prompts to reboot your PC.
Finally, return to the Advanced
tab and click the Environment
variables button. Youll see TEMP
and TMP entries for both your own
user account and for the system
itself. Select each one in turn and
click the Edit button to type in
the location where youd like these
folders to reside (youll need to
create these folders on your second
drive manually before doing so).
All of these actions will help free
up space on your system partition,
thereby reducing the size of the
snapshots taken by RollbackRX.
Hardware
RUNNING OLD DEVICES

IN WINDOWS 7
Q Ive just upgraded my PC from
Windows XP Pro to Windows

7 Home Premium. Could you help
me get my old HP Business Inkjet
1200n printer with duplexer to
work correctly in Windows 7,
please? The automatic duplex
function isnt currently working.
Ive also got an old scanner that no
longer works (it was designed for
Windows 2000, but did work in XP).
Keith Hooker
Simons solution
By the time I got in
contact with Keith hed
solved his rst problem
by tting a parallel port add-on
card to his new PC once the
printer was connected via that
rather than the USB port, it was
able to print automatically on both
sides of the paper again.
When it comes to getting older
scanners to work with newer
versions of Windows, you have a
few options. If you have a spare,
unused copy of Windows XP
around, you can install that into
a virtual machine
using VMWare Player
(available to download
from www.myvmware.com/
web/vmware/free registration
required) and then connect the
scanner through that.
A simpler solution but one that
will cost you around 25/$40 for
a years free upgrades is to use
VueScan, a trial of which youll nd
on the cover disc. This works with
thousands of older scanners, and
could be a cost-eective alternative
to purchasing a new scanner.
Keith opted for the VMWare
Player route, and was pleased to
report that it allowed him to access
his scanner once more.
For the last couple of months

Ive not been able to get any
Windows Updates for my
laptop. It just keeps spinning
the little blue circle.
Emma Clark
Emmas issue was xed with
our rst suggestion: open
Action Center, then click
Troubleshooting and select
Fix problems with Windows
Update. Running this as an
administrator (click Advanced)
found and solved the problem
Jargon buster!
DoD 5200-22.M
This is a special algorithm,
approved by the US
Department of Defense, for
securely deleting les.
Security
UNWANTED TOOLBARS
Q I have three unwanted
toolbars on my laptop that are

giving me grief in Google Chrome:
Certied Toolbar Search, Amazon
Smart Search and Metacrawler
Search. Every time I close them in
Chrome they come back on the
next launch, and I cant nd any
reference to them in Programs and
Features to allow me to uninstall
them. Microsoft Security Essentials
doesnt nd any infections, either.
Theyre slowing down my PC and
I hope you can help me remove
them permanently!
Bill Richards
NO EXTRAS
Unchecky helps
you avoid
accidentally
installing
unwanted tools
Duplexer
A device that makes it easy to
print on both sides of a sheet
of paper by feeding through a
second time.
Nicks solution
Thankfully, all three
toolbars although
installed sneakily by
other programs proved relatively
easy to remove once I pointed
Bill in the right direction. Open
the Chrome menu and choose
Settings, then select Extensions
in the left-hand pane. The toolbars
should be visible from here my
guess is youll see an Installed by
a third-party notication next
to them on the right. Getting rid
of them should be as simple as
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
79
Quickfire questions
Ive just upgraded my RAM to
32GB, but Windows 7 Home
Premium says Installed
memory (RAM) 32GB (16GB
usable). What does this mean,
and how do I x it?
Mark
Sadly its a limitation of
Windows 7 Home Premium
upgrading to Windows 7
Pro or Windows 8 will lift
this restriction. Windows 8
Standard supports up to
128GB RAM for example.
How do I stop HP Photo
Gallery asking for a disc every
time I try to open some photos
on my computer?
Kevin Lawson
As HP Photo Gallery comes
pre-installed, you should be
able to resolve the problem
by looking for a repair option
under the All Programs entry
on the Start menu.
Ive received some les from a
friend in MSG format how do
I read them without Outlook?
Adam Eaves
MSG les can be read outside
of Outlook using a free
program called MSGViewer,
which requires Java see
http://bit.ly/18kcw2k for
details, and to get started.
clicking the trash can next

to an unwanted toolbar
and clicking Remove when
prompted. Repeat for the
other toolbars and then
restart Chrome on doing
so, Bill conrmed all three
had removed themselves
from his PC.
To avoid this happening
again in the future we
recommend installing a
free, unobtrusive program
called Unchecky from
the cover disc (ignore
any warnings that your
security program may ag
up its completely safe). Unchecky
sits quietly in the background
looking out for program installers
that attempt to sneak these types
of add-ons on to your PC and will
alert you should you be about
to install one. You can, of course,
ignore the warning, but it does at
least mean you wont accidentally
install one potentially unwanted
program (PUP) on your PC.
SECURE WIPE
Always clear data
completely from
your PC before
passing it on
Security
CLEARING OLD DATA

FROM HARD DRIVE
Q Im about to dispose of an old
HP touchscreen machine, and

would like to know what program I
should use to safely clear it of data
before I dispose of it. Something
ecient and simple to use, but not
too expensive please!
Tessa Davies
Adams solution
To keep things simple,
wed recommend you
use a Windows-friendly
data-shredding tool to delete
existing data on the drive, and
wipe any free space to ensure
previously deleted les are
destroyed too. Install File Shredder
from your free disc, then launch the
program. Click Shredder settings

and select to the Algorithms tab
to make sure DoD 5200-22.M is
the selected algorithm. Click OK.
From here you can add les or
folders still present on your hard
drive, then click Remove all to
delete them securely after clicking
Shred les now. Finally, click Shred
free disk space to securely wipe all
empty space on the drive, which
should remove all traces of
previously deleted les.
Once complete, restore Windows
to its factory settings using your
recovery partition or discs, then
consider installing File Shredder
and running Shred Free Disk Space
one last time to wipe any other free
space left over.
Hardware
CANT USE COMPUTERS

LINEIN SOCKET
Q Im trying to connect my
old music centre to my

Windows 7 64-bit computer in
order to record some old vinyl
discs. Unfortunately, despite the
presence of a line-in socket on my
MOVE BROWSER CACHE

Q Hi, Id like to free up some
space on my system partition

by moving my temporary internet
les onto another drive. Can this
be done easily?
Jeremy Sixsmith
Matts solution
Yes, although the
method obviously
depends on the web
browser you use Chrome users
should visit www.essayweb.net/
miscellany/chrome.shtml for a
detailed guide, and users of other
browser users should check out
the step-by-step tutorial instead.
80
Explorer
1 Internet
Click the Tools button and choose
Internet options, then click Settings under
Browser History. Click Move folder to
choose where the new Temporary Internet
Files folder is created. Finally, click OK > OK >
Yes to log off and move the files.
2 Firefox
Install Configuration Mania from http://
addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/4420,
then choose Options > Configuration Mania
from the Firefox menu. Select Browser cache
under Browser and click Browse to pick a
new folder before clicking Select folder > OK.
Support
Technical help
motherboard, no line-in option
appears under Control Panel >
Sound > Recording. It seems the
computer doesnt recognise it.
Hopefully you can help.
Simon Rutter
Jamess solution
This can usually be
traced to the sound
drivers in Simons
case, he had an Intel D945PVS
motherboard that had been
designed pre-Windows 7. The
standard Windows 7 sound drivers
had been installed, which is ne for
basic use, but he needed dedicated
drivers to unlock the features he
required. A quick trip to the Intel
website revealed Windows Vista
64-bit drivers, but no dedicated
Windows 7 driver.
I pointed Simon to the free
DriverEasy tool, which you can
nd on your free disc, or download
from http://www.drivereasy.com.
This scanned his system and found
27 driver updates, including
the all-important sound drivers.
Once installed, the line-in socket
appeared in the Sound Control
Panel and Simon was able to access
it in Audacity (http://audacity.
sourceforge.net) to start digitising
his record collection.
has now been discontinued, so

I will either have to renew my
subscription to Norton or choose
another product. My regular
antivirus scans only turn up adware
cookies, and I use the internet daily,
but not continuously.
My question is, can I rely on
Microsoft Security Essentials to
give me all the protection I need
from viruses and malware, or are
there weaknesses that would
make a commercial product a
better choice? Thanks very much.
Alan Elsegood
Nicks solution
My personal view is that
free antivirus software
is adequate only if you
take precautions to minimise your
risk of infection, whether thats
vetting websites before you visit
using a free browser plug-in such

as MyWOT (www.mywot.com),
or downloading and installing
programs only from reputable
websites and after investigating
them thoroughly. As for Microsoft
Security Essentials, there are better,
more thorough free tools out there,
such as Avast (www.avast.com).
However, if you want added
protection, then I still recommend
paying 25 a year for a Norton
subscription (www.norton.com)
after all, Ive been using it for the
past six years! Additional features
such as automatic screening of all
downloads and warnings when
youre about to visit potentially
dangerous websites means its
there to catch you when you
slip up, but if you trust your own
vigilance, then free software is
perfectly sucient. Q
Do you have
a PC problem?
Get in touch
Email full details of your
problem to the
support team and well
do our best to help
windowsmagazine@
futurenet.com
Security
IS FREE PROTECTION
ADEQUATE?
EXTRA
PROTECTION
Norton vets all
downloads and
warns you if it
spots anything
suspicious
Q Im running Windows 7, and
have been using Spyware

Doctor as my antivirus protection
for several years. The product
My personal view is that free antivirus

is adequate only if you take precautions
to minimise your risk of infection
Jargon buster!
Environment variables
Specially named variables that
point Windows to specic
system folders.
(new)
3 Opera
In the new version of Opera, locate the
program shortcut, right-click it and choose
Properties. Click inside the Target: box and
add the following line: --disk-cache-dir=D:\
Folder, where D:\Folder points to where you
would like the cache to be stored.
(old)
4 Opera
If youre still using Opera 12.16 or
earlier, type opera:config into the address
bar, then search for cache directory4. Change
its value to the location of your desired folder
(which you must have already created) and
click Save to finish.
Paging le
A place where Windows can
temporarily store items that
arent currently being used.
PUP
Potentially Unwanted Program
an additional program or
add-on oered when installing
an application on your PC.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
81
NEW HARDWARE
ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES
The days of your

computer being a
grey box on your
desk are long gone.
You can now take
your PC with you everywhere
you go, ready for whenever
you want to type out a report
or relax and have fun.
If youve just bought a new
album or one of the latest
games, youll want to make sure
it sounds as good as possible.
Weve got a roundup of the
best new headphones that
will be music to your ears.
Weve also put two new
portable PCs through their
paces Microsofts new and
improved Surface 2, and HPs
chic but budget-oriented
Pavilion 15. Enjoy!
Nick Odantzis Deputy editor
LATEST GAMES
84 Gaming headsets
88 HP Pavilion 15
Comfortable and stylish headphones that

deliver fantastic sound whether youre
playing a game or enjoying some music.
If youre looking for an affordable laptop

and dont need too many bells and whistles,
this simple offering from HP could be ideal.
The successor to Microsofts first Windows

tablet has arrived, with more power and
fantastic battery life for working on the go.
The Dark Knight goes back to his roots

in this prequel. Expect a cracking story
featuring Gothams infamous villains.
Our review guarantee
Our awards
Only the very
QHVWSURGXFWV
receive our Best
On Test Award.
These will have
excellent marks
for quality.
We use only acknowledged experts to review products, so you can use

our ratings with full confidence to make your buying decision
How we review
One of the key tenets of our

review philosophy is that
hardware should be compared
against like products wherever
possible. It is only when you pit
WKHQHVWSURGXFWVRIDFHUWDLQ
type against one another at
the same time that you can
UHDOO\FRPHXSZLWKDGHQLWLYH
RATING EXPLAINED
82
verdict as to which is the very

best in that category. The pace
of development in computer
hardware means that it is very
GLIFXOWWRFRPSDUHVFRUHV
from today with those from,
say, six months ago. Magazines
and websites that review a new
product on its own run the risk
of confusing or misleading.
Superb
Very good
We guarantee to test every

piece of hardware rigorously
and thoroughly, using only
acknowledged experts to
establish the worth of a
product. We always review
from the viewpoint of our
readers; the day-to-day
practicality and quality of
a product is paramount.
Good
Our Best Value

Award is given
to products that
quite simply
represent the
best value for
your money.
Disappointing
Poor
Upgrade
Whats inside
84 Turtle Beach XP510

84 Creative Sound Blaster Evo Zx
84 Tritton Kunai
85 Razer Kraken 7.1
85 Plantronics Rig
88 HP Pavilion 15
90 Battlefield 4
86 Microsoft Surface 2: a second-generation

Windows tablet with a sleek new look
94 Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag

96 Call of Duty: Ghosts
88 HP
Pavilion 15:
an affordable
laptop that
would be
perfect as a
second PC
for the family
You play a rogue who loves money enough

to leave his girlfriend in port and sail to the
West Indies in search of a vast fortune
7 WSD
Our promise to you
Well introduce you to new stuff
The Upgrade section is your key to finding out about the latest
products, all designed to help you get more from your PC
You can trust our reviews
Our expert reviewers are 100 per cent

independent, with years of experience
in the world of computing. Our rigorous
testing procedures mean that only
genuine, high-quality products are
awarded high star ratings. Further, very
few are handed our Best Value or Best
on Test Awards. If you see an item of
hardware bearing one of these marks,
\RXFDQEHFRQGHQWWKDWLWLVDQH[FHOOHQW
product. Always check when the award
was given, to ensure it is still up-to-date.
We choose the best products
Thousands of new products for your

computer are released every year and
choosing between them can sometimes be
an impossible task. Our experts select only
the best hardware and software to feature
in this magazine, making your decision on
which one to choose easier. Even better,
our awards and star rating system make it
VLPSOHWRQGWKHEHVWSURGXFWVIRU\RXU
needs, with our recommended products
section giving you a fast, trustworthy guide
to a wide range of hardware and software.
Wherever we can, we review new

hardware comparatively, pitching
it head-to-head against other similar
products. (Full details of our policy can be
found in the opposite page, under Our
review guarantee.) Of course, this isnt
always possible with new products and
part of our duty to you is to introduce you
a wide range of fascinating new hardware,
software, services and games.
The reviews of standalone hardware
and software are just as thorough as our
comparative reviews. However, we do not
allocate scores to them because this can
often be misleading. The only exception to
this rule is on our games reviews, where
the pace of change is a lot slower and
single scores can be genuinely useful.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
83
Tritton Kunai
Price 50 | $60 (www.trittonaudio.com)
Turtle Beach
XP510
Price 230 | $290 (www.turtlebeach.com)

Other wireless headsets will happily pipe
the sound of gunfire to you, but if you
want to chat to your mates youll need a
wired connection. Not so with the XP510.
A Bluetooth dongle plugs into your PC so
you can enjoy full 360-degree surround
sound and talk at the same time. The
XP510 can also connect to your phone,
and has the oomph to deliver quality
sound for movies and music. Its perhaps
a little light and plasticky, but in terms of
features, theres little better.
Creative Sound
Blaster Evo Zx
Price 160 | $250 (www.creative.com)

This PC-only headset connects simply
via Bluetooth and NFC, with some
nifty playback controls tucked away
on the side. The sound quality from
the 40mm drivers is decent enough
you are able to feel the boom of
battle but its not mind-blowing.
You can customise the balance to suit
your tastes, but overall it remains a
bit too polite. The ear cups are a little
on the firm side too, leading to some
soreness after a few hours. Theres
good connectivity here, but a little
more sonic attack would be nice.
84
The Kunai is Trittons entry-level wired headset, but

offers solid build quality and sound that easily rivals
some higher-end headphones. The in-line remote
lets you mute your fellow players if you need to
give the game your full concentration. The Kunai is
compatible with PCs and almost all games consoles
but it can be fiddly to set up, and long stretches of
use prove uncomfortable due to the small ear cups.
Upgrade
Gaming headsets
Whether youre rallying the troops or organising a heist,

these gaming headsets will make your voice heard
Razer Kraken 7.1

Price 90 | $100 (www.razerone.com)
A typically militaristic-looking Razer

product aimed directly at PC gamers,
this is remarkably well built for a
sub-100 headset. Its a bit weightier
than youd expect and can become
rather sweaty after several hours
of gaming, but the ear cups remain
comfortable long-term.
The main selling point here is the
virtual 7.1 surround sound, which can
be adjusted using Synapse 2.0 software.
Its good, but very bass heavy great
for noisy games, but less ideal if you
want to watch a Woody Allen film
or listen to Allo Darlin records. The
retractable mic is a nice touch, though.
Plantronics Rig
Price 120 | $130 (www.plantronics.com)

The Rig is a wired headset, so you cant wander far from
your computer, but its so comfortable, with a large ear cup
design and soft felt cushioning, that you wont mind the
reduced freedom of movement. An optical digital audio
input is a welcome addition, even if the ability to feed your
smartphones audio into the mix is interesting but somewhat
less necessary (unless you cant live without those Twitter
alerts). Hook the Rig up to an Xbox 360, PS3 or PC, and the
sound is all-encompassing thanks to the digital input and
great audio processing. Strap them on; load up your favourite
game; dont unplug for many, many hours.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
85
Microsoft Surface 2
359 | $449 www.microsoft.com
Can Microsofts new Surface make Windows RT a joy to use?
ack in 2012, Microsoft

launched its Surface devices
and just about succeeded in
bringing Windows to the tablet
form factor. They were as thin as an
iPad, came with full-size USB ports
and almost the whole Oce suite,
had kickstands to hold them up,
and could be clipped to amazingly
thin keyboards. Sadly, they lacked
the range of apps available for iOS
and Android, and the impressive
feature set didn't translate into
impressive sales. Now, Microsoft
has launched its next-generation
tablets, the Surface Pro 2 and this,
the successor to the Surface RT.
The Surface 2 has a new screen,
a two-position kickstand, USB 3.0, a
faster processor and new keyboard
options. It has the new features of
Windows 8.1, including Internet
Explorer 11, SkyDrive integration
and more Snap window sizes.
There are two versions of the
Surface 2. Both have a 1.7GHz
Nvidia Tegra 4 chip with 2GB of
86
RAM behind the 1,920 x 1,080 pixel,

10.6-inch screen, but you can
choose between the 359 32GB
model we tested and a 64GB
version for 439. Those prices
compare favourably with iPads of
equivalent capacity, and Microsoft
is keen to point out that as well
as its hardware having superior
connectivity, you also get Oce,
which now includes Outlook.
If you need more storage space,
Surface 2 still has a microSD slot.
It also provides 200GB of SkyDrive
storage thats free for two years,
along with a year of free Skype
landline calls and hotspot access.
Looks familiar
The Surface 2 retains much of its
predecessors style, with a big black
bezel, angled sides and rounded
corners, but the matte blastedmagnesium alloy chassis is a pale
silver-grey rather than almost black.
It attracts marks that wouldnt be
noticeable on the original Surfaces
black edge. Making the Surface 2

thinner has also led to the removal
of the lip of metal that ran along
the top of the old models screen,
between the plastic and the glass.
The Surface 2 is much the same
weight as the original Surface RT. At
676g it's a tiny bit heavier than last
year's iPad 4 (which has a smaller
9.7-inch screen), but its positively
hefty compared to the new 478g
iPad Air. It feels well-balanced
though, and is reassuringly sturdy.
It's comfortable to hold in one
hand or two. Its light enough to
carry around without weighing
you down, and it still packs more
useful ports into the case than
just about any other tablet.
As with the original Surface, the
power button is on the top right
(or bottom right in portrait mode),
and is conveniently placed in either
orientation. Thanks to the twin
speakers, headphone jack and tiny
Mini-HDMI port in the top corners,
the volume keys are a little further
Upgrade
Microsoft Surface 2
KEY FEATURES
Microsoft Surface 2
Supplier www.microsoft.com
Operating system Windows 8.1
Processor Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core
1.7GHz
Storage 32GB or 64GB
RAM 2GB
Graphics Nvidia Tegra 4 T40
Connectivity 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, USB 3.0
Weight 676g
Screen size 10.6-inch touchscreen
Display resolution 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD
down the left-hand side than you

might expect. The most useful port
is the full-size USB port, which is
now the speedier USB 3.0 variety.
Network options again come
from Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11n
Wi-Fi. However, the latter features
an extra-powerful antenna that can
nd more wireless access points
than the original Surface. It can get
online when even laptops can't nd
a connection. Models with 4G
connectivity are expected soon.
The new kickstand gives you
the choice of having the screen
although text is crisp and smooth, it

can be a little small on the 10.6-inch
screen. The stereo speakers crank
out impressive sound given how
thin the Surface 2 is; volume is
good and details are crisp.
The original Surface rarely felt
slow until you tried a demanding
game, but the Surface 2s 1.7GHz
quad-core Tegra 4 chipset and 2GB
of RAM make even the 32GB model
feel much speedier.
This Surface 2 runs Windows RT
8.1. Windows RT has been much
maligned, but apart from not being
Windows RT remains a problem. Things just arent

joined up yet because of the limited app support
mostly upright or leaning it a bit
further back. This can help you
avoid glare from an overhead
light, touch the screen at a more
comfortable angle, and balance the
device more securely on your lap.
However you look at it, the new
full HD screen is beautiful, though
not obviously in the same category
as Apple's Retina display. It's
brighter, crisper and more vivid
than the original Surfaces screen
and the original Surface Pro. Reds
and greens are more intense but
yellows and whites stay bright and
clean, and the colours you see are
more accurate.
The screens 1,920 x 1,080
resolution is great for movies, but it
also means youll keep the DPI and
zoom settings turned up, because
able to install any desktop software

(beyond the built-in Oce desktop
programs and Internet Explorer), it's
indistinguishable from the full-fat
Windows 8.1. Overall, Windows
RT isnt that bad, but the major
problem is that were all used to the
way desktop programs work and
the functions they perform. The
apps available from the Windows
Store don't yet ll the gap left by
that the lack of desktop software.
Measuring battery life is always
dependent on what you're doing;
are you using Wi-Fi, running a lot of
web pages, transferring gigabytes
of data or playing Solitaire?
Microsoft claims the device can
play video for up to 10 hours on a
single charge, and we got 12 hours
of playback in some of our tests.
You can get nine or 10 hours of

web browsing, depending on the
sites you visit; multimedia content
consumes more power than simple
text pages. When the battery
runs down, recharging is fast; you
get about one per cent charge a
minute, so you have well over half
your battery life back after an hour.
The cameras on the original
Surface and Surface Pro werent
that impressive, but the 1080p
Surface 2 cameras are a denite
improvement, especially in low
light, thanks to the much larger
sensor on the 3.5-megapixel front
camera. Since youre most likely to
use the front camera for making a
Skype video call, that's probably
the most important improvement,
but the picture quality is also
substantially better. The rear 5MP
camera is also improved, but it is
a basic phone camera.
Surface 2 is priced as a premium
tablet, especially when you have
to buy Type and Touch Covers
separately. Thats fair, but there
are far cheaper options (if you
dont count the value of Oce
and 200GB of SkyDrive storage).
The new screen, the improved
kickstand, the much-better
battery life and software with far
fewer rough edges add up to an
impressive product. But Windows
RT remains a problem. Things just
arent joined up yet because of
the limited app support. However
much you think you won't need
desktop apps, you will undoubtedly
nd something that compromises
your experience. Thats a shame,
because the hardware is superb. Q
A fantastic device thats held
back by the limitations of its
pared-down operating system.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
87
HP Pavilion 15
349 | $765 www.hp.com
This budget, general-purpose laptop is more than enough for most needs
he HP Pavilion 15 is a budget
machine designed for
everyday computing. Its a
straightforward proposition, yet
an area of the PC market that is
extremely competitive, with a huge
number of options to choose from.
The selection includes everything
from tablets (of all guises) through
to Googles new Chromebooks and
netbooks (which some say are set
to make a comeback), and a healthy
chunk of budget laptops, just
like this one, all jostling for your
attention and access to your wallet.
The benet of the HP Pavilion 15
over many alternatives is that it
runs Windows specically
Windows 8 so you can use all the
applications that you are familiar
with. And unlike something like
HP's own Pavilion 14 Chromebook
or any of the Windows RT tablets,
you're not limited to a tiny range of
apps either. You can run everything
from Microsoft Oce to Photoshop
and other high-end tools.
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This is a budget-focused laptop

from the ground up though, and
as such sacrices have had to be
made. It certainly isn't a machine
that will answer every single one of
your computer needs. Even so, if
you're looking for a general
machine for the home, then there's
nothing wrong with such a goal in
the rst place.
Quality components
Key to a low-cost laptop like the
HP Pavilion 15 is the processor at
the heart of the machine, which is
also budget-orientated. This is the
second machine we've looked at
recently that is built around AMDs
A4-5000 APU, with the rst being
the Lenovo G505. This is an APU as
opposed to a CPU, which is AMD's
way of highlighting the fact that it
boasts a graphics core inside the
chip alongside the more traditional
processing component.
The A4-5000s architecture
boasts four logical cores and an
operating frequency of 1.5GHz,

with 2MB of cache to help keep
those cores full. These cores arent
powerful enough to compete with
those in Intel's latest-generation
Core processors, but the chip is
considerably less expensive than
anything Intel has to oer.
The graphics processor is a
Radeon HD 8330. Its specications
paint a positive enough picture,
and it will happily handle the latest
games at least in theory. There
are a few problems though, which
well come to shortly.
Theres 4GB of DDR3 RAM, which
is frustratingly all on one of the
APU's two channels, providing only
half the memory bandwidth that
you should get.
The machine is also home to a
750GB hard drive, a DVD+RW drive
and plenty of USB ports, so theres
enough storage space for your
photos, music and other les.
The 15.6-inch screen is bright,
although as it is a TN panel it suers
Upgrade
HP Pavilion 15
KEY FEATURES
Asus Transformer
Book TX300
Supplier www.hp.com
Operating system Windows 8
Processor AMD A4-5000
Storage 750GB HDD
RAM 4GB DDR3
Graphics AMD Radeon HD 8330
Connectivity 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi,
HDMI, USB 3.0
Weight 2.35kg
Screen size 15.6-inch
Display resolution 1,366 x 768
from polarising when not viewed at

the perfect angle. The resolution of
1,366 x 768 should be seen as the
bare minimum for laptops today,
but you can use the integrated
HDMI connector to show things on
a Full HD television or monitor.
Build quality is reasonable,
although tapping the chassis
produces hollow rattles, especially
around the optical drive. The
Pavilion 15 doesn't feel as solid as
many more expensive machines,
though it is pleasing enough to
look at. The metallic red nish
latest DirectX 11 games in theory.

Unfortunately this APU lacks the
raw power to handle demanding
titles at anything like smooth frame
rates. Of course this is a budget
machine, so how does it fare when
you knock the settings down a
little? Not brilliantly. Even with
every setting as low as it will go,
you're still looking at less than
20fps in the vast majority of titles
in our suite of games.
But its not all bad news. In
general use, the machine is very
responsive. The battery life is also
Theres not enough power to do the kind of tasks

that you might expect from a modern machine
helps it stand out from the crowd,
and system cooling doesn't get too
loud while the laptop is in use.
Modest performance
In our tests we found theres not
a lot of power going spare. In fact
there's not enough to do the kind
of tasks that you might expect
from a modern machine. Youll be
waiting for your videos to output,
for your photos to get that nal
layer of polish, and for pretty
much anything that takes serious
processing power to nish. Still,
for many simple computing tasks
youll nd that it does enough.
As we mentioned earlier, HP has
built the Pavilion 15 around an
AMD APU, and as such it boasts a
graphics core that will handle the
incredible. In testing under

PCMark08, which stresses the
machine's capabilities in website
creation among other things,
you're looking at ve hours and
22 minutes of continued use, which
is incredible. When you consider
that you should see double this
when you're out and about, then
you're looking at a system that will
last a day's commute easily. If you
need to travel away from a power
connector for long periods, this
alone might tip your decision in
the Pavilion 15s favour.
Anyone in the market for a
budget laptop, either as a generalpurpose machine for the family,
or as a PC that will handle school
work, should certainly consider the
HP Pavilion 15 simply because on
the surface it oers such great

value for money. The processor and
graphics performance arent stellar,
but if you set your expectations a
little lower than normal, youll be
pleased with what it has to oer.
The general styling is to be
commended too. While theres not
a lot of cash for ourishes at this
price point, this is an interestinglooking laptop. The screen is bright,
but shift your head slightly and
youll lose colour reproduction and
contrast will go out of the window.
With Apple redening what we
expect from portable devices
thanks to their IPS screens, this is
one aspect that holds the Pavilion
15 and other budget laptops back.
The fact that HP has populated
only one of the machines memory
channels is frustrating, because it
means the APU has to wait for data
unnecessarily. Our advice here is to
upgrade the laptops RAM as soon
as you receive it.
Overall, the HP Pavilion 15 isnt a
machine for everyone. We think it
would work best as a second PC for
the home that everyone can grab
as needed. It isnt powerful enough
for a primary machine unless you
only need it for simple tasks, but
if thats all you demand of it, and
youre looking for a straightforward
laptop on a tight budget, this is
one of the best. Admittedly you
won't be playing the latest games
on it, and doing anything else
that is processor-intensive will
take a while, but its not a bad
little machine at all. And at this
price, some might say its a steal. Q
Its performance wont set the
world alight, but if your demands
are modest, it could be ideal.
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
89
Play this
Feel those engines roar
Four new games available to

play on your Windows computer
Beams of light are

dazzlingly beautiful in BF4
Battlefield 4
A lot of buildings get broken, but not much new ground
Price 45 | $60
Developer DICE
Publisher EA
Multiplayer Up to 64 players DRM Origin, Battlelog Web www.battlefield.com
Recommended specs Quad-core processor, 4GB RAM, GeForce 680 or Radeon AMD 6850
Battleeld 4 wants you

to break it. Demolition
has been, to varying
degrees, the series
distinguishing feature ever
since Battleeld: Bad
Company 2. In BF4 it takes
the form of massive,
shatterable centrepieces in
each multiplayer map. A
concrete dam you can ruin. A
dentable radar telescope. A
crippled navy destroyer that
can be run aground in
Paracel Storm.
At some point though, we
stopped caring about toppling
tower blocks. The sky
scrapers we love are the jets.
90
The sound they make is the

best sort of distracting. Its a
ragged crackle of bass, like a
thunderstorm being dragged
against its will.
Eects such as this continue
to be one of Battleelds most
enjoyable traits. The disastermovie destruction is initially
novel, but its the incidental
moments of wonder that hold
up over time. The blur of wind
as you base-jump o a roof.
The growl of an ATV as its
tyres chew grass. The clink of
an M40A5 bolt shifting back
into place. DICE is the Mozart
of war, and its mastery of
sound continues to dene
Battleelds moment-tomoment richness.
Dj vu
But this is nothing new, and
neither is a lot of BF4. Its still a
64-player, infantry-driven FPS
fought on expansive outdoor
maps, with a garage of air,
ground and sea vehicles to
taxi you between capture
points, and the weapon roster
is essentially untouched.
We understand why DICE
wouldnt deviate from its
design why change weapon
handling that continues to rest
comfortably between
accessible and nuanced? Why
throw out modes that already

suit the maps and mechanics?
All the same, you should factor
in this familiarity if you tired of
BF3 quickly. BF4 will probably
age faster than its predecessor.
Keeping some of that
sameness at bay are features
like Commander mode a
strategic role returning from
BF2142 that one player per
team can assume instead of
ghting. Commanders view
the match omnisciently
through a fullscreen map,
issuing attack and defend
orders while phoning in what
are essentially killstreaks as
theyre earned by squads.
These commander assets are
powerful in the right hands, as
they can do everything from
air-dropping ammo and health
to temporarily spotting all
enemy infantry or summoning
an AC-130 gunship. The latter
makes you feel like Zeus:
lobbing cannon rounds from
on high is a wonderful break
from being boots on the
ground, and it takes real skill.
Outside of this strategic role,
theres a new hybrid bomb-
Upgrade
Play this
BF4 carries on the series tradition
of combat across expansive maps
The insurance companies will

never pay out on this one
Wheeeeeeeee!
In-game hand signals are

restricted to pointing
planting and capture-point

mode that we like. Obliteration
joins the compact Rush,
longer-form Conquest and
team deathmatch modes. Its a
meat-grindery back-and-forth
that occasionally resembles
rugby more than it does
Battleeld, but in a good way.
The vehicle set is mostly
unchanged, save for a neutral
MLRS truck that spawns on a
few maps. Controlling it gives
your team mobile artillery to
knock out hunkered-down
defenders or disrupt vehicle
advances. The truck is
balanced with a limited ring
arc and long ammoregeneration timer, and by
separating the driving and
ring positions.
BF4s Levolution moments,
as EA calls them, are presented
as the main attraction. These
scripted setpieces only subtly
inuence matches, which we
appreciate. One of the better
events in Paracel Storm isnt
the wrecked warship that you
can run aground, but how the
sky shifts from a clear, tropical
postcard to an oily hurricane.
Paracel Storm is a
sight to behold
The ocean gets choppy, and

travelling on jet skis and boats
becomes more of a chore.
At the less ambitious end of
the Levolution spectrum is
Golmud Railway. Its dynamic
element is a small train thats
also one of the six capture
points. This mightve been a
nice idea on paper, but the
train is easily intercepted and
has almost no strategic value.
Hotel Hainan
Gimmicks aside, the layout
and look of BF4s maps is
great, with some standing
alongside the series
best. Hainan Resort is a
highlight a tropical bay
overlooked by a hotel. LAVs
inevitably stack up in the
courtyard at the resorts lip,
generating excellent cat-andmouse between armour and
engineers while gunboats
harass from the shore.
Naval combat is more
abundant in BF4, expressed in
maps such as Flood Zone,
where you ght on the
rooftops of apartments
submerged in 50 feet of
swimmable water. And

Golmud Railway, while a drag
in Conquest, is fantastic in
Rush, which shrinks the map
to a concentrated attack-anddefend format.
The exception to the
well-designed map rule is
Operation Locker a at,
bottlenecked bunker. If you
enjoyed BF3s Operation Metro
youll love it, but we believe
that BF doesnt play well in
compact spaces. Even with
just 28 players, an Obliteration
round on Locker devolved into
a 40-minute meat grinder,
with small crowds gathering at
narrow tunnels to die in piles.
The campaign is better than
BF3s dismally generic oering,
although its still singleplayerby-numbers. Youre a marine,
leading an elite team of
tactical experts who all
continually need your help to
open doors. Amid political
strife in China, youre sent to
extract a VIP. It goes awry,
sparking open conict with
the US. The action never
deviates from the whack-amole game of plunking down
February 2014 |
pop-up guards, punctuated by

cutscenes and the odd
helicopter or tank kill.
On the technical side, it was
frustrating that we couldnt
widen the eld of vision from
around 70. We also found the
inclusion of kill counters in
singleplayer strange. DICE is
certainly guilty of taking an if
it aint broke attitude, but
BF4s renements and
excellent maps make it one of
our favourite FPS games. A
cynic would call it a map pack
in sequels clothing. If thats
your judgment, know that BF4
has enough variety, depth and
quality to survive a year of
intense play. Q
Very similar to Battleeld 3,
but improved by Commander
Mode and diverse maps.
Help & Advice |
91
The cinematic camera

when you take out the
last goon in the room
never gets old
Batman: Arkham Origins

The Dark Knight plays it safe in a disappointing prequel
Price 40 | $50
Developer WB Games Montreal, Splash Damage
Publisher Warner Bros
Multiplayer Up to 8 players DRM Steam Web www.batmanarkhamorigins.com
Recommended specs Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB graphics card, 4GB RAM
Arkham Origins joins

Batman in his angsty
teenage years. Hes not
the stoic, Kevin
Conroy-voiced Bats of
Asylum and City, but a
hot-headed vigilante who
punches rst and asks
questions later. Its an
interesting twist on the
Arkham formula, but despite
the change of tone and era,
this is a timid retread of
Rocksteadys games.
Its Christmas Eve, and
skull-faced mobster Black
Mask has given the caped
crusader an early present in
the form of a $50 million
92
bounty on his head. Eight

assassins have been hired to
claim the prize, including
Bane, Deathstroke and Killer
Croc, plus a parade of low-rent
DC villains. You also see
Batmans rst encounter with a
youthful Joker, and other
cameos that we wont spoil.
Rest assured, youre never
short of people to punch or be
punched by.
The city is noticeably bigger
than before, but less visually
interesting and less fun to
navigate. There are too many
dead ends that break your
ow as youre gliding, and the
new island is a grey,
uninspiring industrial sprawl.

To compensate for the
increased size, youre able to
fast-travel with the Batwing,
but transit points have to be
unlocked by hacking
communication towers.
Otherwise, getting around
involves liberal use of the
grapnel boost, which pings
you into the air when you
grapple onto something.
Odd jobs
The Riddler is back, known to
Batman as Enigma, and has
scattered extortion les
(basically the same as previous
games Riddler trophies)
around Gotham. Reaching

some of them involves solving
environmental puzzles, but
none as complex as those in
City. Other side quests include
defusing bombs set by
terrorist Anarky, destroying
weapon and drug caches, and
intervening in street crimes. A
lot of it feels like the usual
open-world game ller, and it
varies in quality, but theres a
good chunk of stu to do
between missions.
The world-building is much
better indoors. Locales are
nicely crafted, with the same
clutter and richness of detail
that pervaded Rocksteadys
worlds. The level design
doesnt match the strength of
the art, though. The missions
are formulaic and linear, with
none of the previous games
careful pacing. Theres too
much ghting, and not
enough exploration of those
beautifully-detailed
Upgrade
Play this
Batman inltrates the
Gotham PD building
The crime scene reconstruction

is nice-looking, but shallow
How do we make this

sinister illegal drug lab
even more sinister?
environments. You feel

like youre being hastily
pushed between predator
challenges and ghts, rather
than progressing organically,
at your own pace.
At rst the combat seemed
unchanged, but the more we
played, the more aware we
became that it is worse. The
controls and animations are
the same, but the tempo is
wrong. Rocksteadys original
system was inuenced by
rhythm action games, the
enemies attacking almost to a
beat, but in Origins, their
attack patterns are more
sporadic, which has destroyed
that precise, rhythmic ow.
A likeable new feature is the
Devil May Cry-inspired rating
system. After each ght, the
amount of XP awarded is
dictated by your performance.
If you used a lot of variety,
mixing gadgets and combos,
youll earn more.
Then there are the boss
battles. Facing o against this
shopping list of famous
Batman baddies should have
New villain Copperhead

receives some bat-justice
been a highlight, but theyre

probably the worst thing in
the game. Most involve
learning and exploiting a
handful of very basic patterns,
while regular enemies are
occasionally thrown into the
arena in a half-hearted
attempt to add variety. But
theyre frustrating, repetitive,
attritional slogs.
Thats not to say theres no
new content. Detective mode
has been reworked, enabling
you to reconstruct crime
scenes with holograms and
scrub through them for clues.
It looks great, but its pretty
shallow. Youre still just
holding a button to scan
things. Batman does the
detecting; you just tell him
where to look.
Multiplayer sees two
three-man teams of thugs
battling each other while a
third team, Batman and Robin,
tries to take them out. The
thugs ght over Battleeldstyle control points, and can
call upon Bane and the Joker
to help out. Its enjoyable
enough, and the predator

system works well against real
players, but after only a few
hours we didnt feel any urge
to return to it.
New gadgets join old
favourites. The shock gloves
can be used in combat to deal
extra damage, and to charge
up generators to open doors.
They only make your strikes
slightly more powerful, but
zapping enemies with
electried punches is very
satisfying. Its never explained
why Batman has access to
gadgets he only started to use
in Asylum and City, so try to
suspend your disbelief.
The best thing in Origins
utility belt is its story. Its
nothing we havent seen in a
thousand lms, games and
comics before, but its
condently written and
well-acted, and it takes
inuence from established
mythology without copying it.
Steam forums continues to

grow, some of which corrupt
saves or halt progress. One
bug, seemingly isolated to the
PC version, trapped us in a
room, and required the use of
another bug to bypass it.
The leap from Asylum to
City was dramatic, if not
entirely successful, but Origins
is so similar to City (to the
point of repeating some
moments verbatim) that it
feels more like an elaborate
expansion pack than a proper
sequel. Yearly sequels can
bleed a great concept dry, and
the Arkham series deserves
better treatment. Q
Enjoyable but blighted by
bad bosses, sloppy design,
and a lack of new ideas.
Bugged out
As we go to press, a playercompiled list of bugs on the
February 2014 |
Help & Advice |
93
Set captured men free

to lower your wanted level
Diving kills from a ships

rigging is endless fun
Assassins Creed IV
Black Flag
The grand pirate adventure youve been waiting for
Price 40 | $60
Developer In house
Publisher Ubisoft
Multiplayer Four player co-op DRM Steam, Uplay Web www.bit.ly/AssFlag
Recommended specs Dual-core CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX470 or Radeon HD 5850, 4GB RAM
Assassins Creed IV
Black Flag doesnt
really want to be an
Assassins Creed game,
and we dont blame it. It
seems keen to shrug o the
convoluted lore surrounding
the aeon-long Assassins vs
Templars power struggle,
which reached new peaks of
ludicrousness even after that
bit in the second game where
you punch the Pope
unconscious in order to
access an alien hologram.
94
You play as Edward Kenway,

a rogue who loves money
enough to leave his girlfriend
in port and sail to the West
Indies in search of a vast
fortune. In the opening scenes
he steals an Assassins hooded
garb and wristblades and
accidentally falls in with a
crowd of Templars a team of
comically evil caricatures
led by a bearded grand master
and backed up by a platearmoured man-ogre who
throws axes at people. Theyre
searching for the Observatory,

an ancient device that enables
its user to see the location of
anyone in the world at any
time. The Templars desire it to
make coups easier, the
Assassins want it to stop the
Templars, and Kenway wants it
because its the most valuable
thing on the planet.
If that sounds a bit removed
from piracy and plunder, dont
worry. After the two-hour
tutorial mercifully shorter
than in previous games the
story refocuses on building

the pirate paradise of Nassau.
Kenway isnt exactly an
Assassin. He has all the
free-running, jumping and
killing skills of the sect a
genetic bonus, its implied
but his relationship with the
morally ambiguous order of
murder-monks is fractious.
That keeps the plots severest
absurdities at arms length and
lets you just be a pirate and do
pirate things. Sail across the
ocean, rob ships, ght the
British, capture forts, harpoon
whales, explore coastal cities
and raid Aztec ruins for
treasure. All this in a beautiful
tropical open world thats at
its hyper-detailed best on PC.
Treasure islands
On land, much is familiar. Hubs
such as Havana and Nassau
are large, but there are no
urban spaces to match the size
and spectacle of Rome or
Constantinople. A shame, but
theres still a huge amount
to explore. As always, you
have to climb to high perches
to scout sections of towns,
revealing chests, stores and
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Play this
Kenways killing blows
double up as dance moves
Freerunning through
Black Flags jungles is a joy
Flaming vessels wont sink

until you deliver a nal shot
sidequests. These objectives

lie in open areas patrolled by
British or Spanish forces, and
youre invited to solve
problems creatively.
Stealth has been tightened
up too. Jungle foliage oers
constant cover and targets can
be marked using Kenways
Eagle Vision mode, which lets
you track guards through walls
a serious advantage, yes, but
you no longer have access to
the silent, ranged instant-kill
throwing knives that made
similar challenges trivial
in previous games. Instead you
have the blowpipe, which can
temporarily render enemies
unconscious, or send them
into a berserk rage. Snipers are
a pain, perched on high guard
towers with long-range
muskets. The blowpipe is the
obvious counter, but the short
duration of its sleeping eect
can lead to comical races to
kick its victims back into
unconsciousness before they
raise the alarm.
Cannonisation
Theres plenty to do on land,
but youll spend half your time
on your ship, the Jackdaw. The

archipelago map operates in a
similar way to the smaller city
ones, in that youre unable
to see all of the available
activities in an area until
youve conquered a regions
fort. Once thats done youll
be able to identify whaling
spots, convoys and sunken
shipwrecks. You can use a
diving bell to investigate these
underwater ruins, while
dodging sharks to reach the
treasures within.
Sailing is lifted almost
wholesale from Assassins
Creed III, with some
concessions to accessibility
by which we mean your boat
handles like a bus. Wind
direction has little meaning,
and you can stop without
dropping anchor and
magically taxi sideways into
ports when docking. We say
this to pop any assumptions
you might have about Black
Flag as an authentic sailing
sim, rather than to suggest
that it isnt good fun.
You improve your weapons
and armour using materials
and money earned through
You see a manta ray,

Kenway sees a new belt
piracy and by hunting animals.

Upgrades enable you to take
on larger ships, which present
dierent challenges at the
naval and close combat level.
Bigger ships come with
advanced weaponry, and carry
captains, crows nest snipers
and other tough enemies. As
you commit more acts of
piracy, your wanted level
increases and youll be
pursued by hunter ships with
ominous red sails. At the
highest level, you can take
on huge legendary ships
hidden on the map. Its a good
system, designed to gate a
series of escalating challenges,
not to provide padding.
Black Flag will try to waste
your time a little bit. The
near-future sections make an
unwelcome return, and are
more pointless than ever. The
gormless Desmond Miles is
gone. Now you wander
around the smug oces of evil
corporation Abstergo in rst
person, as an employee tasked
with digging through
Desmonds genetic memories
to nd fun pirate exploits to
stick into its latest
February 2014 |
entertainment product, which

you happen to be playing. It
isnt half as clever as it thinks it
is, but thankfully these bits
only take up about ve
minutes for every few hours of
main-mission progression.
Black Flag is best regarded
as a collage of the many
games and technologies
Ubisoft has cultivated over the
past decade. By brute force,
those varied components
merge beautifully to create a
rich and constantly interesting
world. Forget the Assassins,
the Templars and their
nonsense war. Spend your
time looting, pillaging and
stealing instead. The rewards
are so much greater. Q
A gorgeous, open-world
piracy simulator packed
with interesting rogues.
Help & Advice |
95
The space stu is fantastic,

but is over too soon
Call of Duty: Ghosts

Stay frosty and keep moving
Price 40 | $60
Developer Infinity Ward
Publisher Activision
Multiplayer Up to 18 players DRM Steam Web www.callofduty.com
Recommended specs Dual-core CPU, 8GB RAM, DirectX 11 graphics card
The multiplayer is about

anking, out-anking, and
milliseconds of animation that
determine who lives and who
dies. The maps are circular
arenas dressed in grey military
garb, pulling assets from the
dullest bits of the campaign.
Instead of a space station or
tropical shipwreck, the maps
are Busted Up Train Yard and
Overcast Snowy Place.
Call of shooty
Call of Duty: Ghosts
will be damned if you
peek away from your
screen. Boredom is
absolutely not allowed as it
pelts you with action
vignettes including a scene
ripped from the opening of
The Dark Knight Rises and
repeats its mantra ad
nauseam: Keep moving!
In rare instances, we were
able to part from our squad,
ank the enemy and wipe
them out with the advantage,
but that kind of tactical
planning was a sparsely
present treat. It appeared once
more in a jungle mission that
96
separated us from our squad

with a columns of guards, and
providing only a silenced
pistol and sensor to detect
nearby enemies. That was also
the only time we were given a
goal without explicit
instructions to achieve it.
It was the only occasion on
which we were equipped with
a magic bad guy sensor. Thats
another of the campaigns
failings: it res o interesting
ideas, then forgets them. Near
the start we were introduced
to our canine companion,
Riley, and able to mark targets
for him to de-jugular. We did
that once, when ordered to,
but never again. Later, we

used a remote-controlled
sniper rie to clear out a
stadium. Its a great gadget,
but it failed to rematerialise
too. Both tools are like toys
you can play with in a shop,
but never take home.
But we get bored of toys
that we acquire, whereas if we
stay in the shop, poking at
everything that requires
batteries, nothing needs to do
more than light up and make
noise to keep us entertained.
Ghosts novelties are similarly
loud and bright, and they are
whisked away before they can
be broken open.
The guns are plentiful and

nuanced, but every vital stat
is experienced in milliseconds
of surprise action. Players swirl
around like ies, and you
either catch glimpses of feet
under collapsed steel girders,
or run face rst into foes as
beelines intersect, reacting
with spasms more often than
cool tactical awareness. At a
pub-game level, Ghosts
multiplayer is whack-a-mole to
Counter-Strikes chess.
An exception is Search and
Rescue, which gives teams
bomb and defend objectives,
and players one life per round
unless a team member collects
Upgrade
Play this
Its okay, CoD jumped
this a long time ago
A lot of multiplayer
happens at a distance
Riley likes to stick his

head out of the tank
So yeah, this is a thing

that happens
their dog tag to revive them.

That encourages teammates
to stick together, generating
group engagements at range
that are preferable to darting
around like an armed insect.
We enjoyed the Ground War
mode. It features bigger maps
with 12-14 players, giving you
more room to breathe and
more teammates to rely on.
Still, even in the modes that
we liked, we didnt want to
stay for long. In previous Call
of Duty games, the drive to
unlock a new weapon might
have kept us going, but thats
been replaced with Squad
Points. Accrued through good
play, these can be spent to
unlock any weapon at any
time. This is more respectful of
players time, as well as
returning CoD fans desire to
get right to the gun theyre
happy with, but it nullies any
sense of accomplishment that
used to be provided by the
progression system.
Just like the campaign,
multiplayer is about constant
momentum, and matches go
by too fast to develop

a rhythm or personality. We
never encountered a nail-biter,
witnessed heroics, or
developed a rivalry during a
round. There were no brilliant
shots that were eager to show
o on YouTube, with the
exception of one accidentally
impressive grenade throw.
The cooperative Extinction
mode is much better: four
players versus waves of aliens,
where you earn money for
each kill, and there are
weapons and defences to buy.
Its a healthy application of a
formula were used to, but it
doesnt do anything we
wouldnt rather do in Left 4
Dead or Killing Floor, and it
feels like a side note compared
to the eort put into the
campaign and competitive
multiplayer modes.
When we began, the keys
used to buy special items
werent even bound. Options
were shown with a four-way
cross that looked like it was
intended for a D-pad, and
when we bound the keys, the
menu referred to them as

killstreak rewards.
Call me maybe
That doesnt damn Ghosts as
an icky console port though.
The only technical problem we
encountered was sudden
frame rate dips in the menus
it didnt happen during play,
though. Weve heard that
some people experience
sudden spikes in mouse
sensitivity during multiplayer,
but we didnt see this.
The netcode in multiplayer
is as robust, but no better than
previous Call of Duty games.
There were still a few times
where we swear a hit
registered before we saw our
opponents character model
round a corner. These details
have become a part of serious
CoD play some complain,
but others master the nuances
to gain an advantage.
Whats bothersome is how
cold Ghosts feels. We havent
touched on the campaigns
story much, but its attempts to
tug heart strings with the boys
February 2014 |
and their Ghost dad are

cringeably cheesy. And even
the multiplayer seems bored
with itself, changing systems
just so theyll be dierent from
Modern Warfare.
We dont doubt that every
gun, perk and reward in
Ghosts was implemented and
tweaked with ne-brush
precision, but painting in every
eyelash of the Mona Lisa
wouldnt make it a better
picture. With a broader brush,
Activision might stop noodling
around in the corners of
Modern Warfares greatness
and paint something that is
actually modern. Q
A passively entertaining but
forgettable campaign, and
multiplayer is perfunctory.
Help & Advice |
97
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February 2014 |
Blender
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