File Genie: Blog

The Sanity & Insanity of Tech in Lockdown

26/5/2020

File Genie will tell you that Tech is my Achilles heel and lock down has done it’s best to compound the issues I have already, slow and intermittent fault on my internet supply, slowing my laptop performance – File Genie to the rescue; new Apps I don’t understand, File Genie to the rescue and venturing into Apple from Android and Windows, again Ben from File Genie to the rescue.

What have I learnt other than File Genie is a knight in shining armour:

Well, I need to do more of what I preach to stay calm, relaxed and in the positive, intellectual part of my brain. When I work from this part of my brain, I can achieve and do achieve lots more. I also learnt that every cloud has a silver lining even if a Genie needs to get involved.
Getting tense and stressed definitely has triggered old whiplash related restrictions and migraine like headaches but much can be done to rectify and to prevent it.
A mix of physical and mental health remedies self prescribed. Drink plenty, don’t try to do too much, eat properly, structure my day with different activities, ice, the power of just being, catching up with friends, exercise and gardening.
Mind and body are undisputedly linked, look after one and the other will follow and for your tech headaches, consult File Genie.
The other thing that I have become very good at is reframing (seeing the silver lining). Lockdown therefore equals Liberation.

Bridget Bath, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Forward Focus Hypnotherapy

FAQ’s On Windows 10 And Is It Right For Me?

8/7/2016

Over recent months I have received many queries about Microsoft Windows 10, this blog addresses many questions such as… Is it right for me? How do I upgrade? How much does it cost? Will I be better off?

Who can upgrade?
Anyone with computer with sufficient spec and the price of a licence.

Thanks for that, but what are the specs and how do I know what my computer has?
Ok the specs are Processor:1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor RAM:1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver Display: 800x600

And to find out the info…

For Windows XP Click Start > Click Run > Type msinfo32 > Click OK

For Windows Vista Click Start > Type msinfo32 (in the Start Search box) > Hit Enter

Who can upgrade for free?
Users currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, if you use Windows 8 you will need to do the FREE upgrade to Windows 8.1 first. And you will need to do this before the 29th of July 2016.

So why Windows 10, what happened to Windows 9?
The proposed reasons range from the number 9 is considered unlucky in Japan, to ‘because 7 8 (ate) 9’, to the official Microsoft line that… Windows 10 represents such a leap forward we missed out 9. My opinion is that the Apple operating system is OSX ‘X’ being the roman numeral for 10, and naming it Windows 10 is little more the keeping up with the competition.

What’s in it for you?
Support for Windows XP has been and gone and support for Windows Vista ends April 2017. Mainstream support for 7 ended in January 2015 and extended support will end in January 2020 less than 3 ½ years, extended support for window 8 will go on 2023.
Windows 10 is a ‘lighter’, more efficient operating system than its predecessors, is has a good look and is easy to get the hang of.

But I like Windows 7…
Good Windows 10 is much the same as 7 with a prettier interface and slightly updated language (e.g. ‘All Programs’ has become ‘All Apps’). All this and it uses less system resources leaving more power for your hungrier Apps.

But I like Windows 8...
Try Windows 10… enough said!!

I have heard bad things about Windows 10...
Back in 2001 I clearly remember very similar gripes and groans about XP and again in 2009 about 7. When Microsoft retired XP 14 years later it was like sending off an old friend!

So… do you think I should upgrade to Windows 10?
Yes. Since I can remember updating your computers OS has been rule one of keeping your computer safe and running well and although the Windows 10 download is the best part of 4 Gig (unpacked) most of it is security related.

Is upgrading hard?
No, to Microsoft’s credit the do really seem to have put some thought into it and made it as straight forward as posable, if you are upgrading from 7 or 8 all your files folders pictures music etc.. will NOT be lost and they will be where they usually are.

Do I have to upgrade my MS Office package?
No I have personally upgraded computers with Office 2000 on them that are continuing to work as anticipated. However, if you are using a version that is very old, my advice would be to have a look at office 365, it is without doubt the best version I have ever used and it is available from £37.20 annually or £3.70 monthly. More on Office 365 >

Will I need to get a new printer?
This is highly unlikely! I have hooked up some really old printers to Windows 10. Here is a useful guide >

Is Windows 10 spying on me?
Windows 10 is designed to collect anonymous data on the usage and crashes of the OS and apps for the purposes of improvement and development in much the same way Google, Apple and many others do. With Microsoft well on its track of having Windows 10 installed on 1 billion devices in the 1st 12 months, I am sure they have little interest in your holiday snaps or the letter you wrote in protest concerning your parking ticket 3 years ago! In fact, your Tesco Clubcard collects more information specific to you personally.

So in conclusion...
I like Windows 10, it feels like Microsoft have listened to the people that will be actually using it day-to-day, not just a small group of us geeks! It also feels like it has some longevity and is versatile across many devices.

Tips For Buying a New Windows Laptop

4/9/2014

Some things to think about when looking to buy a new Windows laptop…

Price will often be the governing factor, you simply can't spend more than you have, but it is important to get the most for your money. The amount of RAM you have is important, the more you have the better, but it is always worth knowing if this can be upgraded at a later date. Hard drive capacity, again the bigger the numbers the better it is (1 TB is better than 500 GB) but be mindful not to buy more than you actually need.
Screen size & optical drive
Size and weight is personal to you, some people prefer light portable laptops these will often have smaller screens and no optical drive. Some like a nice big screen as this will be their main computer. Do I need an optical drive? This means, do you need A DVD or Blu-Ray drive built into your laptop. There are some advantages to this, even if it is as simple as… it's there if you need it, but an external drive is inexpensive and can easily be added via USB at a later date.

Programs & equipment
It is always worth a little research to work out if the programs and peripherals you are currently running such as Microsoft Office, your antivirus program, printers and extra monitors will work with your new computer or if you will need purchase new versions and equipment, this in itself can quickly skyrocket costs.

Design
The general look and design of your laptop may at first not seem important, but potentially this laptop could be with you for some time, going everywhere with you, sitting on your side at home. It is important that you're happy with the way it looks, but mindful that you don't compromise looks for capabilities.

Connectivity & longevity
Check out the connectability of your laptop obviously WiFi is important but ask does it have Bluetooth, how many USB ports does it have, is there a HDMI socket? Do I need a HDMI socket? Battery life can vary massively from laptop to laptop. From as little as a few to over 10 hours. Always worth just checking how long the battery will actually last and if a high capacity battery is available for that model.

Operating system
There is nothing as sure as the operating system on your laptop will at some point be replaced, it is always worth knowing the expected lifecycle of your operating system, and fortunately Microsoft published this here: Microsoft Lifecyle Policy

Don't be persuaded into buying things you don't need in the shop! Often the things sold to you in the shop are available free or for a fraction of the cost elsewhere or online.