Computeractive - 14 September 2022

76 Pages·2022·52.7 MB·English

WELCOME
From the Editor
EDITORIAL
Group Editor Daniel Booth
Deputy Editor Robert Irvine
Production Editor Graham Brown
Art Editor Katie Peat When my next gas bill arrives, I might ask devices don’t have to be in perfect
Contributors Dinah Greek, David Ludlow, Jonathan Parkyn, whether I can pay in old phones. The six condition. Indeed, they don’t have to be
Chris Paton, Nik Rawlinson, Andy Shaw
I’ve got lying around should come to about working at all. Resellers can fix cracked
ADVERTISING £600 when resold. That might be enough screens and wonky buttons, though you’ll
Advertising Manager Alexandra Thomas
to pay for an hour’s heating, at least. obviously receive less money than for
MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Hopefully you’ll be able to make even devices that are sparklingly new.
Subscriptions Juber Ahmed
more money when you follow Robert But there’s no point earning money by
For subscription enquiries ring 0330 333 9493
Irvine’s advice in our Cover Feature. He trading in, only to lose it when a scammer
PRODUCTION
tested the best trade-in sites by selling an targets you. So before you sell old devices,
Head of Production
Stephen Catherall iPhone, iPad, two Samsung Galaxy devices make sure you also read Robert’s
Senior Production Manager
and a Windows laptop, making a cool instructions on erasing data from them.
Lawrence Brookes
£987. The next round’s on him. Daniel Booth
INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION
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p50
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Issue 640 • 14 – 27 September 2022 3
Contents
14 – 27 September 2022 • Issue 640
6 News
Are ads making Windows look cheap and nasty?
New USB tech boosts speeds to 80Gbps
p10
10 Question of the Fortnight Is Microsoft
ruining Windows and Office with adverts?
11 Protect Your Tech
Fake Microsoft Office in the post
12 Letters Windows 11 update reminds me
why I’m sticking with Windows 10
14 Consumeractive Why won’t bank stop
Amazon Prime payments?
16 Grow Your Family Tree
Order historical wills online
18 Best Free Software
OBS Studio 28
Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1
21 Named & Shamed
p22
Universal PDF Scanner’s copycat app
Reviews
22 Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1
Laptop-tablet is flipping marvellous
23 MSI Prestige 14 A12UC
Solid laptop doesn’t bend the rules
24 OnePlus 10T
Stunning mobile ticks every phone box
25 Asus Zenfone 9
Small phone sees sizeable improvement
Asus Zenfone 9
26 Huawei WiFi Mesh 7 p25
Mesh system gives off the right signals
28 HyperX DuoCast USB Microphone
Make your voice heard with this PC mic
Google Pixel Buds Pro
Earbuds lack a sound footing
29 Huawei Smart Band 7
Fitness watch works out cheaper
30 Buy It/Competition
Win an AnkerWork B600 Video Bar
4 14 – 27 September 2022 • Issue 640
Subscribe now!
See page 58 for our special subs offer NEW
GIFT!
Workshops & Tips
Crash tests for dummies
p35
35 How to… Find out what crashed
your computer
38 Stop your ISP seeing what you do
online
40 Readers’ Tips Add faster broadband
speeds to router’s QoS
42 Browser Tips
Access useful tools in Edge’s sidebar
44 Phone and Tablet Tips Restore all
your closed Chrome tabs in one go
46 Make Windows Better TURN YOUR
Add God Mode to Control Panel
47 Make Office Better
OLD TECH
Alphabetise by surname in Word
4 8 IGne tt hcleu bC-lsupbe cific email addresses INTO CASH FECAOTVUERRE
P50
49 What’s All the Fuss About?
Snoopy assassinating Abraham Lincoln
GGeett tthhee BBEESSTT PPRRIICCEESS
50 COVER FEATURE
wwhheenn yyoouu ttrraaddee iinn aallll
Turn your old tech into cash
Make money by reselling and recycling the yyoouurr uunnwwaanntteedd PPHHOONNEESS,,
phones, tablets and laptops you no longer TTAABBLLEETTSS aanndd LLAAPPTTOOPPSS
use. We explain your best options
60 Windows 11 updated – but should
you upgrade?
Get a sneak preview of the best new tools in p60
Windows 11’s forthcoming Feature update
62 Add Wi-Fi to an old computer
Don’t put up with outmoded Wi-Fi. We
outline the best adapters for every scenario
Windows 11
64 Problems Solved
Can I still activate Windows 7?
updated
71 Reader Support
Can I install ChromeOS Flex on my tablet?
72 Jargon Buster
but should you upgrade?
74 Easy When You Know How
Robert Irvine tries to discover his laptop’s age
Issue 640 • 14 – 27 September 2022 555
News
The top stories in the world of technology
New USB tech boosts speeds
to 80Gbps over old cables
Data-transfer speeds will But what makes the news so
double to 80Gbps using significant is that you’ll be
a new version of USB4, able to use it with your
which has just been approved. existing USB-C cables, rather
When released, USB4 2.0 than having to buy new ones.
will become one of the fastest This means existing USB4
connectivity standards cables that can currently reach
available, beating Thunderbolt 40Gbps will be able to hit
4, which – like USB4 1.0 – 80Gbps when the new
can’t go higher than 40Gbps. standard is launched. One
example is the £20 cable
WHAT WE THINK pictured, available from Cable
Matters on Amazon (www.
In just over 25 years the snipca.com/43208).
speed of USB has increased Another benefit of USB4
from 1.5Mbps to 80Gbps (see 2.0 is that when performing
www.snipca.com/43216), two tasks simultaneously, it
which is breathtaking. So we can prioritise how much
hope it doesn’t sound churlish data it sends to each, ensuring
to have a little moan that this that the tasks don’t disrupt
new standard was named each other. Microsoft. It said in a press is unlikely to be available
as yet another incremental This means that if you use release (www.snipca. to the public for at least a
version, rather than hopping USB4 2.0 to supply video to a com/43209) that a new couple of years.
straight to USB5. There are monitor and transfer files to “physical layer architecture” Some experts outside the
enough baffling standards an external drive, for example, allows it to work with existing USB Promoter Group have
already - just try to get your your video shouldn’t be USB-C cables. said that the leap in speed
head around SuperSpeed affected. It added that the new warrants the standard being
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Hopefully The new standard was technology is “specifically called USB5 rather than USB4
the USB gurus will see sense announced by the USB targeted to developers at this 2.0, which implies a smaller
and rename it USB5 before Promoter Group, which time”, with marketing guides jump. It’s widely accepted that
full release. includes companies such as – including logos – to arrive the names of different USB
Apple, Google, HP, Intel and later. It means the technology standards are too confusing.
Update old iPads and iPhones now to stop hackers
Apple has released a The update is for iOS 12, devices when it launched
rare security update which Apple released in 2018, iOS 13 in September 2021,
for old iPads and iPhones taking the version number to but said it would continue to
to fix a flaw that allows 12.5.6. The flaw affects the provide security fixes if they
websites to run malware iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 were needed.
on your device. The company Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, To install the update, tap
says it’s possible that iPad mini 3, and iPod touch Settings on your device,
hackers have already tried (6th generation). followed by General, then
to exploit the flaw (www. Apple stopped releasing Software Update (see
snipca.com/43196). feature updates for these screenshot right).
You’ll like this… but not this…
New budget TVs come with Roku streaming Scammers are emailing fake refunds from
built in (www.snipca.com/43198) energy firm E.ON (www.snipca.com/43197)
6 14 – 27 September 2022 • Issue 640
Let us build more phone masts,
IN BRIEF
networks tell councils FLIGHT SIM TO GET
GLIDERS & COPTERS
Microsoft is adding
Mobile networks have helicopters and gliders to
called on local councils the 40th Anniversary Edition
to support the building of of Flight
more phone masts in order to Simulator,
provide better social care. released on 11
Trade body Mobile UK, November. It
which represents Three, will also have
EE (owned by BT), O2 and the Airbus
Vodafone, also argued for A-310 (pictured) where
business-rates relief to make “nearly every single button
it more affordable to build works just as expected”.
infrastructure. The update will be available
Networks say the measures, this number would increase if per person was £2,000, the at no extra cost to existing
proposed in Mobile UK’s there were stronger mobile report claims. players, and Xbox Game
Connected Care report (www. signals available. Billions have already been Pass members. Read more
snipca.com/43086), are vital The report additionally spent on providing 5G, with at www.snipca.com/43138.
to ensure that 5G is delivered claims that using 5G EE and Three now supplying it
to the whole of the UK. effectively will cut social-care to more than 50 per cent of ITV HUB STOPS WORKING
In addition they want costs by five per cent, saving the population. ON OLD FREESAT TV
councils to appoint ‘Digital £890 million. The Government hopes that ITV Hub will stop working
Champions’ to focus on It gives an example of a trial 4G will be available across at the end of September
delivering better signals, and in Liverpool that monitored 95 per cent of the country by on several Freesat Humax
also “sell the benefits and patients taking their 2025 under the Shared Rural TV boxes sold between
opportunities of digital medication via a 4K video Network scheme (https://srn. 2012 and 2018, as the
investment”. link, leading to a 50-per-cent org.uk), which encourages broadcaster prepares to
The report claims that only reduction in people given the networks to work together to replace the service with
40 per cent of social-care staff wrong medication or taking improve their infrastructure. ITVX later this year. The five
use phones and tablets in their the wrong dose, and a affected models are the
Do you want more phone
work, forcing many to rely on 60-per-cent cut in those Humax Hb1000s, Hdr1000s,
masts built in your area? Let us
pen and paper. It argues that attending hospital. The saving know: [email protected] Hdr1010s, Hdr1100s
and Hb1100s. It follows
confirmation that ITV Hub
Update your Plex password after
will also stop working on
some old Freeview devices –
details leaked
see Issue 639, page 7.
Plex (www.plex.tv) has this incident”. TOMORROW’S
urged users to change The cause of the breach has WORLD
their passwords after some been found, Plex claimed,
account information was adding that it’s performing As helix-shaped
stolen in a security breach. “additional reviews to ensure breakthroughs go, this
The media-server app, used that the security of all of our could be the greatest since
by about 20 million people systems is further hardened to DNA. Developed by Israeli
worldwide, said in an email prevent future incursions”. advised using a random scientists using 3D printers,
that a “third-party was able to Plex didn’t say whether any password generated by it’s ‘wood ink’ that twists
access a limited subset of data private media libraries created 1Password (https://1password. into any shape you want.
that includes emails, usernames by users had been accessed. com) and adding an extra It could even be used to
and encrypted passwords”. Many users tweeted the layer of security by using ‘build’ furniture, ending the
It added that while there’s email Plex sent them, two-factor authentication torture of following flat-
no sign that the hackers could including security expert (see www.snipca.com/43085). pack instructions. Watch the
decrypt the passwords, it was Troy Hunt, who runs Have I To change your password, magic unfurl at www.snipca.
worth creating new passwords Been Pwned? (https:// follow Plex’s instructions at com/43140.
as a precaution. haveibeenpwned.com), which www.snipca.com/43084.
Plex said that “credit card lets you check whether your During the process you’ll
and other payment data are passwords have been leaked in need to send the email
not stored on our servers at all security breaches. address you used to create a
and were not vulnerable in To stay safe in future he Plex account (pictured).
Issue 640 • 14 – 27 September 2022 7
News
Unfixed NHS 111 hack could
IN BRIEF
harm patients ‘for months’
WATCH BT TV
WITHOUT AN AERIAL
BT has added an “internet Doctors have warned have been forced
mode” to its TV Box Pro that the health of to share medical notes by
(pictured), letting viewers patients will continue attaching Word documents
watch BT to be at risk until NHS to emails.
TV without software knocked offline Soon after the attack NHS
an aerial by in a ransomware attack is bosses said all the systems
connecting the device to their running again. might be back running by
Smart Hub router. It has also In early August, hackers September, but Advanced
launched a ‘multi-room’ TV targeted Birmingham-based now says it could take another
Box Mini so customers can firm Advance, which provides 12 weeks.
“watch different shows, in a software to the NHS. They “We continue to prioritise
different room, at the very disrupted seven of the safety and security in all of
same time”. It costs an extra systems workers use for tasks our decision making and work because they require a
£10 a month. Read more at such as checking in patients are approaching this lot of manual handling, and
www.snipca.com/43162. and booking appointments restoration process with we haven’t got the staff to
out of hours. diligence and rigour,” it actually do the manual
LASTPASS SAYS NO Worse affected was the said. It’s not known whether handling”.
DATA STOLEN IN HACK Adastra system, preventing the company is negotiating She warns that the backlog
LastPass has emailed users staff answering 111 calls from with the hackers behind the of paperwork could take up to
to reassure them that no dispatching ambulances and attack. six months to process once
passwords or personal data accessing patients’ medical Dr Fay Wilson, who Adastra is working again.
were stolen in a recent records. manages an urgent-care The NHS has said that its
“security incident” in which The attack has forced centre in the West Midlands, local health systems are
attackers accessed some of workers to use pen and paper told the BBC that patients will dealing with the attack, and
the software’s source code rather than computers, suffer because “we can’t send is urging people to use the
and technical info. The company leading to further delays notifications to GP practices, service as they normally
admitted the breach on 25 across the service. Some GPs except by methods that don’t would.
August, saying it had been
detected two weeks earlier.
Dorset gets Govt’s first Gigabit network
It has since “implemented
additional enhanced security
measures” to prevent similar The Government has commercially viable for
incidents. Read more at www. announced that north companies to invest.
snipca.com/43163. Dorset will benefit from the New data from
first subsidised broadband ThinkBroadband shows that
THE WORLD’S contract handed out as part of 70 per cent of UK homes and
GONE MAD!
Project Gigabit, which aims to businesses can now access
deliver 1Gbps speeds to at least Gigabit speeds, while the
Chinese gaming firm 85 per cent of the UK by 2025. Government says that its
NetDragon Websoft has More than 7,000 rural various funding schemes have
appointed Ms Tang Yu as its homes in the county will be so far connected more than
CEO. Nothing unusual in that, connected by local broadband 740,000 premises.
you might think, but Ms Tang provider Wessex Internet. Read more at Gov.UK:
Yu is an “AI-powered virtual This will be followed www.snipca.com/43161.
humanoid robot” which by 498,000 premises
the company hopes will connected by Christmas in
WIGHTFIBRE FIRST UK FIRM TO SWITCH
provide an “open, interactive Cambridgeshire, Cornwall,
OFF COPPER NETWORK
and highly transparent Cumbria, and several areas
management model” (www. across north-east England, WightFibre, which provides whether phone or broadband,
snipca.com/43164). It’s costing £690m. broadband to 40,000 homes have been moved to full-fibre.
proud to have appointed the About 20 per cent of on the Isle of Wight, has Bigger national networks
world’s first ‘female’ robot Project Gigabit’s £5bn claimed to be the first UK firm Virgin and Openreach aim to
CEO. Memo to NetDragon: will be subsidised by the to have switched off its copper stop using copper by 2028 and
it’s a machine, not a woman. Government, in order to cover network. All customers, the mid-2030s respectively.
remote areas where it’s not
8 14 – 27 September 2022 • Issue 640
Inflation ruling will keep
IN BRIEF
broadband bills rising sharply
VODAFONE TEACHES
OVER(cid:2)65s DIGITAL SKILLS
The UK’s official statistics Vodafone has teamed up
body has ruled that the with charity Independent Age
Government’s £400 discount to help the over-65s “gain
on energy bills won’t appear digital skills, save money, and
in its inflation calculations, feel more connected”. The
ending hopes that it might ‘Hi Digital’ scheme aims to
help to limit broadband and reach 50,000 older people in
mobile price rises next year. the first year, offering advice
Most leading internet on using a search engine,
providers and phone networks shopping online and keeping
increase their prices every year cent in April. interpret the £400 payment as a in touch with family. Join at
by the rate of CPI inflation plus With inflation expected to reduction in prices – and www.snipca.com/43183.
a set amount. BT and Vodafone, reach 15 to 18 per cent by early therefore help to bring down
for example, both raise prices next year, it had been hoped inflation. Instead, it will see MALICIOUS ADD(cid:2)ONS
by inflation plus 3.9 per cent, that the Office of National the payment as an increase in TRACK YOUR PURCHASES
which led to rises of 9.3 per Statistics (ONS) would household income. Security firm McAfee has
Some economists have warned people to avoid
said that if the ONS had five malicious browser
CUT BROADBAND VAT SAYS VIRGIN BOSS
counted the payment as a extensions that take a cut of
Virgin Media and O2 boss calling for VAT to be cut to price reduction, inflation items you buy online. The
Lutz Schüler has urged the five per cent on all broadband would be up to 2.7 per cent extensions, for Chromium
Government to cut VAT on and mobile-phone bills, not lower in October. browsers (Chrome, Edge,
discounted social tariffs for just social tariffs, bringing However, the ONS classified Brave), have been installed
broadband and mobile from them in line with gas and the support package as a 1.4 million times. Google
20 to five per cent. electricity (see Issue 638, “miscellaneous current transfer” has since removed the most
It follows campaigning page 10). from the Government to popular extension, Netflix
•
group Which? and the Internet Force providers to promote households, placing it “out of Party, from its Web Store,
Service Providers Association their social tariffs – Letters, p12 scope” when measuring inflation but the others, including
(see www.snipca.com/43180). a screenshot tool, are
still available. Check the
extensions on McAfee’s blog:
Microsoft sues UK woman over ‘Word
www.snipca.com/43185.
Windows’ reading tool
OCR TOOL COMING TO
WINDOWS POWERTOYS
Microsoft is suing a UK “They can learn those letters Microsoft’s PowerToys will
woman over a reading very easily at school, but when soon get an optical-character
tool she has invented called they’re suddenly put together recognition (OCR) tool for
Word Windows (pictured). in a word it can become much converting an image of text
Kate McKenzie, 40 from harder to see,” she added. into words you can edit
Northampton, invented the Microsoft sent her a letter on your computer. Called
device to help dyslexic on 1 July, nine days before she PowerOCR, it lets you select
children learn to read, having was going to launch the tool, a rectangular box, click a
been inspired by her son’s saying it was opposed to the word, or right-click an image
literacy problems. trademark Word Windows the company “to try and file. See it in action at www.
It covers lines of words, but because of its similarity to resolve the situation and snipca.com/43186 (pictured).
leaves a gap – or a ‘window’ – its word-processing tool in demonstrate that I’m not A screen ruler is also being
in the middle so the child can Office, and its operating system. trying to infringe on their built for PowerToys – see
concentrate on one specific Mrs McKenzie, a lecturer at product or services – I’m just www.snipca.com/43012.
word. They can then close the Coventry University, said she’s trying to develop literacy
gap with a slider. unable to change the name levels in the UK”.
e
zi
n She told the BBC that the because she’s already spent A spokesperson for
e
K
c device “isolates the first letter money on packaging and Microsoft told the BBC that it
M
e of the word, a sound in the marketing the product. “cannot comment on ongoing
at
K
© word, a prefix or a suffix”. She’s now negotiating with legal matters”.
Issue 640 • 14 – 27 September 2022 9
QQuueessttiioonn o of ft hthee F oFrotrntingihgtht
Is Microsoft ruining Windows
and Office with adverts?
Its ‘recommendations’ and ‘offers’ are becoming increasingly irritating
Wh en is an advert not
2 THE FACTS
an advert? Ask
Microsoft, and it
Be careful
•
might reply that it’s when Microsoft has been
of pic box width
3
you’re advertising your own criticised for advertising
and blue tag
products. You may have seen its own products in Office
clashing, reduce
its messages recently in Office and Windows
pic box width •
2021 encouraging you to It’s promoting subscriptions
slightly, thank u
subscribe to Microsoft 365. Or to Microsoft 365, the Bing
>>>
in the Windows Start menu, Wallpaper app and Edge
1 •
suggesting you switch your Microsoft’s former Director
browser to Edge. of User Experience said he
Such self-promoting was “shocked” by how the
messages are nothing new – Start menu now looks
when Windows 10 launched
in 2016, Microsoft bombarded
Windows 7 and 8 users with to make sure Windows was
banners urging them to easy to use.
upgrade. It toned these down He said the Start menu
after complaints, but adverts should represent the “very
in its products are becoming best” in Microsoft’s design,
more prominent again. but that he was “shocked” by
In Office, these appear as how bad it now looks. The ad
banners along the top of the promotion? What about pay £59.99 a year to subscribe for the Wallpaper app made it
screen (see below, and at Computeractive? We advertise to Microsoft 365. Microsoft on look as if the menu had been
www.snipca.com/43191). our Back Issue CD and the other hand sees all Office “infected by a virus”, while
Microsoft uses classic design Software Store offers in every 2021 users as potential the background belongs in the
tricks to tempt you – that issue. In fact, by mentioning subscribers they can squeeze “Windows Vista era”.
bright ‘Redeem Offer’ button them here, we’ve just given money from once a year. He also queried why there
1 is just begging to be clicked. them another plug! Sneaky. Another important were ads there at all, asking
You have to look closer to see But there are differences. difference is that Microsoft is whether the money made by
the cross at the far right that First, if Office 2021 were free, showing adverts where you the Wallpaper app is worth
closes the offer 2. you might forgive Microsoft wouldn’t expect them, which “cheapening the experience”
You might be thinking: so for suggesting that you pay to makes them feel intrusive. For of using the Start menu.
what? The advert is little more upgrade to a superior edition. a hideous example, look at the Harris was equally baffled by
than a gentle nudge, and isn’t Almost all software companies screenshot above, showing the size of the advert for Edge,
Microsoft allowed to promote do this. Yet Office 2021 isn’t Microsoft’s recommendation correctly surmising that it’s
its own products anyway? All free – it costs £119.99 for a of Edge 1 when you search for “designed specifically to
companies do it. Does the BBC download that’s yours to keep ‘Chrome’ in the Windows distract me away from
‘advertise’ its own shows (www.snipca.com/43192). Start menu 2, as well as a achieving my intended task”
between programmes, or is People choose this version download link for the Bing (ie, download Chrome).
this an acceptable form of because they don’t want to Wallpaper app 3. But you don’t have to be a
This so incensed former design connoisseur to find
1
Microsoft employee Jensen these adverts irksome. They
Harris that he unleashed a would annoy anyone who just
series of tweets slamming the wants to work on Windows
2 design of the Start menu and Office undisturbed.
(www.snipca.com/43195). As Microsoft should take note
the company’s Director of before exasperated users start
Microsoft wants you to click ‘Redeem Offer’, and ignore that tiny cross User Experience, it was his job to look elsewhere.
10 14 – 27 September 2022 • Issue 640