BT Business Email Upgrade

BT Business email is in the process of being upgraded. The underlying email system, being migrated to, is Microsoft’s Office 365. One of our customers needed help as he didn’t understand the emails that BT had sent regarding changing his email settings. If you aren’t familiar with POP settings, SSL and port numbers then it can be very confusing. When you add in that he wanted his email in Outlook Express on a 10 year old plus pc, a nice shiny Mac and a Nokia phone then the whole task becomes rather daunting for the average computer user. A call to Computer Troubleshooters however and we had him quickly up and running.

If you are having email issues, then please give us a call to discuss.

We were recently called by a customer because he wanted each of his 35 employees to have a company standard email signature (including disclaimer). To achieve this, you would usually need to remotely access each user’s computer and set up the signatures in the email software, such as Outlook, individually; a daunting prospect, which is time-consuming and therefore costly to the customer.

To avoid this, we installed a centralised solution. It’s a fantastic piece of software from RedEarth Software, called Policy Patrol, which sits on the customer’s email server and centrally manages email signatures and disclaimers. It’s quick and easy to set up, using variable fields such as name, job title, phone number, which are filled in by the software automatically as the email is sent. Common changes to all signatures can be made in minutes and it’s simple to add or remove someone.

It also works on emails sent from handheld devices, as long as the email is sent through the appropriate server. Helping standardise your communication no matter where the message originates from.

For more information on Policy Patrol click here or give us a call.

This scam involves a cold caller (sometimes insisting they have an affiliatino with Microsoft) asking if you have a computer and then informing you that you have problems with it or that you have a virus. They talk you through how to allow them access to the computer where they then “fix” non-existant problems and charge for the privelage (sometimes quoting hundreds of pounds).
We have had a couple of customers recently receive calls and then ask us for advice. We’ve even received the calls ourselves!

Do not let anyone access your computer that you do not know or haven’t previously arranged.

If in any doubt please call us first for some advise.

One of the things that we often get told by our customers is that the pc is probably “jammed up” with too much stuff!

You can check out how much space you have left on your computer by clicking on the “My Computer” or “Computer” button from the Start menu. Check the hard disks (commonly labelled as your C: drive and maybe D: drive). How much free space do you have left?

If there isn’t much space left then you ideally need to recover some by deleting old files or removing unwanted programs. If this starts to sound daunting then call us and we can help.

Thailand is the second largest manufacturer of hard drives. With factories flooded, there will be a shortfall of hard drives to meet the expected demand. We have already seen costs of hard drives rise significantly. We expect that the cost of laptops and computers will also increase through the first quarter of next year.

Microsoft has recently announced it’s “cloud” offering – Office 365.

Here at Computer Troubleshooters, we have been getting up to speed on what this could mean to small businesses. As a Microsoft partner we have access to Office 365 in-house licenses and have been trying it out. Currently we are in the process of moving our own data up to the “cloud”.

We have a number of customers already interested in adopting this new technology.

More information can be found at:

Microsoft Office 365

If you are interested in Office365 then feel free to give us a call to discuss it.

We have seen three computers this week infected with a malware program calling itself Windows Recovery.
It attempts to trick the user into thinking they have a hard drive issue, with critical errors. In addition it hides all documents, pictures etc making the user think that they have been lost. Then the malware will offer a download that can correct the problem, for a price of course!

This excellent site provides further details about the malware and how it can be removed. If you do not feel confident about performing the removal yourself then please call us and we will remove it for you.

Remove Windows Recovery (Uninstall Guide)

Summertime Special 2011

…Wouldn’t you like to be able to get out and enjoy the summer sunshine, rather than being tied to your desk, waiting for your computer to respond?

…Doesn’t your computer deserve a bit of care and attention, not to mention a thorough springclean?

Then we recommend sending your machine for a tune up and clean out to Computer Troubleshooters!

For the months of April, May and June only, we can offer a Summertime Special tune up for £30 + VAT if you deliver to us. For an additional £5 + VAT we will collect and return.

The Summertime Special includes:

- Scanning for viruses and malware
- Removing unnecessary temporary files
- Removing unused programs
- Streamlining the start up process
- Ensuring that files are not fragmented
- Removing dust.

We may make recommendations for hardware upgrades such as memory – in this case we will check this with you – the Summertime Special price excludes hardware costs. Any software recommendations will also be discussed with you.

To take advantage of this time-limited deal, call Computer Troubleshooters today on 01732 300064.

Keep your most vital systems safe!

Two of the most important systems for any business are its Backup and Anti Virus programs. The problem is when these programs stop working correctly, you usually don’t know. In these cases, you’re left vulnerable to critical data loss – or to virus attack.

Now with our easy and affordable Daily Server Safety Check, our sophisticated monitoring program will check these two vital systems each and every morning, ensuring they’re working correctly – and alerting you when they’re not.

Peace-of-Mind for less than 50 pence per Day

See here for more info: Daily Server Safety Check

Microsoft has issued a global warning about a potential security issue with it’s web browser, Internet Explorer. The following BBC link gives more information:

Microsoft warning over browser security flaw

If you need any help in installing the update or advice regarding alternative browsers then please contact us.