Resolve IT Solutions Articles

Resolve becomes a VMWare Professional Partner

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded VMware Professional Partner status.

VMWare ESXi has been our virtualisation solution of choice for several years now – we have a range of clients using it. We like it because of its reliability, and also becasue of some of the fantastic features it offers, which allows our clients to save money on hardware and increase the overall reliability of their systems.

As a result of investing in additional training we have been awarded the professional partner status from VMWare, which shows our expertise in installing and supporting VMWare ESXi.

If you are looking to virtualise servers, support for a virtualised solution or wanting to chat about how virtualisation can benefit you – then please do be in touch.

Web TV: What are the options?

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

For Christmas this year my girlfriend suggested that we get an extra TV so that she didn't have to watch football ever again! I thought this would be a great opportunity to watch more football!

However, with a bit of research it turned out that there were more options than we had realised.

I personally struggled to find a TV with a both a DVD player and FreeviewHD tuner from a brand I trusted for under £500 (this needs to sit on a small side board so 32" was my maximum size). Having reached the conclusion this might not be possible I started to look into other ways of making this work.

There have been big advances in streaming and "on demand" TV over the last 5 years with devices such as Apple TV, D-Link's Boxee Box and more direct devices such as Samsung's new SMART TV's. Here is a quick breakdown of the plusses and minuses.

Apple TV

Apple TV is a device that connects your TV to the network - both your home network (wirelessly) and the Internet (via your broadband connection) in a stylish and simple way.

Apple TV has many things to recommend it;

Using Air Play, you can share content onto other Apple devices, such as iPods, iPads or iPhones.
Completely silent
Tiny; will easily fit next to your TV
Low energy consumption
Cheap; around £90

There are limitations however;

To share content (photos, videos or music) from your computer to your Apple TV you have to use iTunes. Files stored elsewhere cannot be shared.
Internet related features favour the US market, so Netflix and MLB are on there, but not iPlayer, 4oD or LoveFilm

D-Link Boxee Box and Iomega TV with Boxee Box

Boxee finds shows and movies available on the internet and puts them on your TV, without any monthly fee.

Boxee is software designed to search and gather free content from the internet and present this to you in a format that is easy to navigate.

D-Link took this software and combined it with an easy to install device called the "Boxee Box". Iomega has now produced its own version which offers similar features but with a few new twists:

Iomega have gotten rid of the more outlandish style of the Boxee Box for a standard black box, which will sit a little more comfortably alongside the rest of your home cinema setup (although will probably provoke less interest).
It has internal storage of one or two terabytes (1000 or 2000GB).
Iomega have also included cloud storage functionality (data is stored online and is accessible from anywhere). For example, Instead of saving photos to Flickr you can invite your distant family members to your "clouds", and allow them to view content stored locally on your Iomega device or another computer on the network.

The Boxee Box costs around £179. To find out more visit http://www.boxee.tv/

The Iomega Boxee Box is £288 with no storage or £500 with 2TB storage. Find out more here http://tv.iomega.com/#home

Samsung SMART TV (Medi@ 2.0)

I eventually opted for the catchily-named Samsung UE32D6100. This is a 32" LED TV so the response time of the picture is good (no blurring when the camera moves quickly) it has a variety of popular apps available and plays a wide range of files when a storage device such as a hard drive or USB stick is connected.

This provides a wealth of options for watching movies, especially with the large number of digital mediums available. Films can be downloaded from iTunes, or obtained from so-called "Triple-Play" Blu-Rays (which contain a DVD and digital copy of the film, as well as the standard Blu-Ray. These digital copies can be viewed directly from an external drive, or we can watch other films via Lovefilm or other online content such as iPlayer.

A lot of modern TVs are able to display HD content, but built-in Freeview tuners are often only in standard definition. The includes a FreeviewHD tuner, meaning that the signal coming in is high definition.

You can find out more about the option I went for here http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/tv-audio-video/television/

Out of Office Replies

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As the Christmas holiday looms many of us are looking forward to a couple of weeks away from work spending time with our families. But we will not all start or finish our holiday on the same day. So when our clients and colleagues send emails, we should let them know when we will return and when they can expect a reply. If your organisation has an Exchange server the best way to do this is by using the Out of Office Assistant in Outlook 2003 or 2007 or Automatic Replies (Out of Office) in Outlook 2010.

So how do you set an Out of Office reply?

Setting an automatic reply is very easy; just follow the instructions below for the version of Outlook you have.

Outlook 2003

On the Tools menu, click "Out of Office Assistant".
A dialogue box will pop up. Click "I am currently Out of the Office".
Then in the "AutoReply only once to each sender with the following" box type the message that you want people to see while you are out of the office.
Click OK.

The Out of Office Assistant will continue to run until you turn it off by going back into the dialogue box and clicking "I am currently In the Office".

Outlook 2007

On the Tools menu, click "Out of Office Assistant".
A dialogue box will pop up. Choose the "Send Out of Office auto-replies" check box.
With Outlook 2007 you can specify the time and date range during which the message should be sent by ticking the "Only send during this time range" check box and adding the Start and End date and time.
Fill in the message you wish to send. In Outlook 2007 you can send 2 different messages, one to colleagues inside your organisation and one to people who email you from outside your organisation. The Auto reply will always send to people inside your organisation but you can chose not to send to people outside by un-ticking the Auto-reply to people outside my organization box. You can also choose whether to send a message to everyone or just those people in your contacts list.
Click OK.

If you selected the "Only send during this time range" option the Out of Office Assistant will start and stop at the times you specified. Otherwise it will start immediately and stop when you turn it off by going back into the dialogue box and clicking "Do not send Out of Office auto-replies".

Outlook 2010

Setting Out of office replies in Outlook 2010 is exactly the same as in Outlook 2007 and the dialogue box is identical. However you find it in a different place:

Click "File".
In the menu on the left click "Info".
On the Account information page click "Automatic Replies (Out of Office)".

What should I put in the message?

You can add whatever you like to the automatic reply, but here are a few pointers:

Keep it brief! Only include information that is important to your colleagues and clients. I would start by simply letting them know that you are away and then tell them when you will be back and who to contact in your absence. For example;

Unfortunately I am out of the office at the moment. I will return on the 4th of January and will answer my emails then. If you're request is urgent please contact Charlie at charlie@example.com

If you don't have an Exchange server, can you still set an Out of Office reply?

Unfortunately Microsoft has confirmed that for Outlook 2007 there is no working process to achieve the same results. However you can emulate it in Outlook 2003 and 2010 by creating an email template and defining a rule in the Rules Wizard to automatically reply with that template. When you go away if you leave Outlook running on your computer it will send one message to each person who sends you an email. When you return to work disable the rule by un-ticking it in the Rules and Alerts dialogue box

To set it up follow the instructions below for the version of Outlook you have.

Outlook 2003

The first thing to do is create the template. Make sure you don't use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor otherwise the Outlook Template option won't be available when you come to save it.

Open a new Outlook message formatted as plain text and compose your message
On the File menu click Save As.
When the save dialog box opens, click to select the Outlook Template check box in the Save As Type list. Type a name for your template and then click Save.

Once the template has been saved you will need to set up the rule:

On the Tools menu, click "Rules and Alerts".
In the dialog box, click the "New Rule" button on the E-mail Rules tab.
In the Rules Wizard, click the "Start from a blank rule" button and click "Check messages when they arrive" then click Next.
Under "Which condition(s) do you want to check?" click the "Sent Only To Me" check box and then click Next.
Under "What do you want to do with the message?" click "Reply using a specific template check box".
On the Step 2: Edit the Rule Description page of the wizard; click the underlined phrase a specific template.
In the dialog box, click the template that you created and then click "Open".
Complete the Rules Wizard instructions giving the rule a suitable name, click Finish, and then click OK.

Outlook 2010

The method is the same in Outlook 2010 but you will find the Rules and Alerts in a different place

Click "File".
In the menu on the left click "Info".
On the Account information page click "Rules and Alerts".

So remember when you go away to set your Out of Office replies. It will let everyone know you are away and you could use it to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Every technology-lover's Christmas wishlist

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Christmas is nearly upon us, so it's time to look for those geeky stocking-fillers. If you have Size 200 feet.

I thought I'd take you through some of the things I would love to get for Christmas.

So, from the sublime to the ridiculous, here they are; my top 10.

10 - Marmite Chocolate

You'll either love this or hate it

No this isn't a typo - Marmite flavour chocolate! I do like Marmite and I do like chocolate so technically I should like this twice as much! I wouldn't mind giving it a whirl, but I do have some reservations...

Available from A Bar of Chocolate for £2.99

9 - USB Mini Vacuum Cleaner

This isn't a crummy gift at all

I like toast, and so do you! It's a shame about the mess it makes though. Now you no longer have that worry, this tiny vacuum cleaner will whip those crumbs up from your desk and face faster than you can say "I'm covered in crumbs, please help!" It even gets between your keyboard keys. Amazing.

You'll find it at Firebox for £6.99

8 - Gamepad Chopping Board

Slice those Goombas for real

We all love retro, particularly Mario! Now you can impress all your friends by cutting up your Christmas veg on this attractive NES gamepad chopping board. Oooh just look at that cucumber!

You can purchase this from Firebox for £14.99

7 - Star Trek Pizza Cutter

Number 1! I'm getting rather peckish, pop a pizza in the oven will you?

This pizza cutter is super sharp as it was created with the precision of Data's robot mind. Okay, that isn't true but when you've had enough of chopping things on your Gamepad Chopping Board you can relax with a pizza cut into slices of your size preference. Jean-Luc Picard probably owns 1000's of these.

This comes from Amazon at £24.99. Make it so.

6 - Razorpit (Razor Blade Sharpener)

Stop cutting your beard with scissors

A tech beard can be quite a task to get rid of. All that sitting down in front of a computer strengthens your chin hair to a state where it can only be compared with a wire brush. We men know that after a few uses our razors get blunt and start dragging. Ouch! Instead of buying expensive new razor heads why not bring your old ones back to life with the Razorpit. It practically pays for itself.

Check it out at Play.com for £14.49. Smooth!

5 - 24 Cans of Duff Beer

Duff-man! Oooooh yeeeeaaaaah!

The beer you've known for years and have never tasted is finally available for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Homer loves these so you probably will too, please do not hold us responsible if you get fat, lose your hair and turn yellow though.

Available from Firebox at £24.99. D'oh!

4 - Professional Fit Fur Life Treadmill

Want to stop? Just hit paws!

If you are a true geek you might not like to go outside but you will love animals. You might even like to dress up as them. Now you can have a dog and give it the exercise it needs from the comfort of your own basement. A bit pricey but you DO love your dog don't you?

Get it from Coolest-Gadgets for £2,535.00

3 - Ariel Atom

Perfect for a mouth full of bugs

Maybe we're getting a little crazy now? Nah, who'd turn one of these down?! As seen on Top Gear damaging Jeremy Clarkson's face this baby can be yours for a small fortune. This car's power to weight ratio tops that of a Porsche 911. Does that Nova want to race you from the traffic lights? Show them what you've got!

From Firebox again costing £30,000.00

2 - Replica Batmobile

It's expensive but they aren't Robin you.

Sadly you have to import this one, but you can be happy with the fact that it's very unlikely that you'll ever bump into somebody with the same car. This is a road legal, fully working, drivable Batmobile with (nearly) all the trimmings. We're not sure who will insure you but if you can afford this car I doubt insurance premiums will be a worry to you.

Built just for you at Fiberglass Freaks for around £100,000

1 - Utopia

Reap the rewards for selling all your Second Life property

For the top spot I thought we'd move away from cars, if you've bought everything off this list you already have 2, so we'll go for something a little different. How about your own movable island? Sadly this isn't quite ready yet, so this Christmas ask for money instead of gifts and put it in a high interest ISA ready for when this arrives on the market. Complete with 11 decks, helipad, pools and everything else you'd need for a life of luxury this is the ultimate purchase.

Another one from Firebox, Price TBA but we estimate £200,000,000. Bargain.

I hope you've found this guide useful and not too irreverent. Have a fantastic Christmas!

Wunderlist task management

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you're anything like me and have multiple projects to manage you'll understand that it can be a nightmare to keep on track of what's happening.

I have tried a number of task management/to-do list applications. Only one of these has stayed. This is Wunderlist from Berlin based 6Wunderkinder.

To me, Wunderlist is a great task management application which is simple enough to use but nuanced enough to be able to tailor it to my needs.

The great thing with Wunderlist is that it's available on more than one platform. I use it on my iPhone when I'm away from my desk to create and update tasks, which then instantly sync to Wunderlist on my laptop back at my desk.

Wunderlist hints and tips

I would like to share with you a few tips & tricks, features and uses of Wunderlist that make a big difference.

I assume you've already signed up and download the application, if not, head to http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist/

Wunderlist is currently available for Mac OSX, Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android and Linux.

Let's get to the more interesting part!

We'll start with creating new tasks using smart date recognition.

For example, I've created a task called Write Wunderlist Article today.

When I press enter to add the task it will automatically set the due date to Today.

As you can see, the due date is now set to Today.

Likewise, you can also use specific dates, for example:

Write new blog entry on 15^th december will set the due date to 15/12/2011.

This can make entering tasks and setting due dates very simple and quick. I use this a lot when adding multiple tasks and deadlines.

One other function that can be useful when adding tasks is to create a starred task. This can be done by clicking the star on the right hand side of the task, to make this quicker, just add a * (asterisk) at the beginning of the task.

This can also be combined with the smart date recognition.

This is useful when a task may be especially important or have an upcoming due date.

One part of Wunderlist that I didn't use straight away was the Task Lists and searches. Since adding more task lists I've found this more and more useful for organising, prioritising and when I have a number of lists and tasks, searching.

As you can see, thanks to the help of Wunderlist, I've sucessfully managed and finished my Christmas shopping already!

There are more features within Wunderlist to be found and used, different backgrounds, keyboard shortcuts, adding tasks via emails etc. Have a try and see for yourself!

Superfast Broadband is Here

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Superfast broadband has just arrived in South Yorkshire. How can it help your business?

You might be interested to know that Digital Region superfast broadband is coming to your area. We have made a summary of the possible benefits to help you decide whether it will help your business.

Digital Region:

Is fast - it can reach download speeds of up to 40Mbps and upload speeds of up to 10Mbps, which is typically over ten times faster than "normal" broadband.
Is cost effective because it runs through the existing telephone lines.
Can make you more efficient and productive - no more waiting for internet pages to load or files to transfer.
Because of the faster upload speed it makes remote access to work much faster - especially useful if you get stuck at home (like many were last year when it snowed)!
It is business class, which means no download limits, a fixed IP and you are supported by our Sheffield based engineers.

How much does it cost?

The cost of Digital Region is one of the reasons we like it so much - it's comparable to an ordinary business broadband line.

If you would like to check availability in your area, or to order, please contact Resolve IT Solutions: info@resolvesolutions.co.uk or 0114 299 40 50. We can chat through the details and explain how superfast broadband could help your business personally.

Soluto Anti-Frustration Software Review

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Soluto is a new program for streamlining how your computer performs. It is a brilliant tool for increasing the speed of your machine, how fast it starts up, and how fast you can browse the web. It bills itself as "Anti-Frustration Software", and it's not hard to see why. After you have installed Soluto, it jumps into action, and tracks every process that runs during the start-up procedure. You can 'heal' crashes you might experience, reduce the startup time of your computer, and speed up your web browsing experience. Below, I'll give you a run-down of how this software works, and how to use it to optimize your computing experience, and hopefully breathe a bit of new life back into your machine

Installation

You can download Soluto from here: http://www.soluto.com/Download

Once it has finished downloading, double click on the file to start the installation procedure. This may take a little while, as it downloads the files needed at this stage. Once it has been installed, click on "Reboot Now" when you're ready. This will restart your machine, and Soluto will jump into action.

Overview

Once it has done its thing (bottom left corner of your screen), you will be presented with the clean cut main page. You have three tools at your disposal from here, and rolling your mouse pointer over each one will take you there, let's start from the top.

Lighten web browser

Most people will run a web browser with at least one add-on. This screen lets you see exactly what is running alongside your browser. The categories that Soluto puts each add on into will help you choose what is safe to remove. The 'Possibly Remove' option lets you see what can be removed, but it's worth being careful in this category; only remove something if you feel confident doing so. You can switch between browsers, so if you are someone who likes to run several different browsers, you can make changes very quickly by simply switching between them. The option to change search engine is available as well, and can be done very quickly based on your choice. To get back to the main menu, click on 'Home' in the top left of the screen.

Note that while using Soluto, you can hover over the three dots to get more information about each application, including what other users did, what the application is, and what will happen if you disable it. Although Soluto is already very comprehensive, bear in mind that most information is added by users and checked by Soluto - so there is still a fair amount of information yet to be added.

Chop boot

This is where Soluto can prove very useful for speeding up the start-up time of your machine, as well as its general performance whilst running. It does this by preventing applications from starting straight away, or starting at all. The overview gives you some basic information, including how long your boot time takes, and how many applications run during boot.

Similar to the 'Lighten Web Browser' section, you have three categories - 'No Brainer', suggesting that these applications can be removed from the start-up without question. 'Potentially Unsafe', meaning that you should only really remove these if you know exactly what they do, and 'Cannot be removed with Soluto' - these are essential to the start-up of your machine. You can remove those listed as 'no brainer' and see what a difference it makes.

After you've been using Soluto for some time, you can look at the 'History' section on the bottom left. This will give you a good indication of how effective Soluto is being for you.

Heal crashes

This section will display what 'crashes' your computer has experienced, and suggest possible fixes. The clever thing about this section is that Soluto will record a crash on your system, and save it to its databases. It can then use this report to offer solutions to fix the problem for people experiencing the same crashes. In theory, this could potentially eliminate the need for trawling the internet for solutions. If you are lucky enough to have had no crashes - or if you've just installed Soluto, it will display 'No Crashes This Month!'

Conclusion

It's really nice when software comes along that is easy to use, runs 'quietly' in the background, and can be as effective as Soluto is. I've been using it for about a month now, and I regularly check to see if there's anything I can get rid of to make my machine run faster. Soluto is still in Beta testing stage, but has already proved very useful for me. I would definitely recommend installing this software and getting the most out of your computer.

Find out more information on how to improve your computer's performance.

Our Largest Ever Server Install

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Largest Ever Server Install

At Resolve we are getting busier and busier - we have taken on 3 new members of staff this year alone, and our clients are asking us to get involved in larger projects - it's an exciting time for us.

One of our clients has recently decided to move to Sage 200 and CRM, they have around 150 users and this takes some quite hefty hardware to do - and so we specified and installed our largest ever single server.

We ordered a Dell Poweredge R910 (Dell's top of the range server), with 4 x 8 Core CPU's and a hefty 192GB of RAM. This will be used to power the Sage 200 and CRM software. To make the maximum use out of the client's investment we virtualized the server using VmWare ESXi, which meant that they can easily add additional servers and change resources quickly.

The server is installed with some existing Dell servers in the secure data centre - and it looks fantastic!

We are really pleased with the outcome, we delivered the server solution on budget, and on a very tight deadline, and it gives the client plenty of power to cope with IT changes on the horizon.

If you are looking for Server Installation or Virtualization in South Yorkshire then do feel free to give us a call for a chat

How to upgrade VMWare ESXi 4.1 to 5.0

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

VMWare recently updated their very successful ESXi product to version 5, bringing some fantastic new features and updates, but how painful is it to upgrade from version 4.1 to 5? Thankfully not very, and here’s how to do it.

As with any upgrade process make sure you have a full and valid backup before you do anything.

Start by shutting down all of your virtual machines on the ESXi server. Whilst they’re all shutting down, hop over to the VMWare site and download version 5 of ESXi. Once you have downloaded the ISO burn it to a CD.

After all the servers have shutdown, insert the ESXi 5 you have just created and reboot the VMWare server and boot from the CD. You’ll be presented with the following screen, simply wait 5 seconds and the install wizard will start to load. This can take a few minutes.

Once the wizard has loaded you’ll be presented with a ‘Welcome to the VMWare ESXi 5.0.0 Installation’ screen. Simply press ‘Enter’ to continue.

Press ‘F11’ to accept the license agreement, and ESXi will scan your system for any storage devices. Once this is done choose your datastore where your existing virtual machines are installed and press ‘Enter’. Again ESXi will scan the store to see if anything is installed. A few seconds later it will ask you what you wish to do with the datastore. The choices are;

Force migrate to ESXi, preserve VMFS datastore
Install ESXi, preserve VMFS datastore
Install ESXi, overwrite VMFS datastore

Select ‘Force migrate to ESXi, preserve VMFS datastore' and press ‘Enter’. This will upgrade your server to version 5 but keep all of the settings and Virtual Machines intact. Once again ESXi will scan your system and you may see a message that says some of the drivers may not work after the upgrade. Take a note of these drivers and press ‘F11’ to continue. ESXi will now upgrade, this will take approx 15-20 mins, after it has completed ESXi will ask you to reboot, eject the install disk and press ‘Enter’.

That’s it. ESXi will boot and you can login using the vSphere 5 client and power up all your servers again.

Overall it’s a pretty simple process, just make sure you backup first.

Looking for Telephone Systems in Sheffield?

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Resolve IT Solutions are proud to have been named as a 3CX Reseller, marking our move into supplying and supporting telephone systems for our clients.

Why we think 3CX is the best on the market :

• You can save upto 70% on your telephone costs by using VOIP to call over the internet

• 3CX phones use your computer network, so they do not need separate wiring - hot desking just became a whole lot easier.

• 3CX gives you choice. IP hardware phones or softphones or both!

• Use your phone in or out of the office with free VoIP.

• Remote and mobile working is far easier and cost-effective.

Think outside the office.

• Give your staff freedom - allow them to work when they are out and about or at home - having all of the team in the office is not always practical or possible (take for example if it snows in Sheffield)! Don't lose time, money, or clients because of distance or weather. Remain in contact wherever you are, whatever the weather. Impress them.

• Never miss a crucial call - create "call forwarding rules" so that important calls are forwarded to your mobile if you are out, or to your voicemail if it's out of hours. Your forwarding rules can be so specific as to include caller ID, type of call, and time received. So you stay in the loop.

For less.

• No more expensive phone calls. 3CX lets you make phone calls via SIP trunks, VoIP providers, saving you money.

• If you are using ISDN lines, we could help you save up to 70% in line renal and call charges.

• And 3CX is cost effective. It is less expensive than most phone systems.

But why buy through Resolve?

We are a 3CX Certified Partner, we have 3CX Certified Professionals, and by buying through Resolve you get the added security of knowing we are here to deal with any technical hic-ups.

Why not take a look at our 3CX brochure for more information. If you like what you've seen, you can give us a call on 0845 8 99 00 99. We'd love to have a chat to you about how we could help you improve your telephone system for your business, as it has ours.

Optimising your PC performance

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If your PC's performance is getting worse, the scores of programs, antivirus tools and limitless amounts of junk from the Internet may be gradually slowing down your PC over time, to the extent that you've hardly noticed it until now. Whatever the cause, there are ways to help speed up your PC without the need of upgrading your hardware. Before you throw more memory at your PC try the following tips to help you optimise Windows performance.

1. Delete programs you never use

Many PC manufacturers pack their new computers with programs you didn't order and might not want. These often include trial editions and limited edition versions of programs that software companies hope you will try, find useful, and then pay to upgrade to full versions or newer versions.

If you decide you don't want them, keeping the software on your computer might slow it down by using precious memory, disk space, and processing power.

It's a good idea to uninstall all the programs you don't plan to use. This should include both manufacturer installed software and software you installed yourself but no longer want, especially utility programs designed to help manage and tune your computer's hardware and software. Utility programs such as virus scanners, disk cleaners, and backup tools often run automatically at startup, quietly chugging along in the background where you can't see them.

Even if your PC is older, it might contain manufacturer installed programs that you never noticed. It's never too late to remove these and get rid of the clutter.

2. Limit startup programs

Many programs are designed to load automatically when Windows starts. Software manufacturers often set their programs to open in the background, where you can't see them running, so they'll open right away when you click their icons. That's helpful for programs you use a lot, but for programs you rarely or never use, this wastes precious memory and slows down the time it takes Windows to finish loading. Decide for yourself if you want a program to load at startup.

3. Defragment your hard drive

Fragmentation makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down your computer. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can work more efficiently. You can either schedule Disk Defragmenter or defragment your hard disk manually.

4. Hard disk clean up

If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster, use Disk Cleanup. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.

5. Run fewer programs simultaneously

Sometimes changing the way you use your computer can have a big impact on its performance. If you like to keep dozen of programs and browser windows open at once, all while instant messaging, don't be surprised if your PC slows down. Keeping a lot of eâ€‘mail messages open can also use up memory.

6. Turn off visual effects

If Windows is running slowly, you can speed it up by disabling some of its visual effects. It comes down to appearance versus performance. Would you rather have Windows run faster or look good? If your PC is fast enough, you don't have to make this tradeoff, but if your computer is just barely powerful enough for Windows Vista. or 7, it can be useful to scale back on the visual effects.

7. Check for viruses and spyware

If your PC is running slowly, one dreaded possibility is that it might be infected with a virus or spyware. This is not as common as the other problems, but it is something to consider. Before you worry too much, check your PC using antispyware and antivirus programs such as Microsoft's Security Essentials, which is free to use in some cases.

A common symptom of a virus is a much slower than normal computer performance. Other signs include unexpected messages that pop up on your PC, programs that start automatically, or the sound of your hard disk constantly working.

8. Check for updates from the manufacturer and Microsoft

Visit the support website of your computer manufacturer to see if the company has released any updates for your specific model. This can include firmware and driver updates. Another place to find driver updates is Microsoft Windows Updates.

9. Check your computer's speed

If you try these tips and your computer is still too slow, you might need a new PC or some hardware upgrades, such as a new hard disk, faster video card, or more memory. There's no need to guess the speed of your computer, however. Windows provides a way to check and rate your PC's speed with a tool called the Windows Experience Index or Performance Monitor.

10. Add more memory

If a computer running Windows still feels too slow, it's usually because the PC doesn't have enough memory. The most sure-fire way to speed it up is to add more, but ensure you add just more than you need as adding too much won't be of any added benefit. Windows Performance Monitor can help you calculate how much memory is required and indicate if current memory usage is maxing out.

Photo by Keerati

Looking for discounted AVG products?

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Award winning AVG protection with money left over for the Christmas party fund at discountavg.co.uk

For small businesses today the internet is essential. It is a global platform for your product so that more customers than ever before have the opportunity to buy from you.

But it also opens the door to a whole new group of threats.

You need high levels of protection from a well known, well trusted, and high performing brand.

So Why AVG?

Resolve has taken a good long look at the market after a number of our small business clients began asking for recommendations for online protection. We understand small businesses - we are one! And we wanted to help. We recommend AVG for the following main reasons:

AVG have tailor-made their business products for small businesses, whereas other online protection companies often design their products with larger businesses in mind. That's why 1 in 4 small businesses trust AVG, including ourselves.

AVG is cost effective - it is one of the best value solutions on the market without compromising on protection.

AVG has a relatively small impact on your system speed because it only requires a small amount of your system memory.

AVG is one of the most recognised names in online protection and has 10 million users worldwide.

AVG has good quality technical support via e-mail included in the price.

Great! But How and Why Can I Get Money off?

AVG allow some companies to be Resellers - that means they buy AVG products at a reduced rate and sell them to a third party, passing on a discount.

Resolve decided to be a Reseller of AVG, under the name Discount AVG, so that we could help likeminded businesses twofold: We could recommend you our favourite product, and offer it at a discounted rate. We know that you cannot afford to compromise on security. We also understand the financial pressures of a growing business. Buying through Discount AVG means you can put the money you save towards more advertising, new resources or even the Christmas party!

And Discount AVG is a Reseller you can trust. We are very proud of our relationship with AVG who have awarded us Gold Reseller status for our level of experience.

In summary, at Discount AVG you get award-winning, world-renowned products specifically designed with small businesses in mind, from an experienced Gold Reseller, and for a fraction of the price.

Feel free to give us a ring on 0845 8990099 to discuss your needs, or visit to our website www.discountavg.co.uk

How could you use the money you save in your business?

Andrew wins at Star Business Awards

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We're very pleased to say that Andrew has won not just one but two awards at this year's Star Business Awards.

The awards, held last night in Sheffield City Hall, celebrate the achievements of businesses in all major sectors, and offers the chance for businessmen and women from over South Yorkshire to gather for a champagne reception and gourmet meal.

Andrew beat stiff competition to win Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Businessperson of the Year.

Resolve was nominated for Top SME along with The Milestone restaurant, but both lost out to local firm Progressive Safety.

You can read more about the event here, and see the awards below.

Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

What is Microsoft Security Essentials?

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE); has been on the market place for a couple of years now. Its primary goal is to provide anti-virus protection to machines running Windows, and it is available free of charge as long your copy of Windows is genuine; and it will check.

MSE is pitched at home users and small businesses, and by some accounts it is the fourth most popular antivirus software available. Small businesses can use the software on up to ten machines, but anything more and you will need Microsoft Forefront endpoint protection.

Its rise to prominence has been swift yet quiet. In our line of work you hear a lot about up-and-coming software and when it's launched, it's everywhere! But this hasn't been the case with MSE.

What does it do?

MSE contains an anti-virus component, which is incorporated into the anti malware component Windows Defender. This works alongside Windows Firewall which is installed by default on all Windows 7 machines and most up-to-date Windows XP machines.

How do I use it?

To download Microsoft Security Essentials simply download it here.

You will be given the option to select your operating system. It is essentials you select the correct install to go with your operating system.

Once the package is downloaded, double click on the file and follow the default selections. If you already have another anti-virus product installed MSE will ask you to uninstall it first. If you are just being nosey and want to see what MSE looks like, you can ignore this message and install it anyway.

At the very end of the install you will be asked to restart your machine.

What does it look like?

MSE is very uncluttered, with four very basic tabs, and it is fairly simple, which we rather like. Some anti-virus software can be unnecessarily complicated when the ordinary home user needs protection against viruses and malware with the least amount of effort. MSE slides into this category very well. That isn't to say other vendors don't offer similar offerings, they do, but the simple layout gives this some advantage over competitors.

What's the verdict?

Microsoft Security Essentials is a viable solution for home PCusers; the software is clean, usable and the setup is simple.

We've read many reports and reviews on MSE and on the whole it performs really well against other paid-for products. There are certain areas where it doesn't quite meet its rivals, but others where it out performs them.

The way these tests are carried out and then reported on can vary. But having used the product for many months now, I feel it's a great free little tool from Microsoft to help combat viruses and malware.

Andrew and Resolve IT nominated for Sheffield Star Business Awards

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to say that Andrew, our Director, has been nominated for "Entrepreneur of the Year" and "Young Businessperson of the Year" at the 2011 Sheffield Star Business Awards. This has been capped off by Resolve's nomination for Top SME.

Each of the awards, announced in this month's Star Business Monthly, has been whittled down to a shortlist of three, with the winner to be announced at the awards show on September 29th.

You can view the whole supplement online here.

"Andrew began Resolve IT Solutions because he had spotted a gap in the market whilst working King Ecgbert's School in Sheffield. He realised that no one was offering quality IT support to primary schools, and decided to set out to do so. Later, he spotted another gap in the market; IT support that is professional and high-quality delivered by people who are friendly and communicate well. Although he had no business experience prior to founding Resolve, Andrew has built it from a one-man band into a 15-strong company that is deeply valued by its customers, is competitive and is built for growth.

Resolve has doubled its turnover nearly every year since it was founded in 2004."

Meet Hussain

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We're delighted to be able to introduce you to the newest member of our team; Hussain Wazirali!

Hussain (BEng, MCSE) is the latest member of our business team, providing high quality IT support to our business clients.

He comes to us with over 25 years experience in IT, and as well as working as an IT infrastructure consultant he spent several years as the Europe-wide IT operations manager for a major manufacturing company. He also spent some time as a university lecturer.

Outside of work, Hussain loves travelling, and once tried to visit all the countries in the EU in 2004. He would have managed it, had they not added 10 more countries that year.

A keen motorcyclist, he also trekked from the UK to Alicante and back on a Yamaha supersport bike.

If you need IT support you can call Hussain, or any of our engineers, on 0845 899 0099.

How we help businesses

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

At Resolve we believe that we are very different from other IT support providers. Find out what makes us different.

We have a proven history of providing excellent support to a variety of business customers. We are recognised as a Microsoft Small Business Specialist, and have also worked extensively with larger businesses. This, together with our Microsoft Gold Partner status, means that you can be sure we know how to look after you.

How we help businesses

We believe that the key to delivering successful IT is all about building relationships. From the first moment you deal with us, we will listen to your IT needs and work hard to exceed your expectations.

When you tell us what you need we'll listen, whether you know the exact equipment you want or just have a rough idea of what you'd like to achieve.

We will provide you with a practical, cost-effective solution, and won't just provide the newest, shiniest technology. We will find something that works for you, and not what will make us the most money.

To find out a bit more about what it would be like working with us, take a look at how we can specify, install and support your network, or feel free to contact us and we can have a chat.

As a company working in the IT industry we recognise excellent service and value in IT companies. Resolve IT Solutions met and passed our high expectations and we would recommend their services to anyone who requires expert help.
- Simon Clement-Jones, CDE Systems

How we help educational organisations

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

At Resolve we believe that we are very different from other IT support providers. Find out what makes us different.

We pride ourselves in offering high quality and professional IT support to schools in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. We come highly recommended, and the schools that we currently support will tell you about our excellent reliability, friendliness, and communication skills.

All our technicians are highly trained, which means that they can fix your problems quickly, and have you back up and teaching in no time.

Find out how we can support your educational organisation

If you would like more information or to arrange a meeting, just drop us a line.

Enthusiastic, helpful, always willing to help any member of staff with any difficulties with IT, however small.
- Headteacher, Ecclesall Infants School

Planning and implementing a large wireless network on a budget

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When on a budget it is nice to get things done as low cost as possible. In this article I’ll show you a couple of the methods we use when keeping the price as low as we can. You don’t necessarily need to use high-end, expensive Access Points and we can forget about using Centralised WLAN Controller to get a fully functional large wireless network. Just bear in mind that you do have to configure each AP individually though!

Firstly you will need to know how many wireless Access Points you will require. You could guess this but it’s always better to play it safe. What you will need for an accurate floor plan is:

A laptop
1 Access Point (preferably the exact model you will be using throughout the site)
Passmark WirelessMon (Pro version highly recommended)
Floor plans of your building

Firstly load your floor plans into WirelessMon (Configuration > Map) and select ‘Strongest’ for your samples.

Find the location you would like to start from in your building and plug in your AP. When the unit starts giving out a signal click on the Map tab, then click on Select AP’s. Finally select the SSID you would like to survey and click add.

Now place an AP marker down on the map where you have placed the Access Point and walk around the location clicking the hexagons on the map. Depending on the signal strength the hexagons will be coloured differently. You will end up with something looking like this.

When the signal is getting too weak, physically move your AP to a new location and repeat the process. Eventually you will end up with a large map, similar to the example below.

With this map it is clear that we need 3 AP’s to cover this area. We haven’t filled in every hexagon but it is safe to assume that there will be satisfactory signal in the white areas.

Now that we know how many Access Points are required we need to configure them to work as a single network. This is very easy to do, just make sure that all 3 Access Points have the same SSID. Using this method your laptop/netbook/mobile phone should automatically switch to the AP giving the strongest signal. Each AP must have a different IP address though!

For a more professional look we recommend getting Power over Ethernet Access Points and getting PoE network points installed in the locations you will be installing the units. This reduces the amount of cables and does not limit you to placing the AP in a location where there is a power outlet.

A foolproof guide to removing malware

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

What is malware?

Malware is a generic term for malicious software; this includes Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses and Spyware, and comes in all different shapes and sizes. Put simply, malware is software that is designed to damage or disable computers.

How does it get on my PC?

It is easy to get malware on your PC - merely visiting an ‘infected' webpage can land you in trouble. Often malware can be attached to images, links and emails, making it difficult to spot and avoid. Even with the most powerful, up-to-date anti-virus software on the market, you're never completely safe - it will reduce the chances, but not eliminate the risks completely.

So what does malware actually do?

Malware can be intended for any number of purposes, and there are an almost infinite numberof possibilities depending on the ability and know-how of the person developing it. In 9 out of 10 cases, malware will simply render your computer unusable. Vast amounts of pop-ups, adverts and alerts will stop you from performing even the most basic tasks. However, malware in its more complex form can capture key-strokes, erase your data, and lure you into providing sensitive information such as bank details etc.

I think I have malware, help!

So malware has snuck past your anti-virus software, and it seems like there's no hope! The steps below are the steps I take to remove 90 percent of malware infections from PC's. I'll try to keep them clear and concise!

1. Firstly, you will need to start your computer in ‘Safe Mode'. To do this, completely shut down the computer. Once it has shutdown, turn it back on, and repeatedly press the F8 key. You should soon be presented with a menu (white text, black background), that will give you the option to start in Safe Mode. You want to select ‘Safe Mode With Networking'.

If you don't see this, and it goes straight to the Windows loading screen, you'll need to restart the computer and try again.

Once the computer has finished loading, you will see your desktop looking a little different. Does everything look a bit bigger?

2. Next, download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware from here or here and save it to your desktop.

Double-click mbam-setup.exe on the desktop and follow the prompts to install the program
At the end, be sure that a checkmark is placed next to

Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and

Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Click Finish
If an update Is found, it will download and install the latest version. Keep updating until it says you have the latest version!

Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan
When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results

Be sure everything is checked, then click Remove Selected
Now restart your machine

Occasionally, the malware will prevent anything from installing, so you might have trouble at step 1! There is a great little tool to work around this though. It is called Rkill and can be found here.

Download it to your desktop, and then double-click it to run it. If Rkill (which is a black box) appears and then disappears straight away, or you get a message saying rkill is infected, keep trying to run rkill until it overpowers the infection and temporarily kills it. Once a log appears on the screen, you can try installing Malwarebytes, as described in the first section.

I think I still have malware!

In the rare event that the above doesn't seem to have done the trick, there are some other tools available to help you out. You can try the following programs, but remember; if you can't install anything thanks to the infection, simply run Rkill as described above. It's also very important to update any scanning programs before running them!

Other tools that may help

SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition

Microsoft Security Essentials

If the problem persists, it's probably time to call the professionals, as incorrect solutions can damage your PC further.

I hope this has been helpful!

Creating and storing secure passwords

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One of the questions we ask our customers on a regular basis is "what is your password?" - this is usually to log on to their computer or email, and they often say "oh, it's my usual password..."

The problem with this is that if someone manages to get hold of this password, they can log on to most of the websites or email accounts that you have. We recently had a call from someone telling us that their Facebook, 3 email accounts, and several other sites had been hacked - even worse is that someone sent a spam email to every one of their contacts in their Gmail which appeared to be from them but was advertising an adult site.

We would recommend using unique, secure passwords every time you get asked for a password.

What is a secure password?

Usually, a secure password is:

At least 8 characters long
Has a mixture of letters and numbers
Has a mixture of upper and lower case
Is not a word you would find in the dictionary
Is not something someone else could easily know about you (eg your Date of Birth)

You can use a free online secure password generator here: http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/ which will generate secure passwords for you - passwords which meet the critera above.

But how do I remember all of those passwords?

If you are making a unique password for each of the sites that you use, then, if you are anything like me, you will have about 30-40 to remember.

A great idea is to use a software program on your computer to store all of the unique passwords in an encrypted file. Think of it like an electronic safe - you would use one password to "unlock" the safe, and then you can see all the secure information inside.

A great free tool to do this is Password Corral, which can be downloaded free from here: http://www.cygnusproductions.com/downloads/downloads.asp

This is simple to use, and a great way of ensuring that unique passwords are kept safe and secure.

Upgrade to Mac OS X Lion

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Apple recently released the latest version of its Mac operating system (OS) called OS X Lion. There are some great new features such as multi-touch gestures, iPad style app launcher and the option to resume apps from where you left off.

The upgrade is very reasonably priced at £20.99 but you cannot purchase physical media such as a DVD. So how do you upgrade?

Firstly you need to backup your Mac. We would recommend you do a full backup using Time Machine, a backup utility already included on your Mac. This very useful tool, and is so simple to use; just plug in an external hard drive (ensuring that it has enough free space to backup your system). Time Machine will then ask whether you would like to use this disk as a backup disk. Click "Yes" and let Time Machine do the rest. This can take a few hours depending on the number and size of files you have. Be aware, Time Machine will wipe anything you have on the external drive so make sure you have everything you want to keep removed from the drive.

Next you need to check that your Mac can actually run Lion.

The basic requirements for Lion are quite modest. You will need an Intel Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 or Xeon processor, 2GB RAM, 4GB Hard drive space and an internet connection. You will also need to be currently running Snow Leopard.

You can quickly check your Mac to see if your machine can run Lion by clicking on the Apple button in the top left hand corner and going to ‘About This Mac'. A window will appear similar to the one below;

Check for any updates that need to be installed. To do this click on the Apple icon again and select ‘Software Update...', install any updates that are available.

Now that you have checked that your Mac is capable of running Lion and up to date, you are ready to upgrade to Lion!

The process is very simple but you must have an internet connection. Click on the Apple icon and select ‘App Store...' this will bring up the Mac App Store. You can then either search for ‘Lion' in the search bar or click this link to take you straight there. Once you have found it simply click on the button which says £20.99 under the Lion icon, this will change the button to a green colour, click on it again to confirm the purchase.

The image below shows you what you will see in the Mac App Store. You'll notice that we have already installed Lion;

You will need to login with your Apple ID. Chances are you already have an Apple ID but if not you can create one for free here.

Once you have logged in the app is automatically purchased and you will see it on your dock with a small progress bar at the bottom of the screen. It is quite a sizable download at 3.5GB so it will take a while to download. However, if your internet connection is not fast enough, or you simply cannot wait, Apple will allow you to visit their stores, connect to their WIFI and download Lion in a matter of minutes free of charge.

Once Lion has been downloaded the install window will pop up. Simply click on "Continue" and confirm which hard drive you wish to install it on and click "Continue" again.

You may wish to make a cup of tea or grab a bite to eat as Lion will take around 30 minutes to install.

Once Lion has installed your machine will reboot and you will be presented with your new desktop with all your documents and apps intact. You can start using Lion straight away!

If you want to find out more about the new features in Lion take a look at Apple's website.

Booting Linux from USB Storage devices

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you want to install Linux or use a live version (running from a CD/DVD without installing) but you don't have any writable CD/DVD's, you can try booting from a USB stick.

Not all computers are able to boot from USB devices. You may want to check that this is possible before following any further steps. If you're unsure or can't find any information confirming if your hardware can boot from USB devices, you can still follow these instructions, as you'll soon find out.

What you'll need:

USB stick/pendrive/storage etc. The size of this depends on the distribution of Linux you want to use. 4GB or larger is usually sufficient. Make sure that you backup any data you would like to keep from the USB stick.
An .ISO of the distribution of Linux you want to use. Usually free. A Google search will return various results. (You can also use UNetbootin to download a Linux distribution. See below.)
UNetbootin. can be found here.
Windows XP/Vista/7

Steps:

1. Download UNetbootin and the distribution of Linux you want to use.

2. Plug in the USB stick and open up UNetbootin.

3. Select a distribution from the drop down list if you currently don't have one downloaded.

4. If you have downloaded one, select Diskimage > click browse ( ... ) > locate the downloaded .ISO and click open. You'll now see the path in the box. In this example, I'm using Backtrack 5. In previous articles, Backtrack 4 was mentioned, 5 is an updated version.

5. Select type. In this case, it's a USB Drive and the drive letter is F: Always double check this as after you click ‘OK' it will format the drive regardless of whether or not it's a system drive. Once you're sure it's the correct drive click ‘OK'.

6. It will start downloading the file if you've selected a distribution from the drop down box. It will then copy the files and install the bootloader

7. You'll then be asked to ‘Reboot Now' or ‘Exit'. If you want to test you bootable USB Stick immediately then click ‘Reboot Now'.

8. To boot from the USB stick, you'll need to open the boot menu as the machine boots. The key for this depends on the manufacturer of the hardware. When the boot menu has loaded, use the arrow keys to select ‘USB Storage', ‘USB Device', ‘' etc. and press enter. The machine should now start to boot from the USB device.

Troubleshooting:

Why don't I have an option for a boot menu/boot menu doesn't appear?

You may need to enable this option in the BIOS.

My USB device doesn't appear in the boot menu.

Your hardware may not support booting to USB devices

I can boot from the USB Device but it hangs whilst loading.

Try re-downloading the .ISO and creating the USB stick again using UNetbootin. Your hardware may not be supported by the distribution of Linux.

For more information regards UNetbootin and the supported distributions of Linux, visit http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Connect to Exchange using Outlook Anywhere

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In my last article I spoke about creating a second Outlook profile to connect to Exchange over a VPN. Not everyone has access to a VPN though so is there any other way to use Outlook for work emails at home instead of Outlook Web Access (OWA)?

The answer is yes. You can connect Outlook to Exchange using the OWA address. This used to be known as RPC over HTTP/S but is now known as Outlook Anywhere.

If you still want to be able to connect to your home email you will have to create a second profile. At this point I'm sure you will forgive me for copying and pasting the odd chunk from my previous article!

So open the control panel from the start menu and chose the "Mail" option. If your Control Panel is in category view you will find it under "User Accounts" in Windows XP & Vista and "User Accounts and Family Safety" in Windows 7.

Clicking on "Show Profiles" opens the following screen.

To add a new profile simply click on "Add". A new box will appear prompting you to put in a name for the profile. Once you have chosen a name click on "OK" and you will be taken to the standard account creation screen.

For an Exchange account tick the "Manually configure server settings or additional server types" box and click "Next".

On the next screen chose "Microsoft Exchange" and click "Next".

You now need to put in the name of your Exchange server and your user name. Your IT support will be able to provide these details for you. Click "More Settings..." OK the error box that appears and then OK the Exchange details box.

You are now in the additional settings box. On the security tab make sure Encryption is ticked and change the "Logon network security:" drop down box to "Password Authentication (NTLM)"

On the connection tab tick "Connect to Microsoft Exchange using HTTP" and click on "Exchange Proxy settings"

In the Proxy settings box you will need to put in the address you would normally use to connect to OWA. Note that the HTTPS:// bit has already been done for you. At the bottom set the "Proxy authentication settings" to "NTLM Authentication" and click "OK".

Click "OK" on the additional settings box and you will be back to the Add New E-Mail Account screen. Click "Next" and then "Finish".

You will now be back at the Mail profile window. The last thing to do is make Outlook ask for a profile when opening. To do this chose the "Prompt for a profile to be used" option towards the bottom of the window and click OK. Now every time you open Outlook it will ask you which profile you would like to use.

If you now open Outlook and chose the profile you have just created you will be connected to your Exchange mailbox at work.

Useful shortcuts in Microsoft Word

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Word processors have changed our lives. Not only do they make it easy to edit a document again and again, they also enable you to spellcheck as you type, add links to other documents or websites, and do a whole load of stuff we've come to know, love and rely on.

Have you ever got to the end of a sentence only to realise it's not in the right case? You've left capslock on, or the shift key just doesn't seem to be working? Using CTRL+SHIFT+A you can toggles Caps Lock, or switch highlighted words to upper/lower case. You can also use SHIFT+F3 to toggle the selected text between uppercase, lowercase and sentence case.

To quickly align text to the centre of the page you would usually have to use the "Center" function on the toolbar. You can do this far more quickly by using CTRL+E, which will centre the whole paragraph you're editing.

You're working on your latest book, and want to add a footnote, but you're on a roll and don't want to break your concentration. Hit CTRL+ALT+F, and you can add you reference (or make a note for later) and carry on!

Wanting to quickly add the date? You'll be wanting ALT+SHIFT+D.

Wanting to close a window, but your mouse is playing up? ALT+F4.

Below is a list of some more useful shortcuts that we think you ought to know about;

All Caps	CTRL+SHIFT+A	Toggles Caps Lock, or switches highlighted words to upper/lower case
Annotation	ALT+CTRL+M	Annotates a word (adds a comment to the outside of the document)
App Maximize	ALT+F10	Maximizes Window size
App Restore	ALT+F5	Reduces Window size
Apply Heading1	ALT+CTRL+1	Turns on Heading 1 or applies to highlighted word
Apply Heading2	ALT+CTRL+2	Turns on Heading 2 or applies to highlighted word
Apply Heading3	ALT+CTRL+3	Turns on Heading 3 or applies to highlighted word
Auto Text	F3 or ALT+CTRL+V	Toggles auto correct on words & punctuation
Bold	CTRL+B or CTRL+SHIFT+B	Toggles Bold
Bookmark	CTRL+SHIFT+F5	Adds a virtual bookmark so you don't lose your place between reads
Centre Para	CTRL+E	Aligns text to the centre
Close or Exit	ALT+F4	Close program
Copy	CTRL+C or CTRL+INSERT	Copies highlighted text to the clipboard for pasting
Cut	CTRL+X or SHIFT+DELETE	Cuts highlighted text to the clipboard for pasting
Date Field	ALT+SHIFT+D	Adds today's date
Delete Back Word	CTRL+BACKSPACE	Deletes previous word
Delete Word	CTRL+DELETE	Deletes next word
Dictionary	ALT+SHIFT+F7	Opens dictionary
Double Underline	CTRL+SHIFT+D	Adds double underline to new text of highlighted text
End of Document	CTRL+END	Skips to end of document
End of Line	END	Skips to end of current line
Find	CTRL+F	Opens find box
Footnote Now	ALT+CTRL+F	Adds a reference footnote
Grow Font One Point	CTRL+]	Increases font size by 1
Indent	CTRL+M	Adds indent to beginning of line
Italic	CTRL+I or CTRL+SHIFT+I	Toggles Italics
Left Para	CTRL+L	Aligns text to the left
New	CTRL+N	New document
Open	CTRL+O	Open document
Overtype	INSERT	Types over text
Page Break	CTRL+ENTER	Add page break
Paste	CTRL+V or SHIFT+INSERT	Pastes copied or cut text
Print	CTRL+P	Opens print menu
Print Preview	CTRL+F2 or ALT+CTRL+I	Opens print preview
Proofing	F7	Proof reads/spell checks document
Redo	ALT+SHIFT+BACKSPACE	Redoes what you have just undone
Right Para	CTRL+R	Aligns text to the left
Save	CTRL+S	Save's document with current name
Save As	F12	Save's document with new name
Select All	CTRL+A	Highlights all text
Shrink Font One Point	CTRL+[	Decrease font size by 1
Start of Line	HOME	Skip to start of line
Thesaurus	SHIFT+F7	Opens Thesaurus
Time Field	ALT+SHIFT+T	Adds current time
Underline	CTRL+U	Adds underline to new text of highlighted text
Undo	CTRL+Z	Undoes the last thing done

We hope you enjoy this wonderful array of shortcuts, that they save you lots of time and that you fall in love with your word processor all over again.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Remove all hyperlinks in Microsoft Word or Excel

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

This article will help you find out how to use two excellent Macros to remove all the hyperlinks from Microsoft Word and Excel documents.

Firstly, what is a Macro?

A macro is a set of computer instructions that you can record and associate with a shortcut key combination or a macro name. Then, when you press the shortcut key combination or click the macro name, your computer program carries out the instructions of the macro. This saves you time by replacing an often-used, sometimes lengthy series of actions with a shorter action. For example, instead of clicking several menus and buttons to add text to your business documents in Microsoft Word, you can record those steps in a macro and then just click the macro to add the text in one step.

Office lets you automate not only keystrokes, but also most of the actions you can perform in Office. Almost anything you can do with the Office menu choices, with the toolbar buttons, and in the document editing environment can be automated with macros.

Now to the exciting part: Have you ever tried copying and pasting something from the Internet into Word or Excel only to find that the hyperlinks have been carried over? Now you can remove them easily with the Macros below.

Word:

Step 1

Hit [ALT]+[F11] to open the Visual Basic Editor

Step 2

Go to “Insert” > “Module” and paste the following into the pop-up window:

Sub RemoveHyperlinks()

Dim oField As Field

For Each oField In ActiveDocument.Fields

If oField.Type = wdFieldHyperlink Then

oField.Unlink

End If

Next

Set oField = Nothing

End Sub

Step 3

Then click “File” > Close and return to Microsoft Word

Step 4

You can now run the Macro in Word by going to:

View > Macros > View Macros and then Run “RemoveAllHyperlinks”

If you want to retain this Macro in the saved document, just save it as a Word Macro-Enabled Document (*.docm), otherwise save it as a Word Document (*.docx)

Excel:

You can do the same in an Excel Document:

Step 1

Hit [ALT]+[F11] to open the Visual Basic Editor

Step 2

Go to “Insert” > “Module” and in the pop-up window copy;

Sub RemoveHyperlinks()

'Remove all hyperlinks from the active sheet

ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Delete

End Sub

Step 3

Then click “File” > Close and return to Microsoft Excel

Step 4

You can now run the Macro in Excel by going to:

View > Macros > View Macros and then Run “RemoveAllHyperlinks”, this will delete all URLS on the selected worksheet.

If you want to retain this Macro in the saved document, just save it as a Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm), otherwise save it as a Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Creating multiple Outlook Profiles

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I have recently spent some time working from home on my own PC. I found that although Outlook Web Access (OWA) is a great way to check for that important email on the move, it's a bit clunky to work with for a long period of time, particularly as I usually work with multiple mailboxes and calendars. So is there an alternative? As I have VPN access to the office I chose instead to create a separate Outlook profile to handle my work email. This enabled me to work with Outlook as if I was in the office.

Although Outlook can open only one profile at a time, there is no documented limit to the amount of profiles you can have. When Outlook starts you just choose the profile you want.

To create more profiles open Control Panel from the Start menu and select the "Mail" option. If your Control Panel is in category view you will find it under "User Accounts" in Windows XP & Vista and "User Accounts and Family Safety" in Windows 7.

Remember if you are setting up a profile for your work email you will first need to make sure you are connected to your office over a VPN.

Clicking on "Show Profiles" opens the following screen.

To add a new profile simply click on "Add". A new box will appear prompting you to put in a name for the profile. Once you have chosen a name click "OK" and you will be taken to the standard account creation screen.

For an Exchange account tick the "Manually configure server settings or additional server types" box and click "Next".

On the next screen chose "Microsoft Exchange" and click "Next".

You now need to put in the name of your Exchange server and your user name. Your IT support will be able to provide these details for you. Click "Next" and that's it! Your profile is created.

You will now be back at the Mail profile window. The last thing to do is make Outlook ask for a profile when opening. To do this choose the "Prompt for a profile to be used" option towards the bottom of the window and click OK. Now every time you open Outlook it will ask you which profile you would like to use.

You will have noticed that the default profile is called "Outlook". You can't rename this so what do you do if you want two profiles called "Home" and "Work"?

In the Mail Profiles screen highlight the "Outlook" profile and click "Copy". Put in the name you want and click "OK". You will now have another profile which is an exact copy but with the name you want. Highlight "Outlook" again and click "Remove". All your profiles are now called something meaningful .

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Resolve IT gets Gold again

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We are really pleased to announce that Resolve IT Solutions is the only IT support company in Sheffield to be recertified a Microsoft Gold Partner. This is the highest Microsoft Partner level, and is only awarded to the very best IT solution providers.

We were first awarded Gold in 2008, but in November 2010 the requirements were changed, meaning that companies had to reapply and making it harder than ever for those seeking Gold Partner status.

Andrew, our Director, said "It's fantastic to have been awarded Gold Partner status for the fourth year in a row. This reflects the incredibly high technical standard of our team and the commitment to provide a brilliant service across our entire company. It has been well worth the time and investment and we are all really proud to be awarded this again."

Microsoft Partner status means that we have direct access to support from Microsoft, and in essence means that our clients can trust us to advise them well, and offer them top quality support.

Andrew named one of the 42 under 42

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce that our director, Andrew Seaton, was named this month in Yorkshire Business Insider's “42 under 42”. Every year the team at Yorkshire Business Insider seek to compile a list to identify "the up-and-coming entrepreneurs who will form the next generation of business leaders in Yorkshire and Humber”.

Being listed as one of the 42 follows on from Andrews previous successes as one of the 35 under 35 in the Sheffield Star in 2009, and in the same year winning Young Business Person of the year at the Sheffield Business Awards.

Andrew is delighted with his listing and says “I am very honoured to be in this list – it’s great to be noticed for all my hard work. We have had a fantastic few years, and that is down to the strength and quality of the team here at Resolve.”

You can find the full listing below.

Realising the benefits of thinclient computing for your business

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Amidst the ‘credit crunch', all expenditure areas come under review. Even those companies which aren't "feeling the pinch" will be looking for new and clever ways to cut IT costs without cutting quality.

Thinclient computing isn't an especially new innovation, but it's certainly something which has demanded more attention in recent years, mainly due to the relative increase in available computing "power" compared to the requirements of applications running on machines.

In the years since computers moved from being useful to essential office work machines, many businesses usually provide no more than basic Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook) facilities to their staff. Some companies offer Sage Accounting, or some equivalent, and a big focus is put on "collaborative working" and "remote access". Due to the rapid developments in those years however, the hardware we use to provide these services is, proportionally, a lot more powerful.

We're not suggesting you get out your 10 year old computer and try installing Windows 7 and Office 2010 on it. Instead, If you're familiar with the historical "Mainframe and Terminal" systems which were around in the 1960's and 1970's, then you will have some idea of what Thinclient computing is. Thinclient computing, in essence, takes away the processing responsibilities of your local computer, and instead relies on a server to process everyone's tasks. The computer becomes a simple access and display device, which passes your input to the server and receives the resulting output.

Instead of every user in your company requiring their own £900 computer, operating system, application and backup licenses, all that is required is a single low cost access terminal and reduced price volume licenses at the server side. At Resolve we've successfully implemented thinclient solutions for small clients, medium sized enterprises and large organisations alike - we know about the benefits that thinclient computing can bring, but we also know and can advise if thinclient computing wouldn't be right for you.

In addition to raw cost savings on hardware and software, for the right company there are numerous other advantages, these can include:

Significantly reduced support costs
Significantly reduced support complexity
Reduced introduction costs for new staff
Reduced replacement hardware costs
Ability to recycle hardware using a bespoke and license free system
Increased security and backup coverage
Better availability and security for remote access and remote working
Increased IT availability

If any of the above sounds attractive to you, or you think you'd like to know more about what thinclient computing could offer to your school or business, then Resolve would love to have a free, no obligation chat with you about your company's specific needs. It's important to stress that thinclient systems can run alongside, in compliment to, the current computer systems most businesses are using. Additionally, lots of initial expensive hardware purchases may not be at all necessary - many companies have powerful enough servers, currently being underutilised to do no more than store files, which can be used to support thinclient computing.

Issues with Activesync, AVG 2011 and Exchange

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We had a bit of an issue this week with an Exchange 2003 server and AVG 2011 - it appears that an update in 2011 with the "Online Shield" caused issues with Active sync on the server (which meant that the mobile devices stopped receiving e-mail).

The details in the Event Log were:

ID: 3007

Exchange mailbox Server response timeout: Server: User: Exchange ActiveSync Server failed to communicate with the Exchange mailbox server in a timely manner. Verify that the Exchange mailbox Server is working correctly and is not overloaded.

It took us a few hours to figure out what was going on, but we narrowed it down to AVG, and by turning off the "Online Shield" (screenshot below) this fixed the issue - we hope this article helps other users with similar issues.

Meet Pritin

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We're very pleased to introduce you to our newest team member; Pritin Patel! Pritin comes to us with nearly 10 years experience in IT, having worked in the past for schools, charities and businesses.

He's the latest addition to the business team, providing remote and onsite support for our customers, so if you ring up for support you might get to chat to him.

Pritin said this about joining; "I wanted to join Resolve IT because the role gives me the responsibility of looking after my own clients. There are so many different clients with all sorts of different needs and I'll be able to work alongside some great people who I'll learn a lot from."

Business team leader Pete Casson with Pritin

He loves playing guitar and cycling (ask him about the time he rode from Land's End to John o'Groats), and we're really glad to have him as part of the Resolve IT team.

If you want some IT support or advice you can call Pritin, or any of our engineers, on 0845 899 0099.

Create user DSN failed - FMS Errors (SIMS)

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Usually we find FMS in schools, in fact every school we've ever done work in uses SIMS and FMS, so when things don't work straight away it can be very frustrating! If you have ever installed FMS using FMSApplicationSetup.exe, connected to the FMSConnect.ini file and received the Create user DSN failed error then read on!

There are a couple of ways to fix this, we tend to use the 2nd method but it is completely up to you.

The FMS installation disk contains the missing piece of software needed to make this work. On the CD you will find a folder called BDE, inside this folder you will find another called DISK1. Run setup1.exe from inside this folder. If you do not have the CD you should contact your local LEA and they may provide you with one.
The method we prefer is to install the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client. Simply download and install to your client machine and you should be up and running. The software can be downloaded from here (Scroll half way down the page to see the heading Microsoft SQL Server Native Client, be sure to download the correct x86 or x64 version for your copy of Windows). If you are unsure you could ask your administrator, IT Guru friend or even us!

Upgrading To Windows 7 Service Pack 1

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The very first service pack for Windows 7 was released last week on February 22nd. It is a recommended collection of updates and improvements to Windows 7 and if you are thinking of installing the update here are a few tips to make sure the upgrade runs smoothly.

Microsoft have made SP1 available from the Windows Update Site that can be accessed on your computer from Control Panel -> All Control Panel Items -> Windows Update

Before running the update there are few things to check first:

Firstly perform a system scan to make sure you are free from malware and viruses. You can download the free Microsoft Security Essentials to check for known malware and viruses or use security software such as Malewarebytes .
Microsoft recommends turning off your antivirus temporarily as it may interfere with the installation
Make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your hardware, a nice little program called Driver Checker can do this automatically.Another good tip is to always check the hardware manufactures website for the latest updates.
While updating be sure to have a constant power source, plug in your laptop or netbook to its charger
Make sure you have enough free disk space as the update will require 750 Megabytes for 32-bit system and 1050 Megabytes for 64-bit system. Click Start, type system in the Start Search box, and then click system in the Programs list into the windows search panel to check which version you are running.
Finally back up any important data in the unlikely case something goes wrong! This might be a good opportunity to look at Online Backup solutions like Acronis Online Backup to store all those important documents and data - get in touch with us about this for more info.

A slight warning - depending on the speed of your internet connection and computer the update will take about 60 minutes to complete and you will have to restart your computer halfway through the process.

And that's about it, updating to SP1 will ensure your system is safer and more reliable.

Digital Region Broadband

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

What is Digital Region?

In a nutshell, Digital Region Broadband is a new, fast business-class broadband connection available throughout South Yorkshire.

The great news is that you can get speeds of up to 40Mb/sec down for a price which is about the some as a typical business broadband connection.

This means companies can save money, whilst increasing broadband speed.

Digital Region is being rolled out over Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley in phases, and some postcodes are now live on the new network.

Call us on 0845 899 0099 to discuss your requirements and to check availability.

Remove formatting from pasted text in Word

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Do you get frustrated when you paste into Microsoft Word and the formatting changes, all by itself?

When creating documents in Word, you will often have to copy and paste text from a variety of sources including other documents and, especially, from web pages on the Internet. The frustrating thing is that, along with the text, the formatting also gets added to Word, which means you then need to edit the format of the text you have just pasted; a real waste of time.

There are 2 ways you can easily paste text without formatting in Word:

Option 1 - Paste Special

This is great for the odd time you just want to remove the formatting.

In Word, select the arrow below the paste button and then select "Paste Special"

Then Select "Unformatted Text"

Option 2 - Change Settings

This is a more permanent solution, and tells Word to only paste text from now on, with no formatting other than the document default. Go to "Word Options", and then select "Advanced".

Under the "Cut, Copy and Paste" selection, change the settings for "Pasting from other programs" to "Keep Text Only".

You can also change the settings here for pasting within the document, as well as between documents.

Using either of these two techniques you can easily add quotes, references and other additions to your document from other sources, without having to change everything manually. Great!

How to change VAT rates in Sage Line 50

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Here in the UK we have all been hit by the VAT increase from 17.5% to 20% making us all that little bit poorer! But hey! If you are paying 20% your customers should too! Here we'll show you how to apply that extra 2.5% so they can feel that same pain as you do when you buy that bar of chocolate.

Step 1

On the Settings menu, open Configuration and click on the Tax Codes tab.

Step 2

Select T1 and press the Edit button.

Step 3

The Edit Tax Code box should appear. Change the Rate to 20. Click the OK button.

Step 4

Click the Apply button to save your changes and close the window.

This will take effect immediately so make sure you aren't processing anything from before the VAT increase!

Removing Automated Microsoft Office Hyperlinks

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Have you noticed how the Microsoft Office suite applications have a tendency to change manually typed web addresses or emails into hyperlinks?
If you didn't want this to happen then it's a frustrating waste of time and can cause formatting nightmares!

However, there is a handy and quick solution to prevent this from happening, here's how to do it in your favorite Office applications*:

In Microsoft Office Word 2010, follow these steps:
1. On the File menu, click Options.
2. Click Proofing, and then click AutoCorrect Options.
3. On the AutoFormat as you type tab and on the AutoFormat tab, click to clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks check box, and then click OK.
4. Click OK to close the Word Options dialog box.
In Microsoft Office Word 2007, follow these steps:
1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.
2. Click Proofing, and then click AutoCorrect Options.
3. On the AutoFormat as you type tab and on the AutoFormat tab, click to clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks check box, and then click OK.
4. Click OK to close the Word Options dialog box.
In Microsoft Office Word 2003 and in Microsoft Word 2002, follow these steps:
1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options.
2. On the AutoFormat as you type tab and on the AutoFormat tab, click to clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks check box.
3. Click OK.

If you're after a way to do this in Excel or Powerpoint, then you'll find if you follow these instructions for those applications you will be met with equal success too! For older versions of Office, please see the below link.

*Instructions courtesy of Microsoft (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291182)

Andrew's top New Year memories features in the Sheffield Telegraph

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Those of you who aren't avid readers of the Sheffield Telegraph might have missed our director, Andrew, featuring in their New Year's edition. He shared the tale of his most memorable New Year's Eve (a night that concluded with a quiet word from the police about "excessive trumpeting").

Read his whole account (plus a few other interesting New Year's stories) h ere.

One suggestion for your New Year resolution

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Some say that New Year's resolutions were made to be broken. So, forget the standard ones you give up in a week. This year, do something practical, easy and very important. There's really only one resolution you need to keep in 2011: back up your data!

It is all too easy to put off backing up for another day. Having being subject to the theft of a laptop myself recently; I have had firsthand experience of the inconvenience this can cause.

Whether you're a small business or an individual, backing up your files is an important exercise. The smallest glitch with your system could bring your data to its knees resulting in an unfortunate loss. A little preparation is all that is needed to avoid any future mishap.

Here are some top tips to help make that preparation a little bit easier, so you can carry on eating Christmas leftovers and mince pies with the peace of mind that your data is safe.

Get an external USB hard drive

Firstly, it would be a good idea to purchase an external hard drive to store the data you are backing up. Making it portable means you can put it in a safe place in the event of fire, theft or loss. At Resolve IT, we've found the latest Western Digital Elements Drives to be the most reliable.

Backup solutions for business

For business backups, we don't look any further than Acronis Backup and Recovery. The beauty of Acronis is its ability to copy your entire server or workstation, including the operating system, applications, user settings, and all data; it literally takes a snapshot of the entire system. Then, in the event of a system or disk crash, virus attack or other fatal failure, you can restore the entire disk contents in minutes without having to re-install anything.

Backup solutions for home

Acronis also provides a Home version of their software called Acronis True Image Home 2011 which has a simplified interface and a "quick backup" feature to allow backups at the touch of a button.

Another option is Windows 7 Backup and Restore - it's easy to configure and schedule regular backups of your important files like photos and financial records with this built in feature of Windows 7. If you are a Windows 7 user, you can learn how to use it here.

Backup using free software

If you haven't got the budget to invest in a paid product then you can still take advantage of many free software applications available to do the job.

Download & Install SyncToy from Microsoft

SyncToy is a free application that synchronizes files and folders between locations like your PC and a USB device. Typical uses include sharing files, such as photos, with other computers and creating backup copies of files and folders. Get it here.

Free Backup with Cobain Backup

Not all backup software is expensive, complex, and time-consuming; this one is free, very simple and satisfyingly speedy. Get it here.

Online Storage Service

Uploading your files to the internet is another possible backup method now that high speed internet connections are becoming the norm. You will be limited to how much storage is available for use before having to pay for extra but most give you up to 5GB of storage for free. Two such services are Dropbox and Windows Live Mesh.

There are many more ways to back up your data, there really is a method for everyone and finding the right one for you is just a matter of knowing what's on offer - the most important thing is to do it. If after reading this article you still can't decide, then give us a call and we'll help you!

Happy New Year from Resolve!

How to deal with free trials and demos on your brand new PC

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

So it’s Christmas Day and you finally get the laptop you have been waiting for! You unwrap it eagerly, turn it on and find it has Windows 7 on it.Great choice, great Operating System and, oh look, loads of storage! >Even better with 4GB memory, and a 64bit processor, you know this machine is going to be lightning quick.

Looking at the facts and figures it should be fast, but what I’ve come across in recent years is the amount of unwanted software preinstalled on new machines that slow them down completely.

You expect your computer to be clean, lean and mean. Wrong! Buy any new PC, and you'll find it full of software installed for no reason other than that the PC maker gets paid to put it there (or because they really think you’ll want it). A lot of the software is purely a trial version of the actual software; one common case of this is anti-virus software. A lot of the big companies do deals with PC makers to have a trial version pre-installed. These random bits of software slow down your PC start-up and its general operation.

In a small amount of cases, these small pieces of software can be great – something you never knew you needed, but now cannot live without. However, on , but on the whole, this is just software clogging up your machine and you don’t need it at all. What I’ve normally done is to go through “Program and Features” (Windows Vista/7) or “Add & Remove Programs” (Windows XP) and remove all the software that I don’t need. However, this can be quite tedious and frustrating.

That’s why I’ve started using the “PC Decrapfier” tool.It does a great job and is free for home use.

You just download and run it – there’s nothing to install and has an easy-to-follow Wizard.

It presents you with a list of software the Decrapfier believes to be software that you don’t need. Carefully look through the list and tick the box next to each software selection. Click next and follow the instructions.

The software also provides a restore point option before you actually remove any software, which is handy, just in case you remove a piece of software by accident.

I strongly recommend you remove the unneccessary software when you get a new machine. It helps run your machine a lot smoother and cuts down on the annoying reminder pop ups asking you to upgrade or buy the full version.

To download Decrapfier please visit: http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/download.

Resolve IT put our stamp on new premises

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The snow has scuppered our plans for raising our sign on a few occasions now - but finally, we are able to show off our new premises with a shiny new sign. Thank you to our Joe, for getting it all sorted.

You can find us (and Resound Design) at Nursery Works, 100 Little London Road, Sheffield S8 0UJ.

What do I need to do before I leave the office for Christmas?

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Our Helpdesk Co-ordinator, Mike Newman, takes us through a few tips for what to remember if you're shutting down the office for Christmas.

Tis the lunchtime before Christmas and all through the office there is panic and confusion as the boss shouts go home to your families or come to the pub!

But WAIT! What about my files? Will they be safe through the long winter nights till I return? What if someone tries to email me, how will they know where I am? Fear not, follow this simple list and all will be well.

The first thing to make sure is that everyone knows you will be away. You could do this by sending all your contacts an email telling them where you are and when you will be back. However if your company is using Microsoft Exchange for email you can set the Out of Office Assistant. This feature automatically sends a message to anyone who emails you. To activate it open ‘Outlook’ and click on ‘Out of Office Assistant’ in the ‘Tools’ menu. If you are using Outlook 2010 the feature is called ‘Automatic Replies’ and can found by clicking ‘File’ and ‘Info’. Click the button next to ‘I am currently Out of the Office’ and add a message in the box. Just remember when you get back in the New Year to turn it off again by clicking the ‘I am currently In the Office’ button.

So now you have let everyone know you are away, what about that big project you are working on, will it be safe? To make sure we recommend that it should be backed up every day. If you have a chat with your IT department they will be able to tell you if it is or not. Still worried? Wondering what will happen to the deadlines if you can’t get into the office in the New Year because you’re snowed in? Simply copy the files to a USB drive and take them with you, but make sure you check your company’s confidentiality and data handling policies first. If you are concerned about someone else reading the data on your USB drive you could encrypt it. We recommend using True Crypt, which is free piece of software available from their website.

If you are worried about those January deadlines and making it back to the office through the arctic conditions check out our article How to connect to your work network from outside the office and speak to your IT department to get any information you need.

So finally you are ready to leave. Don’t forget on your way out to shut down your PC, turn off your monitors, pick up your phone, grab your laptop and turn off the lights.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

How to organise your own office Secret Santa

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I’m organising the office Secret Santa...help! With Christmas fast approaching, lots of businesses want something a bit fun to take their team up to the holiday. Our Joe explores the best solutions, digital and (whisper it) analogue too.

Okay, someone in the office has suggested a Secret Santa. They ask for an organiser. There’s a lot of mumbling and looking at the floor, but when the music stops, you realise you’ve been left with the responsibility. So what are your best options?

A few quick hints before we go any further;

Firstly, not everyone wants to be involved. Don’t force them into it.

Secondly, set a deadline. What’s the last day everyone is in the office?

Thirdly, set a price limit.

Fourthly, or d) if you fancy a change, set a few ground rules, and clearly communicate them to everyone involved. For instance; don’t buy anything that might be found inappropriate or offensive.

Okay. Congratulations, you’ve made it this far! Everyone knows what’s expected, what’s acceptable and what isn’t, and everyone’s on board.

Now it’s time to start in earnest, and you’d be surprised how many online tools can help you.

Option 1: Worksmart (www.worksmart.org.uk/santa)

>Worksmart is run by the Trades Union Congress, and offers a range of articles and advice for workers, as well as a few fun games and tools. One of them is the Worksmart Secret Santa.

The organiser is the only person who needs to sign up, after which you only have to enter the other peoples’ email addresses. They are then sent an email asking them if they want to take part. Handily, if you’re all on the same email domain (if your email addresses all end in the same thing) you can just enter @ and your domain and you’ll only have to enter the individual email alias; a great time saving feature!

Once you’ve done that, you will get an email when each of the participants agrees to take part. Once everyone's on board, they are automatically assigned a giftee, and will receive an automatically generated email telling them who, along with any personal message you want to add.

Pros

Opportunity to add an email domain rather than individually type all the addresses. A simple but useful feature to save a bit of time.

Automated emails give people all the details they need, with the option to add further detail or a message if you want

Organiser receives an email each time someone agrees to take part, so you know how manyof your colleagues are on board

Easy to set up and make sure no one gets left out

Cons

Entering £5.00 made the price limit £500- perhaps not ideal

Only 30 people can join each gift exchange, meaning larger offices will have to create more than one

Don’t forget your password, or you’re in trouble

Option 2: Elfster

This is the Facebook of the Secret Santa world. You effectively sign up to a gift exchange network, and via this gaudily coloured website you can tell people what you want, suggest gifts for other people and effectively generate a whole profile for your Secret Santa-ing.

Every person taking part needs to sign up, but once that’s done you can pair people up quite easily, ask anonymous questions of your assigned giftee, create your own personal wishlist, and generally network in a social way.

Pros

Easy instructional video

Ability to ask anonymous questions

Well-designed website

Nice array of gifts, with direct links to Amazon (I chose the Simon Cowell mug and the “Cuddle snuggle fleece blanket wrap with sleeves [zebra print]”)

Cons

All participants have to sign up to Elfster

A little too complicated for the casual user

Option 3: The old-fashioned way

One person writes everyone’s name on separate pieces of paper, puts them all in a hat, and asks people to pick out a name. Simple yet effective.

Pros

The personal touch

No need to wait for people to reply to emails; they’re right in front of you!

You can easily let people know about rules

Some personal effort means people are more invested

Cons

It’s much more personal, and requires a bit of effort on everyone’s part

If you’re arranging a gift exchange for lots of people, it can get complicated, especially if people aren’t all together in the office at one time

People may pull their own name out of the hat, potentially giving away some of the mystery

If someone loses their sheet of paper, there’s no handy email to remind them who they’re buying for

If you’re in an office of less than 20 people, you might still prefer the “analogue” version. It seems a lot more personal, and you can make sure everyone is on board. However, with more co-workers you may struggle to make sure everyone gets the message. In this situation, or if you just have to go digital, I’d recommend Worksmart.

As nice as Elfster is, it just seems too complicated for something that is essentially just a bit of fun. For the more dedicated Secret Santas out there it might be perfect, but for people wanting something quick and fairly simple, Worksmart is the way to go.

How to connect to your work network from outside the office

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

"How can I connect to my work network whilst I’m out of the office?” is a question we hear more & more (especially with all the current snow). With Wi-Fi and mobile access, people can get online anywhere these days, at home, on trains, at cafés.

Here, Business Support Team Leader Pete takes a look at the options for working away from work to provide us with some answer.

Let's start off with what’s known as a VPN ("Virtual Private Network"), which essentially fools your machine into thinking it’s in the office. To create a VPN connection, you need a "host" machine to connect to. This is usually a server, such as Windows Server 2008, although a computer running Windows XP or Windows 7 can also be setup as host machines. To find out how, take a look here: Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008

Another option is to use a free service called LogMeIn. LogMeIn allows you to remotely control your computer in the office from any computer that has a web browser, or even from an iPhone! You'll need to keep your office computer switched on, but if you do forget to leave it on LogMeIn has a handy remote "Switch On" feature. Setup is very simple and takes a matter of minutes, just visit the LogMeIn website for more details.

The last option is called RDP ("Remote Desktop Protocol"). This works in a very similar way to LogMeIn, ie you can take control of your machine from any computer. However there is a bit of setup involved with this whichi ncludies opening ports on your firewall or router.

To setup your office machine for RDP, you need to switch on "Remote Access" by clicking on Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Remote tab and then select the box that says "Allow remote connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop" and click on "OK". Next, you must open port 3389 on your router and forward this to the IP Address or name of your computer. Your router manual will tell you how to do this. After your office machine has been setup, you simply launch the RDP client on your home machine and type in the external name or IP address of your network, login and voila! You are connected to your office computer. It does pose a potential security risk, as you are opening a port on your firewall, which could be exploited by a hacker.

To make things a little more straightforward, here’s a list of the pros and cons.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Pros

Use your machine the same as you would in the office
Free
Secure

Cons

Difficult to setup
Slow to transfer data

LogMeIn

Pros

Free
Very quick and simple to setup
Fast
Secure
Access from any machine with a web browser

Cons

Can slow down your office computer a little bit

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Pros

Free
Fast
Secure(ish) - dependant on setup

Cons

Difficult to setup
Need to remember the internet address for the office
Ports open on firewall could be susceptible to attack

In my opinion, the simplest, cheapest and easiest solution would be to use LogMeIn.

If you need any assistance with any of these options or have your own thoughts on remote support, then just drop me a line on 0845 8990099, I'd love to hear from you.

Resolve IT remains open despite the snow

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Britain grinds to a halt at the first sign of snow. We can store as much grit, buy as many snow tyres and stock up on as much hot bovril as we like, but it always catches us out.

Add to this the fact that Sheffield has apparently had the deepest snow in the UK (18+ inches and counting!), and it looks like bad news for local businesses who were hoping to be open today. Offices, shops, even some of our favourite local sandwich vendors have been shut. So, why did we bother coming into work?

Our clients' wellbeing is far and away the most important thing to us, and we know that many of them won't have shut today. Either because they weren't affected by the snow, or remained open in spite of it, we needed to ensure that they were supported. IT is an essential part of any business, which is why we do what we do and, snow or no snow, having an IT issue is a major problem for any business or school.

We know that you want to feel supported, and because you don't want to return from a few days off to find your server isn't working as it should be, we braved the elements and kept on working. Some of our team worked from home, and some walked three miles knee-deep in snow.

The upkeep of your IT is an essential part of your business, and we treat it as such. And that's why, despite the 18 inches of snow that have fallen on Sheffield in the past few days, Resolve IT has remained open, and remains committed to caring for our customers and their IT needs.

And of course, we couldn't pass up an opportunity like this for a bit of "team building". You can see what we did on our lunch break below

Enjoy the snow and stay safe!

Apple Support

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Resolve IT Solutions are proud to support Apple Mac's - in fact we love them!

We are experts in all versions of OSX, including Snow Leopard Server, and we are also happy to look after iPhones and iPads too, and with our remote support tools, we are able to quickly fix your problems and get you back up and working in no-time.

To find out more, drop us a line on 0845 8990099

Windows Browser Ballot

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Microsoft have released a Windows Update that allows the user to choose which browser they would like to use to surf the internet. You may have seen this already and thought, what is this about? Well, Microsoft have had to create this browser ballot as the European Union declared that Microsoft has an unfair monopoly in the browser market, due to the success of its Internet Explorer browser that comes installed with Windows. Therefore Microsoft have designed the browser ballot so that other, less known, browsers have the chance to increase their market share.

The update works by displaying a simple window, asking you to choose which web browser you would like to use. There are 12 options; Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, K-Meleon, Sleipnir, Maxthon, Avant, FlashPeak, Flock and GreenBrowser. Simply click on 'Install' under the logo of the browser you wish to use and follow the installation prompts. You may be happy with Internet Explorer, if so then simply close the window. If you wish to choose a different browser at a later date, simply double click the 'Browser Choice' shortcut on your desktop.

Awarded AVG Gold Reseller

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A few years ago we started recommending AVG to our customers. We like it because:

It only has a small impact on your system speed - because, unlike some other antivirus products, it only needs a small amount of your system memory, it doesn't slow your system down noticeably.

It is cost effective - It is one of the best value solutions on the market, without compromising on quality.

The technical support is good - with fast e-mail support being included in the price.

Well, our customers seem to agree and we have recently been awarded AVG Gold Reseller status.

This comes only a month after being re-awarded our Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status.

Andrew Makes Front Page News

(Resolve IT Solutions) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

In case you haven't seen it yet ... Andrew has made the front page of the Sheffield Chamber Magazine, FFB.

Feel free to read the magazine - Andrew is on pages 13 and 9.