Redtree IT

windows11

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Start it on your phone… finish it on your PC?

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November 21st 2024 By Matthew Phillips​ Start it on your phone… finish it on your PC? Microsoft is once again finding ways to make life easier for your business with Windows 11. If you ever work on your phone as well as your PC, you’re going to love the new “Hand Off” feature that’s being tested right now. The idea is this: Let’s say you’re in a meeting or on the move. And you start working on something in Microsoft Word or another app on your phone. Once you get back to your PC, a notification will pop up asking if you want to keep working on the document – allowing you to switch between devices seamlessly. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1024046595? This feature is made possible through OneDrive’s syncing function. It’s already compatible with Android phones, and it’s likely to work for iPhones too, although that’s not yet been confirmed. Being able to jump between devices without losing track of work could be a great benefit, especially if your team works remotely. Although it hasn’t been rolled out just yet, “Hand Off” has clear potential to be a valuable tool for businesses. Ready to find out more ways Windows 11 could boost productivity in your business? We can help, get in touch. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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If it ain’t broke… Windows update makes signing out simple again

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November 11th 2024 By Matthew Phillips If it ain’t broke… Windows update makes signing out simple again Microsoft recently made changes to the Windows Start menu – and it caused a bit of an uproar. Here’s what happened: Microsoft tried to streamline the Start menu by grouping related settings together. But they tucked the sign out option behind a three-dot menu, creating confusion for people trying to log out of their accounts. Thankfully, Microsoft has listened to feedback and is now testing an update to put the sign out button back to where it was before. This is good news for teams that have multiple profiles set up on one computer, making it easier to switch between accounts again. These changes are part of a broader update to Windows 11 that’s currently being tested. The update will also bring in new features like media controls on the lock screen for when you’re playing music or videos, as well as the ability to share files directly from your search results. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1022986548? These updates are great examples of small changes that can have a really positive impact on how your team works. Is it time for you to move your business to Windows 11? We can help get you started, get in touch. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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Reverse image search makes purchasing and marketing easier

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October 14th 2024 By Matthew Phillips Reverse image search makes purchasing and marketing easier You might think of the Windows Photos app as a basic tool for viewing and managing images. But with an upcoming update to Windows 11, there’s a new feature that could be very useful for your business: Visual Search with Bing. With the update, you’ll be able to do a reverse image search straight from the app, showing you similar images and related information. How can this benefit your business? Let’s say you’re looking at a photo and you want to know more about a product, place or person in the image. Reverse image search is a faster way to get the information you need. It’s a great tool for eCommerce store owners – you can use it to find out who else is selling a product, compare pricing, or track down new suppliers. Marketing teams can also use it to easily find similar visuals to use in campaigns, or to make sure images aren’t being used elsewhere. It also helps you check the origin of an image to make sure you have permission to use it. If your business is in property or research, you can save time by using reverse image search to quickly identify the locations or objects you see in photos. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1014413333? Microsoft has also made it easier to flick through your photos and edit images by improving navigation and introducing a quick access editing tool right in the app. Another big bonus: You’ll now be able to sync Photos with iCloud – great for teams that use Apple devices alongside their Windows PCs. These features should be rolling out soon in a future Windows 11 update. If you haven’t already upgraded your business to Windows 11, it’s time to start thinking about it. We can help make it easy – get in touch. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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A free tool for more polished communication

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October 7th 2024 By Matthew Phillips A free tool for more polished communication Whether you’re drafting emails, writing reports, or creating presentations, spelling mistakes and typos can easily be missed. This means you run the risk of looking unprofessional, especially when communicating with clients or business partners. Here’s the good news: Windows 11 comes with built-in spell check and autocorrect tools that can put an end to embarrassing spelling mistakes. These tools are easy to set up. And once that’s done, you won’t need any extra software to make sure your text always looks clear and professional. Want to know how to use them? First, open Windows Settings. Then select Time & Language and click on the Typing page. From there, you can turn on options like ‘Autocorrect misspelled words’ and ‘Highlight misspelled words’. These features will work across most apps, fixing errors and flagging possible spelling mistakes. You can even get word predictions as you type by enabling text suggestions. Does your business run in multiple languages? Be sure to switch on the ‘Multilingual text suggestions’ feature. This will bring up word suggestions in whatever language you are using. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1012849603? While the spelling tools built into Windows 11 will work across most apps once enabled, some apps (like Notepad and Outlook) need a little extra set up. For example, in Notepad, you’ll need to click the gear icon for settings to switch on the spell check feature. Your team probably spends a lot of time in Outlook sending emails, so it’s well worth switching on grammar tools here. Go to Editor Settings under the Options tab. From there, you can turn on features like autocorrect, text predictions, and even tone adjustment. And if your team uses Microsoft Edge for browsing, you can set up spell check and grammar tools there as well. Just head to Settings, click on Languages, and turn on the grammar and spell check options. By setting up spell check and autocorrect in Windows 11, you’re not just avoiding small mistakes – you’re helping your business run more smoothly. If you need a hand with this or want more advice on how to save time in your business, we can help. Get in touch. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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You’re ready for the upgrade… what’s holding you back?

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September 23rd 2024 By Matthew Phillips You’re ready for the upgrade… what’s holding you back? With the end of support for Windows 10 just over a year away, many business owners are starting to wonder why they haven’t upgraded to Windows 11 yet. Are you one of them? Research shows that most businesses could make the switch, but a surprising number are still holding back. This despite the upgrade being free and easy. A recent survey of more than 750,000 Windows 10 systems found that 88% are on hardware that’s fully capable of moving to Windows 11. Yet, 82% of businesses haven’t taken the plunge. This is worrying, especially with the clock ticking down to the deadline in October 2025. After then, Windows 10 won’t get any more free updates, including all-important security patches. That could leave your business exposed to risks. So, what’s the hold-up? For many, it’s the fear of disrupting business operations. Upgrading an entire business’s operating system might sound like a hassle, with concerns about downtime or technical headaches. But the truth is, upgrading to Windows 11 can be a lot easier than you think, especially with expert assistance (contact us if we can help you with this). And there’s more to it than just avoiding the risks of sticking with an outdated system. Windows 11 comes with so many benefits: Better security to keep your business safe from modern threats Improved performance to boost productivity And a sleek, intuitive interface that makes work easier for your team   Plus, if you are using newer hardware, Windows 11 will let you make the most of it. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1008135917? The upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 is free if your devices meet the requirements. With so many advantages and the deadline fast approaching, there’s no reason to wait. We help make all upgrades as easy as possible. Let’s jump on a call and we’ll tell you about our extensive preparation, when we schedule upgrades, how we train your team – and answer all your questions. Our goal is to get you up and running on Windows 11 without disrupting your daily operations. Let’s talk. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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How to cheat (the Blue Screen of) Death

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September 16th 2024 By Matthew Phillips How to cheat (the Blue Screen of) Death If you’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on your computer, you know just how frustrating it can be. It’s that moment when your screen turns an ominous shade of blue, and you’re left wondering what went wrong and how much work you’ve just lost. For businesses, these crashes are more than just annoying – they can be disruptive and cost money. Recent research highlights just how common BSODs have become, with one in 200 devices crashing under normal use. And it gets worse. During the recent CrowdStrike outage, that number shot up to one in ten devices. While the tech industry seems to be hit the hardest, with more than 15% of devices affected monthly, even sectors like healthcare and retail, which are less prone to these crashes, still get about 8-10% of devices displaying the dreaded blue screen. So, what’s causing all these crashes? And more importantly, how can you reduce the risk of them happening in your business? The good news is that about half of these incidents are avoidable. The bad news is that many businesses simply don’t have the tools or strategies in place to prevent them. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1007709461? One of the key takeaways from the study is that many BSODs are linked to a few common issues. Problematic hardware, poorly managed Windows updates, and misconfigured drivers for things like graphics cards, networks, and audio systems are among the top culprits. When these aren’t working properly, it can lead to system instability, which often manifests as a BSOD. For business owners, this means taking a proactive approach to IT management is crucial. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong and then scrambling to fix it, businesses should focus on identifying potential problem areas before they lead to a crash. By monitoring the health of your devices and making sure that updates and drivers are properly managed, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of BSODs disrupting your operations. The research suggests that with the right preventative measures, businesses could cut the number of BSOD incidents in half, reducing the occurrence to about one in 400 devices. This not only minimises downtime but also frees up your IT team to focus on more strategic tasks rather than constantly putting out fires. Unfortunately, many businesses lack the necessary tools to identify these risks early on. In fact, most companies don’t even know which of their devices are at risk right now, let alone which ones might crash in the future. To move from a reactive approach to a proactive one, invest in tools that can provide insights into your IT systems. These tools allow you to make data-driven decisions, which can reduce costs, relieve employee stress, and ultimately increase productivity. Better still, get experts to do it for you. Our approach is proactive IT management. This prevents problems before they can interrupt your work. Let us keep your business crash-free. Get in touch. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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Microsoft takes the pain out of updates

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September 2nd 2024 By Matthew Phillips Microsoft takes the pain out of updates If you’re like most people, you probably find system updates a hassle. They take ages and those big downloads eat up precious bandwidth and storage. Good news then: Microsoft is about to make your life a whole lot easier with the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update. It’s introducing something called ‘checkpoint cumulative updates.’ That might sound a bit technical, but don’t worry – it’s simple and very beneficial. Normally, Windows gets its updates every month. These are known as cumulative updates, which bundle all the latest fixes and enhancements together. These bundles can be large and take a while to download and install. The new checkpoint cumulative updates change this process. Instead of downloading a big update every time, your system will now receive smaller updates more frequently. These are tweaks to the last major update or checkpoint. https://player.vimeo.com/video/996269510? So, what does this mean for your business? It’s great news… you’ll spend less time waiting for updates to finish so you can get back to work. And, if you have a limited internet connection, smaller updates are a blessing. They use less bandwidth, so less chance of interrupting someone else’s video call. The best part? All of this happens automatically through Windows Update. You don’t need to do anything differently. Your system will keep running smoothly, with most updates happening in the background. This seamless experience ensures that your work is not interrupted. This isn’t the first time Microsoft has streamlined updates. When Windows 11 was first launched, Microsoft used new compression technology to reduce the size of updates by 40%. With the 24H2 update, they’re taking it a step further to ensure that your experience is even more efficient. It’s also worth noting that while this new update system will be standard for Windows 11 and the upcoming Windows Server 2025, it’s less likely to be implemented for Windows 10, as that version is nearing its end of life. This means there’s even more incentive to upgrade your business to Windows 11 if you haven’t already. Want to migrate to Windows 11 with zero hassle? We’re the people to talk to. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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Heads up: You need to update Windows 11 by this deadline

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August 19th 2024 By Matthew Phillips Heads up: You need to update Windows 11 by this deadline Microsoft has issued an important update: If you’re using Windows 11, you need to upgrade to version 23H2 before 8th October 2024. After this, older versions will no longer receive essential security updates, putting your systems at risk. Why is this important? Because Microsoft will stop supporting older Windows 11 versions for business accounts. This includes stopping security updates, which are vital for protecting your systems against the latest cyber threats. The latest version includes advanced security features to protect against new threats, making sure your business data remains safe. But updating to Windows 11 version 23H2 brings other benefits beyond security.  You’ll also notice performance improvements, making your systems run faster and more efficiently, which is great for productivity. Plus, new tools and features are continually added, helping streamline your workflows and improve overall efficiency. Staying updated ensures compatibility with new software and technologies, maintaining smooth business operations. Delaying the update could leave your business vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Without security updates, your systems will be exposed to potential exploits, risking data breaches and financial loss. Microsoft typically enforces updates post-deadline to keep people safe, especially for business devices not managed by IT departments. While this is helpful, it’s better to update proactively on your own schedule. https://player.vimeo.com/video/993531820? Updating to version 23H2 is straightforward. First, check your current version by going to Settings, then System, and selecting About. Before updating, make sure to back up all your important files to prevent data loss. Navigate to Settings, then Update & Security, and select Windows Update. Click on “Check for updates” and follow the prompts to install version 23H2. Once the update is complete, restart your computer and verify the new version in Settings, System, and About again.   Making sure your systems are up to date will keep your business secure and running efficiently. Don’t wait until the last minute… upgrade to Windows 11 version 23H2 now. Keeping businesses protected and productive is our top priority. So, if you need any help with that, get in touch.  Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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Slow PCs? Manage which applications launch at startup

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August 5th 2024 By Matthew Phillips Slow PCs? Manage which applications launch at startup Staying on top of how your technology is set up is crucial for maintaining a reliable network. And one often-overlooked aspect is managing which applications start up when your business’s PCs start up. With lots of software wanting to auto-start, it can slow down your system and potentially introduce security risks. But did you know that Windows 11 offers a useful feature that alerts you whenever new apps are added to the startup list? Every time you hit the power button on your PC, it loads a set of apps automatically. While some of these are essential, others might not be, and can slow down your system’s performance. Over time, as you install more software, your startup list can grow, leading to longer startup times and a slow experience. Not only that but keeping an eye on startup apps is good security practice. Unwanted or unknown apps starting automatically can be a red flag for malicious software (malware) or other security threats. By receiving alerts about new startup apps, you can quickly identify and investigate any suspicious additions, making sure that your systems stay secure. How do you enable these alerts in Windows 11? It’s a simple process: Start by opening the Windows 11 system settings. You can do this by clicking the Start menu and selecting the gear icon or by pressing ‘Windows + I’ on your keyboard. In the settings window, click on ‘System’ in the left sidebar, then select ‘Notifications’ on the right. Scroll down to the bottom of the notifications page. Just above Additional settings, you’ll find ‘Startup App Notification’, which is switched off by default. Move the slider to ‘On’.   From then on, you’ll receive a notification whenever a new application is added to the startup process. You can even customise what this notification looks like by clicking on the arrow next to the slider button, allowing you to adjust its appearance and sound to suit your preferences. https://player.vimeo.com/video/991637861? Turning on these alerts brings several benefits to your business. First, it helps keep your PCs running efficiently. By staying informed about new startup apps, you can quickly disable any unnecessary software that might be slowing down your system. This means faster start times and better overall performance, allowing your team to get to work without delays. Secondly, it enhances security. Receiving alerts for new startup apps means you can immediately investigate any unknown or suspicious additions. This proactive approach helps prevent potential security threats from taking hold, safeguarding your business data and systems. Lastly, it’s a great way to keep track of what’s installed on your machines. With various team members possibly installing different software, these alerts give you a clear overview of what’s being added to the startup list, making sure that only approved applications are running. To further manage startup apps, you can use Task Manager. Press ‘Ctrl + Shift + Esc’ to open Task Manager, then select the ‘Startup’ tab. Here, you’ll see a list of all the apps that start with Windows, along with their impact on boot time. You can enable or disable apps by selecting them and clicking the appropriate button at the top right. By regularly checking this list and using the new alert feature, you can keep your startup process streamlined and your system secure. A better answer is getting someone to set all of this up and manage it for you. We specialise in making technology easy for businesses. If we can help, get in touch.

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Save time by accessing your Android phone’s files with File Explorer

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July 15th 2024 By Matthew Phillips Save time by accessing your Android phone’s files with File Explorer Microsoft is working on an update that will allow Windows 11 File Explorer to directly access files on your Android phone, making file transfers smoother and faster than ever before. Why’s this is such a big deal and how it can boost productivity for you and your team? Imagine you’re in a meeting and need to quickly pull up a document or photo from your phone. Normally, you’d have to email it to yourself or transfer it using a cloud service. This can be time-consuming and cumbersome. With the upcoming Windows 11 update, you’ll be able to access your Android phone’s files directly through File Explorer. No more fumbling with multiple steps, just quick, easy access to what you need. This feature isn’t just about increased convenience; it’s a big productivity booster. By streamlining the process of transferring files between your phone and computer, you can save time. When you’re busy, every minute counts, and fewer interruptions make a smoother workflow. Your team will also benefit from this update. This can lead to better collaboration and faster decision-making. https://player.vimeo.com/video/981372744 From a technical standpoint, this feature is designed to be user-friendly. There’s no need for complicated setups or third-party apps. It will be built right into the Windows 11 operating system, so once the update is rolled out, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips. It lets everyone on your team take advantage of the new functionality without needing training or support. Of course, we must mention another important aspect to consider: Security. Microsoft is known for its robust security measures, and this new feature is no exception. Your data will be protected throughout the transfer process, giving you peace of mind that sensitive information remains secure. Sounds good, doesn’t it? We don’t have a release date yet. But if you want more help with productivity tools to make your business more profitable, we can help. Get in touch. Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.

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