08/05/2008 ~ Hi There! It's been absolutely ages since I've managed to even think about doing an update on here. The reason? Work, work, and more work - experiencing problems are an intrinsic part of computing, and often, these problems need a little bit (or a lot!) of help. It would be too easy for me to say, "I've seen it all before" - it certainly feels like it sometimes, but there are occasionally surprises here and there, maybe something that requires an inspired approach, an instinct or two, like some sort of DeTechTive. ;-) Sooner or later, we hunt down the culprit(s) and put things right.

TechScope is officially a success, and a genuine hit with the computer users of Worcestershire & Herefordshire. Now, with over 3 years of non-stop out-in-the-community fixing of this, that and nigh-on everything, it can safely be said that TechScope is firmly established and yes! - even well-known. It's been such hard work - very long hours for months and months - but be assured I remain totally committed to quality service and real customer satisfaction. This has been borne out by many people who have decided to come back time and again - troubleshooting, upgrades and new equipment purchases, software advice; you name it. And plenty of security checks and virus clean-ups.

Once bitten, twice shy? Generally speaking, that's true. But some have taken a little longer than expected to fully appreciate not only the need for a strong security configuration, but also a basic understanding of what it can do to maintain a safe system. It requires some input and effort. Automatic Updating and a Default Configuration of an Anti-Virus system and/or Firewall are aspects that are generally useful, but cannot always be relied upon. The latest virus may just be the one which quietly disables Auto-Update, and then you have a time bomb ticking, until the system slows to a crawl or takes a complete nose-dive. Therefore, seeing as you've paid out money for all this sophisticated software, why not investigate some of the Options that lie beneath the main façade? You may just spot something that makes sense and is worth trying. Of course, if it makes absolutely no sense, then probably best leave it alone, unless you also want to take a look at the Help File (Blimey! Who does that? - Hardly anyone, which is a shame, as they are generally untapped gold mines of information.) So, learn how to manually check for updates, whichever Internet Security package you use - it could just be a data saver, which means, ultimately, a money-saver.

11/06/2007 ~ Hello again from your Tech Savvy WhizzBloke ('Kid' would be pushing the bounds of credibility, as I'm sure those who know me would agree!) Remote Support continues to prove very popular and effective. So often I hear, "Wow! That's impressive, thanks!" and words to that effect. I realise some of you may have heard of 'Remote Assistance' as part of Windows XP, but this is so much more than that, and with our system you don't need XP to make use of it. It's by no means the bulk of my work, though! ~ I don't sit in my office all day waiting for someone to make that connection! Remote sessions are arranged like any appointment, and most appointments still mean visiting your office or home to wrestle with (oft-dusty*) cables and deal with physical devices in a very hands-on manner. Security issues continue to dominate much of the work. Spam Email is as relentless as ever, and at least a major nuisance factor, if not a direct threat to system stability.

The security software suites available now should be able to cope effectively with spam, along with all the other modern security concerns such as privacy, firewall tasks, anti-virus/spyware, and parental control ~ shouldn't they? Ah, well, you'd have thought so. After all, consumers are paying enough for them. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. The security software available these days seems to have grown like some bulky, untamed beast, perhaps trying to do too much with too few resources. How can you tame the beast and let it work for you instead of against you? There are ways and means ~ tweaks and tips that can make all the difference.

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