pctoolbox.co.uk

Ever been infected with a virus but not known what to do?  Well have no fear…PCToolbox is here…with a tutorial to help you remove the virus!

1. Firstly download the free version of Malwarebytes
2. Now you need to turn off System Restore. Use the following tutorials to aid you:
   For Windows 7
   For Vista
   For XP
3. Boot your machine into ‘Safe Mode’. This is done by restarting your computer and immediately when it starts to come on keep tapping F8 until you get a menu on the screen to choose Safe Mode.
4. Now install and run Malwarebytes. Remove whatever the software finds.
5. You may have to repeat step 4 a few times!
6. Now reboot your machine normally and run Malwarebytes 1 more time assuming it finds nothing
7. Turn ‘System Restore’ back on. Use the following tutorials to help you:
   For Windows
   For Vista
   For XP

Please Note – This tutorial is designed for those who are competent computer users. All PCToolbox advice is produced in the best interest of the reader to help maintain a healthy working machine and therefore cannot be held responsible for any problems that may occur. If you’re unsure about any of the above advice please contact your local IT Technician.

Happy New Year from PCToolbox!

What an eventful year it’s been!…but how much can you remember?

Test your memory of 2009 with the Quiz of 2009 from Guardian.co.uk!

There are endless events to look forward to over 2010 including the Fifa Football World Cup in South Africa and the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver!

And on the IT side of things…with the success of Windows 7 we expect to see companies begin to make the move from XP to W7!

We hope 2010 is a good year for all our readers!

Our most recent poll was ‘Do you use iPlayer?’ 67% voted ‘Yes’, 33% ‘No’ and thankfully there were no votes for ‘What is it?’

However, for those of you who don’t know what BBC iPlayer is read our Brandstar post about BBC iPlayer from back when it was introduced! See ‘BBC iPlayer – catch up on missed TV‘

Here at PCToolbox we think that the likes of the BBC iPlayer are brilliant and in the future I reckon they’ll be the main way people watch TV shows!

ITV (PCToolbox Review), Channel 4, Channel Five and Sky all have their own equivalents. Check them out!

Don’t forget to vote on this month’s poll…’where do you access Facebook?’

It’s the time of year when we’re all trying to get all our Christmas presents for friends and family.  Last year we did our 12 Days of Christmas Shopping and we thought it would be good to remind you of some great places to purchase gifts online!

1. Apple
2. 123-Reg
3. Dell
4. Amazon
5. AVG
6. Misco
7. CD WOW
8. Dabs
9. HMV
10. PC World
11. The Carphone Warehouse
12. I Want One Of Those

We hope you find this helpful for ideas!

Here is a table comparing the latest AVG packages.  They are all currently available from Brandstar with a 15% Discount!

Free Anti-Virus software doesn’t protect you, your files or your identity while:

• Shopping online
• Banking online
• Chatting to friends
• Downloading music, files and films

Feature	AVG Free	AVG Anti-Virus	AVG Internet Security
RRP – 1 Year	Free*	£27.99	£39.99
RRP – 2 Years	Free*	£38.99	£59.99
Anti-Virus – Makes sure you can get or spread a virus, worm or Trojan horse
Anti-Spyware – Prevents unauthorized information access by spyware and adware
LinkScanner ® – Ensures every page you visit is safe – before you go there
Web Shield – Lets you download and exchange files without risking virus infections
Advanced Anti-Rootkit Protection – Ensures even the toughest and most sophisticated hidden threats are kept out
Game Mode – Keeps you safe without interrupting you while you’re playing
AVG Identity Protection – Keeps your private information safe from known and unknown threats.
Anti-Spam – Blocks spammers and scammers from clogging your system
Enhanced Firewall – Prevents hackers from seeing inside your computer
System Tools – Optionally customize how AVG Protection works with your system
Free Support – Free 24/7 support from AVG
Download	Free	30 Day Trial	30 Day Trial
Buy at Brandstar	N/A	Buy at Brandstar	Buy at Brandstar

Take a look at the latest package to be introduced by Wild Hosting!

‘Wild Hosting is pleased to be able to offer Wild.Mail a service where people can have their own domain name and therefore personalised email address without a website.

Why are we excited about offering this service?

• More and more people are wanting a unique and special email address that is different from the normal ISP email or a free web based alternative.
• Fancy something like firstname@lastname.me.uk? or yourname@yourhouse.me.uk?
• Really making use of the pretty unused .me.uk domain suffix you can have an email address for you and your family that is special and independent of your email provider.
• You don’t have to stick with me.uk if you don’t want to, pick any available domain and we can set it up for you!
• Download your emails through you favourite email program such as Microsoft Outlook/Windows Mail/Thunderbird and if you are on the move and need to check your mail, find somewhere with an internet connection and quickly and easily log onto our webmail service and check your messages there!’

This will cost you just £12 per year + VAT!

For more info check out wildhosting.co.uk!

The site saynoto0870.com is a genius little website which saves you money!

It offers alternative phone numbers to numbers starting in 0500, 0800, 0808, 0844, 0845, 0870 and 0871…all of which charge you!  These numbers also generally charge you even if you have an all inclusive landline or mobile phone deal, whereas the 01 or 02 is more likely to be included in your pre-paid minutes!

All you need to do is click ‘Search to find an alternative number’ and then search the company or type the number in and wait for an alternative!

What a great site!

A South African Pigeon….faster than broadband!?  In this day an age nobody would place their bet on a pigeon being faster than a broadband connection.  But in this case nature beat technology in delivering a 4GB memory stick!

Well done Winston the pigeon! (pictured right)

Want to find out more?…Read the BBC article

Recently a client had a bizarre discovery about PCToolbox. They typed the URL address into the address bar as normal, however they found the website was blocked by the school Internet filter.  They then looked further down the page to find that they website was classified as ‘Match Making’! (Click on image to enlarge)

Maybe it’s time for the West Sussex Grid for Learning to review their school Internet filtering service!?

Hoax-Slayer is a website we discovered a couple of weeks back and a member of our team literally fell in love with it straight away.  Graham described it as a ‘website after my own heart’!  Therefore, I’ve been set the task to let you know what it’s all about!  The description on the Hoax-Slayer website pretty much sums the site up in one paragraph:

“Hoax-Slayer is dedicated to debunking email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and education web users about email and Internet security issues.  Hoax-Slayer allows Internet users to check the veracity of common email hoaxes and aims to counteract criminal activity by publishing information about common types of Internet scams.  Hoax-Slayer also includes anti-spam tips, computer and email security information, articles about true email forwards and much more.  New articles are added to the Hoax-Slayer website every week.”

So in other words, Hoax-Slayer is out with a mission to remove any scams and hoaxes around on the internet to make it a better and safer place for all!  The site has a variety of really helpful articles and guides to help you avoid any problems!

The site is really worth browsing over to prepare you for any potentially problematic emails/scams on the internet!