What are folks opinions on the MS Defender firewall/virus checker is it any good,i do have the paid version of Avast which i think is good but i feel it slows down my laptop and have tried the Defender setup this evening it seems to have increased the speed but was concerned that it may not be reliable as the Avast.

MS defender is all that I've used for the last year or so - no problems (famous last words!)

Hi Hils, thanks for the info- I only look in once a week :-)

Edit - anything similar for Chrome? Looks like these are for Opera & Firefox. Chromefly? :-) .... Is it Canary?

Sounds like something I should do to stop my staff browsing the web instead of working!!

Windows 7 users will have noticed a massive amount of Windows Updates very recently.

Yesterday, I received 18 Windows Updates and also another 1 of them only this morning.

So how do you know you have actually got them all and that they are all onto your machine and it has been fully properly updated with all the necessary Windows Updates?

Here's what you can do:

Go to Control Panel, select Troubleshooting, select System and Security and now click on 'Fix Problems with Windows Updates'.

Doing this will fully check your system out, see what's missing and then help you get it downloaded and installed.

Need my laptop updating (old hp windows 7) just looking at APPLE MacBook Pro 13" with Retina Display. Being a non computer expert will this be too complex ? I see they have very good reviews. Any help please.

DC,

Far too complex for you.

It has more than one key to press.

8-)

er, two "o"s not one, Fred........

I will give you the extra "o" next time we meet.

At least, as my wife constantly informs me, I am not perfect!

(Well, she adds a phrase or two along with commenting on my other faults!)

8-)

Thanks Fred. :-))

DC,

Before you buy compare the specs and price with "Acers".

The family have 4 or 5 of them and all give them a hammering and "touch wood" no problems.

Unless. you already have a virus blocker try Avira system.

There is free version but the others are reasonable priced and come with registry cleaners and speed up program.

I switched from Free version to paid about 8-10 years ago as I had been trouble free and have a 3year contract.

Worth a look.

Cheers Fred, very difficult when I am no computer expert. Just need something reliable. Had an Acer in the past from PC World and as you say it was reliable. This one now for instance pressing a 3 will sometimes need pressing again or indeed put up 33, same for several keys. Does need updating.

DC, a Macbook Pro uses iOS operating system, not Windows, so none of the software you've purchased for your old Win 7 machine will work. Apple Macbooks, like all Apple products, are highly priced compared to Windows equivalents, but are lovely - just need a different way of operating.

I use Windows because everything I need business wise is Windows, but with lots of things going online now, the need for installed software is reducing, in which case your only issue is which browser to use - can't really make a mistake there!

Hope this helps.

D/C, A number of the positive things about Apple is that the software and hardware come from the same Company, also very easy to use and did used to be less a target for hackers, email spam etc.

Little or no keyboard skills needed (I'm proof of that). One downside is Apple's cost and updating (but Apple are not the only culprit in that area), but there again I prefer to pay a bit more on initial outlay and have less things that go wrong and saving me both money, time and frustration. Good luck with what ever you decide on.

Thanks for the info Seymour Clearly and Stan. The feed backs on these machines are superb . A few have said they take a bit of getting used too, but once they have got hold would not go back too Windows.

Eating whilst on the puter .....bad habit....try putting a hoover over your keyboard and sucking out the crumbs..... nothing wrong with the keyboard if it works... it's the operator.,.

Cheeky --- . I have nearly worn through the finger mouse as well , if that's what you call it.


It is getting tired.

Anyone know why the colours in my Stockwatch are wrong e.g. sp falls are showing with a a minus sign but blue in colour?

Any specific stocks? or a few of them? or most of them?

Mine seem OK. I have a Stockwatch with the whole FTSE 100 on it and all those are definitely OK

AIM tiddlers are affected e.g. AMC,KEA

I see what you mean. Although KEA is now minus and green.

AMC is minus and blue though like wot you said.

I guess the algorithm must want a tweak, particularly for these small cap stocks, which have weird trades.