Computers get dirty. They are basically dust sucking machines with their fans drawing dust in all day long. The computer's CPU in particular gets filled with dust. The problem arises that the dust collects on computer components and then attracts water so that the computer can get corroded. In time this can completely destroy the computer. Tablets tend not to have this problem, but laptops and desktop computers do.

Whenever a computer comes into our workshop we not only give the software a clean up but a physical clean too. Removing the dust regularly can substantially increase the lifetime of a laptop or desktop. We use various tools for this but a significant part of the process involves blowing compressed air through the computer. Traditionally, this has come in the form of cans of compressed air. We would buy them in boxes of 6, and end up going through many cans of air in a month.

Microsoft has stopped distributing its latest feature update (version 1809) because it deleted documents on a number of Windows users computers and laptops. If you don't have Windows then this doesn't apply to you.

Microsoft started rolling out the update during the company’s Surface event earlier late last week, but some Windows 10 users immediately noticed their documents were being deleted. “We have paused the rollout of the update for all users as we investigate isolated reports of users missing some files after updating,” says Microsoft on its support site for Windows Update. Once they sort out the issue they will release the update again.

Computer Backup is TWO copies

Some people move all their photos from their computer onto an external drive and think they have a backup. Sadly, they don’t.

Backup is essentially TWO copies of your files. In fact, it’s at LEAST two copies.

8 Things to Look for in a Wireless Router

Buying a wireless router that delivers great WiFi, that is reliable and easy to configure and use, is not an easy task even if you are not a computing beginner. To make things harder, manufacturers describe their wireless routers using lots of acronyms and marketing terms that have little connection to the real-life experience you get. This is what you should look for in a Wi-Fi router to get the best wireless for your laptop, tablet or phone.

VR2800 Wifi Router Review

As with many wireless routers, the VR2800 isn't much to look at; just a fairly nondescript black slab with four wifi antennae sticking up at the back, four Gigabit LAN ports and a VDSL2/ADSL2+ compatible socket, plus a couple of USB 3 port on the side.

There's a line of fairly bright status LEDs ranged along the centre of the router's body but these can be disabled id required. That's handy if you want to site the router in a bedroom.

Over 5GHz it’s capable of delivering link speeds up to 2,167Mbits/sec thanks to 4x4 stream MIMO.

A Warning About Low Spec Laptops

We wanted to warn you about some laptops that are currently being sold at many retailers. They are bargain priced and on the face of it, look attractive. But here’s the problem - the computers are so low specification that they are almost unusable out of the box. This is because the storage drive inside the laptop is very small and 32 gigabytes is barely enough to run Windows. As it turns out it’s not enough.

Wired vs Wired Printers

When choosing a printer for your home, one of the options you have to consider is how the computer connects to the printers. Most printers offer the ability to connect to a wired or wireless network for sharing. Knowing the advantages of each type of printer can help you make the best choice.

Apple Refuses to Repair iMac

Not quite as clear cut as my title suggests but a very interesting case. A YouTube channel called Linus Tech Tips did a review of a brand-new Apple iMac (the All-in-One machines, not the MacBook). They purchased it themselves and proceeded to disassemble it. Linus did a terrible job (by his own admission) of the opening up the Mac and as a result destroyed the screen and motherboard!