October 25, 2013
Windows 8 users have been eagerly awaiting the 8.1 update, particularly with high hopes for a return of the ‘classic’ start menu, found in previous versions of Windows.
The good news is the update has now arrived and be found in the Microsoft Store tile as a free download for all Windows 8 users. The bad news is, it may not contain the features you’ve been hoping for. Lets take a look…..
The first thing you may notice is the addition of the start menu button (mentioned above) at the bottom left of your screen, but don’t let this fool you into thinking Microsoft have made your lives easier again, this is certainly not the case.
Clicking the button won’t show the start menu you are expecting to see. Instead, it is simply another method of opening the Metro tile interface which was introduced upon the release of 8.0. Nothing new there as this was already the case when pressing the Windows key on your keyboard, although this may be useful for users who naturally aim for the bottom left of the screen when trying to navigate.
This will undoubtedly be disappointing for those who expected the classic menu to return, naughty Microsoft!
Luckily not all is bad though, with some added options (see above) you can improve your overall Windows experience, focusing on the first listed in the ‘Start screen’ section.
Selecting ‘When I sign in or close all applications on a screen, go to the desktop instead of Start‘, will stop the Metro tile interface which has plagued Windows 8 since it’s release, from popping up in front of you when logging in. We feel that Metro is more suited to mobile touchscreen devices and not the day-to-day desktop computers.
A list of changes brought to you by the 8.1 update can be found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn140266.aspx
If you are looking to use a classic style menu, 8.1 is not the solution for you. But users looking for improvements on the existing tile screen or any of the features listed in the link above, it may be worth your time installing the 2GB+ update.
There are various unofficial solutions to the missing menu (Pokki Start Button for example), which might just fill that missing gap for you and give a ‘truer’ Microsoft Windows experience.
July 25, 2013
Julia and I would like to thank all our clients who kindly sent us cards and well wishes for our future together. We had the most wonderful time, and a great many fantastic memories. Thank you all for supporting F8 IT Solutions and helping me afford to make an honest women out of Julia! Josh has also been an absolute God send, holding the fort in my absence. A certain nameless client gets a mention for calling in on my first day away, logging that the place had burned down and they needed immediate support. Brilliant! Here are a few little pics, as a few of you have been asking.
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Kieran & Julia Wedding + Honeymoon
March 22, 2013
This quick guide may be useful to anyone looking to install Sage 50 Accounts 2013 on a Windows 8 machine. If you have already attempted to install the software, there’s a chance you have run into an error regarding the installation of .NET v2/3.5 which is required for the installation to continue.
This error is likely to occur if you are working from a domain computer which is connected to a WSUS server. The client computer will be looking to connect to the internet to download .NET updates from Microsoft’s servers, but will be unable to do so due to WSUS rules telling it to check the domain server instead. As you are given no option to check the Microsoft Update servers at this time, you will require a workaround before the Sage installation will continue:
This workaround requires you have the Windows 8 installation media to hand!
- Insert the Windows 8 installation DVD
- Run a command prompt with administrator rights (right click on ‘CMD’ and select ‘Run as administrator’).
- Type the following: Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:X:sourcessxs /LimitAccess (replace ‘X’ with the correct drive letter for your CD/DVD drive)
- Press enter. You will be presented with a progress bar, do not close the command prompt until this process has finished! Your computer will now install the correct .NET modules directly from the DVD, rather than attempting to download them from Microsoft.
- Reboot your computer and start the Sage installation again.
March 11, 2013
With a few bank holidays coming up, I stumbled upon this feature in Microsoft Outlook, to add all UK holidays for the current year as calendar appointments. Fairly painless and compatible with all the modern versions of Outlook (2007 onwards).
- Left click on Tools(Outlook 2007) or File (Outlook 2010 on). Click Options and then Calendar Options.
- In Calendar options look for Add Holidays.
- Select UK (or appropriate country) and click OK
Shortly after you will see a quick import of appointments and they should appear in your calendar next time you look. If they do not appear, close Outlook and restart it.
Hope you find this as useful as I did.
December 6, 2012
This year has been a year of growth for F8 IT Solutions. As many of you will already know, Josh Hall joined the company in January, following 4 months of training with Kieran, and I think you will all agree that he has settled in wonderfully and been a great help to both F8 IT and our clients.
As well as expanding our workforce, we also expanded our premises – from Kieran’s spare room to a dedicated office in one of the industrial areas of Aylesbury. It’s been great to have a dedicated workspace and workshop to improve the standards of support we provide. Possibly the best achievement is that we’ve been able to keep a (rather hardy) plant alive for the whole year!
During 2012 we have also invested in an improved cloud-based helpdesk system, which has resulted in helpdesk tickets being faster to generate, and the server monitoring service being reliable again.
All of this expansion to infrastructure means we’ve been able to also expand our services, with the launch of F8 Desktop Solutions earlier this year. We’ve found this a great way to provide our existing business clients with the high levels of support and customer service they are used to, but aimed specifically for the home environment. We’re keen to expand this service – and would welcome your ideas for how we could market this to get the word out there, perhaps something such as a ‘refer-a-friend’ style promotion? Please let us know your thoughts! With improved and robust infrastructure and services, we’ve been able to expand our client base and handle greater volumes of work than last year, with no compromise to our levels of customer service and dedication to each and every customer. So to round up, we’d like to say a warm welcome to everyone who has joined us this year, and a big thank you to all of you who have chosen us to be your IT supplier. We take great pride in being able to offer the service that we do, but we wouldn’t be here without the continuing support of our loyal customers.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
Kieran Donnelly
October 26, 2012
With the release of Microsoft Windows 8 today, we thought it would be a good idea to jump on board as IT support engineers and upgrade to the new OS. Due to the new installation method, we’ve written up this step-by-step guide to help users find their way around the process.
1. Visit http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/buy and select the download option. Your browser will attempt to download the file Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe, which you will need to run to begin the installation process.
October 24, 2012
Apple has introduced a new line of products with the iPad Mini. Steve Jobs famously said that this 7″ form factor was never going to take off, but he got most other things wright.
As a former Google Android enthusiast, I can say with confidence, the experience between a Google and Apple device great. Google Android appears to be outstanding value for money, and if compared to any company other than Apple, they are! However, Apple’s iOS family of products, simply does things to a higher standard, or with less effort or more flurishes. I have used nearly every Android device going, phone or tablet, tried to stick with them when buying my first tablet at home, however found nothing that could touch the Apple offering. When the iPad 3 came out, Julia and I both had one for work and have been hooked on not Apple’s products, but rather the eco system. Something I could never appreciate simply setting up clients phones or helping them use them. We get so much more out of our devices, utilising this eco system, than we ever did with an Android device. In fact, Android devices might as well all be considered a stand alone experience, as from brand to brand, they are. We have all our music in Itunes Match, all our recently photos available on all our other devices, and are up to 4 iOS products at home, enjoying the eco systems to the fullest.
July 24, 2012
Posting a blog entry to support this initiative. Broadband speeds directly effect productivity and often enable innovative solutions like VoIP phones, creating a internal company cloud, or reaching out to the internet for greater volumes of data per second.
Having our workshop in the Rabans lane area, means we too suffer modest speeds, and often slows us down, be it downloading updates, pushing a patch to a customers server or when we are working remotely and dialling in to our office. More speed directly improves all of those facilities, and would aid our business dramatically.
Why should I register?
Superfast broadband is important to businesses in your local area, if they are to grow and prosper. So by registering you are helping your local economy. You can register via the links below:
June 1, 2012
Windows 8 is coming out in the not to distant future, so Microsoft is preparing for this by ensuring no slump in sales before Windows 8 hits the shelves.
Microsoft will be offering 138 countries a promotional upgrade to Windows 8 Pro edition, as long as they buy a qualifying Windows 7 Computer between June 2nd 2012 and January 2013. The upgrade in 2010 caused a bit of a uproar, as it was supposed to be free, but then a £20 shipping fee was added. This time, they are doing the same thing, but making it clear there is a small fee.
So make sure you keep your receipts and purchase from tomorrow with confidence. More info about the promotion will be available closer to the release date.
March 7, 2012
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