Category: Technical support

Outlook opens and then crashes immediately

We have encountered large numbers of people who are having a problem with Outlook. Particularly, this applies to those who have a version of Microsoft Office 2016 installed.

The problem

When opening Outlook it will appear to open correctly and then within a few seconds will close without warning. In some cases Outlook fails to open at all.

The cause

Microsoft have changed their security setting and have switched from “basic authentication” to “modern authentication” (Please see previous articles). Later versions of Office support Modern authentication by default but Office 2016 does not.

The solution

Microsoft have issued a solution to this problem in the form of a Knowledge Base article (KB5001998) which provides a downloadable patch for either 32bit or 64bit installations of MS Office 2016.

How to download and install the update

Microsoft Update

Use Microsoft Update to automatically download and install the update.

Download Center

This update is also available for manual download and installation from the Microsoft Download Center. 

If you’re not sure which platform (32-bit or 64-bit) you’re running, see Am I running 32-bit or 64-bit Office? Additionally, see more information about how to download Microsoft support files.

Virus-scan claim

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses by using the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to it.

Microsoft Support

How can I speed up my computer?

One of the questions we get asked all the time is “Why is my computer so slow”.

Well, to quote a long used phrase “it depends”. When you first purchase a PC or Laptop it seems fast but then, over a period of time, it gradually gets slower and slower. There are many reasons for this such as, the free space available on the disk, the number of temporary files, the software installed, background tasks and processes that may be running (these may include unwanted items such as spyware or malware), updates and patches being installed, the amount of free memory available, the condition of the hard disk and the fragmentation of the files system.

In some cases there are also external factors that can affect the perceived speed such as wireless, network and broadband speeds and even links to external file shares or network drives.

So how can you speed up your computer?

Here are series of steps to complete.

Check the free space available for your main disk (C:)

When the free space becomes less than 15% to 20% it will struggle to allocate space to allow it to store files without breaking them into many parts (Fragmentation). This will have a large affect on the time taken to read and write files.

Check the spin speed of your hard disk.

Cheaper hard disks operate at 4200rpm whilst more expensive ones will operate at 7200rpm. The spin speed has a direct affect on the number of read/write operations that the disk can perform in a given time. As a general rule faster is better.

Check the amount of RAM installed into your device.

RAM is used as a buffer between the disk and the processor. If you have insufficient installed RAM the processor will have to offload the stored data to the hard disk to free up space to allow other files to be processed. This puts a much greater load onto the disk and the processor and has a major effect on the perceived speed. Microsoft will tell you that you need as little as 1GB of RAM for running Windows 10 (32 bit) and 4GB RAM for Windows 11 but as soon as you want to do anything serious with your computer it will struggle. For Windows 11 we recommend at least 8 – 16GB.

Ensure that your PC has no Virus or Malware.

Often there may be items running on your PC that you are unaware of and hadn’t installed. They arrive by ‘piggy backing’ on other programmes, from email attachments or from infected sites. Use a reliable anti-malware program to scan and remove any suspect items. One such is Malware Bytes (malwarebytes.com) which has a free version and can be used to perform manual scans on demand. Other Anti-virus software vendors such as Avast or AVG also have free versions available and can be used.

Remove any applications that you no longer require.

By removing items that you no longer use you do 2 things, you free up disk space and you prevent the application from affecting the performance of your PC. Often these applications load into memory when you start your PC and can link to online content or updates, so removing them will prevent any unnecessary activity.

Ensure that your Operating System and Drivers are kept up to date.

Microsoft as well and other software and hardware providers are constantly updating their software, drivers or settings to improve security and to better support hardware and interactions. Use Windows Update to check for new items and allow the system to update them for you on a regular basis.

Consider replacing your traditional hard disk with a faster Solid State Drive.

Solid State Drives (SSD’s) operate much faster than traditional hard disk. Here are some typical speed and cost examples.

TechnologyRead/Write SpeedTypical Cost
Hard Drive130MB/s£40/500GB
SATA SSD Drive500MB/s£65/500GB
NVMe SSD Drive3500MB/s£100/500GB

PC Performance – 4 ways to improve your Windows PC

PC Performance can be interpreted in several ways such as; the time it takes for startup, the time taken to open a particular program or the time it takes to browse the internet.

You may experience some or all of these symptoms and it can be difficult to know where to start. There are many factors that influence each of these which you can investigate individually.

There are also some very common items that will slow your PC to a crawl and leave you tearing your hair out waiting for something to happen. Below I have described 4 simple steps that will help to improve your computer without spending any money. Continue reading “PC Performance – 4 ways to improve your Windows PC”

Avoiding uninvited software

Avoiding uninvited software

One of the most common methods for malicious software to get installed onto your PC is by “piggy backing” on legitimate software. Often if you download software from anywhere other than the original software developers site you will find unwanted extras, such as “Adware” or other browser add-ins, have been installed without your knowledge.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as adware. Be very careful what you agree to install and always try to download from a trusted site.

Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.