Our IT and CAD support teams are always on hand to support our customers. Sometimes we notice some themes or similar inquiries.
Here are some of the more frequently asked questions we have had come through to our support teams recently.
- My workstation C: drive is running out of space. How can I make more room?
You can run the Windows built-in disk clean-up tool to clear temporary files and folders, an administrator can also use this tool to clean up old system files.
To do this: Start > Search and select “Disk Clean-up” and follow the wizard
- How can I make my online accounts more secure?
- Always use a complex, unique password for each account.
- Enable MFA (Multi-factor authentication) where possible.
This will help safeguard you if your credentials were ever compromised. Your administrator may need to enable MFA in some instances, for example, for Office365.
- How do I change files opening in a different application?
You can change your default application by file type or protocol to ensure the correct application opens.
To do this: Start > Search and select “Default apps”
The most common file types will appear in the main setting window. However, you can select from the advanced options towards the bottom of the page by selecting “choose default applications by file type” and select the application from this menu, this would be used for file types such as .pdf
- Can I backup my desktop?
There are many ways to backup the data on your desktop and documents folders found locally on your workstation. If you are using Office365 and therefore have access to OneDrive, you can utilize OneDrive to backup these folders.
To do this: Once signed into OneDrive > open the OneDrive settings window by selecting OneDrive in the tray icon on your taskbar. From the settings menu you can select the backup tab and then follow the options to back up the desired folders.
If you do not have access to OneDrive but would still like to back up your files, please contact your technical provider for further assistance.
- How do I stop receiving Microsoft Teams missed activity notification emails?
Open Teams > click on the three dots next your profile icon > click on the settings wheel at the top > notifications > here you can select the email duration or turn them off altogether.
- How do I block bulk emails or emails from specific senders, for example newsletters?
If the email is a newsletter, you can unsubscribe from these by selecting the option at the bottom of the email. However, if that option is not available you can block senders from within Outlook.
To do this: Right click the email and select Junk > Block Sender or Block Domain (if there are multiple senders from one domain you wish to block).
Please note, there may be a limit on the number of senders you can select to block in outlook.
- How do I hide the new News/Weather widget on my Windows taskbar?
With a Microsoft update came a widget for News/Weather on the taskbar. To hide this, or to stop the pop-up appearing on hover (if you wish to keep the widget there):
To do this: Right click your task bar > select News/Interests from the menu and then either select “Turn off” or de-select “Open on hover” from the next menu.
- How can I stop an application from starting when I turn on my PC?
Within some applications you can turn off the Start-up with Windows option within the app settings, however if this is not available or as an alternative you can stop applications from starting with Windows using Task Manager.
To do this: Open Task Manager > Click the start-up tab and then right click items to disable.
If the option is greyed out, you would need administrative rights to stop the application from starting with Windows. If you are unsure if an application is required to be set on start-up, please seek technical advice before stopping it from starting to ensure no future problems.
- I have been sent an email and I am not sure if it is legitimate?
Unfortunately, some spam/phishing emails can come from legitimate senders if their accounts have been compromised. If this is the case, please contact the sender and ensure that no links are clicked, and no emails are replied to. If you are unsure of an email, first check the senders Email address (not the display name) as often the display name may be correct, but the email address is not. If the email address is correct and you are still unsure, please either speak with the sender by contacting them via another known method (not replying to the suspect email) or seek technical advice.
Another example could be if you receive an invoice, but you are someone who doesn’t normally receive them. Or you may be sent an email asking to track your package from a courier Did you order anything recently? If so, do they use that courier?
Please be mindful of the emails you receive and speak to you IT administrator if you are unsure.
- How do I change my calendar permissions so my colleagues can view more details?
If a colleague has limited or no access to your calendar but would like it, you will need to adjust your permissions.
To do this: In the calendar view in Outlook > select the Share Calendar option on the ribbon at the top of the page and select the calendar you would like to share if there are multiple calendars. This will bring up another box where you can add users and choose the desired permissions for them to see. Once done, your colleague can go to the calendar view in Outlook and select Add Calendar from the ribbon, select the desired calendar to open and they should now see the calendar within outlook.
If you require global changes across the organization, or for this to be done in bulk, please contact your technical provider for assistance.
