Random Thoughts

Software Development and IT Support in Tameside

Windows 8.1 Review

I’ve been playing with the Windows 8.1 Preview (i.e. Pre-release software), and I’ve got to say I’m still massively disappointed. Agreed, we now have a start button, but all it does is get you back to the metro screen if you left-click it, and if you right click it, you get various options for configuration…
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Are you ready to retire Windows XP

Microsoft will end support of Windows XP and Office 2003 on April 8th 2014. What is the impact for your business?  You can find out more about the impact of retiring Windows XP here. Our graph – taken directly from our web site statistics this week – shows that Windows XP is still a dominant…
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Safely sharing your broadband with a guest network

You want to give your visitors access to the Internet, but don’t want them to be able to see your internal network. Normally you’d need a separate broadband line, but with our range of Draytek routers and access points, you can achieve your goal with just one broadband line. Ideal for pubs, business premises, coffee…
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Auto-Launching Programs in Terminal Services 2008R2

Had a call from a client where when setting the “Launch this program on connection” setting within their Remote Desktop icon, the program failed to launch, the session closed, and the server logged an “The attempt to shutdown/restart the server by user xxxxxx failed”. The answer is simple, but finding it can be elusive. Simply…
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Improved Cable Testing

We’ve invested in upgrading our cable testing hardware, allowing us to produce port-by-port network reports, including capability certification for 1000Mbit/s, 100Mbit/s, VOIP etc. To see a sample report in PDF format click this link: Sample Network Test Results. We can quickly and easily determine cable faults, crosstalk, wire damage and anything else affecting your network performance. Got…
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Small Business Telephony

We’re quite excited about the products available in the Small Business Telephony range that we have full dealer access to. We’ll be setting up a test system very soon, and will then be able to demonstrate the system to customers. If you want to save money on your phone system and calls and add extra features…
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We’re now Draytek Dealers!

We’re pleased to announce that we are now official Draytek dealers and we can offer some cracking prices on the entire Draytek range. We’ll be attending the Manchester Draytek Dealer Roadshow next week where we hope to pick up valuable product knowledge of the extended range we’ve now got access to. Watch this space for more…
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Web Site Update

You may have noticed a subtle change to our website. Having been involved in the specification and design of a customer’s intranet site, we’ve taken some time to look at our own offering, and do something about it! It’s a fresh new look, and if you’ve got any suggestions, please let us know.

Remote Desktop Services server

We’ve just specified, installed and configured a new HP DL380G8p server at one of our major customers, configured to run as a 50-user Remote Desktop Services server. This server replaces an aging out-of-warranty server, and gives peace of mind, and a significant performance increase. It’s what we do!