Does this situation sound at all familiar:
It’s a Monday. There’s a simple maintenance task in which you have to spend an hour. Maybe two. Doing exactly the same thing as the last Monday and the Monday before.

• Maybe you’re moving, files from one place to another, deleting some, archiving others, and deleting the useless ones.
• Maybe you’re reading reports and alerts which have the same info nearly every week, waiting until one comes through needing actioning.
• Maybe you have to manually send an email to everyone on a list that’s 99% identical, only having to change a few minor details for each person.

Everyone feels like this some days, even if it’s just a little, even if the examples don’t reflect those tasks that make you feel this. I think everyone has hoped these tasks would be quicker. Maybe even go away. To everyone who thinks that, this article may be for you.

Did you know that the Mirror estimates that the average employee burns more than 2 hours per day on menial, non-challenging work? For a 9-to-5 grind, this is 15 weeks a year. 1/4 of their entire job.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/average-employee-wastes-three-months-16507562

If you’re looking for a versatile, all-purpose weapon against time sinks, well, let me introduce you to the world of Scripting and Automation. Don’t worry, for the non-techy we touch on PowerAutomate which is exactly for you!

So what’s all this about a Script?

What is Scripting, then? What have you heard of it? A Script is a set of clear and specific instructions you can give to a computer. So it can do simple, or repeatable tasks with incredible speed, and give complete control over the task to the Scripter.

If you think about it, all programs, apps and software really do is whatever we tell them to do. If you’ve ever heard of a program that does something that would take you hours, realise that somebody made it. Nothing’s stopping you from making something similar with a little elbow grease.

For IT, this is an invaluable tool. It lets us automatically update software. Automatically configure a computer. Automatically fix issues. A hundred tasks which would need doing daily, for every person, every computer in multiple companies. All with the same effort as doing it for one person. It lets a bit of proactive time save countless hours in the future.

I want to mention now, that while Scripting is an amazing tool, it’s not the only option, and if people without IT training would like proper entry-level tools instead of jumping into the deep end, further on in this blog, I do mention Microsoft’s Power Automate.

If you think reading a full blog about scripting is a bit too techy for you, but are interested in beginner-level ways to work on a computer a bit more quickly, here’s a blogpost on our 10 best shortcuts!

How does Scripting work, then? What does it look like?

You’re finding all of this interesting then? Well, say Hello to the World of Scripting!

So here’s the big question: How does it all work? Well, for those software Engineers reading, their minds will blur over, picturing a mountain of code. For hobbyists, it can simply look like 5 lines of text.

I’ve included below, everyone’s first experience with Scripting or Coding.
I used a free program included in every copy of Windows 10, called PowerShell ISE, and have created a simple script to write the phrase “Hello World!”, only if I asked it to, all in a single minute of work.

Could you keep up with what every line did? Not all Scripting Languages are unreadable, though if you’ve never played around with Scripting before, it can look a bit complicated.

Even one line of text can save an incredible amount of time.

While that was a great example of what everybody’s first script would look like, it doesn’t showcase the incredible potential of Scripting. Even when extremely simple, Scripts can save so much time!

Look at this one below. One line of work, and when applied automatically, can make 1000 people empty their computers’ Recycling Bins at the end of the week to save space.

Interested in something a little more complicated?

While an incredible amount of short, or one-liner scripts can have unlimited potential in automating tasks, how about I show you one a good bit more complex, which I found very useful?

Below is a Script I made for a competition. Capture the Flag events are competitions for IT people to hone and test their weapons and skills for IT-Combat. One of the challenges I faced was being given a file with 15,000 people and a good bit of data about them. Then I was asked to find one person in there.

I won that challenge, but (don’t tell anyone), it didn’t go quite as perfectly as I hoped. After all the effort I put in, I pressed play, waited 20 seconds, let the Script figure out all of the hard parts, and it came up with 2 people! Pure luck meant I guessed the right one of the two, but to this day, I still haven’t found out why it came back with 2 people.

Finding 2 people in 15,000 in 20 seconds, only knowing what their favourite colour might be, and that their last name has the letter R in it. Not bad, right?

It’s a great hobby, but should you dive into improving your company?

Scripting is a very challenging, yet fulfilling hobby. If you like the idea of a good challenge, I could offer some resources, but if you think this could save a good deal of time for you, or people you know, it may be best to get in touch with IT Specialists. This is because to an IT person, we tend to automate our own tasks, but when faced with a business problem we can help automate other business departments too!

Scripting is a great hobby, and learning to make a one-liner with a little research to save yourself a bit of time is a great way to improve yourself and how you work, but if you’re aiming at automating 2 hours of work for every employee in your company, the amount of money saved, and the scope of the project absolutely builds up.
I really would recommend getting this done professionally.

Is Scripting my only choice?

No. Not at all! Scripting can feel like a daunting mountain to people who aren’t trained in IT, and I’m not the only person who knows that.

Countless companies are aware of this, and make tools to provide the abilities that scripting provides, while cutting down the techy-side of needing to learn an entire computer language.

Power Automate

Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow is a free tool for most people with a Microsoft 365 Subscription. If you use Word or Outlook for business, chances are, you have Power Automate.

Power Automate provides near exactly what scripting provides, but is massively simpler. Instead of learning logic, and commands, it provides an easy-to-use wizard to automate tasks in over 400 services, including Excel, OneDrive, Twitter and Word.

Power Automate is an amazing tool, we have used it for a few of our clients to help improve their business workflows and automation.

I personally still have a lot to learn, and we will be writing a blog on its many use cases and power. In the meantime though below is an amazing beginner’s guide to it for those that are interested in the “Power” it can bring.

If my quick mention of Capture-the-Flag interested you, here’s a link to a blog where I mention my experience in it. If you’d like some help in setting up automation for a business you work with, please feel free to contact us on our website for a (free!) Consultation.

And if I’ve interested you in picking up Scripting as a hobby, below is an amazing video on picking up Scripting from the bare basics, with no experience.

– Thanks for reading, Dylan IT Apprentice

Could you imagine an IT Company telling you it would be one of the simplest, easiest passwords of your life?

What even is a good password?

What have you been taught? Get a word, wonky it up with random capitals, stick numbers and punctuation, and cross your fingers you remember it? That’s what many websites request as a bare minimum these days.

But what if I told you that one of the best passwords of your life could look like this:

FastRedCar22!

A few words, a number or two. Maybe a punctuation mark, if the website requires one. That’s it All of that work trying to remember passwords, creating elaborate nonsense has been made redundant. You’ll never have to struggle again.
Don’t take my word for it. Google a password checker, and play around with it, yourself! See how long they think it would take for a computer to guess it.
Here’s a link to one, to have a bit of fun with.

Look at that perfect score! No nonsense, no capitals or numbers. Just lowercase words.

Other tools to keep you secure

While this is more than secure for average internet use, we, an IT Company, need to recommend minor paranoia. While these standards ensure computers trying to guess it will have a very hard time, there are more pressing concerns for your accounts being breached.

The first being that the websites we use aren’t always safe from breaches themselves, and in this, hackers can find your passwords from them. If you use the same passwords on multiple websites (and while I won’t encourage it, I wouldn’t blame you), then chances are, if one website is breached, all of your accounts will be.

Though more pressing, the largest problem to password security isn’t Website-Security or computers brute-forcing in. It’s the simple problem that we’re human.

We make silly decisions and fall for Scammers easily, this is the #1 reason why passwords remain insecure and are moving away from. If you’d like to learn more on how to stop Scammers, we wrote a blog on one of the most common Phishing attempts, the False-Sign in.

If Passwords are insecure, then what else?

These tools shown below will provide that extra layer of security that Passwords alone may not deliver. Even if a website is breached. Even if your password has gone public. Even if a Cyber-Criminal hooks you with Phishing, with these tools, none of it will ruin your day.
All without making the process of logging in any more complex, you’ll never have to worry about account security.

Tool 1 – Password Managers

These Managers are extra-secure websites with vaults to record every password you may have. With this, it doesn’t really matter how complex you make them or if you have a different one for every website because the Managers let you just copy/paste 10,000 characters, written in three languages right into a website, no more difficulty than typing in Password1!

Here’s a link to a post talking about the best Password Managers of 2022!

At JustGilbey, we prefer and promote Keeper, as we’ve found it to be one of the best password managers widely available, recommending it to any client that wants better password protection.

Tool 2 – Multi-Factor Authentication

This is the new and upcoming tool that websites interested in keeping you secure are looking at with wonder. You may have already heard of this. Google has been pestering Gmail Users to set it up, and Facebook has too.

MFA is a big word, for an even more massive improvement to security for just how simple it is. All you have to do is activate it on your account, and your account is now, near impregnable. You even shrug, and use the feared Password1! and never fear someone getting in.

Now, whenever you log in, your phone will buzz, or get a text, and you’ll press a button to let you in. That simple. Even if everyone on the planet has your password, only one person has your phone: You!

As an IT Company, we need maximum security. We use all of the above features and techniques (and a handful more) to ensure there’s no chance of being breached.

Thanks for reading – Dylan, IT Apprentice

If you’d like to learn more about tools to stay safe on the internet, feel free to watch our short video on MFA, or if you’d like to talk about how to improve security for your business, book a (free!) Consultation with us.

This is a post on all of the Keyboard Shortcuts you can perform with your Keyboard. Shortcuts are the most helpful tech tip we can think of. And if you only learn one from this guide, this guide will make you feel like a tech-wizard.

A few of these shortcuts will ask you to combine keys. When doing this, hold the first key down, and tap the second key.

Some of these keys may not all be familiar, though the picture below shows all of the important ones.

• In White, is the Shift Key
• In Red, is Crtl, or the Control Key
• In Blue is the Windows Key
• In Green is Alt, or the Alternative Key

Beginner Shortcuts

These, I would recommend to absolutely everyone. I personally use them constantly. All-day every day without thinking.

They make the process of wrestling with a computer feel totally natural.

Select All – (Crtl+A)

Our first shortcut could save you a whole minute of clicking and dragging. Have you ever tried to drag the mouse over an entire mountain of text in an email, or website, then fumbled with a click, and had to start again?

Well, fear no more! Select All, in just two buttons, selects all of the text you can see! If you used it now, you could even pinch this entire post in the blink of an eye!

In the below screenshots, it chooses the notepad specifically and selects all of the text at once. If you use it in this guide, you’ll get absolutely everything, and can copy and paste the entire guide in 3 buttons.

Cut – (Crtl+X) and Copy – (Crtl+C)

What do you do with the text you select? You Cut and Copy them! You move it somewhere else! These are the two most basic, useful commands I think I can think of!
Right Clicking, and choosing Copy or Cut is maybe the most helpful tool in all of the computing for regular users, and these shortcuts even cut down the time needed to use those in half.

With Crt+X, it grabs all of that selected text, deletes it, and keeps it, to be moved to another location entirely. Just like the Cut tool.

With Crtl+C, it stores whatever you select, but doesn’t delete it, copying anything you want to anywhere else!

The secret, hidden use is that you can use these shortcuts to copy and cut Images, Files, and whatever else you may need!

Paste – (Crtl+V)

The perfect partner to Copy and Cut, the Paste! I really hope that everyone reading this is intimately familiar with the Paste Tool. I can’t imagine just how many days, if not weeks of my life would have been spent typing away without the Paste.

With Crtl+V, feel free to tab the keys, and move that image or text wherever you want!

Are you curious what it looks like to wield these two tools in action? Behold, my incredible presentation!

Undo – (Crtl+Z)

With my butterfingers, I use this one all the time. With how clumsy I type, it saves a load of time by fixing all of my mistakes. Undo reverses whatever was the last set of changes you’ve made, automatically hiding the shame of our terrible typing skills!

If you’ve accidentally deleted your work, if you’ve made a mistake when typing, or even if you’ve accidentally Pasted an email address into the middle of your Email just Undo, and it all fixes itself!

Shift

I was very surprised at how many people didn’t use this.
I couldn’t imagine going without Shift. I’ve probably used it twenty times writing this post!

Holding Shift changes your letters into Capitals while you type. Some people make Capitals using Caps Lock, but tapping it on and off 10 times in one email can make you type at half speed!

If you haven’t tried it before, have a go. It’ll feel a bit strange at first, but in no time, you’ll be typing twice as fast as before. I guarantee it. I’ve attached a small video of myself tying a short sentence, using the shift key 10 times. Can you race me?

Lock – (Windows+L)

This tool is a bit new to me, but it’s by far the most important one I’ve learned! With this, you can secure your computer in half a moment!

When leaving your desk, you might just stand and walk away. This is much faster than anything else you can think of, but it’s so unsafe!
What if a nosy co-worker peeks into your emails? Or a Guest in the building sees a report on your computer while walking by?

A way faster method than signing out or disconnecting is locking your computer with Windows+L. It takes less than a second and only makes it so nobody can hop on while you’re busy.

Advanced Shortcuts

These shortcuts aren’t as essential as some beginner ones. Not everyone will find these as helpful as each other, so depending on what you use your computer for, your mileage may vary.

Some of them, I’m even personally new to, though to learn all of these, you’ll be the computer wizard to your friends.

ScreenClip – (Shift+Windows+S)

Personally, this is my new favourite. It comes in super handy when making guides for users, and saves a lot of work when people use it to make a screenshot to help us fix a problem.

Before, when I wanted to take a picture of the screen, I used to use a Snipping Tool, and I know a fair few people who just take a photo of their computer with their phone, but with this shortcut, you can take a picture of whatever you want on your screen by dragging a square around.

Simple as that. Watch the graphic below of how easy it is!

Task Switcher (Alt+Tab)

The Task Switcher is a command for the advanced users that I (personally) very rarely use. It puts a Window up on the screen of all of the apps you’re using at once and lets you click which one you want on.

If your computer can tend to be messy, with so many apps open at the same time you can lose track of them, this shortcut will be a miracle.

Give it a try! Maybe it’ll be your saviour.

Clipboard – (Windows+V)

The Clipboard shows the history of everything you’ve Copied or Cut today.

I didn’t know about this one, myself until very recently, and I can’t stop using it! It was so hidden away that the first time I used it, it had to ask me to turn on the tool!

When I have to copy and paste a few email addresses, or phone numbers, I don’t have to go back and forth one by one, I can just copy them all, open up the Clipboard, and paste them all.

And then, they’re still saved in the Clipboard for the rest of the day if I need them in an hour’s time!

More Tools

For some of the techier people in our audience, we have one last tip: Microsoft PowerToys. All the juicy details should be in the post we’ve linked, though in short, it’s an installable add-on released by Microsoft with all sorts of tools and tips for the people who want all of the tools in the world!

With PowerToys, you can:

• Pin a window at the very front, so no other apps every go in front of it! (This one is my favourite)
• Stop your computer from going to sleep until you want it to!
• Find the specific colour of whatever you see on your screen!
• You can even make your own shortcuts!

Thanks for spending the time to read this post – Dylan, IT Apprentice

If you’d like a few more IT Tips, feel free to read up on another one of our posts, or contact us on our website to talk about ways we could improve your company’s IT with a (free!) Consultation

How much do you know about Display-Screen-Equipment? As an employer, you will need to ensure you provide everything your employees need to be protected from DSE danger. As an office worker, how well protected are you from the horrors of a monitor! The Terrors of Chair-Sitting!

In all seriousness, many of us (IT Technicians especially) spend hours a day slouched in a chair, staring at a screen for weeks, months or even years without end. While these hazards won’t make you lose a leg, research shows that this lifestyle leads to long term migraines, backache and wrist injuries.

For your viewing benefit, I’ve compiled a few ways you can defend yourself from these DSE Hazards, though if you’d like the proper Legal explanation, here provided is gov.uk’s much more thorough, (and chunkier) explanation.

DSE Danger: Monitor + Eye Strain

What does your monitor look like? Is it tiny? With low contrast and brightness? Maybe blurry, or with sunbeams lasering it? This causes awful eye strain!

Each time you squint at blurry text or wince at a pure white screen burning a hole in your eyes for 7 hours, you get a tiny bit closer to headaches and migraines! 

How do you fix this? Well, nobody should have to suffer an old, faded small monitor from 2003. Here are a few tiny tips to help:

• Ensure your monitor is sharp and focused.
• One of the most important tips is to make your text large enough to comfortably read.
• Ensure it’s appropriately clean.

A lesser-known life hack for less eye strain is Dark-Mode. Personally, I use dark mode all the time! Nowadays, dark mode is a little more complicated, with more features that enhance it, but it basically flips colours. From White to Black, and Black to White.

The style of the Internet these days is a wall of pure white and tiny black lines. Switching to this style is a massive change surprisingly comfortable. Give it a try! 

For the more sceptical amongst our viewers, I’ve attached an image of what the Cyber-World looks like to a ‘Dark-User’

DSE Danger: Badly Adjusted Chairs

Back pain and wrist injury can both be caused by your very chair. Have you ever wondered why there are so many buttons, switches, handles, knobs and dials on Office Chairs? All of these can adjust the chair into any shape or size for the comfort of almost any person who sits on them!

What is the perfect sitting-strategy you might ask? Feast your eyes on the image below! The back is properly supported, straight up! No slouching for this man. Years of an office job will never crush his spine, or spirit like this!
The arms rest level with the keyboard, no wrist injury in sight, the feet planted firmly on the ground, and the eyes level with the monitor.

So now, you should be a true expert on desk-based survival. Make sure to irritate your colleagues about their inferior H/S training, if you see them squinting at a dusty old monitor.

Personally, I hope that, if you only pick one thing to change after reading this post, it’s that you start using Dark Mode when typing, or surfing the internet, as the more of us there are, the more websites will make it the default!

Thanks for reading – Dylan, IT Apprentice

If you’d like to learn more tips to make day to day office work a little more comfortable, check out our post on Organising Office Desktops! Otherwise, if you’d like to talk about some more ways you could work more productively with computers, feel free to contact us and set up a (free!) consultation.

Numerous organizations rely on servers for various IT functions, such as applications, emails, hosting websites, and data storage. 

Although many companies have turned to cloud-based services using remote data centers, many enterprises still depend on in-house servers. As such, they need to ensure their devices remain in tip-top condition

That’s where server management comes into play. 

Managing your servers can streamline the performance of your team by allowing them to complete complex tasks faster. Plus, it can enable them to detect problems early on before they get out of hand and compromise your business. As a result, the risk of experiencing operational setbacks is drastically lower. 

But the only way to make the most of your server management is to perform it correctly. And to help you do so, this article will share nine tips on improving your server management. 

The Eight Tips

Tip #1 – Mount the Servers Properly 

Small businesses often need to prioritize immediate concerns over long-term plans because they need to work on tight budgets. This is particularly evident in terms of server management. 

When you first set up your servers, it might be tempting to connect them near your workstations. However, this can harm your hardware. 

Mounting your servers in racks is a much better solution. It can shield them from accidents in high-traffic areas, tripping hazards, spills, and dirt. 

Furthermore, server racks can help keep the hardware safe by organizing it in an accessible area that facilitates management and cleaning. They also limit the exposure to regular wear and tear in the office. 

Another critical consideration is to plan for the future when installing your servers. 

When selecting a rack mount, be sure there’s enough room to expand your hardware. Unless your office is tiny, having half-empty racks is preferred to tearing them down and redesigning them a few years down the line. 

Tip #2 – Separate Your Servers from Your Main Area

Depending on the type of servers, they can get quite noisy when in operation. On top of that, they can comprise valuable hardware. So, you’ll want to separate them physically from the working premises. 

If you can’t afford a designated server room, invest in secure rack mounts with integrated sound reduction. 

Tip #3 – Take Care of Your Hardware

Hardware maintenance plays a pivotal role in server management. Without dependable hardware, your productivity can plunge. 

To avoid this scenario, you need to monitor the essential components of your server: 

• CPU (Central Processing Unit) – Your CPU is the core of your servers, performing all calculations for running programs. You need to constantly monitor it to prevent overuse. If it operates near 100% of its power, your team members can’t carry out additional tasks due to slowdowns. It may require chip upgrades or performance tuning to alleviate the stress. 
• RAM (Random Access Memory) – This is the working memory of your server, as it runs faster than hard disks. The more RAM you have, the higher the performance of your device. Closely monitor its usage and add more memory when it gets close to its full capacity. 
• Hard drive – The hard drive is the permanent storage of your servers. It saves your data and programs, but its performance can diminish with overuse. Proper hard disk management entails keeping track of the available space, deleting unnecessary files, installing new drives, or including cloud-based solutions.

Tip #4 – Employ Frequent Cooling 

You expect your servers to perform fast, but the only way to ensure this is to provide optimal conditions. That said, you should primarily focus on cooling the servers. Excess heat can dramatically decrease their lifespan. 

The best practice here is to make sure your cooling device operates outside your building. 

Additionally, if you experience a power outage or central air doesn’t work at night, you need a cooling solution that can run on backup power.

Tip #5 – Manage and Maintain Your Software 

Software used for your server requires regular maintenance, too. The key is to perform regular updates and delete old software to enhance performance. Your servers will operate better, and there will be fewer vulnerabilities cybercriminals can exploit to access your network.

Tip #6 – Arrange the Wiring Neatly

The amount of wiring in your server setup can be overwhelming, especially if you have no technical experience. Sorting out the mess doesn’t only improve cleanliness, but it can also help boost the performance of your server viability for future upgrades. 

Keep in mind that whenever you’re removing, rearranging, or installing your cables, label and group them neatly. Doing so helps prevent clutter. 

Tip #7 – Pay Special Attention to Security

As previously mentioned, servers can be susceptible to cyberattacks. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain a secure system. Here’s what you should do: 

• Install and update antivirus software. 
• Repel unauthorized traffic with firewalls. 
• Use robust access control software or sound password policies and instruct your users to change them regularly. 
• Encrypt external networks and data storage. 
• Incorporate SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools. 
• Analyze and implement security logging measures to understand potential threats. 

Tip #8 – Back up Your Data

The final part of robust server management is backing up your data regularly. After all, loss of information can be disastrous, harming your reputation and losing your customers. 

Besides backing up server software and hardware, you should also have a backup for your power supply to prevent data losses during power outages. Moreover, you can integrate with various tools to expedite backups, recoveries, and status monitoring. 

Look for software that covers both your IT architecture and operating system. It needs to work across systems and applications you currently have or plan on installing. Additionally, it should diagnose server issues efficiently with powerful analytic capabilities. 

Server Management at Its Finest

Managing effective server operation involves several key considerations, from monitoring system temperature to updates and data backups. Even though this can be an arduous process, it’s integral to optimizing your server performance and eliminating security concerns. 

If you need help in optimum server management in your business, we’d love to help you out. Contact us and let’s have a quick, no-obligation chat about it.

—
Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

This nifty tool allows you to automatically sync desktop files to the cloud, with little-to-no disruption to your team’s productivity.

Most of us know the advantages of the cloud by now…

When your files are stored on OneDrive you benefit from being able to access them on any connected device, as well as having a protected version of that data stored on a Microsoft server.

If someone loses their laptop, all synced files are safe. If hardware fails or is damaged, your synced files are safe. When you wish to upgrade your machine, all of your documents are waiting in the cloud ready to access on the new computer from day one.

However, whilst we all know that it’s good to sync and store files to the cloud, the task is a bit like flossing your teeth; many of us forget when we’re going about our day-to-day business.

The default setting for most Windows machines is to dump files to the Documents or Desktop folders. So, before OneDrive Autosave, we had to manually import them, which is a bit of a faff.

Once configured, Autosave syncs your Known Folders to OneDrive automatically, without any input from you, so you can go about your day, saving files without worrying if they’re synced in the cloud.

Note: ‘Known Folders’ include Documents, Desktop and Photos, but doesn’t include Downloads.

So how can you set this up?

This feature is not enabled by default and is currently supported for eligible OneDrive For Business users.

If this is you – great! You can switch on Autosave via your OneDrive settings.

Meanwhile, if you have a larger office, your IT admin will be able to enable Autosave across your whole organisation. This will prompt users to auto-sync files the next time they log in.

Don’t confuse syncing to the cloud with backups.

Whilst syncing your files automatically with Autosave gives you some form of protection against data loss, you should never fully rely on it as it isn’t the same as backups.

OneDrive should always be used in tandem with additional backup methods.

For instance, one we like to use is Spanning Backups. Hosted in AWS, you can backup all of the above vendors and set up an offsite copy. It’s also a great choice as it stores multiple copies of the files.

Want to read about how to set up and maintain backups, please check out a previous blog of ours here.

So, are you going to try this new tool from Microsoft? If you need any more advice on setting it up or even getting Office 365 For Business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’d be happy to advise.