Bring back lost Windows Games

The old computer games are the best. Kat Orphanides shows you where to find and play the classic games Microsoft dumped

Bring back Solitaire in Windows 8/8.1

Microsoft has promised to bring back Solitaire in Windows 10 after ditching it in Windows 8/8.1, which is fine for those who plan to upgrade. But what about the rest of us? Fortunately, you can download it as a free Windows 8/8.1 app from the Microsoft Store: see www.snipca.com/16595 for instructions (you’ll find Minesweeper here, too). The game has many more variations than the XP version, and you can even join an international Solitaire tournament to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Use your PC as a Secretary

Is your PC a mess? Jane Hoskyn reveals the best free tools to help organise it

Wasn’t technology supposed to make life easier? By this point in the 21st century, we were supposed to have robot servants and automated butlers. Instead, you are a servant to your PC. All those hours spent organising documents, typing emails and trying to keep your head above a messy flood of files. It’s time to ease your workload as we reveal how to make your PC do its own boring chores.

Double Your PC's Life

Do you really need to replace your PC? Jane Hoskyn reveals how to make it last twice as long using free tools, secret tips and value-for-money upgrades

You could buy a new computer especially for Windows 10, and PC manufacturers are busy encouraging you to do so. But why should you have to?

Don’t know about you, but we’re craving a bit of consistency. Microsoft currently seems to be forcing new operating systems on us every other week, and your software and apps change (sorry, ‘update’) so often they look different every time you open them.

Chances are you’re used to your current PC. If you’ve been using it for a year or more – perhaps many years more – you know how it works, and you’ve probably spent hours organising your software and files to suit you. Moving to a new PC would be like moving house – stressful, confusing, expensive and time-consuming, and not actually necessary.

Google Tone

Forget email – you can now send items using your computer’s sound instead

What is it?

A new, free Chrome extension that lets you ‘broadcast’ files and web addresses to nearby computers using your PC’s sound. Google says the extension “aims to make sharing digital things with nearby people as easy as talking to them”. It promises to let you share items more quickly than is currently possible by email.

Fujifilm XQ2

A pocket-sized camera with superb image quality

Larger cameras generally capture more light and produce higher-quality images, but not everyone wants to lug a 1kg DSLR around with them. This explains the meteoric rise of compact system cameras (CSCs), which cram DSLR technology into smaller, lightweight casings. And yet, even these are typically too large to slip into a small pocket or handbag.

Secret Tips For… Autoruns

Check for malware, compare configurations and discover command-line secrets

Check for malware using VirusTotal

The latest version of Autoruns (www.snipca.com/16584) has a new feature that lets you check files for malware. It does this by integrating with VirusTotal (www.virustotal.com), a Google-owned service that collates ‘community scores’ for billions of files. VirusTotal doesn’t remove viruses, so isn’t a substitute for good security software, but it does offer useful insights into suspect files.

Dashlane Premium

Safe and simple password-management software that works on all your devices

It’s safest – if not always practical – to use a unique password for every website you have an account with. Although your browser can store these for you, it’s easier and more secure to use a specialised password manager like Dashlane. This software is also described as a ‘digital wallet’, which means it can also remember your bank or payment-card details and submit them securely to a website to save you the bother.

LG G4

LG’s new leather phone tries to outshine the Galaxy S6

Now that Samsung has dropped removable batteries and SD card slots from its flagship Galaxy S range of phones – starting with its latest model the S6 – you’ll have to look elsewhere if these are important to you. The LG G4 is one of the few Android phones that still has both features, as well as the latest technology.

How safe are your online security questions?

We all want to be safe online, but are security questions really the answer?

Where were you born? What’s your mother’s maiden name? Who was your first teacher? These are the kinds of questions websites often ask you before letting you access your accounts or recover your passwords. They are meant to provide an extra layer of security, but Google says that answering questions to log into accounts is unreliable and unsafe.