Claygate Computers Trophy for Best Blooming Pub
Congratulations to the Hare & Hounds who won this year's trophy!

Claygate Flower Show - To view Cup Winners click here

Claygate Country Five Run - To view Results click here

AVG is STILL FREE & Searching is Safer!

Users of AVG Antivirus 7.5 will have recently noticed a message appearing advising them that they can upgrade to the new AVG Internet Security Suite 8.0, for a price.

Don’t despair though – you can simply upgrade to AVG Antivirus 8.0 for FREE! Just go to http://free.grisoft.com and choose to download the free version. AVG Antivirus Free Edition 8.0 boasts a refreshed look, more freedom to customise settings, and more features.

Not only do you get the free Antivirus (protection against viruses, worms and trojans), but AVG have now included Antispyware (protection against spyware, adware and identity-theft) and LinkScanner (checks for disreputable websites) into the bargain!

Extract from a newspaper, rather amusing!
Just for info, you could log in remotely to your computer using such programs as GoToMyPC (www.gotomypc.com) and LogMeIn, which is free (www.logmein.com).

World's First Hard Disc Drive
This is the world's first hard disc drive, the IBM Model 350, dating from 1956, with a total storage capacity of just under 5MB. As you see, it would just about fit into an airliner. Don't even ask about the laptop.

Can't open Office 2007 files using previous versions of Office? Here's how.

Microsoft Office 2007 uses new formats to save files in Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx) and PowerPoint (.pptx). Previous versions of Office can't open these formats without installing the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack in addition to Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003. The Compatibility Pack can also be used in conjunction with the Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003, Excel Viewer 2003, and PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view files saved in these new formats.

If you have Office 2007 and wish to allow your documents to be opened by previous versions without the Compatibility Pack, then when you save each document, click 'Save as' and select 'Word 97-2003 Document'. You can set each program to save in this format by default by going to the 'Office Button' in Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2007 (the round thing at the very top left), then click on 'Word Options' > 'Save' (or equivalent), then where it says 'Save files in this format:' use the drop-down menu to select the '97-2003 Document' format.

Password Hell! Security is Key.

How many passwords do you have? I have about a million, and they're all different. It's a good idea to keep different passwords for different websites for better security, but how do you remember them all? Write them down? But this is also dangerous especially if you carry your password list with you! So here's a tip: Split your password into 2 parts. The first part (the 'Key') is... Read more>>

Every little drop helps!

When your printer gets low on ink you might get a warning message on your PC warning you of that fact and advising you to change the cartridge. Well, don't change it straight away! Keep printing until it runs out. You'll find that most printers will go on printing for some time before the cartridges are actually empty!

Remember - you can send your used cartridges to us for recycling. Just post to us here.

“Your antivirus subscription has expired” - Renew or Upgrade?

If you're using a paid-for antivirus program such as Norton Antivirus (as opposed to the free security programs such as AVG Free and Windows Defender) then once a year you'll be faced with the prospect of renewing for another year. If you don't renew, your antivirus will not download protection updates for new viruses that emerge. Usually you are offered a "Renew" button which directs you to the antivirus company's renewal page, but this is where it can get confusing. You are often offered 2 or 3 options... Read More>>

Facebook - be very aware of the privacy settings

By now everyone's heard of Facebook, whether they've joined up or not. Facebook, for those still mystified, is what's known as a social networking site. In short, once you've joined you create a personal profile which you can cram full with all sorts of information about yourself, including pictures and videos. You can then find the profiles of your friends and invite them to 'be your friend'. If they accept they then have access to your profile and become listed in your 'Friends' section. Whenever any of your friends update their profile or their 'current status' (eg. John Smith is travelling through Europe) you are notified of the change in a 'News Feed' which is displayed... Read More>>

Don't Get Scammed, Get Tough!

Scams have been widely reported lately, and for good reason - they're everywhere on the net! If it's not an email in your inbox asking you to type in your bank details, it's a website giving you a false impression of breached security of your computer so you download a fake fix which turns out to be malware directing you to a ligitimate-looking website which will charge you to 'cleanse' your computer of viruses (breathe!). Yes - they can be complicated and very well organized, these scams aren't created by bored kids in their bedrooms but by organized gangs... Read More>>