Posts

Optimised Computing: Stress-Free Website & SEO Support for Herefordshire Clubs, Charities, and Businesses

Image
Why Your Herefordshire Charity, Club, or Business Needs a Website—And How Optimised Computing Makes It Easy In today’s digital world, having a website isn’t just a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Whether you're running a community group, a local charity, or a small business in Herefordshire, a website helps you connect, grow, and thrive. But we get it: building one can feel overwhelming. That’s where Optimised Computing steps in. Your Website: A Digital Front Door to the World Imagine your website as your 24/7 shop window, open to anyone with an internet connection. It’s where people discover who you are, what you do, and how to get involved or support you. From showcasing your mission to selling products or promoting events, your website becomes the central hub for everything you offer. And in Herefordshire—where word-of-mouth still matters but digital reach is growing fast—a website helps you go beyond the village noticeboard. You can reach supporters in Ledbury, Leominster, or ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Boost Your Business with Local SEO: How to Rank locally.

Image
Local SEO Made Simple: Rank Higher and Grow Your Business     As a local IT specialist offering computer repair and tech support across Hereford, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful  local SEO  can be in helping small businesses grow. Whether you're running a café, a plumbing service, a boutique, or an IT repair shop, having a strong online presence that is visible, searchable, and optimized for both AI and SEO is essential for being found by local customers In this post, I’ll break down what local SEO is, why it matters, and how I’ve used it to grow my own business— Optimised Computing —right here in Hereford. What Is Local SEO and Why Does It Matter? Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. These are the kinds of searches people do every day, like: “ Your Service or Business name near me” “ Your Service or Business name Hereford” ...
Post a Comment
Location: Hampton Bishop, Hereford HR1 4LA, UK
Read more

Inside a Repair: Diagnosing a Dead Laptop

Image
Introduction: A typical computer issue. This is a write-up of a very typical experience of the work we do at Optimised Computing to repair, upgrade and service computers and laptops in Hereford. The customer has a Sony Vaio SVF14C29M from 2012, they know their laptop very well and have got used to it. The laptop's original would have been Windows 8, but it had the free Windows 10 upgrade.   The Customer’s Dilemma, This computer does not support windows 11. Listening to the customer, they had warnings about this computer does not support Windows 11, and it has been getting slower and slower, and now it is unusable. Supporting the decision to buy new or repair The customer wants to know should they buy new, but could it be repaired is more work ethical rather than add to e-waste, but the reality we all want to know is it cheaper and also we don’t want the hassle of having to re-setup, do I remember my passwords ?, setting up my email and what about that program I use bu...
Post a Comment
Location: Hampton Bishop, Hereford HR1 4LA, UK
Read more

7 Smart Tweaks to Make Windows 11 Feel Like Home Again

Image
Restore Familiar Windows Functions to Windows 11 Feeling lost in Windows 11? This blog shares 7 practical tweaks—from restoring the classic right-click menu to speeding up old machines and enabling boot logs—that make Windows more familiar, efficient, and user-friendly. Plus, a great tool to fully customize your Start Menu! Based on working with customer in Hereford as part of the IT support solutions being used practically by  https://optimisedcomputing.co.uk/ File Explorer right click menu restore to windows 10 look and feel.    Windows 11 default new right click menu: Familiar windows 10 looking right click menu: There is no direct option in settings or control panel, but a simple copy and paste of this command in a normal user command prompt window. Press windows key + R and type “cmd.exe” and paste or type exactly this command:  reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "" /f Y...
Post a Comment
Location: Hampton Bishop, Hereford HR1 4LA, UK
Read more

Browser notification spam/scam, how to turn off all those fake notifications.

Image
  When Notifications Turn Nasty We’ve all seen them—those alarming pop-ups claiming your device is infected, urging you to “click here” to fix it. But these aren’t helpful alerts from your antivirus software—they’re browser notification scams , designed to trick you into visiting shady sites, downloading malware, or handing over personal info. What starts as a simple “Allow notifications” click can quickly spiral into a flood of fake warnings on your desktop or phone. In this guide, we’ll show you how to identify these scams and, more importantly, how to shut them down—whether you’re using Chrome or Edge on Windows, macOS, Android, or iPhone. I work doing IT support in Hereford as part of  optimised computing  and have had these issues with many infected customers. This is written from real-world experience. How to turn off notifications and also I recommend disabling this notification feature completely, also documented here.   How to Turn Off Scam Notifications in ...
Post a Comment
Location: Hampton Bishop, Hereford HR1 4LA, UK
Read more

Windows Password how do I recovery, what about Microsoft account and bitlocker.?

Image
Reset or Bypass windows password options? As I run an IT support service in herford  optimised computing , I come across this scenario and have written up how I approach this problem. 1 st need to check if you have bitlocker, if your PC is not asking for anything related to bitlocker you can skip to the next section. Section 1 BitLocker Recovery Key: What to Do If You're Locked Out BitLocker is a powerful tool built into Windows to keep your data safe through encryption. But sometimes that safety net turns into a roadblock—like when you boot into Safe Mode or make hardware changes, and Windows suddenly asks you to enter your BitLocker recovery key. Here’s what you need to know: Why You're Being Asked for a BitLocker Recovery Key When BitLocker detects unusual conditions—Safe Mode boot, BIOS changes, or even updates—it may assume your system is under threat and prompt you to verify ownership using your 48-digit recovery key . If you can't use your normal sign-in method (l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Essential Windows Protection to minimise service interruption.

Image
Why Windows Recovery Features Matter—And Why Yours Might Not Be Enabled Whether you're running a PC for daily essentials or managing operations in a work environment, unexpected failures can strike without warning. Fortunately, Windows includes built-in restore features designed to help you bounce back quickly—but many users don’t even realise these tools are switched off by default. In this post, we'll explore why enabling recovery options is a smart move, especially if you're relying on expert IT support, like us at Optimised Computing. With the right settings in place, service restoration becomes faster and far more reliable. You might wonder why these safeguards aren’t activated automatically. Some argue for user choice and data privacy—but if your machine handles important tasks, backing up both your files and Windows itself is more than a precaution. It’s essential Windows System Recovery. Under the control panel > Recovery, or typing "create restore point...
Post a Comment
Location: Hampton Bishop, Hereford HR1 4LA, UK
Read more