Web User - UK (2019-11-13)

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Ask the Expert

13 - 26 November 2019 67

toolsincludeapplocks,creditcard

storage, secure shopping and search

features, a VPN, password management,

assorted utilities, security apps for your

phone and so on.

The question you need to ask yourself

is how much do you need these extras?

Windows Defender simply protects your

PC from viruses and spyware. It does

that well, but threats can come from

other directions, too. You may find that

a paid-for security suite offers greater

peace of mind if you’d rather just install

the software and forget about it.

OpentheControlPanel,then

‘Network and Sharing Centre’. Here,

you should see an active network

with a Connections link on the right.

Click it, then click the Properties button

in the window that appears. In the

next window, make sure Internet

Protocol Version 4 is enabled. Double-

click it and check that ‘Obtain an IP

address automatically’ and ‘Obtain

DNS server address automatically’

are both selected.

SECURITY

Choose appropriate security

Q

I have always purchased security

software and updated it regularly.

Now some people claim that Windows

Defender is all you need, while others

say it’s rubbish and that you should get

a security suite – usually followed by the

name of their favourite tool. Am I

wasting my money with security

software subscriptions?

S Harris, via email

A

There isn’t a simple yes or no

answer to this. Some people find

that Windows Defender is all they need,

while others rely on free or purchased

security software. Windows Defender

was indeed a very poor option when

Microsoft first introduced it, but it has

steadily improved over the years and is

now at a point where you can safely use

it as your sole security option. It’s very

good at blocking malware.

That’s not to say it’s perfect, however,

and third-party security suites offer

much more than Windows Defender.

For example, some security suites can

keep an eye on what you or your family

members type into web pages and

block or warn you when any sensitive

information is entered. It may also be

possible to lock or erase the computer

remotely if it’s stolen. Other common

Q

My laptop has a touchpad,

but because I tend to

work at a desk, I prefer to use

a wireless mouse. However, I

sometimes brush my hand

against the touchpad while

typing, which moves the

mouse pointer so I end

up typing or clicking in

the wrong place. How do I

disable the touchpad?

Mark Thompson, via email

A

Is there any software

installed on your laptop

that lets you configure the

touchpad or change its

settings? If not, open Control

Panel and click Mouse. The

Mouse Properties window

may include a touchpad tab,

where you can configure its settings.

Check this for a Disable option.

If you can’t see any such option in

the Control Panel, open the Windows

10 Settings app and click Devices.

Select Touchpad and set the

sensitivity to the lowest setting. It

should now ignore accidental touches.

Disable laptop touchpad

HARDWARE

Enable, disable or customise the touchpad

using Mouse Properties in the Control Panel

MACOS

Don’t automatically

update to Catalina

Q

A couple of years ago, I decided

to invest in a beautiful 27in iMac.

It looks great, but now every time

Apple updates the operating system,

something disappointing happens.

The recent Catalina 64-bit fiasco has

been the worst yet.

My genealogy software stopped

working because it’s 32-bit, and there’s

currently no 64-bit version. I bought

some alternative software that gives me

It’s usually best to let your networking

hardware work out its own IP address

Windows Security is fine for some, but paid-for software offers more features