Snapshot of YouTube video with an arrow showing iframe code whilst pointing at the current point in the video timeline

How to embed YouTube videos with a specific start time

As a keen YouTuber, I regularly embed my videos in this site. Sometimes it’s relevant to start the embedded video at a specific time, to take the viewer to the relevant point in the video. It’s simple to do… so if you find yourself needing to embed a YouTube video that starts at a specific […]

Bitlocker recovery screen requesting the Bitlocker recovery key for the current drive

Finding your Bitlocker Recovery Key

A common theme I get asked about is how to recover a lost/forgotten Bitlocker Recovery Key. This unfortunately arises partly due to a lack of understanding about the strength of Bitlocker. Whilst Microsoft quite rightly encourages its use to “protect” your data. They often fail to get across the fact that it provides a level […]

The inside of a hard disk drive, showing the head sat over the disc

Ubuntu backups using 7z (7zip)

Hi, This week I want to look at the use of 7zip in creating an effective backup routine. We all know we should backup regularly, but it’s a pain to do, and most of us have been burnt by the loss of data from time to time, caused by a lack of backing up. Since […]

How to install GNOME on Ubuntu

I’ve been using Ubuntu as my primary operating system for a couple of years now, but choose to support the default Unity shell which has recently been announced to be ending. This guide documents the simple steps I’ve taken to install GNOME without reinstalling Ubuntu. To install GNOME itself: sudo apt install gnome gnome-shell During […]

How to fix infinite reboot loop with Windows Startup Repair

Are you stuck in an infinite reboot loop with Startup Repair? I recently suffered this following a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) after initiating xbootmgr. This article aims to use my experience to offer a fix. The Issue You are unable to access Windows. Every reboot results in a “Windows Error Recovery” boot menu offering […]

Fixing “HACKED+BY+CELLATREIS” message on WordPress

There are many out there hacking into WordPress sites and defacing them. This post seeks to help anyone who’s got the “HACKED+BY+CELLATREIS” or similar message. This one is simply encoded text in the wp_options table of the database. To check this is the cause: 1. Goto the wp-options tables in your WordPress database 2. Find […]

Fix “Unknown Error Reported” in BlackBerry Desktop Manager

After a week of swearing at BlackBerry Desktop Manager for refusing to backup or sync my BlackBerry to my laptop, I finally managed to resolve this, and thought I’d share, in-case this helps others. The Error I was getting an “Unknown Error Reported” error message everytime I clicked “Synchronize” or “Backup” in the BlackBerry Desktop […]

iTunes – Get artwork to stay on top of other windows – e.g. Enhanced Podcast Images

I’m a big fan of the BBC’s “Best of Chris Moyles” podcast. This is available as an “enhanced podcast”, which basically means the artwork changes through the podcast, to give you a better experience, with pictures changing through the podcast, as designed by the podcast producer. I’ve remained subscribed to the enhanced podcast for years, […]