Hoplyte Systems

05/21/2026

While extremely fast, some people might think that your data on an unpowered Solid State Drive (SSD) drive is safe enough to be used as long term backup, not so! Analysis is suggesting that data loss on moderately used unpowered SSDs can be of a concern. Either power up the SSD occasionally to make the data is still good, or use a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for proven long term backups.

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/unpowered-ssd-endurance-investigation-finds-severe-data-loss-and-performance-issues-reminds-us-of-the-importance-of-refreshing-backups

Follow Hoplyte Systems for more IT tips, or contact us for assistance for your technology problems in the Trail-Castlegar-Nelson Area!

YouTuber SSD tests reveals problems all round on two-year-old TLC drives.

03/03/2026

Be on the lookout for a new attack using the CAPTCHA's that we so often now have to go through to get a website. If the CAPTCHA asks you to hit the "Windows Key" and "R", stay away! It's more than likely it's a scam.

An increasing number of websites use a clipboard hijacker and instruct victims on how to infect their own machine.

12/12/2025

Looking for a used phone to give as a gift this Christmas? Make sure to protect yourself from buying a stolen/blocked phone! You can do this by checking the IMEI number of the device. Either dial #06 # on the number pad to display it, go into the phone settings/about selection, or look under the battery. Then go to

https://www.devicecheck.ca/check-status-device-canada/

and type the number in to see if has been blocked by Canadas' Mobile providers, Save yourself the awkwardness of a stolen phone being given as a gift to a loved one.

12/09/2025

The people at Greynoise Labs have created a page that checks if your IP address you use for internet access has been found to be part of botnet attacks. It can be an indicator that a device on your network has been compromised.

Check if your IP address has been observed by GreyNoise sensors. Instantly detect malicious activity, compromised devices, and security threats affecting your network.

12/05/2025

For anyone who likes to do photography on their Android phone , for a limited time Adobe has released a Beta of their photoshop program for Android for free. Give it a try and make your pictures pop!

For Residential and Commercial IT Services please feel free to reach out to me via phone at 250.608.1583 or email [email protected]

Today Adobe is excited to bring Photoshop to Android to empower more mobile creators to bring their ideas to life with creative freedom, anytime and anywhere.

11/26/2025

One thing that changed from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is the context menu, the menu that comes up when you right click a file or folder. If you want to keep the windows 10 style of menu, you can use WinSetView to reset the context menu.

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/winsetview.html

Follow Hoplyte Systems for more hints and tips!

WinSetView allows you to set Windows Explorer folder views globally. WinSetView will permit you to set the Details View with a user-defined selection of column headings. The selection will be enabled across all folders.

11/18/2025

If you are trying to upgrade your PC to Windows 11 from Windows 10 you might be getting a message stating that your PC's hardware can't support Windows 11. Don't despair! While not the easy straightforward route Microsoft wants most consumers to take, you can in fact upgrade your PC to Windows 11 without spending big dollars on a new PC! Contact Hoplyte Systems for more information.

11/11/2025

In remembrance of those who served.

11/07/2025

With the end of regular security updates for Windows 10 Microsoft is trying to push the notion that you need to buy a new PC for a secure Windows 11 operating system. Not So! You can get another year of extended security updates without paying any money, either by using Bing Points or sync'ing your account to OneDrive. Contact Hoplyte Systems for assistance.

11/07/2025

With the end of regular security updates for Windows 10 Microsoft is trying to push the notion that you need to buy a new PC for a secure Windows 11operating system. Not So! You can get another year of extended security updates without paying any money, either by using Bing Points or sync'ing your account to OneDrive. Read the link below, or contact Hoplyte Systems for assistance.

Although Windows 10 is no longer officially supported, Microsoft says users can now sign up for free security updates. Here’s what you need to do step-by-step.