We fix your tech problems
The APC team tackle problems across the spectrum of devices and software we use. Learn a new trick or fix you can use.
HARDWARE CAN MY PC SUPPORT 4K?
I’m wondering if my Intel Core i3-6100 with onboard graphics is capable of running an Ultra HD monitor?
Dafydd Lewis
Most Intel Core processors from 2010 on support 4K displays – for basic usage at least. The Core i3-6100 has onboard Intel HD Graphics 530, which can display 4K images and play certain video formats, but will perform poorly when it comes to games. We contacted Dafydd to find out which motherboard was powering his PC – this is critical because the HDMI output may not support 4K at the recommended refresh rate of 60 Hz. Sure enough, his Asus Z170-A only supported 4K output via HDMI at 24Hz. Its DisplayPort connector does, however, support 60Hz, which means he needs to source a 4K monitor with a
DisplayPort input to ensure the best possible picture without having to invest in a dedicated graphics card. Nick Peers
MAC OUT OF DATE FIRMWARE
I replaced the internal Fusion Drive in my iMac with an SSD. It has now fallen behind with firmware updates. How can I bring it up to date?
Ian Jamieson
Some years ago, Apple stopped supplying Mac firmware updates separately, and now delivers them inside macOS upgrades, updates, and security updates instead. For example, the macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update, High Sierra Security Update 2018-002 and Sierra Security Update 2018-005 all brought a set of firmware updates which also changed the numbering system for the firmware. Some Macs don’t appear to install these correctly, though, and one common feature to such problems is that the internal storage of that Mac has been replaced, normally with a nonApple product, such as an original hard drive which has been upgraded to an SSD. One workaround is to replace the original storage in order to perform the update, but as ‘firmware’ is largely stored on disk that may not have any effect when the new storage is swapped back in. That also doesn’t help if the original drive has failed, or been repurposed. Sometimes installing macOS from scratch as a clean install onto a freshly formatted disk can address this. In a few instances, the boot drive doesn’t get properly formatted in the first place and may lack the Recovery or other partitions. Sorting these problems out gets very technical, and is probably best done by your nearest Apple store. Howard Oakley
“If hardware failure is confirmed, then you have a choice: first, source a replacement drive for your specific laptop model. ”
SECURITY MALWAREBYTES VS FIREFOX PREFS FILE
Every time Malwarebytes 4.0 runs a scan on my PC it flags my Firefox prefs.js file as containing a PUP.Optional.Conduit. I presume this is linked to some add-on, but how can I find out which? And should I remove it?
Jonathan Glassier
PUP.Optional.Conduit refers to an online platform used to create custom toolbars and apps. It’s known to change browser settings and display potentially dangerous adverts. However, it’s not actually malware, so don’t panic. Start by making sure that Firefox is closed before instructing Malwarebytes to quarantine the file – this will ensure the file is actually removed. Firefox will then recreate a new prefs.js file. If the file keeps getting flagged, you’ll need to browse to your Firefox profile folder (press Win-R, type %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\ Profiles\ and hit Enter, then doubleclick the folder ending in ‘.default’). Right-click prefs.js and choose Edit to open it in Notepad to see if you can easily locate any suspicious-looking entries. If you can link them to a specific add-on (including any search engines you may have added), try removing it to see if that removes the entry and resolves the problem – do so via about:addons (for extensions) and Options > Search (for search engines). If you can’t find the culprit, but you’re happy with your current setup, then PUP.Optional.Conduit is more an irritation than a genuine threat, so consider just ignoring it. Carrie Marshall
HARDWARE CDS AND DVDS ARE NOT DETECTED
For the past two months I’ve been unable to use CDs or DVDs in my laptop. I’ve tried different apps, but I always get the same error message: “Please insert a CD”. I’m running the latest version of the Windows 10 Insider Preview.
Walter Tuchschmid
Sadly, this could well be hardware failure. Start by eliminating all other possible causes if you haven’t already: run through the steps at https:// support.microsoft.com/kb/314060/ to verify it’s not a driver or Windowsrelated issue. You could even go as far as to take a drive image of your current setup, then reinstall a retail copy of Windows 10 from scratch to see if the problem is resolved; either way, you can then roll back to your current Insider installation. If hardware failure is confirmed, then you have a choice: first, source a replacement drive for your specific laptop model – you may need to search eBay, and track down your laptop’s service manual online for the procedure to follow to replace an internal drive. An external replacement drive is an affordable alternative: around $20-30 on eBay or Amazon. You may need two spare USB ports, one of which will supply power to the drive. Ian Sleightholm
SECURITY HAVE I BEEN COMPROMISED?
I received an email that concerns me. The subject line appears to list a password that contains some of the characters in the correct order that I’ve used, and then the email body is basically trying to extort money from me, claiming that I’ve visited an adult website and that my webcam recorded me ‘having fun’. I’m being asked to pay $2,000 to avoid embarrassment. Given I’ve never visited this (or any adult site), I’m pretty sure it’s a scam, but those password characters worry me. David Hargeaves