IT How-To Guides for Your Team

1. Click the Start button (Windows logo) in the bottom-left.
2. Click the Power icon.
3. Select Restart (not Shut Down).
4. Wait for the computer to fully turn off and back on.
5. Log in again when the login screen appears.

💡Restart — not Shut Down — clears temporary files and applies updates. If your PC is acting sluggish, always try a restart first.

1. Press Windows + R, type netplwiz, press Enter.
2. Select your user account in the list.
3. To enable auto-login: uncheck "Users must enter a username and password" then click OK.
4. Enter your password twice when prompted to confirm.
5. To re-enable password login: repeat steps 1–2 and check the box again.

💡Never use auto-login on a laptop that leaves the office — anyone who finds it gets full access to your files.

1. Press Windows + S to open search, or click the search bar on the taskbar.
2. Type the filename or a word you know is in the document.
3. Windows shows results as you type — look under "Documents" or "Files".
4. Right-click the file in results and select "Open file location" to see where it was saved.
5. Or open File Explorer and click "Recent" in the left panel to see recently accessed files.

💡Sort File Explorer by "Date modified" (click the column header) to instantly see the most recently changed files.

1. Press Windows + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool (best method).
2. Your screen will dim — drag to select the area you want to capture.
3. The screenshot copies to your clipboard and appears as a notification.
4. Click the notification to annotate and save it.
5. Alternatively, press PrtScn to capture the whole screen and paste into Word or email.

💡Windows + Shift + S lets you capture just part of the screen — much more useful than the full screen.

1. Click the WiFi icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.
2. Click the arrow next to the WiFi icon to see available networks.
3. Click the network name you want to connect to.
4. Click "Connect".
5. Enter the WiFi password and click "Next".
6. Choose "Public" (cafes, airports) or "Private" (home, office).

💡Mark your office network as Private so file sharing works. Mark public networks as Public to protect your device.

1. Click Start → Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to "Apps" → "Default apps".
3. Scroll down and click "Web browser".
4. Choose your preferred browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox).
5. On Windows 11: search "Default apps", find your browser, and set it as default for all relevant file types.

💡On Windows 11, Microsoft may prompt you to stick with Edge — you can dismiss this and proceed with your choice.

1. Click Start → Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to "Apps" → "Installed apps" (Win 11) or "Apps & features" (Win 10).
3. Find the program you want to remove.
4. Click on it and select "Uninstall".
5. Follow any prompts to complete the uninstall.
6. Restart your computer if prompted.

💡Deleting a shortcut from your Desktop does NOT uninstall the program. Always use Settings or Control Panel.

1. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
2. Click "This PC" in the left panel.
3. You'll see your drives with a bar showing used and free space.
4. Right-click the C: drive → "Properties" for more detail.
5. Go to Settings → System → Storage to see a breakdown by category.

💡If your C: drive is over 85% full, performance will start to suffer. Time to delete or move old files.

1. Open Outlook and click File → Options → Mail.
2. Click "Signatures…".
3. Click "New" and give your signature a name (e.g., "Work").
4. Type your signature — include your name, title, phone, and website.
5. Under "Choose default signature", set New messages and Replies/forwards to your new signature.
6. Click OK to save.

💡Keep signatures under 5 lines. Avoid large images — they often appear as attachments to recipients.

1. This is done by your IT administrator — contact Xen IT to set it up.
2. Once created, open Outlook and go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings.
3. Double-click your Exchange account → click "More Settings".
4. Go to the "Advanced" tab → click "Add" and type the shared mailbox address.
5. The shared mailbox will appear in Outlook's left panel automatically.

💡Shared mailboxes don't need a licence if under 50GB. Perfect for team inboxes like info@, support@, accounts@.

1. Go to your "Sent Items" folder.
2. Double-click the email to open it in a new window.
3. Click File → Info → Resend or Recall → "Recall This Message".
4. Choose "Delete unread copies of this message" and optionally check "Tell me if recall succeeds or fails".
5. Click OK. You'll receive a notification for each recipient.

💡Recall only works if the recipient hasn't opened the email yet and is in the same Microsoft 365 organisation. It often fails with external addresses.

1. Click "File" in Outlook's top-left.
2. Click "Automatic Replies".
3. Select "Send automatic replies".
4. Set a start and end date/time if you want it to turn off automatically.
5. Type your message for Inside My Organization and separately for Outside My Organization.
6. Click OK. Your auto-reply is now active.

💡Keep your out-of-office message brief. Include who to contact in your absence so senders aren't left waiting.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your OneDrive folder.
2. Right-click the file → click "Share".
3. Change the permission level if needed ("Anyone with the link" vs specific people).
4. Enter the recipient's email address or copy the link to send manually.
5. Set permissions to "View" (read-only) if they don't need to edit.
6. Optionally set an expiry date for the link.

💡Use "View only" for sensitive documents shared with clients. You can revoke access at any time via Manage Access.

1. Open Microsoft Teams and click the "Calls" or "Calendar" icon in the left sidebar.
2. To call someone directly: click "Calls" → search their name → click the video camera icon.
3. For a scheduled meeting: go to Calendar, click the meeting, then click "Join".
4. Check your camera and microphone in the preview screen before joining.
5. Click "Join Now" when ready.
6. Use the toolbar to mute, turn off camera, share your screen, or end the call.

💡Press Ctrl + Shift + M to quickly mute/unmute yourself in a Teams call.

1. Open Outlook Calendar and click "New Meeting".
2. Fill in the title, location, and attendees.
3. Click "Recurrence" in the toolbar.
4. Choose the pattern: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly.
5. Set the days (e.g., every Monday) and the end date or number of occurrences.
6. Click OK, then Send.

💡To change a single occurrence without affecting the series, open just that event and select "Just this event" when prompted.

1. Open Outlook and create a new meeting (click New Meeting in Calendar).
2. In the meeting window, click "Teams Meeting" in the toolbar.
3. A Teams meeting link is automatically added to the invite body.
4. Add your attendees and fill in the details as normal.
5. Click Send.

💡If you don't see the "Teams Meeting" button, contact IT — the Teams add-in for Outlook may need to be enabled.

1. In Outlook, right-click your "Inbox" or a folder in the left panel.
2. Select "Archive".
3. Outlook will move emails older than the default date to your Archive folder.
4. For a custom date: go to File → Info → Cleanup Tools → Archive and choose your folder and date.
5. You can still search archived emails — they haven't been deleted, just moved.

💡Archiving keeps your inbox manageable without deleting anything. Check with IT if auto-archive is already configured.

1. Click in the search bar at the top of Outlook (or press Ctrl + E).
2. Type your search term.
3. Use the filter options that appear: From, To, Subject, Has Attachments, Date range.
4. To search a specific folder only: click in that folder first before searching.
5. For advanced search: click "More" in the search toolbar to add additional filters.

💡Use from:name@email.com or subject:invoice directly in the search bar to filter without clicking through menus.

1. Pick 3–4 random words and join them (e.g., "PurpleCloudBiscuit7").
2. Add a number and a symbol to meet most requirements.
3. Make it at least 14 characters long.
4. Never use your name, company name, or "Password1".
5. Use a different password for every account — a password manager makes this easy.

💡A passphrase like "Red!TruckGarden42" is far stronger than a short complex password like "P@ssw0rd" — and easier to type.

1. Log into your Microsoft 365 account at portal.office.com.
2. Click your profile icon → "View account".
3. Go to "Security info" → "Add sign-in method".
4. Choose "Authenticator app" and install Microsoft Authenticator on your phone.
5. Scan the QR code with the app and complete the test prompt.
6. MFA is now active — approve a push notification each time you log in.

💡Use the Microsoft Authenticator app, not SMS codes — SMS MFA can be bypassed by SIM-swapping attacks.

1. Download a reputable password manager (Bitwarden is free; 1Password is great for teams).
2. Create an account with a very strong master password — this is the only one you'll need to remember.
3. Install the browser extension so it autofills passwords on websites.
4. Start saving passwords as you log in to your usual sites — the extension will prompt you.
5. Generate new strong passwords for important accounts using the built-in generator.

💡Never store passwords in Chrome or Edge. Browser-saved passwords are much easier to steal than a dedicated password manager.

1. Go to haveibeenpwned.com (a free, trusted service by security researcher Troy Hunt).
2. Enter your email address in the search bar and click "pwned?".
3. If it shows "Oh no — pwned!", your email appeared in a data breach.
4. Scroll down to see which breaches included your email.
5. Change your password on any affected sites immediately — especially if you reuse passwords.

💡Enable breach notifications at haveibeenpwned.com so you're alerted automatically if your email appears in a future breach.

1. Check the sender's email address — hover over the name to see the full address. Look for misspellings or odd domains.
2. Look for urgency: "Act now", "Your account will be closed", "Immediate action required".
3. Hover over links before clicking — check the actual URL in the status bar.
4. Be suspicious of unexpected attachments, especially .zip, .exe, or .docm files.
5. When in doubt, do not click — contact IT or call the sender directly.

💡Real banks, Microsoft, and the ATO will never ask for your password or MFA code in an email. Ever.

1. Click Start → Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to "Accounts" → "Sign-in options".
3. Under "Windows Hello PIN", click "Add" or "Set up".
4. You may be asked to verify your Microsoft account password first.
5. Enter your chosen PIN (4+ digits) twice and click OK.

💡A PIN is actually more secure than a password on Windows — it's tied to the specific device and can't be used to log in remotely.

1. Press Windows + L to instantly lock your screen (fastest method).
2. Your screen goes to the lock screen — programs keep running in the background.
3. Alternatively: press Ctrl + Alt + Delete → "Lock".
4. To lock automatically: go to Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options → set "Require sign-in" to "When PC wakes from sleep".
5. Also set a screen saver to lock after inactivity via Settings → Personalization → Screen saver.

💡Pressing Windows + L takes less than a second. Make it a habit every time you step away — even for a few minutes.

1. Go to myaccount.microsoft.com and sign in.
2. Click "Password" in the left menu or under "Security info".
3. Enter your current password, then your new password twice.
4. Click "Submit".
5. You'll be signed out of other devices — re-enter your new password on your phone and other apps.

💡Your IT admin may have set a password expiry policy. Change your password promptly when prompted — accounts lock after the grace period expires.

1. Click Start → Settings → "Bluetooth & devices" (Win 11) or "Devices" (Win 10).
2. Click "Printers & scanners" → "Add a printer or scanner".
3. Windows searches for available printers — click your printer when it appears.
4. Click "Add device".
5. If your printer doesn't appear: click "The printer I want isn't listed" and enter its IP address.

💡For office network printers, ask IT for the printer's IP address and use "Add using IP address" for the most reliable connection.

1. Click the printer icon in the system tray to open the print queue.
2. Right-click the stuck job and click "Cancel".
3. If it won't cancel: press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
4. Find "Print Spooler" in the list, right-click it, and select "Stop".
5. Open File Explorer, go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files inside (not the folder).
6. Go back to services.msc and Start the "Print Spooler" again.

💡The Print Spooler restart method fixes 99% of stuck print queues. Save these steps for next time.

1. Place your document face-down on the scanner glass (or face-up in the document feeder).
2. On the printer screen, select "Scan" or "Scan to Email".
3. Enter your email address as the destination (or select it from the address book).
4. Choose colour or black-and-white, and your resolution (150dpi is fine for documents).
5. Press Scan. The document will be emailed to you as a PDF.

💡Scan to PDF rather than JPG for documents — PDFs are smaller, easier to read, and look professional.

1. Put your headphones in pairing mode (usually hold the power button until the LED flashes — check your manual).
2. On your laptop, click Start → Settings → "Bluetooth & devices".
3. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
4. Click "Add device" → "Bluetooth".
5. Your headphones should appear in the list — click them to pair.

💡If your headphones don't appear, make sure they're in pairing mode (not just powered on) and within 1 metre of the laptop.

1. Connect the monitor using an HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C cable.
2. Windows should detect it automatically — you'll see a brief screen flash.
3. Right-click the Desktop → "Display settings".
4. You'll see two numbered displays. Click "Identify" to confirm which is which.
5. Under "Multiple displays", choose "Extend these displays".
6. Drag the display icons to match your physical monitor arrangement.

💡Set your main monitor (where the taskbar lives) by selecting the display and checking "Make this my main display".

1. Open the VPN client installed on your computer (e.g., Cisco AnyConnect, GlobalProtect).
2. Enter the VPN server address provided by IT.
3. Log in with your company username and password.
4. Approve the MFA prompt on your phone if required.
5. Once connected, your traffic routes through the company network — you can now access shared drives.

💡Connect to the VPN before trying to access company resources. If it fails, try disconnecting and reconnecting, or restart the VPN client.

1. Check if other devices (phone, another laptop) have internet — this tells you if it's the device or the network.
2. On your computer, right-click the network icon → "Troubleshoot problems".
3. If other devices work fine: press Windows + R → type cmd → type ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew.
4. Restart your computer and router (unplug router for 30 seconds).
5. If nothing works, contact IT.

💡Most internet issues are solved by restarting the router and restarting the PC — it fixes about 80% of cases.

1. Run a speed test at speedtest.net to see actual speeds.
2. Check if others in the office are also slow — if so, it's likely a network or ISP issue.
3. Disconnect from the VPN temporarily to see if that's the cause.
4. Close unused browser tabs and applications using bandwidth (video streaming, large downloads).
5. Try a wired Ethernet connection instead of WiFi for more consistent speeds.

💡If speeds are consistently below your plan, contact IT or your ISP — speeds degrade for many reasons, from faulty cables to overloaded access points.

1. This requires IT to enable RDP on your office computer — contact Xen IT to set this up.
2. Once enabled, from your home computer: press Windows + R, type mstsc, press Enter.
3. Enter the IP address or computer name of your work PC.
4. Enter your work username and password.
5. Your work desktop will appear in a window — it's as if you're sitting at your desk.

💡Never enable RDP without IT oversight — exposed RDP ports are one of the most common entry points for ransomware attacks.

1. During a Teams call, click the "Share" icon in the meeting toolbar.
2. Choose what to share: your whole screen, a specific window, or a PowerPoint.
3. In Zoom: click "Share Screen" at the bottom and make the same selections.
4. A red border will appear around what you're sharing so you know what others can see.
5. Click "Stop sharing" when finished.

💡Share a specific window (not your whole screen) so you don't accidentally show notifications or other documents.

1. On iPhone: go to Settings → Personal Hotspot → toggle "Allow Others to Join" on.
2. On Android: go to Settings → Network → Mobile Hotspot and toggle it on.
3. On your laptop, connect to the hotspot network (it'll appear with your phone's name).
4. Enter the password shown in your phone's hotspot settings.
5. Your laptop now uses your phone's mobile data — be mindful of your data allowance.

💡Hotspot drains battery fast. Plug your phone in while using it as a hotspot for extended periods.

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray (cloud icon, bottom-right).
2. Select "Settings" → go to "Sync and backup" tab.
3. Click "Manage backup".
4. Toggle on Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders.
5. Click "Save changes" — these folders now sync automatically to OneDrive.

💡Once enabled, your Desktop files are accessible from any device and protected if your laptop is lost or damaged.

1. In File Explorer, right-click the file you want to restore.
2. Select "Version history".
3. You'll see a list of previous versions with dates and times.
4. Click on a version to preview it.
5. Click "Restore" to replace the current file, or "Download" to save a copy alongside it.

💡OneDrive keeps up to 500 versions of each file. If you accidentally overwrote content, version history can get it back.

1. Double-click the "Recycle Bin" icon on your Desktop.
2. Find the deleted file — sort by "Date Deleted" to find recent ones.
3. Right-click the file and select "Restore".
4. It returns to its original location.
5. If the Recycle Bin is emptied, check OneDrive's online recycle bin at onedrive.live.com, or contact IT for backup recovery.

💡The Recycle Bin only holds deleted files for 30 days before permanently removing them. Don't wait too long.

1. To zip: select the files/folders you want to compress.
2. Right-click → "Compress to ZIP file" (Win 11) or "Send to" → "Compressed (zipped) folder" (Win 10).
3. A new .zip file appears — rename it as needed.
4. To unzip: right-click the .zip file → "Extract All".
5. Choose where to extract the files and click "Extract".

💡Don't open files directly from inside a zip — always extract them first to avoid security scanning bypasses.

1. Go to Settings → System → Storage → "Advanced storage settings" → "Backup options".
2. Under "Back up using File History", click "Add a drive" and select an external drive or network location.
3. Toggle "Automatically back up my files" on.
4. Click "More options" to set how often backups run (hourly recommended).
5. Click "Back up now" to run the first backup immediately.

💡External drive backup is a great second layer alongside OneDrive — follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 offsite.

1. Right-click the image → "Send to" → "Compressed (zipped) folder" for basic compression.
2. For better results, open the Photos app: click the three-dot menu → "Resize" → choose a smaller size.
3. Or use a free online tool like squoosh.app — upload, set quality, download the compressed version.
4. Attach the compressed image to your email as normal.

💡Most email services block attachments over 10MB. Phone camera photos (often 5–10MB each) should be compressed before emailing.

1. Click Start → Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to "Windows Update".
3. Click "Check for updates".
4. If updates are available, click "Download & install".
5. Some updates require a restart — click "Restart now" or schedule for a convenient time.

💡Keep Windows updated at all times. Most cyberattacks exploit known vulnerabilities that already have patches — don't leave the door open.

1. Open any Office app (Word, Excel, Outlook).
2. Click "File" in the top-left.
3. Click "Account" (or "Office Account").
4. Under "Product Information", click "Update Options" → "Update Now".
5. Office downloads and applies available updates in the background.

💡Microsoft 365 should update automatically, but it's worth checking monthly — especially Outlook, which receives frequent security patches.

1. If you see "You don't have permission to install this software", you'll need IT approval.
2. Note the name and version of the software you need.
3. Contact Xen IT with the software name, the purpose, and a download link.
4. IT will review the software for security and install it remotely on your behalf.
5. Do not download workarounds or alternative versions — this is a security risk.

💡Restricting software installs to IT-approved apps stops malware and unlicensed software from being installed accidentally.

1. Press Windows + R, type winver, press Enter.
2. A window shows your Windows version (e.g., Windows 11 Home, Version 23H2).
3. Alternatively: go to Settings → System → About and scroll down to "Windows specifications".
4. Note the "Version" and "OS build" — helpful information for IT support.

💡Windows 10 reaches end-of-support in October 2025. After that, no more security patches — plan your upgrade now.

1. Open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
2. Set the Time range to "All time".
3. Check "Cached images and files" (and "Cookies" if you're having login issues).
4. Click "Clear data".
5. Restart Chrome.

💡Clearing the cache fixes many "page not loading" and "website acting strangely" issues. It doesn't delete your bookmarks or passwords.

1. iPhone: Go to Settings → Mail → Accounts → "Add Account".
2. Select "Microsoft Exchange".
3. Enter your work email address and a description (e.g., "Work"), then tap Next.
4. Enter your password and tap Next.
5. Choose which items to sync (Mail, Contacts, Calendar) and tap Save.
   Android: Go to Settings → Accounts → Add account → Exchange, then follow the prompts.

💡Contact IT before setting up work email on a personal device — your organisation may require a management profile for security compliance.

1. Download Microsoft Authenticator from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the app and tap "+" to add an account.
3. Select "Work or school account".
4. Scan the QR code shown during MFA setup (ask IT if you need help).
5. When you log in to Microsoft 365, you'll receive a push notification on your phone — tap "Approve" to complete sign-in.

💡If you get an Authenticator approval request you didn't trigger, tap Deny and change your password immediately.