Expert IT Support for Homes & Businesses in the North East
Fast, friendly and reliable IT support — remote or on-site. We fix problems, secure systems and keep you working: from home PC issues to fully managed business IT.
Who We Help
Local to Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Gateshead and Northumberland — with remote support across the UK.
Home Users
- Virus & malware removal
- Wi-Fi & broadband fixes
- Slow PC tune-ups & repairs
Startups & Micro
- Microsoft 365 email setup
- Cloud storage & backups
- Security baseline & MFA
SMEs
- Network & server support
- Teams & SharePoint enablement
- Compliance & governance
Remote & Hybrid Teams
- Remote helpdesk
- Secure access & MFA
- Collaboration & VoIP
Education & Charities
- Safeguarding & content filtering
- Low-cost device management
- Policy templates & training
Regulated Sectors
- Data protection (GDPR-aligned)
- Audits & documentation
- Incident response planning
Ecommerce & Retail
- POS & peripheral support
- PCI-friendly practices
- Multi-site connectivity
Professional Services
- Legal/finance app support
- Secure client data handling
- eSign & workflow setup
IT Support — Key Features at a Glance
Everything you need to keep people productive and systems secure.
Remote & On-Site Help
- Rapid remote fixes
- Local engineer visits
- Planned maintenance
Cybersecurity
- AV/EDR & patching
- MFA & identity hardening
- Email filtering
Microsoft 365 & Cloud
- 365 setup & admin
- Teams & OneDrive
- Migrations & onboarding
Backup & Recovery
- Cloud backups
- Versioning & DR
- Ransomware resilience
Networks & Wi-Fi
- Coverage optimisation
- Switching & VLANs
- Guest & BYOD
Device Care
- PC/Mac repairs & upgrades
- Mobile & tablet setup
- Printers & peripherals
Compliance
- Policies & standards
- GDPR-aligned practices
- Sector guidance
Proactive Monitoring
- 24/7 health checks
- Alerts & remediation
- Monthly reporting
How Our IT Support Works
Simple onboarding, clear communication, measurable results.
1) Assess
We audit devices, security, backups and networks to understand your goals and risks.
2) Stabilise
We address urgent issues, apply critical updates and secure the basics.
3) Improve
We implement best-practice changes, cloud services and automation to boost uptime.
4) Operate
Ongoing monitoring, helpdesk and scheduled maintenance keep things running smoothly.
IT Support Packages (Request a Quote)
Choose a starting point — we’ll tailor coverage and SLAs to your needs.
- Virus & malware removal
- Speed tune-ups & updates
- Wi-Fi optimisation
- Cloud backup setup
- PC/server break-fix
- Network faults
- Email issues
- Security health check
- Remote helpdesk
- Patching & updates
- AV/EDR & web filtering
- 24/7 device monitoring
- Microsoft 365 admin
- MFA/identity hardening
- Teams & SharePoint
- Managed backups
- vCIO & roadmap
- Policy & compliance
- Zero-trust baseline
- Audit & reporting
- Email & data migrations
- Wi-Fi design/rollout
- Server/cloud moves
- Security baseline build
Managed IT vs Break-Fix
Request IT Support
No jargon. No pressure. Tell us what you need and we’ll recommend the best next step — same/next-day appointments available.
IT Support Knowledge Base & FAQs
Quick self-help for common issues. If you’re stuck, we’re one click away.
Email & Microsoft 365
Outlook won’t send/receive — what should I try first?
Check internet connectivity, then File → Account Settings → Account Settings → Repair. Clear large outbox items, restart Outlook, and verify credentials. If still failing, recreate the profile via Control Panel → Mail → Profiles.
Enable MFA for Microsoft 365
Admins: Microsoft 365 admin center → Users → Multi-Factor Authentication and enable per user. Users then register the Authenticator app. We can deploy Conditional Access and security defaults for you.
My mailbox is full — how do I free space quickly?
Empty Deleted Items and Junk, archive older mail (File → Tools → Clean Up Old Items), and remove large attachments (search hasattachments:yes). Consider increasing the mailbox quota.
Share a calendar with my team
Outlook: right-click calendar → Sharing Permissions → add user → choose permission level. On the web: Outlook → Calendar → Share. For team-wide sharing, use a Microsoft 365 group.
Fix repeated prompts for Microsoft 365 password
Ensure modern auth is enabled, clear cached credentials in Windows Credential Manager, and sign in again. Check that your tenant enforces MFA/SSO consistently.
Outlook search is slow or missing results
Rebuild Windows Search index (Indexing Options), ensure Outlook is selected, reduce OST size by archiving, then restart Outlook to reindex.
OneDrive sync errors — how to fix quickly
Update OneDrive, check login, shorten deep folder paths, and resolve name conflicts. Use Help & Settings → View online to compare and fix.
Stop Microsoft 365 emails landing in recipients’ spam
Publish valid SPF, enable DKIM, add DMARC (start with p=none), avoid spammy wording, and monitor postmaster tools for reputation.
Teams calendar not syncing with Outlook
Use the same account in both apps, ensure the Teams Meeting add-in is enabled, update Office, and clear Teams cache (%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams).
Create a company-wide email signature
Exchange admin center → Mail flow → Rules → add a signature rule with HTML. Test with a pilot group before global rollout.
Security & Backups
I clicked a phishing link — first 5 steps
Disconnect from the network, change passwords and enable MFA, run EDR/AV scan, check mailbox rules/forwarders, and contact support to hunt for persistence.
Which data should always be backed up?
Endpoints (Documents/Desktop), shared drives/SharePoint, email/OneDrive, finance/LOB databases, and device/network configs. Keep multiple versions and test restores.
Ransomware basics to reduce risk
Patch OS/apps, enforce MFA, limit admin rights, use EDR, filter email/web, and maintain off-site immutable backups.
How often should backups run?
Daily at minimum for active data, hourly for critical systems. Keep 30–90 days of versions and a monthly archive for 12+ months.
Spot a fake invoice email
Check sender domain, hover links (don’t click), verify spelling/urgency, and confirm bank changes by phone using a known number.
Set up DMARC to prevent spoofing
Add TXT: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain. After monitoring, raise to p=quarantine/reject. Ensure SPF/DKIM are valid first.
Block common malware via DNS filtering
Use protective resolvers, block newly registered domains, phishing/malware/C2 categories, and enforce DoH on endpoints.
Plan a simple Disaster Recovery (DR) test
Prioritise apps, define RPO/RTO, restore one server to an isolated network, time the process, document gaps, iterate quarterly.
Verify a clean restore after ransomware
Restore to sandbox, scan with multiple engines, inspect autoruns/scheduled tasks, rotate credentials/tokens, and re-introduce to production gradually.
Printers & Peripherals
Scanner not detected in Windows
Check USB/cable, ensure the scanner is powered, install the vendor’s full driver package, and restart the Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) service.
USB devices connect/disconnect repeatedly
Disable USB selective suspend (Power Options → Advanced), update chipset/USB drivers, and use a powered USB hub for high-draw devices.
Default printer keeps changing
Disable “Let Windows manage my default printer” in Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners. Set your preferred printer manually.
Prints are streaky or faded
Run cleaning cycle, use manufacturer cartridges/toner, check paper type settings, and clean rollers carefully.
Bluetooth keyboard/mouse lagging
Replace batteries, move 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or USB 3.0 devices away from the receiver, update Bluetooth drivers/firmware, and re-pair the device.
Wi-Fi & Networking
Internet is slow on Wi-Fi — quick checks
Reboot router/AP, test near the AP, switch to 5 GHz/6 GHz, update NIC drivers, change channel to avoid congestion, and check ISP status.
Fix “No Internet” when connected to Wi-Fi
Windows: Network Troubleshooter, flush DNS (ipconfig /flushdns), renew IP (ipconfig /release then /renew). Ensure DNS automatic or use 1.1.1.1 / 8.8.8.8.
Guest Wi-Fi best practice
Separate SSID/VLAN, block LAN access, apply web filtering, enforce bandwidth limits, and use a captive portal with T&Cs.
VPN keeps disconnecting over home Wi-Fi
Adjust MTU, disable aggressive roaming, update VPN client, whitelist VPN in firewall/filter, and turn off SIP/ALG if it interferes.
Ethernet connected but no network access
Swap cable/port, verify VLAN tagging, set NIC to auto-negotiation, check DHCP scope and any 802.1X/MAC filtering policies.
Map a network drive that reconnects at sign-in
File Explorer → Map Network Drive → tick “Reconnect at sign-in”. In domains, deploy via GPO/Intune with drive letter targeting.
USB-C dock not detecting external monitors
Use the OEM PSU, update dock firmware, confirm Alt-Mode/DisplayPort support, try a certified cable, and set per-monitor scaling.
iPhone can’t send email on office Wi-Fi (works on 4G)
Allow SMTP ports on the firewall, bypass SSL inspection for mail domains, and add explicit allow rules for your mail provider.
Devices & Windows/macOS
PC is slow — quick tune-up steps
Restart, free disk space, uninstall bloatware, disable startup apps (Task Manager → Startup), run updates, scan for malware. SSD + RAM upgrades give the biggest boost.
Printer not working after Windows Update
Power-cycle printer, install latest driver, re-add using TCP/IP port, set a DHCP reservation/static IP, and disable SNMP status if unsupported.
Blue screen (BSOD) after installing a driver
Boot Safe Mode, roll back the driver, run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then update BIOS/chipset.
macOS can’t see a Windows SMB share
Use smb://server/share, enable SMBv2/3 on the server, verify NTFS/share permissions, and ensure the Mac resolves the server’s DNS name.
Mac won’t update — storage full
Remove old iOS backups, clear Downloads, empty Trash, use Storage → Manage, and move large files to cloud/external storage.
Windows won’t sleep or wakes immediately
Run powercfg -requests to find blockers, disable wake timers, update device drivers, and turn off “Allow this device to wake the computer” for NICs.
Collaboration & Telephony
Teams camera/mic not detected
Close other apps using the camera, allow OS privacy permissions, choose the correct device in Teams settings, and update drivers/firmware.
Cannot join Teams meeting from browser
Allow camera/mic permissions, disable conflicting extensions, clear cache, or use the desktop app. Check proxy or web filtering rules if blocked.
Improve Teams call quality on Wi-Fi
Prefer Ethernet, move closer to AP, use 5 GHz/6 GHz, close heavy apps, enable QoS on the router, and keep the Teams client updated.
Teams notifications not appearing in Windows
Switch notification style to Windows in Teams settings, enable Focus Assist exceptions, and allow Teams in Settings → System → Notifications.
Set Teams status to follow Outlook calendar
Ensure the same account is used, enable calendar integration, and verify the Teams add-in in Outlook. Presence follows Outlook events automatically.
Teams sign-in loop — how to fix
Clear Teams cache (%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams), sign out of Office apps, remove stale work accounts in Access work or school, then sign back in.