Published on Monday 16th February 2026
Microsoft Update Bug Affecting Pound Signs, Accented Characters, and Symbols
Known Issue: A recent Microsoft Office update has introduced a bug where special characters (including the pound sterling symbol) are being replaced with question marks (?) in emails. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is investigating. This article explains who is affected and what you can do.
What’s Happening?
Following a recent Microsoft Office update, users of Classic Outlook on Windows are finding that special characters in their emails are being replaced with question marks (?). This is happening in sent emails, replies, forwards, drafts, and even email signatures. Continue reading →
Published on Monday 16th February 2026
What’s Actually Happening with Printer Driver Support
Summary: You may have seen alarming headlines about Windows 11 ‘dropping support for millions of printers’. The reality is less dramatic: Microsoft is changing how you get printer drivers, not whether your printer will work. This article explains what’s actually happening and what it means for your business.
Applies to: Windows 11 (all versions) and Windows Server 2025. Not affected: Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2022 are not affected by these changes.
What’s Actually Happening?
Microsoft is phasing out the distribution of older ‘v3’ and ‘v4’ printer drivers through Windows Update. This doesn’t mean your printer will stop working—it means you might need to get driver updates directly from your printer manufacturer instead of through Windows Update. Continue reading →
Published on Sunday 1st February 2026
A Complete History from 1981 to 2025
Microsoft has been developing operating systems for over four decades. From the humble beginnings of MS-DOS in 1981 to the AI-powered Windows 11 of today, Microsoft’s operating systems have shaped how billions of people use computers. This guide covers every major version—consumer, server, mobile, and embedded.
Part 1: MS-DOS (1981–2000)
MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) was the foundation upon which Microsoft built its empire. Originally purchased from Seattle Computer Products for $50,000 and adapted for the IBM PC, MS-DOS became the standard operating system for personal computers throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Continue reading →
Published on Sunday 1st February 2026
Registry Fix for Error 0x800f0922 and Update Rollback Issues
Summary: If your Windows Server 2016 cumulative updates are failing to install—reaching 100% then rolling back with error 0x800f0922—this article explains the fix. The issue is particularly common on servers that were upgraded from Windows Server 2012 R2.
The Problem
Since late 2025, many Windows Server 2016 administrators have been experiencing a frustrating issue: cumulative security updates appear to install successfully, reaching 100%, but then roll back during the restart with the message:
“We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes.”
The error code associated with this failure is typically 0x800f0922. This has affected multiple cumulative updates including KB5066836, KB5066136, KB5070882, KB5071543, and others. Continue reading →
Published on Tuesday 20th January 2026
January 2026 Security Update KB5074109 Causing Problems for POP3 Email Users
Summary: The Windows 11 January 2026 security update (KB5074109) is causing Outlook to hang, freeze, or fail to close properly—particularly affecting users with POP3 email accounts and PST files stored in OneDrive. If you’re experiencing these issues, read on for workarounds.
What’s Happening?
Microsoft released the January 2026 security update (KB5074109) on 13th January for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. This updates your system to build 26100.7623 or 26200.7623.
Shortly after release, users began reporting problems with classic Outlook (the desktop version, not the new Outlook app). Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is investigating, but a fix has not yet been released. Continue reading →
Published on Saturday 17th January 2026
Two Decades of Partnership, Innovation, and Trusted IT Support
In 2006, three IT professionals with a shared vision came together to form Trichromic LLP. Twenty years later, we’re proud to still be here—supporting businesses across the UK with the same commitment to partnership and practical solutions that we started with.
This milestone isn’t just about us. It’s about the clients who have trusted us with their technology, the relationships we’ve built, and the journey we’ve taken together through two decades of extraordinary change in the IT industry.
How It All Started
Continue reading →
Published on Wednesday 14th January 2026
Understanding iOS Versions, Security Updates, and When to Upgrade
If you’re confused about which iOS version your iPhone should be running, you’re not alone. Apple’s approach to software updates has become increasingly complex, and it’s not always obvious whether your device is still secure or when you need to think about upgrading.
This guide explains how Apple’s iOS versioning works, what security updates mean for your device, and how to know if your iPhone is still protected.
The New Naming Convention: Why iOS Jumped to 26
Continue reading →
Published on Tuesday 6th January 2026
Here at Trichromic we prefer not to use too many computer-related terms (Three Letter Acronyms (TLAs),etc) and unnecessary IT jargon when communicating with our clients’.
However, these can’t always be avoided (and some like to use them when they shouldn’t) so here you’ll find a categorised glossary of the most commonly used terms and abbreviations which could be useful to anyone talking to IT departments or even an outsourced IT managed service provider like Trichromic. We’ll keep expanding this list and adding descriptions when time permits so please keep visiting to view the latest updates.
You can contact us for more information on any of the descriptions below or even to find out how Trichromic can help improve the efficiency of your business processes by harnessing the latest technology. ~ Lloyd Reid
Systems, Standards and Common Terms
AD — Active Directory
AI — Artificial Intelligence
AGI — Artificial General Intelligence
ASCII — American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ANSI — American National Standards Institute
ARC — Authenticated Received Chain
ASN — Advanced Shipping Notice
ASR — Automatic Speech Recognition
AWS — Amazon Web Services
B2B — Business-to-Business
B2C — Business-to-Consumer
BOM — Bill Of Materials
BSD — Berkeley Software Distribution
BSI — British Standards Institution
BYOD — Bring Your Own Device
CAD — Computer-Aided Design
CAM — Cybersecurity Awareness Month Continue reading →
Published on Sunday 11th January 2026
The 3CX Partner Program recognises companies who demonstrate proven competency in installing and supporting the 3CX phone system. As a certified 3CX Silver Partner, Trichromic has the expertise and accreditation to deliver reliable, professional telecommunications solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Why Choose a 3CX Partner?
Working with an accredited 3CX partner ensures your business receives:
- Expert installation and configuration tailored to your specific requirements
- Ongoing technical support from certified engineers who understand the platform inside and out
- Seamless migration from legacy systems with minimal disruption to your operations
- Best practice deployment following 3CX’s recommended standards
Continue reading →
Published on Wednesday 31st December 2025
Why “It’s in the Cloud” Isn’t a Backup Strategy
“Don’t worry, it’s all in the cloud.”
We hear this constantly from business owners when we ask about their backup strategy for Microsoft 365. It’s one of the most dangerous assumptions in modern IT—and it’s costing businesses thousands of pounds in lost data, productivity, and recovery costs.
The truth is that Microsoft 365 is a platform, not a backup service. While Microsoft does an excellent job of keeping the platform running and protecting against infrastructure failures, they’re very clear about one thing: your data is your responsibility.
Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model
Microsoft operates under what they call the “Shared Responsibility Model”. In simple terms, this means Microsoft is responsible for keeping the platform available and secure, while you are responsible for your data.
Microsoft’s responsibility:
- Physical infrastructure and data centre security
- Platform uptime and availability
- Replication for disaster recovery of their systems
- Protection against hardware failure
Your responsibility:
- Protecting data from accidental deletion
- Protecting data from malicious deletion (including ransomware)
- Recovering data after account compromise
- Long-term data retention beyond Microsoft’s limits
- Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements
The Reality: Microsoft’s Retention Limits
Many business owners assume that deleted data can be recovered indefinitely. Here’s what Microsoft actually provides: Continue reading →