News

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 →

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

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 →

And What You Can Do About It

The reality: 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack in the past year. Of those, 85% involved phishing—attacks that target your staff, not your technology. According to the UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025, 81% of all UK businesses that suffer a cyber attack are small and medium-sized businesses.

You’ve probably invested in antivirus software, firewalls, and perhaps even multi-factor authentication. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: none of that matters if one of your staff clicks on a convincing phishing email.

Cyber criminals know this. That’s why they don’t waste time trying to break through your technical defences—they simply trick your people into opening the door for them. Continue reading →

Is Windows 11 Dropping Support for Older Printers?

You may have seen headlines suggesting that Windows 11 is “dropping support for millions of printers”. That makes for good clickbait, but it is not the full story.

Microsoft is not suddenly making older printers unusable. What is changing is how legacy printer drivers are delivered and prioritised, particularly on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025.

For most businesses, this will be a gradual change rather than an overnight problem. If your printer works today, it will usually keep working. The biggest impact is likely to be when you try to reinstall an older printer, deploy it to a new PC, or move to a newer print server.

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Which Versions of Windows Are Affected?

These changes apply to:

• Windows 11
• Windows Server 2025

These changes do not apply to:

• Windows 10
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022

If your environment is still based on Windows 10 or older Windows Server platforms, there is no immediate change to worry about from this policy.

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What Is Actually Changing with Printer Driver Support?

Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →