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From day-to-day practice
Each guide answers one specific question and states when it was last revised.
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Microsoft is ending SMS codes: what it means for your sign-in
From 1 February 2027, Microsoft will no longer deliver SMS and phone call codes. Anyone who has not set up another method by then will be stuck the next time they sign in. The four key dates, the exceptions – and what to do about the Authenticator app.
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Managed services: marketing buzzword or real difference?
Almost every IT service provider now advertises managed services. On its own, the term says little – what matters is a single question: who notices first that something is wrong? What proactive support means in practice, how to recognise it in a quote, and when it does not pay off.
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IT service costs: what managed IT services really cost
Online you will find figures between 30 and 220 euros per workstation. None of them is wrong – they simply describe different things. What really determines IT service costs, which billing models exist and how to make quotes comparable.
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Choosing an IT service provider: how to recognise a good one
Almost every provider advertises availability, experience and personal service. Seven criteria that you can actually check – and the points that should be in the contract before you sign.
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Cyber Resilience Act: what starts on 11 September
From 11 September 2026, manufacturers must report actively exploited vulnerabilities within 24 hours. This affects anyone who manufactures, imports or sells a connected product – including small businesses. With an applicability check and a deadline calculator.
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NIS2: Does it even apply to us?
The German implementation act has applied since 6 December 2025 – with no transition period. Around 29,500 companies are covered, and many do not know it. A three-step check, plus what applies to suppliers.
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Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive: where does each file belong?
The most common misuse of Microsoft 365 is where files get stored. A clear allocation that still holds up two years later.
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When an employee leaves: the IT checklist
Forgotten access rights are one of the most common security holes in SMEs – and often only come to light years later. A printable list to tick off on the last working day.
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Cloud or your own server? The calculation over five years
The comparison is usually set up wrongly – items are missing on both sides. Which ones they are, when each option pays off, and a calculator for your own figures.
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Microsoft 365 sign-in fails: the twelve causes
From an expired licence to a two-factor lockout to Conditional Access: why sign-ins fail and how to tell the causes apart.
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When did you last test a restore?
A backup that has never been restored is an assumption. A test procedure you can carry out in two hours.
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Printer not printing: the most common network causes
Print queue, driver, IP address, permissions: why network printers fail and in which order to look for the cause.
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Passwords at work: what still applies and what is outdated
Regular changes, special characters, complexity rules: which password requirements do more harm than good by today's standards – and what matters instead.
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Outlook problems: mailbox, profile, data file
Sync stuck, search broken, mailbox full: which cause belongs to which symptom – and what you should never delete first.
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Recognising phishing: six signs that always hold true
Fake invoices and CEO fraud are getting better. How to recognise them anyway – and what to do if someone has clicked.
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Your computer has become slow: what is really behind it
Startup programs, disk, memory, antivirus: how to measure the cause instead of guessing – and when upgrading is pointless.
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The 3-2-1 rule: what a backup really needs to do
Three copies, two media, one off site – and why adding an immutable copy has become essential in the age of ransomware.
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Windows won't start: the steps in the right order
From a screen with no signal to repairing the boot files: the checks in the order that is least likely to make things worse.
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