Audio Visual Metro

18/12/2025

16/12/2025

THE FIX!!! (Older Samsung Mobile Phone being blocked from the mobile networks from 14 January 2026)

I began getting messages on my mobile telling me I needed to replace my phone as it was going to be blocked on the 14th of January, 2026 as it was too old and not compatible with the 000 network.

I subsequently was unable to dial out without a recorded message being played about my phone not being compatible and to contact my provider with urgency and saying I was going to be blocked from the telephone networks on the 14th of January.

Additionally, I started getting sms’s from both my service provider and the Telstra network saying I had to replace my phone etc.

Eventually I relented and purchased a working second hand Samsung phone that was not on the Telco’s hit list, that met the minimum requirements and fitted my budget.

So, I transferred my sim and setup the new phone which included transfer of my data to my new phone … but the messaging and recording did not stop. It met all the requirements including the minimum version of Android 13 – mine was on 15.

After several telephone calls to the service provider and explaining that the messaging was continuing and the sms’s despite me having purchased a compatible phone I was told to just ignore it as the recordings would stop after the 14th of January which was of concern to me as no one could convince me they wouldn’t block my newly acquired phone. I had an expectation that once my phone was compliant the blocking messages would cease.

With frustration I started analyzing the situation, comparison of sim behaviour etc. and this was the fix which eliminated the recorded messages and sms’s:

I reset the new phone to factory and during the setup didn’t enter any of my account details, nor did I transfer the data from my old phone to the new phone. I then inserted my sim and amazingly, the annoying messages when dialling out were gone!!!!

I then used the Samsung Smart Switch utility to transfer all my data to the new phone and once it completed, I did not sign into my Samsung account nor Google account and tested the phone function again and again there was no recorded message prior to dialling.

I then logged into my Samsung and Google Accounts and the warnings and pre call messages were still absent. I am of the opinion that my new phone has now registered as a compliant and compatible device with the Telstra network and 000 as per Government requirements.

02/03/2025

How old is the hard drive in your notebook, laptop or computer?

Hard Drive failures do occur and it is not a case of if, but when, as they will all eventually fail. Many hard drives are reliable for years however most hard drives should be replaced somewhere between 5 and 7 years of age. Generally, once a hard drive is approximately 10 years old, the user has been lucky and is now flirting with the potential of losing their data due to failure.
Hard drives don’t always give notice that they are failing before they fail however some common symptoms of potential hard drive problems are often ignored by users such as:

• Freezing and/or locking up to the point of having to forcefully shutdown or restart the computer
• The computer, notebook or laptop suddenly becoming very slow.

SSD Technology
Solid State Drives have now achieved greater reliability and the prices of SSD technologies have become more affordable, but just like a mechanical hard drive they do eventually fail. If looking to replace your older hard drive, an SSD drive may be preferred as it offers substantially better speed which can give your computer, notebook or laptop a substantial speed upgrade.

If you have any concerns about the age of the hard drive in your computer or have been experiencing symptoms of lockups, freezing or sudden slow down, don’t hesitate to give us a call and we will be happy to advise/assist.

We can be contacted on 9752 6242 and are open from 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesday to Friday and open on Saturdays from 10.00am-4pm.

25/06/2024

https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/tax/young-australians-at-risk-of-falling-victim-to-tax-scam-ahead-of-end-of-financial-year/news-story/5657458d43ca3b90c18eb2bb4f19055d

Currently receiving multiples of these emails daily ... do not click the link in any MyGov email

As millions of Aussies start preparing their tax returns ahead of the end of the financial year, experts are warning of the increasing risks of Australian Tax Office (ATO) impersonation scams.

25/06/2024

https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/hacking/google-chrome-users-targeted-in-a-new-scam/news-story/cdc9debcd4e741027b241f2fcc03649c

Google Chrome users are the latest group of people being targeted in a scam that directs them to copy and paste malicious malware onto their computers.

06/04/2023

Wishing you a safe and happy Easter. We will return from the Easter Break on Tuesday at 9.30am.

01/03/2023

https://www.9news.com.au/national/nab-bank-warns-of-new-pay-id-scam-online/61139554-119e-41ed-aca2-90f68ee46c9e

New PayID scam targets Australians selling items onlineBy Lucy Slade8:34pm Feb 27, 2023 Tweet Facebook Mail A new PayID impersonation scam is targeting Australians who are selling used or unwanted items online.NAB says it is seeing an increase in fake communication surrounding PayID, which is a f...