Beware Phantom Hackers: a reader asks… You have a good start by reading my articles here, as I’ve been talking about this non-stop for years. Of course, you know not to trust phone calls, email and text messages (even those that look like they come from someone you know, your bank or other company). The FBI recently issued a (not-so-new) new warning about “the Phantom Hacker” where an imposter pretends to be a customer service representative from tech support, your […]
Windows 10 End of Life: a reader asks… I have a Windows 10 computer that works just fine, but I keep getting these warnings that I need Windows 11 – and a new computer. Do I really? I use MS Word, Excel and such with a subscription to Microsoft 365, as long as I keep paying the subscription will that still work if I don’t replace the computer? My opinion, you have till October 2025 to replace your Windows 10 […]
Gmail Doesn’t Open Links: a reader asked… What you’re clicking on are “Mailto” links aka email addresses on web pages. When you click on one of those, it usually opens the default Mail app on your computer. A fresh Windows 11 computer (Windows 11 is a Microsoft product) may have a Microsoft mail app set as the default. That’ll be either Mail or Outlook (if you have MS 365 apps installed). Since you use Gmail, you’ll want to set the […]
Holidays are the Time for Scams: a reader asks… Lately, I’ve been receiving a lot of emails from Paypal saying that someone has billed me. I never ordered anything from any of them, and rarely even use Paypal anyway. Has my Paypal account been hacked? Not hacked, you’re simply the victim of opportunistic scammers. The holidays are a time of year when scammers are really pushing to try to fool people into doing things they shouldn’t. This year, one popular […]
Bluetooth Fix: a reader asked… Actually, the most likely reason is that your Bluetooth hardware has failed. Less likely is that a recent Windows update might have messed up your Bluetooth configuration settings. While you can certainly take your computer to a reputable company for repair, my first suggestion would be to spend $11 and replace the Bluetooth receiver. That’s easier than it sounds – you don’t have to open the case and mess with the internals. All you need […]
Text Message, Authentication or Passkey? a reader asks… I’m looking at improving my online security by implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA). I’m trying to figure out which is best, getting a text message, using an authentication app, or using a passkey? Any advice? My first bit of advice is this, you’re right in terms of listing the options from worst to best security when it comes to multi-factor authentication. The standard username and password combo by itself isn’t enough to prevent […]
Laggy iPad Woes: a reader asks… I have an iPad that’s only a few years old, and works great on everything except one single app (forScore). On that app, the screen response is very slow, sometimes seconds go by before a tap or swipe has any effect. Sometimes when I tap and nothing happens, I tap again, and a few seconds later the app has registered both of my taps, with unpredictable results. My iPad is fully updated on padOS […]
Best Home Office Scanner? A reader asks… Hello Chris, I’m researching for the best home office scanner for personal documents and small business. There are many options in the market and it can get very confusing. Is there any specific brand name that you are familiar with? I won’t mind to spend a little bit more extra money. The short answer to your direct question is that I’m partial to Ricoh (formerly Fujitsu) scanners. That said, researching specific brands and […]
New TV, Old AV Equipment: a reader asks… I just got a new SmartTV flat-screen TV (Samsung S90D 77″ OLED) and am trying to integrate it with my existing home theater system (my receiver is a Yamaha RX-A2030). I connected the TV’s HDMI IN to my receiver’s HDMI OUT, and can watch my DirectTV just like before. But my new SmartTV has streaming apps on it, and when I try to use those, the sound comes out only through the […]
Adobe Acrobat Mess: a reader asks… I use a Windows 11 PC with Google Chrome, and I have Adobe Acrobat. I think I have something messed up somewhere because PDFs open in Microsoft Edge (when opening a file on my computer), and when clicking on a PDF link in Chrome, it doesn’t open the PDF but tries to download the file (which I hardly ever want). I can’t seem to find the right settings to fix these problems, can you […]
Malwarebytes Browser Guard Snafu: a reader asked… This is actually a problem between the version of Browser Guard you have installed and the latest version of Google Chrome. Google recently updated your browser which broke the Browser Guard extension a bit. The solution is to remove the Browser Guard extension from Chrome, and then install the latest version of it from the web. Here’s how to do that: First, Uninstall the extension from Chrome: Click the Settings icon in Chrome, […]
New Home Laptop-Choices? A reader asks… I’m looking for a new home laptop. I’d like to avoid using a docking station, and want to connect my laptop to my home router with an ethernet cable. Looking at Dell laptops, there are so many choices! Can you help advise me? Dell has designed different laptop lines for different types of needs. They have gaming laptops in their Alienware and G series lines, high-end computing laptops in their XPS line, solid business-class […]
Fix or Replace my PC? A reader asks… I have a Windows 10 laptop that’s about 5 years old. It’s been working ok, but getting slower and slower as the years have gone by. Now, the computer is having problems almost every day, and I have to restart it. Sometimes it just shuts down on its own, sometimes it freezes for awhile, then resumes acting normally. I don’t have a lot of software on it, just Microsoft 365 apps and […]
I Want My OneDrive Files: a reader asked… Recently, I purchased a new HP laptop and connected that to my Microsoft 365 Account and OneDrive. While this works fine, I would like to migrate/copy all my files/folders to my HP SSD and have viewed several “help” videos, including those at Microsoft, and I remain flummoxed about how this is — or can be — done. On my old desktop this worked fine, but it seems that all my personal files […]
Microsoft Purchase Scam: a reader asks… I received an email from Microsoft that looks real, has all the right links, etc. It says I purchased a global Microsoft 365 Business Premium product, which I haven’t. I’m not sure why I got this, it looks fishy. What should I do? This is a scam, albeit one that probably uses a legitimate email service provider (e.g., microsoft.com). You should report it to Microsoft so they can block the user from their email […]
Zoom MIcrophone Problem: a reader asks… I have a Windows 11 desktop computer with a webcam perched on top, which has a microphone. I also have a separate microphone for my podcasting work. I’ve noticed that sometimes Zoom works with one microphone, sometimes with another. I don’t use Zoom much so I’m not sure why it switches. Any tips? Your computer has its own audio settings for choosing which microphone to use, and Zoom has its own, independent audio settings. […]
Home Theater & Smart TV: a reader asks… I have a new Samsung Smart TV, and have connected that to my home theater system (powered by a Yamaha RX-A2030 receiver). I have DirecTV and a Sony Blu-ray player connected to this system (via HDMI). I ran an HDMI cable from the receiver’s OUT to the TV’s HDMI input, and also have an optical cable I ran from the Samsung TV to the receiver. When I use the DirecTV or Blu-ray […]
Webcam Zoom: a reader asks… I have a nice Logitech webcam (model C920) connected to my Windows 11 desktop computer. It has HD capability, but no zoom. Is there a way I can change the zoom level? Yes, Logitech provides a software package called Logi Tune which you install and then can use to zoom your webcam view and also digitally adjust in several ways to get just the view you want. You can download it from https://www.logitech.com/en-us/video-collaboration/software/logi-tune-software.html. Visit the […]
Printer Toner or Drum? A reader asks… I have an HP laser printer that’s only a couple of years old, and the print is already fading. I know I’m supposed to change the “toner” but there are two replacement numbers, a 30a and a 32a. Do I need to replace both? Actually, the toner cartridge 30a is what gets replaced when the toner is running out. The 32a is an imaging drum unit which can last many years before needing […]
No Chrome Add Profile Button: a reader asks… I’m sort of a power user, and have multiple Google accounts. On my Windows 11 PC, I used to be able to add profiles to Google Chrome and be able to switch profiles easily. But now, the button to add a profile is missing. How can I get it back? This is a sticky problem, and Google hasn’t given a decent answer to this even though other people have complained about this. […]
Help! My text got small! A reader asks… Somehow I’ve done something to my Windows 11 PC and I’m not sure how to get it back to normal. All my text has gotten very tiny and I can’t read it anymore! I tried looking in the Windows settings and found a display resolution setting, but that said 100% so I think it’s something else. I’m now afraid to change that, and don’t know what else to do. I’m afraid I’ll […]
Gmail Issue, Not Apple: a reader asks… I’ve been having this problem with my Gmail on my iPhone for awhile and its getting worse. It’s even carried over to the new iPhone I recently got. I keep getting a request to put in my password, and even when I do that, it keeps coming back. I had Gmail setup to use with the Mail app on my iPhone for years and it worked fine till awhile back when it started […]
Restart, Reboot, Repower: a reader asked… Quick question and hopefully quick answer: If I’m having trouble with my consumer technology – anything really, computers, smartphones, tablets, home automation, remote controls, etc. – what’s the first thing I should do to try to resolve the issue, and if that doesn’t work, what should be my next steps? Quick answer is the subject line of this article: Restart, reboot, or repower your device. Based on several decades of direct experience, that resolves […]
Unasked-for Account Recovery: a reader asks… I received an email from Facebook that said it received a request to reset my Facebook password. It included a reset code and a link to change my password. Before I do anything, thought I’d check with you – I didn’t ask for any account recovery. Should I reset my password? No need to panic. Firstly, anyone who knows your email address can use the forgotten password feature built into most online services to […]
Microsoft 365 Updates: a reader asks… I have a Windows 11 computer and a subscription to Microsoft 365. I recently read about a critical update needed for Outlook. I normally get my updates through Windows Update, but when looking at the history, I don’t see the update for KB5002620. When I check Windows Update it doesn’t find anything, even though I have the switch turned on to update all Microsoft products. What am I missing? Microsoft chooses its own timing […]
Android Phone Popup Blocker: a reader asks… Is there a good and trusted popup blocker popup blocker for my Android smartphone? I use Chrome to browse the web and everywhere I go I see ads and popups. Yes, and it’s built right into Chrome. It’s easy to turn on, here’s how. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app and: Please note that some websites use popups as a necessary part of their operation, such as for logins, […]
iOS Outlook File Attachment Snafu: a reader asks… I use Outlook on my iPhone for email, tied to a Microsoft Exchange account. Sometimes I get emails with file attachments that I can’t open. It’s annoying and I’m not sure why. For example, I sent myself (from my work email to my personal email) a contact file, and the email came into my iPhone named “.vcf” and it can’t open, I can’t save it or do anything with it on my […]
Windows 11 Search Won’t: a reader asks… While Windows 11 is more stable than previous versions, it still isn’t perfect and errors crop up. Most likely your search index got corrupted. The search index is a database that Windows uses to quickly find files on your computer, and it works in the background creating a quick index of all the files on your computer so Windows File Explorer can locate files for you faster than actually searching your hard drive. […]
Windows File Quick Access Fix: a reader asks… What likely happened is that your quick access database file got corrupted. The fix for this is pretty easy, you can reset the database file from the old-style command prompt window using a specific command. Here’s how: First, make sure you don’t have a File Explorer window open. Then, open a Command Prompt window: Second, type this into the window (you can copy and paste): del “%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms” Press your Enter key to […]
Protect Your Digital Life: a reader asks… I’ve been reading your articles about scams, hacks and what to do afterwards. Can you give me some tips on what to do before, so I don’t get scammed or hacked? Yes! Let’s be proactive about this, it’s much easier to protect yourself from internet crime than it is to recover from being a victim. Here are some strategies you can do to harden your digital identity and keep from being scammed or […]
"I'm all about helping you deal with our 21st century high-tech digital world so you can enjoy a healthy and secure digital life!"
Hi! I'm Chris Gardner, Your Tech Coach giving you Practical Help for Your Digital Life® since 1996. My job is to translate geek-speak into clear and concise advice and give you easy-to-understand how-to's and instructions about your consumer technology products and services.
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