Buh-bye Vista: a reader asks… I have an older Windows Vista PC that I need to get rid of. I have a new Windows 10 PC. What should I do at this point? Since Microsoft stopped providing updates more than a year ago, Windows Vista has been off life-support and really, nobody should be using that version of Windows any longer, any more than Windows XP. So yes, it’s time to get rid of that old PC. I doubt you’ll […]
What is Sneakernet: a reader asks… I must be missing something. I’ve heard of Internet, Ethernet, and even Intranet, but someone told me a new one yesterday. “Sneakernet”. What does it mean? Nowadays with cloud-based file storage and sharing services so ubiquitous, it’s pretty trivial to share files between colleagues and friends. It didn’t use to be that way. When someone wanted to send a very large file (that wouldn’t go via email) or a bunch of files, they would […]
My Little PC: a reader asks… I’ve been using these big desktop CPUs for years now (don’t need or want a laptop). A friend (ok, you) showed me a ‘micro PC’ that looks really nice and takes up a sliver of space compared to normal. Can you tell me more about it and how I might get one for my next PC upgrade? Sure! We’re talking about the Dell Optiplex series of Windows computers, that come in various sizes including […]
iPhone Photo Sync to Windows: a reader asks… Since my computer upgraded itself to Windows 10, I haven’t been able to download any photos. It doesn’t recognize my iphone. I’m very frustrated! You don’t say how you’re been connecting your iPhone to Windows, so I’m just guessing, but have you still been plugging the USB cable to connect your iPhone physically with iTunes on your PC? That is the old, legacy way of doing things. A good 10 years ago, […]
Dropbox Noodge: a reader asks… I’ve been invited to upload my own photos from a recent group trip to a Dropbox account of a friend. Unfortunately, I only have a personal account and it’s full. Even though my friend’s Dropbox account has plenty of space, Dropbox won’t let me upload my files to his account. Is there a solution without me having to buy more Dropbox space? Unfortunately, the solution is one or more workarounds. This is the most annoying […]
KISS my Mac Calendar: a reader asks… I use Mac calendar and have several different calendars for different purposes like work, personal, volunteer, etc. It’s nice because I like that my events are in different colors for each purpose, but still show on one calendar (and this shows the same on my iPhone/iPad). Helps keep me from double-booking appointments or otherwise screwing something up. Some of my friends and colleagues use Google calendar and send me appointment invitations. It looks […]
Color-code Outlook: a reader asks… I use Outlook 2016 and use that to collect email from several different email accounts. Sometimes I have email forwarded from a secondary account to a primary account, and sometimes I have Outlook poll the secondary account directly. I like having all mail come to one inbox but it can get a little confusing at times as to which emails came from where. Is there an easy way to differentiate the emails based on what […]
Adding RAM: a reader asks… I have several desktop PCs that aren’t very old, have Windows 10 on them, but don’t have enough RAM. What’s the easiest way to increase their RAM? Since they are desktop PCs, the physical method is pretty easy. Pop the side cover and locate the slots for the memory modules – there should be 4 of them, and one or two will already have modules inserted. Slide the new modules into the empty slots, being […]
Windows 10 Power Options: a reader asks… I have a new Dell Windows 10 PC (an Inspiron laptop with SSD hard drive) and have followed your instructions for setting it up. I’m using a Microsoft account (set as Standard user), have another Admin user account, and went through the Windows 10 setup, turning off everything I could in the Microsoft initial configuration crap. Now I’m at the point where Windows 10 is running normally, I’ve applied all the updates and […]
Forgot Windows Password: a reader asks… I have an old HP laptop…going to be 6 years old soon. I have it secured with a fingerprint or a password. I FORGOT the password. The fingerprint still works but i avoid turning it off. In the control panel/user area, I’ve been gradually working my way thru some of the passwords I might have used so I can delete it. Haven’t got to the right one yet. Short of a factory reset, is […]
Secure Erase Computer: a reader asks… I have an older computer that I’m getting ready to replace. I get that it’s probably for the recycle center since donation options have dried up. I’ve already copied off all my personal files, but I’d like to make sure the data is securely wiped off the hard drive before I get rid of it. If your computer is a Mac, then check out an article I wrote about how to securely erase all […]
Mac Mail Messed: a reader asks… I have an iMac (High Sierra) and use the Mac Mail app with my cox.net email account. All the sudden one day, it stopped working right. I can receive email but not send email. The error messages says something like “relay not permitted”. What should I do? It sounds like the mail sending settings got messed up. This can happen sometimes if there’s a ‘hiccup’ in your internet access while the mail app is […]
The case for a Case: a reader asks… I’m sort of klutzy, I seem to drop my smartphone a lot. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to have the screen replaced because it cracked, even with a case on it. Is there something else I can do? You may not be using the right kind of case for your situation. Many of the minimalist cases are great, they give you some measure of protection without adding […]
EWS for PC: a reader asks… I’ve been noticing lately that my Windows 10 computer slows down to a crawl after a few days of running. Restarting it seems to fix the problem, but temporarily. Is there something I can do about it? I too have noticed that since the latest update to Windows 10 (version 1709) was installed, that my PCs have been experiencing similar problems. A look at task manager shows that sometimes the disk usage pegs out […]
My New PC: a reader asks… I just received a new Windows 10 PC as a gift. It’s a Dell Inspiron, and is set to replace my old computer (also a Dell desktop). I already have a nice LCD screen, keyboard and mouse and speakers which I can reuse. I’m a student btw. I have an MS Office 365 subscription, and I have a Microsoft account already (tied to that subscription). I use Gmail for email and such, and a […]
Google Drive now Backup & Sync: a reader asks… I’ve been using Google drive for awhile now, but noticed that Google changed the app, it’s now called “Backup & Sync”. I’ve been storing files in the Google Drive folder for a long time now and that’s been a great way for me to keep my important files backed up. Does the new app change things? If you were previously using Google Drive and upgraded to Backup & Sync, then you […]
Spectre & Meltdown Updates: a reader asks… I’ve been reading about two serious-sounding hardware vulnerabilities, Spectre and Meltdown. Just the other day I read about Microsoft issuing a new patch that undoes the patch they issued on January 3rd. What gives, and what should I do? It’s an understatement to say this situation is all fouled up. I last wrote about this on January 3rd in my article Your Processor Leaks, so consider this an update to that. Intel ‘fessed […]
Easy Backup with Cloud Storage: A reader asks… I’m planning on using Dropbox with expanded storage on my Windows 10 PC. Is there a way I can do this and make things easy so everything is backed up? Dropbox works very simply, it creates a folder on your hard drive, in your user directory, called Dropbox. Anything you put in there gets synchronized with an online set. That’s files and folders. When you change a file or folder on your […]
Windows 10 using DISM: a reader asks… I have a Windows 10 computer that’s running a little wonky these days. I have your recommended security protection, keep up-to-date on Windows Updates and such, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I read online about using a program called “DISM”, can you tell me what that is and how to use it? Per Microsoft, DISM stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management and is an old-style DOS command-line tool that is used […]
Lost my Shortcut Arrow: a reader asks… I’ve been using Windows 10 for awhile now and just noticed that icons on my desktop no longer show the little arrow that indicates they are shortcuts. I don’t know what happened, but is there a way I can get that indicator back? Microsoft windows uses icons – small pictures that represent files or programs. Sometimes the actual file is located in one place on your hard drive and a shortcut is shown […]
Auto-renew Unasked: a reader asks… I’m perplexed, my subscription to Bitdefender Total Security renewed automatically, but I didn’t click any buttons or make any changes. Not sure how that happened but, oh well. I read your latest recommendation on Windows 10 security (at https://positek.net/windows-10-protection/) but my subscription to Bitdefender is currently active. Should I switch or wait till the subscription ends? The answer to your question (switch now or later) isn’t for me to say. If you’re a frugal sort, then […]
Word 2016 Mail Merge – Categories: a reader asks… I use Office 365 and have Outlook and Word 2016 installed. I have all my contacts organized by category. What I’d like to do is a mail merge in Word using just one category of contacts (I’m making a holiday letter). Using the Mail Merge function in Word doesn’t show me a way to filter contacts by category. So how do I do this? Unfortunately, filtering by categories wasn’t included in […]
iPhone X Shortcut: a reader asks… I got a new iPhone X a few weeks ago. I transferred over everything from my old iPhone to the new one, and have figured out how to use FaceID. I’m slowly getting used to all the new ways of doing things. One thing has me mystified though: how do I quickly switch between apps? The iPhone X has lots of new gestures that may take a little practice for you to get familiar […]
Outlook Contacts: a reader asks… I use Outlook (part of Office 365) for my email, calendar and address book. I see that some contacts have an image of the person and some don’t, but I don’t remember how I got those pictures added to Outlook. Can you tell me how to do this? The first thing you should do is collect good pictures as many of your contacts as you can. I suggest you store all those pictures in a […]
LastPass Quirks: a reader asks… I’m ready to take your advice on using a password manager. Is there anything I need to know about LastPass before I pull the trigger? The LastPass website has a number of tutorials that you should spend the time to watch. Watch the basic tutorial at at https://lastpass.com/basic.php. You may also want to watch at least some of the screencasts at https://lastpass.com/support_screencasts.php. And the main manual is at https://helpdesk.lastpass.com/. If you’re new to password managers, you need to […]
Webcam Security: a reader asks… I am looking at adding a wireless webcam or two to help monitor my home when I’m away. I’m worried about security, but also about the security of the webcams I get. I hear they’re not very secure. Do you have any recommendations? I’ve been looking at the Insteon cameras (and their other home automation gear). Unfortunately, most webcams (also called IP Cameras) on the market come from China, and are horribly insecure. In order […]
Your Passwords: a reader asks… So what’s your current guidance on passwords? It’s a simple 3-prong strategy. First, make your passwords long (the more characters the better, even more than 20). Second, make them unique (don’t use the same password in multiple places), third, use a password manager (software program to help you manage your passwords). The only thing left to account for is any password requirements that specific online destinations have. Some websites require old-fashioned password complexity – meaning […]
Where did Airdrop Go? a reader asks… I updated my iPhone 6s to iOS 11 and everything is working great. Except for one thing. I can’t find Airdrop anymore! Did Apple discontinue that feature? No, they just did a nice job of hiding the control for Airdrop. When you have the Airdrop menu open, you can choose to either have Airdrop off, open for only your contacts, or open for anyone in range of your iPhone’s Bluetooth connection. Those choices […]
Windows 10 Protection: a reader asks… Ok, one more time, what protection should I use for my Windows 10 computer? Short answer: the built-in Windows Defender supplemented by a subscription to Malwarebytes Premium. Sure, Norton, Bitdefender, ESET, McAfee and others will attempt to convince you that you need their protection, but the truth is that for many/most consumers, Windows Defender does an adequate job. To add another strong layer of protection I recommend you add on a premium subscription to […]
Fake Email: a reader asks… I received an email in my Outlook inbox that I’m not sure what to do with. I’ve attached a screenshot of it and forwarded you a copy of the email. Any advice? First things first, do not open the file attachment! Unless you are already doing business with JMA Architects (supposedly the sender of the email based on the From address) and expecting them to send you something, this is 100% a scam. Your best […]
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