PC like MacMini: a reader asks… I’m looking for new/replacement computers for my company. We are tight on space so I’d like something about the size of a Mac Mini, that runs Windows 10. They just need to do regular office work with Microsoft Office, no fancy stuff. Do you have any suggestions? When space is at a premium, there are two main ways to go. If you need to also replace old monitors, then you might want to consider […]
Set Edge to forget passwords: a reader asks… On my Windows 10 computer, I use Microsoft Edge to surf the web. I also use it to check my AOL mail. Unfortunately, I checked the “Remember me” checkbox when logging into AOL mail, and now when I go to https://mail.aol.com it automatically logs me in. I don’t want this. I don’t want Edge to remember any passwords, that helps force me to remember them. What should I do to make sure […]
Router Wi-Fi Scare: a reader asks… I just read about Wi-fi being compromised. Something called Krack. Now what do I do? I have a home router from Verizon FIOS, a Dell laptop and an iPhone. First, be aware that this scare is way overblown by the news services. Security researchers found a way to get past the security encryption protocol WPA2 – in the lab. My guess is by the time hackers are able to weaponize this flaw, device manufacturers […]
Wrong Apple ID: a reader asks… My wife and I each have our own Apple IDs on our iPhones and for years have shared apps using each other’s IDs. I think that since we set it up Apple has made “family sharing” easier, but we’ve never changed. I just discovered (after the latest update, maybe, but not sure) that the Health app had her name on it when I went to set up emergency contact. I could change the name, […]
WordPress White Screen: a reader asks… I am a small business owner and have a WordPress-powered website. Everything was working fine until this morning, when I can no longer access the control panel. All I get is a white screen! What should I do? My website displays fine, I just can’t edit it. While Microsoft Windows 7 and before had the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death”, aka BSOD, Apple Macs could get the “Spinning Wheel of Death” aka SWOD, WordPress […]
Quick Win10 Protection: a reader asks… I have a new Windows 10 computer. Can you give it to me short and sweet? What do I have to do for basic protection against computer viruses and malware? I’m not concerned about anything else at this point. Hmm, you should be, but I’ll answer the question as asked. Your Windows 10 computer comes with Windows Defender built-in, which provides some basic protection against viruses and malware. So you don’t have to do […]
Can’t open .htm: A member asks… Since yesterday we’ve suddenly been unable to open our son’s grade reports that come as “.htm” attachments to e-mails. In the past, double-clicking on these attachments always opened them in a new web browser window, but now we get a “Can’t create file” error message when we try to do this, even for attachments to old e-mails that we’ve successfully opened in the past. I suppose we’ve inadvertently changed some setting or other, but […]
Make my laptop faster: a reader asks… My dad bought me a new Windows 10 laptop last year for college. Now that I’m there, my laptop seems to work a lot slower than others. I’m always waiting for a long time for programs to open, and for the computer to start up and shut down. Can I speed up my laptop? Parents often are looking for good deals when buying laptops for their college-bound children. Saving money is good, but […]
Second Monitor: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been using a Windows laptop for many years now, and my only complaint is that the screen size is limited. I see other folks with these giant screens and even some that have two computer monitors – I’m jealous! Can you give me some tips on how to get and setup a bigger screen or 2nd monitor to use with my laptop? There’s a not-so-old saying that once you’ve used dual-monitors, there’s […]
Attach photo to Mac email: a reader asks… I use a Macbook Air with the Apple Photos app. The only problem I have is when I try to attach a photo to an outgoing email, I tried but it won’t get to my photos library. What can I do? I’m guessing your Photos library file is pretty large, which can delay things if you don’t already have the Photos app running. If you’re using Mac Mail for email, then there […]
Word won’t save: a reader asks… I’m using Office 365 on a Windows 10 computer. Recently, I stopped being able to save a Word document into Dropbox, Word freezes. I also can’t copy text from a Word document into an email using the Windows 10 Mail app. Can you help? A little digging revealed that the reader was using Malwarebytes Premium, but had never updated since it was originally installed. So the user was on version 3.0.6 (the current version […]
Make a Ringtone: a reader asks… How do I make a custom ringtone for my iPhone from a song in my iTunes library? I use a Macbook. You can do this using iTunes on your Macbook. A ringtone is going to be a short loop of a song that repeats over and over. The process to do this is a little tedious, but it’s certainly doable. The process involves a few stages where you first choose a usable song (in […]
Slow Internet: a reader asks… My internet speed seems to be slowing down. At first it was only sometimes, but now it seems like everything is slow. I’m paying Verizon FIOS for high speed (75/75) but not getting much. I ran a speed test (http://beta.speedtest.net/) on my laptop and sometimes get less than 10/5, sometimes 30/25, but never anything even close to what I should be getting. What should I do? First question, how old is your router? See my […]
The Half-life of Tech: a reader asks… How come these expensive tech devices don’t last very long? I’m having to replace my Windows laptop every few years because it gets messed up and becomes unusable, and it seems like my various smartphones die within a couple years or less. I feel like I’m personally investing in filling up landfills with stuff that should last a lot longer. What gives with this? In a word, money. Companies that make consumer electronics […]
No Android Update? a reader asks… Hi Chris, unlike you, I have an Android-powered smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy S6. You’re always letting us know when the iPhone gets an update to iOS, but why don’t you tell us when there’s an update to Android? I have a pretty simple answer, but you’re not gonna like it. Because Android-powered smartphones rarely, if ever, get updates to the operating system. I touched on this in my article: Smartphones-What’s the Diff?, so let me […]
Not getting emails: a reader asks… I signed up for your email digest awhile ago, thanks! But I stopped getting them a few weeks ago. Did you stop sending them out? No, my weekly digest goes out every Friday morning. Here’s what happened: At some point, your email service notified you that your email box was full and that you had to delete some items to save space. Until you did that, your email service would reject incoming emails. When […]
Small Mac, big files: a reader asks… I read your note about working with a Mac that has a full hard drive, but can you recap the essentials for me? I have a huge Photos library on my 2014 Macbook Air with 256gb SSD. Ok, I’ve written about this general issue several times, in my articles More Space on Mac, Huge Apple Photos library, MacOS won’t start, and Locked up Macbook. When you click the Apple > About this Mac and […]
Wi-fi Passcode: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have a problem. My computer automatically connects to my home Wi-fi network, but I have no idea what the security passcode is. So I can’t connect any other computers or smartphones or tablets to it. I don’t remember how I set it up in the first place, so I can’t just do that again. Can you help? I have a Windows 10 laptop and an iPhone 6s. Here are two ways you […]
Pair Airpods to Watch: a reader asks… I just got a new Apple Watch (series 3). I’d like to use it with my Airpods. Is there an easy way to set that up? Yes, direct from Apple (at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204218) are the simple instructions to pair your new Apple watch with your Airpods. On the Watch, go to Settings > Bluetooth. Then with your Airpods (in their case) close to your Watch, see if they show up on the Watch screen and […]
iPhone Security: a reader asks… I’m looking at the new iPhones, it’s time for an upgrade from my old 5S. I’m considering the 8 or the X (on the Apple upgrade plan which I’m planning on switching to). I know it’s going to be a lot bigger than my trusty 5S and I’m prepared for that, but I’m a little bit concerned about the FaceID thingy in the X – I remember seeing a year or so ago that facial […]
Which Thumbdrive? a reader asks… Hi Chris, do you have a recommendation on what thumbdrive I should use to backup my files on my 2014 Macbook Air? I don’t have a whole lot, so I don’t think I need a really big external hard drive. thanks! There are plenty of cheap thumbdrives out there, but I should warn you that the quality can vary. I’d suggest you stick with good brand-name drives from companies like Kingston, Crucial, PNY and SanDisk. […]
Which Amazon Alexa? a reader asks… I’m a little confused about which Alexa device to get for my mom. She’s in an assisted-living facility and I’d like to get her one that works in her small, 1-bedroom apartment, so she can ask for the time, get the news and other stuff. Can you give me the low-down on the major differences between each of them? The most-common Amazon devices that have Alexa embedded are the Echo, the Dot, the Show, […]
iCloud storage needs: a reader asks… Hi Chris, can you tell me how much additional iCloud storage I need to purchase for my iPhone? I wish it was a simple answer, but it depends. Are you a photo hound? Do you have multiple iOS devices (iPads, iPhones, iPods) using the same Apple ID for iCloud? Do you have a Mac with OS X Yosemite and use Cloud Drive? Yes answers to any of these point the way towards upgrading your […]
Small Biz Hacker Protection: a reader asks… I have a small business and am getting worried about getting hacked. Not my website, my on-premises infrastructure. Everywhere I read about how hackers are starting to target people like me. I don’t have a lot of IT infrastructure, just a few computers, a file server and some laptops that my sales team uses all over the territory. Do you have a short and sweet hit list of things I should do/don’t? Short […]
LastPass/Browser Password Conflict: a reader asks… I’m a long-time LastPass user but now every browser I use asks me to save passwords and declares that they are secure. This has an advantage on IOS devices because LastPass requires a copy/paste. What is your view on this trend? I get this request on Chrome all the time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up on the new Firefox 55.0.3 I just installed. I haven’t bothered to look how to […]
Which iPhone: a reader asks… I have an iPhone 6s (on Verizon) and usually upgrade every other year. So I guess it’s time, but Apple’s announcement left me feeling confused. Should I get the iPhone 8 or the X? I make calls, do email, surf the web, and do a little social networking, but I don’t have or use a lot of apps on my phone. I don’t use an installment plan, just plan to buy the phone outright. Hmm, […]
Kaspersky? A reader asks… I recently bought a computer from MicroCenter and the sales guy recommended that I get Kaspersky Total Security. I did and installed it. This week I read about how the US Government is banning Kaspersky products from being used in federal agencies. Do I need to switch to another product? I have a Windows 10 computer, and don’t do a lot of online surfing. I do online banking, shopping and social media, as well as email. […]
Switch to iPhone: a reader asks… I read your article on switching from iPhone to Android at https://positek.net/switch-to-android/ but what about the other side of the equation? I have an older Moto smartphone and want to switch to iPhone. Anything I need to watch out for? First off, Apple has an app for that (of course!) the Move to iOS app on the Google Play Store. After you have purchased your iPhone and got it up and running, install the app […]
Locked Up Macbook: a reader asks… Hi Chris, my Macbook Pro (early 2011 with Yosemite) is running very slow and locking up on me all the time. Is there some way to fix it or should I just get a new laptop? Before I answer your question, let me first tell you that you should back up the files on your Macbook Pro as soon as possible. You can simply copy the files onto a thumb drive, or better yet […]
Switch to Android? A reader asks… I’ve been using an iPhone for a few years now, and am about done. I am ready to switch to Android and am looking for tips on how to make an easy transition. Can you help? While the iPhone is an excellent smartphone, we recognize that not everyone is happy and is perhaps thinking about or making the switch to an Android smartphone. Apple has a great guide for the reverse (going from Android […]
"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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