Laminator Woes: a reader asks… I run a small non-profit and we use a laminator for all kinds of things, cards, papers, flyers, etc. I’ve had this workhorse laminator for several years with no trouble. We recently hired a new person and they didn’t know that you have to put the plastic sheets inside a carrier that protects the laminator from the plastic pouches. Needless to say, melted plastic got onto the rollers and now the laminator jams all the […]
Clacking Keyboard: a reader asks… I recently got a new Windows 10 desktop computer that I’ll be using for gaming as well as regular work. It came with this cheap keyboard which I’d like to replace, the keys are too uncomfortable, don’t seem as responsive and don’t light up. Can you recommend a good keyboard for gaming? Mechanical keyboards are all the rage for gaming, because they have a fairly large amount of key travel, and because you can get […]
Windows 10 Uninstall Apps: a reader asks… I just got a new Windows 10 computer and am having trouble getting my brain upgraded from Windows 7. I want to uninstall some unneeded programs, but I can’t find the control panel anymore. How can I do this now? Most of the functions of the old Control Panel have been taken over by either the Windows Settings menu, or by the secondary start menu. Get to the Windows Settings menu by clicking […]
iPhone Do Not Disturb: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have an iPhone 5s and leave it on my nightstand every night. The problem is that every time I get a text message, email, or news alert, it makes a noise. Turning off the ringer switch doesn’t really help as those noises turn into vibrations that the nightstand seems to amplify. Can you tell me how to turn this off? The fastest way to shut off both noises and vibrations […]
Win10 Creators Update: a reader asks… I have a Windows 10 computer and read about the Creator’s Update coming soon, but my computer still doesn’t show it on the Update page. Is there a way I can get the update faster than the ‘phased rollout’ that Microsoft is doing? If you just can’t wait for the update, you can get it sooner. Visit this website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and click the blue Update Now button to start the process. It may take a […]
Recycle Computers: a reader asks… I have some old laptops that I’d like to donate to an orphanage. 2 run Windows XP, 1 runs Windows Vista, and 1 runs Mac OSX 10.6. What do I need to do to prepare them for donation? They need to be in working order, but I need to make sure my personal files are erased securely. The first thing you should recognize is that Microsoft no longer supports either Windows XP nor Vista, so […]
Wet Mac: a reader asks… I made a big mistake, while working, I spilled a smoothie on my 2011 Macbook Pro. It worked for a few hours after that (I tried to clean it up as best I could). I shut it down and now it won’t turn on at all. Is there anything I can do? AppleCare is long expired and I’ve already tried letting it dry out for a few days. Most likely, the best you could do […]
Windows 10 Tablet Mode: a reader asks… I got a new Windows 10 laptop (HP) and for some reason it started working weirdly. Now the Start menu only shows full-screen and all the time unless I’m in an app. All windows (even the settings screens) show only as full-screen and I can’t shrink them down. I don’t know what happened – what should I do? It sounds like you accidentally turned on “Tablet Mode” on your laptop. The icon at […]
New Windows Defender: a reader asks… I have a new Windows 10 computer (and just got the Creator’s Update). My last computer used Windows 7, and I read your article https://positek.net/windows-protection-2/ that talks about the new Windows Defender. My question is, can you tell me what’s different about the new Windows Defender from the old one (part of Microsoft Security Essentials)? In the Windows 7 days (and even into Windows 8/8.1), Windows Defender was a pretty anemic app that Microsoft tossed […]
Update my Router: a reader asks… I got an email that says my Netgear R7000 Nighthawk router needs a firmware update. 2 Questions: is this real? and if yes, what do I do to update my router – I have a Macbook Air with no ethernet and the instructions say to use ethernet to connect to the router. You are right to be suspicious, email is not the best way for hardware vendors to advise you that updates are needed. […]
Easy Windows Backup: a reader asks… Is there a way I can use my Dropbox Plus (1tb of storage) account to make keeping my Windows 10 computer backed up easier? Unless you have a huge media library in Dropbox, you’re probably only using a fraction of the storage space you’re paying for on Dropbox. So definitely you can use Dropbox to streamline your backup plan. Take a look at my article Change Windows Default Folder Locations which shows how you can move […]
Lost Mac Recovery: a reader asks… I have a Mac with an external drive working with Time Machine for backups. If my Mac crashes or is lost or stolen, is it easier (certainly less time) to recover from a Time Machine backup than an iCloud backup? Should I do both? Kudos to you for thinking about how to recover from a disaster before the disaster strikes! Most folks find out the hard way that pre-planning makes recovery so much easier. […]
Mac Partitions: a reader asks… I have a 1T LaCie external hard drive that I have used as backup regularly. When I got it at an Apple store, they divided it into 500G for video and 500G for everything else. The everything else has now run out of space (and I have very little in the video section). Easy to re-partition? From the LaCie website, looks like I have to erase everything? Generally, you can split a drive into 2 […]
Use a timer: a reader asks… Do you have a handy piece of consumer technology that can help me? I’m a cook and have to time a number of things throughout the day, from letting bread rise to baking times. Sometimes I have several things on a timer at once. My oven only has one timer. Do you have a smartphone? As they say, there’s an app for everything. Besides the built-in timer capabilities of your average smartphone, there are […]
Get my Files! a reader asks… My Windows laptop has developed a problem and I need an easy solution. I think the hard drive is ok, but the laptop itself is broken (screen cracked, won’t boot up). Is there a place where I can get the data from my hard drive extracted so I can save my personal files? I will be getting a new computer. Certainly you can pay someone to extract your data and give it to you, […]
Restart Your Computer Loop: a reader asks… Every time I use my laptop computer I receive this notice: “Restart your computer to finish installing important updates”. I can not follow thru with the update alert and then my computer is automatically shut down unless I request a 4 hr delay. I don’t know what to do to stop this alert, and I’m not very technical, so an easy solution, please? This is a vexing problem that can affect any version of […]
Critical Updates? a reader asks… I am getting a pop up box for Lenovo System Update that says I have critical updates available and they recommend I install them. Should I install them? I haven’t done any updates from that program since I purchased the laptop. Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer, some updates are truly critical and you need to apply them to your system asap, some are not only ‘not critical’ but installing them would activate features you don’t […]
iPhone Speakerphone doesn’t: a reader asks… I need some advice. I have an iPhone 6s. I recently updated the iOS software. Ever since my voicemail is kluged up. The speaker function in voicemail which I use all the time no longer works. I have tried several things from online Help sites but nothing works. I was thinking of rebooting by holding home and sleep/wake button but nervous I may screw something else up. Have you seen this problem and can […]
Verizon/AOL Redux: a reader asks… I received the note from Verizon that they are stopping their email service and for me to transition to AOL. I use Gmail and haven’t used the Verizon address in years, but I have that account auto-forwarding to my Gmail account. I use Outlook and have Gmail set up on it, but not Verizon. What should I do? Short answer, you don’t need to migrate the Verizon.net address to AOL unless you want to. If […]
Macbook as Desktop: a reader asks… I have a fairly new Macbook (with 1 usb-C port) and really like the portability aspects. But there are times when I wish I had a better keyboard and a much bigger monitor. What would I need to buy so I can have the benefits of a desktop computer like an iMac without having to buy…an iMac? Nobody has to choose between the portability of a laptop or the utility of a desktop computer. […]
PC Remote Control: a reader asks… I was wondering you can recommend either a free or cheap reliable way to screen share and take over operation of someone’s computer from afar. My grandfather regularly needs computer help from a distance and it would be much easier if I could show him in a live format. While remote access to another computer is fairly common, there are few free options. Here at PosiTek.net we use LogMeIn Rescue for technical support over […]
Which Cloud Backup? a reader asks… Wondered if you have an opinion re cloud back-up services — read good things about Crashplan and Backblaze (and of course there is Carbonite). Do you have an opinion? Should I worry about these guys getting hacked or that’s just an ever-present risk? (Do you think one is more secure than the others?) I’m certainly glad you’re considering backing up your computer(s) since 98% of folks don’t bother. I should mention that of those folks […]
Family Slideshow: a reader asks… My daughter is turning 17 soon and I have to be out of town for her birthday. What I’d like to do is make a slideshow with some music for her and send it to her on her birthday as a Youtube video. Can you give me an easy way to do this? I have a Windows 10 computer. Making a slideshow of pictures can be as easy or hard as you want it to […]
Non-ISP email: a reader asks… I’m a Comcast triple-play subscriber and am getting ready to switch to Verizon FIOS. I understand Verizon no longer offers email, so I’ve setup a Gmail account. I so dread switching emails but I know I can’t stay with my comcast.net email address. Is there anything that I can do to make this easier? While convenient, using your ISP for email services means anytime you change ISPs you have to change your email address. Now […]
iPhone to Youtube: a reader asks… I am trying to make videos using my iPhone, can you give me a quick primer on what I should do? I’d like to put them up on Youtube. So let’s assume you already have a Youtube account and know your username and password. You’ll need that to connect your iPhone’s video output to your Youtube account to upload videos. Let’s start with the simple and move to the more complicated: Simple: You want […]
HandyCam to YouTube: a reader asks… I have an older Sony HandyCam that I’m using to take some video. Is there an easy way to upload that video into YouTube? It depends on how old your handycam is: if it uses videotape to record the video, then you’ll need a way to import and transcode that video and turn it into an electronic file that can be uploaded to YouTube. If your handycam doesn’t use tape, then it likely already […]
Busted My Passport: a reader asks… I have a My Passport Ultra external hard drive I’ve been using for backup on my Mac. Today I connected it and my Mac doesn’t recognize it. I can feel the drive spinning but it never appears in Finder. I’ve tried restarting the Mac (which works fine) and tried wiggling the plug but nothing, it won’t mount. Is there anything I can do? If not, I’d like to replace it with a drive that […]
Mac Ransomware Coming: a reader asks… I’ve been reading about ransomware and how big it’s getting. I have a 2015 Macbook Pro running MacOS Sierra and I keep it up-to-date. I don’t use any software not in the Mac App Store. Do I need to be worried or am I still safe? While Mac users have been largely immune to computer viruses, malware and other threats, the immunity has never been 100%, and it’s starting to wear off. More and […]
iPhone Notifications: a reader asks… I have an iPhone 6s and when notifications pop up on my screen (when the phone is locked), they go away very fast. Often I don’t get to read the notification before it disappears. How can I get those notifications back again? Let me give you two ways. One is to press and release your Home button which will light up the screen again and show you the notifications for a second or so. This […]
Window Size: a reader asks… I’m new to computers and have a Windows 10 laptop. The screen isn’t all that big, and often the windows are so large that I can’t see everything. Some programs and websites have important buttons or controls at the bottom, and I can’t always see and use those controls. Is there an easy way to get my windows to stay inside the screen? Unfortunately, the windows in Microsoft Windows can be resized and moved at […]
"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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