Between Laptop and Desktop: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I need a new computer, my old one is a behemoth HP desktop PC with Windows Vista and an old-style CRT monitor. I don’t really need a laptop, but would like something smaller yet capable and fast. My budget is to keep it well under $1,000 all-in. I’m reasonably handy and can do the setup myself. What would you suggest? For many folks, an all-in-one computer can be a great replacement. […]
Sticky Notes: a reader asks… I have a desktop PC with Windows 10, fully updated. It’s great and does pretty much what I need it to do, but there’s one thing I’d like to have, and I’d appreciate your advice on the best app to use for this: I write notes to myself (using Notepad), and leave them showing on my desktop. Is there an app that does this better? I’m guessing you haven’t discovered the simple pleasure of sticky […]
Mac Retread: a reader asks… I’m inheriting my son’s 2-year-old Macbook Pro – he transferred to a new college and they have specific requirements so he had to get a new computer. He’s already copied all his stuff off onto his new computer, but the hard drive on ‘my’ Mac is almost full of his stuff. What’s the easiest way I can clear off his stuff and make this Mac mine? I don’t want to delete the programs he’s got […]
Win10 Folder Dementia: a reader asks… My Windows 10 computer is having a problem with File Explorer. When I change the view options for a particular folder and then shut it down, the next time I open it Windows doesn’t remember those view settings. I looked online and found some registry changes, tried them and they didn’t work. Can you help? Any suggestions will be appreciated! After a few exchanges I found out you’re using ESET for computer security. Turns […]
Power Program Icons: a reader asks… I’m a coder who usually works in Linux. I recently ported over to Windows 10, and have a bunch of GNU-type programs that are simply exe files and not installed. Programs like ImgBurn.exe, gnuplot.exe, python.exe, and APT.exe. I want easy access to them. I know I can drag them down to the taskbar, but that gets cluttered up because I have too many of these. In Linux, I put these into a folder window […]
Mac Mail Mania: a reader asks… I have a macbook pro laptop and I’m using MAC Mail as my email. I’m also using OS X El Capitan version 10.11.5. Most of, although not every time, I compose and send an email, my MAC automatically puts a red follow up flag next to it and it shows up in my draft folder, although I did not mark it or flag it or save the email message to the draft folder. This […]
Windows Defender: a reader asks… I recently got a new laptop and it has Windows 10 on it. It’s also got a program called “Windows Defender”. I’d like to avoid having to pay for software if possible. Do I have to get your recommended Bitdefender? The latest version of Windows Defender is reasonably capable at protecting you from internet threats. When I say ‘reasonably’, it’s not a compliment. The problem is that the growth and maturation of malware attacks are […]
Android Zoom: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have a Moto G smartphone. Can you help me with an Android question? It appears the Moto G doesn’t have zoom for the camera. Any thoughts? Most smartphone cameras do not have any optical zoom feature, the necessary hardware (moving parts) for such a feature is nigh impossible to build into the small case of a smartphone. Two notable exceptions: iPhone 7 Plus which doesn’t exactly have a zoom feature, but does […]
Scanning HP: a reader asks… I have an HP Officejet Pro 8710 and am trying to use it to scan papers into my computer. I have about 100 pages of text to scan, and am trying to get that all into one file. I’ve used the sheetfeeder, which holds about 25 pages at a time, so now I’ve got 5 PDF documents. What I want to do is combine them into one file and convert that to Microsoft Word so […]
Airpods in the wind: a reader asks… I’ve been trying to buy Apple Airpods but the local store is always sold out. Wanted to get these as a gift for my husband. I can order them online but the site says it’ll be March before they show up. Are there any good alternatives for my iPhone-loving husband? Back in September I wrote about the Airpods and some alternatives in my article Wireless Earbuds. I also wrote about the shortcomings of Bluetooth […]
Windows 10 Redux: a reader asks… I’m an avid reader of your column, and find absolute gems on your blog, thank you! I’ve read your take on Windows 10, and am wondering if at this point in time you’ve changed your opinion. Asking because I’m getting ready to replace some old computers (Windows 7/Vista/XP) in my company, and aren’t sure whether to stick with Windows or move to the Apple Mac platform. My company is a small business (< 50 […]
Domain Name Scam: a reader asks… I’m a small business owner with a website (hosted by GoDaddy.com). I recently received a bill in the mail (physical, not email). It is from the Internet Domain Name Services (IDNS) and it is a Domain Name Expiration Notice. States that my domain name expired in February. Before I pay the bill, should I be concerned about this? In four words: don’t pay that bill! So-called DNS agents are marketing domain name services like […]
Outlook 2016 Pique: a reader asks… I have Outlook 2016 as part of my Office 365. I recently upgraded, was using Office 2010 for years and finally gave in to the upgrade push by Microsoft. I have a little annoyance I want to fix: When I delete a message from my inbox, Outlook moves down to the next older message (I have newest messages on top in my inbox). In Outlook 2010 when I did that, Outlook moved up to […]
My Old Windows XP: a reader asks… I have an old Windows XP computer on its last legs. It was not like this years ago when I bought it; I don’t know what happened. MS Outlook Express can start up and I can see my address book but cannot open any email, so I use Verizon webmail. The computer runs very slowly, although I think it’s working hard on something. I need to buy a new computer (Windows not Mac), […]
Google to iCloud: a reader asks… Santa brought me a new Macbook Air to go with my iPhone. Yay! I have a small problem though: I use Gmail for email, and have the Mail app setup on my Mac to use that, all great! But when I look on my iPhone I see a lot of contacts and on the Contacts app on my Mac there are only a few. What’s going on? It sounds like you have both iCloud […]
Thumbdrive Usage: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I got a 64gb thumbdrive in my stocking on Christmas, and I’m not sure what to do with it. Any ideas? I have a Windows 10 laptop PC and it’s way too small to backup my files. One thing you could do with that thumbdrive is to create a recovery drive (formerly a system repair disk) for your laptop. That way if Windows gets messed up you can use the thumbdrive to start up […]
New iPhone Question: a reader asks… I got a new iPhone for Christmas and am learning how to use it (came from an old flip-phone). It’s really nice and all, but there’s one thing that bothers the heck out of me. All of the sudden and at odd times, Siri will pipe up and talk to me. Short of turning her off completely, is there a way I can get her to wait for me to ask her a question? […]
User Account Control: a reader asks… I’ve recently switched from using a Windows PC to using a Mac. On my Windows PC I followed your advice and setup a standard user account for day-to-day use, along with an Administrator account for when I need it. I saved time and brain by using the same password for both accounts. Anytime I needed elevated privileges on my standard account, I got the UAC prompt and had to fill in the password. Should […]
Wonky Car Bluetooth: a reader asks… I have an iPhone 6s I recently updated to iOS 10 and am trying to use it with Bluetooth in my car, a 2011 Mercury Mariner (same as the Ford Escape). Ongoing problem in that I can make the first phone call ok, but then when that’s done the car won’t go back to the radio, and I can’t make any other phone calls through Bluetooth. The only solution I’ve found is to shut […]
Firestick Frenzy: this holiday season, a number of readers have asked… I have a [home theater receiver brand and model] and got a new Amazon Firestick. I want to use it with my home theater setup but can’t figure out how to do it. I have a flat-screen TV, as well as a DVD (Xbox, laserdisc player, etc.). Can you give me some advice? You can check out my article Firestick Theater for the basics, but based on the number […]
Website Down? a reader asks… I’m a small-business owner and have a website that’s built on WordPress and hosted by Bluehost. This morning my website isn’t working, and I’m seeing a “website can’t be reached” error message. I can’t get into my WordPress Control Panel either. What can I do? The most common reason for this error is that your webhosting service (Bluehost) is having a temporary problem. It could be that the server (just a computer) is down for […]
Dying Hard Drive: a reader asks… I have a 5 year-old Windows computer (Dell Inspiron desktop) with 2gb RAM and a 500gb hard drive. Last year I took the free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and everything’s been going fine. Last week I started hearing a lot of noise coming from the CPU. I swear it sounded like bacon frying! This morning I saw the computer was off and turned it on. I get a blank screen with […]
Verizon Email Down? a reader asks… I use Verizon email and access it from the website at webmail.verizon.com. I was out of town for the weekend and came back, turned on my computer and when I try to go to the web page, I got a bunch of gobbeldy-gook. I tried restarting and no help. This only happens on Verizon’s website. Is there something I’m doing wrong? No, the problem isn’t you, it’s the Verizon server. Likely the server you […]
Recycle CRT: a reader asks… I’ve used my county recycling center to recycle old computers, printers and such. Recently, they’ve started charging to recycle old-style CRT monitors and televisions. Is there a free way to recycle these? Free recycling for such items is quickly disappearing. That’s because these old-style screens have hazardous materials in them (like lead), which must be carefully extracted before the rest of the device can be either broken up for parts, dropped into a landfill, or […]
Facebook Language: a reader asks… Help! All of the sudden, my facebook page is showing in a different language. I don’t know how that happened. How can I change it back? First, let me help you change it back, and then let me give you a warning to change your facebook password. Please heed the latter, if you didn’t change the language, someone probably hacked into your account and did that. Facebook allows you to change the language that its […]
Outlook Won’t Start: a reader asks… I have a Microsoft Office 365 subscription that I bought last year and have been using without any problems on my Windows 10 computer. Yesterday, all of the sudden Outlook won’t start up. I try and it sticks on “processing” forever. What can I do to fix this? I have three solutions for you, and you can do these each in turn. First, MS Office has a built-in repair utility, but accessing it isn’t […]
Messed Up Remotes: a reader asks… I’ve paired a new Samsung flat-screen TV with my Verizon set top box but now I can’t get those Smart TV options to appear on my screen for Netflix, Amazon etc. There’s no button on the Verizon remote that will make those options appear on the TV, and the TV remote no longer works to bring them up either. Can you help? The short answer is that your Verizon remote doesn’t have the capability […]
Another switch to Gmail: a reader asks… I read your article about moving my contacts to Google, thanks! I have a similar problem, and hope the solution is easy. I’ve been using Windows Live Mail tied to my Verizon account, and now I’ve switched to Gmail. I’ve got all Verizon email being forwarded to my Gmail account which is great. The problem is my old emails, which are still in Live Mail. Is there an easy way to get all […]
iPad Retread: a reader asks… I just got myself a new iPad! Well, it’s not really new, it’s a hand-me-down from my son. He just handed it over to me, so it’s still got the apps and stuff on it from him. Can you tell me how to reset it so I can have my own apps on it? Resetting the iPad is quite easy. Tap Settings, then General. Scroll down to the bottom of the list (by swiping upwards […]
New Mac Dongle? a reader asks… I just got a new Macbook Pro, and it only has the new USB type ports, the small oval-ish shape. The power adapter fits one of them, but there’s no place to put my thumbdrive or external hard drive (the larger rectangular ports), nor a place to plug my Mac into my TV (the hdmi port that’s rectangle with two notches in the bottom corners). Worse, there’s no SD card slot for my camera’s […]
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