PC Moving Day: a reader asks… I’m in the middle of swapping out my old Windows laptop for a new one. My old one has Microsoft Office (I have a 365 subscription), but I use Gmail in my web browser for email (not Outlook), as well as the Google Calendar and Contacts. I use Google Chrome (logged in to my Google account), and have a few programs I’d like on the new computer (like iTunes). Mostly though I want to […]
Securing the cloud: a reader asks… I use Dropbox for storing files online as a backup to my computer. I’ve been reading about cloud-based storage and hacking, and I’m a little worried about the safety of my files. I know that the files are encrypted during the upload and download process (from Dropbox servers to my computer), but what about the security of those files while they’re on Dropbox servers? I’m looking at a third party encryption tool: Boxcryptor. Do […]
Good Video Editor: a reader asks… I have a fairly powerful Windows desktop PC with an Intel i7 processor, 16gb of RAM, a dedicated graphics card and 2 monitors. I’ve been using Windows Movie Maker but would like to step up to something more powerful, yet not too difficult to learn. Can you recommend a video editing program? There are a lot of good video editing programs out there, some are approaching the power of professional-grade programs such as Avid […]
MacMail Password Woes: a reader asks… This message pops up on my Mac when I tried to send an email last night. I tried one password but it was rejected. My Mac Mail program has been working fine for years, just last night this started and I keep getting the pop up message every few minutes. Any thoughts? I’m doing some guessing here, but it’s possible that your Keychain (the Mac’s database of remembered passwords) didn’t work right when your Mac’s […]
Ghost Music: a reader asks… When I woke up my PC this morning, it was playing music. There was a window listing titles of songs, but when I closed the window, the music kept playing. I wish I had taken a picture of the window, but I didn’t. I would love to figure out which app it was (I actually like the music) and why it started overnight, but the only clue I see is “Windows Audio Device Graph Isolation” […]
Fix Win10 1607 Update: a reader asks… I’ve got a Lenovo desktop PC with Windows 10 on it. My computer has been trying to get the latest Windows Updates (aka the Anniversary update or version 1607) for a few days now, and it keeps failing and reverting my system. My computer then tries again the next day and repeats. This has been going on for a week now. What should I do? The simplest solution is to bypass the Windows […]
Backup Win10: a reader asks… Hi, I have a 2 year old Dell laptop PC with Windows 10 on it (I upgraded when it was free last year). I notice that my computer just updated itself to version 1607 and it seems to have completed ok now after a lot of rebooting over 2 days. But I’m worried that I might lose my files and know I should be doing backup. Can you tell me how to backup my computer […]
Google’s Pixel: a reader asks… Now that Samsung’s officially killed their newest smartphone/phablet (the Galaxy Note 7) before it kills more people, I’m currently deciding on one or the other of these two smartphones: Google Pixel and Apple iPhone. I’m leaning towards the Pixel because I’m comfortable with Android. Is there anything I need to consider in this? I’m a Verizon customer btw. Ok, so my first bit of advice is that if you get a Pixel, order it directly […]
Program Uninstall: a reader asks… Sorry for the dumb question, but exactly how do I uninstall a program from my Windows 10 computer? If you’ve never done a program uninstall before, it’s completely understandable that you’re unsure where to start and what to do. The answer to your question is that ‘it depends’. Some programs can be uninstalled directly from their program folder, some must be uninstalled either from the Settings > Apps & Features window, or from the Control […]
The Name of Things: a reader asks… I’m having trouble following some of the instructions you give, mostly because when you name something, I don’t know what it is. I have an HP laptop computer with Windows 7 running on it. Here are the names you say that I don’t know: Start Button, Task Bar, Hyperlink, & Icon. Also, I’m not sure what you mean by select versus click. Can you give me a little tutorial please? Sure, Windows 7 […]
Mac Support: a reader asks… Help! I’m having trouble with my Mac and AirPlay to my 4th gen. Apple TV and my Bluetooth headphones. I just upgraded to the latest OS (Sierra) on my 2013 Macbook Pro. Before the upgrade, I was on El Capitan and everything worked smoothly, I could AirPlay to my TV and listen on my headphones just fine. Do you have a solution for me? Your question relates to an article I wrote awhile ago: Why can’t […]
Many Remotes: a reader asks… I have a Pioneer laserdisk player, a Sony DVD player, and a Verizon FIOS TV box – these are all connected to my Bose sound system and my Toshiba flat-screen TV. You can guess that I’m in remote control hell, my Verizon remote turns the TV on and off and controls the TV volume plus changes channels on my FIOS TV box. I have to use my Toshiba remote to switch the TV inputs between […]
Driver Updates: a reader asks… I have an HP laptop with Windows 7 on it (I decided not to take the free upgrade to 10). Lately, I’ve been seeing a little bulletin from “Driver Updates” that pops up every morning. … I am supposed to download certain areas…Is this safe to do? I am reluctant to go ahead with this… Here’s my opinion on driver updates: you should only get them from the manufacturer of the hardware. There are plenty […]
iPhone Raise to Wake: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have an iPhone 6 that I just updated to iOS 10. I saw one of the new features of iOS 10 called ‘Raise to Wake’ but I can’t find it on my phone. Is the setting hidden somewhere and if so, where? Thanks! Unfortunately, the Raise to Wake feature of iOS 10 requires a newer model of iPhone than yours. Specifically, the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7 and 7 […]
Fake IRS Calls & More: a reader asks… I don’t get a lot of calls on my landline, but most of what I do get sound like scams. For instance, I get this recorded message from the IRS saying it’s my last notice before they take legal action. Now I’m starting to get these types of calls on my cell phone (I have an iPhone). Is there any way to stop this stuff from happening? I last wrote about this […]
Teeny Screen: a reader asks… I’m 82 and my son got me a smartphone (an iPhone 6s Plus). He’s been really nice about taking the time to show me how to use it. I’m thrilled with it in most ways, but one. The screen is just so small! Even with bifocals it’s hard to see what’s on the screen, most times I can’t even read the teeny-tiny print. What can I do? Your son was very thoughtful in that he […]
Mac Missing Pictures: a reader asks… On my new iMac, the Finder window is missing a folder on the left-side for Pictures. I’m using the Photos app to manage pictures, but don’t see the actual picture files in Finder. I used to see this on my older Mac. When Apple came out with the new Photos app (in OS X Yosemite 10.10), Apple decided that all users were only going to use the app for dealing with their photos instead […]
Mac Name Change: a reader asks… I’ve been trying to change the name of my Macbook Pro, and it doesn’t seem to be working. When I go to the System Preferences, Sharing app, I see the field for the name and have overwritten that with a new name. But when I go look on my other Mac or iPhone or iPad, the computer that shows up still has the old name. Am I missing something? There are two things you […]
Backup Software: a reader asks… I’d like to use an automated backup service for my Windows laptop computer. What do you think about CrashPlan? I’ve previously looked at other automated solutions like Mozy and Carbonite, and a quick perusal of CrashPlan shows much of the same sort of capabilities and usage. Where CrashPlan comes out in front though, is that they keep backup copies of files even after you’ve deleted them from your computer. So if months go by and […]
Mac Backup Change: a reader asks… Both me and my SO have Macbooks, and we share an external hard drive we use as a Time Capsule. We each plug it in once a week and run Time Machine to back up our Macs to the drive. Recently I sent my Macbook in for service to replace a failing graphics adapter. When I got it back, everything was working fine. Except when I plugged in the Time Capsule drive and got […]
Vacation Phone: a reader asks… I have a Verizon iPhone and am heading for a vacation overseas. Should I get one of those airport rental phones, or buy a SIM card for my iPhone to use while I’m on vacation, or ??? Any suggestions you have are appreciated! While you can certainly do either of those options, there is another option for you. Verizon has a phone loaner program, click this link: https://www.verizonwireless.com/archive/mobile-living/network-and-plans/mobile-phone-abroad-verizon-rental-loaner/ For vacations less than 3 weeks, Verizon […]
Wipe iPad: a reader asks… Is there a way to wipe all personal data from an Ipad2 and still have it be usable? It’s actually very difficult to make an iPad unusable. In order to complete the process of resetting your iPad to wipe all your personal data, you restore it back to factory conditions with the iOS operating system intact (whatever version you had running before the reset), and the default apps that every iPad comes with. Resetting the […]
Wipe my data: a reader asks… I have several older laptops that I’d like to donate, they’re still working and run Windows 7. I’ve found a local place that will take them, but I want to clear off all our personal files and data before I give them the laptops. Is there an easy way to do this? When you donate a computer, you lose control over the device, so it’s always best to wipe your personal information and data […]
Wireless Earbuds: a reader asks… I’m going to get the new iPhone 7 and I’d like to get some wireless earbuds. Other than the new AirPods that Apple’s going to start selling in a month or so, is there anything else on the market I could or should buy? As soon as the headphone jack-less iPhone rumors firmed up, wireless headphone manufacturers started gearing up with new offerings. Of course, Apple announced the AirPods which will be available in late […]
Fake Zeus Popup: a reader asks… We just setup a new Mac Mini 2 days ago. I was surfing around in Safari and must have accidentally clicked on something I shouldn’t have. My screen went black with a warning message and then a popup came that told me I was infected with the Zeus virus (screenshot attached). A couple of minutes later a voice started coming telling me to not ignore this warning and to follow the instructions. What should […]
Webcam Woes: a reader asks… I have a Dell all-in-one PC with a built-in webcam. It works just fine when I’m using Google Hangouts, Facebook Video, but when I sign into a GoToMeeting as a participant, it won’t show my video. I can hear and talk to the participants but they can’t see me. What can I do? If you’ve been trying to use GoToMeeting’s web app (using a web browser), you should know that the company has pretty much […]
Mac Startup: a reader asks… My 2011 15″ Macbook Pro (with El Capitan) has been giving me trouble for about a week, and it just got a lot worse. It was crashing and restarting a few times over a few days, and then it went into endless restarting loop where the initial grey screen with the bubble line filling up to halfway, and then the screen going black and it repeating. Before I take it in to see the geniuses […]
Massive Malware: a reader asks… I have a 6+ year old Dell laptop that is running very slowly and weird things are happening. I have Avast free antivirus on it for protection, and my Windows 7 has all the available updates. What should I do? Ok, the first thing you should do is recognize that computer viruses are very much old news in the world of threats to your digital life these days. Hackers who develop attacks are hard at […]
iPhone 7 buy? a reader asks… I have an iPhone 5s, and an iPad 2 mini and a Macbook Air, so I’m pretty much a Mac girl. My iPhone battery no longer lasts me too long, and I’m constantly looking for a place to charge up. So I guess it’s time to get a new iPhone. Can you give me some advice on what to get? I’m on a fairly tight budget, and the thought of spending over $500 on […]
Siri Voice Training: a reader asks… I have an iPhone and a car with Bluetooth for hands-free phone and such. While I’ve figured out how to make and receive calls and play music from the phone, I’ve encountered a real problem with getting Siri to understand me. When I say for example “Play Fleetwood Mac” it always gives me a list of other names and asks me which I want to play instead of just playing what I want. Is […]
"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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