Practical Help Library – Page 33 – Practical Help for Your Digital Life®

Practical Help Library

Old computer? Donate or Recycle!

October 21, 2015

Old computer? Donate or Recycle! You may find few takers for donating an old computer. Your county or city may offer electronics recycling, either no-cost or nominal cost. But before you just turn over your old computer to someone else, make sure you wipe or scramble the hard drive! Your personal data should remain personal, and once you give someone else your computer, you have no control over it from then on. So before you get rid of that old computer, take a […]
Mouse Busted!

October 20, 2015

Mouse Busted! A reader asks… Hi Chris, I have a Windows 7 laptop PC and am using a mouse that connects to my laptop’s USB port. For the past two mornings, I have had to take the battery out of my laptop to get the mouse to move! I have been ok once I did this, but it’s really annoying to have to do this, can you help? Microsoft Windows and the laptop manufacturers have some pretty standard ways they setup […]
Facebook Videos Won’t Play

October 19, 2015

Facebook Videos Won’t Play: a reader asks… The videos I receive from FB friends don’t play. When I click on the triangle/circle it disappears and nothing happens. every now and then one will work. ??? I use a Windows 7 PC with Internet Explorer 11, and I have Flash Player 19 installed. Playing video from the internet on your computer can be a complicated affair, primarily because there are so many moving parts that all have to work together in […]
iPhone screen non-responsive

October 16, 2015

iPhone screen non-responsive: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve got an iPhone 6 Plus and I’ve found that the screen goes unresponsive on me. I’ve waited hours and it doesn’t start working again. The only way to fix it is to do a hard shutdown (hold down both home and power buttons) and then restart. That fixes it for awhile, but then the problem happens again. I do note that the home button (and fingerprint reader) still work, but no […]
16gb iPhone – NO!

October 15, 2015

A reader asks… Should I skip the 16gb iPhone 6s and go right to the 64gb? I hate to have to pay an extra hundred bucks, but I’m worried that 16gb isn’t enough. Thanks! Yes, please skip that, Apple had some good economic reasons to keep the cheapest iPhone 6 with a paltry 16gb of storage memory, but frankly it just isn’t worth the hassle you’ll most likely go through. Just about anyone who owns an iPhone starts using the […]
Fake Email Hallmarks

October 14, 2015

Fake Email Hallmarks, or How to Recognize a Fake Email: These days our email inboxes are full of junk email – lots of which we can easily identify and delete. And some email from people we know that we’re sure is ok. But mixed in with that are emails that appear to be legit, but really aren’t. And it’s often hard to tell the difference! So here are some tips to help you figure out the good stuff from the […]
Basic MS Windows Protection

October 13, 2015

Basic MS Windows Protection: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I don’t have a lot of time to spare (waste) on messing around with my Windows computer. What’s the least amount of protection junk I have to do? My first answer is, what’s your comfort level with being hacked? Are you ok with having everything on your computer and online being in the hands of someone who’s happy to take advantage of you? I’m guessing most people aren’t too happy. I […]
Read a Web Page Clearly

October 12, 2015

Read a Web Page Clearly: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I really like your articles, thanks! Just one problem tho, I like to read them and also print them out to share with other people, but they don’t always print out neatly. And sometimes I get confused with the ads that show up inside the articles. Is there a way that I can look at web pages like yours cleanly without all the extra stuff? Thank you, I’m glad you’re […]
Watch your (CC) six

October 7, 2015

Watch your (CC) six: A member asks… Hey Chris, you give great advice, thanks! One thing you mention is that I should watch my credit card transactions like a hawk. So every month when I get my statement, I look over all the transactions to make sure they’re legit. Is there anything more I should be doing? Congratulations, you are doing more to protect your online identity (and your money) than most people do! In the military, we used a term […]
Smartphone Case?

October 6, 2015

Smartphone Case? a reader asks… I just got a new smartphone, and am somewhat of a klutz – I drop things pretty often. Should I buy a case for my phone? It’s never wrong to get protection for your smartphone, it’s usually a sizable investment, at least in terms of the monthly fees and 2-year contract – which greatly outweigh the up-front cost of any smartphone. You can consider two different types of protection: A replacement plan either from your […]
iPhone Sync Slip-up

October 5, 2015

iPhone Sync Slip-up: a reader asks… Hi Chris, When I have been deleting emails from my iPhone, they aren’t deleting on my desktop Outlook – both use Microsoft Exchange server (I get my service from Sherweb). I think you once mentioned a way to set it so it deletes from both, but can’t find that Practical Help article. Sorry, the old article you mentioned was talking about older email services (POP or Post Office Protocol) and a way to get those to […]
Your Own Gmail

October 2, 2015

As an alternative to buying Gmail for business, you can use a free, personal Gmail account with your own domain name, your company email, or a ‘vanity’ email account you might have. It’s easy to setup Gmail to let you send email as if you were using that email account. These days using webmail is much easier (and safer) than downloading email to a program (like Outlook) onto your computer. If your computer should crash, all your email and stuff would be gone […]
Mac OS X Update

October 1, 2015

Mac OS X Update: a reader asks… Hello Chris, my Mac is telling me that there’s a free upgrade to my operating system available. Should I take it? Can you tell me how to go about this? I’m afraid of messing up my 4-year-old Mac. If you’ve been keeping up on the upgrades to Mac OS X (the operating system), then you’re currently using Yosemite (version 10.10.5 currently). But don’t worry, if you’re still using an older version you can […]
U.S. Chip Credit Cards-Secure?

September 30, 2015

U.S. Chip Credit Cards-Secure? A reader asks… Hi Chris, I just got a replacement credit card from my bank, this one has what looks like a circuit board embedded in it. Is this new card more secure than my old one? I could also title this article “Think Chips and Dip are Secure?” The answer to your question is: for today, a flat-out no. The answer for the next few years is going to be little, if any. Eventually your chip card […]
New Computer, Old Software

September 29, 2015

New Computer, Old Software: a reader asks… We need to replace our Windows Vista desktop. Now that Windows 10 is out, I’m inclined to go with that but need to know whether all/many of my old programs will work. For example, are drivers available for my 3-4 year-old printers? Will an old version of Photoshop Elements work? What versions of Office still work? If I have to replace old software and printers, I’ll get a desktop with Windows 7. I’d […]
Bitdefender 2016 – how to upgrade

September 28, 2015

Bitdefender 2016 – how to upgrade: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I took your advice and am using Bitdefender Internet Security 2015. I see that there’s now a 2016 version available. So, how do I upgrade, and do I have to pay again? While I still maintain that Bitdefender Internet Security is the best option for consumers to protect a Microsoft Windows computer, it isn’t perfect. One of my biggest complaints against Bitdefender is that upgrading versions is not as […]
Photos from iPhone

September 24, 2015

Photos from iPhone: a reader asks… Quick question. I want to get a new iphone. I just noticed that many of my pictures from May on have not updated from my phone to my ipad or computer from the cloud. I want to make sure I have them backed up and I am not sure what I am suppose to do to get the photos on the other devices. Do something on my phone? Something on my ipad? Unfortunately, I think […]
No Tap-to-click please!

September 23, 2015

No Tap-to-click please! a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve read that you say to turn off my laptop’s tap-to-click, but I like it! Can you give me the reason why you say to do this? Simple answer: I have yet to find a human being with the fine motor skill dexterity to use tap-to-click on a Windows laptop without error. I have treated hundreds of malfunctioning laptops with mysterious causes, that all trace back to an inadvertent click when using […]
In-car auto-play music

September 22, 2015

In-car auto-play music: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have an iPhone and it’s paired with the Bluetooth in my car. This is great since I can use the car’s speakers and microphone to talk on the phone. The screen in the car even shows my contact list so I can make a call easily using the buttons on the steering wheel (or Siri). But I have a problem: every time I get in the car and turn it on, […]
Apple Watch OS2 Install

September 21, 2015

Apple Watch OS2 Install: a reader asks… Hi Chris, a few months ago I purchased the Apple Watch and love it! I have it working with my iPhone 6, and find that I don’t have to pull out the iPhone nearly as often, the watch shows me what I need. My question is, Apple made a big announcement about the new watchOS 2, is it available yet? And should I install it? If yes, how? Thanks in advance for your […]
Speedup my laptop?

September 18, 2015

Speedup my laptop? A reader asks… Hi! I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to make my Windows 7 laptop faster? It’s only about 2 years old and I don’t want to just go buy a new one. I’ve been pretty good about keeping it clean and protected, so there’s no crap on there that’s slowing it down. I’ve run some benchmark tools and it is middle-of-the-road. But I wonder what I can do to […]
iOS update, yes or no?

September 11, 2015

iOS update, yes or no? a reader asks… I have an iPhone question. My iphone 5 is running on version 7.1.2 and have a message to update it. If I do update it, will I lose my settings or other items (like downloaded ringtones)? Do you generally recommend updating the operating system? You’ve probably been seeing the upgrade message for awhile now. The iPhone has gone through a half dozen or more updates since the version you’re on came out […]
Clean your Screen!

September 10, 2015

Clean your Screen: a reader asks… Hello, I’m not sure if you work around the edges of tech support, but I’m wondering how I can clean the screen on my laptop without scratching it. I’ve heard that laptop screens are made of plastic and scratch easily, and I just noticed my screen is really dirty. Got any good tips? I don’t try to limit myself on the kind of advice I give, and yours is a common concern and need […]
Windows Update Errors

September 9, 2015

Windows Update Errors: a reader asks… Hi Chris, my Dell Inspiron N5110 has developed several problems. It started out getting an error code of 80073712 when trying to update windows. that has been going on for months. I never got a Windows disk when I bought it from Costco and now you can’t buy a disk. Since then, the two usb ports on the left side quit working and only the one on the back and right rear work. I am […]
Zip program?

September 8, 2015

Zip Program?: a reader asks… I’m new to computers and have a new Dell computer with Windows 8.1 on it. Do I need to buy or install a program to help me deal with zip files? Are there any other programs I’ll need to deal with files? Actually, nobody needs a separate program for dealing with zip files these days. Microsoft Windows has the ability to create compressed (zip) files and also to unzip compressed files for you built right […]
Cyber crime is getting worse

September 7, 2015

Cyber crime is getting worse: a reader asks… Can you give me some advice? I’ve been telling people about how they should use stronger passwords on their computers and online accounts, but most people just ignore it. How can I get them to listen? Hmm, sometimes the only way someone learns is by suffering the consequences of their (in)action. I’ve been shouting the same thing for over a decade, and I still find that most people (heck, nearly all), use crappy […]
Text Preying on Caregivers

September 4, 2015

Text Preying on Caregivers: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I received a text message (sent to me and 3 other mobile numbers I don’t recognize) saying my father (who’s in an independent living facility) was wandering around and I should call them. I’m the primary family caregiver for my father by the way. I called his facility and they say everything’s fine, they didn’t send any warning. What should I do? This is really dastardly, to prey on caregivers. I’m […]
What’s a “Healthy” Digital Life?

September 3, 2015

What’s a “Healthy” Digital Life? a reader asks… Hi Coach, you’ve talked about having a “healthy” digital life, but I’m having trouble understanding what you mean. Can you explain it a bit more? Thank you! I think a good way to understand it is to compare it to your physical life. Having a healthy physical life means (among other things) not being overweight, having at least some muscle tone, having the ability to deal with carrying heavy things, moving fast when […]
Have you been Doxed?

September 2, 2015

Have you been Doxed? a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve become a victim of someone posting a bunch of information and pictures about/of me on various social media. Some of it’s true, and some isn’t, all of it’s embarrassing and not something I’m happy with being visible online. Is there anything I can do about this? Sorry to say, you’ve been doxed. Doxing is a nasty practice where someone collects information about you and makes that information public. It can […]
Can’t turn it on!

September 1, 2015

Can’t turn it on! a reader asks… Coach, I’m in a real bind! I popped for a Samsung Galaxy S6 from Verizon recently. It’s been working great up until yesterday, when it wouldn’t turn on. Nothing I could do seemed to make any difference. Before I take it in to the Verizon store for help, do you have any tips to help me? Smartphones such as yours can fall victim to various maladies that might affect them to the point […]

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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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