MS Office – 365 or 2013? a reader asks… I’m confused, I went to go buy the latest version of Microsoft Office for my computer (to upgrade from Office 2007), and I’ve got no idea which to buy! Can you tell me what’s the difference between all the flavors? Microsoft is changing the way they sell software, moving away from regular purchasing to a subscription model. The latter is Office 365 – a subscription-based software license for which you must […]
Windows 10 Advice: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been reading about Windows 10 coming out soon, and that upgrading will be free. Can you give me some advice on whether I should do the upgrade? Windows 10 officially hits in just a few weeks on July 29th, and yes, upgrading your Windows 7 or 8/8.1 computer system is free, provided you take the upgrade within 1 year (so by July 29th, 2016). There are some caveats: Your current Windows […]
Bigger font on smartphone: a reader asks… Hey Chris, I hope you have a quick and easy solution to my problem. I have a smartphone with a fairly big screen, but I still have trouble reading what’s on it. I should mention that I’m in my 40’s and recently had to start wearing reading glasses for close work. I hate having to drag those out just to see my smartphone. Any ideas? As any optometrist will tell you, after about […]
FIOS Remote hack? a reader asks… My Proscan is hooked directly via coax cable. I do not need a set top box or digital converter from verizon since i only have the local tv package. The Proscan remote is too small and the buttons do not light. I spoke with verizon and was told that their remote will only turn the tv off and on and have no other functionality since it is programmed to work with the box/converter. I […]
Diagnose my Internet: a reader asks… Hello, I’m at Starbucks writing this because the internet doesn’t work in my house today. Before I go crazy, can you help me figure out what’s wrong? I have Verizon FIOS internet with their router, and a few laptops, tablets and smartphones. Everything was working just fine till this morning, when my laptop couldn’t go to any web pages. I hope this is enough information, any help you can give me would be much […]
Windows PC Fixes: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I see you have tons of advice for specific problems with Windows computers, and I don’t have a real problem right now. But I want to be prepared for the next one, when it comes! Besides your website, do you have any good go-to places to look for solutions online? Absolutely! I use a number of tried-and-true sources to look for answers to problems as I get questions. After all, I don’t […]
Pretty Pictures? a reader asks… Hi Chris, everything I see online these days is pictures and videos. Can I use photos I find online when I post status updates on Facebook? Take a little care here, copyright issues can easily trip you up. Your best bet is to avoid the Google image search to find pictures you can use, and look for them at specific sites online. Here’s a short list of places you can go to find free images […]
A Case of Conficker – a reader asks… Hi Chris, I guess I should have worried about computer safety more than I’ve been. My computer started acting up lately, and a friend pointed me to your website. Have you heard of a computer virus called “Conficker”? I seem to have contracted it. Can you tell me how to get rid of it? Welcome! I hope you’ll take some steps to shore up your computer security. Conficker is a ‘worm’ that’s […]
BlackBerry Locked Up, can I fix this? a member asks… I really messed up here. On my Blackberry, I forgot my unlock code and tried a bunch of times to guess it. I guess I tried once too many, because now the Blackberry is locked up and nothing I can do will get it unlocked. Can you give me some options to fix this? Hmm, the 10th time you tried you should have seen a warning on the screen that […]
Your Photos – managed! a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have to admit, I’ve got a heckuva lot of digital photos! I jumped in with a digital camera years ago, and now use my new Galaxy S6’s camera a lot. I’m at the point where I (sheepishly) admit to having over 60 thousand digital pictures on my PC. So my pain is how to manage all that, everytime I think about trying to organize them, I just get sick – […]
iPhone Upgrade Problem: a reader asks… Hello Chris, I’ve got a stinky problem, can you help? I have an iPhone 5 and bought a new iPhone 6. They transferred the phone service over, but told me to use iCloud backup or a computer to get everything else. I don’t have a computer to backup my old iPhone, and I have too much stuff on my old iPhone to backup to iCloud. What can I do? This is the 2nd annoyance […]
Home Automation – a reader asks… Hi Chris, I was wondering if you knew anything about home automation? I’m thinking of getting some smarter lighting options, like LED, and maybe some ways to cut down on my home’s electricity usage? I’ve been playing around with home automation for over 15 years, so yes I’m a bit familiar. If you’re an Apple home (iPhone, Apple TV, iPad, Mac), then you’re probably looking at Apple’s HomeKit with great anticipation. You can already […]
DPC Watchdog Violation? a reader asks… Hi Chris, My Windows 8.1 computer is giving me fits! I’m getting an error and the dreaded blue screen of death, with something about a ‘watchdog violation’. It seems to be happening several times a day. My computer is protected by Norton Internet Security and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, so I don’t think it’s an infection. Can you help? The error notification (DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION) usually refers to problems with device drivers. For every major […]
Protect my Credit Card! a reader asks… I’m concerned about all the news reports say this company or that got their computers hacked and lost millions of credit card accounts. Can you give me some simple steps I can take to protect my credit card accounts? Certainly! There are a number of steps you can take, depending on what you have available. The most basic is to review your statement as soon as you receive it. If you see any […]
Bad Adobe PDF: a reader asks… I use Adobe Acrobat Reader to look at pdf documents. I recently received one that Adobe couldn’t open, and the error message said something about a corrupted file. Is there a tool out there that can fix this? You didn’t mention what version of Adobe Reader you’re using, so the first thing I should recommend is that you visit Adobe.com and make sure you’re using the latest version. The current version is Adobe Reader […]
My Computer’s Infected! a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t thought about computer protection much, and never checked to see if my Windows 7 computer was protected. Now I’m screwed. My computer is infected with something that’s causing it to do crazy things and I can’t really use it for anything I want to do. What should I do now? Get thee to a clean computer (your friend’s, neighbors or anyone that works ok) with a […]
I can’t remember my Password! a reader asks… Hey Chris, I can’t remember my gmail password, and I never set up a darn alternate email address. I can’t get into my email to use their forgotten password feature. What do I do now? You’d be surprised at how common it is for us to forget our password(s), I’d say talking to any 20 random consumers, at least three-quarters don’t know their password. Some have it written down somewhere, but a […]
Don’t Tap-type, Dictate! It really doesn’t matter what type of smartphone you use, we all hate typing on those teeny keyboards. Partly because of the small screen, and partly because the keyboard keys are so much smaller than our fingers. Whether just jotting a quick text message or a short email, it’s tedious to use the keyboard, even with options like Swype for Android (& now for iPhone too). This pain started with text messaging on dumb phones with just a number keypad, and […]
Mac Emergency Boot: a reader asks… Hi Chris, my Mac is working ok now, but I’m wondering if there’s something I should be doing in case disaster hits? Other than backing up (I use Time Machine), is there anything you think I should do? For Mac users, system reliability is pretty much taken for granted. Macs just work – almost all the time! But almost does mean that occasionally they fail. For that, having an Emergency Boot disk (better yet, […]
Dirty Secret: The Cost of Fraud – a reader asks… Hi Chris, you’ve written a lot about credit card fraud and how to protect ourselves from it. That’s all well and good but why should we be overly concerned? After all isn’t credit card fraud simply absorbed by the banks and (slightly) reduces their profitability? Ahh, would that be the case, it would be a great thing. However the truth is that the cost of credit card fraud is universally […]
MS Office Read-only: a reader asks… Hi Chris why is Microsoft Office so unstable? Anytime I try to open documents or spreadsheets, they only open in ‘read-only’ mode and I have to click a button to make them editable. I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling Office several times, that doesn’t seem to help. Even the Microsoft Store employees can’t fix the problem. Can you help? This is truly annoying, and can have a number of possible causes and solutions. It can […]
Simple backup – a reader asks… Can you give me the most uncomplicated way to backup my Windows computer please? I’d like to keep things simple without having all these online services and their complicated restore procedures. Backing up your computer is almost always uncomplicated, it’s the restoring part that gets complicated. So let me give you the simplest way to backup while keeping the restoral process simple as well (without using online services as you asked). First thing, you […]
What is Ransomware? a reader asks… I’ve been reading about various types of programs hackers throw at us consumers. I know about malware, spyware, adware, and computer viruses, trojans and worms, but what the heck is ‘ransomware’ and how do I protect myself from it? The collective term for all the various bad programs that can get on your computer is ‘malware’ and most everything is a variant of that. Ransomware is a relatively new variant that you might have […]
Office Printer Password? a member asks… Hi Chris, I was just wondering if there was a way to password protect the wireless printer here at our school, so only staff can print from it (we have public access available for students and families). Our printer is an HP 4500. Thanks! Password-protecting print jobs is all dependent on the brand and model of printer you have. Most consumer printers don’t have the capability to restrict print jobs with a password – […]
Hamburger Menu? a reader asks… I’m starting to see this image of 3 horizontal lines on lots of websites more and more. Also on programs. What is it and what’s it for? It’s called either a hamburger or an airvent, and it’s a clickable icon that displays a menu of options, settings, or navigational links – whatever the designer wishes. Following the current trend towards flat design, it doesn’t look like much of anything by itself. Most people are used […]
What’s a Trojan – program? a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’m using your recommendation to protect my Windows computer, and that program keeps telling me that I’ve got a ‘trojan’ on my system. I clean it out each time, but it keeps coming back? What’s a trojan and can you help me get rid of it permanently? Besides the famous historical reference, the term trojan (in computing) refers to a malicious program that does things with your computer that you […]
Sharing my laptop: a reader asks… Is there any problem with me sharing my laptop with someone else? I guess that depends on how much you trust the person with whom you’re sharing. You may have nothing to hide and won’t mind sharing your laptop with your spouse or other relative, or even a close friend. But you do need to be aware of pitfalls that come with sharing. For instance… Your laptop can be hacked. Not necessarily by the […]
What’s Wrong with Public Wi-Fi? a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been following your Practical Help for awhile now, and thought I’d finally ask a question: Is it safe to use public wi-fi, like at Starbucks, a library, or school? Should I take any precautions? Any advice you’ve got to spare would be great, thanks! Thanks for asking a question! “Free” Wi-fi is everywhere – many businesses, banks, schools, libraries, airports, and even some parks and other open spaces have […]
iMessage Tips: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’m new to the iPhone and am just starting to scratch the surface on how to use it. Do you have some tips for me? Especially on how to use text messaging, I already have the basics down. For a comprehensive how-to on using the iPhone, Apple has thoughtfully put together a guide, plus there are tons of Youtube videos and free guides just a google search away. So let me focus on some […]
Too Much Accessibility! A reader asks… This world is moving too fast! Yesterday I accidentally turned on a voice-over feature on my new iPhone 6 and couldn’t get it to turn off – and my iPhone was frozen. I had to go to the nearest Apple Store to get it fixed, and had to wait an hour along with about 150 other customers. That after first trying the Verizon store – they were clueless on what to do and how […]
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