Practical Help Library

  • DPC Watchdog Violation?

    DPC Watchdog Violation?

    June 3, 2015

    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!

    Protect my Credit Card!

    June 2, 2015

    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

    Bad Adobe PDF

    June 1, 2015

    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!

    My Computer’s Infected!

    May 29, 2015

    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!

    I can’t remember my Password!

    May 28, 2015

    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!

    Don’t Tap-type, Dictate!

    May 27, 2015

    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

    Mac Emergency Boot

    May 26, 2015

    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

    Dirty Secret: The Cost of Fraud

    May 25, 2015

    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

    MS Office Read-only

    May 22, 2015

    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

    Simple Backup

    May 21, 2015

    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?

    What is Ransomware?

    May 20, 2015

    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?

    Office Printer Password?

    May 19, 2015

    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?

    Hamburger Menu?

    May 18, 2015

    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?

    What’s a Trojan – program?

    May 15, 2015

    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

    Sharing my Laptop

    May 14, 2015

    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?

    What’s Wrong with Public Wi-Fi?

    May 13, 2015

    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

    iMessage Tips

    May 12, 2015

    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!

    Too Much Accessibility!

    May 11, 2015

    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 […]

  • Noisy Hard Drive?

    Noisy Hard Drive?

    May 8, 2015

    Noisy Hard Drive? a reader asks… My 3 year old windows computer is starting to make a funny noise, it kind of sounds like bacon frying. It goes off and on. If I turn the laptop over, I can tell it isn’t the cooling fan, the sound is not coming from any of the vents. Is my hard drive dying? Yes, it most likely is about to crash. Some data on your hard drive may already be corrupted or erased, […]

  • Printing Excel 2013 Column Titles

    Printing Excel 2013 Column Titles

    May 7, 2015

    Printing Excel 2013 Column Titles: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been using Excel for many years, and was always able to get the column titles to print on each page from the Print worksheet options. I recently got upgraded to Excel 2013 and now that’s all greyed out, so I can’t print titles! Can you help me? Microsoft like so many other software developers has a penchant for changing things as they release new versions. Nobody seems to understand […]

  • Touchpad Disabled

    Touchpad Disabled

    May 6, 2015

    Touchpad Disabled: a reader asks… I’ve been using my Toshiba laptop with a USB mouse for a long time. Recently I had to go somewhere and didn’t take my mouse. When I turned on the laptop, my built-in touchpad wasn’t working. Do you have a quick fix? You might have disabled your touchpad awhile back, since when you use a mouse, an active touchpad can cause inadvertent mistakes while typing on the keyboard. For Toshiba computers, there’s a simple keyboard […]

  • Video Game Lag

    Video Game Lag

    May 4, 2015

    Video game lag: a reader asks… Hi Chris, my son is an avid video gamer. He’s got his game console hooked up to a big flat-screen TV in our basement. My son is complaining about “lagging”, thinks the internet is too slow, and wants us to fix the problem. Our wi-fi is upstairs, and my cable provider suggested either another cablemodem downstairs or a powerline access point. Can you help? The problem of internet speed may or may not be […]

  • Are you being tracked?

    Are you being tracked?

    May 1, 2015

    Are you being tracked? Should you care? a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been reading about how my cell phone is tracking my location and am concerned about my privacy. Can you tell me about this and what I should do, if anything to keep unsavory creatures from tracking my whereabouts? There are a lot of technology reporters out there who are searching for eye-grabbing headlines. Frankly, I think most of the brou-ha-ha is just paranoia-mongering. And at least here […]

  • More on Phishing

    More on Phishing

    April 30, 2015

    More on Phishing: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve received an email from Paypal that says my account has been limited in service. It gives a transaction number but I don’t recognize any of the details. What should I do? You have been subjected to a phishing attempt by some nefarious hacker, and the email is a fake. You sent it to me, so I’ve pointed out the two areas where you can quickly tell that it’s a fake: The email […]

  • Bitdefender Foibles

    Bitdefender Foibles

    April 29, 2015

    Bitdefender Foibles: a reader asks… Hi Chris, last year following your recommendation I purchased Bitdefender Internet Security to protect my Windows PC. It’s been working great, protecting me without bothering me alot, so thanks there! But it just recently did an auto-renew of my subscription, which I didn’t even know I’d signed up for. And they charged me 80 bucks for a 1-year renewal! I know that I can buy Bitdefender fresh elsewhere for about 40 bucks. What should I […]

  • Does your password suck?

    Does your password suck?

    April 28, 2015

    Does your password suck? Is your password a combination of your kid’s birthday and your dog’s name? If so that’s not as bad as most people’s. The most common password is currently ‘123456’, closely followed by the word ‘password’. There are thousands of crappy passwords in use today. Here’s a list from Splashdata of last year’s 25 most common passwords. Is yours one of these? 123456, password, 12345, 12345678, qwerty, 123456789, 1234, baseball, dragon, football, 1234567, monkey, letmein, abc123, 111111, mustang, access, shadow, master, michael, superman, 696969, 123123, batman, trustno1 If yours is one of these or similar, you should […]

  • Anatomy of a Credit Card Hack

    Anatomy of a Credit Card Hack

    April 27, 2015

    Anatomy of a Credit Card Hack: a reader asked… My credit card information, but not the credit card was recently stolen. I never lost sight of my card, but somehow someone got enough information to make some fraudulent purchases. Fortunately, my bank called about suspected purchases and I was able to have the card replaced in one day. So my question is, how could something like this happen and can I do anything to prevent it happening again? Credit card […]

  • Norton Security 2015?

    Norton Security 2015?

    April 23, 2015

    Norton Security 2015? a reader asks… Hi Chris, can you please give me your opinion of Norton Security 2015 and Norton Backup? I’ve been using them for protection against viruses/malware/spyware, as well as to backup my Microsoft Windows computer. Hmm, let me first say that it’s the penchant for companies to start with something they do well, and then expand to cover other areas – often not-so-well. Norton is a big player in the computer protection field, and they enjoy […]

  • Change Windows Default Folder Locations

    Change Windows Default Folder Locations

    April 23, 2015

    Change Windows Default Folder Locations: If you’re planning on implementing a backup solution using Google Drive, Dropbox, or other cloud-based file storage system, then you might want to change the default location of your personal files. Normally Microsoft Windows has folders set up for your user account, Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music, Downloads, etc. These are located in a particular place – C:\Users\Your username\… To move these into your local copy of the cloud-based file storage system, here’s what you do: […]

  • Barebones Microsoft Windows Security

    Barebones Microsoft Windows Security

    April 22, 2015

    Barebones Microsoft Windows Security: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have a computer with Microsoft Windows, and I’d like to ask you for a brief list of what programs I should install to protect myself. Thanks! Ok, here’s a barebones quick list: If you’re using Windows XP or Vista, upgrade to Windows 7. If you’re using Windows 8, upgrade to Windows 8.1. Upgrade from Windows Update to Microsoft Update (so you get updates for Windows and other Microsoft software) and […]

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