Windows 7 Envy: a reader asks… Hey Chris, I just got a new computer and it has Windows 8 on it. I really hate the new start screen. Is there any way to get the old start button back? Sure there is! I previously wrote about this here talking about the little program from www.startisback.com called StartIsBack Personal Edition (costs $3). Another option would be the free Classic Shell (get it here). Or you can just wait a bit for Windows 10 to come […]
Gmail Organizing: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I recently switched from AOL email to the trendier Gmail. I’m finding it challenging to re-sort my mail into folders like I had in AOL. Any suggestions? The short answer is that Gmail is already self-organized, welcome to the 21st century of email! Gmail offers a lot of advantages besides just being easy to use anywhere, on any device. Such as helping to manage spam (see this article), serving as a master inbox […]
Facebook Primer: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve recently setup a Facebook account on my computer and am starting to use it, but don’t really know what I’m doing. Can you give me a rundown of the basics please? Facebook continues to change (as all things online do), but here’s some info as of right now. First off when you create an account at Facebook, you go thru some steps, providing some basic personal information including your email address (or […]
Missing Mac Mail Password. A member asks… Hi Chris, I use the Mail program on my Mac to read email. It’s set up to access my Apple email account (…@me.com), as well as 2 other email accounts. Whenever I run Mail, I get a popup that asks me to type in my email password, but I haven’t changed my Apple email account. I usually just hit the Cancel button and go on, and am able to read my Apple email […]
Leave Microsoft Windows running: So the good news is that your Microsoft Windows computer doesn’t get tired – you can leave it running and it’ll keep working for you for many years. Most computers have only two moving parts – the spinning hard drive and the cooling fan – the latest computers only have the cooling fan (they have a solid-state hard drive). These moving parts are subject to wear and tear, but their service lives are very long. There are […]
You may already know that Microsoft issues a number of security updates on ‘Patch Tuesday’, which usually occurs on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. For most people, you should set automatic updates so your computer will update itself without you having to do anything (or anything much). But please be aware that automatic Windows Updates are applied in the middle of the night unless you change the schedule. So the simple thing to do is leave your computer running […]
Color-code Outlook Emails: A member asked… Hi Chris, I have Outlook 2010 installed, and I have emails forwarded to it from several accounts. I use a gmail address for emails from a volunteer job and I want to watch out for those emails. So I’d like to set it up so that any emails sent to my gmail address are colored red. Is this easy to do? Microsoft changed the way this handy feature works in the 2010 version – […]
Windows Update error code 80073712 – A reader asks… Chris, my Dell Inspiron with windows 7 has a problem. Whenever I try to do a windows update I get an error code 80073712. Running a complete scan using windows security essentials does not seem to help. any ideas? I’ve previously written several solutions to Windows Update problems (here, here and here), but the error code you list indicates a bit more serious problem. So the fix may be more involved. Let’s start […]
One of my almost-famous sayings goes like this: “97% of people don’t bother to backup. But of the people who suffer a hard drive crash, 100% of them regret not doing so.” Everybody giving advice in technology says the same thing – backup your files. Yet almost nobody bothers to do this. Why? It’s too much work, too complicated, too hard, or takes too much time. So let me propose a simpler way to take care of this chore. Google users can install Google Drive on […]
These days sharing home videos is becoming as popular as sharing photos. Most smartphones and even some regular cell phones have video capture capability. With the popular iPhone and virtually all Android-powered smartphones, you can shoot a video and quickly upload it to your YouTube account, making sharing quite easy. If you use Facebook, you can upload videos as easily as you upload photos to post on your wall. For a handy printable tip sheet, please click this link: SharingHomeVideos.pdf (Adobe PDF, get free reader here) But […]
Murphy’s Law prevails, if something doesn’t work right, it’s gonna do that at the worst time. How frustrating! When it comes to consumer technology, that becomes a giant time-waster and can really add to your stress level. But fear not, I have a simple tip that solves the problem most of the time, and doesn’t take a whole lot of time to do. This tip works for just about anything that uses technology – computers, smartphones, tablets, printers, televisions, cable […]
The latest iPad Air and the iPhone (5s ,6 and 6 Plus) have a dazzling security feature. Built right into the Home button on the face of your iPad Air or iPhone is a sophisticated fingerprint sensor, and this feature is called Touch ID. This allows you to use your fingerprint to both unlock the device for your use, and to be used in place of your Apple ID password for purchases from the App Store or almost any other place […]
So a few years ago, you bought a shiny new PC, and it was fast as lightning, and life was good. Now, it seems sluggish and hangs for long stretches, making using it a royal pain. In the days of Windows XP and low system specifications, this was best solved by adding RAM and a bigger hard drive. These days of Windows 7 (or 8.1) and systems that have lots of RAM and big hard drives, there are things you either did or didn’t […]
Despite the passage of numerous laws in most states or countries prohibiting or limiting the use of cell phones while driving, everywhere I go I see people using their phones in their cars. So regardless of the legal aspects, here’s my top ten list of the best practices for using a cell phone in your car – assuming you’re going to do that no matter what anyone tells you: 5. Get a mounting bracket for your phone, so it’s handy […]
A member asks… This is a problem I could probably winnow through, but maybe you have an idea of what the easiest solution might be. We have a home studio and often need to print out pdfs for students. Today, I go to my PC in another room, find the pdf, and print it out. Simple, but not convenient. I would like my (non-technical) wife to be able to view/search the list of pdf files residing in a single directory […]
It’s a great day when you get that brand-new big-screen TV and are ready to watch movies and TV in all their glory. The only annoyance is that your new TV came with its own remote, and you already have one from your TV service provider. This can be from Cox, Comcast/Exfinity, or Verizon/FIOS (plus others). In most cases the remote will control at least your converter box and your TV – but this first has to be set up. […]
Battery Backup Beeps? A member asks… The last time the power went out, I was reminded of a major annoyance with UPS units, of which I have a half-dozen or so. They beep incessantly, and there is no switch or setting that I’m aware of that can turn them off. To me, that’s just plain stupid for a power outage that may run for a couple of hours. I tried to take one apart to find the speaker, but lacked […]
Blur vs. LastPass: a reader asks… I just ran into a product called Blur which seems to be like LastPass but on steroids. It blocks tracking, provides email masking, and lots of other things. The visual appearance is very slick and user-friendly (like Venmo compared to PayPal). I’m just using the tracking block feature right now, but I’m curious what you all think of it, especially compared to LastPass. Let me first say that Blur does a lot of different […]
Weird Google Searches! A member asked… All of the sudden every computer, iPad and smartphone in the house is acting strangely. When we do a Google search, Google sends us to Google Australia (we are in the USA), and dodgy-looking websites appear in the search results! Can you tell me what’s going on and how to fix it? It sounds like your home network’s router has been hacked by some nefarious netizens. What they likely did is accessed your router and […]
A member asks… I have email with AOL, Google, Outlook and Yahoo. Mostly I use the AOL address. Is there a way to have all email accounts merge into one in box? It’s not uncommon for folks to have multiple email accounts these days. And also for most of those accounts to be with online services. Generally, most people are fine with checking different websites because they use their different email accounts for different purposes – like one for junk […]
Android security? A member asks: I have an Android tablet and Android smartphone, which I really enjoy! Do I really need to have an anti-virus app on these? And, which do you recommend? I’ve been looking at Avast, Lookout, and Sophos. I’m hoping I can get something that keeps me secure but isn’t too complicated that I get lost trying to figure it out. Thanks! Right now, I recommend that users of Android tablets and smartphones use a protection program. The […]
Why Apple Pay will win! Now that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are widely available and in the hands of millions of consumers, more and more banks and retailers are jumping on the Apple Pay bandwagon. But there are still some big-name holdouts in the retail sales world, most of the one’s who signed up for CurrentC, a retailer-led payment alternative to regular credit/debit card use. Here’s why I think I think CurrentC will fail, and why Apple Pay […]
Macbook – should I upgrade or buy new? A reader asks… Hi Chris, I have a late 2007 white Macbook that seems to be running slower and slower. Nothing particularly wrong with it that I know of, but it doesn’t seem to have the same zip that it used to. Given that it’s 7 years old, do you think I should try to upgrade it or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new Macbook? I use it […]
Mac OS X & Adware A reader asks… I’ve got a Macbook Pro and am plagued by junk that pops up when I run Safari. It’s mostly ads, and also when I try to search for something I get routed to a search engine I’m not familiar with. Can you help me fix this problem? Apple’s Mac operating system is immune from most computer viruses and malware, but that’s not a 100% guarantee. Perhaps the PC-to-Mac campaign has been successful […]
Quick Fix Windows Update A reader asks… Windows Update has quit working on me all the sudden. I don’t know why, but now I get an error message “Windows cannot check for updates because the service not running”. I searched online and found a Microsoft Fixit but that didn’t help. Got any ideas? This is a vexing problem, and even the latest version of Windows isn’t immune. Since you already tried the Microsoft Fixit, here’s another method. These instructions work […]
Windows 8.1 Fixer A reader asks… I have a Windows8.1 laptop that’s giving me problems. It takes forever to start up, shut down, or go through a restart cycle. Programs take a long time to load, and it seems like Windows Update isn’t doing its job. Do you have a quick and easy fix for me? There are so many possible problems and answers that makes this common question very hard to resolve, but let me go through a few […]
Please don’t use an easily guessable password! Every time I read about hackers and their often-successful attempts to gain access to darn near everything, I think about the tale of The Club – a dark night, a street lined with expensive cars, some of them have The Club attached to the steering wheel, some don’t. A thief is strolling along with his Slim Jim looking for a quick and easy boost. He sees the cars that are outfitted with The Club […]
A member asks… I have a Mac that’s a few years old. It has OS X Lion (version 10.7 I think) on it. I didn’t bother to update to Mountain Lion or Mavericks, and now Apple’s released Yosemite. Do you think I should upgrade? Ok, for most people with Macs, it’s a fairly easy decision – upgrade to OS X Yosemite (OS X version 10.10). Here’s a list of all the Macs that are compatible with OS X Yosemite: iMac […]
Let’s say you’re a big Google user. You use Gmail and have all your contacts loaded into it. You also use the Calendar on your Google account. And you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). Here’s a quick and easy set of instructions to get that all syncing for you. With your iPhone, you’ll want to create a new account for Gmail: Tap Settings Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars Tap Add Account Tap Google Fill in your name, gmail address, password, and a […]
Microsoft Windows users are familiar with the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’ or BSOD – when Windows just shuts down for some inscrutable reason. Besides this, there are also times when your system crashes and you get a black screen with white text that mentions ‘crash dump‘. By the way, Apple Mac users will be familiar with the “SPOD” aka Spinning Pinwheel of Death – that’s the same as the BSOD, and often with the same causes. In either case, the problem may […]
"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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