Practical Help Library – Page 4 – Practical Help for Your Digital Life®

Practical Help Library

Identity Theft Protection in 2023

October 9, 2023

Identity Theft Protection in 2023: a reader asks… I’m more and more concerned about identity theft these days. It seems like everything has been hacked, and successful scams hit the news every day. I use a computer and an iPhone. Do you recommend any identity protection software or service? In a word, no. I don’t trust so-called comprehensive identity theft protection services. Their track record is spotty, I think they are mostly opportunistic, and offer some weak remediation services if […]
Fixing Windows Problems

October 2, 2023

Fixing Windows Problems: a reader asks… I have a Microsoft Windows 11 computer, and have had several issues crop up from time to time. Everything’s working ok right now, but I’m wondering if you have some tips to help prevent problems from coming up? Yes I do have some tips! Top of the list is restarting your computer every so often. I try to restart my computer at least once a week, while leaving it running in-between. I don’t shut […]
The Scams Just Keep Coming

September 26, 2023

The Scams Just Keep Coming: a reader asks… I received and email from myself that I didn’t send, how does that happen? To make things worse, the note starts off with some bad news – a hacker had gained access to my account and my computer, and then proceeded to tell me about bad stuff they had seen me do (porn, etc.). They said they had recorded videos and if I didn’t pay them money in Bitcoin, they’d send those […]
Apple iPhone15, USB-C, & iOS17

September 18, 2023

Apple iPhone15, USB-C, & iOS17: a reader asks… I have an iPhone XR and will probably be updating to the new iPhone 15. Should I get the Pro, or just the regular version? And I’m reading about how the new iPhone will not have a Lightning connection any longer, and will that make it a pain for me? I have lighting cables already. I do have a Macbook that has USB-C ports, but also an Apple keyboard and trackpad, Airpods, […]
Booting with Command Prompt in Windows 11

September 11, 2023

Booting with Command Prompt in Windows 11: a reader asks… Hello, I’m familiar with Windows 10 and just moved to a new computer running Windows 11. On my old computer, I could easily get my system to reboot into Safe Mode or Command Prompt mode. In Windows 11, the latter seems to be missing. Did Microsoft lock out the capability to start up in Command Prompt mode? Actually no, but they did change how that works. In Windows 10, starting […]
Cloud File Storage & Backup

September 4, 2023

File Cloud Storage & Backup: a reader asks… I kinda feel inundated with the many cloud file storage & backup options out there. Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Can you give me a few pros and cons about each of these? I’m a home user. I should first mention that each of the cloud file storage options has their specific use cases, and it’s more a matter of what your own personal computing equipment and needs are than […]
When is it Time to Replace my Computer?

August 28, 2023

When is it Time to Replace my Computer? A reader asks… My initial thought is that you’re very much nearing the end of the useful service life of your 2017 Macbook Air and it’s time to start thinking about replacing it. In 2020, Apple starting outfitting their Macbook models with the M1 chip, and updated to the M2 chip in 2021. Plus, Apple replaced the keyboard mechanism in all their models in 2020 with a significantly better design. All this […]
Windows Update Patience

August 24, 2023

Windows Update Patience: a reader asks… Sometimes when I do the Windows Updates, it seems to take a very long time to complete. I have work to do, so how can I make it go faster? In short, you have to practice patience. The way I try to mitigate this is to schedule my time to do Windows Updates for a block of time near the end of every month when I don’t have other computer work scheduled. That way […]
Apple Photo Albums & Signal App Sharing Quirk

August 16, 2023

Apple Photo Albums & Signal App Sharing Quirk: a reader asks… I use an iPhone with photos arranged in albums inside the Photos app. When I try to share these with other people (using Signal), I get an error message that says “You can’t share more than 32 items”. Apple’s sharing limits say nothing about this strict limitation. What gives? Apple’s photo album sharing limits are explained on this help page. You’re right, it says nothing about a 32 item […]
What Can I Do vs. Do It – Mouse buttons

August 8, 2023

What Can I Do vs. Do It – Mouse buttons: a reader asks… I remember reading something you mentioned awhile back but can’t find it. You had a handy way to describe what the mouse buttons do. Can you tell me? You betcha! The way to consider these is simply: If you use a Mac Magic Mouse or Trackpad, replace the button clicks with 1-finger tap or click (for left mouse button action) and 2-finger tap or click (for right […]
Chrome Enhanced Safe Browsing

July 31, 2023

Chrome Enhanced Safe Browsing: a reader asks… I recently read that Google has a new feature called “Enhanced Safe Browsing” that’s supposed to protect us from bad websites, phishing scams and the like. My family all shares the same computer and I suspect that some might have accidentally gone to bad places. Do you think I should use this to help protect my family’s web browsing? First off, this isn’t that new. Google came out with the Enhanced Safe Browsing […]
Account Credentials

July 24, 2023

Account Credentials: a reader asks… Every once in a while, my Windows 10 computer gives me a popup that asks for a password. I don’t know why it does this, and I also don’t know which account password it’s asking for. I use this computer for both work and personal use, and this always seems to happen at times when my work tech support isn’t available. Can you help? My guess is that you have several different account passwords for […]
When to Restart Windows

July 20, 2023

When to Restart Windows: a reader asks… I get how nowadays we should be leaving our computers running all the time, with just the monitor powered down. And only shutting it off when we leave town. But I’m not sure how often I should be restarting my Windows computer. Any advice? Sure, there are three reasons to restart your computer: First, when the computer is not acting normally, your first step should be to restart the computer. This can be […]
iPhone Beeps, Tones & Notifications

July 3, 2023

iPhone Beeps, Tones & Notifications: a reader asks… I have an iPhone (13), and am confused by the array of beeps and tones that it emits. I don’t know how to control that. Do you have any tips? iPhone’s notifications, ringtones, text tones, etc. have become much more complicated as the iOS versions have progressed and matured, to the point where now it can take a lot of work to set the various sounds your iPhone makes the way you […]
Fake Infection Warnings

June 24, 2023

Fake Infection Warnings: a reader asked… I’ve been getting these warning popups that line up on the right side of my Windows 11 screen. They warn that my computer is infected, and list McAfee as the warning. I think they’re fake, but they keep coming back anytime I run my web browser, Chrome. I don’t even have McAfee installed, just Malwarebytes. What can I do to stop these fake warnings? After looking at your screenshot, I can see that the […]
Buh-Bye Apple PhotoStream

June 21, 2023

Buh-Bye Apple PhotoStream: a reader asks… I received an email from Apple that they are shutting down My Photo Stream soon. I have thousands of photos in my Photo Library, are these at risk? What should I do? Your photos are not at risk, and you don’t need to do anything. Over the years, Apple has refined and improved the image and photo management experience using Apple devices. You may remember iPhoto? My Photo Stream is similarly an older technology […]
Small Business Internet Service

June 15, 2023

Small Business Internet Service: a reader asks… I am starting a small business and have a very tight budget. I can’t get out of paying rent on office space, but I would like to, at least initially, save money on internet service. Can I get away with using my smartphone’s hotspot for internet access in the office? I’m using VOIP for office phone service from my laptop and smartphone. Other tenants in the office building don’t use internet service, so […]
Computer Maintenance

May 30, 2023

Computer maintenance: a reader asks… Since Microsoft is planning on supporting Windows 10 until October 2025, you have a few years of routine maintenance ahead of you. Please note this is no different advice than for anyone using a computer. All computers and operating systems require routine maintenance, but the list below is customized for your particular situation. And I will say up-front that keeping your computer up-to-date is the easiest and best way to keep it running well for […]
Fighting Junk Email

May 19, 2023

Fighting Junk Email: a reader asks… I’m inundated with spam! I get so much of it, way more than legitimate emails that I want to read. I’m using Outlook and know there’s a junk mail filter, but it seems like the spammers keep using different addresses and even if I mark emails as junk, they keep sending them to me and the junk mail filter doesn’t catch them. Is there anything more I can do? Ok, this is going to […]
Outlook Tracking Emails

May 3, 2023

Outlook Tracking Emails: a reader asked… I use MS Outlook (MS 365 subscription), and like to track sent emails occasionally to see when they’re opened or read. I’ve noticed that the tracking button doesn’t always appear for me to view tracking information. Why can’t I see tracking information? The short answer is that when you send an email out with a tracking request, that request may not be honored by the receipient. If your recipient doesn’t send you tracking information […]
Apple Photos to PC

April 24, 2023

Apple Photos to PC: a reader asks… Actually, there are two ways. The first way is automatic, and happens in the background. The second way is manual, and you do this for each photo or set of photos you want to transfer. The advantage of the first method is that it happens without you having to do anything, the disadvantage is that the actual transfer may not occur immediately. The advantage of the second method is that you have access […]
Who’s Better, Bard or GPT-4?

April 10, 2023

Who’s Better, Bard or GPT-4? A reader asks… Ok, I’m looking at your previous article about AI, and you mention Bard, Google’s AI. You also ended that article with a short answer from GPT-4 as to why it was the best. Can you give me a bit more comparison of the two to help me decide which I should use for writing projects? I would caution you on how you use artificial intelligence (AI) tools for writing projects. any AI […]
Auto-lock Screen w/o Sleep

April 5, 2023

Auto-lock Screen w/o Sleep: a reader asks… I recently followed your advice about not using sleep mode on my windows 10 PC. But I’m now seeing a problem: my screen doesn’t auto-lock. Is there a way to use auto-lock without using Sleep mode? I need this because when I travel, I leave my laptop in my hotel room and don’t want anyone to be able to get into my computer. In both Windows 10 & 11, the computer auto-locks the […]
Verizon/AOL Email after I quit Verizon?

March 30, 2023

Verizon/AOL Email after I quit Verizon? A reader asks… If we cancel our Verizon services (cable, internet, phone, email), will we lose our Verizon email? We made the switch when they moved the emails to AOL. So now we log in through AOL. We’ve had the same email for 10 plus years and don’t want to lose that, but Verizon prices are just ridiculous. If we cancel Verizon services, will we need a paid AOL account? Nope, since your email is through AOL, […]
Trying out ChatGPT on iOS

March 22, 2023

Trying out ChatGPT on iOS: a reader asks… I’ve been reading about ChatGPT and other new artificial intelligence technologies, and was wondering if you had any thoughts about how I might setup and use it on my iPhone? OpenAI.com has been working in the artificial intelligence (AI) field for a long time. As a a leading AI research and deployment company, they released ChatGPT last November and allowed the public to start testing it out for free. Since then they’ve […]
No Signature in Gmail

March 16, 2023

No Signature in Gmail: a reader asks… I use Gmail and way back when had setup a signature to use on all my outgoing emails. I’ve forgotten how I did that and now I want to stop showing the signature. How do I do that (and please keep it simple)? I think the simplest way to show you how to do that is visually, so here’s a step-by-step method to stop showing your signature in outgoing emails. When you open […]
iTunes Match – Worth it?

March 13, 2023

iTunes Match – Worth it? A reader asks… Hi I’m all-in with Apple, use an iPhone, an iPad and a Macbook Pro. In the iTunes app I have a pretty large library of music – CD albums and other music I’ve imported into iTunes. Up to this point, I’ve been plugging my iPhone into my Mac every once in awhile to synchronize the music library. Someone just told me about a subscription service from Apple called “iTunes Match”. My question […]
Add Line in iMessage on Mac

March 9, 2023

Add Line in iMessage on Mac: a reader asks… Hi, I like to use the Messages app on my Macbook to send and receive text messages. On my iPhone, I can use the Return key on the virtual keyboard to add blank lines between words. On my Mac’s Messages app, the Return/Enter key sends the message. Is there a way I can add blank lines easily without sending the message? Actually this is quite easy – the Option key is […]
Record Me!

February 23, 2023

Record Me! A reader asks… I have to make a recording of me reading a speech. I have a Windows 10 PC with a nice webcam perched on top of the monitor – I use this for Zoom. Can I use this setup to record myself, and how do I do this? I have to upload a video file to a WeTransfer link that was given to me. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a handy built-in camera app (called “Camera”) that […]
Webcam Tip – Zoom and Field of Vision

February 12, 2023

Webcam Tip – Zoom and Field of Vision: a reader asks… I have a Logitech webcam and use it for Zoom, Microsoft Teams and GoToWebinar. I get that Zoom and Teams have the capability for virtual backgrounds and blurring your background, but what I’d like to do is zoom in my webcam or otherwise narrow in on myself. The webcam view is too wide. Got any tips? Yes I have tips. Depending on which model of webcam you have (and […]

Subscribe to My Weekly Digest

"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!"

Subscribe to my free weekly email digest and occasional alerts:

First name

Last name

Email (required)

If you provide your mobile telephone number (optional), we will neither share it with anyone else, nor use it for anything other than appointment booking confirmations and other work-related needs. No marketing!

GDPR Compliance By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Subscribing requires double opt-in - you will receive an email with a confirmation you must accept before you will be added to our mailing list and/or text communications list.

About Me

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.

Browse my library with over 1,000 of the types of questions and answers we all have about our consumer technology. Better yet, use the search bar above or pick a subject or keyword below to see a list of related posts you can read. And please sign up for my free weekly digest and occasional email alerts!

If you don't find the answer to your question in my library, ask me a question - anything about consumer technology. I answer questions large and small, from how to use Siri on an iPhone to how to protect your computer, tablet or smartphone. I take arcane language from manuals and translate that into easy-to-follow instructions. This gives you better ways to use your consumer technology - helping you get more out of the gadgets and services you already own and use.

I provide all the above, supported by my readers who find my answers valuable (patronage model). Please consider supporting me by sending any amount via (send to @PosiTek), or via (send to Support@PosiTek.net), or via using any credit card (no Paypal account required), or by mailing a check or cash to PosiTek.net LLC 1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350, Tysons Corner VA 22182.

I am not a non-profit, but your support helps me to continue delivering advice and consumer technology support to the public.

If you need more immediate or direct support, please see my 1-on-1 Tech Support page. I don't profess to know everything about everything, but I'm great at finding and giving you exactly the right answer in the way you need to hear it. Give me a try and let Your Tech Coach help you get your technology working for you, not the other way around!

Need more help using this website? Click here!

Our Very Small Print

Click to Read

The information presented on this website and referred to in various social networking channels are the considered opinions of the authors. We accept no advertising, kickbacks or any sort of remuneration for any commercial products or services that we recommend or suggest. Furthermore, posts or links to external websites or other content do not imply endorsement, unless explicitly stated.

Any elements on this website that may be linked to or displayed, including trademarks and product/service images, are for educational purposes only under fair use copyright law. PosiTek.net LLC purchases licensing for commercial imagery used on this website via Shutterstock.com and any other imagery is licensed for our use via:

Creative Commons License

Such work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Further information can be found in our copious small print: Terms of Service and Privacy Notice policies.

There are currently 1291 Reader Comments on my articles, care to join in? Comment at the bottom of any article.