Is There a Desktop Under All of those Icons?
Is your desktop completely covered with icons? Create a few folders and get them under control. You may be surprised what ancient, never-used-again shortcuts are there once you start moving them into well-named folders. Create another folder called “Old” and drag the dead ones in there, just in case you might possibly need to get […]
Boot Straight to the Desktop of Windows 10
Do you want Windows 10 to take you straight to a desktop without hitting you up for a password? If you’re using a local account to log in, you can make it happen by running a utility called netplwiz. You run it by clicking on Start and typing it in. Uncheck the box and reboot. […]
There’s No Such Thing as Too Much Backup
Are you backing up your files? If not, you’ll someday wish that you had. Flash drives are cheap. Keep one dedicated to backup and put all of your documents, photos, and data files from applications like Quicken on there every day, if possible. No need to overwrite files that haven’t been charged, but copy over […]
Make Your Computer a Media Server
Your computer is more powerful than you think. How does streaming music and video to your TV’s and tablets sound? It’s not that difficult to set up, and all you need is a smart TV or a thirty dollar Roku to make it happen. You rip your DVD’s or Blu-Rays, convert your CD’s to mp3’s. […]
Surf Safely
The internet is a wild, wooly place. The best way to avoid system infections is to (a)Avoid Internet Explorer and (b)Avoid Microsoft Windows. The second may be difficult for you, so let’s work on #1. Download and install Chrome (https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html), Firefox (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/), or Opera (http://www.opera.com/download). Besides being safer, all three support extensions that will enhance […]
There’s a fake me on Facebook! I’ve been hacked!
No, you haven’t been hacked. You’ve been spoofed. Someone has taken a look at your impressive friends list, and seeks to send them spam. So they’ve copied your profile picture and your name and sent out friends requests to your friends list. It’s nothing to get too worked up about. If just a few friends […]
The Value of the Throwaway Email Address
How do I stop my email from getting spammed? One of the best ways is to create a throwaway email address. There are free email addresses all over the web. Set one up which you only use for “recreational” website registrations. For stuff like online banking, credit card accounts, medical accounts, you know, serious websites, […]
TANSTAAFL
Do you know all those cute tests on Facebook? Which Star Trek character are you? Who’s going to help you rob a bank? Did you know they’re spamming you and your friends? Remember this simple principle: TANSTAAFL. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. These sites are giving you a little diversion in […]