Tech Questions & Answers Archives

Q&A: Can a broken light pole fry a computer?

Posted on November 2, 2026

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Question from Elaine: I came home from work yesterday evening and the power company was replacing a light pole in the neighbor’s yard that had been broken off by a wrecked car.

It took several hours for them to get the power back on, and when they did my Dell desktop computer wouldn’t come on.

When I press the power button nothing happens. No noise of any kind, and no lights – nothing.

I know the outlet is working because I plugged a lamp into the same power strip and it’s working fine.

Do you think the broken light pole fried my computer somehow? And if it did, can it be fixed? [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I back up my paid Android apps?

Posted on October 28, 2026

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Question from Tabitha: I’ve had my current Android phone for three years and I love it, but I finally decided it was time to upgrade to take advantage of newer technology.

I haven’t decided on a new phone yet, but I know it’ll definitely be an Android.

The problem is I have several paid apps that I don’t want to lose when I switch phones.

How do I back up the apps from the old phone so that I can reinstall them on the new one?

[Read more…]

Q&A: When you delete a file, where does it go?

Posted on October 23, 2026

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Question from Judy: I have a question that’s probably going to sound dumb, but I’m curious.

I’ve been using computers for a long time and I’ve deleted a lot of files. Where do they go after Windows deletes them? [Read more…]

Q&A: Why do ranges and dryers run on 240 volts instead of 120?

Posted on October 21, 2026

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Question from Brenda: I’m having my house renovated and I’m in the process of ordering all new appliances.

The man at Home Depot said I’d have to pay extra for a special cord for both the electric range and the clothes dryer because they run on 240 volts instead of 120.

When I asked him why he said he didn’t know, but that’s just the way it is.

My question is, why do ranges and dryers use 240 volts when all the other appliances use 120 volts? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I create a desktop shortcut to the Bluetooth settings?

Posted on October 20, 2026

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Question from Mike: I have a set of Bluetooth “over the ear” headphones and a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that are both paired to my Windows 11 laptop.

I frequently switch back and forth between them, depending on what I’m using them for.

What I’d like to do is create a desktop shortcut to the Bluetooth settings so I can quickly open them when I need to switch from the headphones to the earbuds (or vice versa).

I can’t find a way to create that shortcut. Do you know of a way to do it? [Read more…]