Tech Questions & Answers Archives

Q&A: Why do Windows PCs slow down over time?

Posted on April 5, 2026

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Question from Michael: I’ve noticed that every Windows computer I’ve ever owned runs lightning fast when I first take it out of the box, but before long they always seem to start slowing down.

Why do they do that? Do the parts just wear out or what?

Is there anything that can be done to reverse the slowdown and get the PC running like new again? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I completely disable my laptop’s camera?

Posted on April 4, 2026

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Question from Callie: I bought a new Windows laptop (an Acer) that has a camera built into it.

I don’t ever plan to use the camera for anything and I’d like to completely disable it.

I don’t want to just prevent apps from accessing the camera. I want to disable it completely.

Is it possible to do that? If it is, can you tell me how to do it? [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I replace a 3 year old SSD just to be safe?

Posted on April 1, 2026

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Question from Kendra: Hi, Rick. I really love your blog, especially the section where you answer questions from your readers.

If you don’t mind I’d like to ask a question of my own.

Back in March of 2023 the tech guy I used at the time installed a Crucial 500GB SSD in my Acer laptop and it really made it run a lot faster. [Read more…]

Q&A: Can you exclude a specific website from Google’s search results?

Posted on March 31, 2026

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Question from Paula: Hi, Rick. Thanks for all your hard work writing and sharing your tips. I’ve been reading your stuff for more years than either of us want to admit!

I’m wondering if you know of a way to do a Google search for things and have them leave pages from Pinterest out of the search results?

[Read more…]

Q&A: Is it safe to use an online password checker?

Posted on March 28, 2026

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Question from Charise: I read that with all the hacking going on we need to check the strength of our passwords with an online password checker.

I did a Google search for the term “password checker” and a bunch of them came up. The thing is, I’m wondering if it’s safe to use them.

I’m a little leery of typing my passwords into a form on a website that I don’t know anything about.

Are those password checker websites safe to use? [Read more…]