Rick's Daily Tips

Tech Tips, Tricks and Tutorials

Tips and information on...
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Q&A: How do I connect a second display to my iMac?

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Question from Kelley:  I recently bought this 21.5 inch iMac and I’d like to connect a second display to it.

I have a really nice 1 year-old 27 inch HP monitor with two HDMI connectors that I used with my old Windows computer.

I’d love to use that monitor if I can.

My goal is to have Photoshop running on the 27 inch screen and everything else on the 21.5 inch screen.

Can you tell me if the HP monitor is compatible with the iMac? If it is, how do I connect it to the computer and set it up in the software?

If it won’t work with the iMac can you recommend a good 27 inch monitor that will?

Rick’s answer:  [Read more…]

Today’s Daily Deal: APC 4320 Joule Surge Protector with 12 Outlets

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Today’s Daily Deal features this powerful APC 4320 Joule Surge Protector with 12 Outlets.

Storm season is upon us. Is your computer and other sensitive electronic gear protected against the inevitable power surges and lightning strikes.

You need a good surge protector standing guard over your expensive gear, and this is one of the very best!

Click here to read more about this awesome APC 4320 Joule Surge Protector with 12 Outlets at Amazon, including over 600 overwhelmingly positive user reviews.

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Q&A: How can I prevent a message box from automatically popping up every time I receive a message while browsing Facebook?

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Question from Cammy:  I have a Facebook question for you Rick.

Whenever I’m browsing Facebook on my laptop and I receive a message the message box pops up automatically with the received message displayed inside of it.

I don’t like that because I’m usually using Facebook with other people around and I don’t want anyone accidentally seeing my messages.

How can I prevent those message boxes from popping up until I actually click on the “Messages” icon?

Rick’s answer:  [Read more…]

Things to consider before taking your ailing computer to a repair shop

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If you own a computer, chances are there will come a time when it will need to be repaired or tuned up a bit.

For example, you might start hearing strange noises or your most-used apps start crashing.

Or perhaps the system might start shutting down at random times or other irritating things begin to happen.

When something out of the ordinary pops up you’ll need to evaluate the situation and determine how you need to proceed.

I’m often asked whether a given computer should be repaired, or simply scrapped and replaced with a new laptop or desktop PC. This is my usual reply:  [Read more…]

How to back up (and restore) the Windows Registry

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backup-restore-registry-logoMany of the tips I post on this site involve editing the Windows Registry, and the first step of the procedure always explains how to create a backup of the Registry before proceeding on to the actual “tip”.

It occurred to me earlier today that I should probably make the steps for backing up and restoring the Registry a tip in its own right.

I recommend that you always make a backup of the Registry before you attempt to make any changes to it. That way if something goes wrong you’ll be able to restore it to it’s previous (working) state.

Luckily, it’s very easy to make a backup of the Windows Registry. Just follow the steps below:  [Read more…]

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