Computer Tips Archives - Page 168 of 226

Make your Chrome browser history easier to read and understand with ‘Better History’

Posted on October 26, 2017

Important update: The browser extension mentioned in this post has been removed from the Chrome web store. It apparently morphed into malware so Google banned it. I have removed the links to it from the original post.

Have you ever tried to find a web page you’ve visited in the past by scanning your browser history? If so, you probably found the experience both difficult and frustrating.

Most browsers display your history items in a boring, confusing list that’s hard to read and even harder to understand, but a fantastic Chrome extension called Better History makes finding the URL you’re looking for a breeze!

Chrome already does a much better job at displaying your browser’s history items than most other browsers, but the Better History extension takes that already enhanced usability to an entirely different level. [Read more…]

How to reclaim up to 40GB of wasted storage space after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Posted on October 24, 2017

If you’ve already installed the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on your PC you might be wondering where a huge chunk of your free hard drive/SSD storage space went.

Well, when Windows Update installs a new major Windows release it automatically backs up the previous Windows installation just in case you need to revert back to it for some reason.

That’s a good thing because it provides a way to roll your system back to the previous version of Windows in case something goes wrong with the update.

But there’s a problem: It can take as much as 40GB of storage space to hold the files in that previous Windows version backup. That means dozens of Gigabytes of “wasted” space won’t be available for storing photos, Office documents and/or other important user-created files.

Of course if your system has a massive hard drive with tons of unused space available, you probably won’t even miss that “wasted” disk space.

But what if your hard drive was already close to being maxed out before the upgrade? Or maybe your PC has a relatively small solid state drive (SSD) (#ad) instead of a much larger hard drive?

If you find yourself running low on storage space after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can easily recover dozens of Gigabytes of space by removing those old Windows backup files. Just follow the steps below: [Read more…]

How to download videos from Facebook to your PC without using a third party extension

Posted on October 17, 2017

Facebook makes it easy to upload and share videos with your friends, but downloading videos from Facebook to your computer has always been a challenge.

There are a number of browser extensions and third-party add-ons that claim to assist you with downloading Facebook videos, but many of them are actually malware. That’s why I never recommend any of them.

As luck would have it, there’s a way to download videos from Facebook to your computer without having to install anything at all. [Read more…]

Browse the Internet securely with your Opera browser’s built-in VPN feature

Posted on October 16, 2017

Important Update: Opera has announced that they’ll be removing the integrated VPN from their browsers on April 30, 2018.

I really enjoyed having my VPN seamlessly integrated with my web browser, but things are what they are. It sure was nice while it lasted.

Note: The original post begins below.

If you ever use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to securely use the Internet with your laptop or desktop PC, you should know that the fantastic Opera browser now has a VPN feature built right in to it!

Opera’s free VPN service allows you to safely access the Internet via open Wi-Fi hotspots such as those commonly found in restaurants, coffee shops and many other types of venues.

And the best part is you can do it without having to install a browser extension or sign into a VPS server!

Once the VPS feature is turned on, your Opera browser will automatically create a secure, encrypted connection between your PC and an Opera-owned VPN server. It really is as simple as that!

Simply follow the steps below to download the latest version of Opera and turn on the VPN feature: [Read more…]

How to adjust the volume for individual programs and apps on your PC

Posted on October 5, 2017

Sometimes it can seem like your PC’s volume control has a mind of its own.

For example, have you ever turned the volume up to a comfortable level while listening to music only to have your ears blasted to oblivion the next time an ad started playing in your web browser?

That’s happened to me more than once, and I almost jumped out of my skin of every time!

But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can take control of the sounds emanating from your computer’s speakers and avoid unpleasant surprises. [Read more…]