Computer Tips Archives - Page 193 of 231

How to format a USB flash drive that doesn’t show up in Windows Explorer

Posted on March 3, 2015

I frequently receive emails and messages from folks asking why their USB flash drive isn’t showing up in Windows Explorer (File Explorer for Windows 8 users).

This typically occurs after something happens to the drive’s file structure that makes the drive unrecognizable as a valid drive to the Windows Explorer utility.

Luckily, this can be fixed as long as there isn’t a problem with the physical drive itself. Follow these steps to format a USB flash drive that doesn’t show up in Windows Explorer: [Read more…]

Firefox releases update to patch 16 security flaws, some of them critical

Posted on February 28, 2015

Mozilla has just released a major update to the popular Firefox browser that patches 16 security flaws, three of them rated critical.

This latest version is 36.0, and if you have Firefox set to update automatically you don’t have anything to worry about as it will all be taken care of for you.

But if you have it set to allow you to install updates manually, I recommend that you update to version 36.0 immediately. And by the way, if you have Firefox set to never check for updates…well, it would probably be a good idea to change that.

Follow these steps to check if you’re running the latest version of Firefox: [Read more…]

How to display the Task Bar at any time in Windows 8/8.1

Posted on February 27, 2015

windows-8-1 In Windows 7 (and earlier versions of Windows) it was easy to see which programs were running and access all the active notification icons. All you had to do was glance at the Task Bar.

But while the Task Bar is still alive and well in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, it is usually hidden when viewing the Start Screen or while running a modern app. And it also tends to stay hidden when you move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen. [Read more…]

AppCleaner completely uninstalls programs on your Mac

Posted on February 21, 2015

When a program is installed on a computer, bits and pieces of the installation are placed in several places on the hard drive. This is typical of the way most modern operating systems work, and for the most part it works well.

The problem with this “distributed installation” approach occurs when the programs are uninstalled and removed from the system. The built-in unistallers typically leave behind remnants of the installation that clog up the hard drive and can potentially create system instability issues. [Read more…]

How to force Windows 8.1 to show all file extensions

Posted on February 20, 2015

windows-8-1 As they have with previous versions of Windows, Microsoft decided to hide “known” file extensions by default in Windows 8.1.

Why they would ever think it’s a good idea to hide them is beyond me, but of course the guys and gals in Redmond have had me scratching my head in wonder for years.

In addition to making it difficult to determine a file’s “type” while viewing it in a list, hiding file extensions also makes it easier for hackers to trick us into opening malicious files. Not a good thing!

As luck would have it, it’s very easy to prevent Windows 8.1 from hiding file extensions. Just follow these steps: [Read more…]