Computer Tips Archives - Page 25 of 230

How to stop Firefox from forcing you to sign in every time you open the browser

Posted on March 17, 2025

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A few days ago I started getting messages from folks asking why Firefox had suddenly started forcing them to sign in to their online accounts every time they open their browser.

I checked in to it and discovered that a Firefox software update had apparently enabled the setting that clears the browser history every time Firefox is closed, automatically signing users out of any accounts they were signed into when they closed the browser.

If this is happening to you there’s a very easy fix: [Read more…]

These handy Windows keyboard shortcuts are real timesavers

Posted on March 14, 2025

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Have you ever noticed that you tend to do many of the same things over and over when using your computer?

Many of those repetitive tasks have keyboard shortcuts that can save you a ton of time once you get used to using them.

I realize that it’s easy to take the keyboard for granted in our mouse-centric world, but it really does help to know a few keyboard shortcuts.

This is especially true if you do a lot of typing and your fingers are almost always on the keyboard anyway.

Here are just a few of the keyboard shortcuts that I use every day: [Read more…]

How to spot (and avoid) fraudulent phishing emails

Posted on March 13, 2025

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It seems that fraudsters are all over the Internet these days, and many of them spam us with messages that turn up in our email inboxes on a daily basis.

And they’re pretty good at producing some rather legitimate-looking, and fairly convincing messages too.

If you’ve been using the Internet for any length of time, you’ve no doubt seen a bunch of them.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Can I retrieve a forgotten password from my web browser?

Posted on March 11, 2025

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Question from Eddie: Hi Rick. I hope you can help me with an odd situation I’m in.

I opened an online account several years ago (I’d rather not say which company) and I let Firefox store the password.

Ever since then I’ve always logged into that account using the stored password.

I’m getting ready to buy a new computer so I won’t be able to use the stored password to log into that site anymore.

The problem is I have forgotten the password. I’ve tried resetting it but it asks for my email address and none of the ones I can think of trying will work.

I know the password is still stored in Firefox because it comes up (covered with asterisks) and I can log in with it. Is there any way to retrieve that password from the browser?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Why you should ignore messages warning that your PC has outdated drivers

Posted on March 8, 2025

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Several people have messaged me recently asking about “driver update notices” that are popping up on their computers.

These messages are usually presented in pop-up windows or messages in the notifications area at the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Regardless of how these messages show up, many of them are outright scams, and the ones that are legitimate are recommending a piece of software that you don’t need.

[Read more…]