Tech Questions & Answers Archives

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…]

Q&A: Why are my Internet download speeds so slow?

Posted on March 27, 2026

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Question from Kellie: I have Xfinity Internet and the plan I’m on is for 300 Mbps download speed.

I used SpeedTest.net to run several speed tests yesterday and again this morning. The fastest speed I got was around 165 Mbps.

I called Xfinity this afternoon and they ran some kind of test from their end and said I was getting all the speed I’m paying for.

Is there something I’m doing wrong when I run the speed test or is Xfinity just blowing me off? [Read more…]

Q&A: Why won’t a site load in Chrome when it loads fine in other browsers?

Posted on March 24, 2026

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Question from Chantelle: Last night my Facebook just froze up and stopped responding to my mouse and keyboard.

I closed the browser and then reopened it but Facebook wouldn’t load at all. It gave me a “500 Internal Server Error” and just sat there. I tried over and over with the same result. I even tried rebooting the computer.

The thing is I can open Facebook just fine in other browsers, but I’m used to Chrome and I’d really like to use it with Facebook.

Can you tell me how to fix this? [Read more…]

Q&A: Does Google really fine people for spamming with Gmail?

Posted on March 23, 2026

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Question from Beverly: Google sent me an email saying my Gmail account was caught sending spam.

They said I have to pay a $250 fine within 48 hours or my Gmail address will be permanently shut down.

This seems like a scam to me, but the email looks real and I can’t afford to take a chance on losing my Gmail address. Everything I do online is linked to that address.

My question: Is this email legit? [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I stop websites from asking to track my location with Firefox?

Posted on March 18, 2026

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Question from Debra: How can I prevent websites from asking for my location when using Firefox?

I hate having to answer that stupid question a dozen times a day, especially when it’s for the very same sites over and over again. [Read more…]