Tech Questions & Answers Archives

Q&A: Is it ok to disable ‘User Account Control’ in Windows 10?

Posted on January 21, 2021

Question from Charles E.: I updated my PC from Windows 7 to Windows 10 back in March 2016.

Ever since then I’ve been getting “User Account Control” warnings several times a month, and I ALWAYS get them when I’m trying to install something new or make a simple settings change.

I can’t seem to do hardly anything at all with getting hit with a warning.

I know that UAC is meant to prevent me from doing something stupid and trashing my system, but I’m an experienced user and I know which types of things I need to avoid.

My question is do you think it would be safe to disable UAC? I really don’t think I need it.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it legal to create Linux installation discs and sell them on Ebay?

Posted on January 21, 2021

Question from Larry: Hi Rick. I love your blog and respect your opinions very much.

I’d like to ask a question if you don’t mind.

I’ve been buying yard sale items in bulk locally and selling them on Ebay for a couple of years now, and I’m looking to branch out.

I’ve been thinking lately about creating Linux installation media (DVDs and USB flash drives) on my home computer and selling them on EBay.

My question is can I legally do that without getting into any kind of legal trouble? I see other sellers doing it but I don’t want to get caught up in some kind of sting.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is the ‘Copy Plain Text’ browser extension safe to use?

Posted on January 21, 2021

Question from Amber: I do a lot of copying and pasting when I’m writing posts for my lifestyle blog.

Something that always irritates me is having to paste everything into Notepad to get rid of the formatting and then copy the “clean” text and paste it into the blog post I’m working on.

I checked Google and found a browser extension called Copy Plain Text that allows you to copy text and paste it without the formatting.

My question is, do you think it’s safe to use this extension?

I’m asking because I know lots of extensions are dangerous and I don’t want to mess up my work computer.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Why don’t you charge anything when you help someone?

Posted on January 20, 2021

Question from Brenda F.: I think it’s wonderful that take the time to provide all this great information and help people with their problems.

I’ve noticed that you never ask anyone for money or request any type of payment for the things you do.

I believe you really should because your time is valuable and you deserve to be paid for using it to help all of us. Why do you do all this for free?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Are free antivirus apps just as good as ‘paid’ ones?

Posted on January 20, 2021

Question from Hailley G: Hi Rick. I’ve been reading your blog for a good while now and I love your tips!

I’ve noticed that you always recommend using free antivirus software instead of one of the expensive paid programs.

I really like the idea of using free software whenever possible, but I want to make sure my laptop is protected from all the nasty viruses that are out there these days.

My question: Are the free antivirus programs really just as good as the ones you pay for?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]