Tech Questions & Answers Archives - Page 181 of 258

Q&A: Can you help me find 4 cheap, but reliable refurbished PCs to replace my old Windows Vista machines?

Posted on June 23, 2018

Question from Jeffrey D.: I’m looking to replace four ancient Dell Windows Vista desktop PCs that we use to run the custom inventory software I use in my business.

That software runs just fine on these machines and I’m only replacing them because Windows Vista is no longer being supported by Microsoft.

I’ve tested the software on a Windows 10 PC and it runs fine so there are no worries about software compatibility.

I don’t need anything fancy, or even new. What I’m hoping to do is to replace all 4 machines for less than $1,000 total.

I have already replaced the original 17 inch CRT monitors with 22 inch flat panel displays so I only need to replace the towers. The new computers won’t need huge hard drives since the current ones have tiny 320GB drives with plenty of space left over.

Do you know of any dependable refurbed systems that’ll run my software that are within my $1,000 budget (for all 4 PCs)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is upgrading my entire home network to 1Gbps worth the expense?

Posted on June 23, 2018

Question from Frank A.: Hi Rick. I need a little advice if you don’t mind.

I just bought a new HP desktop computer that came with a 1Gbps network adapter in it.

I’m thinking about replacing my ancient 300 Mbps router with a new AC class router (#ad) and purchasing a couple of 1Gbps wired networking adapters (#ad) for my wife’s and son’s computers to bring everything on the network up to 1Gbps.

My son and I play competitive games over the network and I’ve read that this will really speed up those games. My wife uses her computer primarily for emailing and visiting a few websites (mostly Facebook and Pinterest).

I would really like to keep all the computers connected to the router via Ethernet cables if at all possible.

My question is do you think the benefits of making these upgrades justify the cost given that our Internet connection tops out at just 50Mbps?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I edit Image Size in pixels instead of inches with Adobe Photoshop Elements?

Posted on June 8, 2018

Question from Melinda Q.: I recently bought a new laptop because my old one died on me.

I installed Photoshop Elements on the new laptop from the same installation disc that I used to install it on the old one.

It seems to be working fine except for one thing: It won’t let me resize images in pixels. The only thing I can change is the document size (in inches).

On my old laptop I could change the image size in pixes but on the new one I don’t have that option. What am I doing wrong?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is my old Samsung Galaxy S II worth fixing?

Posted on June 2, 2018

Question from Rhonda K.: Hi Rick. I have an really ancient Samsung Galaxy S II that I really love. It still works great except the Micro-USB port seems to be worn out.

The phone won’t charge with my car charger unless I hold the connector in a certain position. Can this be fixed pretty cheap or do I need to just replace the phone. I’m hoping your answer is that it can be fixed because I absolutely love this phone!!

By the way, this is an awesome site! I’ve learned so much from you!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I still buy a video card that doesn’t use a fan?

Posted on May 19, 2018

asus-ati-radeon-hd6450-silence-1gb-video-card — (#ad)

Question from Glen J.: I have what is probably a very odd request. I need a low powered video card that doesn’t use a fan.

The video card in my PC has always been very noisy, and now the fan has started making screeching noises and the blades are wobbly (bad bearings perhaps?).

My question is can I buy a simple low powered, fanless video card that will work in a PCIe slot? I don’t need anything fancy, just something to drive my 21″ LCD monitor. I wouldn’t even replace the bad card at all were it not for the fact that my motherboard doesn’t have integrated video.

Any help you can provide will be very appreciated. [Read more…]