Tech Questions & Answers Archives - Page 2 of 196

Q&A: How can I get Chrome to stop asking if I want to receive notifications from websites?

Posted on February 13, 2019

Question from Helen T.: Several times a day Chrome will pop up a little box telling me the website I’m visiting wants to show notifications.

I always answer no because I don’t want to receive notifications from ANY website.

Is there a way to prevent Chrome from asking me if I want to receive notifications from ANY site?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I reopen a browser tab that was closed by accident?

Posted on February 13, 2019

Question from Danielle T.: Hello Rick. I’ve been reading your blog for a long time now and it seems that I remember reading a post where you explained how to reopen a browser tab that was closed by accident. Am I right?

I close the wrong tab ALL THE TIME, and I’d really like to know how to open it back up!

I mostly use Chrome if that makes a difference. Thanks!!!!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Do I still need to make backups after upgrading to an SSD?

Posted on February 12, 2019

Question from Brenda K.: I took my Acer laptop in to Best Buy after the hard drive crashed and they installed a 480GB SSD.

I can’t believe how much faster the computer runs now!

Luckily I had a backup when the hard drive crashed. I was reading an article today that said SSDs don’t go bad so you don’t really need to back them up. Is that true?

I’d love to be able to avoid making backups but I don’t want to take any chances with my pictures and music either.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it safe to run a laptop without a battery?

Posted on February 12, 2019

Question from Tim H.: Hello Rick. I have what is surely an easy question to answer.

Is it safe to run a laptop without a battery installed? I’ve heard conflicting answers and I’d really love to have your opinion on the matter.

I’m asking because the battery in my Lenovo ThinkPad T400s has gone bad, and I don’t really want to replace it unless I absolutely have to.

I plan to use this machine as a “Desktop PC” until it completely stops working.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I prevent my Kindle e-reader from freezing up on me?

Posted on February 11, 2019

Question from Kaileigh: My Kindle e-reader has started freezing up on me.

It’ll be working fine and then just stop in its tracks. It won’t let me turn the page or return to the home screen or anything.

When this happens the only way to get it working again is to let the battery die so it’ll shut down.

How can I stop my Kindle from freezing up on me?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]