Tech Questions & Answers Archives - Page 241 of 258

Q&A: Why is the Wi-Fi connection on my new Toshiba Satellite C55-A laptop so slow?

Posted on November 28, 2013

Question from Mark V.: I bought a brand new Toshiba Satellite C55-A laptop from Best Buy a couple of months ago, then had to go out of town on business for 6 weeks before I could even open the box and try it out.

When I got back home I hooked it up and found out that the Wi-Fi connection is really SLOW!!! I know it’s not a weak signal from the router because both my 5 year old HP laptop and my iPad 4 get great wireless speeds in every part of the house.

I’ve tried everything I can think of, including resetting Windows 8 to the factory default. No luck!! Any ideas? Neither Toshiba nor Best Buy were any help at all since I had to wait so long to try it out!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Would it be cheaper to buy a new PC or build one from scratch?

Posted on November 26, 2013

Question from Cameron G.: Rick, I have a 7 year old HP desktop PC that’s served me very well over the years, but I decided to replace it after reading your post about Microsoft ending support for Windows XP early next year.

A good friend of mine says I can save a lot of money by buying the parts and building my new computer from scratch, and he even offered to help me. But I’m skeptical about about actually saving any money that way because I looked into it a few years ago and the numbers didn’t seem to add up.

What do you think about it? Can I really save money by building a PC from scratch instead of buying one outright? And if so, do you have any tips that might help me save a few extra bucks?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I get my phone to display the full name on Lock Screen messages after updating to iOS 7?

Posted on November 19, 2013

Question from Sara T.: My iPhone used to display the sender’s full name on the Lock Screen when I receive a message, but after updating to iOS 7 it only displays the first name. How can I change it back?

Rick’s answer: I’ve had several other people ask me about this Sara, so this change must really be annoying to a lot of people. That’s why I figured I might as well turn the answer to your question into a tip.

Here’s how to get the full name back on your Lock Screen message notifications: [Read more…]

Q&A: Why does Systeminfo close immediately after it opens?

Posted on November 18, 2013

Question from Beverly: My friend is trying to help me troubleshoot a problem with my laptop. He told me to type Systeminfo into the Windows 7 “Search” box and send him the “BIOS version” listed there.

I tried that several times, but the window closes immediately after it opens. He says it works fine on his computer. What am I doing wrong?

Rick’s answer: Beverly, you’re having this problem because you can’t run a command line utility such as Systeminfo from the “Search” box. You’ll need to run it from a command prompt instead. Here’s how: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I block those annoying Bitstrips cartoons on Facebook?

Posted on November 17, 2013

Question from Randy E.: Hi Rick. Are you familiar with those Bitstrips cartoons that pop up on Facebook now where your friends are the characters in the cartoons? Well I hate them, and I’d love to be able to block them. Can you tell me how?

Rick’s answer: Randy, I sure am familiar with the Bitstrips, and to be honest I sort of like them. But I can certainly see where others might find them annoying if they aren’t really into that sort of thing.

There are two ways to block Bitstrips and prevent them from showing up in your newsfeed. [Read more…]