Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
If you’ve been a Windows user for any length of time you probably know that there are times when it helps to boot Windows into Safe Mode.
In a nutshell, booting into Safe Mode forces Windows to load just the most basic Windows files and hardware drivers.
This helps a great deal when trying to remove stubborn viruses, track down faulty hardware drivers and resolve a wide range of software issues.
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
Question from Phyllis: Hi there, Rick. I love your website and all of your handy tips.
I’m looking to buy an external USB hard drive so I can back up the hard drive in my laptop. I really want one that will last and maintain a good backup in case something happens to my laptop.
In your opinion, which brand of external hard drive is the best value for the money? [Read more…]
Well, another dangerous recurring scam is making the rounds again.
It’s being spread via both email and SMS test messages, and unfortunately lots of innocent people are falling for it.
As usual, there are several variations of this scam, but luckily they’re all very easy to detect and avoid once you know what to look for.
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
Question from Dorenda: Hi, Rick. I have a question about charging my phone.
I lead walking tours through the streets of my historic home town and I only have a few minutes here and there when I can plug my iPhone in for a quick charge.
Someone told me my phone will charge faster if I turn it off before I plug it in. Is that true? [Read more…]
Question from Andreas: Hello, Rick. I hope you can help me.
I recently replaced my ancient desktop computer with a new Dell with Windows 11 on it.
I also bought a new 24 inch flat panel monitor to go with it, and I love the enhanced sharpness and clarity.
The problem is I’m used to using an older monitor that had large icons (I know, I’m WAY behind the times) and at 72 years of age my eyes aren’t what they once were.
Thanks to one of your tips I found out how to increase the font size in Google Chrome which was a tremendous help, but I really need to know how to make the Desktop icons bigger.
Can you help me with this? [Read more…]