Rick's Daily Tips

How to disable the ‘Caps Lock’ key on your PC’s keyboard

Posted on September 20, 2025

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Have you ever tried to sign in to one of your accounts only to realize after a half-dozen password failures that the Caps Lock key was on?

Or perhaps you frequently catch yourself merrily typing a lengthy message in an email or chat session when you sudden realize you just shouted your digital lungs out at the person on the other end?

Unfortunately, this happens all the time, but you can prevent it from ever happening again by completely disabling the Caps Lock key on your Windows PC’s keyboard. [Read more…]

How to enable ‘Enhanced Safe Browsing’ in Chrome

Posted on September 20, 2025

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Google Chrome is the world’s most popular web browser, and it isn’t even close.

There are several very good reasons why Chrome is used by so many people, one of which is the strong security that Google has built into it by default.

But did you know there’s a setting you can change in Chrome that will make your Internet activities even more secure? [Read more…]

Keeping your kids safe and connected: A parent’s guide to smartwatches

Posted on September 20, 2025

As a parent in today’s world, you’ve probably wondered how to give your child more independence while still keeping them safe. Maybe your 8-year-old has been asking for a phone like their older cousin, or perhaps you’re worried about your child walking to school alone.

I certainly understand that balancing freedom with safety is one of the toughest challenges parents face in today’s connected world.

The good news is that technology has evolved to help bridge this gap. GPS watches designed specifically for children offer a perfect middle ground between giving kids independence and keeping parents’ minds at ease. These devices are changing how families stay connected, and after researching the market extensively, I believe they represent one of the most practical tech solutions for modern parenting challenges. [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I convert an older hard drive into a USB drive?

Posted on September 18, 2025

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Bruce: Rick, I have an old Windows XP computer with a bad power supply and there’s data on its hard drive that I really need to access.

Can I pull that drive from the machine and retrieve the data from it using a different PC, or is it more complicated than that?

[Read more…]

Q&A: How do I make my PC shut down at the same time every night?

Posted on September 18, 2025

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Question from Kenny: I use my Windows computer to watch a few TV shows every night before I go to sleep. The last show I watch goes off at 11pm.

The problem is I often fall asleep before the last show goes off and my computer stays on all night. I don’t like that.

I’d really like to have the computer shut down automatically at 11pm. How can I make it do that? [Read more…]