Rick's Daily Tips

Pet Peeve: Offers you literally can’t refuse

Posted on October 26, 2026

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Regular readers of this blog know that I love recommending free software that’s truly useful every chance I get.

These days some of the best software around can be downloaded at no cost whatsoever.

That being said, a disturbing new type of “ad” has started popping up while using some free programs and apps. I call these annoying ads “offers that you literally can’t refuse”, and they work something like this: [Read more…]

Why disabling your phone’s Location Services won’t hide your location

Posted on October 25, 2026

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Most people assume turning off a mobile phone’s GPS/Location Services will prevent others from being able to track their location via their phone.

Well here’s a little tidbit of info for you: It really doesn’t.

[Read more…]

Why you should always scan your PC for malware before taking it to a repair shop

Posted on October 24, 2026

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As you probably know, malware infections can cause all kinds of strange problems on Windows PCs.

That’s why if your computer starts acting strange all of a sudden it could very well be infected with a virus or some other form of malware.

Most malware infections can be removed by running a thorough series of scans with the free tools mentioned in this post, but there are some strains of malware that might need to be removed by an experienced computer tech.

I recommend that you always run your own malware scans (if it’s possible to do so) before you take your PC to a repair shop for ANY type of service or repair, even if you don’t believe the issue is malware-related.

[Read more…]

Q&A: When you delete a file, where does it go?

Posted on October 23, 2026

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Question from Judy: I have a question that’s probably going to sound dumb, but I’m curious.

I’ve been using computers for a long time and I’ve deleted a lot of files. Where do they go after Windows deletes them? [Read more…]

Scam alert: Don’t fall for these dangerous lottery scams

Posted on October 22, 2026

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As you probably know, scams of various types are ubiquitous on social media.

Some scams run their course and are never seen again, but most just seem to pop up every now and then.

One of those recurring “pop-up scams” is a lottery scam targeting people who enjoy playing the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lotteries that frequently advertise massive prize payouts for the winners. [Read more…]