Rick's Daily Tips

What (and where) is the ‘Windows’ key?

Posted on April 6, 2026

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Many of the tips I post include a step that involves pressing the Windows key on a PC’s keyboard.

Every time I post one of those tips I receive several messages from folks asking me where the Windows key is.

I guess we “geeks” tend to assume that all Windows users know about the ‘Windows’ key, but we really shouldn’t.

After all, no one knows everything about the behemoth that is the Windows operating system, and not everyone has the same level of experience with using it.

That’s why I decided it might be a good idea to write a post explaining what the Windows key is – and just as important, what it looks like and how to find it. [Read more…]

Q&A: Why do Windows PCs slow down over time?

Posted on April 5, 2026

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Question from Michael: I’ve noticed that every Windows computer I’ve ever owned runs lightning fast when I first take it out of the box, but before long they always seem to start slowing down.

Why do they do that? Do the parts just wear out or what?

Is there anything that can be done to reverse the slowdown and get the PC running like new again? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I completely disable my laptop’s camera?

Posted on April 4, 2026

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Question from Callie: I bought a new Windows laptop (an Acer) that has a camera built into it.

I don’t ever plan to use the camera for anything and I’d like to completely disable it.

I don’t want to just prevent apps from accessing the camera. I want to disable it completely.

Is it possible to do that? If it is, can you tell me how to do it? [Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware fake Gmail ‘account closure’ emails

Posted on April 3, 2026

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There’s a very dangerous email scam making the rounds again, and as before it’s catching a lot of Gmail users off-guard.

As usual, the text of the email varies a bit, but the message conveyed is always the same.

The email claims to be from Google in response to a request to close your Gmail account. [Read more…]

How to use Emergency Restart to reboot a frozen Windows PC

Posted on April 2, 2026

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If you’ve been using Microsoft Windows for a while you know it’s famous for occasionally “freezing up”.

And unfortunately, when that happens it can be difficult to get the system to respond to your mouse clicks and key presses.

[Read more…]