Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Why does Windows 10 use more RAM on my new PC than it did on my old one?

Posted on October 24, 2021

Question from Bill: I have an Acer desktop PC with 4 GB of RAM that I updated to Windows 10 back when the update was free.

When I have all the programs and browser tabs that I normally use open at the same time the Task Manager says there is approximately 1.2 GB of RAM not being used.

I recently bought a brand new Dell desktop with 8 GB of RAM and Windows 10.

When I have the same exact configuration of programs and browser tabs open on the new machine it says there is still less than 2 GB of RAM that’s not being used.

How can this be? [Read more…]

Review: D-Link USB 3.0 AX1800 Dual Band WiFi 6 Adapter

Posted on October 23, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

WiFi 6 offers several important improvements over the earlier 802.11 b/g/n/ac generations of WiFi technology so I was eager to give this D-Link USB 3.0 AX1800 Dual Band WiFi 6 Adapter a try as soon as I found out it was available.

[Read more…]

How to disable Taskbar Previews in Windows 10

Posted on October 22, 2021

Like Windows 7 and 8 before it, Windows 10 has a Taskbar Preview feature that is enabled by default.

As with most every other Windows feature, some folks love having a small preview of a window’s contents pop up when the mouse is hovered over a Taskbar button.

Others, myself included, find it a bit irritating.

If you find it irritating as well, you can ditch Taskbar Previews in Windows 10 by following the instructions below. But first, I must ask you to read my semi-standard disclaimer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I get my Taskbar back to where it belongs?

Posted on October 21, 2021

Question from Sherry: Hi, Rick. I was typing a homework assignment in Microsoft Word when the doorbell rang.

It was the pizza delivery guy with the pizza I had ordered for dinner.

Anyway, I was away from the computer for maybe 2 minutes but when I got back my 2 year old was playing with it.

I about freaked out when I saw her playing with the mouse, but as it turned out my Word document was just fine.

The thing is she somehow managed to move the Taskbar from its usual place at the bottom of the screen all the way to the top.

She’s only 2 years old! How in the world could she have done that?

Can you tell me how to move it back to where it belongs? [Read more…]

This app can help protect your Android devices from malware

Posted on October 20, 2021

AVG has long been recognized as a leader in the field of computer security.

They have made top quality antivirus software for desktop and laptop PCs for over a quarter of a century, and now they’re offering quality protection for your Android tablets and mobile phones as well.

The free version of AVG for Android will protect your device in a variety of ways.

[Read more…]