Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Can I add a second hard drive to my laptop?

Posted on September 5, 2021

Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter

Question from Terry: I bought an older Dell laptop after answering an ad on Craigslist. The guy I bought it from told me I’d be able to install a second hard drive in it if I wanted to.

I went to Best Buy and bought a 1TB laptop hard drive but when I went to install it I could only find a place for one hard drive (the drive that’s already in it).

There is only one plastic cover on the bottom for accessing a hard drive.

Could there maybe be a second drive bay somewhere else that isn’t accessible by simply removing a cover? [Read more…]

Why it’s absolutely critical to choose a great web host for your blog

Posted on September 4, 2021

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There are a number of very important decisions that one must make when preparing to start a blog, and one of the most important of all is your choice of a web hosting company.

Many people when planning their first blog make the mistake of choosing a web host based on price alone, and this is a huge mistake.

Most hosting companies are within the same ball park when it comes to pricing the various tiers of hosting plans, but the quality and value of those plans can vary by a huge margin.

Choosing a mediocre or even bad web host just to save a buck or two per month will almost always come back to haunt you.

Here are a few things to consider when it comes time to choose a web host for your blog: [Read more…]

FYI: Windows 11 might run on your PC even if Microsoft says it can’t.

Posted on September 4, 2021

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As I reported in this post, Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will officially be released to the masses on October 5.

I’ve received a ton of feedback about this with about half the respondents saying they’ll be sticking with Windows 10 and the other half chomping at the bit to install Windows 11 ASAP.

If you happen to fall into the “I want to install it ASAP” camp you can compare your PC’s hardware configuration against the system requirements listed on this page to see if Microsoft believes Windows 11 will run on your machine. [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I install an SSD in my laptop?

Posted on September 3, 2021

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Seth: Hi Rick. I have an old ASUS ROG G750JW laptop and I’d really like to replace the hard drive with a 1 TB SSD if it’s at all possible.

I love this machine and I want to keep using it as long as I can.

My problem is, I know zilch about the technical aspects of computers. I just know how to use them to do the things I need to do.

What I need to know is a) will this laptop take an SSD, and b) if it will, where can I have one installed in Conway, SC?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I buy my own cable modem or rent one from my ISP?

Posted on September 2, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Mike: I have cable Internet through Comcast/Xfinity and I pay $14 a month to rent a cable modem from them.

While shopping for a router on Amazon I noticed that they also sell cable modems.

Would you recommend buying my own cable modem since the $168 I pay Comcast every year for a rental would actually buy one outright? [Read more…]