Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
As you probably know, Windows computers tend to slow down over time due to junk build-up on the hard drive, malware infections and various other reasons.
Today I’m going to tell you about five powerful free downloads that you can use to keep your PC running just as fast as the day you bought it:
Note: The programs listed are all available in both free and premium versions. I recommend that you download the free version of each. [Read more…]
By default, Windows 10 displays a Logon Screen requesting that you enter a password before it will finish booting up into Windows, and it will display this screen even if you haven’t created a password for your user account.
Dealing with the Logon Screen can be an unnecessary annoyance if you know you are the only person that will ever have access to your computer.
Luckily, Microsoft made it fairly easy to configure Windows 10 to skip the Logon Screen and have the machine boot straight to the Desktop. Here’s how: [Read more…]
Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
Question from Melissa S.: Hi Rick. I just bought this 4TB external hard drive to back up the hard drive in my new Dell desktop PC (which only has USB 3.0 ports).
I really like this drive because it will store a LOT of photos (I’m a photographer).
Due to the arrangement of my cramped desk, the external hard drive will have to sit on a nearby shelf and connect to the computer through a USB hub.
My question is can I use the hub I already have or will I need to buy a new one?
The one I have is several years old but it still works great. The thing is it’s a USB 2.0 model.
I’m afraid to plug either the computer or the hard drive into this hub until I hear from you because I don’t want to burn something up.
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Well, another recurring and extremely irritating “Friend Request” hoax is now making the rounds yet again on Facebook.
Luckily, it’s very easy to avoid falling for this one.
All you have to do is ignore any messages you receive via Facebook Messenger, Chat or IM that read like this: [Read more…]
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
One of the biggest challenges we have when it comes to using your mobile devices is keeping them charged up and ready for use when you need them.
Sure, you can always plug them in and top off their batteries when you’re are at home, at the office, or in your car, but what if you’re in a place where there’s no electrical outlet for an extended period of time?
In all likelihood, the battery is going to die before you can get to a place where you can plug it in and charge it.
I’ve written several posts explaining how to maximize the battery life of our mobile devices, but the simplest method I know of is to keep a cordless external battery charging device on hand. [Read more…]