Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: What’s the easiest way to install OS X onto a Mac Pro that has a new hard drive?

Posted on March 6, 2019

Question from Gill: On a whim I bought a used Mac Pro at a yard sale for a ridiculously low price. I figured it was worth taking a chance on.

When I got it home I plugged it in and it powered up just fine, but I found out there was no hard drive in it.

I had a used hard drive that I had removed from another computer so I installed it in the Mac Pro.

The problem is I don’t know how to install OS X onto the new hard drive. Can you tell me the best (and hopefully easiest) way to do that?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Rick’s File Recovery Service: I’ll recover the photos and files from your dead computer for you.

Posted on March 3, 2019

I’m often asked if I’d be willing to recover the photos and other files from a “dead” laptop or desktop computer.

I typically refer them to this post that explains how to retrieve their files themselves, but some folks prefer to pay me to do the job for them because they don’t want to take a chance on accidentally trashing their files.

I provide this service because I know how important precious photos and other irreplaceable files can be to their owners.

Here’s the deal… [Read more…]

Heads up: That ‘Time to Shift!’ notice from Microsoft that’s making the rounds is NOT a hoax.

Posted on March 1, 2019

Many of the posts I publish on this blog are warnings about scams and hoaxes that happen to be making the rounds at the time.

Well, this post is sort of the opposite of those “Scam Alert” posts.

I’ve had several people message me to ask whether the “Time to Shift” notices from Microsoft are real or if they’re a hoax.

If you haven’t seen one of these notices yet, you surely will before long. The wording can vary slightly, but they typically read something like this: [Read more…]

Q&A: Where can I get a good deal on a replacement battery for my Toshiba laptop?

Posted on February 28, 2019

Question from Missy: The battery in my Toshiba Satellite C655D-S520 laptop has gone bad. Where can I get a good deal on a replacement battery?

I checked with Best Buy and Office Depot and they can order one for me but they want a small fortune for it!

I’ll be happy to consider a third-party laptop battery instead of one from Toshiba as long as it’s reliable and safe (as in it won’t burn my house down or damage my laptop!).

Rick’s answer: Hi Missy. As with most things electronic, I always buy my laptop batteries at Amazon because of their excellent selection, great prices and outstanding customer service. [Read more…]

Q&A: What could be causing my laptop to get really hot?

Posted on February 26, 2019

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Question from Summer G.: Hi Rick. I’m really worried that my Acer laptop is going to burn itself out.

After it’s been on for just a few minutes it gets so hot I can barely stand to touch the keyboard. And if I leave it on for as little as 15 to 20 minutes it shuts itself off.

What could be causing my laptop to get so hot? Thanks in advance for your help!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]