Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Can you help me find 4 cheap, but reliable refurbished PCs to replace my old Windows Vista machines?

Posted on June 23, 2018

Question from Jeffrey D.: I’m looking to replace four ancient Dell Windows Vista desktop PCs that we use to run the custom inventory software I use in my business.

That software runs just fine on these machines and I’m only replacing them because Windows Vista is no longer being supported by Microsoft.

I’ve tested the software on a Windows 10 PC and it runs fine so there are no worries about software compatibility.

I don’t need anything fancy, or even new. What I’m hoping to do is to replace all 4 machines for less than $1,000 total.

I have already replaced the original 17 inch CRT monitors with 22 inch flat panel displays so I only need to replace the towers. The new computers won’t need huge hard drives since the current ones have tiny 320GB drives with plenty of space left over.

Do you know of any dependable refurbed systems that’ll run my software that are within my $1,000 budget (for all 4 PCs)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is upgrading my entire home network to 1Gbps worth the expense?

Posted on June 23, 2018

Question from Frank A.: Hi Rick. I need a little advice if you don’t mind.

I just bought a new HP desktop computer that came with a 1Gbps network adapter in it.

I’m thinking about replacing my ancient 300 Mbps router with a new AC class router (#ad) and purchasing a couple of 1Gbps wired networking adapters (#ad) for my wife’s and son’s computers to bring everything on the network up to 1Gbps.

My son and I play competitive games over the network and I’ve read that this will really speed up those games. My wife uses her computer primarily for emailing and visiting a few websites (mostly Facebook and Pinterest).

I would really like to keep all the computers connected to the router via Ethernet cables if at all possible.

My question is do you think the benefits of making these upgrades justify the cost given that our Internet connection tops out at just 50Mbps?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Quickly remove toolbars, adware and browser hijackers from your PC with AdwCleaner

Posted on June 20, 2018

Have you noticed that your computer has been running slower, displaying pop-up ads or exhibiting other strange behavior of late?

If so, the reason could be “junkware” such as toolbars, adware, browser hijackers and/or other malware items have infected your PC with their digital crud.

While most high-quality anti-malware programs will detect and remove some of the most common junkware programs, they typically won’t catch them all.

But an awesome free tool called AdwCleaner (from the folks at Malwarebytes) will find and remove virtually all of the junkware that’s currently out there with just a couple of clicks! [Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware the free VPN app ‘S5Mark’ – It’s actually malware!

Posted on June 19, 2018

As you probably know, many free download sites attach additional “drive-by” downloads to the files you download from their sites to your PC.

A relative handful of those “add-on” programs are actually beneficial, but the vast majority of them are simply junk that will bloat your system and slow it down.

Even worse, some add-ons that claim to provide a useful service are actually malware that will spy on you and/or do nefarious things and make it look like you’re the culprit.

One of the most insidious “drive-by” add-ons that you’re likely to ever encounter is a program called S5Mark. [Read more…]

Three awesome (and free) diagnostic tools for your PC

Posted on June 15, 2018

Personal computers have now become commodities, and as a result their prices are now the lowest they have ever been. Even better, their speed and capabilities just keep increasing even as their prices continue to drop.

But even with the prices of computers at an all-time low, even an entry level model will likely set you back at least $200 or more.

That means you’ll probably want to do everything you can to ensure that yours continues to run at peak efficiency for as long as possible. [Read more…]