Rick's Daily Tips

Quickly uninstall unwanted Windows apps with CCleaner

Posted on October 29, 2015

Microsoft first introduced the Windows Store along with Windows 8, and now that Windows 10 is here the Windows Store and its many available apps are included with it as well.

The Windows Store is simply a collection of lightweight Windows apps that you can download and install on your Windows PC.

Some of those apps are actually quite useful, but many others offer little if any real value at all. Even worse, a few of them are nothing more than adware and junkware. A perfect example is the much-hated “Get Office” app that I wrote about in a previous post. [Read more…]

Review: Microsoft Surface Book

Posted on October 27, 2015

When I heard that Microsoft was planning to release a high end laptop to compete with the MacBook pro, I was a bit skeptical. But after actually taking the Microsoft Surface Book for a spin I came away quite impressed.

The Surface Book that I tested has a Intel Core i5 2.1 GHz CPU, 8GB of RAM and a super-fast 256GB SSD. It also has an amazing 13.5-inch PixelSense 3000×2000 touchscreen display that’s simply stunning.

First of all, this is so much more than a typical convertible notebook. This is a full-blown high performance laptop that can also be used as a tablet. And it works extremely well in both configurations. [Read more…]

Review: Canon EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR with 18-135mm STM Lens

Posted on October 24, 2015

Canon EOS Rebel T5i with 18-135mm STM Lens

Canon is known for making top-quality cameras for everyone from the rank beginner to the seasoned pro, and their DSLRs are among the best in the business.

I’ve used several Canons over the years, and I can’t recall a single one of them that I didn’t like.

I recently had the opportunity to check out the Canon EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR with 18-135mm STM Lens combo, and it’s a fantastic setup for taking most any kind of photo under a wide range of conditions. And now that the T6i is out, this is the perfect time to pick up its predecessor at a great price. [Read more…]

Q&A: Windows Update isn’t finding new updates. How can I fix it?

Posted on October 19, 2015

Question from Larry Y.: Hi Rick. I read your post explaining how to avoid the automatic update to Windows 10, but I have a different problem.

I upgraded my Dell Desktop computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10 a couple of months ago and ever since then I can’t get Windows Update to work correctly. When I click “Check for updates” it goes through the motions but it never finds any updates.

I’ve read every forum post I can find relating to Windows Update but nothing I’ve tried has worked. Any suggestions on what I should try next?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

If you don’t want Windows 10 you need to do this NOW!

Posted on October 18, 2015

microsoft-windows If you’re still running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you’ve surely noticed the little “Get Windows 10” icon that’s been sitting in your PC’s notifications area for a while now.

It’s no secret that Microsoft has been trying to get as many people to upgrade to Windows 10 as possible, but up until now you had to actually make a conscious decision to install the update and initiate the process on your own. Well, that has now changed! [Read more…]