Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Why do some Windows Updates require a system restart but others don’t?

Posted on November 6, 2015

Question from Leonard G.: Rick, I have a question about one of my biggest pet peeves. After all these years, why does a computer still have to be restarted after many Windows updates are installed, but other updates install just fine without requiring a restart?

You’d think by now that Microsoft would have figured out a safe and dependable way to install ALL Windows updates in the background with us never even having to know they were installed. I hate having to stop what I’m doing on my computer just so Windows can shut down and “finish” installing an update!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it true that Avast Antivirus snoops on our browsing habits?

Posted on November 6, 2015

Question from Mandy G.: I’ve been using Avast Antivirus for several months after reading how you recommend it, and so far I really like it. Something has me worried though.

A friend of mine told me that Avast uses their software to snoop on our browsing habits. Is that true? And if it is, why do you recommend it?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Review: Quantum Byte Fanless Mini PC with Windows 8.1

Posted on November 4, 2015

Tiny computers like the Raspberry Pi are becoming more popular every day because of their tiny form factor and low prices. And they are so much fun to work with!

Well, now there’s a full-featured ultra-small form factor desktop computer that runs Windows 8.1. And trust me, this is no toy!

The Quantum Byte Fanless Mini PC with Windows 8.1 is one of the most fascinating machines I have ever seen.

Although it’s roughly the size of a 3.5″ external hard drive enclosure, this machine is literally packed with all the power and features you’d expect to find in many entry-level laptops and desktop computers. [Read more…]

How to easily block Windows Update from installing Windows 10 without your permission

Posted on November 3, 2015

Millions of users have updated their PCs from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, but plenty of others haven’t installed the update and they have no intention of doing so in the future.

If you are one of those folks who really don’t want to upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft is planning to make it harder to avoid it in the coming year. [Read more…]

How to add extensions to numbers in your smart phone’s address book

Posted on November 1, 2015

iphone Do you make frequent calls to someone at a business where you have to enter an extension number in order to reach that person? If so, you can easily append the extension right to the end of the number so you won’t have to enter it every time you call.

I’ll explain how to do that, but first we need to discuss two common ways that switchboards handle calls to extensions:

1 – Most switchboards will answer your call and give you a list of menu options. If you know the extension number of the person you wish to speak with, you can dial it at any time without waiting for the message/menu to finish “talking”.

2 – Other switchboards require you to listen to the entire recorded message/menu before entering the extension number.

With that preliminary discussion out of the way, here’s how to append an extension number directly to the end of a telephone number on your smart phone: [Read more…]