Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Will Windows 7 still work after Windows 10 is released?

Posted on May 27, 2015

Question from Millie H.: I heard that Windows 10 is supposed to be released pretty soon. Will the Windows 7 that’s on my computer still work after that or will I need to buy Windows 10?

Rick’s answer: Millie, you have nothing whatsoever to worry about. Your computer’s Windows 7 installation will work just fine for the foreseeable future. In fact, Microsoft has committed to supporting Windows 7 with regular security updates until the year 2020.

But that being said, you might want to consider upgrading your computer to Windows 10 when it is released anyway. Here’s why… [Read more…]

Scam Alert: Beware the nasty new PolloCrypt Ransomeware Virus

Posted on May 22, 2015

scam A new virus called PolloCrypt is making the rounds, and it’s a bad one.

PolloCrypt silently encrypts all the data on your hard drive, then demands that you pay a “ransom” of several hundred dollars to a group of hackers before they will decrypt your files so you can regain access to them.

“Ransomware” of this type certainly isn’t new, but this one is the latest strain of it to hit the streets so you need to be especially wary of it.

It has been reported that the hackers often fail to decrypt a victim’s files even after the ransom has been paid, so it’s wise to avoid getting the virus in the first place if at all possible.

Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself against the nasty PolloCrypt Ransomware Virus: [Read more…]

How to make completely anonymous phone calls in the age of Big Brother

Posted on May 21, 2015

pre-paid-phone Unless you live one hut down from Gilligan on that infamous remote tropical island, chances are you have heard that Verizon and some other carriers have been handing over the phone records of every one of their customers to the federal government for some time now.

That’s right, your private calls, texts and Internet communications aren’t private, and they haven’t been for a while.

Does this scare you? It should, even if you live life on the straight and narrow. This policy throws the entire concept of probable cause right out the window.

So how can you ensure your privacy when using your cell phone? [Read more…]

Review: TweakBit FixMyPC

Posted on May 19, 2015

If you spend much time at all on the Internet, you have surely seen tons of ads for the “Fix My PC” style programs that are out there competing for your hard-earned dollars. And trust me, there are plenty of them out there.

All of these programs promise to scan your Windows installation and fix any errors they find, enhancing system stability – making your computer run faster as a result.

Every now and then I’ll download one of these programs and check it out. I recently saw an ad for TweakBit FixMyPC that caught my interest, so I downloaded it and gave it a try. [Read more…]

Bing to start giving “Mobile Friendly” sites higher priority in their search results

Posted on May 18, 2015

Back in February Google announced plans to start giving “mobile friendly” web pages higher prirority in their mobile search results.

That makes plenty of sense to me. After all, if I’m searching for info while using my smart phone, I would prefer that Google recommend pages that are optimized for my phone’s small screen.

Well, now Bing is getting ready to jump onto the “mobile friendly” bandwagon. Microsoft has just announced that they will be rolling out changes similar to those made by Google within the next few months. [Read more…]