Rick's Daily Tips

Microsoft releases a preview of Windows 10

Posted on September 30, 2014

windows-10-preview A couple of weeks ago I told you that Microsoft had hinted that they were planning to release Windows 9 in mid-2015.

Well, the timing was accurate, but the name was wrong. The new version of Windows will be Windows 10, not the wildly-speculated Windows 9.

Why they decided to skip the name Windows 9 and jump straight from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 is anyone’s guess.

My own guess is they realized the name “Windows 8” left such a bad taste in the mouths of many users that they felt they really needed to distance the new version version of Windows from Windows 8 in name as well as in functionality.

At any rate, based upon the preview video they released this morning it looks like Windows 10 will indeed be a major improvement over Windows 8. [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I get the ‘Power’ icon back onto my Start Screen?

Posted on September 29, 2014

Question from Aaron: I need your help Rick. I’ve been installing a bunch of free software and it appears that something I’ve installed has removed the “Power” icon from the Windows 8.1 Start Screen on my computer.

I tried using System Restore to get the “Power” icon back onto the Start Screen, but that didn’t work. Can you tell me how to do it?

Rick’s answer: Yes Aaron, I can tell tell you how to restore your Start Screen’s Power icon, but I must first give you my semi-standard RicksDailyTips Disclaimer: [Read more…]

Review: Kindle Fire HDX

Posted on September 28, 2014

Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HDX is the most advanced Kindle tablet ever released. I recently had an opportunity to check it out, and it’s an exceptional machine.

In addition to its super-sharp 1920 X 1200 HDX 7″ display, it also features the fastest processor you can get on a 7 inch tablet (2.2GHz quad-core) along with 2GB of RAM for fast, efficient multi-tasking, gaming, and video rendering.

The base model comes with 16GB of flash storage, but you can opt for up to 64Gb if you wish. Battery life is a very respectable 11 to 17 hours, depending on how the tablet is used. [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it safe to reset a PC back to its factory state without using Recovery Discs?

Posted on September 26, 2014

Question from Anthony: I have no discs for windows 8.1, so is going back to factory mode a safe and easy way to restore my computer without the use of discs, and then just download the programs I had back on to my computer?

Rick’s answer: Anthony, you can certainly restore your Windows 8.1 computer back to its factory state using the Recovery Partition on the hard drive. [Read more…]

Beware the insidious Gameover Zeus virus. Find out instantly if your PC is infected.

Posted on September 24, 2014

malware It seems like a new virus or trojan pops up every day, and they tend to get nastier as time goes on. The latest super-threat is the insidious Gameover Zeus virus.

Gameover Zeus is a particularly nasty form of malware. In addition to allowing other viruses (including the equally insidious CryptoLocker) to break into your system, it harvests every scrap of financial information it can find from your computer’s hard drive.

Approximately a quarter of a million people and institutions have fallen victim already, and the combined financial losses are staggering – and growing. [Read more…]