Rick's Daily Tips

Le Dimmer – Dim everything on the screen except for the active window

Posted on May 19, 2013

If you’re like me, you typically have several windows open on your computer screen at once. If so, you might find it difficult to focus all of your attention just on the window that is currently active.

A nifty free download called Le Dimmer helps keep the active window in focus by dimming all the other open windows while leaving the active window and the taskbar in clear view.

Le Dimmer is a small, portable utility that doesn’t require installation and won’t slow down your PC. It works with all versions of Windows from XP to Windows 8. I’ve been using it for a while now, and I really like it.

Here is a screenshot of Le Dimmer in action. Notice how your attention is immediately drawn to the active window. [Read more…]

Q&A: Is there anything I can do to get my laptop fixed without the extended warranty paperwork?

Posted on May 18, 2013

Question from Margaret L.: I have a serious problem Rick. I bought an HP laptop from Best Buy on February 6, 2012 and I also took the three year extended warranty. The laptop died and now I can’t find my receipt or extended warranty paperwork.

Best Buy said there’s nothing they can do without the paperwork except send it off to HP for repair at my expense. Is there anything I can do to get them to honor the warranty I paid for? I’m just so frustrated right now.

Rick‘s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I upgrade the RAM on my DELL Inspiron N5110 to 12GB by adding one DDR3 8GB RAM stick?

Posted on May 17, 2013

Question from Felipe G.: I have a Dell Inspiron N5110 laptop (Windows 7 – 64 bit) with a single stick of 4GB RAM installed from the factory.

I checked and there is one empty memory slot in this computer. Can I upgrade the RAM to 12GB by plugging a single 8GB DDR3 RAM stick into the empty slot?

Rick’s answer: Hi Felipe. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the answer to your question is no. The maximum amount of RAM supported by your laptop’s motherboard is 8GB. [Read more…]

Add the Administrative Tools to the Windows 7 Start menu

Posted on May 17, 2013

windows-7 Windows 7 contains a suite of powerful Administrative Tools that are useful to System Administrators and advanced users. Previous versions of Windows had a direct link to these Administrative tools right on the Start menu, but Windows 7 has them hidden from view by default.

These tools are easily found if you know where to look (most people don’t) or by simply searching for them by name via the Search box, but I prefer having them linked from the Start menu as they had been in the past.

It’s very easy to add the Administrative Tools back to the Windows 7 Start menu. Here’s how: [Read more…]

How to create a Windows 8 Installation DVD or USB Flash Drive

Posted on May 16, 2013

windows-8-usb-flash-drive It seems like every version of Windows is a little easier to install than the one before it, and Windows 8 is no exception thanks to Microsoft’s nifty Windows 8 Upgrade Tool.

That being said, there are still times when it helps to be able to install the operating system from a USB thumb drive or DVD. Here’s how to create one: [Read more…]