Rick's Daily Tips

Outlook.com Web-Based Email – My thoughts and recommendations

Posted on March 12, 2013

Microsoft recently announced the release of their brand new web-based email service Outlook.com, and the press release made it sound too good not to take for a spin.

Since I love the thought of being able to access my POP3 email accounts via any web browser on any PC and Outlook.com sounded like it might be a great solution, I signed up for an account and imported all of my POP3 email accounts into it.

After putting Outlook.com through its paces for a week, here are my impressions and recommendations: [Read more…]

2 super-fast ways to open the Windows Task Manager

Posted on March 8, 2013

If you’ve been using Microsoft Windows-based PCs for a while you’re probably quite familiar with the Windows Task Manager. It is in fact one of the most-used Windows utilities.

After all, who among us has never had to open the Task Manager in order to kill a stuck program that simply refused to go away when you clicked the little X in the top-right corner? [Read more…]

Q&A: Why does my Yahoo email account keep getting hacked?

Posted on March 7, 2013

Question from Theresa: Rick, I have a serious problem and I desperately need your help! Someone keeps hacking into my Yahoo email account by changing my password and I don’t know how to prevent it. I contacted Yahoo support over a week ago but they haven’t responded. I’m pretty sure it’s my ex-boyfriend who’s doing it but he denies it.

Is there any way I can stop him from changing my password? I’d just abandon the account an open a new one but I use it for EVERYTHING and changing email addresses would be a major hassle! I’d GREATLY appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Create a desktop shortcut to the System Restore utility

Posted on March 6, 2013

I download, test and review a lot of software and I always create a new System Restore Point before I install every new program just in case something goes wrong. System Restore has saved my bacon on several occasions, and chances are it has also saved yours at least once in the past.

If you use the System Restore utility as much as I do, I recommend creating a shortcut to it and keeping it on your Desktop. Here are instructions for creating a shortcut to System Restore in Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 (just skip to the section that’s applicable to you): [Read more…]

How to dry out a smart phone that has been dropped in water

Posted on March 5, 2013

phone-drying Have you ever dropped your smart phone and watched it bounce across the floor? I have too, and it isn’t a very pleasant experience. And if you’ve ever dropped you phone into water the feeling is even worse!

If you act quickly however, you have an excellent chance at saving your phone from a watery death. Here are the key points to remember:

1 – Speed is of the essence. The moment you realize that your smart phone has taken a plunge off the virtual equivalent of a high dive, you need to retrieve it from the water. Do not hesitate while pondering whether the phone is worth sticking your hand into a nasty toilet in order to retrieve it. You need to have that settled in your mind ahead of time. [Read more…]