Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Can I really drop my cable and watch TV online?

Posted on April 12, 2013

Question from Carla J.: I keep hearing how lots of people are dropping their cable TV and watching all their TV shows online for free. I only really watch 3 shows on a regular basis – Duck Dynasty and HGTV’s Curb Appeal and House Hunters.

It seems like I’m paying way too much just to watch 3 shows! I’d love to be able to tell Charter to stop my service and start watching my shows online, but this just sounds too good to be true. Is it?

Rick’s answer: No Carla, it isn’t. Millions of people around the world now watch their favorite TV shows over the Internet. And yes, many of those shows are absolutely free (not counting the cost of your Internet connection) and many others are available for a modest fee.

But before you call Charter and ditch your cable service, there are some things you need to consider: [Read more…]

How to set multiple home pages for your web browser

Posted on April 11, 2013

multiple-home-pages Most people have several websites they visit throughout the day. For example, I check my email at Outlook.com fairly often while occasionally checking for updates on Facebook and Twitter.

If you do the same, it’s easy to have several of your favorite websites load automatically in separate tabs every time you load your web browser. That way you’ll be ready to get down to business just as soon as the browser finishes loading.

Here’s how to set multiple homepages in Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Firefox (simply skip to the appropriate section): [Read more…]

COMODO Internet Security – Get outstanding antivirus, spyware and firewall protection for free

Posted on April 8, 2013

In order to be fully protected against malware, hackers and other online security threats you need a complete Internet Security software suite. There are many such programs on the market, and I’ve tested several of them over the course of the last few months. One of my favorites is COMODO Internet Security.

COMODO comes with one of the best firewall applications available today. It blocks both inbound and outbound known threats from getting through in either direction while “sandboxing” unknown websites so they cannot spread viruses and spyware to the rest of the system. [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I retrieve my Windows Vista Product Key?

Posted on April 7, 2013

Question from Michael C.: I have a 4 year old HP Desktop PC running Windows Vista and it has gotten slower and slower in recent months. It’s so slow now that I think I really need to start fresh and re-install Vista.

I have the Windows installation discs, but since I can’t find the case they came in I don’t have a clue what the Product Key is. I know I can find the Windows Product Key somewhere in the Registry, but I can’t seem to find it. Where do I look? Thanks in advance for your help.

Rick‘s answer: Michael, beginning with Windows Vista Microsoft started encrypting the Windows Product key in the Registry which means you won’t be able to find it that way. But don’t worry, there is a very easy way to get it. Simply download and run a free utility called Enchanted Keyfinder. Follow these steps: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I create a Desktop shortcut to Windows Update?

Posted on April 5, 2013

Question from Karen P.: I read an article a while back on Computer Security and it recommended checking in with Windows Update every day to see if any new updates are available.

I’ve started doing that but it’s a pain clicking through the menus every time. Can I create a Desktop shortcut that’ll take me directly to the Windows Update utility?

Rick’s answer: Karen, I agree that keeping our PCs updated at all times is extremely important, but I don’t really see the need to check for new updates every day because Microsoft is pretty good at pushing critical updates to users in a timely fashion.

That being said, I think having a shortcut to Windows Update on the Desktop is a great idea. Here’s how to create one in Windows 7: [Read more…]