Search Results for: create system image

Q&A: What could be wrong with my Surface Pro 3?

Posted on February 23, 2018

Question from Billy P.: I dropped my Surface Pro 3 a few days ago and it shut off when it hit the floor.

I thought I had destroyed it for good but when I pressed the power button it started up just fine.

I used it three days in a row and everything seemed normal but last night I turned it on and nothing happened. No lights, no sounds, no nothing.

I’m hoping this is just a simple fix since it worked ok for a while after I dropped it.

Can you tell me how to get the back off of it and what to check once I get it opened up?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it worth the expense to max out the RAM in my new PC?

Posted on February 5, 2018

Question from Chris: I recently bought an Acer Aspire TC-780-ACKI5 desktop computer (#ad) and I have a question about it.

This machine came with 12GB of RAM but my friend says I should max it out to 32GB so PhotoShop and Lightroom will run faster.

I checked around and I can get four 8GB memory sticks for less than $200, which is about what I can afford to spend.

Do you think the extra memory will speed up this computer enough to justify spending that amount of cash? My friend says it will, but I’d like your opinion on this before I order the RAM. Thanks.

Rick’s answer: That Acer is a great computer, Chris. I believe it will serve you well for running the programs you mentioned above. However, the answer to your question is no, for two reasons: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I replace Windows 10 with Windows 7 on a brand new laptop?

Posted on January 22, 2018

Question from Lenora H.: I recently bought a brand new Acer laptop that came with Windows 10 (which I had never used before).

I’ve been using this machine for almost a month now and I’ve discovered that I absolutely hate Windows 10!

If I buy a Windows 7 DVD can I wipe out the Windows 10 and install Windows 7 in its place? And if I can, do you know of any important reasons why I shouldn’t?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I get my PC to shut down immediately without having to click ‘Shut down anyway’ when an app is stuck?

Posted on January 17, 2018

Question from Emil P.: Ever since I updated my computer to Windows 10 it’s been hanging up at shutdown.

It displays a window saying that the system is closing X number of apps and shutting down.

But then it says that an app is preventing Windows from shutting down and asks if I want to shut down anyway or click cancel.

Sometimes it will name the app that’s hanging the shutdown but sometimes it won’t.

This is a screenshot of one of these messages: [Read more…]

Check your PC’s RAM for problems with Memtest86+

Posted on January 4, 2018

Although computer memory is a lot more reliable today than in times past, memory sticks do go bad from time to time. They don’t go bad very often, but it does happen.

And if one goes bad in your PC you can expect to experience problems ranging from minor software glitches to a system that simply refuses to boot up.

If you suspect that your PC might have a defective memory stick you can test it with a great free RAM diagnostic utility called Memtest86+. [Read more…]