Search Results for: how to create system image backup

Q&A: Should I replace a 4 year old SSD just to be safe?

Posted on January 26, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Kendra: Hi, Rick. I really love your blog, especially the section where you answer questions from your readers.

If you don’t mind I’d like to ask a question of my own.

Back in March of 2020 the tech guy I used at the time installed a Crucial 500GB SSD in my Acer laptop and it really made it run a lot faster.

I recently read on another site that all SSDs wear out over time because they can only be written to a certain number of times.

That has me sort of worried because this drive is now about four years old and I have a lot of personal files on it that I don’t want to lose.

My question is do you think this drive is likely to fail at some time in the near future? [Read more…]

Q&A: Why do Windows PCs slow down over time?

Posted on January 20, 2024

Question from Michael: I’ve noticed that every Windows computer I’ve ever owned runs lightning fast when I first take it out of the box, but before long they always seem to start slowing down.

Why do they do that? Do the parts just wear out or what?

Is there anything that can be done to reverse the slowdown and get the PC running like new again? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can the Settings app on a Windows PC be disabled?

Posted on January 1, 2024

Question from Kandi: I bought my 9 year old son a new laptop for his birthday. He loves it and uses it every day.

The problem is I have already had to take it to the Geek Squad twice to fix issues he caused by changing some system settings.

I know that’s what he’s doing because I saw him using the Settings app.

Is there a way to disable the Settings app on his computer to prevent that from happening again? I really need to preserve my sanity! [Read more…]

Reminder: You won’t need a Product Key to reinstall Windows 10/11

Posted on December 13, 2023

Have you ever had to reinstall Windows from scratch after replacing a bad hard drive, being hit with a severe malware attack or some other digital disaster?

If so, you probably remember having to type in your Windows Product Key so Microsoft could reactivate your Windows installation.

I have always considered having to re-enter the Product Key to reactivate a machine’s Windows installation to be an irritating waste of time. [Read more…]

How to set up a new Windows PC (the right way)

Posted on December 7, 2023

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Buying a new computer is exciting, but setting it up once you get it home can be a real pain.

And if you don’t set it up correctly, you can open yourself up to having some real problems down the road.

I’ve been setting up new PCs for close to three decades, and during that time I’ve developed a simple step-by-step procedure that’ll have you up and running with your new computer as quickly a possible while avoiding the mistakes that come back to haunt so many others. [Read more…]