computers Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: What does the term ‘bottleneck’ mean?

Posted on May 28, 2026

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Question from Alvin: I recently retired after working for the same construction company for 43 years.

Now I’d like to take up something new to occupy all this free time that I suddenly have to fill.

I’ve always wanted to learn about computers so I’ve started reading a few tech blogs, and RicksDailyTips is one of them (thanks to my brother Keith for recommending it).

I’m not tech savvy by any stretch (I hope to change that eventually) but I do believe I’m progressing ok for an older dude who still uses a flip phone.

There’s a term that keeps popping up in the articles I read that I just can’t seem to get my head around. Can you tell me what the word “bottleneck” means in regards to computers? [Read more…]

How to quickly find your computer’s warranty status

Posted on March 18, 2026

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Truth be told, modern home computers are generally pretty reliable.

In fact, most of the laptops and desktop computers that are sold today will still be working fine when software advances eventually make their hardware components obsolete.

But that being said, some machines will inevitably end up needing some type of covered repair before the warranty expires.

And guess what? Yours could well be one of them.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Can ‘Download MORE GHz’ really speed up my computer?

Posted on July 10, 2025

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Question from Sue: This morning someone told me about a website called Download MORE GHz that claims to speed up your computer by making the CPU run faster.

Do you know anything about them? I was wondering if you recommend them or not. Any guidance would be much appreciated. [Read more…]

5 ways to waste money when buying a new computer

Posted on May 10, 2025

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Let’s face it, times are tough these days, and the last thing we need is to do is spend more money than we have to when it comes time to shop for a new computer.

The key to getting the computer that best matches your needs at the lowest price possible is knowing exactly what those needs are and what you’ll need in order to adequately fill them.

And it also helps to know which common pitfalls to avoid.

Here are five things that could cause you to waste money when you’re out shopping for your next computer: [Read more…]

Computer (or phone) acting strange? Try this first.

Posted on March 25, 2025

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Have you ever been using your computer and had it start acting strange for no apparent reason?

I’m sure you probably have because it happens all the time.

For example, just the other day my Internet connection shut down and it simply refused to re-establish a connection.

A couple of days later my earbuds just stopped working right in the middle of a video I was watching, and they refused to start working again even after I loaded a different video. They worked fine when I tried them with phone.

When those things happened I didn’t immediately jump into troubleshooting mode and start checking drivers or verifying system settings. I did this instead… [Read more…]