Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
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Question from Oliver: I have an old Dell XPS 17 laptop that’s now running Ubuntu Linux.
This machine still works perfectly but the battery won’t hold a charge anymore.
Since it’s so old I don’t really want to buy a new battery for it.
Would it be ok if I just removed the battery and ran it straight from the charger?
Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter
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Question from Kristen: The hard drive in my laptop has stopped working and I need to take it somewhere to have it fixed.
I’ve been taking your advice about creating regular System Image backups and I have a fairly recent backup they can use to restore everything once the bad hard drive is replaced.
What worries me is I have a lot of really personal photos that were backed up along with everything else. Will a tech be able to see them? [Read more…]
Question from Amanda: I need your advice, Rick.
My 14 month old laptop has started acting really weird and the warranty expired two months ago.
If I open the lid past half way the screen goes black just like I had turned it off. The computer is still running though.
The really odd thing is the screen doesn’t come back on until the lid is almost completely closed again.
I have three questions for you. [Read more…]
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Question from Janeesa: My company allots every employee $1000 every 2 years to buy a new laptop, and I have until January 28 to pick one out and put in the request for it.
I’ve checked out some laptops online and I’m really confused about what I should buy. Even though the company is paying for it, this laptop will be mine to keep. The problem is there are so many to choose from!
Can you point me in the right direction? [Read more…]
Question from Carla: Is it safe to leave a laptop running in it’s laptop bag while I’m on my way to work?
I often find myself finishing up a project at the last minute and leave my computer running and crunching numbers during my commute.
A co-worker told me it’s a bad idea to carry a laptop while it’s running. Is she right?
Rick’s answer: Yes, I’m afraid your co-worker is right, Carla.
Laptops need proper air circulation or else they’ll eventually overheat and burn up. The damage done to the internal components can be gradual, but if they keep over-heating they WILL fail at some point. [Read more…]