Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
Safe Mode is a powerful tool that can help resolve software and hardware issues that are often difficult to identify while a full-blown Windows installation is running.
In a nutshell, booting a machine into Safe Mode typically loads only the operating system kernel plus just a few basic hardware device drivers.
This is basically a stripped down version of the operating system that isn’t affected by any auto-loading programs or advanced device drivers. [Read more…]
Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter
Question from Earl: I hope you don’t mind but I need help with something about Windows.
I’m 78 years old and my fingers are stiff and in almost constant pain from arthritis.
I can use a mouse fairly well but I have a hard time using a keyboard.
I know how to lock my computer using a keyboard shortcut but is there any way to do it using the mouse instead? That would be a big help to me if it’s possible. [Read more…]
Question from Don: I have a 2TB external hard drive that I’ve used to back up my MacBook for a while. I just bought a 6TB drive to replace it.
I want to give the old drive to my nephew because he needs one and he can’t really afford to buy one.
How can I securely wipe that drive to make sure it’s completely empty before I give it to him? [Read more…]
Question from Marion.: Why are computers made by Apple called Macs?
That seems like a really odd name for a computer.
It actually sounds more like something you’d find on the menu at McDonald’s.
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
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Question from Kerrie: I have a MacBook Pro and don’t own a Windows computer.
If I copy files from my MacBook Pro onto a thumb drive will my sisters be able to copy those files from that same thumb drive onto their Windows PCs?