Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
Question from Chuck H.: A while back I bought a Windows 8.1 retail package (#ad) that contains two discs, one for Windows 8.1/64 bit and the other for Windows 8.1/32 bit.
I installed the 32 bit disc on my old HP laptop after Microsoft abandoned Windows XP. I have never used the 64 bit disc.
My question is can I install Windows 8.1 from the 64 bit disc onto my desktop computer? I had to replace the hard drive and I don’t have a set of recovery discs.
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Microsoft has announced that as of today they’re no longer be supporting Windows 8 with Security patches and bug fixes.
In essence, the folks in Redmond are abandoning Windows 8 and leaving its users to fend for themselves in the wild, wild west of the Internet.
This essentially means if you’re running still running Windows 8 on your PC you’ll need to upgrade to either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 ASAP in order to keep your PC safe from future malware attacks. [Read more…]
Tiny computers like the Raspberry Pi are becoming more popular every day because of their tiny form factor and low prices. And they are so much fun to work with!
Well, now there’s a full-featured ultra-small form factor desktop computer that runs Windows 8.1. And trust me, this is no toy!
The Quantum Byte Fanless Mini PC with Windows 8.1 is one of the most fascinating machines I have ever seen.
Although it’s roughly the size of a 3.5″ external hard drive enclosure, this machine is literally packed with all the power and features you’d expect to find in many entry-level laptops and desktop computers. [Read more…]
Question from Devona T.: Hi Rick. I have what is probably the silliest question you have ever heard. Where in the world can I find the Windows Product Key on my HP laptop?
I have owned four other laptops prior to this one and they have always had the Windows Product Key printed on a label on the bottom of the case. But this one doesn’t have it printed anywhere as far as I can tell, and I’ve looked everywhere!
I want to do a clean install of Windows 8.1 so I need the Product Key. Can you please, please, please tell me where to find it? I have already created my Recovery Media.
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Millions of people around the world are planning to upgrade their computers to Windows 10 after it’s released to the public on July 29.
Personally, I think that’s a good thing. After using the Windows 10 Preview for several months I honestly believe Windows 10 will be the best version of Windows ever.
That being said, I plan to make full backups of the current Windows installation on every PC that I plan to upgrade before installing Windows 10. I strongly recommend that you do the same. Here’s why: [Read more…]