Windows Archives - Page 17 of 20

How to log into any Windows 10 PC with your fingerprint

Posted on August 16, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Would you enjoy the convenience of logging into your Windows 10 laptop or desktop computer with a quick touch of your finger?

Windows 10 now has a feature called Windows 10 Hello that adds fingerprint login capability to any computer it’s running on.

But there’s a problem: Not every computer running Windows 10 has a fingerprint reader.

Well, now you can get an inexpensive fingerprint reader that adds fingerprint recognition and login capability to any PC running the latest versions of Windows 10. [Read more…]

Q&A: Is ‘Runtime Broker’ a virus?

Posted on July 12, 2021

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Question from Garland L.: I recently noticed there’s a process called “Runtime Broker” always running when I load Task Manager.

My McAfee antivirus doesn’t flag it as a virus, but it still sounds fishy to me.

I called Office Depot and asked the tech guy about it but he refused to give me an answer about whether this is a virus or not. They said I’d need to bring my computer in and pay them to run a virus check on it.

I ran across your website on Google and saw where you answer people’s questions.

So what’s the deal? Is “RunTime Broker” a virus or not? [Read more…]

Q&A: Windows always uses the same drive letter for every flash drive I plug in. Can that cause a problem?

Posted on June 3, 2021

Question from Kendra: I have three USB flash drives that I use to store various files that I use from time to time.

I’ve noticed that when I remove a flash drive and plug in a different one Windows uses the same drive letter (D:) for that drive that it was using for the previous drive.

Can that cause a problem? [Read more…]

How to restore your Windows PC from a ‘System Image’ backup

Posted on April 1, 2021

Many of the tips I’ve written explain the importance of creating regular System Image backups in case your PC’s hard drive ever fails or some other catastrophe wipes out your Windows installation.

It really is important to always have a recent backup on hand for those unexpected emergency situations, but one of my blog’s faithful readers recently pointed out that I have never explained how to restore a PC from a System Image backup.

The purpose of this post is to correct that oversight.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Why did Windows stop asking me to confirm that I really want to delete a file?

Posted on March 20, 2021

Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter

Question from Francine: I have a computer with Windows 10 on it.

It used to be that when I tried to delete a file a message would pop up asking if I really wanted to delete it, but not anymore.

Now the file is just deleted immediately with no chance to change my mind.

I really need those confirmation messages because I’ve caught myself trying to delete the wrong file several times in the past.

Can you tell me how to get Windows to start asking me to confirm file deletions again?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]