Windows 10, Part 2

Last week we looked at Windows 10 requirements and a few other housekeeping tasks regarding getting it for free.  Today a few questions I have received about it for the last several weeks are answered. First, why is it free for the first year?  The main reason seems to be that Microsoft wants everyone using…

Windows 10

For a while now I have put off installing Windows 10 which also led to me not writing about it; however, this has now changed. I installed the "Windows 10 Insider Preview" several months ago and have been putting it through some paces. Windows 10 will be given away free to people who have a…

Decrapify Your Computer

Last week I mentioned a friend whose computer was struggling through a major malware and viral infection.  I had several readers write to ask, what was done to resolve it and even more importantly how to stop a reoccurrence of the same problems.  To resolve it I installed Avast! for antivirus protection and Malwarebytes to…

New Computer Oops

A friend got a new computer last year.  They got a very nice 64-bit, 17 inch HP Notebook.  It had a large hard drive, 6 GB of RAM and lots of free or trial software. One of which was a quite nice and usually expensive antivirus program. The free software is standard in the market…

My Chrome Extensions

I have spoken about my favorite current browser before: Google Chrome.  It is still my number one.  I get questions about Chrome Extensions often.  First is usually, "What extensions are available for Chrome?" followed by, "Which ones do you use?"  An extension is an addition to a browser which gives it more functionality to perform…

PC Spring Cleaning, Part 3

The last two weeks we looked at some of the ways you need to physically clean your computer for spring or any other time of the year. Today we will clean your computer’s software. First, make sure that you are regularly checking your Operating Systems upgrades, i.e. HaWindows 7, 8.1, etc.  Yes, you may have…

PC Spring Cleaning, Part 2

Last week we started looking at spring cleaning your PC.  We will continue this week with monitors, notebooks and tablets. Get a soft lint-free cloth.  Use a microfiber cloth like you could use to clean you glasses and maybe some Isopropyl alcohol.  Do not get any abrasive cleaners, glass cleaners (including none of the blue…

PC Spring Cleaning, Part 1

I realized several weeks ago that I had never provided you with a Spring Cleaning plan for your computer.  So guess what?  Today we start cleaning your system for better performance. The first thing you want to do is to unplug your computer.  This includes the power, speakers, keyboard, printer, thumb drive, wireless mouse connectors…