How Do I Convert a GPT Disk to MBR?

The format before the format.

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Current partition style won't work? I'll walk you through what that means and two ways to convert between GPT and MBR partition styles.
Converting between GPT and MBR conceptual.
(Image: askleo.com)
Question: While following your instructions in your Macrium Reflect course lesson, “Creating Rescue Media,” I ran into an issue when trying to create the rescue media on a USB stick. When I reached the step to build the emergency disk, I received the message: “Removable USB Flash Drive – Unsupported Disk” and “GPT format not supported.”

I’m somewhat surprised that Macrium Reflect didn’t just re-initialize the disk for you, but I know it’s not the only program that might require MBR over GPT (or perhaps even vice versa).

Let’s look at what those are and a couple of ways to convert between them.

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How to Share Two-Factor With Another Person

Step 1: trust.

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Two factor authentication is one of the most important things you can set up to protect your accounts. Even so, it's possible to share certain 2FA types with multiple authorized people. I'll show you how I do it.
Two different phones showing the same two-factor code.
(Image: ChatGPT)
Question: I get two-factor and would use it, except that my wife and I both sign into a shared account, and we each have our own phone. If the 2FA were my phone, wouldn’t she have to ask me every time a code was needed? That’s a pain.

Yes, it is.

But there’s a good chance that it’s not needed.

Using a specific type of two-factor authentication, you can set up both your phones as allowed two-factor devices for the same account.

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Should You Sign Up for Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10?

That’s a definite maybe.

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I'll review the security protection for Windows 10 beyond its official end-of-support date: what it means, pros and cons, and what we know about how to get it -- perhaps even for free.
A Windows 10 PC on a desk, with an accurate October 2025 calendar placed next to it.
(Image: DALL-E 3)

Microsoft has announced something new: the ability to keep getting security updates to Windows 10 after its end-of-support date.

June 2025 update: They’ve shared some specifics for how to get it and how you might even get it for free.

Let’s look at what’s happening, what this offer may be good for, and whether I think it’s worth it.

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How to Run a Full Scan Using Windows Security

Sometimes, you need to scan everything.

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Here's my step-by-step guide on how to run a complete malware scan using Windows 10 and 11's built-in Windows Security.
Windows Security
(Screenshot: askleo.com)

On occasion, it’s a good idea to run a complete anti-malware scan of your computer. It’s advice I often give when someone suspects that there may be malware on their machine.

It’s easy to do using Windows Security (previously known as Windows Defender).

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Don’t Rely on the Padlock: What the Lock Icon in Your Browser Really Means

Not much.

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Https is important, but now that it's ubiquitous it's not really protecting you as much as you might think. I'll explain what I mean and why that is.
https padlock
(Image: canva.com)

For years — decades, even — we’ve been told to make sure that we’re using an “https” connection when connecting to sensitive websites like banks or email providers. That provided a specific level of security that was particularly important and not always present.

Today, it’s ubiquitous. Https is almost everywhere.

As an interesting side effect, the significance of that little https “lock” icon has decreased dramatically.

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Does Getting Bounces to Email I Didn’t Send Mean I’ve Been Hacked?

Probably not, but…

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Email bounces from messages you didn't send can be disconcerting. I'll explain what's happening, why you probably don't need to worry, and what steps you might take anyway.
Bouncing Email
(Image: askleo.com)
Question: This is the third nonsensical undeliverable email notice I’ve received. I did not send anything to this address, to be clear.

Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:

fo3mYnOuj2E1HXM@google.com
The format of the email address isn’t correct. A correct address looks like this: someone@example.com. Please check the recipient’s email address and try to resend the message.

Does this mean I’ve been hacked? I changed my Google password after the second one but this arrived today.

It’s extremely unlikely that you’ve been hacked.

What you’re seeing, believe it or not, is just run-of-the-mill spam. You can safely ignore it and/or mark it as spam.

Let me explain what I think is happening.

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Two-Factor Authentication: It’s Not as Complicated as You Think

Clearing up some 2FA myths.

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There are some persistent myths about two-factor authentication that stop people from adopting it. I'll clear them up so you can use this simple yet powerful security feature with confidence.
an office desktop containing a mobile phone displaying a two-factor authentication app and 6 digit code, a flipphone displaying an SMS message and 6 digit code, a yubikey usb key
(Image: ChatGPT)
Two Factor Myths

You mean I have to do this every time I sign in?
If someone gets my second factor, does that mean they can just waltz into my account?
If I lose my second factor, doesn’t that mean I’m locked out forever?
Can’t a second factor be faked/spoofed/intercepted, and doesn’t that make it worthless?
I don’t have or want a mobile phone, so I can’t use two-factor.

There’s a lot of misinformation around two-factor authentication. This can lead people to avoid it, even though it’s one of the most effective ways to secure their online accounts.

I want to clear up some of the myths around two-factor authentication. It’s not nearly as confusing or as scary as you might think it is.

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How to Get Data Off a Hard Drive in a Dead Computer

There are several techniques.

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Extracting data from a hard drive in a dead computer shouldn't be too difficult (unless it's the drive itself that caused the problem). I'll walk you through some of the options and steps you can take.
Dead Computer
(Image: canva.com)
Question: My computer died on me. I can’t get it to boot up. I need to take the hard drive out and pull my files off it. How do I retrieve the files from the hard drive in my dead computer? Thanks for any help you can give me.

This is a pretty common scenario. Depending on what caused the computer’s demise, there’s a relatively good chance you can retrieve the information off that hard drive.

Of course, if it’s the drive itself that caused the failure, things get a little more challenging.

There are several approaches to this problem. I’ll start with my favorite: not needing to do it at all.

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Core vs. Logical Processors: What Really Powers Your CPU?

What goes on inside.

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Your computer's CPU is a complex piece of circuitry trying to maximize how much it can do and how quickly it can do it. I'll outline one of the techniques that makes a single CPU core look like two.
Stylized computer CPU chip.
(Image: depositphotos.com)
Question: Hi Leo, what’s the difference between a core and a logical processor? For instance, I have two laptops, one with an I7 12th-generation, 32 gigs of RAM with 10 cores and 12 logical processors; and one with an i7 11 gen, 32 gigs of RAM with four cores and eight logical processors. What’s the difference between a core and a logical processor? Thanks.

The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, in your computer is amazingly complex. That 11th-generation i7 CPU has over 19 billion transistors. I realize that’s mostly meaningless unless you know what a transistor is or does, but it’s kinda like having 19 billion tiny on/off switches in a space less than half of a square inch (276 mm²).

Some of those switches set up a feature that defines the difference between a core processor and a logical processor.

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What Happens If You Click a Bad Link?

What to do in that moment of regret.

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Accidentally clicking a malicious link might be benign if you catch it soon enough. I'll review what makes the difference, and what steps you need to take next.
Regret
(Image: canva.com)
Question: What do you do if you click on a phishing link? Am I screwed?

It depends on exactly what happened, and, more importantly, what you did next.

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How to Extract Text with Text Extractor

If you can see it, you can probably copy it.

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Copying text from error messages or images can be difficult. OCR tools like Text Extractor make it easy. I'll show you how.
Stylized screenshot or image of a desktop with floating letters being “caught” by a glowing clipboard icon, as if it's grabbing text from thin air.
(Image: ChatGPT)

In a previous article, I discussed using the Snipping Tool in Windows 11 to copy text from images. OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is built into the Snipping Tool.

Unfortunately, not so in Windows 10.

In this article, we’ll look at an alternative built into the PowerToys collection of tools that can be installed in Windows 10 or 11.

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Where Are My OneDrive Files?

On your PC… or perhaps not.

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What OneDrive does with your files can be both frustrating and confusing. I'll walk through two important issues: what's really on your computer (or not) and the impact of using OneDrive's horrid backup "feature".
OneDrive storage states.
(Screenshot: askleo.com)
Question: I can’t find my files! OneDrive completely messed everything up and now I don’t know where anything is.

Sometimes, OneDrive tries so hard to be both helpful and flexible that it ends up shooting itself in the foot. Files can show up in different places in different ways or seem to disappear altogether.

I’ll cover some of the variations and their impact on where your files live.

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I Run Security Software. Why Do I Still Sometimes Get Infected?

It’s a race, and we’re always behind.

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Any security software can miss something, no matter how good. It's important to understand why this is and what you can need to about it.
Malware!
(Image: canva.com)
Question: I have virus protection always on and have the Windows firewall enabled. Why do I still get infected with some Trojan horses? I check for updates every day so I am sure I am up-to-date.

Most people believe they’re completely protected because they have an anti-malware program or additional security software.

Unfortunately, that’s just not true.

The answer is partly the nature of anti-malware software and partly the nature of “the race”.

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What Is the Clipboard? Where Is the Clipboard?

It’s a place in Windows.

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The Windows clipboard is a fundamental and exceptionally useful feature that many take for granted. I'll review what it is and what it's good for.
Clipboard
(Image: askleo.com)
Question: You’ve mentioned “copying to the clipboard.” WHAT and/or WHERE is this mysterious clipboard? Many times as I have closed a program, the screen will pop up telling me I “have a lot of information on the clipboard” and do I want to save it. I haven’t a clue where to look to find out what/where it is. Is there a clipboard that has everything that I have copied somewhere?

The clipboard is another one of the small but powerful little items that we often take for granted.

It’s such a simple thing, yet we never talk about what it is or why one would care.

We just use it. Constantly. Every single day.

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All the “Ishings” Trying to Scam You

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Scammers gonna scam.

The concept of phishing has spawned a variety of "ishing" terms. They represent different ways scammers try to achieve a common goal: to scam you. I'll review what they all mean.
The "ishings":
(Image: ChatGPT)
Question: I get phishing, but what’s quishing or vishing?

Gotta love technology, where not a day goes by that we don’t make up a brand new word.

What matters most is that you understand the technique each word represents, since they are all attempts to fool you into giving up your accounts, your identity, and/or your money.

Let’s define the “ishings”.

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Why Do You Have Two Different Backup Program Recommendations?

I’d have even more recommendations if I had more time.

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I want to explain why I have more than one recommendation for a backup program. Talking about one doesn't mean I've stopped recommending the other(s).
Two Backup Programs
(Image: askleo.com)
Question: You’re talking about {Macrium Reflect | EaseUS Todo}. Do you no longer recommend {EaseUS Todo | Macrium Reflect}? Why? What changed?

This comes up often enough that I want to address it and explain why. It’s simple:

  • I recommend Macrium Reflect.
  • I recommend EaseUS Todo.

These two things can both be true at the same time.

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My OneDrive-free Experiment

My reaction to OneDrive’s overreach.

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I wanted to see if I could live without OneDrive and avoid the risk that OneDrive would make changes I didn't request. Turns out, it's not that hard. I'll walk you through what I did and how I did it.
Waving goodbye to OneDrive.
(Image: ChatGPT)

It’s not news that OneDrive has become a problematic mess for many people. The two biggest issues include:

It’s a mess. And while I have a course on OneDrive and plenty of articles on it, I decided to see if I could live without OneDrive actually running on my computer.

Turns out I can. Quite nicely, in fact.

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How Do I Remove a BIOS or UEFI Password?

Removing the ultimate PC security measure.

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A BIOS password provides a surprising amount of security on a computer -- so much that if the password is lost, chances for recovery are slim.

BIOS Chip on a Motherboard

Question: How do I remove BIOS password? I can’t boot from CDs or USB; how can I fix this without knowing the BIOS password?

You probably can’t.

BIOS (and now UEFI) passwords — which you enter before booting to allow the process to proceed — are tough items to crack. That’s (mostly) great news if you’re trying to protect your computer.

Unfortunately, it’s pretty bad news if you don’t know the password.

Let’s review the options.

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Fix Printer Problems with an Uninstall and Reinstall

Starting over is often a quick and easy fix.

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Printer problems can be frustrating. I'll show you a quick, safe, easy technique to try first.
Sad printer <-> Happy Printer
(Image: ChatGPT)

Printers and printing are a special source of frustration in Windows. From the early days to the present, printers can behave oddly, and even occasionally stop working completely, for no apparent reason.

It’s gotten better — especially installation — but random and frustrating things still happen too often.

I don’t have a solution for every situation, but I want to share the first thing I do when a printer goes awry. I’d say it resolves between half and 80% of the problem cases I’m asked about.

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How Big a Backup Disk Do I Need?

Bigger is better, but how much is enough?

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I share my rule of thumb for choosing the size of an external backup drive.
A smiling person holding up different backup drives (2TB, 4TB, 8TB), looking thoughtful.
(Image: ChatGPT)
Question: The main reason for my comment is to find out what size of a storage device is required to save the backup of my hard drives. At least as large as all drives combined? Two or three times the size of all drives? I have not been backing up my CPUs. I have two desktops and a laptop, all with several TB hard drives. It sounds overwhelming to back up everything, but I know I need to do so. Any suggestions for me to get started?

It’s a common question. There are several things to take into consideration, including how much data you have to back up, how many backups you will keep and how long you will keep them, how you will use the external backup drive, and price.

It’s also something that changes over time for a variety of reasons.

Let’s look at what you should consider. I’ll also share my rule of thumb.

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Why I Don’t Expect a Windows 10 Apocalypse

Fearmongers, on the other hand…

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There's a lot of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about the supposed risk of using Windows 10 past its end of support. Here's what I think.
Windows 10 Desktop Wallpaper
(Screenshot: askleo.com)
Assertion: As soon as Windows 10 support ends and Microsoft stops issuing security updates for it, Windows 10 machines will all become infected with malware.

When I tell people it’s quite possible to continue using Windows 10 safely after the end-of-support date, I often receive variations of that comment in return.

While I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind, I want to explain why I feel that way and why the hype over an impending Windows 10 apocalypse is incorrect.

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Size Matters! (When It Comes to Passwords)

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The results are in for last year's most common passwords. The implications are depressing.
Evolution of passwords.
(Image: ChatGPT)

Take any password you think is strong and make it stronger.

Seriously. There’s a good chance that what you think is strong isn’t, or it won’t be in the near future.

Unfortunately, many people do the exact opposite, opting for some of the worst passwords you can think of. Don’t do that.

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How to Copy Text From Images

When you want the text, not a picture of the text.

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Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes you just want the words! I'll show you how to use Windows built-in Snipping Tool to extract the text from an image using its built-in OCR.
Snipping Tool
(Screenshot: askleo.com)

When people ask me questions, I frequently ask them for the exact text of the error messages they’re facing. “It said something like” is almost never enough.

My go-to solution is the screenshot. A picture really is worth a thousand words when it comes to troubleshooting.

But what if you don’t want to (or can’t) send a picture?

There’s a solution for that.

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Passkeys and Hardware Keys

I was wrong. Let’s fix that.

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Passkeys and hardware authentication keys are completely different but partially related. You can use some, but not all, hardware keys as passkeys. I'll clear up the confusion, and tell you what to look for.
YubiKey example of a USB 2FA device.
Example of a YubiKey USB 2FA device. (Image: canva.com)

There’s no shortage of confusion around passkeys. I recently updated my article What Is a Passkey? to try to further clarify what they are and how they work.

Originally, I got one aspect of passkeys wrong: the confusion between passkeys and hardware keys (like the Yubico YubiKey). I thought they were completely unrelated.

Not necessarily so.

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