Articles in Category: Administration

Items related to Leo, Ask Leo! and overall website and related operations and administrivia.

An illustration in a modern digital art style depicting the mythical figure Sisyphus struggling to push a giant boulder up a steep hill. The boulder prominently features the Windows logo, symbolizing the challenges of dealing with Windows operating systems. The scene is set in an ancient Greek environment with a clear sky in the background. The emphasis is on the struggle and determination of Sisyphus, capturing the essence of the myth in a contemporary technological context.

Your Biggest Struggles: 2024 Edition

I asked what was bugging you. Here’s what you told me.

Warning!

Tip of the Day: Be Skeptical If the Page Is Selling Something

Tip of the Day: “Near”

Listening in to a phone call?

Tip of the Day: Assume Everything Is Being Recorded

These are not browser cookies

Does Deleting Cookies Free Memory?

Deleting cookies will clear up a little disk space, and may or may not free up a small amount of your computer’s memory.

Tip of the Day: Find My Device (With Caution)

File Copying

Exchanging Files with Dropbox

Dropbox has several file sharing options, but knowing which one does what can be a little confusing. I’ll lay ’em out.

Macrium Reflect Free Edition

Macrium Reflect Free is Going Away

Macrium has announced end of life for Macrium Reflect Free. Here are your alternatives.

Password

Another Reason NOT to Reuse Passwords

It’s so tempting to reuse passwords, but it’s such a bad idea for so many reasons.

RIP LastPass

LastPass Breach 2022: My Recommendation

LastPass has lost my trust. Here’s what I’m doing about it.

You Have Been Hacked!

What to Do When Your Account Is Hacked

Hacks happen. There are steps to take, not only to recover your account but to prevent it from being hacked again.

Motherboard

Will My Backup Work If I Replace My Motherboard?

Replacing a motherboard may require a reinstall or a repair install. Or you might get lucky, and it’ll just work.

Passwords at Risk in Lastpass

Why Is My Password Manager Telling Me I Have a Password at Risk?

It’s an important security feature, but it can also flag some false positives.

Why Can’t I Get Emails From One Person?

If you’re not getting email messages sent by one particular person, there’s a list of things to check.

Fake Facebook

I Got an Email Related to Someone Impersonating Me on Facebook. What Should I Do?

Facebook impersonation is common and annoying, but typically does not represent a direct security threat.

Windows Pro upgrade in the Microsoft Store.

Upgrade Home to Pro in Windows 10 or 11

It’s easy to upgrade Windows 10 or Windows 11 Home to Pro. There’s just one thing you need.

A hacker typing?

Someone Is in My Computer, Controlling it. What Can I Do?

When things behave unexpectedly, many people assume their computer has been compromised by remote hackers. Many of those people are wrong.

Microsoft OneDrive Online

How OneDrive Works: the Very Basics

OneDrive is a free, useful service. Learn the basics here.

2021

2021’s Most Popular Articles

My annual roundup of which Ask Leo articles got the most attention and generated the most commentary in 2021.

Ransom

Dialing Back Social Media

Facebook is holding you for ransom. Sign up for Confident Computing via email instead.

Please Wait

How I Fixed a Failed Windows 10 Update

Windows Update generally works. Here’s the successful approach I took when it didn’t.

Thunderbird download page.

How Do I Move Thunderbird to a New Computer?

Moving email from one machine to another is a snap when you’re using Thunderbird as your email program. I’ll show you how.

Content Re-Use on Ask Leo!

A behind-the-scenes rundown on all the different ways a single Ask Leo! article is re-used, recycled, and re-purposed.

2020

2020’s Most Popular Articles

My annual roundup of which articles got the most attention and generated the most commentary in 2020.

Changes to the Ask Leo! Podcast

Changes to the Ask Leo! Podcast

I’m making a slight change to the Ask Leo! podcast. Here are the details.

2019

2019’s Most Popular Articles

My annual review of which articles got the most attention and generated the most commentary in 2019.

2018's Most Popular

2018’s Most Popular Articles

My annual review of which articles got the most attention and generated the most commentary in 2018.

Looking Back at 2017

2017’s Most Popular Articles

My annual review of which articles got the most attention and generated the most commentary in 2017.

King Head

Patreon Changes

Patreon changed their fee structure causing some to decide to drop their support for Ask Leo!. Before you do so, I have an alternative that’s actually better for both of us.

2016 Most Popular

2016’s Most Popular Articles

My annual review of which articles got the most attention and generated the most commentary in 2016.

How Do I Change or Delete my Patreon Subscription?

Changing or deleting your support for Ask Leo! on Patreon may not be obvious, so let me show you how.

Patreon

Ask Leo! Patron FAQ

Patreon allows you to support Ask Leo! with a monthly contribution, in return for which you get an assortment of patron-only rewards.

2015 in Review

2015 in Review

A look at the most popular Ask Leo! articles of 2015, as well as an overview of those that got the most comments (hint: you’ll nod your head in understanding on why one topic, more than any other, might generate so much discussion in 2015).

2015 Survey results

Some high-level results from my 2015 reader survey – what’s bugging you? I now have a better clue.

Top 10

2014’s Most Popular Articles

As the year ends I once again review which articles on Ask Leo! were the most popular and ponder the trends that they reveal.

2013’s Ten Most Popular Posts

As 2013 draws to a close, I review which articles on Ask Leo! were the most popular and briefly discuss what trends that I feel they reveal.

Thumbs Up

What’s the difference between an ad and your recommendation?

Advertisements, just like in newspapers or magazines, are nothing more than rented space on a page and should never be confused with recommendations.

Can I copy one USB drive to another without using a computer?

Copying a USB drive without a computer is unlikely. Even a USB duplication
device will need to be some sort of computer.

Is Google Talk a good thing?

Google Talk is a way to talk with other people on their computers. That’s
good if you want to do it and don’t already have an alternative service.

How do I move all emails of a certain year to a folder?

Moving emails to a folder for storage depends on which email program you are
using. First you sort them…

Why does Flash keep crashing in Firefox, but work fine in Chrome and IE?

Flash crashing in Firefox means something is wrong with either Flash or
Firefox. We’ll take an investigative approach to get running again.

How Do I Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disk, and What Can I Do With It?

One of the often overlooked steps in preparing for disaster is creating a system repair disk. I’ll review how to do that and what it does and does not do.

Why am I getting tracking cookies from your site?

“Tracking” cookies from most sites aren’t that bad, and usually not tracking
you personally. They are there to help with your user experience.

Which laptop is best?

The best laptop is the one that will fit your needs. To decide what you want
you’ll need to first look at how you’ll use it.

How can I switch back to the old Hotmail from Outlook.com?

If it is still possible to switch back to Hotmail… it won’t be available
for long. If you really hate it, you might want to consider changing
programs.

There’s Just No Need to Hate Windows 8

I recently upgraded my primary desktop machine to Windows 8. I did so with some trepidation after hearing many complaints. My reaction: what’s all the fuss about?

Leo’s 2013 Sabbatical Results

When I went on my sabbatical, I didn’t share the whole story. Even the word “sabbatical” wasn’t quite right. Here’s the background.

Why Am I Asked About Putting a lot of Things on the Clipboard? And What’s a Clipboard?

A message saying you have lots of things on the clipboard is common and
nothing to worry about. It’s simply managing the information you have copied
into memory.

Why Are Blank Messages Showing Up in My Hotmail Drafts Folder?

Blank messages in your drafts folder don’t necessarily indicate a hacker. There
could be a less nefarious explanation.

Why might streaming music play only with starts and stops?

Music that starts and stops while streaming indicates some resource is
overloaded. We’ll check for overloads on both the internet and locally on your computer.