Articles in Category: ask-leo.com
These are articles that have been migrated from the old “ask-leo.com” site but have NOT yet been cleaned up or otherwise updated. They’re here primarily as a reference. We’ll be updating the more important and popular ones over time.
Why does IE's stop button not always work?
Hitting the “Stop” button often does not stop everything. I look at why that
happens, and some alternatives.
How do I see the "Undisclosed recipients" on an email I sent?
Undisclosed recipients may be available in the headers of the sent email, or
it may be hidden.
How much sensitive information is stored on my computer when I purchase online?
There are numerous things that can be downloaded to your computer while
surfing or shopping online. It’s best to know what they are and how to manage
them.
How do I get Facebook out of my life completely?
Facebook is everywhere, so getting rid of it completely might be a little
tricky!
Ask Leo! Webinars
Ask Leo! regularly scheduled webinars are currently on hiatus. Be sure to check back often – webinars may return in the future, although perhaps on a new schedule or on an as-needed basis. Specific answers will use video when appropriate as well. Be sure to sign up for the twice-weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date. Thanks,
Why does IE give me the spinning circle for a while when I click on a link?
A spinning circle means that something is busy happening and you need to
wait. If this is actually causing a problem, the first place to look is in your
add-ons.
Should I use Facebook to login to other sites when offered?
Many sites make it easy to login by using a Facebook application. It’s easy, but is
this really safe?
How do I make checkboxes work on the web?
Checkboxes should be pretty easy: check the box and save, but there are a
few things that could be keeping the settings from being remembered by your
computer.
Does having too many files on my computer slow it down?
Lots of files on your computer is not going to slow it down. There are
several other factors to look at that may be causing your performance issues.
Can you give away a Kindle book after you're done reading it?
Amazon’s Kindle includes a couple of different concepts of borrowing or sharing books, but giving a Kindle book that you’ve purchased to someone else doesn’t appear to be possible.
Why did the first track of my newly burned audio CD not play properly?
Burning CDs can occasionally be a little touchy. A combination of minor issues with players and records can add up to intermittent problems.
Should I consider Ubuntu Linux over Windows 7?
Ubuntu is a good operating system, depending on what you are wanting to do
with your computer… and there is a way to try it without making any changes
to your computer!
Opening Phishing Holes with New Top-Level Domains
In addition to .com, .net, and the like, it’s now possible to purchase custom generic top-level domains. I’ll review what this means and why it’s cause for concern.
When does installing a hard drive into an external enclosure make sense?
Sometimes, hard drives just go bad and the data is lost; and sometimes, it is
recoverable. I talk about the signs of a physically damaged drive.
So many accounts are getting hacked, there must be something wrong at the provider – can you get their attention?
So, I can’t just call up Yahoo. But I will tell you what is the likely cause
of all these breaches.
Can I interchange laptop power supplies from the same manufacturer?
The life of a battery can be increased by using the right power supply, but
with a proper match, they can be interchanged.
How do I get my browser window larger after something made it small?
Browsers will remember the size and location that they were in when they were
last closed. They can easily be changed to the size you prefer.
How do I download only certain emails from my Yahoo account?
Yahoo does not offer a solution for this on the software side, but there are
a few methods you can use to save those important emails.
Why do I get new pages in tabs when I leave a site?
Many websites try to create operating revenue through ads in pop-up windows.
This, however, sounds like a pop under.
How does a digital product sell out?
The concept of a digital product selling out is a little difficult to comprehend, until you factor in two other things: marketing and support materials.
Why is there a ghostly icon on my desktop when I edit a Word document?
Editing a Word document creates temporary files. Depending on your settings and the location of your original document, those temporary files can become visible.
Why are pictures on my laptop only showing if the original SD card they came from is inserted?
It is possible to create shortcuts to files, rather then move the files
themselves. What to do if those shortcuts can’t reference the files later?
Windows Media Player keeps crashing, what do I do?
Uninstalling and reinstalling often solves these kind of problems. You will
want to make sure you do it thoroughly.
Why do I have constant disk activity from Chrome?
Constant disk activity could be caused by Chrome updating in the background.
There are a few steps that can be done with Process Explorer to help further
diagnose the problem.
Why does my printer not print the middle of the page?
Old printers can go bad in a number of ways, including print heads,
cartridges, and more. Here are a few troubleshooting steps to go through.
Why does my internet connection not work right away?
Sometimes, it takes awhile for a computer to sort everything out and get
online. The exact cause will depend on the equipment and specific
configuration.
How do I export and import my contact lists folder structure?
Transferring data between email programs can be tricky. You may have to
re-organize.
How do I get SFC to work if it calls for my original CD which I don't have?
System File Checker needs an original installation media of some sort to do
its job. Fortunately, there are alternatives to having the original CD.
Will using history or remembered passwords bypass malware and keyloggers?
The best (and only) way to stop keyloggers is to prevent malware from
installing itself on your computer. Malware can see everything…
I forgot my BIOS password, how do I get into my machine?
Many computers are built with the BIOS password protected from reset… for
good reason. There may be a way to still recover your data.
How do I remove password protection from an Excel document?
I won’t tell you how to crack an Excel password, but I will tell you a
better way to keep it protected.
Can Hotmail let me switch between accounts?
Switching between Hotmail accounts requires logging out completely from one
and signing into another. Other methods might not give you the results you are
looking for.
How do I fix mydownloader.app crashing whenever I try to download something?
This particular problem with downloading sounds like something has inserted
itself in the computer system. It’s behaving suspiciously like malware.
Is there a way to place restore points on a drive other than the system drive?
System Restore can take up a lot of room on a hard drive. I have a better
recommendation than trying to move the restore points.
How can I connect multiple users to my machine at the same time?
Multiple computers stations that seem to be running off of one computer are
possible with Windows Server Software. This isn’t your usual XP machine.
Why would I lose all the data on my hard drive after a Windows reinstallation?
Reformatting and reinstalling an operating system will, by the very nature
of “reformat,” erase all the data on your computer. Yes, everything will be
erased. You will need to backup.
How Do You Perform a Backup to an External Drive that Is TrueCrypted?
Backing up data to a drive encrypted using Truecrypt is really no different than backing up to any other drive. I’ll review why that is and some of the variations of backing up with TrueCrypt.
Do you have any tips for writing batch files in Windows?
Batch files or scripts are sequences of commands written in text files that run as small programs. Windows has its own scripting language in the form of the Windows Command Prompt commands.
Should I dedicate a hard drive entirely for virtual memory?
Virtual memory doesn’t (or shouldn’t) fill an entire hard drive. There are
better ways to maximize performance.
My hard drive is overheating, how should I fix it?
An overheating hard drive is serious. Before replacing it, it’s best to solve the heat issue. Oh yes, and are you backed up?
How do I diagnose a machine that won't boot reliably?
Diagnosing a machine remotely with very little information is impossible. It
might be time for a local technician.
Can I keep my IP address from changing when I switch out my router?
IP addresses can seem confusing; email headers have them, routers have them,
web pages have them… how do you sort it all out?
How do I access Outlook Express emails saved into My Documents?
Outlook Express and Outlook run on the assumption that you will keep emails
within the programs data folders. Saving them to your documents creates a
difficult retrieval situation.
How do I confirm security on my ISP-provided wireless modem?
Securing your router is important. You may need to take an Ask Leo!
checklist to your internet provider to insure you are properly protected.
How do I clear system information off an old system drive?
When re-using a hard drive, erasing the old system information is certainly a good idea. The best approach might be to backup and reformat.
Are Evite invitations safe?
The rule of thumb, to keep your computer safe, is to not click on links
you are unsure of… but how do you be sure?
How do I delete mail on Gmail permanently?
The Delete button in Gmail will move the email to the trash and there is a
way to easily empty that trash.
How Do Compromised Signing Certificates Affect Me? And How Do I Stay Safe?
Https encryption and digital signatures used to validate some programs rely on an infrastructure of trusted signing authorities. Interesting things happen when one of those authorities is breeched, or makes a mistake.
I dropped my external hard disk, how do I recover the data?
Backed up means your data is in more than one place… then a broken drive
won’t matter as much. There are a few options to try.
Can I restore a backup to a partition smaller than it was when backed up?
Depending on the way your imaging software is written, this could be a
difficult to impossible task. There are a couple of hoops you may have to jump
through to get it to work. But that’s not the real problem!
