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.
What processor do I need for a 17-inch laptop?
When picking out a new computer, the way that you are going to use it is more
important than it’s size. Sometimes, it is a compromise between budget and
need.
How do I stop false positives in spam and malware reports?
Malware and virus detectors can show false positives for good products. Both
software manufacturers and consumers need to know why and how this happens.
Where are canceled or failed downloads stored?
Windows deletes partial files from failed downloads, but it may not be
entirely erased from your system. If that is a concern, you will need to take
an extra step.
What is the security related information I need to change to secure an email account?
Security-related information in your email account is used to recover your
account. But what if the hacker now has access to all that?
Where did all these Windows Photo Gallery pictures come from?
When your own photos are all mixed up with internet images, it’s time to do
some organizing on your computer. Typically, ‘My Pictures’ is the place to store
these.
How do I install programs on an alternate drive?
There is no safe way to move program files to another drive without
reinstalling; but it may be possible to free up some drive space in another
way.
How do you burn a CD?
Burning a CD or DVD is complicated by the fact that there are three distinct types of thing you might want to burn. I’ll look at what that means.
How can I fix my computer from going to blue screen?
A sudden blue screen does not always mean that your computer is dying. It may be an easily fixable problem.
Where can I get a downloadable version of Windows Vista?
Providing legitimate sources of Window’s software can be a problem for
computer technicians, especially as fewer manufacturers provide replacement
disks to their customers.
Why does my monitor sometimes turn purple?
When a monitor turns purple, the first thing to look at is the hardware. The good news is that you can test for hardware problems without spending a lot of money.
What incremental backup images should I delete?
Incremental backups create a lot of files. It is important to manage them properly when restoring and starting a new cycle of backups.
Can I use my IP address to connect to my computer without remote desktop?
Remote Desktop is configured to keep your home computer secure while you connect to it from a remote machine. Doing this correctly requires the right software and permissions.
Why do I end up in the wrong place when I click on a link?
Redirects can be caused by various forms of malware and adware. There are also many legitimate reasons why a webpage may be redirected in the browser.
Does turning off my computer equipment break my internet connection?
Computer and Internet equipment is engineered to be left on, but turning it off should have little to no effect on your performance and internet connection.
Do I need all these Java QuickStarter and Consol add-ons in Firefox?
Consol and QuickStarter add-ons in Firefox perform different tasks – but it might not be necessary to run them all the time.
Can USB ports go bad?
USB connection problems can be due to many things, including bad ports, bad software, or bad devices. I’ll discuss the difficulty in telling which is which.
How can I report a phishing email address?
Spam and phishing attempts are quite an annoyance, but does reporting them
help?
Can I schedule CHKDSK to run before my automatic backup?
CHKDSK can be run with your Task Scheduler. The trick is getting it to run
at the right time before your automatic backup.
Is the internet shutting down?
Urban legends and hoaxes can spread like fire on the internet. Here are some
clues that you might follow to determine if the email you received is true or
not.
Can you help me spy on someone?
Ask Leo! is not for spy or hacker advice, so don’t wonder if that kind of
question goes unanswered.
How do I reinstall Windows without a CD drive?
Recovering a laptop with no CD drive or installation media is tricky, but
not impossible. I explore several options to get that laptop up and running
again.
What's an inexpensive way to set up a backup system?
The important thing is to get a backup system running on your computer. I’ll discuss an option that that will get you going.
Why does virus software expire?
Software designed to help in the battle against spam may take its expiration date seriously. Perhaps you should to.
Can I encode video faster with quad core processors?
Quad core processors might process a video faster… but let’s look at the software that you’re using and see how it uses multiple processors.
My files turned green and are encrypted. What do I do?
When Windows file system encrypts a file, it will show as green in Windows Explorer. You need the right permissions to unencrypt it.
Help! Youtube is crashing my computer!
Video uses a fair amount of processing power on a computer – that load could be overheating your computer.
Should I wait for Windows 8?
With the release of Windows 8 Preview some folks are wondering if Windows 7 is soon to disappear. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Why does my PC restart itself when trying to boot off of a Linux Ubuntu CD?
The Ubuntu distribution Linux is a capable and popular operating system that supports many hardware configurations. Many, though, may not mean all.
How do I clear up these lingering problems after a malware infection?
Once your machine is infected, it’s impossible to know that it’s been completely cleaned. I’ll look at the options, both ideal and practical.
Searching Effectively
The ability to search well is a key skill that can make the internet a much more useful resource. I’ll cover basics as well as a couple of tricks.
Why Is There a Delay When I Try to Access My External Hard Disk?
Most external drives will power-down or go to sleep after a period of inactivity. Waking back up can take a noticeable few seconds.
Using RSS
RSS is a convenient and powerful way to keep track of what websites and blogs are publishing without having to remember to visit each.
Why Can’t My Machine Boot If My External Drive Is Plugged In?
Your computer’s BIOS can be configured to boot from any of several devices. If one looks bootable to the BIOS but isn’t, you can run into problems.
How much of my data can be subpoenaed?
Much of the data that we own can be examined by others and it’s important to understand both the possibilities and alternatives.
Why is Firefox so slow?
I’ve received a number of complaints of Firefox being excessively slow. I’ll look at one possible solution.
Is a wired connection to the internet faster than a wireless connection?
It’s tempting to think that having a wired connection to your computer would make the internet faster. It might, but typically, it doesn’t.
How do I remove the recovery partition on my machine?
If you’re doing backups properly, recovery partitions can become redundant. I’ll look at how to remove a recovery partition and reclaim the space.
What happens to my initial system image if my system takes an update?
Taking a system image immediately after getting or setting up a new machine is good practice. What happens next … isn’t the initial system image.
If I empty the contents of a file and then save it, is the data really deleted?
What looks like overwriting a file’s data often is not. I’ll look at how files are updated and what that implies for their recoverability.
How does my friend always know when I'm online?
Many applications that you run and even some websites that you visit can inadvertently expose your online status to your friends.
Why did I not get the download I wanted?
The download you want may be surrounded by often misleading offers of … more downloads. It’s incredibly important to know which one you really want.
What difference does multiple-overwrite delete really make?
Deleted files may be recoverable. Overwriting data makes it impossible for common tools and multiple overwrites make it impossible for any.
How do I temporarily turn off Microsoft Security Essentials for an install?
Many setup programs ask you to temporarily disable anti-virus tools. I’ll show the setting in Microsoft Security Essentials and discuss if you need to.
Google Alerts
Google Alerts are a great way to keep up on new occurrences of topics you care about on the web.
How do I fix Windows 7 boot problems?
Several things can interfere with Windows 7’s boot process. However, Windows 7 now has a helpful repair utility for just such situations.
Why didn't I have to tell my firewall to allow a technician remote access?
A firewall traditionally protects you from threats coming from the network. A technician’s remote access session might well have been invited in.
How do I find the product key that was used to install my system or application?
Product keys are used to activate or enable a purchased application. You can often find product keys used on your machine with a special application.
Does Google's new privacy policy mean they know everything about me?
Google’s new privacy policy pulls together their existing policies into one place. There’s nothing really new; they already have a lot of data on you.
Webinar #10 – Your Questions, Live
Your Questions, Live – will be Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 1PM U.S. Pacific Daylight time.
How Do I Delete Cookies Automatically?
Cookies do accumulate and while they are mostly harmless there are occasionally reasons to clean them up. We’ll set up a nightly task to do just that.
