Articles in Category: Administration
Items related to Leo, Ask Leo! and overall website and related operations and administrivia.
Do tablets need anti-malware software?
Anti-malware software for tablets is not needed… yet. We may see a rise in
necessity in the coming months and years.
Does "Do not track" work?
Do not track means different things to different people. Ultimately, you are
relying on the receiving server to honor this ambiguous term.
Are hibernate and standby easier on a computer than rebooting it from scratch?
Hibernate and standby vs. rebooting to start your computer is pretty much
equal. It all has a slight wear and tear on your machine’s hardware and
software.
Can magnets cause problems for external hard drives?
Magnets damaging hard drives is not something you and I need to worry about
on a day-to-day basis, as long as you are not putting bulk-erasers next to your
disks!
How long after an email account is abandoned is its email address available for a new account?
Abandoned email account addresses can be difficult to recover. It will be
quite a while before they are returned to the pool of available addresses, if
ever!
How do I stop my computer from turning itself on overnight?
Computer turning itself on at night could be the result of a faulty switch.
It might not be an easy fix mechanically although there is one easy
solution.
How do I recover my lost files and folders in email?
Recovering lost files and folders is easy if they were backed up. If not,
it’s going to be a long process and your technician will need to know all the
details about how the files were lost.
Is there a way to bulk erase emails?
Bulk erasing emails can be done in several ways depending on what type of
program you are using to read your email.
Can I transfer software from one machine to another using an external drive?
Transferring software to an external drive usually doesn’t work unless
that software is portable and does not need to be installed into the registry
to run.
Hotmail displays wrong under Safari. Is there anything I can do?
If Safari displays Hotmail pages wrong, it could be a problem with Safari
itself. There are a couple of steps to take to clear the problem.
How do I control what shows in the Windows 7 taskbar notification area?
The Windows 7 taskbar notifications area can be arranged in several ways by
right-clicking in the taskbar “Notification Area.”
Will it cause a problem if I choose a different name for my backup than that recommended by Macrium Reflect?
Changing backup file names is easy and safe to do. It’s only an identifier
for Macrium.
What’s the difference between repairing Office and reinstalling it?
Repairing Microsoft Office will usually preserve your settings. If you
uninstall and then reinstall it, you will be back to the factory default
settings.
How do I make this browser-based online game bigger?
Enlarging online games can be tricky, depending on how they were written. If
browser zoom functions don’t work, you may have to change your monitor’s
DPI.
What’s a “starter capacity” cartridge for a printer?
Starter capacity ink cartridges for many printer brands come with a
fraction of the ink available in full-sized ink cartridges. They are just for
starting.
Why can’t I burn an ISO to this blank DVD?
If you can’t burn to a blank DVD, you’ll need to narrow down exactly what’s
causing the problem. The failure may be in the media or the drive.
How can I see what websites a person has been to on my computer, even if they deny it?
Seeing what websites a person has been to is easy to view unless the person is highly
tech savvy and knows how to cover their tracks.
Is there a downside to storing files in Recycle Bin?
Storing files in the Recycle Bin is not the proper way to organize a
computer! It’s better to create a system of folders and keep them there.
Did we learn anything from the recent email scandal?
Hiding emails online in the Drafts folder does not add a layer of security.
It can still be accessed by the authorities.
Can compressing files reduce the chances of its being infected?
Compressing files for security can give you just a little bit of gain if
done with proper compression software. A better strategy is to have a good
security process in place.
Can I trust a failed flash drive if I reformat it?
Failing flash drives can be compensated for with regular backups. But you
can avoid the issue entirely if it’s inexpensive and easy to replace.
Is there an age or gender component to being comfortable with technology?
Many people are not comfortable with technology. Judging their lack of
knowledge and experience through stereotypes is not a good idea!
Is real-time anti-malware scanning really needed?
Stopping real-time anti-virus scans opens you up for sudden virus attacks
that you don’t see coming. Sometimes, email scans are a different problem.
Is “Defender” enough, or do I need additional anti-malware tools?
Multiple anti-virus programs should not be running real-time scans together.
They might conflict. I look at what you really need running on your
computer.
How do I record a streaming video?
Recording streaming video has both legal and technical difficulties. We’ll
take a look at how to do it and the ramifications around both issues.
How can I remove the shortcut arrow from a desktop icon?
Desktop icons with shortcut arrows indicate that you are not acting on the
program itself, but on a shortcut to the program. The arrow can be removed or
made transparent.
My program crashes when I drag the cursor too fast to copy something. How do I fix that?
Fast mouse movement causing a crash could be a symptom of several things.
But first, we need to determine exactly what is crashing.
What are all these domain references in my router log?
The number of different domains and sites referenced by a typical computer accessing the internet is often much more than most people realize. I’ll look at how to identify them and show an example of just how many might be referenced on a simple web page.
I have to minimize and restore my browser to see the page display. How do I fix this?
Restoring a browser to see the display is the sign of a video driver
problem. You can avoid the problem by using a different browser or take a few
steps to fix it.
Can you list some good alternative DSL modem/routers?
DSL routers and modems can fail, or drop connections, for many reasons. The
best solution is to talk to your ISP.
Is initiating a WiFi connection more sensitive than simply keeping an existing connection running?
Connecting to Wi-Fi is easier the closer you are to the access point. That’s
another reason to not use someone else’s connection in the neighborhood.
I have problems with Firefox. What’s a good alternative?
Firefox browser problems can often be solved by a re-install of Firefox
itself. Otherwise, any of the top three browsers will do the trick.
Why does SkyDrive require I login with my Hotmail account?
SkyDrive and Hotmail are related because they are both services offered in a
Microsoft account. You can use the SkyDrive account and ignore Hotmail to
whatever degree you want to.
Can I block spam based on country or time of day?
Blocking spam is a huge job. The state of the art in spam fighting these
days is complex technology that analyzes characteristics in each email based
on what users have marked as spam.
My webcam suffers from poor performance even at small resolutions. What I can do to make it work?
A webcam with poor performance could be caused by computer resources being
overloaded. There are a few places to start the diagnosis.
How do I make a URL clickable in email?
Clickable links in emails are often created automatically by the receiver’s
email program. They can also be manually created in rich text emails.
My screen is scrambled on return from standby. What can I do?
Standby can scramble the screen on your computer if drivers or BIOS are out
of date. Ultimately this is one of the reasons I have trained myself not to use
Standby.
Since so many other people have uploaded music to YouTube, can’t I do that legally too?
Copyrights on YouTube are a long and ongoing problem that is still, in many
ways, trying to get worked out.
Is it safe to donate or give away RAM?
Giving away memory sticks is a great idea and removing power will cause the
volatile memory to disappear.
Can my landlord see the websites I go to?
A landlord could conceivably see the websites you go to if you use a
shared internet connection. But there are ways to stay safe.
Should I accept application software updates relating to Windows 8 even though I’m running Windows 7?
Windows 8 updates can be included in software updates and should be
installed, even if you have not upgraded to 8.
Why isn’t my browser remembering my usernames any more?
Remembering passwords in a browser is not secure. They can be recovered very
easily. Rather than turn the option back on, let’s look at some other
solutions.
Is there a best or better way to set up multiple monitors?
Setting up multiple monitors is easily handled by Microsoft Windows. You may
want to consider resolution and size factors when looking at what to buy.
Will Outlook XP Work in Windows 8?
Upgrading XP to Windows 8 should not require you to change your email
service or programs, unless you are currently using Outlook Express.
Is there a way to search so the government can’t see what I’m doing?
Hiding your searches (potentially from the government) is not a practical
reality as you need to use an outside service to search the internet at
all.
What’s Open GL, and what do I do if it’s not supported, but needed?
“Open GL not supported” means that it is not available in your video driver
software. Getting it may be a problem.
How do I change a file from read-only to read/write?
Removing read-only is easily done in Windows Explorer… but the read-only notice may not be real.
Why Is Outlook so Slow to Receive Email?
Slow Outlook downloads could indicate problems in writing to the disk. I
walk through a series of steps to clean things up.
What should I do about saving my hardware drivers as so many instructions seem to recommend?
Device drivers should be saved if they are not in the original Windows
setup. That way, you can replace them easily if you need to.
How much of what you cover is applicable to Macs?
Ask Leo! has a lot of questions that are applicable to Macs as well as PCs.
My strength is in PCs, however, and that’s the majority of the questions that I
answer.
