Articles in Category: Software
How Do I Transfer Purchased Software to My New Machine?
Transferring installed software to a new machine isn’t as easy as we might like. I’ll list the options.
What’s So Special About 32?
32, like 16 before it and 64 to follow, is special simply because computers think in powers of 2, as does Windows itself.
What Does “Unsupported Software” Really Mean?
“Unsupported software” can refer to different things. I’ll review variations on the theme and revisit the question of whether unsupported software can be used safely.
Where Can I Download Old Software Versions?
After releasing a new version of software manufacturers often make older versions difficult to find. What if you really do need an old version?
Open Source Doesn’t Mean Free
Open-source software is not necessarily free, though there is a high correlation.
My #1 Debugging Technique
You already know what it is. The trick is to remember to do it in the frustration of the moment.
How Do I Open an ISO File in Windows
ISO files are a common disk-image distribution format. We’ll look at the best ways to open and use ISO files.
Why Can’t I Boot From an SD Card?
You probably can boot from an SD card, but it’s likely to be more cumbersome than just using a USB thumb drive.
Installing SysInternals Tools
Microsoft has made these free tools easier to get and keep automatically updated.
Why Does a Scan of a Simple Text Document Result in Such a Large File?
Scanned documents can result in large graphics files that are too large to email. I’ll review options for more manageable results.
Can I ZIP Photos or MP3 Files to Save Space?
Most music, picture, and movie files are already compressed. Compressing them again won’t make much difference, and could even make them larger.
Sometimes It’s Faster If You Just Start Over
Sometimes the best solution is to give up trying to find a solution.
What I Do When Software Stops Working
I had a serious problem with an app I rely on in Windows 10. I’ll walk you through my experience solving it, and show how the process relates to you.
Can I Delete Setup Files I’ve Downloaded?
You can safely delete setup files after you’ve set up the corresponding software, but only if you do something important first.
How to Find Software Support
Finding support for software and services can be a challenge. I’ll breakdown the places to look and the steps to take.
How Do I Print Pictures from Websites So They Look Good?
Printing pictures displayed on screen so they look good turns out to be surprisingly difficult, if not downright impossible.
Use OneNote for Basic OCR
If you have OneNote, you already have basic OCR capability on your computer.
What the CCleaner Hack Means to You
CCleaner, a popular Windows utility, accidentally included malware in its download for a time. Here’s my take on what to be concerned about and what to do.
Remove Adobe’s Stealth Chrome Extension
An Adobe Acrobat update is installing more than just an update.
Is It Illegal to Download Torrent Files?
Torrent files are used by bitTorrent file sharing and downloading technology. Are they illegal? No. But something else might be.
Why Didn’t Microsoft Fix the Bug I Care About?
Not all bugs will be fixed or be fixed quickly. Not all bugs are even actually bugs. I’ll look at why some bugs might never get fixed – even those you consider important.
What happens when applications die?
It pays to prepare for, or at least think about, the day that the application on which you rely stops working or is no longer supported. In some cases preparations are simple. In other cases it may have you consider alternative applications.
How Do I Download and Read a PDF eBook?
Ebooks are commonly distributed as simple PDF files which you can download and then read on your computer or other devices using any of several free PDF readers.
How do I keep my browser from being hijacked?
Be careful where you download things, and know exactly what you’re downloading. Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) are becoming common.
Why does software only seem to get bigger?
We might call it the march of technological progress. Computers can do more and we expect software to do more. That does leave those of us with older machines in a difficult spot.
Why is only one core on my multi-core processor being maxed out?
You may have a multi-core processor, but not all software can utilize more than one core.
Why Might an Uninstalled Program Still Be Listed?
Obviously, something has been left behind by the uninstall process. But do we even need to worry about it?
Is There Software that Will Transform Poor Quality Images and Videos?
You can’t add data to an image to make it better, but there are some tricks that can make it visually more appealing.
MSN-Problems (IMZers)
http://www.imzers.com (formerly http://www.msn-problems.com) I get a lot of questions from people having problems with MSN Messenger. A lot of questions. MSN-Problems.com turns out to be a very helpful resource with recommendations for each of the various MSN Messenger versions and error codes that people are experiencing. There’s also a very active forum with even more … Read more
What’s “Invalid startup directory, please check your pif file”?
Boy… now there’s a blast from the past. QBasic has a long history dating back to the days of MS-DOS. QBasic was the free Basic programming language interpreter that was included with MS-DOS, and eventually Windows, though it appears to have vanished from Windows XP, if not from earlier versions. I feel a personal connection … Read more
How do I download Process Explorer?
Not a problem. Process Explorer is one of my favorite, can’t live without it, tools. I recommend it’s use frequently when diagnosing problems. But rather than describing how to download it, let me show you.
What’s on Your Nerdstick?
I talk about the software I use most often and that I make sure to take with me when diagnosing computer problems.
How do I convert a Word document into a PDF file?
PDF, or Portable Document Format, is a common format for sharing documents. Turning your Word document into a PDF can be as simple as printing.
