Articles tagged: The Best of Ask Leo!

An image illustrating the concept of piracy versus legal alternatives for software. On one side, an open laptop shows a warning symbol and the word 'Piracy,' with dark, shadowy tones surrounding it, representing theft. On the other side, the same laptop screen shows free software options with bright, positive colors. Between them, a person is reaching towards the ethical side, with a thoughtful expression. The background subtly reflects a global setting, with subtle references to technology education.

Why Can’t the Poor Just Pirate Software?

Commercial software can be expensive. Can you just pirate software if you can’t afford it? You can guess my answer, but even better: theft isn’t necessary.

What Security Software Do You Recommend? (2024 Q4 update)

Here are my latest recommendations for specific security software and techniques.

Testing Your Backups Is Critical

Testing your backups is an easy step to overlook but an important one to take. Make sure your backups will be there when you need them.

A home office desk with a frustrated man sitting in front of a computer. The screen shows multiple reminders for password changes, with sticky notes scattered around displaying various passwords crossed out. The man's expression reflects annoyance, with his hand on his forehead.

Is a Periodic Password Change a Good Thing?

Conventional wisdom says to change your passwords periodically. I disagree.

A home office with two Windows computers, one a desktop and one a tablet, both set up on a modern desk. The computers are connected via a network connection.

How Do I Get My Windows Machines to Network With Each Other?

Home networking can be very difficult, but I have a few tricks that work well for me.

An over-the-shoulder view of a gray-haired elderly person using a computer. On the screen is a video call with several children ranging in age from 5 to 16, smiling and chatting with the person.

You’re Never Too Old!

“I’m old” is a frustratingly common complaint. I talk a little about how that mindset might get in the way of the incredible opportunities technology presents.

A Windows PC screen showing dozens of overlapping browser windows, each displaying a website with a message box asking for an 'email address.'

Can I Find Out Where My Email Address Has Been Used?

It’d be great to be able to locate all the places your email address has been used. Unfortunately, “great” doesn’t mean “possible”.

A person walking through a dense forest, leaving a trail of cookies behind them.

What Are Tracking Cookies, and Should They Concern Me?

Cookies are placed on your machine by websites — often more websites than you realize. We’ll review cookies and how third parties can use them.

Is Online Backup a Good Idea?

Backing up data using an online backup service can be an important part of an overall strategy, but there are important limits and considerations.

A person at a modern desk, looking frustrated while staring at a laptop. On the laptop screen, an email inbox is open with a highlighted message from an 'Unknown Sender' and a visible IP address, with a large red question mark overlayed on the screen. The background features a well-lit, modern home office with a window letting in natural light. The overall mood should convey the frustration and helplessness of dealing with harassing or abusive emails.

How Do I Find Out Who Sent Email Trying to Harass or Intimidate Me?

Both children and adults receive harassing or abusive email. Sadly, there’s no easy way to trace it back to a sender who doesn’t want to be found.

A a Windows PC screen with a 'Downloads' folder open, displaying various file types like PDFs, images, and software. The surrounding workspace is tidy, with a coffee mug, notepad, and pens. The setting is modern and well-lit, highlighting the simplicity of managing downloads on a computer.

How Do I Find My Downloads on My PC?

Downloading a file from the internet is easy, but knowing and controlling where downloads go takes a little more understanding.

A photorealistic image of a frustrated user sitting at a computer with a blue screen error. The scene should show a cluttered desk with open forums and complaint posts on the monitor, depicting user frustration over unresolved bugs. The background includes sticky notes with various technical error messages. The overall mood is one of frustration and confusion, with the user looking exasperated.

Why Didn’t Microsoft Fix This Horrible Bug?

Not all bugs will be fixed or fixed quickly. Not all bugs are even bugs.

A photorealistic image of a computer screen displaying multiple instances of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable installations in the 'Programs and Features' section of Windows. The background shows a cluttered desktop with typical developer tools, coding books, and a cup of coffee

Why Are There So Many Copies of the Visual C++ Runtime?

There are usually many copies of the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime library on a Windows computer. Here’s why.

A person sitting at a computer, looking stressed and frustrated while viewing a cluttered email inbox full of spam messages. On the screen, there is a prominent pop-up window with the message 'Close Your Hotmail Account' in bold.

How Do I Close My Hotmail or Outlook.com Account?

“I want to close my Hotmail account” is a knee-jerk reaction to many account problems. It’s easy, and I’ll show you how, but it also may be pointless or even harmful.

Should I Update to Windows 11?

Windows 11 is out to much fanfare, hype, and confusion. Unless you have specific reasons, you don’t need to upgrade yet, but there’s also no reason to avoid it.

Facebook sign in complaining of an incorrect password.

How Do I Recover My Hacked Facebook Account?

Unfortunately, Facebook account hacks are common. I’ll look at the process Facebook uses to recover a hacked Facebook account.

Should I Switch to Linux?

Linux is a viable alternative to extend the life of older machines or if you’re just fed up with Windows. I’ll look at some of the issues involved in switching to Linux.

An image in the style of Leonardo Da Vinci's handwritten manuscripts. It features a man with a questioning look on his face, dressed in Renaissance attire, with arms outstretched, each holding a hard drive. The background includes Leonardo's characteristic handwriting, sketches, and diagrams.

Should I Partition My Hard Disk?

Partitioning, or splitting a single physical hard drive into multiple drives, has pros and cons. I’ll look at those and make a recommendation.

The concept of 'support email black hole'. A frustrated person looking at a computer screen with an email icon disappearing into a black hole.

Why Don’t Companies Answer My Email?

It’s not uncommon for email messages to companies to disappear into a black hole. I’ll look at why that might be and steps you can take to reduce the odds of it happening to you.

Can Someone Install Something on My Computer When It’s Not Logged In?

If your computer is not physically secure, someone could install something even if you’re not logged in.

A serene individual meditating in a tranquil setting. The person appears calm and centered, seated in a traditional meditation pose in front of a desktop PC, illustrating a blend of mindfulness and technology. Surrounding them are floating digital icons, including a cloud, folders, and error symbols, symbolizing technological stress. These icons are depicted as being calmly ignored by the meditating person.

Dealing With Inexplicable Change?

Yes, I deal with frustrating changes too. It’s not that I never get frustrated; it’s what I choose next that makes for a much happier experience.

Where Can I Download Windows 11? Or 10? Or 8?

You can download Windows 8.1, 10, and 11 from legitimate sources. If you have a legal retail product key, this can be your replacement media.

How Do Gmail Labels Relate to Folders?

Gmail labels are similar to folders, but there are a couple of important differences to know if you use a desktop email program to access Gmail.

6 Steps to Fix Your Browser Problems

Browser problems can be caused by any number of things that may or may not include the browser itself. I’ll review common troubleshooting techniques.

A detective with a magnifying glass, peering closely at a computer screen on one side, and a cloud icon on the other.

Will Backing Up My Computer Back Up My Email?

To back up your email, you first have to figure out where it lives. It might be on your computer, or it might be on the internet.

A scene that metaphorically represents the challenge of learning the technical language of computers and technology, similar to learning a new spoken language. Imagine a person standing before a giant, glowing computer screen filled with complex technical diagrams, code, and jargon. The person looks intrigued but slightly overwhelmed, holding a dictionary of computer terms. In the background, diverse symbols and icons of technology, such as circuit boards, USB symbols, and cloud computing icons, float in the air, signifying the vastness of technology's language.

Terminology Matters

When it comes to technology, it seems like there’s a whole ‘nother language to learn. Using the right terminology is important to being understood and getting your problems resolved.

Concept image of the six most common questions and answers on a signpost.

The Secret Behind Ask Leo! I Know Less Than You Think

I know less than you think I do, but I make up for it with a very important skill — a skill anyone can benefit from improving.

The scene includes a computer screen displaying an email inbox with several spam email subjects visible, such as "Account Hacked!" and "Urgent: Security Alert." A large, bold, red 'X' is superimposed over these scam emails, symbolizing rejection or marking them as spam. In the foreground, a figure symbolizing a user (not specific in appearance) confidently presses the 'delete' or 'spam' button on the email client, ignoring the scam attempts.

Has a Hacker Really Hacked My Email Account?

An email claims your email account has been hacked, possibly even including a password you’ve used. Don’t be fooled; it’s a scam.

An external USB hard drive positioned vertically on its side, with a carrying handle attached to its top. The hard drive has a 'Moving' sticker prominently displayed.

Can I Move My Old Hard Drive to My New Computer to Transfer Data?

You can take the internal hard disk of an old computer and install it as an additional drive in a new one, or consider a more flexible alternative.

A photorealistic image of a computer screen overflowing with icons, windows, and notifications, representing the abundance of features and capabilities added to software over time.

Why Does Software Only Seem to Get Bigger?

It’s a march of technological progress: computers can do more, and we expect software to do more. That leaves those of us with older machines in a difficult spot.

Can My ISP See I’m Using a VPN?

Virtual Private Networks have characteristics visible to your ISP. I’ll discuss what they can and cannot see.

How Do I Recover My Outlook Account?

Outlook.com, Hotmail, and Microsoft account compromise and loss happens. Here’s how to get your account back depending on what happened to it.

What’s the Difference Between Memory and Disk Space?

The difference between the various things we could call “memory” is a fundamental computing concept. I’ll review the basics.

A cartoon-style image of a surprised person sitting in front of their computer. The computer screen is overflowing with colorful pop-up ads, each showing products that the person has recently viewed online, like electronics, books, and clothing. The person's expression is exaggerated with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, capturing their shock and confusion about the nature of these targeted ads. The setting is a quirky home office with a vibrant desk, a fun, stylized chair, and playful decorative items in the background.

Why Do Ads Follow Me Around the Internet?

Advertising networks notice what interests you. It might be a little creepy, but it’s not malware.

Can My ISP Monitor My Internet Connection?

Your ISP controls your internet connection, and it’s easy for them to monitor the data you send and receive. The question is, why would anyone monitor your internet?

A 16:9 photorealistic image showing a magnifying glass hovering over an email icon. The scene is set on a desktop background, with the magnifying glass closely examining the email icon, symbolizing scrutiny and attention to detail. The email icon should look digital and modern, representing electronic communication, and the magnifying glass should have a realistic and detailed appearance, with a clear lens and metallic frame.

How Can Newsletter Senders Tell That I Haven’t Opened Their Newsletter?

It’s impossible to truly determine if someone opened an email, but newsletters worrying about their reputation try to get an idea.

Can I Get Malware From Opening an Email?

It used to be that simply viewing a malformed email could allow a virus to spread. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case.

How Do I Fix Windows Update?

Windows Update can get confused or stuck. I’ll review ways to fix Windows Update, including what I refer to as the nuclear option.

Thumbnail featuring a distressed-looking USB flash drive with an error message on a computer screen saying 'RAW'. The background includes faint symbols of a hard drive, a cloud, and a backup symbol, emphasizing the lesson on the necessity of backups and the risks of relying on a single storage device. The image conveys the urgency and importance of data recovery and backup, suitable for a video about recovering data from a failed flash drive and the importance of regular backups.

How Do I Recover Flash Drive Files?

Flash drives are popular, convenient, and extremely useful. But they can fail. Take preventative measures right away.

How Do I Get Wireless Internet?

You hear a lot about wireless internet, but it’s not something you can just connect to anywhere. It’s more often something you purchase and set up.

How to Use Just a Single Password for Everything

It’s very tempting to use only a single password everywhere. That’s dangerous, and there are better alternatives.

My Computer Doesn’t Work — What Do I Do?

People often ask what might be broken if their computer does nothing. It’s a long list, and I’ll look at some possibilities.

Thunderbird: a Free, Open Source, and Powerful Email Client

Thunderbird is a robust and powerful email program that can meet the needs of both light and power users. I use it all day every day.

How Do I Change My Email Name?

Changing your email name is usually easy, but changing your email address involves setting up a new account.

My Computer Is Infected With Malware. Should I Just Throw It Out?

Malware is just software. It doesn’t destroy your computer’s hardware in any way. Some work will get you back up and running without needing to destroy anything.

Why Shouldn’t I “Forward to Everyone You Know”?

We often get forwarded email warning us about everything from lost children to free money to crooked politicians. They’re mostly bogus, and they’re known as urban legends. Here’s how to tell.

What Is a Browser Cache? How Do I Clear It?

Clearing your browser cache is the first thing to try when you encounter webpage problems. I’ll look at why and how to clear your cache.

Why Do I Have Constant Disk Activity in Windows?

Unexplained disk activity is easy to identify with the right tools. We’ll use Process Monitor.

Will Email Bounce If I Send It to a Closed Account?

If you send email to an invalid address or a closed account, you may get a bounce back. You just can’t count on it.

What’s the Difference Between Outlook, Outlook, and Outlook.com?

Microsoft continues to confuse us with product names. I’ll clarify the difference between Outlook, Outlook, and Outlook.com, and help you decide which you want.