Articles tagged: The Best of Ask Leo!
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.
Is a Periodic Password Change a Good Thing?
Conventional wisdom says to change your passwords periodically. I disagree.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
Why Didn’t Microsoft Fix This Horrible Bug?
Not all bugs will be fixed or fixed quickly. Not all bugs are even bugs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
What Are Hiberfil.sys, Swapfile.sys, and Pagefile.sys, and How Do I Remove Them?
Hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, and swapfile.sys are Windows system files that support two very important features: hibernation and virtual memory.