Changing the default browser used to be simple — and then along came malware. It’s still easy to change the default browser; it’s just different.
Windows
How Can I Boost My Laptop’s Performance?
There are a host of items that contribute to your computer’s (lack of) performance. I’ll review some of my top issues.
How Long Does Windows 7 Have Before It’s Phased Out?
The end is coming for Windows 7. But what does that really mean?
Coping With Gray Text
Gray text is a problem for many people. Unfortunately, there’s no simple solution, though there are some (very) ugly ones.
How Do I Clean Up After Windows Update Breaks Other Applications?
Software rot can result in odd behavior, including a Windows update causing other software to fail. Here’s one approach to try to get things working again.
Why Do System Cleanup Utilities Report So Many Errors on a Supposedly Clean System?
System and registry cleaners often report wildly differing results. The reason? Sales tactics, and no clear consensus of what it means to be clean.
Is There a Real Alternative to Windows?
Only Windows is Windows. There are alternatives, but whether they’re right for you depends on you.
How Can I Make the Text on My Screen Larger?
There are several ways to adjust the size of text and items on your screen. I’ll discuss a commonly-used wrong way as well as the right way.
How Do I Move the Taskbar Back to the Bottom?
Occasionally, the Windows taskbar can end up on either side (or even the top of) your screen. I’ll show you how to move the taskbar bar back to the bottom.
How Do I Decompress All the Files that Windows Compressed for Me?
Windows includes the tools needed to uncompress files that you (or prior versions of Windows) might have compressed using Windows File Compression.
What Is Pagefile.sys? Can I Delete It?
Pagefile.sys is the “paging file”, or system file, that contains Windows’ virtual memory. You can remove it — if you understand the ramifications.
Can I Copy Windows 10 System Files to Another Drive?
Copying, moving, and licensing Windows 10 isn’t nearly as simple as we might like.
Coping with Windows 10
Windows Update seems less than reliable. How can you prepare for what may or may not happen without tearing your hair out?
Do All These Software Updates Take Up More and More Disk Space?
Staying up to date is an important part of staying safe. Sometimes that means disk space is slowly used for more and more updates — and sometimes not.
How Do I Figure Out My Windows Edition?
The “edition” of Windows you’re running — Home, Pro, or others — defines some of the features made available. It’s not difficult to find out which edition you have.
How Do I Fix Jagged Fonts in Windows 10?
A simple setting I’d assume to be on by default, wasn’t. As a result, the text on my screen looked … ugly.
Using OneDrive for Nearly Continuous Backup
OneDrive can be used for many things, but one of the most valuable is ongoing online backup.
What’s a Screen Shot and How Do I Make One?
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a screenshot – an image of your computer screen, saved as a picture – can eliminate a lot of frustration when trying to describe to someone what you’re seeing on your computer.
Critical: Back Up Before the 1809 Windows 10 Update!
The October 2018 Windows 10 Update is apparently deleting some people’s files. Here’s how to prepare and protect yourself.
Is it Safe to Delete This File?
Looking for large files when running out of disk space makes sense. I’ll look at the steps to determine whether a file, such as a .dat file, may be important.
How Do I Upgrade Windows from 32-bit to 64-bit?
If you have a 64-bit capable machine, you may want to upgrade from 32-bit Windows to 64. Unfortunately, the upgrade, while quite possible, isn’t easy.
Can I Tell If Something’s Been Pasted Instead of Typed?
In theory, pasting text is the same as typing it. Except when it’s not.
How Do I Remove My Personal Data from My Computer Running Windows 10?
It’s almost impossible to remove all personal information from a Windows installation, short of one extreme option.
Do “Fix All Your Windows Problems” Utilities Work?
‘Fix All Your Windows Problems’ is a claim made by many products and utilities, and it’s best viewed with skepticism. We’ll look at how to evaluate some of those claims.
Why Do Windows Updates Mess Up My Computer?
We hear of Windows Update messing up computers. I’ll look through one scenario and offer some advice and a reminder: it’s not your fault.
Why Do Things Disappear from the Clipboard When I Close a Program?
Sometimes the clipboard behaves mysteriously. Let’s look at why.
Where’s My Disk Space Going?
It’s not uncommon to run out of disk space. A free utility can show where your disk space is going so you can determine what steps to take.
Where’s the Recycle Bin on My USB Drive?
Relying on a Recycle Bin can be a costly mistake, particularly when USB and other removable drives may or may not even have one.
How Do I Clean Up After Windows Update?
What Windows Update leaves behind isn’t trash at all, but rather files with a specific purpose.
Do I Need These Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables?
Assorted redistributables and shared libraries are often installed on your PC by programs that need them. Removing them, while tempting, is fairly risky.
Why Does My Microsoft Word Document Display Differently on Different Computers?
Microsoft Word documents display differently on different systems because of differences between the systems. Getting Microsoft Word documents to display identically typically means processing them into something else.
Fixing Windows 7 Boot Problems
Your Windows 7 Setup disc can help you repair many types of boot problems.
Why Did Deleting a Desktop Icon Delete the Program?
The Windows desktop was intended to hold shortcuts to files located elsewhere, but it’s not limited to that.
What’s the Difference Between Hibernate and Sleep?
Hibernate and sleep are two optimizations to the boot/reboot process that can speed things up.
How Do I Find Out What Program Is Using All My CPU?
Occasionally, one program uses up all of your computer’s processing resources. Using Task Manager, it’s easy to figure out which program that is.
Why Does My Screen Go Black When My System is Out of RAM?
If your monitor suddenly goes black due to being out of RAM, it’s likely your computer has crashed.
What’s the Difference Between Windows 10 Home vs Pro Editions?
I prefer Windows 10 Professional edition. Here’s what I consider the important differences between Windows 10 Home and Pro.
Why is Windows 10 Telling Me “There Is a Problem with Your Microsoft Account”?
So-called “problems” with your Microsoft account may refer to Windows, or to other applications on your system.
How Do I Get the Windows 10 Creators Update 1709 to Install?
Every Windows 10 update should just work. Unfortunately, for some, they just don’t.
How Do I Disable Windows Updates in Windows 10 Home?
Windows 10 Home edition gives you little control of Windows Update. I do have a fairly large hammer you can use.
Why Does My Machine Take Forever to Shut Down?
Booting your machine can take time, but sometimes so does shutting it down. Various issues contribute to a slow shutdown.
Why is My System Slow If the CPU Is Mostly Idle?
The purpose of the System Idle Process is to get out of the way to let other processes run. So what does it mean if the SIP is using 100% CPU on your slow system?
Is Windows 10 Still Free?
If you meet a couple of criteria, you can still get Windows 10 for free, at least until the end of the year.
The First Dozen Changes to My Newly Reinstalled Windows 10
A peek into my priorities as I install apps and make changes after a Windows 10 reset.
What’s This New “People” Icon in My Taskbar?
A new icon has appeared on the Windows 10 taskbar. I’ll review what it is and how to make it go away.
Answering “How do you want to open this file?”
Deciding how you want to open a file depends on knowing what the file contains and knowing what program will understand that.
Why Does My Computer Say I Need to Be Administrator, When I Am?
We’ll look at why Windows asks you for administrator privileges even though you are the administrator, and what to do when it does.
What Are Hiberfil.sys and Pagefile.sys, and How Do I Remove Them?
Hiberfil.sys and pagefile.sys are two Windows system files that support two very important features: hibernation and virtual memory.
When Is It Safe to Say “Yes” to User Account Control (UAC) Notifications?
User Account Control, or UAC, pops up when programs need special permission to do something. I’ll look at when those are, and are not, appropriate.
The Four Characteristics of Computer Speed
A friend’s slow computer provided an opportunity to review the four primary characteristics of computer slowdowns.