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Windows Password Reset
"I changed my Windows login password yesterday, and now I can't remember it! Is there any way to reset the windows password, so I can regain access to my computer?"...
Inexpensive Computer Upgrades
"My computer is showing signs of age, but I can't afford a new one. What hardware upgrades do you recommend to improve speed and usability for those with older computers?"...
Geekly Update November 2
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of November 2nd, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, computer security, online happenings, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on.....
Microsoft Office Web Apps
Office Web Apps is Microsoft's answer to Google Docs and other online office apps. Even if you don't have MS Office installed on your computer, you will be able to create, edit, save, and share Office documents with other people...
Internet Explorer 8 Crashes
Many users report that Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 locks up or even crashes their entire PC, under a variety of circumstances. They want to know why. Here's the scoop......
System Restore Not Working
"I tried to run System Restore and got this error message: 'System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer's files and settings were not changed.' Uggh. Why does this happen, and what can I do about it?"...
What is Data Execution Prevention?
"I keep getting an error that says 'Data Execution Prevention - To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program.' What is Data Execution Prevention, and why is it suddenly blocking programs that I've been using for years?"...
What Does System Restore Do?
System Restore is a great feature in Windows that lets you roll back the clock on system changes. Have you ever wondered how System Restore affects your computer's resources, performance and what's really going on behind the scenes? Read on......
How to Remove Rootkits
"What exactly is a rootkit, and how is it different than a virus? Also, how can I detect and remove rootkit infections from my computer?"...
Free Phone Calls With iPod Touch
"I have an iPod Touch, and it looks almost exactly like an iPhone. Just wondering... is there any way to hack my iPod Touch so it can make phone calls?"...
Partition Managers
Partitioning your hard drive is like putting up a digital fence, splitting your hard drive into distinct sections, each for a specific purpose. It allows you to install multiple operating systems, or just keep different types of data in their...
Hard Drive Backup Image
If you do everything just right, you'll end up with a perfect hard drive. Your operating system will be bug-free; your applications will play well together; your data will be neatly organized in folders; everything will be just perfect. And...
Upgrade From Windows XP to Windows 7
"I've heard good things about Windows 7, and I want to upgrade my XP system as soon as I can. What's the best way to move from Windows XP to Windows 7?"...
Free AntiSpyware Programs
"Everyone seems to recommend a different free antispyware program. Which is the best for protecting me against spyware?"...
Alternatives to Adobe Reader
"I have to deal with a lot of PDFs, and Adobe Reader just takes too long to open. Are there any good, free alternatives for PDF viewing?"...
Windows 7 XP Mode
"I'm getting ready to upgrade my XP system to Windows 7. I've heard there is something called 'XP Mode' that will allow me to run XP programs. What exactly is XP Mode and which programs will need it?"...
Laptop Security
The mobility that laptops and notebook computers provide has made it imperative for users to take steps to secure their computers. There are several simple things that you can do to keep your laptop safe. Read on to learn how...
Private Browsing
"Some browsers now have a 'private browsing' mode which is supposed to eliminate your tracks while surfing the web. How well does this work in practice, and which browsers support the private browsing feature?"...
Magic Jack - Good or Evil?
Perhaps you've read reports about spyware in Magic Jack, or heard claims that the company sells your private information to third parties. Here's the scoop......
Virtual Memory
"What's the difference between virtual memory and real memory? And how can I add more virtual memory to my computer?"...
Cell Phone Signal Boosters
Sometimes your cell phone can't pick up a good signal inside a building, on the road, or in remote areas. In some cases, a cell phone signal booster might help. Here's the scoop on which ones work and which to...
Partitioning Your Hard Drive
"I just got a new computer and I'm wondering about hard drive partitioning strategies. A friend told me to create a very small C: partition for a swap file, put Windows on the D: drive, and create several other parititions...
Accessing Blocked Websites
If you are a student, employee, or part of the military, you've probably experienced the frustration of not being able to access certain websites or even your webmail. Fortunately there are some things you can do to access these blocked...
Disable Vista UAC
"I'm getting popups on Vista saying "Windows needs your permission to continue." Is this spyware or something I need to deal with? If it's part of Vista, can I turn this annoying 'feature' off?"...
Ubuntu Hardy Heron
"I'm hearing good things about the latest Ubuntu Linux. Is there anything compelling enough in the latest release to save me from installing Vista on my next machine? Kinda hoping so..."...
Vista SP1 - Do You Need It?
"I've heard that Microsoft just released Vista SP1, a package of updates that will make Vista run faster. Should I install it? If so, how do I get Vista SP1?"...
Free Online Word Processors
"Microsoft Word is so expensive... are there free alternatives? I'd really like a full featured web-based word processor that allows me to access and store documents online, instead of my hard drive."...
Analog to Digital TV Conversion
Analog TV will cease to exist on June 12, 2009. Is this the end of free TV? Will your current TV set need to be replaced with a digital TV? Find out what the switch to digital television broadcasting means...
DRM Removal
Are you trying to convert iTunes music to MP3 format? Or maybe you have some "protected" WMA files that you want to convert? There are plenty of good reasons why honest people might want to use a DRM remover to...
Clean Hard Drive
Do you have a clean hard drive? If you're selling a computer or discarding a hard drive, you'll want to clean off your personal files first. Or maybe you're getting that annoying "low disk space" message. Don't ignore it, or...
No iPhone For Me
Apple's iPhone seems like the coolest gadget to hit the streets in a long time. It slices, it dices, it can browse the web, manage your calendar, take pictures, and even make a phone call. But here's why I'm NOT...
Hard Drive Recovery
If it hasn't happened yet, be sure that it will... you're working away on an important project and the computer freezes. You reboot, but instead of the familiar startup screen, you black screen with one of these ominous messages: DISK...
Burn ISO Image
"I just downloaded an ISO image file for a Linux install, but I can't figure out how to burn the ISO image to a CD. Can you help?"...
Is Webmail Better?
"I'm thinking about switching from Outlook Express to a webmail service. What are the trade-offs? Are some better than others? Is webmail secure?"...
Adding Memory
If your computer seems to stagger under the burden of your commands, responding slowly, freezing or timing you out; if working at your system feels like bicycling uphill, consider adding extra memory. Adding memory to your computer isn't so hard...
Switching From Windows to Mac
Devoted fans of Macs and PCs have been in heated debate for years, even before those "I'm a Mac", "I'm a PC" commercials ever appeared. Let's set aside the question of which camp is "right" and focus on the reasons...
Anonymous Web Surfing
Going online can be like taking a walk in the park after midnight. Behind every tree there may be someone getting ready to mug you. This article will tell you how to surf the web with a higher level of...
Changing Disk Partitions
"I downloaded Cute Partition Manager and was just about to delete the restore partition from the D drive of my old computer. I just want to make sure that doing so won't mess up the info on the C drive....
Registry Problem
"I had a problem with Windows XP. A friend entered the registry and did something to it. Now every time I turn the computer on I get a notice saying that Windows Installer is preparing to install. I can't now...
Convert iTunes Videos to MPEG
"I purchased videos on iTunes, but I can't play them on my video player, because they are in some 'protected' M4V format that only works on iPods. How can I convert iTunes videos to MPEG or WMV format so I...
LimeWire - File Sharing
"My kids are using something called LimeWire to download music and videos. They call it a a P2P file sharing program. Can you explain what that means, and how safe it is to use?"...
Spam Blocker
"I'm having a terrible time with spam emails. Suddenly I started getting dozens per day, and I can't seem to get rid of them. Is there a spam blocker or spam filter that's easy and just works?"...
CDROM Icon Missing
"When I go to My Computer the CDROM and DVD icons are gone. They were there yesterday, and working fine. It seems like this happened after I removed some CD burner software. Now I can't install anything from a CDROM,...
Fix MBR
"I was trying to fix a spyware problem and it seems I messed up my computer. Now when I start Windows XP, I get the 'MBR Corrupt' and 'Error loading operating system' messages. What should I do?"...
Blocking Myspace
"My daughter is 12 years old and I just found out she has a Myspace account with some stuff that's not appropriate. The account was deleted, but I want to make sure she has no access to Myspace in the...
System Restore
"Help! I downloaded a program that was supposed to remove spyware from my computer. But now I'm getting even MORE popups and my system freezes at random intervals. I tried to uninstall but can't find a way to get rid...
Reformat hard drive under XP?
"I have Windows XP and the system has gotten very slow and flaky. I would like to learn how to reformat the drive. Can you teach me in simple English how to completely format the drive and then re-install the...
Missing or Damaged DLL files
"When my uncle's PC is powered up he gets message CAN'T LOAD MSMGR32.DLL -- I have to click on it three times until the message no longer displays. Is there a way to keep the message from displaying, or do...
Backup Outlook Express
"How can I backup my Outlook Express emails and address book? I tried the Export function but that doesn't work. I can't even drag and drop from the Inbox folder to a diskette or CDROM. Help!"...
Red X appears instead of image?
"Sometimes in my emails or websites, the images do not appear, but a little red X shows up. Can you tell me please how to correct this?"...
Add a Second Hard Drive
Adding a second hard drive to a computer system is an easy way to get around storage problems, and also a good way to protect valuable data. With the cost of hard drives dropping well below $1 per gigabyte, it...
Home Networking
"We just purchased a second computer and now we'd like to share the printer and Internet connection between them. How do I set up a simple home network?"...
Low Virtual Memory
"Recently I installed a game on a friend's computer and when we tried playing it, we would get a message saying 'Your system is low on virtual memory.' Can you please help us fix this problem?"...
Windows XP Security Tips
"Some of my geeky friends are telling me that Windows XP is full of security holes, and that I am putting my privacy at risk by going online with a Windows PC. Can you offer some tips to help me...
Internet Connection Fails
"I am using XP home with a cable modem connection, and quite often using while online, I get the error of can't find the server. I just lose my internet connection, and it says my TCP/IP needs resetting. How do...
Firefox Plugin Problem
A few months ago my FireFox autodownloaded a plugin called Zoomin. They then advised me that they had done this by a popup which instructed me to "click here to continue". When I clicked, the thing hacked my homepages (11...
Thunderbird Setup
I recently migrated from Netscape Messenger to Thunderbird. The migration worked perfectly, and I could send and receive mails with Thunderbird immediately after installation. But I have two questions. Thunderbird put my mail folders on the C: drive, while I...
Firefox and Plugins
I'm running Firefox and I wish to install Adobe Acrobat reader 6.0. When I run the installer, a window pops up and says I need to install Windows Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, then aborts the install. I have no...
How Does a Virus Spread?
"I love your site and your Tourbus Newsletter! I would like to know how a virus propagates over a network? If you get a virus on one computer - do other users on the network have to do anything to...
Scandisk Keeps Restarting
I'm trying to clean my computer like you suggested but when I run ScanDisk it keeps restarting. Finally I get a message "ScanDisk has restarted 10 times because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive." You mention...
How can I avoid computer viruses?
When I wrote in a previous entry "Do I need anti-virus software?" that "You CANNOT get a virus just by opening or reading your email" I fully expected it would unleash a torrent of emails in response. I knew this...
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