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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?"...
Internet Explorer 8 Versus Firefox
Should you use Internet Explorer version 8, or the new Firefox version 3.5? Which is better, faster, easier to use? Read on for my comparison of the latest versions of the two most popular browsers......
Geekly Update October 20
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of October 20th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, computer security, online happenings, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Is Your Hard Drive Dying?
How long will your hard drive last? Is it giving you subtle signs that a data disaster is looming? How will you know when it's time to buy a new hard drive? Here are some things you can look for......
Surge Protectors
"I'm looking for a surge protector for my computer equipment and I'm wondering if those power strip models with built-in surge protection are any good. What should I look for when trying to protect my computer from lightning strikes?"...
Data Recovery
So you were working on that big presentation for the boss, when suddenly the power went out and your computer shut down. And when you restarted the computer and ran your software it said "Cannot open file; file corrupt" or...
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......
Is Cloud Storage Safe?
"I'm using cloud-based services like online backup, web-based email and document sharing. But I really don't know much about the safety and security of cloud computing. How vulnerable am I?"...
Which Online Backup Service Is Best?
If you listen to talk radio, you've probably heard online backup services like Carbonite, Mozy and iDrive advertising incessantly. Let's take a look at each of them, to see what they offer......
Upgrade Vista to Windows 7
"I'm currently running Vista on my home computer, but I've heard that Windows 7 is faster. Should I upgrade my Vista to Windows 7, or leave well enough alone?"...
Geekly Update August 3
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of August 3rd, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Hard Drive Recovery Services
"My hard drive was making a clicking sound, and now it won't start up at all. Should I try to fix it myself, or send it to a hard drive repair service?"...
Recover Deleted Files - Free
There is almost nothing worse than losing important files when you experience a finger fumble, brain freeze, or computer crash. But never fear, there are tools that can help you recover those lost files, and some of the best ones...
Windows 7 is Coming
Windows 7 does not sleep... it waits. Will the eagerly awaited successor to Vista be a winner in the marketplace? Read on for a preview of what to expect in Windows 7......
How To Mess Up Your Computer
Aside from actually drop-kicking it or smashing it with a sledge hammer, it's fairly difficult to actually "break" a computer. That said, there are a number of ways to render your computer just slightly more useful than a doorstop. Certain...
Malware Scanners
"There are so many malware scanners to choose from, when trying to protect against adware, spyware and other online threats. Which one(s) do you recommend?"...
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...
Automatic Backups
"My hard drive failed last week, and my latest backup was a year old. So I lost pretty much ALL of my important files. Can you recommend an AUTOMATIC backup that just works?"...
Low Disk Space Warning
"Windows is giving me a warning that says 'You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (C:).' My friend told me this is not important and offered to disable the warning popup for me, but I'm not sure....
Internet Collapse
"I've gotten some forwarded emails claiming that the Internet is doomed to collapse very soon, unless some big changes are made to the infrastructure. Is it true… is the Internet going to go "poof" and vanish in a cloud of...
Mechanical Turk
"Can you explain what Mechanical Turk is all about? A friend of mine uses it to make money by doing small jobs, but I've heard some people say it's more like slave labor. What's the deal with Mechanical Turk?"...
iTunes Alternatives
"I'm getting frustrated with iTunes for many reasons. Are there some good iTunes alternatives for Windows and Linux users?"...
Firefox Version 3
"I just read that Firefox 3 is now available. What new features does it have, and should I upgrade now, or wait a while?"...
Vista to XP Downgrade
Windows Vista was launched with much fanfare and was touted as the operating system for a new generation with a slick graphical interface and many new features. But the reaction to Vista has been mostly lukewarm, and many customers are...
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...
What Is a Rootkit?
Rootkit... the name sounds innocent enough. Kinda like something your Grandma would use in her garden. Actually, rootkits are a particularly nasty form of malware, created to wreak havoc on computers....
Switching From Windows To Linux
If you thought computers only came in two flavors, think again. There are other operating systems besides Mac and Windows. In fact, most of the computers that power the Internet are running Linux. This free operating system is robust, secure...
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...
Recover Deleted Files
It's happened to all of us at some point. One stray mouse click, and poof! You've deleted a file that you did not mean to. But must it really be the final goodbye to that file? Happily, there are tons...
What is Second Life?
"Some of my friends are really into Second Life, they say it's the future of the Internet. Looks like Sim City on drugs to me... What is the big deal with Second Life -- who is playing and why?"...
Too Many Spyware Scanners?
"I downloaded a spyware scanner, which detected many problems. I then had to pay for the software to fix all the problems, which I did. But... since then my computer crashes often and I cannot get into some web sites....
Windows PreFetch
"I've heard that Windows XP will run faster if you disable something called PreFetch. Apparently Windows remembers everything you have done and, in a misguided attempt to be helpful, pre-loads all the files and links when XP boots. What's your...
RPC Server Unavailable
After helping a friend clean up a nasty spyware infestation, we had one remaining problem. Windows would say "RPC Server is Unavailable" when starting up, and also later when trying to print or install new software. Some other things just...
Myspace Music Problems
"I added a song to my Myspace profile, but it won't play automatically. Other Myspace profiles have music that starts playing when I visit them. How can I make sure the music plays when someone views my profile on Myspace?"...
Secure Your Computer!
Cyberspace malefactors are enslaving millions of unsecured computers into zombie networks that are responsible for spewing out mountains of spam and attacking legitimate websites that oppose the spammers. Is your PC part of the problem? Find out now......
What is LSASS?
"When I run Task Manager, I see a process named lsass.exe that is active. I'm worried that this might be a virus... should I get rid of it?"...
Fiddling While Your Hard Drive Crashes
After reading about the sounds that a dying hard drive makes in Click of Doom, long-time reader MmeMoxie sent me a link to something absolutely hilarious. It's music based on the sounds of hard drive failures......
Hard Drive Makes a Clicking Sound
"My hard drive is making a clicking sound. It started recently and seems to be getting more frequent. Sometimes I hear a repeated click-whir sound and then the computer locks up. Does this mean my hard drive is going bad?"...
Computer Humor
"Every day I get the same lame jokes in my email that have been making the rounds for years. Are there some websites you can recommend for really good computer humor?"...
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?"...
The Best Free Software
"I see lots of freeware and shareware available on the Web, but I'm never sure if it's safe to download them. Are there good alternatives to the expensive shrink-wrapped software packages for sale in stores?"...
What is Windows OneCare?
Microsoft has announced a new service called Windows OneCare. Is it something you need for your computer? Maybe... If you're worried about not doing everything you should to keep your PC optimized and safe, then Windows OneCare is something that...
Backing Up Your Files
Sooner or later, something terrible will happen to your hard drive. That's not a very happy thought, but the good news is you can survive a hard drive failure with only minimal inconvenience -- if you back up your files....
System Hangs
My system with a P4 processor and 1 Gig of RAM hangs quite often. I run Task Manager and it shows 100% of CPU use each time it hangs. This usually happens when opening or downloading PPS files. I'm running...
Too Many Emails?
Does having too many emails in my inbox cause my computer to freeze up?...
Backup Eudora Spam Filters
I am creating 10-20 new spam filters in Eudora each day. But I am afraid that I will lose them in the event of a computer crash. It would take a tremendous amount of time to recreate them. How do...
Blue Screen of Death
"I wonder if you know what it means when a dark blue screen comes up saying Windows has encountered an error. It shows "Bad Pool Caller" and a lot of things about reinstall. The tech info is "Stop" with lots...
Restoring from Backup
I have used PowerQuest DataKeeper 5.0 for backups for some time. A year ago my hard drive crashed. I attempted to restore some files with DK but was not successful. I have DK backup copies of these files on an...
Hard Drive Crash
I have a Maxtor 160GB hard drive that has crashed and won't boot up. So I figured I would put in another hard drive and load up XP on it to boot and make my old hard drive a slave....
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"format drive"
spyware OR virus
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