AskBob's Best of 2017 - Part One

Your Favorite AskBob Stories of 2017

As always, there were some key concepts that dominated the year in tech. Data Breaches... Ransomware... Windows 10... Cryptocurrency... the Internet of Things. Those phrases also popped up often in the most popular items published here during 2017. Whether you're a long-time reader, or a recent subscriber, I'm sure you'll enjoy reviewing the first installment of my "Top Ten" list below. Part Two will be arriving on Friday.

1. Ten Windows 10 Tips

In 2017, I published a series of ten Windows 10 tips. Like it or not, Windows 10 is taking over the PC world. If you have already upgraded to Windows 10, you may find in this series help with difficulties that continue to plague you. If you have yet to take the plunge, this series will help you install and learn Windows 10 systematically, without giving up your beloved Windows 7...

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2. Why Do Computers Crash? Here are Seven Reasons

It’s a real pain when your computer locks up, freezes, crashes, or displays the dreaded "blue screen of death" with some cryptic error message. This sort of problem can be devilishly difficult to diagnose, because many things can cause a computer to crash. Here are seven common causes of computer crashes and some tips on how to deal with them...

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3. Get Your Free Credit Reports Online

In the wake of the massive data breaches of 2017, many people are asking how to get free credit reports, so they can check for fraudulent entries. So is it true that you can get THREE credit reports every year for free? YES! Read on to learn how it's done, and how to avoid the potential pitfalls. You'll also pick up some tips on avoiding scams and identity theft, and learn the difference between a Credit REPORT and a Credit SCORE...

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4. 7 Reasons to Trash Your Fax Machine

If you're still clinging to an old-school fax machine, here's a newsflash... the 80's are over! It's time to join the Internet fax age, which started about 20 years ago. Fax machines are mechanical dinosaurs in a high-tech world -- inefficient, expensive and wasteful, compared to the digital alternatives that exist. Here are SEVEN good reasons to give that old fax machine the boot...

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5. Can You Trust ScanGuard?

Quite a few readers asked me about ScanGuard, a program that popped up all over the Internet, promising cleanup, optimization, and protection for your PC. The hype sounded a little too good, so I investigated, and was surprised at what I learned. My review of ScanGuard turned out to be one of the most popular topics of the year...

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6. How to Get FREE Satellite TV

Can you really get free satellite TV? Yes! If you're paying for satellite TV service, it may surprise you to learn that there's a free version, too. "Free to air" (FTA) satellite TV delivers thousands of channels of broadcast content via satellite to consumers all over the world. Read all about it, and also, learn about the Free Satellite TV on PC scams you should avoid.

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7. Can You Still Get Windows 10 For Free?

The last day to get a free "official" upgrade to Windows 10 was July 29, 2016. Many of us chose to let that opportunity pass, following reports of ongoing bugs in the new OS. But now, 18 months later, the major bugs in Windows 10 seem to be resolved, and it’s time to upgrade. The question is, can you still upgrade for free? The answer is YES, MAYBE. But you'll have to act on this before the end of 2017...

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8. Protect Your Computer With Free Anti-Virus Software

Readers often ask for my recommendations on antivirus protection. A common question goes something like this: “I got a trial version of Norton (or McAfee) antivirus with my computer, but the subscription expires in a few days. Should I pay, or switch to one of the free anti-virus programs? What do you recommend?” Read on for my updated list of the top FREE antivirus tools, and some tips on choosing free versus paid...

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9. Boost Your WiFi Signal: Ten Tips and Tricks

Wireless devices are everywhere now... from laptops to smartphones, tablets and ebook readers. Even printers and hard drives can be connected to a wifi network. So it's important to get the best possible signal from your wireless router. Here are 10 ways to boost or extend your WiFi signal, and most of them won't cost a penny. Oh, and you'll also want to read about Five Wifi Security Mistakes you must avoid.

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10. Free Hard Drive Tune Up Tools

Keeping your hard drive in tip-top shape is one of the best things you can do to maintain or improve the performance of any device that has a hard drive. When things go wrong, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. Here are some of the most common tasks that must be done with hard drives and free software utilities that make them a breeze…

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I hope you enjoy reading (or re-discovering) each of these, and of course, leave your own comments! Tomorrow I'll have Part Two of AskBob's Best of 2017, so stay tuned!