Recent Comments
Comment by chris on Forgot Your Windows 10 or 11 Password? Here's the Solution (June 2, 2023 03:00 PM)
Maybe I am missing something. Instead of going through all of this, can't you just write down your passwords? I have a Rolodex with all of my account...
Comment by Neil McPherson on Forgot Your Windows 10 or 11 Password? Here's the Solution (June 1, 2023 11:15 PM)
Hi Bob, Your instructions to creat a password recovery disk above did not work for me. There was nowhere in 'User Accounts' to do this. The instructi...
Comment by Ernest N. Wilcox Jr. on Forgot Your Windows 10 or 11 Password? Here's the Solution (June 1, 2023 11:04 PM)
There is one more way to make sure you never lose access to your local account. I have a desktop PC and three laptops. One of the laptops is my primar...
Comment by Hill on Forgot Your Windows 10 or 11 Password? Here's the Solution (June 1, 2023 09:50 PM)
I think that if your disk is encrypted, and you kick off your password with one of these tricks and then log in without the password, your disk doesn'...
Comment by DaveM on Forgot Your Windows 10 or 11 Password? Here's the Solution (June 1, 2023 09:19 PM)
All great information (as usual). But important to note that none of this applies if you sign into Windows with a PIN - a completely different beast t...
Comment by Cold City on Forgot Your Windows 10 or 11 Password? Here's the Solution (June 1, 2023 07:35 PM)
Thanks to the openness of Microsoft compared to Apple you can get around. A friend of mine inherited an iPad but the first owner was dying of a diseas...
Comment by BillP on How to Erase Your Hard Drive - Going Nuclear? (June 1, 2023 05:45 AM)
To Steve and Ernie: After the drive is wiped, download Windows from Microsoft, and install it. It will automatically activate, once the computer is co...
Comment by Thomas on Review: PC Matic Gets a Zero! (May 31, 2023 04:37 PM)
I used PC Matic for a year or so. This month, I switched due to PC Matic's handling of software installations. Their White List must be really short a...
Comment by Frank on How to Erase Your Hard Drive - Going Nuclear? (May 31, 2023 12:29 AM)
I have always done as Bob suggested in the last section.. I have disassembled the drive and taken each platter and drilled a few holes in them. They...
Comment by Bill Ferguson on How to Erase Your Hard Drive - Going Nuclear? (May 30, 2023 09:22 PM)
Forget all the fancy programs. Simply remove the HDD or SSD from your computer, put on a pair of safety glasses, go out to the back yard and place you...
Cloud Articles
How Secure (and Private) is Cloud Storage?
Today I have an answer to those who say “I would NEVER put my files out there on some cloud server... they're much safer on my hard drive!” If you're thinking about using cloud services like file storage, online backup, webmail and document sharing, you may wonder about the safety and security of cloud computing. The parade of high-profile data breaches in the past year may have some people worried. So are your files and sensitive data safe and secure in the cloud, or are they vulnerable to hackers, snoopers and other threats? Here's the scoop on cloud storage security...
...Is Cloud Storage Private and Secure?
If you're thinking about using cloud services like file storage, online backup, webmail and document sharing, you may wonder about the safety and security of cloud computing. The parade of high-profile data breaches in the past year has some people worried about the security of cloud services. Are your files and sensitive data safe and secure in the cloud, or are they vulnerable to hackers, snoopers and other threats? Here's the scoop on cloud storage security...
...Getting Started With OneDrive
Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage feature now comes installed by default with Windows 10. That OneDrive folder is on your File Explorer tree and there is no getting rid of it, even if you deactivate the OneDrive app. Microsoft wants OneDrive to be always part of your Windows experience. So let’s see what OneDrive can do, and why MS is pushing it so hard...
...Try These Free Cloud Services
Cloud computing is at once a buzzword, and a simple, versatile concept. Just turn over your data and software needs to the experts up there in “the cloud” of the Internet. Let them worry about storing your data, keeping it secure, organizing it, and maintaining software that lets you manage it. Check out these different types of cloud services that offer convenience, productivity, security and even entertainment...
...Is Cloud Storage Secure and Private?
Are you using cloud services like file storage, online backup, webmail and document sharing? Most people don't know much about the safety and security of cloud computing. The parade of high-profile data breaches in the past year has some people worried about the security of cloud services. Are your files and sensitive data safe and secure in the cloud, or are they vulnerable to hackers, snoopers and other threats? Here's the scoop on cloud storage security...
...[CLOUD] Stashing Stuff Online?
Cloud storage has come a long way since 1983, when CompuServe offered its members 128 kilobytes of disk space to store any files they wished. Now it's common for cloud providers to offer multiple GIGAbytes of online storage for free. Let's take a look at the best places to store your files online...
...[UPDATE] Free Cloud Storage Services
When I first wrote about “free cloud storage services” way back in January, 2014, there were a lot from which to choose. But as the industry has consolidated and people have become more dependent upon cloud storage, the number of cloud storage providers offering free space has shrunk. Read on to learn who still offers free cloud storage for your files...
...[SIGH] The Phish That Wasn’t
Cybercrooks thrive on FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. When a massive breach of a retailer’s customer database occurs, crooks swoop in to con panicked consumers. Every tax season, when people are tearing their hair out, con artists impersonate the IRS. And when Microsoft reneges on a promise and its customers rebel, phish start flying. Huh, what? Read on for the details; all will be revealed...
...[POOF] What if Google Disappeared?
A recent tech kerfluffle involving a home-automation service first got me irritated because the media, again, inaccurately spun a story to create FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). Then I got thinking, “What if this happened to something that matters, like Google?” Let's explore that thought...
...Stashing Your Stuff Online?
The cloud storage market has come a long way since 1983, when CompuServe offered its members 128 kilobytes of disk space to store any files they wished. Now it's common for cloud providers to offer multiple GIGAbytes for free. Let's take a look at the best places to store your files online...
...Will YOU Pay the Netflix Tax?
This month, the City of Chicago extended its 9% “amusement tax” to include “electronically delivered amusements” such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and even pay-per-view cable TV programs. And these new taxes could be headed to your city next. Here's what you need to know...
...Juggling Free Cloud Storage Services?
I’ve written about how you can amass over a Terabyte of permanently free cloud storage space by signing up for multiple cloud storage services. The only problem is that you end up with multiple sign-ins, multiple places to search for files, and hassles in moving files from one cloud service to another. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Check out these tools that make your cloud storage look like files and folders on your local hard drive...
...Hive: Free Unlimited Cloud Storage?
I get suspicious when a website offers me “free unlimited” anything. So when I saw Hive's offer for free and unlimited cloud storage, I was both hopeful and skeptical. Read on to learn what I discovered about Hive...
...7 Cool Things You Can Do With Dropbox
You can do more than just drag-and-drop files to Dropbox, and you don’t have to jump through a lot of hoops to do so. Here are seven of the coolest things you can do with Dropbox…
...Save Money With Hybrid Cellular Phone Service
How does this sound to you, savvy mobile communications customer? A mobile smartphone that does talk, text, and web over WiFi for only $5/month? Or unlimited talk & text even without WiFi for $10 a month? Or talk, text and data for $25/month? Read on to learn how it's possible...
...Eight Free Cloud Services You Should Know About
Cloud computing is a simple, versatile concept. Just turn over your data and software needs to the experts up there in “the cloud” of the Internet. Let them worry about storing your data, keeping it secure, organizing it, and maintaining software that lets you manage it. Check out these different types of cloud services that offer convenience, productivity, security and even entertainment...
...Backup and Sync with SkyDrive
The latest version of Microsoft SkyDrive gives other cloud storage services a run for their money. SkyDrive offers the most free storage space of any major service, and has some compelling features. Here's what you need to know to get started with SkyDrive...
...Seven Free Cloud Services You Should Try
Cloud computing is a simple, versatile concept. Just turn over your data and software needs to the experts up there in “the cloud” of the Internet. Let them worry about storing your data, keeping it secure, organizing it, and maintaining software that lets you manage it. Check out these seven different types of cloud services...
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