computer

Fri
19
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Why you Should Not Rely on a Disk Clone as a Backup

Infopackets Reader 'Mike' writes: " Dear Dennis, [Regarding your post about the TorrentLocker Ransomware virus , I would like to hire you to help me set up a backup on my system to help keep me protected against such threats. As for my question, I ... have a Windows 7 Lenovo desktop with a 1 TB internal hard drive] ... I want to clone my internal hard drive to an external hard drive , maybe once a week. I then want to reverse clone the hard drives [in case I get hit with a virus like TorrentLocker] ... It seems intuitive that [when I clone the hard drive for backup, that] both hard drives should ... (view more)

Mon
15
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Laptop cursor jumps around screen as I type?

Infopackets Reader 'Mary' writes: " Dear Dennis, In regard to your previous article ' How can I find the Cursor Position on my Screen? ' -- my cursor often wanders around the screen when I'm typing text on my laptop. Sometimes, I end up typing in a ... new word in the middle of another word somewhere else on the screen. Oftentimes I can't find where my cursor went; once I do find it, I need to make corrections, then point it back to where it needs to be, then resume typing. It's incredibly vexing! Do you have any suggestions on how to avoid this from happening? " My response: This is a very ... (view more)

Fri
12
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

How can I find the Cursor Position on my Screen?

Infopackets Reader 'lewfrazier' writes: " Dear Dennis, Sometimes I when I'm viewing a page on my web browser (or MS Word, for that matter), I can't find the cursor on the screen. Is there a freeware program I can download that will help me locate ... the cursor on my screen? " My Response: That's a great question -- thanks for asking. You can locate your cursor by tapping the CTRL key on your keyboard, but you first need to enable this feature in Windows (no download is required). The 'cursor location' feature works with Windows XP, 7, and 8; here are the ... (view more)

Mon
08
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Recovery Disk is Full; Can I Delete Files?

Infopackets Reader 'pthamilton' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Dell XPS M1330 laptop computer. I get frequently recurring messages that my D drive (recovery drive) is full. Can I delete files on my recovery drive? Also, if I upgrade to Windows 7 or ... Windows 8, will it stop the 'disk is full' error messages? Thank You. " My Response: In general, it is not recommended that you delete any files from the recovery drive, as it contains disk image files used to restore your system to default configuration when you first purchased the computer. If you downloaded or copied files onto the D drive, you ... (view more)

Fri
05
Dec
John Lister's picture

Experts: Avoid Windows XP Update 'Trick'

Earlier this year, a hack was discovered that would allow Windows XP users to continue receiving security updates , despite Microsoft no longer officially supporting the system . However, experts are now warning users that the hack guarantees ... neither security, nor stable computing. Windows XP: No More Security Updates Microsoft finally pulled the plug on Windows XP in April this year , including all future security updates. The problem is that many people still continue to use the operating system, despite significant security risks . The Windows Embedded hack essentially tricks Windows XP ... (view more)

Wed
03
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Adobe Photoshop freeware alternative?

Infopackets Reader Helen M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I need your advice once again. I am 80 years old and have gone back to work as a volunteer; one of my jobs is to make up posters. I only have Microsoft Word, which is not [exactly] ideal for making ... posters, and I don't want to invest in an expensive software such as Adobe Photoshop. The price to learn it at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City is $275! Can you recommend [an Adobe Photoshop freeware alternative] that is inexpensive and easy to use? I am computer literate. I thank you for all you do. " My Response: Off the ... (view more)

Fri
28
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

How to Search and Remove Duplicate Files (Freeware)?

Infopackets Reader Brenda T. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a lot of duplicate word documents and pictures in my computer. I would like to know what is the best way to find the duplicate files and delete them? Do I need to buy a special program? And ... if so do you recommend one? " My response: That's a great question -- thanks for asking. You don't need to buy a special program to search for and delete duplicate files, as there are plenty of excellent freeware programs that will do just that. One program in particular that comes to mind is NirSoft's SearchMyFiles . This ... (view more)

Fri
21
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

New, Used PC: How Do I Change User Name in C:\Users?

Infopackets Reader 'miannone' writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently purchased a new [Windows 8.1] desktop computer (or so I thought) from a big box electronic store. It should be noted that I did not utilize the 'pay-for-setup' process that the sales ... people attempted to convince me was the only way to go. I took the machine home ... [and booted it up] first time. It went through all the necessary updates; ... [once complete, I started] the customization. It was then I noticed that [my hard drive already had a user named 'Sam' defined on it. For example, even though I am the only user on this ... (view more)

Mon
03
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

How to Build an External HD?

Infopackets Reader John R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a question regarding how to make a custom built external 2.5 inch USB hard drive (similar to the Western Digital My Passport drive). First, can you tell me: do external USB hard drives operate ... similar to 3.5 inch hard drives found in PCs? Also, are 2.5 inch hard drives just as reliable as the 3.5 inch desktop PC hard drives? Lastly, do you have any recommendations for external 2.5 inch hard drive enclosures? " My Response: For what it's worth, the Western Digital MyPasport hard drive is a solid unit (I own the 2TB model ), but it tends ... (view more)

Mon
27
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

How can I Recover Pictures, Videos from a Mobile Phone?

Infopackets Reader 'Lagrangestacy' writes: " Dear Dennis, How can I recover a video from today that was deleted from my phone? " My response: You didn't mention which phone you have, so I will provide general information on file recovery for mobile ... phones using a PC. First and foremost: mobile phones use either micro SD memory card to store data, or internal phone memory, or both. Depending on where the deleted video is stored, you can try to use your Windows PC to recover the files. You can either: a) Take out your micro SD card in your mobile phone and attach it to the ... (view more)

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