Longest hiatus is over

Image via Wikipedia Due to many circumstances, busy scheduling, and a couple of short trips, I have been noticeably absent from posting new articles here at HelpMeRick.com the last few months.  Thanks for continuing to search for and use the information found within these virtual walls to help make your computer life just a little easier. During these past few weeks, I have helped many, many people with their...

Why are Facebook games easier than general compute...

Twice in the past week I came across clients who consider themselves computer illiterate (I abhor this phrase, but that’s a whole different issue.yet could operate Facebook games like a professional gamer.  The two folks (one woman, one man and both well over 70) have difficulty understanding how email operates in terms of servers, providers, etc, have not learned how to copy and paste, think that Google is THE...

Slow computer or slow Internet?

A common problem I hear throughout my week is “My computer is slow.” I finally learned to ask, “Is your computer slow, or is your Internet slow?” The computer user usually pauses, thinks and often responds that it is his or her Internet that is slow; not the computer. When I sit down at a client’s computer, I can quickly determine the health of a computer based on how quickly I can perform simple...

Computer Help Show Podcast – 11-18-09

Adam and I talked to a few listeners today, ranted a little about this negative article of Twitter in our local newspaper, gave some Christmas / holiday gift giving advice, and much more in this month’s radio show. Have a listen and remember to tune in live next month on December 16! Podcast: Play in new window | Download

System Engineer fed up with Windows vulnerabilitie...

Interesting article from a ZDNet author, Christopher Dawson,  who also works full-time as a school district computer engineer. Despite locking down Windows computers with security software, tweaking firewalls, and making sure all Windows updates are up to snuff, threats still sneak into their computers. I understand the frustration he exhibits in the article regarding the time and effort spent fighting these...

Should government have right to cut off Internet s...

Senate Bill 773 provides for protecting the country’s tech infrastructure by declaring a cybersecurity emergency. This emergency would authorize the government to shut down Internet access to key non-governmental computers and networks. If passed, the bill would create a whole new government agency that trains and certifies cyber-security professionals to help manage and carry out the rules set forth in this proposed...

Yet another reason to ditch Microsoft Office for w...

This news story has flown mostly under the radar of most computer users for weeks. In a nutshell, it’s a patent infringement suit brought upon Microsoft by a Canadian company called i4i. The suit alleges that Microsoft knowingly used proprietary technologies in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007. Last week, a judge in Texas, ruled in favor of i4i and ordered Microsoft to remove Microsoft Word from being sold and fined them...

Senior uses Ubuntu system 14 months trouble free

Computers started making their way into homes, en masse, 15 years ago. After 15 years, computer users should not be afraid of using their computer. This case study tells the story about a customer of mine, Wanda, who happens to be in her 70s. Like most computer users she used a Windows based computer. In her case, it was a system put together by her grandson in 2002 or 2003 and has a 1.8ghz processor, 256mb of RAM and the XP...

New computer users

Today alone, I ran across two brand new computer users. It irritates me when I see commenters on some of my YouTube videos and elsewhere on the web make fun of the fact that some people can’t copy and paste or create a table in Microsoft Word or perform any number of computer tips I  teach through this site and via my instructional videos. Computers can be intimidating enough for someone new let alone have the added...

Don’t buy a new computer yet!

If you can at all help it, I still recommend waiting to buy a new computer until later this year. Unless you are willing to move to Ubuntu or a Mac. The reason being that more and more evidence is pointing to a fall release of Windows 7…Microsoft’s next Widnows release. Analyst sees Windows 7 done by summer | Beyond Binary – CNET News.

Free online computer classes

Chalmers said that he enjoys doing free computer classes at HP Learning Center.