Terry, Sandee, Mark, Colleen, Don, Eve, Greg, Yolanda, Luke, and Tom wrote in this week and asked about a free offer for a pay product from AVG (hint, it was not from the real AVG), receiving multiple photos in Gmail, Yahoo antispyware tool via toolbar, creating DVDs from video camera, changing text size in Windows 7, AVG & Windows Defender… Read More »Rick Answers His Email Videocast – Episode 070
Todd, Robert, Steve, Peggi, Shannon, Dennis, Terry, Russel, Theresa, San Miguel, Gary, Sandi, Harold, Joan, Pam, John, Belmira, Justin, Diane, Anne, Andrew (who paid $5 to be first this week), Regina, Dave, and Kathy asked questions about: obtaining old computers to experiment with, problems with a network controller, using Microsoft Security Essentials, working with video files from a Panasonic camcorder,… Read More »Rick Answers His Email – Videocast 069
Windows 7 has definitely cleaned up a lot of loose ends created in Windows Vista and added some new features as well. One of the new features is a little superfluous, yet remarkably kind of fun and easy to remember. It is a new way to maximize a window. In all previous versions of windows, the most popular way to maximize… Read More »Learn how to use new maximize method in Windows 7 – Video Tip
Questions in this week’s edition came from Dennis, Phyllis, Gav, ZillaMay, Regina, Al, Gail, Jim, Viggo, Oliver, Mike, Peggi, George, Chris, and Robert.
They asked about why Yahoo’s web address changed, a strange Google Maps API issue, trouble burning CD/DVDs, starting a non-profit web page, speeding up a computer, creating an instant shutdown icon in XP, installing and using flash player, saving photos, monitoring a high speed Internet connection, small print in Windows 7, web streaming directory, small fonts in Yahoo email, loud startup sounds, how to delete a Gmail account, and sending photos via email.
Here’s the complete package…sound is still being tweaked on my new machine, but better than last week:
The past couple of weeks, I’ve spent many hours cleaning up some behind the scenes, under the hood type things here at HelpMeRick.com. I promise not to make any major changes to the web site again, but I continue to strive to find just the right place for everything on the site.
Making my tips and tricks and video tutorials easy to find, easy to read, and easy to share are my goals.
I will probably move the search box back to the very top of the page, and put the category listingRead More »Cleaning things up around here
Please excuse my audio this week…new computer and didn’t test mic first. Back on track next week. 23 questions and answers this week. Questions came from Ken, Leo, Thomas, Sandra, Wally, Eve, Boyd, Chuck, Sandra, Sam, Timothy, Patrick, Phil, Patrick, Patrick (were these three different guys?), Alana, Jesse, Drew, Michael, George, Paul, and Rita. They asked questions about updating to AVG… Read More »Rick Answers his Email Videocast – 067
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!
We started the Riding Shotgun series nearly three years ago to give folks a look at what it would be like to ride shotgun as Adam and I made our rounds as roving computer helpers/trainers.
I have used the platform to share anecdotes that happened during the day, post pictures of cool computer setups, climb aboard my soapbox and yack about computer security, passwords, etc, and share tech tips and solutions I learned throughout my day.
Yes, I learn something new every single day. If I can’t think of something that I learned on any given day, I consider that day incomplete.
Today, for example, I visited 6 homes and returned countless calls in addition to answering some email from customers. What did I learn through all this?Read More »What did you learn today?
Tons of questions today from Dan, Charline, Jader, Chinmoy, Raymond, Quen, Shirley, Lorraine, Deb, Janat, Walter, Gloria, Bsil, Jim, Kim, Phil, Debbie, Sue, Dave, Harold, and Terry. They asked about virus removal, router settings, changing the desktop, setting up email in Thunderbird, new tech advice, lost Gmail password, learning how to use a Mac, Adobe Flash woes, another router issue,… Read More »Rick Answers his Email Videocast – 066
I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating on occasion with new visitors to our site and long time visitors who haven’t learned yet. The advice is simple: DO NOT DOWNLOAD FREE SCREENSAVERS, EMAIL PROGRAMS (Incredimail, etc), GAMES from the Internet. Unless you are WELL versed in the origin of these items, they can easily destroy your computer’s ability to compute.
The most common computer ailment (for Windows users) searched on the Internet is “slow computers”. Sadly, “slow computer disease”, SCD*, does not have to be the pandemic it is because it is 100% preventable. Here are my 5 simple rules to prevent SCD:
1. Install and keep Internet security software current. Recommendations: AVG Anti-virus, a software or hardware firewall and a good anti-spwyare program or two. Check our Links & Resources section for recommendations.
2. DO NOT DOWNLOAD FREE CRAP FROM THE INTERNET UNLESS YOU KNOW ITS ORIGIN AND SAFETY.
3. Use Mozilla Firefox or Opera as your primary Internet browser instead of Internet Explorer, MSN, or AOL. This tip alone can save your computer.
4. If you have teenagers or young adults who use your computer, forbid the downloading of free music through services like Limewire or any other shady site (refer to #2)
5. If you do suspect SCD, get it looked at immediately. Waiting for it to cure itself will only make SCD worse.
BONUS TIP: If your computer suffers from SCD, Defrag will NOT help it. No matter how many times you Defrag your computer, it will NOT help SCD.
© *SCD is a copyrighted term of Castellini on Computers, HelpMeRick.com and Rick Castellini. Use of the term SCD is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Rick Castellini or administrators of HelpMeRick.com