We’re working on our Spring editorial calendar and we want to make sure that we’re answering the questions that are burning in your brains. So please, post your questions here, on Facebook and Twitter, or email us at help@computergeeks2go.com!
And be on the lookout in the next few days; we’re going to tell you how to spring-clean your PC!
Photo Credit: Microsoft Office
Your computer is making strange noises and the hard drive sounds like it’s trying to grind coffee beans.
But it’s no problem for you. You can sit back, safe in the knowledge that you have all your data backed up. If the hard drive crashes, you’ll just put in a new one, re-install Windows and reload all your valuable data.
That’s how it would work in a perfect world anyway.
Unfortunately, for the majority of computer users, a “backup strategy” consists of crossing their fingers and telling themselves that a hard drive crash will never happen to them, if it even crosses their minds at all.
If that sounds at all like you, then please keep reading!
I’ve seen a lot of questions online and in my email lately asking “How do I choose a wireless router?”
It can be an overwhelming choice, especially for those just starting out on their wireless journey. There are so many to choose from, they have their own alphabet, and some come with more features than the Starship Enterprise.
With that in mind, I started a new “How-To” article series to help answer some of these questions. These articles are geared mainly toward those folks who know little to nothing about wireless networks and this one, specifically, deals with how to go about choosing the right wireless router for your home and technology needs.
My wife’s a smart lady, but a couple of weeks ago we were replacing our home wireless router and she found herself a bit stumped. So she did what any smart person does when faced with something unknown; she asked a bunch of questions.
During her gentle 3rd Degree, I realized the questions she was asking were the same questions I’ve been seeing lately in my email and online and a new “How-To” article series was born, this time on the home wireless network.
These articles are geared toward those folks who know little to nothing about wireless networks and this first one, specifically, covers the ABCs of wireless networking.
You’re careful about checking your doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed at night. You store your personal papers in a secure location. But did you know that, depending on how you use your personal computer, an identity thief may not need to set foot on your property to steal your personal information?
Now that virtually everything from shopping to banking to filing your taxes can be done with just a few clicks of the mouse, more of your personal, and personally identifiable, information is stored on your home computer. This could be anything from birth dates to tax returns. The tips below can help you keep your computer, and the personal information it stores, safe.
Power surges occur when the flow of electricity is interrupted then restarted, or when something sends electricity flowing back into the system.
Surge voltages can range from five or ten volts when you turn on a small appliance, to thousands of volts when lightning strikes a transformer.
Passwords are a pain to create, and for those of us whose memories have more holes than a colander, even more painful to remember. But consider, for a moment, all of the personal information protected by that password:
In this technology rich age, even your children’s school grades are online. Without a strong password acting as the gate to the city, the thundering internet hordes have full access to your inner most details on the “net.” With just a few pieces of personally identifying information a savvy internet thief could be booking trips to Costa Rica, or worse, committing crimes, under your name and leaving you to pay the bill.
“VoIP” stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol” and is fairly self-explanatory. Basically, VoIP is a means of converting analog audio signals (your voice) into digital data that can be transferred over the Internet. In other words, you can make a phone call using your personal computer’s (PC) internet connection rather than your land-line or cell phone.
You’re in the market for a new computer, but how do you know whether to choose a desktop, laptop, or tablet? It boils down to asking yourself one simple question:
How am I going to use this new computer?
With a desktop, you get more power and features that just can’t fit into a laptop-sized package. You also tend get more for your money with a desktop. If space is not an issue and you don’t need to lug your PC around with you, then a desktop is your best choice.
Congratulations on your decision to buy a new laptop. Don’t be overwhelmed by all of the choices there are for laptops. We help you breakdown the selection process to seven easy steps.
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