We often get phone calls from people telling us "My computer was hacked." My response normally is, "Not likely!" What Probably Happened Why "My computer was hacked" Is Probably False Despite what you might think, hacking a home computer is rarely high on a hacker's To-Do list. (He or she is far more likely to …
Author: John Grubb
I've been working on computers since 1983! I love helping people resolve their computing issues and sharing preventative measures, as well.
My App Pick For February
Today I want to share my app pick for February. Microsoft Translator In today's world, where we "meet" online with people from countries all over the world, being able to communicate is critical. Oh, and not just online. We meet people IRL1 who don't speak our language. Again, communication is critical. Let me give you …
Fifteen Computing-Related Rules You Should Follow
I want to review fifteen computing-related rules you should follow. If you've been a customer of ours for a long time, most of these should sound familiar. The same is true if you've been a blog subscriber for a while. Unfortunately, we see people all the time in Remote Technical Support who aren't following some …
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Searching – The Unusual Ways
Let's Talk about Searching - The Unusual Ways You may not know about searching - the unusual ways. Sure, you know about normal searching. You type in some words and hit the search button. Or maybe you even know about using the microphone to verbally search. Since you already know about these methods of searching, …
Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
I'm not sure I've ever actually seen chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Have you? Still, at this time of the year, you can't help but think of this event. The song is everywhere! (Of course, in my opinion, the song belongs to Nat King Cole.) Not What This Is About Chestnuts roasting on an …
Microsoft and Apple Won’t Do This
You need to remember that Microsoft and Apple won't do this: they won't, really. What won't they do? They won't cause pop-ups to appear which try to scare you. No pop-ups telling you to not turn your computer off. Or, asking you to call a toll-free number. No pop-ups telling you there's a zillion infections …
I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
Seriously, I want a hippopotamus for Christmas! Why, Joyce even bought me a shirt with that same message. (See above!) A Hippopotamus For Christmas? Do I really want a Hippo for Christmas? If you are asking if I want to have to feed, house, bathe and care for a real semiaquatic mammal which can weigh …
Android Users Should Do This
Seriously, Android users should do this: make sure anti-virus/anti-malware is installed. Why It's Important If you use an Android tablet or smartphone, you need to make sure you have software installed to protect your device. Last week, it was reported that over 300,000 Android devices were infected. A fake banking app was the cause of …
Windows 11 Changes: 5 You Should Know About
Here are 5 Windows 11 changes you should know about! Whether you've already upgraded to 11 or purchased a new computer with 11, you should know about these changes. If you haven't decided whether your going to upgrade or stay with Windows 10, perhaps what I share will influence your decision. Windows 11 Changes - …
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Spammer Tricks
Today, I want to talk about a number of spammer tricks we are seeing all the time. Have you read my post entitled "Fighting Spam" or watched my YouTube video named "How To Eliminate Spam/Junk Emails?" If you have, you probably know that I recommend marking spam emails "Spam" or "Junk" rather than just deleting …
3 Common Email Mistakes
Are you making any of the 3 common email mistakes we see all the time? According to Statista, 306.4 billion emails were sent and/or received per day in 2020. Yes, you read that correctly - billions! With that in mind, it's important that you eliminate mistakes with your email. You need to do this for …
Windows 11 Update Info
Now that it's here, let me share with you some Windows 11 update info. We're already hearing a lot of confusion from our customers so, hopefully, this post will clear everything up. Which Window Does Your Computer Show? If you check your Windows computer for Updates (Settings-Update & Security), you'll most likely find one of …
Pin A Tab Or Group Tabs
Pin A Tab Did you know you can pin a tab in your browser? What does that mean? It means if you have a webpage that you use often but you don't want to make it your Home Page, you can pin it to the left of all of your tabs. (In the picture above, …
If You Use Windows 11 or 10, Do These Three Things Now
Do you use Windows 11 or 10? If so, there are three things you should do right now. I'm going to share them in today's post. Sometimes Things Go Wrong If you use a computing device, things do sometimes go wrong. (Although this post isn't about Mac products, things go awry even in the Apple …
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Things You Should Know About Modems
If you use one, there are things you should know about modems. But, let's start with some basic information first. What Is A Modem? The word "modem" is actually short for modulator-demodulator. If you search for the definition of the word modem, you might get lost in all the technical babel. In simple terms, a …
No More Microsoft Passwords
Finally, no more Microsoft passwords! Yes, you read that correctly. You can now delete your Microsoft password forever! Password Troubles Over the years, one of the most aggravating aspects of computer usage has been passwords. Let's see if you can relate to any of these password troubles: You forgot your password.Your password was lost.You changed …
How Tooltips Are Being Used For Phishing
It's important that you understand how tooltips are being used for phishing. First, I'll explain terms and then I'll outline the phishing process being used. Definitions Tooltips Are you familiar with the term tooltip? You probably see them all the time when you use a computing device but you might not know the term. Let's …
Why BIOS And Firmware Updates Are Important
In this post, I'm going to explain why BIOS and firmware updates are important. I often find that customers who log in to Remote Technical Support ignore these kinds of updates. If you want to keep your computing devices secure and working properly, these updates should be installed. Definitions Before I delve into the heart …
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Windows 11 Is Coming October 5th
Many people are surprised by today's Microsoft announcement: Windows 11 is coming October 5th! Most of us were expecting the release to be closer to Christmas. What This Means On October 5, 2021, eligible Windows 10 PCs will be offered the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 11. Notice that Microsoft states "offered the opportunity." For …
How To Disable Amber Alerts On Your Smart Phone
In this post, I'm going to share how to disable Amber Alerts on your smart phone. However, a word of caution: this is something you should do only on a temporary basis. What Are Amber Alerts? Although you probably already know the definition for "Amber Alert," I'll just reiterate it. An Amber Alert is an …
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How To Create A Playlist On YouTube
If you're going to use YouTube, it's important to know how to create a playlist. I'll give you all the info you need right here in this post! What's A YouTube Playlist? In my post, "How To Subscribe To A YouTube Channel," I explained the term "channel." I also mentioned that to subscribe you need …
How To Subscribe To A YouTube Channel
In a recent survey I conducted, 68% of the respondents indicated that they didn't know how to subscribe to a YouTube channel. Honestly, I was shocked that the percentage was that high. If you've read my post, "5 Awesome YouTube Dance Mashup Videos," you know that I feel using YouTube is an important computing skill. …
5 Questions And Their Answers From August 2021
I want to share 5 questions and their answers from August 2021 which have been brought up by our customers. As you probably know, after 15 years, I stopped writing the Question of the Week email. (See my blog post "2020 Finale.") Still, we are asked questions that others might be wondering about. With that …
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Big Computing Companies And Their Customer Support
There's something you should know about big computing companies and their customer support. While you might find what I'm going to share shocking, I'm only aiming to educate you. My goal is to keep you from being fooled and spending money for unneeded services. The Toll-Free Help Line If you've ever bought a computing-related product, …
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iOS15 Is Coming!
iOS15 is coming! The Beta version is out and I've installed it on my iPad. In this post, I'm going to share two features you'll find in the new Operating System (OS). Do You Own An Apple Product? If you own an iPhone, iPad, iWatch, AppleTV or Mac computer, there's a new Operating System headed …
5 Awesome YouTube Dance Mashup Videos
I want to share 5 awesome YouTube Dance Mashup Videos with you! In a previous post, I've shared my 5 favorite YouTube music-related channels. Plus, I've referred to YouTube in many other posts. Why am I pushing YouTube? There's A Selfish Reason But There's More To It Than That Naturally, I want you to get …
Talk To The Stars
Have you ever wanted to talk to the stars? No, not the ones high up in the sky. I mean those who people consider stars a.k.a. celebrities. Did you know, thanks to the Internet, you can do just that? Cameo If you visit the App Store or the Google Play Store, search for the app …
Windows 11 And Malware – Fake Downloads
Scam Virus Spyware Malware Antivirus Concept I want to warn you about Windows 11 and malware. As you know from reading my post, "Windows 11: Developer's Edition," Windows 11 is available for testing. In fact, maybe you've even watched my YouTube video titled "Windows 11." But there's a problem. Fake Downloads It's unfortunate but it's …
Windows 11: Developer’s Edition
You may recall I talked about not panicking over Windows 11. (In case you didn't read what I wrote, you'll find it in my post, "Stay Open-minded About Windows 11.") Every time a new operating system comes out, whether Windows or Mac, people go crazy with theories, worries and doubts. I urge you to not …
Computing Devices During Bad Weather – Part 2
As I mentioned in part one of this post, "Computing Devices During Bad Weather," every year around this time, I like to talk about our computing devices during bad weather. Why now? We're located in Florida and it's hurricane season, that's why! Even if you're not affected by hurricanes, all of us can be hit …
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