Category Archives: Computer Questions and Answers

Questions and answers on a broad range of computer related topics

Q. I have lost the password to my router – how do I reset it?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by quill

Where can I find my WPA or WEP key? ———————————– You created it when you set up your Wi Fi router.  Hopefully you wrote it down- the best place to record it is the inside cover of your router’s manual. … Continue reading →

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Q. Is there free software for recording and mixing music?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by quill

Audacity is a great program for Windows and Mac – here are some links for it and for additional resources www.computer-answers.ca/2011/music-recording/q-i-downloaded-audacity-to-edit-mp3s-now-how-do-i-use-it/ Sony Acid Express (Win only)  www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/freestuff MULab Free (Mac and Win shareware) www.mutools.com/mulab-product.html Rosegarden (Linux) www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/Rosegarden/ And of course, … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I get the data off my hard drive so I can reformat or replace it?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by quill

The easiest way is to buy an external hard drive. Yes, it will cost some money but you really need to have a backup drive for your data. Don’t ever trust your data to one media device only.  Every hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, General Computer, Hard Drives and SSD, Mac questions, Windows questions | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Q. Can I hook my computer up to my TV?

Posted on January 14, 2012 by quill

It depends what outputs you have on the computer, and what inputs you have on the TV. If you have a VGA output on the compter only, then you will have to have a VGA input on the TV. There … Continue reading →

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Q. My hard drive is running out of space – why?

Posted on January 13, 2012 by quill

The space used on your hard drive is data that you have put on it, plus the operating system, plus any programs you have installed and the data files they generate. Have you Emptied your Trash?  When you throw files … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I upgrade the video card in my machine?

Posted on January 13, 2012 by quill

You can upgrade the video card in a desktop Windows machine as long as 1) The motherboard has an available PCIe x16 slot, 2) There is physical space in the case for a full length, double width card (most modern … Continue reading →

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Q. Why won’t a microphone work when I plug it into my Mac Mini?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by quill

This is because the Mac Mini’s input jack is a Line input not a Mic input (this is true of some other models as well). A microphone produces a signal that is many times weaker than a line level signal. … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I restore a Windows computer to the factory settings?

Posted on January 5, 2012 by quill

Completely re-installing a computer Did your computer come with Restore or Recovery DVD or CD disks?  You would use those to reformat the drive and restore / re-install your machine. These will put your machine back to the state you … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I build a gaming computer under $2000? (Dec 2011 edition)

Posted on December 18, 2011 by quill

Updated December 2011 A few things have changed since our last article.  Hard drives are way up in price, and SSD drives and RAM have come down in price.  Let’s see how this affects our sub-$2000 gaming machine build.  Once … Continue reading →

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The hidden MacBook RAM upgrade

Posted on July 28, 2011 by quill

Apple has consistently published specifications for machines that state limitations on how much RAM the machine can take. In some cases, experimentation has found that certain Macs can take more than the ‘official’ amount of RAM. iMac, MacBook and MacBook … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I build a $1500 – $2000 gaming computer?

Posted on July 27, 2011 by quill

See the previous article on building a sub-$1000 gaming computer Once we get to a $1500 – $2000 budget for a gaming machine, we can look at a better-appointed case and some serious graphics power. We’ll start with the over-clockable … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I build a gaming computer for $1000?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by quill

An exercise in budget computing is to build a computer that will give acceptable gaming performance for under $1000. The biggest bang for the buck component in a gaming computer is the video card, so sacrifices will have to me … Continue reading →

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Q. My Macintosh loses its settings and date?

Posted on July 9, 2011 by quill

If your Mac reverts to a date in the past when you turn it off, or forgets its Startup Disk or Network settings and time, then it means that the PRAM (parameter RAM) memory is getting reset, and the primary … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I know if a website has a virus?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by quill

Downloading files from websites (especially pirated files) is risky no matter what. The files may not be what you think they are, and may contain malware installers.  Or the site may be ‘poisoned’ and try to automatically download malware to … Continue reading →

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Q. I’m selling a Windows 7 machine – how do I get my data off?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by quill

First back up ALL of your personal data. Don’t forget your email data files and your browser bookmarks If the machine has the option to make System restore CDs do it now. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-a-system-repair-disc Also go to the manufacturer’s website, download … Continue reading →

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