Category Archives: Computer Questions and Answers

Questions and answers on a broad range of computer related topics

Q. How do I know this online company is legitimate?

Posted on May 28, 2011 by quill

Do not give your personal information or credit card information to any website that you are not sure about. Google the company name, URL and address to see if there have been complaints on online forums about the company or … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet and Networking, Security | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Q. How can I secure my Mac?

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

What? Secure my Mac?  Why? Mac owners sometimes exist in a bubble of avoidance – believing that since Mac OS X is more resistant to viruses, they don’t have to worry about a thing to do with security. Bubbles inevitably … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, Mac questions, Security | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Q. How can I make my machine run faster?

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

Actually, this isn’t about making a machine faster, but about removing the things that are slowing the machine down. Before we get started, make sure you have a current backup of all of your data files. First step is to … Continue reading →

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Q. I can’t read new Word docx files in my older Word

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

With Office 2007 (Win) 2008 (Mac) and later, Microsoft has moved to new file formats for documents – .docx instead of .doc for Word, .xlsx for .xls in Excel, .pptx for .ppt in PowerPoint.  Older versions of Office applications cannot … Continue reading →

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Q. Help I spilled liquid on my machine

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

Liquids and electricity don’t mix.  Keep drinks, potted plants, etc. away from your computer. The first thing if there is a spill is: Immediately turn the computer off, unplug it (or remove the battery if it is a laptop). Wireless … Continue reading →

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Q. A DVD came with my new Mac, do I need to install it?

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

No, you don’t need to do anything with the discs – OSX and the standard applications are already installed on any new machine. When you start it up, it will play a short intro video and then lead you through … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I install a font into a program?

Posted on May 26, 2011 by quill

Fonts are installed into the operating system, and once installed should be available to all programs. How to install fonts Windows http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314960 http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/fixfonts/ht/install_fonts_w.htm Mac The simplest way is to drag fonts into the Library: Fonts: folder http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2435 Fonts often come … Continue reading →

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Q. My Mac just has a question mark on the screen

Posted on May 22, 2011 by quill

The ? means that the machine cannot find a drive with a valid operating system. This means either that your hard drive has failed, or the operating system on it is damaged. What to do: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1411?viewlocale=en_US Safe Mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564 (Starting … Continue reading →

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The Best Of: Video Cards

Posted on May 18, 2011 by quill

Here is an ongoing collection of highly rated and best value video cards and reviews, last update May 2011 Video card performance is not critical for office-based software or web browsing, the built in graphics in any machine made in … Continue reading →

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Favorite: Windows utilities from Piriform

Posted on May 18, 2011 by quill

Some utilities you use once in a blue moon. Some utilities you end up using every day until they become indispensable.  One company that makes shareware that is part of my everyday toolkit is Piriform. CCleaner cleans out cache files, … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, Favorites, Free stuff, Software, Windows questions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Add a SSD to a 2012 or older MacBook Pro or Unibody MacBook

Posted on May 18, 2011 by quill

One way to increase the performance of a MacBook Pro is to change the hard drive out for a fast Solid State Drive (SSD).  The problem is that large SSDs are still more expensive than hard drives, so getting faster … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, Hard Drives and SSD, How-To, Mac questions, Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Q. What is running on my PC?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by quill

How do I tell what programs are running on my machine that aren’t listed on the Task Bar? Hit Control – Alt – Delete — this brings up the Task Manager. Windows XP http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/taskman.htm Windows 7 http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/reap-the-benefits-of-windows-7s-task-manager/2576 You can now … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, Performance, Security, Windows questions | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Q. Can I use faster RAM with the slower RAM I have?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by quill

For example, your machine has PC2-4200 (533 MHz) DDR2 memory in it, and you have another module of PC2-5300 (667 MHz). Can you use it? Your motherboard’s memory speed will always be set to the speed of the slowest module … Continue reading →

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Q. Is PayPal safe?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by quill

PayPal the company is trustworthy However you are dealing with third parties who are sellers or buyers — and those third parties can be good or they can be a problem. There are many terms and conditions that can affect … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I use Photoshop?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by quill

Here is a collection of learning resources for Adobe Photoshop, the premier image editing program. I like the Missing Manual series of books the “Missing Manual” series http://missingmanuals.com/ Peachpit Press has good instuctional books, and video podcasts here http://www.peachpit.com/podcasts/index.aspx Adobe … Continue reading →

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