HeroicStories

Copying text from error messages or images can be difficult. OCR tools like Text Extractor make it easy. I'll show you how.

What OneDrive does with your files can be both frustrating and confusing. I'll walk through two important issues: what's really on your computer (or not) and the impact of using OneDrive's horrid "backup feature".

Any security software can miss something. It's important to understand why this is and what you can do about it.

The Windows clipboard is a fundamental and exceptionally useful feature that many take for granted. I'll review what it is and what it's good for.

The concept of phishing has spawned a variety of "ishing" terms. They represent different ways scammers try to achieve a common goal: to scam you. I'll review what they all mean.

I want to explain why I have more than one recommendation for a backup program. Talking about one doesn't mean I've stopped recommending the other(s).

I wanted to see if I could live without OneDrive and avoid the risk that OneDrive would make changes I didn't request. Turns out, it's not that hard. I'll walk you through what I did and how I did it.

A BIOS password provides a surprising amount of security on a computer -- so much that if the password is lost, chances for recovery are slim.

Printer problems can be frustrating. I'll show you a quick, safe, easy technique to try first.

I share my rule of thumb for choosing the size of an external backup drive.

There's a lot of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about the supposed risk of using Windows 10 past its end of support. Here's what I think.

The results are in for last year's most common passwords. The implications are depressing.

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes you just want the words! I'll show you how to use Windows built-in Snipping Tool to extract the text from an image using its built-in OCR.

Windows 12 isn't even a glimmer in anyone's eye yet. Anyone that says different is misguided and/or misleading. I'll review what we do and don't know, and who you should and shouldn't pay attention to.

Passkeys and hardware authentication keys are completely different but partially related. You can use some, but not all, hardware keys as passkeys. I'll clear up the confusion, and tell you what to look for.

Before giving away a machine or returning a loaner, it's important to remove your personal information from it. That may be both harder and easier than you think. I'll show you where traditional suggestions fail, and what you need to do instead.

Connectivity is becoming an added perk in some housing situations. Make sure you know the risks and alternatives when someone else provides your internet connection.

When it comes to links on webpages and HTML email, what you see is not always where you go. Hovering over a link is an important technique to look before you leap.

Disaster planning includes thinking about your technology and online access.

You would think that for such an important concept as end-to-end encryption there's be some agreement on exactly what it means. Sadly, not so. There's the correct definition, and then there's the marketing definition. One protects you, the other not so much.

CHKDSK, short for Check Disk, is a utility that checks the integrity of the files and file structure of your hard disk. I'll walk you through it.

There are many ways accounts can be compromised. There are also many simple ways you can protect yourself.

Floppies come and floppies go, but C: is apparently forever.

It's common to want confirmation your machine hasn't been compromised in some way. We can get close, but we can't prove it.

Some people are afraid to leave their external backup drive connected. They're trading a small risk for a much, much larger one.

Many Windows components log messages and use Event Viewer to display them. Sadly, the messages are often cryptic and inconsistent, and the result is a mess that scammers take advantage of.

My favorite question? You'll never guess. Hint: it makes my job super easy, and you don't want that.

Can we apply AI to the problem of spam? We're already there.

Losing a device with a passkey to one of your accounts will not lock you out.

Want your old Start menu? We can do that. Want to tweak the taskbar in useful ways, including its position? Start11 can do that too.

It can be difficult to get wireless network coverage throughout your home.

Windows 11 Home vs. Pro: which should it be, and why?

These days, you don't need to worry about leftovers unless you're tracking down a specific problem.

You'll often find testimonials and offers of amazing account recovery success. It's a trap.

Backing up your computer's data is critical. The best program is whatever you'll actually use.

The internet has a very long memory. Removal from search engines is pragmatically impossible, and I don't think it's what you really want anyway.

I just don't see it happening.

It seems like every online service provider includes some kind of cloud storage as a perk. It's easy to feel overwhelmed.

The latest workaround allowing you to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account.

There are many ways to find information on the internet. Here are a few tricks of mine that can work for you.

We'll look at how to display hidden files and folders in Windows Explorer.

Security updates and security software have different jobs, and that difference matters.

Your hard disk could be BitLocker encrypted without your knowledge.

It's time to start thinking about what AI can do for you.

Let's say you want to partition your C: into two drives. I'll show you how.

I hear of free email accounts being lost constantly. Here's how to reduce your risk and use free email accounts safely.

You may choose to wait on that.

It's your data, so it's your responsibility to back up the information you keep online.

The single biggest complaint about Windows 11 is the Start menu. Don't like it? There's an app for that.

[glossary_exclude]It's complicated[/glossary_exclude] by Leo A. Notenboom Transcript (A pre-written script that I riffed from while recording the video.) That some of our software comes from overseas is, I hope, not news. Globalization is strong in technology. However it is you're watching or reading this, you can bet that components used in the software, computers, networks, and servers come from all over the world. When it comes to tech borders are in many ways irrelevant; it's one big planetary market. With recent political events and the rise of geo-political tribalism, those borders have become a little less imaginary. In fact, depending on the border you're talking about they're on the top of many people's minds. Case in point: I've recommended the backup program EaseUS Todo for a long time. One of the push-backs I get semi-regularly is that the company is based in China. While it's not prominent on their website, the corporate information can be found. CHENGDU Yiwo® Tech Development Co. 18F-K, Building 2 Huaxi Meilu, No.17 Section 3 of Renmin South Road Chengdu, Sichuan, 610000 China I received a comment recently: Question: [glossary_exclude]Why do you feel safe about using software from this Chinese owned company?[/glossary_exclude] My response is the same as it's been for years: There's been zero evidence of any wrongdoing. Zero. And I'm an evidence-based guy. If there's eventual evidence of wrong doing, then I'll drop my recommendation, but that's true for any software I use, regardless of the source. But I totally understand that even without evidence, more folks might be concerned in the light of heightened trade war issues. Here's the problem, though: there are few domestic alternatives. (To be fair, I've not evaluated every solution, so maybe there is. But that's kinda not the point.) So much of the software we use originates in other countries, or has massive contributions from overseas sources. A selection of backup and restore tools: Acronis: Singapore and Switzerland (though originally Russian in origin) Aomei Backupper: Hong Kong Ashampoo: Germany Hasleo backup: unknown(!). Macrium Reflect: UK Nero BackItUp: Germany Paragon: Germany DriveImage XML: US (Hawaii), though it's not the complete solution I generally look for and recommend. Open source tools like CloneZilla, and others invite contributions from around the world. It's not just backup software. Kaspersky is a great example of security software that's been explicitly banned -- without evidence, that I'm aware of -- because it comes from "the wrong country", a country some have concerns over, while others apparently do not. And it's not just software. Consider all the hardware we rely on every day. Components come from all over the planet, including China. It's complicated. Honestly I'm less concerned about espionage than I am about the practical impact of the trade war. I would not surprise me if, at some point, EaseUS and other products originating from China were banned (or tarriffed into oblivion) much like Kaspersky, not because of evidence of wrong doing, but simply by being a pawn in a larger geopolitical game. The net result would be fewer and or more expensive options for us all. I'd expect there to be evidence if there were actual espionage or data theft from tools like EaseUS Todo, especially after all this time. I'm comfortable using the tools until either there's proof of malicious behavior, or until the geopolitical situation says I can't have them any more. If you feel differently, that's fine. There are alternatives, but you'll need to choose once again just who it is you do trust. I mean, you're trusting someone, likely several someone's all over the planet, every time you even turn on your computer and connect to the internet. What's your take? Are you avoiding China, and if so based on what? Principle?

Disposable email addresses are convenient for some things, but it is important to understand what they offer and what they don't.