The Computer Tutor

I'm still seeing a LOT of these showing up, and clients still contact me to see if they are legitimate. Here's how to identify this scam.   There's a good chance you've gotten one of these emails at some point over the past several months. The scammers have been sending out a LOT of them – sometimes [...] Read more » The post The Norton and McAfee billing scam first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Do you have all your photos automatically saved to your Google Photos account? What if you want to download all those photos and save them to your computer? Here's how.   Storing all of your photos on Google Photos is a good thing. It's kind of like an automatic backup for the photos you take on your [...] Read more » The post How to download all of your Google Photos images first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If your computer is currently running Windows 10, like most Windows computers currently are, there's a new major update that's just been released – it's Windows 11. It's not something you want yet. For quite some time, Microsoft said that the last version of Windows would be Windows 10. They said they would just continue to [...] Read more » The post Blocking Windows 11 from coming in first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If your hard drive starts to show signs of failure, you want to know that as soon as possible. Here's how to get that alert nice and early. When someone says to you, “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” what do you say? For me, I am a “bad news [...] Read more » The post Check your hard drive health every day – automatically first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Did you know that Google Chrome can run a quick Safety Check on your computer? Here's how to do it.   Open Chrome, and click the 3 dots in the top right, and choose Settings. Then, scroll down to the Safety Check session and click on “Check now”. Chrome will take a few seconds and check for: Is Chrome up [...] Read more » The post How to do a Safety Check using Chrome first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

There are some people who use computers, but don't do text messages.  That sometimes presents a problem for them, but there's a way to get around it.   Here's an example of what I'm talking about. When you go to set up a new Microsoft account, one of the things they will want you to provide is a [...] Read more » The post An alternative way to send or receive text messages first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

When you're online, do you find yourself constantly having to manually type in your name and address when creating a new account? Here's how to do that with one click.   You know what I'm talking about. You see something on the internet you want to purchase, and it's for sale on some website where you haven't [...] Read more » The post Use Chrome to fill in your name and address first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Your Windows computer has a clipboard feature that you are probably not even aware of!   Before I tell you today's tip, a little background or “setup” information so that everyone is on the same page. One of the most useful features of a computer is the ability to Cut and Paste or Copy and Paste. If you [...] Read more » The post How to view your clipboard history first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

One of the most common things I hear from people is still this: “My computer is too slow!” The problem is, they could be talking about two different things.   This leads me to ask a clarifying question, so we know exactly what we are dealing with. I ask, “When you say it's slow, are you talking about [...] Read more » The post Two different ways your computer could be running “slowly” first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

You probably heard the announcement recently from Microsoft – Windows 11 is coming. Here's what you need to do. For quite some time, Microsoft held to their position that Windows 10 would be the last one. They would just keep doing updates to Windows 10, and there wouldn't be any “new” named versions of Windows. So much [...] Read more » The post What to do about Windows 11 first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Recently, Western Digital had a problem with a couple of their external drives. This caused a huge disaster for some users, who ended up losing all of their data. Here's what happened, and why those who follow my backup process had no problems.   First, let's clear up some terminology. A portable drive usually is slightly smaller than [...] Read more » The post The Western Digital backup disaster first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

A recent Windows update probably added a new icon to the lower right corner of your screen. If you don't want it there, here's the easy way to get rid of it.   Microsoft really loves to put things on your computer screen even though you didn't request it. Last week (June 8, 2021, to be exact) was [...] Read more » The post How to get rid of “News and Interests” first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Are you thinking about buying a laptop? Here are some things to consider before handing over your money. Manufacturer When someone is asking me about which brand(s) I recommend, my first response is to say that who makes the laptop is not as important as what's inside. In other words, it's more important to consider the specs [...] Read more » The post What to consider when buying a laptop first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Have you ever created a Word document and included a link to a YouTube video? Today I'll show you how to put that video right into the document!   Most people don't even know this is possible so it's a great trick to show your friends. First, you need to determine what video you want to use for [...] Read more » The post How to include a video INSIDE a Word document first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

You should not save your passwords in Chrome. But before you delete them from Chrome, you need to save them so that you can refer to them.   I've said it many times – don't store your passwords in your web browser. Yes, it makes things easy. You go to a website, and Chrome just automatically inserts [...] Read more » The post How to export your passwords from Chrome first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Is there something you want to learn? The internet has what you need.   If you have the time and the incentive, there are resources online that will help  you learn just about anything you can imagine. Online courses: Coursera – Coursera.org – build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies. Udacity – udacity.com – [...] Read more » The post The best online sources for learning anything first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

You know I love writing about illegal scams, how they work, and how to avoid them. Recently I was approached by something that seems to have all the characteristics of a scam, but it's most likely legal.   Just this past week, I received this message, which was submitted via the Contact form on my website:   The subject [...] Read more » The post This is probably legal, but it still feels like a scam first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

There are different versions of Windows 10, and you might not be running the most current one. Here's how to check.   Windows 10 is the most current Windows operating system. If you're still running Windows 7, you NEED to upgrade to Windows 10 now (you actually needed to do this over a year ago). If you're [...] Read more » The post Are you running the current version of Windows 10? first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Have you ever started typing up a Word document, and gotten quite a bit of text entered, then accidentally closed it without saving? Today's lifesaving tip will show you how it's possible to get that document back.       A friend of mine used to create Word documents very dangerously. He was a pastor of a church. And he [...] Read more » The post How to recover a Word document that was never saved first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Is there a particular program that you want to run automatically, every time you turn on your computer? Here's how to make that happen.   What we're talking about today is usually the OPPOSITE of how we discuss this topic. So many programs want to insert themselves into the “startup” process when they have no business being [...] Read more » The post How to make a program start at every bootup first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Do you have information in a Word document that you don't want anyone else to see? Here's how to put a password on it.   Some of my clients store all of their account passwords in a Word document. Some people use a Word doc to keep track of their medical information, or perhaps their bank account [...] Read more » The post How to password protect a Word document first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Do you think there's a time when a bad program requests permission to make changes to your computer, and you should allow it?   This question came in from Jerry, in Minnesota – Hi Scott, I'm a long time subscriber.  We've “talked” in the past about your laptops and a couple other things.  Here's a Computer Tutor topic [...] Read more » The post Should you ever allow a bad program to make changes to your PC? first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

You've probably heard the terms “Deep Web” and “Dark Web”. They are not the same thing.   In general, there are 3 internets, or 3 “webs”. The first one is often referred to as the Clear Web. It's also called the Surface Web. This is the internet that most people use every day – Google searches, reading blogs, [...] Read more » The post What is the Deep Web? first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Almost any book you can think of – available online for free. Same as your local library.   If you have a library card for your local library, you probably already know you can borrow digital books. You just need to create an account using an app called Libby, and that allows you to access lots of [...] Read more » The post The world's largest online library first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

There are good reasons for hiding your list of Facebook friends on your Facebook public profile.   You've seen those posts from your Facebook friends: “I've been hacked! If you get a friend request from me, it's a fake!” But, as I've written before, this is not a “hack”. Their Facebook account has not been compromised. The scammer has [...] Read more » The post Should you hide your Facebook friends list? YES – here's how first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

You might see a notice pop up on your computer that Adobe Flash Player is being discontinued, and asking if you want to uninstall it from your computer. Here's what to do.   I've had several clients ask me recently about this message they've gotten on their computer:   The questions that come up… What is Flash? Do I need it? Should [...] Read more » The post What should you do with Adobe Flash Player? first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

This is a trick you can do with MS Word, that very few people know about. It can be handy in certain situations.   What we're talking about is being able to select and highlight certain text in a Word document. You already know that if you double-click on a single word, that word is highlighted (selected). You [...] Read more » The post How to select text in MS Word – VERTICALLY first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Shopping online for a used car? You need to be able to identify the scam ads – and there are a lot of them.   Everyone wants to score a great deal when they buy a car. If you go to a car dealer, you might be able to negotiate a fair price. But if you shop [...] Read more » The post Recognizing an online car sale scam first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

I used to have a routine whenever I would open Word and create a new document. I would always start by changing the font to one that I like, and also the font size. What a waste of time!   The default font in Word, if you don't change anything, is Calibri. The font size is 11. [...] Read more » The post How to change the default font and size in Word first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Sometimes it's the little things, you know? Why does Chrome, by default, only show part of a website address in the address bar? I don't know, but here's how to fix that.   This one is pretty simple. If you're not sure what I'm talking about here, just open Chrome and go to any website. As an [...] Read more » The post How to show full URL in the Chrome address bar first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you're looking to buy something from an individual, one of the best places to find a bargain is on Craigslist. But what if you want to shop on Craigslist outside of your local area? You have another option!   I have made a LOT of purchases over the years on Craigslist (craigslist.org). It was the original [...] Read more » The post Best way to search Craigslist nationwide first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

With some recent updates, you might see a new icon on your screen – the icon for Microsoft Edge. What do you do with it?   In case you didn't know, Microsoft Edge is the web browser that comes with Windows 10. Microsoft doesn't want you to use Chrome or Firefox (the high-quality web browsers) – they [...] Read more » The post What to do when you see the “new” Microsoft Edge first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you're on Facebook, you've most likely seen the posts talking about the Jayco RV company having a promotion and offering to give away a free RV to some lucky winner. Well… I have some bad news for you.   The Facebook post that you see was most likely shared by one of your friends. And they [...] Read more » The post The RV giveaway scam first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Did you know that the Windows 10 Start menu is re-sizable? It's really easy to do too.   Microsoft seems to be obsessed with making the Windows 10 Start Menu be so large that it takes up much of the desktop screen. Of course, it doesn't help that they fill it by default with a bunch of [...] Read more » The post How to resize the Windows 10 Start Menu first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Quick tip today – big Windows Update is coming, so be ready for it by backing up your computer.   This update was actually released a few months ago, and is referred to by two names: The May 2020 Update Windows 10 version 2004 Even though it is called both names, it's the same update. Some Windows 10 computers have [...] Read more » The post Back up your files BEFORE this forced update comes in first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you read this blog or listen to my podcast regularly, you should probably by now be pretty good at spotting a scam. Or at least being suspicious enough to investigate further. But what if the scammer shows that he has your actual password?   This is one that I get calls about pretty regularly. Many of [...] Read more » The post A scam that sounds very convincing first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Want to avoid getting into trouble with your computer? Here are some things you DON'T want to do.   Don't have Chrome (or any browser) store your passwords. Yes, it makes it really easy to access all your website accounts. But it's also really dangerous, because if your computer ever got hacked into, or lost, or stolen, [...] Read more » The post Some important computer DON'Ts first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you have never visited Reddit, you are missing out on one of the biggest and most popular sites on the internet. Today we'll talk about a few of the unknown corners of that world.   What is Reddit? Basically, it's a social media site. But this is no Facebook. One big way it's different is that most [...] Read more » The post 3 subreddits you never knew existed first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Today I'll show you the absolute quickest way to get to all of your important files on your Windows computer.   You might already know that you can click on the little “file folder” icon at the bottom of the screen to open Windows File Explorer. It looks like this:   That opens a window (File Explorer) that shows [...] Read more » The post How to find your important files first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you order anything online (and don't we all?) you definitely should be using this Chrome extension. It will save you money.   I'll tell you this up front – I don't usually get involved with this kind of thing. In many cases – actually I would say in MOST cases – if you get something that [...] Read more » The post This Chrome extension will save you money first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Today we'll learn about a free service that let's you talk into your computer, and have those words made into a document.   Since I type on my computer keyboard all the time, I'm able to type pretty quickly. I haven't measured my typing speed lately but I do okay. Which is kind of funny, since I [...] Read more » The post If you prefer talking instead of typing – try Speechtexter first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Today we're talking about three things that a lot of people believe to be true about computers, but in fact they are not true.   Myth #1: Turning the computer off, then powering it up again, is a restart. FALSE I always tell people, you need to restart your computer every day or two. This resets the uptime [...] Read more » The post 3 common computer myths first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you do Facebook on your desktop or laptop computer, you probably see a lot of posts that have a bunch of comments that are just animated GIFs. I find nothing more annoying than that. But now I don't see them any more!   There are actually a lot of things that I find really annoying about [...] Read more » The post Animated GIFs on Facebook desktop – GONE! first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you buy a brand new computer, there's a chance you might turn it on and find that it's not just running Windows 10. It might be running Windows 10 in S Mode. Most people don't want that. Here's how to get out of S Mode.   What exactly IS “S Mode” anyway? You could think of S [...] Read more » The post How to get out of Windows 10 “S mode” first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Fun topic today! I watch a bit of Youtube each night before I drift off to sleep. I have a few channels that I subscribe to, and these are some that I think  you might find entertaining as well. I'll tell you about them below, and include one of my favorite videos from each one. [...] Read more » The post 3 of my favorite YouTube channels first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you have any kind of vision challenge, or if your eyesight is just gradually getting worse over time, you aren't the only one. One nice feature of Windows 10 – you can make everything bigger and easier to read.   I grew up wearing glasses since I was 8 years old. I could see things fine [...] Read more » The post How to make everything on your screen bigger first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

It's one of the big frustrations with MS Word – you hit the Enter key, and the next line in your document is a DOUBLE space down from the last line. There are two ways to fix this.   You know what I'm talking about. You open a new blank document and start typing a letter, and [...] Read more » The post How to make MS Word single-space all the time first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

Microsoft Outlook is the most popular email software in the world. But there's one thing about it that sometimes frustrates users – the search function. Today we'll talk about a common way to fix Outlook's search process when it doesn't seem to be working.   You know how it's SUPPOSED to work – you type something in [...] Read more » The post Why isn't Outlook search working? Here's why first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

This tip is based on what is probably the most common question I get, which is “Why is my computer running so slowly??” It is definitely frustrating when the computer lags behind. If your computer suddenly starts to run a lot more slowly than you think it should, there are a couple of things for [...] Read more » The post Computer slowdown? Check these two things first first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

If you think having security cameras in your home would be expensive and complicated, I have good news! I got some recently and they were really easy and affordable.   When you're not at home, it's nice to know that everything is okay. And even when you are at home, being able to see in another room, [...] Read more » The post Security cameras that are easy to set up – and cheap first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress

It used to be easy to just search Google for an image and download that full size image to your computer. Google changed their image download process a while ago, and it's not quite as obvious how to get those full size images saved. But you can still do it! Here's how.   Note: what you do [...] Read more » The post The new trick to downloading Google images first appeared on The Computer Tutor.Download Ashford for WordPress