Check Available Disk Space
We get readers wanting to know how do do this all the time.
To see how much space you have left, open the My Computer icon on your desktop (or under the Start menu for XP users) and right-click the drive you are curious about (for most people, this would be their C: drive, but this trick works with any drive). Select Properties from the resulting… Continue reading
Q:
My cable company bragged about how much faster a cable modem was compared to dial-up, so I went with them. It was faster, at first, but sometimes it seems as slow as my old phone line connection. What gives?
A:
Sure cable modems have the potential of reaching speeds of 3Mbps, but keep in mind that you share a wire buried underground with everyone in… Continue reading
Q:
Should I buy those inkjet refills or budget inks?
A:
You want to save some money by buying ink refills? Well, in general, I recommend not using refills.
They are probably OK for printers with ink nozzles that are NOT built into the cartridge (like Canon printers), but I would still be careful. The ink may not be the same quality… Continue reading
Q:
Why does my monitor go black after about 15 minutes of not using the computer?
A:
Windows has a Power Management setting that will shut your monitor off after a specified amount of time. If you don’t like when it’s shutting the monitor off, you can change it by doing the following:
In Windows XP:
1. Hit the Start>Control Panel , then go to Performance and Maintenance
Did you ever get a disk stuck in your drive? Nothing seems to work—you’ve pressed the button a million times, tried to open by right-clicking the drive and choosing “eject”, maybe even contemplated using a screw driver to pry the thing open.
Before you take out the drive and try to surgically remove the disk, or worse, buy a new drive, try this simple little trick to manually open your… Continue reading
Q:
How do I know if my USB port is USB 1.0 or 2.0?
A:
USB is a way for your computer to connect to external devices. It’s fast, easy to use, and allows you to use tons of devices all strung together. Most newer computers have one or more USB ports. Older computers have USB 1.0 or 1.1, while newer PCs have the faster… Continue reading
I’ve read about the FDA testing the effect of caffeine on laboratory mice, but that won’t help us here. Adjusting the speed of your mouse pointer and buttons can help liven up your mouse.
If you’re using XP, open Mouse in the Control Panel (click Start>Control Panel>Printers and Other Hardware>Mouse) If you’re using Vista or Windows 7, just type mouse into
Q:
Is there a way for a left-hander like me to make my mouse easier to use?
A:
Since Windows 98, a feature was included for changing the buttons on your mouse, allowing you to replicate the feel of the right-handed mouse (like having the primary mouse click be your pointer finger).
To switch buttons on your mouse to a left-handed configuration… Continue reading
Keep It Clean
When it comes to our computers, all we tend to think about is the stuff we see on the screen — the software. Most of us tend to neglect the computer itself.
What can you do with your computer to make it run longer? As I just mentioned above, keep it clean.
I can’t tell you the number of computers I’ve opened that have… Continue reading
Q:
Why do I need a surge protector for my computers and what should I look for when buying one?
We need surge protectors to keep all the little circuits inside our computers safe from excess voltage peaks. When these power peaks (surges / spikes) occur, it causes the electrical circuit to heat up—kind of
