Ask Leo! #368 - Who do you trust online? Disgusting email, third party utilities and more... - Confident Computing

The Ask Leo! Newsletter

*** Featured

Why you should never blindly trust an online recommendation (even mine)

From: Billy Bob Macrium

Mr. Leo, your check is in the mail :-)

I recently got that as a comment to my article How do I restore a backup to a smaller hard drive?. Presumably, the commenter believes that my reasons for recommending Macrium Reflect are somehow financially motivated and is trying to make some kind of snide remark to make his point.

(For the record, there are two completely separate reasons why the implication is wrong - more on that in a moment.)

I'll admit that it irritated me. No one likes having their ethics questioned.

But as I cooled down just a little, I realized that while the comment's delivery is quite immature, the concept hidden in the sarcasm is one worth understanding.

There are reasons you shouldn't blindly accept recommendations that you find online.

Perhaps even those you find on Ask Leo!.

Continue reading: Why you should never blindly trust an online recommendation (even mine)
http://ask-leo.com/C5533

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*** Answercast

Answercast #31 - Better than Windows? Disgusting email, lots of RAM, preventing divorce, dead computers and more...

More steps in speeding up a computer; surviving social media sites and Windows Live Mail; installing your own router; a machine that won't boot; all that an more in this Answercast from Ask Leo!

Continue reading: Answercast #31 - Better than Windows? Disgusting email, lots of RAM, preventing divorce, dead computers and more...
http://ask-leo.com/C5531

Who do I talk to to get Windows Mail re-released?
Windows Mail and Outlook Express are gone, and it's unlikely that Microsoft will revive them out of the archives. I have some suggestions for moving forward.
Continue reading: Who do I talk to to get Windows Mail re-released?
http://ask-leo.com/C5532

Are third party utilities better than what's already in Windows?
When choosing third-party software to replace functionality in Windows, you'll need to compare tool to tool; some of them are better, some are worse, and some altogether unnecessary.
Continue reading: Are third party utilities better than what's already in Windows?
http://ask-leo.com/C5534

I'm getting a message that my system is not clean, how do I get rid of it?
A sudden pop-up saying that your computer is infected feels like malware. To be safe, treat your machine as if it is already infected.
Continue reading: I'm getting a message that my system is not clean, how do I get rid of it?
http://ask-leo.com/C5535

How do I stop this disgusting email from being sent to me?
Spam happens, and sometimes it really looks bad. The best way to protect yourself is to learn how to use your spam and junk filters effectively.
Continue reading: How do I stop this disgusting email from being sent to me?
http://ask-leo.com/C5536

Should I configure my page file differently if I have lots of RAM?
The page file is meant for use when the system runs out of RAM, reconfiguring it can be counter-productive if you have plenty of RAM available.
Continue reading: Should I configure my page file differently if I have lots of RAM?
http://ask-leo.com/C5537

Can I connect my own router in place of my ISP provided equipment?
You can't plug a phone line into a router! That won't work because it's not designed to work. I take a look at a network that may need to be set up in tandem.
Continue reading: Can I connect my own router in place of my ISP provided equipment?
http://ask-leo.com/C5538

Can I trace email related to social media sites back to the sending computer?
Divorce over social media sites? A technical solution doesn't seem to be in the making here, as tracing emails isn't all that easy...
Continue reading: Can I trace email related to social media sites back to the sending computer?
http://ask-leo.com/C5539

My machine doesn't even beep or begin to boot - what do I do?
An old XP computer won't boot up; looks like a hardware problem. We'll look at a few components on the motherboard.
Continue reading: My machine doesn't even beep or begin to boot - what do I do?
http://ask-leo.com/C5540

My firewall is slowing down my system, do I really need it?
A number of steps have increased the internet speeds of an older computer, we look at a few more tweaks to get it in top shape.
Continue reading: My firewall is slowing down my system, do I really need it?
http://ask-leo.com/C5541

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*** Word o' the Week

affiliate

An affiliate is an individual or company which sends potential customers to a product or someone selling a product and receives a commission on any sale.

In general, you have to sign up to become an affiliate of a particular vendor, product, or service. Once approved, you're given special tracking links that when clicked, indicate a customer has come to the product website through your link. Should they then purchase the product (or in some cases any product), you're given a percentage of the sale. Percentages range from 5% to 50% or more, depending on the product and affiliate program.

Naturally, affiliate programs are meant as an incentive to promote a particular product or sales venues.

For the record, while Ask Leo! does indeed use affiliate links when available, the availability or characteristics of an affiliate program for a specific product does not affect whether that product is mentioned or recommended. More on the topic specific to Ask Leo! here: Product Reviews, Recommendations and Affiliate Links Disclosure.

Word o' the Week features a computer term or acronym taken from the Ask Leo! Glossary. If there's a word you're not sure of and would like to see defined, click here to let me know.

*** Leo Recommends

Macrium Reflect - Powerful Windows Backup Software

I consider backing up to be one of the fundamental necessities for anyone who uses a computer.

As anyone with even a little experience will tell you, you will lose something important someday without a backup; it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. And someone with more than a little experience will also be able to share horror stories of how and when they learned this important lesson.

In my opinion, that's why it's critical that you backup your computer and data regularly. As I've said repeatedly, if your data is in only one place, it's not backed up.

Over the years, I've developed a set of criteria - a set of features and characteristics - that I want out of a backup program before I recommend it.

Macrium Reflect makes the cut.

Continue reading: Macrium Reflect - Powerful Windows Backup Software
http://ask-leo.com/C4996

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

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