Leo #1013 – How Do I Change the Email Address of My Microsoft Account?
Behind the Scam: Decoding the Secrets of Fraudulent Emails
Don’t Be Ashamed or Smug
How Can Passkeys Possibly Be Safe?
How to Protect Yourself From a Two-Factor Hack
Is There a Way to Use OneDrive as a Dumb Hard Drive?
What Is a Pig-Butchering Scam?
Dealing With the Demise of Authy Desktop
How Do I Move Emails From One Account to Another?
Why I Don’t Believe in Conspiracies
The Surprising Ways Your Videos Can Expose Your Location
How to Keep Windows Running Smoothly With Routine Maintenance
I Gave AI My Search History and Here’s What It Told Me
How to Securely Wipe the Windows System Drive
How Do I Get Rid of OneDrive?
How Do I Fix “The App You’re Trying to Install Isn’t a Microsoft-Verified App”?
8 Ways You Can Increase Internet Speed in Windows
Passkeys and Disaster Planning
10 Ways to Make Windows 10 and 11 Faster
How to Back Up Windows
Why Does My Phone Charge Slowly on Some Chargers?
#991 – How Do I Tell If an Email Address Is Fake?
Why Can’t I Talk to a Real Person?
Why Are There So Many Files?
How Websites Remember You: Diving into Cookies & More
How Should I Keep Recovery Codes Secure?
How to Avoid Losing Data No Matter What
Should I Disconnect My Backup Drive When I’m Not Backing Up?
What Is and Is Not Spam
No, Don’t Write Down Passwords
How Do I Use Two Google Accounts at the Same Time?
What’s the Point of “Mark as Spam”?
How to Fix Windows Not Recognizing USB Device
What I’ve Learned Answering Questions for 20 Years
How Can I Avoid Losing My Business Email Account?
Why Can’t I Upload a Backup Image to the Cloud?
Dealing With Proprietary Backup Formats
#974 – Can’t I Just Delete My Hacked Account?
Is Using a Shared Wi-fi Hotspot Safe?
If I Leave a Service Like LastPass, Does My Data Remain Online?
How Do I Move Email to an External Hard Drive?
What Is a Passkey?
The Problem With OneDrive Backup
Ignored by Online Services? Remember, You Are Not the Customer
Can I Still Use LastPass Safely?
Creating a Backup Image Using EaseUS Todo Free
Is It OK to Leave a Thumb Drive Inserted All the Time?
Will AI Crack Your Passwords?
Don’t Use Windows Built-in Image Backup
Why is My Outlook.com Email Suddenly Full?
What’s the Best Password Manager in 2023?
Running CHKDSK When CHKDSK Won’t Run
Running CHKDSK When CHKDSK Won’t Run
#958 – Is Windows 10 Going Away?
Why You — Yes, You — Are a Target of Hackers
How Should I Back Up When Traveling?
What Encryption Software Do You Recommend?
Why Is It Important to Have Different Passwords on Different Accounts?
How to Use Cloud Storage Safely
Setting Up 1Password
Just What Is Common Sense?
It Pays to Be Skeptical
Is Using the Cloud Safe?
LastPass Breach 2022: My Recommendation
Internet Safety: 7 Steps to Staying Safe Online
Why Can’t I Get My Account Back?
What to Do About the LastPass Breach
Is OneDrive a Backup?
Someone’s Sending from My Email Address! How Do I Stop Them?
Your Social Media Posts Can All Disappear
Please Set Up and Maintain Account Recovery Information
How Do I Tell If My Hard Drive Is Too Old?
How Do I Disable OneDrive in Office 365?
How to Back Up a Machine That Won’t Boot
How Do I Make My C: Drive Not ‘Dirty’?
I Can’t Delete a Folder
What is a Digital Fingerprint?
Coping with Gray Text
What Is Smishing?
Does CPU Speed Matter Any More?
What’s the Best Password Manager in 2022?
What You Need To Do About the LastPass Hack
Backups ARE Security
Get a Windows System Report with MSINFO32
👍 #925 – Can a Data Breach Expose Multiple Accounts?
6 Reasons There Are Still So Many Security Breaches
What Exactly Is a Rescue/Recovery/Repair/Emergency Disc?
How Not to Get Locked Out of Your Microsoft Account While Traveling
Why Can’t I Get Emails From One Person?
Using Chrome Remote Desktop in Windows
How Do I Recover My Facebook Password?
Facebook Trusted Contacts is Going Away. Prepare Now.
What Happens at Windows 10 End of Support?
Why is My Wi-Fi Speed Slow?
What Are “Less Secure Apps” and Why is My Gmail Not Working?
If I Send to a Bad Email Address, Will Someone See It?
I Lost My Phone With My Second Factor for Authentication. How Do I Recover?
How Full Is My Hotmail Account?
I’m Told to Change My Password. Why?
You Are Not Too Old for Technology
“Default Boot Device Missing or Boot Failed” – What Now?
How Do I Force the Latest Windows Feature Update?
How Safe is Kaspersky Internet Security?
How Do I Downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10?
What’s a QR Code?
What Good Is an Image Backup If All I Want Is My Data?
Why Do an Image Backup If I Can Factory Reset?
How Do I Create a Local Account in Windows 10?
How Do I Prevent a Repeat of Ransomware?
Am I Safe?
Someone Is in My Computer, Controlling it. What Can I Do?
How Do I Turn Off BitLocker on a Drive?
Why Your “Unimportant” Accounts Matter
How Secure Is Email?
Can I Move My Hard Drive to a New Computer and Have Windows Work?
How Do I Free Up Space in Gmail?
Why “Always Keep on this Device” Doesn’t
How Hackers Use Malicious Attachments to Give You Malware
Why Is My OneDrive Full?
How Do I Find Good Local Computer Help?
Should I Repair or Replace My Computer?
How I Avoid Social Media Algorithms
How Does Facebook Track Me Even If I Don’t Have an Account?
Is Passwordless Authentication Safe?
My Favorite Question
I’m Suddenly Getting More Spam Emails. Should I Be Worried?
What Is a TPM? And Why Do I Need One?
Do Random Words Make Better Passwords?
Responses to Your Three Common Password Manager Objections
A Data Breach Has My Data. What Do I Do?
7 Signs of Phishing to Watch For
Why Am I Getting Email Sent to an Email Address Similar to Mine?
How Do Websites Keep Passwords Secure?
My Keyboard Won’t Work after Windows Update. How Do I Fix It?
Why Am I Still Getting Updates for Windows 7?
👍 #874 – How Long Will Windows 10 Be Supported? Technology With Confidence – – – – – – – – Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 👍 #874 – How Long Will Windows 10 Be Supported? View Online: https://newsletter.askleo.com/current-newsletter/ Newsletter FAQ & administration Did you know? As a Confident Computing newsletter subscriber you can: Download several free resources. Reply … Read more
No Email from LastPass? Dealing with Sign-In Problems
Should I Update to Windows 11?
How To Use Microsoft Word for Transcriptions
Did Microsoft Lie?
How I Fixed a Failed Windows 10 Update
When Backups Might Not Save You from Ransomware
Someone Has My IP Address – Should I Be Scared?
Should I Just Hire a Hacker to Recover My Account?
Just What Is a Hack?
How Should I Back Up My Email?
How Long Will My SSD Last?
Your 6 Strongest Practical Password Techniques, Ranked
How Do I Contact Outlook.com Customer Service?
What Do I Do About Websites Bugging Me About Notifications?
How Do I Make Sure I Don’t Have Malware?
Can Browser Extensions See My Bank Account?
Can’t I Just Copy Everything to Back Up?
The Easy-to-Avoid Two-Factor Loss Risk
Facebook Privacy Settings 2021
Yes, SMS Two-Factor Authentication is Broken; Use it Anyway
Should I Worry About Old Lost Email Accounts?
Three Things to Try When Unsubscribe Doesn’t Work
What if My OneDrive is Too Big for My Hard Drive?
What Should I Do About the Changes to LastPass Free?
Can Hotel Internet Traffic Be Sniffed?
Why Is My Computer Crashing Randomly?
Should I Avoid Windows Update? It Burned Me
What’s Up with WhatsApp Terms of Service?
Why Password Managers are Safer than the Alternatives
You’re Just Not That Interesting (Except When You Are)
Will Ransomware Encrypt Backups?
How Do I Decrypt Files Encrypted by Ransomware?
Why You’re Being Warned About Windows 10 End of Service and What to Do About It
What Do I Do About Adobe Flash End of Life in 2020?
Facebook Hacked? What You Need to Do NOW!
How to Back Up Before a Windows 10 Upgrade
How Do I Report a Bug in Windows 10?
My Email Is Hacked, How Do I Fix It? – 7 Things You Need to Do NOW!
Don’t Call Yourself Stupid
Is Using the Cloud Safe?
Getting Rid of Bing in Windows Search
How Do I Remove Malware from Windows 10 in 2020?
How to Remove PUPs and Other Unexpected Things From Your Computer
What Security Software Do You Recommend? Basic Protection in Four Steps
Are You Asking Too Much of Your Computer?
Should I Disconnect My Backup Drive When I’m Not Backing Up?
Stop Spreading Manure
Just What Is Common Sense?
What’s the Difference Between CHKDSK /F and CHKDSK /R?
How Do I Get Rid of Gmail Tabs? How to Regain Control and Find the Email Gmail Might Be Hiding From You
Should I Use FAT32 or NTFS on a Flash Drive? The Differences, and a Third Alternative
Is There an Email Service that Doesn’t Require a Phone Number? My Recommended Approach, and Alternatives
How Long Should I Keep My Backups?
What’s the Difference Between an Email Account, an Email Address, an Email Program, and an Email Service?
Why Can’t Online Services Tell Me My Password? (If They Can, There’s Something Wrong)
What Laptop Would You Buy for $1500? My Choice, and My Recommendation for You
Is It Safe to Let Your Browser Remember Passwords? The Often Overlooked Risk
Can My Work Spy on My Home Computer? Three Ways You Might Be Letting Them In, and What To Do
What to Do With an Old Computer You’ve Been Given – What I Did With Mine
Who’s Trying to Change My Password? Why It Happens and What to Do
Why a Chromebook? (And Why I Purchased Two for the Important People in My Life)
What Should I Do When My Information Is Involved in a Breach?
Five Steps to Repair Windows 10 Without Losing Programs
Can My Workplace See What Else I Do When I Work from Home?
The Biggest Risk to Your Privacy
Five Steps to Better Security Working from Home
Can Video Chat Be Intercepted and Recorded?
How Can I View Online Video Without the Starts and Stops?
Can Malware Survive If I Reset My PC?
Why Don’t I Get Sound from My Computer? (A Checklist)
Preparing For The Ultimate Disaster
How Much Can I Trust Information on the Internet?
It Pays to Be Skeptical
Picking Up and Setting Up My New Desktop
Edge Redeemed
The Results of My Year-Long Laptop Experiment
Does Turning Off Remote Access Keep Me Safer?
Why Do So Many Tech Support Solutions Start with “Reboot” or “Turn It Off”?
What Security Software Do You Recommend?
Is a Microsoft Office Subscription Worth It?
How To Keep Using Windows 7 Safely After Support Ends
Will My Old Computer Run Windows 10?
Using Windows Disk Cleanup
2019’s Most Popular Articles
👍 #788 – Is Windows 10 Still Free in 2020?
Phishing: How to Know It When You See It
What Happens When I Die?
Why Is It So Important to Use a Different Password on Every Site?
Online Shopping: Just How Safe Is It?
This Doesn’t Need to Happen
Has a Hacker Really Hacked My Email Account?
What’s the Best Registry Cleaner?
What are the Internet’s Rules about Free Speech?
Why Don’t People Back Up?
Why ANY Two-Factor Is Better than No Two-Factor at All
How Do I Recover My Facebook Password?
Avoiding Tech Support Scams
How Do I Choose a Good Password?
Why Is There so Much Spam?
How to Create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive
Why Can’t I Talk to a Real Person?
How to Protect Your Cloud Storage and Backups from Ransomware
Can My ISP Monitor My Internet Usage?
How Do I Fix Windows Update?
Should I Partition My Hard Disk?
Is Online Banking Safe?
How to Avoid Ransomware
How To Reduce Your Frustration with Technology
Never Attribute to Malice…
How To Back Up Windows 10
Two Steps to Better Search Results
Microsoft, We Deserve Better
Are the Bad Guys Winning?
Should I Install the Latest Windows 10 Update?
Does Technology Isolate or Connect?
Has a Hacker Really Hacked My Email Account?
On Confidence and Technology
Why Haven’t I Received the Latest Windows 10 Update?
The One Thing Every Non-technical Person Needs to Know
How Do I Change My Default Web Browser in Windows 10?
Could a Built-in Tracking Device in My Laptop Detect My Tor Browsing History?
Dealing with Fake “Ask Leo”
How Long Does Windows 7 Have Before It’s Phased Out?
Coping With Gray Text
Do I Need a New Email Address if Mine’s Involved in a Breach?
The Journey to My New Computer: RAM Upgrade
The Journey to My New Computer: Success and Failure
The Journey to My New Computer: Update, Update, Update
Is There a Real Alternative to Windows?
The Journey to My New Computer: Choices
What Should I Do About the Latest Breach?
The Journey to My New Computer: Taking Stock
What Is “About:blank” and How Do I Get Rid of It?
Crank Your Password Strength Up to 11!
2018’s Most Popular Articles
Can I Copy Windows 10 System Files to Another Drive?
How Can an Employer Recover Information I’ve Erased?
The 40-year Take-away
Use BitLocker to Bypass Potential Self-Encrypting Drive Vulnerabilities
How Do I Stop Websites from Pestering Me About Notifications?
Ask Leo! #731 – Has a Hacker Really Hacked My Email Account?
How Can I Use a Password Manager for My Security Questions?
How Do I Change the Default Mail Program in Windows?
Microsoft, We Deserve Better
What’s the Difference Between the Web and the Internet?
Back Up Your Email Using Thunderbird
Back Up Smartphone Photos Using Dropbox
How Do I Send an Email that Can’t Be Traced Back to Me?
How Do I Recover My Facebook Password?
Busting Some Facebook Myths
Gmail’s Confidential Mode Isn’t
How Do I Remove My Personal Data from My Computer Running Windows 10?
Backing Up a Machine that Won’t Boot
How Do I Uninstall and Reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows 10?
How to (Accidentally) Give Someone Else Your PayPal Account
Why Do Windows Updates Mess Up My Computer?
Why Do Things Disappear from the Clipboard When I Close a Program?
Should I Cover Up My Webcam When I’m Not Using It?
Could Someone Set Up a Facebook Account in My Name?
Why Does My IP Address Have a Bad Reputation? And What Do I Do?
Why Doesn’t Blocking Email Senders Work?
How Do I Clean Up After Windows Update?
How Do I Know if My Machine is Free of Malware?
How to Best Back Up Your Encrypted Data
Half a Dozen Uses for OneDrive
Why Does My Microsoft Word Document Display Differently on Different Computers?
How Do I Choose a Good Password?
On Fridays I re-send the newsletter to those who haven’t opened the original sent on Tuesday. It generally has a slightly altered subject line beginning with “You may have missed” or something similar. Why? Email delivery is tricky business. As we’ve all experienced email doesn’t always end up in our inbox, perhaps being diverted to … Read more
Why Can’t You Give a Straight Answer?
I Think I’ve Been “Phished”, What Should I Do?
How Do I Gain Access to My Deceased Relative’s Computer?
How Do I Delete My Facebook Account?
Do I Need All These Partitions?
Networking Sucks
How Should I Back Up My Computer Before an Operating System Upgrade or Reinstall?
I’ve Lost All My Passwords, What Do I Do?
Why is Windows 10 Telling Me “There Is a Problem with Your Microsoft Account”?
How Do I Get the Windows 10 Creators Update 1709 to Install?
Hard Disk Failure Is Imminent! What Do I Do?
Is Online Banking Safe?
How Do I Disable Windows Updates in Windows 10 Home?
Why Does My Machine Take Forever to Shut Down?
Why is Backing Up Your First Recommendation for Everything?
Can I Just Unplug My Computer to Shut It Down?
Can My Computer Be Hacked If It’s Turned Off?
My Ex Set Up My Computer and Is Now Spying on Me. What Can I Do?
What Do I Do if I’m Being Harassed, Bullied, or Stalked Online?
Is Windows 10 Still Free?
Why Can’t I Talk To a Real Person?
The First Dozen Changes to My Newly Reinstalled Windows 10
Where Do Cookies Come From?
This Doesn’t Need to Happen
Answering “How do you want to open this file?
What Information Should I Provide When Asking for Help?
Watching for Interactions
What the “KRACK attacks” mean to you
“Is It Possible” is the Wrong Question
How Can a Hacker Try All Possible Passwords If Systems Block the Login Attempts?
Why Do Password-strength Meters Give Different Results?
What the CCleaner Hack Means to You
What the Equifax Breach Means to You
Why Don’t Anti-malware Tools Work Better?
Recovering from Ransomware with an Online Backup
Is a Microsoft Office Subscription Worth It?
The Four Characteristics of Computer Speed
How Can I Tell If a Website is Safe?
Using OneDrive for Nearly Continuous Backup
Restoring Files with File History
Is Copyright Still an Issue If Something’s Not Available Anywhere?
Does a Lapsed Anti-malware Tool Leave an Open Door for Malware?
How Should I Password Protect an External Drive?
How Do I Hack Someone’s Account?
Yes, You Should Give Google Your Mobile Number
How Do I Get a Program to Auto-start When I Sign in to Windows?
What’s the Difference Between a “Trojan Horse”, a “Worm”, and a “Virus”?
Someone’s Sending from My Email Address! How Do I Stop Them?!
What’s a “Zero-Day” Attack?
Supercookies and Evercookies: Resistance is Futile
What Good is Incognito Mode?
Why SMS Two-Factor Is Better than No Two-Factor at All
Is It Time to Start Using an Adblocker?
What VPN Should I Use?
How Does a VPN Protect Me?
The Internet Is Forever, Except When It’s Not
The Biggest Risk to Your Privacy
How Do I Protect Myself from My ISP?
Walking Away From Your Computer
Are Free Email Services Worth It?
Every Application Adds Risk
How Much Can I Trust Information on the Internet?
What are the Differences Between an Email Account, Address, Program, and Service?
What is Cloud Computing?
How Can I Securely Delete Everything Except the Operating System?
How Do I Encrypt Email?
Ask Leo! #636 – How Do I Find Good Local Computer Help?
What Does It Mean for a Source to be “Reputable”?
Why Do Ads Follow Me Around the Internet? (and more)
What if My Security Software Vendor Gets Hacked? (and more)
XP Die-hards, Something System Restore is Good For, Turning off (More Of) Cortana, and more…
Un-Ringing a Bell, Booting Cortana, Recovering another Wi-Fi password, and more…
My Backup Origin-Story, Moving OneDrive, Human Relation Skills, and more…
Privacy Threats, More PUPs, PINs vs. Passwords, and more…
Thanks!, Fast Startup, Setting Default Programs, and more…
Trusting Your Security Software, Second Hand Access, The Mess That Is Event Viewer, and more…
Hacking My Car, Blocking Networks, Sharing Networks, Apps on my [New] Phone, and more…
Avoiding Tech Support Scams, Internet Of Things, and more…
Digital Archiving, Being IDed, Automatic Updates and more…
My (Not Yet) Exploding Phone, Extending Networks, Taskbar Space, Recovery Codes, and more…
UEFI, System File Checker, Getting Locked Out, Manhole Covers, and more…
Windows 10 and Windows Update, Keeping Backups, Microsoft Accounts, Outlook versus Outlook, and more…
Networking, Shopping, Image vs. Clone (fight!), and more…
Shortened URLs, Where Links Take You, Disappearing External Drives, Always Learning, and more…
Patreon, Reporting Windows 10 Issues, Getting Out Of Search, and more…
Travel, Repairing Office, Reinstalling Windows, (Learning Excel Macros), and much more…
Tips for Fall, Avoiding Reboots Mid-presentation, Recovering from a Crash, and more…
Windows Subscriptions, Apps versus Applications, Space on Reserved Partitions, and more…
Encryption, Encryption, Encryption, and more…
GWX Control Panel, Booting from SD cards, Sound Problems, and more…
Anniversary, Anniversary Update, Marking Spam, Corrupt Files, and more…
Signatures, Power Supplies, Corgis, and more…
The One Thing I Would Tell You, Breaches, Defrags and Data Loss, and more…
More Windows 10, Https for Everything, Saving that Free Upgrade, and more…
Trusting the Cloud, Certificate Issues, Porn Spam, Upgrading to Windows 10, and more…
Agnosticism, Privacy, Avoiding Ransomware, Finding Answers, and more…
Laptop Security, Data Backup, Privacy?, and more…
Internet Safety, Losing Your Computer, Losing Your Account, and more…
Edge-ing out Internet Explorer, Unsupported Software, Two-factor authentication, Password Managers, and more…
Racing Bases, Changing Email, Sniffing Traffic, Backing Up Photos, and more…
Windows 10 Acting Like Malware, Stopping Keyloggers, and more…
Unsupported Software, Removing Malware, Getting Burned by Windows Update, and more…
Backup Programs, Uncaught Exploit, Windows Live Mail 2012, and more…
Windows 10 Misconceptions, Copying as a Backup Strategy, Securing Your Router, and more…
PUPs, Unknown Partitions, Contacting Outlook.com Customer Service, and more…
Ad-Free Outlook.com, Hacked Email, Removing Malware, and more…
Lets Talk, Doing it Over, Searching without Search, Searching for Support, and more…
When It All Just Works, Security Software Recommendations, Manure, and more…
Getting Old is Getting Old, Different Passwords, Backing Up Multiple Disks, and more…
Software That Doesn’t Work, Open Hotspots, Cloud Safety, and more…
Creative Commons, Outbound Firewalls, Keeping Windows Up-To-Date, and more…
How I Back Up, Website Pop-ups, Fixing Windows Update and more…
Security, Skepticism, Backing Up, and more…
Security Questions, Bouncing Email, Ignored Email, and more…
Back doors, Who’s Using Memory, Ninite, and more…
Upcoming book update, Upgrading to Windows 10, Email Quotas, and more…
Negative Reviews, Browser Cache’s, Ransomware and Backups, and more…
The Ask Leo! Forum, “Recommended” Add-ons, Delayed mail, and more…
Stopping Spam, Hacking Facebook, MAC vs. IP, and more…
Possible Lastpass Phishing, Ransomware32, MAC address filtering, downloading torrents, and more…
End Of Support, Downloading Windows, Burning ISOs, and more…
Blocking Windows 10, Keeping Backups, Your Email Address, and more…
Keeping the Neighbors Out, Cookies and Your Bank, Viruses on the Network, and more…
2015 in Review, Fixing the Recycle Bin, Downloading a File, and more…
The risks of free email, Custom desktop icons, Running Windows 10, and more…
How to create a backup image, Ping, Survey results, and more…
Terminology, Blue Screens, ISPs Monitoring You, a question for you, and more…
Thank You!, Spam from the wrong address, restoring images, and more…
Windows 10 Failure Patterns (maybe), Screen Brightness, SATA vs PATA vs IDE, and more…
Have Fun!, Testing Backups, Creating Partitions, and more…
Processors, Processors, Backing Up, and more…
Never Stop Learning, Dealing with Browser Problems, MAC addresses and more…
Dealing with Change, Making a Change, Getting Help with Change, Changes and more Changes, and more…
You’re Never Too Old, Driver Updates, Getting Marked as Spam, Survey Results, and more…
Windows 10, Windows 10, Viewing Hidden Files, and more…
Life, Chkdsk, Windows 10 Privacy and more…
Change, Online Backup, Resolution versus Size, and more…
Jumping to conclusions, Signing in automatically, Tech support scam, and more…
What makes me different? Ransomware, Windows 10 Privacy and more…
Delays, Free Backup Software, Local Account Sign-in, Windows 10 Privacy, and more…
A question for you, Turning off peer-to-peer and Wi-Fi Sense in Windows 10, harassing email and more…
Backing up before going forward, four ways to go back, Corgi pictures, and more…
The power of the sysadmin, bouncing email, don’t fear your computer, and more…
Free Windows 10?, Mysterious Windows, Career Advice and more…
Macrium Free, Large Incrementals, Old Webpages, Charging Phones, and Flash!
Book 2nd Edition, The CTRL+S Habit, Un-sending email, website mistakes and more…
Chomping at the bit, Blocked email, Deleting pagefile.sys and more…
More Windows 10, Your Digital Afterlife, Yes, We’re Having Fun, and more…
Changing Passwords, Canceling Windows 10, Losing Your Phone, and more…
Changing the default program, Subnet masks, Having fun with your tech, and more…
Spam Filters, Editing a Reply, and … Let’s Talk About Windows 10
Change for the Sake of Change, No Signal, 169 IP addresses, and more…
Tech Translation, Closing Hotmail, Black Screens, and more…
Knowledge is Power, Free isn’t Free, Conventional Wisdom may not be necessary, and more…
Prepare for Your Account Hack, Removing a Virus, Viewing Cookies, and My (not so) Favorite Question
Seeing if Email’s Been Opened, Technology-caused Isolation, Measurements, a Peek inside, and more…
Explorer Details, Backup Files, Evil Attachments, the depressing state of YouTube comments, and more…
Mac vs. PC? It’s Over. Your responses, deleting files, changing mobile numbers and more…
My Not-So-Secret Secret, Storing Files Online, VM settings, SPAM, and more….
Facebook Fail, Copied Files, Sending Spam, Why Microsoft Didn’t Fix Your Bug, and more…
Hotmail Support, Compromised Credit Cards, Moving the Task Bar, Backup Programs and more…
Safety Versus the News, Drivers, Drivers, Network Activity and more…
Handing Over Your Wallet, Duplicate Files, Blue Screens, Disconnecting Backup Drives and more…
Pirating Software, Dropbox, CHKDSK, DNS and more…
Free Video Series, Skype Calls Getting Recorded, Save vs. Run, VC++ Runtime and more
Lots of Feedback, Breaking NAS, Angle Brackets, “From” Spoofing, and more…
A Question for You, Email Blocking, Gmail Routing, Email Terminology, and more…
Do You IMAP? Blocking Pictures in Email, Backing Up Email, Getting Less Email and, um … more
Getting Spam from Yourself, Windows 10, My Depressing Survey on Backups and more…
Download Destinations, Continuous Backup, Trusting the Repairman, Please Share Links and more…
CPU Maxed at 25%, External Drives, Scheduling Backups, and yes, Everything is Awesome!
Making Images, Incremental Backups, Free Software, Giving a Laptop and more…
2014’s hits, Firewalls, Deleting Setup Files, Let’s Get People to Back Up!
Hard drives in dead computers, Deleting multiple emails, Are they really deleted?, Avoiding Bitlocker, and more…
Your new computer, Removing websites, Avoiding two-factor risks, 5 suggestions for the new year and more…
Pictures not Showing, When Pages Were Written, Microsoft Update, Time to Unsubscribe and more…
Machines full of malware, Cloud danger, blocking contact, SSL, and more…
Searching, Searching, & Searching … and not finding Windows 10 Image Backup
A Tale of Woe, What to Look For in a New Computer, and more…
So many clouds! Filtering junk, not filtering not junk, labels versus folders, remembering passwords and more…
What to do when Windows Explorer crashes, Wi-Fi Security that’s not really security at all, encrypting your cloud with BoxCryptor, the Podcast is back, and more…
Unfortunately some security services and/or malware will block clicks.aweber.com, which is safe, and used by my newsletter to help me understand what people are looking at.
Backups are one of the ways that people can protect themselves from everything from hardware failure to virus infections. So why don’t people backup?
I recently replaced the primary hard drive on my primary machine with an SSD. I’ll walk you through the steps I took that made the process relatively pain-free.
I recently upgraded my primary desktop machine to Windows 8. I did so with some trepidation after hearing many complaints. My reaction: what’s all the fuss about?
Removing yourself from Google, malware traces, router
passwords, Internal RAM sticks and more…
Free email services, sudden scrolling, mail-to links, ethernet cards and more…
Forwarding email you shouldn’t, Apple viruses, full drives, Laundromat WiFi and more…
Why reboot is step one, clicking on spam, TOR, comparing Cable and DSL and more…
Hubs, Switches and Routers, “Your computer is at risk” messages and more…
Are You – no, YOU – backed up? Also, broken computers,
cyber cops malware and more…
Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam, passing robot tests,
work-at-home sites and more…
Changing your email address, lost cookies, Macrium passwords, clean shut-downs, phone photos and more…
Staying safe on the Internet, why progress bars suck,
retrieving the Windows admin password, and more…
Reverting to Windows 7, Fix-its that don’t, protecting external drives, Leo’s signature and more…
Disable Java, disposing of old hard drives, flash memory
wearing out and more…
Closing and resizing Windows 8 apps, Ransomware, Win 7 in Win 8, proving email was sent and more…
The Windows 8 Start Menu, Dropping Dialup Connections, Banking with Linux and more…
What Servers See, Combining Documents, Yahoo email safety and more…
2012 Wrap-up, more answers, and an Ask Leo! announcement for 2013.
The Importance of English, backups with the power off, wireless adapters, infected routers and more…
Hotels that interfere with your email, web versus pc based email, upgrading your CPU and more…
Encrypting a file, USB 3, large files on the desktop, blurry pictures and more…
Moving a file can leave traces, Microsoft Security Essentials, blaming a contact and more…
Screen shots worth 1000 words, moving pre-installed
Windows, Windows 8 downloads and more…
Cookies and how they’re made, do not track, magnets, expiring email accounts and more…
Malware by looking at email, starter printer cartridges, transferring software and more…
Sites you download unknowingly, women versus men versus young versus old, realtime scanning and more…
Viewing smooth online videos, uploading music to YouTube, FireFox alternatives and much more…
Anonymous email, hiding searches, OpenGL, snooping landlords and more…
Finding a web host, email security, large PSTs,
add/remove programs and more…
Do you need a Windows Password? Learning Linux, archiving newsletters, disposable email addresses and more…
Windows 8, Windows 8, file formats for photos, defragging thumbdrives and more…
The Demise of Messenger, protecting files, Real Player, the FBI and more…
Moving windows you can’t see, dynamic IPs, defragging, freezing computers and more…
Drowning in Spam, Anti-malware boot disks, your phone knows who you are and more…
IMAP, .dat files, upside down photos, Microsoft Office
alternatives and more…
Defragging: What? Why? When?, second hand machine, upgrading Windows 2000, after death email and more…
Pixels & DPI & bytes, (oh my!), FAX versus email security, moving contacts, SSDs and more…
When a gigabyte isn’t a gigabyte, stopping spam,
snooping technicians and more…
Burning audio CDs, video cards on motherboards, a friend that can read your email and more…
Why your machine’s slowing down, disabling https,
localhost, sharing your password and more…
Tease: ZIPping pictures, getting files from an unbootable machine, DBAN, IE8’s memory usage and more…
My wife’s new Mac, svchost, fake accounts, fake email and more…
What The File? Transferring Gmail, why I don’t partition my disk, network traffic and more…
Outlook, Outlook and Outlook, keyloggers, bypassing VPN blocks and more…
Memory versus memory, filling up unused email accounts, disabling your touchpad and more…
Right person – wrong address, Gravatars, Browser Choice,
.torrents and more…
If there’s only one copy, it’s not backed up. Plus – slow as a snail, TV viruses and more….
Malwarebytes Antimalware, long term storage, charging
spammers, CAPTCHAs and more…
TeamViewer for remote access, display names that don’t
match email addresses and more…
Java versus Javascript, vanishing pictures, backups that include malware and more…
The software I use. What it means to “Like”, social media bars and more…
Why I use LastPass, read-only Hotmail, YouTube videos in email and more…
Securing Cloud Data, continuous backups, stubborn
keyloggers and more…
Is The Cloud Dangerous? Outlook versus Outlook, Skype, Kindle, Facebook & more…
What others can tell from your IP address, view source,
Facebook games and more…
Happy Anniversary! Learning from a massive hack, ads that stalk you and more…
The Impending Death of Hotmail (or not), sending
documents securely, telling MS what to do, and more…
Why do people forget their passwords? Downgrading
Windows 7, whether computer experts exist, and more…
Think email’s secure? How about trusting the internet? That and more…
Setting up your home network, no signal, dropping
laptops and more…
When remote technicians attack, keeping Thunderbird,
book format news and more…
How Windows 7 Libraries Work (and confuse), reporting spam, clearing your hard drive and more…
The perils of sharing your Wifi, reading ebooks, the
return of Clippy? And more…
Who do you trust online? Disgusting email, third party
utilities and more…
Cleaning up a slow machine, when viruses attach, I release my new book and more…
Surface thoughts, laptop keyboards, Documents and
Settings in Windows 7 and more…
New Phishing holes are coming, Ubuntu versus Windows 7,
sharing Kindle books and more…
Does the platform you use matter anymore? Ghostly icons,
selling out digital products and more…
Good passwords probably aren’t what you think, backing up TrueCrypt, restore points and more…
Certificates: good, bad & how they work, overheating
hard drives, changing IP addresses and more…
Has your email been hacked? The 7 things you need to do
next…
The workings of ‘Keep me signed in’, stale OpenCandy, pipes, the deep web and more…
Booting from CD, Backing up TrueCrypt, about:blank and more…
Just pulling the plug, exploding CDs, CISPA, BCC and more…
Computers that start themselves, what happens when you say SPAM, Meebo, Truecrypt and more…
Full headers in Gmail, IE8 & 9, destroying a hard disk and more…
Removing personal information from a machine, where user accounts come from and more…
Decompressing Windows compression, paying for free software, IP addresses, paging files and more…
Drivers that install over and over, monitoring changes to the registry, noobs and more…
Ask Leo! #348 – Losing the internet in July, fixing what isn’t broken,
links to your Dropbox and more…
Purchasing and setting up your own domain, blocking unwanted email, using recovery discs, Answercast #10 and more…
Why hackers hack, why files get locked, what happens to email sent to the wrong address and more…
Lights are on but nobody home, small photos, backup
terminology, a fully packed Answercast and more…
Libraries and Kindles, how spammers hide IP addresses,
does your email have a virus and more…
Https Security, Burning a CD, nine more answers in
Answercast 6 and more…
USB Ports that die, a Flash update perhaps with baggage,
and another packed Answercast…
More answers than we know what to do with …
Cleaning up after malware, searching effectively, booting Ubuntu and much more in Answercast #2…
Ask Leo! #339 – Sleeping hard disks, Using RSS and an all new ….
Answercast?
Preparing for a subpoena, backing up Outlook, external
drive boot problems and more…
Removing a recovery partition, speeding up FireFox,
connection speeds and more…
More on initial system images, free Kindle reading
applications, overwriting files and more…
Accidentally exposing your on-line status, unexpected
downloads, wiping free space and more…
I’m concerned about the length of time my name has been posted at the bottom of your newsletter page. I would like you to delete it, if at all possible. Does it only show up on my machine? Or is out everywhere? I have never seen new subscribers listed there, so it just seems…unusual.
It's not at all what you think.
At the bottom of every newsletter is some administrative information.
More to the point, your information appears only in your copy of the newsletter.
Turning off MSE, the difference between deleting and
DELETING, Google Alerts and more…
Letting a technician through your firewall, fixing
Windows 7’s boot, image backups and more…
Does Google know all? Viewing
hidden files, locating product keys and more…
Bypassing UAC, deleting cookies on schedule, getting
files back from an upload site and more…
TV over the internet? Being labeled a spammer, finding
your IP address via IM and more…
How long ISPs track you, joining a dating service,
selecting the right playback device and more…
Keep running that old copy of Windows, deleting email,
using Facebook safely and more…
Getting ‘remembered’ passwords out of your computer,
backing up Yahoo!, download accelerators and more…
Secrets of your sysadmin, turning off IE9’s “speed up” suggestion, deleting Hotmail contacts and more…
Getting Windows 7 machines to ‘see’ each other,
repairing Microsoft Office, is this a scam? and more…
Which version of IE you should run, live CDs, routers vs. routers vs. access points, and more…
Downloading Windows 7, perhaps even legally! Broken keyboards, image formats and more…
Watching what your network is up to, making photos smaller on disk, SSIDs and more…
Slow pictures, big pictures, big slow pictures, combining internet connections and more…
A Windows Explorer change you must make, DLLs versus EXEs, Sandboxes versus VMs, and more…
Is the internet really that dangerous? Taskbar previews, Hotmail passwords (again), and more…
The 32-to-64 bit upgrade path, clipboards, a great cleaning tool, and more…
Why I dislike System Restore. Also: backing up e-readers, anonymous surfing and more…
What were people asking last year? Plus routers, recovery, broken URLs and more.
Living without installation media, loaning your computer to the wrong
person, 2012 doomsday predictions and more.
When Explorer (the other one) crashes, dead machines with important files, an Ask Leo! announcement and more.
Avoiding nasty trojans, erasing hard disks (completely) and more.
Embarrassing auto-complete, another Google toolbar, and an announcement
about the newsletter.
I want to thank everyone who provided feedback for the survey that I ran last month regarding newsletter frequency. The overwhelming winner was "do whatever you want", which I truly appreciate.
Taking your feedback and factoring in my own goals for the new year (more answers for you, less work for me :-)) I've decided to tweak a couple of things about the weekly newsletter.
Backups, backups, a new recommendation and more backups!
Sharing files in Win7, Blaming add-ons in IE, Software Rot, and more…
What’s slowing down your machine, giving your password to strangers, Removing IE, and more..
Backing Up Infected Drives, Wireless & Router safety, Broken IE9, Custom
Icons and more..
What’s this SATA, PATA and IDE stuff? Links in PDFs, Dropbox, Spam on a NEW!
Domain and more..
RAW vs. JPG, recovering from a BAD infection, a peek at Evernote, protecting your
address book and more…
Installing an ISO, SendTo and Hotmail, removing a Win 7 partition, Backup
Q&A, and more.
Bad email etiquette, accidentally moving files, slow disk defraggers,
Outlook’s PST, Macrium Reflect and more.
Super cookies, repairing PSTs, Windows 7’s backup, and fixing viruses when you can’t even boot.
Facebook charging? Windows Live, recovering encrypted data, passwords & more…
Preventing copying & printing, accidentally deleting your hard drive, closing Hotmail, Windows 8 & more…
Free internet, backing up encrypted data, why Microsoft (probably) won’t fix your bug & more…
Adobe Air, sharing your Internet, sniffing encrypted email, natural disasters & more
Windows Installer issues, email bounces, TrueCrypt video, legal mp3 files and more…
desktop.ini & desktop.ini, mobile broadband security, foistware, ZIP
encryption & DNS.
Sniffing’s easy, connecting while traveling, wireless without encryption, clicks in search results, and a back-to-school sale.
IP address ownership, tracking illegal sites, router passwords, more
passwords, and Ask Leo!’s 8th anniversary!
Keeping malware at bay, discovering search history, good passwords,
Hotmail’s reputation and more…
Smartphone safety, details in Explorer, recovering data after a crash, keep
on buying those new computers, and more …
Email bounces & bots, banking on a dedicated machine, .BAK files, virtual machines and more …
64-bit Flash, installing MSE video, WinPatrol, getting statements by email,
getting Windows XP, and more …
Calls from Microsoft, contextual advertising, encrypting a hard drive, slack
space & a new family member.
Slack space, determining file types without using file extensions, VC redistributables, sending a .exe, “Crazy Facts” & more.
MS System Sweeper, security in the cloud, pasting into Word, aborting a
download and a Win 7 toolbar tip.
This week: 8 character passwords, ignoring Windows Update, Spyware, IE9 (or not), keyboard rrrrepeat.
I suddenly stopped getting your newsletter this spring. All of a sudden, not a single issue. Why? And what do I do?
Based on that description, and especially the timing, unfortunately, there’s a very good chance you’ve been unsubscribed.
And it’s possible that I did it.
Let me explain why.
This week Firewalls, UAC in Windows 7, Backing up Webmail, +1, and the first monthly webinar.
This week: top level folders, disappearing menus, staying safe from viruses and a new PDF recommendation.
This week: Print to File, No Signal, CHKDSK, Uninstalling IE9, & my new book!
This week: Accounts in Outlook 2010, Windows Passwords & Fonts & Reverting to XP – plus my rant(?) to website owners.
I occasionally get questions complaints about the format of
the newsletter. Specifically, some people find the fact that it contains only
the first part of each article and requires you to click through to the website objectionable.
There are several very important reasons that the newsletter is structured this way.
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles Do all these software updates take up more and more disk space? There … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I convert an audio file to a midi file? I would … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I get PDF files to open inside my browser? Or not? … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles Why is my PDF so large compared to the original? I publish a … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I access the Policy Editor in Windows 7 Home editions? In … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles Why does my computer crash at random times? I have a dual core … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I safely use a free email account? My hotmail account was … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles Can I have more than one email account with the same ID? Is … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I know that this web address is safe? Security when clicking … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles Should I Leave Windows 98 behind? I am having problems finding an antivirus … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I report a bug in Windows? In Windows 7 Ultimate x64, … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How long should a hard drive last? This article’s not borne out of … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles How do I automatically forward my Windows Live Hotmail mail? I’m changing email … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a tech question? Ask it here. Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. *** New Articles Why are reboots required on some system updates? Why is a system restart … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Don’t hit reply! Do you have a question for me? Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first (around half the questions people ask are already answered there). You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. If none … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Don’t hit reply! Do you have a question for me? Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first (around half the questions people ask are already answered there). You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. If none … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Don’t hit reply! Do you have a question for me? Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first (around half the questions people ask are already answered there). You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. If none … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
Hello!
Do you have a question for me? Don't hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first - seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. If you still can't find the answer you're looking for then by all means ask your question here (it's the fastest way).
Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email.
*** New Articles
Do I need a firewall, and if so, what kind?
I keep hearing about "firewalls" for my computer and that there are different types. Do I need one? If I do, what kind of firewall do I need?
*
The very short, very easy answer is: hell yes! Absolutely, positively you need a firewall.
With all that happens on the internet these days it's simply too risky to let your computer sit "naked" on the internet unless you really know what you're doing.
The real question is then: what do you need?
Heck, it's even possible you already are behind a firewall and don't need anything more.
Continue reading: Do I need a
firewall, and if so, what kind?
http://ask-leo.com/C1911
* * *
Why, or how, do files become corrupt?
How are files "corrupted" and why do they go "missing"? I had this happen recently and was told that it was not a virus that caused it: that it "Just happens". Whatever! Windows had to be re-loaded.
*
Yes, it does "just happen".
That should make you a little nervous, and perhaps motivate you to invest in
that backup strategy you've been putting off. 
The fact is, things occasionally break, and when they break the failure can be catastrophic - as in suddenly your machine won't turn on - or much more subtle, not showing up for weeks or months or sometimes never.
Continue reading: Why, or how, do
files become corrupt?
http://ask-leo.com/C3962
* * *
Is it safe to let my browser remember passwords?
If I consider my computer to be physically secure, am I reasonably safe letting Firefox remember my passwords (without using a master password), or am I being incredibly stupid to do that? What if I do use a master password?
*
I certainly wouldn't say incredibly stupid at all. But it's definitely an additional risk, and one that needs to be understood.
But you're correct in considering physical security first. The problem is that people often assume they have more physical security than they actually do.
And master passwords? Well, they're nice, but they too have their limitations.
Continue reading: Is it
safe to let my browser remember passwords?
http://ask-leo.com/C3961
* * *
How do I know what programs are safe to uninstall?
I use Windows XP and am wanting to rid my computer of programs that I never use or rarely use. I know about using the removal function in the control panel. My question has to do with "How do I know that it's okay to remove these program?"
For example, I have a program that's called "Java2 Runtime Environment SE v1.4.2_03" This program takes up 135.00MB and it's used "Rarely." I have several programs like this that are used "Rarely." It is okay to remove them?
*
It's my experience that "rarely" is rarely accurate. I have no idea how that moniker is created, but for the most part my sense is - it ain't right. I just checked, and a program that I use quite literally every day (the HTML editor in which I write these articles) is listed as being used "rarely", and last used about 5 months ago.
That's so wrong as to completely remove any trust I have in any of the other tags of "rarely" in the Add/Remove entries.
Unfortunately that kind of limits the information we have at hand in order to make our decisions.
Continue reading: How
do I know what programs are safe to uninstall?
http://ask-leo.com/C3960
* * *
2009 Most Popular Questions
It's interesting to watch for what changes in popularity from year to year, and also what's new.
In 2009 we saw a couple of new Top 10 entries and of course some old standby's continue to make a strong showing. I think there are some interesting observations to be made about the industry based on what kinds of questions people ask most often.
Continue reading: 2009 Most Popular
Questions
http://ask-leo.com/C3959
* * *
How can I know that email's I sent were received and opened?
In my business, it is critical I know that emails I have sent were received & opened. The emails are time sensitive and contain deadline dates for the information requested.
I have searched & asked questions... but all that has been futile.
I am certain I am not the only person unable to find an answer to this problem.
*
That's because there is no answer to this problem.
And you're quite right, you're not the only person wishing otherwise.
But wishing - or even the statements of some companies that claim to be able to do it - doesn't make it so.
I'll explain why.
Continue reading:
How can I know that email's I sent were received and opened?
http://ask-leo.com/C3958
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*** Comments
A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!
* * *
How long does Hotmail keep email?
Carl G. writes:
Can we PLEASE stop seeing Hotmail questions (pretty please!!!)? If people can't figure out WHAT Hotmail is all about by now, is there ANY help for them? Hotmail is a free (you get what you pay for) front for Microsoft to sell ad space - that's all. ;)
Sorry, but it's unlikely that Hotmail questions will stop. There are real people with real problems that need help. That's what I'm all about. I agree that they're often using Hotmail improperly and should be doing something different, but the fact is a large number of questions I get are all Hotmail related. I'd be doing a lot of people a huge disservice if I ignored the tide. I do try to expand the Hotmail questions in to more general purpose questions (i.e. the lessons, including this article's, often apply to "all free email accounts").
-Leo
*
Can someone I'm IM'ing with see my machine or hard disk?
Gabe writes:
An important side note...I fell for this one...it's quite possible to be spammed through IM's...please read on.
I'm an IT guy and my friend is also an IT guy. While chatting about something technical in Google Talk, we were sending each other links. We also routinely make fun of very bad English (aka "Engrish"). This particular day, in the midst of our tech chat, I get a message through Google Talk from him, it's written in very bad "Engrish" and it has a link. Thinking my friend is just being goofy, I clicked the link and it took me to a very strange web page. I looked around on that page and then replied in Google Talk to my friend, "What is this?" At that point, he was completely confused how that message was sent to me because he DID NOT SEND IT. This is a close friend and I trust he was just as confused as I was. Our conversation was somehow hijacked and this simple spam message and link were inserted into it. I got off lucky because it did not ask me to "log in". If it had been a Google-style login, I very possibly would have tried logging in because again, it was a perceived good link from a trusted friend. He and I both reported this too Google on a message board along with many others...so apparently I'm not the only victim of this sort of thing.
Scary. Every link in IM needs to be viewed with skepticism.
-Leo
*
Dell - PC Desktops, Laptops and Accessories
PJ Salvatore writes:
A couple years ago I purchased our 7th Dell. All 7 are still in service and I can even say going strong. My son's laptop for college was our first in 1999. Like any technology of that age it has outlived its usefulness... OUTLIVED being the operative word!! It is still running and still in use, though we've since gifted our son a new one. My desktop is going on 8 years old, has been expanded to capacity, (fortunately external hard drives make expansion of storage limitless) this one has taken 7 years of nearly constant use. I won't bore you with more details, but all of our computers, except one Vista-encumbered desktop that we call our evil step-child, have been a delight to own (the computer actually behaves quite nicely, Vista seems to be a bit ADHD). As for service, we couldn't have asked for better! In the middle of a major project, tech support even saved my bacon by walking me through the recovery of files in safe mode, for THREE HOURS!. (the wireless mouse, not the computer, proved to be the issue in that case) We've gotten a wonky laptop replaced when the warranty clearly stated that they would only repair. And a monitor that was months out of warranty was replaced as well with no argument. I have of course heard all the horror stories but you couldn't prove them by me.
*** Leo Recommends
Webopedia
Internet and Technology dictionary and search engine
Ever come across an internet or computer related term or acronym that made absolutely NO sense? And yet the writer, perhaps even me, uses it as if everyone on the planet should know what it means?
Webopedia is the site for you. "The only online dictionary and search engine you need for computer and Internet technology definitions."
Continue reading...
Webopedia - Internet and Technology dictionary and search engine
http://ask-leo.com/C3648
*
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?
*** Popular Articles
We should all run fully protected on the internet, right? I mean, anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewalls and who knows what else are all pretty important. Right? What, then, about those brave folks who are:
Running Without a Net
Every so often I hear of people who run Windows without anti-virus or anti-spyware software. A good friend of mine runs this way, and the other day I happened to hear that a couple of high profile tech industry folks do the same.
Now, while it might be OK for them, I'm concerned that it sets a misleading example, and might cause others to think that they can get away with doing the same.
Here's the deal.
Continue reading...
Running Without a
Net
http://ask-leo.com/C2885
*** Thoughts and Comments
I hope you're all having a great holiday season! It's been the usual alternating states of relaxation and frenzy out here at Ask Leo! world headquarters.
It's hard to believe we're wrapping up another year too! This is the last newsletter of 2009. I remember as a child thinking how cool it'd be in the year 2000, and here we are 10 years past! Time flies - whether or not you're having fun.
It's also hard for me to believe that we're approaching 100,000 subscribers to this newsletter. I'm at once surprised, awed and humbled that I get to share a small place in your inbox every week. It's something I try not to take for granted. I want you all to know how very grateful I am for you, your attention, your feedback and your subscription. I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations and provide something useful every week.
Here's to a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous 2010!
Leo A. Notenboom
*** Administration
Need more help with or have questions about the newsletter? Check out the newsletter administration page.
Newsletter contents Copyright © 2009,
Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
Answers to common questions for subscribers to The Ask Leo! Newsletter.
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
What do you make out of this ? I get it every time you send me a newsletter.
“The MessageLabs Email Security System discovered a possible virus or unauthorised code (such as a Trojan) in an email sent to you. The email has now been quarantined and was not delivered.”
What we have here is what's called a "false positive" - your security software claiming that something it potentially malicious when it isn't.
We'll look at how this can happen, and possible steps you can take to avoid the issue.
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello {!name_fix}! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for me? Don’t hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first – seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
I’m changing my email address. How do I change my newsletter subscription to go to my new address?
There are two approaches: you can unsubscribe at your old address, and subscribe at your new, or you can simply change your subscription address directly.
Let me show you how to do that last one.
I no longer wish to receive your newsletter. How do I unsubscribe?
Unsubscribing is easy, all you need to do is click a link, and then click an option on the resulting page.
I am an email subscriber. Lately your newsletter has been coming almost every other week as opposed to every week. Why?
Nine times out of ten if you didn’t get Ask Leo!’s weekly newsletter it’s because it was erroneously filtered as spam.
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello! Do you have a question for Ask Leo!? Don’t hit reply! Head for the Ask Leo! home page and start by searching the site – around half the questions people ask are already answered there. Browse the archive, past newsletters and more. Still can’t find … Read more
[raw] Leo’s Answers A Weekly Newsletter From Ask Leo! Leo Notenboom Hello {!name_fix}! (You subscribed to this newsletter from this email address: {!email}, which you then separately confirmed. If you don’t want this weekly newsletter any more, please follow the instructions to unsubscribe at the end of this and every issue.) *** Contents New Articles … Read more
