Windows 8.1 will automatically encrypt the storage on modern Windows PCs. This will help protect your files in case someone steals your laptop and tries to get at them, but it has important ramifications for data recovery….
Windows is complicated and needs many different system utilities and security tools to run well — or does it? We recently covered the many types of system tools you don’t need. Here are the few utilities you actually do need…
Windows users see advertisements for all sorts of system tools and optimization utilities. It’s easy for companies to tell you that you absolutely have to run these tools, but you don’t need most of the junk on offer….
Computers normally run an operating system installed on their hard drives, whether it’s Windows, OS X, or Linux. But they can also boot from removable media devices, allowing you to boot a Linux desktop from a USB drive or CD…
On a PC, you can still play old games — which isn’t true for consoles. You may even find yourself actively buying these old games as they show up on great sales on Steam and elsewhere.
Have you ever wondered how much time is added to the boot process by your anti-virus solution? This handy chart shows you the answer, with some surprising results.
Windows has a built-in firewall that blocks inbound connections. If a program wants to act as a server, Windows will prompt you. Some geeks don’t like the built-in firewall because it doesn’t offer the same prompts for outgoi…
Malware, adware, and pushy software installers all love changing your browser settings, giving you new home pages, default search engines, and obnoxious toolbars. It’s easy to forget to uncheck these options while installing …
To actually erase files from a magnetic hard drive, you would have to overwrite the file with useless data. Some tools attempt to make this easier, offering to “securely delete” a file by deleting it and overwriting its secto…
Microsoft Office documents containing built-in macros can be dangerous. Macros are essentially bits of computer code, and historically they’ve been vehicles for malware. Luckily, modern versions of Office contain security fea…
Many features that once required root have been added to Android over the years. However, many advanced tricks still require rooting your Android smartphone or tablet.
The deadline for the end of Windows XP support is drawing closer every day now, yet many people and businesses continue to use it. Microsoft is adamant that once April 8th comes and goes, there will be no end-of-life extensio…
Virtual machines generally run guest operating systems and their programs in a single window. However, both VirtualBox and VMware have features that allow you to free virtualized programs from their prison, running them on yo…
Are you a huge fan of Google Chrome, but looking for a way to lock things down or supervise what your children access when browsing the internet with Chrome? Then you will definitely be pleased with the latest feature to be i…
We recently covered how to let people use your computer without giving them access to all your stuff using your operating system’s guest mode feature. A faster alternative would be to give them their own, isolated web browser…
Sure, your smartphone’s camera can be used for photos and video chats, but it can do much more than that. Your phone’s camera is a powerful tool you can use for everything from finding better prices to navigation and translat…
Tablets are great devices to leave on a coffee table and share, but they’re intensely personal. They provide direct access to your email, signed-in apps, and even your Chrome browser history from your PC….
Have you ever saved a password in your browser — Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or another one? Then your passwords are likely viewable by anyone with access to your computer while you’re logged in….
People talk about their online accounts being “hacked,” but how exactly does this hacking happen? The reality is that accounts are hacked in fairly simple ways — attackers don’t use black magic.
Some people’s networked printers, cameras, routers, and other hardware devices are accessible from the Internet. There are even search engines designed to search such exposed devices. If your devices are secure, you won’t hav…
Deleting the cache is definitely something you’ll want to do if you are worried about your privacy. Just keep in mind that deleting the cache will only sorta delete those files — unless you overwrite the free space, you are…
Browser extensions extend your web browser with additional features, modify web pages, and integrate your browser with the other services you use. This guide will introduce you to the world of browser extensions and help you …
We’ve shown you how to jailbreak your Kindle in the past, but the new Paperwhite (with a beautiful higher resolution screen that begs for custom screensavers) requires a brand new bag of tricks to jailbreak. Read on as we jai…
The web is littered with traps for novice users when downloading software, from fake “Download” buttons that are actually advertisements to installers full of bundled toolbars and other junk software. Learning how to avoid th…
Parental controls can filter the web, blocking inadvertent access to inappropriate websites. There are a variety of ways to do this, from configuring network-wide parental controls on your router to using the parental control…
