I received an email recently from PC Pitstop (I bought a license for PC Pitstop’s Optimize 2.0) announcing their new version Internet speed test. That got me thinking about the variations in connection speed that I’ve seen over the years — over days and even between sites. Typically, the closer the bandwidth-measuring site is to [...]

Optimize 2.0 Review Number 2 Back in February, 2008, I bought a license for Optimize 2.0 and was very impressed with its cleanup and speedup changes it made on my computer. Now, five months later, is it still a worthwhile tool? As I ran the program on Friday night, it had been several weeks since [...]

Like many of the other downloadable programs that are designed to scan and fix computer problems, Optimize 2.0 from PC Pitstop is a program that can be run on schedule to routinely check for and fix problems, or can be run on request to fix and find problems. Of course, the most significant value will [...]

Reader Russ Tinley wrote about a strange problem he was having: Terry, My computer is connected to a Verizon DSL Modem, and everytime I connect the modem to my PC I get a blue screen and the system reboots. I called Verizon and they replaced my Modem but it still does it. So I called [...]

I’ve done it. I’m sure you have, too. We’ve all installed a program that arbitrarily grabbed certain file extensions (such as .doc, .jpg, .mp3) and changed Windows’ settings. Now, the new program is the default for opening that file type. Sometimes, it’s our fault — many programs that can handle multiple file types will give [...]

You’ve seen the problem. The program you use every day, or maybe one you use occasionally, isn’t doing what it should. Perhaps the program can’t load one of its data files, so it doesn’t actually start. Perhaps it won’t do the task you told it to do – even if it worked yesterday. Perhaps the [...]

One of the neat features of Windows is the drag-and-drop system, where you can use the mouse to drag an icon (or a file name in Windows Explorer), over a target icon — and drop the dragged icon on target icon. When you do that, many Windows programs will start and do whatever they do [...]

I received an email recently from someone who was having problems with a Windows dialog box. In this particular case, she was trying to put a registration code into software, but the field for the code extended outside the box — and she couldn’t input the whole code. It really sounds to me like a [...]

Creating Your New Documents in Word Deleting Emails versus Really Deleting Emails Disadvantages of Windows XP’s NTBackup Program

Reader Ian Holland wrote after reading one of my Special Edition Newsletters, which sometimes go to email subscribers: Hi Terry, Just read your VERY absorbing newsletter, I have a ( moronic??) question about those SATA hard drives. I recently ( 2006) built 5 pcs for the office ALL with SATA drives, and they are all [...]