Newsletter Archives

• PC refuses to upgrade to newer version

  Posted on October 11, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Even as Windows 11 is coming down the pike, some readers are still having trouble getting their PCs to upgrade to the current version of Windows 10!

  But whether you’re updating Win10 or moving to Win11, here are several steps you can try — ranging from simple to severe — if your PC refuses a standard upgrade via Windows Update.

  Plus: What to do when your PC won’t respond to any keystroke!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.39.0 (2021-10-11).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows, Windows Update

• Question from “a Clueless OneDrive User”

  Posted on October 4, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  This week’s first reader-submitted question examines yet another OneDrive weirdness that turns out to have the same common cause — and solution! — as many, many other OneDrive issues.

  The second reader question involves a problem that can occur when a browser (Chrome, in this case) and Windows are respectively set to reopen previous pages and restart previous apps. It ain’t pretty.

  Plus: Good news for rural and remote locations with slow or no Internet connections! SpaceX’s Starlink global, high-speed, low-latency, satellite Internet service is coming out of beta!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.38.0 (2021-10-04).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, browsers, LangaList, OneDrive, Satellite Internet

• Share browsers without sharing their stored passwords

  Posted on September 27, 2021 at 02:45 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  ISSUE 18.37 • 2021-09-27

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Browser-based password managers have an obvious vulnerability on shared PCs: anyone with access to the browser might also have access to all its stored passwords!

  Today’s lead item discusses two separate ways to prevent unwanted password sharing. One is extremely secure but takes a little time to set up; the other takes only seconds but is less secure. Here’s the scoop!

  Plus: Improved searching for old content on AskWoody.com!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.37.0 (2021-09-27).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.37.F (2021-09-27).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Features, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, browsers, LangaList, Security

• Reader wants the deets on failed Home v. Pro test

  Posted on September 20, 2021 at 02:42 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  OK, this is embarrassing: A reader called me out after my planned side-by-side Home/Pro test drive fell apart. (“Crashed and burned” might be more descriptive.)

  So, with a deep gulp to swallow my pride, here’s where things went really, really wrong — and why.

  Plus: Beyond simple disk wipes and overwrites, a better way to prep an old hard drive for safe resale!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.36.0 (2021-09-20).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, HDD, LangaList, Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro

• Where OneDrive really (really!) shines

  Posted on September 13, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  AskWoody’s recent coverage amply illustrated OneDrive’s drawbacks and hassles, but there are instances where OneDrive (and similar cloud-based apps) are truly spectacular aids.

  For example, OneDrive can speed some setup and reinstallation chores by a literal order of magnitude, cutting down to mere minutes some tasks that used to take hours!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.35.0 (2021-09-13).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, OneDrive, Windows

• Why does this PC shut down at about 80% charge?

  Posted on September 6, 2021 at 02:43 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Lithium-ion batteries wear differently from classic dry- and wet-cell batteries, leading to some behaviors that seem, well, odd.

  But it also could be a matter of poor thermal management — simple overheating! Today’s column covers easy ways to investigate and cure either type of trouble.

  Plus: Recurring bank-account password problems lead a subscriber to ask about using a free password manager app.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.34.0 (2021-09-06).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Battery charging, Hardware, LangaList

• Should you activate Win10’s optional Application Guard?

  Posted on August 30, 2021 at 02:43 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  It’s disabled by default and comes with some serious gotchas … but it also can add an extra level of online security to Microsoft Office apps and to the Edge browser.

  Here’s how to tell whether Microsoft Defender Application Guard is available on your PC and how to enable it if you wish to give it a try.

  Plus: Sleuthing a user’s unusual Windows 7 to 10 activation issue!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.33.0 (2021-08-30).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList Application Guard, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows 10

• A VPN dissenter speaks out

  Posted on August 23, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  A reader strongly disagrees with Fred’s recent recommendation about using virtual private networks (VPNs) to increase online security; that reader’s colorful letter leads off this column.

  Today’s second reader-requested topic covers battery-monitoring apps for PCs and smartphones, including the extensive (but hidden) battery health report that’s built into every copy of Windows 10.

  The third reader-requested topic looks at daisy-chaining charging devices — say, charging your phone from your laptop while the laptop itself is charging from a wall socket.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.32.0 (2021-08-23).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Battery charging, Battery management, LangaList, VPN

• No Chrome? Easily add full-function Gmail to Edge!

  Posted on August 16, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Setup takes all of about 60 seconds, and there’s absolutely zero old-school POP or IMAP mail-server arcana to figure out.

  With literally a couple of clicks, you can add a permanent, utterly standard Gmail instance to Edge — or just about any other browser!

  Plus: Why some restarts during an update are OK, but others are destructive; and we note a milestone as the IBM PC turns 40!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.31.0 (2021-08-16).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, browsers, Edge, Email, Gmail, LangaList

• It’s way too soon to panic about Windows 11

  Posted on August 9, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Windows 11, aka Windows 21H2, is due out later this year but is already causing deep concern among many users.

  For some, it’s that their PCs failed the prerelease (and now withdrawn) Win11 hardware-compatibility checker. For others, it’s the knowledge that the stated prerelease hardware requirements would prevent their machines from being able to use the new OS.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.30.0 (2021-08-09).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows 10, Windows 11

• Reader feedback on driver/software updaters, and more!

  Posted on August 2, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  CCleaner — the popular system-cleanup tool — recently added automated software and driver updaters to its features. A subscriber set out to see whether they’re any good.

  Plus: Another subscriber’s laptop is stuck at 79% battery charge and won’t charge any higher; and a third seeks advice on how to obtain the fastest possible PC-to-smartphone USB tethering.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.29.0 (2021-08-02).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Battery charging, Hardware drivers, LangaList

• Untrustworthy OEM updaters cause trouble

  Posted on July 26, 2021 at 02:43 CDT by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Keeping a PC up to date gets harder as the system ages, especially when OEM and vendor update tools start missing things entirely — or actively making bad suggestions!

  Here are several ways to help ensure that your PC’s BIOS, hardware drivers, operating system, and software are getting all the updates they need — and not getting any updates they don’t!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.28.0 (2021-07-26).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Vendor Updates, Windows Updates
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