We suggest a reboot for a lot of problem solving. It doesn't always work, but it's the recommended first thing to try. For those using Windows 10, you have an opportunity to do the same thing.

That sounds like fun right? Well, I have to say, I have done this sort of thing to fix computers. It's a great way to resolve issues that are wacky with your Win 10 computer. Using restore points is a less invasive way to fix some things, and that was an option since Windows XP. Win 10 gives a bunch more options than that. There are options to restore the operating system and wipe out ALL your programs and data. Not usually the choice you are looking for. Another option is to restore the OS and keep your data, but still, you lose your added programs. Now, there is another option, to restore the OS and keep your data and programs.

This seems to suggest you can just do this anytime you want for funzies. Yay. OK, so you probably aren't going to be doing that. And also, you have to be able to get into windows so that's probably a bit of a limiting factor. Usually, a person wants to do this when there's a problem in Windows. 

There's an article HERE you should reference, in case you do need this stuff. It has a few other options you can look at as well. 

I was recently asked about some shortcuts when I was working at Paula’s house. I use them every day when I work on computers. And they are good for Macs or PCs. The most common ones, by far, are copy and paste; Ctl + C and Ctl + V. Select all is Ctl + A, though I frequently use the left click and hold the button to highlight sections of what I want to select, then Right click on the highlighted bit and select copy. 
​
Yep, there are lots of ways to do the same thing, and you may have your own already. But if you don’t know some of these shortcuts, you need to pick them up. Below is a way too big list, but check out some of the ones that interest you. These commands are commonly accessed by using the Ctl key (on PCs), command key (on Macs). The commands are pretty consistent across operating systems and programs, but of course, some programs have shortcuts that are specific to them. Word, Excel, Windows, MacOS, they all have fast shortcuts for getting stuff done.
 
For a HUGE list, with diagrams, and I think a printable listing, you can click HERE.

From How to Geek
​Craig Lloyd
When it comes to smartphone privacy concerns, location data is usually at the top of the list. The thing is, so many apps ask for your location now that we never really stop to think why they ask in the first place.
A bombshell report was recently published by The New York Times detailing just how much location data apps have on you (it’s more than you might think), and how they use that data to make money from targeted advertisements. This concept is nothing new and is already widely known, but the report goes into much greater detail than what we’ve seen before.

Read the article and find out what apps don't need your location and how to turn off location on your phone.

I recently worked on a laptop that had a hard drive problem. It’s not always easy to diagnose a hard drive issue, as sometimes it works, or partly works, then stops. In this case Windows started to the sign-in screen, but was really slow, and after signing in, it just kept signing in. That circle kept spinning and spinning. I’ve seen this sort of thing on Macs too.

There are a number of things you can try to fix an issue like this. If it’s a corrupt Windows problem, then Windows has a recovery option to fix that, and this computer eventually tried to go into that, but failed actually opening that up. I tried a Windows disk also, to no avail, which is why I then tried another hard drive. Since it worked fine from that, I knew the hard drive had failed, and was unable to be written to.

While it seems like that’s the death of a computer, a hard drive is not usually difficult to replace. Unfortunately, the old hard drive was unreadable so the data couldn’t be retrieved from it, but this person had a backup, so that was excellent. I replaced the drive and loaded Windows and the computer is back in business.

In this case, I had a used 250Gb SSD drive, which makes it a peppier computer. I’ve suggested replacing your older mechanical drive with a Solid State Drive before. It can add a few more years to the lifespan of your computer. I like the Samsung EVO drives, you can look at one of those by clicking on the link below.

​
​At $73, the 500Gb drive is now priced at what the 250Gb was just a year ago, so I highly recommend it, though the 250Gb is $20 cheaper. This is true for older MacBooks as well as PC laptops, so if you feel like keeping that computer going a little longer, consider upgrading the hard drive. 

I've written about this before, but there are some new devices I've read about which I like, so I thought I'd pass it on.

Something I use at home is called a powerline adapter. This is a small device that plugs into the wall outlet. You need to start with 2 of them. The inherent problem out here with WiFi is getting through thick adobe walls. My house does not have that, but it's still an issue getting the WiFi everywhere. I bought a pair of TP-Link power-line adapters without WiFi built in, because I have extra WiFi routers, but I suggest getting the WiFi built in for most people. The way it works is the small device plugs into your homes wall plug, and your internet plugs into this device. That puts the internet into your home's wiring. You plug the other end into another outlet and it provides internet wherever you've placed it. What's really cool about it is that you can add more devices to other rooms, as needed. 
​
For us, the internet comes into my office on one side of the house, where I have a WiFi router, but the far side upstairs didn't get a good signal. This pair of devices resolve that problem. What's more, if your casita on the other side of the garden uses the same wiring as the house, then you can put one in the casita for instant WiFi. A link to what I am talking about is HERE. A version that's similar to what I use is HERE. I'm not too brand loyal with this stuff, Netgear, TPLink, Dlink, Zyxel, they are all fine, just make sure it's got good reviews.
​
Another product that I've read about, but NOT yet used is a "mesh" network system. It's neat because it creates a single WiFi network thru multiple devices you place throughout your home. It does all the work, and when it's setup, you pass from device to device seamlessly. It's a bit spendier, but it seems very fast, and effective, and if you can't use the power-line in your scenario, this may be a great alternative. See the product HERE.

Something I was reading about during the Cyber Monday sale onslaught was a smart plug. These days a lot of items are being made with a way to attach to the internet and then your smartphone. The Internet of Things movement is really in it's infancy. If you'd like to try it out, get a smart plug. It's basically for a simple device, like a lamp, but it should allow you to plug a lamp into the little plug, and then program it to go on & off. The cool bit is that you can access it from anywhere that you have internet access, so you can turn it on & off from another country, and really mess with your house sitter, freak out your dogs, manage your indoor garden, whatever. That is available right HERE. It apparently plays nice with Alexa too, so there you go.