Daves Computer Tips https://davescomputertips.com Computer Help, Tips, How-to's, and News Mon, 11 May 2026 05:08:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 How To Care For Your Laptop The Right Way https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-care-for-your-laptop-the-right-way/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-care-for-your-laptop-the-right-way/#respond Mon, 11 May 2026 05:08:46 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152310 I’ve had numerous laptops over the years, mainly because they were shiny and I wanted them at the time. But I’m not a huge fan for numerous reasons, not least battery life, cooling, and how easily they break. Writing this today, I’m reminded of the times customers bring their laptops to me for repair in nothing but a plastic supermarket bag or similar flimsy material.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-care-for-your-laptop-the-right-way/feed/ 0 The Correct Way To Use PrivaZer On SSDs https://davescomputertips.com/the-correct-way-to-use-privazer-on-ssds/ https://davescomputertips.com/the-correct-way-to-use-privazer-on-ssds/#comments Fri, 08 May 2026 04:40:35 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152292 PrivaZer is a popular junk file cleaner that includes additional privacy measures, such as secure deletion of files and securely wiping free space on drives. PrivaZer is my junk file cleaner of choice. However, if you’re running an SSD, there are a couple of PrivaZer settings you should be aware of. By way of explanation, I reckon you’d be aware by now that excessive writes to SSDs shorten…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/the-correct-way-to-use-privazer-on-ssds/feed/ 2 9 Alternative Sites To YouTube https://davescomputertips.com/9-alternative-sites-to-youtube/ https://davescomputertips.com/9-alternative-sites-to-youtube/#comments Fri, 08 May 2026 04:40:21 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152453 Are you tired of YouTube? Or are you just looking for something different? Listed are 9 choices other than YouTube. I haven’t really dug into any of these, but I’ve had them bookmarked for ages. They are in alphabetical order, not preference. Most of them contain advertising – A necessary evil. 🙂 You can watch the videos without signing up, but you will have to create an account to like, dislike…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/9-alternative-sites-to-youtube/feed/ 1 Giveaways & Contests Reminder (Week 1926) https://davescomputertips.com/giveaways-contests-reminder-week-1926/ https://davescomputertips.com/giveaways-contests-reminder-week-1926/#respond Thu, 07 May 2026 04:21:28 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152524 Check out our DCT Forum. There, you can get answers to your computer questions or just hang out and chat with other Forum members. It will also allow you to help others, which is always a nice thing to do. Try it out! Dave’s Computer Tips is working hard to bring top-quality software to our readers. Please note that none of the upcoming contests and giveaways are set in stone.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/giveaways-contests-reminder-week-1926/feed/ 0 How To Change Microsoft Account Picture https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-change-microsoft-account-picture/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-change-microsoft-account-picture/#respond Thu, 07 May 2026 04:21:04 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152393 Last week, I taught you how to adjust the playback speed of Facebook videos/reels. If you missed that one, you can find it here: How To Adjust Playback Speed On Facebook This week I’m leaving the Facebook subject and moving over to Microsoft. Last week I was doing some research on what I wanted to teach and noticed that my Microsoft account image/profile was out of date. I wanted to update the…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-change-microsoft-account-picture/feed/ 0 How Much Account Verification Is Enough? https://davescomputertips.com/how-much-account-verification-is-enough/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-much-account-verification-is-enough/#comments Wed, 06 May 2026 04:02:00 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152337 I’m all for enhanced online account security, but has it maybe gone a bit too far? These days, I find myself needing to sign in to some accounts over and over, and others are now putting me through hoops to prove my identity. All my online accounts are secured by 2FA where available. I use a password manager (Bitwarden) protected by a master password to manage all my passwords.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-much-account-verification-is-enough/feed/ 3 New Video Game Pragmata Shocks ‘Modern Audiences’! https://davescomputertips.com/new-video-game-pragmata-shocks-modern-audiences/ https://davescomputertips.com/new-video-game-pragmata-shocks-modern-audiences/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 04:01:45 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152201 Don’t you just love the internet, where armchair lawyers, virtue signalers, social justice warriors, vicarious offenders, and those taking offence by proxy take to their keyboards and mobile phones, piling onto the offended wagon en masse over a heart-warming game that has won over millions of gamers worldwide? Described by developers Capcom as a unique sci-fi action-adventure game that…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/new-video-game-pragmata-shocks-modern-audiences/feed/ 0 How To Check Your SSD’s Health https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-ssds-health/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-ssds-health/#comments Tue, 05 May 2026 05:49:32 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152237 Unlike HDDs, SSDs give little to no warning that they are about to fail, so it’s important to periodically check your SSD’s health status. Some manufacturers provide a dedicated tool that supports their own brand – e.g., Samsung Magician – but if you don’t have such a tool, there are alternatives. CrystalDiskInfo is portable freeware that provides a comprehensive report of your drive’s health…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-ssds-health/feed/ 2 The Surprising Facts About TV Licenses https://davescomputertips.com/the-surprising-facts-about-tv-licenses/ https://davescomputertips.com/the-surprising-facts-about-tv-licenses/#comments Tue, 05 May 2026 05:44:35 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152129 In my naïveté, I always thought the UK was the only place on Earth where a TV license was enforced. But no, around two-thirds of European countries require you to pay for a license, as do many countries in Africa and some in Asia. In the UK, the TV license is used to partly fund the BBC, a publicly owned corporation, and it’s strictly enforced, as I remember only too well from my childhood.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/the-surprising-facts-about-tv-licenses/feed/ 1 Your Devices Are Spying On You! https://davescomputertips.com/your-devices-are-spying-on-you/ https://davescomputertips.com/your-devices-are-spying-on-you/#respond Mon, 04 May 2026 04:27:29 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152402 A few months ago, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won a major agreement with Samsung Electronics America, Inc. to stop collecting data without prior consent. Many consumers are unaware that their smart TVs and streaming devices are essentially spying on them. Manufacturers use a form of data collection called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). This technology is placed on smart TVs…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/your-devices-are-spying-on-you/feed/ 0 One Simple Browser Setting To Enhance Security https://davescomputertips.com/one-simple-browser-setting-to-enhance-security/ https://davescomputertips.com/one-simple-browser-setting-to-enhance-security/#comments Fri, 01 May 2026 07:21:20 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152230 You’ll all be aware of the “HTTP” and “HTTPS” prefixes for URLs. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) was the standard for many years, but these days HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the new standard. As the name suggests, HTTPS adds a layer of security via encryption, which protects the privacy and integrity of data exchanged between the web browser and a website.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/one-simple-browser-setting-to-enhance-security/feed/ 5 How To Watch YouTube Ad-Free https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-watch-youtube-ad-free/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-watch-youtube-ad-free/#comments Fri, 01 May 2026 07:21:03 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152353 I signed up for YouTube Premium a couple of years ago because where I live, it’s dirt cheap at around $3 per month. But I know that it’s much more expensive elsewhere, from $9 to $16. For me, the biggest plus is no more ads, which can be infuriating and pop up several times during each video. In fact, today, some fifteen-minute videos can have up to eight ads inside, which is absolutely ridiculous.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-watch-youtube-ad-free/feed/ 7 How To Adjust Playback Speed On Facebook https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-adjust-playback-speed-on-facebook/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-adjust-playback-speed-on-facebook/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:03:03 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152233 If you were here last week, you learned how to stop AI Remixing Your TikTok Videos. Some of you might have missed that, so you can find it here: How To Stop TikTok AI Remixes This week, we are going to jump over to Facebook. I’m giving credit for this lesson to my wife. She was watching videos on Facebook and noticed that the playback speed was too fast. She then figured out that you can…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-adjust-playback-speed-on-facebook/feed/ 0 Giveaways & Contests Reminder (Week 1826) https://davescomputertips.com/giveaways-contests-reminder-week-1826/ https://davescomputertips.com/giveaways-contests-reminder-week-1826/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:02:50 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152372 Check out our DCT Forum. There, you can get answers to your computer questions, or just hang out and chat with other Forum members. It will also allow you to help others, which is always a nice thing to do. Try it out! Dave’s Computer Tips is working hard to bring top-quality software to our readers. Please note that none of the upcoming contests and giveaways are set in stone.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/giveaways-contests-reminder-week-1826/feed/ 0 How To Run Both Windows & Linux On Laptops https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-run-both-windows-linux-on-laptops/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-run-both-windows-linux-on-laptops/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:04:03 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152212 A few months ago, I wrote an article specifically for users who want to transition from Windows to Linux but are being stumped by must-have Windows-only software: What’s Stopping You Transitioning To Linux? In response to that article, which involved installing Windows & Linux on separate internal drives, a reader posed the question, ‘but what about laptops and/or mini PCs that don’t have the…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-run-both-windows-linux-on-laptops/feed/ 2 How To Deal With Missing Facebook Contacts List https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-deal-with-missing-facebook-contacts-list/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-deal-with-missing-facebook-contacts-list/#respond Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:03:46 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152305 My contact list is not showing on my Facebook page. Then a woman called with the same problem. Normally, here is what I would suggest when a Facebook page or any other web page doesn’t display properly: – restart browser – clear out cache/history – disable ad blockers – disable extensions – update browser – use another browser None of these worked this time, and I think I know why.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-deal-with-missing-facebook-contacts-list/feed/ 0 Microsoft Starts Removing AI Components – Sort Of https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-starts-removing-ai-components-sort-of/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-starts-removing-ai-components-sort-of/#respond Tue, 28 Apr 2026 04:13:09 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152086 As you’d most likely be aware, users have complained bitterly about Microsoft’s insistence on permeating every nook and cranny in Windows 11 with Copilot (AI), and the backlash caused Microsoft to announce it would be pulling back on its Copilot (AI) integration. Both my colleague Marc Thomas and I have expressed doubts over Microsoft’s promised pullback. I’ve previously stated that the company…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-starts-removing-ai-components-sort-of/feed/ 0 How To Watch Four Channels At Once – TiVo https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-watch-four-channels-at-once-tivo/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-watch-four-channels-at-once-tivo/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2026 04:12:55 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152114 We have a new feature on our TiVo cable service that allows us to watch four channels at once. To activate it, go into the TiVo settings. Click on the TiVo button on the remote. The very first button on the top of the remote with the alien-like TV guy on it. In the menu, scroll over to “MULTIVIEW” and click “OK” on the remote. Now you are watching four channels at once. There is a white…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-watch-four-channels-at-once-tivo/feed/ 1 How To Correctly Diagnose RAM Problems https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-correctly-diagnose-ram-problems/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-correctly-diagnose-ram-problems/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:10:58 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=152244 RAM stands for random access memory, and to you and me, it’s the memory modules we have in our computers. Unfortunately, most laymen who are not familiar with RAM confuse PC memory with hard disk space, and I could write a book about the number of times I’ve heard my customers say “My PC is running out of memory”, when what they really mean is that they are running out of disk space.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-correctly-diagnose-ram-problems/feed/ 1 Beware Fake Windows Update Download Sites! https://davescomputertips.com/beware-fake-windows-update-download-sites/ https://davescomputertips.com/beware-fake-windows-update-download-sites/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:48:36 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=151967 Security Company Malwarebytes has recently identified a fake Windows Update site that closely mimics an official Microsoft site to trick users into downloading a malicious update. According to Malwarebytes, the phishing site convincingly mimics official Microsoft support pages, and the attack targets Windows users by offering what appears to be a legitimate cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2.

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