Newsletter Archives

• Controlling Win10’s sometimes hyperactive security apps

  Posted on January 11, 2021 at 00:20 CST by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  Controlling Win10’s sometimes hyperactive security apps

  By Fred Langa

  Win10’s built-in security tools offer excellent protection but can be annoying with frequent update cycles and tons of notifications.

  In fact, the amount of activity made one reader wonder whether his security setup was actually broken! Here’s how to tell, and how to make it behave better.

  Plus: More on Win10’s 30 built-in Troubleshooters.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.1.0 (2021-01-11).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList

• Drive-dense system suffers from sub-par performance

  Posted on December 27, 2020 at 21:05 CST by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  The final LangaList for 2020 takes a look at a subscriber’s PC with a strikingly unusual configuration.

  It’s a high-capacity machine, but the owner reports slow boots and RAM use that never drops below about 17 percent — even at idle!

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.51.0 (2020-12-28).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Disk unmounting, RAM use, Slow boots

• The 30 troubleshooters built into Windows 10

  Posted on December 20, 2020 at 21:10 CST by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  A Bluetooth keyboard problem leads to a wider discussion of Win10’s numerous troubleshooter tools.

  These applets are a follow-on to old-school Fix it and Easy Fix solutions and to Web-based diagnostics. Win10’s built-in troubleshooters are always available, right at your fingertips.

  Also: What to do if the troubleshooters fail!

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.50.0 (2020-12-21).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Bluetooth issues, Compatibility mode, Windows keyboard settings, Windows troubleshooters

• What’s hijacking this PC’s broadband connection?

  Posted on December 13, 2020 at 21:10 CST by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  A subscriber’s PC auto-connects to an unwanted, unknown, and very slow network — and nothing will set it right.

  That included running Norton AV, resetting the network, changing ISPs, swapping routers, and even using different PCs — but no luck. So the machine’s owner suspected an active hack. Is it?

  Plus: What’s the best tool for definitively checking any single file for malware?

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.49.0 (2020-12-14).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList Anti-malware, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Slow broadband, VPNs, Web connections

• Is 32GB really too small for a Windows upgrade?

  Posted on December 6, 2020 at 21:15 CST by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums
  

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  Last year, Microsoft quietly upped Win10’s minimum disk-size requirement. Now, even a 32GB drive might be insufficient, as an AskWoody subscriber discovered.

  Plus: Restarting a laptop that’s been off for a year.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.48.0 (2020-12-07).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hard-disk space, Notebook charging, Windows 10 hardware requirements, Windows upgrading
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