Blog Archives

• Windows 10 and chkdsk issues?

  Posted on December 27th, 2020 at 21:00 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  PATCH WATCH

  By Susan Bradley

  Yikes! Say it isn’t so!

  Günter Born reports that a small number of Windows users whose systems have solid-state drives ran into serious trouble with the classic chkdsk tool after installing KB 4592438, the December cumulative update for Win10 20H2. When they kicked off chkdsk c: /f, their systems crashed with a blue screen of death. The problem appears to be limited to machines with SSDs.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Watch, Windows 10 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Chkdsk issues, High CPU use, Office updates, Printing problems, SolarWinds, Win7 ESU, Windows update failures

• The new management wants to get to know you

  Posted on December 20th, 2020 at 21:15 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge
  

  SURVEYS

  By Susan Bradley

  As most of you should know by now, Woody Leonhard has retired from AskWoody operations, and I’ve taken over the reins.

  Transitions of this level are an excellent time to take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re going.

  So I’d like to get to know more about you, the AskWoody member. And the best way to start that process is with a survey. I’d love to learn about the technology you’re using, what tech you’re interested in, and how the AskWoody newsletter can help you navigate our digital world.

  The survey — AskWoody newsletter – what do YOU want? — is quick and simple; it should take no longer than a few minutes.

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

  AskWoody, AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus membership, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Survey AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Issue scheduling, Readership survey

• The 30 troubleshooters built into Windows 10

  Posted on December 20th, 2020 at 21:10 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  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

• Windows 10: Looking back at 2020 — and looking ahead to 2021

  Posted on December 20th, 2020 at 21:05 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  WINDOWS 10

  By Richard Hay

  2020 sure didn’t turn out like anything we anticipated on New Year’s Day — not by a very long shot.

  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown that started in March, working from home or other remote locations has become the norm for millions of people. Moreover, IT managers and support staff really earned their pay, setting up work-from-home connections. This service required new solutions for common tasks, such as onboarding new employees — remotely.

  And it didn’t hit just IT. Consider the challenges of landing a new job and learning the ropes in a new environment. Now imagine doing all that over the phone or online!

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Windows 10 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Windows 10 updating, Windows Insider program, Work-from-home

• Freeware Spotlight — Zer0

  Posted on December 20th, 2020 at 21:00 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  BEST UTILITIES

  By Deanna McElveen

  This is a busy time of year, so this review will be quick.

  As with many people who work on computers, I am a bit paranoid. By now you know that I own a computer store, and almost every day I hear about laptop thefts from cars, homes, gyms, and so forth. The tales of larceny usually include horror stories about sensitive information that’s now in the hands of the malefactors.

  With that in mind, I went looking for a quick and super-simple way to permanently delete specific files on the systems I was repairing/maintaining. Eventually, I discovered that KC Softwares had just what I needed. Zer0 is portable, free, and exceptionally easy to use. Win! Win! Win!

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Best Utilities AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Deanna's Freeware Spotlight, Secure file removal

• How Apple silicon might hurt Windows

  Posted on December 13th, 2020 at 21:15 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge
  

  APPLE NEWS

  By Will Fastie

  With the introduction of its M1 chip on Macs, Apple might well have triggered one of the greatest disruptions in the PC industry since the ’90s.

  Just the other day, I was catching up with an old friend, Jeffrey Tarter, founder of the influential SoftLetter publication. While we were reminiscing, Jeff opined that he had become bored by tech.

  I knew instantly what he meant; we’d both come up through the exciting birth and maturation of the PC industry — a time when it seemed as though something new and revolutionary was appearing every 12 minutes. We lamented that the once exceptional pace of innovation seemed to have been lost somewhere along the way.

  Until recently, that is.

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

  Apple, AskWoody Plus Newsletter Apple M1, ARM processors, AskWoody Plus Newsletter

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

  Posted on December 13th, 2020 at 21:10 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  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

• Yet more Office 2010 updates?!

  Posted on December 13th, 2020 at 21:05 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  PATCH WATCH

  By Susan Bradley

  Well … we thought we’d seen the last of Office 2010.

  Last month (November), I was surprised to see updates for the then newly obsolete suite. (It reached its official end of support this past October 13.) But here we are again: Microsoft has released another round of updates for Version 2010.

  Years ago, Office 2007 received a similar reprieve of additional updates for several months after its end of life. So we might see additional updates for Version 2010 in coming months.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Office Patches/Security, Patch Watch .NET Core, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Domain servers, Office 2010, Office updates, Windows Updates
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