Newsletter Archives

• What’s a NAS, and do I need one?

  Posted on October 25th, 2021 at 02:45 Richard Hay Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  ISSUE 18.41 • 2021-10-25

  HARDWARE

  

  By Richard Hay

  If I were writing this to a group of aviators in the United States Navy, they would immediately respond by saying a NAS is a Naval Air Station. However, this article is not about a location where planes and helicopters take off and land.

  For this article, NAS stands for network-attached storage.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.41.0 (2021-10-25).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.41.F (2021-10-25).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, Network, storage

• Opal: Physical assembly – the case

  Posted on October 25th, 2021 at 02:43 Will Fastie Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE DIY

  

  By Will Fastie

  Obviously, everything ends up going into the case.

  Last week, I discussed the assembly steps necessary to prepare Opal’s new motherboard. That process included installing the processor, the cooler’s mount, the RAM, and the SSD. Now it’s time to talk about getting the motherboard into the case, along with all the other components that make up the system.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.41.0 (2021-10-25).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, DIY, hardware, Motherboards

• Opal: Physical assembly – the motherboard

  Posted on October 18th, 2021 at 02:42 Will Fastie Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE DIY

  

  By Will Fastie

  I didn’t realize assembling a PC could be so dangerous.

  Like other folks who put together PCs, I usually call them “builds.” That’s a bit generous. As you’ve seen from my previous installment in this series (AskWoody 2021-08-30), I acquired components. I’m not really building anything — I’m assembling those components into the final product, Opal.

  Once the collection of components is on hand, where does one start?

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.40.0 (2021-10-18).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, DIY, hardware

• Breaking and entering with Linux: What you see

  Posted on September 27th, 2021 at 02:42 Ben Myers Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  In my first “Breaking and entering” article, you saw what to do step-by-step to get an unbootable system into legacy boot mode and how to prepare a UEFI USB stick with Linux Mint.

  Now, boot your system with that Linux USB stick.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.37.0 (2021-09-27).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Diagnostics, hardware, Linux, Repairs

• How you might install Win 11 on older PCs lacking TPM 2.0

  Posted on September 6th, 2021 at 02:44 Brian Livingston Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  Microsoft officially announced last week that it will offer Windows 11 in a phased release between October 5, 2021, and “mid-2022” — but techies are already finding ways to install the new OS on older PCs that don’t implement TPM 2.0, a chip the Redmond company says is required.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, security, Windows 11

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

  Posted on September 6th, 2021 at 02:43 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  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

• Safely retiring a device

  Posted on September 6th, 2021 at 02:41 Susan Bradley Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  When and how should you get rid of a computer or device?

  Microsoft came out with new news about supportability of Windows 11 on older platforms. The news about Windows 11 hasn’t changed much, so most of us will need to purchase new hardware to run it.

  Microsoft’s updated guidance suggests that those who install an ISO image configured to avoid the stringent hardware requirements will not be supported. It’s not yet clear whether that unsupported state means no security updates. If so, and if your device is not on Microsoft’s approved hardware list, I recommend sticking with Windows 10 and not upgrading to Windows 11. Security trumps modern.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, Patch Lady Posts, Recycling, security

• Breaking and entering with Linux

  Posted on August 30th, 2021 at 02:41 Ben Myers Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  Use Linux on a USB stick to diagnose a Windows system.

  My working premise here is that your Windows system will not boot, not even in safe or any other degraded mode. You have no idea what’s going on, and it is premature, time-consuming, and sometimes futile to rip a computer open to see what is inside. The solution is to boot another operating system from a USB stick and use it to explore and diagnose problems.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Diagnostics, hardware, Linux, Repairs

• Opal: How I planned my new build

  Posted on August 30th, 2021 at 02:40 Will Fastie Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE DIY

  

  By Will Fastie

  I’ll say it again — it’s not the building, it’s the planning.

  A favorite saying about war plans is that they do not survive first contact with the enemy. A slight paraphrase is that a plan does not survive first contact with reality.

  Reality caused me to make a change in my build plan, which is the first thing I want to tell you about. Onyx may be dying.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware, Windows 11 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, DIY, hardware, Intel, PC

• Opal: I’m building a new PC

  Posted on August 2nd, 2021 at 02:41 Will Fastie Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE DIY

  

  By Will Fastie

  Hardware for the future. Windows made me do it.

  I wasn’t expecting to need a new computer just yet. My current PC is a bit long in the tooth, but I chose well when I built it and it has lasted six years, still providing the performance and capability I need on a daily basis. I have no urgent need for Windows 11.

  Except that I work for this newsletter.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware, Windows 11 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, DIY, hardware, Intel, PC

• The Trusted Platform Module has just become important

  Posted on July 12th, 2021 at 02:43 Ben Myers Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  Microsoft has said that the Trusted Platform Module 2.0 is a firm requirement for Windows 11. Why?

  The leak of an early version of Windows 11 forced its hasty announcement by Microsoft, rather than the usual smooth, well-orchestrated effort supported by thorough technical information about the requirements to run the new operating system. The eye candy of a perky and pretty Mac-like desktop wallpapered over many technical details, some still unclear. It is somewhat ironic that an operating system intended to be trusted was leaked.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.26.0 (2021-07-12).

  AskWoody Plus membership, Hardware, Windows 11 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, security, Windows 11

• Short takes: Three interesting reader-submitted Q&As

  Posted on June 21st, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  In today’s first item, a subscriber asks for help after experiencing a bizarre partial keyboard failure, but the diagnosis is complicated by some unusual hardware.

  In the second item, a different reader is concerned about what might happen to the data in his PC’s BIOS/UEFI during a planned mainboard battery replacement.

  And in the third item, a reader wonders about the standby power draw of his device’s plug-in battery charger.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.23.0 (2021-06-21).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, LangaList
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