Newsletter Archives

• 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

• Why Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax, for wireless?

  Posted on June 21st, 2021 at 02:43 Ben Myers Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  Now that there is broad availability of routers compatible with the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, it’s easy to ask, “What’s in it for me?”

  There is a myriad of devices that are compatible with the 802.11ac specification, from laptops to cell phones to tablets to Internet of Things (IoT) devices. But the 802.11ac spec is not without limitations.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware, Wi-Fi 802.11ax, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, Networking, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 6

• Terabyte update 2021

  Posted on June 14th, 2021 at 02:45 Will Fastie Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  ISSUE 18.22 • 2021-06-14

  HARDWARE

  

  By Will Fastie

  The price of storage is in flux for a variety of reasons, making predictions extremely difficult.

  In my previous article on this subject about a year ago (AskWoody 17.21.0), I wrote an expanded version of an article I have been writing on my personal site for a number of years. The article attempted to illustrate the difference in price between hard disk drives (HDD, rotating magnetic discs) and solid-state drives (SSD, flash memory). The goal was to establish that HDD had a significant price advantage over SSD; over the period of time covered, SSDs were small, very expensive, and primarily used as small boot drives in PCs needing high performance.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.22.0 (2021-06-14).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.22.F (2021-06-14).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, HDD, SSD, storage, Storage Prices

• Anatomy of a malware

  Posted on May 10th, 2021 at 01:08 Ben Myers Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  ISSUE 18.17 • 2021-05-10

  SAFETY

  

  By Ben Myers

  Things are not always as they seem. What might appear to be a devastating, PC-destroying piece of malware can sometimes be a spoof.

  Recently, a client gave me his laptop, which displayed a frightening message as soon he logged in. This variety of malware is all too popular. Here is a step-by-step process to remove it, expecting that the antivirus software installed in the computer cannot do its job. Along the way, you will see where malware is often hidden.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.17.0 (2021-05-10).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.17.F (2021-05-10).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, safety, security

• From bad to worse: A repair goes awry

  Posted on May 10th, 2021 at 01:04 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Sometimes, well-intentioned repairs can actually make things worse than before. That’s what happened to a reader who was trying to correct a Windows login error but ended up with a completely unbootable PC!

  Is it possible for him to get Windows running again with its already installed software still intact and working? Or is a full reinstall in his future?

  Plus: The care and feeding of that little coin-cell battery on your PC’s mainboard.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.17.0 (2021-05-10).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, LangaList, Repairs, Windows

• Check or change Win10’s file-sharing encryption level

  Posted on April 12th, 2021 at 01:04 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  If you’ve upgraded your PC from Win7, Win8, or early Win10 versions, it may still be using a thoroughly obsolete and nearly useless level of encryption for file sharing!

  Plus: More on “stuttering mice” and a potentially dangerous charger-cord fire hazard!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.13.0 (2021-04-12).

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

• Touchscreen misregisters point-and-clicks

  Posted on April 5th, 2021 at 01:10 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  ISSUE 18.12 • 2021-04-05

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Touchscreens are ubiquitous and usually reliable, but when one malfunctions, even simple pointing and clicking can become an exercise in extreme frustration.

  Here are the likely causes of touchscreen miscalibration, and several easy ways to get things working properly again.

  Plus: How to protect yourself from Windows’ dangerous, semi-secret back door!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.12.0 (2021-04-05).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.12.F (2021-04-05).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, LangaList, Touch screen

• The best laptop docking stations and hubs for 2021

  Posted on April 5th, 2021 at 01:06 Brian Livingston Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  More and more of us have been spending part of our time working in a business office and part of our time in a home office (which may sometimes be called “the kitchen table”).

  Even if you work primarily at home, there are always times when you want to work on your laptop in a hotel room or maybe that beach house you like to retreat to on weekends.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.12.0 (2021-04-05).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware, Public Defender AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Docks, hardware, Public Defender

• “Stuttering” glitch on a brand-new PC

  Posted on March 1st, 2021 at 01:08 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge
  

  LANGALIST

  “Stuttering” glitch on a brand-new PC

  By Fred Langa

  A subscriber’s new system experiences erratic mouse and touchpad problems almost from the very first startup.

  Unwanted pauses, hesitations, and stutters can afflict any PC of any age, potentially causing problems with numerous subsystems: mouse, keyboard, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, disks and memory, screen operations, and more! Here are the likely causes, and fixes.

  Plus: Taming CCleaner’s Smart Cleaning feature.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.8.0 (2021-03-01).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.8.F (2021-03-01).

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

• Master your printer – not the other way around

  Posted on February 8th, 2021 at 01:40 Michael Lasky Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  HARDWARE

  Master your printer – not the other way around

  By Michael Lasky

  “I hate printers, but I love what they can do!”

  That’s the mantra recited by just about anyone who has a printer attached to their computer. Of all the peripherals that connect to our PCs, printers seem to be the number-one troublemaker.

  But it doesn’t have to be that way. Paper jams, overpriced ink, print spooler logjams, wasted paper – these are just a few of the hassles whose remedies are addressed here. If your love/hate relationship with your printer is more hate than love, read on — and maybe, just maybe, we can flip that around with these expert printer tips and tricks.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.5.0 (2021-02-08).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, printers

• Excess heat during laptop recharging?

  Posted on January 25th, 2021 at 01:30 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  Excess heat during laptop recharging?

  By Fred Langa

  A reader is concerned: His laptop’s CPU temperature rises during battery-charging sessions. Why would the CPU heat up?

  Relatedly, what are normal CPU temperatures, anyway? What’s a safe temperature rise?

  Plus: A tiny freeware app that prevents PC overheating!

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.3.0 (2021-01-25).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware, LangaList hardware, LangaList
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