Newsletter Archives

• Share browsers without sharing their stored passwords

  Posted on September 27th, 2021 at 02:45 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  ISSUE 18.37 • 2021-09-27

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Browser-based password managers have an obvious vulnerability on shared PCs: anyone with access to the browser might also have access to all its stored passwords!

  Today’s lead item discusses two separate ways to prevent unwanted password sharing. One is extremely secure but takes a little time to set up; the other takes only seconds but is less secure. Here’s the scoop!

  Plus: Improved searching for old content on AskWoody.com!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.37.0 (2021-09-27).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.37.F (2021-09-27).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Features, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, browsers, LangaList, security

• Reader wants the deets on failed Home v. Pro test

  Posted on September 20th, 2021 at 02:42 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  OK, this is embarrassing: A reader called me out after my planned side-by-side Home/Pro test drive fell apart. (“Crashed and burned” might be more descriptive.)

  So, with a deep gulp to swallow my pride, here’s where things went really, really wrong — and why.

  Plus: Beyond simple disk wipes and overwrites, a better way to prep an old hard drive for safe resale!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.36.0 (2021-09-20).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, HDD, LangaList, Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro

• Where OneDrive really (really!) shines

  Posted on September 13th, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  AskWoody’s recent coverage amply illustrated OneDrive’s drawbacks and hassles, but there are instances where OneDrive (and similar cloud-based apps) are truly spectacular aids.

  For example, OneDrive can speed some setup and reinstallation chores by a literal order of magnitude, cutting down to mere minutes some tasks that used to take hours!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.35.0 (2021-09-13).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, OneDrive, Windows

• 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

• Should you activate Win10’s optional Application Guard?

  Posted on August 30th, 2021 at 02:43 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  It’s disabled by default and comes with some serious gotchas … but it also can add an extra level of online security to Microsoft Office apps and to the Edge browser.

  Here’s how to tell whether Microsoft Defender Application Guard is available on your PC and how to enable it if you wish to give it a try.

  Plus: Sleuthing a user’s unusual Windows 7 to 10 activation issue!

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList Application Guard, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows 10

• A VPN dissenter speaks out

  Posted on August 23rd, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  A reader strongly disagrees with Fred’s recent recommendation about using virtual private networks (VPNs) to increase online security; that reader’s colorful letter leads off this column.

  Today’s second reader-requested topic covers battery-monitoring apps for PCs and smartphones, including the extensive (but hidden) battery health report that’s built into every copy of Windows 10.

  The third reader-requested topic looks at daisy-chaining charging devices — say, charging your phone from your laptop while the laptop itself is charging from a wall socket.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.32.0 (2021-08-23).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Battery charging, Battery management, LangaList, VPN

• No Chrome? Easily add full-function Gmail to Edge!

  Posted on August 16th, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Setup takes all of about 60 seconds, and there’s absolutely zero old-school POP or IMAP mail-server arcana to figure out.

  With literally a couple of clicks, you can add a permanent, utterly standard Gmail instance to Edge — or just about any other browser!

  Plus: Why some restarts during an update are OK, but others are destructive; and we note a milestone as the IBM PC turns 40!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.31.0 (2021-08-16).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, browsers, Edge, Email, Gmail, LangaList

• It’s way too soon to panic about Windows 11

  Posted on August 9th, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Windows 11, aka Windows 21H2, is due out later this year but is already causing deep concern among many users.

  For some, it’s that their PCs failed the prerelease (and now withdrawn) Win11 hardware-compatibility checker. For others, it’s the knowledge that the stated prerelease hardware requirements would prevent their machines from being able to use the new OS.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.30.0 (2021-08-09).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows 10, Windows 11

• Reader feedback on driver/software updaters, and more!

  Posted on August 2nd, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  CCleaner — the popular system-cleanup tool — recently added automated software and driver updaters to its features. A subscriber set out to see whether they’re any good.

  Plus: Another subscriber’s laptop is stuck at 79% battery charge and won’t charge any higher; and a third seeks advice on how to obtain the fastest possible PC-to-smartphone USB tethering.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Battery charging, Hardware drivers, LangaList

• Untrustworthy OEM updaters cause trouble

  Posted on July 26th, 2021 at 02:43 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  Keeping a PC up to date gets harder as the system ages, especially when OEM and vendor update tools start missing things entirely — or actively making bad suggestions!

  Here are several ways to help ensure that your PC’s BIOS, hardware drivers, operating system, and software are getting all the updates they need — and not getting any updates they don’t!

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.28.0 (2021-07-26).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Vendor Updates, Windows Updates

• Window 10 Home vs. Pro: A real-life test drive

  Posted on July 19th, 2021 at 02:42 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  An upgrade from Home to Pro edition costs around US$100, but is it really worth it?

  What does Pro edition offer that Home lacks? What does a Pro edition user give up in switching to Home? And, besides price and somewhat differing features, do the dissimilarities really matter in normal day-to-day Windows operation?

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.27.0 (2021-07-19).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows 10 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, Windows 10, Windows Editions

• Yikes! Still more subscriber OneDrive problems, solutions!

  Posted on July 12th, 2021 at 02:44 Fred Langa Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  As our extensive OneDrive coverage winds down, many excellent reader-submitted reports continue to pour in, filled with interesting tips, questions, and observations!

  Today’s column deals with several OneDrive topics: unexpected behavior from the OneDrive status-indicator icons; issues between and among OneDrive, Dropbox, and OEM updater apps; and more on redirecting or moving OneDrive’s default local folders.

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

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList, OneDrive
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