Newsletter Archives

• Diagnostics and testing? Get it all done in a flash.

  Posted on June 5, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  Bootable USB flash drives are wonderful for doing many different software tasks when working on computers, but year by year they pile up.

  I needed to rid myself of my dependency on the many bootable flash drives I have collected in the last few years, by putting the most frequently used software on a single flash drive.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.23.0, 2023-06-05).

  Hardware Diagnostics, hardware, ISOs, Newsletters, Support, Testing, USB Flash Drives, USB SSDs

• Ten top forum topics — Support

  Posted on April 10, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Will Fastie

  FROM THE FORUMS

  

  The section of the forums devoted to support has long been the most active area of all. Did you know that the Support section alone accounts for over 158,000 topics with over 885,000 comments?

  We appreciate both the questions and the ongoing willingness of forum members to offer their knowledge, experience, and assistance to help others solve their problems. So check out the Support section from time to time — you never know when you might have that unique insight that will help someone else.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.15.0, 2023-04-10).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  From the Forums Forums, Newsletters, Support

• Randy’s remedies: Oops! — I called the scam number

  Posted on December 5, 2022 at 02:43 CST by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  The fact that you got tricked into calling a scammer’s phone number does not mean you’re stupid. It means the world has gotten stupid.

  I remember the vacuum salesman coming to the door when I was a kid. Of course, my mom and dad let them in. They were just people doing their job. They showed my parents what this new vacuum could do, and my parents made a decision to buy a vacuum or not. If they said no-thank-you, the salesman didn’t put a padlock on our old vacuum. He didn’t set any booby traps in our front yard as he left. He just told my parents to have a great day and moved on to the next house.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.49.0, 2022-12-05).

  Support malware, Newsletters, passwords, scams, Support

• How to get out of Windows’ Automatic Repair loop

  Posted on October 10, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  There are hundreds of reasons why your PC might get stuck trying to repair itself, putting your PC into an Automatic Repair loop.

  Many of these can be complicated software issues or hardware failures. But don’t bring your computer to me just yet. There are many very small issues that can cause a no-boot situation. In this article, I’m going to describe a few simple things you can try before calling a pro.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.41.0, 2022-10-10).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Support AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Automatic Repair, Support, Windows

• Randy’s remedies: Juice, heat, glass, social, grid, and malware

  Posted on September 19, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  Let’s finish up that list of remedies from Randy’s top 10 customer-support issues: Identified!

  In this article, we’ll tackle #6 all the way up to #1. If you remember, we’re going to get you some free malware-removal tools for #1, so find that flash drive!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.38.0, 2022-09-19).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Support AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Internet connectivity, malware, Overheating, Power, Support

• Randy’s remedies: Spills, parts, nerds, and dogs

  Posted on September 5, 2022 at 02:44 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  Here’s how I deal with some of my top support issues, with some tips for you.

  In my previous article, Randy’s top 10 customer-support issues: Identified!, I discussed the top ten computer issues and questions from my customers that I get on a weekly basis. Now for the first batch of answers to help you get by until you can get the PC in for service — or simply fix the darned thing yourself!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.36.0, 2022-09-05).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Support AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Support

• Randy’s top 10 customer-support issues: Identified!

  Posted on August 15, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.33 • 2022-08-15

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  You hear pretty much everything when you’ve been in the computer-repair business for as long as I have, but you also hear a lot of the same questions and see the same issues on a daily basis.

  In this series of articles, I have one goal — to keep you out of stores like mine by giving you some tips on what to do when you experience any of the following problems or have any of these questions.

  Let’s start this week by simply identifying the most common things I see on a weekly basis, and then I’ll do a few follow-up articles to show what you can do to avoid me.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.33.0, 2022-08-15).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Support AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Customer satisfaction, hardware, malware, Software, Support

• Restored desktop computers must work flawlessly

  Posted on August 8, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Ben Myers • Comment in the Forums

  HARDWARE

  

  By Ben Myers

  Test, test, and test again — just to be on the safe side.

  In my last article, I covered the basic and essential tests needed to assure that a computer was in generally sound operating condition. As the late-night TV pitchman always says: “But wait! There’s more!” More testing, that is.

  There are still electronics that need to be working right for the entire computer to be fully functional. Along the way, you need to do at least a visual inspection to see that all the ports and connectors — in back, in front, and even on top of a computer — are not damaged.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.32.0, 2022-08-08).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Hardware AskWoody Plus Newsletter, hardware, Repair, Support, Testing