Tips

Gnomie Terabytes Courtney from our chat room writes:
I bought a 22″ monitor about a month ago and when I turned it on I found it had about 20 stuck pixels! A few hours of hardcore gaming didn’t fix the problem and I didn’t know what to do. It was then I remembered that every color […]

Gnomie Tim Malloroy (aka RedFlameOut) writes:
Hey Chris,
I wish I had more time to view and participate in your videos, however, work is killing me right now.
I came across an interesting issue with Windows Defender (which I use as an addition to anti-spyware rather than my only protection).
As part of my security procedures, I periodically make […]

Gnomie Eric Jones writes:
Hey, Chris, thought I’d send you another top five regarding laptops.

When ordering a notebook computer, make sure you get a warranty that will last for at least three (if not four) years with the accidental protection program. That way, if something tends to break or fail, or you spill your cup of […]

No stranger to emergency evacuation, Gnomie Michael Rivera (mrivera1 in our chat room and on YouTube) writes:
Hey Chris,
I’ve seen all of your top 5 lists and I decided to make one that I wished that I had when this was happening to me. I am 15 years old and I have lived through two evacuations […]

Gnomie Levi Mahoney writes in with some wise eBay advice:
Hi, Chris! Recently I have been selling quite a few things on eBay. Most sales are great, and the customers are very pleased with the items, but you get a few people who are just not happy with what they bought and leave negative feedback. I […]

Gnomie Brian Troisi writes in with his top five ways to ensure a productive workspace:

Have a small container of pencils and a notepad. You’ll never know when you have to quickly jot something down on paper.

Have plenty of lighting. It will make you more productive and you won’t have to strain your eyes.

Have a comfortable […]

Gnomie Chris Sanders writes in with these tips for helping entry level computer users get the most out of their investment:

Try very hard to think of exactly what you need it for. There is no point in buying a very powerful gaming computer if all you are going to use it for is word processing, […]

Gnomie Scott writes:
Hey Chris, just wanted to share my own personal views on the top 5 uses of a USB pen drive.

As a small backup solution. It’s now a widely known fact that on most modern computers, you can install Windows XP (or if your pen drive is large enough, Vista), to a USB pen […]

Gnomie Chris Dorn writes:
Dear Chris, I have seen all the top 5 tips and I have decided to pitch in to the community and give some of my own.

Keep your computer in an open area and make sure that the fan/fans for your computer have plenty of breathing space.

Don’t abuse your computer by installing an […]

Gnomie Alan from Dublin writes:
Dear Chris,
I recently discovered your videos on YouTube and have been a fan ever since. I especially enjoy your top 5 videos and decided to compile my own top 5 list for you.

Get your heat levels right. There’s nothing worse than being too hot or too cold while surfing the Web […]

Gnomie Joe Vaughn writes:
Hi, Chris!
First off I would like to say thank you for all of the great videos you have put out on YouTube; they have definitely helped to resolve most of my computer/Xbox issues over the past few months. I find that the topics you cover are not only interesting but diverse […]

Gnomie Evan writes:
This last Christmas, I got an Iomega 500 GB External HDD. I had thought long and hard about what I wanted to ask for as my storage solution, and this is what I finally came up with. I thought it might be helpful for people to consider some things if they are looking […]

Gnomie Artim Zendeli writes:

Make your desktop background black — this way you can see the dead pixel.
Get a Sharpie marker, but keep the cap ON (you don’t want marker on your screen). If you notice, a Sharpie cap is rounded and smooth. That’s what you want to use (NOT a sharp tool or pen).
Gently bang […]

Gnomie Fear Qabandi writes:
I’ve just seen your video Optimize Your ISP’s Slow Internet Connection, and I’m kind of an expert on this subject because I have been using dial-up and slow speed connections for all my life and I have only recently updated to a wireless HUAWEI 2G and 3G connection. Anyway, during my time […]

Gnomie Paul Borowski writes:

Get a company with lots of good reviews so you know what you are getting. I see lots of people getting stuff from the cheaper companies without looking at the specs. This is not smart. Go with a company you feel safe with or have heard good things about.
Make sure you […]

In response to Diana Huggins’ The Guest Account Is The Hacker’s Holy Grail, Gnomie Brian writes:
You can disable the guest account completely. To do this, follow the steps below:

Short Way

Click Start

Click Run

Type control userpasswords2

Press Enter

Longer Way

Click Start

Go to All Programs

Go to Administrative Tools

Click Computer Management

Click Local Users and Groups

Double Click Users

Right Click Guest

Click Properties

Make sure […]

Roy Peter Clark talks about neologisms — new words. In the article, he tells a story about a child who referred to something as “ginormous” because “It was bigger than gigantic. It was huger than enormous.” The child didn’t create the word as Clark points to the Urban Dictionary — so it’s not impossible for […]

Gnomie Tramposch (pronounced Tram-posh) writes:
You cannot share your files on a network without a password, but you don’t want to type in a password every time you boot your computer, do you?
Here are tips on how to work around that.

Open the start menu. (the little orb at the bottom left of your screen)

Type in control […]

Gnomie Sam Horne writes:
Have you ever decided that you want quick access to system programs that dont give you the option of installing quick launch shortcuts when you wish that you could? Say, if you wanted to have quicker access to your volume mixer? Well, there is a quick and simple way of doing it.
Open […]

We all know someone who, like Oklahoma’s Ado Annie, just “cain’t say no.” These folks accept every project. Every volunteer job. While everyone around them loves and appreciates them (or not), they’re often tired and do little for themselves. Some people who fall into this group may not even realize they’re on automated mode when […]