David Hartsock – Daves Computer Tips

The Internet is Officially Dead!

David Hartsock — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 02:40:40 +0000

And what killed the internet? The Internet Of Things. I may be exaggerating a bit as the Internet isn’t truly dead, but there are forces at work that may significantly affect our use of the internet -and not in a good way- and those forces are items you most likely have in your home right now; refrigerators, TVs, security cameras, HVAC systems, and more. In its simplest form the Internet of…

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3. 2. 1. Backup Your Computer!

David Hartsock — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 05:56:01 +0000

Go grab a tissue and I’ll share a story with you, and this is one you should definitely read (at least to find out what 3-2-1 means)… A few weeks ago I was a party in a sad conversation, which had all the attributes of a blockbuster movie plot; money, suspense, and an evil villain for our story’s hero to triumph over. OK, I’m being a tad dramatic (or am I?) and since this story doesn’t have a…

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Windows 10 Sign-in Options

David Hartsock — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 05:12:06 +0000

Signing in to Windows is like giving a two year old a bath – it needs to be done, but no one is happy about it! In the past we may have skipped entering a password or performed super secret settings trickery so we didn’t have to enter the password at every login. Today is a new day and entering a password at login is fast becoming a necessary evil, which brings about the usual problems – such as…

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How to Manage Windows 10 Startup Programs

David Hartsock — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 05:06:34 +0000

The programs that load automatically when your computer starts are one of the most common causes of frustration for users – if a user is complaining about a slow computer this is the first place to look. It is common knowledge among techie types that each program which starts as your computer loads the operating system uses valuable resources that could be better used elsewhere and slows the…

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How to Check Windows 10 Activation

David Hartsock — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:36:57 +0000

With all the discussions surrounding Windows 10 upgrades and downgrades you might want to check to see if your copy of Windows 10 is activated – this also prevents black helicopters from circling your house and visits from men in dark suits. There are three methods to check your activation status, and because everyone does things a bit differently I’ll walk you through the two easiest!

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Watch This Video Now! Seriously.

David Hartsock — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:13:27 +0000

If you’ve been following the news recently I’m sure you’ve heard of the recent court order granted by the Federal District Court for the District of Central California at the request of the FBI regarding encryption on Apple iPhones. No? Well turn on the TV or open a newspaper because the news is everywhere and this is probably the one tech issue that will affect each and every one of us for years…

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New Color. Same Great Computer Tips!

David Hartsock — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:04:20 +0000

DCT has a long history of blue. Not feeling blue, but being blue. From the beginning – way back in 2006 – we’ve had a generally blue color scheme. If I were to embellish the story a bit it would be a tale involving a night of drinking, a box of Crayons, and an impromptu game of Pin the Tail of the Donkey. In reality it is not for any other reason than it’s a pleasing color, and one of my favorites…

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Ubuntu Secure Boot Threatens All PCs

David Hartsock — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:55:22 +0000

We’re all doomed! Scary, right? Well, maybe, but I should explain a bit first. Back in the dark ages of computing, say 2011, Microsoft announced they would implement Secure Boot, which is a protocol included in the UEFI, Unified Extensible Firmware Interface(BIOS successor), in Windows 8 – which had not been implemented previously. The purpose of Secure Boot is to ensure that the software…

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A Bleeping Lawsuit That You Should Definitely Know About

David Hartsock — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 22:44:42 +0000

You see, computer people have their favorite tools. Tools they’ve found through trial and error, tools they’ve come to trust, tools they’ve used for years, and tools they’ll recommended to others. Ask a computer “guy” how to do something and he will more than likely suggest you use a tool he knows and trusts will do the job. DCT is no different. If we believe in a product or service we recommend…

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A Holiday Message

David Hartsock — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 06:34:30 +0000

We’re going to take the next week off, unless something newsworthy happens over the holidays, but I wanted to share a few thoughts with you as I look back at this past year… We work hard each and every day of the year to provide DCT as a free service to our readers. Why? We have no idea! Maybe we’re feeding some inner need to feel wanted? Maybe we’re all just plain nuts? OK…

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Free software – Get ’em While They’re Hot Folks

David Hartsock — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 19:46:18 +0000

Hey, we all love free stuff – am I right – and DCT has been known to post the occasional software giveaway for our readers often with good response. Unfortunately we’ve been reluctant to post too many for fear of cluttering up the newsletter or that the giveaway would end before the newsletter was sent leaving some out. Do we send outdated information or have readers miss out – what a conundrum!

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The Netflix Effect – How the Internet is Changing TV

David Hartsock — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:18:07 +0000

The kind folks over at Frame Your TV have created an interesting infographic showing how Netflix, and streaming in general, are changing the way we watch TV. …

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Windows 10 Hits RTM Milestone

David Hartsock — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 06:31:24 +0000

RTM means Released To Manufacturers, or Released to Manufacturing. It is the point in an operating systems development where the software is stable enough for the authors to release the OS to hardware manufacturers and the suppliers who create the retail media we buy in stores. It’s a basic “We’re done” moment for the authors, and while there may be updates released after RTM the software is…

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Junk Your Java and Flush Your Flash

David Hartsock — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 07:49:57 +0000

Oracle’s Java and Adobe’s Flash have led a long and fruitful life having served a valuable purpose to one and all. However, now is the time for them to retire gracefully, move to a nice quite village, let the young up and comers take over, and live out their days playing shuffle board followed by brunch with the retirement crowd at the local diner. Java. Flash. Your days are numbered.

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