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Irregularly posted tips, gleaned from all over the internet, for beginning and medium level computer and technology users. Feel free to subscribe to get these by email if you wish (below, right). Or,come to this site anytime. We update it about twice a month with new tips and links.
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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Oh, no! I can't get online!!

Or... Now what? My internet is not working!!

Try this.

1. Shut down your computer (properly, by choosing "shut down" etc.)

2. Turn off your router and modem. 

These are boxes with flashing lights on them that are often near where your telephone wires come into your house. They might have antennae on them (for your wi-fi). They might also have a cable clicked in that might go to the wall...or even into the back of your computer.

Look at the back and sides to find a power button.

If all else fails, and you cannot find the power button, unplug the piece (or pieces- some people have a router/modem combination, and some have two different pieces of equipment). 

3. Count slowly to thirty. (Alternatively, recite a magic spell... or pray a couple of prayers... the point is, don't just turn it off then on immediately.)

4. If you have two separate pieces of equipment, turn the one connected near the phone (the modem) on first, then the other one (the router).

The lights will flash and blink. Some will be red or yellow or green. They will flash in a number of patterns.

Don't worry. That's just your equipment talking to itself and testing itself.

Once it seems like all or most of the lights have settled down (either on, or off... some might keep flickering, that's fine too), then go back to your computer.

5. Start up your computer.

6. Open your browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Mozilla) and enter something like "www.google.com".

7. 99% of the time, you will be able to get to the web address successfully.

This means you were SUCCESSFUL! 

You have officially "rebooted your router"!! 

Now you should be able to do whatever it was you turned on your computer to do.

Hmm...shoot... what WAS I doing, anyway???


Monday, August 1, 2016

I wish I had Windows 7 (or 8) back....

So, you upgraded (or got upgraded) to Windows 10. 
If you do it within 30 days, you can easily "go back" to your prior operating system.

But, what can you do if 30 days has passed? Now you can't go back. Yet, you're having a hard time coping with those "tile" thingies.

You can't find what you used to find so easily.
You wish you had the "classic" start menu back.

Here's a free program I downloaded and then installed on my laptop (Win 10) that lets me set it up so it looks pretty much like my old Win 7 desktop.

Classic Shell: www.classicshell.net

There are lots of ways to "tweak" Windows 10 to make it more "user friendly" for you. And, using Classic Shell is one that worked for me! 

Good luck!