Long gone, but now back… sort of. :)
Probably not. The Windows license process generates a unique numeric ID or “score” for your PC’s specific hardware configuration and copy of Windows. Microsoft knows that PCs get upgraded, so the system is flexible enough to allow the score to change, some, without triggering a need to re-license. For example, you usually can upgrade your…
Longtime reader Miles Wolbe send in an information-rich comment to the recent Langa.Com item, Is Windows 10 still free for Windows 7 users? Hi, Fred! Thanks so much for putting tinyapps.org on the map way back in 2001! It’s been a lot of fun maintaining it over the years. I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) to get…
LangaList readers are sending in questions about some of the details in the recent three-part series on spec’ing, buying, and setting up a new Optane-equipped PC. Quick recap: In Part One, Taking the plunge with a new PC (AskWoody Plus newsletter 2019-06-03), you saw how I used Windows’ built-in performance tools to identify system bottlenecks,…
(Answer requested by Hong Shen) I have bad news, and not-as-bad news. The bad news is ASUS’ official BIOS update guide, which says in part: “READ THIS BEFORE YOU BRICK YOUR MACHINE!… A failed or interrupted BIOS update process almost always means death for the computer. For this reason, never ever interrupt a BIOS update that is…
Alfredo Sanchez’s full question: “I changed the voltage on my CPU and this fixed my BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) problem, but now when I reboot the computer it starts up and then powers off and constantly powers on and loses power and tries to power on again.… eventually it will power on. How do…
(Answer requested by M. Vincent Holguin) Sure. At least as a starting point, why not? And that’s true of all PC/phone/tablet/TV/etc. system settings. It’s not just a Windows/Power-setting thing. Default settings usually aren’t random. With major vendors and successful products, the default settings are what the vendor has found will work for most of the…
(Answer requested by Richard Janezic) LI-ion batteries are considered Class B (flammable liquids/gases) fire hazards (info). LI-ion fires are ferocious, and the gases are nasty. If there’s a fire, unplug the device (if plugged in), call the fire department, and then use an ABC- or BC-rated fire extinguisher (info) to suppress the fire. In a…
(Answer requested by Chris Whitten) There are several very easy ways to scan single files for malware. Easiest of all: You usually can simply right-click on any file, and when the menu opens, select Scan with… whatever your installed anti-malware tool is. For example, in a normal, default Windows 10 setup, you’d right click and…
Sort of, yes: Although the official free upgrade period ended literally years ago, it appears that Microsoft is still quietly allowing free upgrades on activated, fully-legit Win7 setups. See Here’s how you can still get a free Windows 10 upgrade | ZDNet. But I wouldn’t wait, if I were you! Because it’s unofficial, it could go…
(Answer requested by Rudy Triana) The setting’s a little buried, but the trick is to know that the clock is a system icon. If you search Windows for the specific phrase — system icon — you’ll find the setting. For example, you asked about Windows 10: Type system icon in the search box, and you’ll…