A reader* asks: “Have you heard about the Boston Molassacre?”

I believe that’s a phrase used jokingly by tour guides to refer to the very real “Great Molasses Flood” of 1919. On an unusually warm January day, a poorly-constructed industrial tank containing  2,300,000 US gallons (8,706,447 liters) of hot, fermenting molasses burst, sending a wave of heavy liquid, initially 25ft (8m) high, at 35mph (56km/h)…

A reader asks: How can I check which .Net version is installed?

Q*: How can I check which .Net version is installed on a Windows 7 PC without administrative rights? A: There are many ways to check, regardless of Windows version or Admin status. Most only take a few seconds. For example, try this: Open Windows’ built-in Registry editor (RegEdit), and click to: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full With…

A reader asks: My PC has an SSD; will adding an old, slow HDD make my whole PC slow?

Nope — not if you’re smart about how you set it up! Older, slower drives are great for medium-to-long-term data storage — files that you want to have handy and accessible, but that are not in constant use. Think of things like music, photo, or video collections; backup copies; system images; ISOs; and so on….

A reader asks: “Do I risk damage to my hard disk if, when I travel, I keep it in my bag?”

You can safely transport a hard drive if you avoid the three main classes of “things that can kill a hard drive:” Avoid physical shocks: make sure the drive won’t be dropped, stepped on, knocked, or otherwise banged about. Avoid temperature/humidity extremes: Keep the drive dry, at human-comfortable temperatures, and in non-condensing humidity levels. Avoid…

A reader asks: How do I install Win 10 on a Win7 PC with no internet access?

A reader* asks: “How do I install Win 10 on a Win7 PC with no internet access?” Easily! Use Microsoft’s free Media Creation Tool to create a 100% legit, fully-functional setup DVD or flash drive. Here’s how: ● Using any other PC with internet access, go to this page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 ● Find the Create Windows…

A reader asks: Is it OK to use NTFS on a SSD? Why or why not?

A reader* asks: “Is it OK to use NTFS on a SSD? Why or why not?” With any reasonably current SSD and operating system, it’s perfectly fine. An SSD (or any disk, for that matter) really doesn’t care what’s in the bits it stores. The formatting of the disk itself — as well as user…

A reader asks: When a laptop is plugged in, how does the battery get charged and the laptop get powered simultaneously?

Q*: “When a laptop is plugged in, how does the battery get charged and the laptop get powered simultaneously?” A: There are, in effect, two parallel circuits in most laptops; and the laptop’s OEM charger is sized to provide enough power for both. When your laptop is turned on and is plugged into a wall…