(Answer requested by Gabriel Yeung) You want the technical answer, or the practical answer? Technically speaking, if your average working dataset is larger than 64MB, then YES, a HDD (hard drive) with a larger internal electronic cache (aka “buffer”) will probably perform better than the same drive with a smaller cache because the cache can…
Category: A reader asks…
“Is there any possibility to recover data from a 256-bit encrypted NAS HDD?”
(Answer requested by ZeeForce Gaming) Encrypted files are still just 1s and 0s. So, if you’re talking about recovering encrypted files after a crash, hardware failure, or something similar, you may be able to lift the encrypted bits off the defective drive using utterly normal data/disk-recovery software, and write the still-encrypted data to a working…
How to stop two Windows Defender annoyances
Win10’s built-in Windows Defender has matured into a top-ranked anti-malware tool, based on independent testing (e.g. AV-test.org info). But several of its default behaviors can be downright irritating. Here’s how to tweak Windows Defender with a few buried settings and a Task Scheduler change. Plus: Does Adobe Flash Player really need as many updates as it claims?…
“Say I’m charging my phone and drop it in my bath while it’s connected, will I possibly die and/or will the phone be damaged?”
(Answer requested by Oskar Jackowiak) His full question: “Say I’m charging my Galaxy S10 with my portable powerbank, if I was to drop the phone whilst connected into water will I possibly die and/or will the phone be damaged?” I’d be more worried about the powerbank than the phone, or you. Top-brand phones have been…
“Does a USB hub add latency to mice and keyboards (e.g., does a USB hub affect gaming)?”
Those are really two different questions. “Does a USB hub add latency?” Yes. A USB hub isn’t passive wiring: It receives a signal from a source (PC or peripheral), decodes the embedded address information, and then actively retransmits that signal to its destination (peripheral or PC). That process takes a small, but measurable amount of…
A ‘tip of the iceberg’ problem with RPV
A subscriber (requesting anonymity) wrote a very succinct note asking for help with a nonfunctioning file-recovery tool. “My PC’s ‘Restore previous versions’ is always empty, and it has been since I bought this Dell laptop two years ago. How do I get it turned on?” An RPV failure is annoying in itself, but also and…
“How can I repair a power bank that is not charging a mobile phone?”
(Answer requested by Tiamiy Olawale) If you’re sure it’s the power bank (external battery pack) that’s the problem (i.e. if the phone charges normally from other sources), here’s what to do: Take the defective power bank to a lithium-ion device recycling center or receptacle. Leave it there. Buy a new power bank. (Sorry. There’s no…
“Will a device charge at the same rate with a 10 meter cable as with a one meter cable?”
(Answer requested by Rosario Mezzatesta) If the cables are designed properly, yes. However, if either cable’s internal conductors are too thin, energy will be lost as resistive heat along the way; this can make the charging time longer. And: The longer the wire, the greater the thin-wire-resistance effect. Very long power cables need substantially thicker…
“Does exposing my phone to cold weather damage battery, and if so, is the damage permanent?”
(Answer requested by Dan Hopper) Chilly temps (below room temp, but above freezing) will temporarily reduce the amount of power available from a given battery charge, but won’t permanently hurt anything. Freezing cold may render a phone completely, but temporarily, inert. However attempting to recharge a below-freezing battery can cause permanent damage. Extreme cold by…
“How much did your first laptop/portable computer weigh?”
(Answer requested by Ian Alter) Probably less than you think. My first notebook was a TRS-100 Model 100, weighing in at about 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb), including its power supply — four ordinary, buy-anywhere, AA cells.) I carried my Model 100 literally around the world, back in the day. 🙂 Permalink: https://langa.com/?p=3865