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Episode 1708 June 28, 2020

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Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

How can I stay connected while traveling the country?

Watch Gary from Bellflower, CA Comments

Gary recently sold his house and is looking for the best possible way to stay connected while he's traveling the country. Leo says that iPad cellular, with a combination of RV Park WiFi, works great. You can also turn your iPad into a hotspot. But Leo says that a MiFi card would be more beneficial because you can connect up to five devices. But using the iPad as a hotspot may be faster, especially a new one. Some RVers will get a dish, but Leo doesn't recommend it. It's expensive and slow. 

Why do I have to boot my PC twice?

Watch Annette from Tustin, CA Comments

Annette recently updated to Windows 10, but now she has to boot up twice in order for the computer to completely boot up. Leo says there could be many reasons for a halted boot. External devices are the easiest things. Turn off Windows Fast Boot. It's a terrible feature that doesn't really speed up your computer. But what it implies is that your computer isn't warm enough when it boots up the first time, and so it stalls. This can happen with older computers. It can also be a sign of your hard drive failing. A new hard drive will solve it, and Leo recommends a solid-state drive (SSD). A failing power supply may also be a culprit.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

Why can't I get online with my laptop?

Watch Ken from Los Angeles, CA Comments

Ken is on a limited budget and he installed a new OS on his old laptop, but he can't get online now. Leo says that it can be several things. It can be the ISP. It could be the wires coming into your home. It could be a configuration issue. One easy test is to see if your internet is working elsewhere. If your phone has WiFi, then you're in good shape. That would point to an issue with Ken's laptop. Try connecting the computer to your router with an ethernet cable. If that works, then the issue points to the WiFi radio itself. It could also be the settings and the drivers for your laptop as well. 

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

Why won't my eero mesh router work?

Watch Bob from Boston, MA Comments

Bob recently bought an eero mesh router. It worked fine for two weeks and then he started experiencing dropouts, and he can't get support. Leo says that support is terrible these days because of limitations due to CoVid. Another thing to look at is your ISP and cable modem. Security software could also be an issue and can inhibit your internet access. 

Also, try and reboot the main gateway by unplugging, waiting a few minutes and then plugging back in. If that fixes it, it's likely a hardware issue. Take out the old gateway and use the new one. See what happens. Here's how. Contact eero and request a replacement.

What's a good Chromebook?

Watch Linda from Los Angeles, CA Comments

Linda is saving up for a new Chromebook, what should she get? Leo says that the Lenovo Duet is a pretty good model. Nice screen. Asus makes good ones, and Samsung makes a good high-end model.

What happened to my Windows 10 Start Menu?

Watch Andy from Missoula, Montana Comments

Andy has updated his mom's computer with Windows 10 Home. He's got her Defender AntiVirus all updated. But now, her start menu won't come up and the Windows key doesn't work. Should he look at the registry? Leo says NO!  Trust the solutions at Microsoft.com. Leo says that any user who isn't sure what they are doing can mess things up in the course of learning to use their system. The reality is, Windows is too powerful for your mother or someone who isn't a sophisticated user. Leo recommends replacing that Windows 10 system with a Chromebook. Meantime, try booting up in safe mode and see if the start menu reappears. If so, then that will point to a conflict with a driver or some installed software. 

Another way to check is to create an unused Windows account you can compare it to.  And check to see if the OS hasn't been put into tablet mode. It's VERY easy to do. Here's a few other suggestions - https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/12385/windows-10-fix-problems-with-start-menu

Is Windows Defender the best AntiVirus?

Watch Jim from Calabassas, CA Comments

Jim wants to know if Windows Defender is sufficient to protect his Windows machine against malware. Leo says yes and now. You are your own last line of defense and your online behavior can undo the hard work Defender does to protect you. Don't click on links in an email. Only get your software from original vendors. Keep DEFENDER and Windows 10 up to date.

Defender is as good as any other antivirus, but safer since it's designed specifically for Windows. 

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