computers

Rhonda is locked out of two different laptops running Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 respectively. She got back into Windows 10 after watching a few videos. Then she got locked back out after creating a new Outlook account. How can she get back in? There are a lot of legal documents and data she needs. Leo says that if she has a backup, then there are easier options. Rhonda says she did on the Windows 10 machine. 

This is why it's so crucial to have backups.

Ed wants to upgrade his desktop to make it run faster. He also wants to tune it up. Leo says it's a good idea. Give it a good cleaning/dusting, reseat the thermal paste, put an SSD drive in it and maybe add more RAM. Just a little tune-up and it'll work fine for years to come.

Dave wants to know more about the flashing lights box behind Leo. Leo says that computers in the 70s had switches, and the blinking lights would tell you when the software switches were enabled correctly. The irony is that the box behind Leo is run on a Raspberry Pi, which is hundreds of times more powerful than the box it's emulating. We've come a long way since then. 

Dave built his first computer. Leo says it's a great project for someone who wants to learn about computers. But you have to be your own tech support. 

Gloria wants to know if buying a computer on the home shopping channel is a good buy. Leo says that it's usually an older model that is underpowered and even may be discontinued. It's usually the same models seen at big box stores like Costco. If she can send it back, go to Costco instead. Gloria can save more for the same model. But Gloria got a good price that's within the price range for that model. She could even go to Dell.com and find out if she got a good deal, and maybe get a better price for a refurbished model. Is it secure? Leo says yes.