Laptop or desktop computers and any components within.
Hardware
Why Does My Keyboard Repeat Letters?
Episode 1703
Evelyn fromEvelyn has a Lenovo computer and her keyboard is acting up when she types. Letters repeat when she types. How can she fix that? Leo says that keyboards are pretty cheap now, under $10. So it sounds like her keyboard is ready to be replaced. It's probably the easiest fix for a computer out there.
How Can I Record a Ringtone With My iPhone?
Episode 1703
John fromJohn has been trying to record a ring tone for his phone. How can he do that? Leo says that there's an app called GarageBand for the iPhone. He can record directly to the iPhone and save it to a ringtone. He can also use the Music App in macOS Catalina to do it and then sync it to the phone. Here's how.
Is My Hard Drive Failing?
Episode 1703
Tracy fromTracy's iMac takes about an hour to boot up. What's wrong? Could it be ransomware? Leo says no, it's more than likely a worn-out hard drive. Back up data and get a new hard drive. But Leo says it's not trivial to replace a hard drive in iMac. She will need a ton of special tools, including a giant suction cup. She can get the tools from iFixit.com and watch videos on how, but Leo says it's just a better idea to have Apple do it and get an SSD to replace it. Right now, she can arrange to drop off and pick up. Just call Apple to arrange.
Is There a GPS Phone Watch For Kids?
Episode 1703
Dave fromDave is looking for a GPS watch for his 11-year-old daughter, so he can keep track of her when she's out and about. One with a phone included is even better. Leo says that there are many designed for kids, like the Verizon Gizmo. There's also one called Find My Kids.
Scott Wilkinson and the Condensation Key
Episode 1703
Deals this weekend only at Best Buy, the 65" TCL QLED is half off, or $1000. There's also a 75" for $1800 (reg $3000). If you're in the market for a new large TV, Scott says it's a great deal.
How Can I Get Data Off an Old External Drive?
Episode 1703
Gustavo fromGustavo has a 20-year-old Powerbook Mac that he hasn't turned on in years. He plugged in an external hard drive, and somehow the Powerbook now views the hard drive as empty. Can he recover it? Leo suspects that the age of the drive caused the drive to fail. Or the cable may have failed. Or even the external box itself. Leo recommends taking it out and connecting it to a more modern computer.
What software do I use to capture VHS video?
Episode 1702
Todd fromTodd needs to digitize some VHS tapes. Leo says you need a VCR, obviously, and a capture card that goes into your computer. Then you can connect. But what software to use on a Mac? Leo says that the capture card probably came with the software. But you can also use iMovie, which is on your Mac. It'll handle it natively.
Can I control my Chromecast with a Chromebook?
Episode 1702
G. Scott fromG. Scott has a friend who has Chromecast and a Chromebook. But he can't control the volume because he doesn't have a smartphone to do it. Is there a way around it? Leo says that volume control is a new feature in Chromecast, so if his Chromebook is an older model, it may not support it.
Did I download a virus from an app?
Episode 1702
RIchard fromRichard put Facebook Messenger onto his wife's Kindle tablet. Since then, he's had nothing but trouble with his network. He didn't get it from the Kindle store, so he's worried he's been hacked. Leo says that Richard probably was since he googled and clicked on the first link he found. Leo says that's why its important to go to the official source like the Kindle app store. If bad guys can steer you to a website, they can infect you. But it may not be the Kindle that's been infected. It could be the router or modem. But Leo says it's not likely.
Why won't my newly built PC work?
Episode 1702
Dan fromDan built a computer using an AMD Ryzen processor. He's been watching YouTube videos a lot on doing it and is ready to give it a go. Leo says there's a lot of great information on YouTube, but sometimes they can get it wrong, so keep that in mind. It worked for five days and then just stopped working. Leo says that building a computer is a great project, but if something like that goes wrong, you are your own support. There's no one really to call, as everyone will blame the other guy for the problem. So you end up having to go one by one to determine what goes wrong.
