Apps, Operating Systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux), or pro level software.
Software
Should I buy an upgrade key for Windows 10?
Episode 1594
Susan fromSusan sees an Windows 10 update code for $5 on eBay. Is it legit? Leo says no. Don't do it. It's a scam and usually doesn't work. So you'll be throwing your money away. And since Susan upgraded to Windows 10 and then downgraded, she can upgrade back to Windows 10 for free because she's already got an entitlement for her computer. Go back to Windows 10. The time is right.
Why am I getting a popup with Quickbooks?
Episode 1594
Alan fromAlan updated his Quickbooks app and now he gets an annoying popup. Leo says that Quickbooks uses Java, and most browsers have stopped using Java because of security issues. But you need to have it or you get that annoying popup. Leo recommends installing the Oracle JRE runtime plugin.
How can I backup my music from my phone to my computer?
Episode 1593
Clyde fromClyde ripped all his CDs and has the music on his phone, but he doesn't have any backups anymore. How can he back them up from his phone? Leo says that if you backup your mobile phone, your phone backs it up. But Leo wants Clyde to also make a separate, accessible copy of the music from his phone. Connect your phone back to your computer and then let iTunes back it up and add those phones to the iTunes library. Here's how. There's a third party program called Senuti that can also work.
How Can I Reinstall Windows 10 if the Hard Drive Dies?
Episode 1592
Rick fromRick upgraded Windows 10 on a secondary drive, keeping Windows 7 on his C drive. Now he has a dual boot option. However, with Windows 7 support going away, how can he make sure he's OK if he has to replace that secondary drive? Leo says it'll authenticate automatically because Microsoft gives an entitlement based on the entire machine, not a hard drive. If he had to replace the motherboard, video card and hard drive, then he'd have an issue. But changing a hard drive won't cause the problems.
Moving mail from Outlook Express to Windows Live Mail
Episode 1591
Kerry fromKerry is trying to get some emails off a Windows XP machine from Outlook Express 6 and into Windows Live Mail. But he keeps running into a problem where he tries to copy the emails from the Express Storage folder into a file and onto the desktop.
Why can't I install Windows on my computer?
Episode 1589
Michael fromMichael is having issues installing Windows on his Linux machine. Leo says that to remove the Linux partition, go into Windows Install, go into the partition manager during the install and delete the Linux partition. Then you'll have enough room. You'll also want to make sure it's formatting in NTFS.
How can I Run a DOS Program?
Episode 1588
Chris fromChris wants to run an old DOS program. How can he do it? Leo says to download FreeDOS. It's a free, open source version of DOS that will run his programs. Put it on a thumb drive and boot into that. Or he can boot into it via a Virtual machine like Virtual Box.
How can I undelete my music files?
Episode 1587
Kevin fromKevin has lost over 100GB of music off his laptop. He used torrents to send out his music. Now they've disappeared. The program he used must've deleted the files, thinking he was deleting the torrents when he was done. What can he do? Leo says it wouldn't be unusual for a client to delete seed files when you're done. But how can he get them back? The good news is that Kevin has an old backup, so he only needs the most recent files. When you delete a file, it isn't really deleted. It's just marked available for reuse.
What's a good book on coding for kids?
Episode 1586
RJ fromRJ is a librarian and wants some recommendations on coding books for kids to learn how to code. Leo says that the issue with books on coding is that they are dated pretty quickly. That's why he always recommends going to Code Academy. Kids are also interested in learning the languages of the day. But there are some classics including learning Python. The Kernahan and Ritchie C Programming Language Book is a short book, but a classic. How to Design Programs (HTDP) is the most important programming book you can get, and it's free online as well as in publication, along with SICP.
Have I Been Bit by a Phishing Attack?
Episode 1581
Robert fromRobert got bit by a phishing scam about being a workshop presenter. He clicked on a link to download an attachment and nothing happened. He realized what he had done and disconnected his desktop. Now he thinks he needs to reinstall? Leo says Nuke from orbit. Do not install from in-place. He should want to back up data, wipe the hard drive, and then reinstall Windows from a known, good source. But he should make sure to know if he actually has malware. If he has a WInMail.dat file attachment, that's from Microsoft and older Outlooks use it.
