Tech Talk #1
Windows 10: Wait, there’s new version of Windows? You may already have a new icon for Windows 10 on your taskbar, down there to the left of the time/date. It’s an all-white Windows icon that looks like a window pane. If you click on it you can reserve your upgrade to Windows 10.
What’s Windows 10? Windows 10 looks and acts like Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 had a baby. The Start Menu is back, and it can do a lot more than it could in Windows 7. All of the faster code and security improvements from Windows 8.1 are there too. Windows 10 will be free for most Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users until July 2016 (sorry, XP and Vista users.) Highly recommended.
If you’re wondering what happened to Windows 9, my favorite explanation was the one written in binary code on the shirts of some of the presenters at Microsoft’s recent Build conference. It read: “Windows 10, because 7 8 9”. (Say it out loud…)
Just like with previous versions of Windows, you can upgrade to Windows 10 while keeping all your documents, pictures, music, and favorites.
I got a call from Microsoft: No, you didn’t. No one from Microsoft, or Dell, or HP, or whoever will ever, ever, call you and say they “noticed a problem with your computer or printer” or whatever. It’s a scam designed to scare you into paying these con artists something for essentially doing nothing. Really. Microsoft, Dell, HP, and whoever are too busy making new stuff for us to go out and buy to bother with calling you at home and bother you about stuff they already sold us.
On a related note, if you’re ever browsing away on the Internet and suddenly a window pops up saying you’ve got a bazillion problems on your computer and that you should call some phone number immediately, DON’T DO IT. It’s another scam.
I wish these criminals would go out and get a real job like the rest of us.
Did you know? You can convert measurements using the Google search bar. The syntax is : <amount> <unit1> in <unit2>. If you enter ’15 acres in square feet’ or ’75F in C’ or ‘100 yards in meters’ you’ll get the conversion, usually with a calculator so you can change values:
Help, I’m asleep and I can’t wake up: Sometimes our computers or laptops go to sleep because we haven’t used them for a while or to save power. Usually they’ll wake right up once we press a key or move the mouse. But sometimes they don’t wake up and the power button just blinks slowly on and off. If this happens to you, hold the power button and count to 10. Once your laptop or PC finally shuts down, leave it off and count to 10 again, giving it time to think about what it did… Then turn your computer or laptop back on and tell Windows to ‘Start Normally’ if it asks. You should be good to go.
Do you have a computer or technology question? Greg Cunningham has been providing Tehachapi with on-site PC and network services since 2007. Email Greg at greg@tech-hachapi.com.