Good job Scott! BTW, I do have Nord BUT I am not overly fond of it! I've had some problems with it trying to hang up during it's start-up, I've had problems with it loading just way too slow AND I've had problems twice over with it making Win 11 trying to totally crash. Once windows was trying to crash but then I was able to log out and log back in, but then do a complete restart of my laptop. This stuff that I just mentioned is a real turn off for me though with Nord being a real good solution and is easy to use & does make for some good sense! I did get ahold Yahoo whom had me signed up for it and they advised me to reinstall Nord VPN and so since then, an update had occurred thereafter and I am still experiencing problems for the most part and I'm thinking about giving it up and find another provider. To be honest, I just might be suited for something like Open VPN but not with absolute certainty. I would much better select a VPN that isn't always under the all seeing eyes network for privacy and so when you look at the Nord mapping, such as for the first time and where all the servers are situated though limited, with each and every U.S. location nodes as for where they are set up; they are situated at all the hubs of dhs and fbi field offices! Ain't this sweet! Talk about being under constant surveillance, scrutiny and being spied on 24/7/365!! Oh and so the IP's do know the entrance and exit points are in which traffic is sent. So, yeah ain't this gorgeous! I'm just so impressed that I cannot even hold my water but I can hold a can of beer! If the authorities really want to get at your data, they do have their ways!! This country and the rest of the 5 eyes can have their way 7 ways to Sunday! And so even for a casual user that only wants a little bit of privacy, this is not good my friend!
Hey man, love your channel! I have a request. Could you make a video, even if it's a short one, on whether or not it's safe to completely power down your PC at the end of the day or if it's best to leave it on 24/7?
@105rogue thx, glad you enjoy my content! I can answer that right now. Leaving your PC on 24/7 will cause an abbreviated life span on your hardware. How much, nobody can say. I leave mine on 24/7 and never have issues. Long story short, if you have a pretty fast machine, go ahead and turn it off, or at least put it in standby. If it's an older or slower machine, if recommend sleep mode first, before turning it off daily. There's no true benefit to shutting it down nightly. Every so often, sure, but not daily 👍
Hey Scott ..Can I just say RE: safe websites .. Add Web Of Trust to Your browser extension. It shows Which websites are Trustworthy by simply adding a Green Tick next to the site ..If not Trustworthy You See a red cross , Also if You hover over the red cross it explains to why the site is malicious .. Cheers for the Vid
I'm using a new Dell XPS 8960 PC. It only has 2 USB A 3.0 ports in the back but I'm have a 4 port hub which I use for 4 external harder drives that I keep documents, photos and general downloads separately. The 4th hard drive is 5 TB and used as a backup.
I organize my documents and files by putting them into folders that are named for what the data is about, such as school, church, work, taxes, etc. I also make it easier to find photos by creating a text file in the folder the photos are in and entering a description of the photos in the text file.
Thank you. I learned more this morning from you than all my time using a PC. My elderly aunt has a new PC. She is virtually blind. Do you have a guide to voice? Also, is there a “you” who is an expert on Macs? Just wondering. Thank you, and I’ll be watching more of your videos.
I've always heard Dragon Naturally Speaking is good for those with disabilities. I'd try Chris Titus Tech and Linus Tech Tips for Mac help. I'm sure there are more "process" channels out there, but once you find a video or two from them, the algorithm will point you to the right place 👍
Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers, and love the cardboard plaque. Did it roll over at the end of your prior video? You had the ticker covered up at the end.
It rolled over between videos. Had a private party where I treated all my local friends and supporters to "grilling at Scott's house" - hence the ghetto hand made cardboard plaque LOL
I remember when i was in school, i was very lucky with my timing of clicking save, SECONDS after i clicked save, the power went out (For those wondering, it would have been Office 2010 that I was using, Office 2013 either hadn’t come out at that point, or had only just been released)
Great episode Scott for 'my bag of trix'. Here's one of my favorites. This takes the 'keep your file structure organized' to the next step. Create a "standard filename structure'. This works for when you frequently download a lot of files. When your filenames are 'consistent' you can't go wrong. 1950-US-census, 1940-US-census, 1885-GA-State-census, etc.
hi, i like your video However I saw one mistake. when you blow out a computer with air be careful not to blow the fans doing that will generate electricity that can damage a sensitive component
Note re air-dusting fans. If you air-dust a fan, causing it to spin, that's not a lot different to what the fan is doing all the time the computer is on - when air is blowing through it anyway. It can be cleaned a lot more effectively if it's stopped from spinning, with, e.g. a screwdriver (as long as you don't damage any components) or something like a plastic pen top when you air-dust it, then you'll actually blow the dust off the blades.
My sister had a bad habit of clicking to download and install programs without asking permission. I created a Windows user password so i could keep her off the PC. I made my password "handsoff" and i had a sign saying "hands off" on the front of my PC. When she asked about the sign i told her that it was to let our brother's kids know not to touch. It was really a password reminder
@@AskYourComputerGuy -- Hoping that he actually uses "Leetspeek" (Elite Speak) to configure his passwords. There are tutorials out there on how to do Leetspeak/Leetspeek, and there are even military-themed games (including Counterstrike) and even some mobile apps that can help you convert ordinary lingo into Leet. So, instead of "handsoff" or "HANDSOFF" it would be configured more like "#@nd50ff" or "h4nd50ff". Whenever feasible, we should configure our passwords in Leet, because Leet is harder to crack than dictionary words. ;-D (Oh, and please pardon me if I sound like a Password Fascist, but passwords are very important.)
VPN: I've used Nord and Freedome but the BBC can still identify which country I'm really in. A few years ago this was not the case. Suggest it's best to avoid any VPN service that has a server in a 5-eyes country, otherwise your PC is not secure at all. Great video.🕊
Scott, I have a Lenovo T440 I purchased on Ebay. I am trying to set up System Restore. When I open Advanced Recovery Tools, at Open System Restore I get the message "System Restore is disabled by your system administrator". How do I fix this? Thanks!
Only time I've seen this is because the account trying to enable system restore is a standard account, not an administrator account. Standard accounts are extremely limited on what they can change in Windows system settings.
Good to be reassured I've got some pretty good practices that are now second nature 😁 I like to go overboard creating extra system restore points and registry backups if I'm going to attempt something that might interfere with system functionality, I'm slowly but surely getting into the habit of doing backups whenever i suspect a Windows update may be lurking in the near future too purely because i can't remember the last time i had involuntarily been updated and not have at least one thing stop functioning properly 🤦♀️
People who want to hack your network, will still know your SSID, since it's sent with network packets, I'm sure they have tool that can show all SSID's, including the hidden ones, just automatically. When it come to routers it's more important to use a very strong password, strong firewall settings, and to keep your router uptodate.
I disagree with hiding SSID, absolutely pointless. If someone wants your network compromised they will find the way. Every single wireless spectrum scanner will show "hidden networks" and if you know just a bit about wireless those are not very well hidden...
A true bad actor, probably so. But for your average person just trying to "jump on" a neighbor's wireless, hiding the SSID is still a good idea. It hurts nothing and can help in those situations 👍
Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint have an auto-save feature that automatically saves your document, spreadsheet or presentation after a certain amount of time. I like to turn this feature on
this is all good stuff, and for using compressed air from a bottle, it must be used carefully. I saw a video repairing a GPU because the owner used compressed air on it.
Our ISP router came with a randomised alphanumeric passwords as the default (for both admin logon and the WiFi), and there is literally no username on it, the router is even designed to be remotely managed by the ISP to some level (there are features it has which can only be turned on or off from their end, for example ) I do have my own router set up (which piggy backs off of the ISP one), where i set complex passwords on it (including the WiFi password, i go by the rule of if you can memorise the password of the WiFi network or router, it is not complicated enough, especially not with the security issues WPA2 has) Hidden WiFi networks and MAC address filters don’t actually offer much protection (both are easy to get around, especially if the attacker is planning on using the security issue WPA2 has to brute force the password)
Agreed. If someone has the skills and you are a target, they'll probably find a way. I'm talking about your nosy neighbor or stupid teenager wanting to play pranks, which is probably more common than a dedicated targeted attack. You're not wrong though 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuyI suppose i should be more worried about the unsecured WiFi network the ISP supplied router broadcasts (which is a pay to use public WiFi network that the ISP control, one benefit though is the ISP grant us free use of those unsecured networks)
On some Brute force programs, they don't use special symbols in their attacks like: ♣♠♪♥♦ These can be typed from any windows computer (you may have to open on screen keyboard if your keyboard doesn't have a 10 key) and you can type them from Android. Sorry Apple users.... This is because their dictionary attack and brute force are saved as .txt which can't save those symbols. Windows+U opens accessibility options which includes on screen keyboard
i let the clip run in the background, and 2 stuff i found that are wrong save now - incorrect advice because of the software used, in office - options - save - just check the "save autorecover every 3-5 minutes" or put even 1 if you have a nvme/ssd, open office lacks many options, probably this one also hide ssid - hacking a wifi password is not for any script kiddies or nasty neighbors, you need some very special stuff like a wifi promiscuous adapter, and maybe kali and lots of luck. but if somebody comes prepared to break your wifi it`s a 2 more minutes to decloak using the same tools needed to break the visible wifi - so partial incorrect advice, you just hide from the newbies in the neighborhood but NO real protections against the ones that know to do stuff :)
Everything right here.. but I would recommend to slow down the fans while blowing them .... they act as generators on the controller... then what about a multiboot config ? ;)
@@AskYourComputerGuy A spark is not required to damage component. A spark would indicate a short circuit or static discharge which results in a short circuit. If your fan sparks, it's time for a new fan like, now. The fans generate AC current that feeds back into a DC circuit so there is a chance that something gets a positive charge that does not expect it though i assume there is feedback protection.
This is definitely for Windows users. If you have a Linux PC never, ever, no, do not, install an "anti-virus" on a desktop. You'll make your system less secure and open to vulnerability. NO! 👍 Everything else here is great common sense gold, good video man.
Yes, but Clam-AV sometimes does help, with all its nonsense of false negatives, especially if one uses Wine. Here's another thing folks should avoid using in Linux.
@@tahaaminmazumder8869 If you're running so much WINE that you need an anti virus program for it then you should be running Windows. Stick with read only sand boxing provided by Steam, Lurtis or Heroic. Clam-AV is for Linux servers sharing Windows files.
@@tahaaminmazumder8869 There is no reason to avoid using wine. The only thing to avoid is using wine without common sense. Know where the files you're running come from. People should also not be advised to use free or paid anti-virus software as most of those are scammy pieces of software. And lets be honest here. They only "might" defend against known signatures which makes them utterly useless against anything new. Windows defender does the same thing. No need for extra bloatware. Windows is bloated enough as it is. Windows Defender is all a windows user needs.
Should I let a computer person build my computer from beginning to use for my personal business. Like TOWER case, motherboard,cooler, SSD drive. Etc. I add the operation system because he use to work for Intel for 2years before he work for library now .
Great video Scott. I recently made a concerted effort to to back up all data once a week. My 2 tb ssd back up. Is about half full. I was going to clean it up by deleting some 6 months old backups. It told me I need administrative approval. Retry says I need approval from everyone. After trying several times my. I gave up and reformatted the drive. That worked. I am wondering now if I ever do need a backup I will run into the same problem about administrative permission. I am the only one to ever use my computer so I wouldn’t think I would need permission.
Could be the backup files were locked by a running process. A program called Unlocker would have allowed you to safely unlock that process. But glad it worked out for you
@@AskYourComputerGuy it’s possible the acronis software may be running in the background which I suspect. It does backup weekly on Sundays. I will Try quitting that and give it a try.
Please do a video about configuring routers, because in my case I have changed my router with older technology, and now with fiber optic technology some WiFi devices (remote WiFi switches) are not able to recognize the new router with WiFi.
Unfortunately there are too many different brands and software versions to make one video to cover them all. Search TH-cam for "configure x router" where x is your make and model and you'll likely find what you're looking for 👍
I learnt the hard way... I had wrote down all my fishing details down in a book (be4 pc's came out) I then spent days copying the data to pc when I bought one, when I finished I thought that's well done all safe & sound, Like a fool I threw my books away ( over 20 years of data).. then one year later my HDD FAILED ... I was GUTTED, it's still; hurts me because of the data I lost. Now I back up to a spare SSD every 2 or 3 days.
I don't know how to set the Desktop folder to be a local folder like it was in pre-11 versions of Windows. Is this even possible in Windows 11? Or does Microsoft now just force everyone to have their Desktop folder on OneDrive, with no settings to change this? Please advise. Thank you.
Saving... in games that applies too. Save often. Or else when Steam updates your game or your AV decides to update, and it can corrupt your game files. VPN, not so sure of. It costs you money to encrypt your data. But when you want to log in to a website, you STILL have to give your details. OK you can give false details if you are really paranoid. But then you have to keep track of different passwords and login names everywhere. So a decent Password manager is far more important, in my book. And finally don't forget, the safest computer is the one NOT connected to the internet. But where is the fun in that.
Most word processing programs now-a-days do an auto-save every so many minutes. As for email's, if you get one that doesn't show, (for instants) your bank in the url, and displays: really long url in HEX, but shows the bank logo. It's NOT your bank that sent it. Call your bank and send them an email with the BAD link. They will be glad to receive that info. It will also give you a piece of mind. Elderly tend to ignore this!
Why do i have to sign in to adobe to uninstall photoshop, lightroom, fresco, bridge? That just seems wrong that they want me to sign in to get them off my computer. I'm using Krita now, free. I don't even know my past info (although maybe it is in a folder/ the kind like your wife keeps). What about programs I don't recall ever installing, like adobe flashplayer? Or don't know if they are system related?? like Microsoft 3D builder & 3D viewer?? I wonder about uninstalling stuff that might be a mistake.
The only reason I can see having to sign into Adobe is if you are using creative cloud. Any other locally installed program you shouldn’t have to log into anything.
@@AskYourComputerGuy Thank you. I ran into that a couple of times, with a work account, and I wasn't sure if I was exposing myself to risk, when oking it. Much appreciated.
20:11 And please don't use your work computer (at work) like your personal computer. IT admins would be disappointed but not surprised to find something fishy when they do routine maintenance on your account.
Thanks! Check this out, might be perfect for what you're asking: How to start your own PRIVATE cloud server | NO FEES ever again! th-cam.com/video/yYedruFbBGE/w-d-xo.html
@@AskYourComputerGuy I have a synology diskstation for all my backups. what i need is a cloud based operating system where I can access remotely with 2~3 concurrent connection.
Thank you so much Scott for doing great videos like these that help us and more importently protect us. The internet is like the wild wild west, loads of bandits around and you need your wits about you. I`m amazed but I`ve goot friends who dont even have an anti-virus on their PC`s
I started my one-man internet show 40 years ago, My 7 yr old ASUS desktop's hard wouldn't open windows. I managed find a local business pulled all my data off for $300. So, I'm starting fresh with another ASUS Gaming ROG desktop. I'm doing my best to setup the new computer with all my clients business data, I'm mostly lost and need help please.
Hi Scott, Amazing video as always. I have a question, about making another local account for a standard user on Windows 11 Home, when I go to the account and then to family, Mircosoft does not give me the option to go local account All I see under "Your family" is "Sign in with your Mircosoft account to manage your family group" with a "Sign in" button I did click that but there is nothing for local account. Kind of feel like a bit of an idiot. Is there anything I'm doing wrong? Thanks
@JasonWestaway try this: "In the Settings app, go to the “Accounts” tab. At the left-hand side of the window, click on “Your info.” Under “Your info,” select “Sign in with a local account instead.” Windows 11 will guide you through the process."
I used Nord VPN for about a year, it was good BUT- when I needed to log in to any financial account, or other sensitive account- I couldn't log in without going outside the VPN. I dunno, maybe i set the VPN up wrong or something like that. Windows 10, Chrome browser
Good video. I appreciate this information when using windows. Although a lot of these things can be avoided by learning different operating systems. I highly recommend it for everyone so they are not a slave to windows' substandard os.
Interesting information. One question however. I have created a new account that I want to set up as Administrator but I just cannot find how to change my usual account to Standard. There are no options to do it that I can find anywhere on Windows 11. The interface doesn't look anything like yours.
@@stevejones9788 Doh.. you are right. It,s a bit annoying because the two accounts are shown in different sections. I can't see all the accounts in the same section. Thank you!
Yes Scott I often save as when typing a document and find it saves as whatever you want to call it as simply saving one sometimes has to read through a whole crowd of documents to find the one you have been working on.😉 I have an external drive which I backup to at regular intervals. As for security has always been a paid for software and I have had ESET on my machines for a very long time and it is marked for renewable when that time comes around, it also blocks the vast number of suspicious stuff not that is any excuse for being due diligent. ESET also has a feature if storing passwords or generating one if one wants to use it. I also use the Brave browser as it also blocks trackers, saves bandwidth and time. Hmm not sure about the VPN though as some have stated that they are not THAT safe. For cleaning I do a complete blow out of the hardware space and also do a clean of the clogging files/folders etc up of the disk. As for updates not a day goes by that I do not get a security patch for Windows so it is the first thing I do when powered up.
Nice! And as far as VPN, I've dealt eith them all over 30 years in IT. Nord maybe isn't the least expensive, but they have brand power and I *do* trust them. But it sounds like you're fairly knowledgeable and not scared of research - go for it! Thanks for the comment 👍
Scott, trying to set up the administrator account, it recognises me as administrator but wont let me set up the other account! Keeps telling me the password doesn't meet the requirements that the administrator has set!! any idea? thanks
after i set up account and press next a security shield flashes and a microsoft box pops up and says "userOOBE create elevated object server" and only gives me a yes or no option !! thanks@@AskYourComputerGuy
I recently saw a video that suggested unplugging power from your cooling / cpu fans when air dusting your computer due to it producing electrical current from the fan(s) turning. What are your thoughts. Thanks.
I've duated out machines with power on many times and never had an issue. You just have to be careful what you touch with the nozzle. For obvious reasons, I wouldn't recommend doing that for most people 👍
I would think the electricity created by the turning of the fan would be less powerful by far then what usually flows through those connections. Shouldn't really hurt. Never saw a problem after 30 years of cleaning computer fans.
I personally use the same password for every site, but use a checksum so all my passwords are different. I wouldn't recommend it, but it's better than using the same for all.
I would be reluctant to ever use a master password that permits access to hundreds of other passwords. If someone got hold of it, they could access hundreds of other sites/accounts without having to know individual passwords..
You can't win on this really. If you have the means you could split that master access to an isolated device and then use that device to access the list, then type in manually. Tedious but helpful when even the best managers get breached.
Perhaps. Or make the master password so difficult to guess and/or keep the machine locked down enough to where that's never a worry. I can see it both ways, in fairness to your point 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy it's not even guessing that password as much as a single undiscovered vulnerability in the common point which can compromise *everything*. Of course other methods have their own fatal weak points, but someone worried about this will be hard to dissuade for this reason.
Sometimes I really hate AI. People accuse me of deleting comments all the time and I rarely do, unless it's spam or just hateful. Anyway thx for grabbing that one. Hard to keep up sometimes!!!
@@AskYourComputerGuyIt's the local one on my computer. The user account that I would need to log out of in order to set up the Administrator account. Windows 10.
10:48 I absolutelly hate "BLOWing out" the dirt, of course there if few places that not allows anything elsi, but I prefer wacuum the stuff&dust with my antistatic nozzle, you than do not have the dirt and dust back in the air. 14:53 😀 Oh no! This one is the trashiest trash of them all 😀 which even cannot do what it is supposed to do xD
Hey there Scott! I see that you didn't like my comment!! Well since I have already told the truth about my experiences and so thus you deleted it, this is the point where I depart your presence! Supposedly you do not like or care about people that tell the truth. And so this is how I know about how you operate!
Uh...no. I don't delete comments. I get 100-300 comments a day, I'm sorry I haven't gotten to yours yet. But if that makes you not find value in the channel, then I wish you the best in your endeavors 👍
Somebody sure as hell took my comment down and it was sent special delivery to you! It just so happens that I followed up to try and see whether you had any personal reactions or any difficulties that you've had with Nord VPN, to include ant possible work arounds and just how the Nord VPN is set up! But, no, somebody surely took down my comment and that so that paints a target on your back!@@AskYourComputerGuy
Sorry Scott but yesterday's comment was shotgu*ned into your pinned comment section for N VPN, thus either Nord had YT remove it or you've managed to remove it!@@AskYourComputerGuy
@craigtegeler4677 nope...had nothing to do with it. YT is funny that way sometimes. If you know me at all, I've made it very clear from day one that I don't kill comments unless they are hateful or ugly. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether I agree or not. You won't find many youtubers that actual respond to comments (I'm one), and I definitely don't want a legion of yes men supporting my channel. It's not what I do 👍
Well, I can personally promise you that I had nothing to do with it. I'll have to look and see if YT marked it as "for review", which is common given some of the hate comments I get. But I promisei that I'll look into it 👍
@bleakyfinder2692 no worries, my friend! Apparently it happens often, I get lots of "you deleted my comments" messages and I'm like...."Nope, not me!". Of course no one believes me LOL
I hope she uses a lot of FALSE passwords and SCRAMBLED web-URLs on her little paper notes. I know that's a very mean thing for me to say, but there's something very wrong with that system.
Get 4 months extra on a 2 year plan nordvpn.com/askyourcomputerguy. It's risk free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!
Good job Scott! BTW, I do have Nord BUT I am not overly fond of it! I've had some problems with it trying to
hang up during it's start-up, I've had problems with it loading just way too slow AND I've had problems twice
over with it making Win 11 trying to totally crash. Once windows was trying to crash but then I was able to log
out and log back in, but then do a complete restart of my laptop. This stuff that I just mentioned is a real turn
off for me though with Nord being a real good solution and is easy to use & does make for some good sense! I
did get ahold Yahoo whom had me signed up for it and they advised me to reinstall Nord VPN and so since then,
an update had occurred thereafter and I am still experiencing problems for the most part and I'm thinking about
giving it up and find another provider. To be honest, I just might be suited for something like Open VPN but not
with absolute certainty. I would much better select a VPN that isn't always under the all seeing eyes network
for privacy and so when you look at the Nord mapping, such as for the first time and where all the servers are
situated though limited, with each and every U.S. location nodes as for where they are set up; they are situated
at all the hubs of dhs and fbi field offices! Ain't this sweet! Talk about being under constant surveillance, scrutiny
and being spied on 24/7/365!! Oh and so the IP's do know the entrance and exit points are in which traffic is
sent. So, yeah ain't this gorgeous! I'm just so impressed that I cannot even hold my water but I can hold a can of
beer! If the authorities really want to get at your data, they do have their ways!! This country and the rest of the
5 eyes can have their way 7 ways to Sunday! And so even for a casual user that only wants a little bit of privacy,
this is not good my friend!
Hey man, love your channel! I have a request. Could you make a video, even if it's a short one, on whether or not it's safe to completely power down your PC at the end of the day or if it's best to leave it on 24/7?
@105rogue thx, glad you enjoy my content! I can answer that right now. Leaving your PC on 24/7 will cause an abbreviated life span on your hardware. How much, nobody can say. I leave mine on 24/7 and never have issues. Long story short, if you have a pretty fast machine, go ahead and turn it off, or at least put it in standby. If it's an older or slower machine, if recommend sleep mode first, before turning it off daily. There's no true benefit to shutting it down nightly. Every so often, sure, but not daily 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy Thank you very much!!!
@105rogue you bet 👍
Hey Scott ..Can I just say RE: safe websites .. Add Web Of Trust to Your browser extension. It shows Which websites are Trustworthy by simply adding a Green Tick next to the site ..If not Trustworthy You See a red cross , Also if You hover over the red cross it explains to why the site is malicious .. Cheers for the Vid
ABSOLUTELY!! I also use & recommend uBlock Origin
I'm using a new Dell XPS 8960 PC. It only has 2 USB A 3.0 ports in the back but I'm have a 4 port hub which I use for 4 external harder drives that I keep documents, photos and general downloads separately. The 4th hard drive is 5 TB and used as a backup.
I organize my documents and files by putting them into folders that are named for what the data is about, such as school, church, work, taxes, etc. I also make it easier to find photos by creating a text file in the folder the photos are in and entering a description of the photos in the text file.
Thank you. I learned more this morning from you than all my time using a PC. My elderly aunt has a new PC. She is virtually blind. Do you have a guide to voice? Also, is there a “you” who is an expert on Macs? Just wondering. Thank you, and I’ll be watching more of your videos.
I've always heard Dragon Naturally Speaking is good for those with disabilities. I'd try Chris Titus Tech and Linus Tech Tips for Mac help. I'm sure there are more "process" channels out there, but once you find a video or two from them, the algorithm will point you to the right place 👍
Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers, and love the cardboard plaque. Did it roll over at the end of your prior video? You had the ticker covered up at the end.
It rolled over between videos. Had a private party where I treated all my local friends and supporters to "grilling at Scott's house" - hence the ghetto hand made cardboard plaque LOL
I remember when i was in school, i was very lucky with my timing of clicking save, SECONDS after i clicked save, the power went out
(For those wondering, it would have been Office 2010 that I was using, Office 2013 either hadn’t come out at that point, or had only just been released)
Save now, save often! It's a thing 💪
Great episode Scott for 'my bag of trix'. Here's one of my favorites. This takes the 'keep your file structure organized' to the next step. Create a "standard filename structure'. This works for when you frequently download a lot of files. When your filenames are 'consistent' you can't go wrong. 1950-US-census, 1940-US-census, 1885-GA-State-census, etc.
Agreed!
hi, i like your video However I saw one mistake. when you blow out a computer with air be careful not to blow the fans doing that will generate electricity that can damage a sensitive component
Always possible, I've never had that problem. But probably better safe than sorry
Note re air-dusting fans. If you air-dust a fan, causing it to spin, that's not a lot different to what the fan is doing all the time the computer is on - when air is blowing through it anyway. It can be cleaned a lot more effectively if it's stopped from spinning, with, e.g. a screwdriver (as long as you don't damage any components) or something like a plastic pen top when you air-dust it, then you'll actually blow the dust off the blades.
Yes, ideally removing the fan and cleaning it outside the pc environment is best practice 👍
My sister had a bad habit of clicking to download and install programs without asking permission. I created a Windows user password so i could keep her off the PC. I made my password "handsoff" and i had a sign saying "hands off" on the front of my PC. When she asked about the sign i told her that it was to let our brother's kids know not to touch. It was really a password reminder
LOL that's brilliant :)
funny if she sees it here she would know hehe
@@AskYourComputerGuy -- Hoping that he actually uses "Leetspeek" (Elite Speak) to configure his passwords. There are tutorials out there on how to do Leetspeak/Leetspeek, and there are even military-themed games (including Counterstrike) and even some mobile apps that can help you convert ordinary lingo into Leet. So, instead of "handsoff" or "HANDSOFF" it would be configured more like "#@nd50ff" or "h4nd50ff". Whenever feasible, we should configure our passwords in Leet, because Leet is harder to crack than dictionary words. ;-D
(Oh, and please pardon me if I sound like a Password Fascist, but passwords are very important.)
VPN: I've used Nord and Freedome but the BBC can still identify which country I'm really in. A few years ago this was not the case. Suggest it's best to avoid any VPN service that has a server in a 5-eyes country, otherwise your PC is not secure at all. Great video.🕊
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Scott, I have a Lenovo T440 I purchased on Ebay. I am trying to set up System Restore. When I open Advanced Recovery Tools, at Open System Restore I get the message "System Restore is disabled by your system administrator". How do I fix this? Thanks!
Only time I've seen this is because the account trying to enable system restore is a standard account, not an administrator account. Standard accounts are extremely limited on what they can change in Windows system settings.
Good to be reassured I've got some pretty good practices that are now second nature 😁
I like to go overboard creating extra system restore points and registry backups if I'm going to attempt something that might interfere with system functionality, I'm slowly but surely getting into the habit of doing backups whenever i suspect a Windows update may be lurking in the near future too purely because i can't remember the last time i had involuntarily been updated and not have at least one thing stop functioning properly 🤦♀️
I do the same!
People who want to hack your network, will still know your SSID, since it's sent with network packets, I'm sure they have tool that can show all SSID's, including the hidden ones, just automatically. When it come to routers it's more important to use a very strong password, strong firewall settings, and to keep your router uptodate.
Agreed.
Thanks for the video! 🙏 I already do most of the things you suggest, but the admin account is very wise indeed. 😎
Glad it was helpful!
I disagree with hiding SSID, absolutely pointless. If someone wants your network compromised they will find the way. Every single wireless spectrum scanner will show "hidden networks" and if you know just a bit about wireless those are not very well hidden...
A true bad actor, probably so. But for your average person just trying to "jump on" a neighbor's wireless, hiding the SSID is still a good idea. It hurts nothing and can help in those situations 👍
Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint have an auto-save feature that automatically saves your document, spreadsheet or presentation after a certain amount of time. I like to turn this feature on
Agreed. But not everyone uses Microsoft Office products, so it's a good habit to get into. Even with auto save 👍
Your #1 tip, I have been advising that since the 1980's! Your #8 tip, also critical! Your #12 tip is such a frustration point to me personally.
this is all good stuff, and for using compressed air from a bottle, it must be used carefully. I saw a video repairing a GPU because the owner used compressed air on it.
Apparently so. I've used them for years and never killed a GPU or any other hardware, but doesn't mean it can't happen
Our ISP router came with a randomised alphanumeric passwords as the default (for both admin logon and the WiFi), and there is literally no username on it, the router is even designed to be remotely managed by the ISP to some level (there are features it has which can only be turned on or off from their end, for example )
I do have my own router set up (which piggy backs off of the ISP one), where i set complex passwords on it (including the WiFi password, i go by the rule of if you can memorise the password of the WiFi network or router, it is not complicated enough, especially not with the security issues WPA2 has)
Hidden WiFi networks and MAC address filters don’t actually offer much protection (both are easy to get around, especially if the attacker is planning on using the security issue WPA2 has to brute force the password)
Agreed. If someone has the skills and you are a target, they'll probably find a way. I'm talking about your nosy neighbor or stupid teenager wanting to play pranks, which is probably more common than a dedicated targeted attack. You're not wrong though 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuyI suppose i should be more worried about the unsecured WiFi network the ISP supplied router broadcasts (which is a pay to use public WiFi network that the ISP control, one benefit though is the ISP grant us free use of those unsecured networks)
@pineappleroad 👍
On some Brute force programs, they don't use special symbols in their attacks like:
♣♠♪♥♦
These can be typed from any windows computer (you may have to open on screen keyboard if your keyboard doesn't have a 10 key) and you can type them from Android. Sorry Apple users....
This is because their dictionary attack and brute force are saved as .txt which can't save those symbols.
Windows+U opens accessibility options which includes on screen keyboard
i let the clip run in the background, and 2 stuff i found that are wrong
save now - incorrect advice because of the software used, in office - options - save - just check the "save autorecover every 3-5 minutes" or put even 1 if you have a nvme/ssd, open office lacks many options, probably this one also
hide ssid - hacking a wifi password is not for any script kiddies or nasty neighbors, you need some very special stuff like a wifi promiscuous adapter, and maybe kali and lots of luck. but if somebody comes prepared to break your wifi it`s a 2 more minutes to decloak using the same tools needed to break the visible wifi - so partial incorrect advice, you just hide from the newbies in the neighborhood but NO real protections against the ones that know to do stuff :)
Everything right here.. but I would recommend to slow down the fans while blowing them .... they act as generators on the controller... then what about a multiboot config ? ;)
I agree on the fans. I've never seen any spark issues, but I know it *can* happen
@@AskYourComputerGuy A spark is not required to damage component. A spark would indicate a short circuit or static discharge which results in a short circuit. If your fan sparks, it's time for a new fan like, now.
The fans generate AC current that feeds back into a DC circuit so there is a chance that something gets a positive charge that does not expect it though i assume there is feedback protection.
This is definitely for Windows users. If you have a Linux PC never, ever, no, do not, install an "anti-virus" on a desktop. You'll make your system less secure and open to vulnerability. NO! 👍 Everything else here is great common sense gold, good video man.
Yes, but Clam-AV sometimes does help, with all its nonsense of false negatives, especially if one uses Wine. Here's another thing folks should avoid using in Linux.
@tahaaminmazumder8869 👍
@@tahaaminmazumder8869 If you're running so much WINE that you need an anti virus program for it then you should be running Windows. Stick with read only sand boxing provided by Steam, Lurtis or Heroic. Clam-AV is for Linux servers sharing Windows files.
@@tahaaminmazumder8869 There is no reason to avoid using wine. The only thing to avoid is using wine without common sense.
Know where the files you're running come from.
People should also not be advised to use free or paid anti-virus software as most of those are scammy pieces of software. And lets be honest here. They only "might" defend against known signatures which makes them utterly useless against anything new. Windows defender does the same thing. No need for extra bloatware. Windows is bloated enough as it is.
Windows Defender is all a windows user needs.
Could there le such things as antiviruses designed for Linux devices/machines/computers?
Should I let a computer person build my computer from beginning to use for my personal business. Like TOWER case, motherboard,cooler, SSD drive. Etc. I add the operation system because he use to work for Intel for 2years before he work for library now .
See my previous response to the same question 👍
Rebuilding the index in windows every few months might be a good idea if you have a lot of data on your PC.
Good point 👍
Great video Scott. I recently made a concerted effort to to back up all data once a week. My 2 tb ssd back up. Is about half full. I was going to clean it up by deleting some 6 months old backups. It told me I need administrative approval. Retry says I need approval from everyone. After trying several times my. I gave up and reformatted the drive. That worked. I am wondering now if I ever do need a backup I will run into the same problem about administrative permission. I am the only one to ever use my computer so I wouldn’t think I would need permission.
Could be the backup files were locked by a running process. A program called Unlocker would have allowed you to safely unlock that process. But glad it worked out for you
@@AskYourComputerGuy it’s possible the acronis software may be running in the background which I suspect. It does backup weekly on Sundays. I will Try quitting that and give it a try.
@@AskYourComputerGuy thank you
@erojohn2 👍
Please do a video about configuring routers, because in my case I have changed my router with older technology, and now with fiber optic technology some WiFi devices (remote WiFi switches) are not able to recognize the new router with WiFi.
Unfortunately there are too many different brands and software versions to make one video to cover them all. Search TH-cam for "configure x router" where x is your make and model and you'll likely find what you're looking for 👍
I learnt the hard way... I had wrote down all my fishing details down in a book (be4 pc's came out) I then spent days copying the data to pc when I bought one, when I finished I thought that's well done all safe & sound, Like a fool I threw my books away ( over 20 years of data).. then one year later my HDD FAILED ... I was GUTTED, it's still; hurts me because of the data I lost. Now I back up to a spare SSD every 2 or 3 days.
Some of our best learning lessons happen that way :(
I don't know how to set the Desktop folder to be a local folder like it was in pre-11 versions of Windows. Is this even possible in Windows 11? Or does Microsoft now just force everyone to have their Desktop folder on OneDrive, with no settings to change this? Please advise. Thank you.
Saving... in games that applies too. Save often. Or else when Steam updates your game or your AV decides to update, and it can corrupt your game files.
VPN, not so sure of. It costs you money to encrypt your data. But when you want to log in to a website, you STILL have to give your details. OK you can give false details if you are really paranoid. But then you have to keep track of different passwords and login names everywhere.
So a decent Password manager is far more important, in my book.
And finally don't forget, the safest computer is the one NOT connected to the internet. But where is the fun in that.
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Great Video's. I'd like to know more about something called Chocolate and/or winglet to help install and maintain installed programs.
Never heard of them 🤷♂️
Most word processing programs now-a-days do an auto-save every so many minutes. As for email's, if you get one that doesn't show, (for instants) your bank in the url, and displays: really long url in HEX, but shows the bank logo. It's NOT your bank that sent it. Call your bank and send them an email with the BAD link. They will be glad to receive that info. It will also give you a piece of mind. Elderly tend to ignore this!
Great advice!
Why do i have to sign in to adobe to uninstall photoshop, lightroom, fresco, bridge? That just seems wrong that they want me to sign in to get them off my computer. I'm using Krita now, free. I don't even know my past info (although maybe it is in a folder/ the kind like your wife keeps). What about programs I don't recall ever installing, like adobe flashplayer? Or don't know if they are system related?? like Microsoft 3D builder & 3D viewer?? I wonder about uninstalling stuff that might be a mistake.
The only reason I can see having to sign into Adobe is if you are using creative cloud. Any other locally installed program you shouldn’t have to log into anything.
You're a great resource. I really enjoy your channel.😊
Thank you! Glad you find value here 👍
Question about an administrator account. If you get prompted for administrator password, can that be captured or copied while you're typing it in?
I do not believe so, for security
@@AskYourComputerGuy Thank you. I ran into that a couple of times, with a work account, and I wasn't sure if I was exposing myself to risk, when oking it. Much appreciated.
@jreese46 you bet 👍
20:11 And please don't use your work computer (at work) like your personal computer. IT admins would be disappointed but not surprised to find something fishy when they do routine maintenance on your account.
How does a VPN prevent modern fingerprinting?
or are VPN and its real benefits being misrepresented here once again and as so often?
Good info. Have all these usb drive at hand for troubleshooting win OS. btw, any diy personal cloud computing info will be greatly appreciated 😊.
Thanks! Check this out, might be perfect for what you're asking:
How to start your own PRIVATE cloud server | NO FEES ever again!
th-cam.com/video/yYedruFbBGE/w-d-xo.html
@@AskYourComputerGuy I have a synology diskstation for all my backups. what i need is a cloud based operating system where I can access remotely with 2~3 concurrent connection.
@robocob55699 👍
Thank you so much Scott for doing great videos like these that help us and more importently protect us. The internet is like the wild wild west, loads of bandits around and you need your wits about you. I`m amazed but I`ve goot friends who dont even have an anti-virus on their PC`s
You're welcome! Thanks for the support 👍
I think what you mean is.... Buy the best CPU you can afford and THEN upgrade the RAM and drive(s). Can you still buy a PC with a Hard Drive, anymore?
Probably right, as the CPU is usually the most expensive upgrade
I started my one-man internet show 40 years ago, My 7 yr old ASUS desktop's hard wouldn't open windows. I managed find a local business pulled all my data off for $300. So, I'm starting fresh with another ASUS Gaming ROG desktop. I'm doing my best to setup the new computer with all my clients business data, I'm mostly lost and need help please.
Ok...what's your first issue to tackle?
Spent days trying to recover from 'attempting' to ditch OneDrive. I know now what direction to take. Thank you very much, sir,
You are so welcome! ❤️
My blog is not the huge, but I'm definitely going to do a post about you. You have great information👍🏾
I appreciate that very much!
Fantastic list of advices! Thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Very INFORMATIVE.Delivered in an easily understood manner. THANKS. Been following your Videos for a while.😂
Awesome, thank you!
Great video, for all levels of users. Cheers ! :)
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Scott,
Amazing video as always.
I have a question, about making another local account for a standard user on Windows 11 Home, when I go to the account and then to family, Mircosoft does not give me the option to go local account
All I see under "Your family" is "Sign in with your Mircosoft account to manage your family group" with a "Sign in" button
I did click that but there is nothing for local account.
Kind of feel like a bit of an idiot.
Is there anything I'm doing wrong?
Thanks
Thank you for your comment. Try clicking on the avatar (photo) Microsoft likes to move the option all over the place, but it's there, I promise 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy Trying I do believe you.
Very welcome for the comment.
@@AskYourComputerGuy Nope can't find it, I'll look in sometime later maybe I'm sleepy it's 1.12 am here now.
I'll let you know!
Thank you.
@JasonWestaway try this:
"In the Settings app, go to the “Accounts” tab. At the left-hand side of the window, click on “Your info.” Under “Your info,” select “Sign in with a local account instead.” Windows 11 will guide you through the process."
I used Nord VPN for about a year, it was good BUT- when I needed to log in to any financial account, or other sensitive account- I couldn't log in without going outside the VPN. I dunno, maybe i set the VPN up wrong or something like that. Windows 10, Chrome browser
Had similar issue with email. Turned off threat protection and it works fine
Thanks, great information.
I appreciate that 👍
Good video. I appreciate this information when using windows. Although a lot of these things can be avoided by learning different operating systems. I highly recommend it for everyone so they are not a slave to windows' substandard os.
Interesting information. One question however. I have created a new account that I want to set up as Administrator but I just cannot find how to change my usual account to Standard. There are no options to do it that I can find anywhere on Windows 11. The interface doesn't look anything like yours.
You should be able to single click the user name and get that option off to the right side if memory serves. Or try right clicking on that user
@@AskYourComputerGuy I can do that with the new account I created by my main account cannot does not have the option to change its type.Thx anyway
Remember you can't change the account that you are logged in to. Log in to the new administrator account then change the status of your old account
@@stevejones9788 Doh.. you are right. It,s a bit annoying because the two accounts are shown in different sections. I can't see all the accounts in the same section. Thank you!
Yes Scott I often save as when typing a document and find it saves as whatever you want to call it as simply saving one sometimes has to read through a whole crowd of documents to find the one you have been working on.😉 I have an external drive which I backup to at regular intervals. As for security has always been a paid for software and I have had ESET on my machines for a very long time and it is marked for renewable when that time comes around, it also blocks the vast number of suspicious stuff not that is any excuse for being due diligent. ESET also has a feature if storing passwords or generating one if one wants to use it. I also use the Brave browser as it also blocks trackers, saves bandwidth and time. Hmm not sure about the VPN though as some have stated that they are not THAT safe. For cleaning I do a complete blow out of the hardware space and also do a clean of the clogging files/folders etc up of the disk. As for updates not a day goes by that I do not get a security patch for Windows so it is the first thing I do when powered up.
Nice! And as far as VPN, I've dealt eith them all over 30 years in IT. Nord maybe isn't the least expensive, but they have brand power and I *do* trust them. But it sounds like you're fairly knowledgeable and not scared of research - go for it! Thanks for the comment 👍
Scott, trying to set up the administrator account, it recognises me as administrator but wont let me set up the other account! Keeps telling me the password doesn't meet the requirements that the administrator has set!! any idea? thanks
Odd. Shouldn't be any requirements. For now, create a password with caps, numbers and characters. Write it down. You can always change it later
after i set up account and press next a security shield flashes and a microsoft box pops up and says "userOOBE create elevated object server" and only gives me a yes or no option !! thanks@@AskYourComputerGuy
Backup, backup, backup!
I recently saw a video that suggested unplugging power from your cooling / cpu fans when air dusting your computer due to it producing electrical current from the fan(s) turning. What are your thoughts. Thanks.
I've duated out machines with power on many times and never had an issue. You just have to be careful what you touch with the nozzle. For obvious reasons, I wouldn't recommend doing that for most people 👍
I would think the electricity created by the turning of the fan would be less powerful by far then what usually flows through those connections. Shouldn't really hurt. Never saw a problem after 30 years of cleaning computer fans.
@farfiman same
Thanks for the quick response. Enjoy your tips.@@AskYourComputerGuy
I insert a zip tie into the blades of all of the fans so that my cordless leaf blower can't make them rotate.
Password Protection!!! >>>> Business Card holder with folded Index cards!!!!
👍
I personally use the same password for every site, but use a checksum so all my passwords are different. I wouldn't recommend it, but it's better than using the same for all.
I have used Windows since version 3.1, but have NEVER had any success using System Restore. I'm convinced that it is a joke.
I've had lots of success, but also similar failures. Still don't see it as a bad thing to at least enable, in case it actually does work 🤷♂️
I would be reluctant to ever use a master password that permits access to hundreds of other passwords. If someone got hold of it, they could access hundreds of other sites/accounts without having to know individual passwords..
You can't win on this really. If you have the means you could split that master access to an isolated device and then use that device to access the list, then type in manually. Tedious but helpful when even the best managers get breached.
Perhaps. Or make the master password so difficult to guess and/or keep the machine locked down enough to where that's never a worry. I can see it both ways, in fairness to your point 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy it's not even guessing that password as much as a single undiscovered vulnerability in the common point which can compromise *everything*. Of course other methods have their own fatal weak points, but someone worried about this will be hard to dissuade for this reason.
@ShadowOfTheSPQR fair
Thanks for the promo code. I’ve been putting off using a vpn for too long. Now I’m much more protected than ever before.
Happy to help!
Isn't https a secure connection? So no need for VPN then
Is there an app that converts Windows 11 folder icons to those used in Windows 10 and 7?
IconPackager by Stardock.
Icon Packager made Star Dock
Looks like @mikerochburns4104 beat me to it 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy Early bird and all that :). Was hard to get the product past YT AI comment deleter. 3 times I posted 🤔
Sometimes I really hate AI. People accuse me of deleting comments all the time and I rarely do, unless it's spam or just hateful. Anyway thx for grabbing that one. Hard to keep up sometimes!!!
Lot of people use Google drive it saves for you
VPN's are unnecessary in my opinion if you are doing "legit" stuff. Otherwise, a VPN can and will slow your Internet speed
👍
Many are like a second antivirus as some will remove some malicious packets.
I don't remember my user password on my computer and I don't have an administrator set up. Is there a way to locate my user password?
Is it a local account or a Microsoft account?
@@AskYourComputerGuyIt's the local one on my computer. The user account that I would need to log out of in order to set up the Administrator account. Windows 10.
He did an episode on Hirens Boot CD that would help. I know Gandalf Redstone PE and likely medicat.
10:48 I absolutelly hate "BLOWing out" the dirt, of course there if few places that not allows anything elsi, but I prefer wacuum the stuff&dust with my antistatic nozzle, you than do not have the dirt and dust back in the air.
14:53 😀 Oh no! This one is the trashiest trash of them all 😀 which even cannot do what it is supposed to do xD
Great info
Glad it was helpful!
I clean out my desktop every other month...
VPN virtual means NOT REAL
😂
👍👍👍👍👍
Promo>SM
?
Hey there Scott! I see that you didn't like my comment!! Well since I have already told the truth about my experiences
and so thus you deleted it, this is the point where I depart your presence! Supposedly you do not like or care about
people that tell the truth. And so this is how I know about how you operate!
Uh...no. I don't delete comments. I get 100-300 comments a day, I'm sorry I haven't gotten to yours yet. But if that makes you not find value in the channel, then I wish you the best in your endeavors 👍
Somebody sure as hell took my comment down and it was sent special delivery to you! It just so happens that I followed up to try and see whether you had any personal reactions or any difficulties that you've had with Nord VPN, to include ant possible work arounds and just how the Nord VPN is set up! But, no, somebody surely took down my comment and that so that paints a target on your back!@@AskYourComputerGuy
Sorry Scott but yesterday's comment was shotgu*ned into your pinned comment section for N VPN, thus either Nord had YT remove it or you've managed to remove it!@@AskYourComputerGuy
@craigtegeler4677 nope...had nothing to do with it. YT is funny that way sometimes. If you know me at all, I've made it very clear from day one that I don't kill comments unless they are hateful or ugly. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether I agree or not. You won't find many youtubers that actual respond to comments (I'm one), and I definitely don't want a legion of yes men supporting my channel. It's not what I do 👍
Well, I can personally promise you that I had nothing to do with it. I'll have to look and see if YT marked it as "for review", which is common given some of the hate comments I get. But I promisei that I'll look into it 👍
Scott, why did you delete my comment? Please answer, it was info for everyone, ffs
Wasn't me, friend. I don't delete comments unless they are hateful or spam.
@@AskYourComputerGuy thank you Scott for your reply.
@bleakyfinder2692 no worries, my friend! Apparently it happens often, I get lots of "you deleted my comments" messages and I'm like...."Nope, not me!". Of course no one believes me LOL
My comments get deleted all the time. Usually for mentioning facts about the government. Also for posting links. TH-cam deleted them.
I cn't give pple evdnce of FBI illgl spying. Or FBI wrkng wth big tech 2 censor 5p33ch.
Dude .. most of these are lame.
Thanks.
Great News, Thank You.
You're welcome!
I hope she uses a lot of FALSE passwords and SCRAMBLED web-URLs on her little paper notes. I know that's a very mean thing for me to say, but there's something very wrong with that system.