For years, CCleaner was many people’s go-to program for cleaning up a Windows computer. It quickly finds and deletes temp files and other junk from a system. But these days, there are more reasons to get rid of it than keep it around. It’s time to say, “Goodbye, CCleaner!” First, it’s main function is replicated … Read more
It is common for a scammer to delete things after they compromise someone’s email account. After recovering a stolen email account, you may notice that your Inbox is empty, or your address book has nothing in it. Checking the Trash folder, you’ll probably find nothing there, as well. They’ve covered their tracks, adding more insult … Read more
If your email gets hijacked, you’ll figure it out quickly enough. People will start calling you to ask why you sent those out-of-character messages… Scammers steal their way into email accounts every day. If your email gets stolen, the first and best thing to do is: Reset your email password. But that may not be … Read more
Having trouble with an iPad you just bought second-hand? A common problem with used Apple devices is that buyers can’t get them to work properly, due to Apple’s Activation Lock. Apple created the Activation Lock feature to protect against device theft. When an iPad, iPhone or newer Apple computer is properly signed into iCloud services, … Read more
In 2017, Equifax experienced a large data breach that exposed millions of peoples’ sensitive data. Fines, litigation and media uproar ensued. But perhaps most significant was that our government mandated that the big 3 credit bureaus offer free credit freezes to consumers. Previously, the big 3 would charge you a fee any time you requested … Read more
We are finally done with Flash Player, and Adobe has announced that they will block Flash content from running later this month. That’s OK, because the web has largely moved on from Flash to more modern tools. Shutting down Flash content is more of a formality and an extra way to protect everyone’s computers. But … Read more
When you uninstall an antivirus program, you should remove in the standard way: On a PC, you should go to Start -> Settings -> Apps, select the program under Installed Apps and click it to get the Uninstall button. On a Mac, you would use Finder to go to your Applications area, and drag the … Read more
On your computer, please do not install more than one antivirus. You’re certainly welcome to use any antivirus you like: Bitdefender, Avast, McAfee, Norton, etc. But only one. Two antiviruses is too many. If you want to change your protection software, uninstall your current AV before bringing in the new one. Why? The reasons can … Read more
Epic Games has given away freebies at their site for many years, announcing a new free game download every week or two. The games vary in quality — some are niche, others are amazing, but they are all truly free. You just have to visit the site, make an account, and click the Claim button … Read more
I get this question all the time. Someone surveys themselves and sees nothing “worth hacking”. Because they just send a few innocuous emails a week, they do a little Facebooking with family, they play some solitaire. What could be worth a hacker’s time with their modest computer usage? What makes them (or you) worth hacking … Read more