It is uncommon, but someday your computer may tell you that it is running low on disk space. Using File Explorer or Finder, you can often sniff out some large files to delete and move on. But rarely, this turns into a mystery. Sometimes a drive is full and you cannot easily tell what is … Read more
A PDF handler is just a fancy-pants term for “a program you use to open PDF files.” Perhaps the best-known PDF handler is Adobe Acrobat Reader, but it is not your only option and I no longer recommend it. Adobe used to be the best and safest PDF viewer, but it has fallen from grace. … Read more
Microsoft is making more and more changes to its email clients. Long gone are the peaceful days of Windows Live Mail. Mail is also being taken from us, and Microsoft is foisting their “New” Outlook on us as a replacement. “Classic” Outlook users are being offered that same “New” Outlook, but when they take the … Read more
Microsoft, in their inestimable wisdom, has quietly removed Wordpad from Windows. This has been a long time in coming, and a recent update finally nixed it. If you never used this app, this may be no big deal to you. But if you still like it and use it, here’s how to get Wordpad back … Read more
Microsoft makes a free download that will scan your PC for malware, viruses and other baddies. It’s a one-and-done operation and it won’t conflict with your full-time antivirus. You can download the Microsoft Safety Scanner here. If you’re already protecting your computer with Microsoft Defender Antivirus, this scan tool probably won’t do much for you. … Read more
For those looking to edit audio files, or mix and create digital music files, please consider these open source options. There are a lot of free audio editing software options out there! Audacity is the mainstay for editing and recording, and is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux. It looks like you might even get … Read more
Google isn’t the only one to offer simulated flight. If you’re looking to take to the skies from your computer screen, check out all these free flight simulators: Google Earth Pro: downloadable for Windows, MacOS and Linux computers, after you launch the software, click Tools and choose Enter Flight Simulator. Geo-FS: this one is web-based, … Read more
If you’re looking to create digital drawings and other graphics, you’ll need to find a suitable software. Adobe Illustrator is the professional mainstay for this. But the pricetag for that is considerable, and I like to promote free software choices. Here are some fantastic free illustration software offerings, for you to try! Krita is highly … Read more
There are a ton of websites out there that will allow you to download fonts for free. I can recommend: Google Fonts Font Squirrel FontSpace Dafont.com Need help installing a new font? Microsoft offers these steps for Windows computers. Apple has instructions for your Mac here. Chromebook users: Sorry, I don’t see that you can … Read more
Previously, I have blogged about and discouraged the use of “snake oil software”. These programs promise to work miracles on your computer, but are generally about as useful as the Close Door button in an elevator. But Microsoft has surprised me. They’ve devised a helpful system cleanup tool, containing 0% Snake Oil! Check out Microsoft … Read more