TechByter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) with Bill Blinn

Windows includes a Disk Management application that can be used to define partitions, create logical drives, format drives, change drive letters, and more. But that's not always enough. Let's take a look at AOMEI's Partition Assistant and see how even the free version offers more. In Short Circuits: Microsoft has been working to replace the Control Panel with a Settings app for the past nine years...

Security is becoming more important than ever. Using two-factor authentication is wise for any site that offers it. Microsoft enhances security by doing away with passwords, but password managers are still essential. In Short Circuits: If you have a slow internet connection, it might not be the service provider's fault. Modems, routers, cables, and even the computer's Ethernet adapter or Wi-Fi ada...

The central processing unit is the single most important component in a computer. That's not to denigrate all the other components because they're essential, too, but selecting the right CPU is a good first step when you're planning to buy or build a new computer. In Short Circuits: Internet service providers include a modem with the service, but you'll pay $10 to $15 per month to rent it. It's po...

Online searching can be more productive with the right search engine for the current task, and query options can narrow the search to return more accurate results. In Short Circuits: Scammers demanding payment like to use email messages that they claim have come from your computer. They're lying, of course. Let's see how. • Microsoft Word comes with a lot of built-in annoyances. Most of them are e...

Affinity applications from Serif continue to improve and are good alternatives to Adobe applications for users who don't need the video, audio, animation, and numerous other applications that are part of Adobe's Creative Cloud. In Short Circuits: Heat is death to computers, and high CPU temperatures have been causing my primary computer to halt without warning. Having determined that the problem w...

When a computer problem continues to re-emerge after each attempt to fix it, users have a couple of choices: Buy a new computer and all peripherals (a bit expensive) or keep looking for the cause of the issue (a bit time consuming). In Short Circuits: Heat kills electronics, but computer manufacturers keep cramming more components into smaller spaces and running them at faster speeds, so keeping a...

If you're frustrated with the current crop of browsers, how about giving Vivaldi a try? It may be the most customizable browser available, and it has a lot of features that make it easy to use. In Short Circuits: Scammers run the gamut from just plain stupid to brilliant. Most are somewhere in the middle, capable of producing scams with clever ways to separate people from their money or their data...

Many Microsoft processes start with Windows, some applications have settings to start them at boot time, and you may have added some of your own. Sometimes it's possible to decrease the time required to start the computer by delaying certain auto-start applications. There are apps for this. In Short Circuits: Using a search engine without looking carefully at the results can put your computer in d...

This week's podcast is all about replacing cable television with streaming options, starting with a look at over-the-air options, streaming devices, and streaming services. In Short Circuits: We'll continue by considering what's involved in setting up a streaming device, adding a streaming service to it, and establishing your preferred channels. • Then let's think about the hoops you'll have to ju...

Spams and scams have been with us virtually from when the internet became available to the general public, but the threats are more severe than they've ever been and finding a way to reduce the volume has never been more important. In Short Circuits: Like the man who wasn't there (the 1983 film, not the 2001 motion picture of the same name) it's difficult to protect against something you can't det...

We've heard a lot about spyware recently because it's been found on phones owned by world leaders and journalists, but they're not the only targets. And it's not just phones that are at risk. In Short Circuits: Perhaps you know about medium-format digital cameras and think that you should upgrade to one. There are lots of technical benefits, but you might be surprised by the downsides. • We're dro...

Right-clicking a file, directory, or disk drive displays what Microsoft calls a context menu that offers actions you might want to take with the object. It's a relatively sparse list initially, but a lot of applications add actions that you might not want. It's possible to shorten an uncomfortably long list. In Short Circuits: The early preview of Windows 11 is now on one of my computers. Consider...

In June, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 is on the way, and the first preview is out now for those in the Windows Insider Dev Channel. Not all computers that run Windows 10 will be able to run Windows 11, so let's take a look. In Short Circuits: 4G cellular systems became the dominant technology in just a few years, and it looks like adoption of 5G will be even faster. • Should software develo...

Perhaps you've used CCleaner for years to clean your computer, but Glary Utilities looks like a better choice. Let's see what it can do. In Short Circuits: Regardless what developers do to protect data on computers, criminals find ways to steal it. Windows 11 will be more security aware, but there may still be a need for other measures. • If asked to name the top cellular providers, you'd probably...

No matter how carefully you organize files on your computer, there's at least a small chance that someday you won't be able to find a file you need. Fortunately, the free Agent Ransack can find it for you, and do it quickly. In Short Circuits: Scammers are limited in the types of attacks they can use, so they have to keep coming up with new presentations. Airline scams are in. • Most Windows compu...

I'm a big fan of little utility programs because they usually do just one job, but do it very well. Windows 10 has a lot of built-in functions that you can use instead of spending time, and possibly money, installing extra applications. I have a few examples. In Short Circuits: Crooks will do anything to mislead us, including making websites that look like sites operated by banks and businesses. N...

Tracking down problems with a computer is usually a multi-step process of developing conjectures that lead to hypotheses and eventually to a valid theory. The first conjecture is sometimes right, but more often it's not. I'll describe a recent puzzler. In Short Circuits: Ransomware may be less of a threat to individuals than it used to be, but "less of a threat" doesn't mean "no threat". We still...

There has never been a better time to be an amateur photographer. The ranks of professional photographers have been decimated as this industry becomes another to fall victim to powers that personal computers give ordinary people. In Short Circuits: This week's security section considers drive-by website attacks and how we can avoid having our computers taken over by malware. • Internet Explorer wi...

Sometimes the best software choice is an application that's been created by a developer who offers it for free, or just for a donation. Let's consider some of those today. In Short Circuits: Watch out for viscous PUPs. No, this isn't going to be an anti-dog tirade, but an explanation of how to avoid potentially unwanted programs. • Have you ever felt that your internet service provider doesn't rea...

TechSmith's Camtasia is an essential tool for anyone who creates how-to videos, online product demonstrations, video lessons, or presentations. The 2021 version adds some powerful new features. In Short Circuits: The second item in a series of articles on security takes a look at malware, adware, and other nasties, then suggests some protective measures. • Although the technology link might be a b...

Buying a $200 film scanner doesn't come without risk, I wanted something that would make quick work of some old medium-format film and this cheap scanner would have done an acceptable job if the designers had done the right thing. In Short Circuits: The first in a series of security posts will consider steps you can take to safeguard a Wi-Fi router. • Microsoft has released Windows 10 version 21H1...

Those who know more about how computers work than their friends and family do are often called on to answer questions and provide help. Helping even nearby friends can be a problem because social distancing is still recommended, but if that person is halfway across the country, you need a way to see what's on your friend's computer. In Short Circuits: Because spams and scams are fascinating, I som...

Adobe Photoshop's Neural Filters have been in place for about six months and more will probably be added at or before this year's Adobe Max. These are tools that can perform effects that are close to magic. In Short Circuits: As important as diagnostic utilities are for figuring out what's wrong with a computer, sometimes lower-tech tools help, too. Sight, sound, and smell can provide early warnin...

Google will be eliminating third-party cookies for those who use the Chrome browser and replacing them with Federated Learning of Cohorts, which many privacy experts say is just as bad and possibly worse. In Short Circuits: If you're tired of having websites constantly pop up messages asking for your permission to push notifications to you, most browsers have a way to make it stop. • Adobe Stock i...

Despite its many useful features, Facebook includes a plethora of dangers, frustrations, and annoyances. A browser plug-in has been making Facebook less annoying for years, a new version works with Facebook's latest updates, and the developer is now designing an app that will bring some of the features to phones and tablets. In Short Circuits: Maybe you've seen suggestions for improving Windows ne...