Computer User's Guide Articles

Top 5 Best

Antivirus Software

Predators are out to steal your information right off your computer. But you don't have to go unprotected. If you're concerned about viruses, malware, worms, or other nasty computer attacks, here are the top five best antivirus software programs to keep your information secure.

Bitdefender

At the top of the list is Bitdefender. Most of the packages that Bitdefender offers are good for Windows computers, so if you're trying to protect a different device, you'll have to choose the right package for your device, like "BitdefenderTotal Security 2019 Complete" for Mac. It's designed to not slow down your computer, and it also protects the webcam on your device from anyone else getting access to it.

Get it here: https://www.bitdefender.com/

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus got great reviews from top technology sites. They're only for Windows computers, but they've got some great features like WiFi scanning and password security, and an optional upgrade for filtering out scam emails so you can have a clean inbox. The free option is great, but if you want more, you can always upgrade.

Get it here: https://www.avast.com/en-us/index#pc

McAfee Antivirus

If you install McAfee Antivirus on one device, you can get it on all your devices, depending on which subscription package you choose. It works on a variety of devices, including PCs, Macs, and tablets. McAfee also has a money-back guarantee, so if you decide to go with something else, or if your computer does end up with a virus and the McAfee employees can't fix it, you get a refund.

Get it here: https://www.mcafee.com/consumer/en-us/store/m0/catalog.html

F-Secure Antivirus Safe

F-Secure Antivirus Safe is an easy-to-use program that defends your computer against attacks including ransomware and spyware. It also offers extra protection whenever you log onto a banking website. It works with Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Android and Safari. You can try before you buy with a free trial period so you can decide if it's right for you.

Get it here: https://www.f-secure.com/us-en/home/products/safe

Webroot Secureanywhere Antivirus

Webroot Secureanywhere Antivirus is the smallest software on this list, but it's still powerful. It looks for any weird activity on your computer--things you wouldn't do but a virus might--and stops it from infecting your computer.

Get it here: https://www.webroot.com/us/en/home

Again, nobody's paying me to write about any of these, and there are no affiliate links in this article. These are just the top five antivirus programs out there to keep your information out of the wrong hands and in the right ones: yours!

You can find more information about computers and internet safety in RealQuick Guides How To Use Your Desktop Computer.

Help! My Laptop's Overheating

When your laptop overheats, it can be a stressful headache. But you might be able to fix it yourself, without having to take it all the way up to the computer repair shop. Here are the top six ways to fix your laptop when it overheats.

Increase Air Circulation

There's a fan on the bottom of your laptop that helps cool down the electronics inside. It's behind a vent in the laptop cover. When that vent gets blocked, the sensitive electronics can't get cool air running over them, and they can go on the fritz. Move your laptop to a hard surface and use it there. If the vent is blocked--say, by a blanket or your lap--the fan won't circulate air and the laptop will overheat.

Close some programs

If your laptop has too many programs and tabs running at once, it can overwork the computer and cause it to overheat. Try closing any programs and internet tabs you aren't using. That way, your computer won't have to work so hard, and won't heat up so much.

Replace or unplug the battery

If your laptop's battery is overheating, try replacing it, or just plug in your laptop and use it without the battery. Just make sure you remember that if you unplug the laptop without the battery in it, the laptop will shut down.

Give it a break

If your laptop has been running for hours, try giving it a break. The more it runs, the hotter it gets, especially when it's running on full power. Give your laptop a rest every few hours so it has a chance to cool off.

Use the right charger

A lot of laptop chargers look the same, and fit in your computer, but if the power supply is different from what your computer needs, it might overheat, causing damage to the charger and possibly your computer. Check the back of the charger and make sure the power supply (amps and volts) match what your laptop needs.

Clean the laptop's memory

Sometimes your computer's memory can get so full, it gets in the in the way of other things it needs to do, like cool itself down. A full memory can slow down your laptop down. But you can speed it up again by going through the things saved on your laptop and deleting old documents, pictures, videos, and programs you don't need anymore. That should give your computer space and speed to cool down faster.

When you take pictures on your smartphone, your phone can write on the picture data where the picture was taken. The data isn't visible on the picture itself, but it's in the information "behind" the picture (it's called metadata, if you're wondering). The data for locations in photos is called "geotags". That's from geography and tags like labels.

If you don't want your phone recording where your pictures are taken, you can change or completely remove those geotags from your photos. Here's how you do it.

Now, you have a few options here. You can:

a) Turn off your phone location, which doesn't change the locations of the pictures you've already taken. It prevents the camera from keeping track of the locations in future pictures you take.

b) Turn off your camera's permission to record your location, which, again, doesn't change the pictures locations for the pictures you've already taken. It prevents the camera from keeping track of the locations in future pictures you take.

c) Install an app to change or remove your picture's geotag. This on will change or remove pictures location information for the pictures you've already taken.

I'll walk you through each of these three options and you can choose which one (or more) is best for you.

a) How to turn off your phone location

You can turn off your phone's location sensor by going to your Settings menu. In your settings menu, one of the buttons on the list should say something like "Location", "Privacy", or "Connections". Press that button, and you should see an option to turn off your location.

This option won't change the location for pictures you have already taken, but the locations for pictures you take in the future won't be recorded.

Also, if you use your GPS on your phone, or another app that needs to know your location in order to work properly, you'll have to turn your location back on to use those apps again.

b) How to turn off your camera's permission to record your location

In your Settings menu on your phone, there should be a button called "Apps" or "App Permissions". Press this button and scroll down until you find the one that says "Camera". Press the "Camera" option on the menu and then find where it says something about the "Permissions". That's where you can turn on or off the location tracking for your pictures.

This option won't change the location for pictures you have already taken, but the locations for pictures you take in the future won't be recorded.

c) How to install an app to change or remove your picture's geotag

Now, here's how to remove or change the geotags you have on the pictures you've already taken.

You're going to have to install an app, so go to your app store on your phone and choose an app to change or remove your geotags.

I recommend Photo Exif Editor - Metadata Editor by Banana Studio. You can get the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.xnano.android.photoexifeditor.

Other apps you can choose are:

Photo GPS

Photo Tag & Metadata Editor

And if you just want to remove the geotag entirely instead of changing it to a different place, you can try Photo Metadata Remover – Clear Exif Metadata. It has a lot of great reviews, and it removes a lot of other information too, not just your location. It also gets rid of your phone brand and model, and the date and time the photo was taken.

Nobody's paying me to write about any of these apps or products. They just do what you need and have good reviews.

That's how you change and remove geotags from your pictures.

How To Remove

Geotags

From Your Pictures

Have you been getting letters about your credit score or loans you already paid off? Or worse, have you been denied loans because of your credit score, even though you know your credit is fine?

You're entitled to a free credit report every year from all three credit bureaus. And this is how you get it.

Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are the three major credit reporting agencies in the USA. They're the ones in charge of keeping records of your credit score. Usually they're just fine, but sometimes your credit can be misreported, or worse, somebody else could be using your information and tarnishing your good credit. That's why it's important to get your credit information from these three agencies once a year. It won't hurt your credit, and it can help you catch things that the agency might have missed.

Check your credit report for free

To check your credit score for free with all three credit reporting agencies, go to
https://www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Remember, there are a lot of credit reporting scams out there, so unless you go the credit agencies themselves, this is the only website to get your free credit report once a year.

The free credit report does NOT include your credit score.

Scroll down the screen a little and click on the button that says "Request your free credit reports."

On the next page, there's another button that says "Request your free credit reports". Click on that button, too.

Fill out the form with your information. You only have to fill it out once, no matter how many reports you're trying to get.

After that, you can request your credit reports from one, two, or all three agencies.

They have to make sure it's really you who wants these reports, so they're going to ask you some questions about your financial records. You have to answer questions for each of the reports you order. If you can't remember the answers, and you don't have the records anymore, you can request your credit score by phone or regular mail, and you won't have to answer the security questions.

Their phone number is 1-877-322-8228. After you verify your identity, your credit report will be mailed to you within 15 days.

To request your report by mail, download the request form by clicking this linkor going to
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/manualRequestForm.action.Print out the form and fill it in. Then mail the form to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Your credit report will be mailed to you within 15 days.

Speaking of security, remember that AnnualCreditReport.com will never, ever send you an email directly, so if you see an email that looks like it's from them, it's a scam.

If you think someone might have stolen your identity, go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get on the path to financial recovery.

This information is from https://www.annualcreditreport.com.

How To Check

Your Credit Score

Computer emergencies can send you into a tailspin. But it doesn't have to be that way! Here's a handy list to help fix those pesky computer problems.

My screen is blue!

The blue screen of death can make you panic, but most likely it just means your computer needs to be restarted.

My computer froze!

Press the "Ctrl, Alt, and Delete" buttons at the same time. A new box should pop up called the "Task Manager." Click on the name of the program that is frozen and press the "End Now" button. You might have to do this a few times for it to work. If your screen still doesn't unfreeze, try restarting your computer. It might also be a problem with your mouse: try plugging it into a different port or replacing it.

I think my computer has a virus!

If your computer has anti-virus software on it, run a scan and it'll start getting rid of the virus if your computer has one. If your computer doesn't have anti-virus software, you can download it from trusted websites.

My mouse/keyboard stopped working!

Try plugging the mouse or keyboard into a different port on your computer. Restart your computer if it doesn't accept the device. If you have a wireless mouse, it may need fresh batteries. If it still doesn't work, it may need to be cleaned. If none of these strategies work, you might need to replace the mouse or keyboard.

I can't get my computer to project onto another screen!

First make sure that the devices you want to use are plugged in and turned on. If you're trying to project your computer screen onto a different screen, like to show a crowd, press the "f4" key, or "Fn and f4" at the same time, and make sure that "Duplicate" is selected. If this doesn't make the second screen show up, try going to the projector and selecting "Input". Go through the input options until your screen appears.

My screen just shut off!

Make sure your monitor is plugged in securely, and press the power button and see if anything changes. Sometimes, monitors plugs can loosen over time.