Hello, and welcome…
Rick’s Daily Tips Tech Update for Sunday, October 3, 2021.
Topics covered in this issue…
• Be careful when shopping for a new Windows 10 laptop
• 8 tips for searching Google like a pro
• Q&A: How can I find out how much RAM Windows is using?
• Q&A: Can you recommend a good, but cheap external hard drive enclosure?
• Did you know pure water won’t conduct electricity?
• Info about my photo / file recovery service
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Today’s Quick Tip….
Be careful when shopping for a new Windows 10 laptop
If you’ve been shopping for a Windows 10 laptop you’ve probably noticed all the low-cost entry-level machines that are on the market today.
What you might not know is most of the lowest priced models are running Windows 10 in S mode, and while that’s fine if such a laptop meets your needs, you could end up being greatly disappointed if you buy one thinking you’ll be getting the full-blown Windows Home.
The primary advantage of running Wind0ws 10 in S mode is it enhances the security of the system, making it less likely that a malicious app and/or malware will cause problems in the future.
The thing is, that enhanced security comes at the cost of a severely limited version of Windows.
For example, when a PC is running Windows 10 in S mode you cannot install any third-party programs or apps on on the machine. If you can’t install it from the official Microsoft Store, you’re out of luck because Windows will refuse to install it at all.
Also, third-party web browsers cannot be set as your default browser. That means if you prefer using Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Brave or some other browser, you won’t be able to instruct your system to automatically open them whenever you click on a link.
All links will open in Microsoft Edge unless they are clicked from within a different browser in the first place.
Likewise, Bing will forever be your default search engine. That means if you prefer Google, DuckDuckGo or another third-party search engine you’ll have to first open that search engine in your browser and then conduct your search.
Well, those are the most important limitations of Windows 10 S. You’ll find more info about it right here.
While you do have the option to switch a Windows 10 S machine out of that mode and basically convert Windows 10 S into Windows 10 Home, that switch is a one-way deal.
You won’t be able to switch it back into S mode if you find that the system performs poorly while running Windows 10 Home (and since these tend to be low-power machines you probably will).
All of the above being said, if you just need a basic computer that will allow you to access the Internet and run a few apps you’ll install from the Microsoft Store, then Window 10 S should work fine for you.
It’s good to think of Windows 10 S as Microsoft’s alternative to Google’s Chromebooks, with the same types of advantages and disadvantages.
Just make sure you understand what you’ll need for your new computer to do and then make your decision based upon that information.
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The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips…
• 8 tips for searching Google like a pro
Google is the most popular search engine on the web. This post offers several tips for getting the most out of it.
• Q&A: How can I find out how much RAM Windows is using?
A reader is encountering a RAM issue with his computer. This post offers tips for tracking down the cause of the problem.
• Q&A: Can you recommend a good, but cheap external hard drive enclosure?
A reader asks for a recommendation for an external enclosure to house an old hard drive that was removed from a defective PC.
• Click here to see today’s ‘Picture of the Day’.
Every morning I post a new photo that I find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain beautiful to look at. Jumpstart your day by checking it out.
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Rick’s Daily Tips is hosted by InMotion Hosting. Click here to find out why.
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Rick’s Daily Pick…
Brother DCPL2550DW Multifunction Monochrome Laser Printer (#ad)
In times past if you wanted to upgrade your computer with an SSD you had to settle for giving up a lot of storage space as a trade-off.
But luckily, that’s no longer the case.
This top-rated drive has a whopping 4TB of space that you can use to hold tons of photos and other files in addition to the machine’s operating system.
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Today’s post from ‘My Daily Smile’…
Did you know pure water won’t conduct electricity?
Contrary to popular belief, pure water is a perfect insulator, not a an electrical conductor.
Tech news that caught my eye…
• Samsung Galaxy owners can soon use their smartphone as a car key
• iOS 15 update fixes unlock with Apple Watch bug on iPhone 13
• Google’s upcoming search redesign may end up pushing more traffic to Google properties
• DeFi bug accidentally gives $90 million to users, founder begs them to return it
• The original voice of Siri is now advocating for a more accessible web
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Rick’s Photo / File Recovery Service…
Do you have precious photos and/or other irreplaceable files that you’d like to recover from a non-working computer?
Chances are I’ll be able to recover them for you, even if the machine won’t turn on or start up correctly.
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Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse
https://www.RicksDailyTips.com