Tech Questions & Answers Archives - Page 153 of 258

Q&A: Why is Chrome using so much of my computer’s RAM?

Posted on September 29, 2020

Question from Keith: Hi Rick. I’m having a computer problem that I hope you can help me fix.

I have a Dell desktop computer that’s running Windows 10 Home.

This machine has 8GB of RAM which seems like it should be plenty, but I’ve started getting frequent “Low Memory” warnings.

When I open the Task Manager I see that there are over two dozen Chrome processes running, and every one of them is using a big chunk of of RAM.

Even if I only have a couple of Chrome tabs open I still see a bunch of Chrome processes eating up lots of RAM! Is this normal? If not, what can I do to fix it?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I bookmark the ‘Downloads’ folder in all of my web browsers?

Posted on September 26, 2020

Question from Lacie R.: Hi Rick. This might seem like a crazy situation to you, but I use three different web browsers, all at the same time: Firefox for Facebook, Chrome for Gmail and Microsoft Edge for everything else.

The problem I have is remembering how to find the downloads folder for each browser.

Is there any way to bookmark the Downloads folders in my browsers so I can open them really fast and without having to think about it lol? Thanks!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is there any way to recover a Microsoft Word file that I closed without saving it?

Posted on September 26, 2020

Question from Anita: Hi Rick. I hope you don’t think I’m a stupid person after reading this, because I’m really not. I prefer to say I’m “spacey” lol.

Anyway, I have an unfortunate tendency to click “Don’t Save” instead of “Save” when I finish working on a document in Microsoft Word. I know, it’s a stupid thing to do but it just sort of happens before I even realize it.

Is there a way to recover a Word file that I neglected to save? Thanks in advance for your help!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it OK to replace a computer’s power supply with a more powerful one?

Posted on September 22, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Roger G.: Hi Rick. I recently ordered a new desktop computer that has a 350 watt power supply in it.

I bought a new video card for it, but when I went to install it the instructions said the computer’s power supply needs to be able to put out at least 550 watts.

I checked online and there are several different kinds of power supplies to choose from and I don’t know exactly what kind I need to buy.

I called the company that sold me the computer and asked what kind of power supply is inside it. They told me it’s a standard ATX-type power supply.

My questions:

1 – Can I replace this computer’s existing power supply with a larger one without burning up anything with the excess power?

2 – If so, can you recommend one?

3 – Can you give me a rough outline of the process required to physically swap out the power supplies?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I add USB 3.0 ports to the front of my computer with an expansion card?

Posted on September 17, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Eric G.: I read your post about adding USB 3.0 ports to a PC that only has USB 2.0 on it. I’d like to do that but I have a question first.

My Gateway DX4860 desktop computer has two USB 2.0 ports on the front of the case. If I install a USB 3.0 expansion card will it add USB 3.0 to the front of my computer too or just on the back?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]