Rick's Daily Tips

How to convert a bare hard drive or SSD into an external USB drive

Posted on October 9, 2026

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Hard drives and SSDs are a bit on the expensive side these days so it makes sense to repurpose any bare drives you might have laying around and put them to good use.

If you have a working hard drive or SSD laying around you have a great option for putting it to good use: convert it into an external USB hard drive. All you need to do is purchase a very inexpensive external USB drive enclosure and plug your drive into it. It really is that simple. [Read more…]

Scam alert: Don’t fall for this dangerous virus notification scam

Posted on October 9, 2026

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As you probably already know, scams and hoaxes are everywhere these days, and some of them are quite believable and compelling.

It’s very easy to fall for some of these scams because they mimic actions that are taken by legitimate security apps.

One of the most dangerous scams that’s making the rounds right now is the insidious “Your computer has a virus!” scam. There are several variations of this scam, but they typically work something like this… [Read more…]

Did you know Google is an excellent ‘site search’ tool?

Posted on October 8, 2026

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You’ve probably noticed that the built-in search tools on most websites often do a horrible job at helping you find the exact content you’re looking for on those sites.

For example, if you make even the slightest of a misspelling of a single word in your search term, the search will usually come up empty.

What’s more, most site search tools won’t suggest posts/pages from the site that are closely related to, but slightly different from the actual search term.

Google excels in situations like those, and that’s why I almost always use Google instead of a website’s native search tool.

[Read more…]

This clock is perfect for people with memory loss issues

Posted on October 7, 2026

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

If you have a loved one who is dealing with memory loss issues due to Dementia, Alzheimer’s or simple advanced age, you’ve probably noticed that it’s hard for them to keep track of the current time, date, and day of the week.

Thankfully, there is a wonderful clock that can help ease that burden and restore part of their lost independence. [Read more…]

How to stop Windows from collecting and sharing your location data

Posted on October 6, 2026

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You probably know that mobile phones routinely collect and store location data and share that data with apps and third parties.

But did you know your Windows PC does it as well?

Just like your smartphone, your Windows PC is constantly determining your current location and storing that location data in a database.

[Read more…]