Rick's Daily Tips

Monthly Tech Giveaway – July 2026

Posted on June 30, 2026

Note: The links on this page are affiliate links.

July’s winner will receive a fantastic Euhomy 59QT 12 Volt Refrigerator/Cooler/Freezer.

This portable refrigerator/cooler/freezer will run off your vehicle’s cigarette lighter port. No more buying ice that’s just going to melt overnight!

All subscribers to the Standard edition of my Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter have an equal chance to win.

Premium subscribers have two chances to win (their email addresses are added to the “pot” twice).

Not a subscriber? Just enter your email address in the sign-up form on this page.

Once subscribed you’ll be eligible to win each month’s drawing – starting with this month. Better yet, opt for a Premium subscription for double the chance to win!

The drawing for this month’s prize will be held on July 31 and the winner will be notified by email. The winner will be selected at random.

Good luck!

Q&A: Do SSDs need to be defragmented?

Posted on June 29, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

Question from Roger: Rick, I followed your advice and replaced the hard drive in my laptop with a solid state drive (SSD).

I’m absolutely blown away by how much faster the laptop boots up and how much faster my programs load.

I do have one question though. I read in another forum that SSDs don’t get fragmented and they never need to be defragged. Is that true? [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I buy an extended warranty for my new computer?

Posted on June 28, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Angela: Rick, I have a question about extended warranties.

I bought a new laptop last Saturday and as the cashier was ringing me up she tried her best to talk me into buying a 2 year extended warranty for almost $100.

I paid just a little over $400 for the laptop and $100 seemed excessive to me, so I declined.

Do you think I made the right decision? I have up to 30 days to change my mind and go back and buy it. [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I connect my iPhone to a TV for watching Netflix?

Posted on June 27, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Marcella: I used to watch Netflix on my computer but it got fried by lightning.

I’ve decided that I don’t really need a computer now so I won’t be replacing it.

I now watch Netflix on my iPhone but I’d really like to watch it on my 32 inch TV. I know I could use AirPlay but my TV doesn’t support it.

My boyfriend said I should be able to connect my phone to the TV through its HDMI port somehow, but he isn’t sure how to do it because my phone has a lightning connector instead of HDMI. [Read more…]

How to quickly lock down ALL of Windows’ privacy settings

Posted on June 26, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

Like Windows 10 before it, Windows 11’s default privacy settings are extremely invasive.

You can change a number of privacy settings to make both Windows 11 and Windows 10 just as stingy with your personal info as their predecessors were, but Microsoft has scattered those many settings all around the various nooks and crannies of the Windows user interface.

[Read more…]