Author Archives: Dominic

Happy Birthday Firefox, Where Would We Be Without You

Today marks the 8th birthday of Mozilla’s Firefox. I have to admit that I am and have been a Firefox user for a few years now. At this point in time, it does seem like Internet Explorer (and Google Chrome) have caught up to Firefox when it comes to security and usability.

I personally think that Firefox is a better browser. However, at this point in time, it comes down to personal preferences. There are a few reasons why I like Firefox better. One, I still do a lot of web development and I really like the Firefox developer tools better than IE’s or Chrome’s. Second, I am used to and I like the way that Firefox does bookmarks better. Last, the performance of Firefox is better than the performance of IE. This is according to tests done by PCMag and CNet. read more

My Most Recommended Upgrade: Adding Memory

I get asked by the average Joe computer user about what they can do to speed up their aging computer. I often give them a few tips like checking for spyware/malware, defragmenting, and removing unused programs. However, I often tell them that if they want to see big differences quickly, they should consider a memory upgrade.

There are multiple reasons I recommend this upgrade. First, memory upgrades are usually quite inexpensive. Most times, you can add a ton of memory for $100 or much less. Next, installing memory is not too difficult. It is simply unplugging the computer, popping off the case, and snapping the new memory into the appropriate slots. Here is a quick how-to for installing memory. The last reason I recommend this upgrade is that for the person who checks email, browses the Internet, and not too much more, a memory upgrade will yield pretty big results when it comes to computer speed and responsiveness. read more

Creating a Hacker Proof Password

While checking out a blog I read often, pctechbytes, I noticed a pretty cool infograph talking about how quickly a pro hacker can crack an easy password. You can see the infograph here. As you can see from the infograph, an easy password can be cracked without a ton of trouble. This can be pretty scary. Let’s look at a few ways in which you can create a secure password that is really tough to crack.

First, don’t use any of the super common and easy to crack passwords such as “password”, “password123”, “12345”, etc. If you are currently using one of these, you are asking for trouble. read more

Why I love Malwarebytes

I often times get asked to troubleshoot all kinds of PC problems. One of the most common problems I run into is a virus or malware problem. Sometimes, the person I am helping isn’t even sure what the problem is and it ends up that a virus is causing the problem. One of the key tools I have found in the fight against malware and virus problems is malwarebytes. There are many anti-virus/anti-malware tools and programs that you can choose from, so you might ask “Why malwarebytes?”. Well, let me tell you. read more

Windows Explorer Has Stopped Working Problem

I often get called or emailed when someone I know has a tech issue. I ran into an interesting problem recently. During normal operation of the computer, Windows would suddenly pop up an error message stating that “Windows Explorer has stopped working”.

After some messing around and some research, I was able to find a pretty simple answer. You don’t need to perform a system restore or insert your Windows disc to fix the problem. The solution to the problem is very simple and only involves changing your thumbnails to icons.  If you are having this problem, follow the steps below to fix the problem. read more