ComputerDumb.com

Tips & Tricks Category

In this guest article, Yoav Ezer shows you how to change the default axis interval in a chart in Microsoft Excel. Find out more about Yoav at the end of this article.

Microsoft Excel is pretty clever and usually the default choices it provides you are good, but sometimes it can be frustrating when it tries to help you and you can not find a way to alter the choices it makes.

Chart axis options are a common example of these frustrations. People often ask us how to override the default Axis Interval. Here is the solution for how to … [Read More...]

The purpose of this post is to confirm the confidence I have in RAID technology as expressed in the earlier post “RAID“. It is occasioned by my recent plans to write a very different piece.

Background: the Warning Signs

Summers can get pretty hot here in Auckland. The average temperature for this time of year is 24 degrees Celsius (that’s 75 degrees Fahrenheit to North Americans) with 99% humidity so it’s no simple matter to keep a computer cool.

Your computers resources are not infinite and each time a new program is called, a portion of the total resource is … [Read More...]

The NY Times will flip the switch on its digital paywall next Monday, and the Grey Lady don’t come cheap: $15/month for the website and the phone app, $20/month for the website and the iPad app, or a wallet-singeing $35 for web, phone, and iPad. But there are loopholes! And they are generous. Here’s your game plan.

Read For Free

As much as a paywall might get your hackles up, the folks running the Times understand that no amount of digital subscription revenue would make up for the sting an page view exodus. That’s why—in addition to 20 free articles … [Read More...]

Wireless is really convenient until you drop your connection or get really low speeds. Thanks to DD-WRT, it’s easier than ever to extend your home networks range with a few simple tweaks and a spare router.

DD-WRT is a fully feature-packed alternative firmware for your router. If you don’t know what it is or how to get it on your device, you should start off with Turn Your Home Router into a Super-Powered Router with DD-WRT.

This article was written by How-To Geek (Source)… [Read More...]

In this guest post, James Ricketts discusses how deal with computer uninstall errors. Find out more about James at the end of this post.

Uninstalling applications is never as seamless a process as installing them. Although Windows PCs come with a built-in utility, the Add or Remove Programs utility, that allows users to easily uninstall various applications and software, it usually fails to do the required job when you need to uninstall certain applications, such as McAfee Antivirus suite or DirectX.

Incomplete uninstallation may cause errors and complications on the system. Leftover processes of a previously installed program may interfere … [Read More...]

We’ve waited a long time for Google Cloud Print, and it’s every bit as convenient as we had imagined. The new service from Google makes it possible for PC users to wirelessly print to a networked printer from smartphones, laptops, and tablets capable of supporting Google services, such as Gmail or Google Docs. To get your own Google Cloud Print party started, follow these simple steps.

1. Download Google Chrome Beta 4

Google Cloud Print supports a number of flavors of Windows, including XP, Vista, and Windows 7. No matter which version of Windows your rig is rocking, you’ll need … [Read More...]

Can an off-the-shelf cooling loop out-cool a custom-built system?

I’m taking a standard midrange computer with a Core-i7 930 CPU (stock speed: 2.8GHz) and clocking it up to 4GHz. That’ll up my CPU’s heat output, and I’ll need better cooling. Water-cooling can be quieter and more effective than air, but isn’t necessarily cheap or easy to install.

How much time and money do you need to spend to get good cooling? To answer this question, I’m testing three build options: a basic off-the-shelf liquid-cooling loop (Corsair’s H70), an all-inclusive Swiftech DIY kit, and finally, a custom-built water-cooling setup of my … [Read More...]

About a year ago I set out to create me a Windows 7 live CD. Finally, I am able to present you with the How-To. But before we get into that, let’s review what a LIVE CD is.

A Live CD is an actual Windows Installation that you carry with you on a USB Flash Drive or CD/DVD. The Windows Installation is portable, meaning that you can have your own windows running on any PC you encounter. The Live CDs are most commonly used to repair computers that have crashed or to rescue data from a hard drive before doing … [Read More...]

WinToFlash

I know, there are many solutions … [Read More...]

What do you think of when you hear the word “BitTorrent”? For a lot of people, the word connotes illegal activities. But if you ever need to lawfully host a large file for others to download and don’t have the bandwidth to let them download it directly, BitTorrent—which reduces the strain on your own hosting by allowing users to help upload the file at the same time as they download it—is a great way to distribute it. Here’s how you can create your own BitTorrent file.

1. Download uTorrent

First off, you’ll want to grab the torrent client uTorrent (www.utorrent.com) … [Read More...]

Spring is near! The sun is shining, the weather is warming and holy what the mothercakes, gas is four dollars a gallon right now?! And what mister newscaster? It’s going to get more expensive? Geez! This is getting out of hand. We all would appreciate saving some money on gas. Here’s how.

Fill Up at Cheaper Gas Stations

Filed in: duh. But, seriously, filling up at cheaper gas stations, no matter how minuscule the difference, saves you money in the long run. And it’s not hard to find the cheap stations! Start with GasBuddy, a free app on both Android … [Read More...]

Most of Windows 7’s accessibility options are, at best, of dubious usefulness to the average PC user. And that’s fine, as they’re generally designed for people with special needs, and can be easily deactivated. There’s one accessibility option, however, that can be a big help to anyone: Mouse Keys.

If the name didn’t tip you off, Mouse Keys is an accessibility option that allows you to control the mouse cursor using your keyboard. This can be useful in two ways. First, there’s an obvious utility to Mouse Keys if your mouse ever breaks, or if you have to disconnect it … [Read More...]

It’s not very often we get to see commercial products going freeware. Can you imagine this happening to Adobes Photoshop or Microsoft’s Office ? I think not. There are of course hundreds of freeware programs out there that will give you some or most of the same functionality, and now, we can add three more to the Best Freeware list.

And the newcomers are…

WinX DVD Author

Our good old friends over at Digiarity has since last decided to release their DVD authoring software as Freeware. This suite does not only convert any movie to DVD, but also allow … [Read More...]

It’s not very often we get to see commercial products going freeware. Can you imagine this happening to Adobes Photoshop or Microsoft’s Office ? I think not. There are of course hundreds of freeware programs out there that will give you some or most of the same functionality, and now, we can add three more to the Best Freeware list.

And the newcomers are…

WinX DVD Author

Our good old friends over at Digiarity has since last decided to release their DVD authoring software as Freeware. This suite does not only convert any movie to DVD, but also allow … [Read More...]

As PC users, we’re conditioned to think of software as something you run from within an operating system, and an operating system as a collection of files that you save to a hard drive, and then run at boot. However, you’ve probably run into some software that breaks this mold: “Live” operating systems, which can boot from a CD or USB drive, and applications that can be run directly from a CD, without the use of an OS. These can be some of the most useful tools at a hardcore computer user’s disposal, but it can be hard to keep … [Read More...]

I’m guessing that the screen savers themselves doesn’t need any introduction. Many people like the Mystify, Ribbon or Bubbles screen saver, but secretly wish they could tweak them, ever so slightly. Having just one mystify ribbon scrolling over your screens – it seems lonely. Having a small monitor, the bubbles get too big.

Word has it that the people behind the screen savers did intend to add a settings menu to them, but never got around to it. Nevertheless, they all come with a few hidden settings that you can tweak.

And here’s how…

There are two ways to go about … [Read More...]

This tutorial has been on my mind off and on for several months now. Joining the team here at Windows Guides has given me the opportunity to finally post it. After my son asked me a few weeks ago for a good proxy I thought maybe I dedicate this and the next tutorial to him.

This is a long yet not a really difficult tutorial if you follow along. I have done my best to simplify it as much as possible. May I suggest you read the whole thing and get your … [Read More...]