Ask-A-Techie, Where you can have all of your questions answered.

What is Carbonite and do I need it?

Posted by Edward Drummond on Wed, Sep 26, 2012

Dear Techie,
Being bored and an insomniac, I happened to come across a late-night commercial for a service called Carbonite. It claims to automatically back up all my data so if something happens (or as they say "Before disaster strikes") my data is all protected. I just can't really get my mind around what the service is. I have a few gigabytes of photos and documents stored on my PC and I am worried that it will die on me one day and I will be left without copies. Should I use this service?  Will disaster strike me?  Did I leave the oven on?  Why is the number 42 important?  The suspense is killing me!
— Freaked out non-geek

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Tags: Keeping your PC working, online safety, PC Tips & Tricks, Hard drives, Ask-a-techie, PC tips, PC Tips'n'tricks, Windows Tips, Security, Data Backup

How do I transfer my purchased iTunes downloads?

Posted by Edward Drummond on Sat, Jul 28, 2012

Hi Techie,

I just bought a new PC to replace my old machine, unfortunately, iTunes has none of my music on it.  I've downloaded hundreds of dollars worth of music through the program, but I can't get it to open.  What do I do?

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Tags: itunes, Ask-a-techie, PC tips, PC Tips'n'tricks

What does "Delayed Write Failed" mean?

Posted by Edward Drummond on Mon, Jun 18, 2012

Hi Techie,
A message popped up on my screen that said "Delayed Write Failed" to my USB drive. What does that mean and what should I do?

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Tags: flash drives, Ask-a-techie, PC tips, PC Tips'n'tricks, Windows Tips

Which is better, Cable or DSL?

Posted by Serges LaRiviere on Fri, Apr 20, 2012

Techie,

I’ve been searching around for a new internet service provider since I moved into the Pioneer Valley.  What is going to be a good choice for getting high-speed internet? 

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Tags: dsl, online safety, cable, ISP, internet service provider, PC tips, PC Tips'n'tricks, Windows Tips, Speed up my computer

Pros and Cons of External Hard Drives

Posted by Serges LaRiviere on Tue, Apr 03, 2012

Dear Techie,

What are the main upside and downsides to using an external hard drive versus a hard drive installed in your computer?

—Driven

 

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Tags: HDD, external hard drives, flash drives, SSD, Ask-a-techie, PC Tips'n'tricks, Windows Tips