Dear Rich: (even more) Tech questions from readers like you
I’m stunned by the response to this little newsletter experiment. I’m already answering dozens of tech questions every week anyway, so I figured why not share the answers with everyone? Apparently, you like it - my inbox was flooded the second I hit send!
At this rate, I might need to hire a full-time assistant, but you know that’s not my style. I still read every email that comes in and reply to as many as I can. Just know that if your issue is super specific or I can’t figure it out it quickly, I might not get back to every one - but I truly appreciate you trusting me with your questions.
Without further ado, here’s another edition of Dear Rich. Keep those emails coming!
Rich
Grayed-out settings in Windows
Jeffrey in Santa Ana writes in…
Hi Rich, I think a hacker got into my laptop because a bunch of checkboxes in my settings are shaded and I can’t click them. A neighbor told me I need to go into the registry editor, but that completely lost me. I’m 66 and not very tech savvy. Is there a way to override this and get those settings back?
What you’re describing usually isn’t a hacker. In most cases, shaded or grayed-out checkboxes in Windows happen because certain system settings are controlled by Windows itself, an admin account, or a feature called Group Policy.
A few things you can try:
• Restart the laptop
• Make sure you’re signed in with an Admin account
• Go to Settings - Accounts - Family and check that you’re not in a restricted profile
• Run Windows Update and restart
If none of that helps, a local tech shop can take a quick look and fix this without needing a full registry edit. That step is usually not necessary for this kind of problem.
Hope this points you in the right direction.
Switching from Android to iPhone
Penny writes…
I’m the only one in our family who has an Android and they’re pressuring me to switch. How hard is it to move everything over and learn the iPhone?
Hey Penny… Switching is easier than you might expect. Apple has a free app called Move to iOS that you install on your Samsung and it walks you through transferring your contacts, messages, photos and most of your data to the iPhone. They’ve made the process pretty smooth.
The main learning curve is just getting used to how the iPhone works, but most folks pick it up quickly and even find some things easier day to day. And no need to bow to the pressure, but having the same phone as the rest of your family can make sharing and messaging a bit simpler.
Facebook password warning while using a VPN
Carol writes…
I keep getting a message to change my Facebook password but I’m usually on a VPN. When I try to update it, it’s hard to find where to change the password and it’s not letting me. Suggestions?
If you’re seeing that warning while using a VPN on your usual device, try turning the VPN off just for the password update. Facebook sometimes flags VPN traffic as unusual.
Here’s Facebook’s help page on how to find the place to reset your password; keep in mind, they only let you do this a certain number of times a day for security reasons.
Just a quick reminder that you don’t need to change passwords regularly unless you’re reusing them across various sites. That’s a no-no. Use a strong, unique password for each site and turn on two-factor authentication for your most important accounts. That keeps things secure without constant resets. Hope that helps.
And please, above all else, use a password manager.
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Gmail App Disappears on Android
Christopher writes in…
Rich, Please advise if you can, what is going on with the Gmail app constantly disappearing.
It isn’t on the apps screen half the time. I have to go to Google and get Gmail login. Other times I have it as it’s supposed to be. This is happening on my Android device.
Sounds like your home screen is getting moved around by inadvertent touches. You can turn on the feature to lock your home screen.
It depends on what phone you have, but Samsung definitely has this feature.
Settings > Home screen > Lock Home screen layout (toggle on)
Other Androids should have a similar feature in their settings. Hope that helps.
I’m not sure iPhone currently has a similar feature.
3-in-1 Charger
Sandy from Culver City writes…
Hi Rich, once again I need your recommendation for a charger for my Apple devices. I use an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and you’ve been spot on with your past suggestions. Thank you for all the help you provide.
Happy to help. I’ve got two good options for charging your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
Belkin’s new 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock with Qi2 (25W) $130
It’s fast and works great with the newest iPhones. The only thing to know is you can sometimes hear a small fan inside. You might want to wait for a price drop during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
The other is the TwelveSouth HiRise 3 Deluxe. It’s $99 and uses the older charging speeds. I like how you can adjust the angle on the phone mount, which is rare with wireless chargers.
If you have an iPhone 17, you really want to find a wireless charger that supports Qi2 for the fastest wireless charging.
But if you’re going to use this overnight, like at bedside, that’s not a huge concern.
Either one will handle all three of your Apple devices on a single stand.
Best Travel Maps
Sara writes…
Please continue giving travel tips and using technology. You’ve mentioned downloading city maps before a trip. What sites would you recommend for finding the best maps to use, particularly in England, Scotland, and Ireland? I’m an Apple user and not very tech savvy, but trying to learn at an advanced age. In other words, the simpler the better. Thanks so much.
My recommendation is Apple Maps for walking directions and Google Maps for everything else. Before you leave, definitely download offline maps for both. They’re easy to use and work even without cell service, which helps a lot when you’re overseas.
Instructions for downloading offline maps for Google and Apple.
Also, for my true geeks out there, you can zoom to the area you want to save offline on Google Maps and type “ok maps” into the search bar to trigger the download.
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Annoying pop-ups in Chrome
John writes…
Hi Rich, I use Chrome with Windows 10. For at least a month, I keep getting annoying windows opening up. Sometimes it happens when I click on something, and sometimes it even happens when I just press a key or scroll through a web page. That never happened before. Have you heard this from anyone else? I haven’t heard anyone mention this on your show.
Hey John, it sounds like you may have some malware or a bad browser extension installed.
Start by checking your Chrome extensions and removing anything you don’t recognize or use. Then clear your cache and cookies to get rid of leftover junk.
If that doesn’t fix it, do a full Chrome reset:
Open Chrome and click the three dots in the top right.
Choose Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their original defaults.
Confirm Reset settings.
That should stop those pop-ups from appearing.
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Rich