The Latest on Online Backup Services, Quick Assist, Blocking YouTube Ads and Reinstalling Windows
John Vrooman | August 9, 2017
Online Backup Services
How’s your computer backup solution doing? If your computer’s hard drive failed RIGHT NOW, would you be able to recover all your files from a recent backup? If so, congratulations for having a backup solution that apparently is working for you! However, before you celebrate, let’s check one more thing—is your backup on-site, able to be easily accessed/stolen or susceptible to fire or flooding? While not likely, being prepared for disasters such as those just mentioned is something that you should consider.
These days, using or adding an online backup service to one’s overall computer backup solution is common and can remedy many of the just mentioned computer backup issues. One issue with online backup services that you’ll likely encounter if/when you start evaluating them is that there are many solutions available. To help with this problem I would encourage you to review the following article. The article is from wirecutter.com and it covers the topic of online backup services quite well. Best of all, it provides some product/service recommendations. To get started, please visit… www.thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-online-backup-service
Windows 10 Tip: Quick Assist
A great Windows 10 feature that many people aren’t aware of is “Quick Assist.” The Quick Assist feature can easily be used by both those who need computer support as well as by those who can provide computer support. Quick Assist provides an easy way for users who need help to enable someone to access and control their computer. Alternatively, Quick Assist enables those who want to provide help to someone else to easily connect to and work on that person’s computer. I came across a Quick Assist FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) article that describes the product in more detail. Here’s a courtesy link to the article…https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20534/windows-10-quick-assist-faq
If you would like to view some YouTube videos that discuss and demonstrate how to use Quick Assist, please visit the following web page (a YouTube.com search results page for the search “how to use quick assist”…http://tinyurl.com/yalm54p8
Block YouTube Ads
My experience with YouTube ads has been mixed. Sometimes I tolerate them because the ads are short and/or can be quickly skipped. At other times, however, I find some YouTube ads to be more of a nuisance (long duration, non-skippable, numerous, etc.). Most app stores have some type of YouTube.com ad blocking app available, and the one I use with my Chrome browser is called “Adblock for Youtube.” Overall, I like the “Adblock for Youtube” app as it does seem to do a pretty good job of providing me with a mostly ad free YouTube experience. If you use the Chrome browser as your web browser I think you might want to give the “Adblock for Youtube” app a try. Here’s a link to the app in Google’s Play Store…
Microsoft Windows Reinstallation Help
There are many reasons why you may want or need to reinstall Windows on a computer. Fortunately, in Windows 10, the process of reinstalling Windows has become easier. However, even though the process of reinstalling Windows is now easier, it’s still a process that shouldn’t be taken lightly. To help you wade your way through the process of reinstalling the Windows 10 operating system, I found an article at the howtogeek.com website that’s worth reviewing before starting the reinstallation process. The title of the article is “The Ultimate Checklist Guide to Reinstalling Windows on Your PC” and it can be found at the following web page…
www.howtogeek.com/howto/23890/checklist-guide-for-reinstalling-windows
Alternatives to Waiting on the Phone For ‘Live Person’ Customer Service
Unfortunately, when you call many companies you often find yourself waiting on the phone in a customer service queue before a live representative gets to you. The amount of time that you spend waiting can sometimes be quite long. To combat this situation, I encourage you to visit the online services listed below. The listed services may not always be able to reduce the overall time it takes for you to connect to a customer service representative, but they can eliminate the need for you to have to wait on the phone. I recommend that you bookmark these sites/services for future reference.
www.gethuman.com
www.lucyphone.com
www.fastcustomer.com
If you have comments, suggestions, tips, questions or just want to say “Hi”, you are invited to contact me at john@johnvrooman.com. I always enjoy hearing from you!
John Vrooman keeps an eye out for cool new hardware, software, apps, gadgets; SaaS solutions; social media developments, trends as well as personal/SMB productivity and related solutions. He gathers information for his column from a diverse range of resources and he enjoys sharing his discoveries with others. He has been authoring this column since August 2000 and welcomes feedback from his readers.