Windows blue screen of death proves fatal for hard drive
Windows is famous for its startling “blue screen of death.” I got a lighter shade recently. Then my hard drive died.
I could have opened my PC, removed the hard drive and installed a new one. Instead, I asked the local repair shop to back up my files on an external drive and install an SSD. The SSD, or “solid state drive,” will be much faster and more reliable.
The shop charged $150 for the backup, much more than the $99 fee Best Buy charges. But that’s because the dying drive made it a slow recovery process. Best Buy’s price also varies with the ease of recovery.
The shop said that installation of the new drive would cost me $275. So before committing the cash, I shopped around to see what I could get for the same price in a refurbished, Windows-11 compatible desktop computer with a similarly speedy i7 processor. Nothing came up. I’ll keep my HP Envy 750, thank you, even though it isn’t Windows-11 compatible. Windows 10 is supported till October, 2025. Windows 11 is sure to improve by then.
In the process, I learned something. Previously, I thought when you saved files to OneDrive, they were duplicated in the cloud automatically. Nope. You have to download the OneDrive Sync app. The same is true of Google Drive. You need their free Backup & Sync. Alternatively, type “backup” in the Windows search bar in the lower left of your screen and follow the prompts. I’ve always been too lazy to do it. No more!
A BETTER TV REMOTE
What’s the difference between a smart TV with Roku built-in and other smart TVs?
Roku TVs tend to be cheaper, starting at around $170. Like other smart TVs, they enable you to control your TV with voice commands, using either Google Assistant or Alexa. Instead of painstakingly typing “Christmas movies” into an onscreen keyboard, for example, you can just say it.
Speaking of Roku, you might want the new Roku Voice Remote Pro for $30. With it, you can skip the batteries, just plug it in to recharge it. Unlike the $20 Roku Voice Remote, it lets you speak into the air to choose a show or increase the volume, even if the remote is buried in the couch cushions. And instead of speaking the commands you often use, you can program them into the buttons. If I ever had to get a new TV though, I might get the Amazon Fire TV with Alexa. It’s on sale for only $120.
SELLING STUFF ONLINE
I like selling stuff on eBay, but a friend said she thinks it takes too big a cut. She prefers Facebook.
“The reason I prefer Facebook Marketplace,” she said, “is that it’s local. People pick things up. My daughters use the ‘pick up at door’ feature. The buyers put the money under the rug at the front door. I’m not that trusting!” But sometimes, setting up the sale is a hassle. Recently, she said, the buyer “was afraid to come to my house – there are crazies on Facebook. She wanted to meet at a parking lot somewhere, just to get the measly $15 item I was selling her! I hope that doesn’t happen to me again, or I’ll never get all my stuff sold.”
BETTER PAC-MAN
Remember Pac-Man (originally called “Puck Man”)? You control a guy who has to eat all the dots inside a maze while avoiding four ghosts. Now there’s a new version on Facebook, called Pac-Man Community. It lets you play with others, whether friends or strangers. I find it much more fun than the original. You can even create your own mazes.
All four players in the game head off in different directions simultaneously, while eating dots and avoiding ghosts. The trick is to follow the trails that haven’t already been gobbled up. If you don’t want to play with strangers, you can send friends a link, or post it on your Facebook page.
The original, non-Facebook version is still available online, but I don’t like it. I get eaten by the ghosts immediately because it doesn’t match me with other duffers. To find the Community version, go to Facebook.com, click the magnifying glass in the upper left and type “Pac-Man Community.”
I prefer playing on my computer, using the arrow keys as controls. But you can also play on your phone. It starts off by showing you a live game to watch. To start your own game, click the link when prompted.
APP HAPPY
Old Movies is a free app for Android or iPhone with 300 free movies to choose from. There are many I haven’t seen, such as “O’Henry’s Full House,” a collection of O’Henry stories starring many famous actors, introduced by John Steinbeck. The app has ads, but you can tap “continue to old movies” to escape them if there’s no “x” to ex-out, or exit.
CAMERA TIP
If you’re in a hurry to take a video on your phone before the moment passes, do a long press on the camera icon instead of tapping it. You’ll also get an option to take a selfie. On an iPhone, several more options pop up, including “record slo-mo.”
INTERNUTS
■ CapitalOneShopping.com has discounts. A friend of mine says it’s saved her a ton over the years.
■ “Where is the Comma in God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen Supposed to Go?” Search on that phrase to see a hilarious acapella choir on YouTube.