For most people, there is nothing better than a brand-new computer. But of course, you cannot get a new computer every few months. But you can get that same feeling. Here is how to make your computer look and run like brand-new.

For most of us, getting a brand-new computer every year is not financially possible. It would be nice, but realistically it is out of the question. But with a little work, you can get that brand-new feeling from your existing computer.

Looking brand-new

Perception is everything. If it looks new to you, it will feel new to you. And with a little cleaning and maybe a couple of hardware changes, it can look brand-new.

The first place to start is with the keyboard. Most keyboards are black and will show dirt and grim like no tomorrow. You will be amazed at how a good cleaning will make it appear brand new.

A filthy keyboard before cleaning

Now when cleaning your keyboard, you will need to turn off your computer. That way, you do not accidentally press the wrong keys. I have seen it happen, especially with laptops with FN keys.

Since most of us eat while we work, compressed air can help dislodge anything that may have gotten in between or under the keys. A good spray of compressed air should get rid of the massive debris.

When it comes to psychically cleaning the keyboard, remember that liquid and electronics do not mix. Never spray a cleaning solution directly on your keyboard. Always apply it to the cleaning material (cotton swab, paper towel, etc.) first.

Lightly dampen a cotton swab or paper towel with a cleaning solution and ring out any excess liquid before cleaning. It may take some time to clean all of the keys, but remember how long it took to get them dirty (months? years?).

That same dirty keyboard after being cleaned

Now, if the printing has faded or worn off, maybe it is time to go ahead and replace the keyboard. Desktop keyboards are easy to replace; laptop keyboards can be a little harder. For new laptop keyboards, I recommend LaptopKeyboard.com.

When it comes to your mouse, the body will get dirty, and the buttons get looking worn. The same cleaning technique used for your keyboard applies to your mouse.

If it is a wired mouse, turn off the computer. If it is wireless, turn it off. Clean both the top and bottom with a lightly dampened paper towel. Use a lightly damped cotton swab to clean the optical lens on the bottom.

The next thing you might want to clean is the monitor. As with the keyboard and mouse, you will want to turn it off, unplug it and let it cool down. Once it is cooled down, you can start to clean it.

Just like with your keyboard, you want to start cleaning your monitor with some compressed air. If your monitor is dusty, you may want to take it outside before clean it with compressed air.

Use the compressed air to clean out all of the ventilation holes in the case. Make sure you get as much of the grime out as you can, as dust does conduct electricity.

Now lightly dampen a paper towel with a cleaning solution and wipe the outside of the case. When you get done with that, it is time to clean the screen.

To clean the screen, I recommend using a soap-based, not ammonia-based, glass cleaner, and microfiber towels to protect the finish. Never directly apply the glass cleaner to the screen to prevent damage to it.

Lightly dampen a microfiber towel with glass cleaner and thoroughly wipe the screen. Now before it has a chance to dry, wipe the screen off with a dry micro-fiber towel to remove any streaks that may have appeared.

The last thing to clean is the outside of the computer case itself. Please make sure you turn it off and unplug the power cord (desktop computer) or ac adapter (laptop computer) before you start to clean it.

Lightly dampen a paper towel with a cleaning solution and wipe down the outside (front, sides, top, bottom, and back). If you have any old and faded stickers, this would be a great time to remove them.

To remove stickers, I recommend using an adhesive remover like Goof Off. Just make sure the area with the label is laying completely horizontal, so you can let the adhesive remover sit on it for a little while.

Once you have let the adhesive remover soak in, use a plastic razor blade or plastic putty knife to scrape the label off. If the sticker has been on there for a while, it may take a few passes to get it removed.

When all of the labels are gone, go ahead and clean it with a paper towel with a cleaning solution. You want to get any residue from the adhesive remover off.

The next thing we want to do is clean the inside of the computer with some compressed air. For this step, we will need to disconnect all cables attached to the computer and take it outside.

Now the procedure is about the same for desktop and laptop computers. For desktop computers, here is a detailed article we did a little while back on how to clean the dust out of your computer.

The same procedures in the article above apply to laptops as well. All you have to do for a laptop computer is to locate the air intake for the cooling fan(s). But instead of using a nonmetallic rod to hold the cooling fan(s), use a straightened-out paper clip.

Running like brand-new

Now that you have the outside and inside clean, maybe it is time to get the operating system and programs cleaned up. Using the Windows built-in Disk Cleanup tool is an excellent place to start.

Windows 7 Disk Cleanup

Windows 8.1 Disk Cleanup

Windows 10 Disk Cleanup

Windows 11 Disk Cleanup

Once you have used the Disk Cleanup program, you can now look at getting rid of some of the programs you no longer need. You will need to get to the Control Panel to do this. The quickest way to get to the Control Panel is by using the Run dialog box.

How to get to and use the Run dialog box in Windows

My favorite (and the fastest way) to bring up the Run dialog box is to press the Windows logo key + R keys simultaneously. When it appears, type control and then select OK.

When the Control Panel appears, select either Uninstall a program (category view) or Programs and Features (icon view). You can then start to uninstall the programs you no longer use.

Now, if you want your computer to have that brand-new feeling, you can reset Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11. The procedure is similar for Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11.

How to reset Windows 10

How to reset Windows 11

But if you want that brand-new feeling, a clean installation of Windows is the way to go. Follow the instructions in the following article to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 or Windows 11.

How to perform a clean Windows 10 installation

How to perform a clean Windows 11 installation

You can use the same procedures listed in the article above for Windows 8.1, but you will have to download the Windows 8.1 Disc Image.

Windows 8.1 Disc Image

What you can do with an ISO file

Have you ever downloaded an ISO file and wondered what to do with it? More and more software companies are now distributing their software using ISO files. Here is what you can do with an ISO file.

Nowadays, every company seems to be using ISO files to distribute software. ISO files are just images of a CD or DVD. They are commonly used to deliver bootable software.

Now, really quickly, ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. They have a set standard (ISO 9660) for the file system used for optical disks (CD, DVD, BD, etc.).

Even Microsoft has started using ISO files to distribute its software. If you download Windows 11 or Windows 10, you will have the option of downloading an ISO file.

But what do you do with the ISO file once you have downloaded it? If you are running Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7, you have three (3) options: mount it as a virtual drive, burn it to a disk, or create a bootable USB drive.

You can also create ISO image files. For more information, check out How to create ISO files from your software disks.

How to mount and access files in an ISO file

By default, Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1 can mount an ISO file as a virtual optical drive. Windows 7 requires a third-party program to mount an ISO file.

Once you mount an ISO file as a virtual drive, you can access the files and folders inside it. Most of the time, you will use this feature to run software installations.

Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1

1. Open File Explorer (name changed in Windows 8.1) by using one of the following:
• Left-click on the manila folder icon to the Taskbar.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
2. Navigate to the ISO image you want to open.
3. Right-click on it and select Mount on the context menu that appears. Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1 automatically assign the next available drive letter.
   
4. Using File Explorer, navigate to the virtual drive you just mounted. You can now use it as you would with any other physically attached optical drive.
5. When you finish with the virtual drive, you can remove the drive by right-clicking on it and selecting Eject on the context menu that appears.
   

Windows 7

For Windows 7, we are going to use the open-source optical drive emulator WinCDEmu. Just download and install it using the default settings. Once WinCDEmu is installed, an ISO image is mounted, similar to Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows 8.1.

1. Open Windows Explorer by using one of the following:
• Left-click on the manila folder icon to the Taskbar.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
2. Navigate to the ISO image you want to open.
3. Right-click on it and select Select drive letter and mount on the context menu that appears.
   
4. On the WinCDEmu screen that appears, select the drive letter you want to use for the virtual optical drive and left-click on OK.
   
5. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the virtual drive you just mounted. You can now use it as you would with any other physically attached optical drive.
6. When you finish with the virtual drive, you can remove the drive by right-clicking on it and selecting Eject on the context menu that appears.
   

How to burn an ISO image file to a disk

The process for burning an ISO image to disk is the same for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. Just make sure you have the correct blank media for the disk you want to burn.

For example, if your ISO file is under 700 MB (Megabyte), it will fit on a CD. If it is between 700 MB (Megabyte) and 4.7 GB (Gigabyte), then it will fit on a DVD. If it is between 4.7 and 8.5 GB (Gigabyte), it will fit on a Double-Layer DVD. Anything over 8.5 GB (Gigabyte) will go on a BD.

For more information on Megabytes and Gigabytes, check out What is a Bit? What is a Byte?.

Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7

1. Open File Explorer (Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1) or Windows Explorer (Windows 7) by using one of the following:
• Left-click on the manila folder icon to the Taskbar.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
2. Navigate to the ISO image you want to burn to disk.
3. Right-click on the ISO files and select Burn disk image on the context menu that appears.
   
4. On the Windows Disc Image Burner screen, select the optical drive you want to use to burn the disk from the pull-down menu. You can also verify the disk after it is created. When you are ready, left-click on the Burn button.
   
5. When the optical drive is finished burning the disk, left-click on the Close button.
   

How to create a bootable USB drive from an ISO file

When you want to create a bootable USB drive, you will need a USB flash drive that is empty or that you do not mind if it gets erased. If you are going to use a USB flash drive that has been used before, double-check it to make sure there is nothing on it you may want to keep.

Remember to use a USB drive larger than the ISO file you want to put on it. A good rule of thumb is to use one with a capacity of more than 4GB. I prefer using 8GB or larger, as Windows does require a USB drive with a minimum capacity of 8GB.

To create a bootable USB drive, you will need to download and install a separate program. There are several on the Internet, but one stands out above the rest: Rufus.

Create custom Windows installation media with Rufus

Rufus requires no installation. Just download it, and it is ready to go. There are a lot more options, including partition scheme, file system, and cluster size. You also have more boot options, including MS-DOS and FreeDOS.

Have you ever wondered where some of the ideas for Microsoft programs came from? You know, the cutting-edge apps. There is a good chance they started in the Microsoft Garage.

Microsoft Garage is a platform for Microsoft employees to explore new technologies and move their ideas forward. Some of the projects succeed, and some fail. But one thing is for sure: they are some of the coolest apps around.

The first thing you should know is that all of the projects are experiments run by one or more Microsoft employees in their spare time. Some are open to the general public, and some are by invitation only.

You have to remember that these experiments are strictly just beta tests. Once an experiment is complete, you can no longer download it. However, it is an excellent opportunity to give a developer or team of developers a helping hand with valuable feedback.

Now, the experiments in the Microsoft Garage are for more than just Windows. There are projects for all platforms: iOS, Android, Xbox, and Windows..

What is cool is that Microsoft has even built several facilities at some of its development centers around the world just for the Garage developer teams. Microsoft even holds special events to help these developers explore new technologies.

Some ongoing experiments in the Microsoft Garage include Mouse Without Borders, a Windows program that allows you to control up to four (4) computers from one keyboard and mouse.

There is Face Swap for Android and iOS devices that, as the name implies, allows you to take a photo of your face and apply it to another image.

Sketch 360 allows you to create 360-degree sketches using an innovative grid design. You draw on the left side of the screen, and the sketch is displayed in a 360-degree view on the right side of the screen.

Also noteworthy is the What Dog experiment, which, as the name implies, tells you what breed a dog is. Just take a picture of a dog, and What Dog will identify the breed.

So, if you would like to help in the development of some cool apps, take a look inside the Microsoft Garage. You might be surprised by what you find.

Microsoft Garage

It happens to all of us. You get a pop-up on your computer screen claiming to be from Microsoft, warning you that your computer is infected and that you must call a phone number to get it repaired. This is just another tech scam, and I am going to show you how to handle them.

Tech scams have evolved over the years. They first started as random phone calls but quickly progressed to using pop-ups in web browsers. The one thing they all have in common is that they try to scare you.

Who hasn't received a phone call from someone saying they are from Microsoft or Windows Support? At one point, I was getting two to three per week, but they started to slow down when Microsoft began prosecuting companies for using their company name.

Note: Remember that Microsoft will never contact you, either by web page pop-up or phone call.

So, they started using ads on websites to scare you. Since the majority of ad networks do not actively monitor the ads that are displayed, sneaking in a malicious ad is not that hard.

Now, I am talking about ads that open a new browser tab or window and claim your computer is infected. Some of them will have an animated image that shows files being scanned or even play an audio file saying your computer is infected.

The bottom line is they want to gain access to your computer. The majority of scams my customers have encountered have attempted to get remote access to their computers and then access to their bank accounts. And if a scammer can get remote access, they can even hold your system for ransom. The following is a true story.

A customer called one day, telling me that a pop-up appeared telling them that their computer was infected. Believing that it was from Microsoft, they called the phone number and gave them access to their computer remotely.

During the remote session, the customer realized it was a scam, hung up the phone, and disconnected from the Internet. They then called me. I showed up and started cleaning up their computer.

But the first time I restarted their computer, it came up with a system lock. The tech scammers had put a software lock on it to get them to pay to unlock it. Luckily, I restored the registry from a couple of weeks earlier and unlocked the computer. But it could have been a whole lot worse.

How to handle a web-based tech scam

As I mentioned earlier, web-based tech scams usually come from third-party ads that are displayed on trusted websites. The ads bring up another browser tab or window. Sometimes, they will open a browser in what is called kiosk mode (full screen with no toolbars/title bar and no way of closing them).

Usually, you can close a browser that is in kiosk mode simply by pressing Alt + F4, which should close the active window. But scammers have gotten wise to that keyboard combination. So, most of the time, you must use Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager. Once Task Manager appears, right-click on the browser name (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.) and select End task.

Once the bogus ad is gone, open the same browser in which you had the tech scam appearing. You should get a warning about how it did not close properly, and it should ask if you want to open the previously opened tabs.

Ignore the warning; do not open any of the previous tabs, and you should be good to go. You can always run a scan with your anti-virus software to make sure everything is okay.

I am often asked why the installed anti-virus program did not stop the web-based tech scam. The scam was not a virus, just a malicious ad.

How to handle a phone tech scam

This scam is easy to spot. The name on the caller ID will be something as simple as Tech Support or something similar. I have even seen scammers use disposable cellular phones that display a name, like Joe Blow.

Now, the advice I always give for spam emails applies here: If you don't know the person, don't open the email. The same thing applies to phone calls. If you do not recognize the name displayed on the caller ID, don't answer. If it is essential, they will leave a message or call back.

If you answer the call, it is alright to hang up. The scammer cold-called you; you don't have to waste time talking with them. Now, if I'm feeling like having some fun, I'll tell them things like "I don't have a computer", "I don't have Internet access," or my favorite, "Which computer are you talking about?".

But if you really want to know if they are bogus, do a Google search for their phone number. Make sure to use the complete 10-digit phone number, 3-digit area code, 3-digit prefix, and 4-digit line number.

The phone number of a legitimate company will always appear at the top of the search results. You would be amazed at some of the results I have gotten.

The bottom line

I can never say this enough: never give a scammer remote access to your computer! They cannot do any harm as long as they cannot get inside your computer.

So, what can you to protect yourself from tech scams?

For web-based tech scams, install an ad blocker in your browser. Adblock Plus is the most popular ad blocker. If you encounter a browser page or pop-up that informs you that your computer's security is at risk, close the browser using one of the methods listed above. And whatever you do, never call the phone number shown on the page.

For phone tech scams: Use your caller ID to screen incoming phone calls. If you do not recognize the name, let it go to voice mail.

And if you feel like taking it a little further, you can always report the scammers to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). The FTC has a relatively simple online complaint form. Just make sure you have the company name they used and the phone number they called you with or displayed on your screen.

Federal Trade Commission

FTC Consumer Information on Phone Scams

Microsoft recently released the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10. As usual, Microsoft has added some pretty cool features in this version of Windows 10. Let's take a look at some of the new overlooked features included in the Window 10 Fall Creators Update.

There are a couple of new features that have gotten all sorts of publicity, the support of virtual reality headsets and mixed reality. But there are a few new features that have gotten passed over.

Make a movie using the Photos app

Creating a video using the Windows 10 Photo app

This feature is reminiscent of the old Windows Movie Maker program. You select some pictures and videos, set up the different parameters, and then export your video out.

One of the coolest features in that you can add either predefined generic music or use your own. Another is the preset themes that you can apply to your video. Here is a list of some of the other options.

• Changing the order of the photos
• Changing the duration a photo is displayed
• Various predefined photo filters
• Adding text to a photo
• Predefined motion styles

Easily insert an emoji

The emoji panel inside of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Do you like to use emojis? Well, inserting them just got a whole lot easier. With the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can now add an emoji with just a couple of keystrokes.

All you have to do is open a program that supports using emojis, like webmail in a browser or e-mail client (Outlook, Windows 10 Mail) You can even insert an emoji into a Microsoft Word document.

To bring up the emoji panel, press the Windows logo key + Period (.) or Semicolon (;) and left-click on the emoji you want to insert. If you're going to add multiple emojis, you will have to repeat the keystroke combination for each emoji.

There appears to be over 1200 emojis to choose from. If you left-click on the search magnifying glass and type the first few characters of the emoji name your looking for, the panel will display all the emojis that match.

And some of them you can even change the skin tone. To see this in action, search for Santa and use the skin tone box in the upper right-hand corner to change his skin tone.

Quick and easy dictation

Now let's look at one of the cooler features inside the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the on-the-fly dictation. If you have a microphone, it's a pretty cool little program.

OK, I'm a little skeptical when it comes to doing voice recognition to text. I have had programs that said that they would translate from voice to text, but none of them worked well, but this one works pretty well.

I found the dictation program inside of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will work with any program that types text, like Notepad or WordPad. Sure, it has its little quirks; it doesn't capture all of the words correctly.

But about 95% of which you speak does get translated to decent human legible text. And if you hate to type, the dictation app could help.

You can bring up the dictation app two (2) different ways:

• Press the Windows logo key + H on a physical keyboard
or
• Select the microphone icon on the touch keyboard

Controlled folder access inside of Windows Defender

The controlled folder option inside of Windows Defender

One of the most anticipated new features of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is the controlled folder access inside of Windows Defender. With all of the file-encrypting malware outbreaks, this is a great new feature. But it does have its pros and cons.

In essence, Windows Defender blocks access to your folders (desktop, documents, favorites, pictures, music, and videos) from programs that it does not recognize (non-Microsoft). You can also add any other folder you would like to protect too. But you will have to turn this option on, as by default it is disabled.

Now, this can also be an issue with non-Microsoft programs accessing files in the protected folders. Case in point, I recently updated a client's computer to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and QuickBooks couldn't get to the documents folder. But it was easily fixed by adding QuickBooks to the allowed programs list inside of Windows Defender.

Even though you can have Windows Defender working side-by-side with your existing anti-virus software doing periodic scans, the controlled folders option only works when Windows Defender is the only anti-virus program installed.