Category: Guides

Are you tired of using Gmail as your official email account? Or do you want to switch your official email address from Gmail to another email platform?

Gmail as we are all aware of, is one of (if not) the most used email platforms in the world. As of October 2019, Gmail had 1.5 billion active users from all the countries around the world.

Most corporate and state companies use Gmail as the preferred email platform. For example, the University of Ghana’s students and staff’s email is powered by Gmail. For example, [email protected].

Once you make a choice and delete your Gmail account, all your emails and account settings will be permanently erased from the internet. Even if you delete your account, your username will still not be available for anyone to use in the future.

On the good side, deleting your Gmail account is not going to delete the entire Google account the email address is associated with. Google services like Google Drive, calendar, Google Play, etc. will still be accessible for you.

All you be asked is to provide an alternative email address you will like to sign in to these services in the future or whenever you may need it.

How To Delete Your Gmail Account

Before you decide to delete your Gmail account, make sure you are aware of the risks associated with it and that you have all the important documents and files you may need in the future.

Once you are certain that you have all that you need, you can then follow the steps below to permanently delete your Gmail account.

1. Open your web browser and sign in to your Gmail account via Google.com.
2. On the upper right-hand corner, click on the Grid icon and then select Account.
3. Under the Account preferences section, click on Delete your account or services.
4. From the options provided, choose Delete products.
5. Confirm your choice by entering your Gmail password.
6. If you want some important data, click Download Data to save it before it gets erased permanently.
7. On the next page, click the trash icon that is next to Gmail.
8. Enter an alternate email address. (This email address cannot be a Gmail)
9. Click on Send Verification Email. (This will be sent to the email address you just entered in the step above).
10. Open the verification email and then click on the deletion link in the message.
11. In case you are prompted, log in to the Gmail account you are deleting.
12. Select “Yes, I want to delete ([email protected])”
13. Once again click on Delete Gmail and then Done.

Conclusion

According to Google, if you use your Gmail through work, school, or other organization, the administrator is the only person who can delete your Gmail account. Thus, you need to contact him/her to delete your account for you.

After your Google account is deleted, all your account information will be permanently deleted from the internet’s database.

So, before you decide to delete your account, make sure you are certain of the choice you are making and its related consequences.

This article will take you through the 7 great computer user tips and tricks for Windows users. Continue reading to know.

An Easy Performance Enhancement

If you’re using the NTFS filing protocol on your system, instead of FAT32, you can get a bit more speed by disabling Windows® Indexing. The downside to this is that searching your drive for a specific file might take a moment or two longer, but everything else should run faster.

To disable this feature open My Computer and then right-click on the drive you wish to reset – usually C-drive. Now click on Properties and then uncheck “Allow Indexing Service.”

It will take Windows a few moments to accomplish this task, based on your processor speed. If you have other hard drives, perform the same process for them.

After this is done, it’s a good idea to empty the Recycle Bin and then Defragment your hard drive(s).

Free Software

If you have a system and it does not have an office suite, such as Microsoft Office, and you don’t want to pay several hundred dollars to have one, try Open Office.

This is a great alternative to other suites, and it’s free! Simply direct your browser to www.openoffice.org and follow the instructions for downloading and installation.

Make no mistake; this free office suite is a compelling set of software tools – easily a match for any competitor.

Internet Explorer (Microsoft’s Internet browser) is unarguably the standard in computers. This is why hackers develop so many malware applications to invade it.

If you use a different browser, you have much less chance of an invasion by malicious software. There is a great alternative available, and it’s free. You can download a copy of Firefox at www.mozilla.org/products/firefox.

You can even move your Internet Explorer settings into Firefox automatically – so you don’t lose your Favorites, etc.

Laptop Printer Fix

If you’re using a laptop that is running Windows ME, and you’re having trouble printing through the USB, try this simple fix. Go to the website for the company that manufactures your printer.

If you use a Hewlett-Packard, for example, go to www.HP.com and download the appropriate drivers and install them.

ME has drivers that recognize the USB printer is present and attached, but not the drivers needed to make it print. Which drivers you download and install will be dependant on your printer.

After installing new drivers, update the printer as necessary in the Control Panel.

Save $$$ When Shopping On-line

If you’re making a purchase on-line, and you know the item you want to buy, you can easily compare pricing all across the Internet. This can amount to a very substantial savings.

At this writing, I went to www.mysimon.com and typed in that I wanted to buy a printer: a Canon PIXMA iP4000. The service instantly checked the Internet and returned prices ranging from $62.00 up to $286.00.

This kind of price spread is not at all unusual, especially for computers and electronics.

The My Simon website service only checks to price; it does not provide a platform for purchasing anything, though it does link to such places. It also gives a rating for the sellers and other users’ input regarding their experiences with the company.

You can order the search results for your product by price so that you can quickly find the lowest price from the highest rated dealer.

Windows XP Professional Only

A feature of Windows XP Professional that is not available in the Home Edition is the ability to encrypt files. This encryption prevents others from opening the files in the folder you encrypt.

To encrypt one or more a folders, follow these easy steps.

Click Start, then My Documents. Now locate the folder you wish to encrypt and right-click on it and choose Properties.

On the General tab, click on Advanced. Put a tick mark in the box for Encrypt Contents to Secure Data. Click okay two times and the confirmation dialogue box will appear allowing you to select the folder, the folder and all files, and/or the subfolders within it.

Now you’ll be able to place files in this folder (or folders) and since they’re encrypted, others will not be able to access them.

Internet Safety

It would help if you never reveal your username or password to anyone who e-mails you and asks for it. This information is frequently asked for by an Internet scheme called “phishing.”

In a common phishing scam, you receive an e-mail that looks quite official. It usually appears to come from a bank or credit card company.

A common title for these e-mails is “We need to verify your account information.” Another is “Please login to your account and verify your settings.”

If you click where instructed, you’ll end up on a site that appears to be the real one. If you fill in the username and password for your online banking account, you can expect serious problems within twenty-four hours.

If you believe that a company or business you do on-line business with really requires your information, then contact them. This way, you will know where you are sending your information, and what it will be used for.

CD Burning Error Fix

Burning music, video, and data CDs have become quite popular over the past few years, and the evolution of the supporting technology has yielded hardware and software that is better than ever – and very reasonably priced.

CDs offer a great place to store substantial amounts of data in a small, easily retained format. They also give us new control over aspects of our entertainment.

A relatively common error received during CD burning informs you that the CD cannot be burned or an error during burning. Of course, you could actually have a defective CD drive, but this is usually not the case.

If you receive a message indicating that your CD cannot be burned, go to the website of your CD drive manufacturer.

Look for the list of CD types (manufacturers/numbers) that are compatible with your device. Most often, you’ll find that your CDs are not listed.

The two types that seem to have the least difficulty being burned are manufactured by Sony and TDK. These cost a bit more, but they burn very reliably.

Along the same lines – H-P has introduced a new CD burner. This new burner requires the use of special CD blanks, but after you burn your data into the CD, you can flip it over and close the drive again.

Then you can use the laser to burn a title for the CD directly onto the CD itself. It’s a new technology, but perhaps it will catch on, and we’ll see newer, better such devices soon.

Conclusion

We all want to be that tech-savvy in our place of stay. There are some tips and tricks even if you are not a tech savvy it should be on your finger tips.

Buying a laptop is a major investment decision. As such it is not one that you should make lightly. Below are 5 tips that will help prepare you for making the best and most well-informed decision when buying a laptop.

Tip 1: Size Matters

Buying a laptop is a matter that requires some thought. Consider the size and weight of the laptop. How often will you be carrying your laptop?

Your answer will help determine which size and weight will best suit your needs. If you will be carrying your laptop frequently, a lighter model will be preferable.

The keyboard is another area to consider when buying a laptop. Why is the size of the keyboard important? A larger laptop will have a slightly larger keyboard area.

But keep in mind that if you worry about your fingers or wrists taking on too much stress from typing on a keyboard that is too small, you may want this to be the main factor in your purchasing decision,

Tip 2: Choose Your Mouse

A laptop it will come with a built in touch pad, an alternative to the mouse, whereby the pad is controlled by the user’s finger movement. For some people, this type of pad is uncomfortable and not easy to work with.

Before purchasing a laptop, determine what mouse options are available. Test each one and determine which one best meets your needs.

Tip 3: Wireless Options

Today, when many people think laptop, they think “wireless”. No doubt people want to make sure that their laptop computer will be able to access the Internet with a wireless connection.

Many try to account for this by ensuring that their laptop has potential upgrade options, such as room for an expandable PC card or a USB port.

However, since so many laptop users are looking for wireless connections, many of today’s laptops come pre-wired for wireless Internet. All you need to do is activate your wireless Internet service, and your laptop will take it from there.

So depending on your needs, choose your laptop whether it is capable of expanding or if it is already configured for wireless Internet.

Tip 4: Check for Ports

Peripheral equipment will be connected to your laptop through USB ports. You will make your life much less complicated by ensuring that your laptop has adequate ports.

Connecting equipment such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras will be much simpler if you have the ports readily available. If you are not sure, thoroughly read the specs for any laptop that you are considering purchasing.

Tip 5: Check Your Budget First

Finally, when buying a laptop, beware that you do not overspend. First create your budget and stick to it.

When you think that you have found the laptop that you want, do not rush into it.

Wait a day and check over your budget, requirements, and see if you are still as excited about the laptop in the morning, as you were when the sales clerk was showing off its specs. If you still feel that it is the laptop you want to purchase, then go for it.

Conclusion

There are so many reasons why you would want to buy a laptop but in this post, I have highlighted some of the top tips you have to consider before buying a laptop.

We live in a fast-paced world, and we’re always looking for the fastest way to get things done. We barely have time to wait for our chicken the KFC fast-food restaurant, our microwave popcorn to pop, so who has time to wait around for a slow computer?

Thinking of adding more RAM to your computer? There are 6 steps you can take to speed up your computer’s performance. Most of these steps will allow you to speed up your computer, free of charge since the needed applications are already installed on your computer.

Below are the steps to follow to speed up your computer.

Steps To Speed Up Your Computer

• One of the first steps you should take is to empty the Recycle Bin. It’s easy to do. Just point your cursor to the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, right-click, and choose “Empty Recycle Bin.”
  
• Next, open up your Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Internet Options. Click on “Delete Cookies,” then on “Delete Files.” In the window that appears, check “Delete all offline content” and click OK. Once that’s done, click OK to close the Internet Options window, and close your Internet Explorer.
  
  Those two steps are the quickest, and simplest ones, so that’s why we got them out of the way first.
  
• Next, we’ll be conducting a Disk Cleanup. To do this, click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup.
  
  The disk cleanup function will now begin calculating how much space you will be able to free up. Once it finishes, it’ll give you a list of files to delete. It should already have some files checked, but you can go through the list and check off all the files you want to delete, then click OK.
  
• Now it’s time to do a disk defragmentation. This can be a long process so you should probably set this up when you’ve got other things going on.
  
  For example, set it up, watch your favourite TV show, mow the lawn, or go workout. You get the idea.
  
  To begin, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. Click Analyze. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the “You do not need to defragment this volume” call-out, but more than likely, you’ll have to click on “Defragment.
  
  ” If so, click on it, go do something else and come back in an hour or two.
  
• Once that’s done, it’s time to run a spyware scan. Most people don’t realize how easy it is to get infected with spyware, so running periodic scans is highly recommended.
  
  You can use any anti-spyware program you choose. Just be aware that no one program gets rid of everything. To play it safe, you should run at least three different programs.
  
  You might be surprised by what they find. You may have had spyware running on your computer and not even know it. Once the scans are complete, and all that spyware is taken care of, it’s time for the last step.
  
• This last step is to run an anti-virus scan. Hopefully, you have an anti-virus program installed on your computer. If not, I highly recommend you get one as soon as possible. Once the anti-virus program is set, go ahead and run it.
  
  This could take anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours depending on how many files you have on your hard drive so once again, set it, and then do something else. Come back in about an hour.
  
  Once all the steps are complete. Restart your computer, and you’ll be surprised at how completely nimble it now feels.

Conclusion

It’s a good idea to follow these 6 steps at least once per week (some steps you can even set up to be done automatically). By doing this, you will keep your computer performing almost like it did when you first bought it.

Do have a virtual presentation with Microsoft Teams? Are you the host of a meeting where you are required to share your screen on Microsoft Teams?

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) took the entire world by surprise and within this short period of existence has taught us many things. One of the things that it has taught us is to embrace technology and virtual events.

Unlike previously where people had to wake up at dawn, be in traffic and then go to work, almost 40% of the businesses in the world has now adapted to “work from home”.

As a result of that, most companies now have their meeting online and one of the companies that have enjoyed this the most is Microsoft. All over the world, Microsoft’s meeting software, Microsoft Teams is used to host virtual events.

Aside from using it to host meetings, it is also used to perform virtual presentations. For instance, instead of meeting at the office to discuss the end of year expenses and revenue, you can use the Microsoft Teams app to present this to your team all over the world.

To be able to do this, you need to enable the share screen on the Microsoft Teams app and then everything on your screen will be seen by all the participants.

How To Share Screen on Microsoft Teams

1. First of all, you need to start a meeting on Microsoft Teams.
2. Move your mouse to the lower middle corner of the screen.
3. Choose the chat control options.
4. From the left, click on the third icon with the square box and the arrow.
5. Finally, choose whether to share the entire screen or a specific window on your screen.

Conclusion

During a meeting, you might want to share your screen with the rest of your team. In such situations share screen in the only way, you can be able to do so.

Have you ever shared your screen on Microsoft Teams? Let us know in the comments section below.

Bots are gradually taking over the entire online space.

Prominent among them are chatbots. These are increasingly being used by businesses seeking to automate their messaging platforms.

In fact, it is projected that chatbots would become the biggest online business assets in the coming few years.

Of course, apart from Chatbots, there are many other bots – used especially on social media. Telegram is one of those platforms which largely encourage the use of bots.

Its basic framework allows for channel admins to add bots to assist with the regulation of their channels.

Due to the open-source nature of the Telegram app, it creates rooms for other people to add new features from time to time.

One of the least-known features of the app is that it can be used to search, download and play songs and music videos. This is possible due to the telegram music bots.

In this article, we look at these music bots and how to use them to play music videos on the platform.

So before we proceed to how you can use the bots to find and watch music videos, let’s look at some of the best Telegram bots for this purpose.

Music Chatbots On Telegram

Here are some of the best music chatbots on Telegram. Read through the list to see the full scope:

Spotybot

Spotybot is a Telegram music bot specifically dedicated to Spotify. So, it tracks, searches and retrieves songs from Spotify playlists and albums based on the users’ instructions.

So, to get the best out of this bot, you must be sure that the song you are seeking is already available on Spotify.

How To Use Spotybot

First of all, search for the Spotybot in your Telegram system search box. In your results, you’ll see the Spotybot channel and then you’ll see the spotybot itself.

Ignore the channel and go for the spotybot itself. Be sure to select the one with the Spotify logo.

Once you’re in, follow the steps below:

1. Click on ‘Login’
2. Provide your Spotify account details and login.
3. Return to the bot
4. Enter the name of the song or artiste whose songs you want. Type it in this format ‘@Spotybet Eminem Made by @eug91
5. The bot will report results that match your search them. You can then select the one you want and start enjoying.

The bot produces both video and audio results.

FindmusicPlease Bot

The Findmusicplease bot is one of the greatest music bots on the Telegram platform. It is a general one and gets almost every song that can be found on a search engine.

Unlike the Spotybot which only retrieves music from Spotify, this particular bot can be used to search and get any song at all that has been previously released.

This is how to use the bot:

1. Search for the bot in your Telegram system search box.
2. Launch the bot
3. Click on ‘start’
4. Next, type the song title or name in the chat
5. Wait for a few seconds and the song will be available for you to download.

Bing Music Bot

Just as the name suggests, the Bing Music Bot is the official Telegram music bot for Bing.

It searches for and retrieves almost all songs ever uploaded to various websites on the internet. It looks out for Vevo, Youtube videos and audio from various streaming sites and just about anywhere on the internet.

With this bot, you can get any music file – audio or video from the internet.

This is the steps involved in using this bot:

1. Search for the Bing Music Bot in your Telegram system search bot.
2. Launch the bot
3. Click on ‘Start’
4. Type /Song to search for a song
5. Enter your song title and hit enter

A list of songs would popup and then you can choose from the ones available.

Conclusion

Technology has changed lots of things. And it keeps changing lots of things due to its continuously changing nature.

One of the trendy ways to communicate with your Telegram application is the use of bots. Now, channel owners and managers can set up bots to act in their absence.

Same also, you can download and listen to your preferred music on-the-go using Telegram bots. With these bots, you don’t have to do the hard work of searching through search engines and other streaming apps to get the song of your choice.

With just a few taps, you can get your song downloaded on your Telegram app and ready to play.

This article provided a full overview of what these Telegram Music Bots are and how each of them works.

We hope that you find this article helpful and that you’ll share it with your friends and family.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, kindly leave them in the comment box below and we shall attend to it. You can also get in touch with us.