Do I never update Windows 10?
Q: I have a Dell 2015 laptop with 32GB SSD running the original 2015 Win 10 Home version. I was never able to update Windows 10 due to insufficient disk space. I only have 5 gigabytes of free disk space no matter what. I have tried Disk Cleanup and removed unused programs, but still only see a marginal improvement in disk space.
When the unit was still under warranty, I spoke with Dell Support about this issue. They basically said living with it, that it wasn’t a big deal. Do you have a solution to this problem? Or should I just be content with the status quo? The laptop is working pretty well and I don’t want to create a problem and end up with a computer that is not working.
– J. Needham
A: I’m afraid this is a big problem. If you can’t update Windows, you don’t get security fixes, leaving your computer vulnerable. So I would invest in a fast external SSD drive and move as much data onto that drive as needed to free up the 20 gigabytes needed to install the 64-bit version of Windows 10. (You will only need to free up 16 gigabytes if you are installing the 32-bit version.)
Q: I have an HP desktop PC with the Windows 10 operating system. I mainly use the Microsoft Edge browser. For about a month, when I put the computer into sleep mode, it will go to sleep but wake up after a few minutes. I have a friend who has the same problem with his laptop. It may have started after one of Microsoft’s Windows updates.
– James Lowndes, Renton
A: There are many potential causes for your computer to wake up from sleep mode.
The first thing to do is to check what Windows itself is reporting that woke it up. From the Start menu, scroll to the Windows System folder. In that folder, right-click on the Command Prompt, then select More / Run as administrator. Finally, in the command prompt that appears, type: powercfg -lastwake.
Of course, what you do after that depends on what Windows is reporting. It could be a misbehaving device, a network card, or even malware.
Q: Wow. Last night I watched the Netflix production âOur Social Dilemmaâ. It was scary. Hope all social media users are watching this program especially parents who allow their kids to use social media. I immediately deleted my Facebook account, but I want to continue to access the internet. I’ve been a solid Chrome user for years, but no more. Can you guide me in choosing a search engine / browser that doesn’t track or sell my browser data and better protect my privacy?
– Lisa, bow
A: Largely for its privacy features, the browser I use most often is Mozilla Firefox. But it’s not just the browser you’ll want to consider. If you are using Firefox but using Google as your search engine, you are still exposing a lot of personal data. This is why I use DuckDuckGo as my primary search engine. Their promise: “Our privacy policy is simple: we do not collect or share any of your personal information.”