Recent content by John Chapman

My choice is for Swiftkey. It offers a number row and each key allows a long press to get punctuation and symbols. It also offers cursor keys which allow you to move the insertion point to correct mistakes. It's great for entering passwords. The equivalent for iOS isn't worth bothering with...

If you have access to the wi-fi router (and it belongs to you) then check the back or underside to see it the password is printed there. Go online and search for the default password for that router. If that has been changed you can hold in the router reset button for about 20 seconds to reset...

To be honest I wouldn't give either houseroom. Laptop 2 has an appalling screen resolution 1366 x 768 - you have to be kidding. My phone is better than that. laptop 1 has a SSD so it will be fairly fast to start up BUT it's only 160 GB of which about half will be needed by the OS. You'll quickly...

From your description it sounds like you hold a key for four seconds and the key then gets stuck down. Does this happen with all the keys? If so that sounds like a software fault. Deleting the keyboard driver and restarting may fix it. It's also possible your keyboard has developed a hardware...

Look for the USB drivers and try removing them. As Webworkings said, when you restart they should be re-installed.

They are not too difficult to replace. First try using an external USB keyboard to see if that works. If it does then go ahead and buy a replacement keyboard for your laptop. If an external keyboard doesn't work you probably need a new laptop. You can find instructions online for the replacement...

HP laptops are notorious for overheating. I've had two Pavilions with this problem. The problem is that dust collects inside which blocks the cooling vents. The fan compensates by blowing harder. The problem is much worse if you have a cat. Cat hair gets sucked in and trapped between the fan and...

One good reason for having a battery in a laptop is that the laptop can be moved from room to room without having to switch it off. I run a Dell 1720 laptop 24/7 as a Twitter server and have done so since 2007. It gets moved frequently. It's on it's second battery. I changed it when it was no...

You have the classic signs of an overheating laptop. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck dust out of the air intake/exhaust vents. If you need to, use a short length of stiff monofilament fishing line or thin strimmer line to dislodge it Got a cat? Cat fur is very hard to dislodge and gets trapped...

I had planned on getting a Galaxy Note 7. I still would if Samsung released a new version. If they plan on doing this, may I suggest they sacrifice thinness for a removable battery and a rigid construction that doesn't allow it to flex.

You have, of course, checked the batteries in the remote?

Save the file on your computer and right click it. Choose properties and at the bottom of the window check the 'Attributes' section. Is there an 'Unblock' option? If so check it and the file can then be used.

I'm glad they discovered this battery problem before I get a Note 7. I still intend to get one because it's exactly what I want in a phone.

I would have suspected overheating also, especially when you say it doesn't shut down when running on battery. It's likely to be a wad of dust caught between the heat exchanger fins and the fan outlet. A second possibility is a non-functioning fan. Do you hear it start running? Can you feel warm...

I've had a number of laptops over the years. Some developed overheating problems, Others were fine. In an extreme case one laptop, which remained on while the lid was closed, actually partially melted the keyboard. Invariably the problem is caused by dust which collects. Sometimes you can...