The HP desktop computer we bought on Amazon less than two months ago wouldn't start. For a few hours, we panicked. The solution? Unplug the machine. Hold the power button until the little light on the back of the computer goes off. (That's if it's a desktop computer, the type sometimes called a tower.) This frees the computer from hibernation mode. Viola, as we say in fractured French! It's fixed!
For several hours before that, we thought we had a dead computer. HP's troubleshooting site told us to hold down the power button, but we didn't do it long enough the first time. (HP said nothing about making sure the light had gone off before we released the power button.) While panicking, we had time to kick ourselves for not having created a recovery USB drive. We have one now, in case something serious comes up later.
Normally, you just tap the F11 button on the keyboard as your machine is booting up to enter recovery mode. (Or press whatever key your computer manufacturer has chosen. Google the words "recovery" and your brand of computer. For Macbook recovery, tap three keys -- Command, Option and R when you hear the startup chime.) Now you can't do any of these magic keystrokes if the computer doesn't come on in the first place. So go to square one and use your recovery disk or drive.
To create an emergency recovery drive to bring back a Windows 10 computer from the dead, type "recovery" in the search box and then click on "create recovery drive." It will prompt you to insert a blank USB drive, also called a thumb drive or memory stick. When we did that, it automatically backed up all our files as well. In Windows 7, type "create a system repair disc" into the Windows search bar and follow the prompts. They're easy. To create a recovery USB drive for a Macbook, download the OS X Recovery Disk Assistant from Support.Apple.com.
HEY BABY
Alexa, the voice inside Amazon's Echo and Echo Dot, now does text messaging and calling. Just say: Alexa, send a message. Or: Alexa, call so-and-so. (No, you don't call them a so-and-so.)
So Joy said, "Alexa, send a message." "To whom?" Alexa replied. "To Betty," said Joy. Next, she dictated the message: "Hey Betty, how's it going?" So Alexa sent a text message that read: "Hey baby, how's it going?"
For now, Alexa's text messaging only works with Android phones, but the messages can be sent out to any phone. She can also do phone calls. Joy said, "Alexa, call Bob," and so she did. This could be handy if you fell and can't get up, or can't reach your phone, or you're really lazy.
To set it up, go to the Alexa app on your smartphone. In the lower left of the screen, tap the icon that looks like a speech bubble. From there, click to enable text messaging.
INTERNUTS
• MillionMileSecrets.com has tips for frequent fliers. We discovered you can use your airline miles to get a ticket for someone else, rather than pay a fee to transfer the miles to them. Just sign in, book a flight, and fill in your loved one's name. Otherwise the airline will ding you for a substitution fee.
• AtlasObscura.com has The Greatest Finds of 2017. They have these lists going back for several years and for different categories. For example, you can check for new animal species found, and new archaeological sites like underwater cities.
A BIT OF COIN HERE OR THERE
On an individual basis, the people of Jacksonville, Fla., hold more bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies than any other place. They hold an average about $31,000 per person according to StatusMoney.com. The next closest city is Memphis, then Albuquerque, N.M., Charleston, S.C. and Alpharetta, Ga. New York is No. 10, with about $7,000 in cryptocurrency per person.
But as a percent of the entire cryptocurrency market in the U.S., New York is No. 1. It has about 7 percent of the market. Chicago is second, followed by Jacksonville, San Francisco and San Antonio. China has banned it, but Australia has made it legal currency. In South Korea, you can buy bitcoins at 7-Eleven stores. Denmark has announced it is in favor of all currency being digital. In Arnhem, Netherlands, bitcoin is legal for all transactions. (Bob says this is a really interesting city, especially for World War II history buffs.)
CONVERTING TO PDF
A reader wondered how to convert a PDF to a Word document without buying a conversion program.
PDFs are files with photos and text that are locked in place. But you can edit them using free websites such as PDFtoWord.com or PDFtoExcel.com.
When you get to PDFtoWord.com, ignore the words "free trial." That's a free trial of the premium version from NitroPDF. Just click "select your file" and choose the PDF you want to edit. An email with the converted document will be sent in under a minute. It worked perfectly in all but one of our tests.
We also like the free PDF editor at FormSwift.com. Joy used their eraser tool to erase parts of a poster for her Woman's Club, leaving in the border and logo, and substituting a new event. It was easy to use and free.
The Office 365 version of Microsoft Word will also convert a PDF to a Word document. Launch Word and open a PDF. It converts automatically.
Bob and Joy Schwabach can be reached by email at bobschwa@gmail.com and joydee@oncomp.com.
Business on 02/17/2018