Is Microsoft Edge Windows 7 Compatible? Some have asked me that question so I did some research. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge Microsoft’s first internet browser, Internet Explorer, was released in 1995. Internet Explorer dominated the internet browser market share for several years. Then, Microsoft began losing users to […]
Safely Remove Hardware: Is Ejecting a USB Drive Necessary?
Many people have asked me if you really need to click safely remove hardware before ejecting a USB or flash drive. What’s the answer? Here’s a bit of background on the topic and instructions for how to eject a USB drive or safely remove hardware. Note: This post may contain affiliate links. What Could Happen […]
Windows 10 Upgrade or Not to Upgrade?
If you haven’t grabbed the Windows 10 upgrade yet you should think about it. According to Microsoft the free update will be available until July 29, 2016. So, as the clock ticks down on the free window (pun intended 🙂 ), should you update your computer with this new operating system? Let’s first find out […]
Convert Speech to Text for Free in Windows
Do you type a lot on the computer? I do. And even though I’m a fast typist I still don’t type as fast as I can talk. That’s probably true for most of us. So, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just turn your speech to text on your computer? Well, you can! There’s […]
15 More Free Software Downloads
Our original post, 15 Powerful Free Computer Programs, has been very popular with German Pearls’ visitors. Since writing that post I’ve realized I left a few great programs off the original list. Also, I’ve learned about other free software downloads recommended by our readers through comments on the blog and on our Google + posts. […]
How to Add a Mozilla Firefox Shortcut to Windows 10 Start Menu
In Windows 8 Microsoft removed the start menu and most users found it frustrating not to have quick access to their settings and favorite programs. (If you’re still using Windows 8 check out our post on how to get your start menu back!) Microsoft listened to users and brought the start menu back in Windows […]
Picture Thumbnails Not Showing in Windows Explorer? How to Get Them Back
When you’re looking through windows explorer looking for a picture it’s helpful to see a picture preview of each file. These preview icons are called thumbnails. Are your picture thumbnails not showing in windows explorer? If so, it can be difficult to find the file you’re looking for. Here’s how to turn on the thumbnails so […]