At Home Computer Guides.

Non-techie, step-by-step guides to getting stuff done on your computer.

At Home Computer Guides is the handbook you didn’t get with your computer. These guides continue on from where the Beginner’s Course leaves off.

Quick Links To guide Categories.

Email Guides

Quick Links To Categories

Latest Guides Added To At Home Computer

How to use the Google Chrome password manager. Save, view, update, delete …

Computer screen with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge logos. Text reads "How to use private browsing in Chrome and Edge".

Private browsing in Chrome and Edge. What is it? How can you …

Computer screen. Two program windows are open, one on top of the other. Text reads "How to make a window always stay on top".

How to make a window always stay on top of other windows. …

How to manage your favourites in Microsoft Edge. Add, Move, and Edit …

How to set up the Microsoft Edge web browser. Set your Start …

How to set up the Google Chrome web browser. Set your Start …

Windows 11 context menu open with all options.

How to restore the right click context menu to Windows 11. Step …

File being moved from one folder to another. Text reads"How to use the "Send to" menu". Add and remove items on the menu.

How to use the Send To menu in Windows 10 & Windows …

Email Guides

Love it or loathe it, email is here to stay. Our lives are increasingly dependent on being able to access email. Virtually everything we do will require some form of email confirmation, booking or receipt. I’m hardly ever asked for my home address, but nearly always for my email address.

These email guides will, hopefully, serve to help you to get the most out of your email service because you can do far more than send simple messages.

The email services I cover are the big 3. Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo.

If you’re very new to using email, then this page from the At Home Computer Beginners Course may help.

Printing emails is something we’ll all want to do from time to time.

Insert pictures directly into your emails. Add them as attachments.

Folder attached to an email message. Text Reads "How to email a folder"

Sounds easy right? Just attach a folder to an email.

Gmail. Text Reads "Print, Save, Add to contacts & Block Spam in Gmail".

Gmail icon. Text reads "How to add pictures, links, attachments, emojis and animated GIFs to Gmail"

Email being burned in flames. Text reads "How to use burner email addresses".

Clipart man sitting at computer. Emails flying from outlook to Gmail and then to his PC. Text reads "How to forward emails to another account".

Windows Mail app is open. Text reads "How to set up Windows Mail App".

Windows Mail app icon. Text reads "How to use Windows Mail App. Windows 10 and 11".

Internet Guides

When personal computers were first made available to the general public, they were a huge technological leap forward, but they simply didn’t have a use. Until the Internet was created. The ‘net is why we need PCs.

The Internet Guides section of At Home Computer will grow and grow. There is just so much out there to be discovered and shared.

Get Google Chrome working the way you want it to

The Internet and a bookmarker. Text reads "How to manage bookmarks in Google Chrome.".

Everything you need to know about bookmarks in Chrome

If you use Microsoft Edge, then this guide will help you get it set the way you want it.

Everything you need to know about Favourites in Microsoft Edge

Find information about your pictures from the Internet.

Clipart man holding a long scroll list. Text reads "To VPN or not to VPN?"

Just what can you do with a Virtual Private Network service?
Are they worth paying for?

How to create your Google account. What you’ll need to do.

Oh no, are you still using Internet Explorer? Stop it now. Switch to Google Chrome and take your Favourites and settings with you.

Get more from the Internet’s favourite video sharing website.

What are you committing yourself to by subscribing to YouTube channels?

Facebook is the number one social media platform. Chances are that you will know someone on Facebook.
So why not join them?

Facebook privacy checkup webpage is shown. Text reads"Check your Facebook privacy settings now"

With a Facebook account, you give away a huge amount of personal data.
Make sure only the people who should see it, see it.

Lock up your Facebook account. Don’t lose your info to an ID thief.

Locked down your Facebook account, great. Now make sure you can get into it if things go wrong.

Looking to get off Facebook? Or maybe you just need to take a break for a while.

Windows Guides

Printer with a red X over it. Text reads "How to clear a stuck print job".

Sometimes print jobs just get stuck in the system.

Windows “Send To” menu. A great time saver.

Image of people sat at cafe table. Parcel tag has been added with their names. Text reads"How to tag you photos in Windows"

If you’ve got hundreds of photos, then finding the right one can be a pain.
Add tags to your pics to speed things up.

Two computer windows open. One shows images as filenames, the other shows images as thumbnails. Text reads "How to show thumbnails instead of file names".

Show thumbnails of your pictures instead of file names.

How to setup a new computer. After you’ve unboxed it and plugged in, what happens next?

Complete step by step guide to keeping Windows up to date.

Taskbar with File Explorer icon disappearing. Text reads "File Explorer has gone missing"

File Explorer often goes missing from the Taskbar.

Windows Recycle Bin Icon and magnifying glass. Text reads "Restore missing Recycle Bin"

Sometimes the Recycle Bin just seems to disappear. It’s usually an easy fix.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 desktops. Arrow pointing from one to the other. Text reads "Should you upgrade to Windows 11".

Windows 11 has officially been released. So what now?
Should you take the upgrade or wait?

Analog clock next to laptop computer. Arrows point from clock to computer. Text "How to set correct time and date on PC"

Sometimes your computer just won’t know what time of day it is. Sometimes they need a little help.

Angry clip art man sitting at computer. Text reads "Go Away. How to uninstall a program or app in Windows 10 & 11".

Get rid of programs and apps that you don’t need or use.

Clipart man sitting at computer. Text reads "How to uninstall programs that won't uninstall".

But sometimes they just won’t go away.

Various anti virus program icons. Text reads "How to uninstall anti-virus programs that won't uninstall properly".

Because anti-virus programs can be difficult to remove.

Image file open in two different programs. Text reads "How to open a file in a different program"

How to change the default application

Create separate accounts for all the people that use your home computer.
Explaining Microsoft, Local, Administrator and Standard user accounts.

Windows logon screen. Text reads "How to remove your Windows logon password".

Fed up with having to type a password every time you start your computer? Me too.

Replace the current Windows 11 right click menu with the old one with all the options available.

Computer desktop. Text reads "How to screenshot your computer".

Sometimes, grabbing an image of the computer’s screen is just the best way of recording some information.

We’ve all done it, a silly typo when creating a Windows account. It’s an easy fix.

Sometimes it would be great if you could make a program window always stay on the top.

Computer Security Guides

Various antivirus program logos. Text reads "How to test your antivirus is working".

You’ve installed it and updated it, but how do you know that it’s working?

Silhouette of boy fishing from end of a jetty. Text reads "What is Phishing?"

Just what is Phishing?
If you know what it is and how it works, you’re less likely to get caught.

Computer with a circled arrow. Text reads "How to use System Restore".

How to create and use System Restore points on your Windows 10 and 11 computer.

Cloud containing several websites above a computer. A VPN sits between them. Text reads "How a VPN works".

How does a VPN work? How can it protect you on the Internet?

Spy and a phishing hook. Text reads "How to scan your PC for malware".

Use the free version of Malwarebytes to scan your computer for malware, viruses and hijackers.

Avast defending PC from viruses and malware. Text reads "How to install and setup Avast One free antivirus".

Avast free anti virus has been around for many years. Trusted by millions around the world. It can help keep you safe too.

Scan your computer for viruses and malware using this powerful free program.

Email message and a person looking shocked. Text reads "I know xxxx is one of your password on day of hack".

This phishing email is doing the rounds at the moment.

Anti virus giants Norton have bought the kings of free anti virus Avast.

PC Audio Guides

Music CD with musical notes. Flame burning. Text "How to burn an audio CD" g

Create audio CDs with all your favourite music tracks.
Choose by artist or genre, it’s entirely up to you.

WMA file above DRM which is crossed out. Text Reads " Remove Digital Rights Management from WMA files"

If you can’t play it, burn it or convert it, then it’s probably DRM protected.
You can remove DRM from your old WMA audio files.

Play music on your computer using WMP. Play directly from a CD, or from audio files.
Create playlists of your favourite songs and add shortcuts from your Desktop.

Audio CD, MP3 files and musical notes. Text " How to burn an MP3 Audio CD"

Create music CDs that play on and on and on. The CDs will play in most modern Cd players. Perfect for long car journeys or lazy Sunday afternoons.

Audio CD with arrow pointing toward a Computer. Text Reads "How to copy (rip) Audio CD to PC"

A place for everything and everything in it’s place. Using folders just makes sense

WMA file converting to MP3 file. Text reads "How to convert WMA to MP3"

How to save files, where you want them, so you can find them again later.

Tech Guides

Windows registry and registry backup file. Text reads "How to backup and restore Windows registry.

Is it worth backing up the registry? And how do you do it?

Clipart hard drive image. Text "What are hard drive partitions".

Just what are hard drive partitions? How do they work?
Partitions are one of those things that you occasionally hear about or read about.
Not knowing what they are just leads to more confusion.

Eight light bulbs arranged in a line. Two are turned on. Below is the binary number 01000001. Text reads "How does a computer store data?

How can a computer store data?
We know it has something to do with 1s & 0s, but still it doesn’t make sense.

Man confused. Text reads "What's the difference between differential and incremental backups".

So you’ve installed a backup program and it wants you to setup a schedule. Great.

Large colourful Question mark. Text reads "Wgat are Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes & Terabytes".

Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes. What are they?
Which is bigger or smaller?

Blank CD. Text "Types of blank CD & DVD".

Yes they are still available, and they have their uses.
But maybe you’re not sure about the markings on the packs?

Desktop computer with side panel removed and various components labelled.

Putting names to the contents of a computer.

Computer screen displaying advanced start options. F8 keyboard key is also shown. Text reads "How to enable F8 for Safe Mode"

Remember when you could start your computer in Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key?

Clipart man with question marks floating above his head. Text reads "The difference between Save & Save As".

What is the difference? Save or Save As, don’t they do the same thing?

Computer Networking Guides.

3 laptop computers displaying the same image file. Text reads "How to share files between your computers".

Set up a home network to view, copy, delete or do anything you like with files that are on another computer.

Files being synchronised between 2 laptop computers. Text reads "Keep files up to date automatically"

Once you’ve set up your home network, wouldn’t it be good if your files synchronised themselves automatically?