Dropbox
Request Files Using Dropbox Or OneDrive
I tingle with excitement when I discover a cool technology trick that no one knows about, which perhaps tells you more about me than I should be comfortable with. The only nagging worry is, what if everyone already knows the trick and you’re all embarrassed for me?
I’ll have to take that risk. […] continued
Read moreWindows 10 Has Ransomware Protection – Here’s Why It’s Not Turned On
Microsoft added built-in ransomware protection to Windows 10 two years ago. When you check, you’ll find it’s not turned on. This will seem strange. It should be a good thing to stop ransomware, right? Here’s why you’ve never heard of it and why you probably won’t turn it on.
It will help if you have some background about how ransomware works; then I’ll tell you about the difficult bits in the Windows ransomware protection that make it hard to manage for non-tech people. […] continued
Read moreYour Backup Program Is Not Backing Up OneDrive Files (But It’s Okay!)
Backups are hard. I have a story to tell you about why your backup program is not backing up OneDrive files – but don’t panic! This is just a public service announcement that may help you someday if you understand what’s going on behind the scenes.
If you have files in OneDrive or OneDrive for Business, it means Microsoft stores your files in the cloud. […] continued
Read moreOneDrive For Business Has Issues
I wanted to love OneDrive for Business.
And it should have been a great relationship! There are lots of reasons to love OneDrive for Business. Although it had problems in the past, now the Windows app is stable and fast; I’ve got lots of storage space included with my Office 365 subscription; and OneDrive for Business includes features at no charge that cost extra from other services. […] continued
Read moreGoogle Docs Adding Support For Microsoft Office File Formats
Google is trying to make the grass look greener in its walled garden, hoping to lure businesses that might otherwise stay loyal to Microsoft. The change it has announced sounds innocuous but might have big consequences in the long run.
Google is adding native support to Google Docs for editing, commenting, and collaborating on files in Microsoft Office file formats. […] continued
Read moreHow To Live The Simple Life . . . With Microsoft
My new computer is simple and has relatively few confusing bits.
My new computer runs Windows and primarily relies on Microsoft services.
Those two sentences are not normally uttered together! Microsoft’s mish-mash of dueling and overlapping personal and business accounts is anything but simple. I continue to have conversations every day with people who are confused by Microsoft services. […] continued
Read moreMicrosoft Has Improved AutoSave For Office Documents (But Not For Everybody, And With One Bit That Might Make You Curse)
Have you ever lost hours of work in a Word document because you closed it without saving? Of course you have. It’s happened to everyone.
That has never happened to you if you use Google Docs. In fact, you’ve forgotten about that problem because Google Docs automatically saves everything continuously. Now that you think about it, you’re feeling a bit superior, aren’t you? […] continued
Read moreThe 2018 Bruceb News Year In Review
Remember when I wrote an article a year ago predicting that always-connected computers would be heavily promoted in 2018?
Yeah, about that: not even close. Nada. All the buzz died away when the first PCs in that category turned out to be underpowered and, well, pretty awful.
Okay, that prediction didn’t pan out. […] continued
Read morePrepare Yourself (And Your Budget) For Subscription Fatigue
You’re going to be so fed up with subscriptions by the end of next year that you will want to scream.
Want to play a game? Before you read further, think about your recurring monthly expenses for digital services, devices, and subscription boxes. Write down a quick estimate of how much you spend each month. […] continued
Read moreStore Your Files In The Server In The Sky
It’s time to move your files to the cloud.
Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive now all have plans that support an important feature: You can store your files online and access them with Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder, without syncing the files and without using space on your hard drive. Today I have to explain a bunch of stuff for that to make sense, but I think this will be our natural expectation without a second thought in a very short time. […] continued
Read moreHow Microsoft Became Uncool And Lost Touch With Consumers
There was a time when Windows was cool. A long time ago, people lined up to get new versions of Windows when they went on sale. Maybe not quite the numbers of people outside of Apple stores at the height of iPhone madness, but still – Microsoft was pretty cool.
When the iPhone was released in 2007, Microsoft began its long decline with consumers. […] continued
Read moreBox Drive Hits A Milestone
Box Drive has been declared to be generally available, instead of being labeled a “beta.” Box Drive users will be prompted to install an update – more about that below.
Need a refresher?
Box is a service for businesses to store files online. Box was built from the ground up for business and is not the right choice for individuals. […] continued
Read moreStore Files Online, View Them On Your Computer With Dropbox Smart Sync
Dropbox Smart Sync is a new feature that allows you to store files online and browse through them with Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder. The files are not synced. They are only online, not on your local hard drive.
This is an important change in technology for small businesses and individuals with a large number of files. […] continued
Read moreMicrosoft Is Moving Past Windows
If you’re an individual or small business Windows user, you might have the wrong idea about how Microsoft is doing.
We all tend to generalize from our own experiences. You can be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft’s future is dim when Outlook has just crashed or you’re paralyzed by an unexpected and unwelcome Windows update. […] continued
Read moreThe Confusing Story Of OneDrive Files On-Demand
OneDrive Files On-Demand is a new feature being rolled out now to Windows 10 computers worldwide. It’s a valuable and welcome new feature that you should know about and that you might use. But this is from Microsoft, so you will not be surprised to find out that (1) it’s hard to predict when you’ll get the update that includes the new feature, (2) it’s confusing to set it up, and (3) it’s poorly documented. […] continued
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