“Fix It” collection
Master the art of household maintenance with practical DIY repair guides for appliances, electronics, and software systems. These tutorials focus on cost-saving troubleshooting techniques and hands-on solutions to keep your home and gadgets running at peak performance.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →March 18, 2011
How To Resolve Error 29 on the iPhone 3GS: Update Error Caused by Battery Replacement – CONFIRMED
This past weekend, I tried to upgrade my old iPhone 3GS to the latest version of iOS (version 4.3). Unfortunately during the upgrade process, I ran into a "little" issue, that of the fact that my iPhone 3GS got stuck in a recovery loop and kept failing during the upgrade/update process with an Error Code 29. I documented the issue…
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March 16, 2011
IMPORTANT: Enable SSL on your Social Media Accounts NOW! – Twitter and Facebook
As hacking into people's accounts has become a "clear and present danger", it's important to note TWO quick and easy configuration settings that you can now enable within both Facebook and now Twitter that can make your Social Media account just a bit more secure. While it won't protect you from other types of hack attacks, phishing or other social…
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March 13, 2011
WARNING: Do NOT Upgrade Your iPhone 3GS to a Newer iOS if you have Replaced Your Battery! Error 29 Issues Caused by Battery
With all of the hype that the iPhone 4, iPad 2 and iOS 4.3 currently going on, you might have missed this news. I (and others) have encountered a rather bad issue (Error 29) when trying to upgrade an iPhone 3GS's iOS to a later version. It seem that is related to previous versions of iOS as well and is…
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February 10, 2011
No Output Audio Devices Suddenly on your Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air? Try these 7 Fixes
How to fix audio issues on your Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Several items to try to correct no audio problems.
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January 18, 2011
Install Video Monitoring for Home or Business in an Hour? You Can Do It Yourself with the Logitech Alert System
We are all paranoid, right? Well, most of us are. We worry about what is going on in the places where we are not. That could be your office when it's the weekend or your home when you are traveling or there is a baby sitter watching your kids. Or maybe you want to keep an eye on your pool…
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November 17, 2010
Fix It: Re-enabling Email Delivery of “Back to Sender” in Public Google Groups if Using Google Apps
Well, that definitely is a cryptic title, isn't it? Hopefully this post will help to clarify and provide a fix (that DID work for me). Let's cut to the chase! History I was subscribed to a Public Google Group (let's call it "Dads R Us"). I had my primary email address (lets say it's me@my_domain.com) subscribed to this Public (the…
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October 21, 2010
How Car Window Tinting Is Done – A Great After-Market Upgrade
Getting a new car is always fun. I personally love that new car smell that comes with your purchase. And making your car more "yours" is always important. Many people will cover their cars with bumper stickers or other types of customization. Some are purely aesthetic while others not only look good but also provide an additional function like safety…
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October 20, 2010
Ok, I Bought A New Car, Now What? But First, A Little More About The Buying Process
A few weeks ago our 2001 Honda Odyssey died. The transmission on our 10 year old family shuttle that had "only" 130,000 miles conked out, for the second time. It had served us really well until the last year or so, and then it had developed an expensive habit of relentlessly having to visit the repair shop every few months.…
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August 13, 2010
How To Get Your iPhone Out of a Recovery or Restore Mode Loop
I recently got my iPhone 4 and consequently wanted to prepare my iPhone 3GS for my children to use as an "iPod Touch" – iPhone but without the cell service. I have already done this with my original iPhone. Honestly, it is a great way to extend the life of your "retired" iPhones. As I was going through the prep…
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July 26, 2010
How To Install a Replacement Battery into an Apple iPhone 3GS
My iPhone 3GS has been showing signs of a dying battery for a month or so now. The symptoms included the battery depleting faster than normal, charging very quickly (because there wasn't much to "charge"), and the iPhone simply crashing when the battery was at 75-90% FULL. It would simply crash as I was doing some tasks, not even showing…
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July 13, 2010
Laptop Got Stolen? Send PREY Out to Find It, for Free!
I'm sure that many of you have heard of the Find My iPhone service for MobileMe that helps you locate missing iPhones or iPads. Or the equivalent on Windows Mobile phones called My Phone. And I'm sure you know about LoJack that helps you locate stolen cars. LoJack also offers a service for computers as well, for a price. There…
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April 30, 2010
13+ Ways to Extend your iPad’s Battery Life
I have now been the lucky owner of an iPad for a little over an week now, and each day I'm becoming yet more attached to it. But this article is not about my "love affair." It's more about keeping the love running as long as possible, namely getting the most out of the iPad's battery, which isn't too shabby…
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