What Is A Good Chromebook
Several years ago, all Chromebooks were pretty much the same regardless of what company made them. Now, there’s a far greater variety of laptops and two-in-ones — convertibles and tablets — to take advantage of Chrome OS’s current capabilities. You’ll still find more sizes and styles when it comes to Windows laptops, especially if you need top processing and graphics performance, but the variety of options is much better than in the past.;
If you’re just after a good, basic experience with a Chromebook, the small, lightweight OS has minimal hardware requirements and the same goes for web apps. Having a faster, higher-end processor, more memory and greater storage for files and apps will help keep demanding multitaskers moving along, but otherwise here’s what I recommend when I’m asked what basic specs to look for:
- Intel;Celeron or Core i-series, AMD Ryzen or MediaTek processors
- 4GB of memory or more
- 64GB of storage
- Full HD display
Regardless of what Chromebook you buy, before you buy it you should find out the device’s;Auto Update Expiration date, or AUE. Currently, non-Google hardware is only supported for so long before it stops receiving Chrome OS and browser updates, including those for security. For models released in 2020, the date is roughly 7 to 8 years from the initial release of the device, but that’s not always the case.;;and you should check it before you buy a Chromebook, new or used.;
Google Chrome Vs Microsoft Edge: System Usage
Next, I took a look at the system impact that each of these browsers had on my laptop. Even Chromes most ardent fan would concede that it can be a resource hog, but Google has thrown a lot of attention at this problem over the last year.
In my months of sticking with Edge as my primary browser I have definitely pushed it to its limits and bogged my laptop down with it at times, but thats attributable to my own bad habits of loading far too many windows and tabs at once.;
Again, prior to each test I restarted my laptop and made sure that no other applications were running. I loaded the same collection of four tabs on each browser: the Laptop Mag home page, a running 1080p video, Twitter and . I then viewed the relevant apps CPU and memory usage in Windows 10s Task Manager to measure the impact.
First up was Microsoft Edge. ;RAM usage was pretty consistently right around 0.9GB with occasional spikes to just over 1GB. CPU usage showed more movement, ;typically varying between 3-5% but in a few instances, it jumped to 20% and even 30% for a few seconds at a time.
Turning to Google Chrome, the RAM usage was similarly consistent, although it fluctuated between 1.25 to 1.35GB, so 30-40% higher than Edge. CPU usage on the other hand was only marginally higher than Edge, sticking predominantly to 4-6% usage with only occasional spikes up to around 30% for a few seconds.
Winner: Microsoft Edge;
Change Your Homepage To Google
In the Appearance section, check the box next to Show Home button. To set your homepage, click Change. Select Open this page, and then type www.google.com in the box. Click OK. Close the settings tab and your changes will be saved.
Click on the settings icon in the upper right corner and selectSettings. A new tab will open.
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Clean Your Google Chrome
;using a different browser and locate the downloaded program and double-click to open it.
This program wont install on your computer, it is a flash scanner to find suspicious programs and to reset Google Chrome Settings.
Clean up tool will scan for the conflicting program, if it does find any such program then it is recommended to uninstall those programs.
If it does not find any suspicious program then click on Continue.
The cleanup tool will try to open and reset Chrome settings.
Reboot your computer and check if it is working or not.
Google Chrome Vs Microsoft Edge: Security And Privacy
With Chrome 83, released in May of 2020, Google added several new user-facing security and privacy features. These gave users more control over their data in Chrome, including the sharing of your data with Google. Some of this was simply revamping existing features to make them clearer, like the Cookies and other site data section of Privacy and Security, while others were entirely new like the Enhanced protection option in Safe Browsing.;
With all of that said, trying to navigate the privacy and security screens in Chrome remains confusing for the average user and even new security and privacy-protecting features like Enhanced Protection are dependent on sending your data to Google. Ultimately, you need to put your trust in Google to use Chrome as your primary browser and while it is unquestionably in the companys best interest to protect your data from everyone, its also easy to see why this makes some users uncomfortable.
Microsoft Edge still makes handling security and privacy much easier for users from the moment they install the browser. There is a relatively easy-to-understand set of options to choose from during setup. You can select Basic, Balanced or Strict tracking prevention and Microsoft gives you a brief bulleted list of what each level will block as well as the potential ramifications are for your browsing experience.;
Winner: Microsoft Edge;
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Change Your Calendar View With Your Sidebar
There are a couple more neat tricks that you can do to improve the appearance of Google Calendar on a website.
On the left of the screen on the Google Calendar website is a mini-monthly view. Click a date on that calendar and drag the cursor, and the main screen will show just those dates.
Its an easy way to see adjust the view without fiddling with the drop-down menu. What happens next though is a little less obvious. The view that youve created now becomes your default view for your next click.
You can also remove this sidebar entirely. In the top left corner is an icon with three horizontal lines. Click that and the whole left sidebar disappears. Youll lose the mini-monthly view, the world clocks, your list of calendars and an easy way to add a friends calendar to your own. But, youll get a full-screen calendar with no interruptions.
On a mobile device, pressing that icon has a very different effect. Its the button that brings up the list of views. Those views start with Schedule this time, then run from a single day to three days, a week and a month.
With Chrome Os Even If Your Chromebook Burst Into Flames You Lose Nothing
Say you drop your laptop, and then the screen cracks. If you’re running Windows, you’d better hope you have a good recent backup, and you’re able to restore it to a new one without too much trouble. Good luck with that.
When I did that with a Chromebook, I got a new machine, signed into it, and in three minutes I was ready to go again. Using a Chromebook means never losing your settings, applications, or data again.
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Rename Google Chrome And Create New Shortcut
This method will help if the Chrome shortcut is corrupt by any other program. You should try this method before following the other methods mentioned below.
1. Go to This PC or My Computer and open C drive.
2. Navigate to this location C:\Program Files \Google\Chrome\Application.
3. Inside the application folder find Chrome.exe or Chrome.
4. Right-click on Chrome and rename it to some other name like Chrome_bak.
5. Now Right Click on Chrome_bak and Send it to Desktop .
6. On the desktop rename this shortcut from Chrome_bak to Google Chrome.
7. Double click to open the newly created shortcut and you would be able to launch Google Chrome.
If you have Chrome pinned to the taskbar then unpin the older shortcut and pin the new shortcut.
Now you can access the chrome using the new shortcut on the desktop and pinned shortcut.
Final Fix To Google Chrome Not Launching Issue:
If all the above solutions couldnt resolve this error then before Resetting Chrome or Re-installing it try this final Fix it will surely resolve this issue.
As written above Google chrome ownership is affected by some malware or incompatible programs we need to get the ownership back for the same user account, to do so follow these steps
1. ;Go to Shortcut of chrome Right-click on it >Open File Location.
You can also open the Chrome folder by navigating to:
Computer > C:\Program Files \Google\Chrome\Application;
This may also in
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application
Anyhow you have to open the Chrome Application folder, this location remains the same irrespective of the Windows version you are using it would be the same on Windows 7, 8/8.1, and Windows 10.
2.;Now create a new shortcut of chrome application on the desktop.
3. Right Click on New Shortcut and Go to Properties.
4. Go to the Security tab.
5. Click on Advanced.
6. Once you click on the Advanced option you will get another window named Advanced Security Settings. Here click on the Change Option.
7.;After Clicking on;Change in the owner section, you will get another window to Select User or Group,;In the;Box below type your USER NAME ; and Click on Check Names.
It will turn to COMPUTER NAME/USER NAME; ; and Click on OK.
8.;Now Go to Effective Access Tab in Advanced Security Settings, and click on Select a User.
10. Hit OK to it.
11.;Hit Apply / OK ;on the Advanced Security Settings Window.
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Introduction: Google Calendar Is More Than A Diary
There used to be a time when arranging a schedule meant pulling out a diary and flicking through the pages. It meant looking past the scribbles and the unreadable handwriting to find a spare space. It meant seeing the appointments you missed because well, you forgot to look at your diary in time. And it meant looking for an hour that also suited the schedule of everyone else attending the event. It was always such a pain. However, this guide to using Google Calendar in 2020 and beyond will show you how to make the most of this digital calendar.
The growth of digital calendars had made it all so much easier. You no longer need to keep a diary with you at all times. As long as you have your smartphone with you, youll have access to your calendar. The calendar will send notifications so you can be confident that nothing is ever forgotten and no appointment is missed. And, you can even share your calendar with others so that you can see what a colleague has lined up and can find a spare time to meet. Its a whole new way to organize time, and its been a remarkable change. Its also been a sudden and unnatural change.
How To Fix Google Chrome Wont Open Error On Windows 10 8/81 & 7
If this just happened then you need to try;these two steps first
1. End Chrome Process from Task manager Open Task Manager and Kill Every process of Google Chrome.
Check if it is working or not. If working then Great! If No
2. Reboot Your Computer and check again.
3. There may be another user account on your PC, log in to that user account and check. If it is working on other user accounts then the first user account got affected.
If it doesnt work on any user account then chrome got affected for all users.
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Add Calendars Of Interest
What Google calls calendars of interest is where things start to get really interesting. You can add a friends schedule to your calendar and you can create multiple schedules of your own to place in your calendar.
But you can also add a series of other calendars that have already been prepared. Click the option that says Browse calendars of interest and youll be taken to the Settings page and a list of different calendars. Theyre organized into holidays, sports and other which is only the phases of the moon.
Add those schedules to your own, and youll see those holidays or those sports fixtures on your calendar. Its very simple and a very effective way to create a calendar that works for you.
Chromebook: Play Store Apps
On a Chromebook, you can’t install programs like on other laptops. You only use internet applications from the Chrome Web Store and work with these in the Chrome internet browser. Think of text editor Google Docs or Google Slides, an alternative to PowerPoint. You can also install Android applications from the Google Play Store. If you’re a Microsoft Office enthusiast, you can install the Office 365 Android application. As a gamer, you can now use Google Stadia, which allows you to play and stream the latest games on your Chromebook, even in 4K.
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Four: Tweak Your Photo Uploading Settings
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Below the folder options in the My Computer section, you can also specify how youd like to back up images : Original Quality, which will take up space in your Drive, or High Quality, which wont take up any space in your Drive. The latter uses intelligent compression algorithms to shrink the size of the image without reducing quality, the same as it does in;.
You can also specify how youd like to control delete options: Remove Items Everywhere, Dont Remove Items Everywhere, or Ask Me Before Removing Items Everywhere. The last option is set as the default, which really makes the most sense anyway. Feel free to change this according to your specific needs.
Lastly, you can tick the box in the Google Photos section to automatically scan your computer for new pictures and upload them to Google Photos. Theres also a small option at the bottom labeled USB Devices & SD Cards, which you can use to automatically upload files from your digital camera or USB drives if youd like. Just plug in the drive or card and specify what youd like to do with it.
Do You Need Specialized Software
Software availability is the main reason to go with a Windows, macOS, or even a Linux-based laptop instead of a Chromebook. Most specialized software is released primarily for those three traditional options.
This is beginning to change as the cloud, and mobile apps become more sophisticated. Adobes Lightroom CC photo editing software is now nearly identical to its desktop PC software counterpart, for example. You can also run Microsoft Office online with the most important features available. Even video editing web apps are pretty sophisticated now.
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You may be more out of luck if you need something like Photoshop or Premiere. Designers may also want to run apps like AutoCAD. Furthermore, accountants, architects, and other professionals all have their dedicated software needs. Those who use specialized software of this kind are still better off going with a traditional laptop. The ultimate truth is that desktop apps still offer a fuller experience when compared to their mobile/web alternatives. You could argue theres Linux app support on some Chromebooks, but most developers ignore even that platform.
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Change Your Calendars Look And Feel
Finally, Google Calendar doesnt give you too many ways to change the design of the calendar. While you can adjust the colors for each event, you cant easily change the background image or insert pictures into the time slots themselves.
In fact, Google gives you just two options. Click the Settings icon at the top right of the website. This gets you to Density and color.
Choose that option and youll get exactly two options for each. Modern makes the text that appears on the colored event background white. The Classic color set uses black text. Every other aspect of the calendar looks exactly the same.
How To Add An Event From An App
Adding a detailed event from the website might well be the most convenient if you have a lot of text to create. If youre looking to add an event quickly, then using your mobile device might be more convenient. Click the plus icon in the bottom right-hand corner and youll be invited to create your event.
You wont only be invited to create an event though. Youll also be invited to create a goal and a reminder. Well come back to those but on an app an event is the last item on the listthough it is also the function with the biggest icon and the only icon in red.
Tap the Event icon and youll be taken to a form similar to the one on the website. One significant difference is that attachments can only be made from Google Drive. If you have a document on your mobile phone that you want to share, then youll need to upload it to Google Drive first.
You can also add an event by tapping a dateand delete one by sliding the event to the right.
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Other Calendar Importing Options
That method should be straightforward enough, and it shouldnt present you with any problems. But if moving from an Apple Calendar to Google Calendar doesnt go as smoothly as youd like, there is a second method.
First, youll need to change the default calendar on your iOS device to your Google account. On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Calendar, and under Default Calendar, choose your Google account. Click iCloud > Accounts, and slide the button so that its in the On position.
The next bit is where it starts to get fun.
Log in to iCloud and click the Calendar icon. Choose the calendar you wish to export and click the broadcast icon on the right. Youll see a window marked Calendar Sharing.
Check the box marked Public Calendar. Apple will generate a hashed URL. Copy the URL into your browser but change the webcal:// at the start of the address to http:// before pressing Enter. Youll be prompted to save your calendar data as an .ICS file.
Once youve saved the file, dont forget to uncheck the Public Calendar box. In Google Calendar, open Settings > Import & export > Import and import the file.