Q: I received a call today from a male who identified himself as Andrew Allison with Microsoft Security. He told me that “my NT wires” were installed incorrectly and were causing errors across the internet and that he could talk me through the steps needed to correct the problem. Trying to find a way to report this to Microsoft... — Dennis

Q: My son’s laptop was stolen from his college dorm during a party and he had the Find My Mac system setup on it, so he was able to track it to an apartment complex nearby. The problem is that the police said that they need more information to go on as they can’t just start knocking on all the apartment doors. What else can we do? — B

Q: I would like to print from my Gmail account on my iPhone or iPad to my printer, but it doesn’t come up in Apple’s print option on either (device). Any suggestions? — Daryl

Q: I saw your video on how to turn off in-app purchases (http://youtu.be/9P4wFB6d7gM), but what if I want to allow my son to buy age appropriate items on his iPod touch but limit how much he can spend? — Daniel

Q: Is a VPN the safest way to use an unsecured (public) Wi-Fi connection? Are there other ways to stay safe? Are there any free VPNs out there for personal use? — Kevin

I am trying to find a way to legally copy DVDs we own to an external hard drive for storage connected to my laptop. When we take long road trips it would be nice to not have to haul all our movies along. — Bill

Q: I use Microsoft Security Essentials as my “seatbelt” for protection, plus I am as careful as possible. Is this enough or should I get Trend Micro. Not both, right? — Jonathan

Q: Is there an easy way to see if I have a hidden keylogger on my Windows 7 computer before I start doing my taxes? — Don

Q: I’ve heard rumors that there are viruses that can take over your computer and demand a ransom to allow you back in. Can this really happen? — Kris

Q: Where can I take my old computers and cell phones to be recycled properly? - Suzanne

Q: Does it affect your iPhone’s battery life when you charge it every night? I have found a lot of conflicting answers on the web. — Madeline

A: I have an old computer with (Windows) XP that is running very slow (I think it has a virus). I would like to get a new computer and transfer things to the new computer but I’m afraid it will transfer the virus. What should I do? -- Maureen

Microsoft is making the claim that you can’t trust Google anymore because they only show search results for those that are willing to pay. Is this true?

Q: Are extended warranties on computers worth buying? — Tim

Q: How do I know if I downloaded the (Facebook Photo Sync) app (by accident)? - Donna

Q: Curious what y'all thought about the (Google) Chromebook or if you could point me to a post if you've already covered it. - Cathy

Q: With all of the “special deals” being offered during the holiday shopping season, is it safe to buy electronics that have been refurbished? - Melody

Q: What is Metadata? And after the scandal of General Petraeus, are our emails private from government agencies? - Jeremy

Q: I have thousands of songs in my iTunes at home that I would like to listen to at work and I don’t want to pay Apple to use iTunes Match. Any other suggestions? — Nicholas

Q: I find that unless I vocally tell people to look in their spam box for my messages they usually DO NOT get them as they are fazed out of regular mail. How can this be rectified? — Donna

Q: How does Microsoft’s Surface tablet compare to the iPad? -- Jesse

Q: I’m considering Windows 8 but don’t know if my current computer is capable of the upgrade. Any quick way to figure out if I need a new computer or not? — Donald

Q: I have thousands of songs in my iTunes at home that I would like to listen to at work and I don’t want to pay Apple to use iTunes Match. Any other suggestions? - Nicholas

Q: I love the new panoramic photos I can take with my iPhone, but when I share them on Facebook, they are too small. Help! — Sandy