Monthly Archives: December 2013

Where Did My Download Go?

When you download something off the internet, it’s not always obvious where your computer decided to stash the file. Even when the browser prompts you to specify a location to save the file to, sometimes the computer just goes ahead and saves that file to some other mystery spot among your files and folders, and you’re stuck having to hunt it down. My Dad ran into this problem when I sent him a redemption code for a digital video I’d bought him, and he had to redeem that code right on the performer’s website. He thought he’d downloaded the video, but when he went to check his My Videos folder, he couldn’t find it. Here are some tips and tricks for finding those pesky, missing downloads. Going On A Download Hunt Downloaded files don’t always go where you assume they should.

What To Do About A Lost Kindle / Fire Screen Lock Password, Lost Parental Controls Password

This little nugget was included in a previous DMM post, I Got A New Kindle Fire; Can I Give Away My Old Kindle Or Fire?, but since many of you who don’t have plans to pass on an old device might’ve skipped that post, I figured I should break this out as a separate post. If you’ve previously set a parental controls lock password or screen lock passcode on your Kindle, Paperwhite or Fire and don’t remember it, unfortunately, the only way to remove the lock is to do a combination unlock/reset on the device. Amazon does not keep any record of the personal password(s) you’ve set to lock the screen, for Parental Controls, or from within any of your password-protected apps, files or documents. It’s kind of a drag to have to do a reset because it will clear all your downloaded content and any bookmarks, annotations, etc. you’ve made…

Can My Overcharged Battery Be Fixed?

I’m sorry to tell you this, but in a word, no. It doesn’t mean your device is totally useless, however. I’ve written here before about the dangers of overcharging your thingie’s rechargeable battery, and more recently I’ve been getting questions from site visitors about what to do once that damage is done. Before we go any further, see this post for a simple rechargeable battery test you can do at home with no risk to yourself or your device. If the results show your rechargeable battery is damaged, read on. 1. If your thingie is still under warranty, return it to the place where you bought it for a replacement. If you’re going to replace it with the exact same thingie, back up your content first so you can re-load everything onto the new device. Click here for my post that explains how to do this for a Kindle Fire. For other types…