Articles by Melanie Pinola

Melanie was a writer at Laptop Mag. She wrote dozens of helpful how-to guides, covering both the software and the hardware side of things. Her work included topics like SSDs, RAM, Apple, Excel, OneDrive, and detailed guides for Windows users. Outside of all her useful advice, Melanie also penned a few reviews for Laptop Mag, including Android emulators that help you run apps on your PC.

Articles by: Melanie Pinola

How to record your screen in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola last updated 15 February 24

Level up Windows mastery by learning how to record your screen in Windows 10

How to lock cells in Excel

By Melanie Pinola last updated 12 January 23

Here's how to lock cells in Excel, which will allow others to read, but not edit certain cells (or all cells) in an Excel spreadsheet.

How to upgrade the RAM (memory) on a laptop

By Melanie Pinola last updated 12 January 23

Whether your older laptop is feeling sluggish or your newer system bogs down when too many tabs are open, adding more RAM could solve the problem.

How to find your MAC Address in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola, Claire Tabari published 10 November 22

A step-by-step guide on how to find the MAC address of one's PC on Windows 10.

How to Control Which OneDrive Files Are Available Offline

By Melanie Pinola last updated 23 May 22

How to access your OneDrive files offline.

How to Select Only the Visible Cells in Excel 2016 and Prior

By Melanie Pinola last updated 23 May 22

Excel can act unexpectedly when you copy and paste a range of cells. Here's the time-saving shortcut that select only the visible cells in Excel, ignoring hidden rows and columns.

How to upgrade your laptop’s hard drive to an SSD

By Melanie Pinola, Andrew E. Freedman published 9 May 22

There's no better way to speed up and upgrade a laptop than to replace its mechanical drive with an SSD (Solid State Drive).

How to make Safari read a website aloud to you

How to make Safari read a webpage aloud to you

By Melanie Pinola published 26 April 22

Here's a neat but hidden trick Safari can do: read a website aloud to you.

How to Create a Guest Account in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola published 26 April 22

How to change the icon size in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola published 25 April 22

Wish the desktop icons in Windows 10 were bigger (or smaller)? Here's how to change the size.

How to add a printer in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola published 25 April 22

Installing a printer in Windows 10 is a painless task that gives you the ability to start printing immediately after a quick setup. Here's how to add a printer in Windows 10.

How to Enable Parental Controls on a Mac

By Melanie Pinola last updated 19 April 22

Set up the parental controls on macOS once to keep your kids safe every time they use the Mac or go online. =

Microsoft Excel How to Freeze and Unfreeze Columns

How to Freeze Rows and Columns in Excel

By Melanie Pinola, Claire Tabari published 13 April 22

When you're working with a lot of data on your laptop, it can be difficult to compare one or more rows with others that are towards the bottom of the workbook. Here is how to freeze a row in Excel.

How to Turn on the Black Theme in Microsoft Office

By Melanie Pinola last updated 13 April 22

Microsoft rolled out a theme for Office that's easier on your eyes and also makes buttons and other menu items in the Ribbon stand out.

How to use multiple desktops in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola last updated 13 April 22

Microsoft added virtual desktops to Windows 10 for this multi-tasking organization. Here's how to set it up.

How to calibrate your monitor in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola last updated 13 April 22

Want to make sure photos, videos, and games look their absolute best on your screen? Calibrating your monitor is the key.

How to install Windows 10 apps to an SD Card or USB Drive

By Melanie Pinola last updated 12 April 22

With Windows 10, you can install apps to a separate drive, such as an SD card or USB Flash drive. Here's how to install or move Windows apps to a different drive.