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

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

How to lock cells in Excel

By Melanie Pinola

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

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

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

How to access your OneDrive files offline.

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

By Melanie Pinola

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

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

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

Windows' guest account lets other people use your computer without being able to change PC settings, install apps or access your private files. That comes in handy when you have to share your computer...

How to change the icon size in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

How to create a new folder in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola

Do your files and documents need better organization? Creating new folders in Windows 10 is a good way to keep your desktop in order.

How to format a hard drive for both Windows and Mac

By Melanie Pinola

Here's how to format your hard drive in either OS

How to Use Offline Maps in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola

Windows 10 comes with a Maps app that lets you search for locations, get turn-by-turn directions, and see points of interest wherever you go. If you know you won't have an internet connection on your ...

How to Activate Windows 10's God Mode

By Melanie Pinola

A legendary folder hidden in Windows 10 gives you quick access to a ton of handy settings in one place. The so-called "God Mode" folder provides links to a range of administration tools and tweaks in...

How to Get the Full Layout in Windows 10's Touch Keyboard

By Melanie Pinola

Microsoft designed the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 with tablet users in mind. The large keys are easy to tap, autocorrect and text suggestion are built in and there's an emoji button. However, th...

How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola

The best way to upgrade your computer to the latest version of Windows is to do a clean install, so you can start afresh rather than bringing along unwanted programs or files you might have on your cu...

How to Defragment Your Hard Drive in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola

Over time, files on your hard drive get fragmented, and your desktop or laptop slows down because it has to check multiple places on your drive for those pieces. To have your computer run more efficie...

How to Create a Detailed Battery Report in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola

Windows 10 has a built-in, hidden battery report tool that can tell you everything you need to know about your laptop battery, including your battery life estimate and its capacity over time. Use this...

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