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Issue #300: April 21, 2013
Dear Readers,
Welcome to what is sure to be another typical issue of It’s Geek to Me. You probably don’t realize it, but in a way that is very special to me, this edition is different. Let me explain. I keep track of my columns by their issue number. These numbers started at one (creative, huh?) when the first issue published in July 2007 and have increased by one with each weekly column. This issue number just happens to be one of those rare ones that has a lot of zeroes in it. Well, “a lot” if you consider two to be a lot. Since my columns are all numbered sequentially, it stands to reason that the number of this issue is very likely some multiple of one hundred, which, coincidentally, also contains two zeroes. So, Geeks – do the math for yourself, then celebrate along with me. (Or, you could sign on to ItsGeekToMe.co and just look at the issue number at the top of the page. Whichever pleases you most.) So enjoy. If you can stand the excitement, come and party with me again in July when the column turns six years old.
– Geek
Q: I have a 4th Generation iPod. I have a name for it and an Apple ID. When I go to the App Store or games, the previous owner’s Apple ID shows up and asks for the password. I got it used on eBay. It looks like it was cleared of all old info via settings, but not with the Apple sites. How do I clear this up? I have the latest OS on it.
– Larry T.
Navarre, Florida
A: It sounds like the old ID is still signed into the App Store on that device. From the App Store app, select “Categories” and scroll all the way down to the bottom. Click the button that says “Apple ID: [some id]” and select “Sign Out”. You can now sign-in with your own Apple ID. If this isn’t adequate for your needs (for example, you said there are left-over apps that may be linked to someone else’s ID), you might need to do a proper reset on the device. There are several “levels” of reset you can do on a device such as yours. It sounds like in the case of your device, someone reset the settings but did not erase the content. Go to Settings->General->Reset, and choose “Erase all content and settings”. This is a destructive reset, and the device will not be usable until you set it up again. I hope this situation will be a good reminder to all you Geeks out there who are selling your unwanted hardware: make certain you’ve deleted all your old information from it first! Performing a full reset or factory reset is usually your best bet.
Q: Can we install the “Microsoft Works” from our old Windows XP onto our new Dell Windows 8 which does not have any Office on it? We have the CDs which came with the old one.
– Sharon S.
Destin, Florida
A: I hate to answer a question with another question, but have you tried? You certainly won’t hurt anything in the attempt. The worst I can see happening would be getting a message box that says something like “This program is not compatible with this version of Windows.” However, I don’t think that will be the case. If you got your copy of Works along with Windows XP, as you said, you should have Works version 8.0. I’ve not tried it personally, but from what I read in online forums, versions 8 or higher should work under Windows 8. In case it doesn’t, all is not lost. There are choices in free office application suites these days. Check out both Open Office, and LibreOffice.
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