OSKALOOSA — Q. I’m struggling to make ends meet. I’d like to earn some extra money. And I’d like to do it from home using the Internet. I’m not sure where to start. I’m also worried about scams. So, I need some help.

A. There are lots of ways to make money from home. Of course, many of them aren’t immediately profitable. And they’ll all take a fair amount of work. If you’re good with your hands, you can sell your work. Or maybe you have a knack for photography. You can try microstock sites. There are also online surveys. Yes, you can get paid for your opinion. You could try making money with a blog. You’ll find links to all of these options at Komando.com/news. And you’ll learn how to avoid the scams.



Q. I’m in the market for a new smart phone. I’d like to buy a refurbished BlackBerry. Where is the best place to find one?

A. There are lots of places to buy refurbished electronics. And you can often get great deals. I would start with your cell phone provider. Most of them sell refurbished units. Buying from a carrier makes setup easier and guarantees compatibility. And you’ll get a warranty you can trust. Amazon is another option. Its refurbished phones come with a 60-day warranty. It’s not much of a warranty, but it’s something. I would avoid eBay, as product quality is never assured. Plus, you may or may not get a warranty.



Q. I think my hard drive died. I can’t access my data. I can boot into the recovery partition and that’s it. There are some important files on there. Is there any way to recover the files myself?

A. It sounds like the data is probably recoverable. You will need to get an external enclosure. This will let you connect the drive to another computer via USB. The files on the drive should be accessible. If not, try using Recuva. Find a link to this free program at Komando.com/news. It will scan the hard drive for recoverable files. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to visit a data recovery service. Those can get pretty expensive. Be sure you get a solid estimate up front.



Q. I saw a cool screen saver on a friend’s Mac. It wasn’t goofy pictures or bouncing balls. It showed the latest headlines from the New York Times. I thought it was neat. How can I set this up on my Mac?

A. What if a screen saver could keep you informed? Then, it would actually be a handy tool. There is a screen saver that does just that. And it’s built into every Mac. It’s called RSS Visualizer. It can pull the latest headlines from any blog's RSS feed. Learn more about RSS at Komando.com/news. Setting up the screen saver is easy. Click the Apple logo>>System Preferences. Click Desktop & Screen Saver. Select the Screen Saver tab. Select RSS Visualizer. Click the Options button. Insert the URL of your favorite feed.



Q. I have Windows 7 on my new netbook. I foolishly set up a password. Now, I have to sign on each time I use it. Can I delete this?

A. Removing a password from your user account is easy enough. Click Start>>Control Panel>>User Accounts. Select your account. Click "Remove my password." On the next window, enter your password in the box. Click Remove Password. Before you do this though, there are good reasons to have a password. Should your netbook be stolen, it can keep thieves out of your files. You’ll also need one to set up a guest account. Of course, your password needs to be strong. Learn how make one at Komando.com/news.



Copyright 2010,  WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved.

Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit: http://www.komando.com/listen.