Sandy wants to know what's going on with her window colors
I'll try to explain what is happening. When I click on a picture or something to Save As and the Save As Dialog box comes up, the bar across the top that has the Organize, New Folder, View, etc. has suddenly become a dark blue instead of a gray bar. It is hard to see the Organize, New Folder, etc. Also, when I go to insert a file or picture, when the dialog box opens and you click on the file you want to insert, it doesn't highlight like it used to. I have no idea I have selected the file until I click on Insert and the file I picked actually does insert. There were no Windows updates that I know off. Nothing I did to any of my settings. Any idea what is going on and how to get things back to what they should be?

Our answer
Hi Sandy. The most likely cause is that you changed something in color/background/themes. To adjust/check this, click Start, Settings, Personalization and check the following settings:

1. Colors - Click "Make Start, taskbar and action center transparent" to on or off to check your view. Next, you may have checked "Automatically pick an accent color from my background", if so, try unchecking it to see if your menus easier for you to see. You can try different color schemes here as well. Don't be afraid to experiment until you get exactly the look you want.

2. Themes - Try a default Windows 10 theme if you are using an unsaved theme or a personal one.

Worst case scenario? There's a remote chance there may be a problem with your video card or video driver(s). However, if other things look fine, e.g.., browser/web pages, mail, photos, etc. you can rule out the problem being caused by your video card or video drivers.

Hope this helps, Sandy.

Cloudie's Birthday Sale - Pay What You Like

For the first time ever, we're giving you a chance to choose the price you pay for the following Cloudeight products & services:

1. Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair - Single Key
2. Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Season Ticket - Computer Care for one full year.
3. Thunderbird Email Installation and Setup
4. Emsisoft Anti-Malware installation, setup and one-year Emsisoft license
5. Don't need anything? Please help us with a donation.

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry! Step right up and help us celebrate Cloudie's 16th Birthday and Pay What You Like!

Get more details and pay what you like ... here!

Run Chrome in Incognito Mode to Troubleshoot Problems
Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10

If you are having problems with Chrome, the easiest way to make sure that it's not a browser extension causing your problem(s) is to open Chrome in Incognito mode. To open Chrome in Incognito mode, right-click on its shortcut and choose "New incognito window".  Incognito mode disables all extensions automatically*. Try browsing with Chrome in Incognito mode for a few minutes and see if you still have the same problems. If you don't have any problems while using Chrome in Incognito mode, then chances are good that one of your extensions is causing your problem(s). You can disable each extension, one at time, until you find the culprit that's causing your problem(s). You can then choose to leave the extension disabled, remove it, or check to see if there's an updated version. 

If you're still having problems, then it's most likely not a problem caused by a browser extension. In that case, you might want to consider resetting Chrome by following the instructions on this page. That page also has instructions for fixing Chrome by completely removing Chrome and reinstalling it. If you choose to re-install Chrome, be sure you export and save your bookmarks first - otherwise you'll lose them. To learn how to save your Chrome bookmarks, see this Cloudeight tip.

*Incognito mode in Google Chrome, disables all extensions except ones you have explicitly chosen to allow in Incognito mode. Most of you shouldn't have to worry about that.

How to Create a Guest Account On Windows 10
Windows 10

We've worked thousands of computers with our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, and one thing we've seen frequently are computers with problems caused by parents or grandparents letting their children or grandchildren using their PC. Most of the time they let the children or grandchildren use their own user accounts, which almost always have administrator privileges. Admin privileges give users a lot of power to change computer settings, uninstall and install software and almost anything else they want to do with a PC. If you have young children or grandchildren, or if you frequently have guests who you want to allow to use your computer, why not create a guest account?

A  Guest Account on Windows comes handy when you want to share your computer with someone else, but don't want them making any changes to your computer. Windows 10 does not have Guest accounts enabled... but everything you need to create a guest account is still there. And you can use an Administrator Command Prompt and the Net User command to a Guest account on Windows 10.

First, we called our Guest account "BeMyGuest" - you can call yours whatever you want (except "Guest" which is reserved for Windows). So, wherever you see "BeMyGuest" in the tutorial below, feel free to substitute whatever name you want for your Guest account.

Let's create a Guest account on Windows 10.

1. Press Windows Key + X to open the "power menu" and click "Command Prompt (Admin)".

2. Now we need to add a user account. So,  type in the following command to create a new user. ‘BeMyGuest’ when you see it in the commands is the name of my guest user account, you can name yours whatever you want, except for Guest - Windows reserves that name and you can't have it!

3. In the Command Prompt at the prompt > type the following command and press Enter:

NET USER BeMyGuest /ADD /ACTIVE:YES

If you typed that correctly, you'll see "The command completed successfully". If you don't see that, then make sure you left a space between the account name (in our case BeMyGuest) and the forward slash / .

4. Now, because this is a Guest account we don't want to assign a password for a guest account. So, enter the following command at the prompt and press Enter:

NET USER BeMyGuest *

We don't want a password for his account so press Enter twice.

5. Now we need to delete our guest account from Localgroup Users and put it in Localgroup Guests

First delete the new guest account from Users by typing the following command at the prompt and pressing Enter:

NET LOCALGROUP USERS BeMyGuest /DELETE

Now, we're going to add the Guest account to Localgroup Guests by typing the following command at the prompt and pressing Enter:

NET LOCALGROUP GUESTS BeMyGuest /ADD

And that's all there is to it. Below is a screen shot of all the commands in order so you can see how it all should look.

When you open Settings ---> Accounts ---> Family & other users you'll see your new Guest account right there under Other users. See? There's BeMyGuest.

From now on, when you start your computer or log out, you'll see "BeMyGuest" (or whatever you called your Guest account) listed on the login screen with your account. Click on the guest account to log in- no password required. Your guests will be able to run apps & programs, browse the internet, play music. etc.. But Guests cannot change system settings, install or remove programs, or make any changes to your computer.



Have You Tried Jump Lists Yet?
Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10

We've talked about Jump Lists before, but we find that many people just aren't taking advantage of this very useful Windows feature. Jump Lists first appeared in Windows 7 and have been carried over to Windows 8 and Windows 10 although Jump Lists have evolved over time.  Ever since we started using Jump Lists in Windows 7, they have been one of our favorite Windows features.

So, we have to ask you a question: Have you tried Jump Lists yet?

Jump Lists are handy because they show recently used files for an application or tasks related to that application, and let you access them quickly. You can pin your most used tasks or items to a program's Jump List, and easily unpin any you don't want.

 Jump Lists can be accessed by right-clicking on an application’s icon in the Windows taskbar. Not all applications have Jump Lists, but many do. There are other ways of accessing Jump Lists too, but for simplicity - and brevity - we're going to stick with the simplest one - right-clicking the application's icon in the taskbar.


Above: Jump list for Notepad on Windows 10, Items, highlighted in yellow are pinned to the Jump List. You can remove any unpinned item by right-clicking it and choosing "Remove from this list". You can removed Pinned items by right-clicking and choose "Unpin from this list".



Above: Jump List for File Explorer (Windows Explorer) on Windows 10, The items at the top under "Pinned" are pinned to the Jump List and will remain there unless you remove them. You can pin any item to the Jump List by clicking on "pin" icon. As you can see above, I've chosen to pin the folder "INFOAVE-IMAGES2017" to File Explorer's Jump List.  That way I can "jump" right to that folder by right-clicking on File Explorer then clicking INFOAVE-IMAGES2017.

Above: I successfully pinned INFOAVE-IMAGES2017 folder to the File Explorer Jump List.

Jump Lists will show all your recently accessed items, by default. Items which are not pinned will disappear over time as they are replaced by newer items. So, if you always want an item to appear in your Jump List, you will have to pin it.



Above: Mozilla Firefox has a list of "Frequent" items, but none of them are pinned. These items will be replaced over time because I've not pinned any of them to the Jump List.

Jump lists are great when you have files that you open regularly. For Web browsers, it’s like having shortcuts at your fingertips for your favorite Web site. See?


Above: A truncated version of pinned Web sites on Google Chrome's Jump List.

Many programs have the jump list feature - but some do not. You just have to right-click on a program's taskbar icon to see if it has a Jump List available. Once you start using them. we think you'll continue using them; they are handy time-savers. We've been using them since Windows 7. And while Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Jump Lists are different,  they are just as easy to use.

If you haven't tried Jump Lists yet, now's a good time to discover them. You'll find all kinds of ways to use them.

Our Favorite Windows 10 Shortcuts
Windows 10

It's been a long time since we've posted a list of Windows 10 shortcuts. We thought we post a list of our favorite Windows Shortcuts. 

Shortcuts save you time, but only if you remember them. And you'll only remember the ones you use.  Windows Key + i and Windows Key + x are two that you should be using a lot. So you should remember them!  Windows Key + X opens the so-called power menu (the same menu that you'll see if  right-click the start button), and Windows Key + i opens Settings.

Here are some Windows 10 shortcuts we think you'll find useful - some more than others, of course. These are the ones we use most often; we hope they will save you time too! The more you use a shortcut, the easier it is to remember. So try using keyboard shortcuts as often as you can. And remember, in Windows there are most always several ways to accomplish the same thing.

Note: In the tip below we use Winkey to represent the Windows Key. The Windows Key is the key with the Windows logo on it, usually located on the bottom row of your keyboard just to the right of the Ctrl key or the second key to the right of the Ctrl key. The exact location varies with computer manufacturer, keyboards, laptops, desktops, etc.

Winkey  Opens the Start menu
Winkey + E  Opens File Explorer
Winkey + Tab Activates Task View
Winkey + A Activates Action Center
Winkey + C Activates Cortana with speech
Winkey + D Shows desktop
Winkey + E Opens File Explorer
Winkey + G Activates Xbox game bar to let you record games or take screenshots.
Winkey + H Activates share feature in Windows 10 apps
Winkey + I Opens Windows 10 settings
Winkey + K Activates Connect feature to stream to wireless displays / audio devices
Winkey + L Locks the machine
Winkey + R Run a command
Winkey + S Activates Cortana
Winkey + Q Activates Cortana
Winkey + U Opens Ease of Access center
Winkey + X Opens power user features (Same as right-clicking the Windows 10 Start button.)
Winkey + Ctrl + D Creates a new virtual desktop
Winkey + Ctrl + F4 Close virtual desktop
Winkey + Ctrl + Left or Right Switch between virtual desktops
Winkey + Shift + Left or Right Move apps from one monitor to another. 

Gmail Shortcuts At Your Fingertips
Everyone who uses Gmail

Gmail has a lot of nifty and useful shortcuts that you can use in Gmail and in Google chats. And you don’t need to memorize them because they’re only a shortcut away. You can bring up a list of all Gmail shortcuts instantly by pressing just two keys.

Open your Gmail account in your browser. Now press Shift + ?  (press & hold down your Shift key and tap the question mark key) and you’ll see this:

All those Gmail shortcuts right at your fingertips. And all you have to remember is Shift + ?.

Pretty cool, eh? Now you’re a Gmail power user!  

Donations help us continue our mission to keep you informed, separate the truth from the hyperbole, and help you stay safer online. We provide support to thousands of people. Every week we help dozens of people via email at no charge. Thanks to donations, we do a lot more than provide this free newsletter. We help you recognize online threats, fight for your online privacy, and provide you with the knowledge you need to navigate the Web safely, and help you get more out of your PC. Help us keep up the good fight with a small donation.

It's the beginning of a new year, and we really need your support.  We hope you'll take a few minutes today and help us with a small donation. 

After you donate, you will receive info on how you can become a Cloudeight Booster.

Help us keep up the good fight with a small donation. 

We would really appreciate it.  

Have You Ever Been the Victim of an Internet Scam or Fraud?

As we are all too aware, there are miscreants and criminals online who have no lack of creativity when it comes to trying to illegally separate you from your money. Internet Scams and Internet Fraud are all too common – and serve as a reminder to us all that we must always be vigilant.

So, please tell us, have you even been a victim of a fraud or scam. Don’t worry, all answers are anonymous and no one will ever know how you voted.

Please cast your vote here.

Daylight Saving Time

I just learned this year that calling Daylight Saving Time, "Daylight Savings Time", with an S is, incorrect. They say it makes me look like an idiot to everyone who knows it's correctly called Daylight Saving Time.

Look here: "Daylight Savings Time is a misspelling, but more common than the correct term. Setting our clocks 1 hour forward in the spring is often referred to as “Daylight Savings Time” even though “Daylight Saving Time” is the correct spelling..." (From https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/daylight-savings-time.html )

I'm tired of being corrected, I tells ya. So, not wanting to look like an idiot or a fool, anymore than I usually do, I've called this piece Daylight Saving Time. That should appease those who look for perfection - although I can't promise anywhere near perfection for what lies ahead.

And if you're thinking I'm going to remind you to set your clocks ahead an hour, I'm not. It's not time yet. I think that would be a week from this coming Sunday - if you're thinking that far ahead. A lot can happen between now and a week from this coming Sunday.

I used to hate the day when we set the clocks ahead an hour. For I was one who loved to skulk around in the dark; to me Daylight Saving Time was anathema. I used to enjoy taking walks in the dead dark of night and seeing that everyone was snug in their homes - it was comforting. I once traipsed through nearby neighborhoods in brand-spankin'-new Cat's Pause® walking shoes. OK, so they're expensive and hard to find - but everyone deserves to splurge a little... even if you're broke.

So, I urge you to splurge before your dirge.

I know that sounds morose, morbid and melancholy,

Read the rest of this essay here.

Reg Organizer - A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Utilities and Tools

Reg Organizer works on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The newest version of Reg Organizer has newly added special tweaks for Windows 10 - including a Windows 10 Start menu fix.

Get more information and or order Reg Organizer today and SAVE!

Snappa 

Today's site of the week ought to appeal to 82.3% of you. That's the percentage of our subscribers who love to work with graphics. Of course, it's based on an EB International Poll, and she does not bother polling anyone. She uses my top hat, writes numbers on pieces of paper, then picks three numbers, averages them, and add "point 3" to it so it looks official. See what I have to put up with?

I spent a goodly amount of time on this site playing around with graphics. But instead of trying to make a graphic to dazzle you, I tried to make a graphic to get under EB's skin - but I failed. She just chortled and walked away. I won't show you that graphic, I hurriedly made another just for this article. Want to see? You're going to see it anyway, so you may as well say YES. OK, good. I'll show you then:



Ain't it cute? Imagine a t-shirt like that? Or perhaps a bumper snicker... don't correct that EB, that's what I meant SNICKER.


And we all love Cloudie, right? Wouldn't that make a great t-shirt!

You think you're the only one who loves this part of these articles - where I stop my oral - or in this case- written - perambulation, and bring in the developers to top things off and tell you what the heck this Cloudeight Site Pick is actually goof for?  I love it too! And it's okay. I know you're tired of my rambling by now. I get it. I work with EB. I have tough skin, I can take it. I'm used to it I tells ya! So at your urging -- I can take a hint - I herewith present you with some words from the developers of our site pick... Snappa

Take it away, developer people:

"A Brief History

Snappa was founded in 2015 when we noticed that a lot of small businesses struggled to create quality online graphics. The tools available were not only complicated, but they were incredibly time consuming. Hiring a graphic designer was also out of the question.

Since then, we’ve been optimizing our graphic design tool to be as quick and easy to use as possible.

Today, Snappa is used by thousands of marketers and entrepreneurs to create a wide range of graphics for social media, display ads, blog posts, and more...

Snappa is proudly built in Ottawa, Canada. We’re a small team that delivers big results.

1. A fully-featured graphic editor - Snappa's graphic editor is powerful yet incredibly easy to use. By dragging & dropping, you can create highly engaging images in minutes. Even adding effects is as simple as moving a slider.

2. A stunning library of visual public - Browse from our massive library of 20,000+ photos, 3,500+ graphics and 200+ fonts. All photos and graphics are 100% royalty-free and licensed for commercial use.

3. Professional quality templates - Choose from hundreds of pre-made templates that have been carefully crafted by our team of in-house designers. Templates are available in multiple sizes and suitable for a wide range of niches.

4. Magically resize your graphics - In two clicks, you can magically resize your graphics into any other size. Turn your Twitter header into a Facebook cover, your Instagram post into a Pinterest pin, or a Facebook ad into a billboard ad.

5. Upload your own photos and graphics - Brand your images by uploading your own company logos and graphics. Have your own photos you want to use? Simply load them into Snappa and they’re available for use.

6. Save and organize your designs into folders - Maximize your workflow with the ability to save all of your custom designs and organize them into folders. Going back and editing a previous design takes just a few seconds.

7. Connect to social media - Connect multiple social media accounts and instantly share your images on Facebook and Twitter.

8. Schedule your image posts with Buffer - Save time and energy by scheduling your image posts through Buffer without ever leaving the Snappa dashboard.

9. Video tutorials, FAQs and in-house support - If you get stuck, we’ll get you unstuck as soon as possible. Get unlimited access to video tutorials, help docs, answers to FAQs, and in-house email support..."

That's about it folks. If you like playing around with graphics, of if you're a graphic designer for a poor broken down old company like Cloudeight and you don't have any money, or you're just looking to waste some time - quality time, you'll enjoy Snappa - we're pretty sure you will. At least 82.3% of you will.

You need to sign up to create graphics, or download graphics you make to your computer, but signing up is free. Just give them your name and email address. If you're paranoid, give them any old name - like Lucy Jupiter, or Bill Andromeda, and cloak your real email address using an email address cloaking service (throwaway email addresses) like Guerrilla Mail or ThrowAwayMail. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Now it's time to say goodbye and send you off to make some eye candy or dazzling graphics. Or should I say it is time for 82.3% of you to take a trip to Snappa.io and see what you can do.

Thanks for the scientific poll, EB. You're a peach!

Cloudie's Birthday Sale - Pay What You Like

For the first time ever, we're giving you a chance to choose the price you pay for the following Cloudeight products & services:

1. Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair - Single Key
2. Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Season Ticket - Computer Care for one full year.
3. Thunderbird Email Installation and Setup
4. Emsisoft Anti-Malware installation, setup and one-year Emsisoft license
5. Don't need anything? Please help us with a donation.

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry! Step right up and help us celebrate Cloudie's 16th Birthday and Pay What You Like!

Get more details and pay what you like ... here!