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Issue #704
Volume 14  Number 25
April 7, 2017

Dear Friends.

Thank you very much for subscribing and for being a part of our Cloudeight family. We appreciate your membership and support very much!

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New Easter & Spring Stationery for Thunderbird Available

We have two new collections of stationery. Our new Easter collection is called "Happy Easter". Our new collection of spring stationery is called "Spring Fling". Both collections are free for everyone. You can read more about them both by visiting this page.

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

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Something New

In today's issue we're trying something new. We're keeping all the products and services that help support our small business grouped together. This will reduce the amount of space taken up in the newsletter, while hopefully helping us generate the revenue we need.  We hope you like this new format and that you'll consider supporting us. If you don't need any of the products or services we offer at this time, we hope you will consider making a small donation.

Thanks again for your support and for being a member of our Cloudeight family!

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Cloudeight InfoAve Deals

Cloudeight Direct Backup Service & Special Introductory Pricing
We'll set up two different backups on your computer and configure them to run automatically. If you wait until you need a backup, it will be too late. You can get our complete backup service for the special introductory price of just $25. Get more information here.

Spring Pay-What-You-Like Sale
Our Spring Sale days are nearing an end. There is still time to get GREAT deals on some of our most popular products & services. You can save 40% r more on Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair Keys, Season Tickets, Thunderbird Email installation and setup, and Emsisoft. All our spring specials on one page. Please help yourself to some great savings on our best products and services. And you'll be helping us too! Everything is on one page - get special savings right 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!

Help us by making a small donation
Don't need any of the products or services we offer right now? Please consider making a small donation. We would appreciate it very much! Visit this page if you would like to help us with a small donation. Thank you! 

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Here are some important links for you: Here are some important links for you:
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A comment from Karen
I just want to thanks TC for his patience and help last week. Though I had many annoying problems, her persisted and fixed them all. I don't know how they keep their repair prices so low, but it's a great deal. I sent you a donation because you did so much extra work for me. Great Job! .

A comment from Martin
Darcy has been most helpful on a number of occasions, so I have sent a little something, not a lot, but I guess every little helps. All best Martin. 

A comment from Jason
Last night, I shut down my laptop like I normally do. This morning I found it was running but, the screen was blank. I could not get anything to come up on the screen so, I did a reboot. The laptop booted but would not boot into Windows. Per your instructions as to when this happens, I did another reboot. Again, it booted up but would not boot into windows. That little circle of dots just kept going around. Instead of going into a panic, I read your instructions again and saw that the laptop may very well boot into Windows on the 3rd try. Yes it did. You were spot on. Thank you for ! being there for us with all this info. I spent my 15 Geico Minutes doing this instead of taking it to the Geek Squad. I have been with you for many years and will continue to for many more. 

A comment from Rina
TC I want to again thank you so much for all you did for me. You went out of your way to help me on the way , no other tech would have ever done this I am sure. I highly recommend you to all my friends , cloud eight is fantastic and very trustworthy and reliable. I am sure we will meet again as I am hopeless when it comes to computers. Have a great day. Rina

A comment from Debbie
I just bought a new desktop & I'll be setting that up soon & putting Emsisoft on it & getting another (Cloudeight Direct Computer Care) Season ticket for that! I want to see you stay in business. You're the only honest company out there!

Thanks so much to Karen, Martin, Jason, Rina, Debbie and everyone who wrote to us last week. And thanks all those who used our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care services  and our new Cloudeight Direct Backup Service. And a thank you also, to all who shared our site with your friends. TC & EB


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John doesn't like Edge (Windows 10)
My problem is that win 10 Edge won't support RoboForm or Norton Security. Why would you want to use edge?

Our answer
Hi John. We're not big fans of Edge, either. But to clear up a couple of things, RoboForm does work in Edge (see this page ), and using any king of "site adviser extension" like Norton Safe Web or WOT in your browser is just browser bloat. Norton's browser extension "Safe Web" has so many false positives, in our opinion it's useless. Additionally, from what we've seen in our repair sessions, Norton is lacking in protection against the kinds of malware and PUPs users are most likely to encounter. We've done a number of Norton to Emsisoft swaps and found that many Norton-protected computers had quite an array of PUPs and malware.

Emsisoft does not install useless browser toolbars, it protects your computer against viruses, Trojans, malware, PUPs, and many variants of ransomware. We hope you'll consider switching to Emsisoft. You'll be better protected and you'll save money too.

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Sandy wants to know where "My Computer" is in Windows 10
I just got a new computer with Windows 10. I have been using Windows XP - yeah I know! I could always find "My Computer" and find my drives. Now I cannot find them. Can you please tell me how I can see them? Thanks so much for all you do for us.

Our answer
Thanks so much, Sandy. On Windows 10, it's not called My Computer or Computer, it's called "This PC". You can add This PC, Control Panel and the other icons you're probably used to on the desktop... read our article on how to do this (and rename This PC to My Computer) here.

Additionally, Windows Explorer is called File Explorer in Windows 10. The File Explorer icon is on the Windows 10 taskbar; you can also access it by pressing Windows Key + E. You will see "This PC" in the list in the left pane. If you'd like a more traditional view, where your hard drive(s) show up in File Explorer Window, see our tip on changing the File Explorer view, here.

We offer a Windows Customization service. We set up your Windows 10 computer to look and work like you want it to. Get more info here.

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Rona has questions about OneDrive
Hi TC & EB. You have probably answered this question before, but I am unable to find the answer. Microsoft is telling me that I am over my limit of 5GB in One Drive and that it will be frozen after 3rd June and I won't be able to access my files. I have never knowingly used One Drive and have no wish to do so, but I am unable to uninstall it or put it out of action. I tried putting the exe suggested in the run box, but kept getting a message to say windows couldn't find it.

My question is, if I do nothing, will my files be affected? It seems to be photos that are in there and these are all in my Picasa folders. Hope this makes sense to you! Thanks so much for all your helpful newsletters. Rona in NZ

Our answer
Hi Rona, thank you! If you're using a Microsoft account to log into Windows, OneDrive will save all your files to your local user folders (Documents, Music, Videos, Pictures) and it will save a copy on OneDrive. So, by default, nothing is saved to OneDrive that isn't also saved to folders on your PC.

OneDrive, by default, is set to sync files between your PC and OneDrive, meaning, unless you changed OneDrive settings, whatever is on OneDrive is also saved on your PC too. Here's what Microsoft says:

"Files you save to OneDrive are available online at OneDrive.com and offline on your PC. That means you can use them anytime, even when you're not connected to the Internet. When you reconnect, OneDrive updates the online versions with changes you made offline."

Just to be extra safe  we suggest creating a folder on your PC and dragging files from OneDrive (OneDrive shows up in File Explorer like any other drive or folder) to the new folder you created. You should do this before the deadline.

After you've saved your files, if you no longer want to use OneDrive you can hide OneDrive and stop it from auto syncing your files by following the instructions on this Microsoft page. The instructions at the top of the page are for Windows 10 Pro. If you're using Windows 10 Home, you'll have to skid down to the middle of the page to this article:

"Hide OneDrive in Windows 10

OneDrive is built in to Windows 10, so it can't be uninstalled. But you can hide it and stop the sync process, so it stays hidden. To do this, turn off all the OneDrive settings and remove the OneDrive folder from File Explorer..."

Be sure you drag your files out of OneDrive to a new folder on your PC before you hide OneDrive.

If you're sure you're never going to want to use OneDrive again, it is in  Control Panel --> Programs ---> Uninstall a program. You can uninstall it from there despite the information provided by Microsoft which was written before Windows 10 Anniversary Update was released. So give that a try, if you're sure you're never going to want to use OneDrive again.

Hope this helps you, Rona.

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Carol recommended our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Service to a friend...but
I have recommended your computer care to a friend and sent a means of contact to her. The problem is her computer shuts down before she can finish getting in touch. Any suggestions?

Our answer
HI Carol, thanks for recommending us. She can try a system restore. Have her select a system restore point with a date before the problem started. That should help her get her computer running if her problem is caused by a software. If she is using a desktop, make sure the tower is not in a enclosed space and that it has plenty of ventilation. Have her make sure the vents exterior fan (if any) are free from dust and dirt. If she's using a laptop make sure she is using it on surface that allows air to circulate under the laptop. Also have her try to boot into Safe Mode and see if her computer stays on in Safe Mode. We can work on computers that are running in Safe Mode. If you don't know how to boot her computer into Safe Mode, you can google Safe Mode+ her operating system.  If all of those suggestions do not help her, it's almost certainly a hardware issue, such as an interior  fan not working and allowing motherboard to get too hot which will cause the motherboard to automatically shut don the PC to prevent further damage. Replacing fans or other hardware is something that requires a physical presence.  Tell your friend, if it turns out to be a hardware issue, to consider a new laptop rather than putting a lot of money a system older than 3 or 4 years. Hardware repairs can be expensive, and with some new laptops selling around $300 she might want to consider buying a new computer than spending a lot of money on hardware repair.

Let us know if we can help, Carol.

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Lorraine has a problem with her Office 2007
I cannot open my Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 unless I reboot my computer each time. Why and can it be fixed? Thanks for your assistance, I can always rely on your two! Lorraine

Our answer
Hi Lorraine. Thanks! Unfortunately, Microsoft ended support for Office 2007 this year. You can read about that here. However, we do have a suggestion for you.

1. Open Control Panel
2. Go to Programs --> Uninstall a Program
3. Right-click on Microsoft Office 2007

Cloudeight InfoAve Computer Tips & Ticks

You should see (as above) the options to Uninstall or Change Office. If you do, select "Change".

4. When you click on "Change" you should see the repair options dialog appear:

Cloudeight InfoAve Computer Tips & Ticks

The screenshot above is from Office 2016, so your window will look different, but you should have at least one option to repair Office. If you have only one option to repair office try that option. If you have two options (as above) choose the Quick Repair option - if you have a online repair listed in your version of Office, it won't work for you since Microsoft is no longer supporting Office 2007.

Let us know if this help you, Lorraine.

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Cloudeight InfoAve Deals

Cloudeight Direct Backup Service & Special Introductory Pricing
We'll set up two different backups on your computer and configure them to run automatically. If you wait until you need a backup, it will be too late. You can get our complete backup service for the special introductory price of just $25. Get more information here.

Spring Pay-What-You-Like Sale
Our Spring Sale days are nearing an end. There is still time to get GREAT deals on some of our most popular products & services. You can save 40% r more on Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair Keys, Season Tickets, Thunderbird Email installation and setup, and Emsisoft. All our spring specials on one page. Please help yourself to some great savings on our best products and services. And you'll be helping us too! Everything is on one page - get special savings right 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!

Help us by making a small donation
Don't need any of the products or services we offer right now? Please consider making a small donation. We would appreciate it very much! Visit this page if you would like to help us with a small donation. Thank you! 

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What's Really Starting With Windows 10?
Windows 10

We all know that having too many programs starting with Windows can slow down our computers by using up resources unnecessarily. So, it's always a good idea to keep the number of programs that start with Windows under control.

You can use this tip on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. But we're writing this for Windows 10 because Windows 10 uses Task Manager/Startup to help you manage Windows startups. But this week while working on other Windows 10 computers, and then checking our own to make sure, we learned that what you disable in Task Manager / Startup doesn't always really get disabled. Those of you who use Windows 7 have a much better way of configuring startups using the Window Configuration Utility (Windows Key + R and type MSCONFIG. and press Enter). In Windows 7, what you disable in MSCONFIG / Startup, is disabled.

If you're using Windows 10, first open Task Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) or right-click Start button and click "Task Manager". In Task Manager, click the "Startup" tab

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You'll see a list of programs that are starting with Windows. You'll have the option to disable ones you don't want starting up with Windows. Pay close attention to what is showing up "Disabled" in the list of programs starting up with Windows.

Now, here's a quick way to see all the programs that are starting with Windows 10:

1. Press & hold down the Windows Key and tap the X key
2. In the Command Prompt window at the prompt, type WMIC and press Enter
3. In a second you should wmic:root\cli> appear.
4. At the wmic:root\cli> prompt type:

startup

and press enter

5. If you did all that correctly, you’ll see a list of programs starting with Windows 10.

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Now compare what you saw in Task Manager/Startup to what you see using the WMIC command.

If you find that startups you disabled in Task Manager are not disabled, and they are still starting with Windows, you can use the Startup utility in Reg Organizer to disable startups you don't want starting with Windows, or, if you're an intermediate to advanced user, you can use Microsoft's Sysinternals Autoruns (free) to manage startups. You can get Autoruns from here.

When managing your Windows startups, it's important that you do not disable your antivirus / antimalware. You need your security software to start with Windows

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Windows Vista Support Ends April 11, 2017
All Vista Users

Microsoft will end all support for Windows Vista on April 11, 2017, the same day that the Creators Update for Windows 10 will begin its rollout. After April 11, 2017, Vista users will get no security update or any further updates at all.

The longer you stay with Windows Vista, the more exploitable it will become, and the higher the chances your computer will be compromised.

Laptops have become inexpensive and powerful. You can buy a Windows 10 Laptop with 4 GB of RAM, 1 TB hard drive and a decent processor for less that $350. And almost any laptop you buy today would be more powerful and have more hard drive space than most computers running Vista. For example, here's Dell with 6 GB RAM, 1 TB hard drive a 15.6" Touchscreen and an Intel i3 processor for $349.99 (as of April 7, 2017). And with our Windows 10 Customization Service we can make a new Windows 10 computer look and work more like you want it to.

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The Windows Run Command is Not Just for Geeks
Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10

When you open a Run command by pressing the Windows Key + R, you can open a program or a web page. You can open folders and run  Windows commands. The Run Command not just for geeky computer gurus, it's for everyone. We're going to prove it to you!

Use the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type the name of any program in the dialog and press Enter (some applications require you to type a file path too). Below are some applications for which you don't need you to type a file path. Try it right now. Press & hold down the Windows Key and press the R key. The Run dialog will open. Now type any of the following commands in the command line and press Enter.

Notepad
MSINFO32
WordPad
iexplore.exe (Internet Explorer)
RSTRUI.exe (System Restore)
MSPaint (Microsoft Paint)
MSCONFIG (Configuration utility)
SERVICES.MSC (Windows Services)
WRITE (Opens WordPad)
Chrome (if Chrome is installed)
Firefox (if Firefox is installed)Thunderbird (if Thunderbird is installed)
Winver (displays your current Windows version)
Calc (opens the calculator)
Documents (opens your documents folder)
Downloads (opens your default downloads folder)
Music (opens your default music folder)

You can also enter a URL (Web page address) directly into a Run Command to open up any webpage in your default browser. Try http://thundercloud.net/start/

There are tons of other commands too, but woe is me, I’m tired of trying to think of them!

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How to Create a Windows 10 System Repair Disc
Windows 10

We’ve discussed how to create a Windows 10 Recovery (USB) drive before. If your computer won’t boot, you can use your Recovery Drive to boot your computer and access Windows 10 troubleshooting tools and other recovery options, plus you'll be able to access your backups too.

Today, we’re going to show you how to create a System Repair Disk that you can use just like a recovery drive to boot your computer, access troubleshooting tools, other options and, of course, your backups. You do have backups, right?

It’s easy to create a Windows 10 System Repair disk. All you need is a blank, writeable CD or DVD, and follow these instructions:

  1. Press & hold down the Windows Key and tap the R key
  2. In the Run box type RECDISC.EXE and press Enter:

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  3. The Recovery Disc dialog will appear:

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  4. Insert a blank DVD/CD RW disk in your CD/DVD drive. Windows will detect it and it will show up in the “Drive” box. Once it does, click “Create disc” and Windows will start creating your System Repair Disc. It will take approximately 3 to 5 minutes to complete.
  5. Once your System Repair Disc is created, label it so you’ll remember what it is and keep it near our computer, just in case. If your computer won’t boot, you’ll be mighty glad you made a System Repair Disc, because you’ll be able to boot your computer using it.

One more thing, if your hard drive fails, and you have a system image backup (such as the one we’ll help create for you with our backup service), you’ll be able to install a new hard drive, use this System Repair Disc to boot your computer. Then you can access your image backup to image your new hard drive. When that’s all done, your operating system, all your files and folders, and all your programs – will be just like they were before.

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Windows 10 Creators Update Coming April 11
Windows 10

Cloudeight InfoAve Computer Tips & Tricks

Windows is a service says Microsoft… and that means:

"Prior to Windows 10, Microsoft released new versions of Windows every few years. This traditional deployment schedule imposed a training burden on users because the feature revisions were often significant. That schedule also meant waiting long periods without new features — a scenario that doesn’t work in today’s rapidly changing world, a world in which new security, management, and deployment capabilities are necessary to address challenges. Windows as a service will deliver smaller feature updates two to three times per year to help address these issues..."

The last major “features update” was Windows version 1607 “The Anniversary Update”, released in August 2016. The next features update is coming soon – on April 11, 2017. It is called the Creators Update. Not everyone will get the Creators Update on April 11, 2017 -but that’s the day it will start rolling out. And if you are not one of the first to get the Creators Update – look at the bright side:  you’ll be letting other people be the guinea pigs.

The Creators Update (no apostrophe, grammar fans) will bring several new features and quite a few small changes to Windows 10. And some of them we think you’ll probably like. There are too many changes to list here, so here are a few we thought you’d like to know about./p>

  1. Game Mode. This will be useful for those of who play games. In Game Mode, Windows Game Mode shifts system resources away from other processes to your game. Windows Game Mode will have many new features. We’re not gamers, but if you are, you’ll find a lot to like in the Creators edition.

  2. Paint 3D.  Paint done right. Windows 10 Creators Update introduces Paint 3D. Paint 3D is a is a huge upgrade to Windows Paint, which has been part of Windows since Windows 95. Paint 3D makes 3D design available to all Windows 10 users. With Paint 3D, you can edit and build 3D models, integrate 2D images and apply textures to 3D objects. Paint 3D supports 3D printing too. Users will also be able to access a library of free 3D shapes and models you can download and use in Paint 3D.

  3. Night Light. Experts, whoever they are, claim that blue light such as that emitted from computer screens can keep you awake. So, the experts say, if you’re using your computer before you go to bed, the blue light emitted from your computer’s screen will trick your body into thinking it’s day time. Interesting. Anyway… Windows 10 Creators Update introduces Windows Night Light which (by default) turns on at sunset and off at sunrise. It brings warmer colors to your screen and “de-blues” your screen’s blue emissions making things more restful. Not as feature-full as f.lux, if you like this sort of thing, it’s built-in and you don’t have to install any third-party programs.

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  4. New Privacy Dashboard. A new privacy dashboard will make it easier to control Windows 10 privacy settings. The Privacy Dashboard makes it easier to turn on and off settings which affect your privacy. Whether or not anything you do here really enhances your privacy, who knows? Right! Only Microsoft knows.

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    Note: All settings above are shown in the On state – but that was only for the screen shot. We would advise turning them all off, or carefully choosing the ones you turn on. If you don’t understand what each setting is for, you can click on the “Learn more” button at he bottom of the Privacy Dashboard to find out.

  5. New Edge Features. Microsoft is still trying to figure out how to compete with Chrome. Their advertising campaign that claimed Edge was faster than Chrome didn’t work. So, now they are introducing new features to Edge. One is a built in E-book reader, and the other is called Tab tools, or as we call it “drop down tabs”. You can drop down thumbnail previews and individual tabs when you hover over them. There’s also a “Set tabs aside feature” which lets you set tabs aside for viewing later – when “Set aside” these tabs use no resources. How useful these features will be depends on the user.  Most people don’t use Edge. If you use Edge, these might be features you’ll like. However, feedback on the new, improved Edge, seems to indicate that Edge has a way to go before it will be a major challenger to Chrome.

  6. Unified Updates. Because Windows is a now a service,  every time Windows has an update you’ll need only to download the files necessary to update your version/build of Windows 10. In the past it has always meant downloading the entire update.  According to Microsoft, the downloads will average 35% smaller than before Unified Updates. This should save you time — and if you’re being charged for bandwidth, it should save you money.

  7. More Control Over Windows Updates on Windows 10 Home Edition. Finally, Windows 10 users get some control over how and when Windows Updates are downloaded and installed. You’ll be able to choose a time and date to install Windows updates. But don’t get too excited, the longest you can delay them (without resorting to the Metered Connections trick) is 7 days.

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  8. Windows Defender Gets Upgraded. Windows Defender has been replaced with Windows Defender Security Center. In the new Windows Defender Security Center you’ll be able to run system health reports, block suspicious apps, perform scans of your computer, check your computer’s health and more.  Also in the Windows Defender Security Center you’ll also find a new feature called “Fresh Start”…

  9. Fresh Start. Windows Defender Security Center includes a new feature called “Fresh Start”. While Windows Defender isn’t all it should be as an anti-malware, anti-virus, Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 10 Creators edition will be useful for those who want a totally “fresh” start. Fresh Start will make it easy for users to clean install Windows without any of the manufacturer’s bloatware being reinstalled. Note that Fresh Start is not the same as System Reset.

  10. Start Menu Changes. Minor changes are good things, and Windows 10 Creators Update keeps the now-familiar Windows 10 Start Menu look, with just a few nice changes. If you’re a fan of tiles, you be able to create tiles of  folders. You will also be able to hide Windows apps on the start menu. Small changes are good… you won’t have to learn a whole new start menu again.

There are many other changes, as well. If you want to learn more about Windows 10 Creators Update, visit this Microsoft page for more details. Remember, Windows 10 Creators Update starts rolling out on April 11, but it may take a month or more before you see get the update. If you’re in a hurry to get the Creators Update…

Open Settings —> Update & security–>Windows Update. If you see “Good news! The Windows 10 Creators Update is on its way. Want to be one of the first to get it?” Click on “Show me how” underneath it.

Are you ready for another major update of Windows 10?

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Cloudeight InfoAve Deals

Cloudeight Direct Backup Service & Special Introductory Pricing
We'll set up two different backups on your computer and configure them to run automatically. If you wait until you need a backup, it will be too late. You can get our complete backup service for the special introductory price of just $25. Get more information here.

Spring Pay-What-You-Like Sale
Our Spring Sale days are nearing an end. There is still time to get GREAT deals on some of our most popular products & services. You can save 40% r more on Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair Keys, Season Tickets, Thunderbird Email installation and setup, and Emsisoft. All our spring specials on one page. Please help yourself to some great savings on our best products and services. And you'll be helping us too! Everything is on one page - get special savings right 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!

Help us by making a small donation
Don't need any of the products or services we offer right now? Please consider making a small donation. We would appreciate it very much! Visit this page if you would like to help us with a small donation. Thank you!  

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Drama Kings and Drama Queens Fuel the Latest Internet Drama

Understanding the Latest Internet Uproar: Your ISP Selling Your Browsing History

First, we are 100% in favor of everyone doing everything they can to stay safe on the Internet, and doing what they can do to keep as much personal privacy as they can. But we don’t believe in [SHOCK] headlines that lead people to believe things which are not completely true. So, we’re not “anti-privacy”, we are anti-sensationalism, and pro-truth.

We should start calling a lot of these tech writers who publish newsletters “Drama Kings” or “Drama Queens”. We used to think that some of them were only doing the [SHOCKING] thing to get more readers – which is the same as saying to make more money. There’s nothing wrong with making money, as long as you earn it honestly. We’re not sure how honestly some of these [SHOCK] drama kings and queens are making money if they have to rile readers up into a frenzied mob.

The drama kings and queens who write tech articles and newsletters are whipping readers up a frenzy by making it sound like someone or some company can buy you personal data from your ISP. They want you to believe that some company can call Comcast and say they want data on your customer Maynard B. Krebs who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. And, while you’re at it, they say, give us his Social Security number and the number of kids he has, the name of his kids, how old they are, where they go to school and what Mrs. Krebs does for a living.

NO! NO! NO! That’s not how it works. Not at all. And we’re not defending or saying that congress was right or wrong in passing this bill, but what we are saying is that it’s not the big [SHOCKING] deal some of these drama kings and queens are making it out to be.

Read the rest of this article here. Your comments are welcome.

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Make Your Own Windows or Microsoft Office Installation DVD

Back in the days when old EB and I were young, computers used to come with installation CDs and later installation DVDs. But slowly computer manufacturers stopped supplying installation media with their PC, opting instead for the now ubiquitous recovery drives. We think every PC owner should have an installation disk or USB. It can be use for so many things beside reinstalling your operating system. For instance, you can use it to boot your computer. You can use it to do a repair installation. You can use it to access Windows utilities and troubleshooting tools, and more. We're betting that most of you don't have a Windows installation disk or USB.  So, we're going to show you how download an ISO file from which you can make a bootable Windows installation DVD. And if you prefer, you can use that ISO file to create a bootable installation USB. Interested? Read on!

If you’re using any version of Windows 7, 8.1, or Windows 10, you can download a small program (less than 1 MB), that you can use to download genuine Microsoft ISO files for all versions of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Office 2007 through 2016. These downloads come directly from Microsoft. The program generates a unique download link for you that you can use to download your preferred version of Windows or Microsoft office. But don’t use this program unless you’re ready to download the ISO file – the links generated expire in approximately 24 hours. The ISO files are downloaded directly from Microsoft so you don’t have to worry about file integrity or malware.

ISO files are image files from which you can create an installation DVD. Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows 10 can create CD and DVDs from ISO files without any 3rd-party software. If you're using Windows 7  or newer, all you need to do is put a blank, writable DVD in your CD/DVD drive, then double-click the ISO file to create the installation CD.

A couple of caveats. You must have the Windows product key or Office product key for the version of Windows or Office before you download. If you don’t know what your product key is, you can use a program like ProduKey from Nirsoft to find it. ProduKey finds both Windows and Office product keys. You can also use a program call reCALL to find your keys. You can read more about reCALL here . Note: On the reCALL page, you may have to select your language from the selector in the upper right corner of the page. Windows 10 users please note: If you have Windows 10 installed, you should not need a product key – it is usually hard-wired in your BIOS.

You can download the Microsoft ISO downloader from here. It’s under 1 megabyte and you don’t install it; just unzip and run it.

Here are some screenshots of the Microsoft ISO downloader in action:

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Open the Microsoft ISO downloader and select the Windows or Office version you want./p>

The close up (above) shows that after you’ve selected the version you want – we chose Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, English – you can choose to generate a 32-bit or 64-bit download link.  But you don’t have to, the program will present download buttons for 32-bit and 64-bit versions you can click and download. You can choose various versions and languages, but remember you must have a product key for the version you download

If you choose to use the download buttons, instead of generated links to download, you will be asked to choose between 32-bit and 64-bit version. If you’re not sure, just click the little “FAQ” link displayed.

Once you click the 32-bit or 64-bit download button, your download will start. As you can see from the screen shot below, the downloads are genuine and come directly from Microsoft.

Download the Microsoft ISO downloader from here. Remember: You do not install it, you just unzip and run it.

If you'd rather have an installation USB than an installation DVD read on...

If you're interested in using the ISO file you download to create bootable Windows installation media on a USB flash drive, you'll need a 3rd-party program like Rufus to do that - you can just copy the ISO file to the USB. Rufus is easy to use and free. If you're interested, read more about Rufus here.

If you're using Windows 10, and you'd rather have a installation USB than a DVD, you should download the Windows 10 Download Tool from this page.. The file you download can be used to make a bootable Windows 10 installation USB without using an third-party tools. 

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What is an ISO file?

We often talk about ISO files and using them to create CDs and/or DVDs. But what are these ISO files we talk about?  An ISO file is exact image of a CD or DVD and contains the exact contents and file structure of the original DVD or CD. If you have an ISO file you can recreate exact copies of DVDs or CD. Exact copies are very important if you want to use an ISO file to create a bootable disc. You would need a bootable disc if you wanted to install and operating system on a PC or hard drive without an operating system. A bootable USB lets you boot the computer and install an operating system, repair an operating system, or do a clean install of an operating system.

Think of an ISO as a master copy from which you can create exact duplicates. span class="auto-style7">All versions of Windows from Windows 7 on have native (default) CD / DVD burning software so all you need to do to make a CD or DVD from an ISO file is to put a writeable CD or DVD in your DVD/CD drive and double-click the ISO to start the process. Once it's complete you'll have a DVD or CD that is an exactly copy of the disc from which the ISO was made.

If you want the technical definition, it is: "An ISO image is an archive file of an optical disc, a type of disk image composed of the data contents from every written sector on an optical disc, including the optical disc file system. ISO image files usually have a file extension of .iso. ISO stands for International Standards Organization.

Now you know a lot about ISO!

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Issue #704
Volume 14 Number 25
April 7, 2017
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DISCLAIMER ABOUT THE TIPS & SOFTWARE RECOMMENDED IN THIS NEWSLETTER-- PLUS OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
 
All software recommendations we make in this newsletter are based on our own experience and testing of the programs that we recommend. This does NOT guarantee they will work on YOUR computer. We assume you will read the program documentation and use the program according to the instructions. We make no guarantees about any program recommended in this newsletter or its suitability for any particular purpose. We will not be responsible for any problems you may have. We do not and cannot provide support for any products other than our own Cloudeight products and we will not answer email concerning any product which is not a Cloudeight product. We urge you to use good judgment when downloading and installing software and to use a program only after reading the program's documentation. And, all Tips & Tricks in this newsletter have been tested by us on several different computers and were found to work as indicated. They may not work on yours. We make no guarantees. Anything we recommend you try and use at your own risk. We will not be responsible for any problems caused by any software programs recommended in this newsletter or any of the tips and tricks in this newsletter.. Readers' comments are their own and Cloudeight Internet LLC is not responsible for comments of our readers. All readers' comments, suggestions, questions, and tips and tricks sent to us become the property of Cloudeight Internet LLC. You understand that we may use your comments without your explicit permission.

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