Wait! You Can't Use That Name for a File or Folder!
Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10

Today, I was working on the newsletter. I took a screenshot for a tip about Windows Control Panel. Since we have done so many tips about Control Panel, I had used about every variation of the name Control Panel I could think of. So today, I decided to name the two screenshots con and con1. But what to my bloodshot eyes should appear?

This:



Maybe somewhere in my long ago, I knew there were system reserved names that you could not use to name a file or folder, but I sure don't remember it. This came as a surprise to me - and I've been using Windows for 22 + years.  Just goes to show you that no matter how much you think you know, there's always more to learn.  I learned this like we learn a lot of things, by doing and trying things. That's the best way to learn.

This is just a fun tip. If you have an inquiring mind, you just may want to know that in Windows these are the names that are reserved for Windows use only- so you can't use any of the following names to name a file or folder in Windows:

con
prn
aux
nul
com1, com2, com3, com4, com5, com6, com7, com8, com9
lpt1, lpt2, lpt3, lpt4, lpt5, lpt6, lpt7, lpt8, lpt9

None of these names are case sensitive, so you can't get around using the names by using all capital letters... CON is the same as con in Windows. You can substitute a zero for the letter "o" and use the names c0n, c0m1, c0m2, c0m3 ... you get the picture!



Control Panel: Category view vs. Icon view
Windows 7, Windows 8x, Windows 10

Many times when we write a tip, we'll write about using Control Panel and switching to "Large icon view" or "Icon view" rather than category view. It just dawned on us, that we've never covered the difference, and why using Icon view is best for most users, even though Category view is Windows default view.


Above: Windows default: Control Panel showing Category view.



You can easily switch back & forth from Category view to Icon view (Large icons, Small icons) by clicking on the down arrow next to "View by..." and selecting "Large icons" or "Small icons" (see screenshot above). We prefer "Large icons" just because it's easier to see, although it does take up more screen real estate.

Below: You can see that in "Large icon" view, you can see each item in Control Panel separately, rather than grouped by category as they are in "Category view". This makes it easier to find things in Control Panel, especially since everything is in alphabetical order.



A Bonus Control Panel Tip!

Perhaps the fastest way to find anything in Control Panel in Category view or Icon view is to use the little search box at the top! See below:

How to Recover Email Passwords
Windows 7, Windows 8x, Windows 10

In our experience, one thing we’ve found to be pretty common is people who have set up email accounts in email programs such as Thunderbird, Outlook, etc. ;They get a new computer or do a reset on their current computer and they can’t remember the email password. Lots of ways to securely remember passwords – for instance Secure Notes in LastPass – a great place to securely store all kinds of sensitive info. But, we all know we all don’t always do what we should do.

And…there are a lot of “ifs” involving recovery passwords for email. It depends on what email program you use. Or if you don’t use an email program at all, but check your email on the Web using your favorite browser.

If you use an email program to access your email, then you’ll find Mail Pass View from Nirsoft very helpful. Keep in mind this may be considered a “hacking tool” by some antivirus and security programs. But since the one you’re actually hacking is yourself – it’s all good.

Here’s the author’s description of Mail Pass View:

Mail PassView is a small password-recovery tool that reveals the passwords and other account details for the following email clients:
Outlook Express
Microsoft Outlook 2000 (POP3 and SMTP Accounts only)
Microsoft Outlook 2002/2003/2007/2010/2013/2016 (POP3, IMAP, HTTP and SMTP Accounts)
Windows Mail
Windows Live Mail
IncrediMail
Eudora
Mozilla Thunderbird (If the password is not encrypted with master password)
Group Mail Free Yahoo! Mail – If the password is saved in Yahoo! Messenger application.
Hotmail/MSN mail – If the password is saved in MSN/Windows/Live Messenger application.
Gmail – If the password is saved by Gmail Notifier application, Google Desktop, or by Google Talk…

For each email account, the following fields are displayed: Account Name, Application, Email, Server, Server Type (POP3/IMAP/SMTP), User Name, and the Password…

Mail Pass View is free and it comes from one of our most trusted sites, Nirsoft. For more information and/or to download Mail Pass View visit this page.

If you do all your email from within your Web browser (Outlook.com, Yahoo.com, Gmail.com) you might find WebBrowserPassView useful. You can get more info and or download WebBrowserPassView here . Additionally, most Web mail like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, have a password recovery link on the page where you sign in. You can use that link to re-set your password for any Web mail account.

Important! Your security software may go CRAZY when you try to run one of the above programs; after all they are hacking programs. But they’re made for you to use on your own computer. As long as they’re used as intended they’re great programs and pose no danger to your PC.

We hope this helps you recover your email passwords,



A Quick Way to Clear Chrome Browsing Data
Chrome Browser - Any Device

For those of you who use Google Chrome browser,  here’s the fastest way to clear your browsing date short of creating a bookmark.

Open Chrome, and press CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE on your keyboard. Chrome’s “Clear browsing data” dialog will open.



Using the down arrow, you can select how far back you want to go to delete browsing data from Chrome, even back to the beginning of time. Not actually the beginning of time, but back to the first day you used Chrome on the current device. You can also check or uncheck what you want to clear under “Clear the following items…”

Remember, clearing cookies will log you out of sites you’re logged into. The next time you visit those sites, you’ll have to enter your log in credentials again.

If you like bookmarks and hate keyboard shortcuts, pastes (or type) the following into Chrome’s omnibar (address bar)

chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

After you do that, click on the start in at the right edge of Chrome’s omnibar (address bar);



Give it a name you’ll recognize. Keep it in your Bookmarks bar. Click done. The next time you want to clear Chrome’s browsing data, just click on your shortcut.  It will open the Clear browsing data dialog.



Now you know the two quickest ways to get to the Chrome’s “Clear browsing data” dialog.

One more thing…

Clearing browsing data on your PC or other device does not delete search history or other data Google tracks. If you want to clear and/or control that, make sure you are logged into your Google account then click the link below:

https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity





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.

After you donate, you will receive an invitation to become a Cloudeight Booster.

Interested in making a automatic monthly gift? Visit this page. Help us keep helping you!

We Were Friends

At first I pretended. I tricked myself into thinking it didn’t matter much that you were no longer my friend. Sometimes I make life too complicated:

We were good friends and then we weren’t – it’s as simple as that.

It’s kind of like being told you have a terminal illness – at first you deny it, then you rationalize it, then someday you realize you have no choice but to accept it.

We were friends, and then all of a sudden – within the span of a few minutes – we weren’t. I still can’t accept it, but I can see I’m going to have to.

You like to think it’s my fault that we are no longer friends. I was not totally honest with you and that’s certainly true. You had a right to get angry, and I suppose because of it you had a right to end our friendship.

Me? Well I like to think that it’s your fault that we’re not friends because after all this time you still haven’t forgiven me. Of course, now you’ll tell me that have forgiven me, but that’s not true, you haven’t. You just like to think that way because it makes you feel better.

You like to say we’re friends and you still think of me as your friend, but you don’t talk to me. You won’t talk to me. And you won’t even answer my email or letters. How can you say we’re friends? I don’t think that’s how friends are supposed to be.

And I don’t think you think so either.

You and I often discussed friendship when we used to talk. We used to laugh at how diluted the words “friendship” and “love” have become over the years. Facebook helped dilute the word “friend” to a meaningless term that can encompass anyone from people you hardly know, to people who are close to you – and even people who you don’t know at all.

But you know what, my friend? Friendship is never conditional.

I don’t want a friend who says to me “I’ll be your friend IF…” We live in a conditional world. If you pay your bills on time you get a good credit rating and you can buy more and more THINGS. If you don’t pay your bills on time you get a bad credit rating and you’re a DEADBEAT. If you pay your bills on time you’re worthy, if you don’t you’re not. Most things in the world are that way – they are conditional – but love and friendship should never be.

Real friendship isn’t real easy. We can’t always be what someone else expects us to be...

Konvertor

There is something to be said about a file explorer that open more kinds of files than the number of cans of food EB opens each year. On average, EB – who basically lives on canned foods – opens 8.5 cans a food every day. Now if you multiply 8.5 cans time 363 (She does cook, or tries to cook, on Thanksgiving and Christmas. But have you ever had raw turkey?), EB opens 3085.5 cans of food each year and STILL this free file manager and file converter opens more files than EB opens cans.

You know that 3085.5 cans ain’t nothing compared to the 4700+  file types Convertor can open. Right?

You’re really aching to know what kind of canned food EB likes best aren't ya?

Well here you go... here’s a hint:

“Beans, beans, the magical fruit…”

ENOUGH! Let’s get back to business. No wonder this newsletter takes me 14 -16 hours to write. My tosh is sore from sitting in this chair so long.

Konvertor can open over 4700 file types, convert many of them to other file types, open compressed files, RAR, CAB, MP3, MP4, yada yada yada ad infinitum. It, as Billy Mays would say, if only he could, is a Swiss Army Knife of software tools that ends your anger when you get that stupid “What program do you want to use to open this type of file?”

It opens file types that even EB has never heard of, and she used to run a computer back in 1966 that was bigger than her house. And if that’s not enough, you can download extra extensions for Konvertor to open up some REALLY rare file types like Atari files? What the heck are those? Atari games were files? Beats me!



Industrial Light & Magic Files? Art Weaver? Those sound like designer craft beers!<

You need this freeware program to protect you those files that cause Windows to revolt and ask you what program do you want to use to open this file. If you don’t have anything else that will open it, just point to Konvertor. If it can’t open the file, nothing can.

Now, I’ve said enough, more than enough. It’s time to for the developer of Konvertor to regale you:

Konvertor is a fast and reliable two-panel, multi-tabs file manager for Windows. It has an intuitive interface, offers viewers for all popular file formats as well as uncommon and very rare ones (4793 in the current version). Konvertor is a way to work with files more efficiently. (Konvertor does not change any settings in Windows, and does not hook itself into anything inside Windows.) More...

Windows 10 Support
Konvertor 5.04 works seamlessly with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7.

Performance
Konvertor is designed to be as fast as possible: quick navigation among directories, fast directories reading, fast and smooth painting of panels and thumbnails. Konvertor is portable, it is configured to store all configuration and settings in the same folder that it is run from.

Viewers
Built-in viewers will instantly display content of all file formats. Text and binary files, bitmap and vector images, videos, audios and 3D files, Office documents or programs files.

Archives Formats
Work with your files even if they are stored in archives. All major formats as ZIP, RAR, 7-Zip, TGZ, ARJ, APK, ZOO, LZH, ISO/UDF (and 170 more) archive formats are supported.

3D Formats
Display, convert (to 2D or 3D), snap, rotate, lights, support many different formats (102) etc....

eBooks Formats
Convert, extract between eBooks formats

Images / Photos Formats
Most popular (or not so popular) formats are supported (2192), filters to enhance them or make funny effects (many filters).

Audio Formats
Support almost all kind of audio formats (833), convert to MP3, MP4, OGG, WAV etc....

Video Formats
Play, convert, extract audio, split video, support almost all kind of video formats (230), convert to MP4, DivX, WEBM, VOB etc....

File Manager
Manage files and folders: creating, opening (e.g. viewing, playing, editing or printing), renaming, moving or copying, deleting and searching for files, as well as modifying file attributes, properties and file permissions...

Much much more
Konvertor has much more useful features built in, including native UNICODE display, Search plugin, Upload plugin...

Do I have to uninstall Konvertor before applying an update?
No, the update will be installed on top of every old installation. But don't forget to close every running instance of Konvertor before installing.

Uninstalling
To uninstall Konvertor, open the Windows Control Panel, click 'Add or Remove Programs' and select Konvertor OR launch uninstall_konvertor.exe, it's in the Konvertor folder.

How’s that folks? That’s enough. Konvertor opens 4793 types of files. If you got it, Konvertor can open it. I think EB is about ready to open my head so I better go.

And You better go get this great Cloudeight Freeware Pick right now, while you’re still thinking of it, before you forget it!

You can read (a lot more) about Konvertor and download it from here.

One Year Emsisoft License With FREE Installation & Set-up

Send your favorite student back to school with the best PC protection available. Protect them from malware, ransomware, viruses, Trojans, PUPs and more! During our Emsisoft Back to School Promo, we'll even install Emsisoft and set it up for best protection free. All for the price of a one-year license. Best protection - installed and set up for you - can't beat this deal. And this offer is available to everyone - student or not.

See this page for all the details.

What are PUPs?

PUPs are not things; PUPs is an acronym for Potentially Unwanted Programs. It really should be PUS, Potentially Unwanted Software - but PUS doesn’t sound very nice - though PUS might be closer to what you get when you install PUPs (or malware) on your computer.

PUPs are what antivirus/antimalware companies call some malware so they don't have to come right out and call it "malware". There are those who will tell you that malware is "malicious software" but the prefix "mal" does not mean malicious - it can evil, ill, bad - for instance "malevolent:" Some people, will rankle on about the malware being malicious software and PUPs being a kinder, less dangerous, less annoying form of malware. The fact is the prefix MAL does not derive from the word "malicious", it means bad or evil, used as a prefix in words such as malfeasance, malady, maladjusted, malware and hundreds of others.

Dictionary.com says:

mal-

Word Origin

1. a combining form meaning “bad,” “wrongful,” “ill,” occurring originally in loanwords from French ( malapert); on this model, used in the formation of other words (malfunction; malcontent).

PUPs are malware - whether they are malicious or not. If any of you have ever had a browser toolbar installed without your knowing consent (most PUPs are installed by trickery) and you later found you were continually being redirected to sites you didn't want to visit, or had your browser's default search engine and/or home page changed so it was difficult for you to change it back, or had advertisements popping up from everywhere and out of nowhere because of a PUP or PUPs that you were tricked into installing, we're pretty sure you’d call it malware.

PUPs is malware, make no mistake about it. But in this litigious age, no one dares to call a spade a spade. So, to protect themselves from potential lawsuits, most companies making security software, calls some types of malware, "PUPS" to prevent multi-gazillion-dollar malware makers from suing them. But PUPs is malware, I tells  ya!

Viruses, Trojans, worms, browser hijackers, search engine hijackers, rogues, ad-injectors, and other software you don't want on your computer are all malware. PUPs are all of those except for viruses, Trojans, worms and rogues. PUPs is the name given the most ubiquitous malware - the kinds of malware you're most likely to be faced with - and if you're not careful - infected with.

Whether its tagged "malware" or PUP, it's all bad stuff you don't want on your computer. While the term PUPs makes it seem like the software is not so bad, and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to install it or keep it, PUPs or Potentially Unwanted Programs is an acronym and it’s a euphemism for malware. It's not potentially unwanted, it is always unwanted.

Someday, we hope, someone will stand up to the billion-dollar toolbar/PUP industry and start calling a spade a spade.

PUPs are malware, make no mistake about it. And that's another reason we recommend Emsisoft Anti-Malware and antivirus. Emsisoft is one of the few security programs that offers protection from viruses, Trojans, worms and rogues, as well as malware and PUPs.





Reg Organizer - A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Tools - Works Great on Windows 10!

• Premium Subscribers' Home Page You'll find the last few weeks of Premium archived on this page.
• To change your subscription address, see "Manage your subscription" at the bottom of this newsletter.
• Submit your questions, comments, and suggestions for possible inclusion in our newsletters here. This form is for questions, comments and suggestions for this newsletter, not for product support, stationery questions, or general questions concerning our products or services.
• Submit your Windows tips and tricks here.
• Send us your suggestions and recommendation for future freeware picks and/or sites of the week.
• Follow us on Twitter
• Help us Grow! Forward this email newsletter to a friend or family member - and have them sign-up for InfoAve Premium here!
• Get our free daily newsletter!; Each evening we send a short newsletter with a tip or trick or other computer-related article - it's short and sweet - and free. Sign-up right now.
• Have a question about a Cloudeight Software program, service, stationery, or need to ask about an order? Let us know!
• If you need help with one of our software programs, have a question about an order, or have a question about any of our email stationery, screen savers, or other products - please don't use our InfoAve Questions/Answers/Tips form. Please use our general Cloudeight support form instead.    
• If you want to help us by telling your friends about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, you can download a printable flyer you can handout or post on bulletin boards, etc. Get the printable PDF Cloudeight Direct Computer Care flyer here.

 

These products and services are recommended and endorsed by Cloudeight:/p>

Emsisoft Anti-Malware- The best anti-malware you'll find anywhere. Great protection -- both proactive and reactive. Learn more here.

Reg Organizer-- A Swiss Army knife of PC tools. Easy for beginners to use -- with advanced features for experienced users too. Learn more here.

Cloudeight Direct Computer Care - Computer Repair Service-- And for computer repair, you can't beat our remote repair service. You never have to leave your home, take your computer anywhere or leave it with someone you don't know or trust. We can fix most computer problems and all you have to do is sit back and relax. Learn more here.

Thunderbird Email Setup - we'll set up Thunderbird for you - works great with Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. Get the details here.

Windows 10 Customization - Make Windows 10 look and work the way you want it to. Get more info here.

Also.. don't forget:

InfoAve Daily Tips & Tricks

We're offering something we think most of you will enjoy. We have a daily tips and tricks summary newsletter that is sent six days a week. It features daily tips, freeware picks, and site picks and interesting computer tips, tricks and more. It's short and sweet - very brief and lightweight. If you'd like to receive or daily tips and tricks newsletter (completely free, of course). You can subscribe here.

You can also help us by using our Start Page.  

We have over 100 free games on our Start Page. Use our Start Page and come and play all day. It costs nothing, and it helps us a lot.

Your Premium Members' Home Page is located here.

We'd love to hear from you!

If you have comments, questions, a tip, trick, a freeware pick, or just want to tell us off for something,, please visit this page.

If you need to change your newsletter subscription address, please see "Manage your subscription" at the bottom of your newsletter.

We received hundreds of questions for possible use in IA news. Please keep in mind we cannot answer all general computer questions. We choose a few to use in each week's newsletter, so keep this in mind. If you have a support question about a service or product we sell, please contact us here.

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of InfoAve Premium. Thanks so much for your support and for being a Premium subscriber.

We hope you all have a really great weekend!

Darcy & TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Issue #726
Volume 14 Number 47
September 8, 2017

Not a subscriber?  Subscribe to our InfoAve Premium Newsletter

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 cannot 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 that do not work for you.

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 in our newsletters and on our Websites without your explicit permission.

"Cloudeight InfoAve Premium" newsletter is published by:

Cloudeight Internet LLC
PO BOX 73
Middleville, Michigan USA 49333-0073