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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium
Issue  #792
Volume 16 Number 9
December 14, 2018

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM DARCY & TC

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Cloudeight InfoAve Premium issue #792. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season... from both of us to all of you. Thank you very much for subscribing and for being a part of our Cloudeight family. We appreciate your friendship and support very much!

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Cloudeight ChristmasGet 3 Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair keys for just $99. You save $51.

With our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Christmas Special, you'll get 3 Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair keys for just $99. Each key is good for one computer repair session. Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair keys never expire, they're good until you use them. We can fix most Windows PC problems remotely while you relax in your easy chair and watch us work. These special repair keys are transferable and make great gifts for anyone who uses a Windows computer. So keep them all for yourself or share them with a friend of family member. During this sale you can get 3 Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Keys for just $99. Save $51 off our regular price.

Get all the details here.

Offer valid through Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Reader's Comments

A comment from Ross
Thank you for a wonderful year of tips, tricks and general knowledge - all lightly seasoned with a pinch of humour. Being from New Zealand, I can wish you a genuine "Merry Christmas" without the PC-Police breathing down my neck.

A comment from Richard
Just want to wish you and your team the very best for Christmas and the New Year. You guys have shared a lot throughout the year and I just want to underline that your hard work, all your efforts have been and continue to be appreciated all year long. Great stuff and much appreciated.

A comment from David
Thank you very much for the collection of 'Raincrows and other essays.' It is an excellent Christmas present and very much appreciated. May you have a Blessed Christmas Season and a very Prosperous New Year. David

A comment from Gayle
TC thanks so much for your help today. You made really aggravating problem seem like a piece of cake. It was amazing watching you work - and the results were better than I hoped. Everything is working perfectly. Magic! Thanks again for your fantastic work. I just bought a Senior Pass! Merry Christmas! Gayle

A comment from Pat
I just want to thank Darcy for all the work she did on my computer! This gal goes above and beyond the call of duty. She is SO sweet...they just don't make them like her anymore!

A comment from Ellen
My first time of using Cloudeight repair service was this week. It was a fun and rewarding experience! Darcy fixed my computer and it's running well again. I will never have anyone touch my computer ever again! Cloudeight is now my official computer repair service! Thanks Darcy! Ellen

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you! A big  "Thank you!" to  Ross, Richard, David, Gayle, Pat, Ellen and everyone who took time out to write to us this week. We appreciate your kind words and your support very much! EB & TC
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Cloudeight ChristmasWe're offering two great deals on Cloudeight Direct Computer Care for Christmas.

Get 3 Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair keys for $99 (You save $51). Learn more here.

Buy a SeniorPass and get a free Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair key free. Share the free key with a friend or family member. Get all the details here.

We've helped thousands of people since we started our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service back in 2011. We know we can help you! Get computer care and repair from the people you trust!

See all our Christmas specials here.
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Here are some important links for you:
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Myron wants a word processor to print envelopes
In the past you listed some Word Processors available. At the time I did not need a processor but now I do. I need one which will allow me to print envelopes. Could you recommend some of the free processors for me? Thanks to both of you for all your help.

Our answer
Hi Myron. Since you have Windows 10, you already have a word processor built-in. It's called WordPad. You can open WordPad by typing WordPad in taskbar search. Once it's open, right-click its icon on the taskbar and choose Pin to Taskbar if you want to create a quick and easy shortcut to WordPad. WordPad is also included in the Windows 10 start menu under "Windows Accessories".

Once WordPad is open, do this to create an envelope:
  1. Click the "File" menu at the upper-left corner of the screen and click “Page Setup” from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click the “Size” menu and select your envelope type from the menu.
  3. Click the “Landscape” option in the Orientation section.
  4.  
  5. Enter page margins for the envelopes in the input fields in Margins section. Deselect the “Print Page Numbers” option.
  6. Click “OK".
  7. Type the recipient’s address. Select the address text and click the "Centering" button in the Paragraph section on the WordPad ribbon to center the recipient’s address on the envelope. If you want to type a return address, type it in the top-left corner of the envelope, then use the Enter key to move down and the “Tab” key to indent the block of text toward the center of the envelope and type the recipient's address.
  8. Click the "File" menu, select “Print” from the drop-down menu and click on “Print Preview.” If you need to adjust the address text or spacing, click the “Close print preview” button, make your changes and return to "Print Preview".
  9. Click the “Print” button.
  10. Click the “Print” button at the bottom of the dialog window.
  11. Save your file as "Envelope Template" (or whatever you want to call it) and use it for a template for your next envelope.
Here's a complete video on using WordPad - it's a pretty full-featured, but much underused application.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-9EjUacxzQ

There are other free Word Processors like Jarte or you can download full office suites that contain full-featured word processers which are much like MS Word. Such free office suites like Open Office and Libre Office are both completely free and are made to replace Microsoft Office so they are very large downloads and include other programs besides a word processor.

We hope this helps you, Myron.
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Myron wrote back: "TC I want to thank you for your reply to my question re Word Processors. Actually I feel quite stupid for not thinking about Wordpad, but am very grateful that I have access to you and Darcy when I need help and sometimes that is quite frequently... Myron"

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Jan can't see all her extensions
Hi I have one question which I think more people than me would like a solution to. I prefer using Google Chrome and as you know there is (like Firefox) a possibility to add different extensions. I think I have more than 20 of them installed but I can only see the icons of about 10 of them. There is no more place to show them. Is it possible to add more space so I can see all of them? Time for your magic fingers again? Best regards, Jan

Our answer
Hi Jan. There is only so much room to show icons for extension as it's limited by the size of the address bar - so you cannot increase the space to show more icons for extensions.

In Chrome if you want to see all your extensions, click on the 3-vertical dots in the top right. From the dropdown menu, click "More tools" the click "Extensions". All your extensions will appear on that page.

You can also type Chrome://extensions in the address bar to open the extensions page which looks like this.

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Having too many extensions installed can degrade browser performance and cause problems as each extension uses memory. If Chrome's performance starts to slow or Chrome stops working correctly, you might want to cut down the number of extensions you've installed. Also, browser extensions are a favorite item for malware makers to include and often bundle then into freeware installers. So always be careful to make sure you're not using a PUP or malware extension.
----
Jan wrote back: "Thanks TC. Great tips as usual. Now I know how to handle this. Best regards, Jan"

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Patricia is looking for a travel site we recommended
You recommended a Sky something travel in one of your newsletters. I searched my saved newsletters and can not find it. Could you tell me the name again?

Our answer
Hi Patricia. The site is called SkyScanner. The Web address is https://www.skyscanner.com.

We published the article on November 7, 2018 - you can read it here.

Happy travels!

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Sonjia has Gmail problems
I don’t have Gmail symbol on my task bar. I used to always just clicked on the Chrome Browser icon and then clicked on Gmail and without a sign in and my Gmail would automatically open, until they came out with this latest update. Now, I need to sign in when open the browser, and then click on Gmail. I was hoping that I would stay signed in when I turned of this setting you see below. I don’t sign out either. I (1) don’t automatically clear browser history when I close browser, (2) don’t use CCleaner or any other type of cleanup. (3) Don’t use any kind of AD Blocker with cookie blocker (4) nor have I changed any of my settings (5) nor have I added any extension. I don’t install these things on my computer. I’m not one of those people that downloads lots of stuff on my computer.

This is the only thing I’ve changed at all in Chrome and Gmail, and I saw this in my subscription to Groovy Post. I thought I would not have to sign in after I changed this setting. Not sign in Google.

Thank You very much for your time in answering me and trying to help. Don’t know any one to ask, but you, or try to go to some computer shop and ask them. Sonjia

Our answer
Hi Sonjia. You can put a Chrome link on your taskbar by opening Chrome. While Chrome is open, right-click on its icon in the taskbar and click "Pin to taskbar". You can also put a shortcut on your taskbar by right-clicking your Chrome desktop icon (if you have one) and choosing "Pin to taskbar". You can also open your start menu, find Google Chrome, right-click it, click on "More" then click "Pin to taskbar".

The setting you changed is part of your problem: Here are the default settings:

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium News

Here's a quick way to turn off all extensions (not remove them) and, reset Chrome to its default settings (how it should be set up) in one step. I suggest you do this:

1. Click the 3 vertical dots at the top right of Chrome
2. Click Settings
3. Scroll all the way down to the bottom
4. Click Advanced.
5. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of Advanced settings
6. Click on "Restore settings to their original defaults"
7. In the dialog that pops up, click on "Reset settings"

After you've done this, you must restart Chrome for the changes to take effect. Make sure you close all Chrome windows. Then restart Chrome. Resetting Chrome does not remove your bookmarks or extensions, it does turn off all extensions though. You'll need to go back into Extensions and turn on the ones you need.

Try our suggestions about resetting Chrome and get Chrome back to its default settings so it see if it works like it's suppose to work.
-------
Sonjia wrote back: "Thank you, Thank You, now I can click the Chrome symbol, then click on Gmail, and my e-mail will open without me needing to sign in. I opened it and had to sign in, then I closed it, and reopened it again, low and behold my mail opened without me needing to sign in again, just like it used too. All this started when I allowed the new update from Google and then chose to go back to old version, and checked that one setting. I still have 1 session left in my account and was ready to use it, so I really appreciate your time and help, by typing all this information for me. I will save this information so I will have it if this ever happens to me again.

I’ve received your newsletter for approximately 12 years or more, and recommended it to friends. I’m also a member of the HILL...

Thank You so much for your time. Sonjia

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Vivian wants to know about password managers and security
I lost a whole lot of information but just wanted to ask: Which App is best security for passwords? Thank you so much! Been with you for many years.

Our answer
Hi Vivian. Thank you so much for your longtime friendship!.

The two password managers we recommend LastPass and RoboForm both store user passwords with strong encryption which can only be decrypted with the user's master passwords. Both of them use 256-bit AES encryption. I imagine most of the other popular password managers use 256-bit encryption too. 256-bit encryption is a data/file encryption technique that uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data or files. It is one of the most secure encryption methods after 128- and 192-bit encryption, and is used in most modern encryption algorithms, protocols and technologies including AES and SSL.

LastPass is free and available from www.lastpass.com and RoboForm Everywhere is available for a reasonable cost and available from www.roboform.com/everywhere. Both LastPass and RoboForm Everywhere can be used on multiple devices. RoboForm now offers a limited-function free version too - but neither of us use it. I use LastPass and Darcy uses RoboForm everywhere.

And as I mentioned above, I would guess that most other popular password managers offer 256-bit or 128-bit encryption, but we have not tested any of them

We hope this answers your question.

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Hope has Emsisoft but suddenly she has Avast too
I have and enjoy very much Emsisoft. Last week when I turned on my PC, Avast Free Antivirus came up and took over.! I don’t think I had this on once I had Emsisoft?? But the shortcut icon is now on my desktop! And the everything is taking a horribly long time to come up i.e. Google, Gmail. iTunes , how do I get rid of this Avast-I don’t need it do I? Could this be bogging the PC down? Thank you!

Our answer
Hi Hope. If you have Avast, it means you installed it - possibly unknowingly as it comes as an add-on with some programs and we consider that kind of install kin to malware. Be careful when you ok/authorize downloads, especially of freeware.

Yes, trying to run two antivirus programs can slow your system down, so it is important you do a complete removal of Avast. You can try via control panel or program removal, but be sure you also remove Avast add-ons (extensions) from your browser(s) as Avast installs these as well.

If you want us to do this via our direct care service, our order page is http://thundercloud.net/direct

If we can help you further, please let us know.
-----------
Hope wrote back: "THANKYOU so much. I think it’s gone. I keep checking back @programs/uninstall, and can’t see Avast or Avast browser there. Browser never was, just Avast. When I looked it up this is what it said “November 18, 2018 Update: beware! Avast Free Antivirus installer now comes bundled with Avast Secure browser, Avast Secure browser will be installed if you don’t uncheck it in setup dialog, pay attention and avoid it if you don’t want it... If you don’t want to use Avast Secure Browser which installed itself automatically without your consent, you can uninstall or even remove it using the official removal tool provided by Avast if you can’t able to get rid of it via the Control Panel in Windows..." I noticed on “programs” that “Avast” installed on Nov 23rd. I could not find the Browser one. But since I’ve uninstalled Avast, it seems to be running better...  I have no idea when I installed that. They (Avast) seem very deceiving and sneaky.  I really appreciate your feedback and fast response. Also really enjoy Emsisoft, and will definitely be renewing that when time is up. Thanks again, Hope."

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Angeline wants to know about Xtra-PC
Have you heard of Xtra-PC? It is supposed to help a computer run better and faster? It costs $34.99.

Our answer
Hi Angeline. Xtra-PC is yet another one-click-fix scam. If there were such a thing as one-click and your computer runs better and all problems are fixed, Microsoft would pay billions for it and include it with Windows.

These scams surface every few months with new names like WinFixer, FixMeStick, MyCleanPC, SpeedUpMyPC, and so on. Xtra-PC is just another in a long line of scams claiming to fix whatever ails your PC and keep it running like new with just a click. Unfortunately the only ones who benefit from these kinds of programs are the scammers and marketers who come up with never-ending ways to separate you from your money.

Here are some articles we've written in the past about one-click-fix scams:

http://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/fixmestick-rears-its-ugly-head-again/

http://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/win-cleaner-how-to-throw-away-20-in-a-hurry/

http://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/and-the-scams-never-stop/

The names are different but they all use the same gimmicks to get your money and none of them fix your computer.

We hope this helps you... and saves you money!

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Bob's getting a new email address and wants to keep getting our newsletter
My email address is changing, & I don't want to miss getting your insightful & helpful hints, comments and even your snide remarks. Thank you. Bob

Our answer
Hi Bob. Gmail does not censor and delete any mail, but some things like newsletters may go in the junk/spam folder, so be sure to look at that from time to time and mark any good mail as such. Adding addresses of folks to your address book helps get it direct to inbox too. We don't want you to miss any great info.. or any of TC's snide remarks either!

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If you need to change your address for NotOverTheHill, log in to your account, choose My Account, Settings, Account Settings, and make the change. http://notoverthehill.com

If you need to make an address change for Cloudeight Infoave Daily news, you will have to unsubscribe, then re-subscribe here with the new address.

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Cloudeight ChristmasBuy a Cloudeight SeniorPass and get unlimited computer care & repair for one full year + a Free Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Key to share

For our friends 60 and older! With our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care SeniorPass you'll get one full year of unlimited computer care and repair for just $99. And during our Christmas Sale, when you buy Senior Pass we'll send you a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair Key you can keep or share with a friend or family member. Our keys never expire- they're good until you use them. You'll get our SeniorPass with one full year of computer care & repair, plus we'll send you a single Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Key you can give to a friend or family member (a $50 value) FREE!


Get more information and take advantage of this special offer right now!

Offer valid through Wednesday, December 19, 2018.
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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Three handy tips for Google Chrome (and other browsers)
All computer, tablet, and smart phone users with Google Chrome installed

Google Chrome long ago passed Internet Explorer as the world's most popular browser. If you use Chrome we think you'll find these three tips very useful. But even if you don't use Chrome, one or more of these tricks might work with the browser you use.

1. Show recently viewed pages with a click - Did you know you can show a list of recently visited pages from the current tab? You can. All you have to do is right-click on the “Back” button and you’ll see a list of recently visited pages. And as illogical as it sounds, this also works with the “Forward” button too. This works in Firefox too.

2. Drag-a-tab - Did you know that Chrome lets you detach a tab and open it in a new window? It does! All you have to do is drag the tab outside the active window. And you can also add it back to the original windows too. Just drag it back and drop it. You can also rearrange the order of the open tabs on Chrome. This works in Firefox as well.

3. Drag your downloads - When you download a program using Chrome, you will see it on Chrome’s status bar (the bar along the bottom of the browser window). Did you know you can drag that download tab out of Chrome to your desktop or any folder on your computer? Also, you’ll note at the far right edge of the download tab (which shows the file name) you’ll see a little down-arrow. If you click that arrow you’ll get options such as “Show in folder”. “Run”, “Always open files of this type” and “Cancel”..

And guess what? There's a good chance that one or more of these tips will work on other browsers too - don't be afraid to try them with Firefox, Opera, Edge, or even good ol' IE.
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Compose Assist in Gmail
For everyone using Windows and Gmail

Included in the new Gmail there are several new features you may not be familiar with. Today we’re going to introduce you to Compose Assist. When Compose Assist is turned on, writing suggestions will appear as you’re composing an email.

Compose Assist uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to guess what you’re going to write next. This can be annoying or helpful, depending on how well it works for you and how you view it. Some people find it spooky, but it’s really not. When you think how common certain English phrases are and with millions of emails to learn from, it’s not difficult to figure out just how AI can guess what you’re going to write next. It’s largely about context.

The image below, courtesy of Google, shows you how Compose Assist works. Compose Assist will try to guess what you’re going to type next, and if guesses right, then all you have to do it tap the Tab key on your keyboard to have the text included in your email.

Cloudeight InfoAve Gmail Tips


You can turn Compose Assist on or off. Here’s how:

Cloudeight Gmail Tips

Open Gmail and look for the gear icon (Settings) near the top right the Gmail window.

In the menu that appears when you click the gear icon, click on Settings.

Cloudeight Gmail Tips

Click on “Settings”, then in Settings, scroll down until you see “Smart Compose”

Cloudeight Gmail Tips

Tick the radio button next to your choice – Writing suggestions on or off.

We find Smart Compose very handy, but we understand why many people would find it annoying. And now that you know how, YOU can take control of Gmail’s Smart Compose.

Do you like it, or not?
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How to Check Your Hard Drive(s) Using the WMIC Command
Windows 7, Windows 8x, Windows 10

You can check your hard drives a couple of ways. The first (and recommended way) is this:

1. Open Windows Explorer / File Explorer
2. Right-click on the drive you want to check
3. Choose "Properties" > "Tools"
4. Click the "Check" button under "Error checking

You can also check drives using the WMIC command. Here's how:

Open a Command Prompt with Admin privileges:

In Windows 7 open the start menu, type CMD into the start menu search. When CMD appears at the top of the menu, right-click and choose “Run as Administrator”.

In Windows 8.1 right-click the start button and chose “Command Prompt (Admin)”.

In Windows 10 type CMD in the taskbar search (Cortana). When "Command Prompt" appears at the top, right-click it and choose "Run as administrator"

In the Command Prompt enter the following command exactly as shown (copy & paste works too):

WMIC DISKDRIVE GET MODEL,STATUS

Then press Enter.

Make sure you type the command exactly as it’s shown above – or better yet, copy & paste it.

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My hard drive and my external drive are both A-OK. We hope yours are too. If you get error messages or codes, be sure to look them up online. If your drive or drives are not OK, make sure your data is backed up on a working external hard drive.

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How Reset Windows 10 and Keep Your Personal Files
Windows 10 (all versions)

If your computer is running badly, things are slow, features no longer work correctly or are missing and you’re ready to throw up your hands in disgust – or run out and buy a new computer, a “fix” might be easier than you think.

Windows 10 has an option to save your personal files (pictures, documents, music, videos, favorites, etc.) remove Windows, reinstall Windows, then replace your personal files and folders. When the reset it done, you’ll need to reinstall any programs you installed.

Remember! Don't do this to remove a problematic Windows 10 version update - you can go back to the previous version of Windows 10 by following the instructions on this page.
And don’t do a Windows 10 reset unless your computer is running poorly, apps and features aren’t working right and your computer is almost unusable. And though we've done this procedure many times and never lost any personal files, we recommend you backup any files that you cannot replace before starting the reset.

Here’s how to do a Windows 10 reset and keep your personal files.

Right-click the start button, click on Settings. In Settings, click on Update & Security, then click on Recovery in the menu on the left.

Cloudeight InfoAve Windows 10 Tips

Under “Reset this PC” click the button labeled “Get started”.

Cloudeight InfoAve Windows Tips

Next step, and it’s an important one, click on “Keep my files”.

Cloudeight InfoAve Windows Tips

This option changes all settings back to their defaults and keeps your personal files, data, personalization settings and apps from the Windows Store. Files in the user’s profile are preserved (except for the AppData folder). Also any folders created by the user in the root of the system drive (usually C:\ ) as well as on other drives and partitions. User-installed programs and user installed apps from the Windows Store, on the system drive and other drives are removed and a list of programs and apps that were removed and will have to be reinstalled. This will be saved in a text file on your desktop on completion of the reset.

The next dialog shows you a list of programs that will be removed. You can scroll though the list if you want to. To continue with the reset, click “Next”.

Cloudeight InfoAve Windows Tips

One more step. If you’re absolutely sure you want to continue, click the “Reset” button. Once you do that there is no turning back.

Cloudeight InfoAve Windows Tips

After a reboot, the saved settings, data files, and apps are applied to your new Windows installation. So doing a reset is essentially the same as reinstalling Windows while keeping all of your personalization settings and personal files.

The complete Reset process usually takes 45 to 60 minutes. It may take longer in some cases.

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Want more computer tips & tricks?

Microsoft Gives Up: Microsoft Edge Will Soon Be Chromium-based

The Killer in Windows 

We have thousands of Windows tips, tricks and more on our InfoAve web site.  Come see for yourself

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Cloudeight ChristmasEmsisoft Renewal + Checkup and Optimization $25
 
If you're already using Emsisoft, this deal is for you!

We'll add 365 days to your current Emsisoft Anti-Malware/Antivirus license, check over your computer, optimize your computer startups and settings. Best of all, you'll get all of this for same price as a Emsisoft Anti-Malware one-year renewal without the extras!

Get more information and/or take advantage of this special offer right now!

Does not include computer repair. Offer good through Wednesday, December 19, 2018. 
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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Three Great Christmas Sites

At this festive time of year, EB and TC like to do festive things, like remind everyone that Christmas is coming. It seems each year, Christmas comes and goes so quickly. So before Christmas has come and gone, we’d like to (hopefully) add to your Christmas joy by sharing “some several” unique and fun Christmas websites. You’ll want to bookmark one or more these sites if you have kids or grandkids, or if you’re a kid at heart.

These sites are not listed in any particular order – so the first one listed is not necessarily the best and so forth and so on.

Without boring you to tears, I am going to get started now.

NORAD Tracks Santa

InfoAve by Cloudeight

If you have kids or grand-kids, or if you still believe in Santa Claus, like I do, then you’ll want to visit this site on Christmas Eve.

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is for EB to quit flogging me.

Your fan,

TC


OK seriously – this is from the NORAD site by the official NORAD people, who you don’t want to mess with because they have their fingers on the buttons that launch nukes. Don’t write and criticize them.

For over 60 years “…NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.

The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.


In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa…”
Visit NORAD Tracks Santa.

Merry Christmas from Darcy & TC

WhyChristmas?com

InfoAve by Cloudeight

We would write an intro for this site, but since the developer of the site is so verbose, we’re just going to let him entertain you.
“About WhyChristmas?com

WhyChristmas?com is one of the largest Christmas information sites on the web and answers your Christmas questions! It was launched in November 2000 by me, James Cooper a Christmas loving web designer from the UK

I’d always loved Christmas (yes, I’m a very big kid!) and had wondered about the ‘whys’ of Christmas; such as why do we have Santa/Father Christmas, why we have Christmas Trees and send Christmas Cards to each other?!

The site was originally created for some friends who were teachers in a local school. Knowing that I was a web designer, they came to me complaining that they couldn’t find a site that was child friendly and “wasn’t trying to sell the kids something”! So with the help of ‘Bruce the Spruce’ (the site’s Christmas Tree logo!) I made a little site for them to use with their classes.

The site has always had a ‘no ads’ policy (although I’ve had plenty of offers!). As the site has become more and more popular the hosting costs have also increased! If you really like the site, you can help to keep the site online.

As a Christian, the most important part of Christmas to me is the Christmas Story, when we remember and celebrate that Jesus was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

I’m also an all round ‘Christmas Nut’ listening to Christmas Carols and songs throughout the year! And to really get me into the Christmas spirit, I have to watch ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’! Through researching and creating the site, I’ve also become a Christmasologist…”

It’s really a fun site for adults and kids – get on your sleigh and hitch up your reindeer and…head on over to WhyChristmas?com.

And to see what our Christmas site number 3 is - and a very special and dear-to-our- hearts bonus Christmas site, visit this page.

Merry Christmas from both of us to ALL of you!
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Cloudeight ChristmasEmsisoft One Year License + Installation & More! $25

If you're not using Emsisoft, this deal is for you!

This special offer is for new Emsisoft customers and includes all of this: We will scan your pc and clean any malware, PUPs, viruses, from your computer. We'll remove your current antivirus software. We will install and configure Emsisoft Anti-Malware for best protection and performance. Offer includes a one-year Emsisoft license. During our Christmas Special, you'll get all of this for LESS than the regular retail price of Emsisoft Anti-Malware!

Get all the details and/or take advantage of this Christmas special here.

Offer good through December 19, 2018. Does not include computer repair.
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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Essays , Rants, etc.

The Spirit of Christmas

“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians Chapter 13

Winter has arrived ahead of schedule this year. Tonight, I look out my window and see softly falling flakes of snow drifting in the dim light of the old lamp post in my front yard. How many times I’ve looked out and seen this same winterscape I cannot count. I wonder how many times I’ve looked at nearly the same scene and went about whatever business seemed important to me at the time. And how many times I’ve never really seen anything at all as life passed by me; and I never really saw anything. At all.

But tonight I’m feeling wistful and pensive. Not sad. Just thoughtful. I guess life is flowing by faster than I ever imagined it could. I suppose none of us at age twenty can imagine the value of time. Seasons come and go so quickly now. And here it is Christmastime again. And, it really felt strange this night to think that Christmas is only about a week away.

When I was child a whole week to wait for Christmas to arrive seemed a painfully long time. Counting down the days and hours made it seem even longer. But Christmas did come – it came and went; it came and went many times and now here I am, many years older, and hopefully, many years wiser, looking back over all those Christmases past. Just over a week until Christmas? And it will come and be gone in a blink of an eye.

As I look back at Christmases past, the ones I remember most are the ones where I had the least. Perhaps the lavish gifts of the more prosperous years got in the way of the greatest gift of all. Maybe I buried the greatest gift under mountains of other less important gifts. You know the ones, those gifts that soon find their way into the dark, forgotten corners of cluttered closets. The ones that eventually end up discarded in the trash.

It’s such a difficult time now for the younger people in our world....
 
Read the rest of "The Spirit of Christmas" here.
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Merry Christmas from both of us to ALL of you!

Our Christmas Gifts to You!

We appreciate your friendship and support, more than you know. As our way of saying "thank you" for helping us and supporting us, we have some gifts for you. We hope you enjoy them!

Cloudeight WinterHouse Screensaver

We're giving away our WinterHouse screensaver as our way of saying thank you and Merry Christmas.

Our WinterHouse screensaver is a  holiday tradition - it's unique - and it's our most popular screen saver ever! Our WinterHouse makes a great screen saver for the Christmas season and you can use it all winter long. Our WinterHouse scree saver will add beauty and serenity to your desktop this Holiday Season and all winter long too.

It's our most popular screensaver ever!

Learn more about our WinterHouse Screensaver and download it free right now!

Merry Christmas from Darcy & TC

"Raincrows and other Essays" Ebook

"Raincrows and other essays" features 87 of our favorite essays written between 2003 to 2015;  this ebook contains over 350 pages of great reading. And for a limited time we're offering this ebook at a special price.

Our Raincrows help page features some tips for you on how to move the ebook to  your other devices such as a tablet computer or phone. And we'll show you how to read the ePub format on  your Windows PC by downloading a fabulous freeware program called Calibre and we highly recommend that you do. We'll also give you advice for reading the Windows-only version. You can also print any or all of the essays from the ebook if you like.

Read more about "Raincrows and other essays" and download it free right now!

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Back to Basics

What is an external hard drive?

Every computer comes with an internal hard drive - it's built in to the computer and connected to the motherboard. It may be a regular hard drive or an SSD (solid state drive). On the internal hard drive is your operating system - for most of us that's Windows. Normally on this drive are all your programs, documents, pictures, music, email messages, Windows system files and more. Unless you take your computer apart, you never see your internal hard drive.

An external hard drive is a hard drive that plugs in to a USB port on your computer. External drives vary in size and shape, but these days, many are about the size of deck of cards but much thinner... while some are the about size of a paperback book. There is nothing on your external hard drive by default - however most companies that make external hard drives encourage you to install their own proprietary software. We don't recommend that you do this. You don't need the software that comes with the drive to use the external drive.

Why do you need an external hard drive? If you have important data, pictures, files - anything you don't want to lose - then you need to back it up. If you don't have an external hard drive, your only choices of backup locations are your Windows drive (your internal drive) or a cloud storage service like OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. There are even cloud storage services who will charge you monthly or annually to back up your entire hard drive. This is not only expensive, it's problematical. If you have hundreds of gigabytes of data on your hard drive, it will take you long time to recover that data - and if your hard drive has failed what are you going to download it to?

Enter our hero: The external hard drive. They are inexpensive, durable, and your data is always nearby. And if you use a good backup system that does image backups (that is an exact copy of your hard drive),you'll have many options. You can retrieve individual files and folder from it - or if you're internal hard drive fails you'll be able to use that backup to put everything back on a brand new internal hard drive and be back up and running in just an hour or so.

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Above: Examples of external hard drives.

You can buy a 1 terabyte (1024 gigabytes) external hard drive for around $50 and a 2 TB external drive for around $65.

External drives require no setup. Just plug the external in to a USB port and it's ready to go. Again, we remind you that you're better off not installing the software that many times comes with external drives.

An external hard drive is the best and least expensive way to backup your important files and ensure that your data is safe.
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Sales of the following products and services help support our newsletters, websites, and computer help services we provide.

Cloudeight Direct Computer Care: Single Keys or Season Tickets - always a great deal. Cloudeight Direct Computer Care is like having PC insurance. Get more information here.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware:  Emsisoft is the only Cloudeight endorsed and recommend Windows security program. It provides users with a complete antivirus, antimalware, anti-ransomware, anti-PUPs solution. We offer single Emsisoft licenses and multi-computer licenses at discount prices. Also, we offer our exclusive Emsisoft with Cloudeight installation & setup. Get more information here.

Cloudeight Backup Service: Professional setup of a complete backup system including creation of rescue media, image backups, incremental backups, Cloudeight Direct Backup session key and a lifetime license for Ashampoo Backup Pro 11. Get all the details here.

Thunderbird Email Setup: Thunderbird is a great email program that you can use with your Gmail and Outlook.com (Hotmail) web mail accounts as well as with your Internet provider's email. We'll set it up right for you. Our set up includes configuring up to 3 emails accounts and setting up Thunderbird to use stationery (if desired). Our Thunderbird Email Setup Service is always a great deal. For more information visit this page.

Reg Organizer 8.20: Reg Organizer is the Swiss Army Knife of Windows tools. It's far more than just a registry optimizer and cleaner... it's Windows all-in-one toolkit. Helps you keep your computer in tip-top shape and helps solve annoying Windows problems. Reg Organizer works great with Windows 10 too! Get more information about Reg Organizer (and get our special discount prices) here.

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

Merry Christmas from both of us to ALL of you!

Merry Christmas from both of us to ALL of you!

Have a great weekend.

Darcy & TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Issue #792
Volume 16 Number 9
December 14, 2018

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