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Dianne's computer won't start after an update
My computer was acting strange after an update and I tried doing a system restore. Unfortunately, I think it got caught in a loop, but I left it overnight and wouldn't you know my hydro went out. Now I have a blank screen. I can get into it using f8, but it says it cannot be repaired. Is there anything else I can do to get my computer back? Will a windows repair disk help and how do I use it.

Our answer
Hi Dianne, try starting your computer this way:

1. Turn your PC off with the power switch
2. Leave it off for 5 minutes.
3. Hold down the SHIFT key and then turn on the computer (keep holding down the SHIFT key)
4. Continue to hold down the SHIFT key until you see the Advanced Boot Options menu
5. From the Advanced Boot Options menu, click on Troubleshoot and try running Startup repair.

You cannot fix a Windows version update with system restore, you have to use System > Update & Security > Recovery > Go back to the previous version of Windows (See our article here).

For cumulative updates, you can uninstall the offending updates by going to Settings > Windows Update > Update History . See our article about the Advance Boot Options menu.

You should only use system restore if you download and install something that causes problems of if you accidentally install malware. System Restore is not a good choice for rolling back problematic updates.

You can boot your computer with a Windows 10 installation disk which you can make by following the instructions here. Once you use it to boot your PC, you will be able to Reset your computer which saves all your files and reinstalls Windows - but you'll need to reinstall all the programs you use.

I hope this helps you - please let us know if you need more help.



Linda says all of a sudden .docx files appeared on her computer
We have files on our computer that all of a sudden have the extension docx and when we try to open them a window pops up and tells us we have to purchase office 365 and we are unable to open them unless we do. Is there a way you can fix our files so we can open them again without purchasing office 365, which is $99 per year.

Our answer
Hi Linda. First, Microsoft Office 365 Personal is $69 a year or $6.99 per month.

Now on to your question: .docx has been the standard Microsoft Word document format for many years. You can open .docx files with WordPad which is included with all versions of Windows. All you have to do is right-click on any .docx file and choose "Open with" and choose WordPad.

There are also many free office suites and free word processers that you can download and install that will open and even create .docx files. Here are some:

Free Office Suites (replaces Microsoft Office)

Open Office
www.openoffice.org

LibreOffice
www.libreoffice.org

Free Word Processor (replaces MS Word)

AbleWord
https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/take-a-look-at-this-free-ms-word-and-pdf-editor/

I hope this helps you Linda.

The Best Computer Care and Repair - Anywhere!

We can fix your computer while you watch. You never have to leave your home. Just sit back, relax, and watch us work. Get PC service from folks you trust at the best prices you'll find anywhere.

Kat wants to know our opinion of "Patch My PC".
What is your take on "Patch My PC"? I trust your opinions more than all others.

Our answer
Hi Kat. Thank you. In short, another useless program. There have been programs like this around for years and years. Any program installed on your computer that needs to be updated will tell you and offer you an update.

Updating programs that don't need to be updated can result in problems. Just like driver updaters that update drivers that don't need to be updated -- "app updaters" update programs that don't need an update.

And I'm not sure from reading the program's page that this program doesn't also update some drivers.

Finally, programs like this are constantly scanning your computer looking for programs that need to be updated - and that means it's constantly using RAM (Memory) and 'CPU and this can negatively affect computer performance.

We would not install something like this, so we recommend that you don't either.



Cheri has questions about Microsoft Office, Edge and more
I have received a notice that my Microsoft Office 2010 will not be updated as of October 2020. Will I still be able to use everything in it like Word, Power Point and Excel? When you told us about Neat Office being free, I installed it but have never used it. I see you also like Open Office. Between the 2 programs which do you prefer if I am unable to use my 2010 Office past October. Also, with Microsoft dropping Internet Explorer, is there anything we need to uninstall on our computers? The New Edge downloaded with the last updates, but I prefer Chrome with Firefox as backup browser. Any insight into these questions would be appreciated. Stay Safe and Be Kind.

Our answer
Hi Cheri. Microsoft is no longer going to update Office 2010 after October 2020. The programs will still work (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) but over time there may be security issues and eventually Office 2010 will stop working - but it won't stop working in October.

We recommended Neat a long time ago when it was still free, I don't know if it's still free or not, I know for a while it wasn't. We still recommend and frequently revisit and test OpenOffice and LibreOffice.

You can get more info and/or download OpenOffice at https://www.openoffice.org/.

You can learn more about and/or download LibreOffice at https://www.libreoffice.org/..

Both OpenOffice & LibreOffice offer Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access compatible programs in their respective suites -and both are frequently updated.

It doesn't matter what browser Microsoft recommends or installs automatically with Windows Updates, you can use whatever browser you choose. I use Chrome and Firefox both more than I use Edge. But the browser you should use is the browser you like best. The new chromium-base Edge is a vast improvement on the legacy Edge and Internet Explorer.

I hope this answers all your questions -- but if not, let me know.

Judy wants to know if she can use a Cloudeight SeniorPass to set up a new computer
Hi! Wondering about setting up an unattended pass and what that means.... I am buying a new laptop and wondering if you can set it up for me? Can you transfer stuff from my old laptop onto the new one or should I pay the store to do it? Thanks!

Our answer
Hi Judy. Our SeniorPass is good for unlimited computer repair and support for one year. Our SeniorPass also includes the option for us to set up "Unattended Support" which means we can connect and work on your PC even if you're not able to be there. Our SeniorPass also includes emergency telephone support for our customers in the USA. The cost of a SeniorPass is $99.

We can help you transfer files & folders from your old computer to the new computer - that requires that you have an external hard drive available. An external hard drive is a hard drive that plugs into a USB port and is very inexpensive (around $50 for a 1 terabyte drive). We do not recommend nor do we transfer programs from one computer to another as it usually ends up causing problems.

If you're interested in learning more about our SeniorPass see https://thundercloud.net/direct/2018/senior/.

If you need anything else or you have any more questions, please let us know.

Robert cannot change MSCONFIG startup option to "Normal startup"
When in msconfig (I was there to get a clean boot) under the General tab there is the Startup Selection. The first option is Normal Startup and then Diagnostic Startup and then Selective Startup. Why is my desktop PC set to Selective Startup and will not allow me to change it to Normal Startup? The "clean boot" I mentioned above was on my laptop and not my desktop PC, so it was not a setting I changed. The Apply button at the bottom of the box is greyed out so it cannot be selected. Thank you once again. Sincerely, Robert F.

Our answer
Hi Robert. If your desktop will not let you return to Normal startup then you have selected some items in under "Advanced options". You will need to open MSCONFIG, click on the Boot tab, click on Advanced options, and clear whatever you checked there. Then you'll be able to select "Normal" startup.

Clean boot is not the same as Safe boot...

Here's the right way to do a clean boot on Windows 10 (tutorial by Microsoft).

I hope this helps you.

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The Windows.old folder – What’s it for?  And how to remove it
Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (all versions)

Many of you have or will soon be upgrading to Windows 10 version 2004. And in just a few months, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 10 version 2009 (November 2020 update).

Did you know that every time Windows has a version update, your computer gets a new Windows.old folder?

The Windows.old folder is created when you upgrade from one version of Windows to another. The Windows.old folder makes it easy for you to retreat from a major Windows 10 update and go back to previous Windows 10 version without losing any data, programs, or settings.

The Windows.old folder contains everything needed to go back to the previous version of Windows. It includes your installed programs, all user accounts, all Windows system files, all users’ files, and folders, etc. Everything you need to go back to the previous version of Windows is stored in the Windows.old folder.

Windows 10 keeps your Windows.old folder intact for 30 days after a major version upgrade. While Windows 10 keeps the folder intact for 30 days, it can only be used to go back to a previous version of Windows 10 for ten days after a version update.  If you’re interested and adventuresome, you can also look inside the Windows.old folder and extract individual files from it.

And as you might guess, the Windows.old folder can be quite large – 20-40 GB. So, it does take up substantial hard drive space.

For 10 days after you install a major Windows 10 update, you’ll see the “Go back to the previous version of Windows 10” option in Settings > Update & security > Recovery.

If you choose the option to “go back to the previous version”, your computer will be restored to the previous version of Windows 10, and all your programs, files, settings, etc. will be exactly as they were before you installed the update. If you remove the Windows.old folder you will not have this option.

Windows will automatically remove the Windows.old folder after 30 days, but you’ll only have the option to “Go back…” for 10 days after you update.

If you want to remove the Windows.old folder manually, you can’t just open File Explorer and right-click on the folder and delete it. Windows won’t let you. You can manipulate the folder’s security options and delete it, but there’s a much easier way. 

Here’s how to manually remove the Windows.old folder:

Type Disk Cleanup in taskbar search and press Enter (or click it) when Disk Cleanup appears at the top.

When Windows Disk Cleanup appears, you’ll see a dialog asking which drive you want to clean up. It will default to C: drive, and that’s fine.

Next, click OK to let it scan your C drive. It will take a few seconds to scan your C: drive. When it’s done it will show you a list of files that you can clean using Disk Cleanup. But don’t worry about that now.  Near the bottom of that dialog, you’ll see a button that says, “Clean up system files”. Click on that button.

Again, Windows will ask which drive you want to clean up, it will default to “C”. Leave it set to drive C and click OK. Wait a few minutes for Windows to scan your drive. When it’s done, you’ll see another dialog. You’ll need to scroll down to see “Previous Windows installation(s)”.

Tick the box next to “Previous Windows installation(s)", then click OK. Windows Disk Cleanup will begin the process of cleaning up and removing the Windows.old folder.  Be patient. This will take some time.

Warning: Remember that the Windows.old folder not only contains your previous version of Windows, it contains all your personal files and settings from your previous installation of Windows including installed programs, all your files, and folders, your personalized settings, Windows system files, etc. So be careful. Remove the Windows.old folder only when you are certain that you don’t have any problems with the new Windows 10 version update before you delete the Windows.old file — or you will have no easy way of going back to the previous version of Windows.

Add a Cascading Settings Context Menu on the Windows 10 Desktop
Windows 10 (all versions)

As all Windows 10 users have learned, Microsoft has now moved most of the Control Panel features into the Settings app in Windows 10. How much longer the Control Panel will be around is anyone’s guess. As of today, there are still some features of the Control Panel that have not been migrated to the Settings app. But it does seem likely the Control Panel will eventually be removed from Windows 10.

The Settings app contains the following categories:  System, Devices, Phone, Network & Internet, Personalization, Apps, Accounts, Time & language, Gaming, Ease of Access, Cortana, Privacy, Update & security (and on some versions “Mixed reality”).

All Settings categories have sub-pages. Most of these sub-pages are accessible directly using the ms-settings commands. you can see a list of ms-settings commands here and directly from Microsoft here.

How to Add a Cascading Settings Context Menu on the Windows 10 Desktop

If you want to add a cascading “Settings” context menu that you can open by right-clicking your Windows 10 desktop, we’ve made it simple for you.

Download this zip file.

Once you’ve downloaded the file, unzip it, and right-click on the file named “settings-menu.reg” and choose “Merge”. (You can also double-click it.)

You will get a warning reminding you that adding things to your registry can cause problems. Click “Yes” to proceed.

Once you click yes, you’ll see a dialog confirming that the changes have successfully been added to your registry

And if you did all that correctly when you right-click on an empty space on your desktop you’ll have a Settings entry on your right-click menu. And when you click on “Settings” you’ll a cascading menu showing all the categories in Settings will appear.

Enjoy!

Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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A Treasure Trove of Desktop Wallpaper & More!

Quite by accident today, I discovered a web site that is a treasure trove of desktop wallpaper for Windows users. But you can also use this site if you have Apple or Android devices. So, you would say, this site has something for everyone.

Not only are there thousands of (mostly) beautiful wallpapers, there are hundreds of beautiful videos (loops) you can download and/or share.

But no more words, how about some samples?

There are thousands more. All are high-resolution images perfect for any desktop. Visit our Cloudeight site pick,"PeaPix"  right now.

I’d Love to be a Painter

It’s been a warm and beautiful summer this summer. For some, it’s been a little hot. But for me, it has been one of the best summers I can remember. There has been plenty of sunshine and plenty of beautiful warm summer days. A summer simply perfect for outdoor activities.

Two of my favorite outdoor activities are walking and reading. Most people think of reading as an indoor activity and do more reading on those cold, dark, blustery days of winter. But to me, there’s nothing better than sitting in the shade of a large maple tree and reading an engaging book.

The more books I read, the more I find myself drawn to books written by writers who paint pictures with words. Some writers have amazing ways of painting with words that the paintings they create enchant the mind of the reader. To me, it is much better than watching a movie. Movies are always about how someone else sees the scenes and the characters that the writer painted. Books make me the director of the movie and allow me to create the scenes...

Please read the rest of this essay here.

If you purchased or renewed Reg Organizer through Cloudeight within the last 12 months, you're entitled to a free version upgrade to Reg Organizer 8.43.

Save $14 on Reg Organizer right now!

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

What is a Microsoft Account?

If you have an email address that you can sign in to at https://www.outlook.com, then you have a Microsoft account. In other words, if you have an email address ending in:

@hotmail.com
@outlook.com
@msn.com
@live.com
@live.ca
@webtv.com

... you have a Microsoft account.

Your Microsoft account can be used to access any or all Microsoft services. And in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 you can also use your Microsoft account to log in to your Windows PC.

And yes, you can have more than one Microsoft account. And if you want to use a Microsoft account to log into Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, you might want to keep it separate from your regular @hotmail, @live.com, @msn.com, @outlook.com etc. address that you use for everyday emailing. But you certainly don't have to.

Just remember, when you create a new account by going to https://www.outlook.com, you're creating a new email address and a new Microsoft account.

Logging into Windows 10 with a Microsoft account allows you to access all of Windows 10's features. Another advantage to logging in to Windows with a Microsoft account is that if you forget your Windows password you can reset it online - so you'll never be locked out of your computer.

Thanks to your gifts, we do a lot more than provide this free newsletter. We help you recognize online threats, fight for your online privacy, provide you with the knowledge you need to navigate the Web safely, provide you with suggestions for safe, free software and websites, and help you get more out of your PC.

Please Help us keep up the good fight with a small gift.

Interested in making an automatic monthly gift? Visit this page. Help us keep helping you... and helping you stay safe on the Web.

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Cloudeight Direct Computer Care: Single Keys, SeniorPass, 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 recommended 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.

Thunderbird Email Setup: Thunderbird is a great email program that you can use with your Gmail and Outlook.com (Hotmail) webmail accounts as well as with your Internet provider's email. We'll set it up correctly you. Our set up includes configuring up to 3 email 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: Reg Organizer is the Swiss Army Knife of Windows tools. It's far more than just a registry optimizer and cleaner... it's a Windows all-in-one toolkit. Reg Organizer helps you keep your computer in tip-top shape and helps you solve annoying Windows problems. Reg Organizer works great with Windows 10! 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 Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. Thanks so much for your support and for being an InfoAve Weekly subscriber.

With hope and prayers, may you and your loved ones stay safe and well.

Your friends at Cloudeight,

Darcy and TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #883
Volume 17 Number 46
September 11, 2020
 
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