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.

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Bonnie has icons instead of thumbnails for pictures
Hi. For some reason, some of the pictures in my "Pictures" folder have changed to icons. No matter what "View" choice I use, they stay icons. The icons look like landscapes with pine trees. I think this happened after the last Window's update. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Our answer
Hi Bonnie. Changing folder views does no good if "Show icons, never thumbnails" is checked in Folder Options. So, do this:

Type folder options in taskbar search then click "Open".
In File Explorer Options click on the 'View" tab and make sure "Always show icons, never thumbnails" is not checked. If it is, uncheck it and click APPLY/OK. 

If you find this is already unchecked, do this:

Type default apps in taskbar search. Click "Open" and under Photo Viewer select something other than what you are currently using (it's okay you can switch back later). Now look in your pictures folder.

Let me know if this helps you.
------
Bonnie wrote back: "Changing the default app worked. Thanks so much!"



Jim wants email notifications from YouTube
I used to be able to receive email notifications from YouTube, but I have not been able to receive any since around July. Jim.

Our answer
Hi Jim. Try this....

1.  Sign in to YouTube.
2.  In the top right corner, click or your profile picture.
3.  Then choose Settings .
4.  In the left Menu, click Notifications.
5.  Under “Email notifications” choose your preferences.

We hope this works for you.

Nora asks about 2FA
Hi. Thank you for taking my question. What is 2FA and do I need it with an Ethernet connection? If so, how do I set it up on my computer and/or my iPad?

I had a wireless connection before updating to Windows 10. I could go to see and or change my password under network and security, etc. and it showed that I had WA2 and I was able to see my password but not with the Ethernet connection. How do I know that there aren't others sneaking a look at my email, etc. in my apartment building? Thanks for answering. Nora

Our answer
Hi Nora. 2FA means two-factor authentication. It generally applies to accessing web sites or web services such as webmail, online banking, and other site that deal with money or highly personal information. It is not use for Internet connections.

True 2FA pairs one authentication factor — usually a password or (username/password) in most cases — with a second factor of an entirely different kind such as a security code sent to your cellphone or email address that only you have access to. You'll need to enter both factors You'll need to enter both before you gain access to the site or service. 2FA does not apply to Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi uses WPA2 security (WPA3 -released in 2019 -is even more secure but most computer's hardware does not yet support it.) WPA2 is an advanced encryption standard.

If you're using Ethernet then you're connected directly to a modem or router via an Ethernet cable and it's already a secure connection. WPA2 and WPA3 are encryption standards that apply only to wireless connections.

We hope this helps you, Nora



Tony wants Control Panel back on his Windows context menu
I have updated Win 10 to 20H2. How do I restore the Control Panel to the Context Menu? Using the old method of adding a command to the registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell does not seem to work. Thanks - keep well.

Our answer
Hi Tony. Download "add-control-panel.zip" from here.

Save it somewhere on your computer. Unzip the file and then right-click on add-control-panel.zip and choose "Merge" (you can also double-click the file). Ignore the warnings.

Now, right-click on any empty area of your desktop and you'll see Control Panel in your Windows 10 right-click context menu.

I'm running Windows 10 Version 20H2 and it works for me.

Hope this helps you.
------
Tony wrote back: "Hi Both. Many thanks. It took 20 seconds and bingo there it was! Regards, Tony..."

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Charles just updated Windows and now File Explorer won't open
I just updated to the October 2020 update. Now, when I open Task Manager it won't stay open. It flashes for a second and then disappears. Help, please.

Our answer
Hi Charles, try this. Power off your computer - shut it completely down. Leave your computer completely powered off for five minutes and then turn it back on.

Now, wait until Windows has completely loaded. After Windows has completely opened, try opening Task Manager. I think you'll find will stay open for you.

Once you shutdown / power off and wait a few minutes, memory is cleared and nagging problems like yours are sometimes solved.

Let me know if you need more help.
-----------
Charles wrote back: "You were right! I tried your solution and Task Manager is working perfectly. Thank you very much! Charles."

Margaret wants to set MS Word as default and wants to know how to set up System Restore.
I have files on a CD that were done on Word. How do I set Word as my default in order to open these files? Also, how do I set System Restore in Windows 10? Thank you

Our answer
Hi Margaret. If Word is installed on your computer you can right-click on any DOC or DOCX file and choose Open with > MS Word and click on "Always use this program to open this type of file".

Read our tip on how to configure Windows 10 System Restore here:

https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/how-to-configure-system-restore-in-windows-10/

We hope this helps you.
------
Margaret wrote back: "TC, thanks so much for your help."

Deb needs help with Windows 10 colors
Here i am again 3rd (maybe 4th) time in all these years, Windows update changed my view on my desktop screen. I do know how to change colors and wallpaper etc., but this new Windows update has left me with all gray colors.

Unless I use Dark Mode to go back to color choices for taskbar & start menu then everything else is BLACK and I hate it.

Is there a way to get it all back to white background but still keep my colored accents. Everything i seem to read or see only shows me how to go to dark mode...

Thanks in advance for any help, Deb

Our answer
Hi Deb. You have to remember in Settings > Personalization > Colors you have to select "Custom" under Choose your color. Then, under Default Windows Mode, you have to choose "Dark" and under Default app mode" you can choose either light or dark depending on what you want. When your computer is set up like this you can chose any color you want for your taskbar, start menu, program window border colors. You can choose from a Color Chart or any custom color.

Above: You must choose "Custom" under "Choose your color" and "Dark" under Windows Mode. You can choose Light or Dark under App mode.

When you do this, you'll be able to select any color from a color chart.

Or create a custom color - using the color mixer.

Under "Show accent color on the following surfaces" you must check both boxes.

If you still can't get it to work for you, if you have a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care key we can help you with this. If you don't have a key you can get one here.

Irene has problems with Windows Update & Update page link
The other day my laptop updated to version 2004 with no problems, then I checked my husband's comp. and decided to follow the link you sent out a week ago and everything seem to go well, did restart as it told me to do, but when I checked it read 1904, did it 2 more times but I must have missed something near the end, because nothing happened.

Our answer
Hi Irene. There is only one "official" place to download a Windows version update. And that is

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

On that page is a lot of info plus two buttons. One says, "Update now". When you click that button the Windows 10 Download assistant is downloaded to your computer. You have to run the download assistant to upgrade the computer. The other button says, "Download tool now". If you click that button you download a program that has 3 functions:

1. You can update your computer using it
2. You can make a Windows 10 installation USB flash drive to use on another computer.
3. You can make a Windows 10 installation DVD to use on anohter computer.

You can chose any one of those things.

The Microsoft Windows 10 Update page - as of 2 weeks ago - was no longer distributing Windows 10 version 2004, it has been updated to Windows 10 20H2 (Windows 10 October 2020 Update). At the top of the page is a notice that says "Before updating, please refer to the Windows release information status for known issues to confirm your device is not impacted."

If your husband clicked "Update now" - did he run the Download assistant that was downloaded when he clicked the button? It's a fairly long process to upgrade from version 1909 to version 20H2 - an hour or so at least. And normally restarts are automatic. If the installation was attempted and he still has version 1909, he should have seen a notice that the upgrade was not successful and his computer has been rolled back to the version he had before he started the update. Did he see that?

One more thing, Version 1909 is supported by Microsoft until May 12, 2021 - so he still has plenty of time to upgrade.

Let me know if I can help you further.

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The Mouse Wheel Is Good for More Than Just Scrolling
All computer users using a mouse with a wheel

You can use your mouse wheel as a button. Pressing down on the wheel will act like a third mouse button. This can be used to open a web page in a tab by clicking the wheel on any link and can also be used to close a tab by clicking the wheel on any open tab.

Zoom in and Out on a web page, word document, excel spreadsheet, etc. by holding down the Ctrl key and moving the mouse wheel away from you (up)to zoom in and toward you (down) to zoom out.

You can move forward and backwards while browsing the Web by holding down the Shift key and scrolling up and down. Scrolling down goes back and scrolling up goes forward.

And, if you want to make your desktop icons really big - go to your desktop, click on an empty area of your desktop, hold down the Ctrl key and move your mouse wheel away from you to enlarge the icons; move wheel toward you to make them smaller. Really easy!

And did you know that some mouse wheels can be pushed left or right to also move backward and forward on a web page?

So don't overlook your mouse wheel. Go do some wheelies!

How to Get a Device Performance & Health Report in Seconds
Windows 10 (all supported versions)

Here’s another quick and easy tip for Windows 10. Did you know you can get a performance & health report for your Windows 10 device in just a couple of seconds?

Here’s how to get a performance & health report.

1. Type Windows Security in the taskbar search.
2. When the Windows Security app appears in the search results press Enter (or click “Open”)
3. On the Windows Security page click on “Device performance & health” in the menu on the left

And you’ll see a performance and health report for your device. 

We hope all is well with your device!

Organizing Folder Content
Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (all versions)

We are often asked is how to sort folders by date, name, type, and so on.  So, here’s a simple, Windows back-to-basics tip, which will help you organize the content of almost any folder the way you want it organized.

Open any folder and right-click on a blank space in the folder. You will see a menu appear. Click on “Sort by“, and you’ll see another menu appear.

From that menu, you’ll be able to sort all the items in that folder by Name, Date, Type, Size, and Tags.

You’ll also see that you can sort them in ascending or descending order. When sorting files by date, ascending order means the newest files are listed first and the oldest files are listed at the bottom. Descending order places the newest files at the bottom and the oldest files at the top. 

You can sort any folder this way by name, date, type, size, and tags and in ascending or descending order.

Let’s do another example. Let’s sort a file alphabetically. We’re going to sort folder content by name. If we choose ascending order, files will be alphabetically sorted from A to Z. If we choose descending order, files will be alphabetically sorted from Z to A. See?

Above: Files sorted by name in ascending order – from A to Z. 

Below: Files sorted by name in descending order – from Z to A.

You can sort folder content by “Name”, “Status”. “Date modified”, “Type”, and “Size”.

Above: You can change the order of the folder content by right-clicking inside a folder, choosing “Sort by” and choose your preference.

If you are sorting numbered files, remember that ascending order puts numbered files in order from the smallest number to the largest number. 

And descending order puts numbered files from the largest number to the smallest number.

And remember if you’re sorting by folder content by date, ascending order puts the newest files at the top and the oldest files at the bottom. Descending order does the opposite.

You can use this method to sort any folder to organize the content of any folder any way you want.

Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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

Subscribe to our free InfoAve Daily newsletter.

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Get Free Audiobooks from LibriVox

If you like to read, but don’t have the time, or you can’t see well enough to read, or you’re too lazy to read, or if you want to drift off to sleep reading with your eyes closed, then this site is for you. It’s like a rummage sale of free audiobooks — mostly classics.

The best part of this site is the hundreds of free audiobooks you can download and listen to. The second-best part is that you never know what you’re gonna get… kind of like the now proverbial box of chocolates.

LibriVox exists to make all public domain literature available in audio format to everyone. The fun part is you never know who’s going to be reading to you or what they’re going to sound like. That’s because LibriVox doesn’t care what its volunteer readers sound like – perhaps that’s why there may more than one version of an audiobook. Luckily for us all that neither EB nor I have volunteered to read for LibriVox, thus sparing you a horrid, life-altering experience.

All the audiobooks on LibriVox are free and available in several formats. Most of you will like the audiobooks in zip format for PCs – just unzip the file, click on audiobook, and listen to someone read the book to you. There are several other formats available, so be choose the one that’s right for you.

LibriVox makes it easy for you to find what you’re looking for. For example, being the dummy that I am, I typed in Edgar Allen Poe and got zero results. But when I searched for Edgar Allan Poe, I got sixteen audiobooks, not surprisingly, Poe wrote all those books. Who is reading them, I have no clue although the one I downloaded had a lady with a nice-sounding voice reading it. No drawl! No Darcy-accent!

Now, because I’ve run out of witty and humorous things to say, I will turn it over to the site’s developers to regale you.

“About LibriVox

LibriVox Objective:

To make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet.

Our Fundamental Principles:

LibriVox is a non-commercial, non-profit, and ad-free project
LibriVox donates its recordings to the public domain
LibriVox is powered by volunteers
LibriVox maintains a loose and open structure
LibriVox welcomes all volunteers from across the globe, in all languages

What We Do

LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain, and then we release the audio files back onto the net for free. All our audio is in the public domain, so you may use it for whatever purpose you wish. Please note: Our readers are free to choose the books they wish to record. LibriVox sees itself as a library of audiobooks. Because the books we read are in the public domain, our readers and listeners should be aware that many of them are very old, and may contain language or express notions that are antiquated at best, offending at worst.

Volunteering for LibriVox is easy and does not require any experience with recording or audio engineering or acting or public speaking. All you need is a computer, a microphone, some free recording software, and your own voice. We accept all volunteers in all languages, with all kinds of accents. You’re welcome to volunteer to read any language you speak, as long as you can make yourself understood in it. You don’t need to audition, but we do suggest a 1-Minute Test recording just to check your setup. We’ll accept you no matter what you sound like.

We operate almost exclusively through Internet communications on our forum, where all your questions will be answered by our friendly community.

For more detailed information, see our FAQ…

So, now that we have amused you, hopefully, informed you…and put in some “About” stuff from LibriVox…

Isn’t it time you visited LibriVox to grab some free audiobooks?

On Friendship and Breakfast

Today started just like any other day. I got up, made coffee, checked, and answered email. Just like so many other of my days have started. Then the phone rang, and this ordinary day quickly turned into a very unordinary day – an incredibly sad day.

And I can honestly say it’s a day I’ve been dreading for months now.

It’s not bad enough our local hospitals are full of COVID patients and they are running out of room for more patients. It’s not bad enough that the pandemic turned our country upside down. It’s not bad enough that the pandemic and its consequences – masks and so forth – have become political footballs. It’s not bad enough that the craziness of this whole situation is turning friend against friend and family member against family member. It’s not bad enough that things have gotten as terrible as they are, and lives have been turned upside down by the craziness of 2020.

Nope…all of this heaped upon us all in one year was not bad enough…

During this difficult dreadful year, all our lives have been affected in some way. And, you know, I can deal with that. I try to keep my life simple and to always be thankful for the things I have and the things I can do, rather than wasting time wishing for things I don’t have...

Please read the rest of this essay here.

The Elusive "Back Button" in Your Browser

In most browsers you will find a "back and forward" button. Back returns you to the page previously viewed, and forward goes to a page you viewed (after you have used the back button). Oftentimes the back button does not work; there are a few reasons to consider:

Your back button won't work until you have browsed a couple of web pages in the same browser window.

Many links open in a new window so that the page you were just on is still open or open in a tab. In this case, you cannot go back; check your open tabs and you will probably see the page you were on is still open in a tab.

Some Web pages have coding to disable the use of the back button. Not fair, but they do it to keep you on their site. Clicking back two or three times in quick succession will often allow you to override the "no back" coding. So be sure to try it, if you seem to be stuck.

If you really want to go back to a page, check your History; all the pages you have surfed should show up there. To check your history quickly, press the Ctrl + H keys.






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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 #892
Volume 18 Number 3
November 13, 2020
 
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