Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 052723
Here in the U.S.A., it’s Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a time when we remember the brave men and women who died fighting for our freedom. And it’s a time for all of us, no matter where we live, to remember freedom isn’t free.
And, besides being Memorial Day Weekend, it’s Saturday. And if it’s Saturday, that means it’s time for yet another edition of our Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers.
Sometimes, the best tips and tricks are hidden in the published questions and answers. And rarely do we post questions and answers on this website. Today, we’re featuring some of the questions and answers from past issues of our InfoAve Weekly newsletters.
These questions & answers were selected at random from past InfoAve Weekly newsletters.
Please help us to continue to help you with your Windows computer questions and help you to stay safe in the crazy world of the Internet. We need your support – even the smallest gift helps us. Please… help us by donating.
Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 052723
Donate today and help us keep on helping you!
Loretta says Bing has taken over
Bing keeps taking over my Google Chrome. I removed it from the list but still happening. Someone said I should use Reimage to check it out. Please do you have an answer? Thank you.
Our answer
Hi Loretta. Bing is a Microsoft search engine. I am guessing you added a Bing toolbar (extension) or some other extension to Chrome that keeps switching your search engine. It could be a search engine hijacker.
Try this:
1. Type CHROME://EXTENSIONS in the Chrome address bar & press “Enter”
2. Disable or remove any extension that contains the word Bing or Search
You can also remove Bing from the list of search engines available in Chrome.
1. Type CHROME://SETTINGS/SEARCH in the Chrome address bar & press “Enter”
2. Make sure your default search engine is set to Google.
3. After you click “Manage search engines, you can remove Bing from the list of available search engines, if you choose to do so.
If the above doesn’t stop Bing, reset Chrome by following the instructions on this page.
Resetting Chromes returns Chrome to its defaults. Keep in mind this does not remove bookmarks. It disables all extensions, clears Chrome history and cache, and restores Chrome to its factory defaults.
Reimage is malware in our opinion. It’s scammy and it can mess up your computer. Our advice is don’t use it. If you have installed it, we recommend you uninstall it ASAP.
Jean is wondering if a call she got from Amazon is legitimate
Hi, I’m just wondering if a phone call I received at 11.30 pm last night was genuine or a hack because it was just like how the hacks work ie took a while to answer, then said it was a call from Amazon and I just hung up straight away as I do with hackers because I thought this was one and if it was genuine, wouldn’t they have called me again, but they haven’t. Thanks so much for all the help you give members. Kindest regards, Jean.
Our answer
Hi Jean. Thanks for your nice comments.
Amazon, Microsoft, Google, etc. do not call you at all – the only exception to this would be if you had a problem and had been working with them. None of them would call you out of the blue.
Keep in mind it’s easy for hackers and con artists to change the “Calling From” number to anything they want. This is called “spoofing” and with the right software, it’s easy to do.
Anyone calling you for a legitimate purpose would leave a message if you didn’t answer. And if you don’t have voicemail or an answering machine, they would certainly call you back.
You did the right thing.
Karl asks why Consumer Reports doesn’t ever test or review Emsisoft
I subscribe to Consumers Report Magazine and they periodically review and recommend Anti-Virus software, but I have never seen Emsisoft listed in any review but they list Avast, Norton, etc. Now they claim to be impartial but this puzzles me and I’m sure persuades a lot of readers to go with these mainstream A/V bundles. As a longtime reader of your newsletters and user of Emsisoft on multiple PCs with not a hint of a problem, I have to wonder… what gives?
Our answer
Hi Karl. Regardless of what Consumer Reports promises, products reviewed by produced by sponsors are always favored. That being said, I’ve always taken Consumer Reports reviews of software (and PCs) with a grain of salt. Many of their computer/software reviews are way off the mark.
For example. Consumer Reports, in the past, has listed AVAST as one of the top antivirus programs. Oops. In January 2020, after AVAST was outed for collecting and selling its users’ data, they withdrew their recommendation. If Consumer Reports actually dug down and did extensive testing they would have been the ones to out AVAST. And if they had tested Avast and its kissing-cousin AVG, they would have noticed they try to install bundled software, including a search-engine hijacker, a chromium-based “secure” (sure!) browser, and a useless Windows fixer tool.
We use our own testing, independent AV lab tests, and our own experience in cleaning malware and PUPS from computers supposedly protected by McAfee, Norton, and others. Additionally, Emsisoft’s customer service is impeccable. They take care of our mutual customers.
We continue to use and recommend Emsisoft. But if I’m looking to buy a new car, a new dishwasher, or a new lawnmower, I will check out Consumer Reports because I believe they do test those kinds of things.
Muriel has questions about Have I Been PWNED
Quite a way back you advised readers about https://haveibeenpwned.com/ which I visited immediately and all my email addresses checked out OK. Straightforward.
I was inspired by a recent Wired article to revisit the site, today. It’s different. The results for me today said I had been pwned on all of my email addresses. To me, a strong focus of the site was in the promotion of a specific password manager. Trying to find out the sites that pwned me was futile, but I found a lot of statistics and FAQs. A deeper look around said that I had no “pastes”. I think maybe it’s worth a revisit and re-evaluation by you. Judge for yourself whether or not you think it’s worth an update for your readers. I’d like to know your opinion either way.
Our answer
Hi Muriel. We’ve been growing more and more suspicious about that site over the last few months, but only one of my addresses shows up as being PWNED.
I have reviewed that site and I would no longer recommend it as it seems to be supported by advertisements which was not the case when we first reviewed it. I think it’s important for a site that’s dealing with information that can send shivers up the spines of folks who find their email addresses that have been found/posted on the “Dark Web” to be free from any financial influences. Obviously promoting a commercial (not free) password manager leads users to the right conclusion that using strong passwords and changing them frequently is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your private data safe. They’d be tempted to buy “safety” by buying the commercial password manager. But what they may not be aware of is that there are excellent password managers that are free.
And keep in mind that just because your email address was found on the Dark Web disaster is sure to follow. A harvested email address is a magnet for spam but if there is no personal information to go along with it, there’s not much real danger of it being used to steal money, bank account info, or worse, your identity.
Have I Been Pwned seems much more commercialized now than it was when we previously reviewed it. Money is a great motivator. But we’re not accusing Have I Been Pwned of selling out or of anything else. However, we are going to err on the side of caution and remove Have I Been Pwned from our recommended sites list. It’s hard enough for users to ferret out the truth and stay safe as it is without being confused by vague and possibly unfounded warnings. At this point we feel it’s in our readers’ best interest to take any results they find on Have I Been Pwned with a grain of salt. And we have put a note at the top of our 2017 review to that effect.
Thanks for the heads up, Muriel.
Cheryl wants to know if we offer computer care and repair services for business computers
I was wondering if you offer your computer repair keys for a business computer.
Our answer
Hi Cheryl. We can work on any computer, business or personal. There is no difference in charges for personal vs business computers.
Just visit https://thundercloud.net/direct/ to learn more about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service.
We hope this answers your question. Thanks for asking.
Don’t have a Cloudeight SeniorPass? It’s a great deal. Learn more here.
Our Cloudeight SeniorPass is a great deal. You get unlimited support for one full year from the date you first use your SeniorPass. We can help keep your computer running well, fix all kinds of computer problems, clean up malware, and a whole lot more. Our SeniorPass is like having insurance for your computer. And it’s only $99 for an entire year.
To learn more about our SeniorPass, please see this page.
Betty says she experiences a significant lag when performing some functions on her PC
For several months I’ve had issues with saving Google links to my computer and copying/moving files from one folder to another. There is a significant lag and I’m constantly having to refresh the desktop or folder; however, this doesn’t happen every time and I can’t recognize a pattern. Do you know if Windows Defender or Emsisoft settings are the cause? Or, if you’ve encountered this problem do you have a suggested solution? Frankly, I’m so frustrated that I’m considering taking my chances and disabling both if that’s what’s needed.
Our answer
Hi Betty. Since I’ve not worked on your computer I can only guess this is a resource issue…
a. You don’t have enough installed RAM (memory)
b. Some application or service is using up too much of your RAM.
c. Some application or service is using up too much of your processor.
d. Some application or service is causing high disk usage.
e. You have too many applications starting with Windows.
f. A combination of one or more of the above.
If any one or more of the above is true, then your computer will lag and be unresponsive or less responsive than it should be.
You can do a little investigating by opening Task Manager (CTRL + SHIFT +ESC) and in the Processes tab, looking at the percentage of CPU and RAM CPU should not consistently be over 30% (it will go up and down) and RAM should average less than 60%. Also, look under “Disk”. Disk activity should always be low (under 15%) unless you or a program is running some kind of scan. If you don’t see any of these numbers, click “More details” at the bottom of Task Manager.
Also, at the top of the Task Manager, you’ll see a tab labeled “Startup”. Click that tab to view the programs starting with Windows. Other than your antivirus/antimalware there should not be more than 4 or 5 applications listed.
Without actually checking out your computer, these are my best guesses.
You should never turn off your anti-virus/anti-malware software. Here’s something you can do with Emsisoft if Emsisoft seems to be using excess resources (which is not very common).
Open Emsisoft
Click on the Settings icon (gear icon)
In Settings click Advanced
Tick the box next to “Memory usage optimization”
See the screenshot below.
We hope this helps you, Betty.
Bonnie wants a free alternative to Microsoft Money
I know you have posted things in your daily and weekly newsletters concerning a replacement for Microsoft Money. But as I was searching your website etc., I couldn’t find anything concerning it. My Microsoft Money is going down the drain, boohoo. I loved it, but I really need to get something new to replace it. I don’t know if I could live without some type of money software. Would you give me some ideas on what I can use and make it easy for this old lady? Thanks, and may God bless you both, Bonnie.
Our answer
Hi Bonnie. We’re Sorry to say neither of us has ever used Microsoft Money, nor do we use any kind of financial software. Since we don’t like to recommend something without trying it first, and since financial software is not something we could quickly and easily test, I’m going to defer to one of our previous Cloudeight site picks “AlternativeTo”.
See this page at AlternativeTo for several good free replacements for Microsoft Money.
We hope this helps you, Bonnie.
Jim wants to know if this deal on MS Office is legitimate
I’m curious about the advertisement for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019. It seems like an offer too good to be true. Is it? You guys have been an important part of my 20 years of computer experience and I trust your judgment. Keep it up, PLEASE! Jim
Our answer
Hi Jim. Thanks so much for your long-time support and your kind words.
If it seems something is “too good to be true” it almost always is. Many companies outside of the USA don’t prosecute software and intellectual rights violations as we do in the USA. So often you’ll see pirated copies of Office being sold for unbelievably low prices.
And then there’s the gray area of OEM software. This is when a company, such as a computer manufacturer, purchases a bulk license from Microsoft that allows them to include MS Office on the computers they sell. Sometimes, companies outside the USA buy OEM licenses and use them (illegally) to create and distribute “iffy” copies of MS Office at very low prices.
Let the buyer beware. If you have a pirated copy of MS Office or MS Office OEM version that is not legitimate, it’s your responsibility. Most of the time nothing happens, but why risk it?
You can get MS Office 365 for $6.99/month or $69.99/year from Microsoft. Using the subscription, you will always have the newest, most updated version of MS Office. And it’s all on the up and up. You can learn more about Microsoft 365 here.
We hope this helps you, Jim.
Judie wants to know how to lock the taskbar in Windows 11
Why is it, that when I right-click on the task bar there is no option to lock or unlock the taskbar? I need to lock it open for something and cannot find where to do that. Thanks, Judie.
Our answer
Hi Judie. Windows 11 does not have a lock the taskbar option. The lock the taskbar option in previous versions of Windows allowed you to lock the taskbar to prevent it from being resized. But since we’re not sure what you’re attempting to do, all we can tell you for sure is that Windows 11 does not allow resizing the taskbar so the lock the taskbar option is not available.
If you right-click the Windows 11 taskbar you’ll see “Taskbar settings”. If you open Taskbar settings, there are options for customizing the taskbar, including what icons you want to show in the notification area (the area of the taskbar nearest the clock). Just open Taskbar settings and you’ll see all the options.
And since we are not sure what you’re trying to do, this is the best answer we can give you.
Please make a small donation and help us help you!
If you don’t need any of our products or services right now, please help us with a donation. Even the smallest gift is appreciated. Every donation helps us to provide helpful information that helps you with your computer as well as helps us to keep you safe on the Internet. We offer free help to thousands of people every year… and we offer an honest and inexpensive computer repair service too. We do everything we can to help you with your computer and keep you safe too.
So if you don’t need any of our products or services right now, please help us by donating right now. Thank you!
Are you interested in making an automatic monthly gift? Visit this page. Please help us keep helping you… and help us to keep you safe on the Internet,
Rose wants to know the best way to copy and transfer files from one computer to another
Hi TC and EB. I would like to know what is the best or a good way to transfer files from a pc to a laptop.
Thanks for all your help and advice. Rose
Our answer
Hi Rose. The best way to do it is to back up the files on an external hard drive. Then you can transfer the files to a new (or another) computer. If you don’t have an external drive, you can buy an external hard drive (1 terabyte) for $50 or less.
You can also use a cloud storage service like One Drive if you have enough space. If you have enough space. For example, if you have MS Office installed, you get 1 TB of One Drive space which should be plenty for backing up/transferring files. And keep in mind with One Drive files are accessible from all your devices so you really wouldn’t have to copy/transfer them.
Either way, the easiest way to copy (transfer) files from one device to another is to back them up first, then you can copy them anywhere.
If you have any more questions, just let us know.
Sandy wants to know how to stop Windows 11 File Explorer popups when she has removable drives plugged in
I have a couple of USB items plugged into my USB ports. One is an external hard drive that I use to store my files. I have a couple of USB drives that I take my work back and forth with me as I work Hybrid, part in my office, and part at home. I will be working and all of a sudden the File Explorer will pop up for one of the USB drives, sometimes both. Sometimes the external hard drive pops up in File Explorer. It pops up on top of my work while I’m typing away. What makes those drives just suddenly pop up with the contents of that drive in File Explorer?
Our answer
Hi Sandy. The reason File Explorer keeps popping up whenever you have removable drives plugged in is most likely because you have auto-play turned on.
But don’t worry, you can turn it off without affecting anything else. Here’s how to do it on Windows 11 (and Windows 10).
1. Open Settings (Hold down the Windows key & press the I key)
2. In the left pane, click on Bluetooth & Devices.
3. In the right pane, scroll down and click on AutoPlay.
4. Turn the switch to “Use AutoPlay for all media and devices” Off.
5. Close the Settings app.
We hope this helps you, Sandy.
Bil keeps getting fake McAfee messages
I am sure I’m not your only reader that is getting fake McAfee messages. When googled I get the answer
“McAfee – Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!” is an online scam. It claims that users’ devices have been infected due to an outdated McAfee subscription. Usually, the goal of such scams is to trick them into installing or purchasing unreliable, nonoperational, harmful, or even malicious software. It must be emphasized that this scheme is not associated with the McAfee anti-virus or McAfee Corp. Deceptive sites are typically entered inadvertently; most users access them via mistyped URLs or redirects caused by rogue webpages, intrusive ads, or installed PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications).”
I have installed:- Ublock Adblock plus As extensions to Chrome and Microsoft Edge. I also installed Combo Cleaner on a 7-day trial. However, I still get the popups. It looks like I will have in the future have to rebuild my PC, unless anyone has any further ideas. Regards Bil
Our answer
Hi Bil. You’ll be glad to know you’re one of many who have had this problem and even more glad to know you won’t have to rebuild your PC to fix it. There is a simple fix that works 100% of the time: Reset your browser and clear your cache.
Here’s our tutorial on how to reset and clear the cache for Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
After you reset your browser and clear its cache, it’s a good idea to restart your computer.
Keep in mind also, that this is not a PUA or malware per se, it was something you clicked on — most likely in an email. It resides in your browser’s history or cache.
Not sure what UBlock Adblock is, but I think you mean uBlock Origin. If that’s right you should keep that. But you definitely do not need Combo Cleaner… so we recommend you remove that.
We hope this helps you, Bil.
Donate today and help us keep on helping you!
Please help us to keep on helping you! When you support us with a small gift, you help us continue our mission to keep you informed, separate the truth from the hyperbole, and help you stay safer online. Plus, our computer tips make your computer easier to use.
Did you know that we provide support to thousands of people? Every week we help dozens of people via email at no charge. The questions and answers you see in our newsletters are from the email answers and help we provide to everyone free of charge.
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.
Please help us keep helping you… and help you stay safe on the Web.