Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 072223
It’s those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer here in the USA. The weather has been crazy in many parts of our country, but not here in the Great Lake region. We’ve had mostly normal summer weather here. But you didn’t come here to get a weather report. It’s Saturday and time for another edition of our Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers.
Today, as we do every Saturday, 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.
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Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 072223
Kathy has questions about Hotmail/Outlook.com
I am disgusted with Hotmail’s ever-burgeoning junk/spam folder. Rarely does a legit piece end up there? I would love to close my Hotmail account just as I did with Yahoo.
If I create another new Gmail account (or use one of my 2 existing Gmail accounts), & link it to my Hotmail account:
(1) Will Gmail be as efficient at filtering out the junk/spam from Hotmail like it does my Gmail or will I still be faced with the same ballooning “Junk Folder”.
(2) Will the folders & contacts I have created in Hotmail also be available in Gmail or will I still have to refer to Hotmail?
(3) If I still have to deal with “junk”, I think I should just gradually change subscriptions, etc. as they come in. That would leave only “contacts” & existing “folders” to transfer.
(4) If I do (3), what would happen to accounts I use Hotmail for, & want, (such as registering online purchases) but may have forgotten?
Lastly, how to do it? You two have more than proven the worth of your newsletter. That’s why my recent donation will be followed by more.
Our answer
Hi Kathy. First, I know a lot about Gmail and email programs, but I don’t consider myself an expert with Hotmail or Outlook.com. I do have a couple of accounts but I only use them for testing. But I’ll tell you what I know.
1. Gmail’s spam filters are very accurate. We get hundreds of emails each week at our Cloudeight Gmail account. Rarely do we ever see Gmail’s spam folders miss any spam. And rarely do we see any good email in the spam folder. But, if you’re worried about the ever-burgeoning size of your spam/junk folder in Hotmail/Outlook.com, I’m afraid you’re going to see the same with Gmail. There is just so much spam out there. And consider this… if it was not in your spam/junk folder, it would be in your Inbox and you don’t want that.
2. You can export your contacts from your Hotmail account and import them into Gmail, but you cannot ‘import’ your Hotmail folders. You’ll need to create new folders in Gmail.
3. You are going to have to deal with spam no matter what you do. If someone knew a way to stop spam completely, they’d be a very wealthy person. There are 100’s of billions of spam emails sent every week. The only way you can stop spam completely is:
a. Create a Gmail account and never use it for anything other than personal emails… no online shopping, no subscriptions, no credit cards, no business email, no IRS, nothing other than personal email (and even if you do this, if someone you’re exchanging email addresses with is compromised or puts your email address in the CC line with a bunch of others, you’ll end up getting spam).
b. Use a throwaway email address for all your online transactions (this will be a hassle). Many allow you to create temporary throwaway email addresses like:
https://www.throwawaymail.com/en
https://www.guerrillamail.com/
I think most of us would find it very inconvenient to use a throwaway email address for everything.
Darcy and I use Gmail and once a week we scan the spam folder and make sure no good email is in it, then we just “Delete all” in the spam folder. It only takes 2 or 3 minutes a week.
Finally, if you used an old account for online purchases or other transactions and forgot about it, there’s not a whole lot you can do. We don’t have any magic bullets for that. If you remembered later that you have forgotten an account, you could advise that account of your new email address.
We think we’ve answered all of your questions. If we missed anything or you have more questions, please let us know.
Cathy wants to know what device to use when doing online shopping
I was wondering if you could have a topic on tablets like the iPad or Samsung or other tablets. I use mine more than my desktop. But I use my desktop when I want to order things because I don’t trust my tablet for ordering from sites. To let everyone know what’s ok and not ok to use the tablets for. Thanks, Cathy.
Our answer
Hi Cathy. The device you use to connect to the Internet does not make you safer or less safe. Despite wild claims by security software developers and VPN services, the best way to stay safe online is to take time to think before you click. Almost all – over 95% of identity theft and online theft – is the result of people clicking links in counterfeit emails that lead to counterfeit sites that look just like the store or bank or service you expected to see. Enter your info into these counterfeit sites, and your data will be stolen.
No matter what security software you use, or if you use a VPN or not, you’ll still be subject to receiving a phishing email. These counterfeit emails appear to be from a real store, financial service, or credit card company. But as we’ve warned many times… no credit card company, financial service – or even a legitimate retail establishment is going to send an email to you asking you to “verify your account”, “change your password”, “check to make sure you’ve not been hacked”, or other such calls to action designed to scare you into clicking a link or links in an email.
Legitimate companies, who need you to check something will not entice you to click a link – they’ll say something like “Please log into your account”.
It does not matter if you’re using a tablet, smartphone, laptop, desktop, or all-in-one to access the Internet. It does not matter if you’re using Chromebook. It doesn’t matter if you’re using Windows, Linux, Apple, iOS, or Android. The device and operating system you use to access the Internet is only as safe as the care and thought you use when you are on the Internet.
This is not to say that you don’t need good antivirus/antimalware (especially on Windows devices)… you do. You need it to make sure that your computer is not compromised by software designed to display ads or compromise the info you keep on your devices. For Android and Apple devices- make sure you don’t download software from sources you’re not sure of. Download your apps from Google or Apple sources… and limit how many you install.
But as far as identity theft or losing money online — it does not matter what device you use. To a great extent, it depends on you. Never rush through a purchase. Always use common sense, beware of trickery, and don’t click links in emails from banks, credit card companies, financial institutions, or stores that ask you to verify your information, check your account, or anything. And most of all, always think before you click.
If you have any more questions, let us know, Cathy.
Sandy G. wants to know about Blue Screens
Recently, my laptop has done something it never used to do. I am not sure if I can attribute this to the newer version of Windows 10 or not. However, once in a while, not often, right in the middle of doing something, usually while I’m in the web browser, my screen goes to a blue screen with white writing that says my computer has encountered an error and needs to reboot. Then my computer reboots itself. It takes a bit of time to reboot, but it reboots and comes up just fine. I am using a Dell laptop. Any thoughts on what is prompting this to happen?
Our answer
Hi Sandy. A blue screen indicates that you have hardware issues – most like driver issues. Make sure you don’t have any automatic driver updater programs installed. It’s common to see a blue screen once in a while, but it’s not common to see them frequently. If you’re seeing more than once a month, then you are having driver/hardware issues.
If you get Blue Screens more than once in a while, we suggest you take a look at this Microsoft page which can help you troubleshoot your blue screen issue.
If you need more help or have more questions, please let us know.
Yvonne wants to know why she has so many Chrome processes running
I noticed that I have an excess of (11) Chrome.exe 32 processes open in Task Manager. Chrome is my default browser. Do I need all of these? They are using more than a bit of memory. I took a screenshot but I don’t see a way to include it in this form. I haven’t a clue as to what I can “stop” or “end” without screwing up things. My favorite motto is: “Thou shalt not screw up my computer.” Thanks!
Our answer
Hi Yvonne. Back in the old days, and still, with some older browsers, the browser opened all pages/tabs in the same process. While this sure looked good in Task Manager, if/when the browser crashed, all the pages/tabs that were open, and all your extensions, all crashed together.
Chrome opens each tab/page in a separate process – and it also opens active extensions in separate processes. While this makes it look like you have many Chrome browsers open in Task Manager, it’s only Chrome showing each tab/page and active extension as a separate process.
If you close a Chrome process, you’ll end up closing a tab/page or extension.
I hope this helps explain why you have so many Chrome processes showing in Task Manager.
Yvonne wants to know why she has so many Chrome processes running
I noticed that I have an excess of (11) Chrome.exe 32 processes open in Task Manager. Chrome is my default browser. Do I need all of these? They are using more than a bit of memory. I took a screenshot but I don’t see a way to include it in this form. I haven’t a clue as to what I can “stop” or “end” without screwing up things. My favorite motto is: “Thou shalt not screw up my computer.” Thanks!
Our answer
Hi Yvonne. Back in the old days, and still, with some older browsers, the browser opened all pages/tabs in the same process. While this sure looked good in Task Manager, if/when the browser crashed, all the pages/tabs that were open, and all your extensions, everything crashed together.
Chrome opens each tab/page in a separate process – and it also opens active extensions in separate processes. While this makes it look like you have many Chrome browsers open in Task Manager, it’s only Chrome showing each tab/page and active extension as a separate process.
If you close a Chrome process, you’ll end up closing a tab/page or extension.
I hope this helps explain why you have so many Chrome processes showing in Task Manager.
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Phyllis wants to know what we think of Nord VPN
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to dig in and get it done. I will be a staunch supporter of both of you as you continue to help so many of us. I will also be more careful and not get into trouble, if possible! Phyllis
Our answer
Hi Phyllis. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Nord VPN makes so many false claims in their TV commercials, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I’ll make it simple. A VPN does not protect you from spam, malware, identity theft, hackers, or anything else. A VPN is like a proxy that routes your Internet traffic through a VPN server. With a VPN provider, you can choose to appear to be from Eastern Europe, Japan, China, the USA, Europe, South America, or some other place in Canada than you are.
But it’s absolutely not true that a VPN prevents you from having your identity stolen, protects you from malware, or keeps hackers away – it merely hides your IP address. Most people have their identities stolen by falling for fake emails and counterfeit websites. Most people get malware by downloading bundled software where the program they want is bundled with stuff they don’t. VPNs cannot protect you from being tricked.
Please read this Cloudeight article for more information about VPNs.
Save your money, Kelly. Don’t believe much of what you read or hear about VPNs.
Paul wants to know why his start menu looks different than ours
I love your newsletters and read them both as soon as I get them. But I have a problem. Whenever you have a tip about the start menu, you show screenshots of a Windows 10 start menu with programs on it. When I open my Windows 10 start menu all I see are tiles. What am I don’t wrong?
Our answer
Hi Paul. Thanks! I’m guessing you’re not using a tablet. If you are then you won’t get the Desktop/Laptop Start menu we show in our article. If you’re using a desktop/laptop, make sure you don’t have Tablet mode turned on. Do this:
Right-click the Start button.
Click “Settings”
Click “System”
In the “System” settings window, click “Tablet mode” in the menu on the left.
Make sure that the Tablet mode is not turned on. Your settings should look like the settings shown in the screenshot below.
Once you’ve checked on Tablet mode, let’s check to make sure you don’t have your Start menu set up as full-screen. If you do, you’ll see no apps/programs – all you’ll see are tiles sprawling across your desktop. Let’s check this.
1. Right-click the taskbar.
2. Click “Taskbar settings”.
3. When the “Taskbar settings” window opens click “Start” (in the menu on the left.
4. In the Start menu settings window make sure “Show more tiles on Start” is off – and more importantly, make sure “Use Start full screen” is turned off.
We hope this helps you, Paul.
——
Paul wrote back: “Thanks so much! You nailed it. I had my start menu set full screen. I have no idea how that happened, but thanks to you, it’s set up right now. Keep up the great work. Paul.”
Betty needs to switch her browser
I have Windows 10 and I’ve been using Internet Explorer. My Internet provider is recommending that we stop using IE and use something else. I have Google Chrome installed, but I would like to use a separate one for my email. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for all your help over the years. Donna
Our answer
Hi Betty. Thanks so much!
There are a lot of good browsers out there – any of the following would work for you if you want to use a separate, dedicated browser to check your email.
Here’s a short list:
Microsoft Edge – This is Microsoft’s browser and you already have it on Windows 10. If you don’t already have a shortcut for it on your taskbar, type Microsoft Edge in the taskbar search to find it. Then open Edge. Once it’s open, right-click on its taskbar icon and “Pin to taskbar”.
Firefox – Firefox is a great browser and I use it often as a secondary browser. It’s been around a long time and it’s constantly being improved. You can download Firefox from this page.
Opera – Not the most popular browser and a bit quirky looking but it does get the job done. If you don’t mind it being a little different, it’s fast and works well. You can download Opera here.
Of course, there are many other choices like Brave, Vivaldi, Waterfox, Pale Moon, Chromium, and on and on. But I think you’ll find the right one for you if you just stick with the four listed above.
If you need anything else, please let us know.
Clint is having big problems with his PC
I’m pretty sure I am developing a hardware problem and will probably have to replace the desktop since it is too old to convert to Windows 11. I was gone from home for two weeks and it took over two hours to get updated and booted. It’s always been fast and I keep it clean and well-maintained (which you tell me every time you have worked on it). When I hit the start button, it shows starting but it never gets far enough to take the monitor out of sleep mode. I just push the power button and stop the PC. sometimes I have to go through this sequence dozens of times until it finally gets far enough to start the monitor. Then it will go on through the boot process but very slowly.
I know you don’t address hardware problems but I thought I would just share with you what is going on. The reason I am writing is for help in getting set up for changing to another desktop. I’m not sure I have my backups set up right. You have recommended several times in the past to use file history for backup to an external drive. I have a 2T Seagate external drive and I think I would be well advised to format that and establish a fresh backup in preparation for another desktop pc. You have covered this several times in the newsletter but I can’t seem to find how to search for those instructions. I have at least two sessions of remote from you if I need to have you work on this issue but if you think I can accomplish this with just coaching from you, I can give it my all. I haven’t purchased another PC yet but will probably do it soon as this super slow PC is driving me nuts! Clint
Our answer
Hi Clint. First, Windows 10 will be fully supported by Microsoft until October 25, 2025… so you have just over three full years to use Windows 10 so there is no urgent reason to buy a Windows 11 computer. If your desktop were my computer, I would do a Windows 10 reset and choose the option to keep all my files. This type of Reset saves your files, wipes out Windows and all your programs, reinstalls a fresh copy of Windows – and puts all your files back on your PC. Then all you have to do is reinstall the programs you want. Windows makes this easier by leaving a list of programs that were removed on your desktop after the Reset. To learn more see this page.
And since you pointed out we never have published a tutorial on formatting a drive, we just wrote one and published it this morning. See our article on formatting a drive here. And our article on File History backups is here.
We hope this helps you, Clint.
Maria asks about Microsoft OneDrive backups
How can I check where my backups are being stored? I have an external hard drive, but I also have Microsoft 365 and 1 TB of space. I would prefer my backups to be stored in the cloud since external drives sometimes fail.
Our answer
Hi Maria. The cloud backup you’re referring to is called OneDrive. If you’re using it you’ll see a cloud icon in the taskbar on the right side near the clock. You can see what it looks like in the screenshot below.
To see your backups, click on that icon and then click “View Online” in the window that appears.
If you’re not using OneDrive to back up your computer, type OneDrive in the taskbar search and press Enter when OneDrive (app) appease in the search results. If you’re not already backing up using OneDrive, you’ll be asked to log in with your Microsoft account info (the same info you use to log in to Microsoft 365). Once you do that you can set up your backup. OneDrive is customizable, but just using it with its default settings backs up your personal files and folders (Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, Videos, etc.). So you don’t have to change any settings to start and maintain a good backup using OneDrive.
We hope this helps you, Maria.
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Lee wants to know why links don’t open up with his email program anymore
I used to use Outlook 2010 and when I clicked on an email link on a website it automatically opened a new Outlook email for me to complete. However since I had to stop using Outlook as Sky Mail won’t accept it anymore, can you please tell me how to link my new email client, say Gmail, so that a website email link will open a Gmail new email? At the moment it still opens Outlook. Thanks for all the help this past year and all your great advice and tips.
Our answer
Hi Lee. Thank you! The program that opens email links is not determined by your email service; it is determined by your Windows 10 settings.
Type DEFAULT APPS in the taskbar search and press Enter
In “Default apps” click on “Mail”
Select “Google Chrome”.
Close Settings
Now open Chrome and click on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner.
Click on Settings.
When Chrome Settings opens, click on Privacy and security.
Click on Site Settings, then click on the right arrow >
Scroll down to Additional permissions and expand that section by clicking the down arrow.
Next to ” Protocol handlers”, click on the right arrow >
At the top make sure the circle next to “Sites can ask to handle protocols” is selected.
Open Chrome and go to www.gmail.com. In the address bar next to the star, you’ll see an icon that looks like 2 overlapping diamonds. Click that icon. Under “Allow mail.google.com to open all email links?” tick “Allow”, then click “Done”.
That’s it. From now on your email links should open in Gmail.
We hope this helps you, Lee.
Judy wants to know if this program will speed up her Internet connection
Recently I did a speed test on my laptop using speedtest.org. Anyway, my download was 5.17 Mbps and the upload was .51 Mbps. Not very good but much better than dial-up. The site pointed out a file to download called SG TCPOptimizer 4 which is supposed to provide an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing Internet connection. I wonder if you know of it and if can it make a difference. I don’t want to put it on my computer for fear it is Spyware. I value your opinion. Thanks for your time. Judy L.
Our answer
Hi Judy. It won’t hurt your computer to try it. And it’s free. And it may increase your speed but only nominally (maybe a few tenths of Mb). Read this honest review here. But whether you have 5.17 Mbps or 5.5 Mbps, you’re not going to notice a difference. The only way you’re going to get noticeably faster speeds is by using an ISP that can provide it, or paying extra if your ISP offers a “tiered” service.
It is not spyware, but I think is more of a psychological fix than one that will make a real difference.
Jean wants to print a contact sheet of all files in a folder
I have 190 photos in a folder and want to print them off on a contact sheet as thumbnails. When I click on one photo and want to highlight the rest and press CTRL+A, the highlight on the first photo disappears. Do I have to highlight all the photos individually, if so, how do I do this? If pressing CTRL+A should highlight all the photos, why am I not achieving this? I would add, this is the first I have ever tried anything like this, so consider myself a ‘dummie’ Thanks for any help you can give.
Our answer
Hi Jean. First, select the first photo in the folder. After the first folder is selected, leave it selected, and then use CTRL+ A to select all the rest. The first photo will remain selected and all the remaining photos will be selected as well.
It works well – I just tried it.
We hope this helps you, Jean.
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