Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 110522

 

 

Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 110522

It’s the first Saturday of November. Where did summer go? Well, winter’s coming and we can’t stop it. The good thing is that it is Saturday and that means it’s time for another edition of 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.

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Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 110522

Erik wants to know if he can modify his PC to run Windows 11
Hello Darcy and TC. I have installed the compatibility app and indeed my PC is not able to run Windows 11. My PC is just 4 years and 1 month old. Intel(R) Core (TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz ..RAM 16 GB. It’s a 64-bit system. My question is: Can I modify something on this PC so that it still runs Windows 11? Thank you very much. Erik.

Our answer
Hi Erik. First, Microsoft has (at least as of today 7/8/2021) pulled its PC Health Check app from its Windows 11 information page. There’s a better tool you can use to check your PC for compatibility, but you might have to jump through a few hoops to run it. See our article here to learn more about a new and better way to check to see if your computer can run Windows 11.

Remember too, if your computer can’t run Windows 11 it may not be your computer or your processor. It may be because Secure Boot is turned off in the BIOS/UEFI.

See this Microsoft page to learn how to turn on Secure Boot.

Also, your computer must have a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 chip or you won’t be able to install Windows 11… even though the rest of your computer’s hardware meets the Windows 11 minimum requirements.

To check to see if your PC has a TPM 2.0 chip, do this:

1. Press Windows Key + R
2. Type TPM.MSC in the run box and press Enter
3. A dialog will open and tell you if you have a TPM 2.0 chip installed.

If you want to know more about TPM chips see this page.

Just an FYI: I have two laptops: One is a 9-year-old Dell that I love and use all the time. The other is a 5-year-old ASUS that I don’t use much. I cannot run Windows 11 on the Dell because the processor is too old, Secure Boot is not an option, and it has no TPM chip at all. The Asus has Secure Boot turned on, and a TPM 2.0 chip, but the 5-year-old, Intel i5 processor doesn’t make the cut. Of course, doing what I do, I will have to have a computer that can run Windows 11. But I will continue to use Windows 10 as well. And remember – you’re not going to be forced to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 10 will be supported until (at least) October 14, 2025.

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Sandra is ready to toss her computers
I have a six-year-old computer running Windows 10 will all the updates. I have had several issues since I lost confidence in my computer skills after two bad incidents. I have been looking at your services and do not know which one is really right for me. I know I need help as I am ready to toss all my computers out. I am so frustrated. I have been getting your newsletters for years and have learned lots. But not enough to get myself out of a “pickle”.

Our answer
Hi Sandra. Thanks for your nice comments and for subscribing to our newsletters.

With our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, we connect to your computer remotely, clean it up, optimize it, scan for problems, bad extensions, malware, etc., and repair any problems we find.

We offer a single repair key for $50 or an annual repair key for $129 – or if you are over 55 – we offer an annual repair key for $99. Our annual repair plans offer unlimited repair sessions for one full year from the date of first use. Please see this page for more details.

If you need more information or have more questions, please let us know.

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Sydney updated a Windows 10 computer and got a surprise
I updated my Windows today after not doing so for a few weeks. (I know! It is not a good idea to go that long, but I did.) After it finally restarted and got back ready to use, I notice I have a new icon on the taskbar between the HP Support and the hidden icons, WiFi, Power, and Sound icons. It is of the temperature and weather. When I hover over it, it opens into a news information-type box. I don’t like it; I don’t want it, and I can’t delete it. I have a screenshot of it but don’t see any way to upload it to you on this message. You’ve always helped me in the past and hope you can do so again. HELP!

Our answer
Hi Sydney. It’s called the “News & Interests” widget. It has been slowly rolling out over the last several months via Windows updates. You cannot delete it or uninstall it, but you can certainly turn it off.

Please see our article here to learn more about it, how to customize it, and how to turn it on and off.

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Rex asks about Windows 11, UEFI, and processors
HI Darcy & TC. Thanks for the heads-up regarding Windows 11. I have followed a few reports and found that 32-bit Pcs and processors without UEFI will not be able to run Windows 11. I hope they are rumors for the sake of senior PC owners out there. Thanks for your comments. Rex

Our answer
Hi Rex. UEFI (and BIOS) have no relationship to the processor or the system type (32-bit/64-bit). UEFI is expected to eventually replace the basic input/output system (BIOS) but is compatible with it. Windows will no longer support 32-bit architecture and computer manufacturers are no longer making 32-bit systems.

Independent of the CPU (processor), Microsoft lists Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) support, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot capability as hard (mandatory) requirements for Windows 11. Windows 11 won’t work on 32-bit systems – so PCs with 32-bit architecture won’t be able to run Windows 11.

But Windows 10 users and seniors who use Windows 10 can relax. Windows 10 will continue to be supported and updated at least until October 14, 2025. So, everyone running Windows 10 now can continue using it safely for at least another 4 (plus) years.

We hope this clears things up a bit more for you.

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Phyllis wants to know about System Restore
Hi! I’m sure you commented on this before, but I wasn’t sure where to look for an answer to my question. I have an external hard drive and wanted to know if I should still do a system restore. Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate all the newsletters. Again, thank you.

Our answer
Hi Phyllis. Thank you. System Restore is a Windows feature that allows you to restore your computer to a previous point in time. Its main use is when you install a program or make a substantial change to Windows that causes serious Windows problems. System Restore does not remove files or data.

External drives are generally used for backing up files and data. Since System Restore doesn’t remove personal files or data, there is no correlation between having an external drive and doing a System Restore.

If you should install a game, program, or malware that causes serious issues with your computer, you could use System Restore to go back to a time before you installed the game, program, or malware – and it would be like it never happened, providing restore operation was successful. Your personal files and files and folders would not be changed. So, again, there is no correlation between having your personal files/folders/data backed up on an external drive and running or not running System Restore.

We hope this answers your question, Phyllis.

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Denton wants to switch from POP3 to IMAP in Microsoft Outlook
I use Gmail as my main email and then forward it to my Microsoft Outlook account. My email is set up for POP and I need to change it to IMAP (as recommended by you guys) How do I do that without losing all my saved emails and make the transition a smooth and uneventful event?

Our answer
Hi Denton. You’ll need to set up the Gmail IMAP account in MS Outlook. The server settings for IMAP are completely different than POP3. You can deactivate the POP3 account from Outlook and set up your Gmail account using IMAP. See this Google page for server settings and more information.

If you deactivate (i.e., stop checking) your POP3 account in Outlook, the emails you’ve already downloaded should remain in your email client. And they’ll also show up in your “All Mail” folder in Gmail.

Remember that IMAP is a mirror of what is on the mail server. Whatever is in your mail folders on www.gmail.com will be mirrored in your email client (in your case, Outlook) after you set up the IMAP account. So, if you want to know what folders and email will be in your email program after you set up IMAP, just log in to your Gmail account on the Web and check.

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Doug says ZDNet recommends the Brave browser and wants our thoughts on this
I just received a ZD net news email, and they are recommending a new browser to replace Chrome called “Brave” @ brave.com. They say it is really fast and secure. What are your thoughts on this?

Our answer
Hi Doug. Any time a big company like ZDNet, or PC Magazine, or PC World recommends something, my first thought is what’s in it for them? Brave is well-funded. I take things like this recommendation of Brave with a grain of salt. Because any time a large “For Profit” company recommends anything my feeling is somewhere along the line they’re getting paid. This is not true with smaller sites though. Recommendations from smaller, privately owned sites very seldom are big enough to get “payoffs”. Enough about all that.

Brave is based on Chromium as is Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and many other so-called “privacy” browsers such as Iridium, Epic, and others. Whether Brave is really private or not, depends on how much you trust them to do what they say they will do.

My thoughts are that there is no privacy on the web, and I have no expectation of privacy when I’m on the web. Bitcoin was supposed to be the “safe” “untraceable” way to pay, yet the FBI was able to trace the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline by following the money trail. Brave’s “advertising” is based on blockchain (cryptocurrency).

This comes from Brave Software…

“Brave Software’s fast, privacy-oriented browser, combined with its blockchain-based digital advertising platform, is reinventing the Web for users, publishers, and advertisers. Users get a private, speedier web experience with much longer battery life, publishers increase their revenue share, and advertisers achieve better conversion. Users can opt into privacy-respecting ads that reward them with the Basic Attention Token (BAT), a frequent flyer-like token they can redeem or use to tip or contribute to publishers and other content creators. The Brave solution is a win-win for everyone who has a stake in the open Web and who is weary of giving up privacy and revenue to the ad-tech intermediaries. Brave currently has over 25 million monthly active users and over 1 million Verified Publishers. Brave Software was co-founded by Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript and co-founder of Mozilla (Firefox), and Brian Bondy, formerly of Khan Academy and Mozilla…”

I’ve been testing Brave for quite a while with the thought that I’d make it a freeware pick someday, but after about 8 months, I’m still not sure if I’d recommend it as a “Privacy” browser. Things like this that show up when you open Brave, concern me…

“Today’s top stories in a completely private feed, just for you. Brave News is ad-supported with completely private and anonymized ads matched on your device. Your personal information always stays private, per our privacy policy…”

If Brave is truly private, exactly how would they “match” their newsfeed to me and my device? Matching my news to my device would certainly have to include my location as well. I sure don’t want news from Bulgaria or Bolivia.

Finally, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Brave as a browser. I don’t know if it’s faster than Google Chrome. It’s probably somewhat more private, but as I said, they’d have to prove that, and proof requires more than just their word. I don’t think it’s “faster” than Chrome. Chrome runs well on my PC. Microsoft Edge is Darcy’s favorite, and Edge is based on Chromium – just like Google Chrome. Darcy says Edge runs faster on her PC than Chrome.

But the browser you use is the one that works best for you. So, go ahead and try Brave and see how you like it – but don’t assume because ZD Net says it’s faster and more private than Chrome that it really is.

Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc. will all run differently on different systems. And we encourage everyone to install more than two or more browsers. I have six browsers installed on my computer. When you have a choice, eventually you’ll stick with the one that works best for you. For me, that’s Chrome, for Darcy’s that’s Edge, and for you, it might well be Brave.

Go ahead and try Brave. It won’t hurt anything, and you may like it. You can download it free from here.

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Greg doesn’t get what Microsoft is trying to do with Windows 11
Hi TC and EB. I know there are lots of things being written about Windows 11 and at the moment the articles seem to be more negative than positive, but we will see. Microsoft is bound to change requirements etc. before the final release. I am not too worried about TPM or the rest of the other issues. The one issue I do not like is no more local accounts.

From what have read so far is that Windows 11 Home will NOT be able to have a local account but must use an outlook.com account as login… (yes, I know according to reports Win11 Pro will allow local accounts but only after you have first signed in with an outlook.com account. I do not like this and am sure lots of others will not like this either. It should be people’s choice to have a local or otherwise account. Microsoft is dictating this and therefore monitoring what people are or are not doing…

It is a blatant means of tracking that Microsoft has employed. Yes, I did upgrade to Win10, and to be honest, I do not mind it some things are quirky, but overall it is pretty good. But no local account. I am not sure about Windows 11 and from the screenshots that I’ve seen. I have to say it looks like a Mac layout.

What happens if the login server goes down for whatever reason or a person’s internet connection goes down or even has no internet? Does that mean no one will be able to log in on their PCs? Or will it then go “local”? I just do not see the justification for making this a requirement. And for me, at least, it would stop me from ever using Win11. Most of the other things I can handle and accept, but that form of dictatorial control no. What are your thoughts on this? As most talk has been about the requirements to run it but not about the Microsoft account issue. And yes I know can keep using Windows 10 until October 14, 2025, but what about after that?

Our answer
Hi Greg. First, as you note, you do have almost 3 years to continue to use Windows 10 and in computer terms, that’s a long time from now. And I really don’t see many amazing features in Windows 11 – at least nothing that I’ve seen so far – that would make me want to make the jump to Windows 11. If I weren’t in this business, I would not even consider installing Windows 11 at this point.

Secondly, you don’t need a connection to log in with your Microsoft Account. We both use Microsoft accounts on Windows 10, and we can access our computers without a connection. So, it’s not true that you’ll get locked out of your computer when you use a Microsoft account. You will need a connection to set up the account. But in Windows 10 and Windows 11, you don’t even need an outlook.com, Hotmail.com, msn.com, live.com, or live.ca, email address to set up a Microsoft account. You can use Gmail for instance. 

Honestly, if it were not for my job, I would not even worry about Windows 11 or what Microsoft is thinking. I’d just keep using Windows 10 until the end of service date of October 14, 2025, and whatever happens then happens. One thing is for sure… by then I’m certain Windows 11 will be much different than it is now…and we may be talking about Windows 12 soon.

Windows 10 will be supported and updated for almost 3 more years. And as we’ve already said, in terms of computers, that’s a long time.  In three more years, I’ll be ready for a new computer.

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David thinks his video problems might be BIOS-related
I think something is changing my Bios settings. The computer screen is black but the HDMA to the TV works and I can see the program on the TV. It also has some other things that need tweaking.

Our answer
Hi David. I’m not aware of any BIOS settings being a major cause of black screens. If it were the BIOS, you’d not be able to see anything on a TV screen using the HDMI port. The BIOS loads before Windows starts.

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a ROM (Read Only Memory) chip found on motherboards that allows you to access and set up your computer system at the most basic level. The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic computer hardware. It also includes a test referred to as a POST (Power-On Self-Test) that helps verify the computer meets the requirements to boot up properly. If the computer does not pass the POST, you hear a combination of beeps indicating what is malfunctioning in the computer.

Since you don’t mention hearing any beeps indicating that the BIOS is detecting something wrong, I think it’s your computer’s screen (hardware) and not the BIOS.

Finally, we cannot fix hardware remotely or replace a computer screen or any other hardware device. The BIOS can only be accessed outside of Windows (before Windows boots) and requires a physical presence. We cannot work on the BIOS remotely; we can only connect to computers where Windows is loaded, and the computer is online.

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Stanley wants to know about bandwidth and connection speed
I am rather confused about the difference between bandwidth and speed. I was under the impression that the time taken to get a web page was analogous to a water pipe. The rate of getting a website (water received) was dependent on speed (water pressure) and bandwidth (diameter of the water pipe). However, in your very interesting freeware pick, it seems that speed and bandwidth are the same things. Regards, Stanley.

Our answer
Hi Stanley. Actually, these were site picks and there were five of them. The Cloudeight Site Picks article was titled “Five Good Internet Speed Testing Sites“.  We didn’t mention bandwidth at all. I see that one of the sites (at least) claimed to measure bandwidth but I take that with a grain of salt.

Bandwidth is often mistaken for internet speed. Bandwidth is the volume of information that can be sent over a connection in a measured amount of time. This is usually shown as download speed and upload speed but that is not bandwidth.

But let’s use water as an example since that was your analogy. The speed of your internet connection is the speed at which data downloads to your device and uploads from your device to servers on the Internet. Bandwidth is the amount (volume) of data your connection can carry before it slows down. Think of bandwidth this way. A garden hose vs. a fire hose. Water flows just as fast through a garden hose as it does through a fire hose (theoretically), but there’s a big difference between the volume of water each can carry. A fire hose has a great deal more “bandwidth” than a garden hose, although the speed of the water flow remains the same with each.

Bandwidth does not matter so much if you have only one or two devices in your home using your wireless Internet connection… but if you have several smart TVs, tablets, smartphones, computers, and other Internet-connected devices in your home all using the Internet at the same time, then you’re going to need a lot of bandwidth, or your connection speed will slow considerably. Think of watering a garden vs. putting out a house fire.

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Tammy wants us to recommend a good file recovery program
Hi. What do you recommend to recover files that were accidentally deleted? I am looking for a freeware program, but I would pay for a file recovery program if there aren’t any good free ones. I love your newsletters and your tips! Thanks, Tammy S.

Our answer
Hi Tammy. We’ve tested a lot of file recovery programs and my favorite is one called Puran File Recovery.

It’s a former Cloudeight freeware pick. You can read more about Puran File Recovery here.

You can use wildcards to find file types – I found wildcards work exceptionally well. Also, its deep scan feature is supposed to help you to recover data from formatted drives. I have not tested this, but it sounds like a great feature.

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Dianne cannot see thumbnails only icons.
Thanks in advance for giving my little frustration with photos in Windows 10. Recently, something changed in my laptop so that when I want to upload pictures, many of the pictures show just the general picture icon vs. a thumbnail of the actual picture. It’s just annoying not to see what picture I’m uploading; having to open the picture file first rather than simply uploading.

I have a new Lenovo Yoga which I love, but the online help couldn’t seem to help other than to suggest doing a backup on an external drive then they would do a clean reset. Of course, I’m running to you before I do anything! Thanks as always, Dianne

Our answer
Hi Dianne. Thanks so much. Type FOLDER OPTIONS in the taskbar search. When you see “File Explorer Options” in the search results, press Enter or click “Open”. In the Folder Options dialog, click on the “View” tab at the top and make sure that “Always show icons, never thumbnails” is unchecked (OFF). Then click the “Apply to Folders” button and click “Apply/OK” (at the bottom).

Restart your computer. If you still don’t see thumbnails, run the File & Folder troubleshooter from Microsoft. See this page for more info.

Let us know if this helps you, Dianne.

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