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Gary received an email from Google
Hello. I received this message claiming to be from Google. Looks like a scam to me. What say you? Gary.

Email from Google

"Change your compromised passwords

xxxxxxxxxxx@shaw.ca

Google found some of your passwords online. Anyone who finds them can access your accounts. Your Google Account is still secure: this leak came from somewhere else on the web.

You can now secure your saved passwords using Password Manager. Take action (link removed by Cloudeight).

You can also go directly to: https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup

You received this email to let you know about important changes to your Google Account and services..."

Our answer
Hi Gary. Google does send out these warnings when it finds your Google password or Google account has been compromised. However, this email could also be a fake. It says your shaw.ca email password has been compromised. So, I'd be suspicious if you don't have a Gmail account or if your shaw.ca account is not associated with a Gmail account.

The best way to address this not to click any links in that email - rather sign into your Gmail account and change your password immediately. That way you are safe regardless. It's a good thing to change your passwords every few months - especially on email accounts and financial accounts.

If you have a Gmail account, you should change your Gmail password login to https://accounts.google.com/ and click on "Personal Info". You should also change the password on your shaw.ca account.



Vic likes Bitwarden but can't find out how to install it for Chrome
Hi guys, it's me again. Well. I downloaded Bitwarden and it looks good but, I don't find anywhere that lets me add it to Chrome. Typing it in "extensions' it replies not found and nowhere in Bitwarden does it inform me how to do this. Can you guys help? Thanks again for all your past help. Have a great day and stay safe. Vic.

Our answer
Hi Vic. Thanks so much.  Bitwarden has a Chrome extension available from the Chrome Web Store.

Open the following link in Chrome:

https://tinyurl.com/y2hy7rap

Install the extension, sign into Bitwarden and you're all set!

Virginia wants to know if Snipping Tool is gone from Windows 10
I really don't like Microsoft's new Clip 'n Snip. Is there any way I can still use the old Snipping Tool? Or is there anything out there like that I could get? Thanks for being there, TC & EB.

Our answer
Hi Virginia. Thank you. The Snipping Tool is alive and well on all the newest versions of Windows. You can open it by typing Snipping Tool in taskbar search. It's also on the Start menu under Windows Accessories.

"Snipping Tool is moving..." message has been on Snipping Tool for months -but it's still available and still works great.

As you can see it still works...

If you and to make a Taskbar shortcut for it, open the Start menu, click on Windows Accessories. Find the Snipping Tool and open it. Right-click on the taskbar icon for the Snipping Tool and choose "Pin to Taskbar".

I hope this helps you, Virginia.



Jeanne computer says Windows 10 is telling her to update
Is there an update for Windows 10? My Windows update says my version will stop receiving updates soon. Says to update to Windows 10, version 20H2. Thank you and God bless.

Our answer
Hi Jeanne. The current version of Windows 10 is version 20H2 (October 2020 Update). Windows 10 version 2004 (May 2020 Update is good until October 2021) Be sure you're not clicking "Check for updates".

You can tell what version you're using by typing WINVER In Taskbar search and pressing Enter when you see Winver appear in the search results.

According "Ask Woody"... "Microsoft publishes an “End of Service” date for each version of Windows 10. While you might think you can hold onto your version of Win10 until that date, Microsoft starts pushing you onto the next version four months early. That takes a big bite out of the promised 18-month lifespan..."

In other words even if you're using Windows 10 version 2004 which is supported until October 2021, Microsoft is going to start pushing you into the next version (20H2) early although according to that, if you're using version 2004 you MS shouldn't get pushy until June. If you're using Windows 10 version 1909 (October 2019 Update) it would be supported until May 2021. Just to confuse things more, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 10 version 21H1 in May 2021.

So, if you're using version 2004 your version is supported until October 2021. If you're using version 20H2, your version is supported until May 2022 -- regardless of Windows "warnings".

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Irene wants the link to update a computer to Windows 10 Version 2004
Hi. What is the link to update a computer to windows 2004? Thanks!

Our answer
Hi Irene. You can't update to Windows 2004 (May 2020 Update) anymore. You can only update to the current version of Windows 10 which is Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020 Update). Windows 10 version 21H1 will be available until sometime in May 2021. When it is released, you will no longer be able to download version 20H2.

The page where you download the current version of Windows 10 always remains the same. That page is...

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

And that page always has the current version of Windows 10.

Debbie's husband gets a message that his Windows license will expire soon
Thank you for all you do. I've been a member since your inception and refer everyone I know to you. Don't know how we could survive without you. Thanks immensely.

My husband keeps getting a popup that says something like "your Windows license will expire soon. Click to restart". I've searched past articles through your search button but cannot find anything like this. In doing a Google search all I found is that it is malware but no instructions on how to remove it.

Our answer
Hi Debbie. Thanks so much for your nice comments and your long-time support.

I've never seen or heard of that message if Windows 10 has been activated. If you're sure it's been activated, and it's a legitimate license, run this Windows Activation Troubleshooter on this page.

If that doesn't help, try this:

1. Type CMD in taskbar search.
2. When Command Prompt appears at the top click on Run as Administrator.
3. In the Command Prompt Window type the following exactly as show with a space before the dash...

slmgr –rearm

4. Press Enter.
5. Reboot your computer

We hope this helps you resolve the problem.

Raymond asks about getting MS Office cheap
Hi Darcy & TC. I hope you're safe and well. My wife and I have purchased a new PC. We need MS Office Pro 2019. It's about $440 from Microsoft. We have to have MS Office due to the nature of the work my wife does at her School District. I have been looking online and a download starts from as little as $40. I know there are a Lot of scammers out there. We just need the Pro version for one PC. Do you know any reputable sellers out the that can save us a few dollars? Thank You, Raymond.

Our answer
Hi Raymond. If you see a copy of MS Office for $40 you can be sure it's not a legal copy. Many times, foreign actors buy up RTM bulk licenses which are valid only for the companies that purchase them then resell the bulk license as individual licenses. Microsoft has a team assigned specifically to look for and find these bad actors and then invalidate the bulk license. And if you purchase one of these if the illegal use of the license is discovered Office will stop working.

The far better option is the one that Darcy and I use, and that is Microsoft 365 which you get directly from Microsoft. You can buy Microsoft 365 for one computer for $69.99 a year (or $6.99 monthly). It's the full set of Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Money in Excel, and more. And as long as your subscription is active you always have the latest version of all office programs. For $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month you can use MS Office on up to 6 computers.

Another nice feature of Microsoft 365 is you get 1 terabyte (about 1000 gigabytes) of OneDrive cloud storage for backing up your files.

I have the $6.99 monthly subscription and I really like it.

You can learn more here.

I hope this helps you, Raymond.

Terry is having problems with Edge
My Edge browser has been freezing on me for about two weeks now. It doesn't matter if I use it for the internet or File Explorer or even other programs not developed by Microsoft. It's a pain. In order to return to what I was doing, I must click the mouse a couple of times. I've tried restarting and rebooting my PC to no avail. Ideas?

Also, while I have you, following a planned power outage this morning, I restarted my PC and discovered a new Edge browser. It takes up screen space with a left-hand column (which I can turn off) and from what I have seen so far ADVERTISING either above or to the right of the site I'm visiting. Granted, I haven't spent a lot of time with it, but I don't like what I see. What can you tell me about this new look?

Our answer
Hi Terry. I am not aware of any 'new' look in MS Edge. I have the latest version. I would be curious to know what extensions you have added to Edge. If none, then it has to be the Website you're visiting because it would be disastrous for Microsoft to start using Edge as a billboard. They're just now gaining on Chrome.

You can reset MS Edge if it's not working the way you want it. Resetting Edge will return its settings back to their defaults. It will not disturb your Favorites or Bookmarks.

Here's how to reset Edge.

I hope that works for you.
-------
Terry wrote back: "Hi TC. Thanks bunches. Your ‘reset link’ did the trick. All the extra artwork has disappeared, and I have a handle on the so-called vertical shortcuts. The advertising is also gone. Not sure where that came from but I’m glad it’s gone. Once again, TC and Cloudeight to the rescue. You two are amazing! Please enjoy what’s left of your weekend and stay healthy. Go for a walk! Cheers, Terry."

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How to Block a Sender on Gmail
For all Gmail users.
 
If you want to block someone and prevent them from sending mail to your Gmail address, it’s easy to do. Most of you remember the old “Block sender” feature on Windows Mail (and Outlook Express). Thankfully, Gmail works better and it’s easier to block and unblock senders.
 
Here’s how to block a sender in Gmail. Open the mail from the sender you want to block. Just to the right of the “Reply” button, you’ll see the 3 vertical dots icon– click it.
 
Next, you'll see a drop-down menu (as below). On the menu you’ll see “Block (whatever the sender’s name is)” for instance “Block Mister Irritating”.
 
The sender will be immediately added to your block senders list and all mail from them will be blocked from your Inbox and placed in Spam.
 
 

 
OK... but what happens if you patch things up with the sender you blocked and you want to unblock them? We’re glad you asked. It’s easy to do!
 
Open Settings by clicking the gear icon. Then click "See all settings".
 

Click on “Filters and Blocked Addresses” from the menu at the top. All of your blocked addresses (if any) will appear in a list. Select the person you want to unblock and click "Unblock selected addresses".

How to Enable Autocorrect & Text Prediction in Windows 10
Windows 10 (All supported versions)

Text Prediction has been a feature of Android and Apple tablets for many years. It saves time and automatically corrects spelling errors. For a while now, Windows 10 has also offered text prediction, but it was limited to the onscreen keyboards (software keyboards) that are mostly used on Windows 10 tablets.

Text Prediction for hardware keyboards was first introduced over two years ago with Windows 10 Version 1803 (April 2018 Update). It has been continually modified and improved and now uses Microsoft AI (artificial intelligence). It’s a great feature that many Windows 10 users are not taking advantage of. 

This tip is for those of you using desktops and laptops and hardware keyboards.

Here’s how to enable Autocorrect ad Text prediction for your hardware keyboard.

1] Right-click on the Start button and click “Settings”.

2] In Settings click on Devices.

3] On the menu on the left click “Typing”.

4]  Scroll down to Hardware Keyboard and turn both switches to “On” (see screenshot below):

5] You can customize your settings. For example, if you don’t want Windows to autocorrect your spelling and prefer to have Windows only provide suggestions as you type, turn on “Show text suggestions as I type” while leaving “Autocorrect misspelled words as I type” turned off.

Much like its cousins on Android and Apple devices as soon as you start typing you will see suggestions pop up. You can choose one of the suggestions by selecting it with your mouse or touchpad. Likewise, if you misspell a word, Windows will attempt to autocorrect your misspelling.

One thing to keep in mind is that autocorrect and text prediction do not work with most third-party apps, but do work well with all Microsoft apps like Edge, Word, WordPad, Notepad, etc.

What Version of Windows 10 Do You Have?
Windows 10 (all supported versions)

We’ve received quite a few emails recently where people are reporting that their Windows version says it’s up to date but it’s not. And Darcy has had the same thing happen to her. 

The current version of Windows (as of March 21, 2021) is Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020 Update). But we’ve discovered that many people are still running either Windows 10 October 2019 Update (Version 1909) or the May 2020 Update (Version 2004).

If you’re still running Windows 10 Version 1909 (November 2019 update), your version’s end-of-support date is May 11, 2021. Those using Windows 10 version 2004 (May 2020 update) can relax a bit – Windows 10 Version 2004 will not reach its end-of-support date until December 14, 2021.

Here’s the official end-of-service (end-of-support date) for the last four versions of Windows 10″

Windows 10 Version	Official Release Date	End of Support Date
Version 20H2	10/20/2020	05/10/2022
Version 2004	05/27/2020	12/14/2021
Version 1909	11/12/2019	05/11/2021
Version 1903	05/21/2019	12/08/2020

The problem that many people are reporting – and Darcy has experienced — is this:

When Windows 10 users open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, it may show that Windows is up to date, when it is not.  And even clicking on Check for Updates shows Windows 10 is up to date. Darcy and a lot of the folks who wrote were still using Windows 10 version 1909.  Windows 10 version 1909 reaches the end of its support cycle on May 11, 2021 – not that far away.

Our advice? Right now, is an excellent time for you to check your Windows version. Type WINVER in taskbar search and press Enter when you see the winver run command appear in the search results. A window will open showing your Windows version and build number.

If you see Windows 10 Version 1909, you need to update soon. And since you may not be able to update using Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, you can update by going to this page.

On that page, you can click “Update now” or “Download tool now” to update your computer to the current version of Windows 10. Both the Windows update assistant (Update now) and the tool can upgrade your PC to the latest version. If you download the tool, you’ll also have the option to create a Windows 10 installation USB or DVD.

If you need help with the tool, it’s available from the same page.

So, now is the time to check your PC to find out what version of Windows 10 you’re using and upgrade your PC to the current version if you find you’re still running Windows 10 version 1909. And if you’re still running version 2004, you can choose to update or not. But, keep in mind, Windows 10 version 21H2 will be released in May 2021.

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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Infoplease: An Online Encyclopedia and a Whole Lot More

Infoplease is an online encyclopedia that has answers to almost any questions you have. Infoplease says it has answers to “everything under the sun, including the sun”.

But Infoplease is more than an encyclopedia. It’s an almanac, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an atlas. And besides all those, Infoplease has a Daily IQ section, a Homework Center, a Fact Monster for younger kids, and a whole lot more.

Here are a few of the features of Infoplease.

Quizzes

Arts and Culture
Animals
Pop Culture
Science

The Daily IQ
A daily dose of fun facts, brain exercises, and news for smart people.

This Day in History
Weather of the Day
Birthday of the Day
Analogy of the Day
News of the World

Here’s what the staff of Infoplease has to say…

“Infoplease is a reference and learning site, combining the contents of an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, and several almanacs loaded with statistics, facts, and historical records. Our editors regularly update and refine this enormous body of information as well as adding new discoveries and identifying trends to bring you reliable and authoritative information. The content is written and edited by professional editors, and the site has received numerous awards and accolades since launch. Parents, teachers and librarians turn to Infoplease for information on an array of topics, including current events, pop culture, science, government and history. They can also confidently point students and children to our COPPA and kidSAFE-certified sister site, Fact Monster, assured that it’s a safe place for kids to explore.”

If you’re looking for an answer to a question, or if you like learning new things, or if you love IQ quizzes, you’ll want to visit Infoplease.

Why

You wake up and you look out your bedroom window and you see it’s another beautiful spring day. You hear the birds singing, you see the flowers opening in the sun, and you smell the fresh, clean spring breeze.

You see a deer peacefully eating a plant in a field, you see a bee hopping from flower to flower, and you see puffy, ephemeral white clouds, majestically floating in a bright, crystalline-blue springtime sky.

You think how wonderfully balanced nature is — the soil feeding the flower, the flower feeding the bee and the deer, the clouds floating above created from rain and rain created by clouds and the rain the formed the oceans, the lakes, the ponds, the rivers — and all of them full of life and all of them life sustaining.

You look up at the sun and you know that everything draws its power from it — the flowers, the oceans, the plants, the animals, even you — all solar powered.

You think how powerful the sun is and yet how significant it is. You realize if the sun would burn out right now all life on Earth would end and the world would be a barren, frozen wasteland.

And you ponder the sun’s insignificance. It’s just an ordinary star...

Please read the rest of this essay here. 

What are the four most important things you can do to keep yourself safe on the Internet?

Some so-called geeks will tell you to install browser add-ins like safe site toolbars so you can let someone else decide what is safe and what is not. Some will tell you to install a firewall because Windows firewall is no good. There is an endless supply of questionable and bad advice out there, and we know it's really difficult to figure out who to believe.

Here's something that will help you. What is the motivation of the geek or tech writing the newsletter? To inform you or to scare you into reading an article. We subscribe to numerous newsletters, and a couple of the more popular ones seem to live by clickbaiting - that is by using headlines to lure you into clicking a link to read an article. We see this every day - and it's a shame because they take advantage of the very people they profess to want to help.

And it's not easy to find interesting computer-related topics to write about that will appeal to most readers... but there's no reason to stoop to fear mongering and clickbaiting.

The headline of this back to basics might be considered to be clickbaiting, but it's not. We really are going to tell you the four most important things you can do to stay safe on the Internet and you don't have to jump through hoops or click a link to read them, because here they are - in order of importance:

A. Always Use Strong Passwords
B. Be careful when clicking links. Think before you click
C. Never click links in an email if you're not sure who sent it... and never click links in an email that comes from a bank, credit card company, or other financial institution that asks you to verify a password or your account. Think before you click.
D. Use good security software that protects you from all manner of malware: Pups, ransomware, scamware, Trojans, viruses, et. al.

Those are the four... now go and be safe!





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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.

Have a great weekend... be safe!

Your friends at Cloudeight,

Darcy and TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #911
Volume 18 Number 21
March 26, 2021 

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