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Suzanne and several others updated Windows and now have an unwanted widget on the taskbar
Since I updated my windows 10, I have a widget on my taskbar, and I do not want it. How do I delete it from my taskbar? Suzanne.

Our answer
Hi Suzanne. This is a new feature that will be included in Windows 10 21H1 (May 2021 Update). It is also being distributed via update to Windows 2004 (May 2020 Update) and Windows 20H2 (October 2020 Update) users as well.

It's called "News & interests" and it also displays the weather on the taskbar as well. It's not a program or an app, it's a taskbar widget - so you cannot uninstall it - but you can turn it off.

See this Cloudeight article to learn more about the "News and interests" widget, how to modify it, and how to turn it off.

We hope this helps you, Suzanne.

Carol wants to resize photos for email
How can I make my photos smaller to send by email. My photos are always about 2GB or more.

Our answer
Hi Carol. There are dozens of ways to resize photos. There are dozens of apps dedicated to resizing photos. We recommend you open them in a photo editor. Windows 10 comes with a photo editor - it is called the Photos app. You'll find it in the Windows 10 start menu, and you can also open it by right-clicking on any image and choosing "Open with > Photos".

Once the image opens, just click the 3-dot icon in the top-right corner of the Photos app and choose "Resize" from the drop-down menu.

We use a freeware program called Irfanview. We've been using it for over 20 years. You can download it free from here.

Once you install it, you can set it as you default image viewer (recommended) so that when you click on any image to open it, it opens in Irfanview.

Once you install Irfanview, open the image you want to resize. From the Irfanview toolbar choose "Image" > "Resize/Resample".

Irfanview lets you to resize your images by percentage, by width & height, resize it by half, by preset dimensions (presets always keep the aspect ratio of your image), and more.

And finally, you can also resize photos online. But given that your photos are 2GB or more that would not be a great choice for you.

Helen wants to keep her Windows 10 computer clean
Hi guys. What program do you recommend to clean up Windows 10 Version 2004 and what do I select to be cleaned? Thanks for everything you guys do for us.

Our answer
Hi Helen. Thank you! You don't need to download a thing to keep you PC cleaned up. Windows 10 has a really nice feature that helps keep your computer cleaned-up automatically. It's called Storage Sense and here's how to set it up.

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button and click Settings.

2. In Settings click on System, then Storage.

3. In Settings > Storage

4. Turn on the switch under "Storage Sense can automatically free up space by getting rid of files you don't need, like temporary files and content in the recycle bin."

5. Below the switch, click on "Configure Storage Sense or run it now".

You can configure it your way. Below are the default settings. I leave mine set to default.

You can configure Storage Sense to automatically run every week, every month, or just when disk space gets low. I would leave it at "Every week".

You can set Storage Sense to automatically clean up temporary files and clean up files in the recycle bin, every day, every 14 days, every 30 days, or every 60 days. As you can see mine is set to 14 days.

Finally, if you use One Drive, you'll see an option to make files stored both on your PC and on One Drive, online-only after Never, 1 day, 14 days, 30 days, and 60 days. Unless you have a good reason for wanting to make files stored on both your PC and One Drive, online-only, leave this set to "Never".

At the very bottom of the Storage Sense configuration dialog - you'll see a "Clean Now" button. You can clean up your computer any time you like by clicking that button.

I just ran Storage Sense and it cleaned up 42.9 MB of space, so there wasn't a lot of junk on my PC at this time.

In addition to Storage Sense, you might want to clean your browser's history & cache ever week or so. See our tutorial on how to clear your browser's history, cache, and cookies, here. Our tutorial covers Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

We hope this helps you, Helen.
------
Helen wrote back: "This is great, thank you so much! Helen."

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Bill says a Windows 10 update failed - what should he do?
Hi people! How goes the battle? Hope you are doing fine. I just had a small question for you. I noticed in my Windows update that an update failed. The update was KB 5003173. I am currently re-trying it as I type this. The update is for my Windows 10 computer. I notice a 2 after the update number. Is that the number of tries of installation? As I retried just now, it is at 100%. I assumed that that would be successful but apparently not. I know that you know of somewhere that I can go to do a successful update. Thanks a bunch. Take care and remain healthy. Bill.

Our answer
Hi Bill. The update is not a Windows version update, it is just your average run-of-the-mill patch Tuesday security updates It's not a terribly important update. It includes:

1. Updates to improve security when Windows performs basic operations.
2. Updates to improve Windows OLE (compound documents) security.
3. Updates security for Bluetooth drivers.

The number 2 does not mean it's the 2nd install, it can be a threshold number for your version of Windows 10.

Even though it's classified as a "security update" I would not be overly concerned about this update right now. Windows 10 will automatically keep trying to install it.

Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) has just been released. For Windows 10 version 2004 and version 20H2 users and it will include all previous security updates.

To find your version of Windows 10 type WINVER in taskbar search and press Enter when you see "winver" appear in the search results. You'll see a Windows version dialog appear.

If you see an update at 100% it may still require a reboot to finalize. It may either automatically reboot or be awaiting a reboot from you.

If Windows is waiting for you to restart our computer, you'll see an icon in the taskbar in the notification area with an orange dot on it. It's circled in yellow in the screenshot below. If you see that, you need to restart your computer to finish installing the update.

Rather than waiting for Windows Update to reinstall it, you can install this update from the Microsoft Online Catalog from this page. You'll need to know your system type (32-bit or 64-bit). You can find that by typing "About" in the taskbar search and pressing Enter when you see "About your PC" appear in the results. Look next to "System type". And you'll also need to know your Windows 10 version number.

If you continue to have problems installing this update and you don't want to wait for the new Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) take a look at this page

I think we covered all the bases! We hope this helps you, Bill.

Judy is concerned about being behind on Windows version updates
I just received your Cloudeight InfoAve about the new update coming. I just looked up my version and I have 2004 (OS Build 19041.928). How far behind am I in updates? Will I have trouble when I do the update? Thank you, Judy.

Our answer
Hi Judy. Your version of Windows 2004 (MAY 2020 Update) is supported until December 14, 2021. The Windows 10 version 21H1 - May 2021 Update was just released this week.

For those using Windows 10 version 2004 it will be more of a typical version update, while for those using Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020 Update), it will be a minor update.

The Windows 10 will be rolling out to those using versions 2004 and 20H2 over the next few months.

If you don't want to wait for Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) you can update whenever you're ready by going to this page and clicking the "Update now" button. That will download the Update Assistant to your computer. You can run it whenever it's convenient for you to do so.

We hope this helps you, Judy.

Cheryl asks about the reliability of external hard drives
Just read in Issue #919 of someone who's external hard drive failed? I'm wondering, since I store EVERYTHNG I do on my external hard drive, if there's a better (or secondary) way of saving everything in case my external hard drive crashes? Thanks for all you two do to keep us safe. Take Care. As always, please feel free to share in a newsletter.

Our answer
Hi Cheryl. Thank you! Most external drives have a long lifespan, but there's no guarantee. We've had external drives that we've been using for over seven years. And we've had external drives fail after a year or two.

The best way to protect your precious files is to use a local backup (external hard drive). And also use a cloud-based backup system like OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. to backup truly irreplaceable files. The files you can't replace probably don't amount to enough to fill an entire external drive. But only you can decide what is irreplaceable.

I consider family pictures irreplaceable because they capture events in time, and some legal documents, tax forms, and other important documents, but you may feel differently.

Keep in mind cloud-based storage is not completely free. All cloud-base services offer a limited amount of free space. OneDrive offers 5 GB, Dropbox offers 2 GB, and Google Drive offer 15 GB. You can purchase more space as needed.

We think that OneDrive offers the best deal. If you buy a subscription to Microsoft Office 365 for $6.99 a month, you get 1 TB (terabyte) of cloud storage. And with that much space, you'll be able to store all your precious, irreplaceable files.

Dropbox charges $9.99/month for 1 TB of cloud storage and that does not come with Office. Google charges $9.99/month for 2 TB of cloud storage. Most reputable cloud storage service backup your date multiple times in multiple locations so that the risk of losing your precious, irreplaceable files is almost zero.

We hope this helps you, Cheryl.
----------
Cheryl wrote back: "Thank you Mr. TC. As ALWAYS, you've helped me out again. Take care."

Sharon wants to make Gmail her default email client in Windows 10
Hi. When i try to email from my desktop... I get a message there is no email program set as default. I went to Control Panel but there was no option to set Gmail as default. Is there a way to make Gmail the default mail program? You guys always know the answers. Thanks for your help. Sharon.

Our answer
Hi Sharon. Thanks! First, the fastest way to set default apps in Windows 10 by going to Settings > Apps > Default apps. If you use Control Panel > Set your default programs, you end up at Settings >Apps> Default apps anyway. And an even faster way is typing DEFAULT APPS in the Taskbar search.

Gmail is not an app, it's a web-based service and you cannot directly set Gmail as your default email program. You can set "Google Chrome" as your default "email program" (it's really not an email program, it's a browser) and access Gmail using Chrome. But you have to set up Chrome to open mailto links first. You can set up Chrome to open mailto links in Gmail by default. To learn how to set up Chrome that way, see this Google tutorial.

And an even better way is to set up an email program like OE Classic to access your Gmail account and set OE Classic (or other email program) as your default email app.

We hope this helps you, Sharon.

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Add a Cascading Settings Context Menu on the Windows 10 Desktop
(Windows 10 - all supported versions)

As all Windows 10 users have learned, Microsoft has now moved most of the Control Panel features into the Settings app in Windows 10. How much longer the Control Panel will be around is anyone’s guess. As of today, there are still some features of the Control Panel that have not been migrated to the Settings app. But it does seem likely the Control Panel will eventually be removed from Windows 10.

The Settings app contains the following categories:  System, Devices, Phone, Network & Internet, Personalization, Apps, Accounts, Time & language, Gaming, Ease of Access, Cortana, Privacy, Update & security (and on some versions “Mixed reality”).

All Settings categories have sub-pages. Most of these sub-pages are accessible directly using the ms-settings commands. you can see a list of ms-settings commands here and directly from Microsoft here.

Here's how to add a cascading settings context menu when right-clicking the Windows 10 Desktop

If you want to add a cascading “Settings” context menu that you can open by right-clicking your Windows 10 desktop, we’ve made it simple for you.

Download this zip file.

Once you’ve downloaded file, unzip it, and right-click on the file named “settings-menu.reg” and choose “Merge”. (You can also double-click it.)

You will get a warning reminding you that adding things to your registry can cause problems. Click “Yes” to proceed.

Once you click yes, you’ll see a dialog confirming that the changes have successfully been added to your registry.

And if you did all that correctly when you right-click on an empty space on your desktop you’ll have a Settings entry on your right-click menu. And when you click on “Settings” you’ll a cascading menu showing all the categories in Settings will appear.

Enjoy!

The Windows 10 May 2021 Update is Available Now
Windows 10 versions 2004 and 20H2

Microsoft has released Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) and it will be rolling out to Windows 10 users over the next few months. Keep in mind this is a minor update and there are very few new features for home users.

For those using Windows 10 version 20H2, the May 2021 Update would be more like a service pack and not take long to install. For those using version 2004, it will install as a version update and, most likely, take longer.

If you’re using Windows 10 version 20H2 or version 2004 and you want to upgrade to Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) on your own terms, visit this page and click on the “Update now” button.

The update now button will download the Windows 10 Update Assistant. When you're ready to update, run the Update Assistant.

And, of course, you can always keep using your current version. Windows 10 version 2004 (May 2020 Update) is supported until December 14, 2021, and Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020 Update) is supported until May 12, 2022.

The next version of Windows – version 21H2 (October 2021 Update -- codenamed “Sun Valley”) will be a major update and is scheduled for release sometime in October 2021. There are so many changes planned for the “Sun Valley” version, some are referring to it as “Windows 11”. Of course, it will still be Windows 10.

If you don’t know what version of Windows 10 you’re using, type WINVER in taskbar search and press Enter when you see "winver" appear in the search results. 

This article is not a recommendation to install version 21H1 (May 2021 Update). It was written to let you know that the update is now available and that it will be rolling out over the coming weeks and months.

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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You Say It’s Your Birthday!

The Birthday Calculator

This site can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your birthday, a friend’s birthday, or a family member’s birthday. Today is May 17, 2021. So, for example, let’s say you were born on May 17, 1952. What does the old Birthday Calculator say about you and the day you were born?

Trivia

May 17th was the 138th day of 1952 and a Saturday.
Most people know their age in years, but did you know there have been 25,202 days since this birthday? That’s 69 years old. In weeks, someone born this day would 3,600 weeks old.
May 17, 1952 was 6 days after Mother’s Day.
Excluding solar-based holidays (like Easter), you could reuse your 1952 calendar in 2036. Both calendars will be exactly the same!
Someone born on this day has been alive during 18 leap years (including 1952).
From this birthday up to this day, there have been 853 full moons. How many of them did you see? The next full moon will be on Wednesday, May 26 at 11:16:00 GMT.

Other stuff you’ll learn on the Birthday Calculator site.

• Alternative Calendars
• Zodiac Signs
• Birthstones
• Moon Phase
• Celebrities with the Same Birthday
• Famous People in History with the Same Birthday
• Historical Events on this Date

So, you say it’s your birthday, eh? Well, if you visit our site pick, you’ll learn more about the day you were born than you ever knew… and maybe even more than you ever wanted to know.

Visit the Birthday Calculator page and learn all about the day you were born.

PPS:  I just learned that EB has been stalking the planet Earth for 36,086 days. Wow! I’ll be nicer to her for sure! 

Night Train

I can’t sleep on this warm and quiet night. I toss and turn. I get up and walk around the house. It seems too dark and too quiet and I'm too uneasy. I can find nothing on this night to relax me. I can find nothing that will help me fall asleep. I look in the refrigerator -- as if there is something in there that will help me sleep. Milk? Juice? Jam? Leftover chicken?

I decide to make some hot tea and watch TV – surely there is something to watch that would bore me to sleep – there always is. I need something droning and uninteresting. I scan the channels and settle on C-Span. Nothing is more boring than watching congress in action. But tonight C-Span is showing a group of protesters and they’re noisy and it aggravates me.

I flip on the Roku and graze the apps – Netflix, PBS, Amazon Prime, Smithsonian… I click on Amazon Prime and scroll though the offerings. I find one that says, “Box Fan for sleep and relaxation”. I turn it on. What could be more boring than the sound of a box fan droning? White noise is just the ticket.

I drink my tea and watch the box fan’s blades blurring and whirring. I still can’t sleep. The harder I try, the more futile it seems. Sleep now seems like a dream. And if you can’t sleep – a bad dream...

Please read the rest of this essay here. 

Five Basic Windows Key Shortcuts You Should Know

There are dozens and dozens of keyboard shortcuts and tons of Windows key shortcuts. There are so many that most people cannot memorize them all – nor should they. But there are five basic Windows Key shortcuts we think you should know because they can save you time.

These work on all supported versions of Windows 10. And a reminder: For Windows key shortcuts you need to hold down the Windows key while tapping another key.

#1. Windows Key + i

The Settings app is one of the apps on Windows 10 you’ll need to access the most. You can open settings from the start menu, but why would you? You can open settings quicker by using the Windows Key + i shortcut.

#2. Windows Key + u

If you use the Ease of Access settings often, the Windows key + u shortcut takes you right to Ease of Access without having to open settings first.

In the Ease of Access settings, you can change text size and the size of items on your screen. You can change mouse pointers, cursors, open the Magnifier, Narrator, and more.

#3. Windows Key + r

Windows Key + r opens the Run dialog – the Run box as we call it. From the Run dialog you can run many simple commands and even open programs like Notepad, WordPad, Calculator, and many more.

#4. Windows key

Did you know when you press the Windows key (by itself) it opens the Windows 10 start menu? It does – try it!

#5. Windows key +; or Windows key+.

Using the Windows key +; (semi-colon key) or Windows key +. (period key) opens the Windows 10 Emoji panel.

And did you know the Emoji panel now also includes symbols too?

©₭¥฿$Ψπδ

Yes, it does!

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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 #919
Volume 18 Number 29
May 21, 2021 

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