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Susan wants to know if she needs to use the software that came with her external hard drive
I LOVE your Newsletters! In this day and age of scams and fake news, your Newsletters are so refreshing, offering trustworthy programs and answers to great questions! Thank you EVER so much!  My question: I'm running Ashampoo for backup onto a Passport external drive. Is it safe to uninstall WD Backup as well as their toolkit, etc.? I don't see the need for it unless I start having trouble with Ashampoo? Thanks so much, please stay with us, we so need you!! :)

Our answer
Hi Susan. Thank you and thanks for being with us through the years! Yes, the Western Digital software is completely unnecessary and can be removed.

We are not going anywhere!
----
Susan wrote back: "So good to hear you'll continue to be helping us! Honestly, I don't know where we would all turn to without you. Thank you so much for doing what you do! Thanks for answering my question so quickly, you guys are amazing! Faithfully yours, Sue "

Jean has crazy colors on her screen
I have messed up the colors on my PC. This page has a black background with white text. The title "Your Questions, Comments, or Suggestions are Welcome" is in Coral. The task bar is white. The Start menu with all the tiles has a white background. The apps are Aqua. How do I get out of this mess?  I've tried to figure it out but not getting very far. I just want to go back to the original. Please help!

Our answer
Hi Jean. Try this...

1. Press and hold down the Windows Key and tap the U key to open Settings > Ease of Access.
2. In Settings > Ease of Access click on Color Filters (on the left side)
3. In Color Filters is the switch is turn on, turn it off.



4. Next click on "High contrast" in the menu on the left and make sure the switch is turned off.

That should fix your crazy colors. 

Carla wants to know how to see what's in her print queue
I'm using Windows 10. How can I find the print queue so I can see what's there and delete pending print jobs that I don't want to print? Thanks for all your tips! Carla

Our answer
Hi Carla, thank you! You should have a print queue icon (it looks like a little printer) in your notification area / system tray (the area next to the time/date in the lower right hand corner of your screen to the left of the clock). If you don't see it, click the up arrow on the left edge of the notification area / system try to expand it so you can see all the icons.

If you still don't see it there, open Control Panel, (type Control in the taskbar search in Windows 10) go to devices and printers, and find the printer in the list. Now right click on the icon and choose "See what's printing".

We hope this helps you!

Joann says every time she starts her computer Firefox asks to be her default browser
Hi TC. Each time that I log onto the internet, a window pops up regarding Firefox. It always asks me if I want to make Firefox my default browser. If I click on "Not now", it continues to pop up each & every time that I go online. If I click on "yes" or "okay" (whichever it offers), then a big window pops up w/all kinds of choices. I never see any that I should accept. What do you advise? I'd like to be finished with this window pop-up for good.

Thank you so much for all of your help. I have so very much appreciated all of your directions, instructions, tips, offers, and help for so many years now! I have learned most of what I know about my computer(s) over those years from your InfoAve e-mails, notices, etc. It has been a treasure and a pleasure to learn from you. Thanks again, Joann.

Our answer
Hi Joann. Thanks very much for your nice comments and for your long-time support

There is nothing unusual or malicious going on here. When Firefox asks if you want it to be your default browser and you click No (Not now), the next time you open Firefox it will ask you again. When you click YES (Use Firefox as my default browser) , then Settings > Apps > Default Apps will open where you'll see a list of apps for which you can set your defaults (we explain that here).

Next time Firefox asks if you want to make it your default browser, don't click yes or (Use Firefox as my default browser) or No (Not now)… remove the checkmark from the box next to "Always perform this check when starting Firefox". Firefox won't ask to be your default browser anymore. See the screenshot below.

We hope this helps you, Joann.

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Irene asks about a Slimware popup on her husband's computer
Regularly on my husband's computer, a window pops up when he turns the computer on, and it reads to update a driver. It is Slimware. I tell him to ignore it. Is there a way to block that popup, or should I pay attention to that?

Our answer
Hi Irene. Slimware Utilities is scamware which is installed as a standalone program or bundled with other software. You should definitely uninstall it. Driver updater programs are one of the most useless things you can install on your computer. Not only are they useless but they can cause major problems requiring repair and possibly even requiring a rest or reinstallations Windows. Unnecessarily updating drivers, especially video drivers is one of the biggest causes of major Window problems.

When you uninstall it, it may find it listed as one or more of the following:

DriverUpdate
Driver Updater
Slimware Utilities

Make sure you uninstall them all. We hope this helps you!

John does not want taskbar search on his Windows 10 taskbar
When I go to the Taskbar, I get a black screen with various file names showing. I don't want that black screen ........... ever. It just confuses me. Just to clarify my description. In the lower-left of the screen, this notice shows a magnifying glass and the command "Type here to search". Hope this description helps. John

Our answer
Hi John. It's called Taskbar search and it's very useful, but if you don't like it, you can remove the magnifying glass from your taskbar this way:

Right-click on a blank space on your taskbar...



Find "Search" and then click on "Hidden" and the magnifying glass (taskbar search) will be hidden. If you ever want it back again, repeat the process above and click "Show search icon" or "Show search box".

Charles just updated Windows and now File Explorer won't open
I just updated to the October 2020 update. Now, when I open Task Manager it won't stay open. It flashes for a second and then disappears. Help, please.

Our answer
Hi Charles, try this. Power off your computer - shut it completely down. Leave your computer completely powered off for five minutes and then turn it back on.

Now, wait until Windows has completely loaded. After Windows has completely opened, try opening Task Manager. I think you'll find will stay open for you.

Once you shutdown / power off and wait a few minutes, memory is cleared and nagging problems like yours are sometimes solved.

Let me know if you need more help.
-----------
Charles wrote back: "You were right! I tried your solution and Task Manager is working perfectly. Thank you very much! Charles."

Maria wants to transfer her files to a free office suite
I currently have Office 365 and just renewed for another year at a cost of over $100. I only use Word and Excel. What is the best/easiest to take my files and transfer to a free suite? I figure I have a year to transfer and then I won’t renew Office 365. I tried to go back to regular Office, but couldn’t access my files. It seemed to require me to use Office 365 once I started with it. Maybe I just didn’t know how to get them back. I don’t have a problem with Microsoft Office, I just don’t want to pay for it every year. Any suggestions are welcome. Have a Blessed Day!

Our answer
Hi Maria. You don't have to transfer anything. Once you download a free office program that opens MS Office files (and most of them do). You can associate Word Docs and Excel files with your new free office program. I suggest that you uninstall MS Office first then restart your computer. After your restart then download a free office suite like any of the ones we recommend here.

Once you have removed MS Office 365 and installed the free office suite you chose, your Word Documents and Excel files should open automatically with your new office program. If not, right-click on a Word Document, select "Open with" then choose the office program you just installed and make sure you check the box next to "Always use this program to open this type of file". Then do the same with any Excel file. From then on, your Word docs and Excel files should open with whatever free office program you installed.

I hope this helps you, Maria.

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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.

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The Mouse Wheel Is Good for More Than Just Scrolling
All computer users using a mouse with a wheel

You can use your mouse wheel as a button. Pressing down on the wheel will act like a third mouse button. This can be used to open a web page in a tab by clicking the wheel on any link and can also be used to close a tab by clicking the wheel on any open tab.

Zoom in and Out on a web page, word document, excel spreadsheet, etc. by holding down the Ctrl key and moving the mouse wheel away from you (up)to zoom in and toward you (down) to zoom out.

You can move forward and backwards while browsing the Web by holding down the Shift key and scrolling up and down. Scrolling down goes back and scrolling up goes forward.

And, if you want to make your desktop icons really big - go to your desktop, click on an empty area of your desktop, hold down the Ctrl key and move your mouse wheel away from you to enlarge the icons; move wheel toward you to make them smaller. Really easy!

And did you know that some mouse wheels can be pushed left or right to also move backward and forward on a web page?

So don't overlook your mouse wheel. Go do some wheelies!

If You Use Gmail, Give Yourself Room to Write!
For everyone who uses Gmail

If you use Gmail, then you’re familiar with the size of the default compose window. When you click the “Compose” button in Gmail the compose window appears in the bottom right corner of Gmail.  It looks like this:

Above: Gmail’s default compose window — actual size.

If you’d like to make the Gmail compose window bigger and have it open in the middle of your screen, it’s easy to do. Here’s how…

Open a Gmail compose window and look for the 3 vertical dots in the bottom right corner. Click the dots and choose “Default to full screen”.

The next time you click the Gmail compose window you’ll have more room to write – and the window will open in the center of your screen.

Above: The larger Gmail compose window will open in the center of your screen – giving you more room to compose your masterpiece!

Click on the thumbnail image above to see the full-size Gmail compose window actual size.

Now you’ll have plenty of room to write! 

If Microsoft Says Your PC Can’t Run Windows 11, Don’t Worry!
Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (all versions)

Please see our article here to find out if your computer will be able to run Windows 11.

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.

Now available: Reg Organizer 8.70

If you purchased or renewed Reg Organizer through Cloudeight within the last 12 months, you're entitled to a free version upgrade to Reg Organizer 8.70.

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Reg Organizer - A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Tools - Works Great on Windows 10!

 Get Free Audiobooks from LibriVox

If you like to read, but don’t have the time, or you can’t see well enough to read, or you’re too lazy to read, or if you want to drift off to sleep reading with your eyes closed, then this site is for you. It’s like a rummage sale of free audiobooks — mostly classics.

The best part of this site is the hundreds of free audiobooks you can download and listen to. The second-best part is that you never know what you’re gonna get… kind of like the now proverbial box of chocolates.

LibriVox exists to make all public domain literature available in audio format to everyone. The fun part is you never know who’s going to be reading to you or what they’re going to sound like. That’s because LibriVox doesn’t care what its volunteer readers sound like – perhaps that’s why there may more than one version of an audiobook. Luckily for us all that neither EB nor I have volunteered to read for LibriVox, thus sparing you a horrid, life-altering experience.

All the audiobooks on LibriVox are free and available in several formats. Most of you will like the audiobooks in zip format for PCs – just unzip the file, click on audiobook, and listen to someone read the book to you. There are several other formats available, so be sure to choose the one that’s right for you.

LibriVox makes it easy for you to find what you’re looking for. For example, being the dummy that I am, I typed in Edgar Allen Poe and got zero results. But when I searched for Edgar Allan Poe, I got sixteen audiobooks, not surprisingly, Poe wrote all those books. Who is reading them, I have no clue although the one I downloaded had a lady with a nice-sounding voice reading it. No drawl! No Darcy-accent!

Now, because I’ve run out of witty and humorous things to say, I will turn it over to the site’s developers to regale you.

“About LibriVox

LibriVox Objective:

To make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet.

Our Fundamental Principles:

LibriVox is a non-commercial, non-profit, and ad-free project
LibriVox donates its recordings to the public domain
LibriVox is powered by volunteers
LibriVox maintains a loose and open structure
LibriVox welcomes all volunteers from across the globe, in all languages

What We Do

LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain, and then we release the audio files back onto the net for free. All our audio is in the public domain, so you may use it for whatever purpose you wish. Please note: Our readers are free to choose the books they wish to record. LibriVox sees itself as a library of audiobooks. Because the books we read are in the public domain, our readers and listeners should be aware that many of them are very old, and may contain language or express notions that are antiquated at best, offending at worst.

Volunteering for LibriVox is easy and does not require any experience with recording or audio engineering or acting or public speaking. All you need is a computer, a microphone, some free recording software, and your own voice. We accept all volunteers in all languages, with all kinds of accents. You’re welcome to volunteer to read any language you speak, as long as you can make yourself understood in it. You don’t need to audition, but we do suggest a 1-Minute Test recording just to check your setup. We’ll accept you no matter what you sound like.

We operate almost exclusively through Internet communications on our forum, where all your questions will be answered by our friendly community.

For more detailed information, see our FAQ…

So, now that we have amused you, hopefully, informed you…and put in some “About” stuff from LibriVox…

Isn’t it time you visited LibriVox to grab some free audiobooks?

An Ode to Walter, Jack, and Morgan

I saw the news today, oh boy! What a crazy world we live in. Watching the news brought back memories of Walter Cronkite reporting the Apollo 11 launch. Nostalgic memory moments indeed. So, I was going to write about Walter Cronkite today. It was going to be sort of an open letter to the dearly departed bastion of real, honest, authentic, unbiased, and sometimes giddy reporting.

“Dear Walter,

You would not believe what’s going on in the world these days – you’re probably turning over in your grave…”

Miss ya!

TC"

Please read the rest of this essay here.

What is WebP?

WebP is the newest image format developed by Google. The main advantage of WebP is that it reduces the file size of an image up to 30% compared to files in JPG or PNG format, without any noticeable loss of image quality. This means you can store a lot more pictures in the same amount of disk space.

But that’s not all WebP is good for. Since WebP images have smaller file sizes, large images open more quickly on the web. And because of reduced loading times, more and more Web sites are using WebP images more frequently.

On the downside, some web browsers like Apple’s Safari don’t yet support WebP images. And Internet Explorer does not support WebP images and never will.

If you’re using Windows 10 you can open WebP images without installing any 3rd-party programs by right-clicking on a WebP file and choosing “Open with” and selecting Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Paint.

To see examples of JPG images converted to WebP, see our article here. 

Our newest Cloudeight Endorsed Email Program - Very Similar to Windows Mail & Outlook Express. Stationery works great!

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Reg Organizer: Reg Organizer is the Swiss Army Knife of Windows tools. It's far more than just a registry optimizer and cleaner... it's a Windows all-in-one toolkit. Reg Organizer helps you keep your computer in tip-top shape and helps you solve annoying Windows problems. Reg Organizer works great with Windows 10! Get more information about Reg Organizer (and get our special discount prices) here.

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