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Norma and many others say links in our InfoAve Daily newsletter aren't working
I keep getting this message when opening your email from last week. What is causing this?

I keep getting this message when I try opening links in your daily newsletters

"...What can I do about this? If you are a potential or current subscriber, contact the publisher to notify them that their feed content is not available. This may be temporary problem that requires their intervention to resolve, or the publisher may have permanently removed the feed from FeedBurner.

If you are the publisher of this feed, sign into FeedBurner and visit your feed's “Troubleshootize” tab to view FeedMedic, our automated diagnostic report for your feed. A cause for the problem, and tips for troubleshooting it, may be found there..."

Our answer
Hi Norma. On June 29, 2021, we moved our InfoAve Daily newsletter to a new newsletter service. Google is soon going to stop supporting Feedburner which is the service we had been using to send our Daily newsletter for many years.

Starting June 29, 202, all InfoAve Daily newsletters are being sent by our new newsletter service called Feedblitz. Any links in InfoAve Daily issued June 29, 2021, or prior to that date, will no longer work.

Now that the list has been moved and everything is set up all links in InfoAve Daily (dated June 29, 2021 and later) will work perfectly. Additionally, we addressed this in a special post called "The New InfoAve Daily" which we sent to all InfoAve Daily Subscribers on June 30, 2021.

And one more thing. Anything you see in InfoAve Daily can be accessed at its source which is https://thundercloud.net/infoave/new/. Every article that appears in InfoAve Daily also appears on our InfoAve site. And to make it even easier, we have a great site-search feature to make it easy to find what you're looking for.

Thanks for subscribing and we hope you like the InfoAve Daily look.

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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 https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/a-new-and-better-way-to-find-out-why-your-pc-can-or-cannot-run-windows-11/ 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 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 a 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, 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.



Sandra is ready to toss her computers
I have a six-year-old computer running Windows 10 will all the updates. I have several issues since I have 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 60 - we offer 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.

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 update. 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.

Don't have a Cloudeight SeniorPass? It's a great deal. Learn more here.

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 find 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 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.



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 a 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 cause 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.

Ann wants to know if a Windows update is safe.
Is 2021-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems (KB5004476) safe?

Our answer
Hi Ann. Microsoft updates are necessary to keep Windows safe. Whether a particular update will cause problems with your computer is something I cannot tell you. I have two Windows 10 PCs and I've installed all available updates on both of them -- including the one you reference. I have not had any problems at all.

Keep this in mind. There are one billion Windows 10 users. The users who install updates and have no problems don't comment or make posts about how nicely the update installed. But the few who do have problems make a lot of noise. And with one billion people using Windows, if fifteen million users have a problem with an update, they're going to make a lot of noise, but the other 985,000,000 who had no problems will remain silent.

If Microsoft thought an upgrade was not safe, they would not release it. But no one can tell you with certainty whether an upgrade will cause problems for your computer. And there's no doubt Microsoft has seriously botched some updates.

We cannot tell you not to update your computer because doing so would put you at risk.

We realize this is not what you wanted to hear, but it is true.

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 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.

The Best Computer Care and Repair - Anywhere!

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Make Your Own Screensaver
Windows 10 / All supported versions

 If you’d like to make a custom screensaver using your personal photos, or any photos on your Windows 10 computer, follow me., and I’ll show you how.

Step #1. This is a step you won’t appreciate now, but you will later. By default, Windows 10 will use whatever photos you have in your Pictures folder. But it won’t use the pictures in any subfolders in your Pictures folder. But you can choose any folder you want, so here’s what I recommend that you do first.

Make a folder in your Pictures folder called “MyScreenSaver” or whatever tickles your fancy – as long as you know what it is. Then copy all of the photos you want to appear in your screensaver to that folder. Our “Copy to / Move to” tip works great for this. Once you copy all the pictures you want in your screensaver to the folder you created, move on to…

Step #2. Now with all the photos copied to the folder you created for your screensaver, right-click on an empty area of your desktop and choose “Personalize”. In “Personalization” click on “Lock screen” (it’s in the menu on the left). Scroll down until you see “Screen saver settings”.

Step #3.  When Screen saver settings opens, use the down-arrow to display ad drop-down menu. Choose “Photos” from the list.

When you choose “Photos” you’ll see this dialog:

Your “Pictures” folder will be the default folder. Click "Browse” and browse to the folder that contains the pictures you want to use for your screensaver. 

I created a folder called MyScreenSaver1. After you select the folder you want to use, you can choose how quickly you want the images in your screensaver to change… slow, medium, or fast. And if you check the box next to “Shuffle pictures”, Windows will display your pictures in random order. 

Once you have every set, click “Save”.

Step #4.  It’s time to preview your screensaver and make sure it looks the way you want it.  If the pictures are changing too rapidly or too slowly for you, just click “Settings” and go back and change the speed.

Once everything is the way you want it, click “Apply” and “OK”.

Now you know how to make a screensaver using nothing but Windows 10 and any photos you have on your computer.

A New and Better Way to Find Out Why Your PC Can or Cannot Run Windows 11
Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 / all supported versions

So many of you are asking us why your PC won’t run Windows 11. We wish we could tell you, but alas, we’re not Microsoft. And we certainly have no idea why they bothered to release an app, that in retrospect, appears to be half-baked.

It seems to us that the Windows PC Health Check app that tells you if your computer can run Windows 11 or not, fails miserably in telling you exactly why your computer cannot run Windows 11.

So today we’re going to tell you about WhyNotWin11. It’s a new program recently listed on GitHub that will tell you precisely why your computer cannot run Windows 11.

However, WhyNotWin11 comes with some challenges. First, it’s a new program and not widely downloaded. If you use Chrome, it will tell you that the file may be dangerous but allows you to download it anyway. Then, when you try to run it, Windows SmartScreen blocks the program.  You’ll need to jump through a hoop to run it.

Here’s how to get around the SmartScreen block…

In the first “Windows protected your PC” dialog, click “More info”. (See the screenshot above).

In the second “Windows protected your PC” dialog, click “Run anyway”. (See the screenshot directly below.)

If you’re still reading and you’re willing to run through an obstacle course, WhyNotWin11 will show you why your computer can or cannot run Windows 11.

Here are the many reasons why my nine-year-old Dell – my old buddy – cannot run Windows 11.

But I have no fear, this PC will run Windows 10 just fine until either it dies… or until Windows 10 support ends on 10/14/25.

If warnings, mazes, and hoops don’t deter you, you can download WhyNotWin11 from here. 

I’m Flying

The clouds so white, the sky so blue, how bright the summer day.

A warm, but not hot, ordinary Sunday in July. A day embroidered in clear heavenly blue, and angels all dressed in white and dancing, each to her own rhythm, across the sky in unknown directions. It may have been a dream, but I don’t think so. Is there such a thing as a perfect day?

All my life I’ve loved everything about airplanes and flying. When I was young, I often thought about getting a pilot’s license. But, you know, one thing or another… the car needed fixing, the house needed air conditioning, the kids needed school clothes, time for a vacation…

When I look back on all the should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve’s in my life – and there are a lot of them – one of my biggest is that I never got a pilot’s license.

When I was in my thirties, a business associate of mine, invited me to fly with him in his Piper Comanche – a bold, twin-engine prop plane that was sleek and beautiful from its silver cowlings to the tips of its majestic white tail. I will always remember that day...

Please read the rest of this essay here.

What is a hijacker?

EB is a hijacker. She hijacks my day and makes me her slave. That's what a hijacker is.

No! No! No! We're talking computers here, right? Most generally the term "hijacker" applies to a web browser, like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, etc.). A hijacker is considered a form of malware. It's more of an annoyance than a danger. If you don't know how to remove a hijacker, it can be aggravating.

A hijacker either changes your start page to something other than what you want, changes your default search engine to something other than you want, or both.

What's in it for the hijacker? Money. If a hijacker changes your start page to something other than what you want or changes your search engine to something other than what you want, they're diverting you to pages and searches that make them money.

Hijackers are generally installed when installing a software program. Be very careful when installing software and read every dialog during the installation. Uncheck anything you don't want or don't recognize.

Most hijackers can be removed easily, but some are very tricky. The best way to deal with hijackers is not to get them in the first place. Also, use good security software like Emsisoft and heed any warnings you get.

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

Read more about OE Classic here!

Sales of the following products and services help support our newsletters, websites, and free computer help services we provide.

Cloudeight Direct Computer Care: Single Keys, SeniorPass, or Season Tickets - always a great deal. Cloudeight Direct Computer Care is like having PC insurance. Get more information here.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware:  Emsisoft is the only Cloudeight endorsed and recommended Windows security program. It provides users with a complete antivirus, antimalware, anti-ransomware, anti-PUPs solution. We offer single Emsisoft licenses and multi-computer licenses at discount prices. Also, we offer our exclusive Emsisoft with Cloudeight installation & setup. Get more information here.

OE Classic Email program. The email program that is most like Outlook Express. We can even set it up for you. Get more details here.

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.

SeniorPass - One year of Cloudeight Direct Computer Care - unlimited sessions! Get more information here.

Windows 10 Customization: Make Windows 10 look and work the way you want it to. Learn more.

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