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Lena has a problem with a black box that covers each letter as she types
I have a small black box that covers each letter as I type. I didn't have a problem until several months ago when a tried a tip I saw in a computer magazine on making my cursor larger. Now I don't know how to get it back as it was. I have been with since 1999 and totally trust your opinion. Thank you for all the help you have given me over the years. Lena.

Our answer
Hi Lena. Thank you! Changing your cursor size (width) and color affects all pointers and cursors on your Windows user account. But luckily, it's easy to adjust your text cursor size (and color) and your mouse pointer size and color too.

It just so happens we recently published a tutorial on both changing the mouse pointer and text cursor size and color. Please read our tutorial here and let us know if it helps you.
-------
Lena wrote back: "GREAT! Mission accomplished! Thanks so much. Lena"



Carl wants to download Recuva without CCleaner but can't find the download link
Hi TC & Darcy. I want to download Recuva, but I don't want CCleaner. I am looking for a safe download link to download Recuva, but I can’t find one. Can you help me?

Our answer
Hi Carl. You can download Recuva from either of the links below:

From SnapFiles (one of our trusted download sites):

https://www.snapfiles.com/downloads/recuva/dlrecuva.html

From Major Geeks - another trusted download site:

https://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/getmirror/recuva_portable,1.html

We recommend using Puran File Recovery instead of Recuva -we think it works better. It's free. If you want to learn more about Puran see our article here.

We hope this helps you, Carl.

Elva wants a popup blocker
I have been reading your suggestions etc. for umpteen years now and learned a lot from your helpful tips so many thanks for useful information. I am being driven mad by Ads and was looking for an Adblocker when up popped your suggestion for Privacy Badger and I followed the link but could not see a download for MS Edge only Chrome etc. I'm an oldie so get confused at times. Is there a separate link for Edge?

Our answer
Hi Elva. Thanks for your longtime support!

You can download Privacy Badger for Edge here.

Another great popup blocker is uBlock Origin. You can download it for Edge here.

Also, keep in mind that you can use any Google Chrome extension on Edge. See our article here.

We hope this helps you stop those popups, Elva.
-----
Elva wrote back: "Hi TC. Thank you so much for your prompt reply I truly appreciate it and have now downloaded Privacy Badger and already noticing a difference to my browsing. I might give uBlock Origin a try as well. It's so great to have recommendations from people I know I can trust. Keep well, keep safe. Elva.

Clint wants to make OE Classic his default email program
I have OE Classic that is used for my email that was installed by Darcy, I think. I used to have thunderbird which I have uninstalled. Thunderbird was my default app at one time. When I right click on a document to send to an email recipient a message come up: "There is no email program associated to perform the requested action. Please install an email program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the default program control panel".

I went to default apps in settings and select OE Classic as my default app for email but something I am doing is incorrect because the same message continues to exist. What could I be doing wrong? Clint.

Our answer
Hi Clint. Open OE Classic, click on Tools > Options. It will open to the General tab. Look near the bottom. If OE Classic is not default, the button labeled "Set as default" will not be greyed out. Click it. Then you should see what you see below a green checkmark with "This application is the default Mail handler next to it. Then click "Apply" "OK" at the bottom.

Let us know if this helps.
----
Clint wrote back: "TC, you're the best! I knew I could depend on you to come up with the solution. That operation was exactly what was needed so now I have a default email server application. Thank you for your willingness to share your expertise through your business. Your clients/friends depend on you so much and you always come through for us. Clint."

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Janis wants the backgrounds on her lock screen and welcome screen to change
My lock screen and welcome screen photo has been stuck on one picture for a very long time. Never liked that picture, and I prefer one of my own camera shots from my computer. Selecting: Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Background > Picture Windows Spotlight or Slide Screen) > Choose your picture / Browse > Show background lock screen picture on the sign-in screen ... does nothing, even though the preview picture changes to the one I have chosen. On a reboot there's the same, ugly picture that came from somewhere (probably a Spotlight photo). It is aggravating. Can you help me please? Thank you both for years of expert assistance, keeping me mostly sane.

Our answer
Hi Janis. Thanks! This is definitely a flaw in Windows. Here's something that has worked for others, let's hope it works for you.

Open Settings (Windows key + i)
Click on Personalization > Lock Screen.
Under Background, set the location of the pictures you want to use to the folder C:\Windows\Web\Screen.
Then, restart your computer.

After you restart, go back to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > Background and change the target C:\Windows\Web\Screen to the folder of pictures that you want to use as your lock screen background.

Restart your computer again. Hopefully, your background images will change.

We hope this helps you, Janis.



Jane cannot install Emsisoft
Trying to install the app for Emsisoft renewal. The following appeared. "The app you are trying to install isn't Microsoft-verified." Jane B.

Our answer
Hi Jane. After investigating this issue on other computers, we have found another setting that some users have that restricts the software they can install. So please do this:

Type APPS & FEATURES in taskbar search & press Enter

When Apps & Features open, at the top, under "Choose where to get apps" make sure it is set to "Anywhere". If it is not, click the down arrow (circled below) to open a drop-down menu. From the menu, choose "Anywhere". After you change this setting, be sure to restart your PC.

You should be able to install Emsisoft after you make this change.

Cindy wants a warning when her laptop battery is getting low
I have an HP Envy, and it doesn't notify me like most computers do when the battery is getting low. The power connection sometimes gets knocked loose, so I am not even aware I am running on battery, and it suddenly turns off with no warning. I have searched and searched for a setting to control this and cannot find anything. Is there an app or some way to get a notification?

Our answer
Hi Cindy. Windows does not have great "warning system" for low battery power, but if you enable Power Saver and leave it at its default settings it will:

1.) Make your battery last longer.

2.) Automatically dim your screen when Battery Saver turns on.

You can set Battery Saver automatically turn on at any percentage of battery power remaining - the default is 20%. Unless you have a reason to change that, I think 20% is reasonable.

Assuming you have not turned battery saver on, you can do so this way. First make sure that your device is not connected to a power source - if it is, the On/Off button will be grayed out.

1. Right-click the start button and click Settings.

2. In Settings click on System.

3. In System click on "Battery" (it's on the menu on the left).

4. Turn the switch under "Battery saver" to "On"

5. You can change the percentage of battery power left when Battery Saver turns on - if you need to, but 20% is reasonable.

6. Make sure "Lower screen brightness while in battery saver" is checked. The screen dimming will warn you that your battery power is at 20% (or whatever percentage you choose).



We hope this helps you. Beyond this there are no native Windows apps or features that notify you that your battery power is getting low.

Sandie wants to find her product key and asks about Windows 10 Home Premium
Hello Darcy and TC. How do I find my license number for my Windows 10 OS? After my "good" HP Envy PC was fried by lightning, I bought a refurbished HB PC. I have been surprised by how well it has been working, but I am not sure how to find out the license number for my OS. When I purchased the HP Envy, I received a licensed Windows 10 Home Premium on a CD, with the license number clearly printed on it.

I know when I set up this refurbished PC, I had to register my version of Windows 10, and there was a number partially covered, that I had to scratch off, on the side of the PC. And I was instructed to enter that number or code, and when I did my Windows OS was registered with Microsoft and accepted. But is that the same number that is the true registered number? Just in case I should ever need to know for any reason. Also, as this refurbished PC came with Windows 10 Home, but not Home Premium, could I legally install the Windows 10 Home Premium OS on this PC if I ever wanted to? I doubt I will, but I am curious to know if it would be possible. Thank you, Sandie.

Our answer
Hi Sandie. There is no Windows 10 Home Premium. There are only Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Pro Workstation, Windows 10 Enterprise editions. Home Premium was a Windows 7 edition. You can verify that there is no and never was any Windows 10 Home Premium edition by visiting this Microsoft page. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsforbusiness/compare

It would be very rare for you to need a product key for Windows 10, since the product key is hardened into your PC's BIOS. You can completely remove Windows 10 and reinstall it and you would not need a license. But since you asked, here's our tutorial on finding your Windows 10 license (Product key).

We hope this helps you, Sandie

The Best Computer Care and Repair - Anywhere!

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In the screenshot above, all extensions are turned on. You can tell by the switches. Slide the switch to the left and it will turn the extension off – but not remove the extension from Chrome. As you can see by the screenshot below, it’s easy to tell when the extension is turned off. When you slide the switch to the left to turn off an extension, the switch becomes gray and white… as you can see below.



You can turn the extension back on by sliding the switch to the right. When the switch is on it will be colored blue.

If you no longer want an extension and want to remove it from Chrome, just click the “Remove” button. You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to remove the extension. Once you confirm your action the extension will be removed.

So, now you know how to manage all extensions in Google Chrome.

Using the Windows 10 Start Menu to Uninstall Programs and Apps
Windows 10 (all supported versions)

Sure, you can uninstall programs using Settings > Apps > Apps & features or the Control Panel.  But did you know that you can uninstall programs right from the Windows 10 Start menu?  You can even uninstall most (but not all) Windows Store apps.

It is quick and easy to do. But if you haven’t done it before, there are a few things you need to know. For our example, we’re going to uninstall AbleWord (not really – it’s a great program).

To uninstall a program, you may have to expand the folder or the Start menu item. As you can see AbleWord is one of those programs. So, to expand the folder, just click on the down arrow to the right of the program’s name. See?

After you’ve expanded the folder, find the program and right-click on it.

After you right-click the program’s icon, you’ll see a menu appear. Click “Uninstall” from the menu…and proceed.

One more thing to remember. Not all programs on your Start menu need to be expanded, sometimes you can right-click on the item in the Start menu and you’ll get the menu with Uninstall in it. For instance:

Just right-click the name of the program and you’ll get the uninstall menu.

Note: Revo Uninstaller, HiBit Uninstaller, and Geek Uninstaller are all excellent uninstallers that can help you remove programs and almost all leftover traces of them.  Also, Reg Organizer has a great uninstaller included – along with many other useful Windows utilities and tools.

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.

Save $14 on Reg Organizer right now!

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

All About Your Browser: WhatIsMyBrowser.com – a Cloudeight Site Pick

If you’re reading this, then you already know that one thing all of us have in common, regardless of the operating system we use, s that we all use browsers to… well to browse the web. Right?

But how much do you know about your browser? Well, we found a website that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your browser- and a whole lot more. WhatIsMyBrowser.com is a Cloudeight site pick that everyone can learn something from.

We will let the developers step in now and tell you more about WhatIsMyBrowser.com…

WhatIsMyBrowser.com tells you what browser and version you have, the type of device you are using, which operating system you’re using, and your settings for important things such as JavaScript and Cookies.

When someone is troubleshooting a problem with you, it’s very useful for them to know all the technical details about your system – it can narrow down where the problem might be and help ensure that you have all the required software.

This website saves you all the complicated steps to figuring out what versions of software you have, what features you have enabled & whether your web browser is up to date and let you focus on solving your problem.

If you’re missing some important bit of software, we have a whole list of guides which can help you do things like enable javascript, update your web browser or try a different web browser.

Here are some screenshots to show you what you can learn from WhatIsMyBrowser.com.

Are you ready to learn more about your browser? Great!

 Visit WhatIsMyBrowser.com right now!
 

Rainy Day Musings

The sound of rain falling, cascading down the eaves, rushing to be free. The gloomy rainy day provides the perfect backdrop and the perfect soundtrack for a pensive day. A perfect day for quiet and disparate musings.

Sometimes I feel so sad and lost, but I realized today, I cannot even manage to summon up a single tear. I think I have cried all the tears allotted to me in this lifetime. I used to cry freely, so much so I’d walk out of theaters with the tracks of tears still glistening on my cheeks.

Death and tragedy have been my companions throughout my life, and I’ve made some horrible choices that have added a new dimension to the darkness that grows inside.

And the more the darkness grows, the more I withdraw into a world that exists only in the center of my mind; a place where flowers bend in a gentle wind, the sound of children, in their beautiful innocence, echo, and the sun, warm and brilliant, always shines. A place where gentle showers only come when I am sleeping.

Now I go there as often as I can; I go there more often than I should. Someday, perhaps, I will never return from that place, and the world will judge that I have lost my mind, and institutionalize me, and feed me soft foods...

Please read the rest of this essay here.

What is carding?

Well, when EB was 16 (that was a long time ago!) she would try to sneak into bars with her friends to swill alcohol and raise havoc. She looked ten years older than she was (still does!). But, alas, she could never get into the bar because they carded her - checked her I.D. - and found out she was not old enough to drink. That's called "carding".

NO! NO! NO!

According to Wikipedia... "Carding is a term describing the trafficking and unauthorized use of credit cards. The stolen credit cards or credit card numbers are then used to buy prepaid gift cards to cover up the tracks. Activities also encompass exploitation of personal data, and money laundering techniques. Modern carding sites have been described as full-service commercial entities..."

In other words carding is the illegal acquisition of and the selling or using of stolen credit card data. In short, you definitely don't want to be a victim of carding.

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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Print our Cloudeight Direct Flyer and spread the word about our computer repair service! If you want to help us by telling your friends about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, you can download a printable flyer you can hand out or post on bulletin boards, etc. Get the printable PDF Cloudeight Direct Computer Care flyer here.

 

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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 #931
Volume 18 Number 41
August 13, 2021 

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