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Gracia lost her ad blocker
I've lost my ad blocker on my computer. What to do?

Our answer
Hi Gracia. Your computer doesn't have an ad blocker - your browser does. Since you don't mention what browser you're using I'm going to give you links for Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin - our two recommended ad blockers for the 3 most popular browsers - Edge, Chrome, and Firefox.

Privacy Badger

Get Privacy Badger for Edge here.

Get Privacy Badger for Chrome here.

Get Privacy Badger for Firefox

uBlock Origin

Get uBlock Origin for Edge here.

Get uBlock Origin for Chrome here.

Get uBlock Origin for Firefox here.

If you need more help or have more questions, please let us know.



Karen wants to know the differences between Edge and Firefox
I have just started using Microsoft Edge instead of Firefox. I have used Firefox for many years and am finding Edge difficult to navigate. I have tried a few sites but find some terminology is above me. Could you give me hints on the differences between the two browsers, please? Thank you, Karen.

Our answer
Hi Karen. Trying to tell you all the differences between Edge and Firefox would be like me trying to tell you the differences between a Ford SUV and a Toyota SUV - they are both SUVs.They both do the same things and they each have their own set of features. But in the end, they're both SUVs

Firefox seems easier to you because it's more familiar. If you continued to use Edge, it would become more familiar. My question is this: If you like Firefox better why are you using Edge? Firefox is a modern, safe browser. You can have as many browsers installed on your computer as you want. I have 5 or 6 installed on my computer. While it's true you can only have one default browser, it's easy to switch default browsers in Settings > Apps & features > Default apps.

Our advice? If you find Firefox easier to use and you like it better, there's no real reason to switch to Edge (other than Microsoft will keep pushing you to do so since Edge is their browser).

We hope this helps you -- but if you have more questions - just let me know.

Candace wants to know why programs stop responding
Hi there! I just experienced an issue where my laptop stopped responding. It asks if you want to exit or wait. When I right-click the taskbar to see what processes are running, I get a small dialog box that says no apps are running. What could cause this to happen? It happens every once in a while. Thanks, Candace

Our answer
Hi Candace. It's very common for an app to stop responding. Task Manager will show you all processes running but not if you use it in its default view. You have to click "more details" at the bottom...then look in the "Processes" column. You can sort the processes by CPU usage, Memory (RAM) usage, Disk activity, etc. by clicking on the column headers. Clicking once usually changes the order from low (usage) to high - and clicking the column header again will change the order from high (usage) to low. You computer would not be running if no processes were running - so be sure to click on "More details" in the bottom left of Task Manager.

What causes an app to stop responding is not a simple question. It could be one of dozens of things - but I don't think there's a Windows user who has not seen "not responding" more than a few times. If it only happens occasionally, it's nothing to worry about - you can always end the process and restart it.

Jeanne wants to know about BeenVerified
I appreciate your website and I thank you for being there. Have you heard of a website called BeenVerified? It's a site where you can search for info about people. Thank you for your input.

Our answer
Hi Jeanne. Thanks for your nice comments. BeenVerified is legit. But you wouldn't know this by looking at the BeenVerified home page, it's not free. BeenVerified has a monthly membership in one- and three-month increments. A monthly membership costs $26.89 while a 3-month subscription costs $17.48 a month. Once registered, the user can access the lookup tools, searches, and background checks without limits.

There are some complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. According to the BBB...

"BBB files indicate a pattern of complaints concerning BeenVerified's information publishing and customer service practices. Many consumers are telling BBB about the difficult process and unsatisfactory results from trying to opt out of personal information being published by the company.

As of 4/05/2019, BBB received a response from BeenVerified about the Pattern of Complaints. The company says it has improved the language highlighting its monthly subscription options and sign-up flows, as well increasing opt-out mechanisms and including additional procedures to address customer dissatisfaction..."

BeenVerified has a customer rating of 3.12 stars out of 5 (5 stars being the highest rating) on the Better Business Bureau website.

As far as testing this site, we were not willing to pay the fee to try it, so I have no personal opinion. Is it a scam? No. Will it find what you're looking for? We don't know.

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Maureen wants to know if this "Blazing fast computer" ad is fact or fiction
Can you tell me this is safe or a scam?

"Turn Your Old Computer To Like New Again – Blazing Fast
To: Maureen
Date: 17/08/21 12:15
From: Senior Discounts by Coupon65
Reply-To: Senior Discounts by Coupon65..."

Our answer
Hi Maureen. While not exactly a scam, it is very misleading and borders on being scammy. And this is nothing new, it's been around for years. It is called Xtra-PC.

What they want you to do is buy a USB stick with Linux (operating system) on it and boot your computer to Linux instead of Windows. Yes, it comes with a browser, email program, etc. but not the ones you've been using on Windows. You won't have access to your Windows programs or files and folders.

Essentially you're buying a very expensive USB flash drive with a free version of Linux on it. It may make your PC faster, but it won't be Windows, it will be Linux and none of your Windows files and folders will be accessible and none of your Windows programs will work on it. Only versions of programs that work on Linux (that are pre-installed) will work.

Save your money. If you want to try Linux you don't need to spend $25 to $50. Many versions (Distros) of Linux are completely free.

We hope this helps you, Maureen.
--------
Maureen wrote back: "THANK YOU. You are great! I did think it was odd and I knew you would come through for me as you always do. Maureen."



Patsy wants to record phone conversations
Is there a safe app I can put on my laptop and cell phone to record some of my incoming/outgoing calls? I may need this information for a legal process.

Our answer
Hi Patsy. Yes, if you can talk close to your computer, do this:

1. Type VOICE RECORDER in the taskbar search (next to the Start button). You will see the voice recorder app appear in the search results just click to open,

2. Press the microphone icon to start recording, press again to end. Give your recording a name.

Be sure to talk with the speaker "on" on your phone.

This works great for phone recording, but be sure your state is a state that allows "one person consent" recording. I think you are in South Dakota, so you can. This means you can record a conversation you are part of, without telling the other person or asking them.

We hope this helps you!

Jean says her programs and program shortcuts are gone and her computer has changed
I have both a comment and a question. I came to my computer this evening to find something or someone had taken over. OE Classic has been booted off. It is still on the start page but needs to be completely set up. All Inbox messages are gone. Contacts are gone. Outlook.com is gone. Some apps on the desktop are gone. Chrome has been booted off as well as Gmail. Edge is there of course and seems alive and well. The taskbar has gone back to its previous configuration (large search bar, etc.). Tiles on Start are different.  I'm not a happy camper, needless to say. Can you help me clean up this mess? I don't have a service key but will buy one this evening. Glad I have someone to go to. This is the worst thing to ever happen to my computer. Thank you. Will await your response.

Our answer
Hi Jean. Programs don't just disappear. So, let's see if we can help you. It sounds like:

1. Your program Icons are missing. If this is the case, shut down your computer - completely power it off and wait five minutes, and power it back on. See if that brings everything back.

If that doesn't work... make sure you're signing in to the correct account. This sounds like you're signing into a Guest account or you created a second user account. Start your computer and press Windows Key + L . Click on the Lock screen to open the log-on screen. On the log-on screen, look in the bottom left corner and make sure you log into the correct user account.

The only other way programs can disappear is if your hard drive is bad and this is not very likely.
-------
Jean wrote back: "Hi TC. You were right as usual! Shutting down did the trick. Everything is back to normal. Wish I had remembered to do that. Would have saved me some anxiety... Thanks ever so much. Your assistance is greatly appreciated... Jean"

Hazel wants to know about OE Classic and other email options
Hello Darcy& TC. I have been considering making OE Classic my default email program since you showed us how to do it. My question is if it doesn't work or causes any problems can I return to my current program...? Best regards, Hazel.

Our answer
Hi Hazel. You can have as many email programs on your computer as you want. Just be sure to open only one at a time, and close the program when you're done using it. This answer assumes all your email accounts are set up as IMAP, if they are then your email will be the same in each.

Georgia wants to know what we think of PatchMyPC Home Updater
What do you think of "Patch My PC Home Updater"?  I value your opinion and have followed your advice for years and you two have never steered me wrong. Thanks!

Our answer
Hi Georgia. Thanks for your nice comments. Our opinion? Another useless program. This is nothing new, there have been programs like this coming and going for years. Most of them are now gone.

Any program you have installed that needs to be updated will offer you an update. Updating programs that don't need to be updated can result in problems. Just like driver updaters that update drivers that don't need to be updated, "app updaters" update programs that don't need updates. And I'm not sure from reading the program's page that this program doesn't also update some drivers.

Additionally, programs like this are constantly scanning your computer looking for programs that need to be updated - and that means it's constantly using RAM (Memory) and 'CPU and this can negatively affect computer performance.

We would not install something like this, so we recommend that you don't either.

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Find Stuff Faster
Windows 10 (all versions)

If you're searching for something on your computer, especially in a folder, we're going to show you a fast way to find what you're looking for. But it's not very obvious. 

Press the Windows Key + E to open File Explorer. If your computer opens to Quick Access, click "This PC" in the left pane.

You'll see a tiny search box at the top that says "Search This PC". We'll enlarge it for you and make it easier to see

Type what you're looking for in the search box.

Another helpful hint. If you know the folder that the file you're looking for is in, switch to that folder first and then search - it's even faster!

The search box is available for all folders. Here we're using the Documents folder as an example.

And if you want even faster searching check out our freeware pick, Everything Search.

A Faster Way to Navigate the Windows 10 Start Menu
Windows 10 (all supported versions)

If you're like EB and have 10,000 programs installed (most of which she uses to monitor my work habits!). Rather than scrolling the entire menu to find a program, you might prefer this faster, alphabetical way to find what you're looking for. Open your Start menu. It's organized alphabetically from A to Z.

All programs beginning with the letter "A" are listed under "A". All programs beginning with "B" are listed under "B" and so on. So, what do you do if you open your start menu and you're looking at #, A, B, C and you want to open Windows Accessories way down in the W's? Yes, EB, you can scroll all the way down to the W's, but here's a faster way.

Click on any letter (see circled letters above) and you'll see this:



So instead of scrolling through 10,000 programs looking for "Windows Accessories", she can go right to the W's by clicking on the "W" without scrolling through all the letters between A and W.  Likewise, if she were looking for the electric shocker she uses to make sure I don't fall asleep, she could just click on "E" and look for "Electric Shocker" and give me a jolt.

The clock icon will show you recently installed programs. And if you see letters that are grayed out, that simply means you don't have any programs that start with those letters.

How to Send Self-Destructing Emails with Gmail
Everyone using Gmail and Windows

The age of evanescent email

Sometimes you want the emails you send to be private. And sometimes the longer an email lingers the more likely it is that it will end up in the wrong place – or it may be seen by eyes that shouldn’t see it.

Gmail has a new feature that would make Mission Impossible fans proud. It’s called Confidential mode and it allows users to send self-destructing messages. Confidential mode is available on the Gmail web interface via a Web browser and in the Gmail app. Best of all, it is simple and easy to use.

Here’s how to use Gmail’s Confidential mode

1.) Compose your email as you normally would. Then click the Lock/Clock icon at the bottom of the compose window.

2.) Once you click the lock/clock icon, you’ll see a Confidential mode window open. You’ll see a notice that your recipient(s) won’t have the option to forward, copy, print, or download the email.

3.) You have the option to select how long the email will be available to your recipient(s). Your choices are:

• 1 day
• 1 week
• 1 month
• 3 months
• 5 years

One week is the default setting. You’ll also have the option to text the recipient a passcode they’ll need to open the email. This feature is optional, and you can send a “self-destructing” email without setting a passcode.

4.) Once you click “Save” a window will open reminding you that the recipient(s) won’t be able to forward, copy, print, or download the email. When you’re ready to send, just click the Send button to send your self-destructing email to the recipient(s).

Gmail’s Confidential mode should be used thoughtfully and sparingly.  

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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 8.76.

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

Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans

The term CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. Captchas exist so websites can tell humans from automated bots.

We all encounter captchas. And most of us dislike them. Many of them are annoying. They disrupt our web browsing and if we’re working, they disrupt our work. There are no magic extensions or add-ons that can automatically solve every captcha, but there is an exceptionally good one that works with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge (and similar browsers).

Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans is a free browser extension to automatically solve captchas for you. Buster won’t skip the captcha; it uses a unique method to solve them. I have been using Buster for about two weeks now, and maybe I'm just lazy, but I love not having click little boxes or type the words I hear. I click the Buster icon and 9 out of 10 times Buster solves the captcha for me.

Most complex captchas offer audio challenges as an alternative to visual challenges. Buster uses speech recognition to solve captchas, so you don’t have to waste your time trying to solve complicated ones.

To use Buster, click on the extension’s icon at the bottom of the captcha and it will try to solve the captcha automatically.

Speech recognition is not perfect. But if Buster doesn’t solve the captcha the first time, you can try it again. Sometimes, if the captcha is simple, it may be faster for you to solve the captcha, but Buster is great when you run into one of the complex captchas that are confusing or difficult to solve.

Here’s what Buster’s developer says…

Buster is a browser extension which helps you to solve difficult captchas by completing reCAPTCHA audio challenges using speech recognition. Challenges are solved by clicking on the extension button at the bottom of the reCAPTCHA widget.

It is not guaranteed that challenges are always solved, the limitations of the technology need to be considered…

Solving more than a couple of reCAPTCHA challenges a day may lead to a temporary block, regardless of your use of the extension. Visit the wiki for more details.

https://github.com/dessant/buster/wiki/Inaccessible-reCAPTCHA-audio-challenge

Motivation

reCAPTCHA challenges remain a considerable burden on the web, delaying and often blocking our access to services and information depending on our physical and cognitive abilities, our social and cultural background, and the devices or networks we connect from.

The difficulty of captchas can be so out of balance, that sometimes they seem friendlier to bots than they are to humans.

The goal of this project is to improve our experience with captchas, by giving us easy access to solutions already utilized by automated systems…

Are you ready to try Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans? 

Here are the links for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. To make it easy on you, please click the link using the browser on which you want to install Buster.

Get Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans for Chrome here.

Get Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans for Firefox here.

Get Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans for Microsoft Edge here.

Here is a screenshot of Buster: Captcha Solver for Humans on my Chrome browser extensions toolbar…

Looking Back

 I was thinking... yes, I know... sometimes that's not a good thing. And it occurred to me that I spent a great deal of my time in my youth wasting precious time: Chasing girls, hanging out in bars with buddies, skipping classes in college — yet still getting passing grades – dreaming impossible dreams… ridiculous folly.

Although I am certainly not proud of myself for wasting my youth on frivolousness and trivialities, I am proud of myself for one thing: My resourcefulness. Consider this… back in the days when I was a teenager and early twenty-something, I didn’t have the tools of folly and superficiality that the youth of today have.

We didn’t have computers, tablets, smartphones, heck – we were just getting touch-tone phones – we didn’t even have to dial the area code before the number if the number was in the same area code.

We did not have Craigslist, Facebook Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, or smartphones with high-res digital cameras. Our idea of social media was writing on restroom stalls, sticking posters on telephone poles, and posting “wanted” and “for sale” flyers on the community bulletin board at the local markets. My idea of a cool camera was a Polaroid.  And before that a Kodak Brownie - not the kind you eat.

Yet, still, without all the modern tools that make time-wasting a snap, I managed to waste a whole lot of the most precious time in a human being’s life – those fleeting moments of youth.

When in my middle years I looked back on my wild youth with a whimsical heart. You know… if I could only do all that again, oh what fun it would be. Middle age is a time when you’re too young to recognize you’re running out of time, and most of use still physically able to carouse a bit – so we can imagine ourselves brazenly cavorting around enjoying the fun and follies of youth.

I am not sure what happens, or exactly when it happens.....

Please read the rest of this essay here.

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