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Marinus can't click links in saved PDF files
I save many of your tips in a folder under your name (Cloudeight). Whenever I look them up, I simply open them up from the relevant folder. That works fine. But many of your tips include references to websites, etc. There is no problem in clicking on these links in your newsletters, but once saved in a PDF format in the folder in Documents, I am no longer able to open these links. Please advise me how to avoid this problem, apart from simply transferring your actual newsletter. The reason why I prefer to avoid that is the fact I merely wish to retain certain sections.

Our answer
Hi Marinus. If you want true PDF files with working links you're going to need an actual PDF conversion program. Using Microsoft's Print to PDF feature only "Prints" a copy of whatever you're looking at to a PDF file. Think of printing one of our newsletters to paper... the links won't work. Microsoft Print to PDF does exactly that -prints to PDF instead of your printer. It's not "Converting" to PDF.

Here's a free online HTML to PDF converter that is free and works well - I tested it.

Our newsletters are HTML files (web pages) so this converter converts our HTML newsletter to PDF with all content including working links. You can open these saved PDF files with Edge, Chrome, or Firefox and the links will work.

We hope this helps you, Marinus.

Eileen asks about Windows "S" mode
I'm trying to help out a good friend who just bought a new HP laptop with Windows 10. It must be something new with her laptop but I'm totally confused. What is the "S" mode that's on her computer? Does she really need it? The info that I found was that once you delete this "S" mode you can't get it back. It's somehow connected with Microsoft. The info that we found on the internet says it's a really secure mode but you have to use Microsoft apps and no others. Got an answer for me, TC or Darcy?

Our answer
Hi Eileen. Windows S mode is a mode of Windows that Microsoft pushes to manufacturers by offering a lower price to them. It locks the end-user to using only Microsoft apps and programs and apps from the Microsoft store. Luckily, all computers sold in "S" mode can easily be switched to regular Windows. See the following article to learn more about S mode and how to take a computer out of S mode and switch to regular Windows.

Windows S Mode – What is it?

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

Nancy says she needs her Gmail fixed
I need my Gmail fixed. Things have gone awry. I have no "spam" folder to check, nor anything besides, "Mail". The list that used to be there is gone.

Our answer
Hi Nancy. Look at the two screenshots below and see if one or the other (or both) helps you with your Gmail problems.

Let us know if this helps you.
-----
Nancy wrote back: "Oh my! Something so darn simple. It worked. Thank you so much. Nancy."

Cheryl wants to know about Windows 11 tips
Hello again. Is there an easy way to search on the Cloudeight InfoAve webpage for Windows 11 specific articles? I've tried typing in certain phrases such as "sleep mode" "Windows 11" and nothing comes up related to what I'm looking for. I apologize for being such a bother but I tried to find the articles without your help and I'm not able to do so. Thank you, kind souls.

Our answer
Hi Cheryl. We are adding Windows 11 tips and info just as fast as we can. In most cases, Windows 11 Is quite a bit like Windows 10. Sleep mode is under Power Options just like it was in Windows 11.

Right-click on the start button.

Click on Power Options.

Under "Power" click on "Screen and sleep"

And you'll see the settings options are familiar and much as they are in Windows 10.

We will continue updating our Windows 10 tips for Windows 11 as quickly as possible. And as time goes by we'll get most of our Windows 10 tips updated with Windows 11 info.

Judy asks about VPNs
Hi! I am a "snowbird" for the winter. Being Canadian, we fly south to Arizona for the warmth! One thing we miss, however, is certain sports broadcasts only/mainly aired in Canada. The big one is curling! I am hearing friends that use a VPN to view broadcasts they can't get in the States. What is a VPN?? Are they hard to use and do you have one to recommend?

Like everyone, I don't know where I'd be without you and your information, help and encouragement! I have been a subscriber pretty much since the beginning and you have taught and helped me with so much! Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

Our answer
Hi Judy. Thank you so much!

VPN is an acronym for Virtual Private Network. You can read more about VPNs here. Generally, a VPN is not necessary, but for something like bypassing restrictions set by an ISP or a government or for working from home and dealing with sensitive data (like medical records, financial info, etc.) VPNs can be very useful.

The only VPN we've done extensive testing with is CyberGhost. We tested it when Emsisoft was giving it away as a promo. For what you want to do with it -viewing TV programs - almost any VPN would do the trick. But rather than installing a VPN on your computer, I suggest you just install the VPN browser extension in the browser you use most. That way you can easily turn it on and off as you need it.

You can get the CyberGhost VPN extension free for Edge or Chrome from here.

You can get CyberGhost VPN free for Firefox here.

Once you install it you can turn it off and on as needed in your browser.

We hope this helps you. If you need more info or decide to install a full VPN on your computer - let us know and we'll try to help you.

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Sharon has two questions. One about her home page and one about opening HTML documents
I have 2 questions and know you will have the answers. In the upper left corner of my home page which is your Cloudeight start page, a new tab is there I unchecked tabs in settings but it is there when I open my browse. I close it and it goes away but I do not want it there.

Also, how do I open a Firefox html document{.htm}

Thanks for your help. Sharon.

Our answer
Hi Sharon, First, apparently your browser is opening a blank page or tab when you open your browser and thus a tab appears before the start page. I'm guessing you're using Firefox. In your Firefox address bar type the following and press Enter.

about:preferences#home

Make sure yours looks like this:

1.) Custome URLS... is selected.
2.) Only one URL is showing next to the Homepage and new windows.
3.) Under "New tabs" set to "Blank Page".



As far as Firefox html documents, an html document (HyperText Markup Language) is a fancy name for a web page. Since you have Firefox set as your default browser, any HTM or HTML file will say "Firefox HTML document (.htm)". If you switched your default browser to Chrome, for example, it would say "Chrome HTML document (.htm)".

We hope this helps you, Sharon.

Bernie wants us to clarify what resetting a computer does
So my faster Windows 11 ain't so fast anymore. I went to one of your recent helps: "How to Reset Windows 10 or Windows 11 and Keep Your Personal Files."

It seems I need to reset 11. But one line in your publication scares me: "When the reset is done, all your files and folders will be right where you left them, but you'll need to reinstall any programs you installed."

When I went from Windows 10 to Windows 11, I didn't have to do a thing. Word Perfect and Quicken were right where I left them. I really don't want to have to reinstall either of those as they are not very nice to do. If I'm misreading, please let me know. I'm on the fence: do I want a faster response or do I want to keep Word Perfect and Quicken? Bernie.

Our answer
Hi Bernie. There is a huge difference between upgrading a computer and resetting a computer. Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 or Windows 10 to Windows 11 keeps all files as well as all of your compatible programs. A reset saves your personal files, completely removes Windows, reinstalls a fresh copy of Windows, and then puts your files back on your computer in the location they were in before the reset. Windows also leaves a list of programs that were removed on your desktop after the reset so you can reference it when you reinstall your programs. Only the apps/programs that came with Windows will be reinstalled.

All this is nothing new. It's the same in Windows 11 as it was in Windows 10.

You should never do a reset unless your computer is barely functional or has so many problems that fixing them all would be impractical.

We hope this helps you, Bernie.

John is seeing ads for browser extensions
Hello again, I hope you can tell me if this is safe or not. When I go to certain sites using either Chrome or Edge, I get this window telling me to update my browser "search verified browser extension". It either says Chrome or Edge, depending on what I am using. I find I don't have or think I don't have a "search verified extension". Do you think this is real or a problem? Thanks so much for your professional opinions and the help that you give to everyone. Sincerely, John.

Our answer
Hi John. Thank you!  If this happens on random sites, your browser has been infected. If it only happens on a couple of sites it's probably an advertisement on the websites. Just to be sure your browsers are clean you should do a browser reset and clear browser history.

To reset Edge and clear browsing history, see the following page:

https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/how-to-reset-the-new-microsoft-edge-browser/

To reset Chrome and clear browsing history, see the following page:

https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/how-to-reset-chrome-and-clear-browsing-history/

Resetting Chrome and Edge will not affect your saved passwords or bookmarks.

We hope this helps you, John.

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

Interested in making an automatic monthly gift? Visit this page. Help us keep helping you... and help you stay safe on the Web. 

Working with Fonts on Windows 10 and Windows 11
Windows 10 and Windows 11

Viewing and installing fonts on Windows 10 and Windows 11 is quick and easy. It’s a big improvement from previous versions of Windows.

To view the fonts on your Windows 10 computer, type Fonts in taskbar search and press Enter. On Windows 11, the best way to view your fonts is going to Settings > Personalization > Fonts. Curiously, if you type “Fonts” in Windows 11 taskbar search (or Start menu search), it opens Control Panel > Fonts, which does not give you a very good view of your installed fonts. Gee! I thought Microsoft was ‘deprecating’ the Control Panel. 

You’ll see all the fonts installed on your computer system and displayed exactly as they will appear when you use them.

Above: Fonts displayed in Windows 10.

Above: Fonts in Windows 11. Notice the top-row disappears as you scroll down. Obviously, a bug in Windows 11.

Installing fonts on Windows 10 or Windows 11 is a snap. The biggest challenge with installing fonts in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is finding good free fonts from above-board sites that don’t bundle malware or other software with the fonts.

Here are three free fonts sites we have tested and found all 3 to be free of trickery.

DaFont
https://www.dafont.com/

Thousands of fonts, easy to download. Fonts come in a zip file with nothing inside but the fonts, and sometimes a “readme” text tile and/or a graphic of the font. No malware. No tricks.

Google Fonts
https://fonts.google.com/

Google Fonts is a great site. Thousands of fonts. However, downloading fonts from Google takes some getting used to. Persevere and you’ll find some great fonts to download from Google – and Google Fonts is one of the only where all fonts are free for home or commercial use.

FontSpace
https://www.fontspace.com/

There’s a very nice search feature on this site to help you find a font by name. Fonts are in zip files. They’re easy to download. All fonts here are free, but most are free for home (personal) use only.

Moving right along. Finding good free fonts is the hard part… trying to find a good free font site and browsing through all the fonts can be time-consuming. But if you love fonts, that can be a labor of love.

Now for the easy part. Installing fonts on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

We downloaded a font in a zip file from DaFont. Then we unzipped the file and double-clicked on the font file.

Or if you choose you can install multiple fonts all at one time by selecting them all and choosing “Install” or “Install for all users”. From the right-click menu. In Windows 11, when you right-click the font file(s) you get the truncated Windows 11 context menu, you’ll have to click “Show more options” to get the full context menu…

For this post, I’ve chosen a Christmas font (Christmas Wish from Dafont.com). I downloaded it and installed and I can view it in Settings > Personalization > Fonts…

You can search for the font you downloaded or any font you have installed. Also, note that you can drag and drop fonts here to install them.

Once you find your new font, you can see what it (or any font) looks like by typing a word or sentence in the text box and using the slider to make the font larger or smaller. In Windows 11 you need to click on the font preview to open the preview text box and font-size slider.

In Windows 10 the font, preview text box, and slider are all on the same page.

Using your new font. The fun stuff!

Once you’ve installed a new font, you can use it in any application that allows you to select fonts. Here, I’m using my new “Christmas Wish” font in my very old version of PaintShop Pro, on Windows 11. Ain’t it pretty?

Now you know all about downloading, installing, previewing, and using fonts on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Have fun!

Windows has World Clocks, Alarms, Timers, Stopwatches, and More!
Windows 10 and Windows 11

Did you know that Windows 10 and Windows 11 have timers, stopwatches, world clocks, alarms, and more? Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have similar features. If you’re using Windows 10, you can learn more about these features by reviewing our post here.

If you’re using Windows 11 or will be soon, we’re going to show you how to use the Clock app in Windows 11. Type CLOCK in taskbar search and press Enter when you see the Clock app appear. You can also find the Clock app on the Windows 11 Start menu – under “C”.

When the Clock app opens, you’ll see “Welcome to focus sessions”. But don’t let this deter you. Not many of us will use “focus sessions” but maybe we should. If you don’t know what focus sessions are Microsoft defines a focus session as…

Achieve your goals and get more done with focus sessions. Tell us how much time you have, and we’ll set up the rest. After each period, you’ll get a short break. This will help you recharge and get you ready for your next task.

If that sounds like something you need, go for it, if not, don’t be deterred when the Clock app opens with “focus sessions” displayed. Why does Microsoft love to confuse people?

Let’s move on with the more useful things that the Clock app brings.

Timers

Represented quaintly by the hourglass icon, the Timers section of the Clock app allows you to set up as many timers as you need. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why timers would come in handy, but if you want to make me a blueberry pie, you might find a timer useful and I’d be so grateful. Windows 11 shows eight timers by default. Just click on a timer and you can set it for any time from 99 hours, 59 minutes. and 59 seconds to one second. I can’t imagine using a timer to count off one second.  Nuclear research?

Anyway, you can create as many timers as your little heart desires for whatever amount of time -within the aforementioned limits.

Alarms

How many alarms do you want? The Clock app in Windows 11 will alarm you. The alarm part of the clock app is represented by a bell icon. The Alarms app shows two alarms by default but allows you to set as many alarms as you need. you can name each alarm, choose a sound for each alarm, and even choose a snooze interval time. How alarming!

Because I’m fascinated with these alarms, I want to show you that you really can name the alarm to whatever tickles you, as well as change the alarm’s sound and snooze interval, and choose the days of the week you want the alarm to sound. You can even ditch the whole thing by clicking on the red garbage can.

Stopwatch

Who doesn’t know what a stopwatch is or what it does? Everybody knows that. So, other than showing you that the Windows 11 Clock app has a stopwatch, what else would you like to know?

It’s amusing in a way because it counts “Laps” – not laps you sit on, but laps you run. Now I can’t imagine running laps with a laptop – although that would give LAPtops a whole new meaning!

World Clocks

Represented by a really poorly drawn “world” icon (you have to squint to even make out what it is), the world clocks part of the Clock app is quite useful. Who among you is old enough to remember in the days in television’s infancy when all the newscasts showed like fifty clocks behind the news anchor showing what time it was in every part of the world from the North Pole to Timbuktu…even Casablanca!

You don’t need Walter Cronkite or Huntley & Brinkley to return to the tube to see what time it is anywhere in the world. Nope! You only need the Windows 11 Clock app. For hidden behind that poorly-drawn globe icon is a world map. And if you click the plus sign near the bottom you can add any city on this planet. Select as many cities as you like and you’ll instantly know what time it is anywhere in the world.

As you can see below, I’m keeping tabs on my friends in Los Angeles, Sydney, Auckland, and London. Hello friends!

But if I had friends in Casablanca or Timbuktu, I could keep tabs on them too! Here’s looking at you, kid!

This review, I think, should give you a reasonable overview of what you can do with the Windows 11 Clock app.  If not, I’ve failed.

And if you’re using Windows 10 and you, unfortunately, slogged through this whole article looking for info on Windows 10’s Clock app, you’ll find that article here.

How to Make Your Own Screensaver on Windows 10
Windows 10 (all currently supported versions)

This tip was inspired by a question I was asked during a support session.

Until yesterday I hadn’t given any thought to making screensavers on Windows 10 using pictures already on my computer. And I sure didn’t realize how easy it was to do. If you’d like to make a custom screensaver using your personal photos, or any photos on your 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 a 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 with any photos you have on your computer.

Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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 800+ Free Christmas Wallpapers & Christmas Images

Since Christmas is fast approaching, we deemed it a great time to look for some free desktop wallpaper to use to spruce up our desktops for Christmas – as well as the holiday season. Our site pick today claims to have over 800 Christmastime wallpapers and other images you can use for your holiday projects. Far be it for us to tell you how to the other images and graphics for holiday projects.  But one thing we can tell you is all the images are free – unless you click on the images that are labeled “i-Stock”. Those are not free. So, before writing to me and telling me that all of these images are not free, make sure you’re not clicking on i-Stock which are ads disguised as non-ads. If you know what I mean.

Let’s move on to the fun stuff, shall we?

All of the images you see on this page are free and from our site pick pixabay who tells me they have “800+ Free Christmas Wallpapers & Christmas Images”. Well, that’s what they say. I did not view all 800+ Christmas Wallpapers & Christmas Images”, but I spend a long time on the site browsing through, let’s say 287 of them. And I liked what I saw. I downloaded a dozen or so images and resized a few so you could get a glimpse of what awaits you.

Let’s take a look at some free Christmas wallpaper from pixabay!

By now you have a pretty good idea of what you’ll find when you visit our site pick. If you don’t have a good idea of what you'll find by now, you should lay off that spiked egg nog! Are you ready to grab some free Christmas wallpaper and Christmas images for your holiday projects?

Visit pixabay’s free Christmas Wallpaper and Christmas Images website right now. 

And speaking of Christmas projects, we used a Christmas image from pixabay to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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The Keepers of Christmas

It’s a wintry mix kind of day. The sky is obscured with an unending blanket of gray that will never brighten and yield to an increasingly earlier sunset and only to be swallowed up by the long winter darkness.

It’s always windy this time of year, and that makes the dead cold of winter even more foreboding. The winter solstice has yet to come yet winter surrounds me. The once vibrant trees which were bursting with life just a few weeks ago, now stand brittle, dull, creaking skeletons swaying under the mournful gray of nature’s sky-canvas. That canvas will stay with us until spring decides to appear from the barren frozen ground.

Christmas is less than three weeks away. And, of course, some still refuse to call it Christmas — as if saying the word somehow entangles them in some kind of religious denomination or organization.

Christmas is not “Happy Holidays”, it’s Christmas. If someone does not want to call it “Christmas” they should not be taking time off work, exchanging gifts, or celebrating… no one will force them to. But, of course, they will anyway. Christmas doesn’t exist to them, but they will be hypocrites and celebrate what they try so hard to deny.

Many of those who shun Christmas will still be glowing in the revelry of a holiday they deny. You’ll see them putting up Christmas trees, shopping for gifts, and knocking back a drink or two… and celebrating what they so publicly love to deny.

I’m tired of politics. I’m tired of hypocrites. I’m tired of deniers and liars and “influencers”. I just want Christmas to be the way it always was...

Read the rest of this Christmas essay here.

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