Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly
Issue #965 Volume 19 Number 23 April 8, 2022
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Sandy wants to switch from Chrome to Edge
I had to laugh at your statement: If you have comments, questions, a
tip, trick, a freeware pick, or just want to tell us off for something.
I would never tell you off. you people are the best. Anyway- I have a
new computer and everything is geared to Chrome. Edge is on that
computer but not being used. How can I change it from Chrome to Edge? I
want to use your Start page like I have been doing for years. I'm lost
without your start page. Thanks for all your help. Sandy
Our answer
Hi Sandy. In Windows 10 just type DEFAULT APPS in the taskbar search and
press "Enter" or click "Open" when Default apps appears
in the search
results. On the "Default apps" page, click Google Chrome under Web
browser and a list of other browsers currently installed on your
computer will appear. Since Edge is installed on all Windows 10
computers, just click on "Microsoft Edge" to set it as your default
browser. That's all there is to it.
Just so you know, you can set our start page as the home (start) page in
any browser, including Chrome.
See this page to learn how to do that. It shows how to set a start
page (or some call "home page") in Firefox, Chrome, and Edge.
We're sure glad you didn't want to tell us off! And thanks for your nice
comments, Sandy.
-----------
Sandy wrote back: "...Excellent. I'm all set now. Your information
was Perfect. Thank you so much."
Allison says the colors on her PC are all out of whack
All the colors on my Windows 10 computer are all out of whack! The form
I'm filling out with my question is black with white text. My desktop is
black with bright green icons. Everything is messed up. How can I fix all
these garish colors? Help! Thanks, Allison.
Our answer
Hi Allison. Let's see if we can fix things for you.
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 if the switch is turned 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 colors, Allison
-------
Allison wrote back: "Thank you so much! Everything is back to
normal. You guys are great! Thanks again! Allison."
Rita tries to download Edge... now Edge doesn't work correctly
I downloaded Windows Microsoft Edge but still have Internet
Explorer on my laptop. I still love Internet Explorer and have been
trying to use it until it goes away. But when I click on it, it goes
really wacky and it takes a long time for Microsoft Edge to actually
boot up. Do I need to delete Internet explorer now to make it work ok,
and if so, what is the best way to go about deleting Internet Explorer
without messing up the Microsoft Edge that I downloaded.
Our answer
Hi Rita. Microsoft Edge is already installed on Windows 10 and
is updated automatically - so I'm not sure why you were trying to
download it or where you were trying to download it from - but be
careful. Edge is already on your computer.
As far as Internet Explorer goes, on May 19, 2021, Microsoft announced
that Internet Explorer will be no longer supported on June 15, 2022, and
as part of the transition, IE mode will be available on the new Microsoft
Edge which allows the launch of older ActiveX controls and legacy websites
until at least 2029. You cannot uninstall Internet Explorer yet. You can
only hide it. The easiest thing to do is just delete any shortcuts for
Internet Explorer you may have on your taskbar or desktop. To remove the
shortcut from your desktop, right-click on it then click "Delete". To
remove the Internet Explorer icon from your taskbar (if it's there),
right-click on it and choose "Unpin from taskbar".
It's important to remember that using a browser that is not supported
and updated puts you at risk and you do so at your own risk. So, don't
use Internet Explorer.
If Microsoft Edge is not working correctly for you, you can repair it
this way...
1. Right-click on the start button and then click on "Settings"
2. In Settings click on "Apps"
3. In "Apps" click on "Apps & features"
4. On the Apps & features page find Microsoft Edge and click on it. When
you click on you'll see a button labeled "Modify" - click on that button
and click "Repair". Follow the instructions on the screen.
We hope this helps you, Rita.
Sharon needs Java JRE
I tried to find the answer myself but I knew I should have gone straight
to you guys. I have Open Office and I am trying to click on the
database, but it says I need Java JRE. I deleted Firefox because I knew
it does not work with it (JAVA) so I installed Google Chrome, but still no luck.
I
need a good database program for free. .I know you have the answer.
Thanks again, for all your help. Sharon.
Our answer
Hi Sharon. Just
follow the instructions on this page to download and install Java
JRE for your Apache Open Office. On that page, look under this heading:
Windows XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10 Quick-Start Guide for Apache OpenOffice
4.x Versions
There you will find this:
To download and install Apache OpenOffice 4.x, follow this checklist:
1. Review the
System Requirements for Apache OpenOffice use.
2. Download and install Java JRE if
you need the features that are Java dependent.
3. Download Apache
OpenOffice 4.x.x
4. Login as administrator (if required).
5. Unpack and install the downloaded Apache OpenOffice 4.x.x files...''
Be sure to
visit this page and follow all of the instructions - the above is
only a partial list.
We hope this helps, Sharon.
JoAnn wants to know if we recommend VPNs
Hi Darcy or TC. Do you recommend VPNs? And if so, which one would be
best to use?
Thank you for your always outstanding advice! JoAnn.
Our answer
Hi JoAnn. No, we don't recommend VPNs for most people. VPNs have their
place if you work from home and your employer requires one. But VPNs do
not protect you from malware, viruses, identity theft, or any of the
other things those who sell VPNs claim. They will protect you from your
ISP tracking what you're doing, but then you're trading one devil for
another - that is the VPN you use will most likely claim they don't log
your activity but you have no way of knowing if that is true or not.
A VPN is also useful if you want to appear to be from another country so
you can access web content that may be blocked in your country. For
instance, you're in Australia and you want to access a site that is
limited to those in the U.S.A.
But generally, no we don't recommend VPNs.
If you want to try a VPN you can install a VPN extension that you can
turn on/off. Cyberghost (and others) have extensions for most browsers.
Using a browser-based VPN extension allows you to easily turn the VPN on
or off. These may or may not be as private as normal Windows-based VPNs,
but using a browser-based VPN is a great way to try out a VPN.
We hope this helps you decide.
-----------
JoAnn wrote back: "Wow, that was educational, TC! Thank you ever so
much for breaking it down to educate me! As always, you and Darcy are
the BEST! Sincerely, JoAnn."
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Carol wants to know what a hard drive looks like
Good Morning, Darcy and TC. I have a silly question. In your Feb. 25th
Weekly Newsletter (I'm just getting through the month-old ones) you
responded to Cheryl's question about getting rid of old in-the-closet
computers.'
"If you're just going to junk the computers, there is no need to put
yourself through the ordeal of using a drive wiping disk to remove the
data from the drive. Simply remove the hard drives from the computers
and destroy them - seriously. Just take them out, and pound them with a
hammer."
My question is: What does the hard drive look like? And, how do you take
apart a laptop? I have one laptop and one old tower.
If you could send photos or illustrations, I'd be so thankful.
Thanking you for years of help and helpful advice, I am so happy I found
Cloudeight. Keep going for many more! Sincerely, Carol.
Our answer
Hi Carol. We can't provide instructions on disassembling laptops and
desktops. They're all different. Some computers snap together without
any screws and the case can be removed with no tools at all, and some
are held together with screws. You just have to remove the screws
holding the case together to remove the case. Basically, you remove the
case pull out the hard drive, and destroy it. If you're going to junk the
computer you don't have to be too careful, right?
Here's a video on
how to remove a hard drive from a laptop.
Here's a video on
how to remove a hard drive from a desktop.
Both videos show what the hard drive looks like. And they all look
similar to this.
Above: A standard HDD
Above: A solid-state hard drive or SSD.
We hope this helps you, Carol.
-------
Carol wrote back: "As usual, you came through for me again, TC. Many
thanks. Stay safe and stay well! Carol."
Jo wants to know if we can recommend a duplicate file finder
Can you provide an update on a free duplicate photo/file finder that is
safe to use? Thank you for all the useful, easy to follow PC info which
has kept me safe for many years. Kind regards, Jo.
Our answer
Hi Jo. We've been careful about recommending duplicate file finders
since we've heard nightmare stories of people trusting these kinds of
programs only to find out the files they deleted were not really
duplicates. We spend a long time testing this genre of programs a couple
of years ago and the only one we found that seemed to work well and
cautiously was one called Anti-Twin.
We wrote about it last in 2019 but the program is still viable and works
on Windows 10 and Windows 11 (although the site does not show Windows
11, I just tested it on Windows 11 and it works fine.)
You can read our review here
https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/find-duplicate-files-with-anti-twin/
- our article also has links to download the program.
Best of all, Anti-Twin is free.
We hope this helps you, Jo.
Doris wants to change the name of the administrator account on
her computer
My husband bought a new computer with Windows 11 on it. He passed his
Windows 10 Computer
on to me. I like the one he gave me with Windows 10 on it best anyway.
My question is,
I have to change all of his information on it now. Administrator name,
Log in
information, Thunderbird etc. I am having trouble doing this. I really
like the emails that I
get from you They have helped me so much in the past. I would appreciate
any help you can give
me. Thank You.
Our answer
Hi Doris. Thanks!
Here is how to the change administrator account name on Windows 10
using the Control Panel.
1. Type Control Panel into the Taskbar search
2. Then click Open or press enter when you see Control Panel
3. Under User Accounts, click on Change account type
4. Select the account you want to rename.
5. Click on Change the account name.
6. Type the new user account name in the box.
Keep in mind when you look in C:\users\ you'll see the old name
(whatever name he used) will be there but as far as logging in and the
account name you see, it will be whatever you named it. Everything else
will remain the same (including Thunderbird). You may need to add your
account to Thunderbird if your husband set it up. But that's easy to do
and it's also easy to delete other accounts from it too. Thunderbird
won't be affected by the account name change - as the account name in
C:\Users will not change.
If you want, you can even change the password or PIN if you think it's
necessary. If you need to do that, let me know.
We hope this helps you, Doris.
Don't
have a Cloudeight SeniorPass? It's a great deal. Learn more here.
Our Cloudeight SeniorPass is a great deal. You get unlimited support for
one full year from the date you first use your SeniorPass. We can help keep
your computer running well, fix all kinds of computer problems, clean up
malware, and a whole lot more. Our SeniorPass is like insurance for your
computer. And it's only $99 for an entire year.
Get your
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your computer - only better!
To learn more
about our SeniorPass,
please see this
page.
How to Find Out if You Have
Standard Hard Drives (HDDs) or Solid State Drives (SSDs)
Windows 10 and Windows 11
Here is an easy way to find out if you have a standard hard drive
(HDD), a solid-state hard drive (SSD), or both.
Right-click on the Windows Start button. Click “Run”. In the Run box
type dfrgui and press Enter.
Look under “Media type”. Hard drives show up as “Hard disk drive” and
Solid State Drives (SSDs) show up as "Solid state drive".
How to Reset and Clean up Microsoft
Edge
Windows 10 and Windows 11
Microsoft Edge is now more popular than Firefox and ranks number 2
behind Google Chrome.
While I am not a fan of Microsoft browsers, the new Microsoft Edge is
the best browser Microsoft has ever released – in my opinion. The
reason? It is built on Chromium – just as Chrome is. What I like the
best about the new Edge is that
Chrome extensions work with it without a whole lot of fuss.
Since many of you are now using Edge, we’re going to show you how to
reset it. Resetting a browser is one of the best ways to fix browser
problems like corruption caused by installing bad extensions and/or
malware.
How to reset Microsoft Edge
Click on the 3 horizontal 3 dots (icon) on the top right of EDGE, and
then click Settings.
From the menu that appears on the left click “Reset settings”.
In the next dialog, click on “Restore settings to their default
values” when it appears in the right pane. A dialog will appear labeled
“Reset settings”. It contains information about resetting MS Edge and
buttons labeled “Reset” and “Cancel”. Click on “Reset”.
It will take a few minutes for MS Edge to reset. When the reset is
complete the “Reset settings” dialog will disappear. But you’re not done
yet.
Let's clean up Microsoft Edge
Unlike Google Chrome, when you reset Edge it does not remove your
browsing history, so you’ll need to do that next.
Type edge://settings/clearBrowserData in the Edge
address bar and press Enter.
You can choose a time range from 1 hour to "All time". If you want to
clean up your history and cache, choose "All time"
When you have everything the way you want it, click “Clear now”. Edge
will clear your browsing history and other selected items for the time
range you chose.
Windows 11 Clipboard History Has
Some Cool New Features
Windows 11
Today, we’re going to tell you about Windows 11 Clipboard history and
how it’s been improved since the enhanced Clipboard was introduced with
Windows 10.
First, if you have not already done so, you’ll need to turn on the
enhanced Clipboard, called “Clipboard history” in Windows 11 this way:
Type CLIPBOARD in the Taskbar/Start menu search, click “Open” when
you see Clipboard settings appear in the search results. Or just press
“Enter”. You can also open Clipboard settings from the Settings menu.
Open Settings > System > Clipboard.
When Clipboard settings opens, turn the switch next to Clipboard
history “On”. If you log into other devices with the same Microsoft
account you can also synchronize Clipboard history across all your
devices by turning the switch next to “Sync across your devices” to the
“On” position. You can fine-tune the “Sync across your devices”
option by automatically or manually syncing the text you copy.
Finally, before we go on to using Windows 11 Clipboard history, you
should know you can clear your Clipboard history here or directly from
the Clipboard history app. See the “Clear” button in the screenshot
above.
Using Clipboard History in Windows 11
Once you’ve turned Clipboard history on, everything you copy will be
placed on the Clipboard. To access your “Clips” just press the Windows
key + V. That’s it. To paste a “Clip” just click on the Clip.
You can also delete individual Clips by clicking on them and clicking
on the garbage can icon. Or clear all your Clips by clicking on
the “Clear all” button.
What else can you do with Windows 11 Clipboard history?
You easily access symbols of all kinds, right from Clipboard history.
And they’re broken down into categories: General punctuation, Currency
symbols, Latin symbols, Geometric symbols, Math symbols, Supplemental
symbols, and Language Symbols.
To access all symbols, press Windows key + v to open Clipboard
history and click on the Symbols icon at the top.
See? © ℉ § ¥ № ℗ » « ⟦ % ‱ ⁂ ✓ ¿
Do you like plain or fancy text emoticons? Windows 11 Clipboard
history has you more than covered. Just click on the text smiley
at the top.
From :-) to 🙂 to 😉 to these… (❁´◡`❁)
(●’◡’●) ╰(*°▽°*)╯ Windows 11 Clipboard history has you more than
covered.
And wait there are more…
Windows Clipboard history also lets you access GIFS…
And tons of emoticons like these…
If you want to access GIFS and Emoticons Windows 11 in Clipboard
history they are right there at the top… see?
Remember, once you turn on Windows 11 Clipboard history, all you need
to do to access it is to press the Windows key + v.
Want more tips, tricks, and information?We have thousands of Windows tips, tricks, and more on our InfoAve website. Subscribe to our free InfoAve Daily newsletter.
Now available: Reg Organizer 8.91
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 8.91. Works great with Windows 10 and Windows 11!
Save $14 on
Reg Organizer right now!
Reg Organizer
- A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Tools - Works Great on Windows 10!
A Treasure Chest of Desktop
Wallpaper, Beautiful Pictures, and More!
We’ve discovered a treasure chest of beautiful desktop wallpaper for
Windows users. But you can also use this site if you have Apple or
Android devices. Plus there are very beautiful images on this site.
So, you could say, this site has something for everyone.
Not only are there thousands of (mostly) beautiful wallpapers and
pictures, there are hundreds of beautiful videos (loops) you can
download and/or share. Plus, if you love desktop themes, there’s a great
Themes section too.
But no more words, how about some examples… wallpapers first. NOTE:
If you’re using Safari or Internet Explorer you won’t be able to see the
images on this page. They’re in
WebP format. All sample images below have been resized to fit this
format. All images on the site are full-sized, high-resolution images.
There are thousands more. All are high-resolution images perfect for
any desktop. Peapix also has some great videos and themes too.
Visit our Cloudeight site
pick called Peapix right now.
The Best Computer
Care and Repair - Anywhere!
We can fix your computer while you watch. You never have to leave
your home. Just sit back, relax, and watch us work.
Get PC service
from folks you trust at the best prices you'll find anywhere.
Get more information
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It’s Time to Say Thank You… Again
We started our small business 25 years ago. It’s hard to believe that
we’ve been on the Web for such a long time. In terms of technology, 25
years is a very, very long time.
When we started, we were just one of tens of thousands of “mom & pop”
sites that were popping up all over the Web. Back in those days, the Web
was mostly mom and pops sites like Cloudeight. Why? Because there was no
real money to be made on the Internet – the Web was almost entirely free
and more of a curiosity than the necessity it has become.
And, sadly, over the years, we have watched many of those mom and pop
sites die as the web became, like so many other things in this world,
all about the money. The folks that owned the mom and pop sites poured
their hearts and souls and love into them and were forced to abandon
their dreams and walk away. The trail of tears those folks left behind
is long enough to circle the globe many times.
We know all this because we have been around so long and we’ve watched
it all happen. We have seen the Internet go from a place where people
freely shared ideas and software and friendship to a place driven by
money and power.
We have seen the Internet go from a time when the Internet was but a
curiosity and used only by a few “nerdy types”, like Darcy & TC...
Read the rest of this
essay here.
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keep helping you... and help you stay safe on the Web.
What is a keylogger?
A keylogger is a man or woman who cuts down trees on keys (also known as
cays or islands). Most colleges don't offer courses in keylogging
because of environmental concerns, therefore the number of keyloggers
has decreased until most people don't know any. Most loggers now log on
in the forests of the great U.S. Northwest. They are not called
keyloggers, they are simply called loggers or lumberjacks or even
lumberjanes.
Seriously...Keystroke loggers, usually installed surreptitiously, can
log (record) every keystroke you make on your computer - make it easy
for someone using info from a key logger to see everything you have been
doing on your computer - as well as gain access to your passwords. Good
security software, like Emsisoft, can protect you from keystroke loggers
(keyloggers).
Here's an official definition of keylogging from Wikipedia
"Keystroke logging, often referred to as keylogging or keyboard
capturing, is the action of recording the keys struck on a keyboard,
typically covertly, so that the person using the keyboard is unaware
that their actions are being monitored."
I think I like the lumbering on the keys better.
Don't
have a Cloudeight SeniorPass? It's a great deal. Learn more here.
Our Cloudeight SeniorPass is a great deal. You get unlimited support for
one full year from the date you first use your SeniorPass. We can help keep
your computer running well, fix all kinds of computer problems, clean up
malware, and a whole lot more. Our SeniorPass is like insurance for your
computer. And it's only $99 for an entire year.
Get your
SeniorPass today for just $99. It's just like having insurance for
your computer - only better!
To learn more
about our SeniorPass,
please see this
page.
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,
and 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.
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
and Windows 11! 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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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!
Darcy and TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #965 Volume 19 Number
23
April 8, 2022
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