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We both wish you and those you love, a very happy Easter. This weekend, as on all major holiday weekends, we are publishing a review edition of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. Publishing a review edition on major holidays gives us some extra time to spend with our families and friends. We hope that you and those you love will be able to spend some time together this Easter weekend and that you all remember the reason for the season. And more than anything else, Easter is a time for hope and new beginnings. May you all have a blessed and Happy Easter. We'll be back next Friday with a brand-new edition of InfoAve Weekly. Happy Easter!

Andrew wants to format a flash drive
Dear Darcy & TC. In the past, you have recommended Puran File Recovery to recover deleted files on a USB memory stick. I have found this software invaluable; thank you for your recommendation. However, I now wish to securely delete all data on a USB memory stick so that all items are irrecoverable (even when using file recovery software) in order to pass the memory stick on to friends or my children. Can you please recommend a suitable software program that will permanently erase all the data on the memory stick but that will not damage the stick?

Thank you in anticipation of your most valued advice and too for your treasured weekly and daily newsletters. Andrew

Our answer
Hi Andrew. Thanks for your nice comments. You don't need a program to format a flash drive or any drive. You can use Windows File Explorer.

Here's how to format a USB flash drive using File Explorer:

1. Open File Explorer (Windows Key + E)

2. Click on This PC from the left pane.

3. Right-click on the flash drive and select the Format option.

4. Use the "File system" drop-down menu and select the NTFS option.

5. In the "Allocation unit size" leave it set to default.

6. In the "Volume label" field, you can type in a descriptive name for example "16GB_Flash" (no quotes), or just leave it blank.

7. Under the "Format options" section, select the Quick format option. Unless the person you're giving it to is a forensic expert, Quick Format is fine. If you don't want to take any chances uncheck "Quick Format" this will set up a full format (which takes a lot longer) but any data that was on the drive will not be recoverable.

8. Click the Start button

9. Click the Yes button.

Once the format is complete the drive will be empty and ready to use.
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Andrew wrote back: "Dear TC. Thank you for your prompt reply and excellent advice and information. Your help and assistance are much appreciated and greatly valued. Thank you so much for being there and for your vast knowledge that you are kindly prepared to share with others. Please take care and keep safe. Best wishes, Andrew

Dick gets a notification to check drive C:\ every time he starts Windows
Hello wonderful folks. For some reason, my PC wants to do a disc check on “C” every time I start it up. I tried a couple of suggestions that I found on Google, and I thought I followed the instructions to the letter, but they did not work. Hopefully, you have seen this problem pop up in the past and have a safe and easy solution to give this old man. I know you are always so very busy but if you get a spare minute could you help me? Thank you so much in advance.

Our answer
Hi Dick. Thanks for your nice comments and your confidence in us.

Your problem may be nothing more than a Windows error it could also be the result of an improper shutdown or serious file system errors on your hard drive.

The first thing you should do is this: Open an administrator command prompt... Type CMD in the taskbar search and click "Run as administrator" when it appears in the search results.

At the Command Prompt type CHKDSK /F and press Enter. You'll see a message that you cannot run CHKDSK while Windows is running. I will ask if you want to run disk checking at the next startup. Press Y for YES. And then restart your PC.

If that does not correct the problem. Open an administrator command prompt (as above) and in Command Prompt type chkntfs /x c: and press Enter. The command must be entered exactly as shown.

We hope this helps you with your problem, Dick.

Heinz wants to change his display name on one of his Gmail accounts
When sending e-mails out on my office computer in my G-mail account, the return address shows up as "Jake --------- > ----xxx---@gmail.com"
Jake was the Adjutant prior to me taking over. How do I delete his name and show mine? I have searched Gmail info on the computer - possibly as "user" but can't delete it. Heinz

Our answer
Hi Heinz. Here's how to change your display name in Gmail.

1. On your computer, open Gmail.
2. In the top right, click Settings. See all settings.
3. Click the Accounts and Import or Accounts tab.
4. Under "Send mail as," click Edit info.
5. Enter the name you want to show when you send messages.
6. At the bottom, click Save changes.

That should do it!

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Debbie is looking for fonts
I am using Windows 10. I'm looking for script and handwriting-type fonts. I'm hoping you can steer me in the right direction. Where can I find nice fonts without getting infected with malware? I would really like free fonts, but I want them to be from safe sites without risking getting infected. Thanks, Debbie.

Our answer
Hi Debbie. You're in luck. We just posted a new tip on our InfoAve website that lists 3 safe sites from which you can download nice fonts for free. Additionally, we show you how to install, find and preview fonts on Windows 10.

Click here to see our 3 site picks for fonts as well as how to install and preview fonts on Windows 10.

I hope this helps you, Debbie!

Anne says if she can't trust mail from Norton who can she trust mail from?
I have Norton 360 installed. Recently, an email from Norton advised me if I renewed right now I could get a two-year subscriptiong for the price of a one-year subscription. This did not sound right. I contacted Norton and they replied that they never offer deals like that. My problem is that I cannot trust mails from Norton bona fide or not! It's a bit of a Catch 22. Any ideas on how to distinguish the good from the bad?

Our answer
Hi Anne. There's no one way to tell if an email is a scam unless you're really good at investigating email headers. It's not easy to do and even those can be forged.

The rule of thumb we use and teach is never click a link in an email from a company that deals with money. If you want to check out Norton's special offers, go directly to their site by typing in the URL in your browser.

And one more good rule to follow - if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. If the email contains glaring spelling or grammatical errors, or is written in very poor English it is probably spam.

Never click links that ask you to change your password, or tell you you've been compromised, etc. Always visit the site involved by typing in the URL in your browser.

And though you didn't ask, I wanted to give you our thoughts on Norton/LifeLock. We don't trust Norton/LifeLock. LifeLock has been sued several times for false advertising. In my opinion, making people believe a program can protect them from identity theft when it can't possibly do that only causes more identity theft because people let their guard down. Lifelock does not prevent identity theft. And Norton is famous for bait & switch tactics, luring in customers in with a low price then increasing the price or even doubling the price over time..

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

Five Easy Tips That We Use Every Day
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11

There are hundreds of thousands of Windows tips around, in fact, there are thousands on our InfoAve site. But here are five Windows tips we use almost every day. These tips save time and are super-easy. Today, we’re going to share these five with you.

1: Bring up the Lock Screen in Windows 10.

If you press the Windows Key + L, it will bring up the lock screen in Windows 10.  If you use a password Windows Key + L will “lock” your Windows PC until you enter your password or PIN.

2: Make any word or phrase a hyperlink.

If you want to make a link out of a word or a phrase, like “Visit our InfoAve Website“, it’s super easy to do. Select the word or words you want to make into a hyperlink and press CTRL+K. A dialog will appear. In the dialog type or paste the URL (web site address) and press Enter. If you did that correctly, the word or words you highlighted are now a clickable hyperlink. This works with most word processors and email programs. It also works in Gmail. Try it!

3: Open a new instance of a program with just the click of your mouse.

Did you know on most computer mice, you can click the scroll wheel? You can, and we call the “middle mouse button”. If you middle-click on the taskbar icon of an open program, it will open a new instance of that program. Try it. It works with Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Notepad, File Explorer, IrfanView and many other programs. It will work with any program that allows multiple instances to run.

4: Open Task Manager with a keyboard shortcut.

Just press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC and Task Manager will open.

5: Hide all open windows in a hurry.

If you want to clear all open windows from your screen quickly, press the Windows Key and the M key; to reopen them again, press Windows Key+SHIFT+ M. 

Make Sure It’s Broke Before You Spend Time Fixing It
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11

Here are two quick and easy tips that we are sure you'll use... "maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And for the rest of your life…” 

Anyone who uses a computer knows they will have problems from time to time. It’s expected. It’s the nature of the beast. We’re here to remind you that if you start having computer problems, the first thing you should do is make sure there’s something really wrong with your computer before you set sail on a long, time-consuming voyage to fix it.

Here are two things you should always try as soon as you notice something’s not right with your computer:

1. Restart your computer.

As silly and simple as that sounds, restarting your computer can correct a lot of minor temporary errors and put your computer back on track. It won’t work every time, but it’s the first thing you should try if something isn’t right with your computer.

And… if restarting it does not work, we have one more simple thing you should do before you go off searching for help and fixes.

2. Shut down your computer completely and wait a few minutes...

Make sure all power is off and all power lights are off. Wait five minutes and then turn your computer back on. 

You’ll find the second method may be successful if simply restarting your computer doesn’t work.

Now, we’re not here to convince you that these two simple tricks will fix all your problems and assuage all your computer woes – they won’t. But many times restarting your computer or shutting your computer down and waiting for a few minutes before restarting can correct many minor, yet annoying errors. And since it does not take much time or effort to try one or both of these tips, there’s no reason not to give them a try. We’ve seen restarting and shutting down the computer and waiting a few minutes before powering it back on, work many times on our own computers and other folks’ PCs as well.  

And this trick also extends to other electronic devices – tablets, smartphones, streaming devices, etc. Sometimes the best fix is the simplest – just restart the device. It works more often than you think.

Exploring the File Explorer in Windows 11
Windows 11

File Explorer in Windows 11 takes some time to get used to since it’s a radical change from File Explorer in Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. The File Explorer in those versions of Windows was essentially the same as the old Windows Explorer included in earlier versions of Windows.

The File Explorer in Windows 11 is quite different. Icons now replace words for Cut, Copy, Delete, etc. Here’s a screenshot.

Notice the icons near the bottom – and the yellow-highlighted “Show more options” above them. This presents an uncluttered menu that contains most of the basic functions and tasks – instead of the long menu presented in Windows 10 which can be quite cluttered depending on how many programs you installed that add themselves to the right-click menu.

Windows 11 will show a menu much more like Windows 10 when you click on “Show more options”, including the duplication of the Cut, Copy, Rename, Share, Delete, and Rename functions.

The File Explorer in Windows 11 looks quite different than in previous versions of Windows, but the “full menu” is still there, it just requires an additional click.

Copy to and Move to

In the screenshot above, you can see that “Copy to folder” and “Move to folder” are shown on the secondary menu. They are not there by default. Those of you who like having “Copy to” and “Move to” on the right-click menu will be happy to learn our tutorial on how to add “Copy to” and “Move to” to the right-click menu on Windows 11.

And don't forget. You don't have to update to Windows 11 right now. You can safely keep on using Windows 10...

We hope this helps those of you who will be updating to Windows 11. If you’re using Windows 10 and don’t want to update to Windows 11 – or your computer does not meet the requirements for Windows 11 – you can continue to use Windows 10 safely until October 14, 2025.  

We have thousands of Windows tips, tricks, and more on our InfoAve website.

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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!

Easy Context Menu - Quickly and Easily Remove Right-click Context Menu Items

Last week, Lynn asked us a question that we have not heard for a while – she wanted to know how to remove some of the programs from her right-click context menu – she was tired of scrolling down a long list just to get to “Rename” and “Delete” which are the two items she uses most.

There are a lot of programs that can help with paring down the list of items on the right-click context menu – you can even remove items by editing the registry. But few people consider editing the registry easy or fun – and we found many of the context menu editors complicated.  

Because of Lynn’s question, we went on a search for an easy-to-use context menu editor. And we found a free program that’s extremely easy to use — so much so that removing items from the right-click context menu is as easy as this:

Highlight the item you want to remove and click “Delete”.

The program is called “Easy Context Menu”. You can download the zip file from here. 

Once you download it, unzip the file, and open the folder inside. Then click on EcMenu or EcMenu64 (if you have a 64-bit computer click on EcMenu64 – if you’re not sure click on EcMenu).

Once you open the program, press Ctrl-X (or choose “File” > “Context menu cleaner”) to open the Context Menu Cleaner. Highlight the item you want to remove from your right-click menu and click “Delete”.

If you want to delete several items at once, highlight multiple items by holding down the SHIFT key while you click on the items you want to remove. Then, when you have all the items you want to remove from your right-click context menu selected, click on the Delete button on the left side. That’s it.

Context Menu Cleaner has many other features as well. You can read more about it and all its features here. 

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 here.

My Special Easter

Raindrops, a yellow tulip, a white carnation, and a brand-new navy-blue blazer. I was eleven years old on that Easter Sunday – all those years ago – and I remember it so well. My mom had died the autumn previous, and I felt alone in the world – although I shouldn’t have. My grandparents, as distraught as they were, became, in many ways, my parents.

Looking back, I can now see that my grandparents were traditionalists. They had deeply entrenched traditional values and they practiced them and held them in high regard. But back then I didn’t label them anything – they were my grandparents – they together were the lighthouse that guided me through a dark and stormy time in my life. Because my grandparents considered traditions important, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday were special occasions. And so, they were special to me also… when I was a child.

I can remember going to church on Palm Sunday and each person upon entering the church was given a palm frond. And if I close my eyes, I can smell the Easter Lilies that lined the entryway and the alter. I can see the churchgoers waving their palm fronds. I can hear the congregation and the choir singing “The Old Rugged Cross”. And… I can remember singing along.

It seems like yesterday and it seems like it was another lifetime...

Please read the rest of this essay here.  

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Economize - Just Minimize

Instead of moving a window to the side or resizing it to see a window behind it, just click minimize on the window that covers the window you want to see. The minimize icon can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the window - it looks like a minus sign.

We notice that a lot of folks drag the window over to the side to see our chat box during Direct Care sessions; it's easier to just minimize the window on top. Another way, even easier, is to just click the icon in the taskbar of the item you want to be on top of other windows.

You don't need to drag windows all over the desktop just to see a window that's buried underneath other windows. Take it from EB, she's a big drag, but even she uses the taskbar icons and the minimize icon to see windows underneath

Do things the easy way whenever you can.

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.

MORE IMPORTANT STUFF!

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We received hundreds of questions for possible use in IA news. Please keep in mind we cannot answer all general computer questions. We try to personally answer as many as we can. We can only use a few in each week's newsletter, so keep this in mind. If you have a support question about a service or product we sell, please contact us 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.

We wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Easter!

Your friends at Cloudeight,

Darcy and TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #966
Volume 19 Number 24
April 15, 2022 

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