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Gordon says he's been hacked
Hi TC. I have a question about security and hacking. This event has happened to me for the second time in the past month or so. I have been online when all of a sudden. my entire screen goes to black, and in white, very large letters, I get a message that says that I am getting a download of a security upload and it also says "don't turn off your computer". I immediately cut the power off and leave the computer for 5 minutes or so. When I reboot, the computer functions normally and after a malware scan with Emsisoft, I am informed that nothing is amiss. I am so happy that I renewed my annual subscription just a couple of weeks ago with you. I wonder if you are familiar with what appears to me to be a hack and if you can provide a small bit of information about it. Again, thank you for always being there for so many folks. Gordon.

Our answer
Hi Gordon. This is not being hacked, this is a scam advertisement. It's not coming from your computer it's coming from the Internet. It's a specially made page that can make your screen go black, causing flashing colors and loud scary sounds. The point of It is to pretend the perps are scanning your computer and inevitably they'll find hundreds of errors on your PC which, they'll tell you, only they can fix if you call their toll-free number and/or download their software.

Emsisoft is not an ad-blocker and since the ad itself is not dangerous - only dangerous if you call the toll-free number and pay the scammers to "fix" your computer which they'll do by convincing you to let them remotely connect to your computer and install worthless software that you'll end up paying hundreds of dollars for.

We've seen this happen to people many dozens of times over the last few years and it's even happened to me a couple of times. The best way to handle it is to press ALT+F4 to close the ad and the browser. Just be sure not to allow the browser to reopen the pages that were open when you shut it down or you'll be right back to the problem. You should also clear your browser's history and install uBlock Origin - an ad blocker and browser extension available for most browsers - that can often prevent these kinds of tricky and scammy ads.

We hope this helps you, Gordon.

Linda constantly has to sign back in after automatically being signed off Windows 10
Thank you for all you do for us. If I don't move the mouse for 30 seconds, I get signed off. This is very frustrating. Can you give me advice about this? Thanks, Linda.

Our answer
Hi Linda. Assuming you don't use a screen saver, right-click the Start button and click Settings. In Settings, click 'Accounts'. In your account, click on "Sign-in options" on the left. Under "Require sign-in" under "If you've been away, when should Windows require you to sign-in again?" Click the down-arrow, and choose "Never".

And if you are using a screensaver, you'll still need to follow the instructions above, first, then continue as below:

Type Screen Saver in the taskbar search - when you see "Change screen saver" in the results, press enter.

In the Screen Saver dialog that appears, uncheck the box next to "On resume display logon screen", then click "Apply" and "OK" to save the settings.

The next time your screen saver comes on, you won't have to log into Windows when you're ready to use your computer again.

The "Sign-in Options" dialog is the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11

We hope this helps you, Linda.
-------
Linda wrote back: "It worked. I changed the wait time for the screen saver and unchecked the box. I changed the wait time to 14 minutes. I may make it longer. It didn't affect the pictures that I had set up for the screensaver. It's so nice not to have my computer signed off while I did something else for a few minutes. You and EB are great. I don't know where else I could get such complete information about computers and software. Thanks, Linda.

Phil worries that Outlook 2016 won't support the "new" Gmail authentication coming in May 2022
Thank you for all the excellent information you provide each week in your newsletters. I wonder if you can help me with this problem: I have several email addresses including Gmail and Outlook.com and I access them via the Outlook 2016 email client. I do this so I can access them all together without having to log in and access each one individually online.

However, I received an email from Google saying that after the end of May 2022, I will no longer be able to use Gmail with Outlook Versions 2016 or older. In order to use Gmail with Outlook, I did have to enable Gmail to work with "Third Party Programs". It seems that this option will be removed. I have also heard from another source that using Outlook Clients later than 2016 will only be successful for 6 - 12 months as Google is seeking to make their Gmail only accessible as "Web-Mail".

Do you have or can find more information on this big looming problem, please? I gather it will affect other client software such as Thunderbird and EM Client - and possibly even your own Outlook Express equivalent. I would be grateful for any info and workarounds for this. Phil.

Our answer
Hi Phil. Beginning May 31, 2022, Gmail will only natively support email clients that support OAuth 2 authentication. According to this trustworthy site, Outlook 2016 supports OAuth2...

"When using Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2019, or Outlook 2016 (except for the Volume License MSI-version), Outlook will prompt you for your credentials and the additional verification step as these versions offer native support for OAuth 2.0 for Gmail accounts..."

That means it will work with Outlook 2016 and newer versions of Outlook.

Even if your email client does not support OAuth2, you can still use Gmail by creating an app-specific password on Google's website. See this Google page for details.

Since every version of Outlook 2016 except those using the volume-licensed MSI-version (and it's not likely you are), you should not have any problems with Gmail.

As far as know, Google is not going to force its users to stop using email clients to access Gmail and force them to log in to check their email. Yahoo tried that once and it was a disaster.

And just a note that Thunderbird and EM Client and others already support OAuth2, and OE Classic will support it soon (we hope).

There is so much misinformation out there right now - most of it click-bait using fear to get Outlook users to click links to pages full of fear-mongering and disinformation.

We hope this helps you, Phil.

Sharon asks about pinning browser tabs
I know you have had this in your newsletter before but I forgot how to do it. I want to pin websites to the bar below the address bar? I've been thinking about this for a while so now I'm asking you as I know you will the answer. Thanks for all you do and for helping so many of us. Sharon.

Our answer
Hi Sharon. I think you are asking about pinning browser tabs, and if that's correct, then you'll find our tutorial on pinning browser tabs here. 

Our tutorial covers the three major browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.

We hope this is what you were looking for, Sharon, but if not, you know where to find us.

Sandy wants to forward email from Google Gmail to Outlook
How do I forward my Gmail inbox only to my Outlook inbox on my computer? I don't want to forward to the outlook cloud service, I use Outlook 365 on my computer and would like my Gmail to forward to the account I am using on my Outlook 365 on the computer.

Our answer
Hi Sandy. You can't forward your email in Gmail to an email program, you can only forward it to an email address. If an email address is set up in your email client (in your case Outlook) you can forward your Gmail to any address you have set up in Outlook (or any other email client), this way.

Log in to your Gmail account at https://www.gmail.com/.

Click on the gear icon near the top-right corner then click 'See all settings"



When "Settings" opens, click on "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" from the menu at the top.

Tick the circle next to "Forward a copy of incoming mail to" then type the address where you want the mail forwarded in the box (see below).

You can forward your mail to more than one email address. If you want to forward it to more than one address, click "Add a forwarding address".

After you do this, don't forget to click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the settings page.

We hope this helps you, Sandy.

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Thelma wants a word processor and a spreadsheet program that doesn't use the cloud
I am looking for a standalone word processor and spreadsheet application. I don't want to use the cloud. Is there such a thing?

Our answer
Hi Thelma. Surprisingly, there are quite a few free office programs that include a word processing program and a spreadsheet program - and don't require you to store anything in the cloud or work in the cloud.

Here are two:

LibreOffice

Open Office

Neither of these office suites requires you to store anything "in the cloud"; they install on your computer and you and you use them locally. They both contain a word processing program and a spreadsheet program (and quite a few more programs.

We hope this helps you, Thelma.

Mike's got a new printer and tons of new apps
Hi TC and Darcy. I've been a follower of yours for a very long time and definitely trust all your advice. Any problems we have, you always seem to offer an answer and guide us through them. I'm hoping you can help with this one.

I recently purchased an Epson ET-2810 EcoTank. I installed it from the included DVD, and all went smoothly, and it's up and running. My concern is the amount of software that was installed (shown below). I'm getting on in years 70+ and not really tech-minded, I find it a bit confusing on whether to keep all this software installed or uninstall certain ones.

Epson Manuals
Epson Photo+ Tool
Epson Photo+
Epson Printer Connection Checker
Epson ScanSmart
Epson Software Update

Would you know which of these items from this list could I uninstall without affecting the smooth running of the printer? Thanks, Mike.

Our answer
Hi Mike. I (Darcy) have Epson EcoTank too, and while I don't usually install all included software, I did in this case with except for the photo tool, and went back and uninstalled the manual. I kept the rest. So is a personal choice and none seem to take up much space. I like the updater. EcoTanks seem to need updates here and there. I am on my second one; the first one lasted quite some time. And besides keeping the updater, be sure to keep the ScanSmart tool also.

To uninstall any components you don't use, such as the photo tool, just go to the Control Panel (type CONTROL in the taskbar search)) > programs > uninstall. All the apps you listed should show up in the list.

Thank you for being with us through the years!

Dennis has his own backup and dislikes OneDrive
New computer, new woes. I like some of the features of Windows 11 but there's one that drives me crazy and irritates me to no end. OneDrive. Because I disabled it and then, when I learned I could remove it, I did. I don't need MS backing up everything I do - I have Backblaze for that and they've been most helpful when I needed them. Now I get error messages telling me that a particular file I've finished can't be backed up (to OneDrive, I presume). Even though I've removed its presence from most of my computer, desktop, etc. are subfolders of it. What would happen if I moved the desktop and made it a direct subfolder of my user name? Could I then remove OneDrive?

Our answer
Hi Dennis, Windows Desktop is a special system folder. If you try to move it you're going to have a world of trouble. Don't do it.

OneDrive is a fantastic way to backup your computer. I avoided it for years until Darcy showed me how easy it makes things when you get a new computer. On your new computer, as soon as you log into your OneDrive account. all your files and folders from your user account on your old computer appear on your new computer.

Microsoft does not "back up everything you do". OneDrive backs up your user folder (Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, Video, etc..) not everything you do. And in my opinion, as far as worrying about Microsoft storing my backups, I think I'd trust Microsoft more than a small company whose reputation isn't likely to be damaged severely by sharing personal info or losing data - it would be an absolute media disaster for Microsoft.

However, it's prerogative as to what applications you use on your computer. If you remove OneDrive correctly you won't have the problems you're having. Here are the correct ways to uninstall, disable, and unlink OneDrive.

We hope this helps you, Dennis.

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A Quick Way to Rename All Files In a Folder
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11

Here’s a quick, easy and useful tip. If you have a folder full of files with arcane names that do not describe what the files are, you can quickly rename all files in a folder with descriptive names. This trick is very handy when you have a folder of photos from your camera. Most times files that come directly from your camera have obscure names that don’t describe the photos. But you can fix that by quickly renaming all the files in the folders using this tip.

Open the folder where the files you want to rename are located. Highlight one file and then press CTRL+A to select them all. Next, press the F2 key to rename one of the files in the list and give the file a new name. Then press Enter. Windows will automatically rename all the other files in the folder with the name you typed, appended with (1), (2), (3) and so on after the file name.

For this example, I chose a folder full of files with names that meant nothing to me. But suppose these were all pictures from a special trip to Niagara Falls. It would be useful to at least have the word “Niagara” in the file name, right? So, I pressed F2, renamed one file “Niagara'” then  pressed “Enter” and watched as Windows renamed the rest

It’s easy – see?

How long has your computer been running since you last restarted it?
Windows 10 and Windows 11

How long has your computer been running since you last restarted it? We leave our computers running 24/7 and the only time we restart is for Windows Updates or if things start running poorly. If you asked us how long it’s been since we last restarted our PCs, we couldn’t tell you without looking at our up time. If you’re like us, you probably don’t know how long it’s been since you rebooted either.

So, how long has your computer been running since the last restart?  If you want to know how long your computer has been running since the last time you started or restarted your PC (your PC’s “up time” ), there are many ways you can find out.  We’re going to show you two ways. The first way, not only shows you how long it’s been since you last started or restarted your computer, it also shows when your current version of Windows was installed. If you’re using Windows 10, you’ll see the date of the last major (version) update.

Open a Command Prompt.

Type CMD in the taskbar search and click on Command Prompt when it appears at the top.

In the Command Prompt, at the prompt, type

systeminfo

And press Enter.



You’ll see the last time you booted or rebooted your computer. As you can see, mine was last restarted on 4/19/2022 at 8:45 PM.  Also, note that above it you’ll see “Original Install Date”. I’m using Windows 11 version 22H2 (Windows Insider "test" version) and the last major update was on 4/15/2022. The Original Install Date is not the date that Windows was originally installed on this computer.

Another way to see how long your computer has been running since the last reboot is to use good old Task Manager. And no matter what version of Windows you’re using, you can open Task Manager by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.  In Windows 10, Open Task Manager and then click on the “Performance” tab then click on “CPU” and look near the bottom: On Windows 11, open Task Manager full-screen, and click on Performance from the menu on the left.

You’ll see under “Up time”, it has been 13 hours, 41 minutes, and 22 seconds since I last restarted my computer



So… what’s your up time, we asks ya?

Turn Your Hot and Dirty Laptop into a Clean, Cool Machine
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 - All laptop users

We’ve written many times about keeping your computer clean and free of malware, junkware, excess startup apps, etc. But rarely have we written about keeping the outside of your computer clean. And we’ve noticed that more and more of you are using laptops – and why not? They’re convenient, powerful, portable, and usually competitively priced.

If you use a laptop you should know that keeping your laptop clean can not only make your laptop run better and last longer – it can help keep you healthier too.

Dirty

If you never clean your laptop, you’re not doing your computer’s health (or yours) any favors. Did you know that if you never clean your laptop keyboard it could be dirtier than a toilet seat in a public restroom? YUCK! Sorry, but it’s true.

Surveys have found that laptop keyboards often contain more germs than toilet seats in public restrooms – and most users rarely clean their laptop keyboards – if they clean them at all. So, let’s be clean and healthy…

Unless you like the idea of typing on a dirty toilet seat, it’s time to clean it. Apply isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to a microfiber cloth. Make sure the cloth is damp but not dripping. Use the cloth to clean the keyboard keys and all the areas bordering it. Next, take a dry microfiber or other lint-free cloth to dry and polish your keyboard. If the spaces between your keys are still dirty, use a cotton swab lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol to clean and sanitize.

Hot

Just about everyone dusts the furniture and other objects around the home. But very few people dust the vents on their laptops. Dust can also clog your laptop vents inside and prevent it from cooling down properly.
,
Dusty cooling vents, can block airflow and cause your laptop to overheat. Overheating can drain your laptop’s battery and shorten its life as well as hinder its performance. Also, if your laptop gets too hot it can randomly shut down. The hotter your laptop gets the worst its performance may be as your try to compensate for the excess heat.

Let’s clean those dusty vents. Locate the cooling vents on your laptop – they are usually on the sides or bottom. Next, point a can of compressed air at the vents. Be careful not to use too much pressure. The best way to clean your laptop’s cooling vents with compressed is to shoot short bursts from different angles into the laptop vents. This cleans your vents and helps your laptop stay cooler.  To prevent dust from building up, you should clean the vents once every month or so.

And, if your laptop is running hot and the vents are not full of dust, make sure the vents are not blocked by clothing, tablecloths, etc. And don’t place your laptop on top of a comfy pillow on your lap. Instead, use a cooling pad (available for $15 and up) or place your laptop on a flat, solid surface such as a tabletop. If you use your laptop on a table, make sure you don’t place your laptop on top of a cloth placemat or tablecloth.

Let’s Clean the screen

A dirty laptop screen can dull colors and make it difficult to read text. So, let’s clean the screen.

First, shut down your laptop. It’s easy to see dust, dirt, and grime when the screen is dark. Use a clean microfiber cloth dampened (not soaked) with distilled water. Never use tap water or harsh chemicals to clean your laptop screen and never use paper towels on your screen. Gently wipe the screen with the damp cloth being careful to clean up any drips right away.

If your computer screen has sticky gunk or spatters or greasy spatters on it, use a clean microfiber cloth dampened with one of the following mixtures:

50% distilled water & 50% white vinegar
50% distilled water & 50% isopropyl alcohol
100% distilled water + one or two drops of dishwashing liquid

Rub the screen gently in small circles to avoid streaks. Never press too hard or you can damage your laptop’s screen. Remember…easy does it! Be gentle. Repeat as often as necessary until your laptop’s screen is clean and clear.

Finally, wait for the screen to dry completely before closing your laptop’s lid or powering it on.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to make sure your laptop is a clean machine.

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

150 Minimalistic Desktop Wallpaper Images Plus a Whole Lot More Artsy Stuff!

It’s rare for us to feature wallpaper sites in our newsletters. This one was so unique we just had to tell you about it. You may not know this, but TC is very maximalistic, while EB tends to be minimalistic, especially when it comes to my paycheck.

But wait… there is a whole lot more to our site pick than just minimalistic wallpaper – there is lots of artsy-crafty stuff in which to indulge…plus some photo tips and even a tummy bag.

But first the wallpaper, OK. Sometimes we all like minimalistic things because sometimes more is better… right? I’m not big on gaudy wallpapers or gaudy colors. I like things neat and functional. I have a new minimalistic desktop, what do you think?

And there are 149 more awaiting your eyes…

I’m sure you’re anxious to minimalize your desktop too, and we’ll get to that soon. But first and without further delay or verbosity, I hereby present, Coco Basilio, owner, manager, and CEO of ICanBeCreative.com — home of minimalism and artsy-crafty stuff. Actually, I made up Coco’s name. I don’t know what his or her name is… does it matter?

Take it away, Coco!

“Our project is a fast growing design and coding website based on useful Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials. We also have tricks, graphic design articles and inspiring stuff, and free resources such as PSD files, textures, fonts, brushes, you name it!

We focus on web developers, designers, graphic artists, software developers, bloggers, SEO experts, internet marketers, photographers and many more, where innovation meets the imagination.

We’re digital people!”

But there is a whole lot more to explore on our site pick than just minimalistic wallpaper, we tells ya!

But wait, there’s a lot more to this site than just the unusual minimalistic wallpaper – oh yes indeed. The ICanBeCreative website also includes…

Photographers reveal contrasting images of setups and the finished picture

Realistic Pokémon redesign with incredible details

The Lion King with deepfake style-transfer of the classic film

Passion for bold shapes, vibrant colors and tropical vibes

Sculpture made of colored pencils

Fantasy creatures brought to life

Transparent tummy bag for your groceries

Meticulously crafted paper sculptures

Kinetic installation of light and movement

Lively and creative mixed Photoshop effects

Art installations to explore childhood themes

Intricate crafted paper works of art

Incredible illustrations by Laura H. Rubin

Fish shaped wine packaging

How to shoot dreamy photos using this simple trick

Extraordinary surreal photography

And there are dozens more awaiting you.

So, to conclude our foray into minimalistic wallpaper, art, design, photography, and a tummy grocery bag, we invite you to visit our site pick called I Can Be Creative… and all you have to do is visit this page to get started.

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A Letter to Spud (Why You Can’t Trust Your Spell Check Her)

Dear Spud,

Thank ewe sew much for you're let her. Ewe will bee glad to no that eye have taken your add vice and in stalled a spelling check her. Sew you will knot find a single spelling air in this let her. I made sure eye double-checked this in tire let her for ewe! I no how much you hate bad spelling.

Oh, be for I fore get, Guest what? Last weak I got my ice checked and I found out that I need gnu glasses A GAIN! My ice just keep getting worse. I hate getting old, don’t ewe, Spud?

Eye was just thinking a bout the thymes long a go when I was a kid. My ice were great then… never had to ware glasses then!

Back in the good old daze, eye used to live necks door to a man we culled Pop Corn. He was a rather thin man with balding hare and age spots. So, eye guest he was really old – but back then every won seemed old too me, so eye am knot sure if he was really old or not.

Ewe no how it is when ewe are young – every body seams old...

Read the rest of this essay here.

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What does DNS mean? What's it for?

DNS is an acronym for The Domain Name System. DNS is a standard technology for managing the names of Web sites and Internet domains. Domain Name Servers allow you to type in an easy-to-remember Internet address like thundercloud.net and find it immediately on the Web. So it takes the name Thundercloud.net and looks it up in the DNS directory to its corresponding numerical IP address and displays the page for you. If it were not for DNS servers you'd have to know the numerical IP address of the sites you want to visit.

Theoretically, the faster the DNS server you use, the faster Web pages will resolve and display. While there are many other factors that affect how fast pages load, the most important of which is the speed of your Internet connection, DNS technology makes the Web useable for folks like you and us.

There are many DNS servers supporting the Web. So technically, a DNS server is any computer registered to join the Domain Name System. A DNS server contains and maintains a database of network names and addresses for other Internet hosts.

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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.

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