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To learn more about our Cloudeight SeniorPass one-year computer care & repair plan, see this page... 

Luana wants to know if she switches her default browser will all her desktop icons change?
I have been with you since the 90's when I first started using your stationery. I have kept you as my Home Page all thru the years. Now that I am 87, I try to keep up with things. I have used your service on my computer many times. I have not needed any service for my computer. I have a question. I have used Chrome as a browser and also Edge. All my icons on my desktop have Chrome icons for things I saved etc. Now when I clicked on my browser and your Home Page opened, a question appeared and asked me if I wanted to make Microsoft Edge my default. Yes, I prefer it to Chrome after reading things from you but my question is, if I click on that default, what will happen to all those chrome icons on my desktop? Will they change to Edge Icons, will I lose them, or what? Please send me an answer so that I will know what to do. Blessings and thank you, Luana.

Our answer
Hi Luana. Thanks for your long-time support.

Your icons will not disappear. When you switch your default browser from Chrome to Edge, your icons will all change to the Edge icon (a blue stylized "E") instead of the Chrome icon.

The Chrome browser shortcut icons look like this:



The Microsoft Edge Browser shortcut icons look like this:



So, your desktop shortcut icons will change in appearance from Chrome's icon to Edge's icon but they won't change positions on your desktop and they won't disappear.

We hope this helps you, Luana.

Clint asks about 2-Factor Authentication and passwordless logins
What are your thoughts on multifactor identification? I have received an email communication from my LastPass premium account that is confusing. It sounds like they are promoting it in some way but when trying to configure it, it tells me it is for a business. Getting rid of passwords seems very inviting to me and a biometric ID seems much safer if coupled with device recognition. I depend on you so much more than what I read in other sources and would like your opinion as this seems to be the future for security. Clint

Our answer
Hi Clint. A passwordless future is coming but it's still a few years away. LastPass is jumping the gun a bit because not all banks, email web apps, government sites, shopping sites, or other sites dealing with highly sensitive information and/or money are set up for passwordless logins and 2FA (Two-factor Authentication).

A couple of weeks ago we wrote a comprehensive article on this which, I think, would help you more than me going over two-factor authentication, passwordless logins, and OAUTH2 email authorization here. Read our article here and if you still have questions about the mysterious 2FA/Passwordless future, let me know and I'll be glad to help as much as I can.

In the meantime, regarding LastPass, I suggest you take a slow and careful approach.

Marta's sister can no longer easily batch resize images
Hi guys. I've been reading your great newsletters for at least 20 years if not longer! Lots of great tips and sometimes when I read the latest ones I say 'I know that!' But I have a question. With her new PC, my sister can no longer easily re-size images, other than doing each one separately. My question is do you know of any software that allows you to re-size multiple images in the same folder simultaneously? I still have Microsoft Office Picture Manager on my PC which I use to re-size but this is no part of the Microsoft software she has on her new PC. I hope you can solve this niggling problem for her. Keep up the good work.

Our answer
Hi Marta. Thanks for your comments and for being with us so long!

We can only recommend software we have used or tested. We've never had the occasion or reason to resize all photos in a folder since we usually make the image the size we want it before we save it.

But as chance would have it, Windows PowerToys (by Microsoft) includes an image resizer that can resize multiple images in a folder and we have recommended PowerToys several times. Here's our most recent recommendation. That article includes the download link. PowerToys is free. We mention Image Resizer in the article, but if you want even more info take a look at this Microsoft page.
We hope this helps you, and your sister, Marta.
------
Marta wrote back: "Wow TC, thanks for such a prompt and informative reply. I will look into this on behalf of my sister. Once again you have proved how wonderful you are. Many, many thanks. Just for your information, I send out an email to people who can't leave home or get to visit me. It has a lot of images in it and I move the selected images to a dedicated folder where I edit them and then finally re-size them before inserting them into an email. Sometimes one of my emails can contain up to 30 images. Keep the good work going. Marta."

Earl wants to clean up his cluttered desktop in Windows 11
Again many thanks for the prompt reply... However, the cluttered desktop remains. As I mentioned, I had already tried your tip, and did so again after this email arrived. The problem I have is that when I right-click the Windows 11 Taskbar, I do not get the context menu, but a button entitled 'Taskbar Settings'...

Our answer
Hi Earl. We'll have to update the desktop tip for Windows 11... but it's simple to hide desktop icons on Windows 11 too. Right-click on an empty space on your desktop, click "View" and uncheck "Show desktop icons". That's all there is to it.

Your desktop icons will still be visible in File Explorer > Home > Desktop (see below)...

You can't create custom toolbars in Windows 11 unless you want to go through a lot of fuss... Since you can see all your hidden desktop icons in File Explorer there's no reason to jump through hoops to create custom toolbars.

And that should do it, Earl.

Leslie wants to turn off facial recognition log-in on Windows 11
Hi, Darcy & TC. My new Dell standalone computer unlocks by the camera scanning my face. I would much prefer no lock on the computer. How do I change it? Thanks, as always Leslie.

Our answer
Here's how to turn off Facial recognition (Windows Hello).

1. Type SIGN-IN OPTIONS in the Windows 11 taskbar/start menu search
2. Click on Facial Recognition (Windows Hello)
3. Click on "Remove" to the right of "Remove this sign-in option". 

We would suggest you use some kind of sign in to protect your computer from being accessed by others even if you're the only user -some malicious software can access unprotected accounts. The simplest way to sign in to your computer is by setting up a 4-digit PIN - that's a lot better than having no sign-in requirements.

Since we don't recommend not using a password, PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition to sign-in to Windows, we have not written a tutorial on doing so. If you still want to automatically sign-in to Windows 11 without any account protection, see this page.

We hope this helps you, Leslie.

Dianna is having problems with her router/modem
I'm having problems with my internet sporadically disconnecting. It's extremely frustrating. I do the bulleting for church and when my wireless 'hiccups' it messes up my printer too. I wind up with part of the bulletin blank. How do I get instructions to get your help? Thanks, Dianna.

Our answer
Hi Dianna. It sounds like your modem or router is going bad. The first sign of a router (or modem) going bad is the connection constantly dropping. If your modem or router is more than 3 or 4 years old - it's a possibility.

You can try power cycling to see if that helps. Disconnect your modem from its power source, then disconnect your router from its power source and wait a few minutes. Then plug in your modem and wait until the modem lights look normal then plug in your router and wait a few minutes. Then try your internet connection. See if it falters or disconnects over the next day or two. If it still disconnects, you should call your ISP and tell them about the problems you're having. They can check the lines coming into your home to make sure the problem is not on their end. Most ISPs will also check your equipment (modem/router). They can do this from their office without coming to your home.

We hope this helps you, Dianna.

SUPER SUMMER SPECIALS FOR OUR FRIENDS 55 or OLDER

We've never offered these specials before -- here's your chance to save big!

Senior Pass + a One-year Emsisoft Single PC License or Renewal

The total price is $89 - you save $35!

This offer includes a one-year Cloudeight SeniorPass good for one year of Cloudeight Direct Computer Care & Repair PLUS a one-year single PC Emsisoft license good for one full year of Emsisoft protection. If you're currently an Emsisoft user, we'll add one year to your current Emsisoft license. If you're a new Emsisoft customer, this license can be used for a new Emsisoft subscription.

Get yours now!

Get yours now!

To learn more about our Cloudeight SeniorPass one-year computer care & repair plan, see this page... 

Have You Tried Virtual Desktops?
Windows 10 and Windows 11 

Did you know that you can quickly create a new virtual desktop by pressing CTRL+Windows Key + D? You can! And virtual desktops can help you reduce annoying screen clutter without losing anything that you’re working on – or viewing.

Virtual desktops are great for creating separate workspaces. Above you can see that I have three desktops… or workspaces. The one I’m working in is on the far left. I’ve created two virtual desktops

Above: Notice I can have different programs open on each desktop, most of which are independent of each other. Simply put – I could be working on a notepad file on Desktop one, an MS Word doc on desktop  #2, and creating a graphic on desktop 3.  Each virtual desktop is its own workspace – each is independent of the other. And I can switch between them simply by clicking this icon in the Taskbar.

Windows 10

And here are some virtual desktops in Windows 11. 

Windows 11

Whether you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11, can switch between virtual desktops using these keyboard shortcuts:

Windows key + Ctrl + Left Arrow and Windows key + Ctrl + Right Arrow.

You can have an unlimited number of virtual desktops. Well not really – the number of virtual desktops is limited by the amount of RAM installed and your free hard drive space. Come to think of it, why would you need one hundred virtual desktops? I would think three of four would be plenty.

If you get used to using virtual desktops you’ll wonder how you got along without them. They make separating work areas quick and easy and can help you avoid the clutter you end up with when doing everything on one desktop. 

How to Remove Those Annoying Search Box Ads in Windows 10
Windows 10

Microsoft has added an (annoying) “feature” to Windows 10 called Search Highlights. Search Highlights allows little icons to be displayed in the taskbar search box in Windows 10. Those icons can be anything… donut icons for National Donut Day, horse icons for the day of the Kentucky Derby, or anything Microsoft decides to put there. 

Search Highlights look like this…

We find it annoying, and if you do too, we’re going to show you to turn it off. It’s really easy!

How to turn off Search Highlights in Windows 10

1. Right-click on an empty space on the Windows 10 taskbar.

2. Click Search

3. Uncheck “Show search highlights”

That’s it! No more Search Highlights in Windows 10! 

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!

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

\

Knowledge Stew: Learn Amazing Things About the World Around You

I don’t know about you, but I’m very inquisitive and I like to know as much as I can about things that interest me. And sometimes, I wonder about things that generally don’t interest me, but my curiosity leads me on.

The other day I was wondering about something – and now I cannot remember what – but it led me to find a site that I found fascinating — so fascinating I decided to make it a Cloudeight Site Pick.

Rather than rambling on about this site pick, I’ve decided to, for the most part, provide you with teasers, and pique your curiosity with a couple of short samples from this site pick.

On our site pick each of these “headlines” is clickable, here they’re not – you’ll have to visit our site pick if your interest is piqued :-)

So, here we go!

The Secret Chamber Behind Mount Rushmore

How Much Salt is in the Ocean?

Pepsi Once Made a Deal for Warships With the Soviet Union

The Word “Butt” is Actually a Unit of Measurement

The Origin Behind “Pomp and Circumstance,” and Why It’s Used at Graduations

How Did Plastic Pink Flamingos Once End Up in Front Yards?

The World’s First Air Conditioning, and How People Stayed Cool Throughout History

Why Two Islands Only 2.4 Miles Apart Have a 21 Hour Time Difference

The World’s Steepest Street

The World’s Most Dangerous Golf Course

Why McDonald’s Got Rid of Its Coffee Spoons

What is the Tiny Hole in an Elevator Door Used For?

How You Can Purchase Uncut Sheets of U.S. Currency

The Cases of Fish Hitting Airplanes

Why is it Called Canadian Bacon?

And there are a lot more just like those on the site. But first, I’ll give you a couple of tidbits so you’ll know the kinds of things you’ll learn when you visit this Cloudeight site pick.

The Day Niagara Falls Quit Flowing

“Just before midnight on March 29, 1848, the mighty Niagara Falls did something it had never done in recorded history — it stopped flowing. The massive amount of water, around 212,000 cubic feet per second, had been reduced to near nothing.

“A local American farmer first noticed the change in the falls while taking a midnight stroll along the river near American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls. The news spread to the local townspeople, but the information was slow to get to others because the telegraph had only just been invented.

“Eventually, word spread like wildfire that the falls had just mysteriously stopped. News finally arrived from Buffalo to explain the phenomenon and solve the mystery. Large chunks of ice had been blown by strong southwest winds on Lake Erie toward the head of the Niagara River, effectively blocking the flow of water. So much ice had moved into the mouth of the river that it created a temporary ice dam.

“The first person to go over the falls was a 63-year-old teacher named Annie Edson Taylor in 1901. She did it in a wooden barrel along with her cat…

“The Niagara River’s name originated from an early native Indian tribe called ‘Onguiaahra.’ French explorers gave this tribe the name “Neutrals” since they were peacekeepers between the warring Huron and Iroquois Indian nations. It may have been for a more obvious reason since ‘Onguiaahra’is quite a mouthful, but this is only an unsubstantiated theory. Either way, Niagara originated from the name ‘Onguiaahra,’ as it means ‘Thunder of Waters.’…

“Approximately 90% of the fish survive going over the falls…

The Shortest Presidency in History

“On February 19, 1913, Pedro Lascuráin became the President of Mexico. But his new presidency was short-lived — very short-lived. He was in office for only 45 minutes, and his presidency has been the shortest in history…

Our site pick is called Knowledge Stew and the developers have only this to say:

“About Knowledge Stew

“Interesting facts and fascinating stories about your world and the amazing things in it.”

OK, now if you’re not curious, I don’t know what to tell you. But if you are,
visit our site of the week, Medium’s Knowledge Stew to learn more about the world around you.

SUPER SUMMER SPECIALS FOR OUR FRIENDS 55 or OLDER

We've never offered these specials before -- here's your chance to save big!

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Total price $89 - you save $35!

This offer includes a one-year SeniorPass good for one year Cloudeight Direct Computer Care & Repair plus a one-year single PC Emsisoft license good for one year of Emsisoft protection. If you're currently an Emsisoft user, we'll add one year to your Emsisoft license. If you're new Emsisoft customer, this license can be used for a new Emsisoft subscription.

Get yours now!

---

Senior Pass + a One-year Emsisoft Multi PC License or Renewal

Total price $99 - Save $40!

This offer includes a one-year SeniorPass good for one year Cloudeight Direct Computer Care & Repair plus a one-year multi PC Emsisoft license good for one year of Emsisoft protection for up to three PCs. If you're currently an Emsisoft user, we'll add one year to your Emsisoft multi-PC license. If you're new Emsisoft customer, this multi-PC license can be used for a new Emsisoft subscription for up to 3 PCs.

Get yours now!

To learn more about our Cloudeight SeniorPass one-year of computer care & repair plan, see this page...

Sometimes the Best Memories Just Happen

I’m older now than I ever thought I’d be. I noticed how many people who are as old as I seem to be preoccupied with their bathroom habits. I suppose that’s why the drug store has a whole section filled with laxatives. Luckily, for me, I’ve not had to buy anything from that section, although I do remember when I was young, my grandma seemed to be fixated on bowel habits as I recall seeing Feen-a-Mint and Ex-Lax (and that dreaded Fleet’s enema) in the house at all times. I wonder why old people are so concerned with this? I’m an old person, and I’m not.

Anyway, this is the week when my granddaughter (who is 12) visits me and stays with me for an entire week. I cannot believe she still loves to come to visit me – as I’m OLD. But, it is a very good thing for me. I can’t imagine why she wants to come here and spend her days with an old coot like me, but she does.

I thought once she reached the “almost teen” stage, I would be a forgotten old hump. But she told me I am not allowed to drop off (pass away, die, leave this earthly coil) until I’m 103 years old, which I’m delighted to tell you is still ALMOST three decades hence. When I think about it, 103 is really old. I’m not sure why she wants me to hang around...

Read the rest of this essay here.

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Thank you so much for your support! 

What is the easiest way for cybercriminals to steal your identity, spread malware and entice you to visit malicious websites?

A. Software Bundling
B. Hacking
C. Spam Email
D. None of these

If you answered "C", you're correct. You get an A! Spam is number one when it comes to bringing malicious files and websites to your computer.

According to Security outfit F-Secure, spam email is still the most popular means for cyber-miscreants to spread malware and entice people to click links to malicious websites.

According to F-Secure's analysis of spam emails, almost half of all spam emails (46 percent) are pushing dating scams, about one-third of them (31 percent) contain links to malicious websites and approximately a quarter of them (23 percent) have malicious attachments. Eighty-five percent of these malicious attachments are one of five file types: .ZIP, .DOC, .XLS, .PDF, and .7Z (7-zip compressed file).

F-Secure noted that while spam has been a vector for viruses and malware for decades, as computer operating systems and security software become more efficient at protecting users from exploits and vulnerabilities, spam has gained more popularity over the past few years and it now is the number one way malware and links to malicious web sites are spread.

As we've been warning you for over two decades... Never click links in suspicious emails or spam emails. And always THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK.

And... don't open attachments directly in an email unless you were expecting an attachment, you know what it is, and you're sure you know who sent it.

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.

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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 #978
Volume 19 Number 36
July 8, 2022 

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