Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly


Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly
Issue #986
Volume 19 Number 43
September 2, 2022

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Issue #986. Thank you very much for subscribing and for being a part of our Cloudeight family. We appreciate your friendship and support very much!  Please share our newsletters and our website with your friends and family.

If you're not getting our InfoAve Daily newsletter, you're missing out on a lot of good stuff!

It's free and it only takes a few seconds to sign up. We'd love to have you with us. Visit this page to sign up for our Cloudeight InfoAve Daily Newsletter.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium 

Labor Day Weekend

We wish all of you who celebrate Labor Day Weekend a happy & safe holiday weekend. Every major holiday weekend we publish a review edition. Not only does this provide us with some extra time to spend with family and friends, but it also allows us to review some of the best questions, tips, and articles from previous issues of "Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly". All articles from past editions are updated when necessary...and we may even sneak in something new in a review edition. We hope you enjoy this special edition of our InfoAve Weekly newsletter.

Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend! 

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

CLOUDEIGHT LABOR DAY SALE

Cloudeight SeniorPass
SAVE $10 on a Cloudeight SeniorPass!

Get one full year of Cloudeight Direct Computer Care for one low price. During our Labor Day sale, you'll save $10 off our regular low SeniorPass price. It's like having insurance for your computer!

Your SeniorPass includes
  • One year of unlimited repair sessions
  • Three anytime checkups
  • Malware/virus removal
  • PC optimization & cleanup
  • Emergency telephone support (USA & Canada)
  • And more...!

Get your SeniorPass now and save $10!

Cloudeight

Cloudeight

During our Labor Day sale, you save $11 off the regular price of a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair key. Our everyday low price is $50 but during our Labor Day sale, you'll save $11!  Limit one key per customer!

  • We can fix your computer.
  • Slow computer? We can fix it!
  • Malware popups? We can fix it!
  • Cleanup/Optimization - We can do it!
  • We can fix almost any Windows problem and get your computer running like new.
  • Your Cloudeight Direct Computer Care key is good for one repair session. Your direct key never expires - it's good until you use it.
  • The best computer care & repair anywhere!

Get your Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair key now and save!

Sale prices are good through Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Cloudeight InfoAve

John is being inundated with Norton and McAfee ads
Hello. I am being inundated by Norton and McAfee to renew my antivirus several times a day; I have used neither one in years. Norton told me I had five viruses, the next day ten, and one day later three. I use only Emsisoft and am clear of malware. I thought Norton was a legitimate antivirus distributor and would not resort to those tactics. Is there a way to block them? Thank you, John.

Our answer

Hi John. It's not McAfee or Norton spawning these ads. Most likely you've installed and allowed a browser extension that is spewing ads for Norton / McAfee.

You need to reset your browser, disable all extensions, and clear your browser's history.

I don't know what browser you're using, so here is our page explaining how to reset the most popular browsers.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Jean can't find Windows Accessories on the Start menu
Reading your article regarding Windows Accessories, thought it was something I could really use. The only problem is when I click Start the only Windows mention I get is Windows Power and Windows Power (Admin).

I typed Windows Accessories in the search panel and get nothing. I do often find that when you mention things on Windows 10  my computer doesn't seem to have it. I do have the latest update installed. My computer is somewhat elderly so maybe that is the problem.

Our answer
Hi Jean. Windows PowerShell and Windows PowerShell (Admin) only appear on the Windows 10 right-click Start menu.

You're right-clicking the start button. Don't right-click, left-click it or just press the Windows key (and wait a few seconds) to open the Start menu.

Windows Accessories is a start menu folder so you can't get to it by typing Windows Accessories in the taskbar search.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Jeanie says she is getting an AVAST warning that she's being tracked
I purchased Emsisoft through you and am in my 2nd year of using it. While I was signing into a new program today, a box showed up in the corner of my screen from AVAST... and it said "You're being tracked. We found 34 tracking cookies on your PC."

Our answer
Hi Jeanie. Our guess is Avast was added as an extension in your browser. Unfortunately, some antivirus programs think it is good to alert you to cookies, which happen to be a very necessary part of browsing the Web.

A cookie is simply a text file, that a site can only read if it's their cookie. You need cookies to log in to sites, and also, most sites leave a cookie, so they do not keep showing you the same ads. Cookies are harmless and when we were searching for the best antivirus program, part of our attraction to Emsisoft was they recognized that it was not necessary to flag harmless cookies.

Our advice is to check your browser extensions which is where you will most likely find an Avast extension. If you find it there, you should remove it.

How to Check Your Installed Browser Extensions. 

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Debbie wants "Copy to" and "Move to" back on her right-click menu
Many years ago you told us how to add" copy or move" to the right-click menu? I loved it and now I got a new computer (Windows 11) I no longer have that option. Is there any way to add "copy to" and "move to" the right-click menu on Windows 11? Please keep up the great work you guys do. Thanks so much, Debbie.

Our answer
Hi Donna. Thanks so much. You'll be happy to know that you can add "Copy to" and "Move to" to the Windows 11 right-click menu. But since Windows 11 tries to consolidate the right-click menu, you'll have to expand the right-click menu to see "Copy to" and "Move to". It's not hard, it's just an additional step you'll need to use with Windows 11.

See this page to learn how to put "Copy to" and "Move to" on the Windows 11 right-click menu and how to find it after you do.

And keep this email handy. Every time Windows 11 has a major update, you'll need to put "Copy to" and "Move to" back on the right-click menu and major updates will remove them.

PS: For those who are using Windows 10 and who are reading this in our newsletter, you can learn how to add "Copy to" and "Move to" to your Windows 10 right-click menu by visiting this page.
--------
Debbie wrote back: "Wow! That worked great! You guys are the best! Debbie."

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Reg Organizer: Cloudeight recommended and endorsed.

Now available: Reg Organizer 9.0

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 9.0. 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 and Windows 11!Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Steve asks about OpenDNS
Hi. I'm curious about OpenDNS. Is it really as good as it claims?

Our answer
Hi Steve. We wrote about OpenDNS in 2013 (see this page). But that was nine years ago and as with computers and the Internet, nine years is a long time.

It just reviewed OpenDNS again and it looks to me like they've decided to be your guardian or censor depending on how you look at it. Parental controls are fine as long as you decide what is appropriate and not someone else. Having someone else decide what's appropriate never works out. The only free OPENDNS service that you don't have to sign up for is the free service where OpenDNS decides what you'll see and what you won't see. The free version with no sign-up is kind of like having someone else decide what books you can read and which books you'll never see. Maybe you don't want to see "Adult content" but who defines "adult content" for you? You or someone else? The free, no sign-up Open DNS option, decides for you... and is that ever a good idea?

We've tried several DNS services including OpenDNS, Google Public DNS, and Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS. I think Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS is the fastest, most private and the best. It's also fairly easy to set up and you don't have to give them any information or sign up for anything. We reviewed Cloudflare back in 2018 when it first came out. Today, I went back and took another look - and also set it up on the computer I am using. Again I was impressed.

So, if you want to know what DNS services do and/or if you would like to take a look at an alternative to OpenDNS, take a look at this article.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Mike's friend sent him a tip on how to make his computer lightning fast
How to kill Win 10 apps... A friend of mine found on the web how to disable all the extra apps on Win10 to trim his PC down to the bare minimum and reported blinding speeds as a result. Rather than search the internet, I thought I'd ask the experts - YOU! Where do you look to disable or even remove all the nonessential programs in Windows 10? A list of what to kill or keep and where to find those controls would be terrific.

Our answer
Hi Michael. There are a lot of myths going on here. Windows Store apps don't use any resources when they're not running. And you can stop any app from running in the background by going to Settings > Apps >Privacy >Background apps and turning the switch at the top under "Let apps run in the background" to "Off".

Some people refer to desktop programs as "apps". The only programs that generally affect performance are the ones starting with Windows. The only programs that need to start with Windows are programs like antivirus programs or programs necessary for an essential function like the computer's sound. There are dozens of programs (many free) that help control startups. Generally, there should not be more than 4 or 5 programs starting with Windows.

Our two favorite programs to use to manage Windows startups are HiBit Uninstaller and Autoruns. You can also use Windows Task Manager to control start ups. HiBit and Autoruns are more robust.

Cutting back on startup programs can make a big difference in computer performance, but "lightning-fast" is probably more due to having a lot of RAM than it is to turning off background apps and keeping startup programs to a minimum, although it's always helpful to keep things under control.

Task Manager is also a good way to see what programs are using the most resources thus slowing down your computer. See this article.

And I can tell you this if a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC has only 4GB of RAM, there's no way on God's green earth, that that computer is going to be lightning-fast no matter what do. The more programs you open the fewer resources you'll have available. And most people don't realize that with most browsers, each tab opens as a separate process. So having 20 browser tabs open will slow down any computer that doesn't have enough installed RAM. We don't suggest running Windows 10 or Windows 11 with less than 8 GB of RAM.

My $280 cheapie Windows 11 computer runs "lightning-fast" because it has 12 GB of RAM. And even with more than adequate RAM, I still don't allow many programs starting with Windows

So, whenever I hear about someone saying "Oh, you and do this and that and make your computer lightning fast" I raise my eyebrows and think "sure" - because this is the fallacy promoted by the many scammy One-Click-Wonder-Fix programs.

So, I guess, my answer isn't what you wanted to hear, but we hope it's helpful anyway.
------
Mike wrote back: "Brilliant answer TC! You're the best! My friend does have heaps of ram."

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Annette wants to copy/move files on Windows 11
Hello. Is there a copy to / move to for windows 11? I am unable to transfer the files out of the downloads. Any help you can give I would appreciate. Thank you, Annette.

Our answer
Take a look at our article here. https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/how-to-put-copy-to-move-to-on-your-windows-11-right-click-menu/. It's a tutorial on adding "Copy to folder" and "Move to folder" to the right-click menu in Windows 11. You can do it the same way as you did in Windows 10... but it won't show up on the main right-click menu, you have to click on "Show more options".

Cloudeight InfoAve

Cloudeight InfoAve

We hope this helps you, Annette. 
Cloudeight InfoAve Premium  

Help us help you.

Make a small donation and help us help you!

If you don't need any of our products or services right now, please help us with a donation. Even the smallest gift is appreciated. Every donation helps us to provide useful information that helps you with your computer as well as helping us to keep you safe on the Internet. We offer free help to thousands of people every year... and we offer an honest and inexpensive computer repair service too. We do everything we can to help you with your computer and keep you safe too.

So if you don't need any of our products or services right now, please help us by making a donation right now.

Interested in making a monthly gift? Visit this page. Help us keep helping you!

Thank you so much for your support!

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Windows Hotkey Combos Make Launching Your Favorite Programs Easier
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11

Do you have several programs you use every day? Instead of clicking on the start menu or a desktop or taskbar shortcut to open those programs, why not create a hotkey combination to open them? It’s really easy to do.

Let’s get started using Hotkey combinations:

I use OE Classic every day. I have a shortcut on my taskbar and my start menu for it. It’s nice having a shortcut on the taskbar because it’s always right where I can see it. However, you can only add so many shortcuts to your taskbar before you can’t see all your shortcuts.

So rather than taking up taskbar space with another icon, I decided to create a hotkey shortcut to open OE Classic. It’s really easy to do.

I thought a good hotkey combination to open OE Classic would be CTRL+ALT+T. T being for OE Classic – I’m so smart

So, all I had to do was open OE Classic’s Properties dialog. You can do this for any program by right-clicking its shortcut or right-clicking on the program’s executable file — and then clicking on “Properties”.

Once you have the Properties window open, click anywhere inside the shortcut key box:

Cloudeight InfoAve

… and type in your desired Hotkey combination.

Cloudeight InfoAve

To get the Hotkeys CTRL+ALT+O for OE Classic, all I had to do was press CTRL O. Windows automatically adds the ALT and the + signs.  Press “Apply” then “OK” when you're done to save your Hotkey combo for that program.

When you click “Apply” “OK”, you may see this:

Cloudeight InfoAve

If you see this dialog, no worries mate, just press “Continue” and your Hotkey combo for that program will be saved.

Now all I have to do to open OE Classic is press CTRL+ALT+0. Pretty cool.

Here’s more info on how to create Hotkey combos for your favorite programs:

If you hold the CTRL key and type a letter, number, or Function Key, Windows will automatically add the ALT key to the combination

If you hold the ALT key and type a letter, number, or Function Key, Windows will automatically add the CTRL key to the combination

You can use the CTRL, ALT, and/or SHIFT keys in combination with a letter, number, or Function Key

If you try to use a Hotkey combination that you’ve already used, Windows will detect it. You can’t use the same Hotkey combo more than once.

I created Hotkey combos for Notepad

CTRL+ALT+N

Cloudeight InfoAve

And Chrome

CTRL+ALT+C

And Firefox

CTRL+ALT+F

I know I can remember my four Hotkey combos because I’ve made them easy to remember.  And I’ll use them almost every day!

T=OE Classic

N=Notepad

C=Chrome

F=Firefox

Windows Hotkey Combinations: Simple. Easy. Handy. Maybe Windows Hotkey combos will make life easier for you too!   

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

How to Uninstall Programs in Windows 10 and Windows 11 from the Start Menu
Windows 10 and Windows 11

We like Geek Uninstaller, HiBit Uninstaller, and Revo Uninstaller, but not all of you want to bother with an uninstaller app. Did you know that Windows 10 and Windows 11 let you uninstall programs (and some Windows apps) right from the start menu? It does.

Well... Kind of.

Windows 10

Open your Windows 10 Start menu and right-click on the program you want to install. You'll see a menu appear with the following items on it:

> Pin to Start
> More
> Uninstall

Click "Uninstall" to uninstall the program or app.

Cloudeight InfoAve

Windows 11

Open the Windows 11 Start menu and click on "All apps". Right-click on the program you want to install.

Cloudeight InfoAve 

Click on "Uninstall" from the right-click drop-down menu.

Cloudeight InfoAve


So all you need to do is click Uninstall to uninstall the program (or some Windows apps). Sadly, it's not that easy but clicking "Uninstall" does take you to the Control Panel > Programs & features > Uninstall a program. From there you can uninstall any program you like, even the one you right-clicked on.

It's quirky, but it does provide you with a really quick way of getting to the Control Panel to uninstall a program.

Keep in mind also, if the program you want to uninstall appears as a folder in your start menu, you'll need to open the folder and right-click the program shortcut, right-clicking the folder won't do any good, except to give your finger a good workout.

Keep in mind, Microsoft is stubborn. There are some Windows apps that you can't remove (at least not very easily). Microsoft decided it wants you to have certain stuff, and by golly, you're going to have them.  

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

The Easy Way to Unhide Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives
Windows 10 and Windows 11

By default, Windows hides certain files, folders, and drives. But many times, the Windows tips we write and the ones you see online assume you can “see’ hidden files, folders, and drives.

Some files and folders in Windows are automatically marked as hidden because Windows doesn’t want you messing around with them. But, leaving them hidden hinders your ability to make changes that can enhance your Windows experience. As we’ve mentioned, many tips and tricks you find online assume you can view hidden files.

For example,  if you need to access the AppData folder in your users’ directory, you’ll need to unhide hidden files, folders, and drives. And we think it’s a good idea that you be able to see all files, folders, and drives on your computer, and here’s an easy way to do it.

Windows 10

1.) Open File Explorer (Windows key + E is a great shortcut).

2.) Click on the “View” tab at the top.

3.) Tick the box next to “Hidden items”.

Cloudeight Windows 10 tips

4.) Close File Explorer.

Windows 11

1.) Open File Explorer (Windows key + E ).

2.) Click on the “View” tab at the top.

Cloudeight Windows 11 tips

3.) Tick on “Show” in the drop-down menu.

4.) Click on “Hidden items”.

5.) Close File Explorer.

That’s it! From now on, you will be able to see all your files, folders, and drives including the ones that Windows was previously hiding from you.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium


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.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

CLOUDEIGHT LABOR DAY SALE 

Cloudeight SeniorPass
SAVE $10 on a Cloudeight SeniorPass!

Get one year of Cloudeight Direct Computer Care for one low price. During our Labor Day sale, you'll save $10 off our everyday low SeniorPass price. It's like having insurance for your computer!

Your SeniorPass includes
  • One year of unlimited repair sessions
  • Three anytime checkups
  • Malware/virus removal
  • PC optimization & cleanup
  • Emergency telephone support (USA & Canada)
  • And more...!

Get your SeniorPass now and save $10!

Cloudeight

Cloudeight

During our Labor Day sale, you save $11 off the regular price of a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair key. Our regular low price is $50 but during our Labor Day sale, you'll save $11!  Limit one key per customer!

  • We can fix your computer.
  • Slow computer? We can fix it!
  • Malware popups? We can fix it!
  • Cleanup/Optimization - We can do it!
  • We can fix almost any Windows problem and get your computer running like new.
  • Your Cloudeight Direct Computer Care key is good for one repair session. Your direct key never expires - it's good until you use it.
  • The best computer care & repair anywhere!

Get your Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair key now and save!

Sale prices are good through Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows 10 and Windows 11

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows 10 and Windows 11 - Cloudeight InfoAve

Microsoft PowerToys has been around for a long time. They came and went. PowerToys disappeared for a few years then made a triumphant return.  Despite its name, PowerToys isn’t for just Power Users, just about everyone can find something in PowerToys they can use.

Yes, some of the toys in PowerToys are things that only experts should be fooling around with (like the Keyboard Manager), many of the “Toys”, like Color Picker, PowerRename, Image Resizer, and Shortcut Guide can be used by just about any Windows user regardless of experience

The current version of PowerToys has been updated for Windows 11 so it can be used by both Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.

Here is a list of the “Toys” included with PowerToys along with a short description (mostly) from Microsoft.

Microsoft PowerToys is a set of utilities for power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience for greater productivity.

Awake – PowerToys Awake is a utility tool for Windows designed to keep a computer awake without having to manage its power & sleep settings. This behavior can be helpful when running time-consuming tasks, ensuring that the computer does not go to sleep or turn off its screens.

Color Picker – A system-wide color picking utility for Windows that enables you to pick colors from any currently running application and can copy it in a configurable format to your clipboard.

Fancy Zones – FancyZones is a window manager utility for arranging and snapping windows into efficient layouts to improve the speed of your workflow and restore layouts quickly. FancyZones allows the user to define a set of window locations for a desktop that are drag targets for windows. When the user drags a window into a zone, the window is resized and repositioned to fill that zone.

File Explorer add-ons – File Explorer add-ons currently include:
— Preview Pane rendering of SVG icons (.svg)
— Preview Pane rendering of Markdown files (.md)
— Preview Pane rendering of PDF files (.pdf)
— Icon thumb preview for SVG icons.
— Icon thumb preview for PDF files.

Image Resizer – Image Resizer is a Windows shell extension for bulk image resizing. After installing PowerToys, right-click on one or more selected image files in File Explorer, and then select Resize pictures from the menu.

Keyboard Manager -The PowerToys Keyboard Manager enables you to redefine keys on your keyboard. For example, you can exchange the letter A for the letter B on your keyboard. When you press the A key, a B will display.

Mouse utilities -Mouse utilities are a collection of features that enhance mouse and cursor functionality on Windows. Currently, the collection consists of “Find my mouse”. From the PowerToys settings, users can enable/disable Find My Mouse, and optionally prevent the functionality from activating when playing games on the system.

PowerRename – PowerRename is a bulk renaming tool that enables you to:
— Modify the file names of a large number of files (without giving all of the files the same name).
— Perform a search and replace on a targeted section of file names.
— Perform a regular expression rename on multiple files.
— Check expected rename results in a preview window before finalizing a bulk rename.
— Undo a rename operation after it is completed.

PowerToys Run – PowerToys Run is a quick launcher for power users that contains some additional features without sacrificing performance. It is open-source and modular for additional plugins. To use PowerToys Run, select Alt+Space and start typing! (note that this shortcut can be changed in the settings window)

Shortcut Guide -This guide uses PowerToys to display common keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key. Open the shortcut guide using the shortcut Windows key + ? (may require using the Shift key). You can create your own shortcut keys. An overlay will appear showing keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key.

Shortcut Guide - PowerToys - Cloudeight

Video Conference Mute -Quickly mute your microphone (audio) and turn off your camera (video) with a single keystroke while on a conference call, regardless of what application has focus on your computer. The default shortcuts to use Video Conference Mute are:

— Windows key+N to toggle both audio and video at the same time
— Windows key+Shift+A to toggle microphone
— Windows key+Shift+O to toggle camera

OK! Are you ready to learn more about Microsoft PowerToys and/or download it? Great!

All you need to do is visit this page to learn more about and/or download Microsoft PowerToys. 

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Senior Pass + Hotline

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 having 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.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Essays , Rants, etc.

Please Pardon My Grammar

Many times I’ve had my use of the English language criticized and my grammar scoffed at by the Grammar Police, but it don’t bother me, I tells ya. All those criticisms just roll off me like water off a duck. I’ve been out of college for more years than some of you have been alive and there’s not much chance of me taking any kind of remedial grammar or English courses. I don’t want to learn how to diagram a sentence! I forgot that nonsense in grade school, and I’ve never used it since. And don’t snivel – diagramming sentences would not improve my grammar or my use –or misuse– of the English language.

Can you imagine the hoots and hollers I’d get if I wrote this?

“Grammatically, for he/she/it we use “does” or “doesn’t” like in,

He doesn’t eat meat.

but these days I’m observing the usage of the above sentence(especially in American movies) like this,

He don’t eat meat.

So, after a lot of observations, I’m assuming that both usages are correct.

My assumption – When to use “don’t”?

In temporary situations like,

He don’t have a pen.

…Worth noting: though the validity of he don’t in various dialects is debatable, I’ve yet to come across a dialect in which he doesn’t isn’t considered correct. In other words, as a non-native speaker, it is always safest to err on the side of caution and use he doesn’t. Speakers of ‘don’t dialects’ might possibly find it a tad uppity or overly formal—but not incorrect…

Nope! I did not write that I tells ya, it came from a site that claims:

“English Language & Usage Stack Exchange” is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.”

See this page.

If you doesn’t like that, write to the guy who wrote it; don’t kill the messenger.

Hey Grammar Cop, did I use that semi-colon correctly?

Anyway, here’s what I think. I think the purpose of language, both spoken and written, is to communicate. If you’re gonna fret over passive voice, active voice, verb agreement, gerund usages, prepositions, and the like, I think you should teach English, edit books...

Read the rest of this essay here. 

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Help us help you.

Make a small donation and help us help you!

If you don't need any of our products or services right now, please help us with a donation. Even the smallest gift is appreciated. Every donation helps us to provide useful information that helps you with your computer as well as helping to keep you safe on the Internet. We offer free help to thousands of people every year... and we offer an honest and inexpensive computer repair service too. We do everything we can to help you with your computer and keep you safe too.

So if you don't need any of our products or services right now, please help us by making a donation right now.

Interested in making a monthly gift? Visit this page. Help us keep helping you!

Thank you so much for your support! 

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Back to Basics

What is a driver?

If you work for Uber, it's a job. If you play golf, like Darcy, it's the club you usually use off the tee. If you are a bad golfer, like TC, you use the driver on the fairway after plucking your ball from the creek. Using a tee in the fairway is unethical and against the rules - I think - but you gotta do what you gotta do, eh?

OK, down to business and back to the world of computers.

Drivers are called "Device Drivers" but we all know them as drivers because we don't like long complex things. A device driver (also known as a hardware driver) is a file or a group of files that enable hardware devices to communicate with Windows (or whatever operating system is running).

Without drivers, the computer could not communicate with the hardware device and the device would not function. For example, without device drivers, your computer would not be able to communicate with your printer and your printer would not work.

If the wrong driver is installed - woe is you. The device for which the driver(s) was installed may not function or may not function correctly - worse yet it may cause a driver conflict resulting in an error and you may see a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death).

This is why we warn everyone about downloading driver updaters which automatically download drivers for hardware devices even when not needed.

To sum it up. Device Drivers drive the hardware in and attached to your computer by allowing hardware to communicate with your operating system.

All this is driving me crazy, I'm off to the clubhouse for a beer. Hey EB, where's my driver?

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

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.

MORE IMPORTANT STUFF!

Your InfoAve Weekly Members' Home Page is located here.

Print our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Flyer and spread the word about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care repair services.  Get our ready-to-print flyer here.

Help us Grow! Forward this email newsletter to a friend or family member - and have them sign-up for InfoAve Weekly here!

Get our free daily newsletter! Each evening we send a short newsletter with a tip or trick or a computer-related article - it's short and sweet - and free. Sign-up right now.

We have thousands of Windows tips and tricks and computer articles posted on our Cloudeight InfoAve website. Our site has a great search engine to help you find what you're looking for too! Please visit us today!

Help us by using our Start Page.  It costs nothing, and it helps us a lot.

Print our Cloudeight Direct Flyer and spread the word about our computer repair service! If you want to help us by telling your friends about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, you can download a printable flyer you can hand out or post on bulletin boards, etc. Get the printable PDF Cloudeight Direct Computer Care flyer here.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

We'd love to hear from you!

If you have comments, questions, a tip, a trick, a freeware pick, or just want to tell us off for something, let us know.

If you need to change your newsletter subscription address, please see "Manage your subscription" at the very bottom of your newsletter.

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.

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter! Get computer tips & tricks every night. Our daily newsletter features a computer tip/trick or two every day. We send it out every night around 9 PM Eastern Time (USA). It's short and sweet, easy to read, and FREE. Subscribe to our Cloudeight InfoAve Daily Newsletter!

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

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 #986
Volume 19 Number 43
September 2, 2022 

Not a subscriber? Subscribe to our FREE Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Newsletter here.


Cloudeight InfoAve Premium

"Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly" newsletter is published by:

Cloudeight Internet LLC
PO Box 73
Middleville, Michigan USA 49333-0073

Read our disclaimer about the tips, tricks, answers, site picks, and freeware picks featured in this newsletter.

Copyright ©2022 by Cloudeight Internet