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Our Spring Donation Drive Continues

Four times a year we have donation drives. We hope that you will continue to help us keep helping you. Today, we are beginning our spring donation drive.

Any donation, large or small is appreciated.

If you can help us during our spring donation drive, we would really appreciate it. If not, we understand and we’ll be here for you to help you with your computer questions and problems. You’ll always get our best, no matter what.

Read more about our Spring Donation Drive here.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Rich wants to know how to add another Gmail account
God Bless you both (EB/TC). I have been a follower and user of your helpful instructions, and I remember you had sent out instructions on how to "correctly" add a 2nd or 3rd Gmail email to my Gmail account... would you please send me a link to that page so I can print it out? I also want to give a copy to a friend. God bless you and yours. Rich

Our answer
Thanks so much for your kind words and your support. 

As for your question, here you go... here's our tutorial showing you how to correctly create additional Gmail accounts and access them from your main Gmail account.

We hope this helps you... and your friend! 

Damie asks us to help her find a simple checkbook program
I don't do a lot on my computer but I did have a really old free Starter version of Quicken 2014 which I used for the check register and the statement balance feature all the time. It won't load on this Windows 11 computer according to Quicken.

Can you recommend a free program that will let me use it as my check register and balance my checkbook each month? I am 83 years old and don't use budgets or all that other jazz. Just something simple that I can load and use. I always print out a copy of my balance statement at the end of each month... Thank you both so much for all your knowledge and the help you share in your newsletters.

Our answer
Hi Damie. Thanks for your nice comments. 

If you're looking for simple checkbook software for Windows 11, there are several options available. Here are a few programs/apps we found that you can take a look at.

Ace Money Lite (Free - For Windows 10 & Windows 11): AceMoney Lite is a free personal finance software, the best free Quicken and Microsoft Money alternative. All features from its big brother are there, limited only to two accounts. As AceMoney, AceMoney Lite makes organizing personal finances and home budgets a breeze. All features required by home or even small-business accountants are there...https://www.mechcad.net/acemoney-lite/

No Frills Checkbook (Free - Windows 10 and Windows 11): A basic bank account management program. Keep track of transactions across multiple accounts and balance those accounts at the end of each month. Categorize transactions. Split transactions into subcategories for better reporting. https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/no-frills-checkbook/9PFB6SL6QQW8?hl=en-af&gl=af

Just Checking (Free - For Windows 10 & Windows 11): Just Checking is a checkbook software app that will help manage your checkbook. Enter transactions, mark them cleared, and compare the balance to your statements to reconcile. Print checks using predefined templates. Use the built-in check template editor to make changes if necessary. https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/just-checking/9NXNP4GXWMFM?hl=en-us&gl=us&rtc=1

My Checkbook (Free trial. Buy for $35 - For Windows 10 and Windows 11) My Checkbook personal finance software will improve your money management. Start by entering your daily transactions to keep a good record of your actual balance. You know the importance of balancing your checkbook, make it happen with our easy checkbook software. https://www.surprisesoftware.com/my-checkbook.html

We hope this helps you in your quest to find the right checkbook software for you, Damie.

Gayle uses Avast free now but wants to use something else
I know you say stay clear of Avast which I currently use. I want to get rid of it. I assume even with removing it, it will still have some Avast files left over that probably can't be removed.  My question is... what is the cheapest AV I can get that protects my computer?

Our answer
Hi Gayle. The cheapest antivirus that protects better than other free AV programs is Microsoft Defender which is already installed on all Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft Defender is much better and easier on your computer's resources than AVAST or AVG.

But free AV offers the protection of good paid AV and no paid AV we've tested offers better virus and 1malware protection than Emsisoft. We can provide you with a free 3-month trial of Emsisoft. If you're interested let us know. And Emsisoft is very inexpensive; it costs only $25 per year.

You can download the Avast uninstall tool here - it will help you remove Avast and all or at least most of its leftover files. 

We hope this helps you make the right choice!

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

Leslie wants to know what password managers we recommend
Help. I can't remember the programs that you told us would track down passwords. Would you let me know, please?
I should start a list of the apps/programs that I add and what they do. But that would be the easy way...Thanks as always, Leslie.

Our answer
Hi Leslie. We currently recommend three password managers. They are (in alphabetical order):

Bitwarden

LastPass

RoboForm

All of them have limited free versions (Bitwarden being the least limited), and all have inexpensive paid versions with more features. All of them are fairly easy to use.

We hope this gets you pointed in the right direction, Leslie.

Sylvia wants to know if we recommend Adaware Web Companion
Do you recommend Adaware Web Companion (free version)?

Our answer
Hi Sylvia. Ad-Aware Companion was a free software program developed by Lavasoft, that was designed to provide additional security to users of the Ad-Aware anti-spyware program.

The software was intended to complement the functionality of Ad-Aware by providing real-time monitoring and protection against spyware, adware, malware, and other potentially unwanted programs that may attempt to infect a user's computer.

Ad-Aware Companion was discontinued by Lavasoft in 2008, and its functionality was integrated into later versions of the Ad-Aware software. Today, Ad-Aware is owned by another company called Avanquest. It is now an antivirus, antimalware program.

We do not recommend Ad-Aware, it is not ranked anywhere near the top of any list of the best security software. The only anti-malware, antivirus, security software we recommend is Emsisoft. If you are using Emsisoft, you don't need anything else.

Doug is using Windows 8 and has problems with Windows system memory
I run a simple CAD program that I have used for over 20 years. In the past several months I have been experiencing temporary freezing of the program. They last for maybe 10 seconds and the program says 'Not Responding' then it finally continues. It happens about every 30 seconds or so. Is there a program that can detect if a task or some other program is causing this intermittent issue? Thank you for all you do for us not-so-savvy users.

Our answer
Hi Doug, First, you're using an outdated and unsupported operating system which not only puts you at risk but also means your computer is quite old. And the older the computer gets and the longer the operating system has been installed and the more the hard drive has been used, the less responsive the computer will become.

There is no magical program to tell you when you're running low on memory (RAM). You can open Task Manager and click on Memory to order the program in order of those using the least RAM or in order of those using the most RAM. Right-click and choose "End task" on any program using a great deal of RAM. Or you can add more RAM, or limit your multi-tasking when using your CAD program. Closing all other open programs such as browsers, email programs, graphics programs, etc. before opening the CAD program would help.

Finally, if you don't want to buy a new computer, at least consider updating to Windows 10 (still free) and adding more RAM to your system (it's not very expensive). Windows 10 will be supported by Microsoft until 14 OCT 2025 so you have a lot of time to use it. You can get more RAM by going to www.crucial.com and using the scanner to find out what kind of RAM you need. 

We hope this helps you, Doug.
 

Make a donation today and help us keep on helping you!

Our Spring Donation Drive Continues

Four times a year we have donation drives. We hope that you will continue to help us keep helping you. Today, we are beginning our spring donation drive.

Any donation, large or small is appreciated.

If you can help us during our spring donation drive, we would really appreciate it. If not, we understand and we’ll be here for you to help you with your computer questions and problems. You’ll always get our best, no matter what.

Read more about our Spring Donation Drive here.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Have You Tried the Windows Calendar App?
Windows 10 / Windows 11

If you haven’t tried the Windows Calendar app, you’re missing an excellent app that can help keep your life organized. You can even use the Windows Calendar app with your Google (Gmail) account, your Yahoo account, your Apple (iCloud) account, or your Microsoft account (Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com, MSN, etc.).

To get started open the Windows Calendar App, by typing CALENDAR in the taskbar search and press Enter when you see “Calendar app” appear.

When the Calendar app opens you’ll see the splash screen like the one directly below. Click “+ Add Account”.

On the next screen, you can choose the account you’d like to add. The first one listed will be the account you use to sign into Windows, but you can use any Gmail, Yahoo, or Apple (iCloud) account you choose.

Once you set up your Calendar you see it has certain holidays or other important dates already noted – based on your location. Since I’m in the USA, April is the big kahuna for taxes. And I’m relieved to find out I have until the 18th to cough up some dough for Uncle Sam.

If you prefer a dark background, you can personalize your Windows calendar to change the app colors.

To add an event to your calendar just click on the date for which you want to add an event, If it’s not an all-day event – like a holiday, birthday, reminder, etc. – uncheck the “All day” box, type in the event name and select the time(s) from the dropdown menu.

You can even add notes if you are the details-oriented, persnickety type.

When entering an event, appointment, or note on the calendar, don’t forget to tell the calendar how long before the event you want to be reminded of an upcoming event.  And remember – once the note is on your calendar you can click on it to see all the details.

You can add as many accounts as you want and switch between them. You can personalize the calendar colors and styles and even add a background – if that’s your kind of thing.

And when you get done configuring your calendar and adding events and reminders to it, don’t forget to right-click the Calendar icon in your taskbar and choose “Pin to taskbar”. Once you add the calendar’s icon to the taskbar you’ll have instant access to your own personalized calendar with all the important reminders, events, holidays, notes, appointments, and whatever else you added to it. 

Emsisoft Wins Another Award!

We’ve been using and recommending Emsisoft for a decade. We believe that Emsisoft is the best security software and that the best support in the industry backs it. The Emsisoft team has always provided our customers timely, friendly, expert support. We’re proud to be an authorized Emsisoft reseller and an Emsisoft partner. 

Emsisoft Anti-Malware awarded VB100 in March 2023 tests
by Senan Conrad (Emsisoft)

The VB100 is a certification test designed to test the protection capabilities of endpoint security solutions. The tests are conducted by Virus Bulletin, a well-known independent certification body that has been testing, reviewing and benchmarking security solutions for more than 20 years.

We took part in the March 2023 tests and we’re happy to announce that Emsisoft Anti-Malware once again achieved certification!

The tests

The tests were performed on physical computers or virtual machines with specifications similar to those you would expect to find in an ordinary business environment. Security products were installed with default settings on a clean instance of Windows 10 64-bit with all recommended Windows updates installed.

The products were then exposed to hundreds of malicious samples collected by malware experts and research groups, as well as a set of about 100,000 non-malicious, regularly updated samples taken from popular software downloads. No malicious or clean samples were executed during the tests.

To be awarded VB100 certification, a security product must achieve the following:

Detect at least 75 percent of malicious samples.
Generate no more than 0.05 percent false positives.

The results

Emsisoft Anti-Malware detected 99.29 percent of the 1,836 malicious samples while generating zero false positives, and was subsequently awarded the VB100 with a Grade A malware detection score!

Click here to see the full report, or click here to check out some of the other awards we’ve won in the past.

If you’re not currently using Emsisoft, this deal is for you!

If you’re not an Emsisoft user, we’d like to change that! So, for a limited time, we’ll check your PC, remove your current Antivirus, and install Emsisoft including a one-year license all for just $35.  Now there’s a deal you can’t refuse.

• We will Check your PC
• We will remove your current AV
• We’ll install Emsisoft (one-year license included)
• All for just $35!

Get your deal here!

How to Cancel a Shutdown or Restart
Windows 10 / Windows 11

If you’re like most of us you’ve shut down or restarted your computer and forgot to save something. Or you’ve started a restart or shutdown accidentally. If you have, you know what a helpless feeling that can be. It seems once you click “Restart” or “Shutdown” it’s final – there’s no way to stop it. But fortunately, there is a way, but you have to act fast because you only have a few seconds to abort a restart or a shutdown.

Cancel System Restart or Shutdown

To cancel or stop a system shutdown or restart, open Command Prompt or a Run Dialog (Windows Key + R) and type

shutdown /a

then press Enter.

This will cancel the shutdown or restart but only within the time-out period which is only a few seconds.

You may find it easier to create a desktop shortcut to cancel a restart or shutdown. With a shortcut on your desktop, all you have to do is click it to cancel the shutdown or restart. But remember, act quickly, because you only have a few seconds.

Create a Cancel Shutdown/Restart Desktop Shortcut

Right-click on an empty area of your desktop and select New > Shortcut.

In the first dialog that appears, type the command:

Make sure you leave a space after exe and before the dash.

Then click “Next” and give the shortcut a descriptive name like Cancel Restart-Shutdown. Then click “Finish”.

If you want to change the icon Windows assigns your shortcut, right-click it, click “Properties, then click “Change icon”.

Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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

Subscribe to our free InfoAve Daily newsletter.

Now available: Reg Organizer 9.1

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 9.1. 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!

What’s Cookin’, Good Lookin’? Search Over 2 Million Recipes Instantly

Today’s site pick today is a recipe search engine called “Instant Search 2 Million Recipes“.

This recipe search engine searches over 2 million recipes in the blink of an eye. It’s a fantastic way to search a lot of recipe sites and get instant results. Results are presented in easy-to-read boxes. Clicking the “Read cooking directions” link presents a popup that shows you the ingredients and cooking instructions, so you can tell right away if the recipe interests you without dodging ads, popups, photos, etc.  If the recipe looks like one in which you’re interested, you can go directly to the web page containing the recipe.

Here, we’ll show you!

Type your recipe search and press Enter.

See? I was looking for fried chicken recipes.

The search turned up more than 4200 recipes. I found one I thought sounded good, so I clicked on “Read cooking directions” and this popped up.

Search by the type of recipe you’re looking for or search by specific ingredients

You can also search for recipes by type, for example, Healthy, Low Carb, Low Sugar, Diabetic, Keto, etc.  You can search recipes by specific ingredient(s) as well. For example, if you’re looking for a sugar cookie recipe that contains both sour cream and nutmeg, no problem! Instant Search 2 Million Recipes came up with 65 sugar cookie recipes that contained both nutmeg and sour cream. Here’s one for you…

Cooking directions? Sure!

Bake at 375° to 400° for 15 minutes.
Makes 60 cookies.

(Send us some!)

If you are looking for recipes be sure to add this Cloudeight Site Pick to your recipe collection – you’ll be glad you did.

Here are some of the recipe sites that “Instant Search 2 Million Recipes” searches instantly…

recipeland.com
cookeatshare.com
cookpad.com
kraftrecipes.com
recipes-plus.com
foodandwine.com
yummly.com
tasteofhome.com
tastykitchen.com (Pioneer Woman)
food52.com
foodnetwork.com
epicurious.com
allrecipes.com
myrecipes.com
vegetariantimes.com
cookeatshare.com
and many more.

Are ya hungry?

If you want to get right at it and start searching for recipes, go to Instant Search 2 Million Recipes right now and find something good to make.

Oh, and a few more things…

For printing recipes without all the extraneous stuff – just the recipe and ingredients – a browser extension like Print Friendly comes in mighty handy.

Print Friendly for Chrome

Print Friendly for Microsoft Edge

Print Friendly for Firefox 

Now, go search over 2 million recipes and then go forth and cook up something good! 

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

We can fix your Windows computer... check out our low prices here!

VPNs 101

VPN is short for Vampires Prowl Nightly. So, if you plan to go out when it's dark, we suggest carrying a large cross, a mallet and a big wooden stake. Your best bet is to stay indoors when it's dark, keep a lot of lights on, and lock your doors. If you need to get beer or something, wait until the sun comes up, vampires do not prowl in daylight... they sleep.

No, actually VPN is an acronym for Very Pretty Nurse. EB used to be a nurse, but she was never a VPN ;-)

Nah. We're just kidding you. VPN stands for Virtual Private Networks. Most of you are, right now, connected to the Internet directly. Everything you do online is being logged by your ISP... that means all your searches, all your chats, all your downloads, all your uploads, all your Facebook posts, everything, goes through your ISP. And if they wanted to they could snoop on you, record your activities, and sell your search habits and buying preferences, in short, they know where you go and what you do on the Internet.

But if you're using a VPN, the only thing your ISP sees is that you're connected to a server somewhere, what happens on the other server, stays on the other server. So think of it as kind of like Las Vegas. Assuming that the VPN server you're connected to encrypts your data and does not keep logs -- no one can track your activities, log your search and buying happens, or snoop on your chats and downloads. That's in theory at least - the NSA probably sees all anyway...but your ISP is not the NSA.

Think of a VPN as a tunnel. Let's say you're in Richmond, Va., USA, and you're using a VPN client like Open VPN. You choose a VPN server in Brussels, Belgium. The VPN client creates a tunnel from your computer to the VPN server in Belgium, and that becomes your Internet connection - your point of entry to the World Wide Web. Sites you visit will see your IP address (which has been changed from your real IP address) and think that you're accessing the Internet from Brussels, Belgium. You may see that the search engine is in French or whatever it is they speak over there in Brussels (German? French? Belgiumese?) And your poor, innocent ISP? All they know is that you are connected to a server in Belgium. All your data is encrypted, leaving your ISP sobbing and whining - and they will move on to someone easier to spy on -- someone more fun than you.

VPNs secure your internet activities and allow you to transfer files, written communications, chats, download files, make online purchases, search, and browse the Web more safely and securely. The only waythat is more secure is to put your files on a flash drive and send it to the other person via FedEx - make sure you mark the package "poisonous snakes". KIDDING! Or you could put the flash drive in your pocket, get in your car and deliver it yourself - don't get stopped for speeding though!

Yes, we are exaggerating to make a point. We're pretty sure that ISPs don't have the manpower to snoop on their customers. But here's a tip - if you have a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife who works for the same ISP as you use to connect to the Internet, and things are not going so well in your relationship, best switch ISPs or use your cellphone's 5G connection. Just a bit of advice from the old relationship counselors, EB and TC.

Sales of the following products and services help support our newsletters, websites, and free computer help services we provide.

Cloudeight Direct Computer Care: Single Keys, SeniorPass, or Season Tickets - always a great deal. Cloudeight Direct Computer Care is like having PC insurance. Get more information here.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware:  Emsisoft is the only Cloudeight-endorsed and recommended Windows security program. It provides users with a complete antivirus, antimalware, anti-ransomware, and anti-PUPs solution. We offer single Emsisoft licenses and multi-computer licenses at discount prices. Also, we offer our exclusive Emsisoft with Cloudeight installation & setup. Get more information here.

Reg Organizer: Reg Organizer is the Swiss Army Knife of Windows tools. It's far more than just a registry optimizer and cleaner... it's a Windows all-in-one toolkit. Reg Organizer helps you keep your computer in tip-top shape and helps you solve annoying Windows problems. Reg Organizer works great with Windows 10 and Windows 11! Get more information about Reg Organizer (and get our special discount prices) here.

SeniorPass - One year of Cloudeight Direct Computer Care - unlimited sessions! Get more information here.

Windows 10 Customization: Make Windows 10 look and work the way you want it to. Learn more.

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We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. Thanks so much for your support and for being an InfoAve Weekly subscriber.

Have a great weekend... be safe!

Darcy and TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #1920
Volume 20 Number 26
April 28, 2023 

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