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As always, on major holiday weekends, we publish a review edition. Publishing a review edition allows us to take some time off to spend with our families and friends and gives us a chance to feature some of the best questions/answers, tips, and other content from past issues of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly.

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And to everyone, everywhere, we hope you enjoy this special review edition of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly.





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Elaine is wondering about Windows 12
I still use Windows 10 but want to know if it's important for me to upgrade to Windows 11 in light of the possibility of Windows 12 being released in the future. If I do need to upgrade is that something I can set up with you to do or help me do? Thanks, Elaine.

Our answer
Hi Elaine. Windows 12 is probably at least 2 years away. It's not likely Microsoft would release Windows 12 while Windows 10 and Windows 11 are both still supported. And even if they released Windows 12 in 2023 - do you need it?

Windows 10 is supported until October 14, 2025, so there's no need to update to Windows 11 right now unless there is some feature of Windows 11 you want - or unless you like to stay on the cutting edge. It may be helpful for those considering Windows 11 to keep in mind - until a few months before Windows 11 was released - Windows 11 was just another new version of Windows 10.

No one knows much about Windows 12 yet - everything you can read about it is filled with speculation and "insider sources". Our opinion is that if your computer can run Windows 11, it will be able to run Windows 12. And that you'd be able to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 12 without ever installing Windows 11. If you remember, Windows 7 users could upgrade to Windows 10 without ever installing Windows 8. But we are only speculating about Windows 12 at this point, just like everyone else.

We hope this gives you some food for thought, Elaine.

Eileen has tried (almost) everything to fix her PC
Well, I got to the Advanced Boot Menu and tried both options and neither of them worked. It went through diagnosing my PC, Auto Repair and Reset PC. Response: "Auto Repair couldn't repair your PC" and "Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC". What's next? Can I buy some kind of disc that will fix my problem? Eileen

Our answer
Hi Eileen. Once you get to the advanced boot menu. click "Troubleshoot" then click 'Reset" and choose the option to keep your files.

Resetting your PC and choosing the option to keep your files is the quickest and easiest way to fix it. A reset will wipe out Windows and all programs that you installed, save your files, reinstall a fresh copy of Windows and then put your files back. The only thing you have to do after the reset is re-install any programs you need.

Please let us know if you need more help.

David wants to know if we still recommend RoboForm
Some years ago, you advocated RoboForm as - among other things - a 'Log-In' saver.

I have recently been encountering problems with this and RoboForm help has only really told me to make sure RoboForm was enabled in 'Edge' even though my present Browser of choice is Google Chrome.

Are you still promoting RoboForm for saving 'log-ins' or do you suggest something different?

Your reply will be greatly appreciated as always!

Our answer
Hi David. Edge and Chrome can use the same extensions - they are both Chromium browsers. Here is the Google Store page for the free version of RoboForm for Google Chrome.

Darcy still uses RoboForm and it's one of three password managers we recommend. I use Bitwarden on my newer laptop and LastPass on my older laptop although I'm switching the old laptop to Bitwarden also since I can use the free version of Bitwarden on my tablet and smartphone too.

The three we recommend are...

RoboForm
Bitwarden
LastPass

We hope this helps you, David.

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".

We hope this helps you, Annette. 

Euan wants to know if there is an ad blocker that lets him select ads he wants to see.
Hi! Is there something that you can do when you open websites in a browser and they have annoying ads popping up over them? And they also cover the ones you want to look at. Many thanks. Euan.

P.S. Thank you for having an easy and straightforward verification method when ending our comments to you.

Our answer
Hi Euan. I'm not aware of any ad blocker that lets you selectively view some ads and block others. That doesn't mean there isn't one, but we have never heard of one. We recommend Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin in tandem to block ads and together they do a great job.

With uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger, you can allow certain sites to show ads, but you cannot select which ads you want to be shown.

Thanks for your nice comments. We hope this answers your question, Euan.

Richard has a couple of issues with Windows 11
I just upgraded to Windows 11. Two issues so far. One the touch keypad no longer works. I'm typing this on an old fashion keyboard I attached. Second, I see no way to attach a file folder to the taskbar. I put them in the start menu, which was not easy. Any help would be appreciated.

Our answer
Hi Richard. If you're talking about the Windows touch keyboard... if you right-click on the desktop, choose "Personalization" and look under "Taskbar corner icons" you'll see a switch for Touch Keyboard. You can turn it on from there. I just tried my touch keyboard in Windows 11 on both Windows 11 PCs and it works fine. If that doesn't work then you have a Windows issue that may require you to reinstall Windows 11 or run SFC/DISM scans. Or perhaps a future update will fix it.

Pinning a folder to the taskbar is not the same as Windows 10. Even in Windows 10, it was not just a matter of dragging and dropping - see this tutorial. It does not work in Windows 11.

It's easy to pin a folder or app to the Start menu in Windows 11, though. All you have to do is right-click and choose "Pin to start". So, I'm not sure why you're having trouble pinning apps/folders to the start menu. The main start menu does not show everything that is in the start menu, to see the entire start menu, click on "All apps" near the top right. When you see that you'll see a menu similar to other versions of Windows.

We hope this helps you, Richard.

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Save Time: Use These CTRL Key Shortcuts 
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11

Today, we’re going to remind you about one of the most basic time-saving things you can use in your daily computing life. Shortcuts.

In today’s post, we’re going to remind you how handy Ctrl Key shortcuts can be — and why you should use them whenever you can. They will save you time. And what’s more basic than time? We either have too much of it or not enough of it. And, not to be morbid, but we’re all going to run out of it. So, why not save as much time as you can?

And remember, these shortcuts can be used in any version of Windows including Windows 11.

OK ready? Let’s save some time with Ctrl Key shortcuts!

Let’s say you’re reading a page on the Web and you’re looking for a particular word. Do you:

a.) Scan the page manually for the word?

b.) Use the browser’s search feature in the browser toolbar?

c.) Press Ctrl + F to open the page search dialog?

d.) None of the above.

The answer is C. If you’re looking for a word on a page in your web browser, word processor, text editor, or PDF viewer (and many other programs) just press Ctrl + F to open the “Find” dialog. Type in the word(s) you’re looking for and press Enter. That’s it! Just remember F stands for Find. Sure, you can use the program’s search feature too, but why? The CTRL + F shortcut is faster and easier.

OK. If you’re on a page you want to print, do you search for “print” on the toolbar, look for the printer icon, or just press Ctrl + P? Right! You press Ctrl + P to print the page. It’s the fastest way to print.

OK now… you’re using your browser and you want to open a new window? Do you just click the browser’s shortcut to open a new browser window? Nah, just press Ctrl + N. Same thing if you’re using an email program and you want to open a new email compose window. Ctrl + N and type your email.

If you’re working on a document and you want to save it, you can press CTRL+S instead of clicking ‘File’ ‘Save’. If you want “File” > “Save as” you’ll find that Ctrl + S/ works in many applications.

If you want to view your browser’s history, with your browser open use the Ctrl key shortcut, Ctrl + H.

And if you want to view a list of things you’ve recently downloaded, with your browser open use the Ctrl + J.

Let’s review:

Ctrl + F = Find something on a page – in a browser, text editor, PDF editor, eBook, etc. To remember this easily, think F = FIND.

Ctrl + P = Print the document you have open. Whether it’s a web page, a Word doc, a PDF file, a text file, etc. Think P = PRINT.

Ctrl + N = Opens a new window in the program that’s running. Think N = NEW.

Ctrl + S = Saves the document you’re working on. Think S = SAVE.

Ctrl + H = Shows your browser’s history. Think H = History

Ctrl + J = Shows a list of downloads in your browser. Think J= ? I give up! J=Downloads! Junk?

And let us not fail to mention these Ctrl Key shortcuts:

Ctrl + A = Select All

Ctrl + C = Copy

Ctrl + V = Paste

Ctrl + X = Cut

Ctrl + Y = Redo (Reverses a previous undo.)

Ctrl + Z = Restores a deleted file instantly when used immediately after deleting a file. It also restores accidentally changed or deleted text in a document. 

How to Convert Currency Using Windows Calculator
Windows 10 and Windows 11

Microsoft has continued to improve the calculator app in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Did you know that  you can accurately convert currency with the Windows Calculator? You can... and we're going to show you how to do it.

First, let's open the Windows Calculator by typing CALC in the taskbar search and pressing Enter.

Windows 10

Click on the menu icon (3 horizontal lines at the top left) and under “Converter”, select  "Currency".

Windows 11

 

Choose your currency and the Country/Currency you want to convert your currency to… that’s it. If you want to verify the currency exchange rate, click on the link “Update rates”.

You'll note the currency converter is updated to be accurate for the time you use it. See you don't need no stinkin' 3rd-party program or Website to convert currency. And... Windows Calculator also converts Volume, Length, Weight and Mass, Temperature, Energy, Area, Speed, Time, and more. Who knew? Now you do.

Exploring the File Explorer in Windows 11
Windows 11

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

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

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

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

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

Copy to and Move to

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

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

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

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

Subscribe to our free InfoAve Daily newsletter.

Now available: Reg Organizer 8.91

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

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows 10 and Windows 11

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), but 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.

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 the microphone
— Windows key+Shift+O to toggle the 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. 

If Something Happens to Me (Avoiding the "D" Word)

The other day I was talking to one of my sons and I said something like “If something happens to me” about something I wanted him to do in the event of my demise. The older I get the more reference I make to eventual demise. I really don’t know if it’s eventual, imminent, or impending. I’m an old man but even the young don’t know. All I know is we’re all given so many days on this earth and none of us know how many days we have — which at least makes it interesting. It would be awful – for me at least – to know the date of my demise. I mean I think I’d waste too much time focusing on that date or putting things off if the date was in the distant future.

One thing is for sure, I’m an old man and I don’t have a “distant future”. As I’ve said, my demise is eventual, impending, or imminent and I can only hope it’s still in the eventual category.

But what I want to talk about today is our use of euphemisms when it comes to our own demise or the demise of others close to us. We go to extreme measures to avoid the use of the words dead, died, death, and dying unless we’re talking about strangers, those we don’t like, or mass casualties.

For instance: 80 Dead in Yesterday’s Earthquake

If Aunt Millie died yesterday, she is not dead. She did not die, She “passed away” or “passed on”. If 60 people died in a plane crash yesterday, trust me, they’re dead...

Read the rest of this essay here. 

My Computer Takes FOREVER to Boot!

Quite often, with our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, we'll be asked to do a session to fix a slow-booting Windows computer. Many times we find the startup menu loaded with too many unnecessary programs - and the startup services loaded up with too many unnecessary services. And we keep reminding folks that what starts with Windows runs with Windows. So, too many programs and services starting with Windows can do more than cause long boot times, it can cause poor computer performance.

But sometimes, we connect to the customer and do a reboot and we find that their computer is booting in between 2 or 3 minutes. When we measure boot time we measure from the time the computer is restarted until the time the computer is fully usable again (desktop, taskbar and all icons loaded). While that may seem like a long time compared to an Android or an Apple device, it's about par for the course for Windows 10. If your computer boots up within 2 to 4 minutes, that's normal. If your computer is taking longer than that then you have too many programs and services starting with Windows, or you have other problems. Windows 11 (usually) boots faster than Windows 10.

While 2 or 3 minutes may seem agonizingly slow when you're just sitting there staring at the screen waiting for your computer to boot, but it's just Windows being Windows. Go boil an egg!

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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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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.

For those of you in the USA, have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend. Don't forget those who sacrificed so much for all of us.

And those of you in other countries around the world - have a great weekend... be safe!

Your friends at Cloudeight,

Darcy and TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #1024
Volume 20 Number 30
May 26, 2023 

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