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Penny's computer becomes non-responsive
My two-year-old laptop keeps freezing and when it does, nothing responds. I can't even use CTRL+ALT+DELETE.  I have to shut down the computer by using the power button and just turn it off. After I restart everything responds normally. But then after a few hours, it becomes non-responsive again and I have to shut it off with the power button.

This has been going on for a couple of weeks now.  It's been doing this for 2 days now. Is there anything I can do to fix it? I am using Windows 10. Thanks, Penny.

Our answer
Hi Penny. I wish I could give you a simple one-two-three presto answer, but I cannot. This is the kind of thing we work on almost every day with our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service. It could be too many programs running at startup. Open Task Manager, click the Startup tab and disable as many startup programs as you can. Be careful not to disable your antivirus, sound, or graphics.

It could be Windows corruption. You can try running SFC and DISM scans to see if they help.

It could be that your computer only has 4GB of RAM which is not enough to do extensive multitasking. You should have at least 8GB of RAM. To find how much RAM (memory) you have, type ABOUT in the taskbar search and press Enter when you see "About your PC" appears in the search results. Look next to "Installed RAM" in About Your PC. You can add RAM inexpensively.

It may be Windows search indexing and SysMain (SuperFetch) services using up too much CPU (processor) or RAM or disk.

It could be dozens of other things. Sometimes when we work on a PC it takes us a while to diagnose the problem. There is no easy answer.

I hope something in our answer helps you to pinpoint your problem. Or if you want us to look at it, we'd be happy to. You can buy our repair keys here. 

Diane wants to know how to get her Outlook.com email via her Gmail account
I get much too much junk mail in my Outlook inbox...Yesterday I got 149 junk messages alone….I need to keep my Outlook address though because I get my bills sent there. Can I get my Outlook.com mail at my Gmail address? Since Gmail has better junk filters I don’t have a spam problem with Gmail. Or should I change my billing address to my Gmail address? Please advise. Thanks, Diane.

Our answer
Hi Diane. You can check your @outlook.com email in Gmail by following the instructions below:

Robert wants to know if he cancels MSN (Outlook.com) premium how will affect his email accounts
First, thanks for all you two do for us, non-geek people. I have been with you for many years and have learned a lot.
Microsoft just raised my MSN premium to double what I was previously paying. My question is if I cancel MSN premium how will that affect my use of Hotmail, Outlook.com, Msn.com, etc.?

Our answer
Hi Robert. Thanks for your nice comments and your long-time support

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Sharon says she sees an F drive when she looks in File Explorer
Hi. When I open File Explorer to C:\ drive, I notice another drive on the right side called  - F:\. Where did that drive come from and what is it?  I do not want it. Thanks as always for your help. Sharon.

Our answer
Hi Sharon. Many computers come with a folder/drive containing files allowing the user to do a factory reset. In other words, if something catastrophic happened to your computers you could restore it using a Factory Reset.

I'm not sure that's what that drive is on your computer, but if you didn't put it there and you do not have a USB flash drive, SD card, or external drive plugged into your computer, my best guess is that it contains files that would allow you to do a factory reset in case that became your only restore option.

I really don't have enough information to give you a better guess. But we hope this helps you, Sharon. 

Helen wants to know where to download Thunderbird and if it's still free
Is the Thunderbird email program still free? Where do I go to get this? Love, Helen.

Our answer
Hi Helen,  Love ya too1 Thunderbird is free and you can download it from https://www.thunderbird.net.

This might be one of our shortest answers ever!

Leslie wants to open Windows Character Map
Good Morning, TC & Darcy. I didn't write down the shortcuts to the character map or the one for the Emoji version.  Would you please send those again? I would really appreciate it. Thanks, Leslie.

Our answer
Hi Leslie.  You can open Windows Character Map by typing CHARMAP in the Taskbar Search and pressing Enter when you see Character Map appear in the search results. You can also create a desktop shortcut by right-clicking on the desktop, and choosing "New" > "Shortcut". Where it says Type the location of the item, type CHARMAP, and press Next. It will ask you to type a name for the item, just type Character Map... and click "Finish". If you want the shortcut on your Start menu and/or taskbar, right-click on the desktop shortcut you just made and choose "Pin to Start" or "Pin to taskbar" or both.

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Voice recognition has come a long way. While it’s still not 100% accurate, it’s accurate enough and reliable enough you can use it to dictate recipes, emails, reminders, notes, essays, short stories, journals, and even angry letters to the editor!

To use the new and improved dictation feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11, press and hold down the Windows Key and tap the H key. Place your cursor in (almost) any text field and start talking. It works with almost any app including MS Word, Notepad, WordPad, Gmail, Outlook, Outlook.com, etc.

Using Windows 10 Dictation

Use the Windows key shortcut Windows key + H to begin.  Click the “microphone” icon in the dictation bar.

When it’s done initializing, you’ll see “Listening” and then you can start talking. Here’s an example of Windows 10 Dictation being used with Notepad. 

As you can see above Windows 10 Dictation is “Listening…” and you can see what I’ve dictated so far.  You can add punctuation by saying "comma", "period", "semi-colon", "exclamation point", etc.  And if you want a new line, say, “new line”. If you want a new paragraph, say “new paragraph”. You get the idea. The more you use Windows Dictation, the better it gets at understanding your voice.

When you’re done dictating just say “Stop dictating”.

Using Microsoft Speech Services (dictation) in Windows 11

And you’ll be glad to know that dictation gets even better, more accurate, and more fluid in Windows 11. It even gets a new name, “Microsoft Speech Services”. But it works the same way it works in Windows 11.  Open Windows Speech Services in Windows 11 by using the Windows key + H shortcut.

Here’s Windows Speech Services opening in Windows 11. To begin voice typing, just click the microphone icon, or as Microsoft puts it the “mic button”. 

I put Windows Speech Services in Windows 11 through a rather difficult test using a poem by A.E. Housman. I’ll give Windows Speech Service an A-minus, it only made one major mistake… where it should have been “rose lipt maids” Windows Speech Services typed “rows left”. But “rose lipt” isn’t a common expression and I don’t want to be too critical because Windows Speech Services worked well. Even the spell-checker I’m using to write this doesn’t like the word “lipt”.

And, like Windows 10’s Dictation feature, you can use Windows 11 Microsoft Voice Services to type reminders, notes, recipes, journals, essays, stories, lists, emails, and more.

Here’s an email I wrote using Microsoft Speech Services…

Unfortunately (and predictably) Darcy ignored my email, and I didn’t get my raise. But I can’t blame that on poor dictation by Microsoft Speech Services!

When you first start using Microsoft Speech Services in Windows 11, it will ask if you want to contribute your voice clips to make Speech Services better. You can choose “Yes” to contribute your voice clips – or “No” if you don’t want to contribute.

Now you know how to save yourself a lot of typing whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Criminals are Using AI to Turn Innocent Social Media Photos Into Embarrassing Explicit Images
A tip for everyone

In recent years, there has been a rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for criminal purposes. One of the most troubling ways that AI is being used is to turn innocent social media photos into embarrassing explicit images.

This is done by using AI-powered software to create deepfakes. Deepfakes are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness. This can be done by using AI to train a model on a large dataset of images and videos of the two people. Once the model is trained, it can be used to generate a new image or video in which the person's likeness has been swapped.

In the case of social media photos, criminals can use deepfakes to create embarrassing or even illegal images. For example, they could create a deepfake of someone in a compromising position, or they could create a deepfake of someone doing something illegal. These images could then be used to blackmail or extort the victim, or they could be shared online to embarrass or humiliate them.

There are a number of things that people can do to protect themselves from this type of crime. One is to be careful about what photos they share on social media. If you are concerned about your privacy, you can also choose to use privacy settings that limit who can see your photos. Additionally, you can be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on your social media accounts. If you see anything that looks like it might be a deepfake, you should report it to the social media platform immediately.

It is important to remember that deepfakes are not just a problem for celebrities or public figures. Anyone can be a victim of this type of crime. If you are concerned about your privacy, you should take steps to protect yourself.

Here are some additional tips for protecting yourself from deepfakes:

• Be careful about what information you share online.
• Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
• Be suspicious of any unsolicited emails or messages.
• Report any suspicious activity to the social media platform or website where you encountered it.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends about deepfakes.

Be careful, be wary, and use common sense to help to protect yourself from this type of crime. AI is changing the world... don't let it ruin yours. 

• Open the Chrome browser.
• Click the three dots in the top right corner of the window.
• Select "Settings."
• Scroll down and click "Sync."
• Make sure that the "Sync everything" option is checked.
• Click "Sign in", then enter your Google account information, and click "Sign in."

• Open the Chrome browser.
• Click the three dots in the top right corner of the window.
• Tap "Settings."
• Scroll down and tap "Sync."
• Make sure you select "Sync everything".
• Tap "Sign in."
•  Enter your Google account information and click "Sign in."

• You can also choose to sync your browsing history, passwords, and other settings.
• You can choose to sync your data over Wi-Fi only to save mobile data.
• You can sign out of sync (turn off sync) at any time.

• Make sure that you are signed in to the same Google account on both devices.
• Make sure that both devices are connected to the internet.
• Try restarting both devices.
• Clear the cache and data for the Chrome app on both devices. See this page.
• Uninstall and reinstall Google Chrome on Windows and the Google Chrome app on your Android phone.

Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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This Cloudeight Site Pick is Not Trivial

Trivia Buffs will Love Trivia Plaza

A long, long time ago, in a kingdom by the sea, there lived a young man who played Trivial Pursuit with anyone who would play it with him. It didn’t take long before everyone who played against him found his Achilles’ heel — the category was “Entertainment”.

Yep, that young man was me and I was a terror at Trivial Pursuit in every category except Entertainment. Like I know who Tom Hanks and Gene Wilder and Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart are. But I have no idea who most actors and actresses are. For example, I thought Reese Witherspoon was a basketball player — and that’s the truth. I thought Kanye West was a girl. Stuff like that. I didn’t know entertainment when I was young and I know even less about it now. Unlike EB I don’t have my head buried in “People” magazine and I sure don’t read “Cosmopolitan” – I know EB should be ashamed.

The point is, and yes I do have one, that almost everyone loves a good trivia quiz. I guess because if you flunk a trivia quiz you can still think you’re smart, whereas if you took a test of general knowledge and flunked you’d probably cry. EB did.

EB has been the butt of my jokes for a long time and I’m sure she’ll continue to be because she treats me so poorly this is the only way I can get back at her and live. Even then, every weekend I live in fear that she’ll be hiding in the dark ready to swat me or do something awful in retribution. But hey, it’s only fair that I get a chance to take a few verbal swipes at her. And yes, everything I tell you about EB is 100% true! Just in case you think I make it all up, I want to tell you she’s as mean as I tell you she is. Just be glad you’re not her neighbor. She has a sign at the end of her driveway that says “Stay out or be shot”. And if you’re tempted just look up at her front porch and you’ll see granny EB sitting there in a housedress cradling a shotgun. I shudder.

Getting back to the subject at hand: One good thing EB did this week – during her idle time, and she has lots of it because I do all the work — was find this site of the week. Of course, she knows I’m a Trivia buff, she just doesn’t think I know anything. But I’m going to prove her wrong. And a lot of you think I’m full of hot air and don’t know much; I’m going to prove you wrong too — just hold onto your britches there buster.

The site is called Trivia Plaza. If you love Trivia as much as I do, then you’ll really love this site. If you waste time as much as EB does, then you’ll really love this site too. And yes, for all you non-believers, I actually really did try the site. Want to see proof?

You can clearly see from the image above, I actually visited our site of the week. You can also see the categories of Trivia offered. Look up! See?

Some of you think I make up 90% of the stuff I write and that I don’t know much about anything, but look up and you’ll see I got an A in the “Computer Abbreviations I” category. Ha-ha!

Proving that I’m an old geezer, look above and you’ll see I scored 100% and got an A in the 1965 lyrics category.

So there you have it folks. You’ve now learned that TC is not completely hopeless and lost, he’s just being held back by the mean and incorrigible EB. Given a chance, as you can see, he shines!

EB would not allow me to post her Trivia test results under threat of horrible things. I don’t like the horrible things she is capable of so, as you can see, I complied. Her results will remain classified!

If you like Trivia as much as we do, you’ll love our site of the week, Trivia Plaza — discovered by EB and conquered by TC!

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A Case for Heaven

Our world is filled with contrasting experiences and outcomes. It has become painfully apparent to me that life is not fair, or at the very least fairness is not distributed equally. A lady in my neighborhood called "Helen" had a son with Down Syndrome nearly 30 years ago. Her life, her love, and her struggles highlight the disparity between her life and those who live lives of wealth, affluence, and sometimes debauchery.

In my world, Helen's unwavering dedication, selflessness, and love for her child, exemplify the strength and resilience that make me question the fairness of life. I've thought deeply about the stark contrast between her life and the lives of the privileged, leading me to ponder the necessity of a place like heaven, where justice, equity, and equality can find their ultimate realization.

Helen's life took an unexpected turn when she gave birth to a child with Down Syndrome. Shortly after the child's birth, her husband abandoned her and the baby. Despite the adversities and challenges she faced, she chose to dedicate her life to unwaveringly loving...

Read the rest of this essay here.

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What is "Generative AI"?

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can create new content, such as text, images, or music. It does this by learning from existing data and then using that data to generate new examples that are similar to the data it has learned from.

Generative AI is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

Creating new content: Generative AI can be used to create new text, images, or music. This can be used for a variety of purposes, such as generating new ideas for products or services, creating new marketing materials, or generating new forms of art.

Improving existing content: Generative AI can be used to improve the quality of existing content. For example, it can be used to generate new ideas for blog posts, improve the quality of product descriptions, or create new variations of existing designs.

Personalizing content: Generative AI can be used to personalize content for individual users. For example, it can be used to generate new recommendations for products or services, create new personalized learning experiences, or generate new forms of entertainment.

Generative AI is a rapidly developing field, and there are many new applications for this technology being developed all the time. As generative AI continues to develop, it is likely to have a significant impact on a wide range of industries.

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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 #1027
Volume 20 Number 33
June 16, 2023 

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