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Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Issue #1039 Volume 20 Number 45 September 8, 2023 Dear Friends, Welcome to Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Issue #1039. 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.
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Beth wants to know how to
make a bootable Windows 11 USB drive. Our answer To create a bootable USB drive, you will need a USB drive that is at least 8GB in size and a copy of the Windows 10 or 11 installation media. You can download installation media from Microsoft from the following links:
Windows 10 (for those who are reading this and using Windows
10). Please read the info in the section we labeled "Important". It contains instructions for creating a bootable Windows 10 USB flash drive.
Windows 11 The bootable USB flash drive you create can be used to install Windows 10 or 11 on your computer; it can also be used to boot your computer should you have problems starting Windows. I hope this helps, Beth. Bill is using Bitwarden
and Emsisoft but his email address was still compromised. I have been a subscriber to your newsletter for over a decade and I know you two will never steer us wrong. I trust you implicitly and I have recommended you to my family members and friends. I hope you can help me understand how my email was compromised even though I use Emsisoft and one of your recommended password managers. Thanks, Bill. Our answer For instance, when Equifax was breached, criminals stole user information and passwords from Equifax, not from personal computers. The same is true of any breach you read about in the news. If your information is stored by a site that is breached, then your information could be compromised. You really can't prevent companies on the web from being hacked, all you can do is use very strong passwords, and if your email passwords are stolen in an online data breach, change your password immediately. It's also a good idea to change your passwords for sites that possess your personal info every few months. There's nothing you can install on your computer or that you could have done to prevent your email address or other personal information from being stolen by hackers from a site that you entrusted with your personal info. We hope this helps you, Bill.
Bev wants to know
what's wrong with Thunderbird Our answer But Thunderbird is still one of the only good free options. And while we no longer use it or don't recommend it there is no reason for those who use it like it, to stop using it. There's nothing wrong with it. It's certainly not malware of any kind and it's still a respectable email client. I hope this answers your question, Bev.
Leslie wants to know how we
add red arrows to screenshots Our answer I believe this is an example of what you are asking about...
I hope this answers your question, Leslie.
THE ONLY CLOUDEIGHT-ENDORSED EMAIL PROGRAM OE Classic is the only Cloudeight Endorsed Email Program - Very Similar to Windows Mail & Outlook Express! If you're looking for an email program that feels familiar and works
much like Windows Mail & Outlook Express, OE Classic might be exactly
what you've been looking for! Virginia wants simple
step-by-step instructions for resetting her Windows
11 PC Our answer 1. Type RECOVERY OPTIONS in the taskbar search. 2. Press Enter when "Recovery options" appears.
3. Click on "Reset PC". and the following page (see the screenshot below) will appear. If you want to keep your personal files (Pictures, Music, Documents, etc.) click on "Keep my files". If you want to wipe out everything and reinstall Windows 11, click on "Remove everything"
When you click on one or the other you'll see this page...
4. You can choose either Local reinstall or Cloud download. Cloud download can take several hours depending on your internet connection speed. I suggest you try Local reinstall first. It usually works and saves time. If it doesn't work, you always have the option to try Cloud download later. 5. Once you've chosen Local or Cloud, you'll see a recap of the options you've chosen and a confirmation that you indeed do want to reset your PC. If you want to reset your PC, confirm it. Once the reset starts it's automatic and cannot be stopped. A local reset will take about an hour. A Cloud reset can take several hours. We hope this helps you, Virginia.
Rosa asks about
creating a Windows 11 recovery drive Our answer If you don't feel this is enough you can create a Windows 11 Installation USB that you can use to boot your computer and reinstall Windows or do a repair install of Windows 11. To create a Windows 11 Installation USB you'll need a new USB flash drive with at least 8GB capacity. See this page... and under "Create Installation media" click on "Before you begin" for instructions then click on "Download now' to download the installation files. You do not need a Windows 11 product key to reinstall Windows 11. Any computer that has had a valid copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11 installed on it has the product key hardcoded into its hardware. Let me know if you need more help, Rosa.
Bruce wants us to compare
Thunderbird and OE Classic I'm curious if you think migrating to your OE Classic is worth considering. How does it compare to Thunderbird? I have a pretty robust folder and archiving structure. I also use various filters for handling incoming mail and diverting it to appropriate folders. Can those along with the emails contained therein be ported over easily? How about the address book and use of address lists? Our answer Darcy and I both use OE Classic for our business and personal. email - I'm using it right now to reply to you. Comparing OE Classic to Thunderbird is like comparing the old Outlook Express or Windows Mail to Microsoft Outlook. Outlook has tons of bells and whistles that some people seem to need. Thunderbird has lots of bells and whistles like themes, local folders, calendars, extensions, etc. that OE Classic does not. We think OE Classic is faster, lighter, and easier to use than Thunderbird. I've never been a fan of Thunderbird and only used it enough so I could answer questions about it. To me, Thunderbird seems a bit heavy and clumsy like Outlook. But that's my personal opinion. You can import your address book from Thunderbird. If you are using Outlook.com, Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail, and your folder structure is set up on those web apps then those will be synchronized in OE Classic. Any mail you have in your Yahoo, Outlook.com, Hotmail, and/or Gmail accounts will also be synchronized with OE Classic. Your local folder structure and message rules cannot be imported from Thunderbird. But OE Classic does allow message rules to be set up. We're both using OE Classic because it's the closest email program to the old Outlook Express/Windows Mail. if you use all the bells & whistles of Thunderbird then you probably would find OE Classic too elemental. So, it's a matter of what you like and how you use email. For Darcy & I who answer and write hundreds of emails a week, OE Classic does the job for us. We hope this answers your questions, Bruce. We can fix your Windows computer... check out our low prices here!
Quick Power Tip: Another Way to Shutdown, Restart, Sign
out... Go to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 desktop (if you're not there now you can get there quickly by pressing Windows Key + D). Now press the ALT + F4 keys. What do your bloodshot eyes behold? A Windows Shutdown (restart, switch user, log off, etc.) dialog that you've probably never seen before. Anyway, when you are on the Windows 10 desktop, press the ALT + F4 keys and you'll see this:
And when you are on the Windows 11 desktop, press the ALT + F4 keys, and you'll see this:
Now you know another way to shut down, sign out, sleep (not you, your computer), switch user, or restart. All you have to do is ALT + F4 from the Windows 10 or Windows 11 desktop. Now you can look like a power user. Amaze your friends!
How to Delete
Temporary Files in Windows 10 and Windows 11 Using File
Explorer If you’ve ever used Storage Sense (Settings) or Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files, you’ve probably noticed there are still many temporary files remaining after the cleanup. If you want to clean nearly all your temporary files, try using File Explorer. 1. Important: Save anything you’re working on and close all open programs. 2. Press Windows + R to open a Run box. 3. Type %temp% into the Run box and press “Enter”.
4. A File Explorer window will open with a lot of temporary files and folders. Press Ctrl + A to select all the temporary files at once. When all are selected, right-click and choose “Delete”. IMPORTANT: If you get a warning that certain files can’t be deleted – it’s because they’re in use. If you see this warning, just choose “Skip” to continue.
Above: All temp files are selected in Windows
10.
You’re almost done… 5. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and choose “Empty Recycle Bin.” That’s it. Now you know how to delete almost all of your temporary files using File Explorer. But remember, you can never delete all temporary files because as long as Windows is running, temporary files are constantly being created.
DuckDuckGo is Free,
but They’re Spending Millions on TV Advertising. Where’s
the Money Coming From? We’ve written about DuckDuckGo search before and we’ve recommended it to those of you who think Google’s tracking and accumulation of data is creepy. We’ve even written about DuckDuckGo’s new browser – though, in our opinion, it’s still not ready for prime time. But they are adding more compelling features which we’ll review soon. Recently. I’ve seen many advertisements for DuckDuckGo appearing quite frequently on TV. I’m not an avid TV watcher but I do some streaming in the evening and watch shows and movies on ad-support streaming TV apps like Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Freevee TV, Plex TV, and others. I also watch some non-streaming TV, but not as often. At the bottom of this post, you can watch one of the DuckDuckGo ads that I’ve seen on TV. I know that professionally produced TV advertisements are not cheap to make and airtime is not cheap, so my cynical brain said to me … “Hey! If DuckDuckGo is free, where are they getting millions of dollars to spend on TV advertising?” I am not very trusting of companies who claim to protect your data and privacy, and then turn around and spend millions on TV commercials that appear frequently across a variety of channels. Skeptical me. There is an “old” saying: If you’re using a service and not paying for it, then “you’re not the customer, you’re the product”. So yeah, I’m skeptical that someone like DuckDuckGo can provide free search services, a free internet browser, and free private email addresses – and spend millions of dollars on advertising. Something just didn’t add up. Data is money — ask Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft – all of which rake in gazillions of dollars by collecting user data. I looked at DuckDuckGo’s flourish of TV ads with a jaded eye. So, I did some research about DuckDuckGo to see if I could find out how they make money – because we’re not talking about a “mom & pop” shop – we’re talking about a company that has always claimed they don’t collect any data from their users yet is spending millions of dollars on TV advertising. Here’s what I found out about how DuckDuckGo… DuckDuckGo makes money in two simple ways Private ads These are ads that are not targeted to you based on your personal information. Instead, they are targeted to the search results page you are viewing. The advertising side is pretty simple. DuckDuckGo says that it is a myth that you have to track users to advertise. In fact, once a person enters a keyword into the search box, if that keyword could be related to a product then the search engine may return an ad within the results. For instance, if you’re searching for “car insurance” then the search engine will return an ad related to car insurance. It’s as simple as that.
Affiliate partnerships DuckDuckGo has affiliate partnerships with some merchants, such as Amazon and eBay. When you click on an affiliate link on DuckDuckGo, and then make a purchase from the merchant, DuckDuckGo gets a small commission. DuckDuckGo says… “Any affiliate links that appear in our regular organic links do not influence our ranking or relevancy functions in any way. That is, they are not advertising like paid placements or paid inclusions, and we only generate revenue from them if you ultimately find them relevant enough to end up purchasing an item. And just like our search advertising, they are not based on any profiling, because we don’t do that. Using the Internet doesn’t have to feel like you’re being watched, listened to, and monitored…” The company can make a lot of money through private ads and affiliate partnerships because they have such a large user base. In 2022, DuckDuckGo had over 120 million active users. This means that there are a lot of people who are seeing the ads and clicking on the affiliate links. DuckDuckGo does not sell your personal data to anyone. This means they do not sell your search history, browsing history, or any other information about you. DuckDuckGo is also working on other ways to make money, such as selling premium features and selling data anonymization services to businesses. But promises it will never make money by tracking its users or collecting data from its users and then selling that data. From what I could find out, DuckDuckGo seems committed to protecting the privacy of its users. The company does not track users or collect any personal information about them. This is why DuckDuckGo is such a popular choice for users concerned about their privacy. I’m skeptical about free stuff, however, I’m now convinced DuckDuckGo is a legitimate, trustworthy company that seems committed to protecting its users' privacy. If you've not seen a DuckDuckGo TV ad, here's one you can watch on YouTube. 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.
iLovePDF – A Treasure Trove of Free and Easy-to-Use PDF Tools
iLovePDF is a free online PDF toolkit that offers a variety of tools to edit, convert, and manage PDF files. It is a popular choice for individuals and businesses alike, and it has been awarded numerous accolades, including being named a Leader and High Performer in Document Creation software by G2. I don’t necessarily “love” PDF. I love chocolate chip cookies. But iLovePDF is the name of our site pick today. So, you’ve got to love it! This site will appeal to those of you who work with PDF files quite often and who find some of the free PDF readers lacking. Now, first of all, if you have Windows 10 or Windows 11 you can create PDF files with ease. However, Windows’ PDF feature is not nearly as robust as those found in some of the better PDF readers. Read more about creating and reading PDFs in Windows 10 without third-party programs of any kind. Recently, while looking for something else, I stumbled upon a site that looked interesting, This morning I finally had a few minutes to take a look at it and test some of its features. Needless to say, I was very impressed, otherwise, it wouldn’t be a Cloudeight Site Pick! The number of useful free PDF services that this site offers, combined with its speed (but remember site speed is dependent on your internet connection speed too) got my attention. As I’ve mentioned, the site is called “iLovePDF” and you can use most of its free services without registering for an account. And just as importantly without any discernible tricks or subterfuge. The site appears to be financially supported by non-intrusive ads and by the products/services it sells. There is a premium version of iLovePDF that is not free, but for most of you, the free version should be more than adequate. iLovePDF's PDF tools are free to use and do not require registration. Here’s a list of the free PDF tools you’ll find on iLovePDF.
iLovePDF couldn’t be any easier to use. Just choose the PDF file(s) on your computer you want to edit/convert/change. Then upload your file or files to iLovePDF by selecting or dragging them to the iLovePDF page. To perform the task you’ve chosen, all you have to do is click a button. In a few seconds (or minutes depending on how many pages you’re working with, how large they are, and how fast your internet connection is) the task you chose will be completed. Next, all you have to do is download the modified files to your computer. If you’re working with multiple pages, you will download the files in zip format.
Here’s what the curators of iLovePDF have to say…
So…If you work with PDF files often, then we think you will find iLovePDF easy to love. Visit iLovePDF now and give it a try.
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Autumn is Coming in
the Winter of My Life Read the rest of this essay here.
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think of Jokers, I think of EB. But I'm not talking
about Joker Wild - or EB the Joker. I'm talking about
Windows wildcards. Jokers wild, EB!
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