Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly
Issue #1056
Volume 21 Number 10
January 5, 2024
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! We wish you all the very best in 2024.
Welcome to Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Issue #1056. 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.
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Our Winter Donation Drive is underway!
This week we gladly helped dozens of people solve their computer problems by email quickly and free of charge.
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 helps 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!
Robert wants us to evaluate
UpdateHub
Can you please give me your take on the
program called UpdateHub, I saw on OlderGeeks?
Our answer
Hi
Robert. What do I think of UpdateHub? It's nonsense. It's just another
Ninite that makes a living scaring people into thinking if you're not
using the most updated version of a program the boogeyman will get you.
The only programs you have to keep updated are your browsers, email
programs, your security software, and Windows. Worrying about updating
image editors, word processors, file managers, and the like just gives
you something else to worry about you don't need to worry about. We want
people to focus on the important things - keeping Windows updated, using
good antimalware software, using caution when clicking links in emails,
and using good common sense when browsing. You don't need UpdateHub or
Ninite to keep every program on your computer updated.
Hope this
answers your question, Robert.
Terry gets Blue
Screens and wants to send his Event Logs to
Microsoft
How can I send
Microsoft an event log? Maybe you can give a site
where to upload a log to get answers. While using MS
Solitaire and Causal Games I get a BSOD and the PC
restarts and all is OK If you want the Event Log I
can send it. I need answers before I do a clean
reinstall of Windows.
Our answer
Hi Terry. We seldom use Event Logs. They're not
reliable, they're sometimes incomprehensible, and
they are replete with dozens - even hundreds - of
inconsequential errors,
I don't know if you're using Windows
10 or Windows 11 or if the games you're using were
those that came with Windows or games you installed.
There are a lot of tips going around on how to make
Windows 7 games work on Windows 10 and Windows 11
that can cause big problems.
Blue Screens are
not caused by games - they're caused by driver
errors or corrupted operating system files. If you
installed a driver updater (for instance), these
types of programs can cause serious errors and blue
screens. If your Windows installation has corrupt
system files this could cause the problem. You can
run SFC and DISM scans to find and fix Windows
corruption. The procedure is the same whether you're
using Windows 10 or Windows 11. See this page for a
tutorial. Keep in mind if you're trying to run
Windows 7 games on Windows 10 or Windows 11 this
will prevent the games from running on Windows 10 or
Windows 11 because they are not meant to run on
those operating systems.
And one other thing, with Windows Reset (Windows
10/Windows 11) you rarely have to do a clean install
to fix a problem. You can run a Windows Reset and
reinstall a fresh copy of Windows and still keep all
your personal files.
See this page to learn how.
Other than my
comments and suggestions above, I don't have enough
information to give you a more definitive answer but
I doubt the Event Logs would be helpful.
Leora uses RoboForm and she
wonders if she will lose her passwords if she gets a new PC
My computer is getting old and slow. If it should decide not to
start one of these days and I have to get a new one will I lose all
my passwords on RoboForm? I have been using RoboForm for quite a
while so I am hoping my info is saved online. Thanks! Leora.
Our answer
Hi Leora. If your computer stops working, or your computer turns
into strawberry jam, or if it turns into a giraffe and runs off to
join a circus, you won't lose your passwords. You can install
RoboForm on your new PC and sign in with your username and master
password and voila! Your passwords are all there and ready to use
just like on your old PC.
As long as
you remember your master password and your user name - your
passwords are safe no matter what.
I hope this eases your
mind, Leora.
I'm another long-time follower I have a problem at present with the following: I get "pages unresponsive you can wait for the page to become responsive or exit the page" messages. It seems to be getting worse and at times I've had to restart my computers. I am using a desktop but the same thing is happening on my wife's laptop. Both have Windows 10. Hope you can help. John.
Our answer
Hi John. Thanks for your long-time friendship and support, John.
If this is happening on two different computers, it's most likely a problem with your Internet. It could be your ISP, it could be your router/modem, or could be both. It's definitely not Windows and probably not a PC hardware problem if it's happening on 2 different computers.
Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can check the lines coming into your house and your equipment (modem/router) in your house all remotely so they don't have to come to your house to do it. If they find an external problem (lines, outside equipment, etc.) they will send a technician to repair it. If it's inside your house (modem/router/etc.) and they provide you with the modem/router/equipment, they'll send you new equipment. If you own the modem/router you'll have to buy a new one if they find that the problem is with your modem or router or modem/router combo.
If this were just happening on one computer it might be a problem with the PC's network card or wireless card, but it would be highly unlikely 2 computers would have the same problem at the same time... that's why I advise you to call your provider and have them check your internet connection and equipment.
We hope this helps you, John.
We've helped hundreds and hundreds of you with your computers since we started our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Service! If you're having computer problems - we CAN help you!
We all know that sooner or later our computers are going to start having problems. We can help you with any computer need -- from diagnosing and fixing Windows problems - to setting up a wireless network for you - to safeguarding by creating an image-based backup (the only kind that really works when you really need it to work) - to cleaning up your computer and optimizing it -- and more. We can do almost anything you need done and we guarantee our work - you're either satisfied or we'll refund your money.
We connect to your computer and fix it while you watch
We will connect to your computer via the Internet and fix any problems you may be having. You can watch us work and chat with us while we do. If you have any computer questions you'd like to ask we'll be glad to answer them for you. We don't just fix your computer, we explain what we're doing and why we're doing it and we are right there with the entire time. Since we've started we've helped hundreds of you with your computer problems and we've received dozens of referrals and testimonials from our readers and customers.
We offer many other computer services too! If you have a problem with your computer - we can fix it!
Get
more information about Cloudeight Direct Computer Care and / or get your
repair keys here.
Hi, TC. On my desktop icons, there are symbols I have never seen before. First, I saw little file boxes on some of them. Now I see white check marks in a green circle, and blue arrows in a white box pointing to the upper right corner. What's up with those symbols? Thanks. Leslie.
Our answer
Hi Leslie. The white boxes with blue arrows pointing northeast (toward the upper right corner) are there to show that the icon is a shortcut to something and not a file. If you use OneDrive, files that you marked as "Always keep on this device" have a green circle with the white check mark on them. These files are always available on your device and take up space, but they're always there for you even when you're offline.
I hope this answers your question, Leslie.
Hello, my dear computer friends. I noticed in the newsletter from today, you are discontinuing the Senior Pass. May I ask why, please? My next question is are you still going to offer any type of computer repair keys and if so, where would I find information for those? Thank you.
Our answer
Hi Cheryl. We are discontinuing our annual pass programs (like the SeniorPass) so that we can schedule all who need help quickly - without delay. And since we give priority to season pass holders...we are limiting the number of passes we sell. Everyone who currently has a SeniorPass or an annual pass will not be affected. We just want to be sure we can take care of all our annual pass holders and that's why we decided to limit the number of SeniorPasses we sell.
We will continue to sell single-use keys and will, as always, offer specials throughout the year. We will continue to offer Emsisoft with installation and OE Classic installation services as well. The only items affected by this are the annual service keys like SeniorPass. We want to emphasize that those who now have SeniorPasses and those who bought them during our Christmas sale will be able to enjoy the quick and reliable service we've always provided to our customers.
We hope this answers your questions, Cheryl.
Janet got her husband a new laptop - now her files are his files
I gifted my husband a new laptop computer for Christmas. We went to set it up and it copied all the information from my desktop computer! I think we need help getting it set for him.
Our Answer
Hi Janet. The only way the files and folder on your computer would show up on a new laptop is if you're using OneDrive on both computers and you created the same user account using the same email address on the new computer. For instance, if you use BigHolidayJan99@whatever.com or Grinches@whoville.tv or another email address as your Microsoft Account email address on the old PC and you use the same email address to create a user account on the new computer (laptop), then all the personal files and folders from the old PC will appear on the new laptop as well. If that is a problem, the solution is to reset the new laptop, wipe out everything, and start over - but this time by using a different user account email address on the new computer.
If you decide to reset the new laptop and need help doing so, let me know and I'll help.
Now available: Reg Organizer 9.31
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 9.31. 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!
An Easy Tip to Make
Windows Easier to Use
Windows
10/Windows 11
A Quick Quiz for You…
What is the quickest way to access all the following items in Windows?
Apps & Features/Installed apps, Mobility Center, Power Options, Event Viewer, Device Manager, Network Connections, Disk Management, Computer Management?
A. Settings
B. Control Panel
C. Start Menu
D. Hidden Start Menu
E. None of these
Who said D? You’re right!
The hidden start menu, also known as the right-click Start menu or the Power users’ menu is the fastest way to access Device Manager, Power Options, Event Viewer, Disk Management, etc. You can access this menu by right-clicking the Windows start button or, if you’re a keyboard shortcut fan like us, you can open this menu by holding down the Windows key and tapping X. In Windows 11, the way you access the menu makes a difference.
Above: The right-click or hidden Start menu (Windows 10).
Below: The right-click or hidden Start menu (Windows 11) when you right-click the Start button.
Below is the right-click or hidden Windows 11 Start menu you’ll see when you use the Windows key shortcut Windows Key + X. Do you see the difference? Underlined letters let you use shortcuts to select an item from the menu. For instance, with the menu open tap the Y key to access “System” or tap “M” to open “Device Manager”.
Now you know an easy way to access some important Windows features with only a click or a Windows Key shortcut.
Two Gmail Tips: How and
Why to Enable the Send and Archive Button; How to Set
the Default Text Style in Gmail
Enable the Send & Archive button and keep your inbox cleaner
If your Gmail inbox contains a long list of emails that you’ve already replied to (and by default, they’ll stay in your inbox even after you’ve replied), here’s a tip that allows you to reply and archive an email simultaneously. So, when you reply to someone, their email is moved from the inbox to the “all mail” folder as soon as you hit the “Send & Archive” button.
So how do you get the “Send & Archive button”? Easy!
Open Gmail, click on the gear icon near the top right, and click “See all settings”.
Under the “General” tab, scroll down until you see “Show ‘Send & Archive’” and” tick the box next to the Show ‘Send & Archive button in reply.
Next: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Save changes”.
Now when you reply to an email using the Send & Archive button, the mail you replied to is moved out of your inbox and archived in the “All Mail” folder, making for a much less cluttered inbox… plus you will still have a copy of the mail in your Sent folder and the All Mail folder.
How to change the default text style (font) in Gmail
Open Gmail, click on the gear icon near the top right, and click “See all settings”.
Scroll down in “Settings” until you see “Default text style”.
Click the small down arrow next to the current font name to open the text style (font) menu.
When the menu opens, select the font you want to use as your Gmail default.
And don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Save changes” button or all your work will have been for naught!
Three Quick and
Easy Windows Tips for Everyone
Windows
10/Windows 11
1. Take a Snippet of what’s on your screen without any 3rd-party software
Press Windows Key + Shift + S to open the snipping bar. Drag the cursor over the area you want to capture. The area you snipped will be saved to your clipboard. You can paste it into MS Paint (type PAINT in the taskbar search to open PAINT) or your favorite image editor. Then give your snippet a name and save it in PNG or JPG format.
2. Pause Windows updates until a more convenient time
To temporarily delay updates for your device:
1. Right-click on the Start button and click “Settings”.
2. a. Windows 11: In Settings click on
Windows Update.
b. Windows
10: In Settings click on “Update & Security” then
choose Windows Update
3. Select “Pause updates”
Or better yet – reschedule the update
You can reschedule the update so your computer will restart when it is more convenient for you. To do this, all you need to do is right-click on the Update icon in your taskbar and choose “Reschedule restart”
We think it’s better to reschedule the update restart than to pause updates. But you’re the boss!
If you choose to pause updates, remember, that once you reach the pause limit (5 times – 35 days), you’ll need to install the latest updates before you can pause updates again.
3. A quick way to find your Windows username and system (computer) name
Type CMD in the taskbar search.
When the Command Prompt appears in the search results press “Enter”
When the Command Prompt opens type WHOAMI (that’s Who Am I, all one word) at the prompt and press Enter.
You’ll see your system name (computer name) and username displayed like this:
system name/username
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.
We've helped hundreds and hundreds of you with your computers since we started our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Service! If you're having computer problems - we CAN help you!
We all know that sooner or later our computers are going to start having problems. We can help you with any computer need -- from diagnosing and fixing Windows problems - to setting up a wireless network for you - to safeguarding by creating an image-based backup (the only kind that really works when you really need it to work) - to cleaning up your computer and optimizing it -- and more. We can do almost anything you need done and we guarantee our work - you're either satisfied or we'll refund your money.
We connect to your computer and fix it while you watch
We will connect to your computer via the Internet and fix any problems you may be having. You can watch us work and chat with us while we do. If you have any computer questions you'd like to ask we'll be glad to answer them for you. We don't just fix your computer, we explain what we're doing and why we're doing it and we are right there with the entire time. Since we've started we've helped hundreds of you with your computer problems and we've received dozens of referrals and testimonials from our readers and customers.
We offer many other computer services too! If you have a problem with your computer - we can fix it!
Get
more information about Cloudeight Direct Computer Care and / or get your
repair keys here.
DoNotSpy11: Take Control of Your Windows Privacy
As most of you know, privacy is a precious commodity in this day and age. We’re constantly bombarded with targeted ads, data collection, and invasive tracking. Windows 10 and 11 offer some privacy controls, they’re not set with your privacy in mind, plus they are often convoluted and buried deep within the Settings menus. This is where DoNotSpy11 can help you sort things out.
DoNotSpy11 is a free (there is a “freemium” version available starting at $5) Windows application that empowers you to take control of your privacy. It provides a user-friendly interface to manage a vast array of settings, making it easy to disable telemetry, location tracking, targeted advertising, and more.
DoNotSpy11 allows you to:
* Manage privacy settings for Windows, Microsoft Edge, Office, and various other applications.
* Tweak individual settings to achieve the desired level of privacy.
* A simple and intuitive interface makes it accessible for users of all technical levels.
* Safely change Windows privacy settings. Color coding helps you decide what tweaks are safer than others. Those in blue are listed as safe, those in orange require more reading, and those in red are not recommended.
DoNotSpy11 is a lightweight app that doesn’t hog system resources and runs quietly in the background.
If you’re concerned about your privacy on Windows, DoNotSpy11 is worth considering. It’s a powerful tool that makes it easy to take back control of your data and keep more of your precious data private. But remember. some settings will affect the functionality of certain Windows features. You have to decide if you value privacy over convenience.
Here are some screenshots of DoNotSpy11.
We recommend clicking on Actions (on the top toolbar) and creating a restore point before applying any changes. That way if something goes awry, or you don’t like the changes made, you can quickly go back to your original settings. We also recommend that you take time to read the documentation before you make any changes.
Now we’ll let the developer of DoNotSpy11 tell you more about the program:
DoNotSpy11 is the successor of DoNotSpy10, the world’s first antispy tool for Windows 10. Its straight-forward user interface allows you to manage how Windows 10, Windows 11, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Office respect your privacy. Microsoft introduced many new “diagnostic” features with Windows 10. These services help Microsoft collect usage data and thus to provide a better service. However, collecting and sharing your data with one of the world’s leading technology companies puts your privacy at risk. There are services which are able to record your keyboard input, your speech and any other user interactions. Others share your WiFi credentials with your contact or connect you to networks shared by your contacts.
DoNotSpy11 provides you with the opportunity to easily manage what you want to share and what not. While many of the settings represent what you can configure using the Settings and various other apps, there are also tweaks that are not easily accessible through the apps Windows provides. DoNotSpy11 combines them all in one application – it’s time to protect your privacy, let’s start!
Visit the DoNotSpy11 home page to learn more about DoNotSpy11 – including videos, screenshots, and more – and/or download DoNotSpy11. Or you can also download DoNotSpy11 from MajorGeeks here.
We gladly help everyone who writes every day by answering their questions and helping to solve their computer problems. Please help us continue to do that!
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 helps 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!
A Rockin’ New Year’s Eve
First, before I get started, let me make it clear that I, for one, don’t like the term “Rockin'”. What does it really mean? A rocking horse is “rockin'” but only if someone is sitting on it. My recliner rocks, but only if I’m a wake and making it rock. I don’t like the term “You Rock!” either. I don’t rock, but if I keep on eating too much, I may roll. Anyway, every time I see the promos for “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”, the contents of my stomach nearly befoul my home’s cheap faux wood flooring.
If I rock my way into the new year, it will be in my recliner, which certainly does rock – but not in the way “You Rock”. So, if I can stay awake until midnight, which is doubtful, I will be sitting in my recliner having “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve”. But I don’t think that’s what the TV network means when it advertises the ” New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” special that has been on every year with Dick Clark (he’s rockin’ on a different plane now) and without him for decades it seems.
Let me say, at this point, at least, it looks like I’m going to make it and wake up in the “new year”...
Read the rest of this essay here.
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!
What is
doxxing?
According to the
International Encyclopedia of Gender, Media, and
Communication, doxxing is the intentional revelation
of a person’s private information online without
their consent, often with malicious intent. This
includes the sharing of phone numbers, home
addresses, identification numbers and essentially
any sensitive and previously private information
such as personal photos that could make the victim
identifiable and potentially exposed to further
harassment, humiliation and real-life threats
including stalking and unwanted encounters in
person.
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!
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Help us by using our Start Page. It costs nothing, and it helps us a lot.
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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 #1056
Volume 21 Number 10
January 5, 2024
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