Ann is worried because of a scammy scan
Good morning, Darcy and TC.  I am including a scan so TC can see how really bad my computer is.

I also have problems with the Cloudeight home page in Google and problems with File Explorer etc. So, I'm going to need you to check my computer.

One of your big fans, Ann.

Our answer
Hi Ann. Thanks so much.

You're being tricked by whatever program you used to produce the scan you attached into believing that "tracking" cookies are malicious and harmful to your computer. They're not. They're not even harmful to your privacy unless you're extremely paranoid. While the term "Tracking cookies" sounds ominous -they are neither malware nor malicious. A lot of companies have scammed people by selling or offering "anti-spyware" tools that consider tracking cookies to be malware - and whenever you run these types of programs they turn up dozens of malicious files that are not malicious at all. Tracking cookies are not malware.  They are not malicious. And they're not any kind of software at all. They are small text files that cannot slow your computer or harm your computer they cannot execute (run).

Your scan tells me nothing except you have an unnecessary and "scammy" program installed that is producing those "scary" results. You could remove every single one of those tracking cookies and your computer would not run one bit faster. Instead of getting rid of the tracking cookies you'd be much further ahead by uninstalling the program you are using that is trying to scare you by listing a bunch of harmless cookies. Uninstall that scammy program, and clear Chrome's history and cache. Here's how. Be sure to restart your computer after you do this. I'm sure after you do this, our Start page will work just fine.

What kinds of problems are you having with File Explorer? Showing me that scan makes me think that you're basing your computer problems on that meaningless scan you attached. Please let me know - as precisely as you can - what issues you're having with File Explorer and I'll try to help you.

I dislike it when companies and geeks try to scare people who are not computer-savvy into believing things like tracking cookies are malware - or that VPNs prevent viruses, malware, phishing, and identity theft. Take my advice and uninstall whatever program you used to generate that scan. Emsisoft will protect your computer without playing the fear-mongering "tracking cookie" game.

Let me know how else I can help you and if you want to schedule a session let me know your time zone and the best days and times for you.

We hope this eases your mind a little, Ann.

 

Now available: Reg Organizer 9.40

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!!

How to Repair Windows Search
Windows 10 / Windows 11

This tip is for those of you using Windows 10 and/or Windows 11

If Windows Search is not finding files that you know are on your computer or is incredibly slow in finding them, this tip may help. You can easily rebuild the Windows search index and it will help Windows search find things faster.

Here’s how to rebuild the Windows search index.

In the taskbar search type INDEX. When “Indexing options” appears in the search results, press Enter. The “Indexing Options” dialog will open.

Click on the Advanced button.

In the Advanced Indexing Options dialog, click Rebuild.

Windows will delete the old search index and build a new one. This will take some time.

When it’s done try searching again. Did you find what you’re looking for quickly? We hope so!

Everything You Need to Know About the Windows System File Checker
Windows 10 / Windows 11 

We’ve been working with and helping Windows users since Windows 98 and we’ve seen almost everything during that time. We have learned that everyone at some time or other has problems with Windows. And we have learned a lot of tricks when it comes to fixing some of these problems. The first two things you should do when you’re having problems with your Windows computer are:

1. Restart your computer

Sounds simple enough, right? Yet sometimes when people are having annoying problems they get frustrated and start searching the internet for a solution. But the first thing you should do if you have problems with your computer is to reboot.

2. Shut down your computer, wait, and restart

Another simple thing you can do is if you are having problems with your Windows computer. It’s easy to do, it only takes about five minutes, and it just might solve your problem(s). Just power off your PC, wait five minutes, and turn it back on- then check to see if your problem(s) are fixed. Many times they will be.

The two “tricks” above are the first two things you should try if you are having issues with your Windows computer

Of course, the two suggestions above won’t fix all Windows problems -heaven knows there are thousands of things that can go wrong with Windows. And they don’t help you there’s a command that every Windows user should know that can resolve many Windows problems.

But we want to tell you about something else you can do – a command you can run that can solve many Windows problems such as an unresponsive or missing Start button, a Settings app that is unresponsive or won’t open, missing taskbar icons, random crashes, and more.

The System File Checker

We recently helped someone, who, after a Windows update, had problems with Settings > Apps & features opening and then closing immediately. Also, he could not type in the taskbar search.

The first thing we had him try was shutting off his computer for at least 5 minutes and then turning it back on to see if that fixed the problems he was having. Unfortunately, that did not work. Next, we had him try running the System File Checker. But after he ran it nothing changed, so we advised him to run the System File Checker again. He followed our advice and ran it again and everything was back to normal.

Microsoft has improved the System File Checker; it works much better and is much more reliable than it used to be. It’s a great way to check your computer for corrupt or missing Windows system files and then replace any missing or corrupted files that are found.

To run the System File Checker do this:

Type CMD in the taskbar search. When Command Prompt appears in the search results, click on the “Run as administrator” option.

In the Command Prompt window type SFC /SCANNOW (notice the space after SFC and press Enter. The System File Checker will start checking your computer. Be patient. It can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to complete its scan. You’ll see the progress as a percentage in the SFC window.

Above: SFC running on Windows 11.

When the process completes it will show you what has been done.

You’ll see one of the following:

“Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.”

Above: No problems were found on my Windows 11 computer.

“Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.”

Above: SFC found and fixed problems on my Windows 10 computer.

And finally, the one you don’t want to see…“Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.”

If the System File Checker displays the first message, your computer has no issues related to system file corruption. The second message is what most users hope to see. If you see “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them” restart your computer and check to see if your problems have been resolved. If they haven’t then run the System File Checker again.

If you see the third message, try running the System File Checker again.

There is another outcome that is not mentioned above. Sometimes the System File Checker will freeze during the scan and not complete. If the System File Checker hangs at a certain percentage, we suggest you reboot your computer and try running it again. If it hangs again, then SFC will not be able to repair your computer and you’ll need to move on to other things like a DSIM scan (Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool). If you need to run the DSIM scan this page will help you.

So the command that every Windows user should know is this:

SFC /SCANNOW

You can run the System File Checker on any Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer. And it might just fix any annoying problems you’re having. 

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 to be 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.

    

Copy and Paste Emojis For You

Today I did something I haven’t done since the day I met EB – I had fun! I was doing Cloudeight Direct Computer Care sessions today and dazzling people 😚 with my large repertoire of emojis.  You’re probably dazzled to

Back in the day, we called these things “Emoticons” or “Smileys” and that was that. Then 🈹 Japan got on the internet and now we’re all cosmopolitan and stuff. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The best teacher is trying new things. You’ll either learn it or give up on it, either way, you learned something. I learned I didn’t like calculus – I learned that a long time ago. I barely got past algebra.  But let’s move on and say you want to send a friend an email and you say:

If you really want to drive people crazy, or if you have dogs or camels, or you're from Japan or Michigan, you’ll love this site pick called, creatively, “Copy and Paste Emoji”. And its name is exactly what it is – Emoji you can copy and paste into just about anything. These emojis are Unicode and are compatible with Windows … Apple and Android. Not so much – but maybe coming soon.

Have fun. Drive people nuts! Check out this Cloudeight Site Pick and maybe you’ll fall in❤ love! 

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.

Thank you so much for your support!

Ground-breaking; Thought-Provoking

I’ve often said that February is the longest month of the year. It lives between the dark of winter and the hope of spring. There’s not much good about February here in the Great Lakes region of the USA. Even though winters have been warmer over the last decade or two, “warmer” is a subjective term.

February is a cloudy, windy, wet, and cold excuse for a month. And this year, as my luck would have it, they’ve added an extra day to it for leap year. They could have just as easily added it to April or June, but they didn’t. I would love to know who “they” are. I have a feeling “they” are from somewhere in the southern hemisphere where February comes in the middle of summer.

Fortunately, we are passed the midpoint of February with just more than a week left in this hideous month. Of course, that week will seem like a month – but it is what it is.

Yesterday, amid my February blues, I saw a dozen crocuses pushing up through the cold, nearly frozen soil. They were doing a little ground-breaking — pushing their tiny green shoots up through the cold winter ground.

I stood there staring at this tiny miracle of life. How amazing...

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!!

Get more info here.

What is Ghosting?

We want to keep you up-to-date on all the latest cool "slang". While not particularly new the term "Ghosting" is used a lot, especially by younger people who love living in an instant world. So what is ghosting?

Ghosting, in the context of relationships, refers to the act of abruptly ending all communication with someone without any explanation or warning. This can be done through various means, like ignoring texts, calls, or messages, unfriending/unfollowing them on social media, or simply avoiding them in person.

The term "ghosting" likely originated in the early 2000s with the rise of online dating and the ease of connecting and disconnecting with people digitally. However, the concept itself is not new and has existed in various forms throughout history.

I have tried ghosting EB, but she is an excellent detective and always tracks me down.

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

Cloudeight Direct Computer Care: 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.

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

MORE IMPORTANT STUFF!!

Your InfoAve Weekly Members' Home Page is located here.

Help us Grow! Forward this email newsletter to a friend or family member - and have them sign up for InfoAve Weekly here!

Get our free daily newsletter! Each evening we send a short newsletter with a tip or trick or a computer-related article - it's short and sweet - and free.. Sign up right now..

We have thousands of Windows tips and tricks and computer articles posted on our Cloudeight InfoAve website. Our site has a great search engine to help you find what you're looking for too!! Please visit us today!

Help us by using our Start Page.  It costs nothing, and it helps us a lot.

Print our Cloudeight Direct Flyer and spread the word about our computer repair service! If you want to help us by telling your friends about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service, you can download a printable flyer you can hand out or post on bulletin boards, etc. Get the printable PDF Cloudeight Direct Computer Care flyer here.

We'd love to hear from you!!

If you have comments, questions, a tip, a trick, a freeware pick, or just want to tell us off for something, let us know.

If you need to change your newsletter subscription address, please see "Manage your subscription" at the very bottom of your newsletter.

We receive hundreds of questions for possible use in IA news. Please keep in mind we cannot answer all general computer questions. We try to personally answer as many as we can. We can only use a few in each week's newsletter, so keep this in mind. If you have a support question about a service or product we sell, please contact us here.

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter! Get computer tips & tricks every night. Our daily newsletter features a computer tip/trick or two every day. We send it out every night around 9 PM Eastern Time (USA). It's short and sweet, easy to read, and FREE. Subscribe to our Cloudeight InfoAve Daily Newsletter,



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!

Darcy & TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #1063
Volume 21 Number 17
February 23, 2024

Not a subscriber? Subscribe to our FREE Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Newsletter here.



"Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly" newsletter is published by::

Cloudeight Internet LLC
PO Box 733
Middleville, Michigan USA 49333-00733

Read our disclaimer about the tips, tricks, answers, site picks, and freeware picks featured in this newsletter.

Copyright ©2024 by Cloudeight Internet