To unhide your desktop icons, right-click on your desktop and choose "View" > "Show desktop icons".

I hope this helps you, Mary.
---------
Mary wrote back: "Thank you. You guys are the best! Have a good week. Mary"

Keep in mind, that removing apps from your phone or your computer does not remove or change your Facebook account. Facebook does not make it easy to delete your account but it is possible. Here's how to permanently delete your Facebook account:

 

Go to https://www.facebook.com/help/166986580029611 and log in to your account.

 

Click on the arrow in the top right corner and select "Settings & Privacy" from the menu.

 

Click on "Settings" and then "Your Facebook Information" in the left sidebar.

 

Click on "Deactivation and Deletion" and then choose "Delete Account".

 

Facebook will try to get you to deactivate your account instead. Review the information and choose "Delete Account" again.

 

You may be asked to enter your password again. Click "Continue" to confirm.

 

I hope this helps you, John.
-------
John wrote back: "Thank You very much, TC. I will implement your instructions straight away. Keep up your great work. I value and appreciate all the work you do for us on this site. Kindest regards, John."

Jane wants to know if her network card is bad
It's there a way to check to see if your network card has gone bad? I have Spectrum for Internet and both TVs work and both cell phones are connected to Wi-Fi just fine. Is it maybe my ancient (12-year-old) laptop's network card?

I hope this helps you, Jane.  If you get the adapter (or any adapter) let me know how it works for you. I used one on my old laptop for years.
-----------
Jane wrote back..."Hi TC.  As you can see, I'm replying via my ancient laptop. The network adapter came today (Sunday). I plugged it in & it worked like a charm! It was too easy. Thank you again for always being there and answering our questions/problems so fast. You & Darcy are wonderful!  Jane"

Rona can't download anything unless it's from the Microsoft Store
Hi Darcy & TC. I am interested in downloading LibreOffice to see if it would meet my needs instead of MS365 which I am currently using. I have tried several times to download LibreOffice but I keep getting a message which says "The app you're trying to install isn't a Microsoft-verified app. Get apps from the Store." Under that is a line that says "Changing app recommendation settings". This has occurred when I have tried to download other apps as well.  Is there any way I can bypass this? Your help, as always, is greatly appreciated.  Kind Regards. Rona

Our answer

Our answer
Hi Sharon. I'm going to answer your complex question in two sections - 2FA/TOTP and Apps/Programs.

 

Two-factor authorization (2FA), also known as two-step verification, is an extra layer of security for your online accounts. It requires two different methods to verify your identity when logging in, instead of just your password. This makes it much harder for hackers to steal your information, even if they get hold of your password.

 

Common methods for the second authorization factor include:

 

Verification code sent to your phone via SMS or app

 

Biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition

 

Security key

 

We highly recommend you use 2FA wherever you can. It is an easy and effective way to protect your online accounts.

 

TOTP stands for Time-based One-Time Password. It's a common method used in two-factor authentication (2FA). Here's a quick explanation:

 

One-time passwords: These are unique codes that are only valid for a single login attempt. They are typically generated by an app on your smartphone or a dedicated hardware token.

 

Time-based: Unlike some other methods that generate codes based on a counter, TOTP uses the current time as a factor. This means the generated code changes every 30 seconds or 60 seconds, making it even more secure.

When you enable TOTP for an online account, you'll be provided with a secret key. This key is typically displayed as a QR code or a string of characters. You need to download an authenticator app on your smartphone, like Google Authenticator or Authy. The app uses the secret key and the current time to generate a unique code. During login, after entering your username and password, you'll be prompted to enter the code displayed on your authenticator app. This code is valid only for a short period, making it harder for unauthorized individuals to gain access even if they know your password.

 

I can't tell you what apps you need for your phone - there are literally tens of thousands available and everyone has different needs and preferences. For instance, many folks like to play games on their phones, while some, like me, do not.  I am a walker so I have a pedometer app. I have a sunrise/sunset app, weather apps, etc. But it all depends on you - what you like. All I can tell you is if you have an Android phone download apps only from the Google Play Store. If you have an Apple iPhone - download apps only from the Apple Store.

 

The same is true for Windows PCs. Everyone has different needs and interests. We have a freeware hall of fame and dozens of software picks.  If you go to our website at https://thundercloud.net/infoave/new and type FREEWARE in our site search, you'll find dozens of programs we've recommended over the years. We feature freeware picks in our newsletters. If you don't subscribe, they are both free and you can subscribe to our weekly newsletter here and/or you can subscribe to our daily newsletter here.

 

We recommend that you download from a reputable download site. Right now we only recommend two... SnapFiles and MajorGeeks.

 

I hope this helps you, Sharon.
-------
Sharon wrote back: "Thank you so much!  This helps a lot. Sharon"


 

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!!

It's Spring Cleaning Time!
Windows 10 and Windows 11

It’s that time of year… dear! Spring arrives here in the northern hemisphere on March 19, 2024, at 10:06 PM U.S. EDT.

And I’m not hemisphereocentric (I love making up words) either. I realize some of you live in that hemisphere down south where the water goes down the drain backward and where winter is summer and spring is autumn so this will be autumn cleaning for you.

So, for those of you in Oz and Kiwi country (and other folks in the southern hemisphere) please substitute the word “autumn” for “spring” and keep on reading (and cleaning).

You don’t need any special tools to do your spring cleaning, you can accomplish everything on this shortlist without downloading or installing anything. We’re going to mention some tools that might make your job easier, but they are not necessary to accomplish your spring cleaning mission.

We’ll assume most of you (hopefully all of you) have Emsisoft or some other good antivirus/anti-malware installed to help protect you from the ravages of malware and PUPs. If your security software does not have adequate malware / PUPs protection, all the spring cleanings in the world won’t help much. We’ll assume you have a good antivirus, anti-malware that protects you against malware and pups – if you don’t – you can read about Emsisoft here.

OK let’s get cleaning!

Step 1: Remove unused programs

One of the things people ask us most when we’re doing Cloudeight Direct Computer Repair sessions is: “What programs should I remove? I don’t even know what half of them are or what they’re for!”

We think this is pretty typical of everyone – including us. We all install programs that sound good or interesting at the time but then we never use them. We don’t know many who don’t do this – we’re especially guilty of cluttering things up with a bunch of programs that we never use.

You don’t have to download anything or install anything to clean up those unwanted or unused programs. Windows 10 and Windows 11 allow you to remove programs right from the Start menu. Really! You didn’t know that? Sure you can. If you see something there you don’t recognize there’s a good bet you don’t use it and you don’t need it. If you don’t use it and don’t need it, why have it? So go through your start menu right now. If you see something you don’t use or even recognize then right-click it and choose “Uninstall”.

If you’re geeky and want a more thorough cleaning experience you can use the uninstaller in Reg Organizer (not free but grrrrrreat!) or HiBit Uninstaller (a Cloudeight freeware pick).

And remember… removing unused programs isn’t going to speed up your computer or increase its performance (unless you’re running very low on hard drive space) or you are a believer in some of those other goofballs who write tech newsletters, who make almost everything sound like something that will make your computer run faster. Hey, they are trying to get readers! We are too, but we try to be very truthful with you – even if it means we go broke in the process. We’re darn near there now!

Anyway,  you should remove unused/unwanted programs as a matter of good housekeeping. If you do a good job I’ll send EB around with her Good Housekeeping Seal which you can proudly display on your desktop – or not.

Step 2: Clean out your Documents and Downloads Folders

Lots of things end up in your Documents folder. Go on and take a gander. What a mess, eh? If you don’t want to get rid of stuff at least organize it. My grandmother always told me to wear clean underwear in case I got hit by a car. It’s the same thing with your Documents folder…do you want people to think you’re a disorganized slob like me, do you? Of course, you don’t! So take some time to rummage through your Documents folder, delete what you don’t need, and organize the stuff you think you do need by making folders for similar types of documents.

Your downloads folder is probably full of installers you’ve downloaded over time and have 1lready installed. Most of these installers are now useless since the program is probably installed, and most of these old installers are out-of-date anyway, so why not get rid of them? You can delete everything in the download folder without losing anything important – the only exception being if you have a portable app in your downloads folder that runs from that folder. If you do, and you remove it by mistake, big deal! You can re-download it in a minute or two anyway. There is no sense in hanging on to installers you’ve already used to install programs. Clean it up, I tells ya!

Again, cleaning up your Documents and Downloads folders isn’t going to make your computer faster –it ain’t going to turn it into a screaming machine any more than wearing clean underwear is going to keep you from getting run over by a car, but it’s good housekeeping and you do what EB’s seal don’t you?

Step 3: Optimize your Windows Start-up programs

Do you really need Skype, iTunes, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Megan’s PDF Wonderbar, Aunt Jenny’s Greeting Card Maker, QuickTime, Adobe this, Adobe that, or stuff like that starting with Windows? NO, you don’t. You’re not that lazy, I know you’re not. Cut the programs starting with Windows down to very few. Use the taskbar, start menu, and/or desktop shortcuts to launch the programs you use often. Very few programs need to start with Windows.

Everything you allow to start with Windows runs in the background sucking up your system resources like a sponge soaking up water. Programs often set themselves up to start with Windows because they think they’re so important. Do you use Skype, iTunes, or Megan’s PDF Wonderbar all of the time?  No, I tells ya! You don’t. You don’t need them running in the background all the time just in case you might want to use them once a day. once in a while or once in a blue moon.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a startup manager, did you know that? They do. And the Windows startup manager does a decent job, too. If you can turn a switch on or off you can use the Windows 10 or Windows 11 startup manager.

If you can flip a switch you can use the Windows startup manager. You’ll also see under the switches, terms like High impact, Medium impact, Low impact, or Unknown. This shows you the level of impact these programs have on your Windows startup. High-impact items (apps)  impact your startup times more than low-impact items.

Another nice feature of the Windows startup manager is that it won’t let you turn off Windows startup items that really need to start with Windows. You still have to think a little before flipping the switch. For instance, you don’t want to turn off OneDrive if you use OneDrive to back up your computer. If you use any 3rd-party backup program – you won’t want to shut that off either. And don’t shut off your antivirus protection. I mean, that’s just common sense, right?

If you want even more control over your startups (and you know pretty much what you’re doing, you can use the startup manager in Reg Organizer (not free), the startup manager in HiBit Uninstaller (free), or Sysinternals (Microsoft) AutoRuns.

Here’s more about Sysinternals AutoRuns.

AutoRuns gives you a complete picture and description of what is starting with Windows and you’ll be able to disable unnecessary start-ups quickly and easily. But, here’s the thing, don’t go messing around with all those tabs you’ll see on AutoRuns. The only one you have to worry about is the “Logon” tab. See?

You just untick the box to the item you don’t want starting with Windows. If you right-click an item, AutoRuns tells you what it is and where it’s installed so you can make an informed decision about whether to allow something to start with Windows or not. When it doubt, leave it alone. As a general rule if it’s printer-related, antivirus/anti-malware related, or if it has the word Microsoft in it, follow Paul McCartney’s advice and Let It Be! “Oh let it be… speaking words of wisdom, let it be…”

Now, of course, if you’re an advanced user or you’re crazy and love to see what will happen if you click this or that, AutoRuns is a great tool for tweaking things. If you’re not computer savvy, just stick with the Logon tab. Or better yet, just use the Windows startup manager. It’s better to be safe than sorry, my grandma always told me.

You can download AutoRuns from here – it’s free and it’s by Microsoft’s TechNet people.

Optimizing your Windows start-ups will increase your computer’s performance!

Unlike the first two cleaning tips, optimizing your start-ups will make your computer start up and shut down faster. It may also increase your computer’s performance – since what starts with Windows, runs in the background eating up your valuable computer resources.

I hope you all enjoyed this article and that every one of you will earn EB’s Seal of Good Housekeeping.

She won’t give me one – she says I’m a slob. Takes one to know one, EB. 

How to Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives
Windows 10 and Windows 11

Yes, we've covered this before but still, I see many of you allowing Windows to hide files from you. You deserve to see all the files on your PC. They belong to you. But for whatever reason, the MS braintrust decided you shouldn't see all the files, folders, and drives on your computer, so by default, Windows hides certain files, folders, and drives. Whoa! Many times, the Windows tips we write and the ones you see online assume you can “see’ hidden files, folders, and drives.

Some files and folders in Windows are automatically marked as hidden because Windows doesn’t want you messing around with them. But, leaving them hidden hinders your ability to make changes that can enhance your Windows experience. As we’ve mentioned, many tips and tricks you find online assume you can view hidden files.

For example,  if you need to access the AppData folder in your users’ directory, you’ll need to unhide hidden files, folders, and drives. We think it’s a good idea that you be able to see all files, folders, and drives on your computer, and here’s an easy way to do it.

Windows 10

1.) Open File Explorer (Windows key + E is a great shortcut).

2.) Click on the “View” tab at the top.

3.) Tick the box next to “Hidden items”.

4.) Close File Explorer.

Windows 11

1.) Open File Explorer (Windows key + E ).

2.) Click on “View” at the top.

3.) Tick “Show” in the drop-down menu.

4.) Click on “Hidden items”.

5.) Close File Explorer.

That’s it! From now on, you will be able to see all your files, folders, and drives including the ones that Windows was previously hiding from you. 

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.

    

FastStone Image Viewer

We've featured FastStone products before. FastStone Capture is our favorite screen grabber and FastStone Image Viewer is one of our favorite free image viewers.  And because it's an amazing freeware program – one of the very best – we’re featuring it again.

We’ve been big fans of FastStone Capture for a very long time. It’s our screenshot tool of choice. Sure, it’s old, but the developer still updates it, and it does everything we need it to do. It's no longer free, but it's still the best. Almost all the screenshots we feature in our newsletters and on our website were created with FastStone Capture.

I recently downloaded an updated version (Version 7.8 released on 9/28/2023) of FastStone Image Viewer. Now, we are Irfanview fans and have been since Darcy introduced me to it way back in 1998. I’ve used it with Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8x, every version of Windows 10, and now with Windows 11.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I’m about to replace IrfanView with FastStone Image Viewer, but I’m going to tell you that many of you will love the extra features of FastStone Image Viewer that are missing in Irfanview. And I’ve been tempted to replace a program I’ve been using for more than decades with FastStone Image Viewer

FastStone Image Viewer is more than an image viewer — it is also an image browser that instantly provides you with a “contact sheet” of every image in a folder. Plus, you can batch rename, you can create slideshows, and even add music, batch resize photos, and much more.

And rarely do we ever come across a developer who is more verbose than us. But the developer of FastStone Image Viewer is one. So, rather than us telling you all about the program, we’re going to let him/her do that for you and spare you our rambling diatribe.

So, we’ll start with some screenshots, and then let Mr. or Ms. FastStone tell you all about FastStone Image Viewer.

FastStone Image Viewer - folder view.

FastStone Image Viewer - Settings

FastStone Image Viewer - contact sheet

Now, from the developer of FastStone Image Viewer:

FastStone Image Viewer is a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping, retouching and color adjustments. Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touches one of the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and much more. It supports all major graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, animated GIF, PNG, PCX, PSD, EPS, TIFF, WMF, ICO, CUR and TGA) and popular digital camera RAW formats (CR2, CR3, CRW, NEF, NRW, PEF, RAF, RWL, MRW, ORF, SRW, X3F, ARW, SR2, SRF, RW2 and DNG).

True Full Screen viewer with image zoom support and unique fly-out menu panels
Crystal-clear and customizable one-click image magnifier
Powerful image editing tools: Resize/resample, rotate/flip, crop, sharpen/blur, adjust lighting/colors/curves/levels etc.
Eleven re-sampling algorithms to choose from when resizing images
Image color effects: gray scale, sepia, negative, Red/Green/Blue adjustment
Image special effects: annotation, drop shadow, framing, bump map, sketch, oil painting, lens
Draw texts, lines, highlights, rectangles, ovals and callout objects on images
Clone Stamp and Healing Brush
Superior Red-Eye effect removal/reduction with completely natural looking end result
Multi-level Undo/Redo capability
One-touch best fit/actual size image display support
Image management, including tagging capability, with drag-and-drop and Copy To/Move To Folder support
Histogram display with color counter feature
Compare images side-by-side (up to 4 at a time) to easily cull those forgettable shots...
Print images with full page-layout control
Create fully configurable Contact Sheets...

And much more…

No Adware. No Spyware. Free for Home Users

So, see? Sometimes mistakes can be fruitful. And we plucked a great freeware pick from this one.  Learn more about and/or download FastStone Image Viewer from this page. 

Lucky for us and you … there are no tricky download links or buttons. No malware, spyware, grimware, or other foolishness going on.

You can download FastStone Image Viewer without trepidation.

Our Spring Donation Drive is Underway!

Make a small donation and help us to keep on helping you!

Our annual spring donation drive is underway. Sales of our products and services help keep the lights on at Cloudeight.  But 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 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 to help you stay safe too.

So, if you don’t need any of our products or services right now, please consider helping us with a small donation. 

Please help us by donating right now.

Interested in making a monthly gift? Visit this page. Help us keep helping you!

Thank you so much for your support! 

Thoughts of an Ancient Soul

I was seventeen years old and one of my best friends at the time told me I had an ancient soul. He told me I came from another time and another place. At the time I found it off-putting; I didn’t take it as a compliment. I tried to find a different soul and chose a lifestyle of which I’m not proud. I did things then that were contrary to everything I knew to be right and good. I battled my ancient soul because I hated being different.

I’m far past seventeen now and I’ve become comfortable with my ancient soul. I find peace and comfort in the little pleasures of life: a good book, watching the greening of spring, listening to the wind and imagining sailing on a vast ocean without a destination, or just watching people pass by. I never really fit in when I was seventeen and it made me uncomfortable then but it does not make me uncomfortable now.

I see the world differently than others see it. I sometimes withdraw too far into myself and don’t often give good people a chance. I have many faults – an ancient soul offers no protection from making mistakes or making misguided decisions.

Sometimes I’m the ancient mariner...

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 an ISO file?

An ISO file, often called an ISO image is an "image" of an entire CD, DVD, or BD. The entire contents of a disc are contained in a single ISO file. To use an ISO it has to be burned to a CD, DVD, or if you're doing a boot disk - a USB flash drive. In the case of a USB flash drive, you cannot simply copy the ISO file to the drive, it has to be done using a special program so the drive is bootable.

An ISO file, then, is an exact image of a CD or DVD. In most cases you'd burn the ISO to disk before using it - however, there are special programs that will mount the ISO as a drive and play or use the CD or DVD as if it were already burned to disk. 

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 #1066 - March 15, 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