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Lee can't log in to his new laptop
I am trying to sign into a Microsoft account on a new laptop. When I went to sign in using my email address and password, it asked me to enter the password in again, then it said it was incorrect. I decided to change my password for which I got an email confirming the change. I tried to sign in it accepted the first time but I was asked to put the password in a second time, said it was incorrect again!! Any suggestions? Should I create a new account? It is very frustrating. Thanks, Lee.

Our answer
Hi Lee. I'm not sure what you have going on there, but something doesn't sound right. How did you change your Microsoft account password" If you're using your Gmail address as your Microsoft Account login email, your Gmail password is your MS account password. If you're using Hotmail. Outlook.com, Msn.com, or Live.com address you have to change your password on this page.

I hope this helps you. If not please let me know, Lee.

Jean has a serious computer problem
I have been having problems with my computer for several weeks. Lately has been annoying mostly with not wanting to open apps. I've done the usual SFC and DISM, and no problems were found. This evening I downloaded an update. Now I have a black screen and it's not going to budge. I tried turning off, ctrl, alt, and delete. Nothing works. Is there anything else to be done? If and when I do get things up and running, should I do a reset?

Our answer
Hi Jean. Sorry to hear of your problems. If you turn your computer off using the power switch and turn it back on until you see the computer manufacturer's logo (Lenovo), then immediately turn it off, and repeat that process 3 times, on the third time you should see the Windows Recovery Environment (RE) menu appear. Read more about Windows RE here. Once you get to the recovery environment menu you can run Startup Repair or even do a reset from there.

To do a reset from the Windows Recovery Environment (RE):

 
Click on Troubleshoot.

Select Reset this PC.

You'll be presented with two options. Choose the option that best suits your needs.

a.  Keep my files: This option resets your PC while preserving your personal files and settings.

b.  Remove everything: This option completely wipes your drive and reinstalls Windows.

You will have two more choices:

a.  Local reinstall: Uses existing Windows files on your device to reinstall.

b. Cloud download: Downloads a fresh copy of Windows from the internet (requires internet connection).

Review the reset summary and click on Reset to begin the process.

 

The cloud download option takes much longer than local reinstall, but it is another option should the local option fail.

 

Let me know if you need more help, Jean.

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How Your Personal Information is Collected, Sold, and What You Can Do About It
For everyone who uses the Internet

Our digital lives leave a data trail wherever and whenever we go online. This data, referred to as personal information (PI), can include anything from your email address, name and address, browsing habits, shopping habits, and purchase history. Companies collect this information in many ways, consolidate it into comprehensive profiles, and often sell it to third parties. Your PI is valuable. And while this can be beneficial for more personalized experiences while shopping online, it also raises concerns about privacy and control over your own data.

The Data Collection Dragnet

Where do data brokers get your personal information?

Directly from You: This is the most obvious method. When you sign up for online services, make purchases, or fill out web forms, you willingly provide your personal information.

Social Media: Every post, like, and share on social media platforms contributes to your digital profile.

Data Brokers: These companies aggregate information from various sources, including public records, loyalty programs, and even offline purchases, to create detailed consumer profiles. We provide a short list of data brokers later in this article.

Mobile Apps: Many apps collect location data, browsing history, and even app usage patterns.

Consolidating your personal information

Once it’s collected, your PI is pieced together to create a comprehensive picture of you. Data brokers are the masterminds behind this consolidation. They purchase information from various sources and use sophisticated algorithms to connect the dots. This can include linking your email address across different to your real name, your home address, phone number, and more.

YOU in the Marketplace

The consolidated data profiles are then often bought and sold by businesses for various purposes, including:

Targeted Advertising: Advertisers use your profile to tailor ads to your specific interests and demographics.

Market Research: Companies use personal information to understand consumer behavior and preferences.

Risk Assessment: Lenders and insurers might use your data to evaluate your creditworthiness or risk profile.

Taking Back Control: Opting Out

While the data collection digital world can seem overwhelming, there are steps you can take to limit the information collected and sold:

Review Privacy Policies: Before signing up for any service, understand how your data will be used and shared.

Manage App Permissions: Be selective about the permissions you grant to mobile apps.

Utilize Privacy Tools: Consider privacy browsers like Brave, good ad-blocking extensions like uBlock Origin, and privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo that limit data collection

Opt-Out of Data Brokers: Several data brokers allow you to opt out of having your information sold. You can search for these companies online and follow their specific opt-out procedures. But keep in mind that opting out is an ongoing process. New data brokers emerge, and existing ones might require periodic opt-out requests.

Privacy Regulations

Some regions have implemented data privacy regulations that give individuals more control over their personal information. These regulations might include the right to access your data, request its correction, or even demand its deletion. Familiarize yourself with the data privacy regulations applicable to your location.

The future of data privacy

The conversation around data collection and privacy is constantly evolving. As technology advances, so too will the methods of collecting and using personal information. Staying informed about these developments and exercising your rights will be crucial in maintaining control over your digital footprint.

Here is a short list of some of the well-known data brokerage companies:

Acxiom (now LiveRamp)
Experian
Epsilon
CoreLogic
Datalogix
Intelius
PeekYou
Exactis
Recorded Future

This is not a complete list; many other data brokerages are operating worldwide.

How much of your personal information is out there?

To see how much of your personal information is somewhere out there in the digital world, you can get a free personal information scan at one of the following:

Mozilla Monitor

Optery (Click on the Join Free button).

These two we have tried, there are many others.

The internet brings undeniable convenience, but it’s important to understand how your personal information is collected, used, and sold. By using the information included here and staying informed about evolving data privacy practices, you can take control of your digital footprint and navigate the online world with greater peace of mind.

How to Repair or Reset Apps
Windows 10 / Windows 11

Many Windows apps come pre-installed on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Apps like “Mail”, “Photos”, “Weather”, “Edge”, “Notepad”, “Calculator” and more all come with Windows 10 and Windows 11. And some apps, like Microsoft 365 apps, can be installed by the user.

Did you know most pre-installed and user-installed Windows apps can be repaired or reset if not working correctly?  They can, and we’re going to show you how.

Windows 10

Open Settings (Windows key + I) and click on Apps. In “Apps” click on “Apps & features”. Find the app you want to repair or reset in the list of apps, and click on it. When you click on the App’s name you’ll see “Advanced options” appear.

Click on Advanced options. You’ll see the option to repair or reset the app.

Windows 11

Open Settings (Windows key + I) and click on Apps. In “Apps” click on “Installed apps”. Then find the app you want to repair or reset and click on the three-horizontal-dots icon to its right.

When you click on the 3-dota, you’ll see “Advanced options” appear. Click on “Advanced options…

You’ll see the “Repair” and “Reset” options. Always try the “Repair” option first. If it does not fix the app, try the “Reset” option.

Most Windows apps allow you to repair or reset them, so if a Windows app starts misbehaving try repairing or resetting it. 

Here’s Our Tutorial Showing How to Clear Your Browser’s History & Cache
Chrome / Edge /Firefox browsers

Your browser’s cache stores websites’ “static assets”, which are the parts of a website that don’t change from one visit to the next. It also contains cookies and a complete record of your browsing history.

While caching can help speed up web browsing and make pages load faster, too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

Your browser’s cache also stores your browsing history. That’s right. Your browser’s cache contains not only website assets, cookies, and other data, but also contains your complete browsing history.

It keeps a record of all the web pages you’ve visited since the last time you cleared your browser’s cache. Think of your browser’s cache as its stash – where it stashes away just about everything you see or do while you’re using it.

Even if you don’t care that someone can look at your browser’s cache and see every page you’ve ever visited, since the last time you cleared your cache, it’s a matter of good housekeeping to clean up the cache at least once a month.

Here’s our guide to clearing the cache for the three most popular web browsers. We will do this in the order of the browser’s popularity.

#1. Google Chrome

Click on the 3-vertical-dots icon in the top-right corner of Chrome. Then click “More tools” > “Clear browsing data”. Or if you’re a keyboard shortcut enthusiast, open Chrome, and press CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE to open the “Clear browsing data” dialog.

When the Clear browsing data dialog opens, select a time range. We suggest you choose “All time” as this will clear all Chrome history/cache.

Next, select what you want to clear.  Be careful here. If you use Chrome to store your passwords and sign-in data, you’ll want to make sure you don’t select “Passwords and other sign-in data”. We suggest you use the screenshot below as a guide.

When you’ve made your selections, just click the “Clear data” button. Keep in mind if you have never cleared Chrome’s cache/history, it may take a while to complete this task.

#2. Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge. Press the CTRL key then click the “H” key to open Edge History (or if you like keyboard shortcuts, use CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE to open Edge History.

 

When Edge History opens, click on the 3 horizontal dots icon (see above). Then click “Clear browsing data” (see above).

The “Clear browsing data” dialog will open. Under “Time range”, if it’s not already selected, use the little down arrow to select the time range of “All time”. The first four items are pre-selected and unless you have reasons for choosing other items, just leave it as it is. Once you’ve double-checked the selections, click the “Clear now” button. If you’re signed in to your Microsoft account this will clear the Edge cache on all your devices.

 

That’s it. That’s how to clear your history/cache in Edge.

 

#3. Mozilla Firefox

To clear Firefox history/cache, open Firefox and click on the hamburger (3-horizontal lines) icon in the top-right corner and select “History > Clear recent history” or, with Firefox open, use the CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE shortcut to go directly to the “Clear recent history” dialog.

When the Firefox “Clear Recent History” dialog opens, your first task is to choose the time range to clear. You’ll usually want to choose “Everything”. So, use the little down arrow to open a dropdown menu, then, select “Everything”.

With “Everything” selected, you can choose what items you want to delete. You can use the screenshot below as a guide. The items we have selected in the screenshot below should be fine for most of you.

When you’ve made your selections, click “OK” to clear your Firefox history and cache.

Your browser’s cache is its stash

Your browser’s cache stores the static assets of all the websites you’ve visited. Static assets are the parts of the websites you visit that don’t change from one visit to the next. It also contains all the cookies dropped by the sites you’ve visited. It also contains a complete record of your browsing history. All of these are stored until you flush them away by clearing your browsing history and cache.

Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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We can fix your computer while you watch. You never have to leave your home. Just sit back, relax, and watch us work. Get PC service from folks you trust at the best prices you'll find anywhere.

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Create Free Professional-Looking Designs & Images in Minutes with Microsoft Designer

Microsoft Designer is a free-to-use AI-powered graphic design tool that can help you create amazing designs and images in minutes.

To use Microsoft Designer, you simply start by entering a brief description of what you want to create, for example, an image. Here’s one I created for a fictional summer fruit & vegetable farm stand.

Or for another example, you could type a description like “Create an invitation for Darcy’s housewarming pool party at her new mansion” or “Create an invitation to TC’s 39th birthday party on the beach at Put-In-Bay island in Lake Erie.”

Microsoft Designer will generate a variety of different design options for you to choose from.

If you can describe it, Microsoft Designer can design it.

Once you’ve described and chosen a design, you can customize it further by adding your text, images, and colors. Microsoft Designer also offers a variety of design tips and suggestions to help you create the perfect visual.

Here are some of the key features of Microsoft Designer:

AI-powered design suggestions: Microsoft Designer uses AI to generate designs based on your descriptions and preferences. You can create stunning images and visuals in minutes – without having to be a professional designer.

A variety of design templates: Microsoft Designer offers a variety of design templates for different types of projects, such as social media posts, invitations, and infographics. This makes it easy to start designing, even if you’re unfamiliar with graphic design software.

A simple and intuitive interface: Microsoft Designer has a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use, even for people unfamiliar with graphic design software.

Free to use: Microsoft Designer is free for anyone with a Microsoft account. If you don’t already have one you can get one free.

If you’re looking for a way to create stunning images and designs without having to be an artist or a professional,  Microsoft Designer might be the tool you’ve been looking for.

More about Microsoft Designer:

• It is available for Windows 10, Windows 11, and macOS.
• It requires a Microsoft account (if you don’t have one, you’ll be able to sign up for one free).
• It is free to use.
• It can be used to create a variety of designs, including social media posts, invitations, infographics, greeting cards, and more. Its only limit is your imagination.
• Microsoft Designer uses AI to generate design suggestions, make design recommendations, and help you create consistent, professional-looking, beautiful designs.

If you want to make stunning designs and graphics or just want to see what Microsoft Designer can do…

Visit the Microsoft Designer Website right now and explore your artistic side.

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Summer Reflections

Where I live, summers are not measured by the calendar so much as by holidays. Summer begins with Memorial Day and ends with Labor Day. The mid-point is marked by the Fourth of July.

The calendar does not agree of course. Summer, according to “calendarians” (is that a word?) begins on or about June 21 and ends on or about September 22 or 23rd depending on the year.

But, no matter how you measure summer, it’s the shortest season of the year;

Summer is a time when the days are long, the short nights balmy, the breezes warm, and time passes far more quickly than it does during the dark, cold days of winter. It’s a fact. I don’t care what clocks or calendars say, or what logic dictates. Time passes most swiftly when summer is here.

The older you get the faster times flies and summer makes it fly even more quickly...

Read the rest of this essay here.

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What in the world are Windows ToggleKeys?

ToggleKeys is a term used to describe a computer keyboard key that has one or more functions. For example, the caps lock key, Num lock key, and scroll lock key are examples of ToggleKeys. ToggleKeys are also an accessibility option.

When the ToggleKeys are turned on, your computer will make a high or low tone beep when you press any of the NumLock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock keys.

Did you know that the NumLock key is not as useless as you thought? Did you know that you can turn ToggleKeys on by using only your NumLock key? When ToggleKeys is on, your computer will beep whenever you press the Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, or NumLock keys). Normally, you would turn ToggleKeys on in Accessibility Options in the Control Panel.

And the NumLock key isn't as useless as you thought. Did you know that you can simply hold down the NumLock button for five seconds, and that, my friends, turns on ToggleKeys for you?  If you're using Windows 10, you can press Windows Key + U to access Ease of Access, then click on Keyboard and turn on ToggleKeys there as well. Oh, yeah, and you can also turn them off from there as well.

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

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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!

Darcy & TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly
Issue #1086 - August 2, 2024

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