The Best Computer Care and Repair - Anywhere!

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Get more information here.

Larry wants to know if we know of a program that can resize many images at once
Do you know of any software that allows you to re-size multiple images in the same folder simultaneously? I can resize images one by one using Microsoft Photos but I would like to resize many images at once. I hope you can help me. Keep up the good work.

Our answer
Hi Larry. Windows PowerToys (by Microsoft) includes an image resizer that can resize multiple images in a folder and we have recommended PowerToys several times. Here's our most recent recommendation. That article includes the download link. PowerToys is free. We mention its batch image resizer in the article, but if you want even more info take a look at this Microsoft page.  We hope this helps you. Larry.
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Larry wrote back: "Wow TC! You nailed it. PowerToys Image Resizer is just what I was looking for - and PowerToys has a lot of other useful programs too. Thanks again for your help! Larry"

Jane wants to know what browsers we use
Hi Darcy & TC:  I was wondering which browser you each use and why. I thought I read recently in one of the newsletters that TC prefers Firefox but Darcy prefers Edge. If I'm wrong feel free to correct me.  Thanks for always having the answers to the questions from my inquiring mind!

Our answer
Hi Jane. We both use multiple browsers. Darcy uses Edge for personal use and Chrome for Cloudeight stuff.  I have Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera, DuckDuckGo, and Brave browsers installed. I use Edge,  Chrome, and Firefox every day.  I have Firefox set as my default because I like it best. Think of your choice of browser like the car you drive. It's what you like that matters, not what someone else likes. Use the browser you like best.  Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are all excellent browsers with differing and similar features.

If you like Buicks, drive a Buick. If you like Toyotas, drive a Toyota. Like browsers, they all get you where you want to go.

Carl wants to know why we stopped recommending LastPass and started recommending Bitwarden
I just wanted to know why you are now recommending Bitwarden as a password manager instead of LastPass? Is something wrong with LastPass/

Our answer
Hi Carl. We are recommending Bitwarden AND LastPass. We recommend Bitwarden (Free version) if you're going to be using it on multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, and Windows computers. LastPass (Free version) can only be used on one device type (smartphone, tablet, or Windows computers). If you want to use LastPass on a smartphone and a Windows computer for instance you have to buy the paid version of LastPass. So, if you use multiple device types, Bitwarden is free and LastPass isn't.

Both Bitwarden and LastPass (along with RoboForm) are excellent password managers. And since using strong passwords is the key to your security on the internet, using a password manager, regardless of which one, is important.

We hope this helps you, Carl.

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.

Let’s Talk About Vishing and Number Spoofing
For everyone with a cell phone

Every year victims of online scams lose billions of dollars to criminal trickery. The best way to defend yourself is by staying informed and learning about the tactics criminals use to steal people’s money. Today we’re going to talk about “Vishing” and “Number spoofing”.

Vishing

Vishing, short for voice phishing, is a type of phishing attack where scammers use phone calls to trick individuals into providing sensitive information.

Here’s how it works

Scammers (criminals) call you, pretending to be from a legitimate organization like your bank, the IRS, or a government agency.  They will use a sense of urgency or fear to pressure you into providing personal information, such as your Social Security number, credit card numbers, or bank account information.  Once they have your information, they can use it to steal your identity, make fraudulent purchases, or empty your bank accounts.

Don’t be a victim.

Be wary of unsolicited calls, especially those claiming to be from your bank, other financial institutions, or government agencies These types of organizations will never call you and ask you for personal information. If you get one of these types of calls, hang up. Never give out personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call and are confident of the recipient’s identity.

Anytime you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call the organization directly using a number you know to be legitimate. Because there is so much number spoofing going on right now (because it works), your safest when you don’t answer the phone if the number is not in your address book/contact list.

Number Spoofing

Number spoofing is a technique where scammers manipulate caller ID information to display a false number or even a false name on the recipient’s phone. This deceptive tactic allows them to appear as if they are calling from a trusted source, such as a bank, government agency, or even a friend or family member.

The technology behind number spoofing is relatively simple. Scammers can use software or online services to modify the caller ID information before making a call. This allows them to display any phone number (and sometimes any name) they choose on the recipient’s phone.

Number spoofing has become a significant problem because it works so well. Number spoofing is an excellent way for criminals to get people to answer calls and provide sensitive information. Scammers use this technique to trick people into falling for popular scams, such as:

Impersonation scams: Pretending to be from banks, government agencies, or other reputable organizations to obtain personal information.

Tech support scams: Claiming to be from Microsoft or a tech company and offering to fix computer problems remotely, often leading to malware installation or financial loss.

Grandparent scams: Posing as a grandchild in distress to extort money from grandparents.

Scammers have become increasingly sophisticated, often spoofing local phone numbers to trick people into answering calls. This tactic, known as neighbor spoofing, relies on the assumption that people are more likely to answer a call from a familiar area code. By mimicking local numbers, scammers hope to increase their chances of success.

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself, it’s crucial to be cautious of unknown callers, even if the number appears local. Only answer calls from people you know or businesses you trust. Saving contacts to your phone can help you identify legitimate calls. Remember, if you don’t recognize the number, let it go to voicemail. Many scammers don’t leave messages.

Spam calls are a constant annoyance, but thankfully, there are tools to help you fight back. Spam call-blocking apps have become essential for anyone tired of unwanted calls and texts. There are many spam call-blocking apps for Apple iPhone (iOS) and Android phone users.

Here’s a short list of some top-rated spam call-blocking apps:

Truecaller is a popular free option with additional premium features for enhanced protection, available on both Android and iOS.

Nomorobo is a spam blocker that even works with landlines. Available for both Android and iOS.

RoboKiller automatically answers and hangs up on spam calls, saving you time and frustration. Available on both Android and iOS.

YouMail uses a clever “Out of Service” message to deter spam callers. Available on both Android and iOS.

Robo Shield is a top choice for its comprehensive security features, available for Android and iOS.

According to statistics gathered by Truecaller, the number of spam and unwanted calls received by Americans averages 2.5 Billion calls every month.

The more you know, the safer you are. 

How to Manage Browser Extensions
A tip for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox users

Today, we’re going to show you a quick and easy way to find out what browser extensions are installed in your favorite browser. We’ll also show you how to turn extensions on or off or remove them completely. This tip is for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

If you use Google Chrome…

Type Chrome://Extensions in Chrome’s address bar and press Enter.

When Chrome Extensions opens you can turn any extension on or off – or remove it.

If you use Microsoft Edge…

Type Edge://Extensions in the Edge address bar and press Enter.

When Edge “Installed Extensions” opens, you can turn any extension on or off – or remove it

If you use Firefox…

Type about:addons in the Firefox address bar and press Enter.

When Firefox “Manage Your Extensions” opens you can turn any extension on or off – or remove it completely. 

Who Am I? A Guide to the User Accounts on Your Windows Computer
Windows 10 / Windows 11

Would you like to find out the name of the user account you’re logged into Windows with? Here’s how:

Open a command prompt. In Windows 10 type CMD in the taskbar search and press Enter when the Command prompt appears.

At the prompt type WHOAMI (as in who am I). Windows will respond with your computer name and your user account. It may be different than what you think. My main user account on this computer is Rocky 10 (a movie they never made) and I’m logged in as user odumh (don’t even ask).

Now, for the next tip, I’m showing two of my computers, one of which (Windows 10) has quite a few user accounts set up.

To see a list of all the accounts on your computer, open an Administrator Command prompt this way:

Type CMD in the taskbar search. When the Command prompt appears at the top of the search results, right-click on it and choose “Run as administrator” from the right-click menu.

In the Command window at the prompt type:

NET USER

And press Enter.

You’ll see all the accounts on your computer, including the hidden ones.

My Windows 10 laptop is called Sydney28 (it’s a long story). You can see I have several other user accounts on Sydney28 with names like “BeMyGuest”, Jupiter, rainc, Reddington, and thunder (Thunder Cloud), and some arcane accounts that were created by Windows.

Another laptop, running Windows 11 has three accounts.  My Guest, Rainc, and WDAGUtilityAccount

If you have an inquiring mind, you probably want to know why they are there.

WDAGUtilityAccount — Microsoft defines the “WDAGUtilityAccount” this way: “This account is part of the Windows Defender Application Guard which came with the Fall Creators Update (version 1709). This account is left disabled unless it (Windows Defender Application Guard) is enabled on your device.”

DefaultAccount — It’s usually the account you log in with.

If you see an account named “Administrator” (not the account type), this is the famous, so-called hidden Super Administrator account. And while it does have some important uses, you should never enable it and then leave it enabled. If you want to enable it to try it you can do so this way:

Open an Administrator Command prompt and type:

NET USER ADMINISTRATOR /ACTIVE:YES

Now press Enter. You’ll get a message that “The command has completed successfully”

Once you’ve enabled it, to use it you’ll need to log out of your account and log into the “Super Administrator” account.

Don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done experimenting: Open an administrator Command prompt and type:

NET USER ADMINISTRATOR /ACTIVE:NO

Press Enter. You should see “The command completed successfully”.

Bonus tip

If you have created more than one user account on your PC, you can switch between them by using the Windows key + L shortcut. Try it. 

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.

The Best Computer Care and Repair - Anywhere!

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.

Get more information here.

15Facts – A Fun and Interesting Cloudeight Site Pick for You

In looking for a new Cloudeight site pick we were searching for a site that would be interesting to everyone with a tad of curiosity. And we came up with an oddly named site called 15Facts. On the day we reviewed it the site featured the following just to name a few…

15 Fun and Interesting Facts about Greenland
15 Fascinating Facts about Chess
15 Fascinating Facts about Scotland
15 Wonderful Facts About the Mediterranean Sea
15 Appealing Facts About Bananas

The site also features a menu at the top with the categories. Top 10, Random, Geography, Miscellaneous, History, Science, Literature.

Under “15 Interesting and Fun Facts to Share with Friends (2022)” we found these facts to share with you:

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

Crows hold grudges and they tell their family and friends about them.

Most toilets flush in the key of E-flat.

Cuba and North Korea are the only countries in the world where you can’t buy Coca-Cola.

Rabbits are not capable of vomiting.

Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

The paper sleeve around your coffee cup is called a zarf.

And now it’s time to introduce the site’s developers who would love to tell you a little bit more about 15Facts.

About 15Facts

15Facts is dedicated to give you, the curious reader, a compendium of facts for several different topics. From the worlds of science to history to geography and more, our mission is to give you an interesting, concise, and insightful list of facts for various topics.

Why 15 facts? The human mind can hold only so much information at one time on a give (sic) topic. If a list is too long, you can’t retain what you have read. If it is too short, you won’t have enough to share. Our belief is that 15 facts is the sweet spot of crafting an educational and informative experience.

And now, friends, it’s time to embark upon a fun mission to acquire more knowledge.

It’s time to visit 15Facts!