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We both wish you and those you love, a very happy Easter. This weekend, as on all major holiday weekends, we are publishing a review edition of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. Publishing a review edition on major holidays gives us some extra time to spend with our families and friends. We hope that you and those you love will be able to spend some time together this Easter weekend and that you all remember the reason for the season. And more than anything else, Easter is a time for hope and new beginnings. May you all have a blessed and Happy Easter. We'll be back next Friday with a brand-new edition of InfoAve Weekly. Happy Easter!

Andrew wants to format a flash drive
Dear Darcy & TC. In the past, you have recommended Puran File Recovery to recover deleted files on a USB memory stick. I have found this software invaluable; thank you for your recommendation. However, I now wish to securely delete all data on a USB memory stick so that all items are irrecoverable (even when using file recovery software) to pass the memory stick on to friends or my children. Can you please recommend a suitable software program that will permanently erase all the data on the memory stick, but that will not damage the stick?

Thank you in anticipation of your most valued advice and too for your treasured weekly and daily newsletters. Andrew

Our answer
Hi Andrew. Thanks for your nice comments. You don't need a program to format a flash drive or any drive. You can use Windows File Explorer.

Here's how to format a USB flash drive using File Explorer:

1. Open File Explorer (Windows Key + E)

2. Click on This PC from the left pane.

3. Right-click on the flash drive and select the Format option.

4. Use the "File system" drop-down menu and select the NTFS option.

5. In the "Allocation unit size," leave it set to default.

6. In the "Volume label" field, you can type in a descriptive name for example "16GB_Flash" (no quotes), or just leave it blank.

7. Under the "Format options" section, select the Quick format option. Unless the person you're giving it to is a forensic expert, Quick Format is fine. If you don't want to take any chances uncheck "Quick Format". This will set up a full format (which takes a lot longer) but any data that was on the drive will not be recoverable.

8. Click the Start button

9. Click the Yes button.

Once the format is complete the drive will be empty and ready to use.
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Andrew wrote back: "Dear TC. Thank you for your prompt reply and excellent advice and information. Your help and assistance are much appreciated and greatly valued. Thank you so much for being there and for your vast knowledge that you are kindly prepared to share with others. Please take care and keep safe. Best wishes, Andrew

Rhonda's keyboard does not have a Caps Lock indicator
My keyboard does not have a caps lock indicator. Some time ago I had an app that sat in the system tray and indicated the status of the caps and Num lock. It has disappeared, and I can't remember what it was called. Do you know a safe app for a visual caps lock indicator?

I do like your newsletter and your useful information. Thanks, Rhonda

Our answer
Hi Rhonda. I spent some time looking around for something that would do what you need it to do. I found one and tested it on my laptop -even though I have a Caps lock indicator. The program worked well and you don't even have to install it - just click to run it. It will alert you when the Caps lock key is on as well as NumLock and Scroll Lock keys are on. You can also configure it just to show when Caps Lock is on and nothing else if that's how you want to configure it.

The program is called Caps Lock Indicator and you can read more about it and/or download it here.

We hope this works for you.

Dick gets a notification to check drive C:\ every time he starts Windows
Hello wonderful folks. For some reason, my PC wants to do a disc check on “C” every time I start it up. I tried a couple of suggestions that I found on Google, and I thought I followed the instructions to the letter, but they did not work. Hopefully, you have seen this problem pop up in the past and have a safe and easy solution to give this old man. I know you are always so very busy but if you get a spare minute could you help me? Thank you so much in advance.

Our answer
Hi Dick. Thanks for your nice comments and your confidence in us.

Your problem may be nothing more than a Windows error it could also be the result of an improper shutdown or serious file system errors on your hard drive.

The first thing you should do is this: Open an administrator command prompt... Type CMD in the taskbar search and click "Run as administrator" when it appears in the search results.

At the Command Prompt type, CHKDSK /F and press Enter. You'll see a message that you cannot run CHKDSK while Windows is running. I will ask if you want to run disk checking at the next startup. Press Y for YES. And then restart your PC.

If that does not correct the problem. Open an administrator command prompt (as above) and in Command Prompt type chkntfs /x c: and press Enter. The command must be entered exactly as shown.

We hope this helps you with your problem, Dick.

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Debbie is looking for fonts
I am using Windows 10. I'm looking for script and handwriting-type fonts. I'm hoping you can steer me in the right direction. Where can I find nice fonts without getting infected with malware? I would really like free fonts, but I want them to be from safe sites without risking getting infected. Thanks, Debbie.

Our answer
Hi Debbie. You're in luck. We just posted a new tip on our InfoAve website that lists 3 safe sites from which you can download nice fonts for free. Additionally, we show you how to install, find and preview fonts on Windows 10.

Visit this page to see our 3 site picks for fonts as well as how to install and preview fonts on Windows 10.

I hope this helps you, Debbie!

Sue needs to clear her backup drive but she's having a problem
Hi, I have gained so much insight from you in all these years and am so grateful you are still here for us! I have a question about File History and backups. My external drive is full (hopefully with backups) and now I need to delete most of it so I can continue to back up. I've tried a couple of things that I found on the internet which haven't worked, I get an error: "Could not clean up File History data. Element not found". Is there another way I can get rid of these files and not have to mess with having to repair Win 10 which was a suggestion?

Thanks so much, I always feel you'll have the answer :)

Our answer
Hi Sue. You can right-click on the external (backup) drive and choose Format. Do a quick format on the drive, then set up File History again on that drive. You might need to reset File History for it to work correctly again.

If you do need to reset File History, see this page.

We hope this helps you, Sue.
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Sue wrote back: "Oh my gosh, TC, thank you so very much!! Of course, formatting!! Thanks for the link as well. Honestly, I hope you and Darcy know just how very much you are needed & appreciated, and how you have saved our hair from being pulled out and our computers from being invaded. You consistently smarten us up for scams and safe downloads. I can’t thank you enough. I’ll be making a donation today! Sue."

Richard has a couple of issues with Windows 11
I just upgraded to Windows 11. Two issues so far. First, the touch keypad no longer works. I'm typing this on an old keyboard I attached. Secondly, I see no way to attach a file folder to the taskbar. I put them in the start menu, which was not easy. Any help would be appreciated.

Our answer
Hi Richard. If you're talking about the Windows touch keyboard... if you right-click on the desktop, choose "Personalization" and look under "Taskbar corner icons" you'll see a switch for Touch Keyboard. You can turn it on from there. I just tried my touch keyboard in Windows 11 on both Windows 11 PCs and it works fine. If that doesn't work then you have a Windows issue that may require you to reinstall Windows 11 or run SFC/DISM scans. Or perhaps a future update will fix it.

Pinning a folder to the taskbar is not the same as Windows 10. Even in Windows 10, it was not just a matter of dragging and dropping but this does not work in Windows 11. If you're willing to do a little work you can pin files and folders to the taskbar in Windows 11 - although this can change with any Windows 11 updates.

It's easy to pin a folder or app to the Start menu in Windows 11, though. All you have to do is right-click and choose "Pin to start". So, I'm not sure why you're having trouble pinning apps/folders to the start menu. The main start menu does not show everything that is in the start menu, to see the entire start menu, click on "All apps" near the top right. When you see that you'll see a menu similar to other versions of Windows.

Reg Organizer: Cloudeight recommended and endorsed.

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Reg Organizer - A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Tools - Works Great on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Make Sure It’s Broke Before You Spend Time Fixing It
Windows 10, Windows 11

Here are two quick and easy tips that we are sure you'll use... "maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And for the rest of your life…”

Anyone who uses a computer knows they will have problems from time to time. It’s expected. It’s the nature of the beast. We’re here to remind you that if you start having computer problems, the first thing you should do is make sure there’s something really wrong with your computer before you set sail on a long, time-consuming voyage to fix it.

Here are two things you should always try as soon as you notice something’s not right with your computer:

1. Restart your computer.

As silly and simple as that sounds, restarting your computer can correct a lot of minor temporary errors and put your computer back on track. It won’t work every time, but it’s the first thing you should try if something isn’t right with your computer.

And… if restarting it does not work, we have one more simple thing you should do before you go off searching for help and fixes.

2. Shut down your computer completely and wait a few minutes...

Make sure all power is off and all power lights are off. Wait five minutes and then turn your computer back on.

You’ll find the second method may be successful if simply restarting your computer doesn’t work.

Now, we’re not here to convince you that these two simple tricks will fix all your problems and assuage all your computer woes – they won’t. But many times restarting your computer or shutting your computer down and waiting for a few minutes before restarting can correct many minor, yet annoying errors. And since it does not take much time or effort to try one or both of these tips, there’s no reason not to give them a try. We’ve seen restarting and shutting down the computer and waiting a few minutes before powering it back on, work many times on our own computers and other folks’ PCs as well.

And this trick also extends to other electronic devices – tablets, smartphones, streaming devices, etc. Sometimes the best fix is the simplest – just restart the device. It works more often than you think.

Exploring the File Explorer in Windows 11
Windows 11

File Explorer in Windows 11 takes some time to get used to since it’s a radical change from File Explorer in Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. The File Explorer in those versions of Windows was essentially the same as the old Windows Explorer included in earlier versions of Windows.

The File Explorer in Windows 11 is quite different. Icons now replace words for Cut, Copy, Delete, etc. Here’s a screenshot.

File Explorer - Windows 11 - Cloudeight InfoAve

Notice the icons near the bottom – and the yellow-highlighted “Show more options” above them. This presents an uncluttered menu that contains most of the basic functions and tasks – instead of the long menu presented in Windows 10 which can be quite cluttered depending on how many programs you installed that add themselves to the right-click menu.

Windows 11 will show a menu much more like Windows 10 when you click on “Show more options”, including the duplication of the Cut, Copy, Rename, Share, Delete, and Rename functions.

The File Explorer in Windows 11 looks quite different than in previous versions of Windows, but the “full menu” is still there, it just requires an additional click.

Windows 11 File Explorer - Cloudeight InfoAve

Copy to and Move to

In the screenshot above, you can see that “Copy to folder” and “Move to folder” are shown on the secondary menu. They are not there by default. Those of you who like having “Copy to” and “Move to” on the right-click menu will be happy to learn our tutorial on how to add “Copy to” and “Move to” to the right-click menu on Windows 11.

And don't forget. You don't have to update to Windows 11 right now. You can safely keep on using Windows 10...

We hope this helps those of you who will be updating to Windows 11. If you’re using Windows 10 and don’t want to update to Windows 11 – or your computer does not meet the requirements for Windows 11 – you can continue to use Windows 10 safely until October 14, 2025.

Driver Scams Are Thriving… Beware!
Windows 10/Windows 11

You know what makes me angry? You know what makes me so angry I could gnaw the bark off a Maple tree? Companies that stoop to fraud and deceit to lure and trick people into downloading, installing, or buying something… most of the time something worthless. And few do this better than companies that make driver updater programs. One company, in particular, appears to thrive on it. It’s no wonder we find so many of those useless driver updater programs installed on so many computers.

Here’s a true story. This happened to my friend and colleague, Darcy. And I’m going to step aside and let her tell you her story.

I was looking up a Canon printer for a customer who was having a problem with her Canon printer. I searched for her printer model. Without giving it a lot of thought, and hurrying, I clicked the link that was at the top of the search results… before realizing it was NOT Canon.

The next thing I know… I am on the page for the driver download. Still not realizing that I was NOT on a real Canon page, I decided to check with support to see if there was an error on the site’s database. I came to a support page for a driver update program, and THEN I realized I am not on a Canon site at all, but am on Slimware’s Slimcleaner/driver updater site.

I have always considered myself careful when browsing the web. I am usually extremely wary when visiting pages with which I am not familiar. But the setup that Slimware devised for the driver updater scam was so real, I didn’t realize I was not on a legitimate site.

If I were Canon, I would demand they take this kind of trickery off the web… and sue them. However, that is probably very unlikely. I’m sure that if they do this with Canon, they do it with many other common products. They are scamming so many people with their aggressive and fraudulent techniques, and making so much money, that they can afford to pay big bucks to be at the top of the search engines for all relevant driver searches. They do it for one reason: To make money by tricking people into downloading their driver update software. It is so unfair that any good honest companies are struggling financially – or going out of business – while dishonest companies thrive by tricking unwary users into downloading (and buying) useless software.

I digress. After realizing that this company was not above using highly sophisticated trickery to entice users into downloading their software. They even go so far as to use brand names and logos… even the Microsoft logo.

To see how far this company would go to trick people into downloading and using their software, I decided I’d try other printer driver searches to see what happened.

My next search was Canon Printer Drivers. And guess who was at the top? You guessed it. And looking very official with the Canon Trademark logo? The URL? cannon.driverupdate.net. What a hoax! And if you think, well “you spelled Canon” wrong, canon.driverupdate.net takes you right to driverupdate.net/articles/dl/canon-drivers, which is another Slimware scam site. This site imparts some seemingly good advice (NOT!):

About Canon Drivers:
This page discusses Canon Drivers and how to properly identify and download them. It also explains the importance of keeping your drivers up-to-date and some of the challenges with updating Canon Drivers. Note: You can automatically download the correct Canon Drivers by downloading the DriverUpdate™ Utility below.

I was getting very angry that this company has become so successful and is making so much money by using so much fraud and deception.

Here are some more results:

I searched for Dell Printer Drivers. Dell, who, of course, has tons of money, was at the top, but driversupport.com was second and filled the middle of my screen. The Slimware driver update ad was much more prominent than the real Dell site.

I also searched for HP Printer Drivers, and who won the 1st place blue ribbon? You guessed it: driverupdate.net. And, of course, they spent a lot of time and money making their deceptive site look very much like an official HP website.

Intrigued that a company would sink to this level of sophisticated deception to trick people and make a lot of money, I searched for Windows Drivers. We are aware of those ads that pop up on the Web and tell users that they need new or updated drivers. Guess who was in first place when searching for Windows drivers? Yes, you guessed right! Their trickery works again… driverupdate. They were right there at the top, and looking very official too!

I could go on and on, and do dozens and dozens of searches for drivers, and find Slimware’s driverupdate at or near the top. The ones I picked were at random, and this tells me they must be paying millions of dollars to have this many top spots (ads) for such a wide variety of searches.

As I said above, I am usually pretty careful, but I was trying to find something quickly. I was busy, it was early in the morning, and I’ll admit I darned near got fooled.

It’s such a shame a company can make so much money through dishonesty They are making millions and millions of dollars and spending millions of dollars on deceptive ads, and pay enough for those ads to land them at or near the top of most search engine results. And they're not the only company doing this.

Life is not fair, and it’s not fair that so many honest companies go out of business every day because they refuse to take the low road. Yet dishonest companies use deception and trickery to play upon the trusting nature of people, thrive, and prosper.

I hope my experience helps you avoid falling for the deceptive advertising of Slimware and its driverupdate website and other driver trickery injected into search results.

Here are some screenshots to go along with my experiences outlined above:

Cloudeight InfoAve

Cloudeight InfoAve
Above: Using brand names and logos to trick you into thinking this is the real thing.

Cloudeight InfoAve

Cloudeight InfoAve

Using Microsoft logos and registered trademarks, Scamware companies will spare no expense and will stoop to whatever deceptions are needed to lure you into clicking on these ads.

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Easy Context Menu - Quickly and Easily Remove Right-click Context Menu Items

Last week, Lynn asked us a question that we had not heard for a while – she wanted to know how to remove some of the programs from her right-click context menu – she was tired of scrolling down a long list just to get to “Rename” and “Delete” which are the two items she uses most.

There are a lot of programs that can help with paring down the list of items on the right-click context menu – you can even remove items by editing the registry. But few people consider editing the registry easy or fun – and we found many of the context menu editors complicated.

Because of Lynn’s question, we went on a search for an easy-to-use context menu editor. We found a free program that’s extremely easy to use — so much so that removing items from the right-click context menu is as easy as this:

Highlight the item you want to remove and click “Delete”.

The program is called “Easy Context Menu”. You can download the zip file from here.

Once you download it, unzip the file, and open the folder inside. Then click on EcMenu or EcMenu64 (if you have a 64-bit computer click on EcMenu64 – if you’re not sure click on EcMenu).

Once you open the program, press Ctrl-X (or choose “File” > “Context menu cleaner”) to open the Context Menu Cleaner. Highlight the item you want to remove from your right-click menu and click “Delete”.

ContextMenuCleaner - Cloudeight Freeware Pick & Windows tip

If you want to delete several items at once, highlight multiple items by holding down the SHIFT key while you click on the items you want to remove. Then, when you have all the items you want to remove from your right-click context menu selected, click on the Delete button on the left side. That’s it.

Context Menu Cleaner has many other features as well. You can read more about it and all its features here.

Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Essays , Rants, etc.

Thoughts On Easter

Easter is almost here. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration for Christians worldwide. It is a time of rebirth and a renewal of faith.

But I was thinking how much we all need a resurrection – a resurrection within each of us. Each morning, when we wake, we can choose how we will be that day. In a sense, it’s like our own daily resurrection. Our spirits can be lifted, our bodies and our faith renewed. We can choose to be the person we’ve always wanted to be, or we can continue being the person we are.

If we are very lucky, we are both of those – the person we are is the person we have always wanted to be. But I believe that’s very rare. Most of us wish we were better people, more faithful, more compassionate, less judgmental, less confrontational, happier – more of some things and less of others.

I find myself judging others because of the way they look, how they live, what they have, what they don’t have, and what they have or have not done. But I have no right to do that. I have no right to judge anyone, no matter who they are, what they look like, how rich or poor, how they live, what they have, or what they’ve done. My resurrection comes every day I wake, and I get to choose what kind of person I will be that day. Will I and do I want to be who I was yesterday? Or do I want to be a better person today than I was yesterday?

You’re probably thinking that I can change all I want...

Read more of this essay here.

Catch up on the latest internet slang so you won't have FOMO

Sheesh: Expressing surprise, disbelief, or frustration. (e.g., "Sheesh, that test was hard!")

Shook: Deeply surprised or disturbed. (e.g., "I'm shook by that plot twist!")

IYKYK: An acronym for "if you know, you know." Used for inside jokes or references. (e.g., "That song brings back memories, IYKYK.")

No cap/Cap: "Cap" is a lie, and "no cap" means "I'm telling the truth." (e.g., "No cap, that pizza was delicious.")

Lowkey/Highkey: "Lowkey" means slightly or moderately, while "highkey" means very or extremely. (e.g., "I'm lowkey tired." or "I'm highkey obsessed with that new show.")

Fire: Amazing, cool, or impressive. (e.g., "That dance routine was fire!")

W/L: Stands for "win" or "loss." Used to describe a situation or outcome. (e.g., "Did you get tickets to the concert? W or L?")

Mood: Expressing your current emotional state. (e.g., "This rainy day is such a mood.")

Salty: Bitter, upset, or annoyed. (e.g., "I'm salty I missed the party.")

FOMO: Fear of missing out. (e.g., "I have major FOMO about not going to the beach with everyone.")

Tea: Gossip or secrets. (e.g., "Spill the tea about what happened last night!")

GOATED: An acronym for "greatest of all time." (e.g., "LeBron James is the GOATED basketball player.")

Rinsed: Exhausted or drained. (e.g., "That workout left me rinsed.")

Bussin': Extremely flavorful or delicious. (e.g., "These tacos are bussin'!")

Now you don't have major FOMO cuz you don't know the latest slang. Darcy is in a mood, and that is no cap. I'm rinsed from writing this newsletter!

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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.

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We wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Easter!

Have a great Easter weekend...be safe!

Darcy & TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #1123
Volume 22 Number 26
April 18, 2025

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