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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

Mary has no internet connection on her all-in-one computer
I have no internet on my all-in-one computer. It says the Ethernet adapter is disabled. Says update or get a new card. Cost? My computer is only 2 years old. Mary

Our answer
Hi Mary, if you can't enable your Ethernet adapter on Windows 11 (I'm assuming you're using Windows 11 since your computer is only 2 years old).

Scroll down and click Advanced network settings (this is where adapter options are now hidden).

Note: If it says "Disable," it is already on. Try disabling and re-enabling it to reset the connection.

If the Ethernet adapter cannot be enabled, you can buy a USB Ethernet adapter that you can plug into any open USB port. You can buy them at Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Staples, etc. Here's one at Amazon for $12.00. They're easy to set up - just plug them into a USB port and plug your Ethernet cable from your PC into the open end.

You can also buy a wireless USB adapter ($15 or less) and use a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection instead of an Ethernet (cabled) connection. See our article here to learn more about USB Wi-Fi adapters.

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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!

Dotty has a question about passkeys
It's me again. I have a question regarding the passkey. I'm getting pop-ups on all my password sites to use a passkey. Where do I get the passkey? Will every password site now be a different number? I know you have the answer. I really appreciate any help you can provide. May God's many blessings be with you both.

Our answer

Hi Dotty. Thanks for your kind words.

Passkeys are relatively new, and they are not yet well understood, but they are the future, and they are much safer than passwords.

The process of getting a passkey depends on the account or service you want to use it for.

Your device (phone, tablet, or computer) needs to be running a recent operating system that supports passkeys (e.g., Windows 10/11, macOS Ventura+, iOS 16+, Android 9+). It also needs to have a secure screen lock enabled (PIN, pattern, biometric like fingerprint or Face ID). Most devices support passkeys.

Find the Passkey Option by navigating to your Account Settings or Security/Login & Security section. Look for an option like "Passkeys," "Passwordless login," "Security Keys," or "Add a sign-in method."

The service will prompt you step by step to create a passkey. You will be asked to use your device's screen lock or biometric sensor (fingerprint, face, or PIN) to confirm and store the new passkey securely on your device or in your device's password manager (like iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager).

Here are three examples of how to get a passkey. Remember, you have different passkeys for different sites, but you don't have to remember them. All you need to verify your passkey is your fingerprint, face, or PIN.

Google Account: Sign in to your Google Account, go to Security, and look under "How you sign in to Google" for the Passkeys section.

Microsoft Account: Sign in to your Microsoft account, go to Advanced Security Options, and choose to add a FIDO passkey.

Amazon: Log in, go to Account & Lists, then Login & Security, and look for the Passkey setup option.

Remember, too, not all sites are set up for passkeys yet. So there's a chance that some of the sites you would like to create passkeys for don't have them enabled yet.

To learn more about how passkeys work, see our article here.

I hope this helps you, Dotty.

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.

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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.

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 they are 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.