We survived Friday the 13th and now it’s Saturday – the weekend has begun. And that means it’s time for our Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes the best tips and tricks are hidden in the questions and answers we publish. And rarely do we post questions and answers on this website. Today, we\u2019re featuring some of the questions and answers from past issues of our InfoAve Weekly<\/a> newsletters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These answers were selected at random from past InfoAve Weekly newsletters.<\/span><\/p>\n Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 051422<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Margaret asks us to check out a video editor<\/strong><\/span> https:\/\/filmora.wondershare.net\/filmora-video-editor.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Thanks! Margaret<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Generally, but not always, freeware is the vector of choice for malware bundlers. Filmora Video Editor is not freeware, it\u2019s trialware, and if you want to keep using it you have to pay at least $39.95 \/year.<\/span><\/p>\n So it looks like it\u2019s a yay for Filmora Video Editor \u2013 as long as you realize it\u2019s only free to download and try (trialware). If you want to keep it, it\u2019s not free. They do a good job of downplaying that on the download page.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you! Loretta says Bing has taken over<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Try this:<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Type CHROME:\/\/EXTENSIONS in the Chrome address bar & press \u201cEnter\u201d<\/span> You can also remove Bing from the list of search engines available in Chrome.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Type CHROME:\/\/SETTINGS\/SEARCH in the Chrome address bar & press \u201cEnter\u201d<\/span> 3. After you click \u201cManage search engines, you can remove Bing from the list of available search engines, if you choose to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n If the above doesn\u2019t stop Bing, reset Chrome by following the instructions on this page<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Resetting Chromes returns Chrome to its defaults. Keep in mind this does not remove bookmarks. It disables all extensions, clears Chrome history and cache, and restores Chrome to its factory defaults.<\/span><\/p>\n Reimage is borderline malware in our opinion. It\u2019s scammy and it can mess up your computer. Our advice is don\u2019t use it. If you have installed it, we recommend you uninstall it ASAP.<\/span><\/p>\n Jean is wondering if a call she got from Amazon is legitimate<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Amazon, Microsoft, Google, etc. do not call you at all \u2013 the only exception to this would be if you had a problem and had been working with them. None of them would call you out of the blue.<\/span><\/p>\n Keep in mind it\u2019s easy for hackers and con artists to change the \u201cCalling From\u201d number to anything they want. This is called \u201cspoofing\u201d and with the right software, it\u2019s easy to do.<\/span><\/p>\n Anyone calling you for a legitimate purpose would leave a message if you didn\u2019t answer. And if you don\u2019t have voicemail or an answering machine, they would certainly call you back.<\/span><\/p>\n You did the right thing.<\/span><\/p>\n Karl asks why Consumer Reports doesn\u2019t ever test or review Emsisoft<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> For example. Consumer Reports, in the past, has listed AVAST as one of the top antivirus programs. Oops. In January 2020, after AVAST was outed for collecting and selling its users\u2019 data, they withdrew their recommendation. If Consumer Reports actually dug down and did extensive testing they would have been the ones to out AVAST. And if they had tested Avast and its kissing-cousin AVG, they would have noticed they try to install bundled software, including a search-engine hijacker, a chromium-based \u201csecure\u201d (sure!) browser, and a useless Windows fixer tool.<\/span><\/p>\n We use our own testing, independent AV lab tests, and our own experience in cleaning malware and PUPS from computers supposedly protected by McAfee, Norton, and others. Additionally, Emsisoft\u2019s customer service is impeccable. They take care of our mutual customers.<\/span><\/p>\n We continue to use and recommend Emsisoft.\u00a0 But if I\u2019m looking to buy a new car, a new dishwasher, or a new lawnmower, I will check out Consumer Reports because I believe they do test those kinds of things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Muriel has questions about Have I Been PWNED<\/strong><\/span> I was inspired by a recent Wired article to revisit the site again, today. It\u2019s different. The results for me today said I had been pwned on all of my email addresses. To me, a strong focus of the site was in the promotion of a specific password manager. Trying to find out the sites that pwned me was futile, but I found a lot of statistics and FAQs. A deeper look around said that I had no \u201cpastes\u201d. I think maybe it\u2019s worth a revisit and re-evaluation by you. Judge for yourself whether or not you think it\u2019s worth an update for your readers. I\u2019d like to know your opinion either way.<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> I have reviewed that site and I would no longer recommend it as it seems to be supported by advertisements which was not the case when we first reviewed it. I think it\u2019s important for a site that\u2019s dealing with information that can send shivers up the spines of folks who find their email addresses that have been found\/posted on the \u201cDark Web\u201d to be free from any financial influences. Obviously promoting a commercial (not free) password manager leads users to the right conclusion that using strong passwords and changing them frequently is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your private data safe. They\u2019d be tempted to buy \u201csafety\u201d by buying the commercial password manager. But what they may not be aware of is that there are excellent password managers that are free.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And keep in mind that just because your email address was found on the Dark Web that disaster is sure to follow. A harvested email address is a magnet for spam but if there is no personal information to go along with it, there\u2019s not much real danger of it being used to steal money, bank account info, or worse, your identity.<\/span><\/p>\n Have I Been Pwned seems much more commercialized now than it was when we previously reviewed it. Money is a great motivator. But we\u2019re not accusing Have I Been Pwned of selling out or of anything else. However, we are going to err on the side of caution and remove Have I Been Pwned from our recommended sites list. It\u2019s hard enough for users to ferret out the truth and stay safe as it is without being confused by vague and possibly unfounded warnings. At this point we feel it\u2019s in our readers\u2019 best interest to take any results they find on Have I Been Pwned with a grain of salt. And we have put a note at the top of our 2017 review to that effect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks for the heads up, Muriel.<\/span><\/p>\n Barb wants to know if NVIDIA is something she needs<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Cheryl wants to know if we offer computer care and repair services for business computers<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Just visit https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/<\/a> to learn more about our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this answers your question. Thanks for asking.<\/span><\/p>\n Donna wants CalendarPal back<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> CalendarPal is now free to use and it works great on Windows 10 and Windows 11.<\/span><\/p>\n You can download it free from here.<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n We hope you enjoy it!<\/span><\/p>\n Leo has a question about Thunderbird\u2019s calendar<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> We hope this helps you.<\/span><\/p>\n Jim wants to know if a great deal on MS Office is legitimate<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> If it seems something is \u201ctoo good to be true\u201d it almost always is. Many companies outside of the USA don\u2019t prosecute software and intellectual rights violations as we do in the USA. So often you\u2019ll see pirated copies of Office being sold for unbelievably low prices. <\/span> Let the buyer beware. If you have a pirated copy of MS Office or MS Office OEM version that is not legitimate, it\u2019s your responsibility. Most of the time nothing happens, but why risk it?<\/span><\/p>\n You can get MS Office 365 for $6.99\/month or $69.99\/year from Microsoft. Using the subscription, you will always have the newest, most updated version of MS Office. And it\u2019s all on the up and up. You can learn more about Microsoft 365 here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Jim.<\/span><\/p>\n Jason\u2019s friend fell for a tech support scam<\/strong><\/span> I told him he not only got ripped off but they probably put a key logger into his computer. Because he just did this a week ago, I told him how to get out of it and told him about Emsisoft. I also just emailed him your latest newsletter to read. Hopefully, he will call me and not only sign up with you but get Emsisoft with you. He may also get a key with you to clean out the program from this other company and look for any key logger that I suspect may be on his computer.<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Thanks for recommending us. And if and when he comes our way and we certainly will do all we can to help him.<\/span><\/p>\n Terry wants to know if we\u2019d recommend this tip for password protecting a folder<\/strong> <\/span> Is it easy to crack the password?<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> If you password-protect your Windows user account all you have to do is press Windows Key+ L to lock your computer. Then a password or PIN is required to log back in. That way no one can access any folders.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes those little \u201ctricks\u201d like password protecting a folder without using any software are just to show that it can be done. But if you don\u2019t trust those who have access to your computer or don\u2019t want people accessing a certain folder, how hard is it to press Windows Key + L whenever you\u2019re not using your computer? Your computer\u2019s locked, and no one can access any files, folders, or anything else on your computer without knowing your PIN or Windows password.<\/span><\/p>\n Don’t have a Cloudeight SeniorPass? It’s a great deal. Learn more here.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Our Cloudeight SeniorPass is a great deal. You get unlimited support for one full year from the date you first use your SeniorPass. We can help keep your computer running well, fix all kinds of computer problems, clean up malware, and a whole lot more. Our SeniorPass is like having insurance for your computer. And it’s only $99 for an entire year.<\/span><\/p>\n Get your SeniorPass today for just $99.\u00a0 It’s just like having insurance for your computer – only better!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHello Darcy and TC. I am hoping you will be able to find the time (I actually have no idea how that could be possible with ALL you do. Crazy!) to check this and decide if it would be a good addition for those working with videos:<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Margaret. I have never heard of Filmora Video Editor, but I have heard of Wondershare. So, I took the Flimora installer to VirusTotal and checked it with 71 antivirus\/antimalware programs. None of the 71 found any malware, virus, or anything bad in it. You can see the results of the scan here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nMargaret wrote back: \u201cThank you TC. I really thought this was free but for me, this would be closer to $55. per year. Thank you for checking it, though. Good to know it appears to be clean for those who will buy it. Margaret.\u201d<\/em>
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\nBing keeps taking over my Google Chrome. I removed it from the list but still happening. Someone said I should use Reimage to check it out. Please do you have an answer? Thank you.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Loretta. Bing is a Microsoft search engine. I am guessing you added a Bing toolbar (extension) or some other extension to Chrome that keeps switching your search engine. It could be a search engine hijacker.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n2. Disable or remove any extension that contains the word Bing or Search<\/span><\/p>\n
\n2. Make sure your default search engine is set to Google.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2020\/bingo.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2020\/bingo1.png\")
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\nHi, I\u2019m just wondering if a phone call I received at 11.30 pm last night was genuine or a hack because it was just like how the hacks work ie took a while to answer, then said it was a call from Amazon and I just hung up straight away as I do with hackers because I thought this was one and if it was genuine, wouldn\u2019t they have called me again, but they haven\u2019t. Thanks so much for all the help you give members. Kindest regards, Jean.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Jean. Thanks for your nice comments.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI subscribe to Consumers Report Magazine and they periodically review and recommend Anti-Virus software, but I have never seen Emsisoft listed in any review but they list Avast, Norton, etc. Now they claim to be impartial but this puzzles me and I\u2019m sure persuades a lot of readers to go with these mainstream A\/V bundles. As a longtime reader of your newsletters and user of Emsisoft on multiple PCs with not a hint of a problem, I have to wonder\u2026 what gives?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Karl. Regardless of what Consumer Reports promises, products reviewed by produced by sponsors are always favored. That being said, I\u2019ve always taken Consumer Reports reviews of software (and PCs) with a grain of salt. Many of their computer\/software reviews are way off the mark.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nQuite a way back you advised readers about https:\/\/haveibeenpwned.com\/<\/a> which I visited immediately and all my email addresses checked out OK. Simple and straightforward.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Muriel. We\u2019ve been growing more and more suspicious about that site over the last few months, but only one of my addresses shows up as being PWNED.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nMy PC has something called NVIDIA and I never use it, don\u2019t know what it\u2019s for, and would like to know whether it\u2019s essential for the running of my computer or if I could safely get rid of it. Thank you for your advice.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Barb. NVIDIA is your graphics\/video card and related drivers. So, yes you need it.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI was wondering if you offer your computer repair keys for a business computer?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Cheryl. We can work on any computer, business or personal. There is no difference in charges for personal vs business computers.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI purchased CalendarPal many years ago and I loved it. Is it possible to have CalendarPal on my win 10 computer and if so how do I do that? Thank you for all the help you give to so many people. Keep up the great work. A friend and long-time user, Donna.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Donna. Thanks so much for your kind words, friendship and support!<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nThis is about the Thunderbird email program. How do I get my mini calendar back in the right pane when I open Thunderbird? Thank you for all your help in the past.Leo.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Leo, and thank you! It\u2019s easy, press the F11 key to show the calendar and press F11 again to hide it.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI\u2019m curious about the advertisement for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019. It seems like an offer too good to be true. Is it? You guys have been an important part of my 20 years of computer experience and I trust your judgment. Keep it up, PLEASE! Jim<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Jim. Thanks so much for your long-time support and your kind words.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAnd then there\u2019s the gray area of OEM software. This is when a company, such as a computer manufacturer, purchases a bulk license from Microsoft that allows them to include MS Office on the computers they sell. Sometimes, companies outside the USA buy OEM licenses and use them (illegally) to create and distribute \u201ciffy\u201d copies of MS Office at very low prices.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nThe Secretary of my Masonic Lodge told the members he contacted a company that he saw an ad for to clean a \u201cvirus\u201d out of his computer. They sold him a lifetime plan where they would get into his computer and clean out any virus they found and do this every 3 months for life. It was $699.00.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Jason. Tell him to contact his credit card company IMMEDIATELY, dispute the charge, and put in a fraud report These are scams, and he could buy a new computer (or even TWO) for what he paid them. The credit card company will always take the side of the consumer.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nWould you recommend this: https:\/\/www.ilovefreesoftware.com\/07\/tutorial\/password-protect-folder-windows-10-without-tool.html.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Terry. I never understood why anyone would want to password protect a folder. If you have folders you want to protect, password-protect your Windows user account and log out when you\u2019re not using your computer. If you have other people using your computer, then separate create accounts for them.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2020\/telephone.png\")
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