Time flies. Here we are in mid-May tumbling toward summer. Next weekend is Memorial Day Weekend – the Official Start of Summer – at least in my neck of the woods.<\/span><\/p>\n Darcy’s still on vacation and I made it through the week. I am pretty sure everyone who needed help, got help; anyone who ordered something got their order, and that all of you who made donations received a personal thank you If not, write and scold me! And it’s Saturday, and time for another Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers edition.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes, the best tips and tricks are hidden in the published questions and answers. 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 questions & answers were selected at random from past InfoAve Weekly newsletters.<\/span><\/p>\n Please help us to continue to help you with your Windows computer questions and help you to stay safe in the crazy world of the Internet. We need your support – even the smallest gift helps us. Please… help us by making a donation.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 051824<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Marguerita asks us about an email popup that is preventing her from getting her email<\/span><\/strong><\/span> I am receiving this pop-up every time I go into my inbox and it is not letting me access my inbox. I am clicking “deny” because it reads as if it will delete all my emails from my Gmail, which I do not want it to do.<\/span><\/p>\n Please can you advise if it is safe to allow Mozilla Thunderbird this permission? I am unable to use my inbox in the meantime. Thanks very much. Kind regards, Marguerita.<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> If you want to access your Gmail account with Thunderbird, you’ll have to tell Google you want to permit Thunderbird to access your Gmail account. If you don’t then you won’t be able to get your Gmail in Thunderbird. You will still be able to access your mail on the Web at www.gmail.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n I hope this helps you understand what’s going on with Gmail and Thunderbird.<\/span><\/p>\n Pam is having problems with Chrome<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Reset Chrome. This will reset Chrome back to its default state. It will disable all Chrome extensions, but it will not remove them. This is helpful in case an extension changes your Chrome start page. You can re-enable the extensions you want after the reset. Resetting Chrome also clears browsing history.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Learn how to reset Chrome here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Learn how to set a new start page in Chrome here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Learn how to turn Chrome extensions on & off here.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Pam. If you need anything else, let us know.<\/span><\/p>\n Janet has laptop battery troubles<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> 1. Unplug the power cord.<\/span> Now see if the battery shows that it\u2019s charging. You can also try running a battery health report. This should show you how healthy your laptop battery is\u00a0See our article here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n I hope this helps you, Janet.<\/span><\/p>\n THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!<\/span> Did you know that we provide support to thousands of people? Every week we help dozens of people via email at no charge. The questions and answers you see in our newsletters are from the email answers and help we provide to everyone free of charge.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to your gifts, we do more than provide this free newsletter. We help you recognize online threats, fight for your online privacy, help you navigate the Web safely, provide suggestions for safe, free software and websites, and help you get more out of your PC.<\/span><\/p>\n Please Help us keep up the good fight with a small gift.<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Would you be interested in making an automatic monthly gift?\u00a0Visit this page<\/a>. Please help us keep on helping you\u2026 and help us keep you safe on the Web.<\/span><\/p>\n Bonnie wants to change the password on her modem\/router<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> I don\u2019t what brand of modem\/router you\u2019re using but generally, you can log in to your router\u2019s control panel by opening a browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) and typing 192.168. 1.1 in the address bar and press Enter. However, some brands don\u2019t work that way. Here\u2019s a page<\/a> showing how to access most brands of routers\u2019 control panels \u2013 from there you can change the router\u2019s password.<\/span><\/p>\n Changing the router\u2019s password does not affect your WiFi password though so you don\u2019t have to change it on any of your connected devices.<\/span><\/p>\n Did you mean you want to change your WiFi password? If that\u2019s what you meant, let me know and we\u2019ll send the instructions on how to do that.<\/span><\/p>\n As far as your Galaxy watch goes, that\u2019s something we can\u2019t help you with.<\/span> Gail has been getting mail that appears to be from her friend but it\u2019s not<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> The best way to control spam is not to block senders, it doesn\u2019t work. The best we have ever found is to use Gmail to filter your mail.\u00a0See this page<\/a>\u00a0to learn how to get a free Gmail account to block spam.<\/span><\/p>\n We get hundreds of emails each week and rarely do we ever see a spam email in our inbox. We\u2019ve been controlling spam this way for many years and we love it because it works.<\/span> Colin can\u2019t get rid of all those pesky temporary files<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> If you\u2019re expecting the %temp% command to clear all temp files, that\u2019s never going to happen as long as Windows is running.<\/span><\/p>\n I think if you look at Task Manager\/Processes or Services.msc you\u2019ll find some MS Team processes and\/or services running in the background. But even if you end all of those processes, you still won\u2019t be able to delete every single temporary file.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Colin.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve helped hundreds and hundreds of you with your computers since we started our\u00a0<\/strong>Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Service<\/strong><\/a>! If you\u2019re having computer problems \u2013 we CAN help you!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We all know that sooner or later our computers will start having problems. We can help you with any computer need \u2014 from diagnosing and fixing Windows problems \u2013 to setting up a wireless network for you \u2013 to safeguarding by creating an image-based backup (the only kind that works when you need it to work) \u2013 to cleaning up your computer and optimizing it \u2014 and more. We can do almost anything you need and guarantee our work \u2013 you\u2019re either satisfied or we\u2019ll refund your money.<\/span><\/p>\n We connect to your computer and fix it while you watch<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We will connect to your computer via the Internet and fix any problems you may be having. You can\u00a0watch us work and chat with us while we do. If you have any computer questions you\u2019d like to ask we\u2019ll be glad to answer them for you.\u00a0 We don\u2019t just fix your computer, we explain what we\u2019re doing and why we\u2019re doing it and we are right there with the entire time. Since we\u2019ve started we\u2019ve helped hundreds of you with your computer problems and we\u2019ve received dozens of referrals and testimonials from our readers and customers.<\/span><\/p>\n We offer many other computer services too! If you have a problem with your computer \u2013 we can fix it!<\/span><\/p>\n Get more information about Cloudeight Direct Computer Care and or get your repair keys here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Robert wants a good free photo-editing site<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Pixlr<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/pixlr.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Be Funky<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.befunky.com\/\u00a0<\/a>(Good for beginners, not a lot of advanced features)<\/span><\/p>\n PhotoPea<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.photopea.com\/\u00a0<\/a>(Advanced online photo editor \u2013 with features like Photoshop)<\/span><\/p>\n We hope you find one that meets your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n Gloria asks about special characters<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Here are some alternate ways of accessing special characters<\/span><\/p>\n Charmap<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n You can access and use special characters by typing Charmap in the taskbar search and locating the character(s) you want to use by finding them in the Character Map and clicking on them.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n![\"Please](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2021\/donate2021.png\")
\nMake a donation today and help us keep on helping you!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHi Darcy and TC. Please could you look at the snip below?<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2023\/oauthpic1.png\")
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\nHi Marguerita. This is called OAUTH2 authentication. You will need to give Thunderbird permission to access your Gmail account or you will not be able to access your mail with Thunderbird. You will continue to see that popup until you tell Google (Gmail) that you want to allow Thunderbird to access your Gmail account. If you don’t give Thunderbird permission you cannot use it to check your Gmail account. It works the same with Outlook, OE Classic, EM Client, and any other email client that supports OAUTH2 authentication.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nJust recently, after using Google Chrome for years, I’ve suddenly started having problems. Sometimes Chrome won’t open and sometimes it freezes. I’m not having any problems with my computer or any other programs – just Chrome. I’ve not changed any Chrome settings or added any new extensions. Do you have any suggestions for me?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Pam. Here are some suggestions for you.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nEvery so often my computer says my internal battery is very low. I\u2019ve researched buying a new one but it would be difficult to replace (not like I did on my old computer) and the tec. at the store said they didn\u2019t replace them. Then someone told me that their computer has said that for a long time but it keeps working and not to worry about it. Why is this happening and do I need to be concerned? I keep it plugged in all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Janet. Since your battery is hard to remove, try this:<\/span><\/p>\n
\n2. Turn off your PC (power it off)<\/span>
\n3. Leave it off for 5 minutes.<\/span>
\n4. Leave it unplugged and turn it back on. Leave it on for 2 or 3 minutes.<\/span>
\n5. Turn it off again (power it off).<\/span>
\n6. Wait five minutes, plug the power cord in, and turn the PC back on.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nWhen you support us with a small gift, you help us continue our mission to keep you informed, separate the truth from the hyperbole, and help you stay safer online. Plus, our computer tips make your computer easier to use.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI got a new modem\/router last week and I would like to change the password if I can. Also, when the tech set it up, I didn\u2019t get it put on my Galaxy watch. I may have to have you do it if I can\u2019t get it done alone. So sorry to have to bother you two kids again, I know, I\u2019m a pain or completely computer illiterate. God\u2019s blessings, Bonnie<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Bonnie. No problem\u2026we\u2019re here to help if we can.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/span>
\nBonnie wrote back\u2026\u201cThank you so much, TC. You\u2019re always so willing to help me and others. Have a great weekend. God Bless, Bonnie.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI have been receiving emails that appear to be from a dear friend but that I know are not. I have informed her about it & have suggested that she change her anti-malware program to Emsisoft because I think someone has gained access to her contact list & sending out fraudulent emails. My questions are: once I determine the real email account from which these emails come, will a reply to it actually be received by that sender? Is there a way to block them? The sender\u2019s real account is always different each time I receive their email disguised as coming from my friend. It\u2019s not so much a big deal as it is annoying. Thanks for any help with this. Gail<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Gail. If the sender is an amateur and does not know what he or she is doing, you can find the IP address of the sender and where he or she is located, but that\u2019s not going to do you a lot of good. Spammers don\u2019t send from real email addresses (they send from forged email addresses) and they use thousands of email addresses so it\u2019s impossible to block them. It\u2019d highly unlikely someone has gained access to her contact list, but very likely that she or someone she sends to has put everyone\u2019s email address in the CC line (instead of the BCC) line. We have seen it hundreds of times where people put dozens and dozens of peoples\u2019 email addresses in the CC line and thus expose all those addresses to spammers.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/span>
\nGail wrote back:\u00a0\u201cHi TC. Thanks for being so sweet & taking the time to reply. I suspect, based on your information, that the culprit is someone to whom she emails because I don\u2019t think my dear friend even knows what the Cc or Bcc is, much less how to properly use it\u2026 Anyway, thanks again. I sincerely appreciate it. Best wishes to you as well, Gail,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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\nWhen trying to clear my temporary files on drive c after using the run command %temp% I found I could not as there were \u201cmat-debug\u201d files present and in use by Microsoft Teams. I tried the net for clues as to how to get rid of these files and found what I thought was a solution but that didn\u2019t work when I tried it. It suggested that after using Safe Boot I use disc cleanup which I did on drive c only to find those annoying mat debug files still there. It also suggested that if the files were still there that I close them individually. I couldn\u2019t find a way of doing this, however. Can you help me in this regard?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Colin. You can never clear all temp files using %Temp% as long as Windows is running. We cover that in our article here<\/a>. In that article, you\u2019ll find this\u2026\u201dYou can never delete all temporary files because as long as Windows is running, temporary files are constantly being created\u2026\u201d <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2014\/directgreen.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
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\nYou advised a good free site for the best photo editing \u2013 I am interested in a free photo editing service. Is that something you can provide for me?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Robert. There are several online photo editors we have tested in the past. We have not tested any recently. But here are several we have tested:<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nA while back you gave some \u201cspecial characters\u201d using the alt key and 4 numbers to activate characters. Of course, my Windows 11 isn\u2019t cooperating and I can no longer do the alt thing plus numbers. Can you help, please?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Gloria. We have not written a specific article on special characters since 2012 and as far as ALT key+ 4 digits, we once featured Microsoft special characters using the ALT key from this Microsoft page<\/a>. You\u2019ll find quite a few ALT+ numbers to access Windows special characters on that page.<\/span><\/p>\n
![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2022\/charmap.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2022\/moji1.png\")
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