It’s June and the meteorological beginning of summer for those of us north of the equator. For those of you south of the equator, it’s the meteorological start of winter. In most places on Earth, it’s Saturday\u00a0 <\/span>And if it\u2019s Saturday, it\u2019s time for yet another edition of our Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers.\u00a0<\/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 – 060124<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Bonnie wants a free alternative to Microsoft Money<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> See this page at AlternativeTo for several good free replacements for Microsoft Money<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Bonnie.<\/span><\/p>\n Jim wants to know if this 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><\/p>\n And 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 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 Judie wants to know how to lock the taskbar in Windows 11<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> If you right-click the Windows 11 taskbar you\u2019ll see \u201cTaskbar settings\u201d. If you open Taskbar settings, there are options for customizing the taskbar, including what icons you want to show in the notification area (the area of the taskbar nearest the clock). Just open Taskbar settings and you\u2019ll see all the options.<\/span><\/p>\n And since we are not sure what you\u2019re trying to do, this is the best answer we can give you.<\/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 Rose wants to know the best way to copy and transfer files from one computer to another<\/strong><\/span> Thanks for all your help and advice. Rose<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> You can also use a cloud storage service like One Drive if you have enough space. If you have enough space. For example, if you have MS Office installed, you get 1 TB of One Drive space which should be plenty for backing up\/transferring files. And keep in mind with One Drive files are accessible from all your devices so you really wouldn\u2019t have to copy\/transfer them.<\/span><\/p>\n Either way, the easiest way to copy (transfer) files from one device to another is to back them up first, then you can copy them anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n If you have any more questions, just let us know.<\/span><\/p>\n Sandy wants to know how to stop Windows 11 File Explorer popups when she has removable drives plugged in <\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> But don\u2019t worry, you can turn it off without affecting anything else. Here\u2019s how to do it on Windows 11 (and Windows 10).<\/span><\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Open Settings (Hold down the Windows key & press the I key)<\/span> We hope this helps you, Sandy.<\/span><\/p>\n Bil keeps getting fake McAfee messages<\/strong><\/span> \u201cMcAfee \u2013 Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!\u201d is an online scam. It claims that users\u2019 devices have been infected due to an outdated McAfee subscription. Usually, the goal of such scams is to trick them into installing or purchasing unreliable, nonoperational, harmful, or even malicious software. It must be emphasized that this scheme is not associated with the McAfee anti-virus or McAfee Corp. Deceptive sites are typically entered inadvertently; most users access them via mistyped URLs or redirects caused by rogue webpages, intrusive ads, or installed PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications).\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I have installed:- Ublock Adblock plus As extensions to Chrome and Microsoft Edge. I also installed Combo Cleaner on a 7-day trial. However, I still get the popups. It looks like I will have in the future have to rebuild my PC, unless anyone has any further ideas. Regards Bil<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Here\u2019s our tutorial<\/a> on how to reset and clear the cache for Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.<\/span><\/p>\n After you reset your browser and clear its cache, it\u2019s a good idea to restart your computer.<\/span><\/p>\n Keep in mind also, that this is not a PUA or malware per se, it was something you clicked on \u2014 most likely in an email. It resides in your browser\u2019s history or cache.<\/span><\/p>\n Not sure what UBlock Adblock is, but I think you mean uBlock Origin. If that\u2019s right you should keep that. But you definitely do not need Combo Cleaner\u2026 so we recommend you remove that.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Bil.<\/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 Susan has trouble with Firefox<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Good luck, Susan.<\/span><\/p>\n Elaine wants to know how to email us when she gets a new computer<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> You can also contact us on your new computer by opening the Edge browser that comes with Windows 10 (or Windows 11) and using it to go to https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/contact.htm<\/a> and contact us from there. Just be sure to include your email address so we can reply to you.<\/span><\/p>\n This is a tip for everyone. One of the best things about having a Gmail or Outlook.com (or any webmail account) is that you don\u2019t need Thunderbird, Outlook, or any other email program to send and receive emails.<\/span><\/p>\n While having an email client like OE Classic, Thunderbird, Outlook, etc. is more convenient for most people \u2014 since you can send and receive emails without opening a browser\u2013 if you have a webmail account and you get a new computer you can open a browser and send and receive email even if you haven\u2019t installed an email program yet.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Elaine.<\/span><\/p>\n Carol uses AbleWord and wants to know if it handles Excel files too<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Open Office (www.openoffice.org<\/a>) and Libre Office (www.libreoffice.org<\/a>) are both complete office suites that replace Microsoft Office. Both Open Office and Libre Office offer alternate programs equivalent to MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, and MS Access. There are other free office suites too, but these are the two we\u2019re most familiar with, and that have used.<\/span><\/p>\n Now available: Reg Organizer 9.40<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n If you purchased or renewed Reg Organizer through Cloudeight within the last 12 months, you\u2019re entitled to a free version upgrade to Reg Organizer 9.40. It works great with Windows 10 and Windows 11!<\/span><\/p>\n Save $14 on Reg Organizer right now!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Reg Organizer \u2013 A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Tools \u2013 Works Great on Windows 10 and 11!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Johanna wants to share her passwords with family members just in case\u2026<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> If you don\u2019t mind paying for LastPass Families allows up to 5 people to share passwords for $4 a month. Read this LastPass page<\/a> to learn more about LastPass Families.<\/span><\/p>\n Both are great password managers, and I\u2019ve used them both. I still use them both, but personally, after getting used to Bitwarden, I like it better.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you make a wise decision, Johanna.<\/span><\/p>\n Gaye wants to know where her Wi-Fi options keep going<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Did you try simply restarting your tablet to see if it reconnects to Wi-Fi?<\/span><\/p>\n And there is one correct way to completely reset Windows networking\u2026here are the correct instructions\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n If nothing above works, your wireless network adapter may be going bad and that is what is causing the problem with your Windows 10 tablet. Since you can\u2019t easily replace the network adapter in your tablet and assuming your tablet has an unused USB port, you might want to try using an inexpensive USB Wireless Network Adapter \u2014 see this page to learn more<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Gaye.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n![\"Please](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2023\/gift23.png\")
\nMake a donation today and help us keep on helping you!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nI know you have posted things in your daily and weekly newsletters concerning a replacement for Microsoft Money. But as I was searching your website etc., I couldn\u2019t find anything concerning it. My Microsoft Money is going down the drain, boohoo. I loved it, but I really need to get something new to replace it. I don\u2019t know if I could live without some type of money software. Would you give me some ideas on what I can use and make it easy for this old lady? Thanks, and may God bless you both, Bonnie.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Bonnie. We\u2019re Sorry to say neither of us has ever used Microsoft Money, nor do we use any kind of financial software. Since we don\u2019t like to recommend something without trying it first, and since financial software is not something we could quickly and easily test, I\u2019m going to defer to one of our previous Cloudeight site picks \u201cAlternativeTo\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\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
\n
\nWhy is it, that when I right-click on the task bar there is no option to lock or unlock the taskbar? I need to lock it open for something and cannot find where to do that. Thanks, Judie.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Judie. Windows 11 does not have a lock the taskbar option. The lock the taskbar option in previous versions of Windows allowed you to lock the taskbar to prevent it from being resized. But since we\u2019re not sure what you\u2019re attempting to do, all we can tell you for sure is that Windows 11 does not allow resizing the taskbar so the lock the taskbar option is not available.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"Help](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2021\/donate2021.png\")
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>
\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
\n
\nHi TC and EB. I would like to know what is the best or a good way to transfer files from a pc to a laptop.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Rose. The best way to do it is to back up the files on an external hard drive. Then you can transfer the files to a new (or another) computer. If you don\u2019t have an external drive, you can buy an external hard drive (1 terabyte) for $50 or less.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nI have a couple of USB items plugged into my USB ports. One is an external hard drive that I use to store my files. I have a couple of USB drives that I take my work back and forth with me as I work Hybrid, part in my office, and part at home. I will be working and all of a sudden the File Explorer will pop up for one of the USB drives, sometimes both. Sometimes the external hard drive pops up in File Explorer. It pops up on top of my work while I\u2019m typing away. What makes those drives just suddenly pop up with the contents of that drive in File Explorer?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Sandy. The reason File Explorer keeps popping up whenever you have removable drives plugged in is most likely because you have auto-play turned on.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n2.\u00a0 In the left pane, click on Bluetooth & Devices.<\/span>
\n3.\u00a0 In the right pane, scroll down and click on AutoPlay.<\/span>
\n4.\u00a0 Turn the switch to \u201cUse AutoPlay for all media and devices\u201d Off. <\/span>
\n5.\u00a0 Close the Settings app.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nI am sure I\u2019m not your only reader that is getting fake McAfee messages. When googled I get the answer<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Bil. You\u2019ll be glad to know you\u2019re one of many who have had this problem and even more glad to know you won\u2019t have to rebuild your PC to fix it. There is a simple fix that works 100% of the time: Reset your browser and clear your cache.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2014\/directgreen.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nHi TC & Darcy\u2026 My current problem has to do with my Firefox. When I get an email with a link I want to click on, instead of opening a new tab in my current Firefox, it opens a new browser and closes the current one. It never used to do that. What can I do to stop that and go back to the way it was? I sure don\u2019t want to close my current browser and open a new one. I usually have several tabs open on my current browser and don\u2019t want to close them. Thank you for your help. You always have a solution. Cheers, Susan.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Susan. I\u2019m not aware of any changes in Firefox that would cause this. It may have been an extension you installed, one you installed that was bundled with a freeware program, or one you installed that auto-updated and changed your settings. If you reset Firefox it will return Firefox to its default settings. If you want to try resetting Firefox, read our instructions on resetting Firefox here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nHi, my computer is quite old, I don\u2019t know how to find out how old it is. I will be getting a new one at some stage and will want Thunderbird email installed again. If this computer crashes how do I email you about the new one and do you just need my email address to come on to the new one and install Thunderbird and whatever else I need to be done. Thanks so much. Elaine M.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Elaine. Since you have an Outlook.com account, you can email us from any internet-connected device including a brand-new computer. So, if you get a new computer with Windows 10 (or Windows 11) on it, it will come with Microsoft Edge (browser). You can open Edge and go to https:\/\/www.outlook.com\/<\/a> and log into your Outlook.com account and email us.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nI am so glad, thanks to you, that I won\u2019t be forced to pay Microsoft to continue using MS Word. AbleWord is a great option. My question is: Will this also cover my Excel documents? Thanks so much for all your advice. It is much appreciated!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Carol. Thanks for your kind comments. AbleWord only replaces MS WORD, it does not replace Microsoft Office. To open Excel docs you need to have MS Excel or equivalent.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"Reg](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2019\/ro2019.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nHello good people!! Just wondering which password manager you would consider the best. Have been using LastPass for many years now. As am 78 years old, want to set up an arrangement where family and close friends would also have access to my password manager records. Then when something happens to me, it would make things so much easier for family and\/or close friends to access my online accounts and records, etc. LastPass does have a program named simply \u201cFamilies\u201d which was designed to do this sort of thing. Your guidance\/advice in this area would be so very helpful .. as it always is in ANY area of our ever-expanding IT universe!! Thanks so much for reading through all this and for your help, Johanna.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Johanna. If you\u2019re looking for a simple, free solution, it\u2019s hard to beat Bitwarden. I have been using it for a year now and I\u2019m slowly replacing LastPass on all PCs and I\u2019ve installed Bitwarden on my Android phone and tablet. We\u2019ve written a tutorial <\/a>to help you switch from LastPass to Bitwarden \u2013 including showing you how to export all your passwords, logins, and info, from LastPass to Bitwarden. Unlike LastPass\u2019s free version -there are no restrictions on what kinds of devices you can use Bitwarden with. You can use it with Windows computers, Android smartphones, Android tablets, as well as iPhones and iPads. Read our article about Bitwarden here<\/a>. All you would have to do after you set up Bitwarden is tell the family member(s) where to download Bitwarden (Free) and share the email address you use to log in and your Bitwarden master password which will give them access to all of your logins and password.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\nWhere does my option to connect via Wi-Fi keep going? G\u2019day E.B. & T.C. I use several devices to connect to the Internet at home via my modem using Wi-Fi. Apart from the occasional dropouts, I\u2019ve never had any issues. The exception these days is with a refurbished Samsung tablet, with Windows 10 installed, that I use mainly as an e-reader except when traveling. I don\u2019t notice the tablet has disconnected from the Internet of course until I need the connection. When I click on the Network & Internet setting there is no Wi-Fi option to click on to re-connect. I end up clicking on troubleshooting, then Wi-Fi options but get a message saying \u201cWe were unable to detect your networking issue, however, we can reset your computer\u2019s network configuration for you as a possible resolution.\u201d As you would probably know this involves the tablet shutting down and restarting itself 5 minutes after a notification message to that effect. The Wi-Fi option is back after the restart of course, but is there a way to stop it from going AWOL in the first place? Thank you for all you do to keep us safe, connected & organized. Cheers, Gaye.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Gaye. In Windows 10, double-clicking on the Wi-Fi icon near the clock should display any available networks.<\/span><\/p>\n